Catching up on the weekend

I've had a couple of days off, and since I talked to Hannah a little on Saturday and knew Katie was in Paris this weekend, I took a break from blogging too.

On Friday, I cleaned the house in the morning, but then I read, listened to Dave Ramsey in the afternoon. It snowed/iced over Thursday night/Friday morning, so no one had school on Friday--not even colleges AGAIN! In my years at college, we might have had one day off in all four years, but I can never remember a year that colleges were closed so many days. But everyone said it was really bad on Friday if they had to be out driving. So, I was very thankful that I got to stay home. Abby was going to go to Katie F's play on Friday night, but it got canceled--hopefully just postponed. She didn't have to babysit either, so we were home all day. Jeff still had to go to work kind of--he was giving a tour for "Engineer for a Day" and they still had it even with the snow. I said all the kids were going to be mad since they probably were excited to get out of school for the day, and then they had to go do something when everyone else got the day off of school. He did say that several of them didn't show up even if they had signed up to come. Can't blame them!

So, Jeff and I decided to go out for dinner at Panera, and we had a Frontega chicken sandwich (Jeff) and a BBQ chopped chicken salad (me). It was good--but so expensive--don't know how people eat there regularly. We stayed from about 6-9pm in the back corner booth (just so Hannah can picture where we were!). It was nice to get to chat. I made Jeff be my career counselor and ask me questions and help me figure out the next step in my life.

I told him that I sometimes feel like there are so many things spinning around in my head and it would help to know what the next thing to DO is. So in discussing many options, we are thinking that when Jeff gets his bonus he will "invest" in my interest in doing the BeCentsable class idea. It would be something I can do over the summer and even next year in addition to teaching because I can make my own schedule more than working in another kind of job. I really like the idea of teaching people how to save money--that is an interest that I have had consistently for over 20 years. Many of my interests have come and gone, but that one remains! And with the economic situation we have been in for a long time, I think that people are looking for new information.

So, that could be next week (that Jeff finds out about his bonus), and then I can start the online training, and I'll see what happens from there. Part of me is excited about a new thing--I tend to like starting new things. Part of me is scared to try something new and totally untested. Well, by me--but apparently it has worked for others! And as long as I do around 30 or so people in classes, I will earn back any money I invest. I can at least do that! Lord willing!

So, that was Friday--a nice, relaxing day and ended with a date with my hubby. Abby was watching The Sound of Music when we got home, so we finished watching that with her. It's a LONG movie!

Saturday, dear Abby did a practice SAT all morning, and I made sloppy joes for lunch for the Karen girls. We went to pick them up around 12:30pm. Ehne Thau went to Texas or something according to the girls. Be Bin said she went to help pick up her mom. I don't know if her mom went to TX to see her dad and they were going to get her? But driving to TX? ET in the car for that long? I wouldn't want to be in that car! She is such a busy bee! I'm sure we'll hear all about it.

So it was Be Bin, the 3 Eh girls, and Hser Ler Moo. We ate, and then they went outside to play in the snow--made a snow man (Mr. Jeff) and a snow woman (Mrs. Melissa), but I had a top hat and Jeff had earmuffs! So cute! Ehler and Hser Ler didn't want to go out, so they watched Mr. Magoo and I went for a walk. It was pretty warm and I had missed a day of walking on Friday. No one missed me. They went sledding a little too, and then came in and finished watching Mr. Magoo. We had planned to watch "The Tale of Desperaux" but then they just wanted to play spoons. That didn't last very long, and we still had an hour and a half before we needed to leave, so I had given them some old Lucky mags to take home, and I suggested they make collages. After I explained what that was, they were very enthusiastic and made some very cool things. Eh Dah Po made paper dolls and a little stage for them, and she put up little walls in front of the stage that were made of perfume samples so they smelled good. She was working on making an audience when it was time to go. Very creative.

Eh Dah Doe made a whole little book of her favorite clothes and shoes that we three-hole punched and connected with brads (those little gold metal things). Ehler was finding dresses that she wants to learn to sew. She was really excited when she got here to tell me her good news. She got a babysitting job for Mr. Jeff (at UV) and his wife's kids every Friday from 6:30-9pm and she'll get paid $10 a week. That was exactly what she needed! She will do a great job, and it will give her confidence and some spending money, and best of all, a huge boost to her self-esteem! Then she also said she is getting a trophy in her preschool teaching class--something about her classmates voting for her and perfect attendance. It sounds like she has a really good teacher too. She said, "She keeps talking to me even though I don't really talk to her very much." I said she could probably tell that Ehler is a really nice girl and is just shy.

EDD had to be at UV at 6pm for a birthday party for one of the Matthews boys, so we took her there first then to the Eh's and Jeff went in to see why Ehler's new laptop wasn't connecting to the internet. (It was the wireless button, and thankfully, he found it in a few minutes.) Then we took the others home and went to church for the "beat the winter blahs" night so that Abby and Jeff could play some music. I didn't really feel like going--as Hannah so accurately said on Saturday afternoon when we skyped with her a little, I would beat the blahs by curling up with a book and my blanket! But we went and there were apparently many others who felt like me! It was mostly just the people who planned it. I think maybe they think people are wanting more activities than they really are. But we chatted with Janice and Lisa J. and came home.

I was really tired by 9:30pm so I went to bed early. Still tired this morning, but went to church and loved hearing about the Honduras trip! It was really interesting, and I could see Abby making plans in her head to go whenever she has the chance! Hannah and Kaite would love it too. All except for the bathroom part. Mike didn't talk about that in the service, but he said later that was the worst part. And the food tended to bother their stomachs a lot too. They all were still having problems today--got home Saturday at 2:30am. And they couldn't drink the water--he said everyone drinks Coke or Pepsi all day--the natives drink it for all three meals. Yuck! And there weren't many vegetables--lots of meat instead.

Alan said that they stayed with a host family that was the "Honduran Yackleys" because they had three girls. They hosted all three of them and the whole family slept in one room to give them the other rooms. They had a pretty modern house and all, but no real hot water. You can see the video on the website and lots of pictures that Annette took.

We took a walk today--sunny and warmer 50s. Abby went to 620 at 4pm, and then to Hartville to hear a worship band with Brandon, et al. So Jeff and I went to Giant Eagle to get a newspaper, and then to Marc's for some veggies. And home to eat frozen pizza.

I got everything ready for school and now need to work on the grocery list and eat the ice cream that Jeff just got for me for a treat. Since this is a very long post, I'll be done now. There's always time for more tomorrow. I was glad that Katie had a great time in Paris, and that Hannah has decided about her roommate situation for next year. OK, I'll really be done now! Until later, dear readers!