Monday, October 27, 2008

Here it comes....ready or not!!!!

Winter, that is. A week ago today, I enjoyed a leisurely drive down Vine Hill Road and Minnetonka Blvd. The sight of the leaves was breathtaking. Yesterday, the only thing taking my breath away was the wind--which blew all of those beautiful leaves right off of the trees and into Wisconsin!

Now, I have to tell you, last year was my first winter in 12 years. It was novel and fun...for the first 3 months. Our kids had never experienced snow or cold weather or sledding. Sliding down the many hills in our area, we felt like kids again ourselves. But that was last year and, like I said before, it had been 12 years since I had done that. Now, a mere 6 months later, we are gearing up for another one, and I am not ready....I need another 11.5 years!

Fall has been great, though, and since I haven't really updated this blog since it began, here are some of the highlights from the last month:
  • Going to Minnetonka Orchards for a beautiful day with the family
  • Celebrating Ava's 3rd birthday with family and friends
  • Playing in the leaves with the girls
  • Going to Iowa City to see my beloved parents and their beloved Hawkeyes; reminiscing with my college roommate over dinner and drinks in our old "stomping grounds"
  • Taking a ride on the Excelsior Ghost Trolley with the family
  • Packing kosher meals for needy Jewish families with Maya thanks to Project Elijah

I'm also currently reading (more like "muddling through") Middlesex for my book club, planning a unit on Jewish Short Stories and Poetry for 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, and taking a Spanish class....all secondary to being a wife and mother, full-time. So, now you know why I can't keep up with this blog!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

5 Things Meme

I was "tagged" by my friend and fellow blogger Jodi to participate in "5 Things Meme." What is "Meme" I haven't a clue...something people who "blog" a lot and follow blogs would know, I suppose. So, here goes:

10 Years Ago I:

  • Taught high school English
  • Lived near the beach in Southern California
  • Was planning our December wedding
  • Drove a black Chevy Cavalier that was completely paid for
  • Still got perms

5 Things on Today's "To-Do" List:

  • Email tonight's lesson plan to Meryl
  • Meet with Maya's psychologist
  • Snuggle and read books with Ava
  • Decorate pumpkins with the girls
  • Teach at Bet Shalom

5 Snacks I Enjoy:

  • Honeycrisp apples
  • Bagels
  • Celery and peanut butter
  • Bananas
  • Popcorn

5 Things I Would Do If I Were a Millionaire:

  • Hire an awesome nanny
  • Pay off our mortgage
  • Invest in the girls' educations
  • Travel
  • Donate to worthy causes

5 Places I Have Lived:

  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Minnesota

5 Jobs I Have Had:

  • Waitress (my least favorite)
  • Bank Teller
  • Childcare provider
  • Teacher/Tutor
  • Wife/Mother/CEO of Household (my most favorite)

The rules say I have to tag 5 people. Well, I don't know 5 bloggers to tag, but I will tag the ones I know who most likely haven't done this yet: