secrets, secrets, they are fun- unless you need to bribe your kids...

So my darling hubby and I just booked a one week surprise trip to Disney World for our kids. We are so excited to spend some time near the holidays enjoying Mickey and the gang. We are a family who love Disney and usually visit the mouse every October. With Craig's job situation, we postponed our October trip and told the kids that 2010 was a Disney-free year. The kids were sad, but didn't know our secret.

Wouldn't you know that the kids have all been total stinkers today- the day we book the big trip? And I can't even threaten to not take them to Disney because they don't know we're going.

What kind of parent are you? I'm totally a threatener! I make my little darlings earn (or think that they are earning) every trip. Does this make them grateful? Not at all! But it makes me feel better... :)

Monday-Funday

Being a stay at home mom, there are several different types of days that make up my life. Some days, I do, literally, stay at home and cook, clean, organize, do laundry (though to be honest, my hubby does most of the laundry because I suck at laundry- and not even on purpose like how I suck at painting). Then there are the days that I spend shuttling around running errands- grocery store, Target, new school shoes, Costco- it is super exciting. There are also the days when I volunteer at the school library, lunchroom, health screenings, kindergarten registration, tutoring, or writers workshop. Today was a totally different kind of day.

I don't know if I've written how lucky I am to have made an amazing group of friends in the six years we've lived in the bubble. Really- you couldn't have conjured up this group of women from a spell to make more fun, caring, amazing friends. These gals get me- the real me, not the me that shoves everything into the closet right before you come into my house.

Together, my friends and I created Monday-funday. Last year while Craig was still between opportunities, I had a lot of time. So one day, I sent out a group email to my girls to see if anyone wanted to go to the movies while the kids were at school. I'll say it again- we go to the MOVIES while the kids are AT SCHOOL! Monday-funday! It is a little guilty pleasure among my galpals. I love it!!! Today, we went to see You Again which was a perfect girls movie.

And three of us almost stayed for another movie--- LOVE IT!

And so it goes again...

So, Craig is home again. After six glorious weeks of employment, we're back to where we started. In some ways, the adjustment is even harder this time. I was finally going to have my house to myself as Bones didn't start preschool until yesterday. Instead, once again, I'm never alone. I think it is a harder transition this time because I was so looking forward to just having some time alone in my house to sort, clean, organize, cook, watch tv, just to be... I'm adjusting and praying that this will be a shorter hiatus than the last.

As a result of my recent re-companionship, I emailed my gym, Fitness Together, to have them refund my unused sessions- minus a 15% handling fee. This would result in over$3000 returned to our bank account- even with them keeping the handling fee. Hello mortgage! Much to my surprise, they won't refund my money. I'm pissed- they suggest I just use the sessions. When I joined up, they touted the fact that you can cancel any time, no commitment, etc- but now that it's time to walk the walk- they're running the other way. Now, I have a headache. I don't want to be forced to work out somewhere I don't feel comfortable. And I have a sick feeling in my stomach at the idea of going in there-

What should I do? Keep bitching? Call my attorney friends? Cry? UGH!

Preschool starts tomorrow!!!

I have had Bones with me for the past three weeks while his older siblings enjoyed their days at school. In some ways it has been fun to have a sidekick- in others, I'm ready for some peace and some privacy... I'll post a first day of school picture tomorrow, but until then, here is my absolute favorite back to school ad: