August 2010 Round Up

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What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
I've read two full sets of Bob Books, does that count?

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
* TV Time: I've started watching Chasing Mummies on the History Channel. It follows Dr. Zawi Hawass as he visits all of the various Egyptian archaeological digs. (If you've seen a program about Egypt in the last 15 years, I promise they interviewed him.) It's about as close to reality television as I get. I think at least some of it is contrived, but it's hard to say. Still very interesting. Still watching The Closer, and Rizzoli and Isles is getting better. Regular network shows start next month!
* New Films: Inception (good, but not sure what the big deal is), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (okay, could have been better, good for older kids not ready for PG-13 yet, but "over" kiddie stuff), Beverly Hills Chihuahua (not as bad as I was expecting), Moon (Sam Rockwell was excellent; quite a good movie), Tap (Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis Jr, and a young teen Savion Glover, plus a director who believes in filming dancers with uncut full body shots; just fast forward through the non-dancing parts)
* Old Favorites: Cinderella, The Secret of NIMH, The Rocketeer, An American Tail, Brother Bear, Mona Lisa Smile, Pleasantville, Jumanji, Shakespeare In Love, Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, Bolt, Jurassic Park III, Cars, Kung Fu Panda, Annie

What special days did I celebrate and how?
We celebrated DH's birthday a day early by going to see Inception and The Sorcerer's Apprentice in the theater. And my baby brother turned 30!!! Who said he was allowed to do that? I know *I* certainly did not, and I'm pretty sure my mom didn't either. LOL!

What gifts did I give and/or receive?


The birthday gifts that I ordered with my gift certificates arrived. This is my personal favorite, a bamboo "turner" (I call it a spatula). I might need to go ahead and buy a second one. I love it so much I might wear it out!

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
Allergies seem to be starting up again. Seems a little early this year for fall allergies. I wonder if the dry weather is related somehow. DH had a *terrible* cold for over a week, to the point that he stayed home from work for 3 days (which is unheard of!), but both Luke and I seem to have avoided catching it (knock wood). And Luke came home from school three days in a row sporting bandaids in new places. ::sigh:: Such is life with an accident prone active 5-year-old.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
We met my parents, grandmother, uncle and his wife for pizza out in Covington. Got to tell all kinds of back to school war stories (two sets of parents of school-agers and three teachers; lots to tell! LOL).

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?


I made my first ever biscuits from scratch (not using baking mix) from this recipe: Cream Biscuits by The Smitten Kitchen. I think they would be good for sopping up gravy and such, but they are not the kind I like to just eat straight up, like with breakfast. Yes, I like different types of biscuits for different things. What can I say, I'm a Southerner! LOL

I have also become addicted to raspberry lemonade. I blame my coworker Jason for that one. I've tried it at three places so far: Olive Garden (just okay), Applebee's (very good), and Cracker Barrel (excellent, and served in a frozen mug). Also tried the new stuffed meatballs at Applebee's. They were just okay; not worth the calories, IMO, and the red sauce was *way* too spicy.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Oh, all sorts of things. A new capacitor for the air conditioner so it would, you know, work in the 90-degree weather. Luke's first soccer jersey and ball while registering him for the local rec league, plus shin guards and socks. An astronaut helmet. And of course, there's this:



What were this month's disappointments?
Work has been terribly frustrating, mostly with issues that should never have been issues to start with. I can't complain; it keeps me employed, but it is wearing after a while. But that particular project is done now!

What were my accomplishments this month?
Surviving Kindergarten! Definitely an accomplishment, for all of us. The getting up earlier, the schedule shift in general, the homework, all of it. Quite an adjustment! I also managed to get his bus stop moved closer to the house.

I've been cooking quite a bit more than usual. Luke is just so tired when we pick him up from his after care program that he usually has a meltdown at the restaurant, even if we go straight to eat from there to eat (at 4:30 PM!). He seems to have fewer meltdowns if he comes home instead, so I've been making dinner more. Who knew all we needed to cure ourselves of eating out so much was a cranky kid!

I finally decided to implement the picture grocery list. It's an idea I had years ago, but I never got around to actually doing it for some reason. It has cut down on the grocery store meltdowns dramatically. I also got caught up on my blog after being nearly a month behind. I was typing 2-3 posts a night for about 10 days, but it got done. Thank goodness I jot down notes for posts as they come to me, even if it takes me a while to flesh them out into something readable. I may not have done anything on my 101 Things list this month, but I sure did a lot.

What were Luke's accomplishments this month?



Surviving Kindergarten! I know, I said that already, but it's true. He has done really well with all of it. He has always been a pretty laid back kid, and I am so grateful. Now, if he could just learn that he would finish his homework a whole lot faster if he keeps his rear end in the chair, we'll be doing good.

He's actually been a little more willing to try new foods lately. I don't know if that is a result of growing up some, or of being so hungry, but I'll take it. He is much better about taking a bite of something without fussing, and he loved the biscuits I made. We have also added grilled cheese to his home menu. Yay for new foods!

He taught himself to whistle by watching Handy Manny. I was quite impressed! It was really breathy the first day, but he has gotten much better, and it's only been a week. He's still working on how to control the tune, but it is a very strong clear sound.

He had an excellent dentist visit. Teeth look very clean, well spaced. His 6-year molars are in, which I knew, but insurance won't pay to seal them until he turns 6. Um, why? They're already in! Waiting just gives them time to get cavities. It's not like you're not going to pay for it, so why the wait? I don't get it!

Anything else noteworthy to record?
I think that pretty much covers it!

Monthly Round Up courtesy of Katie the Scrapbook Lady.

Currently feeling: well rounded