This is my second time posting this weekly update today! Something is going haywire because it was posted, and then it wasn't. Oh well.

Good morning everyone. It's almost back to school for us. This week, it's Maze Day for both the junior and senior high. I'll be helping to hand out schedules for the senior high today. It's a nice way to help out.

Where did the time go? I have 3 junior high students! We were at Costco yesterday and someone bumped into my taller son and said, "Excuse me, sir." My son was so thrilled that someone called him "Sir." LOL

Here are a few questions to get us going this week.

1. How often do you play the lottery? Win?

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos?

3. What's your blood pressure?

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic?

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school?

Have a great week everyone.

Sharon
12 year old b/b/b + 16 year old son

1. How often do you play the lottery? Win? Only when the jackpot is big!

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos? I'll let you know when I receive my Visa bill,lol!

3. What's your blood pressure? I'm told it's a bit on the low side.

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic? Everything but the kitchen sink.

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school? Spend more time on myself.

This last week has been a rough one for our family. My dh's cousin lost her son to a 2 1/2 year battle with Ewing's Sarcoma. He was only 19yo. Keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. It's gonna be a rough couple of days.

"Just remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, but it takes action, perseverance, and facing your fears."-- Gillian Anderson

1. How often do you play the lottery? Win? I don't play very often, but DH plays every week.
He won $200 this weekend. Wish he'd win the big one.

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos? My trio are seniors and I'm worrying about the cost of senior pictures....I think it will be around $300 per kid. That's a deal compared to the kids friends whose parents are spending $500+ on one kid. Yearbooks, cap & gown, prom, etc.etc. oh and the big grad party in June.

3. What's your blood pressure? low...110/60

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic? left over wood from our addition (15 years ago), extra siding pieces, old Little Tikes toys.

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school? nothing will change. go to work everyday.

School starts Sept.8 here in Michigan. I'm glad we have a little time left to get ready. I still have to get the kids outfits for senior pictures which will be taken the end of September. I still have to get chevrons sewn on their varsity jackets from last years sports too. I'm sure it's the last year they will wear them.

Trish Dawson
Mom to bgg (1992 @ 31
weeks)

1. How often do you play the lottery? Win? Not often, but will try to remember to pick up a ticket for tomorrow -it's over 200 million

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos? Not much at back to school but give us 2 weeks and the requests come in - our yearbook request is in the spring -$18/child (for elementary)

3. What's your blood pressure? 134/82

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic? we really don't have any storage there

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school? Same as now - work and shuttle kids to/from activities once I get home.

Laura
Mom to M, N & C (5/8/99)

1. How often do you play the lottery? Win?
Raely, but I do dream of winning the big ones. Once, when it was up to 300 million, I actually wrote out where it would all go, lump sum, taxes, chaities, trust funds etc.

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos?
It feels like a ton.
We are at a private school is tuition is rather hefty.
On top of that we get a long supply list (around $100/kid if you don't search sales and keep things from last years),
more school fees (science lab, assignment notebooks, flashdrives)about $27.
The optionals are-
School pics- around $25/each for the smaller packages.
Yearbooks- a steal at $10.
Hot lunches (weekly)- range from $2.75-4/person.
Mandatory-
Candy sale-sell or buy $72 worth of candy per child.
Burger King coupon-sell or buy $30 worth of coupons.

3. What's your blood pressure?
Higher this time of year! About 120/70

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic?
Christmas decorations, kids clothing/books/toys I want to keep for grandkids. We are lucky it is big (the floorplan of the house)

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school?
My son has been back for nearly a week, the girls 3 days. The first days I moped around with teary eyes. Today I got lots of laundry done and hope to make it to the library.
My work schedule will fill up more next month too.

Judie and Victor
lucky parents to
Frankie 3/95
Maggie 7/96
Rose 7/96
Elizabeth 7/96

1. How often do you play the lottery? Win? Don't play, therefore, don't win.

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos? Purchased yearbook, school ID, and lunches

3. What's your blood pressure? ??

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic? holiday decorations, books, bedding, unused furniture

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school? teach! Triplets are still being hs'ed.

Tracey
Michael, Soccer Dude (12)
Francesca, Classical Guitarist (11)
Matthew, Slide Tackle Soccer Dude (10)
Alexis, Cheer Chick (10)
Gabrielle, Sassy Gymnast (10)

Host mom to exchange students:
Johannes, Germany (18)
Torunn, Norway (21)

Hi Everyone,


1. How often do you play the lottery? Win? never...rather waste that dollar on something else

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos?

public high school was awful and it certainly was not free
for the triplets the senior bill was over $1000 per kid nuts
my youngest is in private high school...much better even with tuition

3. What's your blood pressure? beats me

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic? don't have one just an attic crawl that only the landlord goes up into....and a squirrel family

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school? work...maybe get the house clean now that they are in college

Tami

mom to three college freshies
and one high school freshie

Good afternoon to all. Boy I am a little late getting to this this week. No excuses either, just lazy I guess.

1. I never play the lottery. My dh buys me tickets at Christmastime for my stocking, but I rarely win.

2. Don't remember how much anymore. I just know I just about went broke. I think our yearbooks are up to $75.00 now though.

3. My blood pressure is in the normal range now that I am on meds for it.

4. The only thing in our attic are the boxes from my Sarafin Angel collection. We don't have rafters in our garage. We have a tuck under with a finished ceiling.

5. I will go back to school. We start back Sept. 8th.
I am so anxious to get back to work. I hate the lack of brain stimulation when I am not working.

mom to:
Ryan 32 The Lawyer
Jason 30 The Chief Meteorologist
Chris 30 The College Student
Tim 30 The college grad

I love hearing their versions of their childhood memories!!

Hi all

1. How often do you play the lottery? Win?
dh tries to remember to play when the it is big

2. How much does your schools request in donations or other check-writing activities at back to school time? Yearbook costs? Photos?
Not too much - and what does come up is never a lot of money so far (I anticipate high school being a different story!)

3. What's your blood pressure?
90/60

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic?
do not have an attic - just built a big shed for extra building materials, outdoor stuff and tools. Now we are hoping to finish the basement as all that stuff had been down there and now it is free space! We are having a yard sale this weekend to clear out more clutter!

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school?
I hope to do more organizing in the house and try more scratch recipes. I work PT so that does not change.

We have 1 1/2 weeks left til school - I love fall but am not looking forward to the business of activities again. I am SO thankful that we have the opportunity to be in a lake cabin next week - Just the 5 of us, relaxing, reading, playing games, paddling... I have been craving this all summer and somehow we made it happen (just arranged it last week and get the cabin for free!)

Hope you all are well. Have a good rest of the week

Suzanne
BBB 4/00

1. I play the lottery about once every 36 months and no I never win.
2. Stephanie is a senior this year and so far it has cost $300 for registration which does include an ASB card and yearbook. We just took her senior photos today so put $100 sitting fee down and photos will be about $400 more. Her color guard expenses will be around $1,200 this year as they are traveling for performances but this doesn't need paid until January. Also it is $1,800 more for their senior class trip to Hawaii but I already told her that she is not going. Instead her dad and I will take her on a cruise as using our frequent flyer miles it will be cheaper and safer with us there with her. Ethan is in middle school and his school fees will be $100. Hannah, Heather, Halley and Emma have no school fees but have long supply lists which I spend about $75 x 4 kids. Plus, in two weeks we spend $40 x 5 kids for school pictures. These costs are in addition to band fees, school clothes and shoes/gym
clothes.
3. I have a rare blood disorder which along with six kids and a husband that drives a motorcycle way over the speed limit (got pulled over this month with my son on back and last time rode so fast my son made him pull over twice to puke) - so about 140/80 with meds.
4. We have no storage in our rafters.
5. I have no idea what I will do when the kids go to school but I am sure going to enjoy doing whatever I want. I do work from home thanks to a fantastic boss. Emma will be entering first grade and this will be my first time ever home without kids. I won't be alone however since hubby also works from home.
Lisa (mom to Stephanie 17, Ethan 12, Hannah, Heather, Halley 9, Emma 6)

Been busy getting things ready for the students' return. Since the boys are not in school yet I have been working nights so that I can be at home when dw is at work during the day. A little bit of sleep deprepation to say the least.

Things will "normalize" once the boys start school next week. Tomorrow is 7th grade orientation. I think the boys are going to like Jr High. Expecting some major changes in the boys over the next year or so! Bryce shot up...he was always 1/4 to 1/2 inch shorter than Calder, but has sprouted up 1.5" taller than Calder -- much to Calder's displeasure. I just told Calder that he's due for a growth spurt, so just hang in there!

Well, go to go -- I am developing some B&W film from our camping adventure!

1. lottery -- haven't played but once or twice...don't win.

2. How much -- don't want to add it up, but not too bad.

3. What's your blood pressure? Normal -- forget the numbers.

4. What do you store in your rafters/attic? -- anything that can fit!

5. What will you do when the kids go back to school? -- work normal hours.


Vaughn and the ABC Boys
Alex, Bryce, & Calder
3-31-97 @ 28.5 weeks
http://s515.photobucket.com/albums/t356/vaughn3abc/

1. I don't play

2. Just photos for now - about $25.00

3. I'm always told it's good, so normal I guess

4. Not much

5. Go to school with them (I work there). My oldest dd is in middle school now. I've been a little down lately because for 7 years I would see her every day whenever she'd come to the school library. Now she's at another school.