Yes, it is Saturday. I don’t usually post anything on the weekends, but it has been a strange week and I haven’t managed to find two consecutive minutes to post anything since Tuesday night, so you get a Chaos week wrap-up, special weekend edition.

So, yeah…what happened this week? The time change, which all-in-all has been a very good adjustment for our happy home. It is dark while the girls are eating, which sets the stage for an early bath and both of them have been in bed and asleep by 7:30. It isn’t that much earlier than before, since they were usually in bed by 8 or 8:15, but it seems so much earlier. And since it is dark, there is no monkey business. Heads hit the pillows, eyes close, see you in the morning.

They have been getting up a little earlier, like 20-30 minutes earlier, so I guess in the end it is all about equal. But daylight at 6am means that Mommy can get a run in before the day starts without fear of falling down and cracking my head open.  (Do I say, “cracking my/your head open” a lot by the way? The other day Addie said to me, “Oh be careful Mommy you don’t want your head to crack up!”)

But generally, the time change has been good for everyone’s attitude (especially Miss Addie-tude!) and the girls have been really, really good. They even endured a very long wait at the hospital with me this week – it was nothing life-threatening but definitely had to be taken care of, and my doctor couldn’t get me in in a timely fashion. Mommy in her infinite wisdom grabbed the girls from school and headed over there. Didn’t have any diversions, snacks, not even pen and paper in my purse. Nice. But we found some pretzels, crackers, juice and entertained ourselves as best we could. I was so very thankful that they were so awesome.

That was Monday, and our week just kind of got carried away with running around and doing the usual stuff.

We had parent-teacher conferences this week for Em. Of course she got a glowing review, she is doing well and Mrs. S. said “I think Emma is going to have a great year. In fact, I don’t think there will ever be a year in her school career that is not good!” It is always fun to hear good things about your kids. I was a little thrown off when she started  talking about how the report cards look. I don’t know why but just hearing that she was getting an actual report card this year – it kind of hit me. “Wow. I have a school-aged child. A kid in real school!” So we’ll look for that report in December, but I have a feeling it will be on target.

Emma has added yet another social obligation to her busy calendar. She and her friend Avery decided they wanted to become Gospel Cherubs, part of the children’s choir at church. (Don’t worry my dear family, I think she may have Daddy’s musical genes, or at least part of them, she sounds better than I do any day of the week.) So they have practice during the week and before Sunday school and this Sunday they get to sing at church. They have little choir robes, even, so cute! I think the church would frown upon me taking photos during mass, but I’ll have to sneak one or two of them before and after. Eeee!

Speaking of photos, the girls got their school pics back. Emma’s you have to buy before you see them, and since I know we need a few photos to document her first official year in school (Ahhh!!) I just bought the little package (which was still crazy expensive – do you know how many prints of photos I could make for that amount??). But it turned out pretty well, even if she forgot to put her sweater back on.

(It looks a little washed out here – I fear my scanner has just about had it, but for reals, it looks pretty good.)

And then Addie’s. Yes. Well, they just take a bunch and you come in and view them and see if you would like to purchase them. When she came home after picture day she had a little brush with her name on it. Uh oh. “Um, Addie, did they brush your hair today before your picture?”

“Yes, Mama! Look like, this…”

And then she proceeded to “brush” her curls. Which only makes them frizz and look all…well, like this –

Gah. Doesn’t even look like her without the curls (not to mention the angelic little hands on the knees!), she just looks so, I don’t know? Old?!

Em also got her soccer photos back, which thankfully were included in her soccer registration fee. Why didn’t somebody warn me that having kids is so expensive?!

Cute. The team photo is cute, too – if you leave off the Assistant Coach on the left side.

Speaking of which, we need to go get ready for Em’s game. I’ll continue the update later. Well, on J. and my end I guess all you need to know is that we are working. J. is working hard and traveling next week, and I have turned in three projects this week and have a HUGE one due the week after next. So to sum it up…just work!

I plan on taking some time to go out and hang around with the girls tomorrow. I haven’t picked up my camera all week, so we’ll see you hopefully with something good on Monday!