Happy Labor Day!!!

We have been in school for 2 weeks already, so it feels very weird to be celebrating Labor Day this weekend. The kids are so looking forward to sleeping in on Monday....and, I have to admit, so am I. I AM NOT a morning person. I don't function without my coffee. I sip it VERY slowly because I don't want it to empty too quickly. I've tried making another pot, but my nerves just get wired and I'm shaking like a drug addict going through withdrawl. One, large cup is good for me. What is my ideal time to wake up, you ask? Between 8:00 and 8:30a.m. I just can't sleep past 8:30...though I try my darndest. I enjoy getting up before the kids, however, making coffee for Chuck and I, fixing a big breakfast, watching a non-cartoon for an hour or so. Ahhhhh....Saturday mornings are the best.
Friday nights are also a family favorite. The end of the week, Dad's home early from work, we either eat out this night or order pizza, maybe a movie night. One of the things the boys like to do is sleep on the couch downstairs. Our bedroom is downstairs and I think they just like to be closer to us. Tanner, of course, doesn't admit that, but he says he sleeps better down there. ;)
Not sure what's in store for tonight. Chuck and I still haven't done anything for our 19th Anniversary, and we've been talking about going to a beautiful wine bar by the lake. We'll see. I'll post pics if we decide to go.
Tomorrow we have the first high school football game. Allison is in the marching band and performs at the game tomorrow. It still seems strange to cheer for the 'Cougars' rather than the 'Cardinals' from back home. But soon we will be singing along when they play the school song, and wearing blue and gold rather than red, black and white. :(
Also, this weekend in Denver is 'The Taste of Colorado'. I would LOVE to attend this festival. There's nothing like a festival of food. That's all I want to do at fairs and carnivals anyway...just eat the food. I never seem to get full at these things. Our family has stopped eating out during the week altogether, so during the weekend it's definitely a treat to have someone else make the meal for us. We have saved quite a bit of money eating at home....duh....But it has been a tough change. The kids, mostly. They beg to just go through a drive-thru....any drive-thru, but we've been pretty strict about it. I've been trying to vary our meals every night, but I think all of my meals contain pasta! I must have been craving it when I made the menu for the week. :) Next week will have to be pasta-free....o.k. maybe one night of pasta. :) It's my favorite....
As far as how school's going? I think it's going pretty well for the kids so far. Ashley's the only one that I hear who HATES it. She hates school altogether...wherever it may be. She's slowly meeting new people, and learning their personalities. Her favorite class is Theater Arts. She came home yesterday saying that class that day was amazing! The students get up in front of class and perform, and she LOVES it. Can't get enough of it. I'm so excited that she's found something that she can really get into.
Alli is enjoying her time in school, and with her new friends. She's really liking the band kids...she calls them band geeks, and yes, she's one of them and proud of it. She seems so happy all the time (except when she has to work) and I'm so glad. Do you remember how hard of a time she gave us when we decided to move here? Who knew it would change so quickly?
Tanner has to get up and out the door by 7:00 a.m. to catch the bus. That is the only complaint I hear from him about school. He's been great at getting his homework done right after school, too. Him and I have our run-ins quite often...especially when I'm tired. We feed off of each other, unfortunetly, on those days. If anything is wrong, it's always Mom's fault. Some days it can get very old. I just have to remember to keep my voice calm and quiet. Very hard.....Otherwise he's making friends at school, too, and says that everyone here is really nice. Whew.....
Mitch loves everything about school. He starts soccer next week and is soooo excited about it. He has a good friend that lives up the street from us, and they play after school quite a bit. He's trying to get over his first cold of the season. His nose is so stuffy...poor thing.
Otherwise, work for Chuck is good. He's very busy...but getting more computer time than he likes. :) He'll need some fresh air this weekend, and we live in the perfect area for that. It looks like hiking will be on the schedule. As for me, I'm trying to land a job. Who knew that finding something would be this hard? Everyone, wish me luck....I need it. I've been knitting, too, and thinking of heading to a few consignment stores to see if they will carry my knitted hats, mittens, and slippers for kids. Fingers crossed....
I hope all have a very fun-filled, safe, relaxing Labor Day weekend. And I pray that all the kids that start school next week have a safe week, also.