Gearing up for the holiday weekend....

Heading off to our camp in MA for the long weekend. While being there is relaxing - getting there can be stressful. Of course we are taking a 'friend' along - so I need to bring up the tent - and get that set up before dark. And then there is stopping at the store for all the goodies that we need. We have camped at this campground for the past 12 years (where has the time gone?). The girls have spent many a summer weekend there. It's a really nice camp - visually - the sites are large, and many people have done lots of great things to their site. It is an 'ownership' camp - you 'buy' a share and you have the right to the use of a site 'of your choice'. We 'bought' ours 6 years ago, we made our final payment this year!! While it's quite pretty, some of the 'owners' tend to make it less than enjoyable to be there!! But you have to look the other way, and just shrug them off. This weekend there is lots going on - as it's the last hurray for the summer. The girls are hoping that LOTS of kids (whoops - BOYS) will be there. But will they ever talk to them - nope!! Check out the link....http://www.laurelridgecampingarea.org/index.html
On a lighter note - Kate got 2 of her teeth bonded - as they were a little 'off' as far as the shape goes. She just got her braces off after 4 years - I really wanted her to have the perfect smile - especially after having the braces for so long.
Well - off to pack and get ready to hit the road!!
Have a wonderful, safe holiday weekend!

Buses RULE!!! or Bus RULES!!!

Hmmm..twice in one day?? Couldn't resist - saw a news report on the local station tonight. It was about a Principal in the Winsted, CT school system and how he goes onto the school buses of his elementary students and talks about bus manners, and bus safety. It has always bothered me to be behind a school bus and see kids up and down in the seats, fooling around, and basically misbehaving. And of course there are those newsreels that show the fights that happen. And you have the bus driver that can't really control the situation. Flash back to the 60's, we had bus monitors...they wore white safety patrol badges, they were older students (wow 6th graders!!) But I'll tell you - we couldn't turn around on our seats, we couldn't have a foot in the aisle. If we did - well then it was a trip to see Mr. Krickscuin, our principal - and he was a BIG man, and scary (at least to a little person!). Today bus drivers have been stripped of their ability to control the situation. Maybe the kid's civil liberties are at risk??? Guess it's better to have a kid get the crap kicked out of him/her, than to uphold the rules. My hat is off to Principal O'Connell in Winsted, CT for starting these kids out early with abiding by the rules...I hope that what they are learning stays with them - it will make them better students, and better citizens of the world.

Here we go!!!

Well, it's the first morning of my blog - had a great visit with a friend for coffee (tea actually). I think I am one of the few swedes that don't drink coffee - even though I used to 'dup' coffee cake into my Mormor's coffee when I was a little girl. Can't stand the stuff now!! It was nice to catch up with her - we live in the same town - but have had a busy summer! The kids are back in school - my oldest (at home child that is) has gone back to public school after 2 years at a private girl's school - she is so excited that she said she would be dancing in the halls! My youngest (again, at home child) is a freshman, and also had a great start...middle at home child is hubby's niece...she is the veteran..she was at the high school last year - so she can give the aid to the other two if they need help - certainly must make her feel a little superior! Would I want to be back in high school - NOT ON YOUR LIFE!!! It was such a simpler time in the 60's and 70's. I went to a small high school - and everyone knew everyone...great times - no stress - school is what you make it - you want it to suck and it will - want it to be great - and it will be!!
One last different subject - the little boy from New Haven, CT that is involved with the youth baseball program there (can't call it Little League - as it is not affiliated with it) who can't play ball - cause HE IS TOO GOOD?!?!?! What's up with that?? He should be so proud that he is as good as he is - and the other teams should be doing double overtime in the batting cages so they can hit his 40 mph pitches. To tell a child that he can't play because he is too good...that's nuts! But this is the way that things seems to go nowadays....if you don't win you don't want to play, What happened to if you don't play you can't win? Shame on all those involved with this issue. I hope that he and his family look to a REAL Little League team, and he plays ball there. I went through this myself with my own son 20 some odd years ago - he was a late stater as far Little League-ers go - he was tall - he was a fast runner - and he could hit the ball out of the park - instead of the fans from the other team saying anything positive about his accomplishments - they immediately questioned his age - he couldn't POSSIBLY be the correct age - he HAD to be older!!! In reality I guess some things never change!! I hope that little boy from New Haven finds his niche, sticks with it - and boy I hope he likes the Red Sox!!!
Have a great day!!