Let the COUNT-DOWN begin!!

Holy cow!! How in the world did it get to be the last week in August? We must have had one fun-filled summer because time has done nothing but fly by around here.

Well, Colleen is going to be attending a different school this year. While things at Washington School have been just fine, we decided to take a chance and see what the Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School has to offer. It is located in Garfield and the town will be providing transportation. Colleen is looking forward to bus rides, new teachers and new friends. Check out where she'll be headed: www.bergencharter.org.

Even R.J. will be heading out four days a week. The Saddle Brook Public Schools offer a pre-school program for his age and we are in the process of getting the paper-work in so he can attend in September.

Again, I state, "let the count-down begin"!!

Let the deCLUTTERING BEGIN!!

Well, I'm thrilled to say that Mom is all moved in and comfy-cozy in her room (just down the hall from Colleen). I'm so glad that she's here. When she's not around, R.J. is constantly asking, "Where's Greemah?!?" I love the say he says "Grandma".

Anyhow, things have been moved, relocated, reorganized and transplanted. This is all actually working out for the best . . . my basement now has my office furniture in it, complete with computer, books, file cabinet. We've rearranged things and still have room down here for a "living room" complete with new entertainment center and 32" tv (Grandma's contribution), as well as the big table set up so I can scrapbook (when time lends itself) and Colleen can do her homework there when school starts. Upstairs, my bedroom is in a bit of a shambles, however, it's just a matter of getting in the "wanna-be bathroom" and storing stuff up there.

Still, there are things we simply CAN live without . . . check out the link:

www.bargainseeker.blogspot.com

If you know of anyone in need of such items . . . please . . . forward the link to them!!

Thanks!!

Last Week . . . Avon by the Sea . . . This Week . . . Van Saun Park

Well, this month is half over . . . how can that be? It's been my goal to get one outing per week for the month of August. So far, so good. We did the Statue of Liberty two weeks ago.

Last week we travelled south to hang out with Sharon Rose. It was a perfect beach day. The pictures tell the true tale.

Yesterday was a picture perfect day for an outing too . . . we headed to Van Saun Park, walked the zoo, rode the train and played at the playgroud. Even Grandma enjoyed the trip!

Ferry Rides -- Lady Liberty -- Ellis Island

Well, R.J. and I had an indepth conversation about the Wonder Pets. One of the topics was the Pigeon that had to be saved because he was stuck on the nose of the Statue of Liberty. I asked R.J. if he'd like to go see the Statue of Liberty. He enthusiastically responded with, "Yes!"

When I bounced the idea of Colleen, her initial reaction was to grab one of the many Discovery Kids Magazines she has on file (thanks Sharon Rose) and do a little research. After packing up some carrot sticks and a few bucks, we were off to Jersey City to catch the ferry. Here are a couple of pics we took on our outing.

On our way to Ellis Island first.

Lady Liberty is in the distance.

Statue of Liberty Crowns were a must-have for the day.

My favorite photo of the day.

The only thing that would have made this a better day was if Daddy could have joined us. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll get to tag along next time.

I doubt you had a night like mine!!

I'm not sure how you all managed through the storm last night. To say the least, things were a little sticky around here. A band of storms moved through here that packed quite a punch. The light-show was quite amazing to watch and the booming thunder added amazing audio to "the show". Before all was said and done, power was lost, R.J. was terrified and candles were lit. Once the house settled down, Mom hit the road . . . a minute too long without television and she experiences withdrawal. Rox hung around until I managed to fall asleep on the couch. Things were so peaceful and quiet by this time.

Bob woke me up, sent me to bed and Roxanne on her way. The humidity was unbearable. I have no idea what time it was (since all clocks were without power and I was still technically asleep) when I wandered outside and fell asleep on my front porch. The climate there was much better. A gentle breeze was all I needed. There's no telling how long I was out there. I managed to get back to bed and was joined by the three year old. Three in a bed is ALWAYS great fun!!! I'm sure you sense the sarcasm here. Power was restored around 6 a.m. Bob shut the windows, put the air on and got a couple of hours of comfortable rest before having to go to work (Administrator on Duty today).

With the whole experience . . . I truly am thankful for electricity. We really are spoiled around here! I'm off to turn off unneccessary lights now . . . conservation is key!!