I interviewed on Tuesday, and was offered a position late this afternoon. I accepted, and called my current supervisor and co-worker to let them know, and with their well-wishes, I start on Tuesday.

I'll assist the preschoolers who are in the school district's special ed program. I actually will be back in the preschool classrooms where I have been working the last several years, but working in a different capacity. I'll get to still work with all of my great co-workers.

This new position will also increase my wages for the year by 1/3, plus I receive a benefit package. Because of the increase in pay rate and hours, my public employee retirement account will really get a needed boost (I was at home with my girls for 11 years.) I work the same schedule as my youngest. Gosh, can I gush anymore over this new job?? I am excited!

In other news - where, may I ask, has August gone?! We took our annual camping trip the first week, and then the rest of the month just whizzed by.

After seemingly endless cleaning on my oldest's part, we painted and decorated on the cheap her bedroom. We were also able to catch a special exhibit on Pompeii at the Science Museum in St. Paul - very interesting. Getting the girls supplied and outfitted (minimumly at this point) for school took up a few afternoons. Otherwise, I'd say the rest of the time this month has been spent puttering. If only that resulted in the house looking neater - ha!

And for this weekend... more puttering, I'm sure. I'll bake something for the girls' lunches. I have a couple new lighter recipes to try out - an oatmeal raisin bar and another bar recipe using dried cranberries and vanilla chips. I'll try one or the other, or maybe an old tried and true one - we'll see what strikes me and/or any helpers.

Tomorrow we'll all head over to my inlaws in the morning to do as they wish - they have a list! Later, we'll visit my mom at the nursing home. Then the rest of the weekend is open for...whatever!

Enjoy the long weekend..take care!!

Wow, how fast this summer is going!

I finished up my summer position at the end of July. My last check for this work will come tomorrow. I will start back after Labor Day, so I'll be without a check for about a month.

Much of the expenses for this time of year have been covered. We came back from our annual camping trip along the North Shore last weekend, with some money unspent. There's always so much to do that's virtually free, but I like to carry extra dollars just in case. We enjoyed lots of hiking, swimming, and campfires - very relaxing.

My two middle daughters' sports expenses are all paid in full. I paid the last athletic fee yesterday - $340. Though after going to the sport night meeting, I found out that I could pay a $175 family sports pass to get to see my daughters perform - oh yay! You would have thought we'd paid enough already - I mean wouldn't it be nice to see what we paid for?? As a staff member, I and a guest get into the games free, so I'll price out what it'll cost for the rest of the family to get into games - I suspect it'll be cheaper to pay as we go for my two other daughters. (And I won't even hardly mention what I think about the school parking pass, if my oldest wants to drive to school - grr! Gosh, 'school' has gotten expensive over the years.)

School supplies have been acquired. This cost has been decreasing as the girls get older. My older two just ask for notebooks and pens (and it's a given there is a computer at our house, of course.)

Athletic shoes and a new outfit each, and we'll be calling it good! That shopping excursion is scheduled for Friday, with their grandma treating these lucky girls.

Take care!