madameblogalot

We enjoyed an evening at an improv comedy show last Friday. Perfect for my husband’s birthday, Third Coast Comedy was celebrating their third anniversary, and offering FREE performances Friday night! We got to attend a two hour improv show followed by karaoke singing. The actors were personable and interacted with the audience. My husband went on stage to acknowledge his birthday and was also picked to help with a skit along with my daughter’s friend. We got there early enough to choose comfortable seating-an old couch that sat five of us. We laughed and the girl’s even went up and sang Happy Birthday to my husband. The show is family friendly and there were several families with young kids there. I hope they offer free performances on their anniversary every year!

Getting up early again has really gotten to me. And I am not even really working that hard during the day! As my daughter lay on my bed last night, instead of heading to her own at bedtime, she asked me for my bed. She has a good full sized bed, but it’s pretty old now. It was my mother’s grandmother’s! The wooden slats underneath kept falling out, until my husband finally put new ones in. And I am sure she needs a new mattress too. I don’t know if my husband and I will get a new bed or just get her a new mattress.

We have talked before about trying out either the memory foam beds or the sleep number beds. Or we could be good parents and update my daughter’s bed. There are lots of choices out there when it comes to beds so I don’t know. I know my daughter was interested in loft beds for a while. But I don’t know how long that would last with a finicky teenager! I had not seen the ottoman bed before, but that looks like a really great idea-hidden storage! That seems just right for a messy picky teen!

I just learned about a great project that is quickly drawing to a close. I am not much of a sewer (not at all in fact!) but do have lots of craft supplies, including fabric scraps. My mom sews so I thought between us we could help out with the project.

A soldier in Iraq will be leaving in September. He is wanting to distribute fabrics and other sewing and kitting supplies to the people in his area (which now includes much of Northern Iraq) before he leaves. He will be accepting bundles until Sept. 7.

If you want to help out with this or know someone who might, please go to his blog to get all the details.

As the end of the month draws near, I begin thinking of my sister’s and my tradition of posting what we have read and/or viewed that month. I just learned about a new thriller which will be out in September. Since I can not post it on my “Hit or Miss” list (since I haven’t read it yet) I thought I’d just share what I had heard about the upcoming release Evil at Heart from Chelsea Cain.

Here is the Starred Review by Publishers Weekly:

“In Cain’s superb follow-up to Heartsick, damaged detective Archie Sheridan is back home in Portland, Ore., trying to resume a normal life. Archie’s ties to serial killer Gretchen Lowell still run deep, even if he’s stopped their weekly visits in prison. Meanwhile, reporter Susan Ward is finishing an article accusing a beloved U.S. senator of seducing his children’s 14-year-old babysitter a decade earlier. When three bodies are discovered in a local park—where Archie’s team found Gretchen’s first victim 12 years earlier—Archie worries another serial killer is at large. After the senator’s unexpected death, Susan discovers links between the sex scandal and the bodies in the park. When Gretchen escapes from prison, Archie knows he’s the only one who can stop her from killing. In Cain’s capable hands, Gretchen is both a monster and the only person who truly understands Archie’s pain. With its brisk pacing, carefully metered violence and tortured hero, Cain’s sophomore effort will leave readers desperate for more.” -Publishers Weekly

To see if it’s something you might want to read, check out this video trailer from You Tube:

If you are looking for a new read for September, this new thriller might be something to try and add to your own “Hit or Miss” list.

Today was the first day of public school in our area. This is my son’s third year in public school, his Junior year of high school. We have had a really rough time lately, mostly all year. Each day brings its own new battle. I still hate dropping him off at the government’s public school. But today when I did, he leaned over and kissed my cheek. Sure made my day!

My daughter will be starting a new venture this school year. I have signed her up for an online school. She will have most courses online (obviously) as well as have some text books and work books. This is all provided tuition free and we will even be given a computer (for school use only) along with a subsidy for internet access. This is because the school is part of the public school system. It serves students in grades 3-8. We will have to show work done every day and my daughter will also have to take the state tests. She will have teachers and I will just be a facilitator. We’ll see how it goes. If it goes well, I would prefer her to continue this route (another online school offers high school) than have her attend a brick and mortar public school next year. It should be interesting and will definitely bring some changes with it this year.

I guess since I already have my Halloween Costume ready (see my Did You Know blog) then I can turn my attention to Christmas. After all, the stores are already setting out a few holiday items and as soon as the school supplies are gone, they will be in full swing of selling Christmas items!

Lots of folks like to send personalized christmas cards every year. I love getting the ones with family photos. I know many families who use pictures from their summer vacation, so now is actually a great time to think about getting your custom cards. Taking pictures during the year and then selecting your favorite will cut down on one hassle during the holiday season. By doing this now, you can not only get a step ahead, but alleviate some stress as the holidays get nearer!

That is our agenda for our last minute get away. We plan to sit on the beach and do nothing! Relax, play football, swim, read…sounds perfect! We will eat and the kids hope to jet ski. Otherwise, I am not sure if we’ll even visit any sights. We just want to do nothing!

We are hoping for one more quick get away next week. We would like to spend a few days on the beach in Corpus Christi. It is so hard to find an affordable place to stay. I guess as there are no shortage of beach goers, renters don’t have to compete with their prices. We are really hoping to stay somewhere on the beach but may end up staying near the bay. Either way, I know we will have fun. I hope to get our reservations in order by this weekend!

When my husband got back from his recent backpacking trip, he failed to tell me about a little stumble he had. My friend mentioned it to me, more as a fall with my husband being sore a couple of days afterward. He on the other hand just said he kind of stumbled and yes he was sore. Oh, but his watch was really banged up! So since his birthday is coming up, I guess it might be a good time for a new watch.

If money were no object I would love to get him something sturdy and fun too. Then I came across some really great Citizen Eco drive Mens watches. I really liked the Blue Angels one. But then the Eco-Drive Aqualand with Dive Log 20th Anniversary Edition Orange Strap caught my eye. Even though we have not been diving at all this summer (we have at least talked about it!) this very cool timepiece could be the perfect birthday present for him! I love the orange strap and the 20-dive log. It measures the depth and time of your dive and is good for a depth of 200m. This looks like the perfect watch for divers!