The World According to Leslie

This weekend was pretty good. Actually, I was so exhausted from the weekend that I took a TWO HOUR nap on Sunday!  (I haven't done that in a long time!) Friday, I went to watch my nephew play in a high school baseball game. He is a sophomore, but he's pitching for the Varsity team this year!  YEP!  He's that good!  He even made the local paper for his work at the end of the game on Friday. You can check out the article here . On Saturday, I taught the Sign Language badge at the Girl Scout Badge Bonanza. It's an event where the girls choose what badges they want to earn, and they can earn up to 4 in the day! It was fun!  I haven't done that in a couple of years! Sunday, we had the VBS meeting at church. It went well. We had a good turn out for the first meeting. I'm still going to need more volunteers, but I think I will be able to get them. After church, we met up with an old friend. She gave us some scrapbooking supplies for The Princess's Silve...

Last week I got older. I guess that's not really crazy.  We technically get older every day.  Then this week, in ONE day, I got 430 views on my blog!!  That's NEVER happened before, but I could get used to it! ****** We are still in the middle of Girl Scout cookie season. If you haven't gotten yours yet, let me know. I can either deliver them (if you are close enough) or give you the website where you can order them. ****** On Sunday, the stuff for Vacation Bible School came in! I'm so excited!  I'm the director this year, but I am going to need a TEAM of awesome people!  We have a church full of awesome people!  I'm going to get the recruiting video ready so that the pastor can show it before we have the volunteer meeting!!! On Sunday, the pastor also announced to the church that we are doing toys for 500 kids this Christmas. We are going to be collecting toys and money. If you have new/gently used toys that you'd like to donate, please let me ...

So, I haven’t written lately. Well, it feels like forever since I have written.  It’s only been a couple of days in real time.   There’s nothing really going on around here right now. We are waiting on the date for the 500+ cookie celebration. There may be a Daddy-Daughter dance this year after all for Girl Scouts. My troop is working on their Bronze Award tomorrow night.  (I hope they bring in enough shirts.)    My brain is on overload.    I can’t believe that we have fewer that 10 weeks left in school—9 weeks and 3 days (counting today).  With Easter being so late this year, our Spring Break is late!  It’s a bit nuts.   This is probably the most random stuff I have ever posted.  BUT… if you think about it, it clears my head to get to the stuff I have to do today.  In that way, this has been helpful!   Now….  to get ready for the day! 

Many of the countdowns in my world are slowly getting smaller and smaller.  It’s exciting.  This time next week, I will be able to say that we have SINGLE DIGIT weeks left in school.    This week, we have a snow make-up day.  We were supposed to be out of school on Friday, but we are having a snow make-up day instead.  The best part is that it is only a HALF day!     What is 1025??  That is the number of boxes of cookies that the Princess ended up selling.  She earned her iPad mini!  She will get it at the beginning of May (supposedly) at the celebration for kids who sold more than 500 boxes of cookies!  We are excited!  For us, it will be the first (personally owned) i-anything in the house.  We are Android people, except for Tony’s work phone.      Our softball team is pretty cool.  We have a couple of girls who have never played before, but that comes with any rec team.  This ye...

This weekend, we finished some things. 1. The Girl Scout Cookie booths ended for the year!  I can’t say that I’m not excited.  This was a long year for Cookies!   2. The Princess finished up all her sales for 1000 boxes of cookies.  She earns the iPad Mini!   3. The Art Gala and Auction for the Princess’s school was Saturday.  From the initial numbers, we raised over $6000.  I’m impressed.  (Could have been better---could have been worse!)   4. We are now a week closer to SPRING BREAK!  This year, with Easter being so late (the end of April), we aren’t getting Spring Break until then.  Because of all the Snow Days we have had this year, we also don’t get any of the teacher workdays that we were supposed to get before then.  That means that from the beginning of March until the end of April, we are in school every weekday.  I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it’s the longest stretch of straight thr...

Considering that I feel as though I haven’t slept in about 3 weeks, Daylight Savings Time did not really affect me.    To be perfectly honest, we had cookie booths all day yesterday.  The troop is down to about 61 boxes of cookies to sell (total)!  The Princess is only 36 (total) boxes away from her iPad mini goal of 1000 boxes!  OMG!  I can’t believe it will be 2 years in a row with 1000 boxes!  She has worked her tail off….again!   Saturday, we started softball.  Which means that for one more weekend (this one coming) The Princess has cookies and softball.  Then it will only be softball until June….maybe longer.    Sunday morning, I had the alarm set for 8am.  I forgot to reset the clocks.  Tony always does that.  He forgot too.  We talked about it, but we both crashed before it was done.  So I got up with the alarm at 8am.  I came in here to the computer and started working on some t...

February has ended.  Here in NC, it ended with nice weather. March has started.  On Sunday, it was 70 degrees.  Yesterday started at 55, but by noon it was freezing.  Today is starting in the teens and will hopefully defrost during the day.   We had sleet and freezing rain last night.  I really thought we might get a delay this morning.  I guess not.   I was hoping.  I could have slept another 4-5 hours.   I picked up a writing job…30 articles.  I need to get those completed ASAP.    We are in the MIDDLE of cookies.  The Princess isn’t close to her 2500 box goal yet.   We are hoping she will still get 1000.  This year, for 1000 boxes, you get a free iPad mini.  She really wants it, but we shall see.  She’s still trying to sell cookies.    The countdown is still on for everything around here.   Countdown updates: 11 days until the Art Gala and Auction at the Pri...

It seems as though we may be in for a “normal” week here in NC.   I haven’t listened this morning, but I don’t think we are expecting any of that strange white precipitation (snow) to fall this week.    The Princess should be getting her softball info this week.  We should know (for sure) the coaches and the team name.  My brother should be one of the coaches, but we never know until after the draft.    Girl Scout cookies (and booths) are in full force.  I feel as though my world is surrounded by them!  And…that could be because they are in 2 of the main rooms of my house—living room and dining room.   I have a couple of meetings this week, so that makes it even more normal.   The countdown for everything is still on.  As soon as we get our softball schedule, we will get to add more things to it… like first practice and first game!    As long as we keep doing what we are doing right now, this w...

I couldn’t let Post 666 stay up all day.  That would have me freaked out forever!    So….  I guess I’m going to say that although I enjoyed all the snow days last week, I hate that we have to make one of them up today---ON A SATURDAY!   The person who came up with this idea must not have to deal with crabby teenagers at 7am on a Saturday morning!   Oh well!  It’s only a half day! Then we have a cookie booth at noon!   Then we get to do nothing (mostly) for the rest of the day.    I’m excited!

I guess since we didn’t have school on Monday, this week has flown by.  However, since we have to make up two of the snow days, we have school tomorrow.  It’s only for 3 hours, so I’m good.  (Just wish it would be later in the day….lol  I’m not fond of mornings!)   All of the girls have come and got their cookies from my house.  The Princess should be able to get her cookies delivered to people this weekend.  Last weekend was crazy and still had ice on the ground.  Yesterday was almost 80 degrees.    Yes, I do live in NC where you can have a snow storm and 80 degrees all in the same week!  The funny thing is that there is still some snow on the ground.  People (including the city and major shopping centers) plowed snow into huge mounds.  It’s melting, but only slightly every day.   We only have two booths this weekend, so it should be an easy weekend.   Countdown Updates: 22 days until the Art ...

Snow Day #3 for the year was Thursday of last week.  We actually still had snow falling.  Then all of a sudden, it stopped.  Every school in the 22 surrounding counties (and most all of the schools in the state) were closed that day and Friday!    We ended up with about 8” of snow total!  It was crazy!   Snow Day #4 was Friday!  OMG!  After being stuck at home Wed and Thurs, I was pretty sure that the Princess was going to go nuts!  But, she didn’t. Her teacher sent home assignments. She completed them.  All is right with the world.   Friday night, we had our first Girl Scout Cookie booth.  Saturday we had 3 booths.  Sunday, we rested!     Then….Monday…..  President’s Day.  Wow! That was a heck of a week off!  The Princess had my niece over Sunday night.  That kept her entertained yesterday!   Now….  I’m awake (or so I keep telling myself)!  I’m getting ...

Yesterday was snow day #2. Today is snow day #3 for the year.  On Tuesday, we got out of school early because the snow was coming. It came.  It accumulated. It melted. It was pretty.  By 4pm on Tuesday, most places didn’t have a bit of snow on the ground.   Yesterday, they canceled schools because the snow was coming.  So we waited.  We waited some more.  Finally about 12pm (NOON!) the snow started.  We could have gone another 1/2 day and wouldn’t have to make that day up on a Saturday….but nooooooo!  Once it started, it started accumulating quickly.  We got about 1” of snow per hour.  It snowed until about 7pm last night.  Some times it was slower, so we probably have about 5-6” in my yard.    About 7pm, the sleet and freezing rain started.  That’s what it is still doing now.  So schools called to cancel around 3pm yesterday afternoon for today!   Today, I’m “working from home”.  I do ...

In the state of NC, we rarely get that BIG SNOW. They used to be more common.  We used to get one huge snow a year.  Now, we are lucky if we get one every 2-3 years.    However, schools are cancelled, delayed, or let out early for weather all the time here.  We haven’t heard anything today about our schools, but we shall see.    It’s all about waiting to see what happens.  Sometimes, I think that God is sitting up there showing us HIS sense of humor.  He lets the weather people tell us whatever they want to tell us.  Then HE decides to have some fun with the weather.  (That’s just my 2 cents!)   Countdown Updates: 0 days until I pick up cookies!  TODAY is the day! They are still calling for “weather,” but they are pushing back the start time to later today. My scheduled pick up time is 6pm. So, we shall see.  It should be fine. Tony is going to drive me there so I’m not having to do it alone.  Then ...

Sometimes, I feel like it has been forever since I have written here.  I wish I could get my fingers back in the habit of writing ever day.   On top of that, I wish I could get a few writing jobs going so I’ll be set up for this summer.  I don’t want to have to scramble for jobs this summer.  I have some applications in, but I’m just waiting.    Here are my countdowns: 1 day until I pick up about 1000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies—It’s tomorrow.  However, the weather people are calling for snow and ice.  We have been told that we have to pick up cookies no matter what, but I’m not sure I’m “risking my life” to get cookies to my house! (LOL ) 4 days until cookie booths start (2.14) 5 days until my birthday (2.15) 32 days until the Art Gala and Auction at the Princess’s school ~11 weeks until Spring Break starts (April 18th) ~11 weeks until Easter ~14 weeks until EOGs start for the Princess ~16 weeks until Memorial Day ~17 we...

You all know I love a good countdown.  I countdown to Christmas, vacation, Friday, the end of the work day…. EVERYTHING!   Well, I think it is part of how I deal with stress.  When I am aggravated about something, being able to countdown to the end of it makes it easier!    So….here are a few countdowns (some are fun/others not so much)! (Some are vaguely close to the real dates….they will get more specific as the time comes!)   5 days until I pick up about 1000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies 8 days until cookie booths start 9 days until my birthday 37 days until the Art Gala and Auction at the Princess’s school ~12 weeks until Spring Break starts (April 18th) ~12 weeks until Easter ~15 weeks until EOGs start for the Princess ~17 weeks until Memorial Day ~19 weeks until school is out!   I’m a little stressed out this year with all the stuff I am doing.  I haven’t been able to scrapbook with my DIVAS since Sept. or Oct....

Before I tell why my heart is heavy, let me get some good news out! 1.  Chasity sold over 1000 boxes of cookies!  WOW!  That's a new record for her.  We are excited.  It means she will get a Kindle Fire.  (I think she is going to take my Kindle full time for now and we will share the Kindle Fire!) :)  2. Today is Friday!  That means that tomorrow is Saturday!  I get to scrapbook tomorrow for 12 hours! :)  LOVE IT!  Can't wait to see my triplets! :)  3. Our first softball practice is tonight!  We are going to get to meet team and see how things are looking. Now, for my heavy heart. On Wednesday, I got a message from my mom that my Uncle Bud (my Papaw Paul's brother-in-law) was in the hospital in critical condition.  It wasn't very long until I got a message that said, "I hate to tell you this over text, but Papaw just called and Uncle Bud passed."  :(  So, tonight, I will be getting in a car with ...

Today we have 2 booths.  Tomorrow we have 1 booth.  Then that will be the end of Girl Scout cookies for this year.  Of course, I will update on total number sold! :)  Other than that.... this is the END OF COOKIES! :)  (Anyone else excited about that? I know I am!)

Are you tired of reading about Girl Scout cookies yet?  I'm tired of talking about them.  However, they have consumed my world.  Maybe...just maybe...after next weekend, I will get my world back! It won't be long after that, though, that softball starts! :)  Then we will be crazy with that! :) However, people say some really weird things when they buy cookies from you.  Like on Friday night, we had a guy come up and ask a really strange question, but I had been told people would ask it. Man: "Are these cookies made with genuine Girl Scouts?" Me: "Yep.  This year they ground them up a little better than in the past though." Man: "Good!  Last year they got stuck in my teeth!" Gross right? However, I was prepared and it shocked him.  He thought he was funny! :)  The girls thought it was DISGUSTING!  lol

Cookie season is going well.  We have had at least two booths (sometimes 3-4) every weekend.  Last night, we sold about 100 boxes at WalMart. Today we have a booth we set up as a troop.  I'm really hoping it will go well.  I'm a little nervous.  The place is normally PACKED the first couple of weekends a month.  However, I think that the threat of "snow" will possibly hold some people back.  Why is it that every weekend during cookie booths there is a threat of "snow"?  Why "snow"?  Because in NC we don't get the large amounts of every where else.  We get little bits of MESS that causes traffic issues for DAYS after a 1/2" falls! :)  Of course, after it "snows" here, it's 60 degrees the following day so it goes away!  RARELY do we get anything REAL in NC.  Bring on the "snow"!  I'm ready for it! :) 

In case the title didn't scare you off, I am not going to have a political rant here.  I typically keep my politics to the voting booth.  Although, sometimes, it is impossible not to say something....one way or the other. Here is what I am going to say about the speech last night.  I did not watch it.  I had some things on DVR I wanted to catch up on.  In all honesty, I forgot about it until the news broke in for a "Special Report" at 9pm.  I was already on the way to DVR land by then. :)  I did flip through a few times, but I did not listen to more than one or two sentences.  So that makes me pretty unqualified to have an opinion of the speech. I will say, I personally think the state of our union is in a mess.  We have soldiers stationed and fighting all over the world. We have rich people who keep getting richer and never have to pay taxes or face consequences for their actions.  We have poor people who are getting poorer an...