Playing Catch Up

It's been over a week since I last posted (though in my defense I have been doing stuff on facebook), so sorry to family & friends in England that pop over frequently to see the boys. I've been doing lots of traveling (still more on the horizon) and we've both been swamped at work. And to be honest I've had a bit of writers block and feel like I have nothing interesting to say. Anyway, I'll try my best to update everyone with our comings & goings this past week:

Our 12 year old HUGE telly with a sound system similar to white noise is officially retired! Today we bought a 40-inch Philips LED flat screen TV. We haven't bought anything nice for ourselves for 5 years so no, I do not feel guilty at all. Not one bit. And it's so nice to not have to whisper to Craig "what did he say?" every 5 minutes.

We've been flip-flopping for a month about whether to send Jack to kindergarten this September as he'll be the youngest in class. The alternative is to hold him back in pre-school for another year, like a lot of parents do if they have boys. I have spoken to parents, teachers, the Internet and just about anybody else with a passing interest. As of today we have decided to send him. He's ready and if he struggles we'll help. I'd love to hear from any of you with a similar story to tell.

Our tax rebate came along and instantly got earmarked for all the boring stuff that does not include 4 flights to England. Insulating walls, replacing windows and paying down credit cards is not quite as exciting is it but in the whole scheme of things makes me sleep a bit easier at night.

The boys are doing great. Jack is making me laugh every day and Danny is becoming very vocal and loving. I'm really enjoying this moment in time with them.

One second-to-last thing: We have a friend whose son is trying really hard to get a scholarship for college. He's a great lad and most deserving. If he wins this competition he gets $25 k towards his college fees. It takes about 30 seconds to vote for him so PLEASE do. You could also watch his video if you have a minute but you don't have to. His name is Travis Jackson - click HERE to vote for him. Thanks!

And lastly, you you may wonder how I'm doing with my George Bush book "Decision Points"? Well, he comes across as human, likable, and down-to-earth. Not a leader though, even by his own standards. But good Lord it's a hard book to stomach when he distances himself from the Scooty Libby incident and it's even harder when he talks about his restrictions on stem cell research based on his "every life is sacred" mantra (didn't he have a lot of men killed on death row in Texas when he was governor and didn't he invade two countries?). So I've put it down for a couple of days, and let's be honest, I want to enjoy my new telly. Talking of which, the American version of "Shameless" is now on so I have to say tootle-pip.