what I learned this week...

1. When your son (or maybe it was the dog) spills milk on a new library board book, don't purchase one from Amazon.com in the hopes that the library will do a straight across trade. They have their own "private book vendor" who charges you twice as much. Oh well, now we have a cute book whose pages weren't destroyed by milk.

2. When you watch your very kind and generous neighbor pull out two other neighbors and a friend who get stuck in the ROAD in front of your house-hurry and leave the house so he's available to pull you out should you need it. (Which amazingly I didn't- who knew the Kia had in him!) A huge thanks to the city road department for finally plowing our street, I appreciated it so much!

3. When your daughter forgets to tell you her boots are wet and you forget to check before the next day of school make sure to tell her that after the liners dry at school they are to be INSERTED into the boots before wearing. Chloe came bouncing out of the school wearing nothing-not even socks-just her boot liners when I picked her up. "Mom, they were dry before I came out to the van!" How does that happen?

4. Don't attempt to remove a huge pan of bar cookies from the oven while talking to your husband on the cell phone. It may result in a dirty phone or worse- bar cookies sliding off the pan into the oven. Had it been the regular phone I might have fared better. I have a heck of a time holding those teeny phones between my ear and shoulder.

5. When your daughters take the dog for a walk around the block be sure his collar is tight enough so when he meets other neighborhood dogs he doesn't wriggle out of the collar and start a fight. (Sorry Louie!) Lauren came running in crying and I raced down to where Chloe was trying-unsuccessfully- to get Boozer's collar and leash back on. I will never know if the dogs were actually fighting or just being rambunctious, but the kids were not enjoying the show!

6. Always be grateful to piano students who like you well enough to offer a referral. I start a new student next week! And thinking I'm about filled up as far as students go.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!