Tortitude

Anyone familiar with cats can tell you that Torties are known for their attitude (hence the phrase "tortitude"). We happen to have a beautiful Tortie, Rosalie  (yes, Richard, she is beautiful) who definitely exhibits the attitude her breed is known for.  For a long time, our other cats were very quiet and we called her our spokes-cat.  The others have since found their inner chihuahua (thank you, Beverly Hills Chihuahua), but she is absolutely the most vocal, and demanding, cat.  She can also be the most loving, climbing onto your lap and demanding to be petted or groomed or simply loved on.  Devon is a cat, and I think probably a Tortie as well.  Aubrey is more dog, although she says these days horse, and I am not as familiar with the characteristics of those animals to be able to pinpoint her specific breed.  I think, left to her own devices, however, as a dog, this is what she'd look like:

Maybe not the color, but the dreds?  Definitely! It's a Bergamasco-Sheepdog  And she shares many, but not all, of the characteristics of this breed, also.  Weird......  Aubrey objects to this description of her, but does not deny it.

Anyhow, I finished our taxes tonight, and, with e-filing, we're all done for this year.  YEA!!!  This is the first year in many I didn't apply for an extension.  It'll be our smallest refund, as well, since we don't own a house anymore, but still... done and a refund.  Win-win and life doesn't get a whole lot better than that!

The girls all had fun at the Purim carnival.  Devon loved  the ring toss - you could win a 2-liter bottle of soda - which she did, 4 times.  Aubrey won 4, Isabella 2 and Summer 2.  Needless to say, we came home with a lot to drink!  The girls, of course, each opened and drank from one of their bottles during the carnival...I think partly to make sure I didn't make them put some back!  Although somehow Aubrey managed to put one back (one of Devon's naturally) - altruistic in intent, perhaps - a little girl wanted to play and there were no more bottles left so she took one of Devon's....hmmmm.  Devon, need I say it?  was not a happy person because she noticed immediately that she was one short.  What to do about this?  I have yet to come up with a consequence I'm happy with, but Aubrey did give Devon one of hers to make up.    There were lots of other games to play, believe it or not.  I manned the lollipop tree (more popular than I'd expected), and there was face painting, throwing darts at balloons (surprisingly loud), matchbox car racing, etc plus a whole room of crafts.   And you could purchase a "goodie" bag which was the "Shalach Manot" project Aubrey's class at religious school made up.  Yes, we came home with much soda, 9 painted tiles, 5 bottles of sand art, plus the prizes that the girls "bought" with the tickets they collected for winning games.

Summer was disappointed she didn't win anything at the cake walk, but that was pretty much the only disappointment that I am aware of.  I was pleased with Aubrey's prize selections - she actually got ear-buds for her mp3 players, very useful.  Devon got a slinky as one of her prizes, but didn't believe me when I told her that swinging it around could break it.  It lasted about 1/2 hour before it got tossed into the garbage, irreparably twisted and kinked.  The jump rope is lasting longer, but may also find its way into the garbage if she jumps rope in the house again.  Isabella brought home a slew of head bands and pony tail holders (nicely useful) and Summer got a tiara and a really cute stuffed animal, which she unfortunately forgot at our house when she went home Sunday evening. Hopefully we can keep it away from Bella so it will still be in one piece when we see her next.  All in all, a good haul and I took home 4 happy girls.  Mission accomplished - and it only cost me a small fortune in game/food tickets.  I think money well spent, especially since I got one last Hamantaschen to eat for helping out.

I actually remembered to wear green today.  Not that it was really planned.....but it's a good thing, or I'd have been picked on at work.  Devon saved herself from getting pinched at camp by showing off the green in her underwear.  Clever girl.  I don't think I remember the whole getting pinched if you're not wearing green thing from my childhood.  Is that new?  And, being the good Irishwoman that I am (not!), I made a really delicious corned beef and cabbage with potatoes for dinner tonight.  Yum.  Of course, Aubrey announced last night she'd like to become a vegetarian.  Hard to do when you don't eat many vegetables (yes, I rolled my eyes, sorry!).  Devon didn't like the corned beef but she loved the cabbage.  Now, I could easily see Devon as a vegetarian, she likes most vegetables and could easily not eat meat without missing it except for maybe one or two things.  I'd actually like to reduce the meat we eat and have more vegetarian entrees except [1] I'm unimaginative in meal planning and [2] Aubrey doesn't really eat a lot of vegetables.  If she had announced she was only going to eat meat, that I would have had an easier time believing than her becoming a vegetarian.  Thank goodness Ron is easy to feed....anything goes.

Tomorrow evening we're actually going to my brother's house for dinner - we're invited because our cousins from South Florida will be here for the night and this way we'll get to see them.  Good timing, I have some clothes and stuff for the kids (they're the same age or younger than Devon and much littler in size than my tall girl), plus Hanukkah presents (yes, it was at Thanksgiving but hey, better late than never, right?) plus a birthday present (yes, that was also November).  Yes, I've heard of that thing called shipping.  But this way, I get to see the kids open them up.  Plus, a couple I picked out especially so they'd have them for this trip they're making, so it works out perfectly, if I do say so myself.   And, as a bonus, my cousin is bring Girl Scout cookies!  Woo hoo!!  I know - you're thinking, why did we order cookies from them since Devon is a Girl Scout, right?  Well, it just so happens that South Florida uses the other Girl Scout baker and had different cookies than we had in Central Florida.  Who knew?  My friend Gail wanted to order cookies from Devon that I first insisted weren't Girl Scout cookies but came to find out they were but were only available elsewhere...Fortunately, my cousin located 3 boxes of the cookie (Thank You Berry Munch) and Gail and I are excited to try them out.

Oh - my good new from a while back?  I was selected to be on the Client Associate (CA) Advisory Council for Wells Fargo Advisors.  Throughout the whole country, there are only 22 CAs who are on the Council at a given time.  I'm pretty excited about the opportunity, and am looking forward to both personal and professional growth from this over the next two years.  I get to go to the home office in St. Louis this summer, also.  My boss told me it's hot then, but there's no way it's going to be as hot as it is here, so take me away!

Plus, the Sisterhood at my synagogue has asked if I would be interested in being Vice President - Education for the next 1-2 years.   I was told the position isn't as bad as being the synagogue's Youth Chair (LOL).   I feel so popular these days I can't stand myself.  In fact, I might need to develop some Tortitude of my own.