Another newsletter, cattle roundup, life

This PTO newsletter thing at first thought seemed to be not a huge project every month. I now know better, but oh well, live and learn. Not that I would stop, but I'm learning that things need to happen in a process and on a time frame. Not to mention DEADLINES need to be met. Which means I need to enforce them, but how. How to enforce getting the content from the school when that is the main content. The newspaper that has donated the printing and paper has their own deadlines also. So I'm trying to meet all, while "bugging" everyone to meet my deadlines. What fun. I enjoy putting the newsletter together, its getting it to me that frustrates me. This newsletter for the first time has ads, which ads another dimension. Its good for the PTO because it makes the newsletter a money maker instead of a cost, which is what you want in the PTO. So getting all the ads in and making room is another aspect. We also add the school lunch menu to the newsletter because not everyone has access to the internet to access the school web page. Hard to imagine not having the internet. When did that happen? You know the frustration when your provider has trouble and you don't have access. Scary isn't it. I send the file to the newspaper/printing place that prints it for us for free, but its not a priority for them, so if there are any problems, its a couple of days before they get back to me. Such frustration.

Then adding to that its the first of October which means it is time for the roundup. Yes a roundup. My husbands family has range rights on the National Forest to range their cattle. Which means the first of October they need to come off. Its fun in its own way, looking for 160 cows on about 80,000 acres of forest, not the fun part, but the ride thru beautiful country. We also have a great lunch and a fun visit with family, and friends who come to help. It takes up a weekend but does not end there. The next weekends are also taken up to find the stragglers, and there are always stragglers, and they tend to be our few cows. We only have ten and are still missing 7, not great odds. We will go up again this weekend in hopes of finding them. It is very enjoyable to spend the weekend, staying in the travel trailer, enjoying nature, looking for the critters. Even if it rains and we only go out a couple of times, its so relaxing, we watch series on dvd, like Monk and Psych. Make chocolate chip cookies, eat so good. Cait goes and plays with the neighbors of the "camp site-where we park the trailers for the season" their girls are her age, they ride horses, 4-wheelers, play house. Then she rides with us too.
Then we come home and go back to work. Yuck.
Life goes on, its what we do and how we do it that matters.
I think the scooter is going to get parked for the winter, its so cold in the morning. Can't handle the cold that way. Takes me hours at work to warm up and a cup of hot cocoa.
Fall has arrived. I love the colors, the cooler temps, sweaters and jackets, especially suede jackets!! Took some awesome pictures this weekend of the colors, even with the rain and the mist.
Trying to accomplish it all.
Later

School, shopping and newsletters.

Okay so school is full at it. Homework and all. Not too much homework, yet. The usual math, and reading with some spelling words to work on. I honestly do not know how parents with more than one child in school do it. On most things I do not know how parents with more than one child accomplish anything. We both work, so when we get home its homework, dinner, an activity like a bike or scooter ride. Nothing big, no time. Bed time 7:30pm. I know a little early, but where she no longer naps, she gets too tired still. Anyway, not much time in the evenings for much of anything but the basics.
We watch Jon & Kate Plus 8 and I do not know how on this earth they accomplish what they do. I am so amazed. I love that show!!!
I guess you adjust to the number of kids you have.
We did some school has already started school shopping, and some Christmas shopping at Park City and the outlets there. Alot of fun, a really great weekend. I shopped most of the time, Chris and Cait swam in the pool. Shopped a little, but swam alot. My niece and her husband (college students) came up had lunch with us, did a little shopping. Always fun to see them. My best buddy came shopping to. Carrie is so much fun, much more fun to shop with than my husband! Always fun to spend time with her!!
The next day we hit IKEA, LOVE IKEA. So much fun, that is one of the few places my husband enjoys shopping at. Cait loves the kids area to play for an hour. By then we are usually thru shopping and its time to pick up the big stuff. Can't seem to get out of IKEA without some bigstuff! So much fun.
We stayed an extra day to see my nephew when he flew in from Germany before he goes on his mission.
Great weekend, expensive weekend, but so great!
The next weekend we went to a working horse show (ranch horse show) in Preston Idaho. Very interesting. Another fun weekend, not nearly as expensive. Thank heavens, just a trip to the cheese factory, and the kitchen store.
Looking forward to a weekend at home. Lots of projects at home to finish.
Also need to get working on the PTO newsletter. That takes up some time. I'm enjoying it, despite the frustration, but I enjoy being creative. This year the newsletter will include advertising from local businesses, its been very successful, but getting everything to fit is a struggle. This way the newsletter will be a money maker for the PTO instead of a cost. That as Martha says is a very good thing!
Fall is in the air, crisp mornings and warm afternoons. The leaves are changing, I love the colors of fall. Ready for pumpkins and all.