How, how, HOW can it be Sunday night already? It's Sunday Night Scaries time, my least favorite time of the week. Maybe my Ten Things of Thankful list will help distract me...?
My husband and I found out we are REALLY AND TRULY empty nesters. We got our taxes done (extension, not delinquent) and discovered we can no longer claim our daughter as a dependent. It would have been nice to have known that a year or so ago, so adjustments could have been made on our withholding, and it's too late to remedy it for our 2024 taxes, but by golly, we'll be ready for 2025! On a side note, I would like to make a suggestion to the health insurance people and the IRS people that the kick 'em off the parents' payroll age SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR BOTH, because we can't be the only parents to have assumed that it was.
Our daughter will no longer be on our health insurance after this year, so a small off-set to the whole can't-claim-her-as-a-dependent-anymore fiasco.
Further to the empty nesters status, our son passed his Internal Medicine Boards and is now a Board-certified physician! He's bona fide!*
*if you don't get this reference, then you'd best head to your nearest streaming service and look for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and watch it immediately
Summer came back this week, but it was bearable, because it was temporary. Besides, 90 degrees in October just isn't as hot as 90 degrees in August and I can't explain how but it is.
Former President Jimmy Carter turned 100 this week. I wish we could keep him another 100 years.
I was invited to a soccer game by one of my former preschoolers. Rex is a big kindergartener now, and I was honored that he wanted me to watch him play. I love him and his sweet family, and it was wonderful to catch up with them. I also received a beautiful piece of artwork by the artist/soccer player that I hung on the wall in my classroom.
When I pulled into my driveway after the soccer game, my headlights shone onto a very fat tree frog stuck to the side of our other car as it sat in the driveway. Tree frogs like to jump onto my legs and cling to me with those suction cup feet while I leap around and scream, so I'm thankful I saw this one before he had a chance to attach himself to me.
I had an ice cream date this week with another former preschooler and his mama. He, as well, is a big kindergartener. I got to hear about All Things Kindergarten, and it was pure delight.
It was homecoming at the university where I work, and our school had an entry in the homecoming parade on Saturday morning. I keep saying I'm not going to be in charge of the float this year, and every year, I'm in charge of the float again, but I tremendous amount of good help this time, and it turned out much better than I could have ever hoped for!
I've taken myself right up to bedtime, so good night to you, and good night to the Scaries!