We took the kids to their first day of school again this year. I really like doing this. The kids didn’t seem all that nervous, but I think they were trying to hide it… especially Taylor.

When it got time for me to take pictures of them in front of the sign, Taylor informed us that “When I am thirteen you are NOT taking pictures of me”. At that point me and her mom, Shannon just laughed and said Good luck with that!

We are pretty excited that Taylor is in the G/T (gifted & talented) program full time this year. Last year, she was only in for science and went back and forth. She never really complained about it to us, but I know it sometimes got to her when she would miss something “cool” in her other class. And, she is SO excited about the 4th grade GT teacher. (Not to mention he is a hottie!) He seemed like a great guy when we met him for the 45 seconds we were there. Aaliyah’s teacher is younger than Mrs. Lewis, last year but seems to really like the kids.

Meet the teacher night is this week, so we will have much more to say after that.

I don’t consider myself one of those hard-core environmentalist type people.  But, I do my part.  I recycle almost everything I can (cardboard, cans, bottles, plastics), I buy cards made on recycled paper as often as I can find one I like on that material, etc.  So, like I said, I do my part, but I don’t go around preaching it to everyone I know.

Though, I am going to comment on it here today…

These companies out there that are “making a difference” and “going green” are full of crap.  Not that the one I am talking about today has actually said those in any advertisements, but pretty much all of the big ones out there do say that in some form or they will have all the Hippie freaks knocking down their doors.

Today I’m speaking about receipts.  Receipts that are five miles long.  Then, the additional coupons that print next to the receipts.  Receipts that have logo’s on them that are over an inch tall.  Receipts that want you to call into an automated system to learn if you won $5000.  (Let me save you the time, no one ever wins those)…..  WASTEFUL receipts.

Adam and I went to pick up a couple of things this weekend.  We needed new air filters for the a/c unit, so we stopped into Lowe’s.  We bought ONE pack of air filters.  The receipt for this ONE item we got???  OVER 14 inches!!!  It was actually one tick mark before the 1/4 mark point.  It was a 16 mark measuring tape and I really can’t figure out what that would be…  So, if you know how to read a measuring tape, let me know.  But, yeah…  14 and one tick mark before a quarter inches long!  WHY?  Why does Lowe’s have to print an almost 14 1/4 inch receipt for ONE item????  We also went to Walgreens.  We bought four things at Walgreens.  That receipt is 12 and one tick before 3/4.  Much better than Lowe’s considering it is shorter AND we got three more items there.  I guess Walgreens needs a big “Bravo!” for saving our environment in such a way.

So, to conclude…  I’m not an environmental nut, I love to recycle and American stores need to stop printing receipts that are 4 miles long.

Rant concluded!

So…  I can’t upgrade the picture gallery plugin that I use on my website.  That is why the last post just had them plopped up there.  I really like the slideshow way that they do it though.  I have a bunch of pictures that I want to upload, but without the slideshow it will tkae up way too much space.  For now, I posted them all on Facebook.  So, I invite you all to rush on over to Facebook and check them out!!