I'm on Christmas Break and Daughter is in Australia!

SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE QUARTER! I'M OFF UNTIL JANUARY 4TH!!!

*ahem*

Sorry about that, I got carried away for a moment. But really and truly, I cannot remember the last time I needed the break between quarters as badly as I do right now. Apparently taking the summer off made my brain atrophy or something. Or perhaps senior year is just that much HARDER. Or it could be the fact that I volunteered to be co-prez of the high school parent group this year. (I was weak and they got me.) Whatever it is, school is officially kicking my ass but NOT FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS!

I'm spending my time Christmas shopping, doing the bookkeeping, scrubbing the parts of my house that haven't been touched since last summer, catching up on parent group stuff and it's RELAXING because it isn't writing or reading anything for school.

Daughter and Scientist Genius Brother arrived safely in Melbourne, Australia and I know she's having fun because I haven't heard boo from her. Scientist Genius Brother sent me an update today but she is NOT spending time emailing or skype-ing her mother which means she isn't bored/homesick/sad.

This is part of the email Scientist Genius Brother sent me today:

"Daughter is being a good guest. No need to worry about that. She's been taking quite a few pictures, and I'll make sure she takes a bunch more.

I have been bugging her to email you since we arrived, and she said she would last night, so I hope she has. (She hasn't.) I don't think she has done any homework yet, so I'll bug her about that too. (Heh. He'll think twice before he has any kids after THIS trip!)

Daughter can really SHOP. She wore Awesome Aussie-Girlfriend and her sister and I out yesterday. I think today we are going go to Healesville animal sanctuary, where they have all the native Australian animals, and a cool birds of prey demonstration, where they have hawks and eagles swoop over the crowd. Daughter was excited about that."

I told him to tell her I want a baby Koala. I'm sure it would fit in her carry-on bag.

Next up will be The Great Grade Race Fall 2009 Edition but I have to wait for my grades to be posted first. Of course smartass Scientist Genius Brother has been offered a bunch of Post-Doctoral positions so I'll never catch up to him. Showoff. But I CAN get kick-ass grades.

I just can't do it and cook dinner every night. Thank GOD for pizza.