Oh, how I've missed you

My dear Internetians, I've missed you all!

Last week's posts were a bit -- ahem -- sparse. Let's just chalk it up to fall and school being in full force. October is always a busy month, but this one seems more busy than usual.

Quite honestly, I don't remember Monday or Tuesday at all. On one of those days, we spent a few hours at the hospital, but I can't remember which day. Oh, yes. It was Monday. I had intended to get cash at the bank, and I was thwarted because of Columbus Day.

We began our conversational German class last week, which made our already-full Wednesday even more so. German in the morning; lunch on the run; art in the afternoon. Oh, and German and art are both about 30 minutes from my house -- in opposite directions -- which added a total of over an hour (with traffic) to the day. I hate being in the car so much.

Thursday was catch-up-on-errands day. My car was 1500 miles overdue for an oil change, so the children and I took the car to the dealership to have it done. Waiting. Afterward, we took it to the car wash and detail place to have it cleaned properly. More waiting. Lots of waiting on this one -- nearly two hours. After the car wash, the grocery store, with the children who were tired of the waiting thing and decided to chase each other around the store. I had spent very nearly the whole day attempting to corral the children, and I was not a happy mama by the evening.

On Friday, we went to see the Blue Dog exhibit at the Dixon Gallery, and, oh, it was wonderful! There wasn't a docent available for us, but I think I'm glad. I prefer just wandering around to whatever appeals to me. I was most drawn to the hurricane pieces, which surprised me a bit, since I do adore those whimsical Blue Dogs.

Saturday was a go-go-go day. I did storytime at the bookstore in the morning (Guess How Much I Love You -- one of my favorites). The craft was a messy one, with glue and sequins and feathers, so clean up took a bit longer than usual. After work, I ran home to get Skeeter and Spyder (who had both had Scouts that morning), then we went to Big Lots and back to the bookstore. One of Skeeter's former co-workers is in the hospital, so I was finishing a little basket of goodies for him (and his wife, of course). Skeeter went into the hospital so he could visit a bit and take the basket while the children and I waited in the parking lot. Sass had fallen asleep on the ride, and they've had enough of hospitals anyway.

It was a nice day, so we found a shady spot to park. We all had a snack, and I read a bit from Whittington. (Only about six chapters, but Spyder has since finished it and declared that I should read it aloud anyway. Must be good.)

After the hospital visit, we had dinner and a movie with The Michael and a couple of his friends. They and Skeeter saw Stardust, and I took the children to see Ratatouille. And even though we were completely full of Chinese food, we still had popcorn and drinks. And sneaked candy. It's tradition with The Michael, to sneak the candy. I stopped at Walgreen's on the way to the Chinese place, just so that we would have candy to sneak with The Michael. It totally cracks me up, this tradition. We buy popcorn, drinks, occasionally nachos or a hot dog, but if we're with The Michael, we must bring candy. What can I say? He's a bad influence. :o)

Saturday was a very long day for me. Sass and I left for the bookstore at ten minutes to 9 that morning, and we weren't home again -- except for the brief pit stop to pick up the boys -- until almost 10:45 that night. Fun, but long and tiring. I didn't realize how tired I was until I walked in the door. Even Spyder, who usually reads before going to sleep, was snoring by the time I had finished getting ready for bed.

Today we had church, then we went to see my dad at the hospital afterward. He's finally been moved to the smaller hospital closer to home! Excellent for them, but a bit less convenient for me. He was in such good spirits to be back home though, near the people he knows. We were there almost all day, but not all at the hospital. We went to their house, played with the dog and cat a bit, and let the children wander around the yard and the field. They love doing that.

Dad is supposed to start physical therapy tomorrow, but he has had a lot of fluid build up, so I think they're going to work on getting that off first. They had given him something to help with that as we were leaving tonight. Mom called when we were almost home and said that it was making him feel better already.

And now I believe I've gotten caught up with everything. I think. Tune in tomorrow when I answer Piper's last interview question and moan about what to make for dinner while wondering how to manage reading the 187 posts that have piled up in my Google Reader! :o)

It's completely altruistic

Right now, I can tell that my children don't watch television very much. They're enjoying a rare hour with the television, specifically on a (new to me) channel called qubo.

Sass just came running to me and said, "Oh, Mama! These commercials are so good! They really help me know what to put on my Christmas list!"

sigh

Interview, Part IV

Did you always want to be a homeschooler? Were you scared of that responsibility when you decided to go for it?

I never really gave it serious thought until Spyder was ready to enter kindergarten. Skeeter and I were in debate over what to do -- homeschool? public school? private school? -- so I decided to call the schools we were considering to learn about the structure and what they'd be teaching.

I called four schools. The answers from all of them were pretty much the same -- learning letters, numbers, colors. Everything that the teachers mentioned was something that Spyder could do already. He would have been bored out of his mind. And anyone who knows him already knows that Spyder + bored = trouble.

So we decided to homeschool for kindergarten. After some initial bumps, the kindergarten year worked out well. By the time first grade rolled around, I gave Spyder the option, going to school or continue homeschooling. He chose homeschooling, and we've been going strong ever since.

We have a long "review" discussion over several days at the end of every year, just to make sure that he's still getting what he wants and needs from his education. This year, he strongly considered going to school, so we went to check out what was offered. Ultimately, he decided that the school wasn't what he wanted and decided to continue with homeschooling, with us implementing a few changes that he requested.

Some days it does overwhelm me, both the responsibility and the day-to-day tasks. What parent hasn't felt that way at one time or another? And yes, some days I long for time alone, for time to complete projects or tasks uninterrupted. But for now, homeschooling is the best thing for my children, so I give the time to them gladly. As with most things, it's a work in progress.

Interview, Part III

Pull out all the stops here, and make us less than extraordinary Moms feel more normal. What was your most embarrassing "Mom moment"?

First of all, lets clear up a little misconception: there's nothing extraordinary about me! (All of my real life friends are hooting with laughter and nodding their heads at that.) I appreciate the confidence in my parenting abilities though. :)

There are so many of these that it's hard to pick one.

I asked Skeeter, and he said, "The Coke thing. Definitely." Bless my soul. There have been so many since then that I didn't even think of that one. It was a doozy though.

When Spyder was little, we wandered -- thrift stores, malls, Target. It didn't really matter where; we just liked wandering. One of our places to wander was Goldsmith's, a now-defunct department store that was bought out by Macy's. On this particular trip, Spyder was riding in his stroller, and I had the diaper bag and a can of soda in the little basket underneath.

Spyder wanted to go through two of the columns in the stroller ("like a tunnel, Mama!"), and the stroller got stuck, of course. In my efforts to get the stroller wheels unstuck, I forgot about the open can of soda in the basket. The wiggling overturned it, and it spilled into the basket and onto the floor. When I finally got the stroller out, there was a nice little brown pool on the beige carpet. Spyder immediately started saying (much more loudly than warranted), "MAMA! YOU SPILLED THE COKE ALL OVER! MAMA!! YOU SPILLED!"

Any effort to quiet him only made it that much worse. I had been trying to make my way (discreetly) to the counter to ask for paper towels. That was ruined, of course, because Spyder thought I was trying to make a getaway without cleaning the spill. "MAMA!! YOU SPILLED! YOU HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP! YOU SPILLED THE COKE, MAMA!"

You never notice department store acoustics until there's a two year old testing them out. A very vocal and emphatic two year old.

Other shoppers were looking at me as if I was a rodent who got caught nipping into the Gouda.

I couldn't leave to get the paper towels because my little angel wouldn't stand for it, but I had to clean it up. What else was there to do? I stood there for a moment, frozen with embarrassment. I thought I would buy a little time by fussing with the soda that had spilled into the basket. The diaper bag was fabric and had absorbed most of it. It was as I was pawing through the diaper bag that I realized I had towels, of a sort.

We used cloth diapers most of the time, and I had several of those in the diaper bag. Towels. Sort of. I grabbed a couple of those to clean the mess, and said, "It's okay, honey. I'm cleaning the Coke right now."

You'd think that would have made it all okay, right? No. Spyder turned around to look, and he was completely, utterly freaked out that I was using his diaper to clean the spill.

"Cleaning the Coke, Mama? THAT'S MY DIAPER, MAMA! YOU CAN'T USE MY DIAPER TO CLEAN THE COKE!"

As if those diapers hadn't seen much worse.

And all of the other shoppers were still staring. I can't remember if any of them were close enough to actually see that I was using a clean cloth diaper rather than a previously used one. Or one that I had taken off of his little behind at that moment.

Cleaning the carpet of the department store with Spyder bellowing, "MAMA! THAT'S MY DIAPER!" under scrutiny of the other shoppers is not my idea of a good time. And, oh yes, there was much staring.

I cleaned up most of it, threw the wet diapers into the diaper bag, scooted over to the cashier to tell her about the spill (as if she didn't already know) and let her know that it probably needed some spot cleaner. After that, I booked it out of there as fast as I could.

Was that the end? Noooooo. Spyder had to tell everyone that "Mama spilled the Coke." Everyone. The people at Target; the next door neighbor; the person in the elevator . . . . He told everyone he met that I had spilled the Coke. And of course, he didn't leave it there. He also had to mention that I used his diaper to clean the Coke, as if it was the most humiliating thing he'd ever endured. I found myself having to explain what happened to everyone, nicely reliving my embarrassment each time, thankyouverymuch.

We attempted to go back to Goldsmith's only once, several months afterward. I'm sure you know why it was only once. I had thought that -- perhaps, just perhaps -- Spyder wouldn't think about my spill. Oh, how wrong was I. I found myself hearing, "MAMA! THIS IS WHERE YOU SPILLED THE COKE!"

I only needed to hear that once before I turned around and left. At least that time I didn't have to worry about cleaning up first.

Interview, Part II

If you had one week just for Noodle, with no obligations or sense of urgency, no responsibilities, no kids, no husband, and plenty of spending money, what would you do to feel most alive and sublime?

This was actually Piper's question #5, but it's an easy-peasy one for me, so I moved it up in the rankings. :)

No little urchins, unlimited funds? I'd grab Skeeter and hop a plane to England. I know that Skeeter wasn't really part of the equation, but he's my best friend, and I wouldn't want to go without him. And I'd really want more than a week, but I'll take what I can get.

Skeeter and I spent about two and a half weeks in England on our honeymoon (ACK! almost 12 years ago!), and we had an incredible time.

We spent time wandering at outdoor markets, on lonely little roads, through ancient ruins and in old castles and cathedrals.

We laughed at the hotel that turned off the heat during the day when they believed everyone should be out.

We met interesting and fun people in the pubs who were enamored with my Southern accent and kept coming to our table and saying, "Talk to me, girl!"

We hung out with the Royal Shakespeare Company after a performance one night, and we got invited back for another time.

In all of my travels, that particular trip stands out as the one where I really did feel most alive and at peace with myself. And I'd love to go back and make more memories.

The Pile Shirt

As promised, a picture of Skeeter's black-dotted Pile Shirt, complete with nerdly pocket items. Unfortunately, you can't see the interior pocket with its pencils and notebook.


There's just nothing that says "nerd" like a button down striped shirt with an overflowing pocket.

Interview, Part I

How long have you been blogging, and what was your inspiration to start your blog?

I've been blogging here for almost two years, since December of 2005. I started blogging about seven months before that though, on a blog that I deleted when I started this one.

A friend unintentionally introduced me to the idea when she started a blog chronicling the planning for her son's bar mitzvah. I started one a few months after I first read hers. That particular blog was very hidden, as much as I could make it, and I didn't tell anyone. It was on Blogspot as well, and I found that many times I would draft something without ever posting it. Not that it mattered anyway, since no one knew.

In November 2005, I was part of a group discussion on blogs and blogging in general. I mentioned (offhand, very late, in a foggy state) that I had been blogging. Because I know Julie all too well, I knew she'd search for it. And may or may not find it. Not that it mattered really, but it was much more introspective and personal. I ended up deleting that blog. There was no audience, and I had no real plan for it, so it wasn't all that fantastic anyway.

But at any rate, I deleted that one and started anew, this time with the idea that I would tell a few people about it, and there would be other people reading. Theoretically, anyway.

I use my blog as a journal of sorts, to remind myself where I was at that point. Sometimes I use it to chronicle our homeschooling activities or to share something with others. But mostly it's just for me to ramble on about our days.

Diane never knew that her blog about Max's bar mitzvah would inspire my own rambling blog. I'm not even sure that she knows now, but I'm glad that she started hers. It's opened my eyes -- to my own seriously diminished writing skills, to excellent ideas from others, and to meeting people whom I would have never met otherwise.

Every day is an adventure

Oh my gosh, y'all. My Skeeter is so unintentionally funny.

I just got a call from him. He started the conversation with, "You'll never guess what's going on."

Of course, my mind immediately went to any number of disasters that could occur on site. "Is it bad?" I said.

"Oh, no. No. Well, I guess it depends. There's a film crew here today," he said. "They're following me around, making some sort of training video."

I laughed. "They're what?"

"They're following me around, filming everything. I'm just trying to get my work done, and they keep saying things like, "That was good. Can you do it again, and move your chair back about four inches?" and they're keeping the camera about two feet from my face all the time. You know how I feel about my personal space. I just ditched them for a few minutes, and I thought I'd call you. I'm on the high line."

I won't even pretend I wasn't laughing about this. I pulled myself together and asked what any wife will ask when she finds out that her husband is the subject of some work video. "So what did you wear today? Do you at least look decent?"

"Well, I'm wearing The Pile Shirt. And I've got all the usual stuff in my pocket."

At that point, I didn't even pretend that I wasn't laughing.

Now this requires some explanation.

The Pile Shirt is a very nerdly type shirt that is one of Skeeter's favorites. The Pile Shirt name came from when he was inspecting piles out on a site, and oil or something splattered across him. The Pile Shirt is a blue striped shirt, similar to blue ticking, but after the pile incident, it's blue striped with black spots. I don't fuss about what he wears mostly, simply because of the type of work he does, so I let him keep it in his closet.

The pocket requires a paragraph all to itself. Skeeter keeps pens, pencils, a field log, and glasses (or sunglasses, depending on which he's wearing) in his pocket. Those are all in the shirt pocket. He has the benefit of two pockets -- one on the shirt and one on his neon vest. The vest pocket also contains a few pens and pencils and a different field log. It has a loop for his work cell phone. The left half of his clothing is so weighed down with stuff that it's pulled lower than the rest of his shirt.

When he gets home today, I'll take a photo. I don't think the explanation does it justice.

So my Skeeter is out there today, in The Pile Shirt, with cameras two feet from his face, having to do all of his tasks twice. I'm sure he's having a grand old day.

But it made for a good laugh.

Dustbunnies and tumbleweeds

I've been so focused on my dad and keeping some sort of normal life that my mind is completely blank. Completely.

When I sit down to do some sort of post, I feel intimidated by the blank screen. And my mind keeps going to all of the undone things hanging over me. But darling Piper had kindly offered me a bit of fodder for the ol' blog! She sent me a few interview questions today! I'm stealing an idea from Kaleigh, and I'll be answering those questions over the next few days.

Today I spent half of the day on the phone and in front of the computer getting field trips scheduled for the homeschool group. Even that was in vain, since I could only get a firm date for one of them, and I'm waiting on callbacks for four more. Oh, and I remembered two hours too late that today was park day, and we could have been playing at the park with the homeschool group! These are my days lately, remembering the important stuff way too late, if at all.

On a happy note, my dad came out of his pacemaker surgery quite well. I can't ever get to the hospital until 8 pm or so because Skeeter's been working late -- crazy deadlines and contractors! -- and I have to make and serve dinner and such. Mom said she wanted Dad to get to sleep early, so I decided to wait on going out until tomorrow. The Michael did go though, after work, and he reports that Dad is slightly uncomfortable, and quite grumpy. Grumpy for him is a good sign, since that means he's feeling well enough to care where he is. He misses his couch. And his dog Molly.

And so recovery begins, and I hope that our days begin recovery as well.

Tomorrow

My dad is scheduled to have his pacemaker surgery tomorrow, the surgery that was supposed to be done three weeks ago and caused all of the recent troubles.

The doctor determined that it was far too dangerous to give Dad the anesthesia, so he'll be doing the surgery under local anesthesia only. That astounds me. They'll be working on his heart! Under local anesthesia!

At any rate, please take a moment in the morning and send up a prayer for my dad if you can. And thanks to everyone for the many prayers on his behalf. We all appreciate it.

Sass the opera star

Sass loves music and singing more than just about anything. If she's content, she's singing.

Like most children, she loves playing in the bath. Give her few little bath toys, and between the toys and the bathroom acoustics, she's happy for hours. She is one of those children who will take a bath at 2 pm just because she can. (Hey, if two inches of water will make her happy, who am I to stand in her way?) And in the bath -- at whatever time -- she sings, really belting it out and giving the performance of her life.

Tonight we were treated with her rendition of Queen's Somebody to Love during her bath. Over and over. And over.

And let me tell you, my girl can do some amazing vocals.

Persuasion

Whatalotofstuff commented on my recent television post that her favorite Jane Austen film is Sense and Sensibility. As I mentioned before, I watch Pride and Prejudice while folding laundry, but it hasn't always been that way.

While I do love the all of the Austen works I've read, my personal favorite is Persuasion. That was the one I watched until I broke the DVD. I haven't replaced it yet, although I think I'll need to get it soon. I miss it.

Persuasion is not as well known as some of the books, but it's hands-down my favorite. The themes of the book are very similar to her more widely read works, but the characters are more physically and emotionally mature.

Persuasion feels more like a true love story rather than the first blush of romance. These more mature characters have made mistakes, and they have come to terms with the result of those mistakes. It feels so much more realistic than Austen's other novels. I often think that Anne is a deeper, more complete study of Elizabeth Bennet's friend Charlotte, although I don't know that I could defend that position from a literary view.

At any rate, check out this lesser known little gem. The book can be read in its entirety online at this site. If you find the language of the book a little too stuffy, the film is still well worth watching.

Dress up, girl power style

SASS: (wearing a jester hat on her head) Guess what I am?

ME: Mmmm. I don't know. A clown?

SASS: Close! I'm a boy.

The Old Bridge

Busy weekend

The weekend was absolutely full.

On Friday, my sister came into town to give my mom a break at the hospital. Mom had to go home to do end of the month paperwork at her store, and Lisa came to stay at the hospital with dad. She deserves huge kudos for that. I'm pretty sure she was going stir-crazy within the first 24 hours.

That Company of Skeeter's had a Family Day on Saturday at one of the local state parks. Along with the usual cookout fare, there was moon bounce, a dunk tank, and a bungee-type bounce. Loads of fun! The organizer also got water guns and kites for everyone, and that was a tremendous success! The weather was perfect -- sunny, but not too hot -- and my children had a blast running around. Heck, Skeeter and I had a great time with those water guns.

Afterward, we stopped by the hospital to see Dad. Sass and Spyder brought their treat bags from the Family Day, and Dad decided to wear the little hat. It was so nice to see him in such good spirits, especially after everything he's been through.

After seeing Dad, we went directly to the church to take food for a party on Sunday night. We were there for almost an hour and a half, arranging food in the refrigerators and cleaning the little spills we had made. (Large aluminum pans + baked beans = lots of little spills.)

By the time we got home at almost 7, everyone was exhausted. I'd love to say that we all stayed in and had a relaxing evening, but no.

Sass and I still had to go out to buy tennis shoes for Awana, so she and I headed out to Target, where she tried on every pair of shoes in the store. Yes, that's an exaggeration, but not by much. After we taking far too long on that shopping expedition, I had to go to the grocery store since we were out of important things like coffee and milk. And chicken. The chicken wasn't an issue for me, but Skeeter is determined to be a lifelong carnivore.

I finally was in for the evening at about 10:30, and Skeeter and I sat down to watch Bionic Woman. The premiere episode felt like it was all setup for the series, so I was unimpressed. It seems to have potential though. We'll see.

Now I need to pass Bionic Woman to Michael so he can see it. Poor Michael is going to be cable free since he's getting rid of Comcast (a division of hell), and I suppose it's up to me to keep him current on the television shows.

I was supposed to go to Michael's new apartment and help him unpack today, but his air conditioner has issues -- non-working issues. We decided it might be better to give it a try when we wouldn't be roasting inside the new apartment. Eau de sweat is not a good aroma for the new place.

So instead of working at Michael's, Skeeter and I took the urchins to swim at the Y. We haven't been since Dad was admitted to the hospital, so it was a good escape to be able to go again. I sat in the spa pool for a bit, and it was wonderfully relaxing. Probably a little too relaxing, since afterward I only wanted to lie down and nap.

A nap was out of the question though, since it was time for Awana. We ran home to change into real clothes, and the we were on the way to Awana. The party was afterward, so we didn't leave the church until just after 8:30, an hour later than usual.

The children went to bed almost as soon as we got home. I should have. Instead, I decided to do the dishes and listen to the last bit of my audio book while Skeeter did something for work that had to be done before tomorrow morning. I didn't even try to figure out what it was. His work confuses me most of the time.

Despite the busyness, it really was a good weekend, and an excellent way to move out of September and into October.

Skeeter and me and the TV

Most people don't believe me when I say I don't watch television. But I don't. It's just not something I do. We watch television series on DVD and occasionally I'll turn on the television while I'm folding laundry. I'll usually put in a movie or a book on CD instead of random television though. Pride and Prejudice is usually my laundry-folding choice. Because I'm all cool like that.

Skeeter is just the opposite. He loves to sit down and "flip channels" just because he can. Nothing but fluff and crap, and he'll still flip for more than an hour. I don't get it.

This week, for the first time in more than 8 years, I sat down to watch prime time television. Really!

Skeeter and I watched the premiere episode of Chuck. My reaction -- "eh." It wasn't good enough for an action show, and it wasn't funny enough for a sitcom. Maybe it will get better once the people making it figure which they want it to be. I don't know that I'll be tuning in to find out though.

We also watched the season premiere of Heroes. We just finished watching Season 1 on DVD a few weeks ago. It seems to be starting like the first season did -- lots of set up before you get to the main story line -- so I don't know how I feel about it yet.

We attempted to watch Journeyman, but children interrupted, and we only were able to watch the first 15 minutes or so. Skeeter had set it to record though, so we'll attempt that again. I'm intrigued by the whole premise.

Skeeter has this nifty TIVO-like contraption in his computer so he can record what's on television. I had him record the premiere of Bionic Woman last night since I wanted to go visit Dad at the hospital. The Michael and I discussed that at the hospital, and he told me that he is dumping cable, so he's requested that Skeeter record Dr Who.

I'm somewhat concerned about this whole recording-then-watching thing for us though. It's only been a week, and already I'm behind by two episodes.

Quote

The tragedy of man is not that he cannot find happiness, but that he looks for it in the wrong places. Because the desires of man are boundless, no particular good, whether outside himself or in himself, can perfectly satisfy him.

- from Thomas Aquinas' "My Way of Life"

Rockin'!

Susan at Pyles of Clutter has given me the Rockin' Girl Blogger award! I haven't been rockin' in years, so I feel especially flattered!

Before I name my list of rockin' ladies, I'll encourage you to check out Susan's site. Make especially sure to check out the photos of Chile, taken when she went to pick up her son from his mission trip. Very cool!

And so, the list (in no particular order):

1. Piper at Bliss in Bloom, a single working mom (with two super-cute boys) who has a wonderful enthusiasm for living life to its fullest!

2. Julie at Multitasking Mama, one of my dearest friends, who always has more plates in the air than I could manage!

3. Alkelda at Saints and Spinners, a clever lady who makes up some of the wittiest songs and stories I've read! Waiting (somewhat impatiently) for her to produce a CD!

4. Kaleigh at Musings of Another Working Mom, truly a cool and rockin' mom who has two awesome children.

5. Mika at Froggy Girl Designs, crafty, thrifty mom of four boys! I don't know how she has time to be crafty, but I bought one of her CD holders, and it's super cute!

Play along as you wish, but make sure you credit the originator, Roberta Ferguson. The code for the button is in the comments in Roberta's post, but I couldn't get it to work. Perhaps someone can have sympathy on a less technologically savvy girl.

Happy birthday, Julie!

An enthusiastic happy birthday to my dear friend Julie! We've been friends for (gasp!) 11 years now, since we worked in a bookstore together. We don't live in the same town any more, or even in the same region of the country -- utterly my fault, since Skeeter and I were the ones who moved away.

Our schedules don't coincide at all, not even for phone calls, so we don't talk very often. We seem to have moved into that type of long-time friendship that doesn't require daily contact. When we do talk, it feels like we just pick up where we left off. It's wonderful!

Happy birthday, Julie!

Happy birthday, Michael!

A huge birthday shout to The Michael! His birthday wasn't celebrated in high style as it normally is. I was at the hospital with dad. He's moving apartments next week, so he spent the day packing. I saw him very briefly, when I picked up a load of stuff to take to the thrift store for him.

I am told that he intended to spend the evening with friends at his favorite restaurant, a local place with great margaritas. I hope it was excellent!

Happy birthday, Michael!

Learning a foreign language

Sass, Spyder, and I are all learning German this year. We start a homeschool co-op for conversational German in just a couple of weeks. I took three years of it in college, but I haven't used it since, well, college, so I don't remember very much.

I've been coveting the Rosetta Stone German program. Spyder and I used the free download, and it was really, really good. We both loved it, but it's very expensive, so I have to save up for it. I've been looking for other alternatives, but I hadn't had much success until today.

Today I heard about a new site, Mango, via Dumb Little Man. I only signed up today, but it looks promising. And the best part? It's free!

It doesn't look as comprehensive as what I want or need, but it does look like a good supplement to a language study.

Happy learning!

A Year Without "Made in China"

I've gotten away from posting reviews of my recent reads, partly because I've been reading more fluff than I want to admit, and partly because I've been retreating into old favorites.

I picked up A Year Without "Made in China" last month while Skeeter was out of town, but I didn't finish it until early last week.

Most people will probably find it surprising, but it was a very easy read. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but good all the same.

A Year Without "Made in China" chronicles a year in the life of the Bongiorni family, one in which they vow not to purchase items made in China. Any parent will sympathize with the author in her troubles with finding toys and shoes for her children without breaking the "no China" rule. And any parent will laugh in reading her sneaky ways of allowing China products into the house to keep the peace. After all, they can accept gifts made in China . . . .

The book is written very much as a chronicle of the family's life, without much digression into global economics. I was actually hoping for a bit more statistical and economic information, but I know that I'm a bit odd in that respect. Spyder is reading it at the moment, and the writing style is easy for him to follow and enjoy. In my bookstore, it was cataloged in the business section, but truly, it's more of a biography.

When I was reading it, Spyder was a bit concerned that I might want to join in this whole "no China" thing. I reassured him that I wasn't planning on it, but the book did make me more aware of what I'm buying and how it got there.

It's not all gloom and doom

Quick update on my dad:

Monday was bad. Badbadbad. He declined rapidly, all day, and the doctors had us gather the family members. I sobbed so much and so hard that my face hurt -- my jaws were sore from clenching them so much; my teeth hurt; my head felt like it was going to explode. My aunt (his only surviving sibling) had a panic attack that night in the waiting room, chills and throwing up so much that we had to take her to the ER.

Tuesday, his decline halted. *poof* Just like that. He was stable and able to communicate all day, as much as possible with charades and eye movements, anyway. It was a lot of guesswork on our part. Toward the afternoon, he had something important to tell us. No one could figure out what it was and it took ages. What was so all important? He couldn't see the television. Oh yeah, that's my daddy!

Wednesday he was stable. Same as Tuesday, but a bit of pain and definitely tired. Whenever I went in, I only stayed a moment, just long enough for him to know I was there, then I left to let him get as much rest as possible.

I haven't been this morning yet. I'll go a bit later, once I do a bit of neglected housework and the children do their schoolwork. Dad is definitely feeling more himself though. He asked for a Coke first thing, then he asked for Skeeter's coffee. :)

They're taking him off the ventilator today, and they're taking the internal blood pressure monitor out. It's still touch-and-go, but it's not as precarious as it was earlier this week.

Prayers work wonders! Again, thank you all so much for the prayers said on his behalf.

More and more

First, my dad is doing about the same. He is still critical, still on a ventilator. The nurses are encouraged and are encouraging us, but no one is sure of what is going to happen.

To add to the already high stress level, my Memaw had a wreck this morning on the way to church. She's Lutheran, and being Lutheran in the rural South isn't convenient. She drives an hour each way to attend services on Sunday morning. She's also 83, with bad hearing and bad eyesight. We've been telling her for the last few years that she doesn't need to drive any more, but she's stubborn, and she drives anyway. To her credit, she is as safe as possible when she drives -- she never drives at night and she only drives around her very small town, with the exception of church on Sunday morning.

So this morning, she totaled her car, and she was the at-fault driver. Thankfully, the driver of the other car wasn't hurt at all. The ambulance took her to the ER, and she had no broken bones. As far as we know, she's okay, but my aunt is staying with her tonight to make sure that she doesn't have any internal injuries that they didn't detect.

In an interesting bit of irony, my mom, aunt, and uncles had already decided that they were going to take Memaw's car away at the end of October. Maybe this is a blessing and she'll realize that it's for the best because I know she would have argued against it before this.

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Dad update

Dad is doing a bit better than yesterday, although he hasn't improved much. He is in the intensive care unit, and he's still on a respirator. On Friday, his heart rate was extremely high, and his blood pressure was extremely low. Today both his heart rate and blood pressure are more normal and holding pretty steady.

He is still unconscious, but they're no longer sedating him. He was aware of us when we went in to see him, and he was trying to wake up. They have him tied down though, so he won't pull the tubes and wires out. They are slowly weaning him off of some of the medicines (specifically, the one that was helping keep his blood pressure up), and after he can hold his own with the blood pressure, they'll see whether he can breathe on his own.

The doctors were telling us Friday that it would take a miracle for him to pull through. Today they said it's still grim, but they were pleased with the progress he was making. They're not even talking about doing the surgery he initially went in for, although it will have to be done before he can leave.

Thanks so much for your your prayers.

Quick update on my dad

They weren't able to do the surgery this morning. They gave him the anesthesia and his blood pressure plummeted. They did . . . something . . . that's supposed to help bring it up, and they're going to attempt the surgery again tomorrow. They moved dad to ICU, then to a transitional room. I know nothing beyond that.

I'm going to go sit with him a little bit later. My mom has to go home (2 hours away) to do payroll this evening, so I will go to be with him while she's gone.

Skeeter had to write a nasty letter to one of his contractors yesterday, and he's dealing with the fallout today. He's happy to come home and keep the children while I go.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers.

Update on the microwave (or lack thereof)

I love the huge amount of space that is now open since the microwave is missing. My kitchen is quite small, and the huge microwave took up one of my two food prep areas. I've since moved the coffee pot and teapot to that area, so the corner where I do most of my prep is now clear except for the crock of serving spoons and spatulas. I actually had to room to use the crock pot today -- without moving the coffee pot out of the way!

I had a brief moment of uncertainty this morning when I realized that I couldn't reheat the pancakes I'd made and frozen a couple of days ago. Ultimately I put them in the skillet again to reheat, and it worked just fine.

Skeeter has decided that he'll go along with my "crazy idea" for the moment, but only because he thinks I'll give in soon enough.

And the people who know me in real life are laughing like mad. They all remember my stubborn streak and know I'll never cede.

My dear old dad

My dad is having his pacemaker replaced tomorrow. He's had it for just over 10 years, and it's been giving him problem after problem since March.

He and my mom had to miss this big family vacation in July because he was in the hospital with pacemaker issues. In fact, he's spent about six weeks in the hospital so far this year (not counting today's admittance), and every moment can be traced back to pacemaker troubles.

Tomorrow's surgery isn't supposed to be a big deal at all, but I would appreciate any prayers on his behalf.

Death of an appliance

My microwave has waved its last. I'm somewhat sad about it, but only in the sentimental aspect. Skeeter seems to be grieving much more than I.

I got the microwave, a huge Tappan, in the fall of 1992. My roommates and I were seniors that year, so we all moved into the campus apartments. My mom bought the microwave for us as a "happy senior year" gift, and believe me -- we used it.

I'm quite astonished that it lasted this long. Between rowdy college students and rowdy children, it hasn't exactly been treated gently.

Skeeter is grieving because I'm not rushing out to buy another one. I've thought (more than once) about getting rid of it before now, but I haven't been brave enough for that. But now that I don't have a choice, I'm just going to see what happens.

It actually stopped working on Sunday, and I've been thinking about the appliance itself and how we use it. With the single exception of popcorn, everything we use the microwave for is just to save time. I can't see it as a necessity. I even made "Easy Mac" on the stove today! (Hey, it was in the pantry, and I didn't want to (a) throw it out, or (b) buy a new microwave just to make it. And it tasted just fine.)

Now I need to practice making popcorn on the stove. It's been a long time, and I know there will be errors at the beginning.

Happy Birthday, Skeeter!

It was a good day for a birthday.

Yes, yes, it's my dear Skeeter's birthday today. Sundays are always such a difficult day for birthdays. It's just such a busy day for us, and it always seems as if Sunday belongs to the church rather than us.

It was that way today. Skeeter worked in children's church; I worked in the nursery (although I did sneak and listen to about half of the sermon).

Skeeter decided to have lunch at a little Mexican place that we haven't tried in a while. It was good, and they gave him a free margarita since Sass announced that it was his birthday. They took a picture of him for the birthday wall too. In a big ol' sombrero. Funny!

The afternoon consisted of Skeeter playing around on his computer and me folding clothes and baking. We did go get new safety glasses for Skeeter though. He had a visit to the eye doctor on Friday afternoon, and he has a new prescription.

Tonight was the first official night of Awana, and it looks like Skeeter is going to be working with the 3rd and 4th grade boys. He hadn't planned to work Awana this year, but the older boys leader was a little bit overwhelmed.

I baked brownie birthday cookies instead of a cake. Skeeter loves brownies, so I opted for those instead of the messy cake. Tonight after Awana, Sass and Spyder set up a little birthday party for him. It was really cute. They set up the little tables and put all sorts of snacks and drinks out, complete with stuffed animal decorations. They made a birthday banner, and they insisted that the three of us hide and jump out when he came in the room.


One of Skeeter's gifts was an all-in-one game set, and Spyder and Skeeter played a few games of checkers (their favorite) and a game of chess.


Sass spent the evening coloring pictures for Skeeter to hang on his walls at work. In her pink bow and "Indian princess" bead headband and princess nightgown.


I had intended to take a photo of the brownie cookies, but alas, they're gone. Not an unexpected development, but I wasn't anticipating it quite this soon.

It's pear time again!

My next door neighbor has a fantastic pear tree, absolutely loaded with fruit. She's just wonderful about letting us harvest from her tree.


I generally don't let them pick the fruit until I start seeing some on the ground around the tree, and we picked for the first time this week.

The top of the tree is still loaded with fruit, so next we'll have to drag out the ladder. I refuse to climb it, but Spyder is part monkey, so he's thrilled to have the opportunity to climb around a tree legitimately.


We had a big storm a few weeks ago that knocked down part of one of our trees, and obviously it got the pear tree too. The fruit is still plentiful and yummy though.

I found a few excellent recipes last year, so I think I'll try to dig them out again.

Skeeter and That Company

Skeeter started a new job at the beginning of July. He had been a consultant at That Company for about 8 months, and they eventually decided to hire him instead of using a middle man.

Neither one of us realized it at the time, but apparently That Company is a Big Deal. Quite truthfully, I had never heard of it before Skeeter started his consulting gig. But considering how some of the people in his profession act when they find out his employer, it must be a Big Deal. And hey, it's now a Big Deal to me too, since it pays the bills and it got him a nice little discount on my new car.

On Monday when we went to the fair, Skeeter was wearing a baseball cap with the logo for That Company. A young woman noticed the hat and stopped him just after we walked in the entrance, asking, "Hey, do you work for That Company?"

Skeeter said yes, and the woman asked question after question about how to get a job with That Company. That Company is quite a stickler for paper trails and hierarchy, and Skeeter told her that the best way was simply to talk to Human Resources and put in an application. He gave her the website address, and how to go about starting the application process.

I was busy corralling the children, so I didn't pay much attention, but the woman followed Skeeter around the entire time we were in Spyder's brochure area, all the while talking about how much she liked That Company. After he was rather tired of her following him, Skeeter took Spyder and went to the livestock area, leaving Sass and me behind to look around the arts and crafts a bit longer.

I found out later that the woman had followed him all the way through the livestock pens. She eventually gave up her idea of subtlety and asked straight out if he had another hat that she could have. He said no (and he really didn't have an extra), and a few minutes later she finally gave up and moved along.

I'm a little disconcerted by the woman's perseverance. I had no idea that That Company had groupies.

The Fair

The Tri-County Fair is the fair of my childhood. This weekend my children were able to experience it. We've taken them to many different outdoor festival-type gatherings, but they had never been to a small country fair like this, and it gave me a strange pleasure to be able to give them the same "first" that I had.

My parents were never big fair-goers. It has always opened on Labor Day -- at least in my memory -- and we never went then. Labor Day has always been a day for a family gathering for us, partly because it's right around my mom's birthday.

When my mom and dad took me, it was always one night during the week after they'd gotten home from work. Because we generally went at night, the lights stand out most in my memory -- lights brightening the otherwise dingy rides; lights making the cheap game and toy stands seem a bit more welcoming; lights seeming overly bright at the food vendor carts, blinding compared to the surrounding dimness. Skeeter and I took the children at midday, so they weren't able to see those lights that burn so vividly in my memory.

The children did get to experience that quintessential dining experience that IS the fair. A middle America fair just isn't complete without cotton candy, a funnel cake, and lemonade. My parents seldom got any of those, but to me they are just as much a part of the fair as the rides or the smell of the livestock. Or perhaps I see it that way because they usually didn't get those treats.

At any rate, the Tri-County Fair was exactly as I remember it. The entrance is lined with booths from various organizations -- the police department, the fire department, churches, a local state park . . . . Spyder was in brochure heaven. I'm not sure why he is so fascinated with brochures, but he is, and he collects them at every possible opportunity. He had a field day in that section.

The booth exit leads to the entrance to the arts and crafts building, where all of the various contest entries are displayed. As a child, I always found this section was always the most boring, but as an adult, I found it fascinating. My favorite display was the flowers, but not for the flowers themselves. They weren't displayed in vases, but in glass and plastic bottles. Many were in plastic water bottles, but for some reason I was enamored with the ones displayed in the soda bottles. Even now, I'm wondering if I could get away with displaying flowers that way on the mantel -- in my most assuredly "non-country" home.

After the arts and crafts was the obligatory livestock visit. Personally, seeing and smelling chickens, cows, goats and bunnies isn't a big part of my "must-dos" on a normal day, but the fair isn't any normal day. We spent more time than necessary wandering around the smelly chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. I could have handled a little bit more of the bunnies, and the cows were glad to be rid of us. Two boys about Spyder's age who were there just before us spent their time teasing one of the cows (with a calf!) and that cow hated Spyder on sight, probably because he looked a little like the other boys. They were all wearing baseball caps and denim shorts, and I'm pretty sure that the cow wasn't interested in the little details like faces. She wasn't at all concerned when Sass and I were nearby, but she was annoyed and angry any time Spyder was in her line of vision.

The only place to go after the booths and prize winners is the midway -- food and rides. Spyder and Sass said they were dying of thirst, so we headed to one of the food vendors and bought -- you guessed it -- a lemonade, a funnel cake, and a cotton candy. Wandering around came next, of course, and Sass decided that she absolutely must ride a little carousel with dragons. We went on "armband day" where one can buy an armband for $12 and ride the rides all day. We weren't staying long, so I bought $10 worth of tickets for the two children to share rather than the armbands. Sass never did make it to the dragon carousel, but both of the children had a blast in the "Jungle of Fun" and at the big slide exactly like they have at The Bounce. Spyder and Sass used all but one ticket before we left, and I gave the extra ticket to a little boy without an armband on our way out.

The whole adventure took all of two hours and $20. I think we're going to make my small-town fair an annual tradition.

Blatant catch-all post

• On Friday night, Spyder was climbing the tree (as usual) and poked a branch into his eye. I took him to the doctor on Saturday, and he had scratched his cornea right over the pupil. (Ouch!) The doctor prescribed antibiotic drops for him, and he spent most of the weekend on the couch, listening to audio books or listening to Skeeter or me read to him. He's pretty much back to normal now, although he's still taking the drops for another few days.
  

• Saturday was a completely at-home day, besides the trip to the doctor. Sass and Skeeter were feeling kind of puny, and Spyder was definitely not feeling so great. It was a quiet day for us, and I got some organizational things completed that had been bothering me.
  

• Sunday was another quiet day. Sass and Skeeter were still feeling sickly, and Spyder was embarrassed by the eye-patch, so we skipped church in the morning. Thankfully, Skeeter and I weren't scheduled to work in any ministry that day, so I didn't have to find replacements.

• Monday was Labor Day, so Skeeter didn't have to work (YAY!). We went to see my parents that day. My sister and her boyfriend came for a surprise visit. Mom's birthday is tomorrow, so they took advantage of the long weekend to get to see her.
  

• Skeeter and I took the children to the little Tri-County Fair near my hometown. It was everything I remember, just smaller. That's a post in itself.

• Sass was sick again today. Today's came with a fever though, so she spent the morning on the couch, alternately watching Strawberry Shortcake and snoozing. She started feeling better around noon, and by dinnertime she was back to normal. Tonight she realized that she hadn't done her schoolwork today, and I had to remind her that she was in no condition to do it this morning during our usual schooltime. It was bothering her though, so she did her work tonight after dinner.

Because it is never too early to appreciate words

Sass and Spyder and I do a "poem of the day" every day. We read the poem, then we talk about the theme and the any of the devices used, generally punctuation, rhyme, meter, alliteration, and assonance.

Tonight we went to a little carnival held to raise money for the classrooms of one of the local schools. My friend Kristin is a first grade teacher, and we went to help her out in her fundraising effort.

They had a Moon Bounce, and my Sass is all about bouncing.

(This is related to the poem thing, I swear.)

Sass went in and bounced and bounced until her little face was red and her hair was all sweaty. All smiles, she ran over to me and said, "Mama! That lady let . . . (pause, with dawning comprehension, a huge grin, and excited eyes) . . . . Hey! That's alliteration!"

I was so proud. :)

Keeping busy

Skeeter was out of town last night and today, and I always try to do something a little special with the children when he's not home. They miss him quite a lot, and I make an extra effort to keep their minds off of the "missing daddy" feelings.

This time, I hadn't really planned much though. He was only gone overnight, and I had originally thought that I would just take them to the YMCA for swimming as our outing. The children and I did our schoolwork as usual this morning, but before we could set the schedule for the afternoon our plans changed dramatically.

Spyder is rereading the Spy Gear series of books, and we discovered just before lunch that the latest book was released this week.

We immediately called the bookstore and -- shockingly! -- they had it. We did what any book lover would have done. We hopped in the car and zoomed off to get it.

I hadn't made lunch yet, so we decided to stop in at McAlister's for lunch before going into the bookstore. The bookstore is like a time warp for us. We can go in and three hours will pass by before we realize it. So we fortified ourselves with Chicken Tortilla soup and Cheddar Potato soup before heading over. (Yes, soups in 98 degree weather. We've had a break in the heat and we were feeling a bit chilly. Har.)

Because we are, well, us we had to stop into the dollar store. Spyder needed one of those little precision screwdriver kits, and I bought the things I always buy at the dollar store -- light bulbs and tissues and bathroom cleansers.

After the dollar store, we opted to check out the thrift store nearby. We're not in the area very often, and we always find good stuff there. Plus, the bookstore is a great place for an afternoon snack, and we weren't hungry at all because of the big lunch out.

The thrift store wasn't great today, not like some days I've had in the past. I did find a few notable things though, specifically a Naartjie two piece set and a Cornelloki dress, both in Sass's size. I also found a couple of CDs and a book for Sass and a You Might Be A Redneck . . . book for my dad. Not bad for all of $12.

We finally made it to the bookstore around 3, and, as predicted, we were there much longer than we should have been. We read a few books, wandered, picked up the book we had on hold, had a snack, and generally threw ourselves headlong into the bookstore time warp. It was most excellent.

By the time we got back home, everyone was tired. We're normally not out like that, and -- whew! -- we could all tell that we're not used to that kind of running around.

But all in all, it was a very happy day, doing nothing in particular except spending time with each other.

Learning, today's epiphany

Spyder has been reading since he turned 3 years old. Reading, not just sounding out words and such. At age 9, his reading level is that of a high school junior's, although his comprehension isn't quite that high.

Sass, on the other hand, isn't reading yet. Oh, she can sound out small words, but she's not really reading yet. Being the voracious reader I am, that's driving me crazy. BUT I had an epiphany this afternoon. Sass hasn't had the same experiences that Spyder had.

Our city is pretty big, and Spyder and I spent quite a lot of time in the car driving when he was little -- driving around town, going to see his grandparents (1.5 hrs away), that sort of thing. He would always look at books while we were driving around, and I'd have him spell out the words so that I could "read" to him while we were driving. I never even thought about it until today. We were out for a bit today (Target, airport, etc), and Sass had her Can You See What I See? book. Spyder was engrossed in his own book, so I had her spell out the words so I could tell her what to find next. That's when it hit me. I'd be willing to bet that the backseat spelling and reading that Spyder did is at least part of what led him to be a reader before he "should" have.

Sass has never had that because Spyder reads to her! I think I'm going to encourage him to take his headphones when we're in the car so she and I can do more of this. Being in the car is the best because I can't read for her while I'm driving, which is what she would want if I could.

I'm glad that I realized all of this, but I feel as if I should have an "IDIOT" sticker on my forehead for not picking up on it sooner.

Lunar Eclipse results

Well, sadly, we weren't able to see any of the lunar eclipse. I can't figure out if it was because of the cloud cover or if it was because of all of the trees in our neighborhood.

The cloud cover wasn't terrible, but it was pretty overcast in the direction of moonset. The trees are pretty thick in that direction as well, and I really think that was the reason I had trouble.

A disappointment, but Spyder and I will persevere! If we can manage to stay awake tonight, we'll try stargazing again.

Run Fatboy Run!

Oh, what a movie geek I am! I saw the full trailer for Run Fatboy Run via Mamapop, and I loudly proclaim -- I can't wait!

Prepare to laugh, my friends.



And now would be the time to mention two other items worth watching:

Shaun of the Dead. I'm not a horror fan. I'm probably the antithesis the horror fan. But Shaun of the Dead is not your typical horror film, and there is more humor (dry, British humor) than horror to me.

Black Books. My friend Julie introduced me to the British television comedy Black Books quite a while ago, and I absolutely love it! It's quirky. It's full of that dry humor that I love so much. It's set in a bookshop! (Although, honestly, the bookshop seldom plays a part in the story.) Only seasons one and two are available at the moment, but season three is releasing in November!

August 28 Lunar Eclipse

Shadow and Substance

An excellent visual tool to help decide when the eclipse will be visible in your neck o' the woods.

Spyder and I are planning to get up around 4:30 CDT (eek!) for the for the beginning of the total eclipse.

A good day

Today was one of those really good days. Nothing special, but a good day.

My friend Kaleigh posted about her good day yesterday, and I admit, I was slightly jealous. Not greedy-jealous, but wistfully-jealous. But after reflection this evening, I can honestly say that we had our own good day today.

We all got up relatively early -- around 7:30. The earlier-than-usual rising was a bit surprising, since we went swimming yesterday afternoon, and we were all pretty tired. But the early rising made for a better day, really. We weren't in a rush for church (doubly good, since Skeeter was a Junior Worship leader for today). We all had a leisurely breakfast and read a bit before getting ready for church.

After church, Skeeter was feeling sickly, so he took a nap for most of the afternoon. Spyder watched Mythbusters, and Sass colored while I did laundry and dishes. (I wanted to sit down and read -- Twilight is getting good! -- but I decided to do the chores instead.) Since Spyder was watching on the computer and using the headphones, the house was blissfully quiet.

I cleaned out quite a lot of Sass's outgrown clothing. They're all on hangers, ready to go to the consignment shop. As soon as I find one. I'm quite displeased with the one I've been using, so I'm on the search for another one.

Overall, today was restful, quiet, and productive. I'd love to be able to say that about every day!

Too much to read and not enough time

My basket of books is overflowing.

I got Twilight from the library last week, simply because I've heard such good things about it. It was due yesterday, and I couldn't renew it last night because someone has it on hold. I decided to keep it, thinking that whoever it is can wait until next week. I started it tonight. So far it's pretty good (although not really my usual fare), and it's an easy read, so I should be able to finish it by Tuesday, at the latest.

Sass and I are reading Dragon's Breath, the next book in the Frog Princess series. We read The Frog Princess last year, and she absolutely loved it.

Spyder, Sass, and I are reading Pippi Goes on Board as a group. It's just as engaging as Pippi Longstocking was.

Next on the group read -- Frindle.

Skeeter started reading The Fairy Tale Detectives to the children tonight as their bedtime read. I read it last year, so I'm not joining in on that one.

(Shhhhh . . . I read Twilight instead.)

Whew! Between all of these, plus the school reading, my throat is sore! Luckily, I bought the audio version of Story of the World along with the book, so my dear Jim reads that to all of us. :)

The utterly brilliant Mr Bean

On Fridays, we have "pizza and movie night." It's just as it sounds. We pick up pizza from either Little Caesar's or Domino's, and we sit to watch a movie while enjoying the pizza.

Tonight's watching feast featured the incomparable Mr Bean. Quite honestly, it's probably one of the best movie nights we've had because we all love the quirky Mr Bean.

I don't know why I never realized it until tonight, but the comedy is almost all physical comedy. The children enjoyed it just as much as the adults, and we ended up watching the entire DVD in one sitting.

Everyone has requested Mr Bean for next week as well. :)

So what about your family? Any suggestions for a movie (or television show) that everyone enjoys to the same extent?

Proclaiming nerdiness

The children and I are about 2.5 weeks into the school year, and already Spyder has decided that English from the Roots Up is by far his favorite study.

I really wasn't sure how he'd take to it. I got it specifically because he reads so much, and he doesn't like to stop and look up words. I can't blame him for that. I never liked doing that, so I just tried to get the meaning from the context. I'm sure he could do that too, but someone recommended the study, and I thought that he could benefit from it.

Because I wasn't sure if he'd like it, I decided to buy just the book instead of the book and flash cards. We're making our own flash cards instead, using the instructions in the book. And interestingly, not buying the pre-made cards has given us much more hands on time with the information. And without even realizing it, Spyder is steadily working on his penmanship in two different classes.

Sass is doing the program as well, almost in the same depth. We discuss the root word, then give examples where it's used in our language. And even though I know the words we discuss, at times I feel as if I'm learning as much as the children.

Considering that we studied Ancient Greece last year, and our current history study is starting with Rome, it all seems to be coming together nicely.

And so far, we're all enjoying it!

That Spyder cracks me up!

Sass and Spyder watched part of The Aristocats tonight. Sass, who is fascinated with all animals, decided that she wanted to be one of the cats. Considering that she draws kitty whiskers on herself just about every day, she thought it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

Spyder tells her, "[Sass], I don't think you'd want to be a cat. Not for real. That life isn't as glamorous as it looks."

Thwarted

Tonight's dinner was all planned -- beef stroganoff, a mixture of fried squash, eggplant, and zucchini, homemade macaroni and cheese.

What did we end up having? Popcorn chicken, grapes and apples, and the homemade macaroni and cheese.

I was making the "poor man's" stroganoff, with ground turkey instead of beef strips. The turkey came from the freezer (and it had only been in there about a month!), but after I'd cooked it, it didn't smell like I thought it should. Not bad, really, but not the way it usually smells. So I decided the stroganoff was out. I couldn't make it with questionable turkey.

I was really jazzed about the fried squash, eggplant, and zucchini. Oh, yum; oh, yum! I had sliced everything on Monday morning and made half of it on Monday night. Today when I got out the dish with the slices, I found that some of the eggplant had fuzzy spots. Only the eggplant, and there were only a few spots, but again, I wasn't making questionable veggies. And all of it was in the same dish, so I had to throw all of it away.

I am sorta, kinda working on a Pantry Challenge at the moment, so the squash, etc. were the only veggies in the crisper.

At least I had untainted ingredients for the macaroni and cheese.

Children are for making you feel good about yourself

SPYDER: Mama! Your hair is sticking up all over! You look like a mad scientist whose latest experiment went horribly wrong.

Friendship overtakes the schedule

Yesterday morning my friend Brenda called me. Immediately this was a little weird because, well, it was morning. Brenda doesn't do mornings.

The conversation started as it usually does.

"Hey. What are you doing today?"

The answers is usually mundane -- cleaning the closet, doing school, dusting . . . .

Yesterday's wasn't.

"I have to tell you what happened this weekend. And I'll warn you now; I'm probably going to cry."

Poor Brenda had had an awful Saturday and Sunday, and she was still dealing with the fallout. Understandably, she was still upset and stressed out about it.

While there wasn't (and isn't) anything I could actually do to help with the problem, I wanted to help. So I did the best I could. I said, "There are some errands that can't wait, but give me an hour to get them done then bring the children over. You can go and do whatever."

I told the children that school was on hold, and we went to do our errands. Brenda dropped her children off a couple of hours later, and she went off to regain composure.

We still had things to do, but I was happy to be able to do something to make her day at least a little bit better. Not just willing to do it, but happy that I could offer her a few hours to herself.

So what did Brenda do during that time? Went back home and watched mindless television. And considering how much calmer she was when she came back, I was glad she did. :)

We go together . . .

Not that anyone who knows us needs more proof, but I offer this brief account of a moment this evening, just for fun.

Sass decided that she didn't like her dinner tonight (Parmesan chicken with pasta, green beans), so she didn't eat it. No problem. I don't make a fuss about stuff like that, but that's what's offered.

Later she decided that she wanted dessert. Nope, sorry. Eating dinner means you can have dessert, so I said no. Not to mention, this was just as I was telling her it was time for bed. Oh, the horror! The injustice of it all!

Sass wailed, "Mamaaaaa!"

Skeeter and I immediately responded, "Ooooh, oooh, oooh, oooooh!" (from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody).

We smiled at each other and spent a happy few minutes thinking of new lyrics. :)

My Prayer Journal

The prayer journal idea sounds complex, but really, it's not at all. I started out using the ACTS acronym, which I got from a workshop a few years ago. I like it, but I felt like I was more concerned with following the pattern than speaking my heart. Not so good when your goal is spiritual fellowship.

I have a plain notebook, nothing special, although it does have grid paper rather than regular lines. I don't have a real reason for the grid paper; I just like it better. The prayer requests are separated under four headings:

• Spiritual
• Health
• Work
• The Rest (lol, really! I never said this was a proper, publishing house-worthy prayer journal.)

Nothing is completely set in stone, and I use it as a list more than anything else. Mostly, I use the categories when I make notes during the day, if I hear of a prayer that was answered or find out that someone else has requested prayer. And I do jot things down here and there during the day quite often.

Most people are assigned into categories, but I put a little description out beside it anyway, just to give me a little focus. Examples:

• Dad -- heart, stomach, medicines
  
• [Friend's son] -- family ties, friendship, Walk
  
• [Friend's husband] -- new job, sustenance work until career position, encouragement
  
• [Skeeter] -- deadlines, contractors, patience

It just gives me a little something to go on when I'm there, and I don't have to blank out and think, "Now what was it . . . ."

I use one sheet of paper for each day, and I rewrite it every day, doing my prayer as I go. It makes it easier for me to stay focused because I'm doing something that's tangible at the same time. Before I started the journal, my prayers wandered all over the place, just because I couldn't remember half of the things when I needed to remember them.

Generally, the left side of the page is taken up with various prayer requests, so I put my praises on the right side. Most of the time they're simple things, like Spyder getting 100% on his math, or being able to visit with a friend, but I try to have at least as many praises as requests. I think it's especially important to acknowledge the good as well as ask for help with the bad. Otherwise, I feel like my prayers sound as if I have a bad case of the gimmes, rather like the teen who will only talk to Dad when she needs something.

A prayer journal can be done many different ways, but it will only be helpful if you find the formula that works for you. I stumbled upon my method because of my wandering mind and love of lists. :)

Virtue and vice

It's how I start the day -- prayer journal, daily bible reading, coffee.

What Your Pizza Reveals

What Your Pizza Reveals

People may tell you that you have a small appetite... but you aren't under eating. You just aren't a pig. You are a very picky pizza eater. Not any pizza will do. You fit in best in the Northeast part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices. You are definitely unique and artistically inclined. You should consider traveling to Prague. The stereotype that best fits you is hippie. You knew it was coming.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

Little bits of this and that

• School is going well! The children are enjoying getting back into our routine, and I have to admit that I prefer having a schedule for things. (I can't believe it, but I do.)

• The children had appointments for dental checkups this morning, and WOOHOOO! No cavities! Both of them got great reports. In a strange turn of events, Spyder was the calmer one in the dental chair today.

• I ran into my friend Britt in Target on Monday. She had her baby at the end of July, and he's adorable! We haven't seen Britt and her family all summer, and I think the children must have missed each other. Britt and I had a nice chat (15 minutes, at least), with 5 children milling around us. They stood catching up, just as Britt and I did. We're seeing them again on Friday, at The Bounce.

• I had a little "squee!" of excitement this morning when I found out that someone used one of my Works for me Wednesday tips! I don't participate in Works for me Wednesday too often, mostly because I don't have too many clever tips, so it makes me feel especially good to know that it helped someone. The puzzle storage tip was a spur-of-the-moment post, reminded because I happened to be checking my Google Reader (and noticed that WfmW was up) just after I had picked up and put away puzzles.

• And speaking of Google Reader, as of today I have gone over, rather than keeping up with bookmarks. I have, completely and utterly. I've been toying with it for a month or more, trying to decide whether I wanted to commit. I do.

• I am almost ashamed to admit it, but I cannot wait until Friday to see Superbad!
  

Committed

Last night Spyder and I stayed up extra late to watch the Perseid meteor shower.

In our area the best time to watch was around 1 am. The parent in me balked at letting my son outside that late (early?). Spyder is enthralled with all things astronomical though, so he was excited about seeing it. The homeschooler in me decided to relax and go with it.

It was a great night for stargazing in general, really. There was a new moon, so the star field was much clearer than usual. Spyder got out his Dangerous Book for Boys and his star chart and found several constellations while waiting for a meteor. He had such a great time stargazing that he decided that he wanted to go stargazing at every new moon.

He saw the first meteor around 12:45, and we saw a total of 5 between 12:45 and 1:30 am. By then we were both so tired that it was a struggle to keep searching. Spyder came in and (quite literally) fell onto the bed and went to sleep where he landed. I came in a few minutes after, took off his shoes, washed his feet, and tucked him in. I think he was already asleep before I ever got there.

It was a great experience though, and I'm glad that I stuck to the commitment that I had made to let him see it.

Take Your Family to Work Day

Today was my usual once-a-month working day at the bookstore. I work the big storytime, where we have a character in costume and lots of crafts as well as the usual reading time.

The character today was Arthur. My children love Arthur, both of them, although Spyder doesn't want most people to know. He's "too old" for that stuff. Har. Har.

Considering how much they like Arthur, I had wanted to bring them anyway. But Skeeter told me yesterday that he had to work this morning, although he wasn't sure how long he'd be. When he told me that, I called the manager and asked if I could bring them along. She had invited me to bring them before, but I thought it was best to call and ask just in case. She said, "Sure, bring them on! We'll put them to work if we need to."

So last night, I told both of them that they had jobs today. It ended up that Skeeter finished up around 8 am, so he was home, but they children were so excited that I wanted them to come anyway. So Skeeter, the children and I all went to work today. And let me just proclaim loudly -- they were fantastic!

The organizer hadn't realized how much prep work there would be for the crafts, so she waited until this morning. Thank heavens I decided to get there early, and I spent an hour and a half cutting felt for the main craft. Sass spent the time cutting out paper hats (and did a great job).

Here's the main craft we did. It's actually one that I did at home with Spyder when he was about 3. It's just a balloon made to look like Arthur, but the children loved it.


These aren't the best examples, but I had a hard time taking photos while the balloons were weaving and wobbling. We also made some to look like DW, although that was a first for me. Some of the children got a little overenthusiastic about the hair (yarn) though, and some of the DW balloons were a little top-heavy.

After the balloon craft, Skeeter read the stories. We were short one person, and he enjoys reading to children, so he volunteered. Spyder helped during storytime by getting children settled, then during the actual reading, he showed the pictures while Skeeter read. Skeeter decided he wouldn't be any good at reading upside down or sideways like I normally do. :)

After the stories, Arthur made his appearance.


Sass was feeling shy at first, but she eventually went over and gave Arthur a high-five.

I was slightly amused to find Spyder helping a customer after storytime too. He was walking along with a grandmother and her grandson, recommending books and telling them that next month's big storytime is Corduroy.

Despite the rush to prep everything at the beginning, it was a fun storytime, and I'm so glad that my family got to join in on the fun. They all did such a great job that the manager invited them for next time and said she'd pay them in cookies, milk, and coffee. That got a thumbs-up from everyone!

So long, Pippi!

We've just finished reading Pippi Longstocking, and we all enjoyed it tremendously. Sass and Spyder both loved Pippi's unorthodox ways of doing things, and each had a little epiphany during Pippi's escapades. Spyder was annoyed by the ending though. There was no closure, and he hates that.

Sass drew this today while we were reading.


Not bad, eh? The little blobs off to the right are Tommy and Annika. I was especially pleased with her drawing of Mr Nilsson.

So for now we say goodbye to Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking. I've just put Pippi Goes on Board on hold at the library though, so we'll see her again soon.

Oh joy! Oh happy day!

I've just found out that Scholastic is having a warehouse sale through Saturday. I had completely forgotten about it! As I've mentioned before, I love the Scholastic sales!

There's just nothing that sets my heart a-flutter like cheap books.

Today we were planning to take the afternoon and create our Zoology notebooks. That plan? Gone, out the window, flying away in the breeze. (Or sitting lackluster outside the window in the stifling heat -- take your pick.)

Spyder and Sass are almost as excited as I am. They both know that we come away with great stuff.

In fact, I think Spyder even more excited. He's planning to scour the shelves in hopes of finding Mad Science items.

Works for Me Wednesday: Puzzle Storage

My daughter loves puzzles. Getting them in and out of the game closet tends to wear the boxes though. Plus someone always ends up stepping on it, causing the sides to rip. For ages I attempted to tape the boxes back together, only to find puzzle pieces scattered on the floor of the closet. I've come up with a better solution: ziploc bags!


I cut out the picture of the puzzle and put it and the pieces in a ziploc slider bag. (Slider bags are all-important here. I tried it with the regular bags, but my 5 year old didn't always close the regular bag properly, and I'd end up with puzzle pieces scattered from the dining room to the closet.)

All of the puzzle bags are kept in a small-ish storage tub, and it makes for easy in-and-out of the closet. Plus, getting them all out at once saves trips to the closet every ten minutes when she's done with one and needs another.

Be sure to visit Rocks in My Dryer for all of the great Works for Me Wednesday tips!

She's growing up, that girl o' mine.

As of yesterday, Sass has lost two teeth! She lost the first one on July 18. It had been loose for a few days, so it was only a matter of time, really. Our tooth fairy gives out gold dollar coins, and we were in the bank getting fairy coins when the first one came out. Today's was slightly less dramatic, since we were at home and she's now an old hand at losing calcified bits.

My Sass, with her loot from today, complete with dirty face and fingers:


She's so proud and feels the need to show everyone her "gone tooth." Of course, now she's obsessed with teeth and will ask random people in the grocery store if they've lost a tooth. Makes for a good icebreaker, I suppose. The cashier at Kroger knows all about Sass's "gone tooth" and the "monies" she gets instead.

In the car on the way home from Kroger, Spyder and Sass were plotting the extortion opportunities available to them. After all, it's not like they'll need them in thirty years anyway.

Definitely on the "Bad Idea" list

Today I got four passes to see a free screening of the new movie Arctic Tale. This really isn't anything new. We get the free passes at my bookstore all the time. Plus, I know the person who organizes all of the free showings for the metro area, and I can email her any time and say "put me on the list" if I don't happen to get one another way.

Have you ever been to one of these free screenings? They're fun. The crowd is always in a jovial mood (hello? free movie? of course people are happy!). Sometimes they give out prizes too.

But the key word in that paragraph above is crowd. I have been to exactly one of these screenings where people weren't turned away. (The Incredibles, and that was only because it was a downtown showing and there was a massive storm.) Generally, you have to get there over an hour before the showing to actually get a seat.

I'm all about free stuff. But . . . as much as I think my Sass will love this movie, I am not going to stand in line with her for an hour or more -- with a load of other people and the chance that we'll get in -- just to save the price of the tickets ($10). No how, no way. If it's just Skeeter and me, no problem. We just wait our turn and chat. We've done it loads of times, and it's a great cheap date.

Chasing after the urchins? Nope, not interested.