Overheard

Sass: So what were you like when you were two?

Spyder: Well, I broke my arm. Twice.

Sass: How?

Spyder: The first time I was running in the house. The second time I was jumping on the couch.

Sass: Wow.

Spyder: Yeah, I was kind of wild. Having a little sister settled me down though.

Portrait

Recently I haven't seen much more than the top of Spyder's head and his hands.

On the bandwagon

I'm relatively new to the art of text messaging. I only started using it, oh, this summer. My friend Carla was the one who encouraged me. She rarely answers the phone, but she'll text in a heartbeat. And I got really good at it when my dad was in the hospital.

Tonight it came in quite handy. I was wandering around the dollar store -- I do love a good dollar store -- when I came across these!



Unimpressed? Well, my friend posted just recently that she was looking for just these star-shaped glass dishes.

Woohooo! Me to the rescue!

It was a bit late for a phone call, so I sent her a text message asking if she wanted me to pick them up. It's like instant messaging without the computer. I'm all about it!

Now I'm wondering if I can get Skeeter to spring for a Blackberry, to make my text messaging more efficient. Er, probably not. But I covet, oh, I covet!

Moving on

Long ago I read a story about a woman who had burned all of the correspondence she had kept throughout her lifetime. At the time, I couldn't comprehend it. Those letters were so much a part of her, who she was, who she had been. Why discard that, and in such an unalterable way?

I've kept a journal of some sort for most of my life. I came across one of those old journals today. I wasn't looking for it, just clearing out a box of stored things.

This particular journal was from my college years. And in reading through it, I absolutely could not relate to it. I remembered it, of course, but it was as if I was reading the embarrassing drama and escapades of someone else. Some of those more emotional moments -- so hard to manage and decipher at the time -- seem blatantly obvious now.

I've gotten to the point where I can see myself burning my journals and letters, though not for the reasons my 17 year old self -- the one who had read that story -- had thought. Not burning them to rid myself of them, ashamed for who I had been. But instead, burning them to honor and acknowledge that I have changed. Just as the pages turn from paper to ash, I have changed just as surely and just as completely.

Lessons from Garfield

You know what happens to liars, don't you? They end up doing the weather on TV.

And again with the macabre

Spyder decided that he would wait on recreating the guillotine. Instead, he and Sass opted to work on other historical methods of execution.

First was the gallows, which I forgot to photograph. Spyder wasn't all that great at making the noose (I'm thinking maybe that's a good thing), but he did an excellent job on the gallows. Amusingly, he and Sass used a lollipop, dressed in paper "clothes" for their victim because neither of them wanted the "realism" of using one of Sass's dolls.

A bit later they decided they wanted to burn someone at the stake as well. (I think that perhaps that was merely an excuse to light a fire in the grill.)

The whole scene with the burning at the stake was so much fun, mostly because Spyder made up a great back-story about the man who had been sentenced to death.

"Mr Bane was an evil man, and few people were sorry to see him sentenced to his fate. He had murdered the Carmena family, the town's candlemakers. He murdered them all, even the children, over what Mr Bane thought was an unfair trade."

Spyder insisted that I videotape the whole thing while he narrated. He said it made him feel like someone on The History Channel. LOL!

Poor Mr Bane, destined for death:


Spyder told me today that his ideas had come from his Wicked History of the World and Horrible Histories books. I'm glad to know that. I had been wondering the reason for the current fascination.

I'm pretty sure the librarian is scared of us

The children and I made a trip to the library today. That's not unusual. We're there at least four times a week. I found out today that they don't bother calling us to let us know our holds are in. They know we'll be there.

Anyway, today we went with a real purpose -- to find a book with information on guillotines. Spyder decided this afternoon that he wanted to build one (sans blade, due to a stick-in-the-mud mother who said no).

We didn't find a thing, with the single exception of a book on the French Revolution. The librarian was rather taken aback at our search, considering that my children are 5 and 9 and they were anxious to build their own. We ended up finding much more information on the internet, but Spyder is like me with the books. A book at my fingertips is just so much more handy than running to the computer.

Our quest for materials was thwarted, since it seems that the town has had a run on craft sticks. Brown yarn was also difficult, so he let Sass pick out hot pink.

Spyder made his preliminary model out of straws tonight, and he did a decent job. Photos tomorrow. And with any luck, we'll be able to find craft sticks so he can make one that's a wee bit more realistic.

Wet and cold

Lest anyone think I'm freezing us to death, I turned the heat on.

Let it stand as a record! We turned on the heat on November 24, the latest I can ever remember. Having 60 degree temperatures inside the house isn't all that comfortable to me. Today wasn't nearly as cold -- hovering around 45 degrees -- but it rained all day.

We visited my parents today. My sister and her boyfriend were still there, so we decided to make another visit so soon after Thanksgiving. We don't get to see them very often, since they're about 5 hours away. The visit ended up being cut short though. Brenda sent me a text message that the children did indeed have choir practice, so we left around 2:30 to be back in time for that. That was okay though. Dad looked like he was in need of a good nap.

Since it was raining and chilly, Skeeter and I decided we'd let the dogs stay inside while we were gone. That was a big step. We've never let them stay inside by themselves for more than a couple of hours. Today they were in, unsupervised, for more than 7 hours, and they were excellent! No rooting through the trash, no accidents on the floor. I was so proud! I'll be more willing to let them stay inside on yucky days now.

I'm proud of my Skeeter too. He installed a new doorknob today! I know; I know. Not a huge thing, but he's not exactly the kind of person who thrives on that kind of stuff. The original doorknob broke -- really broke, inside the mechanism -- on Thanksgiving. Skeeter took it off the day after so we could actually use the door. I had a dishtowel stuck in the hole just so the cold air would be deterred. Oh so redneck of me. Tonight, Skeeter got the knew doorknob from Home Depot and installed it. What a guy!

All in all, quite a satisfactory day.

Finally!

My Arkansas Razorbacks won in a great, triple overtime game! Oh, joy! It's about time!

And we beat LSU -- ranked #1! My pastor is an LSU fan, so I, being the sensitive soul that I am, sent him a GO HOGS! text message. :)

Oh, Lawzy, we're in for it

It's chilly today. It started yesterday, and last night it was below freezing, the first of the year. We haven't even turned on our heat yet. It's the end of November, and we haven't really needed it.

But after yesterday's cold snap, Spyder decided that this was appropriate wear, even inside the house.



Please note, baseball cap under hood for additional warmth.

I don't know how poor ol' Spyder is going to take it if That Company decides to send us north.

Black Friday

I've never quite understood the lure of Black Friday.

I understand wanting to take advantage of the great sales. I love a good sale. I really do.

However, I do not enjoy getting up at "the butt-crack of dawn" (to borrow a phrase from my sister). I especially do not enjoy getting up that early to go outside and wait in the cold with a bunch of people who would inflict bodily harm to get their hands on that insert desired item here, which is (of course) only available in limited quantities, no rain checks.

My employer has always opened at the usual hour, around 9 am, a perfectly respectable hour to open for business. During my years in the mall store, I saw many of those people, the ones who do get up in the middle of the night for a bargain. And sometimes they're scary.

And we all know isn't really morning except in the most literal sense. It's really still the middle of the night. Quit pretending.

My sister did the Black Friday madness this morning, to get a camera for my mom -- a nice Kodak, 7 megapixel, 10x zoom -- for $150. She said this year wasn't as bad as previous ones.

Personally, I participated in my usual stay-at-home-avoiding-the crowds-day.

Things are gonna change

Oh happy day! My Memaw is getting a hearing aid!

Poor Memaw's hearing has been going for a while. It's been noticeably bad in the last few years though. She can hear well enough to communicate, if the other person speaks loudly and if the person is facing her (so she can semi-lipread) and if there are no other significant noises. She used to be one of the big talkers at our family gatherings. But lately, she just can't, not unless someone is talking to her, and only to her. She's begun to sit aside, just watching, simply because it's hard for her to participate. She's not stupid. She knows that it is frustrating for us to have a conversation with her. And it's just as frustrating for her, I'm sure.

I've been asking her to get her hearing checked for the last several years, so I'm really glad she's finally done it.

Her newly regained hearing will severely cut down on the opportunity for -- oh, someone -- to have an additional conversation about Memaw during the conversation with her.

Hypothetically, of course.

Four Things

I like doing these things, really I do. When I don't forget, that is. Candy tagged me for this several days ago, and I completely forgot until now. :)

Four First Names of Crushes I Had

1. Michael (no, not The Michael)
   
2. Matt
   
3. John
   
4. Scott
   

Four Pieces of Clothing I Wish I Still Owned

1. The red Indian shirt that I simply wore out.
   
2. The funky-plaid pants from college that disappeared, probably due to roommates.
   
3. The red twin shirt that I spilled bleach on.
   
4. The purple striped sweater that I also spilled bleach on. I have issues with bleach.
   

Four Professions I Secretly Want to Try

1. Travel writer
   
2. Songwriter
   
3. Researcher
   
4. Literary agent
   

Four Musicians I’d Most Want to Go to Dinner With

1. John Pizzarelli
   
2. Keb Mo'
   
3. Chris Rice
   
4. Alison Krauss
   

Four Foods I’d Rather Throw Than Eat

1. Ketchup
2. Boiled cabbage
   
3. Turnip greens (gah, smells like you're serving up the lawn waste)
   
4. Chitlins (talk about smell . . . .)
   

Four Things I Like to Sniff (er, Smell)

1. Bonfires
2. Citrus candles
   
3. Water
   
4. Roasted pecans
   

Ah, the tagging. Guess what -- you're it! So many people are participating in that NoBlo thing that I figure I'll help you out. Just leave me a comment so I'll know to check it out!

Must read

Drop whatever you're doing and run to Saints and Spinners for Alkelda's latest edition of Children's Books That Never Were.

Especially you, Kaleigh. Just go. Now.

Misconceptions

Warning: I'm feeling snarky and mean today.

With that warning, a few comments on homeschooling, based on four different conversations I had today:

1. Just because I am a homeschooler does not mean that I know all other homeschoolers. It is quite possible for two homeschooling families to live in the same city and not be familiar with one another.

2. Even if I do know another homeschooling mom, it does not necessarily follow that we are friends. We all have our own personalities and opinions.

3. It is quite insulting to wonder aloud if the homeschooled children should be at home studying rather than playing in the play area at Chick-Fil-A -- with your public-schooled children.

4. It is also quite insulting to critique a homeschooling mom on what she is teaching. I don't critique what your children are learning at school. That's your job. Leave me to mine.

5. My son likes to read because he likes to read, not because I "made him that way." That look of incredulity that I gave you? Completely justified.

6. Just because the public schools here don't teach German does not mean that it's not a valid foreign language. Some people of the world truly do speak languages other than Spanish and French.

7. I think it is quite acceptable for my children to be running errands with me at 2:30 pm on a weekday. We don't have the crowd control issue that schools have, so we get our work done in less time. Unlike regular schools, we also do work on Saturdays and during the summer. I think we're allowed to do errands.

8. I am happy to volunteer to do any number of things for your organization. I am, however, a package deal. If you ask me to volunteer, I will tell you that I am only available if my children can come along. I'm not kidding about that, and it's rude to try to convince me to find a babysitter so I can be available for you.

9. Just because "I'm home all the time" does not mean that I am available to do anything, anytime. I do have a schedule too. Don't be shocked if I tell you I'm busy.

10. And most importantly, I do not / have not / will not make assumptions or judgments based on your family's educational decisions. Please extend us the same courtesy.

Modesty

(Spyder walks by wearing a new pair of jeans)

ME: Hey, bud. Those jeans look good on you.

SPYDER: I know.

ME: You know?

SPYDER: I know they do. I saw myself in the mirror.

Family Daze

Skeeter took a -- much needed, well-deserved -- break today. He went in to work as usual, and at about 8 am, he decided that he just couldn't stay. He felt disoriented (not so good around heavy equipment), and he decided he would take a break for a few hours.

He came home and napped from about 8:30 to 10:30. He got up and we decided to go out for brunch. We opted for Cracker Barrel, since it was the only place either of us could think of that would serve both breakfast and lunch at 11:15. (Other than IHOP, and I detest IHOP with all of my being. It was never an option.)

Cracker Barrel was astonishingly crowded for not-quite-noon on a Monday. We had to put our name on the waiting list, so we wandered around the shop. I love the old-fashioned toys they sell. I had to convince myself I didn't need any of them. Thankfully, the wait only ended up being about 10 minutes, so I managed to get out of the toys with my wallet still unused.

After lunch, we went to the YMCA, for the urchins to swim and Skeeter to soak in the sauna. He pulled a muscle in his shoulder yesterday, so he was hoping a soak would help with the soreness.

We only stayed an hour or so, and we got back home at 2:30, in time for Skeeter to go back to work and catch up on what had happened. He felt bad for playing hooky during crunch time, but he's worked for 21 days straight, most of them 12 hour days. I figure he deserved a few hours out.

But, of course, with Skeeter home, our day was anything but normal. I have chores piling up faster than I can manage. I'm wandering in a daze because there is just so much to do. There always is, of course.

I think it might help a wee bit if I manage to go to bed before 2 am though. That may possibly have a negative effect on my energy levels. Maybe.

Unanswered prayer

Tonight, during bedtime prayers:

SASS: And God, please tell Santa that he needs to bring me a dogsled team. And a sled. And then you need to make it snow.

I have a new job

It seems that Skeeter was terribly pleased with my data entry yesterday. I don't think it was particularly that I did a great job, since I botched his formulas on one of the pages of his spreadsheet. I think it was more that he didn't have to do it.

He loved that part, so I'm playing data entry chick tonight too. Listening to Ozzy Osborne's Crazy Train at the moment, although I have the Zen on random, so there's no telling what I'll get next.

A big thank you to PezMama, who did leave a comment after I begged. :)

Elmwood

Today was a gorgeous day. The children and I did story time at the bookstore this morning -- a selection of Sandra Boynton books -- and afterward it was just too nice to stay inside.

We've been doing leaf rubbings lately. We have an abundance of leaves on our land, and it's become quite a favorite way to pass the time. Because of this, I decided to take the children to Elmwood Cemetery. We've been before, several times, but it's been more than a year. We've always enjoyed doing gravestone rubbings, so that's what we did today.

Spyder remembers doing them before, so he set to work straightaway, choosing a pink crayon because "it's a happy color."


Sass started out doing leaves, since that's what we've done at home, but she got the hang of it pretty quickly. She chose a black crayon because "we're surrounded by dead people." Ah yes, the dichotomy.


And, as hard as I tried, I couldn't convince them to do their rubbings near each other, so I could get a shot of the two of them together. This was the best I could get.

While they did the rubbings, I went in search of interesting carvings. That's my favorite part of old cemeteries. They're just as much outdoor museums as they are a final resting place.




And the trees were gorgeous. Normally they've lost all of their leaves by now, but with the unseasonably warm weather, they were still just as lovely.



We were there for an hour and a half, and none of us was particularly ready to leave until


Sass fell and scraped her knee. Oh the horror! The blood! She suddenly became unable to walk, and Spyder helped her limp back to the car. We'll go back soon though, before it gets too cold and the leaves are gone.

After we left, Sass insisted that she would never feel better without ice cream. Neither would Spyder, since she knew he felt so bad for her, with her knee tragedy and all.

We went for ice cream. There are worse ways to see the sunset, sitting outside, eating ice cream, talking about the great day we'd had.