It's one of those significant moments in life, where everything is okay.
My brother, who was very worried about not passing his pharmacy law class, did in fact, pass. He also has a fancy internship at Wal-mart pharmacy this summer. Josh passed his Project Management certification. The people at work love me. The kids are healthy and happy, and super excited that they will be going on vacation next week with my parents to the Grand Canyon. My Uncle Pete is a newlywed, and his daughter who just moved to Missouri started work this week. Our friend Rob has been in town, and is in perfect health and spirits. Plus, he liked the dinner I cooked. My cousin Sky is starting her next life adventure in Boston, now that she has graduated, but is first taking a trip overseas with some family. We were not tornadoed.
All good things.
I still need a new job, of course, and we need to magically sell this house before winter, and I need a haircut, but some of this can be fixed!
For instance, I'm getting a haircut today.
I can't do anything about the fact that there are 4 houses for sale on the way to ours that are probably much cheaper.
This is going to be my next fancy dinner, I think: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/06/chicken-with-olives/
By the way, I am sad about the tornadoes in Oklahoma, but something about the way the country reacts to news like that bothers me, and I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the fact that they wail and moan and express distant sympathy and encourage the victims to feel sorry for themselves, and don't lift a finger. Less talk, more re-building. Yeah. Maybe that's it.
Like spirituals? These guys are great. I only wish the recording was better! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gYw-UGWTIA
I need to write my letter to my dear Secret Friends in Rolla. I always write them in May. They are so lovable. I am also going to start Grant and Abbie letter writing again this summer. They are going to write to a family member or friend once a week. I'm getting them fancy notebooks to use as journals during their trip to the Grand Canyon.
I hope that what is happening in Egypt is really a sign of native Egyptians reclaiming their rights to their own country, but I'm not convinced. The Saudi people in Egypt always bothered me. It is bad enough to swoop in on someone else's country and start wielding power, but to discourage the existing culture just because it isn't what you like? So wrong. Sneaky conquest is just as bad, or worse than violent conquest. I don't have enough evidence to decide about the current situation, though.
Well, if I'm going to get my hair done, I'd better go shower! Wishing you all a great day!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
And now.......
I love The King's Singers. I really do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrXJnMvg9uI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=0D0mypn54iE
I don't work today. Feels weird. Dropping off the kids was weird. Coming home was weird. I wish I could clean the house top to bottom with gusto, or at least take a triumphant nap with reckless abandon. Instead, I've been kind of drifting, and wondering what to have for lunch.
Next, though, I shall read. Perhaps I shall shower afterward.
So lost.
Josh has been having a terrible week. I would usually feel sorry for him, but I found out that while I was gone Tuesday he had plenty of time to fly his RC airplane and play video games, but didn't have time to bathe Abbie and even went so far as to leave the kids in the house alone while he AND Rob went to the store. And didn't put them to bed until after 9 on a schoolnight. After staying home from taiko for over a week to accommodate other people's schedules and to have THAT happen the one night I did go, I just really have a hard time dredging up a lot of sympathy for a guy who is worried that he won't have time to study for his certification test.
Grant was so, so cranky this morning. I didn't get back from his game last night until 9:15. I put Abbie to bed, but Grant took a quick shower first. Add that to the completely unnecessary late bedtime on Tuesday, and I can't say I'm surprised. But he has another game tonight. I hope he makes it through Friday!
The weather is warm now, and probably will be for the whole summer.
Maybe I will try that nap after all.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
RushRushRush!
So, what did you do yesterday?
I got up and fed the kids and showered and took the kids to school and worked until the end of the schoolday and took the kids to music lessons. Then we came home for a grand total of 15 minutes to eat dinner, then I took the kids to Grant's baseball practice, then walked down the hill to Abbie's softball practice, and then cane home and got the kids ready for bed and set out clothes for today.
Tonight is Taiko practice. I wonder if they remember what I look like there. True, I taught classes there the last two weeks, but not during regular practice hours.
Since there was no time to cook on Monday, I made two dinners on Sunday. Well...sorta. I made my easy meatloaf recipe - super yummy - for Sunday's dinner. After dinner, I got the pork tenderloin browned, and onions and mushrooms, for a crock pot dinner. It's really a great recipe. I'm cooking on Friday, too, but in between we are going to have leftovers and such.
Tonight, as I've said, I have taiko. Tomorrow, Grant has a game in O'Fallon. Then, he has a make-up game on Thursday that is here, but at the same time, Abbie has a game in O'Fallon. I will be staying home from taiko so we can split up. I will be taking Abbie to O'Fallon.
On Saturday, we have plans to meet Rob at the Ren. Faire! I'm excited. Is the weather going to be nice? I haven't checked.
I don't have any new songs to report, but this one has been stuck in my head:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q74qThTL66o
I forgot to mention - my children gave me Ree Drummond's latest cookbook (her second). Yay!
I work all day tomorrow. I have also been extended to next Monday, which is field day. I don't know how field day works. Should be interesting... Yesterday was an all-round bad day at work. Excepting K, who was very kind and sweet, as usual. M had problems both days, and the Running Girl I was with yesterday didn't run....but she did hit and kick me and refuse to do work. Like I said - rough day.
I wonder why people of different religious denominations seem to get along so poorly in public. Librarians and book store owners have a much more obvious conflict of interest, and yet they always seem to get along. They are both book people, you know. (Hint, hint...)
I finished reading Three Men in a Boat forever ago. Since then I've mostly been reading about flowers in my Victorian Flower Language dictionary. WOOT! Secret codes!!! I might grab a Sarah Addison Allen book to read in the car today.
Wishing you a pleasant day!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Just a little something.
It must be something about my skin. You can NOT put a stamp on my hand, and be able to read it 2 minutes later. It always goes blurry.
We went out last night. Our friend Lisa turned 30. I've never been to an 70's/80's themed club before. It wasn't really me. But what is? [insert moment of despondence related to my lack of a category here] Anyway, it's nice to do something different that you wouldn't choose on your own every now and then.
I opened the windows to air out the house, and now I'm so cold that my hands are going stiff. I had to close everything back up.
Guess what! Rob K is in town! He was at Lisa's party (makes sense...he's her brother). Josh was so excited to have his best friend around. It's cute. And me, too. He's my dear friend, too. It's just not as noticeable on me, since I get that excited anytime any of my friends come out.
This week at work was not so bad. And I handled everything alone. Josh didn't notice that the house stays clean when he isn't here. I guess that's part of the problem, eh?
I've been having a difficult time with the kids. I guess that the End Of The School Year attitude that I saw at school is contagious. They've been fussed a lot for snotty behavior these last 3 days or so. They're still nice kids, mind. I just don't accept the tone of voice they've been experimenting with.
It's Mothers' Day. My mother does not like Mothers' Day. She says that if she isn't appreciated and wanted the other 364 days of the year one suck-up phone call is not going to make up for it. When Brother worked in the food industry, he said that Mothers' Day weekend was the busiest of the whole year. I believe it.
Here are some particularly beautiful flower arrangements:
According to my Victorian Flower Dictionary, Iris flowers symbolize a message. Lilies represent majesty.
Tulips are a declaration of love.
Orchids = refined beauty.
We went out last night. Our friend Lisa turned 30. I've never been to an 70's/80's themed club before. It wasn't really me. But what is? [insert moment of despondence related to my lack of a category here] Anyway, it's nice to do something different that you wouldn't choose on your own every now and then.
I opened the windows to air out the house, and now I'm so cold that my hands are going stiff. I had to close everything back up.
Guess what! Rob K is in town! He was at Lisa's party (makes sense...he's her brother). Josh was so excited to have his best friend around. It's cute. And me, too. He's my dear friend, too. It's just not as noticeable on me, since I get that excited anytime any of my friends come out.
This week at work was not so bad. And I handled everything alone. Josh didn't notice that the house stays clean when he isn't here. I guess that's part of the problem, eh?
I've been having a difficult time with the kids. I guess that the End Of The School Year attitude that I saw at school is contagious. They've been fussed a lot for snotty behavior these last 3 days or so. They're still nice kids, mind. I just don't accept the tone of voice they've been experimenting with.
It's Mothers' Day. My mother does not like Mothers' Day. She says that if she isn't appreciated and wanted the other 364 days of the year one suck-up phone call is not going to make up for it. When Brother worked in the food industry, he said that Mothers' Day weekend was the busiest of the whole year. I believe it.
Here are some particularly beautiful flower arrangements:
According to my Victorian Flower Dictionary, Iris flowers symbolize a message. Lilies represent majesty. Tulips are a declaration of love. Orchids = refined beauty.
I am thinking especially about all my friends who have Angel Mommies, today. Love to you guys, and to all.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Not Doing it Right?
Hi! I'm having a little down time. I have 1.5 hours after work before I need to get the kids, so this is when I do my corresponding, my taiko PR stuff, business phone calls or - on really bad days - take a quick and unsuccessful "nap". I also eat lunch and change clothes, on the days when it is called for. What I don't do are things like laundry. It is important that I keep up the delusion that I am resting.
This afternoon, I will get the kids, go to music lessons, go to Grant's baseball practice, and then Abbie's softball game. As a matter of extraordinary luck, they (game and practice) are at the same place. But don't get too excited for me. There is a good chance that they will both be cancelled due to mud and rescheduled for a different day, and no doubt the same time but opposite ends of town.
Josh is out of town this week, making the ball schedules much more serious. If you have any influence over the elements at all, I would appreciate a rain dance for Thursday. I don't know how I'm going to teach from 5-6 in the city, and then get Grant to his game by 6:15.
I taught on Friday. It was very fun and rewarding.
Apparently, not much news today. This was a headline: Would superpowers turn you good or evil? This reminds me of the fact that I never know what superpower I would choose, if I could. Not interested in superhuman strength, or mind control, or super speed (although some have said that a little super speed might not be a bad thing in my life). I never wanted super eavesdrop powers like super hearing, mind reading, or invisibility. Maybe I would levitate things. Or talk to animals. I'm not very good at this aspiring super hero thing, am I?
As predicted, the ball game and practice were both just cancelled.
K did not have the best day, today. During Reading class, she was supposed to finish her morning work, and then her poetry assignment. She absolutely refused me, and then yelled at her teacher when she came to see what was wrong. I took her for a walk and we sat down in an empty classroom for a while. When she was ready, we went back to class and worked on the poetry assignment, but the morning work never got done. At recess, I walked with her while she picked dandelions. Here's something. None of the other paras stay with their students during recess. They also sit at the back of the room in music, while I sit at the end of K's row, also close enough to M to help there, as well. Are they just taking breaks, or am I doing it wrong? I'm getting that most students either ridicule me and think I don't know it, or they love me, but don't take me very seriously. Well, maybe I only think that on "bad" days....
Enough self pity.
On a lighter note, I finally figured out how to multiply by a multi-digit the Singapore Math way today. Woo-hoo! I'm finding that I like math a lot more when it's someone else's grade...
Are you chilly? I'm getting a bit cold. In a minute I am going to change, and it will involve a sweat shirt. Want to hear a secret? Sometimes I turn my electric blanket on and warm up my clothes in it before putting them on.
I'm having a terrible sinus headache. I think I will take something.
Here is an old favorite of mine by Sertab Erener: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHSIMAA6fbE
Oh, and these I heard in college:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-HNvjILwaI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j97Sdb99MoU
Yes. I was always like this. :P
Hope you are having a good Monday. I think we're going to get some Culvers for dinner tonight. That ought to fix us up!
:)
This afternoon, I will get the kids, go to music lessons, go to Grant's baseball practice, and then Abbie's softball game. As a matter of extraordinary luck, they (game and practice) are at the same place. But don't get too excited for me. There is a good chance that they will both be cancelled due to mud and rescheduled for a different day, and no doubt the same time but opposite ends of town.
Josh is out of town this week, making the ball schedules much more serious. If you have any influence over the elements at all, I would appreciate a rain dance for Thursday. I don't know how I'm going to teach from 5-6 in the city, and then get Grant to his game by 6:15.
I taught on Friday. It was very fun and rewarding.
Apparently, not much news today. This was a headline: Would superpowers turn you good or evil? This reminds me of the fact that I never know what superpower I would choose, if I could. Not interested in superhuman strength, or mind control, or super speed (although some have said that a little super speed might not be a bad thing in my life). I never wanted super eavesdrop powers like super hearing, mind reading, or invisibility. Maybe I would levitate things. Or talk to animals. I'm not very good at this aspiring super hero thing, am I?
As predicted, the ball game and practice were both just cancelled.
K did not have the best day, today. During Reading class, she was supposed to finish her morning work, and then her poetry assignment. She absolutely refused me, and then yelled at her teacher when she came to see what was wrong. I took her for a walk and we sat down in an empty classroom for a while. When she was ready, we went back to class and worked on the poetry assignment, but the morning work never got done. At recess, I walked with her while she picked dandelions. Here's something. None of the other paras stay with their students during recess. They also sit at the back of the room in music, while I sit at the end of K's row, also close enough to M to help there, as well. Are they just taking breaks, or am I doing it wrong? I'm getting that most students either ridicule me and think I don't know it, or they love me, but don't take me very seriously. Well, maybe I only think that on "bad" days....
Enough self pity.
On a lighter note, I finally figured out how to multiply by a multi-digit the Singapore Math way today. Woo-hoo! I'm finding that I like math a lot more when it's someone else's grade...
Are you chilly? I'm getting a bit cold. In a minute I am going to change, and it will involve a sweat shirt. Want to hear a secret? Sometimes I turn my electric blanket on and warm up my clothes in it before putting them on.
I'm having a terrible sinus headache. I think I will take something.
Here is an old favorite of mine by Sertab Erener: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHSIMAA6fbE
Oh, and these I heard in college:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-HNvjILwaI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j97Sdb99MoU
Yes. I was always like this. :P
Hope you are having a good Monday. I think we're going to get some Culvers for dinner tonight. That ought to fix us up!
:)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Game On
Yes! I still exist.
That is....if I ever did exist. How do we know that matter exists? Perhaps it is all in our heads. Or....my head. But if I have a head, then I pretty much have to exist, don't I? Maybe it's all of you who don't exist.
Okay. Back to operating under the assumption that we all exist:
HI! It's a beautiful, sunny day and I am shortly off to Grant's first baseball game of the season. Well, the first game of the season that hasn't been rained out, anyway.
Don't know if I told you, but I finished Ivanhoe, and I finished Leisl and Po. I think Grant is nearly finished with it now. I think Abbie is going to finish her Nancy Drew #1 that she started so long ago.
I made the mistake of looking at an article about bathing suits today. I am not a bathing suit person. Why I don't own board shorts is a huge mystery. If I win the lottery....I mean when I win the lottery (gotta think positive) I will acquire some. But this bathing suit article wasn't about me. I wanted the girls who were in the bathing suits to reconsider them, as well. Why is it that I can get arrested for standing on the street in my undergarments, but if I make them waterproof, I can even go so far as to trim them quite a bit, and still be considered clothed by the majority of this ridiculous country?
My mornings of work were supposed to end tomorrow, but they have been extended until May 10th. Yay! They also want to offer me three full days after that. Um.....yay.....ish?
Forgot! You haven't heard about the weekend!
Had Josh's graduation picnic, even though it rained. And even though it was chilly. "Chilly" in this case, is 50 degrees F, with no sunshine and a slight breeze. Some people would (and did) call that COLD. We had fried chicken. We had a cake from my grandmother. We had apple juice and kool-aid for the kids, we had a box of wine, we had beer in cans and strawberry limaritas (I probably spelled that wrong. I didn't bring them, but tried one. Tasty!), we had salad and popcorn and cookies, and chips, we had strawberries everywhere, and we had cream puffs. We also had a small tent with board games for the children, and some paper and pens for drawing. I also arranged for there to be coffee, for my grandmother. You know you have awesome friends when they agree to lend you a coffee maker for a picnic...and bring coffee to go with it! If we only had 12 more degrees of heat and 50% less rain, that would have been an epic picnic. The location was awesome. It's so great that I am already trying to think of something fun that we could do there on some other day (for example: one when it isn't raining). The pavilion had electricity, lights, and clean bathrooms!! Win.
Then, I also did that taiko performance during the day Monday. It was fun. I had a good time, and did all the educational talking, and ran the workshop. I dashed away with Michelle and Kiyomi immediately following, so I could get home in time to meet the kids. It worked! I got here at the same time as the bus. Then, we rushed to music lessons. Monday was a very full day.
Now I can start planning my trip at the end of the month! I wonder what sorts of clothes to bring.
I looked up what kinds of owls live in Missouri. You know you are curious. Long eared, short eared, screech owls and these two guys:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_Owl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl
I wonder what my neighbors would think of me if I decided to start raising owls as a hobby.
The book that I am reading right now is Three Men in a Boat. Not a very exciting title. VERY FUNNY BOOK. Love it.
Hope your day is good to you. If you exist, that is...
GO RED BIRDS!
:)
That is....if I ever did exist. How do we know that matter exists? Perhaps it is all in our heads. Or....my head. But if I have a head, then I pretty much have to exist, don't I? Maybe it's all of you who don't exist.
Okay. Back to operating under the assumption that we all exist:
HI! It's a beautiful, sunny day and I am shortly off to Grant's first baseball game of the season. Well, the first game of the season that hasn't been rained out, anyway.
Don't know if I told you, but I finished Ivanhoe, and I finished Leisl and Po. I think Grant is nearly finished with it now. I think Abbie is going to finish her Nancy Drew #1 that she started so long ago.
I made the mistake of looking at an article about bathing suits today. I am not a bathing suit person. Why I don't own board shorts is a huge mystery. If I win the lottery....I mean when I win the lottery (gotta think positive) I will acquire some. But this bathing suit article wasn't about me. I wanted the girls who were in the bathing suits to reconsider them, as well. Why is it that I can get arrested for standing on the street in my undergarments, but if I make them waterproof, I can even go so far as to trim them quite a bit, and still be considered clothed by the majority of this ridiculous country?
My mornings of work were supposed to end tomorrow, but they have been extended until May 10th. Yay! They also want to offer me three full days after that. Um.....yay.....ish?
Forgot! You haven't heard about the weekend!
Had Josh's graduation picnic, even though it rained. And even though it was chilly. "Chilly" in this case, is 50 degrees F, with no sunshine and a slight breeze. Some people would (and did) call that COLD. We had fried chicken. We had a cake from my grandmother. We had apple juice and kool-aid for the kids, we had a box of wine, we had beer in cans and strawberry limaritas (I probably spelled that wrong. I didn't bring them, but tried one. Tasty!), we had salad and popcorn and cookies, and chips, we had strawberries everywhere, and we had cream puffs. We also had a small tent with board games for the children, and some paper and pens for drawing. I also arranged for there to be coffee, for my grandmother. You know you have awesome friends when they agree to lend you a coffee maker for a picnic...and bring coffee to go with it! If we only had 12 more degrees of heat and 50% less rain, that would have been an epic picnic. The location was awesome. It's so great that I am already trying to think of something fun that we could do there on some other day (for example: one when it isn't raining). The pavilion had electricity, lights, and clean bathrooms!! Win.
Then, I also did that taiko performance during the day Monday. It was fun. I had a good time, and did all the educational talking, and ran the workshop. I dashed away with Michelle and Kiyomi immediately following, so I could get home in time to meet the kids. It worked! I got here at the same time as the bus. Then, we rushed to music lessons. Monday was a very full day.
Now I can start planning my trip at the end of the month! I wonder what sorts of clothes to bring.
I looked up what kinds of owls live in Missouri. You know you are curious. Long eared, short eared, screech owls and these two guys:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_Owl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl
I wonder what my neighbors would think of me if I decided to start raising owls as a hobby.
The book that I am reading right now is Three Men in a Boat. Not a very exciting title. VERY FUNNY BOOK. Love it.
Hope your day is good to you. If you exist, that is...
GO RED BIRDS!
:)