Wednesday, March 28, 2012

TV’s What It’s All About

Caroline went to a nursing home with her class this week, to visit and perform some songs.  She’s done this several times at various ones in town and said this one was definitely *the best* nursing home.

But she said she thinks she is allergic maybe to nursing homes since she always feels nauseous while she’s there.  I was thinking myself, right—that nursing home smell, but she explained it was because it’s “always 110 degrees” in them.

I commended her for going, explaining that the residents have fun seeing young kids and what a brightener to their long days it must be.  I told her some of them never get to leave, they will be sitting there the rest of their lives, maybe they have no one that comes to see them…and she interrupts with,

“Yeah, but Mom, at least they have a huge flat screen tv!  You should see how big it is!  A flat screen!”

Sigh.

But yeah, it did crack me up.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Live News as It Happens

Jack, at the packed, standing-room-only school board meeting, about to be honored as a Top Young Author in his school

MusicMonday--Gotye

I recently added the college station to my round of radio buttons in the van and had been hearing this song regularly and liked it from the start.  After googling for some info, I found out this guy, Wally deBacker is Australian, but born in Belgium, and his performing name is a play on the spelling of Gaultier which his mom used to call him in place of his real name, Wouter, English equivalent: Walter.  And Kimbra’s from New Zealand.  Anywho, new to me even though it was released last summer. I think I’m gonna be checking out more of his songs.  I’m addicted to this one.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Sea of Soccer

I didn't really get a good shot of him but today we had Sam's first soccer game.  Well, that is, the first game he played.  Last week he refused to join his team and was teary and tried to hide behind my leg the whole hour.  Later we found out he didn't want to play the game because he didn't go to practice when he was sick.  *Why didn't he just explain that at the time?*
 
So last Wednesday he had his practice and today he was ready and willing and jumped right in to the game!

Well, to some degree.  He ran to me after the game, so excited!  They won but I don't think he realized that.  His excitement was he "found two three- or four-leaf clovers!"
And that would be on the field during the game.  : )

Nevertheless, yea, SoccerSam!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I just hope...

this crazy tooth is out by the time he comes home from school today.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Public Safety Warning

Ross and I were recently talking about the dangers of living in the Central West End of StL, at least after dark, should he choose the St. Louis College of Pharmacy instead of SIUE.  But our own little suburban area isn’t entirely the safe place you might believe it to be.  He told me he’d more than once seen a gang of youth around Edwardsville, on scooters

Lo and behold, I think they’ve hit our neighborhood.

 scooter gang scooter gang pose

Monday, March 19, 2012

About Today 3/19/12

Outside my window... it is nice.  A great Spring morning with everything greening up and not too hot, not too cool but the perfect warm.  The kids wore shorts and t-shirts to school today.  No jacket.  I’m telling ya--perfect.

I am thinking... still about our new addition.  We got two bids recently out of the four and it was Deee-pressing, capital D.  We feel like we might as well build a new house or go buy a $500,000 plus one.  Which isn’t gonna happen but we would have more than that tied up in our current place once we do the addition and it’s still a crappy house (the original part anyway).   Gary and I both were kinda down over the weekend, realizing that there’s so much more involved than we ever expected.  Like, we didn’t anticipate not being able to just add on new fiber cement siding against the old fiber cement siding.  Never expected all the old stuff would have to be replaced because it will break when they try to blend in the new.  So much labor and the cost of materials and oy.  We just want some space.  Not fancy.  Just some more room. 

I am thankful... that we have a glimmer of hope this morning in that the one builder that hadn’t seemed that interested but we were very interested in is meeting me today and may have time to come over to the house tonight or tomorrow night.  We have some hope that we could still execute the plan as the architect drew it, if his bid is significantly less than the other two fellas.  And then there’s one more out there we are waiting on, plus, we got another recommendation for another builder so maybe it’s not as lost of a cause as it felt the past days.

In the kitchen... the sun is shining through and it makes me feel great and really solidifies the fact that I am a window girl.  Last night I was up in the night and sitting in a chair and felt happy looking out our large window only seeing the tree silhouettes.  Even in the dark I like to look outside. 

I am going... to meet the potential builder today to give him our drawings and then go to Columbus School to work the library like I do every Monday.  Then I get groceries and everyone comes home and we get through homework and I make supper.  We eat in a hurry on Mondays because it is Scouts for Gary and the big boys. 

I am looking forward to...a vacation like the one we took to Santa Fe last spring, just Gary and I. Don’t know when or where but I like to imagine that can happen again sometime. DSC09717

I am wondering... if there’s a way to edit posts that I send from my phone, like the cat in the flower pot one that I sent and forgot to attach the picture. 

I am remembering... how much fun we had yesterday.  Gary and I walked with Caroline through our woods and back to the creek.  It was bank-full and there was a big ol log jam.  I got a long stick and started poking around trying to dislodge some of the stuff and see if I could break up the whole jam.  Gary thought I was crazy messing with it but it was so fun for me, just like I used to do when I was a kid growing up on the creek.  He eventually got himself a long stick and together we broke up that big jam. Watching it bust up and float on down the rushing creek was so rewarding.

My latest heart attack… was when Scooter jumped into that high, fast water thinking he could walk on the jam.  It looked like solid ground I suppose to him, but it was just a mass of floating twigs and branches and occasional glass bottle and trash all bound up by who knows what under the surface.  It stressed me out completely until he made it back to the bank.  Made for a memorable day though.  And things like this is why we bought this place, right?  It’ll all work out.

I am hoping...Sam’s soccer goes better this week.  Last week he was really sick and missed practice and he’s never played soccer before in his life.  We went to his first game Saturday morning which was amongst the sea of soccer fields at SIU-E.  It’s such a big event they have paid staff to direct traffic to park.  I had no idea.  And then we were throwing Sam into this game, granted with other first graders, but with refs and rules and all.  He refused to join his team and stood along the sideline trying to hide behind my leg the whole hour.  It was not a good experience for him or his parents. 

I am listening to….I Me Mine by The Beatles.

let_it_be  

One of my favorite things...is my favorite Beatle, George. 

I am learning...about geo-thermal units in homes and that there’s all kinds of turf-wars going on in the world of PTO moms. 

Around the house...the grass is going crazy. We haven’t mowed yet but it is going to have to happen very soon. I pulled weeds yesterday along the drive and fence and didn’t even make a dent. So much stuff growing!

A few plans for the rest of the week...is to catch up on laundry (the excitement!), wash my van, and rid the upholstered chair of the horrible vomit smell.  I have fought it for a week and next going to try my friend’s steam cleaner.  Hope that works! 

A recent pic....a house I thought we might copy the porch detail.
exterior2 That’s it for today!

Good Morning, Cat

Comfy?

Good Morning, Cat

Comfy?

Monday, March 5, 2012

For Today 3/5/12


Outside my window... it is sunny and a clear blue sky and I see two Simpsons’ clouds.  Bea-u-ti-ful.  Only thirty degrees though.

I am thinking... about our new addition non-stop.  What kind of tiles, what paint colors, the flooring choices; my mind won’t drop it until I have thought through everything.

I am thankful... for the time Gary and I have had together lately.  We worked together out in the wood yesterday and then had a date night last night. Lots of together which is a very good thing and we try not to let it be a rarity. 

In the kitchen... it is a mess.  Dishes on the counter, the griddle half in, half out of the sink, recycling piled up.  But the sun is beaming through the window making the milk jug glow so it kinda looks nice.

I am wearing... my favorite pj pants that are blue with pink tigers on them and an old pink Glen Carbon Miners t-shirt.  I just realized it has a tiger on it so it’s kinda like a pj set.  Miner Tigers-- isn’t that the weirdest school mascot?

I am creating... this list as a cheater.  I saw it on another blog and decided to lift it.  I want to get back to posting but needed a quicker, easy way and all these prompts make it simple.  Maybe I’ll use this for a once a week post.

I am going... to take two of the kids to their orthodontist appointments today.  That makes three of four children in or on the track to braces.  I hope, hope Sam can dodge the too many teeth for a small mouth bullet.  He’s our last hope.

I am wondering... if the kids will appreciate us making sure they have nicely formed smiles.  Giving them siblings and straight teeth and means to go to college are/were my top three parental priorities.  At least one of those was really, really fun.  Well, except for the part of birthing the 10+ pound one.

I am reading... nothing right now.  I just finished The Secret Holocaust Diaries and oh, it made me so sad and got me mad and I am not ready to start another book right now.

I am hoping... Caroline is not getting sick.

I am looking forward to... getting our new added-on house. More room. Can’t wait.

I am learning... a little about (whisper voice) menopause.  Let’s just say I’ve had some questions and looked a few things up lately.  Is it just me or is it hot in here?

Around the house... the kids are taking it easy.  Today’s a day off school.  We celebrate the spirit of Casmir Pulaski by lying around. 

I am asking myself… if everyone knows what a Simpson cloud is.  Here:

simpsons      simpsons3simpsons2

I am listening to….  the movie Arachnophobia in the background.  Grant’s watching it.  Hope that’s not a mistake.

A favorite quote for today... “I am not into quotes.”  - Diane Gill

One of my favorite things... is the show Project Runway.

A few plans for the rest of the week... is the usual:  Tues. get groceries, Wed. school library volunteer, Thurs. school library volunteer, Fri. AR volunteer and Zumba in the a.m.  Then sometimes I totally treat myself and veg on Friday afternoons and that means I sit alone and watch what TV shows I’ve dvr’d in the week.

A recent pic.... 2012-03-05 miner tiger
That’s it for today!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

What is Blog-worthy?

Arrg, more weeks fly by and I have no posts.  I don’t even know why but it probably has to do with how little free time I have.  I don’t think I am even noticing all the little things that in the past would have been post-worthy.  And I never grab the camera anymore. 

But one recent development, a biggie for me, is that my beloved Zumba leader Heather is gone.  She’s not gone-gone, thank goodness, but just no longer teaches in my town.  I was about to freak when I found out she was leaving me.  How dare she?  I can not tell you how magically motivating she makes exercising!  How would I do it without her?

Friday and Saturday this past week were the first days with the new replacements.  I went.  I smiled.  I survived.  In fact, I have muscle soreness today in the biggest part of my whole body so that tells me it was a good work out. 

The new Friday teacher is Ashley and she is a waif and soft spoken and so non-Heather but I like her and her style.  But let me tell you about the Saturday teacher!  HE is in-tense.  Heather was intense.  Nitro, (that is really what he’s called, no last name that I’ve heard so far) is in-tense-er!  Just ask my bum muscles.

nitro13 I had to wonder if he was the former American Gladiator when I first heard/saw his name.  Well, he’s not THE Nitro which would be semi-funny to picture in dance shoes and doing Zumba moves, but you know, it coulda been. 

Final verdict:  as much as I didn’t want a change, it’s looking like it’s a good one.  New moves, some new music…new is kinda exciting. 

But I still miss my Heather.