Saturday, July 31, 2010

summer cold

Got one, thanks. Just in time for my "summer" to be over, too. Darn it. Won't go into the gory, snotty details, but I'm hoping to see the light soon.

Raine got to spend an extra day with Uncle John. He called this morning asking if she could stay longer. I only allowed the one extra day, because while Raine's schedule would allow more, driving up to T or C and back after work, just doesn't do it for me. Especially with not feeling totally up to par. I'm actually pretty happy that she fit in well enough, and is enjoying herself and being enjoyed. Shelbi is a pretty nice cousin, and they don't get to spend nearly enough time together.

Well, that is about all my sodden brain can come up with...

Thursday, July 29, 2010

a bit of fry and laurie

Now that we have Netflicks, we can enjoy off the wall stuff, just like all those other people that did it before us and were so cool when we were not.

We got better.

Our latest disk is A Little Bit of Fry and Laurie, some sketch comedy done in the 80's by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. The latter you probably know as House, but he's been pretty well known in Britain in the comedy realm. The former is the host of QI, a British comedy quiz show, which is quite entertaining and you can look it up on youtube, and probably other places as well. They played together in the adaptation of Jeeves and Wooster and did so very well, indeed. If you haven't seen those, I really recommend them.

The sketch comedy? Eh, maybe not so much. They certainly aren't Monty Python, which I really love. They aren't really bad, either, though. Sketch comedy in and of itself doesn't always do it for me. I only watched a couple of seasons of Saturday Night Live, even, and that was Waaayyyy back with the original cast. I liked some SCTV, too. Just, I think, a little goes a long way for me. I hate when I have to decide, "Oh, THIS is supposed to be the funny bit," (pretty much why I tuned out of SNL). That usually means I didn't think it was all that funny. AH, well... you know the feeling too, I suppose. Still, they are quite entertaining if you are at all into sketch comedy.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

one more summer adventure

While I've been working on getting ready to be ready for school, Raine has a couple more weeks to bask in the freedom of summer vacation. It won't all be lying around bored, bored, bored, though...

Tomorrow, I'm taking her north to Truth or Consequences, where my brother, John, lives. We had his daughter Shelbi for a week, and had a blast. Now, he's invited Raine for a few days. She'll get to go to the lake, and fish, and probably learn (more or less) how to play horse shoes. I suspect she'll have a blast.

Next week, she'll be attending a multicultural arts & crafts camp. It will be for half a day, and she'll be going with her buddy Ezekiel. It sounds like a lot of fun to me, and I think she'll enjoy that one, too. She is very artistic, and likes to make things. What's not to love?

Meanwhile, I'm getting a little sewing done, and yes, I've made progress in the craft room, thanks! The next part is the stacking boxes everywhere but where they are right now part... yeah, messy. But more short term messy than what it has been up to now. I also need some more time in my classroom, and I hope they have the copy machines up and running this week!

Friday, July 23, 2010

organize back on the list

At the beginning of the summer, I had organizing my craft room as one of my goals. One that kind of got usurped by moving our computer room and trading it for Raine's room. In the process of that move, those two rooms got cleaned more than they had been in, well, a while. Kind of frightening, to say the least.

In some ways, doing that switch kind of used up my desire to move the craft room around. It was work, after all, sorting, shifting, cleaning. In other ways, it made me want the work done in the craft room even more. I mean making it more organized makes it more usable. And I like to use it, and would like to use it even more.

The purging of the two rooms we worked on felt good, too, and the craft room definitely has boxes that need to be sorted and stuff that can be gotten rid of. It kind of ended up as a storage room when we moved back in, and just hasn't ever been truly set up the way it should be. What's more, it definitely needs to be cleaned. Everything moved and swept under and behind, you know, the whole works. It will make me feel so much better when its done, I know it will... still, it's, you know, work.

It kind of had gone back on the back burner. I made a step in the right direction today, though, with a set of shelves that has a lot of bins on it. The bins are different sizes, and I think putting the stuff for one craft or another into each will help them be organized and easy to find. Help me to have a place to put everything, so everything can go in its place. Don't know if I'll work on it hard enough and fast enough to get it done before school starts again, but I'll take a step in the right direction when I can get one.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

is it stress?

Oh, sure I'm still on vacation, but the closer the first day of school gets, the more stress I feel. Yep, those stress dreams where I can't find my classroom, and the kids are there waiting for me while the principal is standing out in the hall, which by the way just seem to be getting longer, and is this really the right building? Yeah, those are right around the corner.

What arrived this week, is emotional upheaval. I don't like to go into details, as its mostly whining and too much information. It will get better, it always does. It won't be pretty in the mean-time, though. It never is.

Fran, I hope your migraine subsides and you don't lose another day to it... there are so many better and more interesting things to lose a day to...

Sunday, July 18, 2010

back to the

Grind? Well, not quite, but getting closer. I should stop complaining and be ecstatic that I have two more weeks. Other people only get two weeks. Period. I'm lucky to get two months. I've really enjoyed them, though. I've gotten some things done, not everything, but some stuff. I've enjoyed making things, and I'm extra glad that I made that a priority this year. It feels good. I've read books! woot! That feels good too, although I can tell my eyesight isn't aging well, sad to say. I've gotten to visit friends, and gotten cool stuff from other friends... THANKS FRAN!

So, I worked on some more lesson planning today, and will probably go work in my classroom one day next week, and another day the week after. If I make myself do it, then I will be oh so much happier on Aug 3rd and 4th, and especially the 5th, when the students start.

Then there is that pesky craft room, which I'm having kind of a hard time starting in. Short of just dragging everything outside, it is just kind of stymieing me. Well, that and no matter where I start, it's work! Darn that four letter word, and my laziness... look! a book!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

tucson, pt.2





Yeah, this one would be the part with the photos.

Sedona, modeling the leggings that Steph and I whipped up. She got the "I'm a good big sister" award. She really is, too.

On the other hand, I had no idea I was in such danger of being crushed, just like that!

Then there was the swimming. Steph has a pool. It gets used. A lot. The kids had a blast swimming together, and Raine is really improving her swimming, even without formal lessons this year. She would probably trade places with one of Steph's girls, at least during swimming season.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

tucson

Raine and I have had a really good time, here in Tucson this week. It has gone by so fast, and I can hardly believe that it will be Friday tomorrow, and time for us to return home.

We've visited, and laughed, and swam, and shopped and sewed and crafted. I took the girls to pick beads, and then they made some really beautiful necklaces. Really beautiful. Steph and I made a pair of tights for Sedona that have zippers at the ankles. Fun! Steph finished a dress for her younger daughter that is really cute and has Tinkerbell all over it. She did a nice job on it. I showed Steph how easy it is to use the Serger. I had to learn it, and now I must pass it along. I should - of course - interject "then the girls swam" between each of these projects. Really.

We did other stuff too, though. Bowling was a good sollution to the Tucson heat one afternoon. Dispicable Me was, too, another afternoon. Really enjoyed that movie, and recommend it. I saw a few movies that I hadn't seen before, like Julie and Julia, which was good (and then Iron Chefs did the butter challenge today...). The Hangover was one I hadn't made any effort to see, but it was more entertaining than I thought it would be. Oh, yeah, then the girls swam. Raine, also got to ride a horse a couple of times, too. And we played spades one evening, and had a blast with that, even though Steph & I lost.

With good friends around, it doesn't take much for a good time to ensue. I wish Ron could have come to partake, but he was doing the responsible thing, and I respect him for that. Of course I will be punished for having fun without him... ahhhh, but hopefully that will make him want to come too, next visit. More regular blogging should resume shortly.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

going places

Well, at least one place: Tucson. Raine and I are going to go visit my friend Steph and her family. We'll be gone a week, so if you don't hear from us, that's why. I am taking my little portable laptop jr. Don't know if I'll get online much with it, or have the patience to do much once I'm there. Still, I might manage a blog entry or two. Might not.

I've taken the day to prepare for the trip, getting the other two new tires that I didn't get in February, when one went flat overnight, got the air compressor treatment (with requisite cussing) in the morning, and went Psssssst, pssssst, pssssssst all the way to Big O. Yeah.

Now I'm counting on good tires and $3000 worth of transmission work to get us there and back, oh yeah, along with a couple of tanks of gas. Steph and I will visit and gossip and solve the problems of the world, then head out to the pool for a leisurely swim. Her girls and mine will be playing and running, and playing and screeching, and playing and splashing, and wearing each other out, for the most part... Yep, definitely a good part of summer.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

john's birthday

We took Shelbi home today. She would have stayed longer, she really would have. We had a blast. By we, I mean of course, Raine, Shelbi, and I. Ron and Carl, not so involved, although I know Carl appreciated seeing his niece, too. I would have kept her longer, but as the summer draws closer to its close, there are some other things I want to do, still. That, and I really, really, ascribe to the philosophy of "leave 'em wanting more" when it comes to visiting. If you still want to stay, you've had a good time, and you have a reason to return, and a positive feeling about returning as well. If you do all you could possibly do, then boredom - or worse - can set in. Finally, it was her dad's birthday today.

John is the one of us who always loved being on the receiving end of any gift giving.... not so much of a giver himself. Carl and I will call him or maybe I will remember to get a card in the mail or something. This year, we decided to all hop in the car and take John out for a birthday dinner, and visit a bit. We had a nice dinner in Truth or Consequences, then visited for a bit while Shelbi showed Raine around her turf. Shelbi got to show off some of her spoils, and then we came home. The possibility of Raine visiting Shelbi for a few days was even arranged.

Again, the "leave 'em wanting more" philosophy was attempted. (don't know how much more of us John ever wants, but, eh) Still, one more successful chapter in my book of this summer.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

even when bored






Kids can have a good time even when boredom sends them to.... bubbles! The girls climbed in the back of their uncle's truck and blew a ton of bubbles. Of course when I got out the camera, they hammed it up.

They sure are cute, and I think its a good thing I don't have to buy film and pay for developing it to enjoy photographing them as much as they enjoy being photographed...

Friday, July 2, 2010

Make stuff, pass it on





One of the activities I wanted to do with the girls was for them to get to do some beading. I picked out some in anticipation, and some necessities for making necklaces. Then took the girls so they could pick out some beads and a charm for their necklaces. Personal tastes and all.

This morning the beading began, and it didn't take too long until we all three had nice, new necklaces! The girls both did a great job with their beading, and their necklaces both looked great, and very different from one another. Come on, no surprise there...

Silly faces were made, and then the hairstyling began. Raine got a pony tail, thanks to the efforts of her cousin...

Thursday, July 1, 2010

white sands, no rain this time

We made it to White Sands Monument again today. We didn't get rained on this time, and we had a really good time. We had kids galore having a grand time, and from oldest to youngest there was sand, sand, sand.

Last week when we went, I gave Raine the brochure that you get at the gate, so she could look through it and practice her reading. She was fascinated by the bleached earless lizard. We had to discuss whether or not it really has ears. (yes, but the openings are very small.) No, you can't just call it a white lizard, you have to say the WHOLE thing... sigh... bleached earless lizard (and try it with no front teeth...)

So, today we were walking to the restroom, and Raine was walking on the sand dunes while I walked at the edge of the road. She - of course - did not have her shoes on, and the sand was softer on the dune of course. She told me she wanted to see one of those bleached earless lizards, as if I could just point somewhere and there it would be. I told her we would have more luck finding one where there were more plants, and she pointed between some dunes to an area that hadn't been graded and remarked that there were plants over there.

Needless to say, we walked that way back towards the car, looking for little white lizards. Would you believe it? In about the third or fourth little clump of grass, there was a little white lizard. Well, how cool was that? Of COURSE it was a bleached earless lizard, what else could it have possibly been? Take a picture of it Mama. Well, sweety, I didn't bring the camera to the bathroom, silly me. We walked to the car, got the camera, and a lot of followers, but the lizard was nowhere to be found. Smart lizard. Still, she saw it, and it was one of the high points of the evening for her.