We leave tomorrow!! So of course I have a big list next to me. The most satisfying aspect of a list is the crossing off of completed items and tasks. And since that crossing out is so pleasurable, I make sure to have lots of little things to cross off.
For example, instead of "change guest bed sheets" I wrote "wash guest bed sheets", then crossed it off when completed. And I had written "make guest bed"--so two crossed off items for essentially one task. Yee-haw! I've been known to write:
wash
dry
fold
put-away
for each load of laundry (listing whites, jeans, reds, etc). Yup. I'm a dork.
Of course my list isn't quite done. I still have:
laundry
pack
balance checkbook
Y'know. Just the little things. Luckily laundry is almost done and I can get packing later today.
Hay!
Sorry. Just saw a truck of hay go by. Justin likes saying that when he sees hay as we're driving. One day last summer he said it, we laughed, and Audrey said, "that just never gets old". Seriously! So that's why I say it and why I giggle a little.
Emma will attend the Math is Cool Competition in Wenatchee today. She's pretty nervous, but as a third grader her role is fairly small. This is more for them to see what it's like so they'll be ready for next year. I hope we aren't the only parents not going tonight. I can't see that there is much for us to watch. There is a Math Bowl or something, but it sounds like Emma is really only doing a written test. So of course I'll spend all evening stressed that I'm the horrible parent that didn't go. And Emma will be the only child riding the bus home. Oh yeah. I think that way.
There is a possibility that I could get called to the school to help Audrey with her Accelerated Reader test, so I should get showered and dressed. Audrey finished a Junie B. Jones book last night--her first true chapter book (82 pages). When she told her teacher she was reading it, Mrs. Jones said that I would probably have to come in and help with the computerized AR test. We'll see what she decides today. I need to run into town and get a spare key replaced anyway. I finally had spare house keys made for the girls, and one extra one for the neighbors or a hide-a-key kind of thing. The one I had made for Audrey (meaning the blue one rather than red or plain ol' silver) doesn't work. Bummer.
Off to start the day!
Oh, why can't we break away from all this, just you and I, and lodge with my fleas in the hills? I mean, flee to my lodge in the hills. ~S.J. Perelman, Will B. Johnstone, and Arthur Sheekman, Monkey Business
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
What shall I write about today?
Well, it hasn't been a whole month since I last wrote on this. And I know I should post some pictures on this blog. But I won't be doing that right now. First, I have to take them off the camera and put them on the computer. I'm so bad about doing that! But I do have some (hopefully) good pictures to post later.
Last Saturday we had our cat Smokey put to sleep. Last week she was vomiting like crazy, so I took her to the vet on Thursday--and again on Friday. Not sure why she was vomiting, but after I put her in her carrier she urinated. And it wasn't the usual smell! Believe it or not, this was worse..... So the vet took x-rays and found she had something in her bladder. Couldn't tell what exactly without an ultrasound. Poor kitty. The vet suggested that my family really talk about this before referring us to a vet with an ultrasound. We talked. That afternoon Smokey ate some food. That evening she threw it all up. And that night she vomited harder than ever---of course with nothing to come up. The vet said we made the right decision. She probably wasn't going to get better. Of course the girls are already asking when we are going to get a new kitten. Not for a long long long time.....
What else? I got a "new" car. That's been exciting. I think Justin heard me say too many times that if we didn't have renters in our other house the girls and I would move back. I guess this is his bribe to keep me here. I can accept that. My 2007 Tahoe has more bells and whistles than I could ever imagine. Justin drove it for only the third time last night and was trying to figure out all the buttons. He sounded a bit surprised when he turned off the ignition and his seat started moving back. I think he's looking forward to driving it when we go to the Oregon Coast for Spring Break!
I've been volunteering more at the library. They hosted a big meeting for all the local libraries to talk about the Summer Reading Program and wanted the library looking great. Poor Kay, the head librarian, was just in a panic over getting it done in time. So I came in more often and helped decorate. But now that that is over I can go in and play with my books! I'm trying to make the adult paperbacks look better. I'm separating the categories more and alphabetizing. A few of the people think I'm crazy and are convinced that it won't stay like that and that the library patrons will just stick the book back wherever they want, just like they always have. Well of course they did. It's not like there was any order to it! My hope is by opening it up more, people will notice that there is some sort of order. Hey, they said it couldn't be done with the juvenile paperbacks and it's stayed nice for months now! Granted, the adult paperbacks do get more use so might be tougher. But I'm sure I can make it work. I'll be going in again today to work on it. A lot.
When I looked at my blog today I was disappointed at how far back my Books I've Read list was. I figured there was no way I'd remember everything I've read since I last updated it. I came up with as many as I could but knew I was still missing a bunch. Then I realized that I had listed eight books and I last updated it just over two weeks ago. A book every couple of days? I still don't think my list is complete, but it's all I could think of. I think I'll take my copies of the Demon Hunting Soccer Mom books with me when we go to the Coast. So I'd better be quick and read all the other books I have checked out from the library!
The girls and I went to a Girl Scout event in Spokane a couple of weekends ago. It was Hina Matsuri. It's a Doll Festival/Girl's Day in Japan. The Girl Scouts got to dress in the yukata, try they hand at origami and calligraphy, and play with some Japanese toys and games. The Japanese students (all girls) were wonderful. I had a great time! Emma and Audrey enjoyed it too--their favorite part was playing with the toys. My mom got to come with us too and she had a good time as well. Hopefully I have some decent pictures on my camera that I can later post here.
Speaking of my camera....no, I'm still not completely happy with it. It's great for outdoor pictures, but indoor leaves something to be desired. I just don't understand the science of photography enough to figure out who I need to set everything. I do love the big viewing screen though!
Back to Spokane....Justin didn't go with us (he went back to Bow instead and brought the boat back here). The girls and I got to see everybody except Andrew and Grandma M. Andrew was at his dad's that weekend. After the long day on Saturday we decided not to travel to Colfax on top of it all. I need to go over sometime just to visit family---not when we have an event and then shopping all afternoon (I'd already planned on taking the girls shopping in Spokane and it worked out to combine it with the GS thing). Wes, Sara, Amelia, and Gus came for dinner Saturday night. As usual we didn't see much of Laura--too much working! But we did stop by Wal-Mart on our way home to say good-bye to her. Emma had so much fun taking care of Madelyn. She's two months old now. When we first saw her she was only a few days old and Audrey was the one who liked holding her. This time it was Emma who wanted to play with her. Audrey did too of course, but Emma just couldn't get enough! Heck, she even changed diapers. (with Kara's help of course) On Sunday we met Dad and Grandma S. for lunch. Dad didn't tell Grandma we were coming. She was pleasantly surprised!
I don't really think there's been much else of note lately. The girls are doing well in school. As usual. Audrey was getting a sticker at the office for Being a Good Friend (she volunteered to take another girl to the office) when I came to pick her up and yesterday she receive an Above and Beyond ticket for something. Can't remember what... She also has over 20 Accelerated Reader (AR) points for reading books and taking tests on them. Now she's reading a Junie B. Jones book. Sound like when she's finished and ready to take the test I'm supposed to go in and help her with it. Hmmm....Maybe I should read it first.....
Emma has completed her multiplication facts through 12s. They've been taking WASL practice tests lately. A bit stressful! Emma is used to getting top grades, but with something timed like this she isn't always able to finish. Her teacher had me grade the tests one day. I hated reading the tests and seeing that nobody did well. Only a couple people answered all the questions, and often they didn't answer them completely enough to get full credit. At least Emma is excited about getting "breakfast" on WASL days. I think they start in mid-April. Guess we should take a bunch of practice tests with us during Spring Break. ha ha ha ha
I've written enough and I'm sure you're tired of reading it. Time for me to shower and dress. And look up remedies for canker sores. I have one under my tongue. Those are awful! Makes it very difficult to talk.
No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch. ~Leo Dworken
Last Saturday we had our cat Smokey put to sleep. Last week she was vomiting like crazy, so I took her to the vet on Thursday--and again on Friday. Not sure why she was vomiting, but after I put her in her carrier she urinated. And it wasn't the usual smell! Believe it or not, this was worse..... So the vet took x-rays and found she had something in her bladder. Couldn't tell what exactly without an ultrasound. Poor kitty. The vet suggested that my family really talk about this before referring us to a vet with an ultrasound. We talked. That afternoon Smokey ate some food. That evening she threw it all up. And that night she vomited harder than ever---of course with nothing to come up. The vet said we made the right decision. She probably wasn't going to get better. Of course the girls are already asking when we are going to get a new kitten. Not for a long long long time.....
What else? I got a "new" car. That's been exciting. I think Justin heard me say too many times that if we didn't have renters in our other house the girls and I would move back. I guess this is his bribe to keep me here. I can accept that. My 2007 Tahoe has more bells and whistles than I could ever imagine. Justin drove it for only the third time last night and was trying to figure out all the buttons. He sounded a bit surprised when he turned off the ignition and his seat started moving back. I think he's looking forward to driving it when we go to the Oregon Coast for Spring Break!
I've been volunteering more at the library. They hosted a big meeting for all the local libraries to talk about the Summer Reading Program and wanted the library looking great. Poor Kay, the head librarian, was just in a panic over getting it done in time. So I came in more often and helped decorate. But now that that is over I can go in and play with my books! I'm trying to make the adult paperbacks look better. I'm separating the categories more and alphabetizing. A few of the people think I'm crazy and are convinced that it won't stay like that and that the library patrons will just stick the book back wherever they want, just like they always have. Well of course they did. It's not like there was any order to it! My hope is by opening it up more, people will notice that there is some sort of order. Hey, they said it couldn't be done with the juvenile paperbacks and it's stayed nice for months now! Granted, the adult paperbacks do get more use so might be tougher. But I'm sure I can make it work. I'll be going in again today to work on it. A lot.
When I looked at my blog today I was disappointed at how far back my Books I've Read list was. I figured there was no way I'd remember everything I've read since I last updated it. I came up with as many as I could but knew I was still missing a bunch. Then I realized that I had listed eight books and I last updated it just over two weeks ago. A book every couple of days? I still don't think my list is complete, but it's all I could think of. I think I'll take my copies of the Demon Hunting Soccer Mom books with me when we go to the Coast. So I'd better be quick and read all the other books I have checked out from the library!
The girls and I went to a Girl Scout event in Spokane a couple of weekends ago. It was Hina Matsuri. It's a Doll Festival/Girl's Day in Japan. The Girl Scouts got to dress in the yukata, try they hand at origami and calligraphy, and play with some Japanese toys and games. The Japanese students (all girls) were wonderful. I had a great time! Emma and Audrey enjoyed it too--their favorite part was playing with the toys. My mom got to come with us too and she had a good time as well. Hopefully I have some decent pictures on my camera that I can later post here.
Speaking of my camera....no, I'm still not completely happy with it. It's great for outdoor pictures, but indoor leaves something to be desired. I just don't understand the science of photography enough to figure out who I need to set everything. I do love the big viewing screen though!
Back to Spokane....Justin didn't go with us (he went back to Bow instead and brought the boat back here). The girls and I got to see everybody except Andrew and Grandma M. Andrew was at his dad's that weekend. After the long day on Saturday we decided not to travel to Colfax on top of it all. I need to go over sometime just to visit family---not when we have an event and then shopping all afternoon (I'd already planned on taking the girls shopping in Spokane and it worked out to combine it with the GS thing). Wes, Sara, Amelia, and Gus came for dinner Saturday night. As usual we didn't see much of Laura--too much working! But we did stop by Wal-Mart on our way home to say good-bye to her. Emma had so much fun taking care of Madelyn. She's two months old now. When we first saw her she was only a few days old and Audrey was the one who liked holding her. This time it was Emma who wanted to play with her. Audrey did too of course, but Emma just couldn't get enough! Heck, she even changed diapers. (with Kara's help of course) On Sunday we met Dad and Grandma S. for lunch. Dad didn't tell Grandma we were coming. She was pleasantly surprised!
I don't really think there's been much else of note lately. The girls are doing well in school. As usual. Audrey was getting a sticker at the office for Being a Good Friend (she volunteered to take another girl to the office) when I came to pick her up and yesterday she receive an Above and Beyond ticket for something. Can't remember what... She also has over 20 Accelerated Reader (AR) points for reading books and taking tests on them. Now she's reading a Junie B. Jones book. Sound like when she's finished and ready to take the test I'm supposed to go in and help her with it. Hmmm....Maybe I should read it first.....
Emma has completed her multiplication facts through 12s. They've been taking WASL practice tests lately. A bit stressful! Emma is used to getting top grades, but with something timed like this she isn't always able to finish. Her teacher had me grade the tests one day. I hated reading the tests and seeing that nobody did well. Only a couple people answered all the questions, and often they didn't answer them completely enough to get full credit. At least Emma is excited about getting "breakfast" on WASL days. I think they start in mid-April. Guess we should take a bunch of practice tests with us during Spring Break. ha ha ha ha
I've written enough and I'm sure you're tired of reading it. Time for me to shower and dress. And look up remedies for canker sores. I have one under my tongue. Those are awful! Makes it very difficult to talk.
No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch. ~Leo Dworken
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
I really need to keep my list of books I've read updated. I know I'm missing a couple.... I've wished many times that the library system or Library Elf would keep track of books I've checked out. Yesterday I was helping out at the library and finding even more books to check out! Dangerous.....
I stayed up way too late the night before last. I decided to take a bath, so instead of reading the hardback I was borrowing from the library I took with me the mass market paperback of The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks that I had just received from half.com. That was at 9. Eventually I got into bed. And at 2:30 I finished the book and went to sleep. Aaarrrgghhh! Not easy to wake up later that morning! But I so enjoy the Love at Stake series. Too bad I have to wait so long for the next one. At least I bought the first four so I can read them again. However, I also need to read the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom books by Julie Kenner. I've read the first one, Carpe Demon, and recently bought it and the next two. Maybe after I finish the four library books I currenly have I can start on those. But first I need to finish another Kasey Michaels book in her Maggie Kelly series.
Ack! I need to get moving. I still have to shower and I'm supposed to be helping in Emma's class in half an hour. Plus I took home some cutting and pasting from the library so I could have it all done before I get there today. And as we all know, I didn't do it. Such is the life of Joy.
bleah
I stayed up way too late the night before last. I decided to take a bath, so instead of reading the hardback I was borrowing from the library I took with me the mass market paperback of The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks that I had just received from half.com. That was at 9. Eventually I got into bed. And at 2:30 I finished the book and went to sleep. Aaarrrgghhh! Not easy to wake up later that morning! But I so enjoy the Love at Stake series. Too bad I have to wait so long for the next one. At least I bought the first four so I can read them again. However, I also need to read the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom books by Julie Kenner. I've read the first one, Carpe Demon, and recently bought it and the next two. Maybe after I finish the four library books I currenly have I can start on those. But first I need to finish another Kasey Michaels book in her Maggie Kelly series.
Ack! I need to get moving. I still have to shower and I'm supposed to be helping in Emma's class in half an hour. Plus I took home some cutting and pasting from the library so I could have it all done before I get there today. And as we all know, I didn't do it. Such is the life of Joy.
bleah
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