Snowball fight

My friend Gregory suggested that I freeze some snow balls last winter and save them for summer. I've always wanted to do that, but never had. So today we finally pulled a few of them out of the freezer and let them melt all over us outside which inevitably ended in a very short, but wet snow ball shower. We discovered that if you pretend to throw the snow ball once it has begun to melt it sprays your target quite effectively. Thanks Gregory for the fun idea...I'm saving one for you if you ever make it back to Baltimore ;)

School Supplies

I love school supplies. I especially love brand new school supplies, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the crispness of pristine composition books, and the sound of a just opened box of crayons. My orders for books, curricula, and other supplies have just been submitted to Rainbow Resource Center and Shop.com. There is a twinge of excitement knowing that in a few weeks packages will be arriving in the mail. This year we are psyched to be studying Medieval times - Renaissance, and Geology and Space. What could be more fun for little boys to study than knights and castles and planets and galaxies? Because we only just finished reading tonight about the fall of the Roman empire, I have decided to begin school the first week of August. I'm hoping that an early start will take some of the pressure off later in the year when we feel the need for an extended holiday.

Last year was a difficult one, homeschooling only added to the difficulty and stress, but this (academic) year is "brand new with no mistakes in it". I feel free to focus my attentions on more complex tasks and even have the capacity to plan ahead once again. The divorce created a foggy haze over time so that, in the beginning I could see only one day at a time. Eventually, as it lifted, I could look a week or two into the future and schedule things, but more than a month ahead was just inconceivable. Now I'm thinking through the school year, scheming my next birthday party and even anticipating next summer's family reunion and beach vacation (Lord willing). I can hardly comprehend that a year has passed since my trip to Japan, that my baby daughter is now finally potty-trained, that my seven year old son can draw better than some of my former 7th grade students ever could, and that my 5 year old son is writing me letters to tell me about his feelings! So even though I felt like in many ways I didn't accomplish all I had hoped to over the past year, under the circumstances, we did quite well.

While we won't have all the fresh workbooks, colored pencils and crisp texts yet to begin next week, we do have plenty to keep us busy until all the packages arrive.

Twister casualty

Today while shopping I decided to buy a new game for our family. K has been getting into board games and asks daily, if not hourly if I'll play monopoly with him (which I'm already tiring of). So I bought Twister. It's something somewhat active, reinforces cooridination, balance, and skills like color and right and left identification. It's an educational but fun game, and one of my favorites. They were excited to get started as soon as they came back from M's tonight and so, while the oven was heating up for me to put in dinner, we played a quick game. This game ended suddenly when I fell knee first right onto the tip of my left middle finger. Those cartoon depictions of what happens when a finger gets smashed is no exaggeration. Somehow I managed to hold in all the nasty things I wanted to blurt out while clutching my wounded digit in agony. I think all that the kids heard me say was, "Owwwwwwwwwwwwwww owww owwwwowww". I can't type with that finger which is making for beaucoup typos, sorry if I don't catch all of them. The whole underside of the tip is black and blue, but since I just painted my finger nails red the other day, I'm not sure how the nailbed is. I'm sure it's gonna get real purty.
The kids continued to play several more games, and I got the job as "Spinner". Six hours and 2 naprosin later and it's still throbbing.

***Update: After looking up some info on the net and talking to some friends who are experienced with broken fingers, I have concluded that I probably sustained a stable fracture. I don't want to pay $300 for an xray and expert opinion when really the only treatment is to splint it and immobilize it for about 4 weeks. The splint was about $3 at Eckerd...it'll be just fine, eventually. And this is my first broken bone EVER.

In stitches

You'd think that since I'm a seamstress, seeing my 7 year old son's knee being stitched together after a bad fall wouldn't faze me. I thought I had a tough constitution when it came to these kinds of things... In high school biology the other girls in my lab group wouldn't do any disecting of the critters. They left all the gorey cutting and removing of organs to me. I found it completely fascinating and wondered on occasion if I had what it takes to be a nurse or doctor or even a veterinarian... So, when Dr. Bala started to poke around in K's knee to determine if it was numb enough to be sutured (it wasn't, by the way and required more anesthetic) ewwww, I started to feel a little queezy. I watched him sew and admired his technique, but as soon as he tied off the fourth and last stitch and snipped the blue thread, I felt the room swooshing. I nearly fainted, which is highly unusual for me.

On top of all that drama, I couldn't find the insurance card, forgot my cell phone, forgot my wallet, forgot my checkbook... I did have my purse with me, which was full of useless junk. I happened to take out my wallet at home to check for the insurance card and forgot to put it back in. My phone had been charging but was finished, and my checkbook usually resides in my bag, but for some reason it had taken a brief vacation. Several years ago, all this unpreparedness might have sent me into a mild panic attack, but I guess I've learned somewhere along the line that it isn't the end of the world when you forget those important things, it's just a complete nuisance.

K was a soldier through it all (after the initial high-pitched screams resulting from his painful fall and the sight of his own blood). I think he enjoyed (and is still enjoying) all the special attention.

Memorial Gardens

On Saturday I went to the grave site of my late sister. I hadn’t been there in at least 10 or 12 years. It was a tough visit, but I got to tell her some things that were on my mind lately, and just cry and sit a while. It’s a beautiful place. I’m still glad I chose the plot near the pond, not that it matters to her very much, but for me and others to visit it’s really peaceful and lovely. This month marks the 17th anniversary of her death. While there, I realized that I have now lived more of my life without her, than with her. I still miss her.

See more progress on: grieve past hurts

Kids say the darnedest things...

Today the boys had fevers. They missed their first day of bible camp and were mostly lethargic all day. After the ibuprofen kicked in, they perked up a little before bedtime. I happened to pick up some of their baby books and journals I wrote in during my pregnancies stacked by my bed and took a little stroll down memory lane. D found me doing this and laid himself on my bed next to me, and was interested in the sonogram pictures. Then we came to a picture of my enormous maternal belly and D said I looked like a "big fat man". Nice. He said now I look like a "medium lady". While reading little bits in his book I came to an entry I thought I'd share here.

January 3, 2003 (D is just a few months passed his 2nd birthday.)
This morning while I was still in bed, D came to me saying he wanted to be undressed. He proceded to take all of his clothes off, including his diaper and climbed up on the bed. He looked down and said, "My penis is sort of a snowman!" K came running over to see and said, "Hey, snowman penis!"

At the conclusion of reading this D burst into giggles. I wonder if he will still find this story amusing when he is seventeen? Heh heh.

B-E-N-G-I-E-S

I took the kids to our very first drive-in movie last night! I have wanted to go to a drive-in for as long as I can remember. When we first moved to Timonium, when I was about four, there was drive-in theater about a half mile away. I remember driving home at night and passing that giant screen and seeing dracula three stories high right along I-83. My parents never took us, (they probably had good reasons) and several years later it was torn down and a Holiday Inn was built in its stead.

I decided that I wasn't going to wait any longer, and when I saw that Cars was playing it was a perfect opportunity. (What better place to watch a movie about cars, than in a theater designed to watch from your own car?) The children had asked me to take them to see it. Pixar has done it again...another excellent movie that kids and adults can enjoy, with a good moral to the story too. [Ooooooh, and the short animated film which precedes it, "One-man band", is superb!]

Kids under eleven are free at Bengies, and my ticket was $8, not bad. They charge $7 to bring your own food, but I opted for the whole drive in experience and planned on getting our snacks there. The food prices seemed reasonable but it was a hassle carrying everything back to the minivan with the kids. Next time, we'll bring our own and not forget the bug spray! I got a bunch of skeeter bites, but I really enjoyed being outside to watch the movie. It was the best of both worlds: gorgeous nite, great movie, the best company, the perfect date with my munchkins. This is my new favorite way to see a movie.

Bengies Drive-in has been talking of shutting down for a number of years, but they keep coming back. They are celebrating 50 years of running. It's a great family movie experience, a great date opportunity and it's relatively inexpensive considering if you're a night owl, you get three movies for the price of just one! We stayed for part of the second feature "Akeelah and the Bee" which looks like a good one, but it was too late for us to stay for the whole thing.

family photo

About two months ago, after church one Sunday, I signed up for our family to have our picture taken for the forthcoming pictorial church directory. I must have been so sedated from the sermon that I wasn't thinking straight when I picked the time slot of 4:40pm on this lovely Wednesday afternoon. I guess I was thinking something like, well it'll be after L's nap, so she'll be perky and fresh. Or perhaps none of the morning slots were available, and I didn't want to interrupt naptime, I'm not exactly sure what the reason was. I hope it was a good one...

...Completely crazy this afternoon. L began her nap at a decent time of roughly 1:30pm. Our power cut out at about 2 pm, interupting the boys computer time, which prompted the eldest to have a sulky spell since he hadn't had a turn yet. After a call to BGE and a brief wait, the power came back on, the boys finished their game and I folded a gargantuan pile of laundry. L is still sleeping. After the laundry is put away, K asks to play Candyland (my least fave kid game) and I am able to convince him that he is much too old for such childish games..."it says ages 3-6 on it"...so we proceed to play our very first game of family Scrabble and are completely emersed, when suddenly I remember our errand today and ask, "K, what time is it?"
"4:15, Mommy."
"Shoot, we've got to get our pictures taken!" and I begin the flurry of brushing my hair and checking my make-up and then proceed to wake our sleeping Beauty...We are pottry training again, after a bit of a relapse, so I plop her on her potty seat and she begins to cry, still dazed and half asleep. Then I try to wrestle the unhappy princess into something to wear. She's sitting on the changing table completely naked refusing everything I hold up, even her ever-popular icecream cone t-shirt. (At this point I don't care what she wears as long as it's something. I gave up on the idea of all of us coordinating, that's not really our style anyway.) Then I decide she's going to be unhappy no matter what and wrestle her into a dress and matching panties while she cries and exclaims, "NO DRESS, MOMMY" repeatedly. Her face is red, blotchy and tear-stained. I hold her and she wipes her snotty, teary face on my shirt. Great, now I need a fresh shirt.

It is now 4:30...we will be late getting to church. My mom announces from outside the kitchen window that she has picked a lot of peas, I refill a sippy cup and still have to get everyone in the car.

Somehow we manage to get there only five minutes late. Not bad I'm thinking. L has stopped crying finally but still is blotchy and grouchy. She clutches me and her pink doggy and her sippy cup like a life line.

We are called into a room by a young man with a quirky British accent. I'm thinking, "Is he on drugs or is he just trying to be peppy for the kids?" It was bizzare and I felt a little uncomfortable. After many attempts to get the little Miss to smile, an Elmo doll appeared and seemed to do the trick, but not before a million obnoxious noises and faces were made at her. It's no wonder I look glazed over and annoyed in most of the pictures.

The one we chose but didn't buy, since the smallest "package" was over a hundred bucks, has everyone smiling to some degree. I think the kids look the best, but hey, so what? It's just for the church directory anyway. To remember the insanity I get one free 8x10 print. Oh, yay.

The Kitchen!

I apologize for the poor quality of these camera-phone pics...but for now it's all I've got that's fast. Here are a few different views of the kitchen, which to my great delight is now finished (save the glass fronts for two cabinets and the lazy susan for the corner cabinet.) That cute boy in the pictures is my artist/thinker, "K". Notice the ginormous fridge which could've eaten the old one for lunch...and the double oven! I now have twice the baking power than I did before...watch out! It's kind of hard to tell, but the walls are now a pale robin's egg blue, referred to by the contractors as "Joyella's surprise". As you may notice, if you've been in my old kitchen, some things are rearranged and the new bar feature is my brainchild. The kids love it, it provides a great place to snack, draw, view the toads stationed there or chat with me as I cook.

All this kitchen goodness was made possible by my dad and mom and of course, The Great Provider of all things. To them I am very thankful...

A Multicultural Weekend

My children are away with their father this week while our kitchen is being redone. Having the extra free time has been a little like a mini vacation, even though I have no sink or stove, the food is all packed away, there is dust everywhere, and the contents of my kitchen are stashed in odd places throughout the house. Friday was swinging to big band, Saturday was Mehndi and Bride and Prejudice with the girls, Sunday was pizza, Italian ice and Kung Fu Hustle , and tonight I went to a beginning swing class (to reinforce my freshly learned skills) and stayed for the Latin I class. We learned the Merengue. (Only in America.) I have wanted to take social dance lessons for at least 15 years. It was something M and I often said we should do, but never did.

On Friday night I was given a few helpful hints by a few of my partners. Tonight the instructor's assistant (who was filling in as lead since we had twice as many women as men) told me I follow really well. It is actually quite enjoyable to not lead I am finding, just follow and keep in rhythm. I am finding a good many parallels to partner dancing and relationships. Here are a few, you connect the dots:

1. When dancing don't look down at your feet, look ahead and just feel the movement of your partner to guide you.
2. Don't get too close or you may get stepped on, too far away and you get out of sync.
3. Look into your partners eyes when you take a turn, it keeps you going in the right direction.

I could have danced all night.

Last weekend my friend gave me a flyer for The Friday Night Swing Dance Club and I decided then that was how I wanted to spend my next kid-free Friday night. I invited a fellow I barely know to come with, we had dinner first at the Bayou Blue Cafe (yes it was a date, and no, I'm not posting any of those details here) and then got some directions from a helpful rent-a-cop on the Avenue. However, at dinner I learned that my companion works nights and would have to be off at nine-thirty p.m. (Some detail either he failed to mention earlier, or I had completely forgotten.) We took the one hour swing dance lesson, the instructor had fun pointing out all my stupid mistakes, and I learned that I have alot more to learn! After the lesson, the Crabtowne Big Band kicked up the music and the hall at the Boumi Temple was rockin'. Once I saw that it looked like a pretty fun crowd, and not all octogenarians, I decided to stick around even though my date had to leave. I'm so glad I did. I smiled and laughed and danced with numerous partners all of whom dance/lead differently so it was really good practice for me, especially since I learned I have a tendency to try and lead... Being a beginner dancer at this function was humbling, but all of the gents I danced with were so polite and fun and graciously smiled when I screwed up or missed a beat or didn't know the step. One man even taught me how to Fox Trot and another had me twirling to the Hustle. I'm really glad I didn't wear my high heels, extremely glad I used BodyGlide (I highly recommend!) in those places prone to friction, and pleasantly surprised to discover only one blister on the ball of my right foot.

While all this swinging excitement was happening inside, the most awesome thunder/lightening/downpour of a storm was happening outside. When it was time to leave I relished the cool summer(ish) rain barefooted as I slowly made my way out to my car in the lot. (There were several men standing under the awning, skiddish about fetching their cars for their significant others without an umbrella. It's just water guys...what's the big deal? Plus, after getting all hot and sweaty while dancing, what could feel more refreshing?) I put my bag and shoes inside the Green Machine and dawdled in the puddles for a while longer allowing myself to get thoroughly soaked before my ride home. It was superb!

Thursday Thirteen

It is said that you can tell a lot about a woman by the things in her handbag...So here are thirteen items in no particular order from my bag pictured below:
1. cell phone
2. wallet
3. 40% off coupon for Jo-Ann fabrics
4. 2 quick snap cameras (one to be developed but I keep forgetting to drop it off)
5. 1 pack of Orbit sugarfree gum, cinnamint flavor
6. compact sewing kit (it looks like a compact, but it's really a sewing kit-with a mirror)
7. tiny yellow matchbox like car, but smaller
8. almost nude lipstick in leather case with mirror
9. checkbook
10. church bulletin and newsletter
11. my watch (needs to be taken to Smyth for a new battery, which is another errand that I keep forgetting)
12. plastic baggy with 2 tea bags inside
13. cool purple pen I confiscated from the kind man at the photo drop off place the last time I was dropping off film (I offered to give it back after oohing and ahhing over it, and he told me to keep it.)

bonus items: swatch of fabric from bag I made for mom, car keys, 2 old shopping lists, a receipt, and a check to deposit.

Voici mon handbag

This bag I made for myself, to try out an idea...I bought the Parisian themed fabric while in Japan, thinking I would make something to go with my bathroom theme...then decided it would make a great bag! Notice the hot pink lining for pizzaz.

Mama's got a brand new bag

I made this for my Mama for her Mother's Day gift. I'm horrible at documenting my work, but the very knowledge of the fact that there are some people reading this who like to see my projects sometimes reminds me to take a photo (even if it's just a crappy one on my phone cam). This bag features a zipper, one strap and two interior pockets, one of which is perfect for glasses...all elements that I knew my mom would appreciate in her handbag. She proudly totes it and is a great promoter!

little dresses for sweet nieces

Top: for Aislinn, a little crinkle cotton knit nightgown with lettuce edging at hem and sleeves.
Bottom: for Ava, a tangerine stripe cotton knit crossover dress with contrasting floral trim at neck. (I intended to do a lettuce edge here too, but this knit didn't have the stretch and recovery for it to look nice.)

First Fruits

The garden is coming along quite nicely. So far we have planted lettuces, sugar snap peas, two varieties of tomatoes, basil, a pepper plant, various beautiful herbs, and the strawberry bed is really looking promising this year (for the first time ever!) I have covered the bed with net tulle to keep out the birds and chipmunks, so perhaps this year I'll be able to make some jam. I checked yesterday and should have picked the five that were nearly ripe, because the rainy weather caused some of them to prematurely rot. Oh well. These two will be shared among the children.

Baa Ram Ewe

What fun can be had at a sheep and wool festival? Well, if you are a color and texture loving person like MK (MK's summary of the festival is here ) and me, you'd have loads of fun petting delicious skeins of yarns and bundles of rovings (pictured), fingering woven, knitted and crocheted textiles, admiring skillfully crafted spinning wheels and looms, and patting angora bunnies, goats, sheep, llamas and my favorite, alpacas! There were a pair being sold for $1500, and it was sure tempting...(I think I've mentioned here that is one of my dreams, to have an alpaca farm. I am doubtful of it actualizing, but it still remains an interest.) I saw so many beautiful colors and patterns, my eyes could scarcely drink them in, and choosing my favorite yarn would be impossible. The two skeins I came home with, however, are a gorgeous deep, dark varigated purple/black/indigo wool/camel blend. This fiber "blooms" when washed and tumbled without heat, which means the fibers open up and get very, very soft almost like felting. It is my intention to make a shawl, poncho or some kind of wrap for myself...I'll try to remember to post it when it is ever finished.

Dating myself?

Last week I had coffee with my cousin at Donna's and liked the waiter so much, I decided to return this weekend...Well, the food there is really good and the location is pretty too. I have never eaten at a restaurant alone before. It's been one of the things to do on my list of things do to now that I'm single. I'm not sure if sitting at the bar to eat counts as dining alone, but I've got to start somewhere. The bartender was really nice, and since I was the only one keeping him company (even though it was an insanely busy night there) we made pleasant conversation. I also got to see some of the behind the scenes stuff which was fun too. Like the worn out waitress who had the table of 15+ people who had a bill of over $300! She said she didn't even know how many were at the table, they kept coming and going. The disappearance of the white wine "special" and the impailing of the bartender's hand on the snapped stem of a wine glass. (I saw three glasses break while sitting there.) I was able to keep an eye on my favorite waiter too, but wasn't feeling bold enough for anything beyond that. After my delicious roast beef sandwich and pinot noir, I took myself duckpin bowling. I'm a horrible bowler, in fact, for the first few rounds I accidently was hitting the reset button instead of the clear lane button (so that lowered my score a bit). I bowled two games at 77 the first and 66 the second, I couldn't even break 100! And these were duckpins people! I think the swirling colored lights and strobe effects for rock'n bowl were impairing my performance... then I ended the evening with Inge and Greg playing some games and talking until the wee small hours of the morning. (Thanks again you two for putting me up! or was it putting up with me?)

Next morning at the Christian Life and Witness class, I sat next to my friend Nancy and when it was over, she remarked, "You're a fun date. No pressure at the end either." I have to agree, I was a fun date. I'll have to do it again sometime.

Semper ubi sub ubi*

I guess she was punchy after having been up until 8:45pm while the kids attended DC4K and I attended DivorceCare tonight. I had the children change into their pjs in the car before we headed home, in hopes that one or all the children might doze off during the thirty minute car ride. I even told the boys to keep their voices quiet, so L could fall asleep. But before we had even pulled onto I-70 she was grabbing shoes off the seat next to her, flinging them behind her whith a flourish, and laughing hilariously. The boys didn't find this very funny, since they both got hit with sneakers. When she ran out of shoes she started hurtling their shirts and pants back at them, and laughing with the most evil flair. Finally, all that was left were the underpants, and she grabbed and flung them too, while hollaring "Underwayah! Underwayah! Underwayah! Ha Ha Ha Ha." I couldn't fight it any longer, I was concentrating so hard on stifling my laughter, that I missed my exit and had to back track a bit to get to I-695. Needless to say, no one fell asleep on the way home.

*"Semper ubi sub ubi" is a little play on Latin words meaning: Always where under where. It makes little sense on paper, but when spoken, kids learning Latin find this phrase very amusing.

Loving the Netflix!

I started my free trial offer of Netflix last week. (I watched Office Space last week, totally hilarious btw!) What a great idea! This is so much better than schlepping three kids into the Blockbuster only to have them argue and complain about the movies I suggest and having their heads filled with all sorts of suggestions from movie covers and posters. I'm super exited to be getting the first dvd of season 1 of THE MUPPETS! It should be arriving tomorrow...I'm not sure who will enjoy it more, me or the children. Netflix also has a huge selection of obscure movies too, like 321 Penguins episodes and old movies I've been looking all over for such as Hot Lead, Cold Feet. Best of all no late fees!