Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Go Figure



I am back at school for the fall semester. I aced all of my summer classes, and I hope I can do the same again this fall. I did have to drop a class (Principles of Management) because I just didn't have time for it, what with working full time plus doing the Mommy Boogie. There's only so many hours in the day, and in order to be a good time manager I had to drop Management class. Go figure.


In the good news department, Carl and I finally completed refinishing the old china cabinet. This is the piece my Mom and Dad started refinishing 35 years ago, and now it's done. We had a little trouble making the glass fit, plus Carl had to make a new part to replace the one Moose Mutt chewed (see blogs from February 2007) but long story short, the cabinet is together and standing in my dining room. I filled it with my Pfaltzgraff dishes, and it seems to be holding them pretty well. I took pictures (see below) and after the pictures my Mom gave me two pieces that had been in the china cabinet when Grandma had it: my Dad's baby cereal bowl, and a small blue glass pitcher with a picture of Shirley Temple on it. A pitcher with a picture. Go figure.


I'm ready for fall. I can't wait for the weather to change into those crispy, cool days that require you to drag out your sweatshirts and ankle boots. Wearing shorts and sandals has been nice, but I'm ready for the leaves to change and harvest to start. Already the soybeans are getting "rusty" and losing leaves, and the corn is turning from green to gold. I only hope we don't get an early frost - I'd hate to lose my tomatoes too soon. My Mom came up for a day in mid August and taught me how to can tomatoes in a hot water bath. That was fun! And now that I know how to do it I can try canning other things like peaches and salsa and spaghetti sauce. For someone who doesn't like to cook, I seem to find ways to keep me behind the stove in the kitchen. Go figure.


Meanwhile, I am now very tired, so I want to go to bed. Here I am, a college student (albeit part time) and I'm looking at the clock, seeing that it's almost 10 PM and thinking that it's nearly past my bedtime while my classmates are just starting their evenings. I feel like such a geezer. Go figure.


PICTURES!!!

















































Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Juvenile Delinquency

This past Sunday Carl and I took the kids to the Noelridge Park Aquatic Center for some summertime recreational activity. Not being much of a swimmer, I took along a book to read: Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs. It's a very short (but extremely hilarious) book, and it had me in stitches despite the fact that I've already read it several times. Hannah was curious about what I was laughing at, so when I finished the book I gave it to her. (I told you, it's a very short book.) Needless to say Hannah was soon absorbed in the book and laughing just as hysterically as I was. Once we got home I showed her the rest of my Dave Barry collection and told her she could read them, too. Well, she's already gotten through Dave Barry's Greatest Hits and is currently working on Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up. The latter book contains the articles on which Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs was based, and she just finished reading them a few minutes ago. For some reason she read aloud to me the portion where Dave is commenting about the song Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus (released in 1992). And because I am a good mother intent upon furthering her children's education, I went to the stereo and played Achy Breaky Heart for Hannah. (Yes, I have this CD. Don't laugh - I bet half of you out there have it, too.) I went into the kitchen to get her reaction, and she was singing along to the song using the lyrics from Dave's book. The combination of her singing those words and holding that book was too much - I laughed so hard I cried. It's just a darn good thing I wasn't trying to drink anything at the time.

As Hannah said, "Oh, the things you teach your children."

Speaking of teaching our children and going to the waterpark, this past Sunday Hannah had to learn about the use of feminine hygiene products while swimming. I won't go into too much (GROSS!!!) detail, but let's just say that by the time we'd left Hannah had gotten a real (and slightly painful) education.

And on the subject of education, I need to go get ready for school now. It's the last week of the summer semester, and today my team is giving their presentation on building styles in American Architecture class.

YAAAAAWWWWWNNN!!!