Tomorrow

I am at a loss for words.

It is a bit cooler thanks to Dolly, but sadly the few degree drop is more than made up for by the giant leap in humidity, but we're not going to talk about the weather for the third day in a row.

I have about 10 loads of laundry to do. I'm avoiding it.

I have many, many decisions to make regarding school next year. Not curriculum decisions, that is already done, bought and paid for. It's mostly scheduling and extra curricular activities. I don't want to think about that either.

I really need to make a few appointments; hair cut, eye doctor, check-up's for the kids. I don't want to.

I think I have Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome--"I'll think about it tomorrow." ...

At least I don't live on the Gulf Coast.

Tuesday

Hi 101
Lo 80
Humidity 63%

Partly Cloudy

Because that is not bad enough, I am going to go to Walmart to go grocery shopping. I am a glutton for punishment. I guess the upside is the kids will stop stomping around the kitchen and wining about the lack of food.

And they have ice cream Walmart.

Why do we live here again?

Texas in the summer.

Tuesday

Hi 103
Lo 80
Humidity 53%

Mostly Clear



If the blog goes silent you'll know it is because I spontaneously burst in to flames. Let me tell you, 53% humidity makes 103 feel like 200.

I feel the need to also point out that we hit our low at 3 am for approximately 2.3 seconds.

I was standing outside talking to a friend from my Bible Study at 10:30pm and sweating. It was still 91 outside at 10:30 pm.

Sir D says we should go become missionaries in Bangladesh. We are already acclimated for it.

Today I'm hiding inside and praying for an early Fall.

(please forgive the lack of actual paragraphs in favor of random and somewhat unrelated statements. It's hard to think straight when it's so hot)

Pele

Yesterday morning, we attended Field Church, Soccer Field Church to be specific. In Soccer Field Church we worship Pele, the god of Soccer.

Oh, I kid. We did not worship Pele. We just screamed like a bunch of lunatics at a lot of big kid’s running back and forth on a field chasing a little black and white ball from 7:30 AM to 9AM, because that is much more sane than worshiping the god Pele.

As you may have guessed The Teenager had a tournament. They did not win, but I am told this is okay because the purpose was not so much to win but for the coach to see them play together so he knows what to work on in practice and what position to put the new guys.

Interesting. I’m pretty sure the kids thought the point was to win and they were pretty bummed that they didn’t.

I have learned a few things yesterday during my first outing as a Soccer Mom.

By the time your kids get to teenagerdom and your still a soccer mom, you’re serious about soccer.

You can only successfully cheer for your teenager if you have some level of understanding of the rules of soccer.

It is not a good idea to yell your teenager’s childhood nickname while cheering.

Keep a close eye on your very curious 9 year old, or she might possibly pepper the line judge with questions about the intricacies of his job and disrupt the game.



The ruby red soccer cleats that you may or may not have made fun of, will make it quite a bit easier to locate your teenager. (Can you locate my teenager? Look for the ruby red slippers soccer cleats)


Always, always go to the bathroom before you get to Soccer Field Church so you don’t have to visit the Port-a-potty’s. EEEWWWW!

If I tried to play soccer in my current less-than-physically-fit state, I’d probably die, right there on the field. Man those kids are in shape!

In Texas in July it can get up to 90 degrees before 9 am.

Shade is golden.

I totally need this book.










Neither of these boys are my son, but isn’t that a cool photo Ann took? (He is in the background though, look for the splash of red near the feet.)

Decisions, Decisions.

Remember this post from last month? Well, the decision has been made.

Dave and I prayed and talked. I wrung my hands and worried and vacillated. One day this was the best thing to do, the next day that was the better choice.

Sigh.

Sir D was kind and understanding and had many encouraging words for me, like “Oh, good grief! Just make a decision already!”

That may seem harsh but I do have a bit of a tendency to over think things just a bit.

So…

I will not be teaching at co op next year. To most of you this is not life altering. But it was a hard decision for me. By teaching I can easily afford to pay for my kids classes. If I don’t teach I have to be very careful about how many classes I sign the kids up for and they don’t get to take some of the classes they want.

But the thing is, I like teaching my book club classes. I LOVE picture books in particular and children’s literature in general. But the reality is, it was taking too much time away from my own family and homeschool.

With Sir D working so much lately at the new job and one going off to Community College in the fall, well, I just feel like my focus needs to be at home.

I told the director yesterday and someone else is going to take over my classes. I am equal parts relived and sad. But now that the decision is made I feel a bit more peaceful.

So there you go, I know you were all waiting with baited breath to find out what was going on in my little world.

Vanity, I have no time for you!

Yesterday I mentioned that I was going to get my highlights re done. The roots were beginning to show and we all know that is not attractive.

I called up the one and only decent hair place in my little suburb and asked for the best color lady. They made me an appointment with Brittney.

I should have known all was not going to end well when I heard my hair lady’s name was Brittney. Not that it is not a perfectly nice name, but with the whole Brittney Spears debacle, it just does not inspire confidence. It also makes me think she is probably fresh out of beauty school.

I was correct on both counts.

I got there at 5 till 1. My appointment was at 1. At about 1:05 Brittney came out and said she was running a bit behind and she’d we with me in a few minutes.

No problem, I brought a book, I am a patient person.

At 1:35 my patience ran out.

I walked up to the reception desk and asked her if she could please tell Brittney I could not wait any longer.

So I spent over half an hour sitting in a hair salon not getting my hair done. I really need to get my hair done! Why oh why did I get it highlighted in the first place? It seemed like a good idea at the time. My sister, my aunt and I were out for a day of beauty and I thought why not? Well now I know why not. Maintenance! I hate maintenance! Who has time to get one’s roots done? Especially if one has to wait at least half an hour before the process even begins.

I think I’m going to Walmart and buying a bottle of my natural color and dying it back. Honestly, the idea was to help the grey blend. I don’t care if the grey blends anymore. I say let the grey have its way with my head. I don’t have time for the alternative!

Well, the best laid plans and all that…

I had planned to do a post on my Eve, baby photos and all, because she was really an adorable baby. She was the only one of my children to have a dimple. A dimple and all those fat rolls! (why is it that dimples and fat rolls are no longer adorable when you’re an adult?)

But sadly, life got in the way. My scanner was uncooperative and all her baby photos are in the form of actual hold-in-your-hand photos. So you’ll have to make do with these two, which were for some reason, in digital form on my computer. Is she not the cutest?

 

Yesterday was quite busy, I had lots of shopping to do for Eve’s family birthday party. And I had to get the girls to their play practice.

She picked sloppy Joe's and cheetoes for dinner. Not the healthiest but at least it was easy to cook. She choose Angel Food Cake and strawberries for dessert.

Then she opened her gifts which were jewelry and chocolate from her brothers, a vase with flowers from her sister and a small backpack filled with cool pens and paper, and High School Musical DVD’s (1 & 2) and the HSM CD’s (1 & 2)from Sir D and I. And by the way, the play the girls are in? You guessed it; High School Musical.

I think I’m High School Musical’d out!

She also got chocolate in the bag, cool new (not kiddie, per her request) big white sunglasses and a new watch (also not kiddie, per her request).

After we opened gifts we played her favorite game, Take Two or Speed Scrabble.

There were many other things that happened yesterday but I won’t bore you with the details. It was just a busy day. I did not get to take Eve to lunch like I wanted to, but we’ll do it sometime next week.

Today I’m off to get my gray covered hair nicely highlighted. Frailty they name is woman.

New Post Up

I have a new post up on The Homeschool Review.

Go check it out!

My Little Viking

Today I am taking 6 little girls and 1 mother in law to the Kit movie. Then we’re going to go out for ice cream. Then we’re going to the pool.

We are doing this all because my first daughter is turning 11 tomorrow. She is inching ever closer to the teen years and I am really not happy about that.

This time of year is always a bit tough for me. We have birthdays on 7-5. 7-16. 7-31, and 8-10. And one of those birthdays is mine. Funny how when you’re a kid you wish your birthday would hurry up and when you’re older you wish your birthday away.

I remember being pregnant with Eve. I had two rambunctious boys and they were the only grandchildren on my husband’s side of the family. He is one of 4 boys. When I found out Eve was a girl, we were thrilled and a little nervous at the same time. I mean what on earth would our girl look like? Sir D’s side of the family certainly had the dominant genes as both my boys looked exactly like their dad. I was a bit frightened. I mean, Sir D comes from good old Viking stock and have you seen pictures of Viking ladies? Yikes!



My sister in law was pregnant at about the same time I was. She did not find out what they were having so while we were wringing our hands at our Viking girl, they were blissfully unaware. When their daughter was born, Sir D and I raced down to the hospital to see the first girl in the family.

And dogonnit if that girl did not look just like HER MOTHER! No help there, we were destined to wait until our girl was born to see if she was going to come out with the family forehead, enormous shoulders and the infamous scowl. (all handsome on a boy, not so attractive on a girl).

Well, as you can see from her photo, she is beautiful! It is amazing how God can create a girl to look just like her dad and still be feminine and beautiful.



And now she’s 11.

Tomorrow, on her actual birthday, I’ll show you photo’s of her as a baby and toddler. She was the most adorable baby and toddler ever!

But for now, I must gear up for seven silly girls for the day.

SAD

Just in case any of you wondered, it would take approximately 10 hours and 15 minutes to drive to the nearest cool place from where I live.

I have looked at topographic maps, I have looked at temperature maps and I have looked at highway maps.

Unless we sprout wings, it will take us at least 10 hours to get to cool.

I can’t tell you how sad this makes me feel.

I think I have SAD except it’s summer that makes me depressed.