Ohhh, yeah. That.
Todd and I will be here for the next week. See you when I return!
Also, it should be mentioned that yesterday that I met the Flickr celeb Emily Ann...
I drove up to Chicago, where Emily is currently visiting Carolina and Sylvia. I spent a delightful afternoon getting to know these lovely ladies. Carolina and Sylvia appear to come from brilliantly creative and accomplished families and have lots of good stories. Emily is the photographer that I would long to be, not that you would know that by how little effort I put forth. Could I have taken this beautifully artistic portrait? Erm, no, I could not. But at least I have a new facebook profile picture!
I had better go and pack. I leave tomorrow morning and I haven't packed a stitch. Not a stitch. If, God forbid, my plane goes down during the 13-hour flight, let it be known that Esther is to raise my children and that I want them to have grief counseling for at least a year, probably two.
On that happy note, enjoy your week!
To make up for not blogging for so very long, I now offer a huge amount of photos that highlight just some of the great things that we did in Egypt for the last two weeks.
Good times included, but were not limited to:
- The largest waterpark I have ever seen
- Riding camels
A Bedouin experience
- Off roading in the desert
- Snorkelling (so much better than Hawaii)
- Just laying out by the hotel pool, exploring the wildlife and enjoying the culture.
I just really like closure.
A is for Amusement Park
B is for baseball.
C is for colours!
D is for a Dad and son trip.
E is for Esther
F is for fountain
G is for (crazy) golf.
H is for helpers.
I is for ice cream (cake).
J is for jump.
K is for Krispy Kreme.
L is for lace...
...and light.
M is for market.
N is for Nashville.
O is for orange.
P is for pick-your-own...
...and pamper yourself!
Q is for quiet.
R is for the Rowdies.
S is for "sing it, sister!"
T is for tea for two.
U is for upside down.
V is for very welcome visitors.
W is for Washington DC.
X as in seXy!
Y is for yuck! Yep, those are slugs.
Z is for Zzzzzz....shhhhh!
Was it really already a year ago that I wrote a fool-proof back-to-school checklist?
The kids look teeny in those photos. Here we are one year later and approximately $300 poorer, once the children's "book rental" fees have been paid. This really ticks me off. Each year we write out a check (This year it was about $143 for Libby and $147 for Jesse) to pay for their text book rental. I just wrote a huge rant about how ludicrous this is, but deleted it because this post is already so long it's taken on a life of its own. Suffice it to say: Book rental fees = Bogus.
Off the kids trotted to school this afternoon, (it was a half day), Libby feeling it was apt to wear her question mark t-shirt because, as she pointed out, on the first day of school you don't really know where you're supposed to go or what you're supposed to be doing. Jesse knows no one in his class (there are seven 6th grade classes and all his friends seem to be spread out between the lot of them). Time will tell how this school year works out for him.
When the kids came home I thought I would document their response to their first day, but the interview just went off on huge tangents. The lesson I took away from this is that I say "so" far too frequently and that once I ask a question, I want an answer!
Me: Okay, Jess. I'm going to interview you about your first day of school. What was the best thing that happened?
Jesse: The bell rang and we went home.
Me: Okay, let's back-pedal and talk about how I wanted to walk you to your classroom and meet your teacher. And what did you say?
Jesse: No.
Me: Why?
Jesse: Because it's embarrassing.
Me: Were any other kids there with their parents?
Jesse: Yes. Some kids had their parents there, and some didn't.
Me: So why didn't you let me drop you off?
Jesse: If some people didn't have their parents come, Mum, then those "some people" need to be us. See? We filled a role.
Me: So what did you do today?
Jesse: We took a math placement quiz, and discovered our locker number.
Me: Oooh, what's your locker number?
Jesse: Three eight zero
Me: Do you have a combination?
Jesse: No.
Me: Then how do you get into it?
Jesse: It just opens...the door.
Me: So don't keep anything valuable in there?
Jesse: No, don't put anything valuable in there.
Me: Okay, 380. If I want to come and put cookies in your locker, am I allowed to do that?
Jesse: No
Me: Why not?
Jesse: I really don't know
Me: Do you think the school wouldn't let me, or you wouldn't want me to?
Jesse: The school. I'd like the cookies.
Me: Okay, I'll keep that in mind.
Jesse: Okay.
Me: So cookies are a go then?
Jesse: If the school would let you.
Me: Of course they will!
Jesse: I really don't think they do, Mum.
Me: So, you took a math placement test and discovered your locker number. Anything else?
Jesse: Ummmm...not really
Me: Any cute girls in your class?
Jesse: Why are you asking this?
Me: Teasing fodder.
Jesse: Oh. Okay.
Me: Any cute girls in your class?
Jesse: No.
Me: Really no or I'm-not-gonna-tell-you-even-if-there-was no?
Jesse: Stop asking! And yes, it's no.
Me: Am I going to have to come and check it out for myself?
Jesse: Don't do that.
Me: Okay. So, out of ten, how would you rate your first day of 6th grade?
Jesse: Negative five. But only because I like the summer.
Me: So what books are you reading right now?
Jesse: Umm..I don't get why you're constantly interviewing me.
Me: Because we get to keep it for posterity.
Jesse: No, we're not! My voice sounds terrible on tape, listen to it!
Me: When you're grown up....
Jesse: Listen to it!
Me: I will, but when you're grown up, you'll want to have this tape. We have a tape of Daddy and Auntie Brette and Auntie DaNel playing "law school"
Jesse: [laughs] What did they do?
Me: I don't know - pretended to be in law school.
Jesse: They played "law school?" [laughs]
Me: Uh huh. So, what are you reading right now?
Jesse: What am I reading right now? "Dilbert."
Me: Who's your favourite character in "Dilbert"?
Jesse: Dogbert.
Me: Why is Dogbert your favourite character?
Jesse: Because he's evil! And that makes him funny.
Me: Give an example of how he's evil.
Jesse: Like, he's constantly trying to take over the world. Oh, and Bob!
Me: Who's Bob?
Jesse: The dinosaur.
Me: Who's your favourite author?
Jesse: Umm..I don't know.
Me: Eion Colfer?
Jesse: I don't know.
Me: Lemony Snickett?
Jesse: I don't know. I really don't know!
Me: So, if you had to pick your favourite book, and your life depended on it...
Jesse: I would pick a random book.
Me: And you had to be honest..
Jesse: I would...
Me: And there was somebody who could read your mind, and they knew if you were putting thought into it.
Jesse: Hmmm...then I would actually be able to do it, but that's a different situation than it is now
Me: No, your life does depend on it. Don't you see the steak knife I'm holding?
Jesse: Urm, no.
Me: Okay. What's your favourite book?
Jesse: I like a lot of books.
Me: What's your favourite video game?
Jesse: Hmmm..that's a good question too. [thinking] I like a lot of them. It's really hard to narrow it down to one.
Me: What genre?
Jesse: I like "Ratchet and Clank" because it's kind of...
Me: Is it "Ratchet and Clank" or "Ratchet and Crank"?
Jesse: Clank
Me: I always thought it was "Crank"
Jesse: That's because it's what Libby always says. There's a tiny bit of shooting and you can have weird [something] guns that turn things into, like, penguins. That's an actual weapon in it.
Me: A penguin? Or a gun?
Jesse: You turn things into penguins.
Me: Okay
Jesse: And, um, you still have to jump around and stuff.
Me: What's your favourite movie?
Jesse: Ummm...why don't I ask the questions?
Me: What's your favourite flavour potato chip?
Jesse: Cool Ranch. If that counts.
Me: It counts.
Jesse: I wasn't sure, because it's probably not made out of potatoes.
Me: Okay, crisps then. What's your favourite ice cream flavour?
Jesse: I like Cookies and Cream. That might be it.
Me: Do you like....
Jesse: I'll just go with Cookies and Cream.
Me: What's your favourite pizza topping?
Jesse: Pepperoni
Me: If you couldn't ever have pepperoni again, what would you pick?
Jesse: Four meat
Me: Four meat? It would be three meat though, because there wouldn't be any pepperoni.
Jesse: [laughs] Okay, three meat.
Me: Do you want to ask the questions?
Jesse: Depends on what the next question is.
Me: Ummm..what's your favourite animal?
Jesse: Penguin
Me: What's your favourite colour?
Jesse: orange
Me: What's your favourite season?
Jesse: Winter
Me: I don't need to ask why. What's your favourite sport?
Jesse: For watching or for playing?
Me: Both.
Jesse: I don't know.
Me: Baseball?
Jesse: I don't think I'm going to play that next year.
Me: So why did I buy those really expensive batting gloves?
Jesse: [laughs] Because ....[indiscernible through laughter]
Me: Wow, they were a lot of money
Jesse: You're not thankful, are you?
Me: Thankful for what?
Jesse: Think of this way, if I don't play you save money on registration
Me: Well, maybe you'll change your mind and you will want to play
Jesse: Maybe. But in total you'll save money.
Me: It's been a pleasure talking to you.
Jesse: [laughing] Has it really?
Me: It always is. Thanks. Then you say "My pleasure"
Jesse: Oh. My pleasure [still laughing]
Libby: School was great! When Mrs. N----- was explaining things, it was so funny and I kept going like this [puts her hands in front of her mouth] until she said, "It's okay to laugh!"
Me: What was she doing that was so funny?
Libby: She was just explaining and it was just absolutely positively funny. I just don't know why. It was just funny.
Me: Tell me, what was the best thing about today?
Libby: Ummm...I don't really know but just being back at school is kind of fun.
Me: Did you see your friends?
Libby: Yes, I saw my friends. I sat with Hannah on the bus and...look at that beautiful butterfly. I think it's the same one we saw earlier.
Me: You sat with Hannah on the bus?
Libby: Yes I did, and why are you recording this?
Me: I'm making an interview of your first day of school.
Libby: [something I can't understand]
Me: Okay, so you've got all your stuff figured out and you know what you're doing?
Libby: Pretty much. What's this? [indicating something on the kitchen counter]
Me: Somebody gave me a present.
Libby, Why, may I see?!
Me: Yep, you may.
Libby: What exactly is this?
Me: It's a notepad.
Libby: Mum! You know that personal organizer like Jesse has? We have the exact same one!
Me: Great! Do you get to write in it?
Libby, Why, yes! It's like our own personal calendar but we also have to put a lot of school stuff on it too.
Me: Do you have homework?
Libby: Not today.
Me: What book are you reading right now?
Libby: In the classroom?
Me: Any book.
Libby: I'm not really reading anything right now, and we're not reading anything as a class. You're reading me Milicent-Margaret-Amanda, or Milly-Molly-Mandy.
Me: Which one is your favourite story so far?
Libby: Out of Milly-Molly-Mandy?
Me: Yes
Libby: I like the one about the jam pot room and the big attic.
Me: That's my favourite story too.
Libby: Why, how nice!
Me: What's your favourite book of all time?
Libby: Geronimo Stilton
Me: What's your favourite movie?
Libby: I'm gonna have to think about that. [thinks] I like a lot of movies. Some make me cry, like "The Titanic"
Me: [laughs] What kids movies do you like?
Libby: "Charlotte's Web" you know, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Me: What's your favourite colour?
Libby: Green! Easily done!
Me: What's your favourite video game?
Libby: Animal Crossing
Me: What's your favourite board game?
Libby: Candy Land [This is true although I don't know when she last played it because she can't find anyone to play it with her. Like bad sports, we all refuse.]
Me: What's your favourite animal?
Libby: Either a guinea pig or a cat. I'm not sure. Or mice. Something small, something cute, something furry.
Me: What is your favourite time of day?
Libby: Lunch time.
Me: Why?
Libby: No idea.
Me: What's your favourite subject at school?
Libby: Science. I'm good at math but I don't like math.
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Libby: A vet.
Me: Do vets need to be good at math?
Libby: Yes. I am, but I don't like it.
Me: What else do vets needs to be good at?
Libby: I...er...science, I think. I really don't know.
Me: So what kinds of things do you think you'll study in vet school?
Libby: Animals
Me: What about them?
Libby: To help...and cure...and something.
Me: Do you think you'd have to perform surgery on animals?
Libby: Yes, but I hope I don't have to do that too often.
Me: Well, you would. You'd have to do it every day.
Libby: Not all the time! Sometimes there's like a little...one...where they just have...fleas and stuff.
Me: Oh yes, not every visit will require surgery, but every day there'll be surgery -- spaying and neutering.
Libby: Oh, stop it!
...Like this Peanut Butter Fudge Cake that has about a pound of peanut butter cups throughout the cake itself and, as if that wasn't good enough, is then covered in a chocolate peanut butter ganache. Chocolate cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner! If you think I'm kidding, then you clearly don't know me.
...Like these honey sticks from the farmer's market. They make me happy just looking at the array of rainbow colours.
....Like these photo albums I made up for the Jesse and Libby.
CONGRATULATIONS PAPI CHULO & SECRET AGENT SCOTCH!
"When was the last time you were at a wedding that had a death defying hike, rogue waves, a luau, ultimate fighting, a presidential candidate and a budding bromance?" asks Papi Chulo. For most of us, the answer is never, but luckily, Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch took the time to Vox all the amazing moments during their unforgettable Hawaiian wedding on 08.08.08 so we could all take part in the festivities.
The story began last February, when Papi Chulo popped the question and Secret Agent Scotch said yes! Since then, they've kept us in the loop about all the details, from the bride's veil to the wedding song to the final To-Do List. And throughout it all, they inspired us with their love for each other. (I'm pretty sure it doesn't get any better than knowing your future husband thinks you are The Perfect Girl.)
It's an amazing love story and we are thrilled they shared it with us. Watch the video of the ceremony and please join us in wishing Papi Chulo and Secret Agent Scotch the fairytale ending they deserve.
And What's a Team Vox Post without New Themes?
Spice up your Vox blog with one of our latest themes (found in the design area under "New") or any of our hundreds of themes. From shopping to sushi, comics to cycling, there's something for everyone.
Left to Right: "Starlight," by Jamison Wieser; "Civic," by Lilia Ahner; "Lone Tree," by Jamison Wieser; "Rainbow Day," by Susan Smuk Jorgensen.
Can't get enough of the wedding? A few lucky Voxers - Krissy, djchall, and Beau Smith - made the trip to Hawaii to take part in the celebration. Check out their Vox blogs for more pictures and stories.
Congratulations again to Secret Agent Scotch and Papi Chulo! Enjoy the Honeymoon!
And this weekend was one of those "sometimes." And also? I have had it up to here.
This weekend being the last before the kids go back to school, and therefore kind of marking the end of summer for us, I wanted it to be really special. And it just...wasn't.
In my head I had planned to do all kinds of fun and memorable things and none of them worked out.
1) A few weeks ago I had decided that we would have a "Lucky Day" party on 8/8/08 but Todd reminded me that he had a court date that morning to evict our non-rent-paying tenant, and he likely wouldn't be much in the mood for entertaining by the time he got home. No party then, but I still had this idea that we would make delicious Chinese food and have our own little family celebration, but that didn't happen either. Todd came home from Chicago on Friday afternoon wiped out from a tough week, lay down on the couch and slept for hours. I cleaned all day and we ended up ordering Chinese take-away before driving an hour to Indianapolis with Todd to return his rental car. No fun.
2) Earlier this week I sent Todd the following text: "We are camping in the back yard this weekend. Be prepared."
His reply: "Ha! I can handle that"
Well, apparently not. By midnight I had been abandoned by everyone. I was the only person left in the tent! Libby (who had been thrilled by the whole idea while putting up the tent with me) said it was too hot and left with her friend to sleep inside. Todd followed them and said that he would never be able to sleep with the noise of the cicadas and crickets. Jesse politely asked if it would hurt my feelings if he went in too.
So much for that.
"No one!" said Todd. "No one wants to sleep out here! You should have learned that last night."
3) We were going to go swimming one last time before the outdoor pool closed for the season but again, I was overruled. Look, I can't force people to have fun.
Todd slept away Sunday morning meaning we missed our ritual drive out to the farm together, stopping off at Greyhouse Coffee shop for a date and a catch-up, I waited until the coals were too cool before I put the meat on the barbecue, Francie stole one of the burgers and nobody would accompany me to walk the dogs.
As I sometimes tell my kids (and need reminding myself): Today was a hard day. Tomorrow will be better.