Simple Woman's Daybook Entry

I am thankful... that my 'cousin' Kelsey was released from the hospital late last week and is now home with her family.  This momma is 34(?) weeks pregnant and was T-boned by an elderly man who ran a stop sign last weekend.  Her husband and two young children were unscathed, but she was rushed to the hospital and into surgery to have her lacerated spleen removed.  All is well with her and the baby... lets hope those staples hold as her belly grows a little more! (I use the term cousin, even though technically she is not my cousin - she is my cousin's cousin.  Confused?  Sorry!)

From the Learning Rooms... The beginning of the week went really well.  Rylan is working her way through Explode the Code.  She is a whiz at decoding.  We are working on her handwriting.  Some days she amazes me, and other days it take 45 minutes to write out six 3-letter words.  Sigh.  We started using an online reading program called Reading Eggs.  We are using the trial version for two weeks before we buy - at a steep discount through Homeschool Buyers Co-op.  The great thing is that Owen can do it too.  This is his first foray onto the computer - so he is working on mastering basic mouse skills.  Every day Rylan and I are going over the calendar basics - she counts the days until Jordan is home again.  Still haven't quite got the days of the week down, but we are getting there.  I found some fun printables from the Hungry Caterpillar that cover that - so we will do that this week.  The last two days of the week were a total loss due to Girl Scout planning.  I hope that these two days of concerted effort means that I don't have to sacrifice a great amount of school time in the future.

In the kitchen...  I think pancakes are in the works this morning... Dean takes Sunday morning breakfast duty.

I am wearing... what else?  A night gown.  Rylan and I are waiting for our turn in the shower.

I am creating... A master schedule for the Daisy Scout troop I will be leading this year.  I have a wonderful co-leader as well, so the work is going very smoothly.  We have mapped out the weeks for the entire year.  Now I just need to plug in special dates, like International Festival, that we will attend with the Brownies and Juniors in our troop.  This is no small feat, and it is making my head spin.  But I like having it set in stone and know what to expect.  I know the parents appreciate that too.

I am going... to Target to purchase more diapers for Owen.  We started potty training in earnest this weekend - Naked Days!!, but we still need another (small) package as we go along.  Target trips are always *super fun* with the kids.  Weekly grocery trip is also on order.

I am wondering... about Rylan and ballet lessons.  She loves to dance.  She wants to take lessons.  I did ballet myself all through grade school and most of jr. high.  I went to my teacher's home, who had a basement studio.  It was a very fun, positive experience.  I don't want to take Rylan to the big-high-priced studio in town - I am hoping to find something a little more low-key and less expensive.  I will be making a call to my former (long-ago retired) teacher to see if she knows of anyone.  Rylan and I have agreed that when she is six, she can start.  So I have some time.  We also need the time to work it into the budget.  Karate will be $180 by then, as Jordan will be in the black belt club.

I am reading... Watermelon.  STILL.  I have renewed it twice, and it is due today.  I may turn it in, and then go back tomorrow and check it out again.  It is a good story, just too much else is going on.  In the meantime, I read The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom for my book club.  It was a very good read, but the content was really difficult for me to read through without getting really pissed off.  It is about slavery and the hardships of a particular group of slaves that lived on a tobacco plantation in Virginia during the late 1700's.  I am going to write a review.  Soon. I promise.

I am hoping... To finish up our 'homework' that Dean and I have to do before our next session of Financial Peace University on Tuesday night.  Good stuff - just very time-consuming.  And we don't have a lot of extra time to sit around a desk for hours on end around here... the rugrats would get restless.

I am looking forward to... Our Girl Scout family campout next weekend.  I am not looking forward to the work of pulling it together - just the fun when we get there.

I am hearing... the neighbor's tile saw next door.  He is building a patio.  Two weeks ago it was a jackhammer, so he's making progress.  We should hire him.

I am also listening to Go Diego Go!  This show drives me absolutely insane - as does Dora.  I would really like to know if that is how little the studio execs think of our children.  I'm not talking about content - I'm talking about how the character 'talks' to our children.  I bet they only listened to about 90 seconds of it and gave the nod of approval.  What we should do is strap them to their chairs and make them listen to a full episode.  And then give them a gun they can put to their heads as we play another episode for them - so they can feel just like us!  Thanks, studio execs!  Here is a tidbit I copied from the Nick Jr. website, from the show's creators: "Parents tell us they know when Dora is on because they'll see and hear their kids playing along with the show: counting, speaking Spanish, jumping, rowing, clapping, etc."  Really?  You don't think they can independently identify the show by the sound of Dora and Diego's ANNOYING PATRONIZING VOICE?? 

Around the house... Yesterday was the 'quickie budget' - today is our 'cash flow plan' for the next paycheck, which we receive next Friday.  If we don't plan, the $$$ will disappear faster than a plate of brownies.  I will also vacuum up dog hair.  About four times throughout the day ought to do it.

I am pondering... How the neighbor pays for all of his outdoor projects.  We have no idea what he does besides race ATVs.  The wife stays home with their two kids.  Nice people, just very peculiar.

One of my favorite things...  My new ceramic coffee mug that my SIL gave me for my birthday.  It is nice and tall with a lid to keep it hot.  Good stuff.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Counseling appt Monday, Knitting night on Tuesday, and campout Friday through Sunday.  Dean's 41st birthday is Sunday.

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing...

Rylan partaking in some 'tea' with her cousin Lauren (7/31/11)

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