Recital

There's been some confusion about The Wizard of Oz, it hasn't happened yet. It is this coming weekend. Tonight was a recital. As if learning a full blown production in 16 days of camp wasn't enough, the kids also had different instructors in the afternoon teaching them different acting techniques, singing, and dance camp. I took some videos tonight and may or may not get them on here soon (still having to use Jonathan's computer). Madi and her friend Hannah were Peter Pan and Wendy in one of tonight's skits, and Jake and the other 4-6 year olds belted out some old favorites like "Take me out to the Ballgame" and "I'm a Little Teapot". As always Jonathan was great on the lights! You can see a slideshow pictures from the recital here.

Come see The Wizard of Oz!!!!

1930s

91 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

This cracked me up, I saw it on someone else's blog and thought I'd try it. The person whose blog I saw it on (someone I don't know) rated "superior" , I didn't expect to even be that good. It is especially funny because the question about "hose" being crooked had me confused and I thought it meant garden hose (I don't own pantyhose--and still I'm doing pretty well). I found this at an appropriate time though because Mike and I just read a great article yesterday about how people who grew up in the 30's during the great depression were thrifty (cutting the mold off of cheese for example instead of throwing the whole thing away), and appreciated people over things, and how the current recession might help our country get back to what is really important with less focus on "stuff". The article, too, came at a fitting time because I was just saying the same sort of thing on the night of the 4th because after watching the fireworks I drove some of the kids'friends home and was impressed at the sense of community I saw in our local neighborhoods with tons of families sitting out in their driveways shooting off fireworks and visiting with each other. I know not too many people are thrilled to be paying $4 a gallon for gas, but I can't help but think of the positive side of things, and if it all brings people closer together, it is worth it. Another thing about this 30's housewife thing is about 15 years ago I don't think I'd have seen the value of being a "very superior" 1930s housewife, but I know better now! Time to go put some food on the table for my family!

FOR TODAY July 7,...
Outside My Window...I just hung the laundry on the line.
I am thinking...about too many things.
I am thankful for...my dermatologist.
From the kitchen...tacos tonight!
I am wearing...denim shorts and a blue shirt.
I am creating...an organized home.
I am going...with Jake to a birthday party when I pick him up from Theatre and then later to take Jonathan to his 4 hole golf tournament.
I am reading...a ton a Berenstain Bear books to Jake (one of the many things he is into right now).
I am hoping...we will be able to keep the house neat and organized.
I am hearing...Jonathan's radio on Z 88 (he's not home, but his radio is on).
Around the house...Madi and Jonathan's rooms are very clean and organized.
One of my favorite things...chocolate.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:The Wizard of Oz this weekend, Grandma Marge coming to visit, the usual library activities...etc...
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
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This is a picture of some of the homeschoolers asking lots of questions of the "reptileman" after a recent library show.


Want to participate in the Simple Woman's daybook see here

Happy 4th of July

We didn't make it to the parade this morning, so the kids and Grampa Carlie had their own parade!

House guests

We've been taking care of our friends' hamster while they were away. One night I noticed someone had left the cage door open, made a mental note to close it, and then forgot about it. The next morning, the door was still open, and there was no hamster inside. I became a little frantic and yelled for everyone to start looking for the hamster, but then I had to get kids to Theatre, hang posters for Theatre, pick up from Theatre go to a friends house to swim, etc, so we were out most of the day. That evening we all came home for supper (looked a little more) and then went to see the movie Wall-E (it was good, but not as good as a lot of the other pixar ones). So pretty soon it was 10 pm and still no hamster. I had no idea if it could get upstairs, where it could, be and even less of an idea about how I was going to capture it if I found it. Mike noticed some hamster food (and poop) in our lazy susan cabinet in the kitchen so we now knew where she had been. I had all of these visions of her just having a field day frolicking (and pooping) all over our house. As it turned out, we found her a little while later in our downstairs bathroom, and with Mike and I in the tiny bathroom with the door shut, we had no problem getting her back in her cage.

The hamster will probably be going home today (we haven't left the door open again), but we have more house guests coming next week. Mike's mother "Grandma Marge" is coming down next Thursday for the weekend to see The Wizard of Oz. We've lived here 9 years and she's only gotten down here once before. She has never been to this house and never seen the kids in their element (read Theatre). We are all looking forward to it. Also next weekend, we will get Madi's friend Anjali for a week. They have been friends since they were toddlers and Anjali and her Mom live in New Mexico. This will be the third summer in a row that she's spent a week with us. We are looking forward to that too!

Back on Jonathan's computer

I think our computer--which clearly wasn't doing so great anyway-- might've gotten fried by lightning last night. We had a major storm last night and lightning was striking really close. It actually blew a breaker (or transformer or something). Our phone isn't working either. If you call me, you get the message line right away (and I can check the messages from my cell phone), if you really want to talk to me you have to call my cell phone. The lightning also made our smoke detectors go off and turned on all our sprinklers (and now our new sprinkler timer isn't working either)(I just reread this and figured I should clarify these are the yard spriklers, we obviously don't have ceiling spriklers like public buildings, but I thought it might be a little confusing when discussed in the same sentence as smoke detectors.). We all spent part of the storm in the pantry. It was quite a night!! The weird thing is just a few hours before the storm Jake had asked me if God makes people get struck by lightning, and I had told him God ALLOWS people (even good people) to be struck by lightning sometimes because He has a plan that we don't know etc... But then when it seemed like we might be getting struck I was a little frightened that the earlier conversation might've been a little prophetic. Jake and I prayed in the pantry. I am often reminded of a news story that I heard about twenty years ago where some young children were killed in a train wreck, I remember the parents being on the morning news saying how just a few days before the kids were asking all about heaven.