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Warning: Complaining Ahead
This week is not shaping up to be a good
one.
Yesterday we had our handyman out to fix a few things on the outside of the house – rotten boards, leaky spots, and so on. A few hundred bucks later, and our house looks – exactly the same. But less leaky, I guess.
Then our refrigerator started not refrigerating so well. This has been going on for a few weeks – the freezer conked out a while ago – and we decided to just live with it and not buy a new one, as the repair, we’ve been told, is not fool-proof and costs as much as a new fridge. So we’ve been limping along, but apparently now must get a new one.
The warranty, in case you were wondering, expired two months ago.
Did I mention that both caterpillars cleaned out our dill – AGAIN – and left, never to be seen again?
Can we just call this week and be done with it?
Yesterday we had our handyman out to fix a few things on the outside of the house – rotten boards, leaky spots, and so on. A few hundred bucks later, and our house looks – exactly the same. But less leaky, I guess.
Then our refrigerator started not refrigerating so well. This has been going on for a few weeks – the freezer conked out a while ago – and we decided to just live with it and not buy a new one, as the repair, we’ve been told, is not fool-proof and costs as much as a new fridge. So we’ve been limping along, but apparently now must get a new one.
The warranty, in case you were wondering, expired two months ago.
Did I mention that both caterpillars cleaned out our dill – AGAIN – and left, never to be seen again?
Can we just call this week and be done with it?
Three-Day-Weekend Hangover
You know, when you have a
three-day-weekend just a couple weeks before school gets out, going
back to school that next Tuesday feels a little bit like trying to
put on your skinny-girl jeans after you’ve spent a week on an
all-you-can-eat cruise. You can barely fit into them, and it makes
you crabby and oh-so-aware of how quickly you spread out.
We spent the past three days wasting no time spreading out; the girls woke up around nine (NINE!) a.m. on Monday. We began moving slower, taking our time, puttering desultorily around the house. Now comes Tuesday morning with its alarm clocks and quick time schedules and errands and lunches to pack and forms to sign and . . .
Bleh.
We can sQUEEze back into our usual routine. Barely.
We are SO ready for summer break to be here.
We spent the past three days wasting no time spreading out; the girls woke up around nine (NINE!) a.m. on Monday. We began moving slower, taking our time, puttering desultorily around the house. Now comes Tuesday morning with its alarm clocks and quick time schedules and errands and lunches to pack and forms to sign and . . .
Bleh.
We can sQUEEze back into our usual routine. Barely.
We are SO ready for summer break to be here.
God Is An Optimist
Apparently our dill has grown back enough
to become a nursery. Yet again.
Yep, that's right, we currently have two new caterpillars munching their way through the baby new growth in our dill. Fortunately for us, there's only two of them. Unfortunately for them, they're tiny and it'll be a while before they cocoon. I don't think there's going to be enough dill.
Again.
Oh, God, hope springs eternal, doesn't it, you crazy Guy?
Yep, that's right, we currently have two new caterpillars munching their way through the baby new growth in our dill. Fortunately for us, there's only two of them. Unfortunately for them, they're tiny and it'll be a while before they cocoon. I don't think there's going to be enough dill.
Again.
Oh, God, hope springs eternal, doesn't it, you crazy Guy?
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction, Child
A couple days ago, Cora asked me why I
haven’t bought Pirate Booty recently; that and Veggie Booty
have been regular snack treats in our house, and it was a fair
question.
I explained to Cora that one of the main ingredients in Booty is corn, and over 85% of corn in the USA is genetically modified. I’d called Robert’s Snacks, combed their websites, sent emails – and been told explicitly that yes, they use genetically altered crops. And while our diet may not be 100% GMO-free, it’s rather close, and that’s on purpose.
I’m not trying to get into a conversation on GMO foods here – that’s a much longer post, believe me, and I’ve made it a couple times. But this did lead us to a child-level version of that conversation, and I spent a few painful minutes talking through GMO crops and why we choose not to eat them with the girls.
I explained to Cora that one of the main ingredients in Booty is corn, and over 85% of corn in the USA is genetically modified. I’d called Robert’s Snacks, combed their websites, sent emails – and been told explicitly that yes, they use genetically altered crops. And while our diet may not be 100% GMO-free, it’s rather close, and that’s on purpose.
I’m not trying to get into a conversation on GMO foods here – that’s a much longer post, believe me, and I’ve made it a couple times. But this did lead us to a child-level version of that conversation, and I spent a few painful minutes talking through GMO crops and why we choose not to eat them with the girls.
Play Time, Bad Weather-Style
Yesterday was dominated by a bad weather
threat all over north Texas; after the events in Oklahoma on Monday
I spent the entire morning working on turning my fear over to God
and leaving Him in control of my girls. Not an easy task when
you’re a mama, but I tried. As I saw the weather forecast
predicting that the bad storm would hit right around school pick-up
time, I decided to play it safe and had the girls come home from
school after lunch.
In other words, Early Release Day.
In other words, Extra Play Day.
In other words, Early Release Day.
In other words, Extra Play Day.
On (Not) Making The Grade
Yesterday afternoon Maddie came out of
school distinctly subdued. She had a couple papers in her hand and
immediately handed me her backpack, keeping the loose papers to
herself. “Do you want me to put those papers in your
backpack?” I asked.
Maddie handed me one, and as she did I caught a glimpse of the other, retained paper – a math test with the score written in red. “You can have this one,” she said, handing me her vocabulary test. “But not this one,” and she waved the math test.
“Baby, is it because of the grade on the math test?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Honey, it’s ok, we all miss some sometimes.”
So Maddie handed me her math test and burst into tears.
She made an 89.
Maddie handed me one, and as she did I caught a glimpse of the other, retained paper – a math test with the score written in red. “You can have this one,” she said, handing me her vocabulary test. “But not this one,” and she waved the math test.
“Baby, is it because of the grade on the math test?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Honey, it’s ok, we all miss some sometimes.”
So Maddie handed me her math test and burst into tears.
She made an 89.