This week

Let's see...This week I proctored a math tournament on Monday, I went to a class on teaching exceptional children on Tuesday, Wednesday I tutored calculus after school, Thursday I made an incredible salad for dinner, Friday I went to a fun party, I went to two soccer games on Saturday, and today I got Alex his required reading book and some new shoes and boots for me. That is my week in a nutshell.

A couple of weeks ago, I was buying Amy ballet slippers. This week, I bought little Mia Hamm shin guards and soccer socks. She had her first game on Saturday. I was really worried that she would just stand around, but she did not. She played pretty well. She dribbled the ball down the field. She passed to a teammate. She scored a goal. She had fun. I have to get a picture of all the kids in their uniforms for you all.

In other news...
Alex participated in the math tournament on Monday night. He starts tennis team this week.
Ed is bored in school, as usual. However, he has been taking extra work with him and doing that instead of coloring. He is participating in chess again this year.
Amy is still loving ballet class. She likes to demonstrate her dance moves, although sometimes she segues into Camp Rock moves.
Sam likes to tell people he is a "big BOY!" It is pretty funny.

Another week gone by

It was a busy week at school, and I am taking a class one night a week, so that takes up some time, too. I suspect this week will be busy, too.

This morning, the littles and I went to an antiques festival in Marietta Square. I found a great table made from an old barn door. I should have bought it. I am sitting here regretting that I do not own it. I really am. And I didn't even pick up a card from the dealer so I could call him later. I want that table. It was gorgeous. So now I am thinking that I need to drive to Ohio and see if the people who bought my grandparents' barn will sell me the door. Which would be so much more expensive than the table was. And what are the chances that these people would sell me the door? They might just think I was completely off my rocker. (And they might be right.) Of course, my parents are there this weekend. My dad might just be up for the adventure, but I don't know how they would get the door to me. And my mom would definitely think I was odd. And I don't know how to make a door into a table. I mean, I could probably figure it out, but it certainly would have been easier just to buy that table. And perhaps my grandparents barn has been long since knocked down because it was in tough shape when we sold it. Maybe I could just haunt antique stores until I find one. Or look for a closer barn to find a door.

Other than that, we are just waiting for the guys to get home from tennis/soocer/soccer so we can have some dinner. It has been a pretty lazy afternoon.

My Sweet Little Girl

This week at Amy's school, they started after school ballet classes. When I picked her up, she was talking all about this ballet class. I asked, and the teacher just said that they let her try it out that afternoon. I asked Amy if she wanted to take ballet classes, and she said she did. So I got the sign up information and went to get Sam at his sitter's. The sitter asked me if Amy was signed up for ballet. I said she wasn't currently, but that I was going to fill out the form and mail the check the next day since she loved the free trial-class so much.

Turns out, it was not a free trial-class. My precocious daughter had convinced a group of four adults that she was indeed registered for ballet class, and that they must have made some mistake. They actually believed her.

So now Amy is officially registered to take her second ballet class on Monday. I get to go buy ballet shoes this weekend. I hope they still come with the elastic not attached so I can sew it on. I took ballet for 8 years, and I am very excited that Amy is taking it.

You see, I am one of those people that other people thing over-schedule their kids. They all do a couple of activities. But we still have dinner as a family every night of the week except one. And that one night is because I have a class on teaching exceptional children for seven weeks. After that, we will be back eating together every night. (The class is required for certification as a highly qualified teacher in Georgia. It is actually rather interesting.) Well, Sam is not scheduled for any sports, yet, but I am sure he will play soccer in a couple of years when he is old enough.

Edited to add: The ballet slippers already had the elastic sewn on. It is not quite in the right place, but the shoes would come unraveled if I took it out to move it. So, it will stay where it is.

Interesting Times

One cool thing a high school teacher gets to see is kids who are getting ready to vote for the first time. Every day, the discussion is interesting, deep, and well-researched. These students watched all the prime time coverage of both conventions. They are not only opinionated, they are well-informed. It is exciting to see people excited about an election.

I remember the first time I voted. It was the Democratic Primary in Maryland in 1988. I voted for Al Gore. I vote for Al Gore a lot, even when he is not on the ballot. (Not more than once in a single election, though. I wouldn't want you all thinking I am doing anything wrong. Unless you think that voting for Al Gore is wrong, and certainly that is your prerogative.) Back to 1988, my parents were both home from work sick that day. I drove them to the polls (in our white Plymouth Reliant K Car that you had to turn the AC off to have enough power to turn left, but that is another story) and made them vote. I voted absentee in my first general election, and not for Al Gore, because I was at school in another state.

So I realized that I have been voting for 20 years. I have never missed an election. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant when I voted in 2004. I got bumped to the front of the line because I am pretty sure the elderly gentleman working the polling place thought I was going to drop that baby right then and there. She arrived two weeks later to the day, and was 9lbs 3 oz, so I probably did look like I was ready to give birth. I was also pregnant when I voted in 2000, although not quite so far along. However, I did get bumped to the front of the line that time, too. Elderly gentlemen working polling places are very kind to pregnant women. I am happy to say that I will never vote pregnant again. In 2006, for the gubernatorial election, Sam was only a couple of weeks old. I had to take all of the children with me to vote. There was no line to speak of, so no getting bumped that time. I imagine that I will get to stand in line this time.

Using up scaps

I love a big piece of fabric. Once I cut into a piece of fabric, I tend not to want to use it again. I don't know why, but I love yardage. If it is less than a half a yard, I don't think about using it. So today I decided to make something using only things I have cut into previously. This is what came out.
I squared-up some pieces of fabric, and then I started sewing them together at random. Then, I squared again, added a few pieces here and there, and made this thing. I was thinking of adding some appliqued circles, but now I am not sure. It is about 36 inches on one side. It looks like a baby's lovey to me. So it may be going to one of my many pregnant friends and colleagues. (It seems like I know a lot of pregnant people right now. Weird.)

I like this post

I like to read the Mental Multivitamin blog. This post is one I enjoyed this morning. As someone who has been called an education snob more than once, well, let's just say I liked this post.

Margaret DOES have a blog

My beautiful friend Margaret, who gave me all those gorgeous beads, and whom I adore with all my heart, has a blog. I cannot wait until she puts up pictures of the wonderful things she makes. So here it is: Fiber Dream Diva.