Monday, May 24, 2010

Oh, the ups and downs

Let me preface this with 2 things. One, I fully realize that what I am about to post as "downs" are not really "downs." Unfortunates if that. Things could be worse. A lot worse. I do know that. I just like to complain. Second, the usual, sorry I haven't been here. Man, I don't know where the days and weeks go. Let's get to the updating:

An up: we had our last day of 5th grade last week! Violet learned a lot this year and really started to show some independence. We have a lot of fun things planned for next year...I can't wait to start doing some pre-reading and planning.

A down: the state didn't come through for the funding for the program that does interlibrary loan. The funding ends June 1st, but our library system has pooled together to extend it until September 15th. No one knows what will happen after that. It has a lot of us homeschoolers biting our nails. We'll have to make some real changes in our library habits if that happens. I'm afraid we may even have to start making more use of e-books. Shudder!

An up: I saved $94 tonight. Well, sort of. I bought an open swim/lap swim punch pass at Violet's swim club. They had them on sale half price. We can go 12 times, for $50. (12 punches, one punch for the both of us when we go). If we paid the walk in off the street price of $6 each, 12 visits would cost $144. Now we just have to go. The pass expires in one year. I think we can do it.

A down: our Girl Scout camp family weekend got canceled due to low registration. We could have switched (maybe, if they were actually running) to one of 2 other mom and me sessions. But one was the awful camp we went to last summer. The other one, just didn't thrill me as much as the one we signed up for either. And since I had to convince Violet to go with me in the first place, I figured changing to a session she hadn't agreed to wasn't very fair. I'm much more bummed than she is.

And yes, we could just go camping. But that isn't the same thing at all. At family weekend we sleep on cots in platform tents. Camping, we have to pitch our tent and sleep on the ground - don't get me started about the rain. At Girl Scout camp, most of our meals are in the dining hall and all are planned by someone else. Camping, we have to plan, purchase, transport and cook all our own food. At GS camp, there are lots of cool activities all being run by counselors: archery, swimming, a corn maze, arts and crafts, tie dying, hiking, and much more. Camping: I have to plan and carry out the activities and there certainly won't be archery. Anyway, you get the idea. GS camp is all the fun of the great outdoors, and none of the work. That's what I had signed on for.

An up: busy season at work is ending, but it looks like I'll be keeping my hours at a decent level. Thank you health care reform. It is a consultant's friend. Not my friend personally, but that is for another blog.

A down: I might have to work on Saturday (Memorial Day weekend) but won't know until Friday. There's a big deadline on June 1st. If the department goes in the office to work, I have to go in. They'll decide at the last minute.

Now that you are all dizzy from the roller coaster, I'll end here and promise (yet again) to not be so long before I return.

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