Updates

This morning we took Bubbles in to get her stitches out.  We were worried she'd be off hiding and we'd never find her at appointment time, so Violet found her and played with her for almost an hour before we went.  We were there and back in under 20 minutes.  I don't know how they take the stitches out, but it was quick.  Violet and I hung out in the lobby and talked to the kitten who was up for adoption. 

We started second semester today.  Violet did a math lesson, and after about a 4 week break from it, was rusty.  We also chose our next read aloud, The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit.  We are looking forward to starting it.  We also did a spelling lesson, and she did great.  We are using Spelling Power this year.  We are as happy with it as anything we've used.  Spelling just isn't a favorite.

Tomorrow is the first tennis lesson of the new session.  We're not sure if any of the girls she knows will be in it.  But Violet is more interested in tennis than having friends in class or not.  Friends are great for hanging with and socializing, but when she takes a class she's more interested in the class.  At least with tennis, there's no time to joke, they are playing and learning the game.  Now art class, they sit and talk while drawing and creating.  They comment on each others' art work, chit chat about things, and generally have a good time.  Or so I've been told.  I'm at Starbucks during class having "me" time.

The sidewalks and parking lots are still icy.  I'm glad I got those boots at the thrift store, they have good grip.  Next week we are supposed to have some subzero temperatures, but this week is supposed to stay nice.

Juliettes

We had a Juliette meeting today.  Well, technically, we had a gathering of a group of homeschooled friends who all happen to be Juliettes and who like to work on badges together once in a while.  No need getting anyone's sash in a bunch and thinking we should become a troop. 

Anyway, we made choco-coconut sandwich cookies (from Rachel Ray's magazine) and called those a quick and easy snack (and they were), and we made applesauce brownie cake and called that a lower-sugar alternative dessert.  Both were good.  It was the view of the majority that the brownie cake needed something.  Ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, chocolate drizzle, something.  Then it was decided that it needed all of the above!  These girls like their desserts.  This finished up the Eating for Beauty badge for the Cadettes.  The Juniors were counting the cooking towards the old Let's Get Cooking badge.

We also made posters, Toulouse-Lautrec style.  We looked at some of his artwork, then I made the sky the limit on what they wanted to make on their poster.  Three of the five ended up being Girl Scout cookie posters.  Not even one of the things I suggested.  The other two were silly "save the" posters (Violet's was about evil mice, and Butterfly's was to support stick people).  Hmm, the Juniors were the ones wanting to sell cookies with their posters.  The Cadettes were just silly.  I think there may be something to that.

At our next meeting in 2 weeks we are going to celebrate Chinese New Year. 

Ice Storm

Last night we were hit with freezing rain and snow.  Made for terrible driving.  I had been supposed to go out to dinner with some friends, but had begged off.  There were a million reasons, mainly, I just didn't feel emotionally up to it.  Anyway, I was so glad I did because I would have been out there in all that ice, for no good reason. 

Today Violet took her cookie form to the two neighbors who always order from her.  One placed their order.  The other didn't answer the door although we know there was someone home.  It could be like us, we often don't answer.  We get so many solicitors, even with the big "NO SOLICITING" sign on the door and we often don't feel like it.  So we left a note in their door.  They'll either call with an order or not.  She's really not enthusiastic about sales this year, that it is fine either way.  They've ordered from her for the last 7 years so we did want to give them a chance.  The mom works at the elementary school and has liked to be able to tell all the hordes of little girls who ask her there that she always orders from her neighbor, Violet.

We also got through the last of our first semester work.  Tomorrow we have a Juliette meeting here, then Tuesday we'll get started on Spring semester.  I guess I had better get a plan a bit more firmed up. 

I don't know how I can be so busy all the time.  I am constantly putting out fires and moving on to the next one.  It doesn't help that I'm still insisting on getting a lot of reading time in.  But I think I really need that quiet reflection time.  A crazed mama is not a pretty thing!

Braces!

On Tuesday, Violet got her phase 2 braces on.  She's still not chewing and biting into foods completely.  I think she is growing quite tired of mashed potatoes, Jell-O and pudding.  She's started with pasta and some other softer things now too.  But there were a couple of days with lots of Advil and lots of non-chewing needed foods!  The estimate is that they will be on 12-18 months.  She's determined to make it closer to 12 months, so she is doing everything in her power to do so.  No chewy candy, no popcorn, no soda (it leaves white spots on the teeth per the orthodontist).  Brushing and flossing all the time.  The orthodontist said that most phase two-ers like to just get it done and put up with a little more pain.  Violet says she agrees.  On and off.  That's her hope.

Since she isn't drinking soda, I figured it was the perfect time for me to cut back too.  Really there's no nutritional value in the stuff, so why drink it?  And maybe I can drop those extra few pounds I'd like to take off.

Next week Bubbles gets her stitches out.  My mom had a crown fall off and had to have an emergency dental visit.  A family friend fell and broke his wrist during the exercise class he was taking with my dad, my dad insisted he "get in the truck, I'm taking you to the emergency room."  So between all that, we've been surrounded by pain.  "My surgical scar hurts." "My teeth hurt."  "My wrist hurts."  "My broken tooth hurts."  Put this one down in the records as another difficult winter.

Currently Violet is in art class.  When I pick her up we're going out to lunch, then to a Girl Scout exhibit in a historical museum a few towns over.  We haven't been to this one yet.  We've been enjoying all the 100th anniversary exhibits we've gone too.  I'm not looking forward to driving there.  It is in a downtown of a fairly big city.  I hope the parking is easy to find.  I stress more about where to park than anything else.

I finished reading The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck.  I really enjoyed it.  I've started You Learn By Living by Eleanor Roosevelt.  I'm enjoying it.  It is her response to the many people who asked her for advice for living.  It is interesting reading about her own insecurities and fears.  I tend to think of her later in her life and career as the confident, successful woman and first lady.  I need to read a biography of her next.

So, I'm not doing as good as I should with my blogging.  It was crazy how busy this past week was.  I hope things quiet down soon.  Bwahahah.  What am I thinking?  It won't slow down.

Cookie Sales Starts

It is the start of the Girl Scout cookie sale here.  Violet's form is posted in the kitchen at my office.  So far it looks like she may be the only cookie seller there.  In the past there have been more girls selling.  Forms could still pop up later this week, so we won't count our cookies until they've been ordered.  She has 2 neighbors who always order from her.  Other than a few cookies for us, I don't think she's doing much selling this year.  The incentives don't excite her.  The Juliette proceeds have been cut in about half as previous years.  And she's getting older and the thrill is gone.  Hopefully my office will mainly order cookies to be donated to the soldiers.  Those I can do without ever having the boxes arrive.

Violet is back at art class, her favorite activity.  She had last week off for the holidays.  They always have "art challenges" to draw and bring in if they want.  She was working on her drawing yesterday.  Something with a giant evil chicken fighting an army of mice.  They do a lot of fantasy drawing in her class.  Her art instructor is a children's book illustrator and his art work runs to fantasy/sci fi as well.  It is a great class for her.

We're taking a week off before starting Juliettes up again.  I've been finding some activities to do.  On our first meeting we're going to make applesauce brownie cake (a recipe with lower sugar) and choco-coconut cookie sandwiches (a quick snack).  That will complete the Eating for Beauty badge for the Cadettes (technically the badge didn't say to make the items, we just like to cook).  The Juniors have already finished the Looking My Best badge.  The next meeting will be Chinese New Year, then a Valentine meeting.  Since we're doing cooking and art badges this year, it is easy to fit in some badge work with the holidays.

Tennis doesn't start until mid-January.  Which is good.  We need to ease into things.  I made the list of things to finish for "first semester" and it wasn't too bad.  We've started to work on that and will finish next week.

Bubbles is home

I picked up Bubbles this morning and brought her home.  She has 3 days of pain meds.  It is one tiny tablet for each night, which she just gobbled up.  (Reading back through it, she just gobbled up tonight's tablet, not all three.)  I was surprised at how much fur was shaved off.  We are supposed to keep her calm and not jumping or playing too much.  I thought she'd be quiet and tired, but she certainly wasn't this afternoon.  Tonight, since Mr. Incredible has gotten home, she's been little miss sleepyhead in his lap.  So, of course, he doesn't believe that she was nutty earlier.  Hopefully she will stay calm, so she doesn't pull her stitches.

Violet did her volunteer work today.  At the first program they had quite a few kids.  She helped with a craft project.  The second program was for older kids (the same age group as the Volunteens), and the only ones signed up for it didn't come.  So it was just the 5 Volunteens who were there.  Violet said they just did all the activities themselves and had a good time.  I think that was probably good for her to have the time with her fellow volunteers. 

Tomorrow we have no outside activities!  Yay!  Tomorrow is my mom's follow up appointment with the surgeon.  She's feeling really good, well tons better.  So we expect the appointment will go well.

Tonight I'm beat.  I had to make 4 trips to and from the library today!  I think that explains my headache.  Good night.

Second Semester

I think rather than starting up with homeschool next week, we'll actually wait a week.  We'll spend time between now and then trying to finish up the first semester things we didn't quite finish.  We're almost done with a history unit, a science unit, a book we're reading.  I need to make a list of the few open items and just clear those off the list. 

Today Bubbles went in early for her spaying.  She comes home tomorrow.  The vet called after the surgery and said it went very well and that she was doing fine.  Tomorrow Violet has 2 separate programs at the library that she's volunteering at.  Saturday is art class.  She still has some art projects to work on, thank you's to write, and a Christmas gift to finish sewing (yipes, well we haven't seen that grandparent yet).  So this week wasn't good for starting anything new.  And next Tuesday she gets her braces on.  Yep, I think the 14th and a new semester is in order. 

I don't think I told you, but my mom's surgery didn't go as smoothly as hoped.  It was supposed to be outpatient, home by 5:30.  Well, she was in the hospital 3 days, and probably should have stayed longer (she says she was really cranky with the nurses and the doctor finally said he thought she'd be more comfortable at home).  She's finally getting back up on her feet.  But that made for a few stressful weeks.  My dad handled all her home care and did a great job, so Violet and I stayed out of the way (and my mom really didn't want Violet seeing her laid up and in pain).  But there were lots of phone calls and remote helping going on. 

So since we'd just gone through that with my mom and knew the hospital surgery routine, Violet and I were joking with the surgical assistant at the vet's this morning that Bubbles would need drawstring sweatpants for after the surgery.  And the assistant added she'd need a pair of compression socks, too (guess she knows about the surgery thing, too). 

Well, I know my long time blogging buddies have heard this before, but I am resolving this New Year to blog more.  I love blogging and I really fell off it this fall.  It has been a difficult few months around here and I just didn't have the mindset.  But since I love to write so much, I'm going to try very hard to get my butt in my chair and write.  At least a little.  A few times a week.  It is good for me and helps clear my head.

Feel free to call me on it if I slip.