If you are a Cake Wrecks fan, you will probably already have seen this post. If not, you must go there right now. Especially if you love The Princess Bride (and who doesn’t love The Princess Bride?? You’d have to be inhuman to not love it!!) And for everyone, read all the comments. Yes, there are 188 comments, but they are worth reading. I’m still laughing.
Archive for May, 2009
Summer Break is HERE
Yesterday was Aiden’s last day of first grade. He came home from a day of play with his excellent report card (which has me beaming a little!! Other than the talking and throwing fits when he things don’t go his way, his teachers think he is wonderful and smart and all that good stuff), a t-shirt that all the kids in his class signed, and a stack of papers to put in the box under his bed. It was a tough year in many respects, but he made it. He’s looking forward to second grade and a new school (which he mistakenly keeps calling “Centipede Elementary”. Cracks me up!).
Last night was graduation at the high school Ches teaches at. It didn’t get rained out this year like last year, but it did start to rain towards the end of the ceremony. It rained hard enough that while names were still being called Ches had his kids put their instruments away and take the percussion equipment back to the band room. The sound guys were starting to get worried about their equipment, but the end of the line came, the closing remarks were cut short, the Alma Mater was not sung, and graduation was done! End of another year for Ches.
Ches had to go in early this morning and finish cleaning and do his end of year check out. He will sleep in tomorrow.
I thought we’d sleep in today. I’m not a morning person, and I think it’s perfect acceptable to sleep in until 9 am. I know my kids, however, so I thought we’d be up at 8.
The little monsters were up and playing at 6 am. SIX A-FREAKING-M. It is summer break and they get up at 6 in the morning??? WHAT are they thinking??? They’d better not do this to me all summer.
Oh wait. Ches will be home. He’s a morning person. He can get up with them and I’ll sleep. YAY!
It’s going to be a fun summer. We’re headed to Florida in June for a week, and at the end of July we go to Montana for a family reunion. The rest of the days will be spent in the pool, at the Science Center, at the park (although that will be kind of rare in this heat), and at home playing games, reading books, and doing whatever I can think of that doesn’t destroy the house. 
I LOVE SUMMER BREAK.
Edward Who?
My mom has been on my case for years to come get my “stuff”. She is tired of dragging my childhood books and toys and journals across the country every time she moves. I can’t say I blame her, as I haven’t gotten my stuff because until we settle down and get our own house, I refuse to drag that stuff across the country. That and we don’t have any place to store it. Anyway, Mom has come up with a clever plan to get rid of my stuff… just start sending me things. For the past couple of years I get random boxes in the mail filled with my old books. I finally requested specific books so I can be sure to get what I want (still waiting for The Secret Garden, Charly, and Little Women — of which I have about four copies!!!) and will read or read with Aiden.
The most recent box held my Anne of Green Gables series. Since I finished Three Cups of Tea, I needed something light to read and I don’t think I’ve read any Anne books in about 15 years. It has been like going home after a long time away. I had forgotten just how lovely and descriptive L.M. Montgomery writes. I had forgotten just how funny and delightful I find Anne. And I had forgotten all about my crush on Gilbert Blythe.
Oh, Gilbert Blythe! My first literary love. In my imagination he was so cute (and once I saw the movies, I was so glad the actor lived up to my expectations. That doesn’t happen often enough). Gilbert is so steady and sure and wonderful! Sends my heart a-flutter to remember all about Gilbert.
Like millions of girls out there, I will admit to having a huge crush on Edward Cullen, but honestly, he just doesn’t hold a candle to Gilbert Blythe. There will always be an extra special place in my heart for my first love. Other loves come and go, but your first just stays with you. Even in imaginary characters.
I was trying to think of some of my other literary crushes. Mr. Darcy, of course, and Teddy (from L. M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon series) popped in my head right away. I remember wishing I would someday find a guy like in so many of Jack Weyland’s characters. I read a lot of teenage romances in 7th grade. It was a series of books called “Couples”. In my group of friends we all read them, and we all kind of adopted a character to be ourselves. Mine was a shy, petite, brunette named Holly. Her boyfriend in the series was Emerson (his last name… don’t remember his first name. He was mainly called by his last name), a large, jovial football player who was absolutely devoted to Holly. So, since I was Holly, of course I had a crush on Emerson. I wanted an Emerson.
Ahhh, the memories. It’s really funny to me now, but don’t expect me to talk about much else on my Facebook status for a while. I’m back with my first love, Gilbert Blythe.
Who did you have a literary crush on?
Random Friday
I just have a few announcements.
Tonight we are having our pictures done with Blue Lily. Remember how I won a photo session from the blog Seriously, So Blessed! last October or something? Finally getting to use it. I am so excited! I bought me a new shirt, bought Ches a new shirt, and have some (I think) cute/cool clothes for the boys. I’m just sad it’s 104 out today. I really would rather we were wearing long sleeves, but Ches nixed that right off. Don’t blame him. Sweating, dehydrated people would not look good in a photo!
Aiden has less than 2 weeks of school left. Crazy!!
I got a new printer!!! One of the staff members at my school brought in her old printer and said whoever wants it can have it. I asked her about it, and she said it’s old… like 6 years. I laughed. Our printer (which is basically not useable now) is 11 years old. It’s a bubble jet. She said, “What’s a bubble jet?” and that just told me that must mean it’s really old. Anyway, my “new” printer is also a copier/scanner. So I can finally show off some old photos!!! YAY! Now, I just have to figure out how to hook it up…
I’m reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin for book club this month. It really is an inspiring story. I’ve only got about 70 more pages left to read. I like it, but I have to warn you that it isn’t the easiest read. It’s written by a journalist and really has that journalism feel. Not bad if you’re reading a story in a magazine or a feature article in the paper, but hard if you want to read a novel. Nothing about it is a typical novel. In style. However, the story is wonderful!!! Go get it from the library or buy it today. Right now. My blog will still be here when you get back.
A teenage girl in our ward sent out an email saying that she is saving money to go to EFY this summer, so she is offering cookie dough for sale. And tomorrow night she is holding a “mom’s night out”. From 6 to 9 pm she will take our kids for $5 per kid, and this gives the dads an opportunity to take their wives out for mother’s day. I’m so excited!! Ches has this girl in his orchestra and talked to her about it. She said there are about 40 kids coming. I don’t think she expected that big a turn out. She also wants to do this once a month, but is thinking of making an attendance cap or something. Limit it at 15 to 20 kids. She is enlisting her entire family to help out tomorrow night, I think. heh. But now Ches and I are going to celebrate our anniversary (11 years on May 2nd, baby!!) and see Star Trek or something.
I love Pandora. Thanks for introducing me, Kenyon. I’m listening to my Paramore station right now. I need to learn lots of Paramore songs because I’m seeing them in TWO WEEKS. That’s right. No Doubt and Paramore in Phoenix, and I get to go!!!! My first concert. I couldn’t be more excited. Anyway, it’s cool to listen to Paramore and other groups of a similar style (according to Pandora). I like everything they put on there.
I had a dream last night that I had hip surgery and needed to walk with a cane, so I got this really cool carved wood cane. And I was super excited for the changes it would bring me, namely that I would be able to go running with Alyson this summer. Then today I read Karen’s blog and April’s status on Facebook. I must be thinking about the two of you a lot. More than I realized!
And Alyson, I’m still not running with you and Em. You guys have fun. I’ll just seclude myself in my tent and read a book. 
We finally made a decision about Aiden’s schooling for next year. We are sending him to another elementary school in this district (it is actually a K-8 school. All the schools in this district are. I hate it, but that’s another story for another day). It’s going to be brand new next year, and they are starting a Gifted program there. It’s the inclusive classes (I can’t remember if that’s what it’s called). It’s where they have classes of just gifted kids. The classes don’t start until 3rd grade, and Aiden is going into 2nd, but this way he’ll have a year to get used to the school and he’ll be in a cluster class of kids he’ll be with the next year anyway. This school is also expected to have a very low enrollment over all (there’s a loooooong story behind that, which I won’t go into right now), and while class sizes will probably be the same size, I’m hoping things will be more personal in general. Aiden needs that. Oh, and Ches will be teaching a band class at that school, so it will be nice for Aiden to know that his dad is on campus. He will still be pulled out of his classroom next year to work with the gifted advocate on a regular basis, so we won’t be taking another year off from that. This year was just a mess. It’s not the gifted advocate’s fault. She is very busy and I just haven’t been proactive enough… lots of stuff going on… anyway. I will be quite involved next year and it will be a great year for Aiden, I’m just sure of it. So… there you go. For those of you who were wondering.
Have a great weekend, everyone!!!
