September 3 -- Started listening to The Psychopath Test while mowing the lawn. It's an interesting book, and exactly what it sounds like -- a story about the test that determines who is/isn't a psychopath. We also tried four new recipes that night, because that's what Matt likes to do on his day off. Homemade soft pretzels, cauliflower mash, brownie mix cookies, and balsamic green bean salad. Big time WINNERS, all of them!
September 4 -- Downloaded the Super Mario Bros sheet music for the piano. One of my students wanted to learn the song, and then another. And once I played through it, I was hooked too! Such a nostalgic melody for me, and it's so fun on the piano. I dare you to play these first two lines and not get all giddy!
September 5 -- Accidentally found a bunch of nerdy videos on YouTube, in which teenage boys make their own silly versions to popular songs by youngins like Justin Bieber and One Direction. Yeah...I can't remember why I was bored enough to watch those, but when Matt goes out of town I get desperate!
September 6 -- Learned how to sew a fitted bodice on a shirt I made that day. Also started piano lessons with three new students, my cute neighbor girls.
September 8 -- Went to a NMTA (National Music Teachers Association) meeting with my friend Jedda. I'm not a member of this group, and I'm probably way under-qualified compared to the musical geniuses I met there, but it was interesting to hear the speaker and learn about what's going on in Midland's music community.
September 9 -- Played a bunch of new piano songs today. I just ran through a classical book to see which songs would be good for my students. I didn't really mean for the theme of this week to be piano, but I guess I've been on a roll!
September 10 -- Met a few new preschool parents on the first day of Josh's preschool. I'm on the board this year, so I was in charge of getting donuts and drinks for parents the first day. Parents could come hang out just to meet other parents and to stay on site for a while in case their kids freaked out from the separation. I kind of messed it all up, though, because I didn't have coffee ready for them. I guess that's what they get for putting a Mormon in charge of food/drinks at Presbyterian church.
September 11 -- I got to co-op in Josh's classroom for the first time! (Co-op just means volunteer to be the adult helper for the teacher.) I loved it. I really enjoy being in the classroom with him and watching his interactions and play choices. He's a good boy. He did get really sad the next day when I couldn't stay with him at school. After he came home, I found him writing this note to himself out on the grass.
"Josh wus sad at scool." See the tears in his frowny faces? But we talked about it, and the next day he came home and wrote this. All better.
September 12 -- I took dinner to two families. This was a major coincidence that they fell on the same day, because I'm pretty sure I haven't taken dinner to anyone since we lived in Chicago. It's not a regular thing. Anyway, I got to meet my neighbor Gretchen's mom, see Kathy's house, and hold her brand new beautiful baby boy. Holy heart pains, people. That's what newborn babies do to me. They make me think I physically NEED a fuzzy, football-sized, heavenly-smelling, cuddly little tiny sleepy person. I'm feeling all heavy just thinking about it!
September 13 -- Went to my neighbor's Bible study group for the first time. This is a great group of ladies from different Christian churches, who get together every week to chat and watch a Beth Moore series, then discuss religious-type things. As a bonus, we get to stick our babies with a sitter the whole time. It's going to be really fun.
September 14 -- Bought a play kitchen off Craigslist for my boys! I've been looking for one for months, and finally found this one that actually looks like the exact model I had in my house growing up. It makes me want to sit on the floor with them and cook some plastic food. We love it.
September 15 -- Went to a garage sale for my friend Jamie who is raising money for adoption. She and her husband have four kids already, but they're trying to adopt a baby from Russia who has Down Syndrome. You wouldn't believe how difficult Russia's government makes it to adopt, but in a nutshell, it takes a LOT of time and money. They are good people, and we came home with a lot of old stuff. A kid basketball hoop, a kid picnic table, a little barn, a few small bags of action figure toys, baby snow boots, purple charger plates, a Costa Rican salad bowl set, a Bob Marley shirt, and a baby doll for Jude (finally)! See...this is why we can't go to garage sales. We like other people's cheap stuff too much.
3 comments:
International adoption is nothing to sneeze at, though Russia is notorious among the lot of it. Eastern Europe in general is worse than other places in the world for cost and time. Sorry, you probably don't really care! But it's been on our minds...
LOVED the psychopath test. TED talk right? Got any other faves? You should listen to the Shame one.
That Lego bag is cool! looks easy enough. Sure, I could make that. And in answer to your question about my pillows, I just measured them with a tape measure and cut squares of fabric and sewed a zipper on one side of the square so I can take them off and wash them from time to time. So easy!
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