By Request

I recently received a request for The Princess to write one of her famous posts...so here ya go!

***

Hey, everybody!  My Nana and Grampy said they miss me, so I guess it's time for me to get my cute on.  Here's another Day in the Life of The Princess!

11:00 AM: I just ain't ready to start my day yet.  Come on back a little later, k?

11:28 AM: Well, I guess I gotta get up sometime.

11:42 AM: Okay, I'm up!  Get me things.

11:45 AM: Yum, lemonade!

Afternoon: lookit me go!  I love this thing.

Sometime in the afternoon: I just got finished walkin' on the treadmill!  I think it's super-fun to walk without really goin' anywhere.

Later in the afternoon: Hey, Nana...I'm minin' some really excellent gold here.  Y'want some???

While Momma was at school: Da stuck this thing on my head and made me sit still for pictures.  Don't worry.  I'll get my revenge!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed a glimpse into my day.  I really like it when I don't have school, so I can sleep in like a teenager.  Then, my favorite thing is to make Momma and Da run around like crazy to keep me just a little happy for the rest of the day.

I miss my grandparents.  All of you.  Since I'm The Princess, I order you all to come over here and do my bidding really soon.  Or else!

Scapegoat

Well, my summer semester is drawing to a close.  Before long, it will be behind me, and we'll be preparing to get The Princess and me back in school for the fall semester.

But until then, it's kind of crazy around here.  So...if I seem a bit scatterbrained, that's what I'm blaming.  It may not be the whole reason, but it's a good scapegoat.  ;)

Here's hopin' things settle down soon (yeah, right)!

The Evil Cable Company

Yesterday, our satellite dish was installed.  We had come to the decision that our overpriced cable needed replacing, especially since we were paying twenty dollars a month for just the local networks.  All of our other channels had been cut off, and it would have cost $78 each month to get what we wanted...and that's TV alone - not counting internet.

The Hubbs, The Princess, and I are all very happy with the return of our favorite channels (The Princess, especially, loves the Disney Channel...and she's warming up to Nick Jr. pretty quickly, too.). 

When I called the Evil Cable Company to cancel our TV service yesterday, I was told that our internet service would go up $15/month since we no longer had multiple services.  I huffed and puffed, hemmed and hawed, until she finally relented and told me that they had a very special deal (read: they don't tell anyone about it unless they get supremely pissed) she could offer me for one year, at only five dollars more than what we've previously been paying.  This "special" deal allows me to have high-speed internet for the low, low price of $49.95 a month for twelve months.  Ridiculous.

So I called our satellite provider back, and it seems they partner with AT&T to provide DSL service to their customers.  Full price is $39/mo, but since we're signed up with the satellite provider, it would be $29/mo for the first year. 

I don't think there's any question.  In my humble opinion, the Evil Cable Company can shove it.

Fences

Fence (from Merriam-Webster)
Pronunciation: \ˈfen(t)s\

Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English fens, short for defens defense
Date: 14th century

1 archaic : a means of protection : defense


2 a : a barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion or to mark a boundary; especially : such a barrier made of posts and wire or boards b : an immaterial barrier or boundary line

 

I tend to like the second definition a bit better than the first.  It not only mentions the root of "fence," which is "defense;" it also addresses the second, equally important, purpose: to prevent escape.

 

All my life, I've been building fences.  We all have.  I try to "mend" them when I've wronged the person on the other side, if that person means anything to me. 

 

Sometimes, there are so many fences in place, the lines become blurry.  Had I set up this particular fence to keep someone in, or to keep someone out?  What was the purpose?  After a while, it becomes difficult to remember. 

 

What if a fence I put in place for one purpose begins to keep other people out, people I hadn't intended to be affected by the new construction?  Or if a fence intended to keep someone in unintentionally opens a gap for someone or something else special to escape undetected?

 

Fences are a messy business, and I think it's time for some restructuring.  It won't be quick, and it won't be easy.  I'll go one board at a time, taking great care in the new layout.  I'm thinking the trick will be to install lots and lots of gates.

Here Comes the Sun

I awoke to the sound of pouring rain...something I've grown very accustomed to over the last week or so around here.  We've been getting pounded with heavy downpours, severe thunderstorms, tornado watches, tornado warnings, and flood warnings.  The plants really needed this soaking, and I'm happy to report that there was no major damage in our neighborhood...and that the lake is still playing nicely on the other side of the seawalls where it belongs.

This past Friday, I woke early...with purpose.  It was 7:30, and my alarm wasn't set to go off until 8:00.  My body, however, couldn't wait that long.  I showered and got dressed, did my makeup and fixed my hair, ate my cereal and slurped the leftover milk, all while listening to the incessant pounding of the rain outside.

Just after 9:00, I crept out the kitchen door into our (thank goodness) attached garage.  The Hubbs and The Princess were still asleep.  Before sliding into the driver's seat, I grabbed the umbrella from the trunk and set it on the passenger side floorboard.  This was not a day to be caught without it.

Backing out of the garage, the rain pummeled my little car.  I turned the radio up high to drown out the pounding of the rain and the swishing of the wiper blades.  Thirty seconds after pulling out of my driveway, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey came on the radio, followed by a couple more of my all-time favorites.  Within fifteen minutes, I pulled into a parking spot in front of the building where I would have my interview at 9:30.

The clouds parted, and the sun peeked out.  I left the umbrella in the car.

I've been to this place many times before, and I know it pretty well...the public areas, anyway.  I discreetly made my way to the ladies' room to make sure my hair and makeup were still behaving properly before consulting the receptionist for directions to the HR office.

I thought I'd be nervous.  I kept telling myself that the butterflies would come, but all of a sudden I was in the office, meeting my interviewer, and finding that I felt more comfortable than I really had any right to feel.

I'm not sure, but I think the interview went well.  When an entire interview is spent smiling, laughing, and acting like old friends...and it ends with a handshake and a "welcome," that's a good thing, right?

Nothing's official yet, but I have a feeling it will be soon.

One of Those

It was one of those nights.  Not because of The Princess, but because of the weather.

Just after The Hubbs had gone to bed, my folks called to tell us about a tornado warning (good thing, too, since we no longer get The Weather Channel here...and the TV wasn't even on).  The whole family trudged downstairs to the basement, where The Girls lounged on the bed, The Princess played with some beanie babies, and The Hubbs and I tried not to let our eyes slam shut.

The storm that triggered the warning was a pretty loud one...we heard lots and lots of thunder, even in our concrete barricade.  Though there was a huge line of them coming through, the warning was over after the first storm...leaving us with just a measly little tornado watch until 2:00 this morning.

We all headed off to bed, and as far as I can tell, The Princess wasn't jarred awake by any of the thunder-boomers all night.  I guess it helps that she didn't go to bed until about 11:30, huh?  She's still asleep right now, in fact.

I didn't fare so well.  I kept waking up to bright flashes of lightning and loud claps of thunder.  That wouldn't be so bad - I love thunderstorms - except today was one of those mornings where I actually had to be out of bed at a certain time.  No worries, though...I'm ready to go, and even had enough time to type this, so it looks like I'm golden.

Hopefully The Hubbs and The Princess can get a little more sleep this morning while our garden and lawn soak up this glorious rain. 

Wrong

"Typical" kids often have a hard time with funerals.  There are too many people who expect everyone to be quiet, and it's not the type of place where one would really run and play.  Add autism into the mix, and you could have a disaster on your hands.

Please note that I said "could," rather than "will."  I had been sure, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that yesterday was going to be a Code Red kind of day. 

Two and a half hours in the car to the funeral home, and The Princess was in a surprisingly good mood when we got there.  I never once even considered taking her into the room or making her sit through the memorial service, which - not surprisingly - turned out to be a good decisioin.  She strung beads in the large living-room-like lobby area, ran up and down the hall, dragged us outside for a walk to the small patch of grass, and did it all again and again and again.  We finally settled in the kitchen area, where The Princess assisted The Hubbs with drinking his coffee, dunking a straw in and slurping one drip at a time into her silly little face.  The kid has weird taste, I tell ya!

After the service let out, we made our way through the crush of people back to the car.  Nana directed us to the restaurant where the family would be meeting, and The Princess giggled in the back seat.  When we arrived at the restaurant, we found that it was a really nice place and that Uncle C had reserved a large party room for the family.  I've never seen so many people at a post-memorial-service lunch before, and it was pretty loud in there.  Kiddo went into minor overload a couple of times, but no full-fledged meltdowns.  She even used the potty a few times, making her momma mighty proud.  She ate mostaccioli, salad, fruit, and soup...and washed it all down with chocolate milk.  I didn't have to break into our emergency stash once - I can't remember the last time that happened.

Traffic on the way home was unbearable.  I think it was over three and a half hours before we finally made it home, and it could have been closer to four.  Just for the record, I am NOT a fan of rush hour around Chicago.  If I never had to deal with it again, it would be too soon.  The Princess, however, was for the most part unaffected.  She grumped a few times, but nothing ear-splitting.  About a half-hour from home, she nodded off in her car seat with Dirt Pink.  After a short power nap, she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by the time our tires came to rest in the garage.

The rest of the evening was spent happily running around the house, blowing off steam.  I don't recall one full-fledged meltdown, which is absolutely mind-boggling when I consider the fact that we were gone from home - with a good deal of time spent in a very large group of people - for nearly ten hours.

I had been so sure the day was going to be a disaster.  I love it when I'm wrong.

Goodbye

We'll miss you, Aunt Donna.

Anything

Sometimes I wish with all my heart that The Princess could talk.  Hell, even that she could indicate "yes" or "no."  I don't need the verbalization...just some kind of sign.  Hug for yes, whack upside the head for no...you know, something like that?

I get all wishy-washy about her progress.  Some days I can see it as plain as the nose on her face.  Others, it's not so apparent.

Plain: she will now step up on the stool, turn around, pull down her shorts and Pull-Up with minimal assistance, sit down, tinkle, and wait for Momma to wipe her bottom.  When that's done, she stands up and pulls up her Pull-Up and shorts - again with minimal assistance - before turning around to flush.  Most of these steps are forgotten at one time or another, but she's getting to the point where she can get back on track with a little verbal nudge from me.  That's right, I said verbal.  As in, I can tell her what to do next, and for the most part, she does it on her own.

Not so much: the seemingly random overloads.  She can be sitting in my lap, her stroller, wagon, car seat, happily playing or snuggling, when all of a sudden, everything is just too much for her.  She melts down, siren-cry in full force, hands over the ears, beet-red face with the stuck-out bottom lip in mid-scream.  The alligator tears come out of left field.  Nothing - I repeat: nothing - I do seems to do a damn bit of good.

Everyone tells me to be careful what I wish for, that once The Princess starts talking, it's all over.  I can see their point, but - and maybe I'm being selfish here - I honestly don't think it holds a candle to the possibility of actually being able to communicate with my kid.  All I want is for her to be able to tell me what hurts, what she can't handle, what she wants, what she needs.

Verbal, signing, vocalization assistance device, it doesn't matter.  Hell, I'll learn Swahili if that's the only way she can get things across to me.  My heart breaks just a little bit every time I realize there's nothing I can do to help her.  And I'd give anything to be able to change that.  Anything.

Change In Plans

Well, it turns out the folk festival wasn't so much a festival as, well, a concert.  We had expected other events and attractions: crafts, farmer's market, etc., but apparently we weren't thinking along the same lines as the festival planners.

An outdoor concert in ninety-five degree heat is not exactly what The Princess would classify as "fun."  During our lap around the square, it quickly became apparent that we needed to change our plans, and fast.

The whole family piled back in the car, The Princess's chariot (wagon) stored safely in the trunk, and headed over to another town with its very own McDonald's...one of the few in the area with a large, air-conditioned play area for kiddos. 

On the way, we took a small detour to my school so I could show The Hubbs and The Princess the pretty garden that is maintained by our horticulture students.  It's a good thing we did, too, since the play place was horrifically crowded to the point that there was absolutely no way The Princess was going to enjoy herself.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the garden:

She couldn't have been happier...we got to the gates and set her free.  Sundays are great; we had the whole place to ourselves.

The Princess really enjoyed exploring all of the islands...and the mulch didn't hurt, either.  ;)

Two seconds after this picture was taken, she fell butt-first into one of those planters of impatiens...oops!

My little angel.

My two favorite people: The Hubbs and The Princess.

Can you tell it was hot?  Her face is bright red!  But the lilies were pretty amazing.

Sometimes I think these spur-of-the-moment outings are the most fun.  I'm really bummed for The Hubbs that this festival wasn't all he had hoped for, but I love his ability to change plans when something doesn't fit for The Princess.  One of these days, he'll get to play with other folk musicians, if I have anything to say about it...but for now, I'm just thankful that he's the best Da in the whole wide world.

Y'all Come Back Now, Y'Hear?

Three years in a row, The Hubbs and I have heard about a folk festival one town over...only to find that we've missed it each and every time. 

This year, however, we managed to find the information in advance.  The festival is this coming Sunday, and The Hubbs will hopefully be playing banjo at the open mic session.  His folks will be driving up to join us and spend some time with The Princess, and we're all very excited. 

The town where the festival is held has a charming little cobblestone square and a bunch of fun little shops to bum around in.  The center of the square is where I played summer band concerts when I was a kid, and it's got a beautiful gazebo in the center of a massive courtyard.  This is the same place that holds craft fairs, farmer's markets, and the like...if you were to see the square itself in a video, I feel certain you'd recognize it; a pretty well-known movie was filmed here for the most part. 

I really hope the weather holds out; the meteorologist chick said last night that it will be 92 and rainy, but I'm holding out hope that she's wrong (as usual).  Regardless of the weather, it should be a good time...stay tumed next week for updates!

All Ours

Today is The Princess's last day of summer school.  She'll get on the bus just after seven and return home at lunch time, ours - all ours - until the regular school year starts back up.

I'm thinkin' trips to the beach, a little bit of horsie time, and lots of wagon rides.

Runnin' on Empty

A month.  That's how long I've had this stupid cough.  No matter what I do, it won't go away...and I'll be damned if I'm going to the doctor for it.  No insurance, plus the fact that it's only a cough and nothing else along with it, equals sooo not worth the exorbitant office visit and prescription fees.  Whatever they'd prescribe probably wouldn't work anyway.

So I shall continue hoping that it goes away on its own.  Don't get me wrong; it's getting better, just not as quickly as I happen to think it should.

I'm worrying a lot these days, what with the whole unemployment extension on hiatus until Congress can blah, blah, blah.  Every day, I'm looking for a job.  Every day, I diligently check everywhere I can think of for new opportunities.  Every day, I get this much more discouraged by the fact that I've now been out of work for eight months and have yet to receive an offer.  One interview...that's all I've had in these eight months.

Going to school at night is messing with me, too.  It's tough - okay, damn-near impossible - for me to pry myself out of bed when it's time to get The Princess on the bus in the morning.  Back to the cough: a large part of the reason why I have a difficult time getting to sleep at night.  On top of the fact that I don't get home until after The Princess has already gone to bed, that is.  I'm not one of those people who can come home and shut off; I need time to unwind.  Which means I'm not going to bed until the wee hours of the morning.

Something's gotta give.  I feel as though I'm running on fumes, and I just really want to get back to feeling like "me" again. 

Dear Allergies

Dear Allergies,

You are not welcome here.  Whatever point it is you're trying to make, all we're getting out of it is that you're mean-spirited.  I can't abide bullies in my house, so why don't you just go back to wherever it is that you came from?

Leave.  Us.  Alone.
~One Mom

One measly little mosquito did this to The Princess.  Bastards.

Uh-oh

Um...yeah.  So it's 1:06 on Monday morning, and I've been crocheting for the last few hours.  Somehow, I didn't realize how late it had gotten until after my second movie.  I'm having fun with my latest project, a birthday present for my precious little niece, who will be turning two next month.

Thank goodness for The Hubbs, who offered to get up with The Princess and get her on the bus in a few hours.  I'm not so sure I'll be able to pry my eyes open by then. 

One of these days, I'm going to have to trade in this insane teenager schedule and grow the hell up.  Just not today.

The Morning From Hell

It started with the buzzing of an alarm clock, something I haven't awoken to in weeks since I got this horrible cold with the cough that just won't go away.  Six o'clock in the morning, and I found myself suddenly wide awake.

Everyone else in the house was sleeping, including the dogs.

I tiptoed to the bathroom and started the shower, getting ready for my two-hour commute into The Big Bad City.  I didn't want to be nervous, but damn if I could help it.  Standing under the hot water far longer than normal, I went over and over what I planned to say at my interview.  The water felt so good, and the rehearsal became something of an obsession.

Stepping out of the shower, I heard The Hubbs exclaim in surprise - or was it anger?  disbelief? - in the kitchen.  Wrapped in my tangerine towel, I hobbled out of the steamy warmth to see what was going on.  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized The Princess was awake.

A lake on the kitchen floor.  Bubbles had apparently climbed out of bed while I was in the shower, and the poor pup couldn't hold it.  She got as close to outside as she could before peeing all over the floor.  This hasn't happened once since she was a puppy, and I felt terrible for not rousing The Girls and shooing them out the door before I hopped into the shower.

It.  Was.  Everywhere.  The poor Hubbs almost slipped in it, which - while funny as hell - would not have been a good thing.  It seeped under the refrigerator and seemed to be comprised of gallons.  That poor girl had to go.

At some point during the dog pee drama, The Hubbs had entered The Princess's room to get her ready for school...until he realized she had produced a truck-stop caliber poop, chunks of which were beginning to fall out her shorts even with the Pull-Up still on (thank goodness for small favors...at least it was solid!).

I tended to The Princess while The Hubbs moved the fridge and mopped up Lake Bubbles in the kitchen.  Looking back, it's hilarious, but at the time it was a little bit wild around here.  I was running around half-dressed, trying to help.  The Hubbs had just woken up, and was in his pre-coffee haze.  Sookie was scared to come near anyone, and Bubbles looked so profoundly sorry that I found myself fighting off sympathetic tears.  The Princess, though, seemed unfazed.  She happily munched her cereal bar while cuddling Dirt Pink in her favorite chair.

Fortunately, the rest of the day did not follow the precedents set by The Morning From Hell.  In fact, it turned out to be a pretty okay Thursday indeed.

Firsts

My very first tiger lily bloom, above, makes me so excited to see what the garden will look like when they're all open at once.  There's a line of these beautiful babies about thirty feet long, right down my fenceline, and this is their very first season here.  This particular plant is about as tall as I am, and has at least five more blooms getting ready to show their beautiful faces.

My first job interview in eight months is today.  I'll be commuting into the city to meet some bigwigs, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous.

My first midterm since starting college is tonight.  I've had tests in my other classes, but this is the first one with the midterm/final structure.  Yep, it's in Speech, so no biggie.  But a midterm is a midterm, right?

It's gonna be a big day, y'all. 

Thank You, Elmo

So, by now you are probably aware of the fact that I'm taking a speech class at school.  No, I don't have some masochistic urge to do this kind of thing; it's required.

On Thursday, I gave my second speech.  The assignment was to deliver a 5-7 minute informative speech - with visual aids - to the class.  I immediately knew what I wanted to do, but I wasn't so sure how it would turn out.

I practiced my speech on the four basic crochet stitches in front of The Hubbs a couple of times, barely making it long enough to fit the time constraints.  I had major problems with the hook and yarn I had intended upon using, so that had to be changed.  It felt as though we went through it until I was blue in the face.  But in the end, The Hubbs commented that he couldn't really see what I was doing.

What?!  He was ten feet away in my living foom.  How was I supposed to do this in front of a whole classroom and expect them to be able to see it if he couldn't?

The room where our class is held is a "smart" classroom, meaning that there's all sorts of technology hooked up in there.  On a whim, moments before my speech was to begin, I asked Ms. T. if I could use the ELMO machine.  For those of you who are not familiar, an ELMO is similar to an overhead projector with one major difference: it's an actual camera.  No transparencies.  Just put whatever you want to show under the lens, and voila!  It shows up on the projector screen at the front of the room.

For the next five minutes and fifty-three seconds, I proceeded to tell - and show - my entire class how to perform the four basic stitches.  I crocheted as I talked, my hands and work enlarged on the screen next to me as the speech went on.  I brought examples of my finished work, pointing out each of the stitches I had shown the class. 

Anal as I am about preparations, I had five completely filled notecards to guide me through the speech.  I had been worrying about the whole notecard deal...I mean, how was I supposed to crochet (two-handed process no matter how you look at it), talk, make eye contact, not look like I was going to throw up, AND look at notecards?  One of those things just had to go...turns out I didn't look at the notecards once.

And the best part?  I just got my grade last night: 50/50.  Ms. T. even wrote a nice little note at the bottom of her grade sheet saying it couldn't have been easy to demonstrate the stitches real-time with so much else going on, and that she thought I had done a great job.

All I have to say is thank goodness I thought to use the ELMO.

Hubbo Family Visit

It's not very often that we get to see JAK these days, since they moved out to Ohio.  This past weekend, we were lucky enough to spend a day with JAK, Nana and Grampy, and Great Grammie and Great Grampy.

The Princess had a ball.

Here she is taking a stroll through Nana's garden with Raffie.

Rocks are BIG fun.

Nana and Grampy had this really cool sprinkler thing.  Which.  She.  LOVED.

I'd have thought she'd be out there all day long.

Her cousin, K, wasn't too sure about it, though.

JAK!

K doin' the Toddler March to get as far away from the sprinkler as humanly possible.

The Princess just couldn't get enough.

There were little streams of water everywhere, but this one was particularly interesting.

Poor K.

I had thought we'd have to pry her away from the sprinkler, but she decided on her own that it was time to dry off. 

Shortly after The Princess climbed the stairs to the house, she and Raffie led The Hubbs and me to the car to make our way home.  It was great to see everyone, and I really think we must do this more often.

Small Town Good Times

The Princess, The Hubbs, and I live in a very small town.  The main road (if you want to call it that) is two doors away.  There are only two lanes, and the speed limit is 40.

We have perhaps ten businesses on our "main" drag: a grocery store, a gas station, an outdoor power (lawn mower, etc.) repair place, a little hair salon, and a handful of bars.  Oh, well, I guess I should count the funeral home, the firehouse, and the auto repair joint, too.  And the vet, the liquor store, and Subway (that's still fairly new...the only place like it in the whole town).  Okay, so maybe it's more than ten, but still...

Every year, this little town puts on a "parade."  I have to put it in quotes, because if you're not from someplace like this - our entire town has something like 1200 houses - you totally wouldn't classify it as one.  But we love our goofy small-town traditions.

Yesterday, The Princess's beloved Auntie T and her sister, C, joined us for the festivities.  The Princess only made it a few minutes before retreating to her room (can't say I blame her, with all the sirens, people, and general noise), but we stayed out there for the duration...watching from lawn chairs in our driveway.  At some point, I remembered that I had charged up the ol' camera battery in anticipation, so I ran inside to get it and snap a few shots.

Here we have the 4th of July Fairies (seriously?).  Yes, seriously.  On stilts.

It just ain't a good parade if y'all don't line up all of the emergency vehicles in town and blare the sirens...

How have I not noticed this truck around town?  Really, I think I'd remember this one...

I *love* that the farmers ride their tractors through town.  No, really...I think this is my (honestly) favorite part.

Themes and a big hullaballoo just ain't what we're about 'round here.  Give us a flatbed and some outdoor chairs, we'll supply the flags and wave at the kiddos.

There were decked out boats, horse trailers, farm equipment...this really is small-town entertainment at its best, y'all.

Another tractor..yaaaaaayyy!

Shoulda heard the pipes on this bad boy...loud as a pack of Harleys.

Auntie T's puppy, Tootsie, enjoyed the show in her own patriotic getup.

After the parade, we had a small barbecue in the back yard, followed by The Princess splooshing around in her kiddie pool for a while.  When that got old, we dragged out the sprinkler, which was big fun.

The Princess was in bed by five o'clock in the evening - completely checked out.  Hey, give her a break...it was a big day.

Unfortunately, the fireworks down by the lake scared her awake.  After about an hour or so laying down with Momma, she went back to her own bed while the neighbors blew off their own boomers.  Not only was it an eventful day; it has also been one of those nights that no one recovers from quickly.  Every hour or so, she's been startled awake yet again and needed some help calming down.

Here's hopin' she makes it through school today without too many problems.

A Message From The Princess

Happy Fourth of July!

This picture was taken in 2008, when The Princess was just over a year old...but it still kills me every time I see it.

Big Day

Whew, that was a busy one!

Yesterday, The Princess and her classmates celebrated the Fourth of July.  She got on the bus in the morning sporting her red, white, and blue dress (adorable!), after giving Momma a great big hug and smooch.  At school, she colored a beautiful ice cream cone picture, complete with stickers, and made this masterpiece:

I can only imagine the mess Miss A had to clean up with all of the glue and sequins, but I love the finished product.

While The Princess was on her way home, we got a surprise visit from her Auntie T, who we haven't seen in faaaar too long.  She brought her new puppy, Tootsie, along, and she is absolutely adorable.

The Princess came home while Auntie T was still here, so she got to show off her swing and how well Da can pull her in the wagon (a.k.a. The Royal Chariot).

In the afternoon, we dropped the kiddo off to spend some quality time with Grumma while The Hubbs and I saw Eclipse in the theater.  I am an absolute sucker for the "Twilight" series, having been an avid fan of the books, and I couldn't be happier with how the movie adaptations are turning out.  The special effects in this one, especially, are superb.  I must have read the books before the whole "Team Edward" versus "Team Jacob" debate came into play, because I don't remember any of that when I was going through the journey for the first time.  Or maybe I'm just that much older than most of the fans, and I just didn't hear about this until much later.  At any rate, I've always really liked both characters, but I have to say that after having watched all of the movies back-to-back this week, I'm definitely finding myself rooted firmly in LaPush with Jake.  There's something appealing to me about rooting for the underdog...and it certainly doesn't hurt that he's shirtless for just about the entire movie (wink, wink...nudge, nudge).

After picking up The Princess and spending a little bit of prep time at home between the movie and school, I headed off to make my speech.  I flubbed up a few minor things, but I got to use this really cool machine that projected my hands and the crochet work on the big screen at the front of the class.  That was pretty stinkin' neat.  And I didn't actually look at my notecards once the whole time...I guess it really does help to know your subject, eh?  Even if I did miss a couple carefully planned transitions (and, therefore, probably a few points), I think it went really well.  It certainly wasn't a disaster.

Thanks to everyone for your support leading up to my speech.  I hadn't thought I'd be as nervous as I was, and it mostly burned off in the introduction.  Once I got to crocheting in front of the class, I was much more relaxed.  And, though this might sound conceited, I never tire of people telling me how great I am.

Now it's time to gear up for the holiday weekend, which should be interesting...what with the small-town parade that will run two doors down from us, the ski show on Center Beach and the fireworks.  My guess is that by the end of the day on Sunday, all three of my gals (The Princess, Bubbles, and Sookie) will be cowering in fear from all of the loud noises.  Here's hoping they all make it through relatively unscathed.

Have a happy and safe holiday, everyone!

Wingin' It

Today will be the last day of the third week of summer school, for The Princess as well as myself.  She'll go in the morning for five hours, and I'll go in the evening for three.

I'll bet you a dollar she doesn't have to get up in front of her class and give a six-minute speech, though.

Not that I'm nervous, because, really, it's just speech class.  But it's our informative with visual aid speech, and I'm going to be talking and crocheting at the same time in front of a group of people while trying to get them to understand the four basic crochet stitches and how to do them.  On a pretty strict time limit.  We have a two-minute window, but I'm a little worried.

Oh, well.  No time like the present, right?  Guess I'll just wing it and hope my hands don't shake too badly.  =)