Good Lord, they've bottled it...

(For those of you getting out the magnifying glass to read the bottle, that's "momspit")
Oh the horror...

I'm gonna need valium and earplugs...

...to make it through the next few years. I was fool enough to allow Things 1 and 2 to host a Halloween party here last night. Upwards of twenty shrieking teenagers went stomping, running, screaming and spewing drama all over my house and yard. Oy. I think we can dump that one in with "what was I thinking" as well. We discovered that "Poltergeist" has held up well over the years as far as being scream-worthy. The kids were relatively well-behaved, with a couple notable exceptions, but they were loud and rowdy, and went through chips and cheap pizza like oxygen. The Things have done a fair to middlin' job of cleaning up after themselves, and were also quite good about tolerating younger brothers and sisters ( a couple friends had to bring theirs, and that forced the issue, I think). I still think I can justify a nap today, though.

***

Ever lose a kid in your own house? I just hate that feeling of panic. A couple times when Thing 1 was little I went flying through the house in a frantic frenzy (yay for alliteration!) only to finally find (can't stop!) her snuggled down between her mattress and the wall or otherwise safely cocooned somewhere. When we first moved to this house, I woke one morning and Thing 3, three years old at the time, was MIA. The doors were all secure, so I was a bit less panicky, but it was a new-to-us house with undiscovered nooks and crannies that I dreaded seeking out. I found her relatively quickly, snuggled into a box of blankets and towels that had yet to be unpacked. Yesterday, I had much the same experience with Thing 4. The doors were secure, but he was nowhere to be found. I was a bit flummoxed as I kept rechecking rooms because I could think of nowhere new to search. Thing 3 had a nicely folded, perfectly square blanket on the end of her bed (we won't mention the condition of the floor...) Thing 4 had snuggled himself perfectly under that blanket. Eventually he stretched and his little feet came poking out to give him away. I breathed a sigh of relief and went about my morning routine. I made some tea and checked my morning email, to read that a friend's grandson had been approached in town (pop. 5600, 2 hours from metro anywhere) by a man who tried to lure him into the car, and there were two other reports, including one in which the man actually walked up to a mother and attempted to wrestle her 1 year-old child from her arms. I'm really glad I read that AFTER I had my kid safely at the table with his breakfast.
With that happy news, I leave you all to your day, and I'm off to seek some fall sunshine, or nap.

In training...

I suppose I'd better work up to once a day gradually. I wouldn't want to strain anything. I joined a couple of NaBloPoMo groups for writing prompts and other hints. You teeming masses out there reading could post some questions in the comments and I'd answer them, such as "What were you thinking?" (Answer: I wasn't. Duh.)
In true Minnesota fashion, I'll talk about the weather. After our two weeks of rain, we've had a week of cool sunshine. So, as we travel the back roads, we see fields of dry cornstalks, fields of something really short and bright green (sugar beets? I thought they were all out...), trees with leaves that are bright red, yellow, faded out, or gone. The grass in the ditches is bright green and looks like April. Weird. Fun for the eyes, tho'.
Got one test back with a B. Cool. Nothing too difficult there, but sometimes a little hard to verbalize in a test question. For example, give me a couple of sentences to sum up Emerson's concept of "Man Thinking." Go! I apparently did OK, because I got full credit on that one.
Thing 4 has reached a stage where he watches TV actively. He talks back, sings along, and dances with the music. When he plays a video game, he jumps and runs in place with the game. We won't have that sedentary kid syndrome here. Makes me tired just watching him.
Well, I'd better knock off before I wear out. Gotta go cool down...

NaBloPoMo

I'm doin' it. (No-one said the posts couldn't be lame.)

They're gonna put me in the movies...

Friday we went to the opening weekend of Arnold's Park. It was great fun and we got some good screen time. The kids had a blast spotting themselves and their friends. I was a bit dismayed that the old adage about the camera adding ten pounds seems to be about 40 pounds shy. I'd almost forgotten my hair was that long two years ago. The movie is a PG-13 murder mystery. No gore, no cussing, some adult situations. Great teen flick. So, here's a shameless plug. Check the theater list on their website and go check out the cute family the photographer is working with.

Now we're onto something...

Got my papers back from last week, and doing the happy dance. So all this learning is good for me, it makes me well-rounded and knowlegeable in my field, but its the little marks in the gradebook that go on the ol' transcript. Also, it's good to have some sort of benchmark to measure the time I sit in class. Had two midterms today, too, so hopefully they'll turn out as well and life will be good.
On other fronts, in Minnesota we've had measurable precip for 16 of the last 18 days, and I'm beginning to forget what the sky looks like! Not looking forward to driving home in the yuck.
I had to drop Thing 1 off at her job at McDonald's on the way to school, so at the suggestion of Bossy, I tried a cinnamelt. Pretty good. They have a great texture. I work at a place renowned for its baked goods, however, and for a dime more I can get a carmel roll roughly the size of my head there, and homemade and yummy to boot. Cinnamelts stay on the back burner, I'm afraid.
Now it's time to rattle off that last test, then hop in the car and shift to "home" mode. The good news is: no work today!

Yuck

So I head to the 5th (Extreme Quiet) floor of the library to work and a class has a meeting room with full window walls booked and they are watching Fast Food Nation. Great flick, major distraction, and I won't need lunch today...

Still feelin' corny

Did I say something yesterday about it all evening out? I like how the wall streeters have their panties in a bunch while those familiar with the ag industry seem to say, "Duh, what did you expect?" I would still like to see the locals grow more people food instead of cow and pig food, and fuel, but it's all about baby steps. Along with all the ethanol plants sprouting up in this area, there is a plant about 30 miles away burning turkey manure for power. We have a major turkey processor with a plant locally and several plants in Willmar, so there are many turkey farms in the area. Hopefully they will smell better, and my power bill will go down. The turkey poo plant is in the same town as a vodka-producing plant. Farmers will always find something to make a market for the crops!
Off to Job 1, have a great day!

Land of a Thousand Distractions

Sing with me: Naaa, nana na naa, nana na naa nana naa nana naaa, nana na naaaaaaaa...
Enough of that. Finally got a couple of papers to write, and now I'm finding EVERYTHING else on the internet much more interesting. I was actually reading sonnets like a good girl, but got much more interested in the Wiki biographies of the poets than the actual poetry. That one I can actually count as useful information for the ol' English teacher repetoire. Not so much the Evil*Empire online shopping.
I have a new Job #2. Another bar and grill, but this one isn't open past 10 on weeknights or 11 on the weekends. It's food and booze only, no dance floor or entertainment, or anywhere to put it, really, so I can help clean up and close and still be back in bed on old lady time. Woot. Christmas is comin' and the propane tank needs fillin'. Those corn burners aren't quite as attractive this year, what's corn now, $15, $20/bushel? Go farmers. Here in Minnesota a record amount of corm was planted this year, so it should all balance out eventually. Then maybe we can go back to feeding the people with the crops. Radical, man.
I'm out of dog food, and too lazy to go get any until I have to go to town anyway, so I made the dogs oatmeal. Don't laugh until you go read the ingredients on the side of a dog food bag. Anyway, I just tossed some oatmeal into some water on the stovetop, and snapped it on medium while I went to rotate the laundry and do a couple other chores. I came back and it was perfect, better than if I'd actually tried to cook it nice for the kids. Next time I try to make oatmeal for the kids, it'll turn out runny or lumpy or something. Phooey.
Break time's over. Now to choose whether to write about sonnets or the influence of Franklinian thinking on modern society. I think it's ol' Ben up to bat.

Parcel Post

Lately it seems like Thing 1 can't remember a blessed thing she needs to get through the day. I am becoming well-acquainted with the office staff at her school. So today, once again, the phone rang. This time: ice cream for TA treats. TA is like homeroom, and the kids take turns bringing treats on Wednesdays. So I rearranged my schedule, loaded Thing 4 into his car seat, ran some errands and dropped off her treats. I was feeling mightily persecuted, and coming up with a snappy quip for the secretaries, but when I got inside, the counter was lined with snacks from all the other parents who got called in a panic this morning. Looks like I was in good company, today anyway.

No news is no news

Not much happenin' around casa del goose. We work, eat, sleep, get up, repeat. Classes are going fine, although we have yet to take a test or write a paper in any of the literature classes, and it drives me a wee bit crazy not to have something to measure progress. Even if it is only regurgitating facts, it gives me some small sense of accomplishment.
Got to take myself shopping for an hour without kids, then go have a Birthday beer with my mother-in-law. She rocks. And she loads the birthday cards!
The big news locally is that our community now houses Evil*Empire Stupid Center. Acres and acres of stuff I don't need, but will probably buy anyway. It was kind of nice to wander about sans rugrats and look at things besides toys or groceries.
I've been wandering the internet filling out scholarship applications and writing contrived, insincere essays in hopes of garnering some free money to pay for that last semester of class coming up. I've been thisclose to finished for sooo long, and I just want to be DONE. Then I'll start subbing for $95/day to pay off the verschlugende loans! Yep, the glamorous world of education...what was I thinking again?

It's talk like a pirate day!

AAAArrrrrrgh!

Random randomness revisited...

One from the "C" file:
Me: "I like you!"
Thing 4: "I like burping!"
***

My friend Kathy reminded me thet Michel (where are you, Chica?) tagged me a few weeks back with this thingy that I put off until later, which is now. Without further ado...

10 Random Things About Me.

(No guarantees, may include repeats, my memory sucks.)


1. I have double-jointed thumbs.

2. My siblings are 18 and 16 years older than me.

3. We occasionally drag our family out to work as movie extras (and we live nowhere near Hollywood.)

4. I believe my retirement plans include an RV.

5. I have an awesome job working for people I really like (it just doesn't pay much...)

6. I really enjoy being back at college...

7. ...except for the days when I feel really outdated, old, and out of place (usually a day when someone mistakes me for faculty)

8. I will probably pay off my mortgage before my student loans.

9. I love to read for pleasure, and I hardly ever do.

10. I can't decide if I would love to be a SAHM, or if it would drive me insane.


With that, I'm off to class.
10.

Overheard...

...on campus today:

"Why is it always so hot in this city? It's just gay!"

Before we go all wierd with the nudge nudge, wink wink, they were cleary discussing the weather. But with a profoundly underdeveloped vocabulary. Since when does heat=gay? Since when does anything other than tra-la-la, either happy or lifestyle-wise, equate to "gay?" I'd prefer a "This sucks!" ala Butthead over "It's just gay!" any time. You're in college, people. Learn to use your words.

Now I will climb down from the lofty height of my soapbox and ramble on to something else.

I had a severe new pencil moment in class today. All freshly sharpened and ready to go, and me with nothing to write. We weren't in note-taking ode. I had to doodle just to work off the edge of the creative drive. Dang.

Studying poetry always makes me feel inadequate. Attempts I've made at poetry always feel to me like they come out contrived, like I've tried to force what may have been a perfectly good idea into an uncomfortable girdle of language. I fancy myself an essayist, although you'd never tell it from the drivel posted here. I do kind of get a kick out of haiku. The very brevity of it makes you choose your words very carefully. You can make it silly or serious, depending on your mood.
Haiku is a lark
I could get addicted quick
Don't get me started

Back to School

I could do a mini-post on how many times I had to retype "school" to get it spelled right, but I'll leave that to the imagination.
Last week, I went back to school. Again. Argh. It took me WAYYYY too long to find the mommy/student balance, so I had some incomplete classes that rolled into retakes because I did not get the work done. Only me to blame, lesson learned, makes me a better student, yada yada, but it still sucks. The bright side is that I get to take two of these classes with a great old prof who reminds me of a cross between Santa Claus and an undepressed Hemmingway. He absolutely loves his subject matter, and he's highly entertaining.

We spent two of our long weekend days with G'ma. G'pa was gone fishing, so she had far too much peace and quiet on her hands, and we had just the cure for her. We had two extra kids in tow, children of iPastors's BFF.


The bulk of us went to Lifelight. The kids enjoyed the waterpark while dad and I cruised the bands. I especially enjoyed Derek Webb, who I "found" this winter through myspace, as he gave away a bunch of free downloads of his music. Quite cool and folksy. Liked that a lot.









iPastor seemed to be enjoying him as well.











Everyone came out to see Barlow Girl. Even Alex had heard of them in Germany, so a good time was had by all. It was a hot The girls returned to the waterpark and iPastor and I relaxed and listened to (and iPastor critiqued) a couple more speakers and bands.
It was a typical summer day, but a great breeze kept it from being as stiflingly nasty as earlier in the month.




Some people still worked too hard, though.

Man plans, God laughs...

It seems our whole summer has been about cancelled trips and postponed plans. Visits to see new and old friends were called off, camping trips deferred due to illness, and class reunions called off by last minute work emergencies. Our plans for this weekend's trip to grandma's house and the nearby Lifelight festival changed nearly hourly this week, hampered by work schedules and generally cranky kids. It's all good, however. Car #1 left in time to see Jars of Clay last night, and Car #2 headed straight for Grandma's house when Thing 1 finally was set free of McDonald's. Things 2 and 4 are planning a day with G'ma, and the rest of us are fueling up to avoid the overpriced festival vendors, then we are off for a day of music, sun, and waterpark! What am I doing still sitting here?

The Great Minnesota Get-together

After last year's trip to the fair, I watched the weather channel with a careful eye, and we decided not to rush off to Saint Paul until later in the day. For once, the decision panned out, and we got to the fair just as the rain stopped and enjoyed a relatively dry evening. Thing 4 performed and had a blast. Uncle Don and Aunt Vicky even made it to the fair to watch. It seemed a bit odd not to spend all day roaming the fairgrounds, but we were all a bit less irritable than normal. Alex was too tired and sore from volleyball practice to really enjoy the fair. At home she plays volleyball for a couple hours once a week. Here, she dove into 4 hours of practice 5 days a week. Ow.

I can think of nothing worthwhile to blog about. Sad.

Our new little bundle of joy...

I love exchange students. They come already potty trained and with their own spending money. We fetched Alex from the airport Wednesday nite, and headed for a day at Maul of America and the Park formerly known as Camp Snoopy. For your info, the past couple times we have laid down hard-earned money to go to the park, we have done a birthday package. The price is better, and the 5 hour time limit on the wristband is plenty if you plan for a good day. Middle of the week meant short lines. You also get some free game tokens and a cupcake. They were pronounced good, although apparently loaded with food coloring.


Hey! Scroll Wayyyyyy down and sign my guestbook. I saw that widget at Holtieshouse and had to go get my own!

More shameless kid promotion

Things 2, 3 and I performed at our home fair talent show Monday, all placing in the money, but only Thing 3 winning a trip to state (again) Hard to lose when you're the only kid in your category, but I think she did better this year than last, so go figure. I found myself with a camera but no batteries, so I stole some from g'ma, then had no media card, so couldn't take video. Bummer.
Not to be outdone, Thing 1 joined us the tonite for the Karoake contest (less pressure?) and won. Thing 2 also performed and did an awesome job, but I forgot the camera in the car. I placed in the money, so we have a little spending jingly for the trip to the Maul ofAmerica (named coined by Daynoter John, all credit where it's due) I retrieved the camera in time for Thing 1 to sing, so I got her loaded on youtube. I tried for better quality, but the file was too big. Oh well...

So a week has come and gone again. I've been on a purge. We've taken bags to the thrift store, cleaned closets and drawers, and I haven't wanted to stop for fear I'll bog down!

Thursday we hit a nearby talent show. For once I will play the irate stage mommy and assert that my kids were robbed. The sound man was hopeless, as was his system. The CDs we'd played in the car on the ride over would not work in his machine. Later they got a different player, but not until both my kids had to sing different sons or arrangements that threw them off. Thing 2 chose to go with the same song, but the other CD had background vocals, which are a DQ for state fair competitions. Thing 3 did a song from last year, so she missed some words. Oh well, they sang for grandma and had a blast. By the time they got through my bracket, the system was squeaking and humming something fierce. It kicked out one guy's cd halfway through his song and stopped dead on another gal's. My CD worked fine, just hit the middle o' the pack, I guess.
So finally, I got video. These were taken on the still cam, and seemed OK when I put them into iMovie, but the compression seems to have taken it's toll. The still cam couldn't seem to do some of the songs in one clip, so they're pieced together. Ya get what ya get. If I wanted to take the time and effort to pull out iPastor's big dog video software, I'd get better quality, but spend a lot more time. So, here ya go...