Tales of a Shoebox Princess

I took Matt and Hayley with me to volunteer at a 5K/half marathon race this morning. Paul ran in the 5K and Matt, Hayley and I were course marshals--we cheered the runners mostly. I think we were also sort of making sure no one took a short cut through the parking lot. Here are Hayley and Matt, manning our post. See our lime green volunteer T-shirts? We had a treat before the race started--we saw a fox! He trotted (fox trot!) down the sidewalk and across the street. He checks to make sure no cars are coming--we must always be safe! The half marathon started first and I saw a friend of mine in that race. I cheered her on. Matt and Hayley were sort of embarrassed to cheer at first but soon got into it when they realized that the runners really liked the encouragement. I got a high-five from one runner, and lots of thank-you-for-volunteering!s (NO APOSTROPHE NEEDED) from the runners. Then we saw the runners start for the 5K and Matt kept pestering me, saying "What if Paul win...

Oh yes, I have dreams of a fabulous summer, in spite of not going on any sort of family vacation. I dream that I will be able to sit out on the deck in my chaise longue (YES that's how it is spelled. Well, one way. The way I spelled it in a Modern American Usage class and the professor thought it was wrong, BUT IT WASN'T. FACE!) with a cheesy sci-fi book and a refreshing glass of ice cold Tang, with the wind playing gently (not gustily or lustily) and warmly (but not to hotly) across my modestly unclad legs (shins). No child would dare disturb my peace for at least an hour. The children in the house behind us would play inside all day. I wouldn't have to babysit. No cars would drive past, revving engines and speeding through the stop sign. The bugs would all be on vacation in Iowa or Wisconsin. The fragrant smell of petunias from the hanging baskets would perfume the air and sweet peace would wrap me in a blanket of bliss! Right. No, it is beyond any child's abi...

I finished my Creative Writing assignment and I have turned it in! On to joust with poetry. Poetry looks a lot beefier and more muscular when up against it in a college class with a time limit breathing down my neck. I hope it doesn't kick my sorry procrastinating butt.

1. I'm up, I'm up! 2. But I haven't had breakfast. I can hear Matt eating cereal and it's making me hungry. 3. Servo is freaking out. He does this for about 10 minutes every morning. 4. It's fun to watch. He thinks he has something on his back. 5. Geez, there's a lot of laundry to fold. Whine. 6. My main goal this week is to submit another Creative Writing assignment by the weekend. I'm getting close. Blogging will be rather less than more until then. 7. And it really should be that way until I get this class done. I've taken WAY too long with it. 8. Poetry is next. 9. I don't get poetry. 10. Unless the poem in question is a) a limerick, b) penned by Dr. Seuss, or c) about flowers. Have a happy Wednesday! Tomorrow, I've got another picture of my miniature garden--I've added a bench, a watering can, and some little mushrooms.

Memorial Day. I have no thoughtful post about honoring those who fought for our country. I should, but I don't. I'll just be grateful all day long for the men and women who have lost their lives defending and serving our country. I spent the morning in a fruitless attempt to find Paul among several dozen other marching banders. All the band parents were playing "Where's Waldo?" and mostly failing. Unless they were the parent of either a flag twirler (no hats so you can easily pick out your child's face) or the parent of the drum major (been there. :) ) and you have the benefit of looking for the one person in the whole band who doesn't look like everyone else. Even knowing that Paul was one of only three French Horn players didn't help. And I always pick the wrong side of the street to stand on--the French Horns were on the north side of the band and I was waiting with my camera on the south side of the street. I did catch up to him eventually...

This a post about Paul. It is a long post and it has lots of pictures. This is a post about Paul in his last track meet of the year. It's the JV conference meet. He ran varsity all his other meets, but for conference, the varsity team needed only four distance runners and he was #5. Paul didn't seem to mind. I didn't either. This is Paul with his JV track friends. They like to hang out together in the middle of the field. This is Paul and the other milers approaching the starting line. Can they all find their places? This is Paul achieving lift off. Paul, this is a running race, not a flying race! Get back on the ground! The boys start to run! Run, boys, run! See them run. They are running fast. This is Paul passing up two of his teammates. Go, team, go! Paul is all by himself. Poor Paul. Is he lonely? Run fast, Paul! Paul ran. Paul ran fast. He came in first. Hooray for Paul! Here is Paul as he crosses the finish line. This is Paul as he waits for the t...

Hayley and I made a mini garden. It's very bare and has only three plants in it but since this is our first attempt, I'd say we did just fine. We lack miniature accessories, like a bench and some mushrooms and a watering can, but that lack will soon be unlacked. Next year, I think I need a bigger bowl. Perhaps a birdbath would work.

Van with no name: Now fine. Didn't cost us a cent. It was the part that we thought was not working (or rather it was the part that we thought was not working's twin. There are two. One was replaced a year ago. Now the other one was fixed. We didn't know there were two. And fortunately the twin was under warranty too.) I was not in fact losing my mind when I brought the car in THE FIRST TIME TWO WEEKS AGO. They said they couldn't find anything. They didn't hook it up to the diagnostic computer. They just took 5 minute joy ride in my van. I saw them. I was waiting for Jimmy to pick me up. The joy rider CAME BACK before Jimmy even GOT there. ANYWAY. Sergei the Serger: no word. I hope he's OK. I miss him. In his absence, I used my other serger to hem cloth napkins. Yes, I have another serger, but it's only a 3-cone serger so I reserve him strictly for napkin hemming. Yes, I realize that I have too many sergers, when there are people out there ...

I know it's not summer yet, technically, but darnit if yesterday wasn't an early taste of one thing that I don't like: heat. The temperature got up to 97 degrees, fully 25 degrees hotter than the upper level of my comfort zone. Bleagh. To add to my woes, my serger, Sergei, make a loud metallic clunk and passed out yesterday afternoon, just as a sewing fit came over me. So instead of sewing up some pants for my sister-in-law and some shorts for Hayley (who had to wear jeans in 90+ degree weather), I had to load Mr. Sergei into his stretcher and cart the ailing machine off to the sewing machine doctor in the crippling heat. THEN, my van, who has no name (like the horse in the America song), decided to go into LIMP mode while on my way to the sewing machine doctor. Usually I can pull over somewhere, stop the car, turn it off, wait a few seconds, turn it back on, and it'll work fine. But not yesterday afternoon. I stopped and started it three times and it would not dr...

So you all remember that Paul is a little league umpire, right? He has two games this evening and I suggested that since it's a teensy bit warm here today, he should take a water bottle. He just got a new one from his orthodontist (braces in July). He asked where the water bottle was and I told him it was on the coat rack in the entry way. He stood there for several minutes, whining that he couldn't find it. Finally Jim had to point it out to him, sitting as it was only inches from his nose. Paul is perfectly suited to be an umpire.

Sleep ran off to be with someone else tonight. I heard an owl though. First time I've ever heard an owl. Actually I heard two. One nearly scared me because it was so close to the open bedroom window. My eyes are burning from lack of sleep and from staring at the computer screen. I'm going to try to catch up with sleep and hope it wants to be friends again. I don't know what I did to scare it away. Sleep, please forgive me! Come back! I'll try to make my head stop spinning if that's what scared you away! I'll try to stop obsessing about things over which I have no control! Just come back!

These socks are done. And they are FABULOUS! The picture makes them look stripy, but they aren't so much in real life except in one place where the yarn must have broken and the manufacturer just cut out a piece and wove the two ends together. But they still look FABULOUS! Katie gets them. Her tootsies get cold at night, says she. Kate, when you get these, take a picture of them on your feet and post it. Otherwise, I will reclaim them when I come out to visit.

Miniature garden, something like this picture . I have some miniature plants to make one and I have a bowl and some little rocks. I want to get a little tiny bench to put in it too. Knitting another felted purse . But first I have to finish Katie's shrug (same pattern as Hayley's). And I have sock yarn to knit up too. And then the monthly dishcloths... Clean my sewing room. I never really finished unpacking it after the Great Room Switch. I should really sew something for Hayley too. And I still have to finish my Creative Writing class. The poetry unit is coming up, and I just want to warn you that I might subject you to some pretty bad poetry efforts. So stay tuned (or stay away).

(Sing to the tune of the nursery rhyme "Little Boy Blue") Big ol' boy blue, Come call out "Play ball!" The pitchers and fielders Are awaiting your call. Where is that boy who calls "foul" or "fair?" He's still in the car, He's combing his hair. Heehee! This has been another installment of bad poetry coming to you courtesy of the bad poetess, Shoebox Princess, to mark the occasion of Paul's first stint as a paid umpire for the local Little League. Paul, of course, was not late. He didn't waste time primping before the game, as the poem implied. He got there early so he didn't have to rush. He spent several minutes at home trying to decide which shorts to wear, finally settling on one that had belt loops so he could wear a belt to hold up his little blue pocket thingie that holds his pen, game card, and a couple extra baseballs. I only watched for a few minutes--fake child wanted to play at the park and I figured I didn...

I think I have just added two years to Hayley's age. The Yesterday Hayley: The Today Hayley, complete with new haircut: My little girl is no more. My big girl has moved in and replaced her. Hayley has been bugging me for a haircut for ages and I've been too busy to fit her in. But yesterday I promised her that today would be the day. And I kept my promise. I hacked and hacked. Wads of hair fell to the floor. I cut off more hair than is probably left on her head. And as I cut, I saw shades of Katie. Hayley has a bit of her sister in her. Her hair might not be as thick or wavy or as dark, but her head shape is similar. Hayley loves her new haircut and has been playing with it all evening. She normally just sticks the odd ponytail holder in a random spot on her head but tonight, she was trying out new looks. She said it feels good to have less hair on her head too. She swished her head back and forth for the camera. (Yes it's blurry. It's SUPPOSED to be blurry...

I might have to try this . It's just too weird to not try it. I'll bet my kids would eat it. Would yours? Would you?

Another Mother's Day has come and gone. To celebrate Mother's Day, I told each of my children that live in the same house why I'm glad that I have them as a child. I'll have to tell the other child, the one who doesn't live here, in a letter or a text message or something. I am glad to have each one of them. Because of Katie, I learned how to be a mom. She was the paver of the way for me. Good thing she helped out the process by being a child who didn't seem to mind coming to me with problems rather than hiding them and pretending all was well. I know she hid some things from me, but for the most part, she asked lots of questions and reported the good and the bad. She still does. Because of Jimmy, I have learned patience and consistency. I learned not to give in as much as perhaps I could have. I also learned that despite my wish that parenting would be easy, it wasn't going to be so and I would just have to suck it up and deal with it. I also lear...

'Nother track meet for Paul. He ran the 2 mile today and got his personal best: 10:58. He finally got below 11 minutes! That was his goal for the race today and he made it! His other goal for track is to get below 5 minutes in the mile. He's come close--Thursday he ran it in 5:03. I wasn't able to be there, but Jim went and he is the one who took the pictures. Paul and a teammate: Paul behind a guy who wants to know what time it is. (I thought this was an amusing picture) Jim took several pictures of Paul running, but one time, he was a little late on the button-pushing. I cropped the picture down to as much of Paul as Jim got in the shot: Yep, that's Paul's leg. I was at my mom's house for piano lessons. While I was there, I dug a hole in her yard and threw my Mother's Day present for her into the hole. Then I half buried it. That's right, I got her a bush. A Hetz Midget Arborvitae. I didn't take a picture because Jim had the camera for t...

Yesterday was the first time I'd cruised the streets looking for garage sales in a long time--many years. I haven't done it for a while because babysitting gets in the way. Either I've had a fake child those Thursdays when the garage sales sprout up like mushrooms in the grass after a long rain, or I've been busy doing things I couldn't do with a fake child in tow. But the current fake child is now four and as long as I don't go saling for the whole morning, she's a trooper. It also helped that at the first sale we stopped at there was a white flower girl-type dress with floaty tulle for a skirt that was priced a hefty $1. And it was just her size. So now she has a "bride dress" for dress-up. She was very excited and she squealed all the way back to the car. My original intention to sail the streets of surrounding neighborhoods was to find kitchenware for Katie. She has mentioned a need and since she works a full time job and a part time job,...

1. I love taking walks in spring! The windows in the musty attic of my lungs get flung open and a swift breeze carries out all the stale air! The only downside is that spring eventually turns to summer and the air gets stifling and oppressive. 2. Tulips greeted me everywhere. 3. I saw a bunny. I like bunnies, especially when they are not in my yard. 4. Skullcandy earbuds actually stay in my ear. And they deliver better sound. I halved the volume on iFlossie compared to when I used the earbuds that came with her. 5. I could name drop, but I will refrain. 6. Perspective is such a fickle thing. I used to get a little up in arms about unmowed lawns. Why don't you mow? I would ask the air around the long grass of neighboring yards. Now I see a potential opportunity for Paul to cash in. He needs to make some lawn-mowing flyers and pass them out. 7. It's fun trying to decipher the hot pink lines of paint on the roadway. I know some road work is in the works for this area, and ...

1. It's a smidge chilly in the basement. Ah, a window is open. Do I exert myself to shut it? Ehhhhh, I can't reach it. 2. Hayley has after-school art today. She loves herself some art. I wonder what she'll make today? 3. Paul has a track meet, but they will only run the top three, so he's going as an alternate. I want to go watch him be an alternate, but I have to pick up Hayley and I have to fake-child-sit. 4. My muscles are sore from exercising yesterday. I love this kind of sore. Stretching my triceps feels especially good. 5. I know this is drivel. 6. But I write everyday (nearly). 7. You don't have to read it if you don't want to. I won't mind if my viewership is zero. I just write drivel to write drivel. 8. Matt is getting taller. He still has a far way to go to catch up to others his age, but at least he is growing. 9. I watched Stranger than Fiction again last night. I just love the ending where Karen Eiffel narrates the bit about the li...

Pea plants have sprouted and started to poke up through the dirt! My garden is activated!

Subtitled: Jimmy wears a tux for the second time. Jimmy and Jim: Jimmy's date is Annabell. They go to different high schools (they are going to her school's prom) but they know each other from church. Yes, they are "going out." By the way, I'm not going to comment much. I just wanted to post pictures. I think Jimmy and Annabell both look very cute. Do I need to say more? Anything else would probably sound indulgent. Let it suffice that I think my son has grown up well and from what I see, he is a good kid. Annabell is a good kid too and she's a sweet girl. One more comment: Here are Jimmy and Nick. Nick is a friend from church too. So is his date, Megan. All good kids.