Have I mentioned that I have the frickin' Taj Mahal of utility rooms? As I mentioned my new dryer was delivered on Friday. To get the thing in and connected, we had to take out the washer and also the utility sink. Once the room was emptied...I started thinking that this would be an ideal time to paint. I mean really, once everything was put back, I suspect it would be another 15 years before everything was out again. So I had a spare can of khaki green paint laying around. I had bought it when we were re'doing my parent's kitchen. I slapped that paint on the walls and I LOVE it! All I want to do is stand in my tiny utility room and stare.
In other news, we've been dodging raindrops today in anticipation of Isaac. Woke up this morning and it seemed to be coming right at us. We broke into action filling up our cars and putting up and/or closing our shutters. We also went over the closed the shutters at my dad's house. The plan is for us to go over there tomorrow, and probably sleep there. He has a nasty habit of wanting to go out in the hurricane to "fix" things. We'll be over there to help keep that from happening. Luckily, he has cable and not satellite, so we will have TV all storm long.
So, we're hoping for the best. T had the age-old hurricane prep dinner of ice cream. Gotta eat it all up before it melts. We'll be taking some vanilla over to my dads, along with some jamaican rum. I'm thinking I'll be partaking of a spiked milk shake. Haven't had one of those since my days in G'ville and the Chelsea street pub.
Stay dry everyone!
How in the world did I forget to post about the first day of school??? T decided to wear her skirt, a new addition to the uniform. Luckily, its actually a skort which is a good thing for modesty's sake.
T has taken to doing cartwheels...in all places all the time. She will be walking here or there, doesn't really matter where, and break into a few cartwheels. The skort means that her plaid bottoms don't end up around her ears.
T is very happy with her teacher, and the students in her class.
In other news, my dryer died. I can't complain. My dad bought the thing 15 years ago from the jewish thrift store. It was about 10 to 15 years old then. Paid about 50 bucks for it. It didn't work. 50 bucks later and a new belt, and the thing has been working great for the last 15 years...until the other day. It was a maytag! So, today I went out to
Se@ars and bought a new one. Kenmore Elite. Very new fangled. I also got one of those pedastal drawers to raise the thing about 15 inches, which is HUGE for anyone with a bad back. The thing gets delivered tomorrow. I'm very interested to see if this one, which cost SUBSTANTIALLY more money than 120 bucks, will last 25 to 30 years. I'm hoping for 8 :(
Here's T in her new classroom. We were there bright and early, so there weren't too many kids in class. Typical with that age, the boys and girls were sitting separately by their own choice. Too bad that doesn't last through jr high.
Not much to report, other than I've caught olympic fever, and I'm dragging ass all day b/c I've been up all damned night watching the games.
We're going to start some serious sleep training next week in anticipation for school starting. We've gotten very lazy over the summer staying up late and sleeping in. Oh how its going to hurt getting her to school by 8 a.m.
Oh my word....I just learned that the modern dance portion is not modern dance at all.....IT'S BATON!!!!
Now I'm going to have to stress over whether she'll drop the thing or not.
How do these Olympic moms do it???
Well, T's end of year camp show is Friday nite. I received a list of what she is to wear. There are apparently FOUR segments to this year's show, each with a different costume.
First, there is modeling. They are instructed to wear anything representative of any country, preferably their country of origin or descent. We dove into the basket of chinese clothes I had purchased while in china, and came out with a gorgeous chinese silk dress in a turquoise color.
Next, is modern dance. The girls are to wear shorts, tshirt and black close-toed shoes. Preferably in neon colors. Seriously? Neon colors?? Clearly, the camp counselors didn't live through the first neon craze of circa 1984. I vowed never to purchase anything neon again. Yet...there I was a target on my lunch hour, scouring the kids department for neon. Much to my surpise, there it was. Neon pink shorts, with neon orange patent belt, with a neon green cute cropped T. I must say, a skinny little 7 yr old looks soooo much cuter in neon than a pudgy college girl.
Third, is the flamenco. Close readers of this blog may recall that my little chinese gringa girl stole the show and was named the "Spanish Rose" for her flamenco skills at the age of 5. The girls are to wear a black tank top, leggings of any color, and a coin belt. I got T black leggings and had no idea what a coin belt was. Its a scarf that wraps around the hips, with lots of coins hanging off it. Belly dancers wear it. So does Shakira. I plugged "coin belt" into the amazon search engine and there it was for less than 10 bucks. SCORE!!!! T chose pink. It was delivered the next day.
Lastly, there is cheerleading. T won the prize for the best cheerleader last year. I doubt she will win again this year, as she is in a show with the older girls, aged 7 - 13. The costume is her camp tshirt and shorts.
So, there you are. T is so excited she can't stand it. I must admit so am I. I'll try and get video. Only problem is, its hard to watch the show when filming.
Well, on saturday my friend Marie ( a junior GS leader) and I (the new Brownie GS leader) spent the day getting first aid and cpr certified. It was literally an ALL DAY EVENT. Quite the intensive course with lots of information. I'm good for 3 years. After all I learned, I feel like I could open a MASH unit in my back yard, and have been humming Suicide is Painless for the past 2 days.
For those of you who are annoyingly YOUNG, that was the name of the theme song from MASH, which was a hugely popular show in the 70's and 80's. With the completion of this class, I am almost a fully-certified leader. All that's left to learn is camp training.
I'm dreading it.
And when they say camp training, they mean camp training. I will literally have to camp overnight at Camp Mahatchee. That's the girl scout camp down on old cutler road, known for its scorpions and rustic camping atmosphere. I.e. no cabins or a/c. While I enjoyed the camp at the age of 10, something tells me it will leave alot to be desired at 46. That's scheduled in the beginning of October.
And yes, I'll be pitching tents, learning to build camp fires, learn to cook on a camp fire, a bunson burner and a BBQ, and learn other camping skills. Since I can barely cook on an electric stove, this should prove to be interesting.
Can't we just have domino's deliver?
T's camp is going on a field trip tomorrow to Marlins Stadium, to see a game. This will be the first professional sports game T has ever seen. She put in a special request for a bb hat. So, off I went today in search thereof...
...And what a cute bb hat I found! Is this cute, or what??
T is VERY excited. Apparently, tomorrow is camp day at the park. I've heard from parents all over Dade and Broward counties, that their kid will be there, too.
T has already requested to wear her jean skirt w sequin hearts on it, and her hair in a pony tail, that can stick out the hole in the back of the hat. She's been busy all night playing BB on the Wii game.
Batter Up!
That's what I've been asking myself all evening. I suspect I'll be asking in a week or so, "Where the hell did the summer go?"
I'm happy to report that we are pretty much ready for the new school year...which starts on 8/20. T's uniforms have been purchased. We have new shoes and sneakers. We just scored some snazzy looking school supplies at t@rget. Lots of pink, purple and turquoise folders, notebooks, pencil holders.
And...I've just ordered her new rolling backpack and lunch box. T chose a purple paisley print from potterybarn Teen. (apparently no more pottery barn kid for us...boo hoo!) I was particularly thrilled with her selection, as I'm certain this will hide the dirt much better than her previous ones did.
We're set for the 2nd grade!!!!
Now, we just need to work on T's penmenship when writing "u"'s . You'll see fairly quickly why I say that, when you see the picture (that I'm about to post) from a card she drew and pinned up on the 5 Guys billboard. Oy.
Can't tell you how much T is lovin' camp. She's dancing. She's cheering. She's doing routines with the baton. And she's going on field trips. At least once a week they are off to the movies. Then, there is usually some type of other event during the week, in addition to the general reacreational things.
Today she went to the venetian pool with the camp. She had a ball. She was planning for it all week. Had to get a new target swim suit for the occasion. She was insisting on a bikini..which I ban her from wearing to camp. Call me old fashioned, but I'm sorry. No kid needs to be running around the school yard and sliding down slides in a bikini. Oh, how my youth is coming back to haunt me. Of course, I was having these fights w my mom when I was 10. T is just 7. So, we compromised with a tankini. That's a bikini, but the top has extra material that covers the stomach/torso area.
Of course, as with any field trip, the camp insists that the children wear their camp tshirt. T wore hers too. But over her swim cover up, which was over her swim suit. She packed flip flops in her back pack to change into when they went to the pool at 1:00 p.m. I just know as soon as I dropped her off, she changed her shoes. Seriously...is this kid in second grade or 12th grade? Sigh.
On the agenda for the month of july.... a pirate ship cruise, a marlins game, lots more movies, and a camp olympics.
Why don't they have camp for adults?
A marvelous plan was made in the stars,
to create a miracle across the ocean so far....
Then entwine and weave all the hopes and labor,
it would take to bring us this joy called "Taylor"....
Now three lives are blessed and somewhere in the stars,
the planners are smiling, as we all are.
-Anon.
Have I mentioned that I have the frickin' Taj Mahal of utility rooms? As I mentioned my new dryer was delivered on Friday. To get the thing in and connected, we had to take out the washer and also the utility sink. Once the room was emptied...I started thinking that this would be an ideal time to paint. I mean really, once everything was put back, I suspect it would be another 15 years before everything was out again. So I had a spare can of khaki green paint laying around. I had bought it when we were re'doing my parent's kitchen. I slapped that paint on the walls and I LOVE it! All I want to do is stand in my tiny utility room and stare.
