Today Emily told James:

"no, bob the builder is for girls. You go in the kitchen and make some food for me."

So I guess this 'traditional' arrangement we have isn't screwing with our feminism now is it?

storms out here

if you are using the ossuary server, it's going up and down with the power.

hey goreygalx Happy Birthday!

There are a few folks I met on GA that I'm still damn glad to have met.

Have a LOT Of fun!!!

jesus
That skirt I was worried would sell for $50 on ebay (which would be about $25 too much?) It went for $115 about (that's just scary) and it's already paid for!

This concerns me.

From John Stewart last night (I watched after the recap on CNN of the Rove press conference so it was doubly funny)

After hammering McClellan with Rove questions one after another after another cut to John Stewart---

"This just in, the white house press corps has been replaced with REAL REPORTERS."


I almost fell off my seat.

If the shrubbery doesn't fire Rove after this (or have him killed, I'm actually thinking he might turn up dead from a heart attack) well, I can't say I'll be shocked, by either developement. Yes I do think they have that few moral
compunctions.

Because for this administration, lying, changing the rules and being just plain evil is SOP.

a few reasons I am now generally a happy person. The Bean chose this outfit herself. She decided it was "now dancing time."










Went to the swimming pool at Langendorf park. It was great fun. The first time I do anything I'm scared. It is my nature and always has been. But since I know this I can remind myself of that fact and just plow on ahead. I have also discovered I can say "excuse me, but this is our first time doing X, how do we go about this," and smile and I get lots of help. This is how I've managed to do a number of things throughout my life I was told I couldn't do (like drive at all or pass any college math) or was scared to do (I hate new situations with strangers, but there's a lot of that in life--you should have seen my first visit to a....oops, that's rated X). Hee.

Em really REALLY loves the water and the water slide though not the "naughty polar bear he spit on you."
ahem. It's a serious amount of joy doing these things with her.

I do not like my bathing suit. I've lost some weight in some areas so the shirt is baggier than I like (yes, shirt--It's an australian rash suit, I burn like a mofo and have been getting bad rashes for the last few years when I get out in the sun, I'm a delicate damn flower, what can I say.)but my thighs are still from the planet of the big thighed people and may always be. This I do not like. I've also managed to post a number of outgrown bean items on ebay and some clothes that are too big for me or that I'm just not likely t wear. Hopefully this will put me a bit closer to a new laptop or kitty skirts.

Have a look if you are so inclined. I haven't listed the cordelia april cornell dress or JJill top yet pending interest (from the last post). Ebay hasn't put them all up yet, but they'll be there soon.
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZlefresne

What a wonderful weekend.
We had lots of reading, thunderstorms and staying in pjs. We decided to forego most of the independance day festivities for various reasons, chief among them being how not very rah rah James and I feel about our country as it continues on it's sad path of lies and destruction. Hopefully next year the president will have been impeached and the war in Iraq will be over and perhaps with the focus turned back to the economy and health care we can again feel good about celebrating.

There was a lot of rain on the 4th too, so several of our local activities got rained out. But we indulged in gooey foods and lots of sea monkey parties and books so it was great.

On Saturday we went to the most amazing party I've been to, well since our wedding. Seriously--'An evening at Hogwarts" complete with robes (we were all sorted into our different houses by the sorting hat) amazing food, fireworks, champagne punch and many many birthday wishes for miss pink_grrl. When she walked in the door, oakangel had us all holding sparklers stading behind a fog machine's fog. wearing our robes (gfyffindor for me, Hufflepuff for James). There were tiki torches all up and around the patio and a serious 30 minutes of fireworks after a large and varied dinner. The food was all tasty (and happily I could eat all of it). Pinky got lots of hilarious and great presents and her birthday cake was this sculpture of large cupcakes all with a pink P in the middle. They were tasty and we got to take home some extras (the Bean says "thank you miss oaky, mmmmcupcakes." ) . I got to talk with mimazu and meet her nice boyo (wearing a KILT, oh yeah) and eunice_branca (who, btw was also wearing a utilikilt which made me think of toddftm , thingieand mattblakk (and miss 'em). We met minx and her boyo as well as Pinky's husband and several other folk. It was so incredibly relaxed I still can't believe it.
And we were home by 11 and then watched Bell, Book and Candle." James had converstations and has a tentative setup to go gaming and everyone enjoyed meeting him. And the cool thing was he FINALLY enjoyed himself at a party.

Oaky seriously has a future in event planning if she can handle the stress. That was so ornate and everything worked out so perfectly we were amazed and lo it was incredible.

It was just neat and we both feel good about taking time for ourselves every so often. Makes us like each other again, not just love each other. The Bean was pleased to play with Miss Vogna who commented on how she 'puts herself to bed, and likes her books." it was once again easy and this time no tears at all.

Here are some pictures. And Hogwartians--I'll have the rest up in a directory on Martinitime.org tomorrow. I need to take more pictures next time, I just got caught up in the action.







And there will be more things with these nice folk this summer--some involving children even. They are so easy about kids :-)

AND there were a couple of hidden bonuses from Jam's work that just showed up which is quite a wonderful thing. It's a bit weird when things go this well isn't it.




And I just heard..>Congratulations to thistles on the birth of their niblet. YAY!! It's so exciting!

what a huge day.
The broker open house was today. And some buyers stopped in to see the place as well. from 9-2.
We've been working like mad the last couple of days. Touch up painting, deep cleaning. James is re doing the back porch. if we don't end up selling this summer/fall our place will be even more fabulous to live in this year.

I spent Em's summer camp time (9-12) in the LIBRARY. Luxuriating in (mostly) quiet and lots of book. God that smell. I love to stand in the middle of a bunch of shelves and just close my eyes and inhale. I feel like I'm taking in particles of wisdom as I do.
So much to read. In fact I read a throwaway book in my time there and checked out five others.

After summer camp, Em and I went to

THE LAKE ZURICH BIG LICKING PLAYGROUND and LAKE.

In all caps because that is how she says it.

We swam and splashed and built sand castles and got a bit sunburned. We had a picnic too. It was supurb, even if I misread the shower signs and got us dressed in the men's bathroom. Ahem.

Just was concentrating on her and not where I was going again. I think I'm liable to do a lot of assheaded things as her mom, but I find I care a lot less than I used to.

Could somebody tell me when 17 year old boys and girls started looking like THAT? There was a bit too much Abercrombie and Fitchness going on. I felt a little like a dirty old woman. The lizard part of my brain went "oo" the rest of it went "GOOD GOD NO!"
Unsettling. And really they should pull their trunks up a bit, there were pubes.

But damn if they weren't polite and nice--all the teenagers were. And sweet with Emily. Even played with her a bit. It's really cool.

I was the whitest, fish belly white person there. Em is prety pale too. You can see the irish in us for sure and true.

That child is fearless, she wanted to swim right away and told me to teach her. She was trying valiantly too. While other kids her age clutched at their mom's legs, she stomped right in and squealed. My fierce fishy girl.

It was not easy to get her to leave however. One of her (now few thank god) tantrums. Now I can talk to her though so they don't last as long. She can communicate what she's feeling too so she doesn't melt down like she used to.

Then we took a nap and watched part of Dr. Doolittle. Her train plays that song and I realized I hadn't seen it since I was a kid. That's a weird movie, not at all like I remember. I had him talking to a lot more cats than he did.
And less with the smoochy stuff, just talking cats mainly. And Anthony Newley scared me, he still kind of does.

James was playing with Em at one point and made snacking noises about the top of her head. Emily squealed "NO don't eat my brains!" A teenage boy almost fell over.

James took her to the park after work and then she told him he needed a bath. So he put on his swimming trunks and they took a bath.

Tonite as she was having her before bed snuggle in my lap, she said "I had a big fabulous day. It was fabulous mommy." Heh.

yeah it was. Sometimes it hits me how wonderful it is to be a part of this family.

I'm now going to watch the rest of Dr. Doolittle, maybe have a beer and read a lot.

Congratulations eunice_branca You are a homeowner now!

Enjoy your move and settling in. w00t!