New Assistant

My new assistant started this week. I like her. She's picking up on everything really quickly and she's nice, too. Best of all, now I can actually stay home if I'm sick, knowing the library won't have to close!

Breakfast

Coffee and Tylonol: the breakfast of someone who woke up with a migraine. Praying it goes away. 

Water Heater Saga, Part 13

Nate contacted the company that made the water heater booster and they sent us a new one which arrived on Saturday. Sunday morning he and a neighbor spent over an hour swapping them out. It seems to be working fine.  And now we wait...

Stinky

The stereotype that teenage boys are stinky is true. When they're younger, they always smell sweaty. But by 17 that stink is replaced by copious amounts of body spray and cologne. It is the better of the two, but I'm looking forward to the day when Danny realizes less is more. 

Too Cloudy

Feeling really bummed that it's too cloudy to see the lunar eclipse. 

Goose Egg

Korra was running up the neighbor's brick steps, fell forward, and knocked her forehead into the edge of the step. She's got a huge purple knot that makes me thankful for her bangs. Poor baby.

Muffins

I made these blueberry muffins this morning http://altonbrown.com/blueberry-muffins-recipe/. They were really good though the recipe made a lot more than it said (a dozen plus 2 small loaves!)

Friday Night

Ordered pizza and picked up a Red Box rental. Oh yes, it's Friday. 

Post-Dinner Conversation

Korra (while coloring a picture): this octopus is dead

Me: that makes me sad

Korra: I know, but that's just the way I am

Nate: where does she get this stuff?

Korra: I get it from my heart

To Do List

Today's To Do list looks pretty awesome...

• print tiny mustaches
• take pictures of art club's shaving cream art
• choose dates for the next book club meeting
• see exactly how much my post-tax raise is

Obligations

English classes began again this week at the library.  I was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, so I was kicking myself for voluntering to teach once a week. But last night I spent an hour reading a children's book (and laughing) with a man named Jorge and it was good. It's strange how so many of the things I really enjoy can feel like obligations sometimes.

Family TV Time

Taught Danny to make popcorn on the stove and now we're all watching Survivor together. 

Water Heater Saga

Nate bought a tankless hot water heater booster through Kickstarter ($250). It finally came in almost a year after promised. We called a plumber to install it and they said we had to get an electrician to install a new circuit breaker first ($200).  Then we called the plumber back and they installed the unit ($200). It didn't work so we called the plumber back and he said it was because we needed to get the electrician to come back to finish the electrical installation ($75). It worked... for 2 days. Now it's not working again so the electrician is coming out again tomorrow... 

(Another) Day in Court

Danny's at immigration court in Atlanta this morning.  Neither Nate or I could go with him, so a friend/neighbor/church member is with him.  He's in good hands and the hearing is supposed to be very quick and uneventful (though I'll still be happier when he's home and it's over).  

Overscheduled

On the day my assistant is in the clinic with her nurse's aide duties, I have eight 8th grade classes for the library, four 7th grade classes for the computer lab that's in the library, AND 6th grade book club at lunch.  I might have overscheduled myself today.

Fantasy League

Just picked my team for our Survivor fantasy league!  I'm actually looking forward to making time for a tv show where we don't have access to the entire season all at once. 

A Dozen Cookies

Apparently Danny really liked the cookies I made yesterday, too. He ate more than a dozen of them before he even came home from school. 

Everything Cookies

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/hyacinths_everything_cookies/

I made these cookies today and they are spectacular. Halved the recipe and used homemade granola and craisins (no apricots or pecans) and added a little cinnamon. Yum!

Singing in the Park

I didn't realize Aldi opens an hour later on Sundays (until we pulled into the parking lot) so Korra and I went to the park for a bit. All the equipment way wet so we sat on a bench swing and sang along to the Sound of Music soundtrack. Moments like that make me feel like bursting with happiness. 

Good Saturday

Slept in, walked to the pharmacy, hung laundry on the line, played on the swing set with Korra, went out to dinner with friends (where I ate the most delicious sandwich of my life), and go to see some live entertainment. 

Interviews

My principal invited me to help conduct 4 interviews for my part-time assistant position this morning.  It was nice to be included in the decision making process and to get to know him better.

Coffee Coozie

Made this for my coffee cup. 

Swing set!

PopPop came to build Korra her birthday present!

Librarian's Dilemma

I have a manga book that has missing page (torn out).  I order a new copy and decide to copy the missing page to repair the first book.  That's when I realize the missing page has a risque illustration.  I don't have a problem putting the new copy out on the shelf, but I DO have a problem photocopying a busty, nearly nude illustration (it just feels icky).  I also have a problem NOT copying it because I'd be tossing an otherwise perfectly good book OR participating in censorship by only copying one side of the page.  What's a middle school librarian to do?

Historical Fiction

Got on a bit of a (mostly WWII) historical fiction kick.  Read some really good ones.

The Nightingale

The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street

All the Light We Cannot See

Code Name Verity

Rocket Ship

Korra ate lunch in her "rocket ship" today.

 

Refrigerator Drawings

Danny joined the art club at school. I love that he puts the drawings he is most proud of on the fridge. 

Correct Form

3 weeks at Montessori has taught Korra something I never managed to learn...

Check out that impressive pencil grip!

Story Time

Porch Night

Had a girls' porch night. Wine, cookies, and stories shared with 6 ladies from our street. Great way to begin the weekend. 

3 Year Check-Up

Took a half day so I can bring Korra to her 3 year check-up. At 24.8 pounds she's in the 2nd percentile in height and weight- up from the 1st last year!  Passed her vision test with flying colors (enjoy that 20/20 vision while you can, baby!) and dazzled Dr Lisa and her interns with her personality and vocabulary. 

Bra Burning

I've begun to really hate wearing a bra.  I'm feeling ultra-feminist- wanting to overthrow the patriarchy and such- all because of a little piece of underwear.

Bossy Butt

Korra is very bossy with her imaginative play lately. She tells Nate and me who we have to be and what we have to say. When I just argued against this form of play she said, "you have to do what I say. I'm the boss of the world."

Bodily Fluids

Today Nate dealt with a vomiting child and an exploding poopy diaper. Neither was our child. Rough day at Daddy Daycare. 

Book Repairs

Project for this school year: fix the books.  Bought $500 in glue, tape, label covers, corner protectors, etc.  Repairing 20+ books every day.  There's something so immediately satisfying in repairing a book.  

Labor Day Weekend

I doesn't matter that Korra's birthday didn't fall on Labor Day weekend this year, I think I'll always spend the holiday weekend remembering going into labor, holding her for the first time, and coming home from the hospital. 

Family Visit

My parents, brothers and sister-in-law are here for (at least part of) the weekend!

DragonCon Parade

Went to the parade this morning. Korra loved it.

Treat (for me)

Going to bed early after a bath. 

Treat

Ladies' Night

6 women from my street all got together for dinner tonight to celebrate a birthday. I cannot express how blessed I am to have such good friends all live within a block.

Wedding Ring

I was standing on a step stool putting stuff away in the top of Korra's closet. I slipped off the stool and as I did, my wedding ring caught on part of the shelf. This is what my ring looks like now

I was barely able to get it off my finger and ouch does that finger hurt!

Pot Pie

Tonight I made a really delicious version of chicken pot pie. No pie crust, just the chicken and vegetables topped with the Res Lobster-style cheddar biscuits. Yum!

More Celebrating

After Chick-Fil-A for dinner (at Korra's request), the "party" began. 8 kids, 2 babies, 9 adults, a cake and half a gallon of ice cream on the picnic table in the back yard (after cake the kids played tag and drank water out of the hose). Everyone had a great time, especially me, since it involved so little cleaning and planning!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Korra!

Montessori Celebration

So thankful Nate and a neighbor friend were able to be at Korra's Montessori Birthday Celebration today!

5 am

3 years ago I woke up at 5am because my water broke. This morning I woke up 5 am to go on a 2 mile run.