Entertainment on the Cheap

Millions of freaky orange-eyed cicadas plus one brand-new electric bug zapper equals hours of family entertainment.

Another Bargain

Look what I bought for a buck at a rummage sale this afternoon!

So, I don't have a child that size anymore. So what? My sister does.

Much Fun

Congratulations to Savannah, who graduated last weekend. And congratulations to her mama, who hosted a wonderful party, complete with A PHOTO BOOTH! What a great idea. You could get one too. And our pictures are (almost) family-friendly.

When I Grow Up

When I grow up, I'm going to be fifteen. My body will be in shape - there will be no effects from gravity. I will live on french fries, hot fudge sundaes and cheeseburgers without complication. I will read in the dark without glasses. I won't pay taxes, worry about political scandals or wonder what my teenage daughter is saying in her 2,000+ texts per month - nevermind to whom they are being sent. And best of all - I will be indestructable, omniscient and full of advice for my elders - who should just "get with it already!"

Fast Break

At halftime of the soccer game, Rachel's team was up six to zip. The coach decided to liven things up a bit by pulling Rachel out of the goalie cage and onto the field. Within minutes, Rachel was making a fast break toward the goal. She was soccer-dribbling like nobody's business when suddenly, as she briefly looked up to assess her distance from goal, she tripped and fell. It wasn't a cool "trip, roll, recover" kind of fall. It was more of a "trip, mis-kick, slip, thud, fetal position" maneuver.

Mike and I laughed our butts off! Her coach was heard to say, "And that's why she's our goalie!"

Could this be the reason our daughter isn't talking to us right now?

Hedbanz

It's a great game for both expressive and receptive language skills as well as working memory and problem-solving. Each person wears a headband with a picture card facing the other players. The player asks questions in order to obtain clues about what picture is on the card.

Yesterday (before I knew I had washed my ipod nano), I was enjoying just such a game, when the little girl asked about her picture card, "What group am I in?" I answered, "You are a condiment." She smiled and guessed, "ANTARCTICA!"

I laughed (Because that's what a good clinician does to help the confidence level of her students). Alas, the picture on the card was ketchup.

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!

I've asked nicely. I've begged. I've pleaded. I've even resorted to shouting to try to get my kids to check their pockets before putting clothing in the washing machine. Until yesterday, the biggest offender has been chapstick and chewing gum. Today, I'm humiliated to admit that I - and only I - was responsible for washing my ipod nano in the pocket of my workout hoodie.

Surprisingly, there are many, many hits when I google, "Help! I washed my ipod!"

Twaddle

I heard this word on a news program last night. I'm gonna try to use it tomorrow. (Not trivial or foolish speech, but the new vocab word itself!) I dare you to try.

twad·dle/ˈtwädl/
Noun: Trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense.
Verb: Talk or write in a trivial or foolish way

Soccer Goalie

That's my girl jumping to defend the goal! Fun Fact: No team has scored against her yet this year.

Bossypants

Very, very funny book, though I was shocked at the number of times the "f" word was used, while at the same time being impressed with the creative use of it.

Epic Fail

"Epic fail" are the words Rachel used to describe the solo I sang in worship this morning. I told her it was a free-form sort of prayer-like song without consistent tempo and with only minor amounts of piano accompaniment. Chris Rice, ya know? She was not to be persuaded. It was a difficult song to pull off, really.