Photo(s) of the day

"Daphne Rooter Weasley"

At the thought of another photo N fainted

Summertime and the Crime Porn is fine

Summer time and my brain turns to mush.   Not too many serious thought roll around my brain this time of year and laziness sort of creeps into my every day living.  My already lackadaisical attitude towards housework falls into almost a non-existence state. It does get fired up if company is coming.  (Although the definition of company gets looser in the summer, too.  Have you been to my house before, then you’re FAMILY, no need to clean for you!)  

There are new definitions of clean through out the house:

Kids Room: is there a path that you can safely get from your bed to the bathroom in the middle of the night?  Okay, you’re good

Living Room- Again clear path for walking.  Are the clean clothes at least folded and is there room for at least on adult or two kids to sit on the couch.

Kitchen/Bathroom- floors aren’t sticky and there’s nothing growing in any of the areas with water. 

The Yard - Can the lawn mower dudes run the mower without running over a barbie-pokemon-soccer ball-wagon? Cool.


My evenings consist of lounging around with the kids, the Olympics were an awesome excuse to watch more tv in two weeks then we normally allow in a month’s time.  Once the kids are tucked in I wave to Patrick as he heads out for a jog and surf the tv until I find some crime-porn to watch. (Patrick’s definition of all the serial crime shows I can’t seem to get enough of, even if I’ve seen it 6x already).   When Patrick gets back from his run I’ve probably shifted from a sitting position to a reclining position, using the pile of folded laundry as a pillow.  (You need clean underwear?  Check the dryer or the couch)

Now this isn’t too say we haven’t had a busy summer. Oh, lord no.  We’ve been camping, boating, walking, swimming, hoola-hooping and practicing for our own Olympics.  There’s been Puppet camp and Invention Camp.  There’s been bar-b-ques and many random evenings sipping wine with good friends. Summer reading, hikes and concerts in the parks.   Patrick finished Grad school, opened a play and is getting set to give the commencement speech at graduation in a couple of weeks.

There have been concerts by the kids featuring songs from “The Sound of Music” as well as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and original songs by N & L to round off the bill.   We’ve been treated to the kids penchant for turning every car ride into a rolling opera (my personal favorite includes a battling vocal duet about Skippy John Jones the Siamese kitten who thinks he’s a Chihuahua ).

Whew.. For a lazy summer it’s been a busy one.

Eventually my thoughts will turn to the end of the summer and the new school year. In about two week’s time I’ll get obsessed with the messy house again. That dresser in the kids room with the broken leg, yeah that’ll get replaced.  Those holy tennis shoes and to small rain-boots, time to replace those too.  (Who notices feet growing when you’re barefoot or in flip-flops all summer?).  Too small clothes will make way for things that fit and are appropriate for public viewing. (Don’t really care how they mix and match their outfits, but we do insist that underwear be worn under their clothes and also not on their head when headed of to school) 

There’s calenders to be filled with school events, dance classes, dentist appointments and theater rehearsals.  Patrick will begin looking for a library job in earnest and I’ll buckle down and get my stage mangers kit ready for another season.

But...before all that there’s still a birthday adventure at Oaks Park on the books and a secret trip to Enchanted Forest.  There’s more ice cream in the fridge and berries for pies.  There’s a pool party and traveling relatives to entertain. 

There’s also no shortage of crime porn for lazy hot summer nights, so if you’re in the neighborhood bring over that bottle of wine, pull up a corner of the couch and sink right in. The viewing is fine.

N interprets Edelweiss

N does his own take on Edelweiss.  

Sewing

Ms L informed me that she was going to make some clothing for her dolls, Barbie (c) and baby.   "I need some material."  Now, as a stage manager, I may have a basic sewing kit on hand, but material, not so much.  So, Ms. L called my sister Robbin and asked if she had any material.  I expected that Robbin would have some material and would offer to share it.  Low and behold not only did she have material but she came over and helped Ms L make a skirt/dress for her Barbies (c) Pinky-Purple Pie and Rapunzel.

Ms L did most of her own sewing, I was so impressed and in awe.  I am not a seamstress and certainly don't remember having the patience at 5 to sit quietly stitching.  I remember at the age of 10 or 12 fancying myself to be Laura Ingalls Wilder and I dressed in a long skirt and a bonnet and sat on a small stool doing cross stitch.  But,  that was a short lived phase and I enjoyed the dressing up and imaging Pa Ingalls was my father more then I ever enjoyed the sewing.  (And then there was that disastrous wrap skirt I made to earn my sewing badge in Girl Scouts).  I am so grateful to have sisters who are skilled in this department and willing to share their passion with Ms. L.

There were a few tangles, or "Spaghetti messes" as Ms L called them.  Robbin patiently helped her untangle them and Ms. kept on working.  I think that Ms. L expected to be able to make several outfits in one day.  She spent several minutes trying to figure out how to make a shirt for Rapunzel to wear with her skirt. "Should I make a t-shirt big enough to fit me or what?"   Luckily, she was distracted enough by life that she wandered away and Robbin was able to escape without having to freehand a shirt pattern, too!

Version one, it's a skirt!

Version two, it's a dress!

Ready for fun. (I made the purse)

Poor baby was distraught at not getting a new dress and well...

Do Re Mi

Think I can get her to do some Rolling Stones next?

The Desert and the Sand Tornado

 Ms L was in her first play last night.  It was called "The Desert and the Sand Tornado"  it was a collaborative effort by all the students in her class. 

The Plot was simple and yet the characters were rich with life.  It revolved around  a train full of animals traveling to Montana (!?!).  In the middle of the trip l, who was a kitty, was sucked out of the train by a terrible sand tornado!  She was trapped for awhile in the sand.  The other animals were scared but the baby wolf and the princess went out of the train to save her.  Soon all the other animals came out too, and Marian the fairy used her magic to stop the tornado.  They all got back on the train and made it safely to Montana where they lived happily ever after.







L had the first line of the play and the last line of the play, "I was tired of spinning in that tornado" (She delivered it as if out of breath and very tired...Oscar worthy!) 

The teacher told Patrick that they had no idea what L had in mind when she came up with the sand tornado.  But they day she pitched it, not only did she describe it but she spun all over the room to demonstrate what she meant.  Wizard of Oz inspired?  Maybe, but I'm betting it's more likely it was inspired by, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

It was a great evening.  The kids clearly had a blast doing the show.  L had a smile on her face most of the time. At the end they sang 6 songs.  Sallie, the teacher, said that they wanted to sing several more. Apparently this is a very "sing-y" class.   

It was wonderful to see how proud L was of the experience.  And N, who didn't even want to go see the play "I'm used to seeing plays in a real theater", was so proud of her that he gave her an impromptu hug even before mom or dad could get to her.  That was pretty terrific too!

















The set:.

 Sometimes our walk in the mornings is full of whining or nagging (depending upon the party speaking)  And then some times magic like this happens.  I present to you a song written by  on this morning's walk:

To the tune of “There was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Spider”

by N

There was an old woman who swallowed a spy
I don’t know why she swallowed a spy
She wouldn’t say why.

There was an old woman who swallowed a gator
I’m surprised it didn’t jump up and ate her

She swallowed the gator to swallow the spy
I don’t know why she swallowed the spy
She wouldn’t say way.

There was an old woman who swallowed a t-rex
he wouldn’t pee like all the rest

She swallowed the t-rex to swallow the gator
She swallowed the gator to swallow the spy
I don’t know why she swallowed the spy
She wouldn’t say why

There was an old woman who swallowed a giganotosaurus
And now in his tummy there is a singing chorus

She swallowed the giganotosaurus to swallow the t-rex
She swallowed the t-rex to swallow the gator
She swallowed the gator to swallow the spy
I don’t know why she swallowed the spy
She wouldn’t say why

There was an old lady who began to burp
And then out came a dinosaur shirt.