Olympic Scrapbooking

A few weekends ago I went to a 10-hour crop at my sister's church in Plymouth. I got there 2 hours into the crop and stayed til they closed up shop... so, 8 hours of "work." Well, you'd think I could get a get alot done in 8 hours. And typically I'd be embarrassed to say I didn't get so much as a spread done, but that's exactly what happened. How can that be?

Let me start by saying that this crop was planned in wreckless disregard of the Olympics. And I was rather enjoying the games anytime I was at home and could turn on the TV. Some may say I was addicted. So, when I got to the church with Kristina, my sister's sister-in-law (who was also an avid Olympics watcher), we both ranted that we had to find a TV to move into the scrapboooking area. This was going to be a historical evening. We wanted to see Michael Phelps win his 8th gold. We searched for a TV that we could move, but the fellowship hall where we were working was in the basement and no TV was getting reception... regardless of the great lengths taken to hoist TVs from Sunday school classrooms from 2 floors above (without an elevator).

Eventually, Kristina (who simply wasn't going to miss Phelps) called her parents who brought a 4-inch portable black and white TV. It worked! We plugged it in on the floor and crowded around it as we ate dinner. We had our TV... albeit the smallest, saddest TV I'd ever seen. After dinner, we kept it on and listened for any sign from the announcers that swimming was about to start. Here was our plan: As soon as we hear the cue, we'll run upstairs to watch on the "good" color TV that's bolted to a rickety cart that we couldn't move. And that's what we did. For Phelps' historic 8th gold winning moment, I sat on the floor fixed to the TV with 4 women behind me, each sitting on a small Sunday school table.

As the winner was announced, we all whooped and cheered. THAT was a good swim! But, as I turned around to catch the other women's reactions, I realized something had happened. I couldn't even figure out what I was looking at. Kristina was frantic, with big eyes and flailing arms. No one knew what was going on. The legs of the table she was sitting on were breaking. She seemed to fall backwards in slow motion as we all watched. Kristina, who's usually very talkative, couldn't say a word. One scrapbooker put her arm behind Kristina. What a sight! Kristina's legs dangling over the front of a broken table as she got closer and closer to the floor. I jumped up and used both arms from the front to pull her off. Whew! Although quite shaken up, she escaped injury. The table hadn't, but Kristina had.

Needless to say, between all the events of the evening and my goal to get titles and embellishments on previously done pages, I didn't get a single spread done from start to finish that night. Of course I was embarrassed! 8 hours... and what did I have to show for my time?

Since then, I've been needing to finish a Christmas spread that I started of DT and his 2 Kansas cousins setting out cookies for Santa. It'll be cute when it's finished.

So that's my plan. This morning I'm going to a co-teacher's townhouse in Mishawaka to scrapbook. She's been planning it for quite a while. A full Labor Day weekend crop from Friday to Monday. I know I'm not ambitious enough to handle the whole weekend, but let's see how I do for the day.

Still don't know about school pictures...

Wish I knew, but I don't.

After my last post, I tried to put in my on-line order to LifeTouch for DT's school pictures. He had just had them taken that day. And we didn't send an order form with him (secret compartment in DT's bookbag--never got the form).

So, I'm supposed to be able to order on-line. But, what's this? I need a code? What code? How can I bypass "the code" and order pictures? Is it this complicated? Am I going to be able to order pictures now, after the fact?

Since I couldn't figure out this "easy on-line ordering process", I clicked the "contact us" button and emailed LifeTouch. I explained my situation, my questions, and stated my intent to purchase a portrait package for DT. I quickly got a computer-generated confirmation noting that my email was received and would be responded to within 48 hours. At this very point in time, they have exactly 6 hours left.

Missed the boat on school picture day

Last night DT said today would be picture day at school. It WAS on the school calendar. And at parent-teacher orientation before the start of school, I saw some forms at the tiny desks in his classroom. There wasn't one at DT's seat, and I overheard his teacher answer another kindergarten mom's question about it. She said the forms that were out that night were only for the preschoolers who share the same room. So I didn't ask the same question... and forgot about til last night when DT winged his statement of truth at us.

So, what does a parent do in this situation? No picture day form... and it's picture day. I know I need to fill out a form, right?, I thought.

Well, most parents would ask the school in the morning for a form, fill it out, and let the pros do their job. But this morning as I passed the school in hopes of doing just that, I saw an empty parking lot and continued on to DT's morning babysitter. The whole reason for the morning babysitter is because the school isn't open yet when Ben and I have to leave for work. So, it makes sense that no one would be there.

But it's picture day and I don't have the form. Don't even know what options of portrait packages there are. What do I do?

Fortunately, DT's babysitter showed me her kids' form. I picked a package, handwrote my choice, and gave her my VISA number since I didn't have a checkbook with me. She assured me she'd fill out a form for DT and take care of it for me when she dropped him off at kindergarten.

What a relief! And what a kind offer, I thought.

So, as I pick DT up from after school care, he says to me "I have something for you," and he pulls out the missing picture day form from a secret compartment in his bookbag. It was probably there all along as I looked through his school folder last night and this morning. And as I carefully look over the form, I see that VISA-paid orders have to be completed ahead of time on-line.

So, I called the babysitter this evening and left a message asking what happened. She called me back and said she tried to put my order in, but the photographer said the form was wrong and I still could order on-line by VISA up to 10 days after picture day.

Whew! If I missed the boat on picture day, at least I can jump back on!

What happens when you over-schedule yourself and forget your planner...

I left my daily planner at home by accident today. So... of course it didn't go well. I felt lost from the get go. Well, I double (or triple) scheduled myself this afternoon. And I've never been good at being 2 (or 3) places at once. So... what did I forget?

1. My school district had a contract ratification meeting after school (I left prematurely at 4:30).
2. I had a retirement planner waiting at my house at 4:30 (on the other side of town).
3. I told DT I'd pick him up from school at 4:00 (and Ben ended up picking him up at 4:45).

I didn't feel good about any of this!

Now that I have my planner back, I'll be sure to keep it close.

Surprise Party!

Last night my sister threw a surprise 40th birthday party for her husband at my house. She told him to be here at 6:30 for MY little boy's birthday (he turned 5 Monday). Friends and family started arriving at 6:00. They parked across the street and brought lawn chairs, cake and homemade ice-cream (the winning recipe from the Marshall Co. Fair "Crank Off").

After 2 false starts, the unsuspecting birthday boy arrived. We smiled as he winced in pain of being the center of attention of the hoopla in his honor.

We ate Jimmy John's sandwiches and sat around a campfire as the sun went down. The kids played heartily on the playground and in the pool. And poor Kevin had to accept being the man of the hour.

Happy birthday!

How was kindergarten?

What did DT think about kindergarten? He didn't say much about it... even with a steady stream of questions. I prodded for answers. "How was kindergarten?"

After asking 10 similar questions, he finally answered. Solemnly, without looking at me, he said, "I did something bad."

Bad? Whoa! Don't tell me he had to go to the principal's office on the first day. What could be so bad?

"Like what?" I asked.

Sadly, he said "I spilled apple sauce on myself."

How sad! That's what he remembered from his first day of school.

Here comes kindergarten.

Today's the day.

We've been looking forward to this day... counting down. DT's excited. In his backpack are a box of tissue and a box of zipper bags for his classroom, a school box with watercolors, glue, pencils, and scissors, morning and afternoon snacks, and a packed lunchbox.

I went to bed shortly after 11:00 last night, but tossed and turned, flipped and flopped. I fell asleep sometime after 2:00. And woke up for good sometime after 5:00, although those 3 hours were far from restful.

Shouldn't I, as the parent, be the source of comfort on the first day of kindergarten? I feel more like source of anxiety and stress. Lord, be with me (and DT).

Advice: Take Prednisone if you get poison ivy.

After my last post I went to my new doctor. I had just established myself as a new patient with her a month ago. And I had told her that I rarely get sick. I do tend to get laryngitis at the end of each October... likely due to sinus drainage (nasty, sorry).

"Any other problems?" she asked.

"Not that I can think of," I quickly answered without once thinking about my crazily high susceptibility to contact dermititis... particularly the dreaded poison ivy. Oooohhhh!

I don't actually even have to come in contact with it anymore. I think I get it by breathing it's smoke if someone's burning it. I can look at it and get it. And now, evidentally, I can not even see it... and STILL get it.

The good doctor perscribed Prednisone. A steroid tablet taken in heavy doses at first, then in tapering doses. So, first 3 days I took 3 pills. Next 3 days I take 2 pills. Then, last 3 days I take 1 pill.

She said I'd see quick results and feel relief quickly. With the amount of itching I felt, I doubted her. I'd tried many medications in the past. This may have even been one... but maybe not the same doses. But I'm happy to say that 2 nights later... I look much better. And the itching is greatly relieved. I'd rate the itching a 2 out of 5... whereas on Wednesday I would've said a 10 out of 5.

This stuff works!

Advice: Never look in the mirror before you shower.

My philosophy has always been "Never look in the mirror before you shower." But maybe there should be a exception to the rule.

Yesterday was the first day of school with students. I woke up scratching... scratching my face... scratching my neck... scratching my arms. I jumped in the shower. Enjoyed the fresh clean water. Dried myself. And looked in the mirror. "AAaaaahhhhh! What's that?"

The right side of my face was thick and puffy with rash. And my eye was swollen.

I put make-up on the left side and decided I better not put anything on the heinous side. I took a Benadryl. And I went to school. You just don't miss the first day of school.

I itched and scratched or thought about itching and scratching ALL day. When I got home, I took another Benadryl...which gave a little relief, but not much. And I hoped it would be better in the morning. "If it's not better after a day, I'll call the doctor."

It was worse this morning. This is what I saw in the mirror this morning through a swollen eye and the itchiest cheek ever.

Back to School

Today was the first day back to school for teachers. A day that we all seemed to dread. A day that everyone I asked in the hallways or in meetings "How was your summer?," answered "Too short." And it was true. Summer break came and went quickly.

And what did the Brubakers accomplish this summer?

We grilled. We put up the pool. We built the playground in the back yard. We went to the splash pad. I scrapbooked. I took DT to the library. I saw "Mama Mia." We got the engine back in the '70 Cutlass. We had Granpa B and Becky for a visit. We registered DT for kindergarten. We played with play-doh. We read books. I visited my Laundry Man in Kokomo. DT and I spent a weekend with him in Dayton. We went to Boonshoft Museum. We had cousins over to play. We went to the Elkhart County Fair, the Marshall County Fair, and the St. Joseph County Fair. We went to Vacation Bible School at 3 churches. I dealt with a ganglion cyst. I painted the kitchen, dining room, and hallway. And I started a blog.

Okay, you're thinking I've had enough fun and should be ready to get back to work...but I'm so unmotivated right now. I think most school employees probably feel this way. I just wish I was mentally ready to jump back in and be excited about what's coming through those doors tomorrow... because ready or not, here they come.

What he wants...a horse.

11 days til my little boy's birthday. He'll be 5! It's hard to believe. I know all mom's probably think this, but it couldn't possibly be that long.

He's been such a good boy. He is polite, kind, and generally does what he is told. In fact, when the principal of his new school took us on a tour of the school on Monday, he commented on DT's good-boy nature. We were in the gym and everything was put away except for one sole wiffle ball in the middle of the floor. Of course, DT eyed it and gallopped over to pick it up. He held it up high over his head and said, "Look, a ball." I answered, "Yes, put it down." Without asking why, he gently placed in the same spot and walked back to us. The principal looked pleased and said, "I can see he's obedient." Wow. We either fooled him good or we have a very good boy.

Anyways, he's going to kindergarten! And he's turning 5!

He says all he wants for his birthday is a see-saw style gliding "horse" that hangs from his playground in the backyard. It takes 2 people to get it to glide. And he's our only little guy, so we've kept from shelling out the $80 saying "Who will he ride it with?" It doesn't matter to him. His mind is made up. All he wants is this "horse."

Our sweet Laundry Man built this heavy-duty playground last month with a little help from Uncle Kevin and Grandpa B. It turned out solid, and looking more grand than we expected. We joke that it looks like something that should be at a park. The utility posts make it look so BIG.

All it needs now is a horse!