In Search of Myself

My current computer desktop

Just found it at OfficeTally.com

If you don't know why that's awesome . . . then you need awesome lessons.

Note to self:

When you take your sleeping child to your best friend's house so she can take him to school two hours later . . .

. . .

. . . it's probably a good idea to BRING HIS SHOES.

that is all.

Counting by 6's

On the drive home from his first day at a Montessori summer day-camp thing (he did SO good!  yay Jake!) we got to talking about numbers.  I would tell him which exit we were passing, and then ask him how many miles it was to our exit -- a number that he knows well.  He was able to do the math pretty well and figure it out.  Then he asks: "Mom, can you count by 6's?"

Uhhh.

So I started.  I got to 60 and stopped a bit.  He wanted me to go on.

I got to 120.  I told him I was DONE.  It's hard to fight rush hour traffic and do math in your head.  Ok, just hard for me.

So then we were figuring out what 56 plus 10 was.  Then we kept adding 10 and adding 10.  And can you believe that when we got to 96, he knew that 106 came next?  Where did this kid get his brain?!!!  (Hint: not me.)

Best of both worlds breakfast

For the grown-up in me: Starbucks Caramel frapp.

For the child of the 80s: strawberry pop-tarts.

Yummy.

What did YOU do today?

. . . 'cause here's what we were doing:

There's also a pretty hilarious picture (which I won't be sharing) of me and Jake on some swings.  (See?  Fat people can still have fun.)

So if you haven't guessed the location, this is the Nashville Zoo.  One of the people in my deacon group (which is mostly my "Young Adult" Sunday School class plus some others) planned for us all to go to the zoo after church for our 4th Sunday activity, but everyone else was busy.  So it was me, Jake, and Amy.  But we had fun!

(And this was after an 8:30 a.m. Cracker Barrell breakfast with 3 great-aunts and a great-uncle on my mom's side, 'cause they were passing through on their way to Florida, then driving all the way into town [Nashville] for church -- during which I basically wrestled with and yelled in a whisper at Jake.)

I am going to take a nap now.

Picture catch-up

These are a bunch of pictures from my mom's computer that I finally got.  :)

How cool is Jake's new pool?!  I haven't tried it yet, but even *I* will fit in there!!!

I call these my "don't mind me, I'm a giant" photos.

Good pic of the 3 of us at Jake's graduation.

Jake and Zoe eating lunch in the little picnic table part of the new swing set.

Jake and Zoe at the playset at our house.  Gotta love how happy they look!
   

How my generation plans summer activities for their kids

Priscilla and I just had a long conversation about what we're doing with the kids this summer (we already have several things planned, but we're trying to work in two weeks of swim lessons and some martial arts intro.)  The end of our conversation struck me as funny.

Jen: we'll just wing it every week, knowing we have multiple options :)
Priscilla: lol

Jen: and if we break it up a bit between the 3 of us, the driving and waking up won't seem so tedius

tedious

Priscilla: sounds like plan

Jen: so let me go this week to see what it's like and meet the teacher and talk to them

Priscilla: so i know you are getting ready to leave and i need to get them ready for gymnastics

Jen: then we'll figure it out from there

ok

I'll be home tonight, just call me later

Priscilla: that sounds good, you go and check it out and let me know, and ill organize the swimming stuff LOL

Jen: word

ready, one two three, break

Priscilla: ask about uniform info and stuff too

Jen: GO TEAM!

ok

Priscilla: YEAH!

Jen: LOL!!!

Priscilla: WILDCATS!

Update

Well, Leslie left a comment to remind me that I haven't updated in forever.  I keep thinking about it . . . isn't it the thought that counts?

(Yeah . . . all these pictures?  Totally from FEBRUARY.  I think my mom and/or Priscilla might have taken some current ones lately.  Maybe?)

So . . . here's what we're doing:

I am just working working working, reading a lot . . . Lou and I's 6th anniversary was yesterday -- we spent the day putting together a playground at my mom's house.  (Gluttons for punishment, we are -- but I'm tellin' ya, it's a breeze in this cool weather compared to hot hot June last year!!!)

Jake is finishing up his 2nd year of preschool.  He's nervous about going to big school every day next year instead of two days a week and hanging out at Nana's house the rest of the time -- the other day he asked her "But what if I never see you again?"  (awwww.)  Aowyn has taken first place in the running for his favorite sister of Priscilla's 3 (poor Elauna!!!), and he loves when Zoe is at Nana's on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Jake still loves gymnastics and is really looking forward to some kiddie pool time this summer.  Working on a nice tan, just like every year.  Had his first dentist appointment mid-April and his front teeth have like NO roots left, they're just being stubborn.  Hasn't lost ANY yet.  He's into Ben 10 and Tom & Jerry lately (thanks, Cartoon Network.)  Oh, and he's obsessed with playing Super Mario Galaxy with daddy on the Wii -- he's freaking awesome at it.  His handwriting is really improving, and he's really into telling time and doing math in his head.  (Whatever makes him happy, right?)

Ok, he wants to play board games.  Gotta run.  :)  (CandyLand, The Ladybug Game, and Hungry Hippos are his favorite.)

Hmmm

My right eye is watering, to the point of tears running down at random intervals.  My left eye, however, is dry.  Does this mean that the left side of my brain is sad?

A couple new pics

So you might have noticed I haven't been posting much . . . I've been taking a step back from the internet and from scrapbooking, which is kind of nice.  Not letting myself feel obligated to anyone.  Add to that, the step back from TV because of the writer's strike . . . well, and I've been reading a lot of books.  And I've been realizing just how many books I should have read but didn't, and how many I just want to read because I love reading . . . and yeah.  Good times.

So a few pictures.  First, a sweet one of me and Lorien at Easter.  She will sit with me a lot of times, just to hang out, and she was sleepy.

Next, two of my goofy kiddo.  I love both of these pictures, because both are EXACTLY what he looks like. :)  I'm fascinated by the fact that he has such huge eyes, yet when he smiles they're squinty and moon shaped.  And the smile in the first picture?  SO his daddy.  The nose wrinkle in the second one is totally me.