Monday, June 29, 2009

I've Been So Busy

Gosh darn, I was doing so well. I was blogging almost every day, sometimes more than once. Then life happened. I have one week left of summer break (they gave me a whole three weeks) and so much has happened in the past two weeks, I don't even know where to begin. I suppose I must start somewhere.

The first week my aunt and her two kids came to visit my family in San Diego. They stayed at our house. It was interesting experiencing a 4 1/2 year old and a 2 1/2 year old living in an unfamiliar environment for four days. The four year old was probably given more sugar by my mother than she has ever received her whole life. (It's a good thing they live 500 miles away.) Mum bought those tasty little Circus Animal cookies. You know, the pink and white ones with the little multicolored sprinkles. At the park, she bought the four year old an orange dreamsicle. Worst of all, the little one would refuse to eat anything green. For example, I made dinner one night: eggs with turkey, baked oatmeal, and strawberries. There was a bit of green on one of the strawberries, and she looked at it with disdain and gave it to my sister. I probably sound like I'm complaining. Believe me, I love children, but when they're staying somewhere other than home, they're out of their routine, they're tired, you're tired, and it can become overwhelming.

They left Saturday and got on the plane with two guests: me and my sister! The airport experience was uneventful. Both the two year old and the four year old were extremely excited about getting on the airplane. The two year old (my godson) made it clear that he wanted to sit with me and his mommy and the four year old thought it would be great fun to sit next to my sister. Our flight left at 9:45am, which means I got up at 6:15am. We got to the bay area around 11:00am. Our uncle (aunt's husband) is an amazing musician and that very night was going to be conducting and directing the music for a production of Yeomen of the Guard (Gilbert and Sullivan). So, my sister and I got to babysit the little rascals while my aunt and her friend went to see the show. By this point, the two little ones were quite used to their big cousins, which made things, quite fortunately, easy as pie. They were in bed by 8:30. Bridget and I were exhausted. We had both gotten up in the wee hours of morning, traveled by air (which is always exhausting no matter how far you're going), and our other aunt had been visiting all afternoon. We stayed awake as long as we could, debated as to whether or not we should go to bed, stayed up a while longer, decided it was probably okay, and both got some shuteye. Bridget woke up at one point to check on the kids, but I was out.

(For future reference, Bridget and I are generally night owls and excellent late night babysitters. We make a great team. We're both certified in CPR and have taken care of lots of children. Bridget's good with the loud extroverted ones; I'm good with the quiet introverted ones. We schedule ourselves and make sure everything stays in order. For example, with our cousins it was: playtime, bath, books, drink of water, potty, prayers, bed.
Most recently, we've been split up as a result of receiving higher education, but we're happy to watch your little ones if we're in the area and/or are on break.)

The rest of the week was spent traveling to/fro from relative to relative: grandparents, cousins (1st, 2nd, and 3rd), aunts, uncles, you name it, we saw all that were available. We just got back last Friday. Bridget's friend from TAC came for the weekend and we had a wonderful weekend watching movies, eating good food, sunbathing, swimming, etc. Thursday is Dad's birthday and our aunt (another from the bay area who we just saw last week) is coming down for the 4th of July. I hope to put together a Europe photo album before I head back to school, make a French Toast casserole for dinner, wash the truck (it's filthy), and maybe read one or two more interesting books.

"To see the summer sky is poetry..." ~ Emily Dickinson

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Just an Observation

When I'm finished with this quarter, I'll only have twenty weeks of school left.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Book Meme

1. What author do you own the most books by?
Probably L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gable series, etc.)

2. What book do you own the most copies of?
I'd say the Bible or the Catechism.

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Nope.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
I'd probably say Horatio Hornblower.

5. What book have you read the most times in your life?
Um... good question. Either Jonathan Livingston Seagull or the Anne of Green Gables series.

6. Favorite book as a ten year old?
I don't remember that far back. I read a lot of books as a ten year old. If I had to pick one, maybe Peter Pan.

7. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
It was probably one of those Strawberry Shortcake books. I was reading to my cousin.

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Crime and Punishment.

9. If you could force everyone you know to read one book, what would it be?
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

10. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Five Children and It.

11. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
Man and Woman, He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II.

12. What is your favorite book?
I don't have one. I love most all books.

13. Play?
The Jeweller's Shop.

14. Poem?
Not really into poetry. Is it okay to think of the psalms as poetry?

15. Essay?
I can't think of one at the moment.

16. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
J.K. Rowling? Don't get me wrong. I've read all her books, but yeah...

17. What is your desert island book?
Something really long and intriguing... maybe by Dostoyevsky.

18. And . . . what are you reading right now?
Nothing fun. They're all for school, and, come to think of it, the quarter's almost over, so I'm done reading for now. When I go home for my three week summer, I'll probably tackle Brothers Karamazov.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Random

I realized the other day that if I have get married and have kids, they will be homeschooled. Furthermore, I think it will be necessary that my husband be in charge of instructing them in math and science. Therefore, I need to marry a math/science type of guy.

Or I'll live close to my sister or my dad and one of them can assist me. Or the Bagel can just be completely in charge of their mathematical education.