He got delayed in Charlotte, missed his flight, but is almost in St. Louis now on a later one. I'm watching flight tracker. . . . . . and waiting for him to call and say he's landed.

My hubby's flying into St. Louis today. . . . . as in, the next few hours. Sitting here trying not to freak out. We lost a friend in the April 2011 tornados here in the 'Ham. :crying:

Thanks, everyone! It's not Latin - music, actually. It does sound like a neat place for relocation. . . . but we've got a ways to go before that happens. Also thanks for the WCA heads up. It would be an option for our younger 2 kiddos, if he were to be offered the position, and it was a good fit for them, but glad to hear there are so many offerings. I'm dreading the thought of giving up my summer science camp business, but perhaps I could "reincarnate" it there. I'll be back if something more substantial rears its head. Thanks!

I'm about 95% sure hubby is flying to St. Louis next week for a job interview. So, time to research! Whatcha got? Homeschooling climate? Resources? Things to know? He's interviewing with Westminster Christian Academy, so any insight on that would be great as well. Figured it's worth a shot - I may or may not be going out there with him, we'll know by the end of today. Thanks!

So, just got to play with Reuben Studdard, Tramaine Hawkins. . . . . man, the gospel music was incredible. And when we played "Glory" from Selma? Serious chills. And that was just the rehearsal. . . .

Gah, I think the President comes tomorrow :( Sunday's going to be a crazy long day - we have to load buses here in B'ham at 9 am - and meet a police escort outside Selma. We're streaming on BET - 4 pm concert on Sunday. I just heard Stevie Wonder isn't coming. . . . but the organizer says she has a "surprise" for us at tomorrow's rehearsal. :hurray:

This is the weekend. I get to go play with an orchestra at the Selma 50th anniversary celebration. I. Can't. Stop. Smiling. If anyone's going to stream it, I'm in the 4:00 orchestra concert on Sunday. I'll be the one with the tall bassoon - and the earplugs!!! Who wants Stevie Wonder's autograph??? :D

:hurray: Soooo glad for you!! I just spent $$$$$ on overhauling my bassoon, and it's like I have a whole new instrument. BLISS!

Yes and yes - same time frame. I was explaining the whole experience to my 14yo dd the other day, and it struck me how much they let me have access to - that would NEVER happen today. Everything from gruesome motorcycle injuries in the ER, to autoclaving the instruments, to selling magazines, wheeling patients to rooms, and walking past the psych door with the admonition to "never, NEVER" open it, no matter who was banging and asking to be let out. Wow. Sounds crazy from this vantage point.

Can you explain "Clean Monday"? I have a friend who is EO.. . . . I'd love to know more. :bigear:

I've been thinking on this a lot lately - for the very same reasons. And now that my kids are older, I'm watching it happen even more. Our family evenings aren't very "family" - like last night, it involved me working, my hubby working, and the kids all doing their own thing. If that was once in a while, I wouldn't be so bothered, but it's all. the. time. sigh. Maybe we do need to watch this movie. . . . . .

They taste like kerosene bad! We've got a vine in our backyard here in AL. . . . I make jelly out of them, but darn if it isn't just purple-colored sugary syrup jelly. Everybody loves it, though. Just ask my kids about when they tried to eat one the first summer we lived here! :scared: Between that and the fire ants, they couldn't figure out WHAT strange country we'd landed in.

You're not missing too much, creekland. I have this horrible desire to post the following: "I woke up this morning feeling like I was going to come down with the flu. . . I didn't use any essential oils, And I got better! I can't believe it!" Tempting. . .tempting. . . .

OOH! OOH! Me! We had a basement flood last spring, so we ripped up the carpet and put down the wood-looking tile. It is amazing stuff! We really love it. Couple of insights: 1) We had WAY more guts than either sense or money. We tiled all 1100 sf of our basement. By ourselves. With a couple of friends. 2) My husband spent WAY too much time doing this. When we were in the middle, it was just horrible. And actually, I injured my lower back while grouting (on my knees) and it's still not right. 3) It was not horribly hard - we had friends loan us a great wet tile saw, and another friend who had installed before came and helped us get going. Am I glad we did it? 1000x yes. Do I wish we had the money to have someone ELSE install it? 1,000,000x yes. But we didn't, and it's done. And we love it!

OK, i shouldn't say this, but. . . . the whole thread title had me :lol: Just - it was fitting, that's all :D

Ooh, I feel like the dissenting voice here! I teach bassoon at a local high school and biology at a local co-op (paid position, not parent-run). On my teaching days, I wear slacks and some kind of "dressier" top or a top with a tailored jacket. On dissection days I wear jeans and a t-shirt, since I'm covered by a lab coat. For me? It makes me feel. . . . . .more prepared? Gets my head in the game, maybe. Or it's a holdover from when I did teach outside the home. The kids aren't allowed to wear jeans, so I figure I shouldn't either ;)

But you know what I've found interesting this year? I teach Biology at a large and well-respected co-op in our town. But really - we are driven by the tyranny of the urgent. Gotta finish the biology text by May xx day, so many days for so many chapters. And what do these kids want to know? "Is this going to be on the test?" :banghead: But I don't feel like I have the time or the luxury of really doing interesting, hands-on stuff. It's just - get the material across - correct the errors/incomplete/out-of-date information in this text (anyone want to guess what text I have to use? :glare: ) and move on. I guess it's one struggle I have with co-ops. Love/hate relationship here.

Interesting - we moved from CT to AL 9 years ago. I never required that my kids say yes ma'am or no ma'am/sir - maybe I should have? It's a BIG DEAL here in the 'Ham. Sometimes my kids say it, sometimes they don't. We're not consistent. I had a recalcitrant child of mine "Yes, ma'am" me for a while when I was scolding her, and it made me CRAZY. I had a friend who was from New York and I babysat her son 1 day a week (here in AL). From the get-go, she said that she NEVER wanted him to say ma'am or sir. She said she had it used too many times on her, insincerely, and she refused to have it come from her son's lips. Didn't bother me any. Bless her heart. . . . . . :leaving: :lol:

Yeah, it looks like it's a go. . . . . :hurray: There's an advantage to being one of the only bassoonists in an area ;) I seriously get goosebumps just thinking about it!

So - get this! I just got an email about a bassoon gig - and there's a seriously decent chance that - wait for it - I'll get to play with an orchestra at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma march, AT THE FOOT OF THE EDMUND PETTIS BRIDGE! :hurray: :party: I'm SERIOUSLY geeked out about this. The President will be there (although likely not for the concert), tons of famous people. We'll take charter buses down there due to the crowds, with a police escort. Anywho, I'm not 100% sure it's going to fly (there are some questions about $$, and about playing outside if the weather's bad - not so good for a woodwind) but just the thought has me all a-flutter!!!

Our vet has a sign outside their office: Be a Patriot. Balls deflated here. Neuter now. :hurray: :lol: (Kinda hoping it goes viral on Facebook)

We're in the market for a new car - well, a new "used" car - sometime in the next 6 months. We have a Chrysler T&C right now, and a Toyota Camry. The minivan is outta here. I really only use it to cart the girls to and from ballet, and to drive all over to the varying jobs I work (mainly piano lessons, teaching co-ops). We put a LOT of miles on it each week. My eldest will likely move out once she graduates, and my son's in college, so the 7 of us almost never go anywhere together anymore. Right now, we're kicking around either a - whatcha call them? - smaller than a minivan, like a Honda CRV or maybe a Toyota Highlander. OR - do we go just for a nice, gas-saving Toyota or Honda or some kind of sedan? The only downside to a sedan is that if we go on a family vacation, we'll have to take two cars or rent something larger. Advice? Anyone else in my stage of life, where kids are leaving and the big momvan isn't working any more? Still in the thinking stage, so we've got time. Unless the van dies, then that's another issue!

Can Edith not just have SOMETHING decent happen to her, without complications? Once? PLEASE? Oh, wait. Then I'd complain it was boring. Riiiiiiiight. . . . . . :svengo:

I predict that I will continue to procrastinate on my lesson planning for the week. . . . . . :glare: Oh, wait! DOWNTON characters!!! :lol: Totally over Sarah Bunting. What's with the smugness? I'll bet Branson tries to take little Sybbie to America, but the family stops him.

OK, this nails it for me. I feel like I've been dodging a bullet the past few years, with our small business. I need - cover. Y'know?