Ignore this thread!

[Ellie]

2 hours ago, Slache said:

Alex is stuck under the bed yelling "DUCK!" for the 2nd time today. I'm going to see if he can figure it out himself this time. 

MIL gets here in a week. I'm so excited to hear about how Alex should be potty trained and John should be in school because he's weird and Mary should because she's not reading well enough and if I just take these medications I'd lose all the weight and how it doesn't matter what we eat because I don't have a gluten intolerance anyway and how our apartment's ugly and every bad thing that ever happened in Tennessee ever. Oh, and the wedding. That's going to be a total thing. SIL is so selfish and why can't one thing go MIL's way and all of SIL's ideas are terrible (Alex escaped the bed) and she shouldn't be making these decisions anyway because she doesn't know what she's doing...

Gug.

Oh, honey girl, I'm so sorry. :-(

[Slache]

In one inning we went from 0-4 to 7-4. Go Votto!

(I didn't know how to spell Votto or inning).

[mama25angels]

34 minutes ago, Slache said:

I've been averaging like 4 hours of sleep so Matt got Z-quilt so I can have one good night. Anyone wanna do shots?

Meee!  Waving frantically!

[Susan in TN]

I'm eating dark chocolate in bed.  It's been a rough day for no reason except I feel abnormally tired and unmotivated.  I did manage to get a couple things accomplished - all the strawberries are in the freezer and I got our history weeks/SOTW chapters divided into segments in the excel file and assigned books to chapters.  Oh, and we went to a local thrift store that had thousands of books mounded on a portion of their parking lot for people to wade through and take home.  Free books!  Not much of interest, though I got a few books of crochet patterns, dd11 found a book about felting and a coloring book, dd9 got a book of movie themes for viola, and dd15 found a guide book for Athens.

I'm going to try to find where I left off in "Ready, Player One" a few months ago and see if I can finish it.  G'night!

[Susan in TN]

3 hours ago, Slache said:

...and every bad thing that ever happened in Tennessee ever.

Ha!  She doesn't even know the half of it!  I stubbed my toe earlier, and there was mold on my strawberry, and the bird poop bugs have migrated to the black eyed susans, and if the San Madrid fault along the Mississippi blows, then Memphis will be under water, and there's this marathon that eats its young, and fires were burning all over the smokies last year, and armadillos are migrating from the Southwest and there are no good super-cheap airlines that fly out of Nashville, and you have to drive to Memphis or Atlanta to go to IKEA, and they serve beer to 10yos on Beale Street, and TN has the most tornado deaths of any state, and there's an ISIS training camp 20 miles from my house, and it's very difficult to find good cello teachers here, and our mailman bent ds's college diploma in half to fit it in our mailbox, and when it rains hard you have to walk on the parking lot speed bump at Aldi to keep your shoes dry...

I can give you more if you run out of conversation...

[KrissiK]

1 minute ago, Susan in TN said:

Ha!  She doesn't even know the half of it!  I stubbed my toe earlier, and there was mold on my strawberry, and the bird poop bugs have migrated to the black eyed susans, and if the San Madrid fault along the Mississippi blows, then Memphis will be under water, and there's this marathon that eats its young, and fires were burning all over the smokies last year, and armadillos are migrating from the Southwest and there are no good super-cheap airlines that fly out of Nashville, and you have to drive to Memphis or Atlanta to go to IKEA, and they serve beer to 10yos on Beale Street, and TN has the most tornado deaths of any state, and there's an ISIS training camp 20 miles from my house, and it's very difficult to find good cello teachers here, and our mailman bent ds's college diploma in half to fit it in our mailbox, and when it rains hard you have to walk on the parking lot speed bump at Aldi to keep your shoes dry...

I can give you more if you run out of conversation...

It’s still worse in California....???

[Junie]

2 hours ago, Slache said:

In one inning we went from 0-4 to 7-4. Go Votto!

(I didn't know how to spell Votto or inning).

:eyeroll:  The Reds?

:svengo:  I guess *someone* has to root for the Reds.

 

ETA:  Since I'm making fun of Slachey's team, I'll booya without an h to make everything all better.

 

[Ellie]

1 hour ago, myblessings4 said:

 

But everything's better in Texas.

And there's, well, you know, us.

[Ellie]

29 minutes ago, Junie said:

:eyeroll:  The Reds?

:svengo:  I guess *someone* has to root for the Reds.

 

Oh, look! It's a root for the Reds booya!

#noh

[Junie]

I'm bored.

Maybe I'll go to bed now.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Day 173 steps. 
Day 44 hips

 

[Tsuga]

I need to stop venturing into treacherous waters. Also, I'm nearly in the hump day of my week off and it's like filled with playdates! But I did find a good rhythm for my writing. And we have way fewer weeds. And I decalcified the espresso machine, thinned the beets, and @Another Lynn may the swim gods be with me I'm in charge of printing at the next meet. HELP.

[Tsuga]

57 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Day 173 steps. 
Day 44 hips

 

Whenever I have slight aches, which are super minor, you are my inspiration. I think to myself, "don't be a baby, this isn't fibro or something." And I keep going. I ❤️ your fortitude, Jean!

[Tsuga]

6 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Or Rusty bunny.  She and Rusty bunny are buds.  Rusty likes to dart between her legs while she looks around like "where'd he go?" 

 

There was a reddit thread on whether animals have a sense of humor. Wary of people who would point out that "animals aren't people", most people just posted funny anecdotes about animals making fun of one another. Lots of stories of pets teasing one another, and squirrels showing a sense of schadenfreude when demonstrating their agility and light steps keeping out of the way of house cats. Too bad you weren't on the thread, you'd have gotten wild karma.

[Another Lynn]

Top o' the morning to ya!  COFFEE is ready!

Susan, sounds like you got a lot done - strawberries, middle ages planning, book browsing and more!  Did you finish watching Ready Player One?

Tsuga - good luck with the printing.  Print extra.  Everyone always runs out of heat sheets.  Our summer team has started posting it online and we print at home.  However I think this may have jinxed us because we had two home meets cancelled for thunder/storms.  Tonight we swim against the biggest team in the conference at their pool - but only a 6 lane pool and very little shade.  It's going to be hot and long.  

The next week and half are going to be a little crazy.  I need the willy nilly guy!    

[mama25angels]

Good morning ladies!  Went to store with dh last night and it was actually a pleasant time, usually, it's not.  This morning I'm in a grumpy mood because I started a whole day early and my cramps are bad this time and now I'll need to reschedule my yearly check up.

[Susan in TN]

Good morning!

Godspeed, Lynn - you can do it!

I am reading Ready, Player One at the moment - did the movie come out already?  For some reason, it is making a little more sense to me this time around.  (Turns out I was only up to chapter 7.)

Two kids have a playdate this morning and three kids have youth group tonight.  Morning will be spent on instrument practice and math.  I'm going to try on a little more history organization, go through what ds13 has to supplement the SOTW, and see if there are any books I want to order on abebooks.  I mean, obviously I want ALL the books, but will restrain myself to the best of the books that aren't available at the library.

Coffee!

[Susan in TN]

Three of my kids are working on this piece; they've played part of the original by Bach, but this is so fun and I can play it with them.  

 

[Junie]

Good Morning!

I slept really well last night.  :)

Today is dd13's final check at the orthodontist. :party:

I will probably make an appointment for dd15 to get the process started. :svengo:

[mama25angels]

3 minutes ago, Junie said:

Good Morning!

I slept really well last night.  ?

Today is dd13's final check at the orthodontist. :party:

I will probably make an appointment for dd15 to get the process started. :svengo:

congratulations to your dd!!  I can't wait until it's our turn, I have to say that after spending the last three years schlepping kids to orthodontist appointments, I'm over braces.

[lots of little ducklings]

Quack.

I've missed you all!   How is everyone doing?  

We spent June enjoying a giant US History "field trip" (D.C., Philly, and lots of Boston area since we live here).  Dh had almost all of that time off from work, so it was fantastic.  A whirlwind of activity (we were also doing house repairs and maintenance while still at home), but it was really refreshing and fun.  

Now it's VBS week, and I'm school planning and prepping in my gloriously quiet house. 

 

 

[egao_gakari]

Hubby was up in the night with severe abdominal pain. I was scared and would have taken him to the ER, but the man won't go. He's asleep now, so hopefully it was just bad constipation or something ? 

So I slept badly on the couch with my ears pricked up in case he needed me, and now I can't remember what the plan was for today. DD got to VBS on time somehow, no thanks to me for dismissing my alarm when it went off. Hopefully the *&%@ chai will kick in soon. Only teaching 1 student today, in the evening, so at least I've got that going for me. I think I'm supposed to do groceries too.

[lots of little ducklings]

(((egao))) 

That sounds frightening.  Glad you have a slow day (and VBS!) 

 

[KrissiK]

Good Morning!!!

COFFEE!!!~D

Wednesday!!!

Hot!! Hot!! Hot!!

England plays Croatia this morning. Go Perfect Hair Harry. If England wins then it will be a rematch of the Hundred Years War on Sunday.  Of course the final is on Sunday, right during Church time, and I just can’t quite bring myself to stay home from Church to watch a soccer game.

[Junie]

17 minutes ago, lots of little ducklings said:

Quack.

I've missed you all!   How is everyone doing?  

We spent June enjoying a giant US History "field trip" (D.C., Philly, and lots of Boston area since we live here).  Dh had almost all of that time off from work, so it was fantastic.  A whirlwind of activity (we were also doing house repairs and maintenance while still at home), but it was really refreshing and fun.  

Now it's VBS week, and I'm school planning and prepping in my gloriously quiet house. 

 

 

What did you get to see?

I would like to take more field trips, but my dc are opposed.  My kids would rather stay home and play on the wii than go anywhere.

[KrissiK]

Yikes,E.G., I hope it was nothiNg serious with your DH.

Tsuga, you were playing in treacherous seas. Naughty girl!!?

So glad you are back, Ducky!!

Mama25angels (we need to find a shorter nickname for you), I hope you feel better soon.

Junie, yay for braces getting off. DS2 supposedly gets them off next month.

Jeannie, yay for steps. I have been dismal.

[Junie]

8 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Yikes,E.G., I hope it was nothiNg serious with your DH.

Tsuga, you were playing in treacherous seas. Naughty girl!!?

So glad you are back, Ducky!!

Mama25angels (we need to find a shorter nickname for you), I hope you feel better soon.

Junie, yay for braces getting off. DS2 supposedly gets them off next month.

Jeannie, yay for steps. I have been dismal.

She got them off about 9 months ago.  This is the final check.

[Susan in TN]

14 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

 

England plays Croatia this morning. Go Perfect Hair Harry. If England wins then it will be a rematch of the Hundred Years War on Sunday.  Of course the final is on Sunday, right during Church time, and I just can’t quite bring myself to stay home from Church to watch a soccer game.

So if I have my kids watch the game, can we skip the Hundred Years War this year?  

[KrissiK]

7 minutes ago, Junie said:

She got them off about 9 months ago.  This is the final check.

Got it. Did I know that?? 

Yay for final checks!!

 

[KrissiK]

7 minutes ago, Susan in TN said:

So if I have my kids watch the game, can we skip the Hundred Years War this year?  

Of course you can!!?

[mama25angels]

24 minutes ago, Junie said:

What did you get to see?

I would like to take more field trips, but my dc are opposed.  My kids would rather stay home and play on the wii than go anywhere.

I would love more field trips too, my 10 yr old will go, the 15 yr old not so much.

[Another Lynn]

18 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Yikes,E.G., I hope it was nothiNg serious with your DH.   

Tsuga, you were playing in treacherous seas. Naughty girl!!?

So glad you are back, Ducky!!

Mama25angels (we need to find a shorter nickname for you), I hope you feel better soon.

Junie, yay for braces getting off. DS2 supposedly gets them off next month.

Jeannie, yay for steps. I have been dismal.

Agree.  Agree.  Agree.  Agree.  Agree.  Agree.  Twin!  

(oops, except no one here is getting braces off next month)

[Ellie]

 

[lots of little ducklings]

9 minutes ago, Junie said:

What did you get to see?

I would like to take more field trips, but my dc are opposed.  My kids would rather stay home and play on the wii than go anywhere.

 

We saw... everything! Well, it felt like it, anyway.  We were wrapping up a year of US History, so that guided our choices most of the time. 

• Boston area: Plimoth Plantation, Concord, Lexington, the entire Freedom Trail over several days, including the USS Constitution.
• Pennsylvania: Lancaster County, Hershey, Gettysburg, Valley Forge
• Philly (specifically): nearly all the Old City sites, including tours of anything tourable; the Curtis Center, the Museum of the Amer Revolution, Constitution Center. (Sadly we couldn't squeeze in the Franklin Institute; thankfully we know people in the area and are going back again in the future to do it).
• Washington, DC:  all the monuments except Jefferson (we waved to him from afar, though), a tour of the Capitol, the Air and Space Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Native American Museum, the American Art Museum (incl. Presidential Portrait Gallery), and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. Pretty much every museum EXCEPT Museum of American History ("But it's our Giant American History Field Trip! We HAVE to go!! I'm dying to go!!!!" says I.  DH, however, apparently has veto power.  "Space shuttles and dinosaurs and mummies it is!!" says he. So space shuttles and dinosaurs and mummies it was.  Hmphh and Grrrrr.) .    We clocked an average of 6 miles a day on his fitbit while in DC, largely because we were in an airbnb just a couple blocks from the Capitol, so we didn't bother using the metro or driving anywhere.  

I'm actually a recovering anti-field trip person myself; this trip was fantastic though, and definitely opened my eyes to how much we could benefit from it (academically, yes, but also as a family) It was great to get away.... and not just be visiting the relatives like we usually do.  I realize now how little "family" time we get when we are visiting extended family.  Not that that's not good, too; but it doesn't allow us to reconnect ourselves.  I was able to remember why I like all these people I slave for each day.  ?

[Paige]

39 minutes ago, Junie said:

What did you get to see?

I would like to take more field trips, but my dc are opposed.  My kids would rather stay home and play on the wii than go anywhere.

Our kids would be BFFs! 

[Paige]

I just got a call that Mister Kitty is done being groomed- less than an hour after dropping him off. I was scared that it meant they couldn't do anything, but they were able to shave him. They couldn't give him a bath, but I don't care about that. Whatever they want to charge me has to be less than the stress and pain of doing it ourselves ever again. I need the celebration and party emoji.

DS will wear braces the rest of his life. I don't think they are ever coming off at this point because of his lack of compliance. But we paid in advance so it's no skin off my back!

 

 

 

 

[lots of little ducklings]

The airbnbs (both in Philly and DC) were key.  Both were within walking distance of everything, so I didn't have to stress about driving all of us in to the cities and parking each day.  And we could make all our own meals (I'd prepped in advance so they were easy to pull together and there no grocery shopping needed).  Because of this, we paid to eat out precisely ONE time the entire trip (on our 15th Anniversary, in DC).  

Big fail of the trip was running out of gas on a busy road just as we departed Valley Forge, then sitting there for two and a half hours. Totally Dh's fault, of course.  ?

[KrissiK]

Ducky, i’ll Meet you in DC, we’ll do the Smithsonians at our leisure. You have to see the First Ladies Inaugural Ball-Gown exhibit. You didn’t mention seeing the National Art gallery, either. I have visited DC twice... once with a friend about 25 years ago and once on an 8th Grade trip with a school I was teaching at. The first time we didn’t stay long,  but had a nice time At the few museums we did visit. The second time.... what a nightmare. I really want to go back.

[lots of little ducklings]

48 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Ducky, i’ll Meet you in DC, we’ll do the Smithsonians at our leisure. You have to see the First Ladies Inaugural Ball-Gown exhibit. You didn’t mention seeing the National Art gallery, either. I have visited DC twice... once with a friend about 25 years ago and once on an 8th Grade trip with a school I was teaching at. The first time we didn’t stay long,  but had a nice time At the few museums we did visit. The second time.... what a nightmare. I really want to go back.

 Yay!! It's a date. (And sorry about your nightmare! what happened?)

And yeah, we missed the Ball-Gown exhibit and the National Art gallery, too. (American Art won out, since the kids were able to connect what they saw with the artists/presidents we'd studied this year.  It was a fun... a giant scavenger hunt for Grandma Moses and Georgia O'Keefe and so on.)  I'd also love to see the Renwick Gallery.  

Oh!  And we went to the Museum of the Bible (which was fantastic), but one could spend a whole week just there. So you and i will have to visit that as well.  

ETA:  More of the Holocaust Museum.  We only did the Daniel's Story exhibit.  Because five kids. Sigh. 

[lots of little ducklings]

I'm trying to pare down my "I wants!" to my "I can realistically get this done for school next year."  It's not going well.  I keep discovering more "I wants!" 

[egao_gakari]

DD came home early from VBS due to tummy pain, so potentially something's going around.

Apparently left a sizeable chunk of car undercarriage behind in the church parking lot--like a heat shield or something. Have to go back and get it, and figure out how to put it back on.

I can sense that today is going to be a Jonah day, as Anne of Green Gables called 'em.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Good morning. The rain noises were annoying rather than soothing last night so I switched to ocean waves. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Oh and my friend of 43 years is having to reschedule our lunch tomorrow. Logistically rescheduling will be better for me too. 

[mama25angels]

Well, we have keyboard rust from not practicing for a month and a half, it's still going better than expected!

[Junie]

1 hour ago, lots of little ducklings said:

 

We saw... everything! Well, it felt like it, anyway.  We were wrapping up a year of US History, so that guided our choices most of the time. 

• Boston area: Plimoth Plantation, Concord, Lexington, the entire Freedom Trail over several days, including the USS Constitution.
• Pennsylvania: Lancaster County, Hershey, Gettysburg, Valley Forge
• Philly (specifically): nearly all the Old City sites, including tours of anything tourable; the Curtis Center, the Museum of the Amer Revolution, Constitution Center. (Sadly we couldn't squeeze in the Franklin Institute; thankfully we know people in the area and are going back again in the future to do it).
• Washington, DC:  all the monuments except Jefferson (we waved to him from afar, though), a tour of the Capitol, the Air and Space Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Native American Museum, the American Art Museum (incl. Presidential Portrait Gallery), and probably a few other things I'm forgetting. Pretty much every museum EXCEPT Museum of American History ("But it's our Giant American History Field Trip! We HAVE to go!! I'm dying to go!!!!" says I.  DH, however, apparently has veto power.  "Space shuttles and dinosaurs and mummies it is!!" says he. So space shuttles and dinosaurs and mummies it was.  Hmphh and Grrrrr.) .    We clocked an average of 6 miles a day on his fitbit while in DC, largely because we were in an airbnb just a couple blocks from the Capitol, so we didn't bother using the metro or driving anywhere.  

I'm actually a recovering anti-field trip person myself; this trip was fantastic though, and definitely opened my eyes to how much we could benefit from it (academically, yes, but also as a family) It was great to get away.... and not just be visiting the relatives like we usually do.  I realize now how little "family" time we get when we are visiting extended family.  Not that that's not good, too; but it doesn't allow us to reconnect ourselves.  I was able to remember why I like all these people I slave for each day.  ?

I've been to the places I bolded.  I grew up next door to Lancaster County and I currently live within driving distance of DC.  We almost never go to DC though because parking a huge van is a nightmare.  Also, it is too close to us to warrant the cost of spending the night (especially since we would need two hotel rooms), but too far to be convenient.  And, the way my arthritis is currently, I couldn't do six miles a day.

I am so glad that you had a wonderful trip.  I hope you took lots of pictures!

I actually was hoping to go to DC by myself this past Saturday, but I could barely walk across the house.  There is no way I could have walked across the national mall.

And your last paragraph -- so true.  We have never all been on a real vacation together.  We've taken a couple through the years, but none since all of the kids have been born.  I wanted to do something this summer before ds17 goes to college, but he is working every minute he can so that he can pay for college.

[Junie]

When I was in high school, level 3 and 4 foreign language students got to go on a trip to DC to go to the art museum.

When I was a senior, of course it was my second year in a row.  My Spanish teacher pulled the Spanish 4 class aside when we got to DC.

We had an exchange student from France in our small class.  (I think there were 6 of us.)  We learned that he had not had a chance to visit DC yet and that he would be returning to Europe in a few weeks.  I still remember Senora M. looking each of us in the eye as she said, "There is more to DC than the art museum.  Don't miss the bus and don't get arrested."

And off we went...

I can't even remember where we went, but it wasn't the art museum.

[egao_gakari]

Picked up the piece of car from church and bought some veggies at the farm stand nearby.

Sweet DH noticed I was miserable and took me to get a gluten-free snack at the local bakery even though he's still feeling nasty ? 

I caved and had half a cup of coffee. I'll try again tomorrow with the no coffee thing.

[Another Lynn]

3 minutes ago, egao_gakari said:

Picked up the piece of car from church and bought some veggies at the farm stand nearby.

Sweet DH noticed I was miserable and took me to get a gluten-free snack at the local bakery even though he's still feeling nasty ? 

I caved and had half a cup of coffee. I'll try again tomorrow with the no coffee thing.

Yay for your dh and gluten free local bakery.  Hope he and dd feel better soon!

[lots of little ducklings]

48 minutes ago, Junie said:

I've been to the places I bolded.  I grew up next door to Lancaster County and I currently live within driving distance of DC.  We almost never go to DC though because parking a huge van is a nightmare.  Also, it is too close to us to warrant the cost of spending the night (especially since we would need two hotel rooms), but too far to be convenient.  And, the way my arthritis is currently, I couldn't do six miles a day.

I am so glad that you had a wonderful trip.  I hope you took lots of pictures!

I actually was hoping to go to DC by myself this past Saturday, but I could barely walk across the house.  There is no way I could have walked across the national mall.

And your last paragraph -- so true.  We have never all been on a real vacation together.  We've taken a couple through the years, but none since all of the kids have been born.  I wanted to do something this summer before ds17 goes to college, but he is working every minute he can so that he can pay for college.

 

You can join Krissi and me.  We'll use the metro and segways.  I know a fantastic airbnb and there will be wine and cheese we can grill on the patio out back. ?

[Tsuga]

I have been awake for hours but am lazy.

Speaking of milk, with all the kids home, we need to double our milk order. Especially because I think SOME PEOPLE are having cereal for lunch. I won't complain because it results in fewer dishes that don't get washed because people "didn't see that one" (not even while they were using it...).