Adventures in Preschool Pickup

Jane started at the university preschool five mornings a week. It's in the heart of campus and not affiliated with the university's lab school (K-12) or the day care center (0-PK). Anyway, this is the middle of week 2. I had a lot of feelings and am still having a lot of feelings, but I hope things will become routine and less angsty for me. I thought I wrote about my feelings last year when she started the TWO morning/week class at another school, but I can't find them here. I wasn't quite as dramatic this year, but still. Big steps.

Background needed for this story: Shawn and I have gate-opening wands to get on campus and get into the lot where we drop her off/pick her up.

OMG. Today pick up was TERRIBLE. At 12:30 it's right at class changing time or class going to time or something so kids are EVERYWHERE and they are looking at their phones/not paying any attention/walking in the streets and it's awful.

AND THEN the arm wouldn't go up on the gate by the school. I got out of the car and waved my wand like a maniac and moved the car around too. NOTHING. A few college kids made snide remarks ("higher, higher"), which didn't do anything to help.

Finally I pulled away to let someone else try (and backing up into a horde of college kids was awful - but I did it three times all together). That driver got in no problem. But when I came back my wand still didn't work.

The director saw me and came out and said another parent had the same problem. She called the "if you have trouble with this gate" phone number on the gate, and they said "they'd send someone out." I wonder if they'd send someone quickly if I'd just parked in the bus lane and gone to pick up Jane on foot (another parent parked elsewhere on campus and walked).

SO the director brought Jane out to me while I'm stuck at the gate, I put her in, buckle her up and back up so another parent can get to the gate (I don't think it worked for them either, which was a small comfort). Luckily the swarm of kids was less now - they'd mostly made it to class or other parts of campus?

It was just horrible, nerve-wracking and the worst. The wand let me into campus no problem, so I don't know. I hope they fix it, but knowing LSU it will be a regular problem. Gah. Hope more kids start skipping school soon. (College not preschool.)

Tailgating Maniacs

I just got back from a quick jaunt to the post office. I have to drive down College, which is pretty heavily congested. Today I had someone right on my tail from just after I turned onto Lee from our street until past Perkins. She was SO CLOSE to my bumper, it was scary. I was going the speed limit and didn't think much of it. People here love to tailgate -- ALL KINDS of tailgating. Geez.

Then as soon as we cross the railroad tracks I notice how close she's getting AND that the lane next to me is stopping. There's a one-legged man in a wheelchair crossing the street in the middle of the road. (This is a four-lane, busy busy road!) I honk my horn, mainly to alert this lunatic behind me to slow the EFF down and not hit me, as I slam my brakes to keep from running into the pedestrian. (Are you a pedestrian in a wheelchair?)

Then my adrenaline was running and I was so upset I just stayed stopped until this woman would go around me. She had ample opportunities, but she just sat there, inches behind me. If I inched up to give her space to get around she just creeped behind me. SO AWFUL.

I was terrible too, in that I was backing up traffic. But it was a crazy thing. FINALLY she went around me, and she was racing to get to ... STARBUCKS! She had her LSU stickers and stuff on her giant silver SUV. Typical typical typical. (She was still in line in the drive through when I came out of the post office.)

My heart has pretty much stopped racing now that I'm back home and everything is OK. I wish I'd thought to get her license plate number or something because she was really driving recklessly (I guess I was too by stopping in the road and impeding traffic).

I should probably just stay home!

Crochet: Aqua, Coral & White Chevron Baby Blanket

Here's a baby blanket I made a few weeks ago for a former coworker expecting her first baby, a girl. I snooped on her Pinterest account to select the colors. Chevron patterns are still pretty popular, plus they're easy to crochet, and you know I love a zig-zag pattern (my initials make a chevron pattern you know!).

The mom-to-be was very appreciative when I sent the blanket. Surprise packages are the best packages anyway too.

I used Red Heart Soft yarn -- I bought them online, so the coral isn't at all what I had in mind. This was a little more orange than I expected - or something. But it still looked good as a pop between the white and turquoise (which I think was called deep sea or something).

Happy crocheting!

Brain Decay

I don't think my brain is really decaying, but the crazy stuff I did this week could make a case that it is!

On Tuesday Jane and I went to a local pool and I forgot to bring towels! It was hot enough that we drip dried to get back into clothes. But the changing room/bathroom was so gross I'm still traumatized.

As an aside, the pool was less exciting than expected. It was also unshaded and shallow. The water was as warm as bath water, so not refreshing at all. I was the only adult there, save the lifeguards who seemed to be all teenagers or early 20s. It was only $2.50 to swim, and not SO far away, but it's not in the best part of town -- you can see the Interstate while you're in the water. The pool closed this weekend, so we went the last week possible. Who ever heard of summer ending in July?! It's going to be 90+ here for at least another six weeks! We've got to figure out some better way to go swimming next summer (or the rest of this one!). Maybe join the Y?

Forgetting the towels actually seems minor compared to what I did next. When we got home my computer wouldn't turn on. It just stayed black, although sometimes the Dell start screen would come up. Eventually I got to an error screen, and it gave me the option to restart, shut down, etc. I tried both and still wouldn't turn on. Finally it said "want to refresh?" I was desperate and upset and didn't read closely. YES, just turn on.

Major mistake.

It refreshed and wiped out all programs that had been installed. That meant Office, Creative Suite and a ton of other things. Shawn came home, was baffled that I would do such a thing but a big help and spent a couple hours reinstalling. Even though he was in the middle of a big work project, and I was a big freak out mess.

The computer is almost back to normal. There are a few programs that still need to be installed -- backup systems and such. I am trying to go more slowly and THINK through, and I'm glad that these two brain blips didn't have lasting consequences other than my annoyance and some time.

Aqua Aerobics

For the first two weeks in July Jane had "water exploration class," i.e. play in the pool and learn a few water safety skills. At the same time I was able to do water aerobics. (The cost of her class and mine together was less than the going rate for private class lessons - so hooray for our local parks & rec for enabling my cheapness!)

I loved aqua aerobics, and I think I wrote about it last year too when I did it for the first time. Jane loved her class much more this year - no tears or anxiety at being separated. The set up was a little different, in that there was no drop-off before class started, so a couple times I was scrambling to get to my class (and didn't get the biggest weights available most days because they're also the most popular). ANYWAY...

The Good: NO BURPEES! (And staying cool during an outdoor workout/not just waiting on a bench in the 90+ temps during Jane's class.)

The Bad: Still plenty of bounce (if you know what I mean).

The Ugly: I shredded the bottoms of my feet on the pool before I started wearing my water shoes. They are still scratched and hurtie. How do I fix that??? I think a pedicure would be a bad idea with small open cuts on the bottom of my big toes. TMI? No problem from me! I might try lots of lotion and socks to let it soak in. The pumice doesn't seem to make much difference...

The classes varied by instructor. The main teacher missed a couple classes, and the subs were much more by-the-seat-of-their-pants, so on those days it was less of a good workout. 45 minutes at a time is a little longer than I usually workout with videos at home, although I'm trying to increase my time investment when I can. And when we did lots of cardio with strength training against the water resistance I could really "feel the burn," so to speak. My muscles were never that sore (I've got aching thighs today from lots of land-based squats, so I know sore!). But it felt great and I certainly sweated a lot, all while staying cool in the pool.

Highly recommend, and I wish I could find an affordable class to take this fall. It is hot here until October!

Crochet: TARDIS Blanket

I made this blanket following this Blue Police Box pattern from Sandra Petit. It makes a really tall/skinny throw, and I think adding some background to keep the finished product rectangular and a little wider would be a good idea. The light at the top seems off to me too, and a background edging or something would fix that right up. Otherwise maybe leaving out a few of the rows in each box to make it a little less tall and seem more properly proportioned.

I added Moogly alphabet letters for the POLICE BOX part - I can’t cross stitch very well. I used cotton thread and a small hook to make the letters to fit.

I used a darker blue than suggested in the pattern (mainly because it’s what I had on hand to start with.) All of the worsted weight yarn is Red Heart, and the white thread is something I had on hand that no longer has a label.

It took me a few months to finish, mainly because of the monotony of double crochets so I would put it down for a while. I also had trouble keeping the yarn tangle-free, especially in the "window" sections, when I had three colors going. I did not cut yarn at every change, so the blanket is probably even thicker than normal because of carrying yarn on almost every stitch.

When I finally give it to Gingie (it's a present for my mom) I think she will like it! I did tell her it was done and showed her a picture of it before I wrote this post.

(I should really clean up around my guest bed before I take pictures to post on the internet. Good grief!)

1K Before K

Colorful Books Stacked (Blender)
by FutUndBeidl, on Flickr

We read Jane 1,000 books this summer. Starting in mid-March our library began a program called "1,000 Books Before Kindergarten," in an effort to get parents to read more to their kids. We signed up and didn't change our reading habits, other than writing down every-single-book as we read them.

We finished up in late June, so 1,000 books in less than four months. Woah.

Extrapolating we are probably averaging 3,000 books per year, so we should definitely read 10,000 books before she actually starts Kindergarten (in two years). She loves books -- not sure if it's because we've always read to her or if it just worked out that way.

She wasn't the first kid to complete the log -- not by a long shot. Some people with younger kids were able to finish 1,000 books in two months or so. That makes sense, as board books tend to have less than 20 words in them! That will definitely rack up the titles quickly.

We read a mix of book lengths, although I think most tended toward longer picture books and a few "readers" (which usually have fewer words than picture books). Sometimes a board book would sneak in too, although they aren't her favorites anymore.

Here are some book series we have loved: Ladybug Girl, Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, Amelia Bedelia and Freckleface Strawberry. I'm always looking for more strong female character books. Jane also loves Arthur, Curious George, Thomas the Tank Engine and Franklin books. (Not girl characters but still good stories.) Oh and George and Martha books are the BEST. I wish there were more of them, and I want to get Jane the complete set of her own, although we've checked out the library's copies at least three times each. So good -- not too long and charmingly goofy.

The prizes for our hard work were a drawstring backpack (at 250 books read), a decal/sticker (at 500 books read), a poster (at 750 books read) and a book (at 1000 books read). She also got her picture on the library's kid Facebook page as having completed the program. Apparently there will also be a party for all who finish, but they haven't decided when that will be.

Read on...

No ma'am, I do not like to be called ma'am

Jane and me, at my "tent" where the craft was
an olive oil hand scrub that didn't go over well.

Last week was Vacation Bible School at our church. Jane had lots of fun and learned a lot in her first year at VBS. I think the songs were my favorite part, although Jane said she liked making candles the best.

One day her "tribe" got to plant a seed in a small decorated pot to take home. Unfortunately hers walked away somehow and we were searching around for it at the end of the morning. I asked one of her tribe leaders if she knew where it could be.

The leaders for Jane's tribe were all young teenage girls. This one was very polite and "yes, ma'am"-ed me, which raised my ire and made me want to scream. It feels forced/fake, even though I know that it is not at all fake for her.

We never did find the pot -- although Jane potted another one the next day because the girls felt guilty about it. The seeds actually sprouted, which is something that usually doesn't happen when I mix with plants.

TIBTIL: Picnic Blanket

A thing I bought that I L-O-V-E is my Tuffo Water-Resistant Outdoor Blanket with Carrying Case, which I purchased from Amazon in 2010 for Shawn's birthday. It was something we used in the parks in New York, which we'd hit a few times a month to read the paper and just hang out outside.

Now it's a regular Jane accessory and was perfect for the beach. The sand shook off easily, it folds up nicely into its carrying case and is machine washable. Now I'd probably choose a different pattern (pink, perhaps?), but I like the brown dots we got -- it seems neutral but I still have never seen another just like it. (I also love the bag we used for the beach this trip -- it's one I bought at Pearl River in NYC, which I read is closing due to high rents!)

Amazon affiliate link used.

This Time Two Weeks Ago

Sandy toes and salty kisses. It was a fabulous vacation, and maybe I'll get around to writing more about it. Here is me at a happy place:

Review: Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves

Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves by Naomi Aldort

I read this book after seeing it recommended on a message board thread, which I found after googling something like "I'm so mean to my kid!" (Our bathroom battles have been epic.)

I like some of the book's advice and think treating your child as an individual and with respect is solid. But some of the other advice seemed unrealistic and like it would get out of hand quickly -- not that the child would manipulate or take advantage of the parent but that they'd never learn how to be part of a family unit, do their part of things, etc. Also you would NEVER get anywhere on time because her advice seems to suggest the kids can do anything they want, never interrupt them or redirect their activity.

There are more complete reviews on Goodreads that better describe what I mean/why I didn't love this book. (And they also link to a series debunking the author's credentials and an entire site about people who have been hurt by crunchy parenting.)

I didn't completely hate the book either though, and I've found myself trying to be more mindful with Jane and practice some of the S.A.L.V.E. method, which stands for Separate yourself from your child's behavior with a silent self-talk, Attention on your child, Listen to what your child is saying or what actions may be indicating, Validate your child's feelings, and Empower your child to resolve her own upset. I still probably help Jane solve problems more than she needs, but I also know we're securely attached and believe she knows how deeply she's loved even when I lose my temper.

View all my reviews

It's Pin-Wheely Fun

For Jane's end-of-the-year class party I found out we were invited/supposed to/allowed to bring little treats for the other kids in her class. I ordered some pinwheels from Amazon -- I got a dozen for around $5, and I attached a small tag that says "It's Pin-Wheely Fun Being Your Classmate." I thought this was VERY clever, and not something I'd seen on Pinterest (although maybe I missed it?).

Crochet Cross

The admin assistant at church has created a cross wall in her office, and she asked for donations/loans of crosses.

I have so much thread that I decided to whip up a crocheted cross. I made it in less than an hour, although the pattern was tricky enough that it took me a few tries to get it started correctly.

I forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her to hang, hence the wild picture with reflection from the fluorescent light. It was really easy to make, although clearly I could have framed it better. (It's not mounted, just in a regular 8x10 frame, which is tight enough to hold it in place -- I hope!)

I have so much thread that I should come up with more thread projects. I wonder if I could crochet a top for Jane by holding a couple or three strands together. It's cotton and with the right stitch it could be quite nice...

Crochet Princess Tulle Dress

Oh Pinterest, how I've come to love you. At first I didn't understand or like it. I'm not that visual of a person, and I wanted more text -- to understand what was going on in the pictures. I still lean that way, but for crochet at least I've found some great things using Pinterest and love to browse. (It's the source for most of my hat ideas.)

One pin I found was from the blog The View From My Hook -- a free pattern for the Kassia Empire Waist Dress. It took me a while to get the tulle for the skirt. Walmart was almost entirely out of them, but I eventually made a trip to Michaels and found them (cheaper than at Walmart too -- $3/roll and I bought three, although I only used two on Jane's skirt).

For the top I used some stash Red Heart hot pink yarn. I thought I had more pink choices left over from my hat making time, but they must just be small remnants in my bag-of-yarn-balls. The top pattern was OK, although I really think a lighter weight yarn would be better and offer greater drape. After making Jane's cape and a couple jackets I definitely see the value of using smaller yarn for better clothes.

I misread the instructions on the skirt and didn't use two strips of tulle held together for each knot. I would have used the third roll if I'd done that, and the skirt would be even fuller. For a dress up, play dress it's plenty full I think. Jane loves it and said "It's so pretty!" the first time she saw it. I also could have been more precise in the strips' lengths -- they vary a bit, even though I trimmed them after the skirt was complete. Oh well.

I'm not sure if it's the yarn or the pattern, but row 9 of the top (which is below the row 8 where I added in the tulle skirt) flips up and exposes the tulle knots. I should probably add a row 10 to try to give it weight to hold down (or maybe blocking/ironing would get it to go the right direction). I probably won't do anything for this one, but I might try to make another one with a shorter skirt using the third spool of tulle I have left. I might use a different top pattern -- maybe the top of the swingset cardigan and have it button in the back? Possibilities are endless!

Crochet Baby Mermaid Tails

A friend posted some cute pictures of babies wearing mermaid tails on Facebook. She wondered if she knew anyone who could make such a thing. I raised my (virtual) hand and got to work with some stash yarn. It's been so fun. I love quick, little projects (and remember why I loved making all those blasted hats ... of which I probably have 40+ left!).

I found two free patterns: Mermaid Newborn Cozy and Mermaid Tail Cocoon. I kept crocheting, trying to get the waist the right size. Finally I think I got enough options and we'll see if baby girl can fit into one of them. I plan to get them in the mail today. I love the purple the best, but I think it's going to be too small. In the two bigger blue ones I added waist bands -- just a long chain woven between a row of double crochet to make it cinchable, on the off chance that I did get one too big.

I improvised the tops (and only made two because I think they're adjustable enough) -- just 3-4 rows of double crochet with a small double crochet row tied together in the front middle and long chains to add to the back. They are definitely just for show!

A Little Trisha's Table

I'm a big Trisha Yearwood fan. I have all her albums as CDs and ripped to my iPod (except the compilations they've made over the years mixing up the songs in different ways). I also own all three of her cookbooks. The latest, Trisha's Table: My Feel-Good Favorites for a Balanced Life, came out this month, and I've tried three recipes so far. One winner, one huge loser and one maybe-try-again.

The best one we've tried was the "Neat Sloppy Joes" -- made with ground turkey, beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, onions and peppers. The sauce uses tomato paste, vinegar and a touch of brown sugar that made it super tasty -- and it was a big recipe so we ate on it for a supper and two lunches!

The major flop was "Broccoli Slaw Chicken," which is a recipe without a picture in the book. That's probably a clue that it's not a true winner/maybe is just filler in the book. (Also the recipe is not on Food Network's website, another indicator it's a dud all around.) In any case the picante sauce mixed with broccoli slaw (broccoli, carrots and cabbage, which I bought pre-shredded) and cooked made for a disgusting bite. We barely ate the chicken the first night, and the leftovers sat in the fridge until I finally gave myself the grace to toss them out.

The maybe-try-again is "Raspberry Chicken." We didn't like it very much, although the sauce was OK. I would want to try again because I didn't have the mushrooms the recipe calls for. I bought them, but when I started making the chicken the mushrooms had gone bad in the fridge (my Winn Dixie's produce department is terrible and I should really get my act together and shop at the weekly farmer's market ... but that's another issue). It was edible, and I think we ate the leftovers too. Definitely not a favorite, make-every-week kind of recipe.

Related: I'm way late to the party, but I've just found Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen on Amazon Prime/PBS and have gone down a wormhole watching those (with a notebook in hand to write down recipes and techniques as they show them). I'm going to be trying a few new things I think. Meal planning and cooking has become SUCH a chore for me. I hope this will infuse some new spark and make it more fun again...

Do you have any new recipes you can recommend?

Amazon affiliate links to cookbooks used. (Recipe links go to Food Network's website.) 

Remembering

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. I remember the lives lost, those who survived and those who are forever changed.

I was an eighth grader and in first period math class when the superintendent of our little school came in with the news. I think a TV was wheeled in and we were able to watch some coverage. My town is about two hours away from Oklahoma City.

A few weeks later our government (civics?) class took a field trip to the site, and we saw the building before it was completely demolished. I was caught up in my middle-school boyfriend/girlfriend drama (I vaguely remember that the boy I liked played a breakup song to signal we were through on this trip, but I could be mixing memories). But I do remember the awe of the devastation and all the stuffed animals and notes tucked along the chain link fence. Somewhere I have some prints of photos I took that day.

The memorial was completed before I left the state, but for some reason I have never been through it. I'm rarely in Oklahoma City proper, although I should make the time to visit it next time I go home.

Welcome Church Friends

I donated six hats to my church's silent auction, and I included a silvermari crochet business card with each hat. I don't think they all sold, but I know at least Grumpy Cat did. So, if you're checking out my site and are fellow member of St. John's UMC, welcome!

If you want to know more about my crochet, check out the crochet section. Otherwise this is just a site where I write periodically about things I'm thinking about, reading or watching. Hopefully I'm not too grumpy and there isn't too much that's completely embarrassing (to me, Shawn or Jane). It's a fine line to walk when you write about yourself on the Internet.

Let me know if you're reading!

A Painting Hangs

In time for Gran's birthday today we finally got the painting from her living room hung up in ours.

I love everything about it, but I would happily trade it to see it in her house again covered with family photos and her sitting next to it. (Painting by Great Uncle Dale McKinney)

A Stranger in the South

I'm not from the South. So I don't understand the value of making our kids say "yes, ma'am" and "no, sir" in every interaction with an adult. That's the style at Jane's school though. She doesn't bring it home or call me that, although she does tell me her teacher tells her to say it. Will she be in big trouble if I don't drill her in that social nicety? I do find myself falling prey to the "Ms./Mr. First Name" with people at church. That seems expected, although still weird to me.

We had her Easter party at school this week, and I got to observe the other moms of kids in the 2-year-old classes. Most knew each other, and knew each other well. Basically I got the impression that the typical mom fits the cliche "good Christian woman." It was the same recipe -- blown out hair, cute matching ensembles and multiple children in their arms also dressed up in smocked outfits and giant hair bows for the girls. And they all speak so sweetly, even though I could feel the undercurrent of "bless your heart" pulsing in that sweet talk. I didn't feel totally out of place, since Jane was there and she fits in great despite her decidedly un-smocked wardrobe and lack of giant hair bows, but it is very obvious that I am different. That may always be so...