a fine and lovely friday

This morning I almost overslept.

Oh, yeah.

A person was expecting me at noon, so I had to leave here at 11:30.

I woke up at ten til 11.

Yes, really. I slept the entire morning. I mean, I knew I was tired, but not THAT tired, teenager wiped out? Apparently.

I made it to the appointment on time and afterward picked up Maria and came home.

The baby shower is tomorrow over at Alicia's, so we were cooking tonight. Kirsten came over and made Green Eggs and Ham cookies. I made deviled eggs and baked a big, fat, chocolate cake, which Julia helped decorate.


We had so much fun.


This is a guy working on math. People ask us about homeschool, "So do you have a schedule and desks?"


No. This is James with his calculator, which is of limited value here, trying to learn algebra on the washing machine. Whatever. It suffices as a table. Kirsten and I took turns helping him. He'll get it yet. Add the like terms. Reduce. Get x alone. Slowly, he's catching on.


The homeschool packets? I make them up from random workbooks and stuff around the house, and from things available online when I have time to look for them.

When the packets are done, we throw them away when we run across them, not saved. I save original artwork or writing, but that's all.

James? Sigh. He's big now, but his original artwork at preschool involved depictions of 9/11 all the time.

He was four when that happened, and in all his drawings, paintings, collages, there would be tall buildings with many, many zillion little windows, airplanes and fire trucks. Over and over these themes appeared. I even pointed it out to his teachers, and one literally shrank back when she saw the background, "Oh my God."

Yeah.

That morning I was nursing Lydia on my lap in bed, 18 months old, when I clicked on the remote and Bryant Gumbel was talking and the video ran. When they hit the pentagon I called my mother, "Who is attacking our country?"

Later that day, when the towers came down, I sat on an ottoman in the den and cried. Maria asked, "Why are you crying, Mommy?"

I said, "There are people still in the buildings."

me and him, at my parents place in wisconsin the week before

James said nothing, stood between my knees sucking his ever-present double-jointed thumb, big blue eyes looked from me to the TV.

I should have been a helluva lot smarter and shut it off way sooner.

Anyway. 911 is not your fault or mine, and James seems to be fine, more or less, algebra and all.

Tomorrow is the baby shower, and we've cooked and are ready.

Here's an awesome shot of the belly, Heidi you gorgeous pregnant girl.


To Fridays everywhere, which Heidi told me is my very favorite day of the week, and she's observant. Yes, it is. Much love always, Val

these people found an overlooked tin of christmas gingerbread down in the freezer. jackpot!