Practice makes perfect

I don't know if I've told you folks, but MM will be riding the Big Yellow Bus pretty soon. Kind of ridiculous since his school is within walking distance of our house, but necessary since it is beyond where the sidewalk ends. To get to school using a path with sidewalks would mean walking a mile around the school and coming in from the opposite direction.

Thus, the bus.

It will arrive on our corner every weekday morning at 0729 starting two weeks from today.

We are used to waking up at 0730. You see the problem.

So this week we're practicing. We all wake up somewhere around 0700, get dressed, eat breakfast, walk to the bus-stop (right across the street from our house), wait until 0729, and then go back indoors to play with PlasticBricksFromHolland until it's time to go to day camp.

It's already pretty obvious that we're going to have to move the wake up time up a bit. MM was unable to finish eating breakfast within the time-frame we've currently got.

This means an earlier bedtime. Which means an earlier dinner.

Feh.

But he's pretty darn excited about it all. Come to that, so am I!

I've heard differently

I had to go pee in a bottle again because the lab goofed and did the wrong test.

The good news is: I don't have gestational diabetes. Which is truly a relief, since I'm not pregnant.

Start date a week from Monday, unless I hear differently.

I seeb to hab a code.

Bery bery addoyig.

I stard by dew job Mudday, udless I hear differed.

How's by you?

Yes, I counted

We just bought MM a 700-piece box of Legos. They fit into a smallish shoe-box. Who'd've guessed?

Eerie silence

My computer has been snarling at me, despite many reboots. MS comes along, reboots it, now it works.

Must catch up on email and whatnot. Be back soon.

Whoa

The world is spinning too fast.

MM, who is now sporting the classic 6-year-old smile (great big gap there in the middle where two teeth used to be), is going to sleep over at DeepVoicedFirstGrader's house tomorrow night. The following three nights he will spend at my SIL's house. Because MS and I will be at a conference in CityWithFamousIslandPrison, 3000 miles away.

For four days.

MM is staying at DVFG's house tomorrow night because MS and I are leaving on a 0705 plane and MM's daycamp doesn't open until 0630. DVFG's mom will take them both to daycamp later in the morning.

He's been looking forward to staying with SIL for months. MONTHS. And not just because my BIL has every Lego Star Wars kit known to man-kind.

But I am sitting here, filled with wonder that my baby is a gap-smiled six-year-old who is going off on sleep-overs, and wondering what the hell I'm thinking leaving my baby for 4 days. MY BABY.

He's such a big kid now.

Is it just me or is blogger being difficult today? UPDATED

It's coming up as a Windows Explorer error for me. I can't read anybody's posts from today. Is it just because I'm the last to still be using Uncle Bill's software instead of Firefox?

Update: I downloaded and installed Firefox and everything is now hunky-dory. However, I think Blogger would do well to check that puppy out.

I GOT THE JOB!!!

I'm gonna work Five Minutes From My House!

Squee just doesn't even say it.

Thank you all for thinking of me during the interview. It really made me feel supported.

SQUEEEE!

I have a follow-up interview with FMFMH tomorrow at 0830. Meanwhile, sitting in my e-mail inbox is the offer letter from PIUTW. With an offer of 2,500 more than I expected.

I AM FREAKING OUT.

Errrrg!!!

PlaceIUsedToWork seems to want me. I called up FiveMinutesFromMyHouse to let them know that I'll be getting an offer letter from PIUTW but I'd drop PIUTW in a hot New York minute if FMFMH would hire me. Pleasepleasepleaseplease I said. Well, no, actually, I didn't. But I thought it. They are going to pass the urgency up the chain and let me know.

MM and I love riding trains. Did I tell you that?

We have two zukes and several green beans a-ripening on their vines. Still no 'loupes.

Say "Hi!" to my sister, BalancingAct!

I can't wait to go up and visit again!

What he said, mark II

"I don't see why that bee had to sting me. I wasn't bothering it!"

"I'm not going to call that waterpark by it's name anymore. From now on, I'm calling it 'The Home of Bees'"

"Don't put that nasty smelly stuff on me! My stung leg will get better by itself!"

What he said

"I'm not wearing Superman on my butt! I'm wearing Superman's symbol on my butt!"

Hi Grandma!!! And interview updates

Everyone say "hi" to my Grandma who is visiting my blog for the first time!

FiveMinutesFromMyHouse went well. I reallyreallyreally hope they hire me.

SoundsLikeAMiniMarathon wasn't a good fit. Life's like that.

Mwah!

I have two, count 'em TWO interviews scheduled for tomorrow

One at 2:30 with SoundsLikeAMiniMarathon and one at 11:00 with FiveMinutesFromMyHouse! If I get that job I could bike to work! Heck, if there were more sidewalks in this suburb, I could WALK to work. Hmmm, I wonder if I know anyone in local government with enough pull to get sidewalks added? (kidding! Just kidding! Though I really do believe in the value of universal sidewalks.)

I didn't get the job

Boo.

But...I have an interview with another company on Friday and a nibble with a company FIVE MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE!

Back from my sister's!

MM and I had a wonderful time. MM caught a fish his very first time fishing. He jumped on a trampoline. Swam in my sister's pool. Fed the cats and the dog and the chickens. Politely asked the rooster to be quiet as, "everyone KNOWS it's the morning already! You told us a million times!"

I didn't wheeze. My eyes didn't swell shut or turn red or make me want to scratch them out. My tongue and throat didn't itch once. Zyrtec? Or allergies going away as mysteriously and suddenly as they appeared? I don't know, but I'm grateful.

10 hours each way on Amtrak with a six-year-old were a snap thanks to the miracle of a laptop with a DVD player. Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, Shrek, and Buzz Lightyear kept us company, with occasional breathers playing kanoodle and my travel-sized Othello. And walks to the cafe car for rations. And, of course, potty breaks.

MM would have liked to stay 10 more days, and I would have too, but I have an interview tomorrow and a meeting in Richmond Thursday.

But we're going back. And soon.

Meet Ngaio Marsh

I'm missing about four of them, which is strange, because I thought my collection was complete, but I'm guessing I loaned out some and never got them back.

Marsh, a contemporary of Christie, wrote 32 books, of which, as you see I have 28. Her books are delightful, better plotted than Christie. Well worth a read.

The first one I ever read was Death of a Dancing Footman (1947). Above, it's 5th from the left. Lovely old paperback with a heady aroma of Used Bookshop or perhaps Grandma's Attic. Delicious.

I remember the first time I read it. I was on Long Island with my grandparents in a house they were renting and I wandered into a little summer house near the vegetable garden (oh! those zukes!) and there were all these beautiful well-read vintage paperbacks. They actually had this very edition. The one I have, though, I bought at Murder Ink from a consignment of used books.

School Supplies: WTF Edition

SchoolAroundTheCorner Student Supply List 2008-2009
GRADE 1

1 doz. #2 pencils
2 lg. bar erasers
2 pkgs cap erasers
4 thin black [brandname] dry erase markers
1 pr. [brandname] 5" blunt scissors
10 lg. white glue sticks
2 boxes 16 count [brandname] crayons
1 box [brandname] colored pencils
1 box [brandname] markers
4 plain 2-pocket folders in red, blue, yellow, green
2 black marble composition books
1 box tissues
1 5x8 school box
1 roll [brandname] transparent tape (3/4")(refill - boys only)
1 box gallon-sized [brandname] freezer bags (boys only)
1 box snack-sized [brandname] freezer bags (girls only)
1 box quart-sized [brandname] freezer bags (girls only)
1 box unscented baby wipes
1 bottle [brandname] glue
1 infant sock

I was (and am) appalled, but I finally found out why they have gendered supply sheets. Kudos to the first commenter who guesses correctly. Also, kudos to first commenter to correctly guess why the kids are bringing in an infant sock.

Pictures!

Can be found here. Those arms sticking out of the front of the truck on the uppermost leftmost picture belong to MM and Me. The fellow in the suspenders in the uppermost picture third from the left is MS.