Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Busiest Time of Year

Imogen has been doing so much. Her softball team has won almost all of their matches. The two games previous to Monday's game, they lost. So their coaches had them do two practices over the weekend! They won on Monday again. By some way...

She's also trying out for Chamber Chorus at the middle school. Bless her, she has a lovely voice but she's got no power behind it at all. She did a really good job with the ABBA song at her talent show though. I think we've pretty much decided that she'd like some singing lessons. This last year she hasn't done any extra-curricula arts, no dance or theatre, and she's missed it, so she'll get some lessons in the new school year. I don't think she'll get into the chorus. There's 62 places only and they give priority to the current 7th and 6th graders. But, by next year, she should have more breath control and get in then. It's a bit of a shame because she didn't go for Chamber Orchestra with her violin because she went for Chorus instead. Still, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm a bit worried about all the things she's doing next year already!

She's also has her 5th grade concert next week, so they've had rehearsals all this week. So what with having to be at the middle school for 7:15 (twice because she had a 'frog' in her throat for the first audition) she's also had to be at her school for 8:15 today and 7:45 tomorrow!

She has had a couple of trips too, one to Frost Valley, a Girl Scout horse riding place, which she absolutely adored, and a boat trip on the Hudson with school, which was a bit like those disco boats they have on the Thames. She had a good time! She also had an over-night play date, the first one since a party she went to two years ago! Was a bit worried about reciprocating as much as I like the girl (and her mum!), but it seems they can't organise it, so she's just coming round for the evening and going home at bed time!

Last week, Miranda had two play dates back to back, on Monday here and reciprocated on Wednesday. Just before she went to bed last night, she informed me that tomorrow was Wednesday and she had a play date. I told her that she didn't and she said, all indignant 'Mummy, it's WEDNESDAY, I should have one!'...

I was supposed to have a play date last Thursday but for some reason slept really badly on Wednesday night. So my friend didn't come over and I ate the bagels for her. She's going to come over tomorrow instead, which should be fun.

I got a new Dyson last week as well, which is nutty. I mean, the thing sucks EVERYTHING up. I thought my old Dyson was good, but this thing is scary! When the rolling brushes are on, I swear the thing literally drags me across the floor. I filled the can, vacuuming the upstairs alone. Then I did the same again, vacuuming downstairs! Then I cleaned my car out! The only problem with that is that the clear plastic on the drum is now scratched because of all the little stones in the car from the grit they put on the roads in the winter. But my car is clean for the first time since just before Christmas!

We also used some of the tax refund that bought the Dyson to replace our Freecycled patio set. Much as I love my Freecycle bargains, the patio set wasn't really a set. The table was a small round glass one that was starting to chip where the umbrella kept bashing against it. It being small also meant that we couldn't get all the chairs round it. The paint on the chairs was also peeling! It's been a great collection of bits but it's time to hand them on! We've had them for two years and they did for when it was just us but when we had guests due over for Sunday tea, we decided to suck it up and buy some new furniture. Luckily, Sears had a lovely deal on some of their furniture and we got it for about $300 less than list with a rebate because we used our Sears card. Which is normal for the US, to be fair. They always tell you never to buy anything full price over here!

Oh, yeah, and Gabe did an umprompted wee in the potty! Twice! I really should bite the bullet and put him in big boy pants but I really didn't want to potty train him until we're back from the UK at the end of August. Also, he's getting more verbal but he's really not there yet and still adamantly denying all knowledge of there being poop in his pants despite the entire household exclaiming 'You STINK!' at him! So, when school's finished (in two weeks time!!!), we might have a desultory go at big boy pants but I'm not going to insist until we get back from our vacs.

Getting very excited about the trip now! My baby sister is getting married on the 18th of July and we're all in the wedding party. I ordered Gabe a suit...OMG he's going to look unbelievably cute! He's going to be an usher with his daddy. The girls both have very girly sweet bridesmaid dresses. And I am matron of honour. I've never been a bridesmaid before, so this should be super, super fun! Oh, and the dress doesn't make me look like Two Tonne Tessie, which is a bonus!

Ah, yes, also, with regard to his Woolly Pants, these arrived!





They work pretty well, though he managed to squish them to one side one day and made a puddle on the floor, but they're really astonishingly good at holding his mega wee most of the time! I think the worst thing about them is that when you wash them they take forever to dry. As I'm loathe to splash out any more money on nappies as he's going to be out of them soon, I haven't really got enough nappies for him to use them every night (should have bought three not two!) and only having one soaker set is less than ideal as if they're in the wash, he's in paper for at least three nights! I'm going to knit him some myself, over the summer, most likely longies, as he's probably going to be in night nappies for a wee while yet. I have a lovely cloth nappying new mama to hand them onto, so long as I make them in girl friendly colours as she's having her little girl in July. They won't be too well used!

WOW...that was big catch up! I should write this thing more often!

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