Running Again

I found my machine oil. It was in a little crate with some other bathroom items. I keep it in the bathroom because, where else is easier to clean up if some of the oil happens to spill?

We're going to be very busy for a while here, and I hate having so much on my plate. Curriculum night at the middle school tonight, ice cream social for the high school marching band tomorrow. Fortunately, Daddy will be the one taking the girls school supply shopping on Saturday. I will probably be the one taking the girls shopping for a few new clothes. Next week, marching band preview night, then the first day of school. Then the football games start, then the dance classes start. I guess it will keep me out of trouble. :)

Tired

I have a post brewing, but at the moment I am tuckered out. The Musician is in marching band and had Band Camp this week, so I drove her to and from the high school twice a day, in addition to dropping off and picking up my husband at the bus stop. Then there was an Ice Cream Social for the band tonight, in addition to getting all the parents to sign up for stuff.

We're seriously getting into that time of our lives when we're going to spend our time driving our girls around to activities. We may as well enjoy it, because I'm sure it will speed right by. Mr. BTEG is already working concessions at the high school football game next week. Let the fun begin!

Sickies

There is a cold going through the Evil Genius family. I am the one who currently has it, and I am at that stage where I am incredibly bored but don't feel up to doing anything. I'm also hoping I will get a better night's sleep than I did last night. For being sick, you'd think I would have slept like a log, but I didn't. I think I will go have some ice cream to soothe my sore throat. :)

P.S. What does it say about me that my blog has a label for ice cream? :)

Cure for the Friday Blues

As I've gotten more into homeschooling, both increasing the scope of my teaching, and teaching the girls at higher grades, I'm realizing why Friday happy hour is popular. :) Not only am I tired, but my tired mind tends to focus on what I haven't achieved during the week, and what needs to be accomplished over the weekend. Fortunately, there is a couple with whom we go out to eat a couple/few times a month, and tonight was one of those times. I got some adult time, a good meal, a tasty sangria, and Mr. Evil Genius just ran out to the ice cream store and is bringing home a chocolate-with-hot-fudge sundae for me. I think I'll survive another day.

Ice Cream Weekend

Turns out today was National Ice Cream Day, which was very fitting, considering the kind of weekend we had. Yesterday, my husband took the family to Mitchell's for my birthday. I had the double chocolate chunk ice cream, with really creamy chocolate chunks, in case you're wondering. Later on, Wildchild was playing with a friend and got an invitation to go to Mootown Creamery with a friend, so it was a two-ice-cream-day for her.

Today, Wildchild's friend, the soon-to-be-kindergartener, came over to play, and we had ice cream for dessert after dinner. After Wildchild and I took her friend home, we were going to head over to my friend Presbytera's to drop off some things of hers, and she called and told me they were going out for ice cream and invited us along. How could I say no?? So a big group ended up going out for ice cream. And my husband, not to be left out, took the Scientist to Mootown. Which apparently is like Cold Stone Creamery, only less expensive and bigger servings. Just so you know.

Also cool, Wildchild and I saw two bucks right around the corner from the Presbytera and Chaplain's place on the way home.

Don't Say I Never Gave You Anything

So who's taking me out for ice cream? :)

Run Run Run!

Yesterday the Scientist had her first Latin class of the 2006-2007 school year. We also needed groceries desperately and the Scientist needed shoes desperately. So we took care of those tasks. I also signed the Scientist up for gymnastics classes. She starts Saturday.

Then today, my sister-in-law and her husband came up to Cleveland for a medical visit. When she was done, I picked up my husband from work and we met for lunch at Don Pablo's. And especially since my in-laws grew up in Youngstown, what could be better for dessert than some yummy Handel's! My brother-in-law was familiar with the store, as he has worked on installing the air conditioning and refrigeration system in every Handel's. As franchises out of Youngstown, I guess they use the same Youngstown firm every time. Here's my great sister-in-law with her loving nieces! Oh, and Lutheran Lucy, this is the sister-in-law who also Loves Lucy. Notice the red hair color!

Then I had to buy tights and ballet shoes for Wildchild, who is taking ballet this year. We had to drive to downtown Craphole Elyria, which I am going to try to never, ever, do again. The traffic is aggravating, the lights are annoying; it was just a pain. But aren't these ballet shoes so cuuuuuuute?

And speaking of ballet, after reading my post about the book Ballet Shoes, a (currently) anonymous blog reader and member of my church loaned me these three books to read to my daughters. I'm looking forward to it, and very thankful for the loan!

Fortunately, I have no place to go tomorrow, so we can really dive into the schoolwork. Not that I haven't been taking advantage of all the time in the car. The Scientist read all of Island of the Blue Dolphins today during our trips around town!

We Put the Fun in Dysfunctional

Things are moving along better here at the abode of the Evil Genius. The weather is cooler, which is a relief. There's plenty of ice cream in the house, also important. I hadn't made any plans to fly anywhere soon, which is just as well.

Since I know many of you have people you're related to that you'd just as soon forget, I would like to share the Dysfunctional Family Letter Generator that my husband found while surfing. Hope you all find some humor in it even as you're thinking about who you could mail it to!

Progress

I wanted to show you how I'm doing on the doll outfit I'm creating. So here's a picture of Josephine, a 16-inch doll, wearing the petticoat I made for her, and a muslin, or trial version, of the top and the sleeve patterns I was working on. The trial version helped me make the pattern look the way I want, and I've started the actual top. I'm not ready to show it though.

Wildchild and her friend the Princess, and the Princess' mother and I, went to see Barbie: Live in Fairytopia Friday night. It was a very fun, girlie time. Of course, we had to stop at Handel's on the way home, so it was just an overall lovely evening. So, is the Princess' mother, the Queen? Long live their Majesties!

At Long Last!

I can post pictures from the Cleveland Confessional Lutheran Blogger's Ice Cream Ministry!

Here we have Mr. Theological Universe, looking as though he is pondering an especially deep theological issue. Or something. And Theological Universe, Jr. whose deepest concern was whether he could have some pop.








Next, we have the lovely Mrs. Schreiben von Schreiber, enjoying her ice cream. Then we have the Schreiblings: LegoBoy, Blondie, Princess and Little Guy. Little Guy made sure he got his share of ice cream, believe me! Mr. Schreiben von Schreiber and Die-Hard Equestrian preferred to stay home.
















Lastly, we have Wildchild. For some reason, I neglected to get a picture of the Scientist. The Future Confessional Lutheran Bloggers (or whatever technology we've come up with by that time) enjoyed their ice cream, and all the adults did too!

Just Checking In

I've been wanting to post pictures from the Blogger's Ice Cream Ministry over the weekend, but the pictures aren't online yet, so I'll just give you a random thought or two to tide you over. :)

Okay, the Indians lost to the Cubs last night. I haven't heard anyone else's take on it, but for me? The season is Officially Over. It's hard to pin down what went wrong though. We have several quality players. Grady Sizemore rocks, Travis Hafner is an excellent DH and I don't think he was that horrible at his stint at first base. Victor went through a slump, but every player does. I'll agree Peralta hasn't been the best shortstop he could be, and Jason Johnson needs to get on the first bus for Triple A, period.

I'm not a pastor, so I can say that I am so tired of the antics of particular members of the Missouri Synod. The Synod has been compared to the Titanic, and from that point of view, I see myself sitting in a lifeboat, staring at how low the large vessel is in the water, and hoping and praying more people can get off before she cracks in half and goes down. I'm such a cynic, or as I prefer to call it, a realist, that I guess something like this was inevitable. Human institutions can never last. All the more reason to hold to what will, the Cross of Christ. Only the death and resurrection of my Lord and Savior will keep me safe.

I'm glad to see so many of the fathers out there had a good Father's Day. On the other hand, it's sad to discover more families have experienced brokenness over the years. But as a pastor put it to me, Christ can make all things new, and He keeps guiding my little family into loving fellowship. Thank God for all the understanding people He has brought into our lives. May He bring human fellowship and comfort to everyone who needs it.

And now:

Barb the Evil Genius presents: Real Men of Genius
(real men of genius)
Today we salute you, Mr. Ice Cream Inventor.
(Mr. Ice Cream Inventor)
You took some flavored beans and some cow's milk and turned it into a culinary delight
(It's healthy; it's dairy!)


















Pushing dessert innovation to its limits, there's now four billion flavors to choose from, although I'll still take chocolate, or chocolate-chocolate-chip
(A brown mustache!)














With sugar cones, waffle cones, waffle cones dipped in chocolate and waffle cones dipped in chocolate with sprinkles, I could have a different one every day
(So many choices!)
So have two scoops on me, Ice Cream dude. You make summer more bearable for all of us.
(Mr. Ice Cream Inventor)

Sunshine Day

I didn't blog over the weekend because I spent a good bit of it "vegging out," so I found it hard to put good, coherent sentences together. Today I feel much more energetic and alert though, so I guess a "down" weekend was worth it. I do wonder how much the weather affects my mood; it's certainly not an uncommon idea. Yesterday it was gray and dull, and you could feel heavy rain approaching. Now that the rain has passed and the sun is shining again, I feel much better.

Tomorrow there is a field trip to a dairy farm through a Lutheran homeschool group. The girls should enjoy it because we are supposed to get an ice cream cone! So today I want to try to work a little extra schoolwork in. I wanted to do a little schoolwork with the girls last week, but we didn't get through as much as I wanted. The schools around here were on vacation, so the girls got more of an opportunity to play with friends who are normally in school and "after school care." Ah well. The weather has been lovely and it is good for them to be outside playing. There are several kids close by in our neighborhood and they can spend a whole day playing in various backyards. My daughters always let me know where they are, and I can see them myself most of the time. The other parents are good about keeping an eye out as well. It's pretty close to those idyllic carefree childhoods where you would leave the house after breakfast and not come home until dinner, even if a parent is always inobtrusively watching nowadays. Sometimes I'd like to spend all day playing outside myself!