Dollies

Just thought I'd share a picture of my big activity for the day. The Scientist is at a sleepover birthday party tonight and her friend has two American Girl dolls, just as the Scientist does. So I made her friend two identical outfits for her dolls. One of the Scientist's dolls is the model in this picture; I wanted to have a picture of the outfit to keep for myself.



One of the nice things about my husband working in Chicago for six months a while back was getting to visit him and do things in the area. And one of the things my daughters loved to do was go to American Girl Place. The Scientist had a Girl of Today at the time and has since received Samantha also; Wildchild loves her Bitty Baby and all her Bitty Friends. Since my husband was in Chicago for six months, we were able to visit the American Girl Place several times and do a different thing each time, thus breaking up the time involved (and the cost!) Here are the three of us at lunch in the American Girl Cafe. You can see that the dolls are at the table with us, and each doll gets her own little place setting. We had a lot of fun experiences there, and it was nice to see all the little girls walking around doll in tow. My husband was fortunately not debilitatingly overwhelmed by all the estrogen. :)



Of course, I must add that this was before all the problems with AG supporting an inappropriate outside group were really aired. I'm not sure what the current attitude is toward AG, although I know their involvement with said group has ended. Fortunately, our beloved dollies do not need to lack for clothes (see above) and there are lots of "cottage industries" supplying other things for them too. Why do companies have to involve toys with political agendas?

What Were They Thinking?

I cannot imagine how the situation with this girl got to the point it did. You know what? I hate to judge people, because there's been too many times where people have judged me without knowing all the circumstances, or when it was really none of their business anyway. But I imagine this kind of story causes a lot of parents to think about what their own children might do. And you better not just say "Not my kid" without having an idea why it would not be "your kid."

First of all, I came to the conclusion that both of the girl's parents probably work full-time. What else would a 14-year-old need her own cell phone for? And then how could she get her own prepaid cell phone without her parents knowing? And then, if you have already found your daughter communicating with a strange guy she met online, why wasn't a parent there to pick her up after school? Was someone supposed to pick her up? After already finding her communicating with this guy, someone should have been keeping an eye on her.

I'd also bet she doesn't have a close relationship with her father. This girl sounds like a textbook case of needing male approval. You really, truly make a difference, all you fathers out there. You really, truly do play a big part in your daughter's future relationships with males. I know this for a fact.

Lastly, need for male approval aside, what could a girl like this be thinking? Did she not know this was a stupid idea, or did desperation to fill her needs outweigh everything else? The 19-year-old male, to me it just seems like a simple case of him using someone to get what he wanted. His parents have obviously dropped the ball too. He had to know he was breaking the law, and it's just not healthy to use people. Basically, he's a creep. I do hope the law comes down hard on him, and I hope federal charges are brought as well.

O - H - I - O!

Okay, so living in Columbus for several years, I did grow heartily sick of Ohio State Football. I mean, the quarterback of the football team couldn't get a hangnail without it being on the front page of the paper and the feature story on the six o'clock news. But there is such a thing as state pride, and especially when we play Michigan, I root for the Bucks all the way!

While searching for something else, I found the humorous House Concurrent Resolution No. 16 to make "Hang On Sloopy" the official rock song of Ohio (you have to scroll down.) I hope you get a chuckle out of it like I did.

And by the way, "Hang On Sloopy" is also the theme song of the Ohio State football team, maybe the entire The Ohio State University(TM). Thus my train of thought above.

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!

So Many Idiots, So Few Clues

Here to share my thoughts on a well-deserved fisking at the International Women's Forum of the comments by a harried and hen-pecked husband of a militant feminist.

First of all, the guy has the cojones to say "We work long hours, longer than any previous generation of fathers." Um, has this guy studied any history? Read any books? Sure, maybe those upwardly-mobile fighting-to-make-partner types work 70 to 80 hours per week. Are you telling me that all those long-ago generations of men who worked the land with simple tools to feed their families worked less? Or the men who worked 15 hours a day in factories, when Sunday was your only day off? For generations of men (and women and children!), life was nothing but work, meals and some sleep. Besides, although today in many fields the strict 40-hour work week is long gone ("This project is going live tomorrow; you need to fix it tonight!"), I still don't think the average office-working man puts in more than 45 to 50 hours a week. A lot? Yes. Longer than any previous generation of fathers? Pleeeease.

He also claims he is more "involved" with his kids' lives "than any previous generation of men", because he goes to their sporting events. Yet two paragraphs later he mentions how many nights he's come home past dinnertime and his kids are in bed. Sorry, bub, standing on the sidelines cheering for your little superstar is not the same thing as eating meals with them and reading them a story before bed. When my mother was a little girl, my grandfather worked nights. It was the Depression, and he was blessed to have a job at all, but it meant he was either at work or sleeping most of the time his children were at home. So he and my grandmother would drive up to the grade school, and eat lunch with my mother and my two uncles. Then they would sit and watch their children play. Hey, a previous generation where a man was "involved" with his children's lives!

One woman's responses is rather enlightening too. She scolds him for daring to want some appreciation for what he does. I bet she is the same type of woman who whines about hard she has it because she has chosen to have a full-time job, and then she has to come home and cook dinner every night! Horror of horrors! And sure, certain things come with the territory of being a husband and father. But we all like to be noticed and appreciated for what we do.

Now while I do think men should do some of the things that need to be done around the house, it does sound like he has gotten stuck with all the hard and "unfun" stuff: fixing things that break around their old house, cleaning out the litter box, and hauling mounds of trash. He frames his idea of appreciation as "a doggy treat" though, so I wonder if his wife doesn't have him pretty well trained. My husband sees himself as a partner in maintaining our home, not a dog looking for a pat on the head. We both have some chores that are unpleasant, but we do them because they need to be done, and we appreciate each other's work.

I do admit that older people have been impressed with some of the things my husband is willing to do with our children. Once we were staying at a bed and breakfast when our children were very little. He took the Scientist down to breakfast while I nursed Wildchild and then fed her her baby cereal. When I came down, the older woman who ran the bed and breakfast commented that her husband would never have supervised their children at mealtime like that! My husband has also been commended by his mother and grandmother for helping our girls brush their teeth, and fixing their hair. (Then again, the Scientist's hair is a lot more like his, so he's had over thirty years of experience in dealing with it!) Is that just a generational anomaly? I don't know. I am glad that my husband has done the "mundane" with our children, not just the obvious things like attending events.

In short, it appears that not only has the feminist movement produced a bunch of women whiners, but some men whiners too. Me, I'd rather try to be happy with where I am and what I have. It's not always easy, but I'll get a lot more out of my marriage by being my husband's helpmate and encouragement than complaining about how hard I have it, or what he doesn't do. Like The Quipper and his wife, my husband and I have grown together in miraculous ways. Although I am far from always happy, I'd be stupid not to know how good I have it.

I am Pwincess Buttercwup

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti

H/t to Kate5kiwis for the quiz link.

Hmm. I'm getting a taste for brats.... :)

Summertime...and the livin' is boring

Well, okay, not exactly boring, but there's definitely not much going on here at the homestead of the Evil Genius. We took Mr. Pistol Packin' Presbytera out for dinner last night, as his wife has been taking off on him and leaving him home alone the last couple of weeks. I guess he's the Pistol Packin' Presbyter. He had a good solid protein-packed dinner so all was well. Unfortunately I did not think to get any pictures. A hug picture would have been great, huh?

I've been selling and buying a few things on eBay. I love being able to buy things from all over the world, and having people from all over the world be able to look at my junk, I mean stuff.

Trying to make a few plans for the upcoming weeks, but nothing else interesting going on right now. Have to get the house clean and the pool up for Fourth of July! :O

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)

Unexpected Reward

Lutheran Lucy recently blogged about unexpected rewards. Well, nine years ago today this little ball of black and white fur was an unexpected reward in our life. We found his mother wandering the garden center of a home improvement store, and I was too soft-hearted to leave her there where she could be run over by a car or who knows what else, so she came home with us. I honestly planned to find a home for her, until we found out...she was pregnant! Not a big suprise for a stray female cat, really. Too bad you can't tell whether they are spayed or unspayed just by looking.

The poor little guy ended up being an only child. His brother and two sisters (I guessed this based on their coloring) did not survive birth. He received his name at the vet's office that night, where after 8 hours or so after the birth of the first kitten, Mama still had two kittens to deliver. We had to take Baby with us, of course. Our beloved vet took one look at our little guy and said, "Hey there, Champ!"

Since the Scientist was only a year old at the time of Champ's birth, you might say the two of them were babies together.

However, being a cat, Champ of course reached adulthood far sooner. He even learned to drive a car. From the look in his eyes, I'd say he's facing rush hour traffic. In Chicago.

Not only is Champ a valued addition to our feline household, being affectionate and loving and a buddy to our other cats, he helped us deal with the passing of another cat, my beloved Hobbes. However, I'll discuss Hobbes another time, as he deserves his own post. Catblogging is a time-honored tradition, and I'm surprised I'm just starting it now! :) Anyway, Champ can be goofy at times, but we still love him!

Disgruntled

I had an unsatisfactory shopping experience today that I'd like to rant about. The Scientist needed some sandals, and I was also going to pick up a pair for Wildchild, if we saw something nice and not too expensive. Well, it was hard enough finding sandals for the Scientist. We ended up empty-handed for Wildchild. :( All the nice sandals in Wildchild's size are also lots of money. We couldn't even find inexpensive sandals for Wildchild, only flip-flops or espadrilles with big wedge heels and glitter that I think would look more appropriate on a hooker. Aren't girls Wildchild's age supposed to be going out to play and run? How can they run wearing shoes that have to be gripped by their toes, with heels no less? Not only that, but I guess Wildchild is supposed to have completely outgrown an interest in Dora the Explorer, Strawberry Shortcake and even the Disney Princesses, since all the cute character sandals stop at the size below hers. She's only seven years old! Shouldn't she still love fairy tales and dolls and cute childhood friends? In my world, she should, and in our house, she does!

Thinking About Schools

In my online reading, I've been looking over The American Enterprise, and their latest online issue features a story about
Education Myths. The article actually refers to myths pertaining to the public school system. Right now, some of my family's money is supporting the system, so anything to help change the idea that public schools are unassailable is useful to me, and I think there were some good points made, although I've seen a lot of them made before. I also agree with the article's endorsement of vouchers, especially if they are applied to homeschooling and we could keep our money to use for education at home. But there were some questions about the article that I'd like to share.

Myth: Teachers are underpaid. They give some pretty persuasive arguments against this but one statistic given was surprising to me. This was that the average teacher in a departmentalized school (where various instructors teach different subjects) teaches less than 3.9 hours per day and therefore has time to grade papers and plan lessons during the day as well. I have only my own experience to go by, but I was pretty sure my sister, who teaches middle school level art in a very large suburb of Cleveland, had classes all day. This past year, she was not only teaching all day, she was on the road all day, traveling from middle school to middle school, without a fixed classroom. She definitely didn't have time for planning lessons and grading during the day, and was she supposed to do them in her car? I didn't go to a public high school, but in my parochial high school, the teachers taught most of the day too, with maybe one study hall duty. Anyone else have a different story?

I'd also agree that it's a problem that teachers can be so hard to fire. I've read lots of horror stories about teachers who have assaulted students, etc, or those who are just poor teachers, receiving myriads of parents and student complaints, who cannot be fired because of the bureaucracy involved. However, teachers can still be let go if a school levy fails, and around here, it seems to be a constant threat, so there's not necessarily the unparalleled job security the article asserts.

Myth: Smaller class sizes are better. I agree it would be difficult to find the number of quality teachers needed, and that the cost required would be staggering and therefore impractical. But I think smaller classes can be more useful than they are made out to be here. One of the big reasons I homeschool is that frankly, the Scientist was always near the top of her class, but the class was taught to the level of the students near the bottom. Individual students have individual needs, and it is much easier to teach to different abilities and learning levels with a smaller class. The article questions studies of smaller versus larger classes, and only test scores are used as criteria anyway. Well, my daughter got excellent test scores, because she already knew much of the material. We still weren't happy with the level of education she received. Smaller class size still is probably unachievable due to the difficulties stated. Classes set up by ability rather than age might help, but are likely to traumatize too many parents and students to be implemented.

Myth: The idea that private schools have an unfair advantage over public schools because they are wealthy; therefore vouchers are unfair. The article points to the average amount of money spent in a year on a public school student, versus the significantly average lower tuition of a private school, even less for the average Catholic school, to say that private schools actually have less money to work with. However, I would imagine that some of the costs of running a parochial Catholic school are covered the same way the costs of running a Lutheran school are covered: through the donations of members of the church or churches associated with the school. Just using tuition to measure the cost to educate a private school student, then, is not necessarily accurate. Now if the general public will be contributing in taxes towards school vouchers instead of public schools, whether one agrees with this course or not, the difference currently made up by church members would probably be covered. What the actual costs per student will be is another question.

Now the essay in The American Enterprise is adapted, so some of the things I have questions about may be covered in more detail in the original work. But I still wanted to share my thoughts with you. I just don't see the demand for a centralised school where students are sent to learn going away any time soon, if ever, so I'd like to see those schools run as well and with as little of my money as possible.

13 Years Ago Today

my husband and I got married! It's been a typical journey since then, I suppose, full of ups and downs, but I'm still glad I started it with my darling husband, and glad to still be traveling together. God willing, we will have many more good years to enjoy ahead of us.

It's Been a Bad Week

I don't know why, but I've been down, out of sorts, unhappy, slightly cranky for a number of days now. But my husband knows how to make me feel better.











He assures me that I am a princess too, but the crown cookie went to HRH Princess Wildchild. The Scientist got the flowers. She likes flowers and butterflies.









This was my special cookie. I'm sure at least some of you will like it too. :)









And he also caved and gave me my anniversary gift early. We are terrible about giving each other our gifts early. We can't wait! Did anyone else love Holly Hobbie as a child? I never had the toys back then, but thanks to the miracle of eBay, I do now! Maybe sometime I'll share a pic. But this is modern Holly Hobbie, and her brother Robby. They're very cute.

Daddy's Little Girl

Earlier today I hear Wildchild laughing downstairs, so I IM my husband, who is in his den with her and the Scientist.

Me: What is Wildchild watching?
Husband: X-Men. (the cartoon series)
Me: I didn't know there were any funny parts in X-Men?
Husband: She always enjoys a good battle.

Those Who Love Darkness

This is a gruesome, horrible story. But we can't hide from it. I don't feel like writing much else and I'm in a dark mood anyway, so I will share it with you, at least to update you on the depravity of our times (like you needed another reminder.) If you don't want to be depressed for the rest of the week, don't read the above link. If you want to know about it anyway, you can just read this wonderful fisking by his Imperial Rottiness. Although he does use some, um, salty language. As I've said before, he's not afraid to call a spade a &#*@% spade.

As an aside, what can't George Bush do? Maybe we need to start a list of George Bush Facts. Did George Bush make Albert Pujols get hurt? George probably still roots for the Rangers, after all. Did George Bush cause the Titanic to sink? That kid with three arms in China? The earthquake in Indonesia? My mind boggles.

Oh, and while looking to make sure I spelled Albert Pujols correctly (so as not to offend Lutheran Lucy who probably bawled like Lucy when she heard he got hurt anyway), I saw another lovely piece of biased reporting, about the federal marriage amendment: Senate Takes Up Gay-Rights Ban Amid Criticism. Barf. Yuck. I feel a need to go wash my eyeballs. How can a right be banned when it never was a "right" anyway. Urgh. I can't even go on about this, and I'm not going to link to it either. If you feel a need to see it, you can find it among the Al-Reuters headlines. Nickname also borrowed from his Imperial Rottiness.

Princesses

Wildchild loves princesses! She loves pretending to be a princess, and dressing up like a princess, and watching movies about her favorite Disney princesses and other princesses, like Princess Strawberella! But I didn't think she would be so fascinated by a book I recently purchased called To Be A Princess. It tells the stories of twelve princesses, from different time periods and all over the world. These are definitely not fairy tales! Not every princess' life ends happily, from the beheading of Marie Antoinette to the execution of the four Russian Grand Duchesses in the cellar. But Wildchild has been interested in all of them. I have only one more to read, and she has already picked out which story she would like to then hear again, the story of the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.

I have to admit I bought this book mainly for myself. I have had an interest in the lives of royalty for a long time. I think it started out because I was interested in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and so I learned a little about Victoria and her son, Edward VII. Then I branched out into wanting to learn more about Victoria's children and grandchildren, who ended up in just about every royal house in Europe, with sometimes disastrous results. As a person with an interest in fashion history, it's wonderful to see pictures of royalty, because of course they had to keep up with the latest fashion, and could afford to do so! Also, I am interested in history, and the stories of royalty are very much intertwined with the history of their countries. Just in the stories in the book I am reading to Wildchild, we get brief discussions of England's transition to Protestantism, the Elizabethan era, the French revolution, the Victorian era, Hawai'i becoming a state, the Russian revolution, India achieving independence, and World War II. This book is not a deep scholarly treatise, but it is fun to have, and it has nice pictures.

It is blessedly cool today, and I am wondering if we will get some rain. I know many of y'all have gotten good thunderstorms passing through, but where we are: nothin'.

This and That

What an awful day for people with allergies. I presume it is cottonwood trees that produce those white fluff balls that make it look like it's snowing; well, it was snowing hard today. And of course it was practically a blizzard right by my husband's office. I was miserable the whole time I was outside, which of course today had to be a lot. Had to drop my husband off at work, go buy cat food, go to Latin class, go to lunch with husband, then go back later and pick up husband, stop at the auto parts store, drop something off for Girl Scouts on the way home. My poor eyes looked and felt awful and I am scratching layers of skin off of my legs and feet. Maybe I should try over-the-counter Claritin. Benadryl works great but also knocks me out cold for hours. Not very useful when you have to be out driving.

Did you hear the juicy news that a U.S. President has close financial ties with the Bin Laden family??? Oh wait, it's Jimmy Carter. Never mind! You know, I didn't have much personal opinion of him as a President, seeing as I was in grade school when he was in office. But the more I hear of him, the more I think he is a disgrace to the title of United States President and to the name of Christian. I consider him a traitor to this country. He repulses me. H/t to Emperor Darth Misha I for the link.

Oh, and Emily, I know where Drury Lane is! It's near Chicago, right by my husband's office where he worked last year. I have proof:

In a Snarky Mood

Like the Indians don't have enough problems, one of the members of the bullpen gets arrested. Honestly, I don't understand all the drinking and drugging with these pro athletes. And running away and hiding in the bushes? What's up with that? And all the news over LeBron James' mother's DUI arrest, and getting driving privileges restored to get to work. Hello, when your son is LeBron Freakin' James, why not just get mom a car and a driver? Not that I think the court should have ordered that. But seriously, when you or a family member is making so much it's like you're printing out money in your basement, why not just get a limo when you're going to get plastered? As for the NFL, it could almost stand for the National Felon's League.

And to complete my snark for the day. The Amish: Doing Jobs Americans Won't Do.

Thankful Beyond Measure

I am so very thankful that there have been brave men willing to die for our country, so that I have the incredibly blessed life I am living, and that my daughters have a future of opportunities. There are always things to improve, but we have the ability and the freedom to work for better things in the future, and much to enjoy right now. I thank God for bringing my ancestors here, and hope my life and my children's lives will have made some small difference too.

Share the Love

My Evil Influence(tm) is spreading, bwahahaha! Presbytera now has her own blog! Go on over and check out Pistol Packin' Presbytera, as well as Theo[logical] Universe. Me, I am going to stay cool and enjoy the quiet of not having kids for the day! That and try not to think about the Indians game. :(

My Name *Is* Barb

but I am not that Barb! Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. There is a well-known Lutheran named Barb who resides here in Greater Cleveland with her husband, a well-known Lutheran pastor. As a matter of fact, he is a pastor at the church my family attends! Anyway, a few people who have visited here have mistakenly thought I was Presbytera, as she goes by when she comments on blogs. So to clear up any misunderstandings, here is a picture of me, Barb the Evil Genius, with my alter ego, Presbytera Barb.



This pic was taken last night, when we gathered at the home of our pastor and his lovely wife for a "homeschooler's picnic" in honor of a homeschooling family from out of town, who is in Cleveland for a wedding. I didn't get as many pictures of this event as I wanted, but I did get a couple.



How many Lutherans does it take to start a grill?





The adorable little Lutheran kidlets at play in the sandbox.

Love Is

Love is: pulling up a clover plant, roots and all (including a little excess dirt) for the pretty yellow flower, and leaving it on your mommy's laptop. On the mousepad.

Love is: telling your daughter "Thank you" for the lovely flower. And leaving it at that.

Is This Wrong?

The Evil Genius is grumbling to herself. She hasn't been feeling well all day, but it's evening and she's perked up some. However, the Scientist doesn't have a clean shirt for tomorrow, and we have to go out bright and early tomorrow morning because the Scientist has Latin class, taught by one of our pastors. But the Evil Genius really doesn't feel like doing laundry. Then, she has a brilliant idea. She has lots of nice new knit fabric, as the Scientist needs new shirts anyway. So instead of doing laundry, the Evil Genius just goes to her sewing machine and makes a new shirt, thus forgoing laundry for another day. Woo hoo!

By the way, my husband went grocery shopping, cooked dinner, served it to me in bed, took out the garbage and helped the Scientist study her Latin this evening. So all you whiny feministas can just head right back outta here!

While I'm making confessions, I might as well confess that my husband is much better at teaching the Scientist in some subjects than I am. They think alike in a lot of ways, whereas I can just get really frustrated and not know how to get through to her. But my husband works full time, whereas I am at home all day. At least in some subjects, I really wish I could have outside help. But then I don't know that a lot of the schools around here would do a better job. I know our local public schools wouldn't, certainly. Nothing to do but keep moving ahead, and look for options.

Looking Forward to a Better Home

I was running on auto-pilot for the last four days, but I think it is just because I was tired. My husband has to be in to work earlier, and I had to drive him every day, so I had to get up earlier too. It was just harder adjusting to a different schedule, I think. I am feeling better today, and ready to face a new week. I have a lot to do! I am frustrated with myself because I haven't been getting as much sewing done as I wanted. But I've made progress in other areas, so it's not all bad.

This story really angers me. Those Mexicans have a lot of chutzpah, don't they? I'm wondering how much longer our government will keep being patient with Mexico. I really can't see how it's just about cheap labor; I keep thinking there must be something else behind it. In the meantime, I guess the best our family can do is not buy products made in Mexico, just like we already try to avoid products made in China. Oh, and we can mow our own lawn. BA-DUM-BUM.

It's good to know that God is sovereign, because there are so many things that could affect my family, and so little I can do about many of them. Thinking about it though, we do have a lot more freedom than other countries to prepare ourselves for the future, whatever it may hold. For one thing, my husband was able to get an education in the field he wanted, I was able to get an education, and we are able now to educate our own children. We need to pray for wisdom to make the right decisions now, and train our children to be good citizens of this country, and most importantly let them be nurtured through God's word towards being citizens in heaven.

And a Good Time Was Had By All

Well, the house is quiet again. Our three guests are home, probably as tired out as we are! The weather was not very cooperative; tonight was the first time it was not gray and rainy. Still, we did a lot inside, and took a little field trip this morning. I have some pictures to share with you!

The kids at breakfast this morning; we had delicious pancakes made by my dear husband.

The kids at the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center, where we went this morning. We got to see lots of neat animals, and the kids had fun crawling through this log.

What the Scientist and the two boys did inside this afternoon. Believe it or not, the LEGO collection is my husband's. He is an Adult Fan of LEGO, and Brikwarrior is his site. The name comes from the game Brikwars, a war game using LEGO brand mini-figs, weapons, and scenery. Meanwhile, Wildchild and her little friend played princess, tea party, and similar fun games.

Playing croquet, after the rain stopped. We also finally got to follow through with our plan of roasting hot dogs and making s'mores. Yeah!

My husband and I were honored to be entrusted with someone else's kids for a few days! If you want to find out what the kids' parents were up to, check out Die Schreiben von Schreiber in a few days or so. We're thankful for all the fun we had, and hope all the kids had fun too.

What I Did for Mother's Day

Picked up a few extra kids! Seriously, we are watching three children that belong to a couple from church. The kids are already good friends with our two and play together well. So my husband and I volunteered a few weeks ago to take care of them while their parents go to a church-deacon-related retreat in Michigan with another couple from church. We have them until Tuesday evening. I will try to get some good pictures to put up, but if I don't post, you know I'm busy! :)

I got taken to lunch after church, and before our three guests got dropped off. That was nice. We also went out to dinner yesterday to celebrate my husband's birthday. I have to get a picture taken of him with his present! Right now, I'm really tired, so no more wit from me tonight. Hope all the moms out there had a good day.

Like, Totally Cool

I just, like, wanted to share this picture of my youngest daughter, henceforth to be known on this blog as WildChild. She put the whole outfit together herself, including hairdo, when she got dressed in the morning. I had to take a picture as I found it reminiscent of that golden era of the 80's. Anyone else think so? Anyone? Buehler? Buehler?

Today was the first humid and "sticky" day this year, and I ended up spending a good bit of the afternoon feeling dizzy and nauseous. Still, there were some good things today. My eldest daughter, henceforth to be known on this blog as the Scientist, had Latin class. That was enjoyable as usual. Discussion ranged from the history of the Cymry to the Punic Wars. We did miss the regular presence of some of the members of the Homestead Lutheran Academy, who only arrived at the very end due to other obligations.

The girls also got to spend time with some of their other friends, and I got to spend time with a mom friend (yay!) and lunch with the whole gang and my husband at my husband's place of employ, which has a kickin' cafeteria. Then we came home and WildChild and I had NailPolishPalooza with our new nail polish I just got today. For all that she is a bundle of energy, activity and mischief (hence the nickname WildChild) she is also very much a girly-girl. I enjoy sharing this with her, as I am a girly-girl as well. It's interesting to see how so many of my husband's and my traits, personality quirks and yes, flaws, are coming out in our children, in so many different ways. It's like our traits were put together in a jar, shaken up, and distributed randomly to our daughters! Well, one of the joys of being a parent is discovering the personality behind that cute baby face!

Auto Adventures and Remembering the Past

My husband spent a good bit of the weekend working on our car, with the help of a neighbor across the street, who is a mechanic and also taking more classes in auto mechanics. One of the neighbor's friends (also in mechanic school) was also here for several hours with them. Turns out that the problems we were having with the power steering belt were somehow causing the car not to start. And the problem with the power steering belt was caused by the air conditioning pump seizing up. It seemed like the battery was causing the problems, but that turned out not to be the case. Ah, good times.

I am thankful that those two guys were here to help my husband. Also, our neighbor said he would check out the possiblity of using our van as a "learning experience" at their school. We would just have to provide the parts and they would provide the labor to gain more experience. That would be wonderful, so wonderful that I am trying hard not to think about it in case it doesn't happen, although I have prayed about it throughout the course of the day.

The last American survivor of the Titanic has died. She was also the last person with any memories of the event, as the two British survivors still living were under a year old at the time of the disaster. Poor Lillian lost her father, her twin brother and two other brothers. Here is what she looked like in 1912.

My husband and I were just talking the other night about how people in our time like to dress up and pretend to live in other eras. I find the story of the Titanic intriguing, yet somehow this seems almost macabre. I wouldn't mind dressing up in Titanic era clothes (although not the hobble skirt.) But playing at being on the Titanic with a dainty tea seems in a way disrespectful to the suffering that would later occur, although two of the participants are quoted as being able to better understand the passengers and their feelings. Well, maybe it's just me.

Strong Fences Make Good Neighbors

Certainly not a popular quote today, judging by my quick research to double-check that I had it written correctly. We are to be tolerant, open to all viewpoints, multicultural, full of "positive emotional energy." Pfaugh! Complete and utter nonsense! As confessional Lutherans, for example, we know that God has given us His truth in His Word. As humans still in a sinful condition, we won't always follow this truth, but we always need to look to His Word for the truth, certainly not to other sinful humans. So we need to create a fence, to block out that which would come in to corrupt us, and cling only to God's Word and Sacrament.

On a worldly corollary, my church building also has fences, to help protect the property from being defaced and destroyed. I have gotten the impression over the years that many who claim to follow Christ look rather askance at property rights. Perhaps this comes from the early believers in Acts who chose to live together and share everything among each other. I think more often, we are told to be good stewards of what God has given us. Does this mean throwing our property to the four winds? No, we need fences, walls, locked doors and gates to protect and take care of that which God has given us.

This quote occurred to me originally in conjunction with the current problems on our southern border. I thought there would be more protests today, it being a Hispanic holiday. I should have known that the socialist and communist groups quietly organizing things behind the scenes would instead choose the communist holiday of the first of May. In any case, the fact that we are letting so many people come into this country illegally completely disgusts me. While some argue that building an actual, physical fence along our entire border is not logistically, practically possible, we must have some way to protect the citizens of this country. Letting landowners along the border protect their own property would be a start. If the rights and privileges of being a citizen of this country are not worth protecting, they will soon be not worth having. God help us all when that time comes.

This means something to me on a personal level right now as well, however. I have been battered emotionally for many years by outside family members. Now I am receiving protests and nasty words because I have chosen to retreat for a time. I have locked myself behind a fence to protect myself, my children, my husband, my marriage. My family, the four of us that share these walls, are most important to me. The family is our foundation here on earth. Without it, we have nothing, so I have to protect it first and foremost.

We cannot as Christians always hide behind walls and fences. Sometimes with God's help we must ride forth and do battle with the forces of evil and darkness. But I thank God that we have places of safety, that He protects and shields us through this life. I think fences and boundaries are essential to surviving with others in this world.

Moving Forward

About time I updated you on the exciting doings around here! :) It must be Girl Scout hike week. My youngest daughter is going on a hike tonight with her Brownie troop. My eldest daughter is going on a hike this Saturday with her Junior troop to learn about geocaching. I had thought last fall that it would be fun to have one of our closest friends help us with this. He was an ardent geocacher, with over a thousand caches found. Sadly, that friend passed on suddenly later that same fall. My thoughts about him are in my blog archives. BTW, his "geocacher name" was SherwoodForest.

More car troubles: the one car we have running has a broken power steering belt. My husband is working on it; it's not hard but 'tis time consuming. Also it prevents me from driving the car until it is fixed. And yet despite the fact that we haven't gone anywhere since Saturday, my eldest daughter has managed to pick up a cold! Caught it from a neighbor kid somehow, I suppose.

It helps me to rant to ya'll about the car. Everyone has these problems, of course, but it's a release to share it with you when it's my problem. What else is a blog for but to dump your frustrations? Oh yeah, and share cute pictures of your pets/children/house plants.

I found at least one place where my daughter can take ballet this summer, so I think she'll do that. My other daughter will probably take theater again this summer. She took classes last summer and fall. I'm impressed with her ability to perform in front of others; she was also involved in a couple of piano recitals when she studied piano. Now my younger daughter, the wild rambunctious one, is much more nervous about doing things in public! We're working on it though. I explained to her that it is good for her. Most everybody has to perform or present in public at some point or another. I wish I had gotten better at it younger.

Family Doings

Saturday evening was the first of my youngest daughter's interclass "meets" in gymnastics. She did well and had fun. They were "judged" based on their own performance, not ranked against others. She got red ribbons (second best) in bars, balance beam and floor, and a blue ribbon (best) in "vault," which for her skill group actually consists of running up to a little trampoline at full speed and jumping off of it. Guess they have to start somewhere! I'm throwing in some pictures, one of which was taken after the event. She'll have another "meet" again near the end of May.

The gym where she takes classes is also where many of the high-level gymnasts in the area train. One of the owners of the gym coaches the Magnificat High School girls' gymnastic team, which did very well again this year. Sometimes when my daughter is taking classes, some of the older girls are practicing as well, and it is fun to watch the more complicated moves!

My husband and I were not feeling our best yesterday, but Gino did build a fire last night in our fire bowl/dish/pit. It was our first one this year. I look forward to making lots of yummy hot dogs and s'mores! Last night we had delivery pizza around the fire. Like I said, we weren't feeling our best! :) We're cooking hot dogs tonight. I can't wait! It's been such a beautiful day!

Completed Project

Although not my project! My husband and I decided that our eldest daughter needed a desk. We priced student desks, and they were all pretty high, and overpriced at that, we thought. So my husband pulled out some lumber and used his woodworking skills to make her one. I'm rather proud of him! My daughter picked out the stencil designs and colors.

Modern Life

So, I get these ideas, but I hesitate to share them, because I don't have solid data to back it up. I base my thoughts on observing those around me, and on my reading, which hasn't been prolific for a long time. But I'll throw an idea out here that I've been pondering and see where it goes.

Even though there currently seems to be an increase in the popularity of being a stay-at-home mother, at least while children are young, I'm not sure that we will ever see moms staying at home with children again at the level of, say, a hundred years ago. Now, I would like to see mothers staying at home with their children, and, horror of horrors, maybe even staying home just as wives to maintain the home with no kids around. I don't want to thrash out here all the reasons it is best for moms to be at home, just that why I think many moms still won't do it.

For me, it's all about how people will avoid everything they possibly can. As humans, we take the easy way out, even if the harder route is better. That's a duh moment, really, but I think it is behind so much. Take cooking. Lots of people don't like to cook. I'm not particularly fond of it. If I could ever afford it, I'd hire a cook before I'd hire a maid. Now, my husband is a born cook. He loves to tinker around with recipes and flavors. I've increased my cooking skills because of my husband, which gives me more enjoyment, but I'd probably scarcely do it all if I didn't have to do so. But I do cook because it is healthier and less expensive. With today's options, however, people don't have to cook, so many don't. That is, unless you call warming something up in a microwave, "cooking."

Or take sewing. Did you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder did not like sewing? And neither did Ma? But in those days, unless you could afford a seamstress, you did not have a choice. Ma had a family of six to clothe, and so she had to sew, and she taught her daughters to sew, because they would need to clothe themselves and their own families someday. Some writers, like L. M. Montgomery, decried the sewing machine as impersonal, arguing that clothes were more special when made by hand, that one could imbue the garment with loving thoughts as one made each stitch. Ma, on the other hand, was thrilled with acquiring a sewing machine, because it made the process easier and quicker. She looked at it purely from a practical viewpoint. Today, people don't even need a sewing machine, and of course many people don't know how to sew. Any type of garment today can be purchased, at all price and quality levels.

Just as new advances enabled people to give up household tasks they did not wish to perform, women today can almost completely give up the household. I don't pretend to know all the reasons why women working out of the home became such an approved option, but most of the mothers of today I personally know who are working, do so because they prefer it. Yes, they also enjoy the bigger home, the newer cars, the fancy vacations and so on. But many women just don't seem to want to be at home. I do think many could be happy at home just the same, if they chose to be. That sounds sanctimonious, but I think it's true. I don't believe women of yesteryear always enjoyed every task they had to perform, but at that time, most of them had no choice. If you were going to be happy, you had to decide to do so in spite of circumstances.

But today with so many more options, we women (and men) don't often have to live with things that we don't enjoy. I'm guilty myself, of course, of wanting to avoid unpleasant tasks, and not being content with the incredible gifts I have. I do enjoy staying at home, and it's what I've always wanted. In a world of fallen humans, however, I'm not sure that enough women either want to do it, or will choose to do it.

Farm Fields and Ball Fields

Dairy field trip was fine; that's about all I can say about it. Not to take away in the least from the effort put into planning it, just that there were some round-about things with this trip that made me emotional. My mood resembled a train car on Millennium Force. Did you know Cedar Point opens on May 6? :) Anyway, the girls had a good time, which is the main thing, and it was nice to talk to other moms for a bit. I already buy the milk and butter this dairy produces, so I didn't get anything today to take home. I didn't feel like dealing with taking pictures, either, so I'll just be lazy and direct you over to Marie's site. She and her daughter also attended this trip and Marie actually has some pictures up. It's a shame with all the warm days that we have had recently that it was cold for this trip, and even rained at the very end, but that's life in Greater Cleveland.

Hooray, I found the Indians game on the Buzzard! Tonight their normal station is covering the Cavs game instead. I used to be somewhat interested in the Cavs, I guess only because I was a big fan of Mark Price. Now I'm just glad a Cleveland team can do well! I think tonight would be a good night to putter in my sewing room and listen to the Indians game. I'm physically tired and mentally drained. Hope the Tribe can snap out of their problems tonight! I also hope I can snap out of my bad feelings, too.

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!

Small Electric World

I completely surprised Devona of Love and Blunder by walking up to her at a special service at our church tonight and telling her I recognized her from her blog! I guess I need to find a decent picture of myself to put up on my blog sometime. How will I know I've arrived until some stranger comes up to me out of nowhere and tells me she reads my blog? Uh, yeah. :) Oddly enough, we attend the church we presently do in large part by finding it through Elizabeth of Anxious Contentment!

Anyway, the special service was presented by the Kantorei of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. They did a very nice job.

Not much else going on here in this small corner of Ohio. Hope you all have good weekends! I'll probably check in here sometime and update.

Wrapping Things Up

We have some end-of-school-year stuff to take care of. I'm re-registering my youngest daughter with Brownies and I'm doing it differently this year. They have an "optional" section at the bottom for ethnicity, and in the case of adult registrants (leaders and such) highest education received as well. I left it blank last year, since it says it is optional and I object to ethnic "quotas." Well, being the leader of my other daughter's troop, I was very irked when I got copies of our registration forms back for troop records and found that the area registrar had filled that section out for us! Hmmm. Not very optional then, is it? So this year I'm writing across the whole box in big letters "I Choose Not to Fill Out This Section." I can't see how checking a box stops discrimination, which I presume is the reasoning behind this. And I would like to know how someone who doesn't know me from Adam can ascertain my ethnic background and education level.

As far as my older daughter's troop, of which I am the leader, I have no idea how that is going to go. It was a difficult year for me. I became a leader by default, in mid-September or so, because what was supposed to happen troop-wise fell through and if my daughter was going to be in a troop, I was going to have to lead it. This year we had few girls and little money. I also had to deal at times with some modern girl attitude, which basically seems to be "It's all about me." I'm sure a lot of you have seen these shirts in stores with slogans like "It's funny how you think I'm listening." Uh-huh, that makes me real enthusiastic to share and teach things. Not that I didn't honestly try my best. It just made it discouraging at times, wondering if it made a difference.

My youngest daughter is also in gymnastics, and this year for the first time, she's learned simple "routines" and will participate in end-of-year "competitions" with other girls her level. No judging yet, just award certificates. She's only seven. I'll post some pictures after the events. She enjoys gymnastics, and I'm glad she's getting the opportunity to take classes. She's very active and she'd rather be climbing and jumping and moving around than anything else. I'd like to try to get her into ballet also, if not this summer than next fall.

Ironically, whilst I was complaining above about people filling things out for me that I don't want filled out, my husband IM'd me a personality test: Machiavelli personality test. I scored as a high Machiavelli, not surprising for an Evil Genius, although I was not overwhelmingly high. It was interesting how a Christian worldview slants the test both ways. On the one hand, we know we are not to lie and cut corners to get ahead. On the other hand, we know that people are not naturally good and kind!

Curve Ball

We found out today that our minivan has developed engine problems that would cost about as much to fix as we paid for the minivan (used) in the first place. So for now we will be down to our little (used) four-door Mazda stick-shift that needs a new muffler and has almost 200,000 miles on it. This is where I have to throw in the comment about how lucky I am to be able to be a stay-at-home mom!

I have to admit, the car news has been physically and emotionally draining, and life will get trickier for us for a while, not to mention more time-consuming driving my husband to and from work when necessary. Still, we'll work through it. I feel like there are things I can do, I have a specific goal to work toward, and that helps a lot. I've made a few tentative tries at sewing doll clothes to sell, because it's something I enjoy very much, I can do it from home, and I can use fabric scraps on top of it! If I work at this more seriously, hopefully I can help get us another vehicle faster. I'm sharing an example of an outfit I made to keep for myself (the dress and hat.)

At the End of the Day

I'm tired. The girls' Easter dresses came out fairly well although we didn't take any pictures yet. We didn't really do a lot here. Church, lunch out, and the girls and my husband colored eggs this evening. That was about it, oh, and little gifts for the girls and chocolate for all of us! I'm glad my daughters enjoyed the day. I suppose I put too much pressure on myself in the process, but I want them to enjoy their childhood. Not that they will look back and say it was perfect, but that they have happy memories, as well as a foundation for a healthy adult life.

My ten-year-old daughter is looking more and more "grown-up"! It's strange, because I know really she is still fairly young. I remember my own youth and immaturity at that age, and tell myself she has four more years of grade school, let alone four years of high school after that. But sometimes she looks practically like an adult to me, and I feel like she is almost ready to leave home, and there's still so much I want to teach and do and share with her! My husband, on the other hand, panics because it won't be long before she starts attracting the interest of teenage boys. Ah well. At least homeschooling certainly gives us a lot of time together, as well as hopefully a better chance of weeding out those "unsuitable suitors." :)

I hope all of you enjoyed the day. I'd better get to bed before I fall asleep at the keyboard.

Spring Cleaning

It's time for my family to do some revamping. My husband and I have not been happy with the "flow" around here for quite some time, but with the fresh air and sunshine of spring, we have been awakened to being able to make some changes. We're gaining perspective on what we need to get rid of, both literally and figuratively. There are things we have been holding on to because we didn't have anything to put in its place. But we've gotten some perspective of how these things are draining us, and what we will be better off without. Our sofa has been deteriorating for quite a while, with the help of my darling youngest. It's bringing down the appearance of our whole family room, which brings down my mood. It's got to go. I've also put too many expectations on myself that came from outside of my own little family. I have been rearranging my thoughts and feelings, to get rid of external pressure and concentrate on what is most important to me, my husband and children. I don't have room for thoughts that only drain me. I hope my family and I can successfully sort out the rubbish.

Given Unto Death

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Words: Isaac Watts, 1707. Music: Low­ell Ma­son, 1824.

I Hate Holidays

At least, I know I am not really thrilled about Easter coming, and I imagine that is partly the cause of my current low mood. I feel rather Charlie Brown-ish. Holidays should be special; that's why they're holidays, right? Because they're special? But they're really not anymore, for me.

Maybe I'm getting old. When I was a child, a big part of the holiday excitement was the preparation, the things you did only once a year, the special meals, the family gatherings. But a lot of the wonder of a decorated tree or colored egg is gone, to my everlasting sadness. I certainly never wanted to lose that thrill, that special magic. And holidays anymore are just getting to be my husband, my daughters and myself.

Am I thankful and grateful that Christ took the punishment for my sins and died on the cross, then rose again, showing His complete victory over sin, death and the power of the devil? Absolutely, as much as a frail, sinful human can be. At the same time, feelings are transient; that's part of their nature. So I hope no one mistakes my lack of enthusiasm for a day on the calendar for a lack of appreciation of the events we choose to celebrate on that certain day. It's just that I don't like losing the holiday feeling. It makes me wonder what we celebrate holidays for, and makes it harder for me to create the special holidays for my own children that I think they should have. I think we in our human-ness need holidays, need fasts and feasts. I just need to learn how to enjoy the feasts again.

Luuuuuuuuuucy!

I'm posting this pic especially for Lutheran Lucy, but anyone else who's interested can look of course! I took it at my sister-in-law's house; we call it her "Lucy shrine." The image is not that great because I took it with my cell phone, but you should get the idea.

Watching the process of pasta making was neat. Not as complicated as I thought it would be, although you do need the pasta maker.

Going to a Mom's Night Out tonight! It's made up of several homeschooling moms from our church. I like getting quiet time to talk with other adults!

The Indians got the sweep yesterday, woo hoo! It would be fun to get to a game or two. My husband won't let me get a Mrs. Sizemore shirt though. ;) Some of those guys are pretty darn cute! But so's my husband! Maybe I'll get a Pronk shirt.

Tired But Good

Today (Saturday) was a pretty good day. I sewed a skirt for my youngest daughter and a top for my eldest daughter. I really enjoy sewing clothes for them. Often I can make things for less money than store-bought, and my things are better made than most store-bought clothes. My youngest daughter is especially hard on her clothes. Plus, the girls can design exactly what they want. They are really getting spoiled by that!

I find sewing to be a great hobby. I can whip out some easy things for quick gratification, as I did today, or I can make something more complicated and special. My husband, my eldest daughter and I are all long-waisted and have short legs, and it is nice to make things that really fit. I like it that I produce something "practical," plus I can always say, "Honey, we need more clothes; I need more fabric!" :)

This week I have to make Easter dresses. My eldest daughter's dress is fairly straightforward; she's not into girly frills. Fortunately for me, my youngest daughter is! Her dress will be more work, but not too bad. I also would like to make a hat for myself. Maybe after I make all this stuff I'll post a "fashion show" here!

The Indians won again today; that's good. Going for the sweep tomorrow! It's nice to get off to a good start in April.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, of course; my daughters and I are all singing in the choir. Then after lunch, we are going to Youngstown to make pasta with my Italian in-laws. That should be pretty fun. I'd like to make more food from scratch, but cooking is not one of my first loves. Maybe now as the girls are getting old enough to help more....

Pretty in Pink

I would like to show off some of my sewing creations here from time to time. This is a recent one; I made it for one of my daughter's friends. I have her father's permission to post her pic here. She just turned four, and she's wearing her own shirt under the dress I made for her. She loves being a princess, and as you can tell, she's got the attitude down.

Yuck. Just Yuck.

It's gray outside. It's raining, and windy, and the rain and wind are beating against the house. It's supposed to get cold and possibly snow tomorrow. My crocuses are all droopy outside. The Indians lost to the White Sox, yet again, in their first game. Church did not brighten me up yesterday, like it usually does. I enjoyed seeing everyone, but I was also upset by some other things. This would be a good day to crawl in bed and stay there.