The Spice of Life

The quick brown cat jumped into the laundry basket at 5 a.m. 

The laundry basket is right next to my bed, so I woke up.  Since I couldn’t be sure the cat hadn’t mistaken the laundry basket for the litter box, I moved the cat outdoors ASAP. 

But by then I was really, really awake.

I have a word of advice for people who tell me they “can’t sleep”.  If you’re just lying there after 40 minutes, get up and do something.  If nothing else, read Leviticus.

By 6 a.m., I was writing grocery lists (it’s getting hot here: less soups, more sandwiches) and organizing the first week’s homeschool assignments.

Yep, we’re starting the new school year May 1.  We’ve taken all of April off (barring field trips) and we’re bored.  When I let the kids pick up “Underdog” at Hastings yesterday, the warning bells went off.  (Fun movie, but no redeeming value for, say, the next decade.  Total fluff.  Not my usual choice for the kids’ time.) 

The kids will watch Underdog (or anything else I bring home) for 6 hours straight if I let them, as evidenced on a multiple of occassionnss (I hate that word, and its derivatives) when #2 zoned in front of so many “I Love Lucy” reruns that she knows Jack Benny from Jack Kerouac.  Scary for a 9-year-old, eh?

We fit homeschool in next month.  VBS is rolling.  I expect plenty of bumps- for example, I haven’t got a Craft Crew yet.  But the preliminary stuff  (designing games, designing crafts, putting a competent person over researching/renting/caring for the tent, and finding LOTS of prayer support) are in place, with pretty dependable people in charge of each phase.

The co-op’s English class that I’m teaching next fall is rolling.  (Next time Mr W gets some extra cash, I’ll be ordering next fall’s 9th/10th grade English Comp/Lit textbook, and creating a syllabus, collecting materials, and setting up an Engrade page for the class.  Most likely in about 3 weeks, so I’ve plenty of time to organize other stuff today.)  At this point, collecting students and informing parents is in the hands of the very capable HS co-op director.  I’ll need to show my face to the parents sometime in July, I think.

Have I forgotten anything?  Oh, Mr W ok’d telling my, um, intriguing sister she should give our email to the Mysterious Stranger (MS).  She would like to send MS down to live in our house whilst he applies for jobs in the Deep South Area, and I have just a few questions for him that she seems unwilling/unable to answer.  Questions like:  Do you have a criminal record?  Any arrests involving children?  Do you own a gun or other weapon of any kind?  Do you take illegal drugs?  Do you realize your “unfriendly” dog (my sister’s word) will not be allowed in my house, although it will be well-sheltered from the heat in a doghouse under our (2nd storey) back porch?  Have you turned in ANY applications in this area of the country yet, and/or when were you thinking of starting your jobhunt?  Since you can’t afford an apartment for a week (my sister tells me), what are you using for food/transportation/moving $$$?

Just a couple of questions, you understand, Sir, before we let you move in for some as-yet-unspecified amount of time.

Anyway, the Major Projects (English Comp/Lit, VBS, Mysterious Stranger) are all under control, and we’re still bored.  So, school.  No gas $$$, improves the family, re-introduced an exercise routine into the weekly schedule.  Good stuff, in my book.