Sunday, August 06, 2006

Summer draws to a close with lovely days

This past week has been nice. With no major projects to occupy me, I was afraid I fall into the spiral of depressing boring solitude. Luckily, with my husband home, I had some interaction with other people and did accomplish things while at the same time relaxing.

I went into school a few days. I rearranged my student desks and rearranged my desk. I pretty much made it so that my teacher desk is right in front and I could go from my desk to the overhead project without getting out of my rolly chair. THis sounds lazy, but as a 6 month pregnant woman is not going to get less pregnant, I see it as an investment in my own future. Now is not the time to try for "Teacher of the Year". I'll be working instead towards, "Teacher who made it for 10 weeks". I also did some compulsive working. I'm a retentive binder freak. THis means that each unit I teach gets a binder. In science, the binder is huge and I just sort of pull stuff I like out and rearrange a little each year. In math, however, the lessons are pretty laid out so it required a divider for each lesson. Also, since our math curriculum is new next year, that was plenty to prepare. Oh, and I'm doing two grades of math. So 16 units had to be prepared with binders, dividers with lesson numbers and names printed from computer, natch, and smancy cover sheets and side labels. Oh, and tearing up the teacher books so that each lesson is in the right section. I'm glad I got this stuff done, but loads of things hang over my head. I still have a reasonable three weeks to get things under control, but the though of going back to school is sad indeed.

I was supposed to go with my sister to the Binder Park Zoo on Thursday, (they have giraffes!) but we got rained out (so I went to school again that day, instead).

On Friday, my mom came and we got a couple of nice big things from the baby store and had lunch. After lunch, mom left and I went home with Dave. About 60 seconds after we parted ways, I realized that my car keys were in mom's car! I then proceeded to dig through my purse frantically, papers flying everywhere (Dave was driving and he got pelted with receipts and what-not) as I'm cursing like a sailor dropping the F-bomb and adding some "mother"s to various words. I get out my new pretty cell phone and try to call mom. Oh, even though Dave has been reminding me to transfer my contacts for the last three days, I haven't done it. So then I'm madder (at me) and call siblings asking for mom's cell number. They both say, "Mom has a cell phone?".
Meanwhile, Dave is driving north on Beltline trying (in vain) to catch up with mom who isn't known for being a speedster. By the time we get to the highway, we've given up pursuit and I realize that I just went atomic for NO REASON! Could I get into my house? Yes, we had Dave's keys and the spare. Could I drive my car? Yes, Dave has my spare. Was there anything else I needed? No. Was I going to Muskegon anyway Satureday AND Sunday? yes, I could just get them back. Dave informed me that I was OFF his "Disaster Team" (by the way, Roland, you never made it in the first place...something about a hammer in your wife's face). I was so ashamed. I can't believe I totally freaked out. And my poor husband who was assaulted with purse contents as well as language I'm sure he doesn't want to hear coming out of his sweet wife's mouth. I'm going to blame it on pregnancy hormones, since they pretty much make you insane most of the time.

Saturday was a better day. Dave and I headed for Muskegon at about 10 am and planned a day at the beach. My sister and her kids were going to meet us and we were in the water when Dave looks up the beach and says, I think your sister and her kids are here. What does he see? On the horizon we see one child (gender unknown) with bright orange swimmies swinging arms like a monkey and running crazily toward the water in one direction. There is another smaller child holding nothing, but wearing a mysterious blue full-body-suit that is puffy crazily running the other direction toward the water. I mention that it's probably not Beth since she's nowhere around. Dave claims this is just further evidence that it indeed little Sophia and Sam. Sure enough, they approach closer and it is them. A few moments later, said sister lugs the rest of the beach stuff down to us. It was a fun day. Sophia is a fish and Sam tolerated the water much better. Uncle Dave was loads of fun and was busy launching Sophia in the water.

We came home around 5 pm and met up with Jen Flanigan who was bursting with excitement about her new purchase: Ipod 30 gig video. Dave was equally excited (if not more so). I was simply starving. We ate out at BW3's (I know there is no more 3) and that was okay. I missed getting a couple of blue moons, that was one of my favorite things to do with Dave. Then we came home and I made tapioca and chocolate chip cookies while Dave showed Jen his new computer and gave her some ipod lessons. I think they both enjoyed this. Meanwhile I ate only two cookies, but had two full glasses of milk and then thought I just might split into two.

The new pregnant experience is alternately starving and bursting. My usually food storage space has been compromised by baby (my uterus is apparently the size of a soccer ball now) and so I'll eat and then 15 minutes later start moaning about how full I am. I also start belching uncontrollably. Some people do this anyway, but I'm not much of a burper. Dave used to tease me that my burps were so wussy. Not anymore. Unfortunately, last night I didn't have cookie burps, it was hot wing burps. Not as nice the second time. But I love hot food anyway.

I have a family reunion in Muskegon today, so more beach :-) but Dave flies out to California today so he won't be joining me. This week is really the danger week with no projects and no Dave. So friends, give me lots to do and make many posts on blogs!

3 comments:

Roland St. Jude said...

Glad to hear that you're enjoying the waning days of summer. It's nice to read so much about what's going on with you guys.

Thanks for the link to the food blog, by the way.

And Dave should reconsider his disaster team picks; I'm awesome at that kind of stuff - calm, decisive, inventive. Yup, a regular MacGyver.

Susan said...

But you did drop a hammer on my head and it did require stitches at which point the hospital staff was pretty sure you were abusing me.

Andrew McAllister said...

Okay, not that I want to invent a conspiracy theory here or anything, but could there be a link between being a "retentive binder freak" and going to Binder Park?

On a more real note, good luck with the impending birth!

To Love, Honor and Dismay