So Childish

So today.

I'm teaching the kiddos about verbs the past few weeks. As with MANY subjects, this is incredibly complex in the 4th grade world so I try to simplify. I tell them if you can do it, it's a verb. If it's a thing or has a/an/the in front of it, it's noun.

This is how our conversation went today:

Me: Okay, let's all write the spelling word 'comb' in a sentence. I want you to use a helping and a main verb. Oh, and comb needs to be a verb.
Them: A VERB? HOW??????
Me: 'I will comb my hair.' See? A boring but correct sentence, right?
Them: Yeah, uh huh, right, makes PERFECT sense crazy lady.

They proceed to write sentences on their dry erase boards. I help them. Together we go over some sentences.
Shelven: Here's mine!
Me, reading aloud: 'She will walk over there and pick up the comb.' Great, you have a helping and main verb. But is comb a verb here? Can you do it? Can you do a comb? (in head: that doesn't sound right, I hope they don't notice)

That was when a couple of giggles erupted because I'd asked 4th graders, who DON'T KNOW WHAT A VERB IS, if they could do a comb. And they knew what it meant.

COME ON KIDS. Learn your verbs, not your dirty innuendos!!!!!

Behold, We Are Expecting a TV

We are getting this. So we need to get new bookcases for the living room. Funny how changing one thing means you need to change EVERYTHING. On the HUGE plus side, I'll be able to
BUY MORE BOOKS NOW!!!!!!

So now J and I are sitting on the couch thinking how to rearrange the living room. Should we build something like this (placed horizontally, in the middle of the TV wall):

With this delight on the sides?

Oh the bliss!!

Do you know how diverse bookcase designs are? Really, I didn't until J started looking through 12,000 bookcases.

I FINALLY GET TO BUY MORE BOOKS!!! My tiny house will have room for more fine literature.

J is studying at Apartment Therapy, IKEA, and Room&Board furniture websites, something I never thought my husband would do. He's really into this!! He hearts his new TV!!

My Book

Last night I finished Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasan. Oddly enough I've never read a book by this author before though he's pretty well known.

J and I started this book on CD in May, while driving to New York. Then I found out I get carsick and headachy even LISTENING to a book in the car. I'm really not sure why. I think I'll try it again and double-check this hypothesis because I'm still a bit dubious about the conclusion. I don't often listen to books on CD but I have before and it was fine. The New York CDs made me feel icky days in a row though. Finally I gave up!

ANYWAY, I recently checked out Skinny Dip from my library because Carl Hiaasan is next month's book club author. Monday night, I almost finished the book but was too sleepy to give it proper attention. Tuesday night I cooked but thought about the book (and Joey, Karl, and Chaz) often. Wednesday night I was with family and cooking. Thursday I FINISHED IT.

Good book. I liked it. Not for the prude-of-heart though;)

Pride and Prejudice

We're watching Bride and Prejudice today for Thanksgiving. Of course, right? Just thought I'd let you know how many Pride and Prejudice movies I've watched. I'm sure more have been made so I'll find them and watch them too. I PROMISE.

Oh SIGH....

TONIGHT:
J and I just chopped veggies for stir fry, chopped and baked 3 pumpkins, made stir fry, dug out pumpkin flesh from 3 pumpkins, made pi crust, made 2 pumpkin pies, made pumpkin bread, chopped stuff for and made brocolli casserole, ect. Ect. stands for all the TRILLIONS OF DISHES WE HAD TO CLEAN AFTERWARDS. I'd post pics cause J made me take some but I'm far too tired. I do declare, I could just swoon!

Yes I'm tired. You should have seen the dishes. Yes. The pumpkin bread is still rising, waiting to be baked. Have to wait till tomorrow. I'm tired. And I really wanted to finish reading my book tonight. I'M AT THE END!!

Tomorrow I'll pick up the lovely, free range, happy turkey after work. Then I'll haul its 25 pound carcass to my house, load up my bags, the foods, the animals, and whatever else wants to tag along to mamma mia's. Oh, and the bread dough too. Gotta bake that sometime...

My Top Five

You ever used Slickdeals? Oh my gosh, I love Slickdeals! I also love Amazon's MP3 department, mainly because they have a different album for a low sale price each day. I LOVE SAVING MONEY.

These are the tabs always open in my Camino browser: Facebook, Google Reader, Amazon MP3s, Yahoo mail, and occasionally, Blogger. Everything else comes and goes but those 5 remain the same:)

Oh My Pretties

Look at it! Wouldn't that cake be fun to eat? On one hand, I'd be in happy color heaven. On the other, I'd be thinking of what chemicals were in the cake to make it such happy color heaven. Sigh.

Today we rearranged the house and decorated for Christmas. New house feel in an old house. Love it when life is happy:)

Christmas, Music, Food

I think doing a Christmas with no gifts (or at least no gifts for adults) would be fine:) My family has been trading adult names for a while but everyone still buys for the kids. Btw, I lOVE Christmas shopping so I'd guess I'd really be a bit sad to see it go. And since we save money each month the whole year for gifts, it's not a big financial hassle.

But a gift free Christmas. It just sounds nice. Stress free. Christmas Day with food and talking all around!!!

I like a new singer: Erin Mckeown. She's delightful and her lyrics sometimes sound like a beautiful classic book! She sings "inane" and "a train only follows its rails" and “there’s a risk, there’s a twist, in anything worth doing” and "would that you loved me (or something like that)"!

I'm recently infatuated with a few different artists. CURSE AMAZON AND ITS DAILY SALE ALBUM!!!

Gotta go cook dinner:)

Let's Readjust That a Bit.

This is how playing my violin makes me feel sometimes.

And like this.

You can't see it but my fingertips have calluses!

All due to this lovely instrument.

I went to my violin teacher's viola recital tonight. She's been playing 20 years. I've been playing 6 months. I am at 1/40 of her level. Let's just say I changed my mind and will play the violin in a symphony by the time I'm 40. That gives me 11.5 years to be reasonably good.

Her bowing arm is MAGNIFICENT. Her wrists are MASTERFUL. Her slurs are TO DIE FOR. And her pizzicato!!!! I'm sorry, I'm lusting after another person's musical talent.

Someday. Someday I'll be good:) I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

Oh My Stars!!!!

So here's what I've been dragging from the back seat of my car for the past 2 days:

1. 2 hats
2. 1 pair of boots
3. 1 pair of eco happy shoes
4. A bra (left this at someone's house and apparently didn't miss it enough to actually bring it in the house for DAYS)
5. 1 bottle of ginger ale
6. 1 bottle of vodka (I was carrying this for a friend, I promise!)
7. 1 lime
8. 1 violin and practice book
9. A stack of social studies tests to grade
10. A poofy black jacket
11. A loose bag of onions (some are still rolling around under the seat...)
12. 4 canvas grocery bags
13. Jasper Fforde (hehe, I wish, just his book)

I think my organized house wonders what the heck is going on with my messy car. I'll just tell it to mind its own business.

I'm listening to Joshua Bell to inspire my hurting fingers and drooping confidence with my violin. It's getting quite hard and seriously makes my brain cramp with exertion. THE VIOLIN IS SO HARD TO PLAY. But I love it!! My goal is this (I decided today): Within 5 years, I would like to be playing in the local symphony. Should I up the years? I don't know. I won't ask my teacher cause I don't want to cry. But I thought having a goal would help me. I WANT TO PLAY FLUENTLY AGAIN. But man, this stuff is hard!!!

Panera tomato and mozzarella sandwiches make my tummy nauseous. FUN.

I'm a barrel of laughs tonight, I realize. Sorry, in real life I'm happier than this.