Why must it be so late?

It is 11:30.  I just finished writing a quiz for Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet.  I have another worksheet I needed to retype for my other class.  I had swimming earlier, and then the kids were both fussy.  Actually, Isabelle fell asleep for most of the evening, but was very ornery when she woke up.  There just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done.  I am looking forward to spring break next week.  I need a little bit of R&R. I can't decide if I should do the worksheet, or just go to bed.  I am very tired. Since I am in the middle of a Shakespeare Unit, I have been having a lot of Shakespeare quotes running through my head.  There is a quote that I can't quite remember the ends with something about everyone going to bed. It is really bugging me that I can't place it.  It is more the cadence of the line and the voice of the actor.Maybe I should follow that advice. I am too tired to think. Now that I am thinking about it maybe the line was from a Dickens.

Why do I think that not going to bed will delay the coming of the morning?  All it does is make me more tired when it does arrive.

"Goodnight Sweet Prince and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
        -Hamlet

Thursday Again

I can't believe it has been a whole week since I posted last.  It has been really busy plus I have had a nasty cold.  My students started doing research today and I thought I was going to die from a coughing fit in the middle of explaining how to use the encyclopedia.  I am not catching on to the swimming thing as quickly as I had hoped that I would.  I think that it is actually a difficult sport to learn because it can be hard to see exactly what the instructor is showing you and for them to see what you are doing.  Especially on things like breathing. I also think that twice a week is pretty intense.  I am half way through.  After today, I will only have two lessons left. 

My other class is reading Romeo and Juliet, which I am enjoying a lot more than I thought I would.  They have to memorize the prologue.  I never had to memorize it, and since I like memorizing things I am working on it too.

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows
Doth, with their death, bury their parents’ strife.  
The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children's end, naught could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

I have most of it; I am just struggling with that third quatrain. I'm sure that I will get it down by tomorrow.

Random Tidbits

I don't like daylight savings time.  I have been tired all week.  I can't seem to get to be on time; I can't get up in the morning. I am dragging all day long.  I am looking forward to the weekend when I can sleep in.  Hopefully.  Lately the children have been getting up before we want them to. 

Today was my second swimming lesson.  I think that I did pretty good.  I can almost breathe, and I only choked on pool water about a dozen times.  She made us do laps, which I was mostly able to do, although not with out pausing to breathe or rest. 

This is a crazy week at work, and I am way behind on stuff.  I brought piles of stuff home, and amazingly I got a lot of it done.  Only because Thomas had the children.  Thank you so much!  I love you lots, and not just for the baby-sitting. 

Tristan has a bad cold.  He has been coughing and had a little crusty in his nose.  The last two days he has become very congested.  I have also not felt 100% this week.  I had a headache Sunday, which lasted until Monday night.  The glands in my throat also felt swollen, and it hurt to swallow.  Otherwise I felt fine.  Last night I also became very congested.  I can no longer breathe, and I am coughing.  I am hoping I feel better tomorrow.  I should load up on vitamin-C. 

Swimming Lessons

Today I had my first swimming lessons.  I will have them twice a week for three weeks.  It is a one-on-one class, meaning that the instructor gives us some group instruction, but spends most of the time working with us individually.  What do we do when she isn't working with us?  We practice, of course.  I was either the best one in the class or the most invisible because she worked with me the least.  I was trying to work on my breathing.  I know how to swim; it is the putting it into practice that isn't working for me.  I can do the crawl; I just can't do it while I breathe.  I found that I naturally breathe through my nose.  This does not work well when your nose is full of water.  I had to concentrate really hard to remember to blow out my nose and in my mouth.  Maybe it was playing the flute that messed me up.  It was always in the nose and out the mouth. 

One other item of interest.  Some of you may remember that I got a new swimsuit, workout shoes and swim cap for my birthday.  I remembered why I don't like shopping online when both the shoes and the suit didn't fit.  I was able  to sell the shoes to a girl in my aerobics class, but I still have a very nice size 24 Speedo swimsuit.  That is equivalent to someone about age 10.  If you know anyone looking for a suit that size let me know.  Anyway, the only one of my birthday presents that wasn't the wrong size was my cap.  Thomas got the cap to match my suit, but since I got a new suit - it no longer matches.  I finally wore my cap today for the first time. I couldn't get it on, and  I kind of felt silly about wearing it.  I decided to just leave it on the side of the pool.  However, I did not put up my short hair, and it was getting everywhere.  I decided to try the cap again.  I learned today that swim caps are tricky to put on.  I think that I needed another hand of two.  I never did get my hair in it.  It just held my hair down. I will have to have Thomas give me lessons on how to don a swim cap. We will have to see how Thursday goes.

My Weekend

This has been a great weekend.  Part of that was because it started a day early!  My sister decided that it was time for her to go through the temple.  Her session was at 2:00.  This meant that I had to miss some of work, but not all of it.  I really wanted to take the whole day, so I did.  What is the point of hording your personal days?  What if I never get to use them and they just go to waste?  I have been a little overwhelmed lately with all they things I am supposed to be working on.  I spent my day catching up on stuff for work and doing laundry.  I know, not the best use of a personal day, but it helped me feel less bogged down.  Thomas came home early and we drove to Ogden together.  I took my endowments out in the Ogden Temple as well, so it was fun to think back to my first experience.  Also it was nice to get a chance to go through one more time before the temple is closed, remodeled and then not quite the same place.  My talked to one of the temple workers about it.  They said that they are taking away most of the current building and redoing it.  They will leave some of the original building however so that it will retain the spirit of what took place there before.  If they razed it, that spirit wouldn't have anywhere to go and would be lost.  I thought that was an interesting idea, and it made sense.  After we went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe.  I have only been there once before, so I didn't have a favorite thing. I tend to get the same thing every time I go to a restaurant.  I don't like paying for something I might not like.  Thomas wouldn't let me get the turkey breast, (which is what I got the one other time I was there, and what I usually get at Marie Callendars) so I got pork chops in a honey mustard glaze.  It wasn't my favorite, but it was pretty good.  After that we headed home to relieve my sister-in-law who was watching the kids.  I really appreciated her, especially since we took longer that I thought we would.
 

 

Saturday was mostly a work day.  I finished up one of my work projects, did a bit more laundry, and cleaned the house.  I didn't get everything done that I wanted too, but it was a pretty good chunk.  The upstairs was pretty much finished, (it feels so nice to have it clean and vacuumed.) I almost had the kitchen clean, but then I found my cookie cutters and I asked Isabelle if she wanted to make cookies.  What three year old would say no to that? Instead of finishing cleaning, I made a mess.  She had fun though.  She usually makes cookies with her daddy.  She like to sit on the counter and either watch or help pour stuff into the mixer.  We made sugar cookies, which was a new experience for her.I rolled out the dough, and then she helped me cut out the shapes. I haven't made them in a really long time, and the first set didn't turn out.  They didn't have enough flour, so they stuck to the counter.  Instead of shapes they came out as globs.  I added some flour, and the second set worked much better.  When the trays were full we put the rest of the dough in the fridge. We are partial to cookie dough at our house.  Isabelle, wanted to take a glob of it up to here room.  I told her it had to stay in the kitchen.  She left the dough on the table and went up to here room.  I could hear her rummaging around, then she came back with her play rolling pin.  She rolled out her little piece of dough and cut it with her plastic knife.  It was really cute.  She has had the cooking set for a while, but I don't think she realized before what the rolling pin was for.




























My mother-in-law has been having trouble with her internet, so Tristan and Thomas went to grandma's house to help.  Isabelle and I went shopping.  I have been having some closet issues lately.  Several shirts that I like and wear often developed holes (all in the same spot - which I found interesting and puzzling) We headed to Old Navy.  It happens to be time for their stock up sale! Thomas was worried about me going shopping because I don't really like it, especially when I can't find things that I am looking for.  When I pulled in the parking lot and saw the sign for the sale, I was confident it would be a productive trip.  The t-shirts were on sale for $5.00.  I was a little disappointed in their selection.  They had a lot of funny colors and not as many good colors.  I ended up getting a navy and white striped shirt.  The tank tops were also on sale for $5.00, which was very exciting because they are usually $10.00. I never understood why the tank tops were more than the t-shirts.  We got Isabelle a pair of shoes and a pair of flip flops for the summer.  I also got Tristan socks.  I debated about what size to get.  The 0-6 month ones fit him pretty good, but he is 7 months old.  The 6-12 month ones looked huge.  It is better to be too big than too small, so I ended up with the bigger size.  They are a bit big, but he will grow into them.  All in all, it was a pretty good shopping trip.





That evening we watched The Truman Show.We got it for Christmas last year and hadn't watched it.  I hadn't seen it since it was in the theaters.  It is a pretty fun film.  Not at all a typical Jim Carry film, although he still has a few moments.  Isabelle fell asleep on her daddy's lap and we carried her up to bed.  As we were getting ourselves ready for bed Thomas reminded me that it was daylight savings. Yeah!  We get to get up early.  Despite that, we were both close to the end of the books we were reading and staying up latter then we should have.  I finished Jacob Have I Loved, which I knew was about a set of twins, but I thought it also had to do with a boy named Jacob.  When I was halfway through the book and Jacob had not shown up, I started wondering what else the title could mean.  I decided that maybe it was a reference to Jacob in the bible.  About 50 pages latter it quoted a scripture about Jacob and Esau.  I was so proud of myself for figuring it our ahead of time.  Anyway, it wasn't my favorite book, but it was interesting.  It did win a Newbery Medal.

Sunday was daylight savings.  Thomas looked at his watch, which is atomic and updates automatically, and thought he had plenty of time.  When he got out of the shower, I told him that church had started.  He told me I was wrong and went around to various clocks to prove me wrong.  Apparently only half of his atomic clocks updated.  I thought it was pretty funny.  On the whole it was a nice day. I even went for a walk with the grandkids. They love their walks, and it helps get their energy out before family dinners. 

Monday

Today was definitely Monday.  I actually got up early, which is something I don't do often.  I showered and did my hair.  Dressed my 3 year old.  I do this when she is mostly still asleep so that she doesn't argue about  what I am putting on her.  After dressing she usually goes back to sleep depending on how much time is left until we have to leave.  Next I went and fed the baby.  Up until this point I thought that I was having a pretty good day.   My little guy loves to eat. He has always been a big milk fan, in any form.  He has taken to solids with a passion.  He is pretty happy most of the time, but if you want to see him get upset, just take away his food partway through a meal. I have to time his feedings in the morning or else he will eat all day or at least until we are late.  Because I was ahead of schedule, I didn't pay attention how long the feeding went.  I realized we were taking a little long, but we weren't late yet. I went and got the three year old up for the second time. We did her hair and then loaded everybody in the car.  At this point, we aren't late, but we don't have time to dawdle. Everything is ready to go, except I can't find my keys.  I look on the TV cabinet where we usually keep them, I look on the kitchen counter where they often get put.  I look on my bookcase, my bathroom counter, my computer desk, my bookcase again, the kitchen again, the whole family room.  I try to remember what I was wearing last time I drove my car and then check pockets.  I check an assortment of jacket pockets. I realize I don't have time for this and go to get the spare key out of the drawer.  The spare is missing. (I still don't know where it is!)  I go out and look at the kids sitting in the car, and remember we have a spare car. The van is old, and doesn't go well on snow, but it isn't supposed to snow.  (You really should check the weather before you think these kinds of things.)   It also has new tires, which I am still irritated about paying for. Tires are not a fun way to spend money.  I decide to take the van to work.  I move the kids over, taking time to secure them.  The seat belts don't want to cooperate, and I can feel the minutes ticking away.  I close the door, go back inside to get the van key, grab the garage opener, and start the van.  At least that is what I tried to do.  It sputtered a moment and then just clicked.  About a month ago the battery was dead, but we charged it and drove it around enough for it to pass inspection.  We then put it back in the garage and then didn't touch it for a month.  I talked to my dad and he says this is strong evidence for a bad battery. Another un-fun way to spend my money.  I call my husband, on the verge of tears, and he offers to come home.  He has only been at work for about 5 minutes.  I asked him if he remembered seeing my keys anywhere.  He thought he had seen them in the kitchen.  I go back and look again.  Instead of just looking on the bar, I actually walk into the kitchen and look.  There they are sitting on the other side of the counter next to the groceries I got on Saturday and didn't put away.  I let my husband know I have found them, then run out to move the kids back to my car. I pull out and head to day care.  I guess the good thing about a morning like this is that the rest of the day can't get much worse.  In fact it actually went pretty good. Although I am not sure what to think about the snow that is coming down now.  Like I said, I didn't think it was supposed to snow.

The Help

Having a job where I work with teenagers, I have come to realize that they  have a very limited view of the world.  Pretty much it revolves around them.  If it doesn't directly impact their life it is unimportant.  Anything they don't remember happening was "forever ago."  Olden days means anything from the 70's to the middle ages. I was talking to a couple of girls about Bridge to Terabithia.  They told me it was a "really old book."   I didn't think that it is that old.  I remember when it came out,  in 1987.    It always surprises me when I talk about things I think they should know and they have never heard of it. Things like... Desert Storm.  That was only a couple of years ago, right.  Better yet... the Olympics being in Salt Lake. Most of them don't even remember that, and it really was just a couple of years ago.  About a month ago, I was driving home from work, when I had an epiphany.  Now we all know that the 60's were forever ago.  We are talking ancient times.  (We won't mention that my mom, who I don't think of as old remembers the 60's.) Anyway, I had this thought and I started doing some math in my head while I sat at a red light.  The amount of time from when I was in junior high to the 60's is the same as today's kids are from the 80's.  That just really freaked me out.  My childhood is as ancient history as I always thought the 60's were.  I find it interesting that I can look back now as an adult and say that the 60's really weren't all that long ago.  It is amazing how much has happened and how much our culture has changed in so relatively short a time. 

This ended up being a much longer preface than I intended it to be, but I thought that it went well with the book I just read, which happens to be about... the 60's.

The Help by: Kathryn Stockett.

I first heard about this book from my Mother-in-law.  I think that someone at her work had recommended it.  She told me that I would really like it.  I meant to read it, but just didn't get to it. Then in September, when my book club selects new books, someone suggested this book.  About a third of  the group had read it before, but they were still interested in doing it.  I was excited about reading it. I asked for it for Christmas, but no one got it for me.  I knew there was a waiting list at the library, but I never got around to putting my name down.  I finally ended up going to the store and just buying the book.  At thing point there was only about a week and a half until book club, so I stayed up late several nights to get it done on time.

The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962-1964.  It is about the black women who go into white homes as maids.   It is told in first person from the point of view of two black women and one white woman. The book deals with the different levels of society and what was expected of people in thier social realms.  I really enjoyed the book.  I thought is had some really believable characters, and I felt that she did a good job of incorporating the history into her story.  Some of the history I was familiar with, while other tidbits I didn't know and found very fascinating.  The book does not have many big events, but is more about the day to day life of the characters.  Despite this fact, it was still full of suspense.   I wanted to find out what happened, to know why characters were doing the things they were. At the same time I didn't want to read more because I knew the kinds of things that happened then and I didn't want them to happen to these characters I had come to care for. I found that I was often anxious while reading, with horrible predictions running though my head.  I am glad that I purchased this book.