howdy spring time!

I am mucho excited that spring time has finally deigned to make an appearance in the Chicagoland area. It was like 75 degrees out yesterday! I wasn't just being delusional, like I get when the temp climbs to 35--it was for serious warm! Beautiful. And the several days beforehand were likewise gorgeous. I went bike riding for the first time this year, for about an hour or so which was wholly as satisfying as I thought it would be. Then all the cool kids went rollerblading after meeting for a good hour, hour and a half.

I declare, spring time is my absolute favourite. You can smell things growing--not in a gross way or anything of course. But that sort of rainy, but sunny smell...if they could bottle that... I just love so much about March, April, May. I love that sort of chilliness in the morning that's more refreshing than cold, and that wet smell in the air, and the little pokey plants coming up. And how could I forget the wittle baby animals running around everywhere? I promise you, I still get as excited to see a baby bunny in the yard as I did when I was five years old. My nannied kids are like, okay, we get it, there's a squirrel on the back porch. Grow up. I point out every single critter that comes near the house with a ridiculous amount of awe. I made a three year old watch a hawk on the swing set for like 15 minutes. And are my kiddies in for a treat now that it's spring and animals are coming back! : )

I'm really excited too, because I'm planning on working on a garden in our yard! Wow. We usually get plots across town, but it costs money, they're kind of far, and people can steal your veggies. So I thought with a bit of trepidation about getting a garden started in the backyard with all my favorites--zucchini, squash, tomatoes, beans, peas, leeks(!)--and was like, oh no, how am I going to figure all this out? And then our Better Homes and (wait for it) Gardens (!) came in the mail with a big ol' article on how to do little box gardens in the backyard. So exciting. So I have a bunch of seed packets, and some little planters for an herb garden, so I can finally use the fresh seasoning my recipes call for. God is amazing, that we can just stick some seeds into the ground, and proceed to watch them grow into plants that produce fruit to nourish us. And fruit that's tasty, notwithstanding!

The only wrench in my spring loving this week was that two of the kiddies had the flu. : ( Us poor lot, we were stuck inside mostly. It was just the respiratory type of flu, so no vomit, praise the Lord. I had my first experience being vomited on a few weeks ago, when my neighbour's whole family got the stomach flu, and I babysat while parent and child alike puked everywhere. Not so fun. So yesterday, I worked all day, because my two (T-10 and E-7) school-bound kiddies were instead home-bound with fevers and coughs and runny noses and the like. The poor dears had no energy to argue all day long, and were so good all day, it was pitiful. I mean, they're never bad per se, but they can get touchy with each other, and do little things like sneaking extra candy at snack time, that kind of thing. But all their energy was spent using the clicker to pick the next recorded episode of Full House (everywhere you look, everywhere is a heart, is a heart...). It was cute, but I was sad for them and for me that they felt so bad and that we couldn't enjoy the bee-yoo-tiful weather. Normally on such a nice day we'd spend the whole afternoon at a playground, or getting ice cream or some such fun, but not so that day. So we left only to go pick H up from preschool, and she and I played outside for a little bit in the afternoon. E was still home from school today with her dad, so I had the day off, but hopefully she's feeling better, and everyone's on the upswing. Thankfully my mom gave me my flu shot (at the dinner table no less, haha) so I don't feel susceptible, but it's miserable to see little kids sick, even if they're slightly easier to manage in such a state. : )

Anyhow, it's off to bed I go, in case I get a call in the morning saying E is still too sick for school, and that I need to go stay with her. Otherwise, it's off to bed I go, so I can force myself into getting some bodily work done in the morning. Yoga? Running? Weights? I'm so ambitious, and yet so seldom do I follow through. Ugh. Good night to all anyway!

an update.

and how are you all on this fine friday morning? i apologize to the three of you who "read" (scroll through when you have five seconds to wait for another page to load) this sorry attempt at a blog, however, i have this thing where i like to hibernate in february. the end of winter is sometimes the hardest for me. me--when will it ever end? february--soon, but not now. but now, friends, it is MARCH! the month where i hope and pray spring will stay, but without doubt, lets itself out. ... out a...door or something. it lets winter back in. this is stupid.

but seriously though, the past couple of days=bee-YOO-tiful! which is funny, because it was only like 52. i thought it was even beautiful yesterday, when it was about 44. oh, being from the midwest. or anywhere else normally cold in winter time. it was sooo beautiful that i was a nice nanny and took the kids for ice cream and to the park! i'm the best nanny ever, i know.

anyhow, a few (slightly) more exciting things going on right now for me, in case anyone may be interested (haha): numero uno (did you know, this is also italian for "number one," not just spanish? tuck that one away. it'll do you no good ever basically.) i'm looking at some new school prospects! picking on school stuff has been hard for me because, while i am a people person and all about social, emotional, human stuff, i don't want to be a teacher, and so i've struggled with the other viable options for people with these interests only. i know there's lots of good careers for people just like me, but no choice has ever really screamed, this is you! you'll love this! still nothing is really screaming that, but the Lord is opening up some doors for me to peek inside i think, and work some things out with Him as pertaining to my future schooling. pretty exciting.

also more than fairly sweet is, we're "planning," and by planning i mean we one time looked at some rental timeshares online, a little family reunion--my mom's sisters, her, and families--at myrtle beach! i've never been, but hear many good things. i like what i've seen of the carolinas thus far, which is not much. i stayed in lake junaluska one weekend, and then spent the night in some hotel in some part of a carolina, can't remember which, or what town, or anything. but it was nice! i'm praying this will work out; our family always has a lot of fun together, as long as we have time to break things down a little.

that's pretty much all. i'm reading a boatload of library books, my knitting eyes are getting bigger than my stomach, not to mention my "skill," and i am slowly but surely trying to get back into an exercise routine. we shall see! until next time...

Hanging out you'all.

I don't know what this means. I wanted to say ya'll but make sure it didn't sound like I was really saying ya'll. I'm a little bit stupid.

So I'm just hanging out here, we're waiting for my cousins so we can be on our way to GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN!!! I know, you're jealous. You'll just have to control yourself. Sorry. Actually, though, seriously, Grand Rapids is cool and fun. I think. I've never been there in winter time. Though I'm sure it's "cool" in the temperature sense of the word.

Speaking of temperature, oh man, was it a bee-yootiful day! I don't mean to sound all arrogant about how much winter I can handle (even though I mostly hate it), but seriously, 35 degrees felt like summer time outside. I actually heard a lady in all seriousness refer to today as a nice, spring day. It is February 6th, and 35. And yes, in Chicago, and probably in a lot of places, that feels like a nice, spring day when it's been about 60 degrees colder than that with wind chill.

Haha, so it's now like a week and a half later. And there's snow on the ground again. : ( I'm only posting this boring post to give my loyal readers something to read. Haha...more later?

Feeling crafty

And not crafty in a what-new-way-can-I-find-to-embezzle-money type of way either.

With my "sabbatical" from school, I've been "worried" about finding ways to productively spend my time. Really, there's plenty to keep me occupied, for years even (for example, cleaning my room? anyone?) The house is getting refinanced, and the I-make-sure-your-house-isn't-a-dump guy is coming sometime next week, so we have to clean, clean, clean like Cinderelly's friendly mice friends--in other words, super fast. I've had the best intentions of becoming the regular (or at least semi-regular) cook in the house for years. I have literally a hundred Italian lessons waiting on my computer to be taken (I've already taken ten, so...I'm not entirely unrealistic). I also have like six brush up math books stacked beside my bed just waiting for me to crack them open so I can raise my entrance grade for college math (ugh).

BUT. None of that is fun. I feel like a child saying that, but really it's what I'm thinking, so why not just be honest? Actually though, some of that is fun (Italian lessons?). And like for the house, we're halfway through redoing the downstairs bathroom as far as our budget will take us, which is oddly fun.
I've never been very good at it, but I've always like DIY home type of projects--building furniture, painting stuff, and the rest. After my dad did all the demo work, I did all the aesthetics like spackle and paint.
It's kind of sad though how the nice new paint sort of exaggerates how ugly the old stuff is. Yuck. Plus I apparently did a poor job of taping that spot.

Back to my original topic. So I like to pretend I'm good at crafts. I have like a bajillion little things I've made around my room--an ugly old basket I weaved for girl scouts, some ugly old pieces of pottery I painted at girls' birthday parties--stuff like that. I love going to craft stores, love buying things from craft stores, but can I really be crafty? I don't know. I do love love love to scrapbook, as I've mentioned earlier, and I would say, with caution, that I think I'm a fairly decent scrapbooker.

But that's the only affirmed even partial skill that I possess. I've done tiny little cross stitches (like the kind with thirteen stitches), and sewn scarves (it can be done--the little triangle ones for your head!), and painted a still-in-commission key rack that, while it mismatches the decor, I dare say is quite cute. So I know I at least have the potential, and that maybe what I'm lacking is patience and discipline.

But really, I have like craft store ADD. One minute I'm trying to learn how to stamp extra-nicely, and the next I'm trying to hook rugs. For example, I went to Michael's today. Did I waste my money on scrapbooking stuff, which is at least a semi good investment since I'm actually good at it? No. Guess what I did. I bought a set of knitting needles and some yarn. What kind of needles? How should I know? Is the yarn suitable? You aren't asking me, are you?

This is what's funny about the needles and yarn. I don't know how to knit. Several people have tried in vain to teach me, much to their dismay and consternation. I fail miserably. However, the other day, I was bored (people aren't kidding about idle hands and the like--I get into all kinds of trouble) and some channel I subscribe to on YouTube (it's official; I'm a geek) posted some knitting how-to videos. I see three, and think, yeah, I could definitely do that. Never mind that I've tried. I suppose I've got to admire my optimism and perseverance, or whatever.

But anyhow, I bought the yarn and needles, and thankfully got my wits about me before I actually started to cast on (I know what that means! YouTube told me! I'm like a guy who says he's a doctor from watching ER and House...), and have decided that since sledding at my cousin's house is probably out (it's like 35 under with wind chill), I'll turn it into an everyone-watch-me-learn-to-knit party. Maybe this time will be the charmed one.

So now, if I was unsure before, never fear, business is here!

• Learn to knit
• Scrapbook some
• Keep on Italian
• Get on math
• READ. I'm a dork...
• Clean (blech)
• START WORK ON FEB. 2ND!!! YAY!
• Some intense Bible study (funny that when I finally have the time it's harder to do sometimes)
• Cook some more, organize my recipes--this makes me feel all virtuous and Mistress of the house-ish, organizing recipes...

I know no one else cares about my list, but I just had to get it out and have done with it. And have it permanently embedded in cyberspace for all earthly time so that I actually do the things on it.

And I just said "have done with it," so pardon this digression. I've been saying that a lot, and it's because I have this clip thing in my head of someone saying it, and it's driving me crazy trying to remember where it's from. It's all so vague. This guy is like "Why don't you just something something something and have done with it!" I can't tell who the guy is, what his voice sounds like, what he's telling this person to do--anything. I can just sort of hear the expression and inflection in the voice. He kind of spits the phrase out, emphasizing "have done." And he's British maybe?. I think saying "have done with it," instead of "be done with it," is a vaguely British thing. OH OH OH! I think I know now! He's not British at all! It's Jonah Hill's six year old kid skit on SNL! I'm ridiculous. Look it up, by the way, it's super funny. Oh wait. No. i just watched it. It's not there. Bother and fiddlesticks. It's driving me INSANE that I can't remember what it is! Arg. I'll update this when I figure it out, if ever...

My neuroticisms exposed...

Anything...blah...

So, is it ridiculous that I am up right now? It's ridiculous.

I like to pretend it's still jet lag, but that sounds pretentious and dumb. It is partially jet lag, but it's also the fact that I'm sick, took a benadryl, and gave in to sweet, sweet sleep at 2 in the afternoon, after having awakened not until eleven.

So it's nearly five am, and I've been reading (Clayburn series by Deborah Raney--check them out, they're good), and watching Christmas movies off my DVR (don't get too excited--no good classics, just junky Lifetime originals--huzzah!), and looking at Facebook pictures of everyone else's holidays, and checking up on blogs. By the way, I'm impressed at your keeping up, Joyous. Would that I would continue to be so faithful.

Anyhow, blogging is difficult when, in December, sunshine and seventies are calling your name outside a window that showcases downtown LA and leaks in marching music from the Rose Parade marchers in the Dodgers' parking lot. Some noisy neighbors, those Dodgers. In a good way, though.

Just saying, California is nice. Oh, is it nice. And I missed an earthquake by a day! I left Wednesday, earthquake on Thursday. SoCal was just so sad to see me go, it just couldn't contain its grief. It was shudder-y type sobs for my absence. Funny joke.

I think I'm going to make this an all-nighter (an all-nighter?! after 21?! I never thought I'd see the sunrise again! I feel so old sometimes...). It's to that point where there's just no way you're going to get a satisfying sleep. Like if I went to bed now, I'd either 1. make myself arise at 8 and be a wreck for the rest of the day or 2. sleep in until 1 in the afternoon, feel like a pig for the rest of the afternoon, and then repeat the sleeplessness cycle all over again. And number two isn't an option because I have to get my brother to physical therapy at 11:30. Hence, all-nighter. How bad can it be?

It can be bad. I haven't done this since I was like...16. It's scary to me that that was kind of a long time ago. It feels weird that I can't still say I'm sixteen. Of course, that may just be because it's five in the morning. But I've always had this weird fixation with disbelief at my real age. Not like I'm in denial, like I hate that I'm this "aged," but just a stoner-like (not that I would know anything about stoner-like anything) "whoa, dude, seriously, how can I be old enough to drive?" I'm kind of moronic sometimes.

On another note, I know it's slightly past new years, but I'm still in the new years-y type mood. My NY was nice, but the party was partially outside, and I was cold, and old, and tired, so things felt slightly lacklustre and anti-climactic. And I was away from home. So now I feel like being all new years-ish and stating my intentions for the year.

Numero Uno: more quality time with me and the Lord. I'm such an unmitigated jerk about Him and me sometimes. He deserves super much more than I tend to give.

Secondly, ugh, exercise. Put those fancy MTV yoga/pilates DVDs to good use, get out the old running shoes (which are already out b/c I brought them to California), and just general health promotion. For example, I've decided I may only have one regular size, regular soda a week. I can't quit cold turkey--I've tried.

I also am trying to get up a level or two on my math placements. It would shave quite a bit of time and money off my schooling. So I'll be working on jolly numbers this semester that I have off.

And speaking of the semester off, I have great intentions for it. I plan on being more consistent with my Italian lessons, doing some scrapbooking, reading some good books, exercising more, reading my Bible more in depth, finishing my dad-blamed novel once and for all, and one of the most important things right now, helping out better around the house. My mom gave me a list, and I feel like it'll be more pleasant to do them because she wants them to get done, rather than because I'm made to. I'm stupid, but I, against my own better judgment, resent being told that I have to do things. Isn't that the nature of us all, friends? Anyhow.

I've only killed about twenty minutes writing this, hopefully you haven't killed as much reading it. But I'm going to go find some stuff to do before I fall asleep and ruin everything. Good morning, all!

Happy Christmas (School is Over)

Take that, John Lennon. If only you were so smart. At least school being over is realistic...

Anyhow.

I just finished school yesterday! Hooray! I'm pondering all the possibilities of what I can do with my time before I leave for vacation. Today I've decided I will devote to laundry and scrapbooking.

Yes, scrapbooking. No, I am not an old lady--at least not in the traditional sense of the title--or a SAHM with toddlers biting at my ankles. I am 21, and I like to think I have at least an ounce or so of coolness (and it just dripped out of me once I said "coolness"). Cool kids can scrapbook too.

It's my way of pretending I'm creative. I am most certainly not a rational/logical thinker--I'm much more inclined to creativity--but I have like nothing to show for it. Scrapbooking is the stuff I have to show for it.

Anyhow, I would stay and chat more, but I am for real excited to get cracking. I haven't worked on scrapbook stuff since like last summer, I've been so busy. Toodles, friends!

The Ever Useful Ellipsis...

So I'm waiting for my obligatory holiday mix cd to burn, and decided to check things out here, you know, the whole excitement part of it has not quite worn off yet. But so I was looking at my little archive-y list of posts, and I realized... I used an ellipsis... in every title.

And I wonder, is that going to be my thing, or is that really annoying. I'm leaning towards the obnoxious side. It drives me crazy when people have things. For example, I read one blog the other day where the lady numbered every point she was writing about. 1. I went to the store today. 2. I really like spinach. And so on.

But now that I've started the ellipsis thing, even if subconsciously ("believe me, sir, it was most unconsciously done," I just watched that the other day and now I'm word-vomiting P & P everywhere), can I stop? I would like to stop, but then it's going to bug me that my first five--make that six--posts had an ellipsis in the title. Oh, how obsessive compulsive tendencies plague my existence.

On the plus side, my cd is almost done burning, then I must run off to meeting. I'm kind of weirdly excited because I get to wear these crazy socks I got in Madison over the summer--they're really high, and they look warm, so we shall see! Until next time, viewers, readers, whatever you are.