Random Thought Thursday: Rocks

What time is it: 1102P

Where am I: at the old house (oh the life of a land baroness)

Listening to: Frasier rerun

Last ate: I don't know if it counts as "eaten" but I did finally get around to trying an Earl Gray Latte from Starbucks, pretty good. Not a regular choice in the making, but not bad.

Thoughts
I think next year they'll add "2 bags of playground rocks" to Geo's school supply list. Judging by the amount of rocks the kid brings home in his shoes each day that's the minimum I will owe them by August of next year.

Simple Way to Learn a Foreign Language

The boys like to listen to a CD before going to bed.  On Monday, Wednesday and Friday Geo chooses the CD and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday ISH does (Sunday night, everyone's favorite Parent's Choice Night).

For a few nights of Geo's choosing he selected the Learn to Speak Russian CD that he got awhile back in his Chick-Fil-A kids meal.  I didn't really think much of it- after all I had tried in 8th grade to memorize a scene from Romeo and Juliet I had put off learning until the night before by listening to a recorded section of the play over and over again while I slept and that didn't really seem to work- but today as Geo walked by and randomly muttered Russian to me, I started thinking that there might be something to subliminal learning.

So here's how you do it-
Step 1: Get a CD
Step 2: Play it while you're asleep.

I mean, it seemed to work for Geo.  Now, anyone else have any foreign language CDs we can add to the rotation?  Maybe something a bit more useful than Russian?

More Accessories From Scrap Fabric

Mondo I am not, but I have been having fun with scrap fabric and turning it into different clothing accessories.  I call this one Ode to Japan, the fabric is left over outdoor fabric from when I recovered my outdoor furniture.

I held it together in the back with a rubber band and then wrapped some twine around me and around the rubber band.

I also wrapped some twine around a bobby pin and put it in my hair.

A Champion for Thanksgiving

As I walked into Lowes two weeks before Halloween and saw their Christmas tree display already up, I felt sorry for Thanksgiving.

As my blog reader went from how to decorate for Halloween to to how to decorate for Christmas, I felt sorry for Thanksgiving.

As I drove past a local university and saw the fence around the student housing decorated with "Merry Christmas," I felt sorry for Thanksgiving.

Since when did we go straight for give me candy to give me presents without stopping even for one small month to at least give thanks?

Random Thought Thursday: The Other

What time is it: 257P

Where am I: in line at Geo's school waiting for pick up time

Listening to: ISH in the backseat count to 100 over and over then randomly break into some previously unknown song.

Last ate: Fuji Apple salad from Panera. About to go to Starbucks and get some afternoon coffee with Mom (thankful to have them in town for a bit)

Thoughts
Yes, I'm one of those people. I'm one of those people who googles my name every now and then to see what's out there. But what I have found from this exercise has become very helpful over the last few weeks. Apparently there is another with my exact name, another who creates some pretty interesting things. Another whose friends inadvertently send emails to me which are originally intended for the other. Such as emails from her love interest inviting her to New York for the weekend. Or emails from the place she use to work asking her to come to this year's Christmas party. Or emails from other roommates with new roommate applications attached. You have no idea the temptation I've had to fight from the reality of the fun I could have screwing with her life.

Word to the wise - check the "to" field when sending emails.  You never know what kind of a weapon that information in the hands of the other could become.

Camping

I was a bit skeptical when Geo asked to join boy scouts.  I mean- this is my kid that hates being outside.  So does he realize that outside is what the boy scouts are?

But this past weekend that same hate-the-outside-kid opted to go camping over trick or treating around the neighborhood.

I can only remember in-tent camping two other times in my life.  Once when I was sometime around 8 when we were visiting my grandparents at their lake lot.  We caught a turtle and named it Sara.  Dad explained that Sara could not be kept (why I can't now remember) and that he would buy us a turtle when we got home.  Little did he know turtles were, at that time, against the law to sell in our home state.

The second in-tent-camping experience I can remember is when Geo was 11 months old and me, LK, a baby Geo and four other friends drove all night from Memphis to Biloxi in hopes of camping on the beach.  Did you know camping on the beach is verboten in Biloxi?  We didn't either.  So instead we camped at a KOA with the fire ants and attempted to make s'mores with heat from the car heater.  That one was really a special adventure.

So given those experiences, I didn't really know what to expect. But- he loved it!  And me- I loved spending two nights in a 2 man tent with my 4 favorite people.  I loved ISH sharing his blakenty with me during the night and him singing children songs in my ear when he woke up.  I loved watching Geo be all boy - running through the creek and throwing things in the fire - with the other boys and looking up with him at the clearest, starriest sky I have ever seen.

So, dare we say it- we may just find ourselves camping again sooner than 2016.

A few pics from the weekend:

A beautiful sunset on our way to Camp George Thomas

A late night tent set up

Outside our tent on a lovely 42 degree morning

The Scouts and doing a disability awareness activity (the kid with his bandana up was practicing his hearing disability I suppose)

Nature time and the world's most patient Scout leader.

One happy cub scout

Halloween Recap

I've managed to surface from new-house-painting long enough to sit and watch the election results with LK and catch up on both my blogging and reading of others blogs.

So, better two days late than never- a Halloween Recap.

ISH was watching a Special Agent OSO and started asking to carve a pumpkin (OSO makes it look so easy).  What OSO didn't talk about was the smell, which apparently ISH found repulsive.

So he sat back and let other de-gut the pumpkins

LK helped some with the gutting as well

ISH did get a bit more excited when I gave him a pen and told him to draw what he wanted me to carve.

We all decided ISH's was channeling his inner Picasso (or his inner Uncle Bruce-- for those who know my roady artist uncle- you would agree).  Geo wanted his to be cat-like.

And for costumes- Geo has been wanting to be Dry Bones since November 1, 2009.  So after looking around I was thankfully able to find an idea to jump off of for his costume.  And since November 1, 2009, ISH has wanted to be Luke Skywalker from Episode VI when he meets Jabba the Hutt.  So.. drum roll please ... here are their costumes for this Halloween 2010.

Hope your Halloween was full of fun and candy!