Today we celebrated Kathy’s birthday, and also Sarah’s birthday. This year Sarah showed her colors as a birthday ‘player’ — aware that the day is personally special and able to anticipate it, days in advance. On the first of July, she woke up early and tip-toed around the house, turning all the wall calendars to July, giggling happily. She even snuck into the boys’ room as they slept, and turned their calendar forward from June.

Sarah received a number of delightful presents, and was overjoyed to receive each and every one. She is a very satisfying gift recipient, gasping and wide-eyed with wonder almost before she knows what it is.

Kathy has been hinting for quite a while that she would really like to have a set of patio furniture.

“I’d really like a set of patio furniture. Here’s the specific one; I clipped the ad from Fred Meyer (they’re open until 9), and here are your keys,” she hinted. She’s always been a little coy and hard to read about these kind of things.

“Hmmmm. Are you sure we really need it?” My first line of defense is usually to pretend that I didn’t hear her, but I could sense that wouldn’t work in this case. “That’s an awful lot of money … what would Dave Ramsey say?”

Kathy was unimpressed by my attempt to name-drop. “Dave who? So, anyway, wouldn’t a new set of patio furniture be a better use for that money you’ve been hoarding, than for some stupid computer?”

This was the crux of the matter. I earned about $600 recently doing some side work for a friend, and I’ve been, for lack of a better word, hoarding it to buy a new computer. Our newest computer is almost three years old, which is shameful for a person in my line of work. Besides, there are a lot of games I can’t play with my current setup.

“There is no way I’m giving up that new computer! I’ve scrimped and hoarded at least three or four times, and each time, something more important comes up. Not this time!” The children had gathered as I bellowed, admiring my example of selfless sacrifice. Undaunted, I was firm in my resolve: nothing was going to stop me from buying that new computer.

Several weeks later, I stood in the garden department of a Fred Meyer, across town. My stonewalling had produced one effect: the stores near me had all gleefully sold out of the patio furniture Kathy wanted. “Curses!” I groused. With the help of a friendly clerk, I found one remaining set of patio furniture in a store in the next city over. Using a borrowed van, I bought it and thoughtfully stored the roomful of boxes in a friend’s living room. “It’ll be great,” I enthused, ignoring the way the boxed furniture hid the couch. “You’ll hardly even notice its there, har har.” Later, I heard that my friend’s children used the boxes to make a big fort, so maybe it was OK.

This morning I quietly unloaded the seats from the van and retrieved the patio set from my friend’s house under cover of early-morning mist. I must have been rather convincing in my bluster about not buying the furniture, because Kathy seemed pretty surprised. Joshua and I spent a good bit of the day assembling it, but it seems to have been well-appreciated. We lined up the first four chairs as though they were the thrones at Cair Paravel, and there was much squabbling among the children about which seat was King Peter’s, or Lucy’s.

Kathy’s friend Michelle generously took her out for a pedicure and lunch at their favorite Thai restaurant, which rounded out the day nicely.

Later in the day a few of Kathy’s friends came over for a low-key garden party that I had secretly engineered via Evite. I served fruit and cookies, and Joshua officiated as a Viking waiter. We both agreed that his horned helmet lent a certain dignity to the proceedings.

In the evening Kathy made us a delicious steak and potato dinner, and finished decorating a cake for Sarah. A good day was had by all.

Tim
Project 366, Day 198

It seems you’re never too old for mud pies.

Sarah’s birthday is on Wednesday. She’ll be 6 years old. She’ll still be my princess and baby.

Won’t she?

A big pile of dirt just cries out for attention. Sometimes it says, “Play with me! Drive cars up and down my hills. Dig your toes in my dusty layers.”

But today it shouted: “Add water and get dirty!”

You’re never too old for mud pies.

Can I place your order?

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 196

Rachel helped lead worship for VBS this year. She was especially delighted to work with some of her closest friends from church.

Aren’t these girls beautiful!! They did a fantastic job of teaching the children to sing, shout and praise the Lord.

Thanks for all your hard work - Rachel, Hannah, Katie and Allison!

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 193

As if there weren’t enough things to occupy my time and distract me from life, now I can add Facebook to the list. Blogs, email, homeschool groups, online carnivals - I could spend my entire day glued to the computer screen.

It’s wonderful! Especially when you are sun-burnt and afraid to go outside. Well, maybe it’s not really wonderful since eventually the family needs food and clean laundry. It’s a little hard to wash dishes or fold laundry (as if I ever do that) while the keyboard is on your lap and the mouse permanently glued to your fingertips.

I keep trying to get Sarah to do all the cooking and cleaning but she gives me that Princess Smile and I’m lost.

Anyway, back to Facebook. Basically it’s a social networking utility where you can connect with friends, family, co-workers, and fellow students. It was originally created by a Harvard sophomore, exclusively for other Harvard students. Gotta love those brilliant (and slightly bored) college students! Facebook expanded to other Ivy league schools (no need to be exclusive when there’s money to be made and students to exploit, I mean reach), high schools and finally the general public.

I can’t quite explain why it’s so fun, something about reaching out through the cyber world and connecting with friends. I know that I’m way behind the times, but I can’t help it.

“Girl, Facebook is, like, so 2006. Get with it! This homeschooling thing is keeping you unsocialized and ignorant.”

Not only did I lose precious hours of my day adding “friends” to my list, I pulled Tim into the Facebook world.

“The woman you put here with me - she invited me to her Facebook, and I joined.”

This picture has nothing to do with Facebook but I just love the little playhouse and therefore it deserves a spot on the blog.

On the other hand, I connected with some College of William and Mary alums and found one of my closest high school friends. I couldn’t believe it! I haven’t seen Jennifer since Tim and I were married. What are the odds that she would be one of the first people I ran in to? Even stranger is the fact that I was talking about her just last night with Rachel.

Hardly a waste of time!

No time for Facebooking, we’ve got basketball to play.

Next thing you know I’ll be hanging out at Twitter.

Maybe not, there’s only so much coolness I can handle in one week. So, tell me, do you Facebook? If so, what do you like about it? Do you share photos, connect with friends, poke people? This is a new world for me. Share your wisdom and insight!

Kathy
Project 366 - Day 192

This may not be a surprise to some of you, but if you go out in the sun two days in a row you stand a very good chance of getting a sun burn.

Even in Washington state.

Even if the temps only hit 75 or 80.

Ouch.

My scalp is tender. I think I managed to get a sunburned head. It’s a unique talent, I know.

Meanwhile, VBS continues. Joshua is a crew leader and all around helper. Rachel is on the team leading worship. Daniel, David and Sarah are participating in groups this year. I helped with food on Monday and Tuesday. The church is providing dinner for the workers each day before VBS starts. My kids have latched on to this idea and think it’s great.

“I think we’ll have dinner at home tonight,” I said to the children this morning. Stunned silence followed my announcement. “Um, you know, because Daddy will be home and we can all eat together.”

Finally one of the children spoke up, “But I like eating at church. They feed you. What would we have if we stayed home?”

Obviously my culinary skills are being wasted on these children. Not one to fight the inevitable, I called Tim at the office. “Honey, I have good news and bad news,” I informed him cheerily. “The good news is that they are serving dinner at church this evening. The bad news is that they are serving dinner at church this evening, and we’ll all be there when you get home from work.” Thankfully Tim is a resourceful lad and didn’t mind eating leftovers in peace and quiet while we were gone.

I hear they’re serving chalupas tomorrow night. Sounds delicious. I wonder if Tim would go for a church sponsored date night.

Kathy