Our Guest House

The Pool House is pretty much done and open for business!

The guest room has a great view!

Beautifully decorated by my mom!

Any and all are welcome.  The room comes with it's own bathroom, television, access to the pool, and kitchen (complete with a coffee pot, Rachel!)

Guess Where We Are Going!!!!!

Soon, soon, soon we will be driving to Florida to spend some time in The Villages, our very favorite vacation spot.  Then we will board this boat for a few days, stopping for some time in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. 

The rest of the time we will be playing in the pools and water thingys.  When we get off the boat we will go back to The Villages for more

 line dancing, golf cart riding and ice cream eating.

Oh my goodness, I can hardly wait!!!!!!!

Some Practical Advice

I think there should be a required high school class on job searches.  This class would include things like how to ask for an application, how to fill it out, how to follow up, interviewing techniques, etc.  Until this happens, here are some helpful hints:

• Don't apply for full time employment if you can only work on Tuesdays and Thursday from 4:00-8:00.
• Do not ask for a job application in a tube top and flip flops.
• Use a dictionary to help spell words that you are unsure of.
• If you left all your previous jobs because of problems with management, chances are you will have problems with me as well.
• Be wise when choosing your email address.  All things being equal I will probably not hire "hornygrrl"
• Do not have your mother call to inquire about a job for you.
• $10.00 an hour is an unrealistic salary expectation for an entry level part time  bookseller position.
• Even if you feel particularly skilled at operating a calculator, it is best not to mention it as a computer skill.

Today a girl walked up to me and said:

Her: "Hey! How old do you have to be to work here?"

Me: "16"

Her: "Cool.  How many positions do you have?"

Me:  "None:

Her:  "Awww. That sucks"

• Don't be the "Her" in the above scenario.
  
• When the application asks for references, do not write "Upon request."  Because, see how the application was the request?
• If you list a conviction for armed robbery I will not hire you.  Probably.
• If you come to the interview late you can forget it.
• Do not shake hands like a dead fish.
• Do not be rude to current employees, they will rat you out and you will not be hired.

Wedding

A few weekends ago our cousin, Doug, married Anna.  The wedding was at The Octagon House in Franklin, Kentucky.  I'm sure that there are stories attached to this house, but all I know is that it is shaped liked an octagon, which alone makes it interesting in my book.  It was a beautiful ceremony, so I heard.  I had to stand outside the tent because a very inquisitive, almost 3 year old, had many, many questions to ask about what was happening, loudly.  Gracie was an adorable flower girl, Jack was a very handsome ring bearer and their mommies did a fantastic job of escorting them down the aisle.  

Congratulations to Doug, Anna, Nathaniel, and Alek!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl

Today my little baby is 3 years old.  I remember a lot of when she was this size:

It seems like she was this age for about 5 seconds.  I remember the way she felt and smelled, but not much more.

This was her first birthday:

And then what seemed like 2 days later, was her second birthday.

Now here is my big girl.  I hope time starts slowing down.  Today, while driving the kids to school we saw a rainbow on one side of the car and a hot air balloon on the other side.  We spent the day doing crafts outside on her new picnic table and playing with her bunny house.  Then we went for a golf cart ride and picked wild poppies, wheat and daisies.  We sat still in the woods and listened to the birds chirp and watched the bunnies hop.  It was a great day!

Great Grandma

Hannah is lucky enough to have two Great Grandmas.  She gets to see one every day, the other one lives 300 miles away.  This week we drove to Illinois to see Grandma.  While we were there we also got to see our newest cousin, Caleb.  Please pay no attention to the bouquet of pink DumDums in Hannah's hand.  A very nice, well meaning waitress was giving her a treat.  Or perhaps, it was a snarky waitress paying me back for bringing a loud, squirmy child into her place of work.

Birthday Party #3

In general, I would say that Hannah's birthday party was a success.

There were several costume changes.  Let's count them, shall we?

 Party Dress
Bathing Suit #1
Bathing Suit #2
Party Dress
Bathing Suit #2 

(after the unfortunate fall into the pool with costume #1 & #4)

There were cakes.  Let's count them shall we?

Snow White & the Seven Dwarves

Angel Food with Raspberries, Blackberries and Whipped Topping

Chocolate Brownies with Diego Heads

There were presents too numerous to count, but the Spiderman sneakers were a big hit!

There was some gum chewing with Hannah's favorite gum chewing friend, Gracie. (This was after costume change #4, but before the unfortunate fall into the pool)

There was swimming with cute boys, Jack & Ezra.

Best of all was the morning after, when we put on our apron and whipped up some felt muffins, did some horseback riding, made a few crafts, put clothes on our magnetic dolls, played Barbies, put our license plate on our bike, and carried around our Diego rescue pack (after it dried out from the unfortunate fall into the pool.)

Computer Woes

When your laptop gets bumped by an 11 year old playing an online Pirates game neither of these guys can help you.  Things should be up and running again in a few days.  

When a Baseball Game is Not at All About the Ball, or the Bases, or the Game

Tonight we went to a Hot Rods baseball game.  Except there was no baseball.  There was popcorn, peanuts, and soda consumed.  There was fun with the mascot, Axel.  There were foam fingers purchased.  Cassie got her face on the megatron (as always!!) On the field we had some tarp covering, then uncovering, then covering again.  Sadly, there was no actual baseball played on the soppy diamond tonight, but no one seemed to mind.  After all, there were fireworks, which makes everything worthwhile.  

Mom, Dad and Holly!

My friend, Jennifer's little girl up with Axel.

And a ride on Daddy's shoulders with your hot pink foam finger is a perfect ending!

Daredevils

I'm not sure if you can hear it, but the first thing Hannah says after each jump is "Again!"

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!

Mama, you are the person that made me who I am.  My first memories of you were around kindergarten when we were living in Canada and you spent your time playing with me.  I remember being in heaven.  I don't have any idea what you and Daddy were going through:  living in an apartment in another country away from your family when we had always lived in Illinois, close to both grandparents.  All I know is that I had a great room with my own record player where you and I played Donnie & Marie records.  We played all day.  Your days were filled with playing with me.  I took that for granted at the time, but now I know and understand what you did for me, and I try really hard to do that for Hannah.  You enjoyed your time with me and I felt that all the time.  You did everything right:  you raised me well, you love me, you love my Daddy, you are strong and capable and can do anything.   And, you and Daddy really rocked the 70's with his pipe and your 'fro!

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!!!

P.S.  I can't wait until you get here next week!!!!

Thank Goodness for Big Sisters

I'm not sure what else to say about this.

What cracks me up is the look of fear on her face, yet she would not allow for help of any kind.

I'm in so much trouble when she gets older.

Last Week at the Bookstore

  

1.   It's amazing to me that I have never, ever had a customer tell me that their child is reading below grade level.  When I ask the age of the child to better help them find a book, the customer always says something like, "He is in 2nd grade, but he reads at a 4th grade level."  Occasionally a customer will need a book for someone else's child.  Oddly enough, this child often seems to be reading at a lower level.  That math just doesn't add up.

Today a customer asked me for a book recommendation for her child.  I started with the usual question, "How old is he?"  She replied, "He is 8, but he reads like he is 10."  Of course, he does.  Then she continued to explain his gifted status by saying, "We didn't even know he could read until he started reading a menu the other day."  Oh dear.  Together, the mom and I picked out some Magic Tree House books on subjects that she thought he might like, at the same time she explained to me that she doesn't want to encourage him to read for fear of stressing him out too much.

In my heart I willed this little boy to keep on reading.  I also silently told him that it was o.k. to be an 8 year old that reads at an 8 year old level, and if a menu is all he can get his hands on then go out to eat more!

2.  A man and woman came to customer service and the woman asked me to look up a book for her then walked away.  The man stayed, but didn't know anything about the book and I needed more information to find it, so I needed the woman to come back, but I didn't know how to ask for her.   I couldn't tell if the woman was his wife,  daughter, friend, sister, etc.  So, I said something really stupid like, "Would you mind asking that woman to come back here?"  The gentleman responded, "Do you mean my old lady?"  This is the  first time I have heard a man refer to his wife as his "old lady".  I thought this only happened in sitcoms from the 70's.  I was completely flustered during the whole interaction, but it cracked me up at the same time (not that I EVER want to be called anyone's "old lady".)

3.  This week I told a customer to leave the store.  I knew he had been told this before, but I couldn't remember for what offense.  You see, I thought he was the "bug-eyed bible stealing guy(BEBSG)" but actually he was the "toe licker."  BEBSG had quite a racket going on.  He came in every week or so and took a small bible off the shelf then walked up to the cash register to return it.  At that point we were allowed to give store credit back, so we did, until we finally caught on.  Oh yeah, and his eyes are a little buggy.  The toe-licker?  Well, he is a different story.  He only comes around during sandal season and he pretends to shop on lower shelves in the religion section until he finds a nice pair of feet, then he blows on their toes.  Sometimes he licks them.  Oh yeah, and his eyes are a little buggy.  You can see how I would be confused, I forgot that we were in toe licker season.

4.  While in the restroom the woman in the stall next to me was on her phone.  This happens all the time but it bothers me.  A lot.  I don't like the fact that some random person on the other end could possible hear me tinkle.  But this woman, she went beyond bothersome.  First she announced to the person on the phone that she was in the bathroom, then she sat down and made some *ahem* noises. She proceeded to give the person on the other end of the phone very serious marriage/divorce advice.  Not all multitasking is good.

5.  This week one of my booksellers had to politely explain why the phoenix is not listed in the Field Guide to the Birds of North America, while another bookseller had to explain why we would not be able to find "actual photographs" of dragons. 

Boy Sleepovers Are Not Like Girl Sleepovers

Last weekend I learned a few things about boy sleepovers.  Christian has had many friends spend the night, but never all at once, so I have never experienced the weirdness that is a boy slumber party.  And it is weird.  Here are some observations and a few brief comparisons:

• Boys are not especially talkative with adults, but extremely talkative with each other.  Girls will talk with anyone and everyone.
• Girls dance to music, boys performed dance numbers that they choreograph during recess.
• Boys eat continuously throughout the night and are especially interested in spraying whipped cream in each others mouths and ears.  Girls don't have time to eat because of all the talking and dancing.
• Everything is a competition:  food, splashes, dives, farts, smells of farts, how many swim rings you can get on your body at one time.
• Boys don't sleep.  They jump around from air hockey, to food, to video games, to talking, to food, to air hockey, back to food, then it's morning and time for more food.

And then we slept.

Very Verbal Child + Beautiful Ballerina = Pretty Loud Recital

Holly performed beautifully in a recital last weekend.  As always, she danced the entire recital with a huge grin on her face.  It brings tears to my eyes every year when she gets on that stage.  She has improved so much in just one year and I am always amazed at how graceful and poised she is. 

Hannah on the other hand, was not poised and graceful. She was loud and squirmy. After every dance she shouted, "Is it over?" then "Is it over now?"  In the middle of every dance she shouted, "Where's Holly?" and "I can't see Holly!!" One time, after I told her to whisper, she shouted, "Mommy, your breath is stinky!" Which may have been the truth, but oh my! Her cousin, Gracie was in the audience as well. She was the quiet one that peacefully nodded off to sleep even though Hannah was shouting intermittently, "Can I play with Gracie when this is over?" 

 Note to self:  This week practice indoor vs. outdoor voice and proper usage of both.