My Modern Family

S9 (she’s now 9, you know!) just informed me that she can’t relate to certain things I experienced as a child because, as she says:

“Because I’ve spent my whole life in the modern world.”

 

Good Problems to Have

Today, while doing a slip-shod job of cleaning out my closet, I made a terrible discovery.

See?  Just more proof that housework is expensive and should be avoided.

Just Like That.

Today we were supposed to go to our weekly swim lesson, but there was a bit of a snowstorm last night.  All the local schools canceled for the day, so the swim teacher decided to cancel lessons, too.  I don’t blame her, except that today was going to be our last swim lesson.  As we were talking on the phone, we both realized at the same moment that we wouldn’t have a chance to say goodbye in person.  The girls had even made little cards and I had knitted her a little doll-sized purple bikini.  When I would knit by the pool during lessons, Julie would always come over to see what I was working on.  And she always asked if I was working on her bathing suit.  So I felt I pretty much had to make her one.

Anyway, it turns out that we have a credit for today’s missed lesson, so we will not pay for April but we are going to have one more lesson a few weeks from now to use up our credit.  So I am glad we will have a chance to say goodbye to Miss Julie.  But I am still a little bit sad.  Just like that, we won’t be going to swimming anymore.

Meanwhile, yesterday S8 signed up for her own email address.  It is time for her to start learning how to use the internet.  She sent her first email to her daddy, then one to her Nana.  I was #3.  I might not have ranked that high had she some other addresses to choose from, but I figured that was enough to get her started.  And just like that, my daughter is now digital.  This morning she woke up and said, “I have to check my email.”

This afternoon, I went to get my driver’s license renewed.  They expire every four years.  I remember getting the last one and thinking, “wow.  2013 is SO FAR OFF.”  Now, I have a new license with my older face and short hair, instead of the old one where I wasn’t yet 40 and had hair down to the middle of my back.  They kept my old license, so I will never see that version of myself again.  Not that I spent time looking at my driver’s license picture, but still.  It’s just weird to think I am not ever going to be that person again.

It’s not that I mind changes, it’s just that they’re so abrupt.  And there’s no going back.

Found Art

I also posted this on the kids’ school blog, but wanted to share it here as well.

Both of my girls are very prolific artists, S8 particularly so. I often find drawings and other artsy endeavors around the house. Recently, inspired by a book of fairy stickers a friend sent us, S8 made this crayon and sticker drawing/collage.

Another fairy drawing:

I love this one, of rabbit astronauts playing space tag ball:

I love that the ball has “SPACE” written on it.

For a time, they got into making pirate maps. I couldn’t scan one because they make them on huge sheets of paper, but they are really detailed and usually involve some sort of island, a body of shark infested water with a dire-sounding name (like “Shark Bay”), and a dangerous forest. Then they play games using the maps. Recently, I found some notes they had written as part of one of their games. It appears that they were pretending S8 was the president of an island that was sinking, and O7 was a professor who was an expert on sinking islands. S8 had written to O7 to get advice about running her sinking island.

Professor, a professor friend who studies geography (rock study) said i should focus on the economy, ect., instead of the island! Do you think i should listen to him? If i listen to him, the island will never be seen again! I think the island should be seen in its last days above water, by humans. Very deeply. Sincerly, President V. Samantha.

Professor, consequences are piling up for me. I don’t know what to do! Focus on island, or economy! I just got your scrap and you’re right. Hope we find the treasure.
Sincerly, President V. Samantha

At first, O7 (“Professor Molly”), who is not nearly as fond of writing as her big sister, scribbled pretend notes in reply.

But eventually she got into the game enough to write “real” replies. Hers are much more concise. She also uses a lot less paper. (She wrote them all on little torn scraps.)

Such drama.

This one didn’t scan as well, but I love the executive tone.

Professor, I share your concern in the sinking island project. We should send exlorers out there to find the treasure in those two weeks. Phone me your opinion tonight around 8:30 pm. If you think explorers should go there, I strictly advise that well trained explorers only should go. Please. I do not want our explorers to disappear along with the island as well. Sincerly, President V. P.S. Send the explorers with enough to last each and every explorer for 12 days. I want them back in twelve days no matter what.

I have no idea what happened to this island. Or the explorers. Or whether it was reported on Fox News. What a cliffhanger!

More Sewing: Nephews’ Fabric Baskets

O7 and I were recently in JoAnn’s, picking out some Easter craft supplies, when we spied this fabulous Marvel Comics fabric in the remnant bin.

My nephews are moving into a new house (next door, but that’s another story) and seeing this fabric, which was basically Avengers fabric without calling itself as such, made us think that it would be fun to make something for their new bedrooms. The Avengers motif was perfect for J6, and then we spied Star Wars fabric which was spot-on for D9. We grabbed the remnant, then bought a half-yard each of three other prints: one Marvel, and two Star Wars. That was plenty to make one fabric basket for each of them.

I used the structured fabric baskets tutorial from Sew 4 Home, which is a really great website: lovely fabric porn and detailed tutorials, all rolled into one.

I followed the tute almost exactly, but substituted piping for the rickrack and omitted the handles. They came out nice, and the boys seemed to really like them.

The lining fabrics are the same themes as the exteriors, but a different print.

Star Wars basket (with Clone Wars lining, as O7 chose):

Avengers basket:

While the baskets came out pretty well, I was very disappointed with my sewing machine.  Not only did it grumble about the layers of fabric and batting, but the topstitching came out terrible.  And I can attest that the problem is not between the seat and the pedal, at least not this time.    I just had the machine tuned, so sadly  it may be time to shop for a new machine.

Who am I kidding?  I have already shopped for a new machine.  It should be here in a few days.

Not Sure What To Make Of This

I often wonder if there is something wrong with me and the way I think and interact (or don’t, as the case usually is) with other people.  Actually, I have thought known suspected this since I was very young.  For a short time, I imagined myself a misunderstood genius.  Then I got some humility and figured I was just depressed.  Eventually I decided it was my personality quirk, and by this time I was 40 and a lot more comfortable in my own skin anyway, so it wasn’t as big of a deal as when I was, say, 14 and really wishing I were more like other kids (while at the same time feeling glad that I wasn’t like other kids).  (Is it still angst when you’re happy about your issues?)

Last month I took the Meyers Briggs survey and my personality type came back as INTJ, which is apparently very rare, especially for women.  That suited me just fine, as I really like being odd.  Or, more honestly, I really didn’t want to be typical.

Recently, I have been reading about Aspergers Syndrome and decided to find out what, exactly, are the characteristics of a person with Aspergers.  We hear the phrase “Aspergers Syndrome” and “autism” and “autism spectrum” all the time, often times interchangeably.  I wanted to know the difference and, almost as importantly, how a person got labeled as such.  This led me to an online test.  Now, I realize I just wrote the words an online test, which should probably raise suspicion in my own mind as much as it likely does in yours.  Regardless, I took the test.  And guess what?  This online test says I probably have Aspergers.

Your AQ Test Score is: 34

The official criteria for Aspergers Syndrome is an AQ score greater than 32.
According to statistical analysis, 26 – 31 Is a borderline score. 86% of people with this score can be correctly classified as having Aspergers Syndrome. Enter your email address below to our receive our free mini course on Asperger’s Syndrome.

Huh.

How Not To Bake Chicken

A lot of people have spent considerable energy, time and bandwidth telling us how to cook chicken. And that is useful advice, if you’re going to follow it. Today, I’m going to tell you how NOT to cook chicken. This is also very useful advice, if you follow it.

Yesterday, we were going to a ballet matinee in Akron and I remembered that there were some split chicken breasts that had been defrosting in the fridge for a few days. I knew that they needed cooked before they spoiled, and figured if I cooked them before we left, DH could have some for his dinner since he was not going with us. So, an hour before we were supposed to leave, I put them in the oven. I’m sure you can see where this is going.

After 45 minutes, they weren’t quite done, so I left the oven on a bit longer while I got my things together. And then there was a rush of stuff all at once: DH wanted me to pick something* up in Akron near the ballet, so we had phone calls to the seller and hasty arrangements to meet him at a McDonald’s near Akron U’s campus. And then there was girls’ hair to brush, and shoes to find, and GPS units to be programmed. There was a melee of coat-donning and purse-grabbing.

There was not a moment of oven-turning-off-ing, unfortunately.

This was at 1pm, by the way.

At 7PM, when I returned home, the house smelled like a burnt porkchop. I know that smell intimately, because that is how my mom’s house smelled whenever she made porkchops. She cooked them until they were stiff and dry, because to her generation, pork was a dirty meat that had to be cooked ruthlessly until it harbored neither pathogen nor vitamin nor molecule of moisture.

So I’m here to tell you, from very personal experience, that if you leave your chicken in a 350F oven for SEVEN HOURS, it will be inedible and smell very much like a burnt porkchop. And you shouldn’t cook your chicken this way. Ever.

You’re welcome.

*a Nerf blaster, if you must know