May Grind aka It May Be A Bit Random

April Showers Bring ?
It's May.  And while we should be overcome by the many, nay, copious or dare I say - pernicious plethora of flowers due to the extraordinarily rainy November December January February March April we've just had - we aren't.  We have had a record two days in a row without rain though, and for that, I am quite happy.  That, and we are doing a sight better than people in Brandon, Manitoba right now.  Not fun.

Pioneer Speak

Do you like how I throw around vintage terms like "sight better"?  I think deep down somewhere there is a pioneer woman waiting to be unearthed.  All I am missing is a butter churn. Oh - and  I don't mean THE Pioneer Woman, unless she happens to start  reviving terms like "land sakes!" or "Heavens to Betsy, getcherself over here 'fore you plumb wash away from all this here downpour...."   If anyone can bring it back, I'm sure she is up to it, but that's not what I meant.  

Owning the Denim Jumper

Speaking of butter churns and pioneer women, I went to my first homeschooling convention a few weeks back.  We were able to stay with some friends that we hadn't seen in probably 10 years.  They aren't homeschooling their kids, so I am sure they found our drooling over book catalogues, expensive timers and curriculum choices a little strange, but they loved us anyway and did a fabulous job of making us feel welcome.  

The good thing about the convention was that I was able to get most of my curriculum shopping done in one fell swoop. (Fell swoop, there I go again!) I saw some people (folks?) that I hadn't seen in ages and we sat in on a few sessions, and came away with a lot of things to think about in the coming weeks.

I found it hilarious to bump into a couple of people that I had no idea were homeschooling.  There was that moment of recognition followed by a moment from both of us where our eyes said "I'm not really here,like, not in that way" except we were both from out of town and there is no way you could be there by accident.  Busted!!  Fortunately, we were able to move on from that moment and laugh and make jokes and find out that we are both doing something that we had no expectation of doing 15 years earlier when we last saw each other.  Good times.  Funny thing since that conference, I have had a strange urge to sew a denim jumper and study Latin.   The joke never gets old.  Get used to it.

Long Book Titles

I met again with a great group of women from our church at a book study we're doing on  The Moms' Ultimate Guide to the Tween Girl's Universe  by Nancy Rue or something like that.  I'm only leading the discussion, it's not like I should remember the book title or anything.  It's just so long, and my brain cells are so few.  Having five babies will do that to you.  I'm good with titles like Roots (Kunta Kinte), Animal Farm,  The Pelican Brief or Grace Based Parenting.  Anything with more than three words in the title gets lost in between loads of laundry and lesson planning.  Having said that, it is a good book, and I am enjoying being with this group of women as we read through it together and try to figure out how we apply it to our families.  

The Part in Which We Find Out That Conservatives Do Not Cause the End of the World...At Least, Not Yet.

Last Monday was a fantastic day for our family.  My brother won the election in his riding, along with another 165 or so Conservative MP's from across the country.  Canada elected the first Conservative majority government in over 20 years and wouldn't you know it, the sun still rose the next morning. Good thing the critics were wrong. :)  I am excited for my brother to start this next chapter in his and his family's life.

Alternative Celebrations
To celebrate this whole occasion of being elected to parliament, we decided to forgo joining the family to celebrate with my brother.  Instead Keaton gave himself a concussion at the TQ (Kids Club at our church) wrap-up barbecue and we spent the evening in the ER waiting for him to stop barfing.  He had a CAT scan, and I am pleased to report that all is well, despite his parentage.  I considered taking him back to the Dr. a few days ago when he kept saying "no" to every request and thinking that everything he saw, or didn't see was his, and therefore crying about it, and having fits, and asserting his independence at the most inopportune moments, and then I remembered he is almost three, and still needs me to raise him.  Oops.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road
I wrapped up my stamping business and closed a very good chapter in my life.  I will miss seeing these stamping friends as often, they were a unique part of my life. I am more than a little concerned that removing the pressure of creating will mean I don't create at all.  Hopefully I have grown enough self discipline over the past 7 years, since I started, to keep it up just for fun.  A girl can dream, can't she?

May Mehs
I am feeling the May grind.  So close the end, but not yet at the finish line.  It's so tempting to put aside all the have-to's of life, and indulge in the want-to list.  My have-to list is battling with my want-to list, I'm not sure who is winning sometimes. Enough whining already.

Parties for Losing
We hosted another big playoff party - it was so fun, and then Canucks lost. Again. It wasn't a blow-out like the last playoff party, but it makes me wonder if we should host another. My inner social butterfly is conflicted since they did redeem themselves and won the second round yesterday, when we were just us 7 watching the game.  I did buy more chips in anticipation of more games to watch...don't let me down Vancouver!

Happy Dance
I have been asked to be a guest blogger on FamilyMatters.net.  I am super-de-duper excited about that, cause I think they are just swell.  I imagine they feel the same, especially when I use phrases like super-de-duper and swell.  The problem is that I have no. idea. what. to. write.  Figures I would have no end of things to say until someone asks me to say something!

In Closing
Perhaps e.e. cummings was in BC when he said:

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. - e.e. cummings