Thoughts of Randomness

1. Happy Memorial Day! I’m thankful for all the men and women who have sacrificed for our country, and for those who still are.

2. So, the oven is broken. I used it at lunch one day last week, and then turned it off. You know, like you’re supposed to do. A few minutes later, it started beeping at me and flashing an error code. A few days later, the warranty folks sent an appliance guy. The appliance guy took some numbers off a sticker and told me he was going to order two parts. He’d have the parts shipped and be back on Wednesday. Oh, and not to use the oven until it’s fixed. It could get stuck in the heating mode, which would be dangerous. Seriously? Dangerous. So I’ve been using a brand new oven that could be dangerous. Fabulous.

3. The same day the oven decided it might become as hot as the surface of the sun, the outside dryer vent came loose. It was not a good day for our house. Or the warranty people. They probably heavy-sigh when they see my email address hit their inbox.

4. Why, why, why, is shopping for a bathing suit so excruciatingly painful? For women, of course. Guys, well, they get to just pick out a pair of shorts. There are so many options for girls. Which means decisions. And the fact that nothing fits the same from brand to brand. Or that you could spend a small fortune on such small pieces of fabric. It’s ridiculous. And then if you want to look decent in a bathing suit, well, good luck. If I didn’t have to spend the entire summer at the pool with my kids, I’d boycott the whole thing. Who needs to sit at the pool and sweat, anyway? My favorite swimsuit ever was one I found in about the 11th grade. One that my BFF (who lived an hour and a half away) also bought, and we had no idea until we spent some time together that summer. Man, I wish I still had that suit. Eh, I probably wouldn’t like it now. But then? It was awesome.

5. Y’all know by now that my kids love music. As in, super-duper adore it. And they love all kinds – except straight-up kids’ music. Thus the reason we bought the Razorback Marching Band’s CD on our most recent trip home. Anyway. We used Honor’s birthday money to get her an iPod Shuffle so she could listen to music in her room. I had an old CD/Clock Radio that had an input that I was going to use as a speaker for her. Caedmon wore out the CD player, but I figured the line-in would still work. So when I got it out, it didn’t work. I’ve been looking for an inexpensive alternative for her ever since. The other night, I bought a cheap little boom box at Target, and went to hook it up the next morning so she could listen to music during roomtime. She was excited. Like, climbing up on her chair and standing on her tippy-toes to try to see kind of excited. And then? It didn’t work. Brand new. Straight from the box. Would not work. While I muttered under my breath gently packed it back in the Styrofoam and plastic and placed it back in the box to return to the store, I told Caedmon to just turn his music up loud so she could hear it. The neighbors could probably hear it, too. But hey, it worked.

6. I’m super-duper loving the new piece of furniture I refinished for the living room. It’s actually not as deep as the entertainment cabinet we had before. It’s only a few inches difference, but it seems to open up the room so much more. The lighter color probably helps, too.

7. My next big project will be the master closet. It’s a big closet, but the builder only put one hanging rack all the way around the closet. (We didn’t have a say in that, unfortunately.) So though the closet is big, it doesn’t hold all of our stuff. It’s going to need a major overhaul. I keep drawing it out and fiddling with designs, but I haven’t figured out the best way to maximize the space yet. If ever I’ve needed Sheldon Cooper to pay me a visit, it is now.

8. Caedmon is officially playing baseball now. Our first two practices were rained out, so we had one practice last week. And then a couple this weekend. He’s never played before, but I think he’s going to enjoy it. I just hope he doesn’t enjoy it too much. We are not baseball people. But we will be there with bells on. And of course, I have plans to make Honor a spirit shirt like she had for Basketball. Our games start next weekend I think, so I’d better get busy!

9. It’s about time to potty train Honor. I’ve put it off for as long as I can. And I don’t think she’s completely ready yet. But. She’s constantly taking her diaper off (because she can), and has interest in sitting on the potty. So, a girl trip to the store is in our future – to buy undies and M&Ms. Bribery worked with Caedmon, maybe it will with Honor as well. The girl loves chocolate.

10. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen our weekly movie night for our countdown to Disney. The kids are enjoying it, and so am I. I’ll post our entire list when we’re finished. Sometimes we’re having a meal that goes along with the movie, sometimes just a snack, and sometimes a game or activity. I’m not creative enough to come up with all the ideas by myself, so I’ve had a little help. I think the one I’m looking forward to the most is Swiss Family Robinson. I think Caedmon will love it. And even if he doesn’t, I will!