5th, 8th and No Sky Light

The kids are back in school. I took pictures on the morning of their first day back, but they were both acting so goofy that the pics didn't turn out very well.

Delaney was uneasy about going back to school because only one of her five "best friends" was going to be in her new class. My assurances that she would make new friends soon only seemed to annoy her. Anxiety always seems to accompany change in her life. I remember that the first few weeks of first grade were really tough. She'd come home and seem fine, but then an hour later she'd burst into tears. When asked what was the matter, she'd blubber, "I don't know...I don't know!" I'd just hold her, thinking about how sometimes I feel like doing that, too. :)

Anyway, she has a male teacher this year for 5th grade and he's a very smart guy. He's been teaching the students "magic" tricks every day and their only homework so far has been to go home and perform the tricks for their family and anyone else who'll watch. That's one way to get the kids to like you! Delaney looks so cute and pleased when she has successfully wowed us.

Is that a grumpy girl with a super long tongue?

Nope, it's a happy girl with a big slice of red bell pepper.


Tobias is now a big, bad 8th grader. He recently dyed his hair black. What teenage boy doesn't want to do this at some point? I wasn't expecting to like it, but it looks quite nice with his eyes.

He had a wonderful time at the jr. high retreat. He came back saying that it was the best week of his life. On Thursday night, he was asked if he wanted to prepare a devotional for the following morning. He decided to prepare for it early Friday morning so that he wouldn't have to miss out on the fun that was happening on Thursday night. So, the counselor woke Tobias up at 5:00 am. Tobias knew he couldn't turn on the cabin light and wake up all the other kids and he thought he might get in trouble if he wandered off outside. Hmmm...there was only one place left to go...the bathroom, and there was only one seat there on which to sit...the toilet. So, he sat there looking up scriptures and taking notes on how to facilitate the discussion! If he goes into public speaking, he can always say that his career had humble beginnings. :)


What you see above has been a bane on our lives ever since we bought this house. It was a skylight in the den. The roof leaked around it and at certain hours it baked whatever poor fool was sitting at the computer. The sun would beat down and make you feel like a bug under a magnifying glass.

I wrote all of that in past tense because the skylight is no more. Yay! We had it removed and part of the roof redone over the past two days.


After we stain the wood, we'll be able to focus on fixing our shower:


Estimated date of completion--2033 (about the same time the mortgage is paid off.)

Speaking of monetary assets...I was at a party recently and a woman and I began to discuss a particular dining room set that we were looking at. She turned to me and asked, "So, in what style do you furnish your home?"

Realizing that she was serious, I quelled the chuckle that was tickling my throat, wondering, How do I answer this one?

I was afraid that my honest answer of "I furnish it with all of my relatives' cast off bits and pieces" might sound snide, so I floundered around until I heard myself say, "I'm big on practical items." (Hey, it's very practical to get free stuff from people who don't want it anymore, right?)

Apparently, this lady (who was a very nice lady, by the way) didn't know that she was talking with a member of a lower class. My Ross-bought duds didn't give me away! (Yesterday, I bought a dress at Ross for $2.99! I have to replace the zipper, but still...)