Some Takes or Something

One

Elphine has decided we're definitly going ice skating one more time, wretched girl. She's been up for an hour running all the snow stuff through the washer and dryer and getting clothes set out for everyone. I won't lie, I was really praying she would get tired or sick and not feel like going. I should never have admitted to her that I was thinking of it. She's turning out to be a force to be reckoned with. Humph.

Two

So sad about Terry Pratchett. Really want to just stop everything and reread all the books. Don't even have them all. Suppose I should make it my life's work to carefully collect them, but soon, before they can't be had for love or money or something. Really, it's the end of an era. Have been lying around reading Terry Pratchett since long ago Africa, laughing and groaning. Can yesterday be put on the Calender as a world wide day of mourning and rememberence, year after year?

Three

I'm sorry, just to return to take number one, why can't she seem competent enough to do actual laundry during the week? Elphine I mean. I'm going to have rearrange the order of work again if she's got enough drive to wash all the snow suits at 6 in the morning. She could be doing more around here. Humph again.

Four

Speaking of children's work, not that we were, but I keep meaning to update about my little stick economy which I posted about a long while back. It sort of alarmingly failed when I found how much I was constantly being pressured and manipulated by the children not to remove their sticks when they had clearly not done the work. And then I was sniffy because I paid them way more money at the end of the month than I'm sure they're worth. So for March, even though it's not the same thing at all, I lowered the value of the sticks to ten cents and I put them in for the tasks accomplished, rather than taking them out for tasks left undone. And having not read the book or anything, I guess it can't be said that I'm doing whatever it is at all. It is handy, though. The children can earn as many sticks as they want, but they're too lazy to want them, so I'm saving money and still screaming. Win win. Cough.

Five

Here's another Eglantine picture, fortunately not of mother crying this time. I think it might be a spider but I might have misheard her. She's basically a friendly cheerful little person but more and more I'm running into some kind of darker side of her. Like the fact that she can't get throuh a day without eating a chocolate roll up (a tortilla slathered with Nutella and then rolled up). She starts nagging and budgeting for it as soon as breakfast is over and if she can't have one some time before bed, she cannot deal. Maybe this is a picture of her soul after I've said no to a chocolate roll up. Maybe I should start saying yes. Maybe it's Not Going To Be Ok.

Six

Speaking of whether or not it's going to be ok, it looks like Elphine and Alouicious will be about 95% done with all their school work, less math and spelling, by Holy Week. Romulus is not that far along but not bad either, maybe like 60%. This is sort of really awesome. After Easter we'll be able to probably do like three hours a day until whenever. A little math, a little spelling, a little writing of a paragraph here and there, and lots and lots and lots of gardening, hopefully. Praying for a swelteringly hot summer.

Seven

The political machinations of 2nd Samuel are so interesting every single time. I hate that I can't totally understand what on earth is going on. Even when I figure it out in one reading, the next time I cycle through, I can't remember why anybody is doing what they're doing. Every time, every single time I wonder why on earth Ahithophel commits suicide because his council is rejected. I guess I could go dig up a study bible. Sometime I should try trying to remember something though. That's the thing about the bible. It's new Every Time, not because it's actually new, but because I'm too dumb to remember what any of it said.

Have a great weekend! If you like that sort of thing. I'll be reading The Hogfather and sobbing gently into a tea cup.