Sunday, October 24

Another Lazy Sunday Update

I meant to get over here and write something a week ago, but my ADD got in the way and I just today remembered, and have my laptop open in front of me. I also changed the actual URL for the blog, which I'll go into below. So here we go with an update!


- Remember how I was sick for a couple weeks? I seemed to get better for almost a week, then whatever it was came back again and knocked me out for *another* week. Ardeo told me to go the doctor, but I never got around to it (notice a pattern?!)... I did, however, get over it and have been fine for almost a week now. Bonus news: I was the only one in the house to get sick AT ALL! The Lysol has been dispensed liberally all over the place and I think we'll all be just fine now.

- Also, remember that I told you about us quitting smoking? Yeah, we're still not smoking! I think my being sick helped me in that I only used the gum for a week or so, got sick and just -quit- because going upstairs for more gum was just.too.much.effort that week. Ardeo is still using the gum - he had to get another box of the 4mg; he discovered that 2mg is still not strong enough for him to use exclusively - and together we've only given in a few times. Fortunately, those times were excellent reminders for us, and now we both agree that we cannot believe we smoked for so many years. It really does taste like an ashtray! (I think I had a hard time accepting that as fact, even though I'd heard it from *so* many people over the last 20 years. But it is so true!!) So here's my honesty: since 9/9/10, a date that's easy to remember!, I have smoked four cigarettes and regretted each one. Three of those happened while I was up visiting Mom over a long school weekend, so I can only tell you about myself there; Ardeo said he bought a pack over that same weekend, but I think it lasted him a week or more. One pack used to only last us one day, so that's still good in its own way.

- While I was sick I managed to get a lot of reading out of the way. I enjoy reading, but over the last 7 years or so I hadn't really given myself the time to read anything that I liked (as opposed to kids' books, you know). I have an iPod Touch that's a couple years old and *loaded* with apps. One I recently found is iBooks; I have at least 25 books on my virtual shelf and have slowly worked my way through about half of them. The most recent one - I read it in its entirety this weekend - is The Book of Adam by Robert M. Hopper. {Click the author's name to purchase a hard copy from Amazon} I only wanted to mention this here to remind myself to write a little more about the books, and iBooks.

- The kids are doing really well in school:
We're waiting for the boy's report card to come home, although I can see his grades online through a site called Infinite Campus. (That's a link to their home page, which is different from where I sign in to view both kids' schedules and grades. Not all districts use this site, to my knowledge.) We know what his report card will say, but I'll still have to sign a hard copy for the school. They just finished up a food drive at his school so I'm expecting the card to come home tomorrow. Since a new quarter began a week ago, his schedule has changed for two classes. He's had to drop Lego Robotics (replaced by Geological Studies), in which he earned a 90/B. He *loved* this class! It's just what it sounds like - they built little robots with legos, then attached little motors to the robots and programmed them to make it through an obstacle course. During open house night, I got to see some pictures from class while we parents wandered the room and listened to the teacher. It looked like fun! It also reminded me of my own Industrial Arts class in 7th grade, which later came in very handy when I went to trade school for HVAC/R.
Anyway, the other schedule change was from Life Skills (i.e. balancing a budget and career options, with a dash of Home Ec) to Art. He earned a 72/D in Life Skills, but it was solely due to missing homework/classwork - some things haven't changed. He loves to draw, and had this Art teacher last year, so I think he's looking forward to having a doodling class for 9 weeks. He should get an A, again, just like last year! At his age, an A is worth $5... if he gets a D, he owes us $2, so he's still getting life skills! :D
I had scheduled a conference with the girl's teacher last Monday, but she was out sick (it's that time of year already!). The teacher sent home the papers we'd have gone over, let me know I could contact her with any questions or concerns, and I could sign and send the packet back in the next day. I've emailed her teacher a few times since the start of the school year, and she is so great and so easy to get/keep in touch with, so this was not a problem at all! As expected, this child is scoring very high on tests taken so far for the year and is breezing through her homework when she has any. (She gets that from her father - I did *not* do so well in any school year! LOL) By the end of second grade, each child in her school has a goal of 50 Accelerated Reader points earned. So far, Miss Hurricane has 20.2 points and averages 97.9% on each quiz she takes (again, that'd be her father's DNA showing); we're only 2 months into the school year, so I think she'll make the goal by Spring Break.

- I mentioned up top about changing the URL for this site. It was a small change I made sometime in the last week, but I don't remember exactly what prompted it. I think I was poking though all the settings looking for something and noticed that I *could* change it. I didn't think about what effect that may have on anything (do I ever look before I leap? Not usually.) but I now see that if you were to type the old URL into your address bar, you're gonna get a blank page that says the site doesn't exist. So, right here is where I'm going to drop all the info so I can still be found! Luckily all my old posts are still linked on the sidebar, and I have them saved on my hard drive, so nothing is/was lost.
The old URL was -> http://amphitrite-and-poseidon.blogspot.com/
The new URL is -> http://amphitriteardeo.blogspot.com/
See, it was a minor change, but big enough to have an effect on anyone who might follow us. Most of my followers are related though =) I love you all!

~*** As of January 4, 2011, I have reverted back to the original/old URL. Sometimes I just get that proverbial 'wild hair', so I changed it; I then found out that it was causing some issues for some readers, so I went back. As you'll see, you didn't miss that much! ***~

I think this is long enough for one day. I'm going to post this and get on writing about that book - I loved it - and looking for more by the same author! *adds yet another name to the reading list*
Halloween pics should come within a couple weeks (since you know I'm behind on pictures as well... another story for a different day!).
Namaste!
~Amphitrite + Ardeo

Wednesday, October 6

A video, for fun

I'll admit to giggling like a fool when I found this one... in honor of Halloween coming up, and to go along with my picture for the month, I give you a classic song:



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♫♪ Giddy-up [a-oom-boppa-oom-boppa-mauw-mauw]
Giddy-up [a-oom-boppa-oom-boppa-mauw-mauw] ♪♫
The Definitive Collection (Oak Ridge Boys)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think that has to be my absolute favorite part of the song. It also reminds me of my uncle Freddie (Dad's cousin, not Fred/Grandpa's brother) and a barn dance from years and years ago, which brings a smile to my face without fail. I will try to describe my memory:
Great Uncle Jim (Grandpa's brother-in-law) has a big farm - now run by his sons and grandsons - not too far from where I grew up. We would go visit a few times a year, but every Fall they would hold a barn dance which we attended a few times. Just what it sounds like, family and friends came over to dance and play games, mostly in the barn by the house. Their house is a typical white-with-black-shutters and has a porch the length of the front of the house. The barn I remember is right next to the house, rather than another barn across the street (also theirs), which I believe held some of the machinery.
Anyway, one year - which in doing the math makes me think it was probably 1985? (*maybe* 1986? but I think it was before the Challenger tragedy) - Freddie was having an exceptionally great time dancing to every song. I remember it was already dark outside, but Jim & Ell had all the lights on so everyone could see where we were walking. Bro and I were running around with Freddie's three kids, and I'm pretty sure we were playing hide-and-seek or tag with all the cousins in attendance, but I stopped to get a drink or something just inside the barn. I saw Freddie dancing with Aunt Bo (my mom's sister. I need a bar graph to explain.), my mom and dad were dancing together near him, I saw Dave and Becky dancing, and a few other couples (who are now fuzzy in my mind's eye) all enjoying themselves - "Elvira" is the song that was playing, and I watched Freddie take Bo by the hand and give her a ballroom-dance type of yo-yo move... it's hard to describe, but I smiled at the time and it still makes me smile to this day. I remember that moment getting stuck in my head as, "that is the kind of husband I want! ♥♥"

Freddie died about 15 years ago, when he was only 39. He was always having a good time, he really did love deeply and much, and lived many of his days to the fullest. He was so cool! He raised two excellent men and one lovely lady, and now has 5 grandchildren. He is missed and still loved by many, and I'm glad to have that one magnificently clear memory of his smiling, fun-loving face!

Tuesday, October 5

Oopsie - overdue update!

It's not so much an "oopsie" as "too much has happened, so I haven't even thought about writing anything" if I'm being honest here.
What has happened since my last post:
- Sept. 9, we quit smoking. Still we are ex-smokers! Not sure when we can officially call ourselves "non-smokers", so I'm sticking with EX for a while.
- Sept. 19, my paternal grandpa got a helicopter ride to the hospital two blocks from here. I live about halfway between him and his birth city, and he still has family there, so was visiting. He turned 85 a few months ago; he's also had a few bypass surgeries over the last 20 years, but is otherwise as healthy as can be. He was hanging out with his younger brother when he felt funny, and said so. Uncle Fred called his local hospital, who decided that they should send him here (two hours away by car) where the heart center is better equipped. I found out that Grandpa was in town after my parents and Dad's sisters all arrived at the hospital (because I didn't hear my phone ring... ugh). Mom came here and took me to the hospital to see everyone; it was around 10 p.m. on a Sunday night, and Ardeo was here to stay with the kids. I figured I'd be back by midnight anyway! Long story short - Mom slept here in the hide-a-bed, Dad and Uncle Fred stayed at the hospital, and the girls got a room downtown (I don't have enough room here, otherwise the option would have certainly been offered!); it was a bypass thing, he got a new stent, and was good to go home on Tuesday! I believe he is already back on the golf course as well!
- Sept. 22... the first night I felt sick. I'll spare you the details, but I was sick for almost 14 days. I seriously am not sure even *today* that I'm 100% better, but I am definitely able to function normally now. The downside to this is, I think the boy caught it from me, or at least a little of it. House bleaching starts tomorrow!

Yeah, being sick really took it out of me. Ardeo was in charge of everything while I laid on the couch or in bed, all complainy and sleeping most of the time. But I'm glad to be much better now - I even made dinner on my own tonight! (This is not normally cause for celebration, I just haven't been able to do that much work at once since the day I got sick!)
Lately, the most I'd been able to do was think about posting here for you... that was as far as it ever got until tonight. I've spent the last couple days reading other people's blogs (I'll link them in my sidebar soon) and laughing like a loon over some of the stories.
Okay, so I've just been informed that it is movie night, and the kids want to get this ball rolling! They have the rest of the week off (first Fall Break for this district in the 7 years we've attended!) and so are rearranging our 'schedule' regarding movie night and pizza night. Fun times ahead, and I will do what I can to take/post pictures! (Ardeo still has all the good pics on his computer... I'll get to that soon as I can, too. Promise.)

Love to all,
Be well,
Namaste.
~A~