This Reminds Me

Archive for the ‘Serendipity’ Category

Rachel – an education major at UTSA – was required to hand write and secure illustration for a children’s book.  Her “Writing Methods” professor returned hers today with a grade of 100.  Woot!  We ordered three copies of “Middle School on Monday” – one for the esteemed author; one for her illustrator (Lois); and one for the fifth grade subject of the tome (Julia.)

Boys and girls – put your hands in your laps and read along very quietly with me.  Try sounding out each word.  Raise your hand if you need help.

Illustrator Lois is known for her anime talent.

When Julia starts Middle School next year, it will be our first time since 1996 not to have a child (or two or three) in an Elementary grade.

Julia and I attended the Electives Fair a few weeks ago.  The idea of her choosing a few of her own classes is very strange to her.

Rachel-the-Shopper has found far more of Julia’s “cute” clothes than I have.

Julia has enjoyed  consistently excellent teachers in Elementary School.  We will always be grateful to them.

“Awesome big sister…”  Now whom could that be?!

Believe it or not, the Middle School administration says the biggest fear of new students is working the locks on their lockers.

“Shout” is such an ugly word.  I would have preferred her to use “reminding.”  DID YOU HEAR THAT, RACHEL WYOMING?  I SAID “REMINDING!!”

Yes, we will!

Ever since I’ve run my own household, I’ve kept an open spiral notebook on the kitchen counter – and woe be to the person who moves it.  I want it right there.  All.  The.  Time. My family and best friends know how I love unusual or kewlio notebooks.  I’ve received notebooks as gifts from the University of Houston (our alma mater), UTSA (Rachels’ school), Southwestern University, etc.  And when I’m out of the neat ones, I pop open one of the multi-packs I buy at Target’s school clearance sale after Labor Day.

When I need to write a school note, or stuff a reminder note to myself in my briefcase, or scribble quick directions, or – most often – make a grocery list, I don’t want to search for paper.  I want it right there.  All.  The.  Time.  With “my sheet” on top.  Anyone in the house is welcome to pull out a sheet UNDER mine – but leave mine alone.  And leave the notebook on the counter.

This is the notebook sheet on the counter right now – my ongoing grocery list.  I just jot stuff down through the week, and really load it up Friday night after my trip to Costco (and before HEB on Saturday.)  The girls know that if there is something they need, yelling it at Mom doesn’t work.  Write it down.  Otherwise – forget it, because you know I will.

I do have a system.  Sam’s is before or after Wednesday night church, because it’s right next door – usually after because they still sell one-gallon jugs of milk instead of double packs, as Costco has started doing (yuk – who has room for two gallons of milk at a time?)  Costco is Friday night for the big stuff and recurring non-perishables, like meat, shampoo, paper towels, etc. and please be home to help unload.   Saturday is HEB, especially for produce – it’s the best.  There’s usually a trip to Wal-mart at least once a week for art supplies or whatever but our bus stop is in the parking lot between it and Costco, so, not so bad.  I love Target, but it’s not especially convenient, so that’s a treat.

Julia – who knows how crazy I get whenever anyone moves my notebook – surprised me tonight with her own grocery list.  “Mom, I used your notebook but put it back.  Your list didn’t have enough room for all I needed.”  So I’m thinking – omigosh, she has some horrible school project due with poster board, paint pens, modeling clay, etc.  But no, none of that.  Just her version – addressed to “Dear madre” – of what I need to purchase this weekend.

“AND OTHER COOL SNACKS” – indeed!

You know – her list is a lot more fun than mine.  Maybe I’ll send her to Costco Friday night.  But she has to leave my notebook on the counter.

It started snowing – really snowing – around 2 a.m. in our north central San Antonio ‘hood.  We know because Rachel stayed up all night and bound into our bedroom to announce the flakeszzzzz.

Look, up in the sky!  Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  It’s SUPER SNOW!  Rachel took this at 2 a.m.

NEISD mechanical calls at 6 a.m., 6:20 and 6:45 let us know schools were closed.  The girls were all up by 7:30 to play in the 1″ of frozen fun.

Julia did eventually put on a heavy jacket.  I swear she has one.  Please nobody call CPS on us.

500+ wrecks in San Antonio last night, including two with Rachel’s co-workers.  Every TV news story today has led with, “Stay home!  Don’t drive!”  Their videos look apocalyptic – miles with freeways with no cars.

Ice-skating (with robe and house slippers) in the cul-de-sac

There was a thin layer of ice on half of the pond.  Keith thinks the koi are okay.  If not – fish tacos this weekend.

“I’ve always wanted to make a snow angel.”

Julia’s best friend (and next door neighbor) Toni traveled on a “dog sled.”

Poor lil’ Frosty.  He’s melting already.  But what fun to build!

We’re pretty sure the kids are going to have to go to school on Presidents Day – which was planned to be a school holiday – to compensate for this snow day.  But you on, on Presidents Day, they likely wouldn’t have done anything special  On the other hand – this day – well, they’ll never forget this day.

It’s frozen in their minds.

After two days of “rolling brown outs” and horrible traffic and worrying that our koi are going to freeze in the pond…finally…snow!

Really.  It’s snow.  They’re catching it on their tongues.  There’s just a lot more tongue than snow.

Hannah owns the real coat in the family.  The rest of us luxuriate in Old Navy jackets.  Julia was out catching snow flakes in her pj’s and robe and wet hair – if my mother had a grave, she’d be turning over in it.

Classes until 12N tomorrow at UTSA are canceled.   Lois, Hannah and Julia are fervently hoping NEISD cancels, too.  We’ve laid in an extra supply of milk and cookie makings, just in case.

It cracks me up to hear Julia complain of cold.  In San Antonio.  Where we ran the air conditioner when it hit 80 degrees last Sunday.

In Russia, she was used to this:

At the playground across the courtyard from her orphanage, which she could plainly see – but had never been allowed to visit

Stay warm!  And send those snow plows our way!