I love Fridays these days. We don’t have any outside commitments on Mondays either but I’m always so busy trying to get things done Monday in preparation for the rest of the week. Friday is just nothing. Sure there’s laundry and a few cleaning projects I need to get done but that’s it.

I thought about attending the local homeschool swap day but decided the cost of gas wasn’t worth the trip. Lori, did you see they moved it to your library due to the rain?

I’ve been knitting a very simple navy blue hat since mid March. I have no plans for it other than it will go in the basket of available hats in the coat closet. Funny thing about knitting…it doesn’t progress very far when you only knit one or two rows a week on it.

I decided I needed a fun fast knit. I cast on Wednesday for the Sunday Market Shawl. I worked on it last night while watching Lost. Something about it felt wrong after just six rows. I felt as though I was fighting every stitch. I reread the pattern and realized I was doing it all wrong. I ripped it out and hopefully a new start today will make it go easier.

Speaking of Lost…I thought last night’s episode was a dud. I don’t like the rescue ship storyline. I don’t really like Locke either. I found myself just wanting the episode to end so we could get to the cliffhanger. I won’t give anything away for just in case its on your DVR but Locke’s final line in the show made me say “now what does that mean?”

I saw that ABC is bringing back The Mole for this summer. I loved that show when it aired a few years ago. In other summer TV news, Ward told me that Lifetime is bringing back Army Wives.

I asked my parents to come over Sunday after church for a Mother’s Day lunch. I thought we would grill steaks and maybe even eat on the deck if it was nice. Its supposed to be 60 degrees and rain on Sunday. Boo. We’ll still grill but the meal will be inside!

I registered this morning for the first of four math classes I have to take. The first three are the just the classes I need to get me up to speed. The fourth class is the one that will actually transfer.My dislike of math dates back to kindergarten. I’m not kidding. I distinctly remember a money page that I had to redo. I erased and corrected it so many times the page ripped. My high school algebra teacher was (and probably still is) a horrid man. I was so afraid of him my stomach hurt when he walked by my desk. My Dad got me through 9th grade algebra. At the time, the state of Michigan required two math classes to graduate. I took consumer math as the second class in 10th grade. There was no way I was taking any more math than I absolutely had to!

When I enrolled in college the first time, I didn’t score high enough on the entrance exam to by pass what they call “developmental math”. Further embarrassed by my lack of math abilities, I took DEV 085 aka Basic Math. The instructor for that course was a wonderful man. He explained to me the concepts that I should have understood way back in junior high. I worked my tail off and ended up with a B in the class. Although embarrassed at my lack of skills, I finished that class feeling as though it was some of the best time and money I had ever spent.

Now I’m facing DEV 108 aka Intro to Algebra this summer. Ward has been teaching math to Son since about 6th grade. After reading the course description and talking to Ward, I think the DEV 108 class is pretty much what Son has been covering in 8th grade.

I’m taking the class via distance learning. I have some qualms about this format especially for someone like myself. I think it will be nice though to have the time to muddle though the lessons at my own pace vs. keeping up with a lecture. We have the DIVE CD’s through Saxon 87 so I think they will come in handy as an additional resource.

There’s no way to a BA unless I plow through these math classes. My goal is to not only finish the classes but also have the knowledge to teach Daughter math beyond 6th grade!

This afternoon Daughter and I went shopping for summer sandals. She has long and narrow feet so over the years I’ve learned that Payless Smart Fit brand fit her best. I immediately went for the white little girl sandals we’ve bought every summer for the past seven years. Cute and easy to wear

None of the white sandals did anything for her. OK kiddo. What do you like? She immediately zeroed in on this pair

She’s not a Hannah Montana fan though. She decided once her foot was in the shoe, no one would know HM’s name is on the inside.

Folks,  I believe we’ve officially crossed over into older girl status. She is quite enamored with the pink rhinestone on top. I have a feeling that last year’s white little girl sandal was the last pair for this household.

I found Super Cook yesterday. I haven’t had a lot of time to play with it but what I’ve seen so far is amazing.

Simply enter the ingredients you have in your cupboards and pantry. Super Cook connects those ingredients with recipes already posted in various places on the internet. I entered ingredients just off the top of my head and it came up with 2000 different recipes.

For some reason my kids are very resistant to trying new authors. This past Friday, as Daughter and I browsed the children’s section of the library, I tried to draw connections between books she’s already read and something new. She has read the entire Littles series so when I saw The Borrower’s, I told her these books were very similar. Here’s how the conversation went.

Me: Hey, The Borrowers are fun. They’re kinda like The Littles.

Daughter looks skeptical…

Me: They borrow stuff. OK so if you loose something, The Borrower’s may have taken it in the night.

Daughter: does everyone know about this?

I didn’t explain and we didn’t bring The Borrower’s home either.  We did however bring home a stack of The Babysitter’s Club. I don’t worry about it. My experience is they burn themselves out on a series/author after awhile and are more willing to try something new.

It was a a beautiful weekend! I spent Saturday and Sunday afternoon working in the yard. The weeds in the flower beds get so out of control each spring. I turned the dirt over with my Garden Weasel, applied Preen and then hit the really well rooted weeds with Round Up. I’m telling ya some of those weeds were rooted somewhere in China! I got the front yard and area around the deck done before I ran out of the chemicals.

This is the time of year that means we have to mow twice a week. We mow just over an acre so the high gas prices I talked about the other day aren’t affecting just our cars. Son mowed Thursday night and Ward mowed today.

I think I’m going to take Clutter Pundit down. It was easy at first but I’m finding it really tough to blog there these days. I just wanted to let you all know.

Ward and I discussed it and he encouraged me to continue on with classes. I’ve decided to pursue something I have always wanted–a Master’s of Library and Information Science. The job market for traditional librarians is diminishing to some degree but information storage and retrieval is hot.

A funny story related to taking classes….Ward asked me the other night about my grade in the computer class I’m taking. I told him I have 102% going in the class right now. Son asked how it was possible to have more than 100%? The professor offered extra credit and I took her up on it. Son is the type of kid who only does what is absolutely necessary in his schoolwork so he’s quite certain I’ve lost my mind. Why in the world would you do extra? There were two questions on my exam Thursday night that I’m not completely certain of. I’m thankful for that 2% cushion!

My cat Jazz just hopped into my lap. He’s a needy little man tonight. I wish you all could hear him purr. I think he could power a small motor. Every once in a while he sighs. Happy kitty.

OK off to find my pjs and warm socks. Discovery is showing another episode of Deadliest Catch! I don’t even like fish.

I know we’re not alone in feeling the pinch of gas prices. The other night, Ward and I sat down to look at our budget. Despite increasing the amount we budget for gas, our gas envelope is constantly in the red. We’ve had a lot of expenses lately but the cost of gas is really what’s hitting the overall budget. I haven’t checked but I think its a pretty safe bet to say our gas budget has doubled since this time last year.

Our gas consumption will go down dramatically starting May 22nd. Hallelujah! The decision to put Daughter in the homeschool enrichment program three days a week has been a bad financial decision. My pay check there covers almost all of the kids tuition but we’re putting $50 a week in my gas tank. I used to be able to drive for nearly two weeks on a tank of gas. I drive a Honda Accord so I can’t imagine what it costs to fill an SUV.

Last night we decided to not put Daughter in the week long summer program at the enrichment program. It would cost us $95 in tuition (that’s half day, full day is $195) with another $50 in gas, not to mention my time. Her summer fun will be two days of church camp in June, the library reading program and our backyard. Translated…cheap fun!

Ward and I talked more about this last night. Gas to get to work and groceries are non negotiables in the budget. We have to eat and we have to get to work. Ward said and I agree, the businesses that are going to get hit, if they aren’t already is restaurants, entertainment and extras like the enrichment program.

The enrichment program held fall registration earlier in the week. I of course didn’t talk to all the parents but a vast majority didn’t enroll their children for as many classes and they are working really hard to organize car pooling. There is also an increased interest in earning money off their tuition through the Kroger Community Rewards program. I enrolled Daughter just on Fridays and I arranged it so that’s the day I work. My paycheck will fully cover her tuition, our “family job” plus some pocket money. The family job is either an extra monthly fee or you do a volunteer job to help the program. I’ve done the volunteer thing for two years now. Its been a Hassle with a capital H. I’m thankful for the extra money so I’m off the hook.

So all that to say…is your family also feeling the pinch? Are you like us in that gas prices seem to be the main problem?

Oh semi related info, I have a post up on Clutter Pundit about saving money and time by hanging your laundry outside to dry.

The spring after we bought this house, Ward went to a friend’s house to dig some tiny trees. The friend lived on a heavily wooded lot at the time. Ward came home with a bunch of different varieties. Unfortunately most of them didn’t make it in the clay around our house. The only exception is this  tree bush shrub plant….I didn’t really know what to call it.

Every year I pester Ward to please dig that thing up. Its scraggly, gangly and just plain odd looking. He insisted it would be something someday. OK whatever. Imagine my surprise this spring when after five years, it bloomed!

Ward is more than a little smug but he did resist saying I told you so.

I Googled and its apparently a crab apple of some variety. My aunt is a master gardener is I hope she will chime in here. Is it OK to trim up the lower branches to make it more tree like? There are two distinct lower trunks. Should we sacrifice the weaker of the two?

Last Thursday, Lori let me keep her adorable 3 year old twins, D and K. Daughter summed up D as “he’s cute but really mischievous”. This would be D going up our slide the wrong way just because it ticked his sister off.

Notice the concentration on his face. We have a very slippery slide so ticking off his sister took a tremendous amount of effort. Is it appropriate to applaud his tenacity?

Miss K reminds me so much of Daughter at that age. She’s a girly girl and holy moly the girl can talk!

Notice her pig tails on the top of her head? She calls those her Mickey’s…as in Mickey mouse ears. Cute, cute, cute.

Lori’s family doesn’t have cable so of course I let them rot their little brains out with copious amounts of Disney Channel along with Chips Ahoy and honey mupins as D said.

I throughly enjoyed every minute of their visit but let me tell you I slept well that night!

My tulips are in full bloom and they are just gorgeous. I’ll miss them when they’re gone but will anxiously look for them next spring.

Don’t call us if you’re not on Verizon!

If you absolutely must call us, make it after 9 p.m. or on the weekends. Otherwise we’re letting you roll to voice mail.

We got a massive cell phone bill in today’s mail. A check of the month thus far shows us already 168 minutes over. Oh. my. goodness.

***Ward threw himself at the mercy of the kind lady at Verizon. They upgraded our account retroactively so the bill we got today is substantially less and this month is OK. Even so, we’re gonna be really careful about using the phone from now on.