4th Grade dating drama

This was the conversation at dinner tonight.
(all names have to been changed to protect identity...)


Daughter (matter-of-fact): Maggie and Evan are dating again.

Son (incredulously): What do you mean? They're can't be 'dating'!

Daughter (defensively): Yes they are! They've been dating for months, and then they broke up and now just got back together again. They're going out. (rolls eyes)

Son (more incredulously): They can't be 'dating'!! Where do they go?? How can they be 'dating'?? What does that even mean??

Daughter (angrily rolling eyes): I don't know! They just are!!

Son (really, really incredulously): They can't be "dating"! Do they go to a restaurant together? Do they go to a movie together? Where would they even go? How can you even 'date' in 4th grade? Can one of them drive?? Jeez...

Daughter (now really pissed and rolling eyes): They just are, OK???

Son (matter-of-fact and shoving pizza in his mouth): That's really stupid.

"Sorry about the bird poop"

I was going through the kids' backpacks yesterday looking for things I should know about and things I should probably sign when I came across Will's journal. I love that his teacher makes him keep a journal. I wish I kept a journal. (oh right...I do...and you all get to read it...:)

This journal was actually the main topic of discussion at his last parent-teacher conference. She told us that overall he's a pretty smart guy, but he needs to work on his writing. He's much too brief, direct, and to the point. She wants him to write with more description and feeling.

Now, I realize that these requests are next to impossible for a 4th grade boy who would much rather be playing Halo or creating a totally cool alien guy with his Legos than writing a bunch of "fancy words" in his journal.

So anyway, this is what I came across when I got to the part where he was asked to describe a problem that he's had and how he dealt with it:

After I laughed out loud for the next 5 minutes and then replayed the hilarious (well, not at the time) scenario over in my head from that day at Epcot last winter, I thought about what else he could have written. What other describers he could have used? What detail did he leave out? Any "fancy words" to cover this one?

Sometimes short and sweet is just better.

Awed and Inspired

...that's how I feel today. Awed and Inspired. I guess Hopeful would be a good descriptor too. As would Energized, Emotional, and Humbled.

I guess I'm just a whole mess of emotions today. But I especially feel honored to have witnessed this great moment in American history.

And one which I will not soon forget.

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So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Here's hoping he can unify a divided government, country, and world, while restoring the dignity, integrity and greatness of our nation.

Good luck Mr. President!

Really, really dumb

Dear Girl in the Grocery Store Wearing Shorts,

You look really, really dumb.

It is 19 degrees outside today. I know, I know...yesterday it was 22 degrees below zero. Seriously - it doesn't matter. Did you notice that there is still a couple feet of snow on the ground? You just look really, really dumb. I know you have fuzzy Crocs on your feet that probably keep them warm even though you don't have socks on.

Just thought you should know, you look really, really dumb.

Random thoughts

Here is a list of the randomness floating about in my brain tonight. Proceed at your own risk.

• Bill and I are having Date-Night tonight. I'm so ready for a night out with my guy...it's been way too long. We'll probably just have dinner and drinks. We really have no excuse to not do this now that our kids are older. I think I'll just mark it on the calendar once a month.
• I really need to blog more. But I have incredible "writer's block". I think that I may actually have "photographer's block" too. Or maybe I'm just really lazy. I think maybe I can blame it on facebook. I've come to find that facebook is sooooo easy to do - and in comparison, I really have to work at my blog. So, I guess that would fall into the Laziness category. Don't you think?
• I'm so excited that Friday Night Lights is returning to TV this week. What a great show.
• I need to make sure our DVR is set to record my latest reality-show addiction - "Countdown to the Crown" tonight. I've not really ever been a huge fan of these Pageant shows.... BUT...I actually know Miss South Dakota! You can get the whole scoop on Jill's blog. And I think you should watch! She's been getting a lot of air-time during the past 2 weeks and I think there will be a chance to vote for her coming up. Not only is she incredibly beautiful - she's smart, nice and a swimmer!
• No swim meets this weekend. And no work this weekend. Hmmm...what are we going to do?
• Have you all seen how cold it is here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota??? Crazy cold.
• I had Bunco last night with my friends. Except we decided not to play Bunco anymore. I think we'll just get together, talk, drink and eat. What could be better?
• I'm totally loving the last couple books I've been reading by Phillipa Gregory. She writes historical fiction from the 1500's. You know, King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth... These typically aren't the kind of book that I'm drawn to, but I can't stop reading!! I highly recommend them.
• I have a great recipe for Pesto Cavatappi that I made recently. It tastes just like the dish at Noodles, Inc.

OK. Enough randomness for one post.

Stay warm everyone!

No Joke.

My view this morning...

The view from my bedroom window this morning made me like winter a little more today...