The end of the day.

Originally emailed on 8/25/06. Updated note at the end.

We returned to pick up Caitlin at 2:30. I wanted to see how school would affect Caitlin.
Would it change her? Would her brain be filled with new knowledge? Hmm...doesn't look like it yet! She came over to us slower than I was expecting. I think she was tired. Turns out she hadn't eaten the fabulous lunch I'd sent her with, since she got distracted by the freedom of the playground. Oh well! We sat on the wall outside of the school and watched her eat and grilled her about her day. She made a paper bag puppet of a raccoon and told us she really enjoyed school. Then there was something weird about all the boys hitting her that the teacher says never happened. Don't know who to believe at the moment since Caitlin does like to make stuff up to gain sympathy. Conflicting parental needs! Punish mean boys! Punish daughter if lying! Ack! We opted for telling her to tell us the truth and to remember to 1) use her words if someone's not being nice then, 2) talk to the teacher and then 3) hit back.

Yes, I'm advocating violence in my child. Look, if Caitlin has actually first tried using her words (I don't like that, don't hit me, don't treat me this way) and it doesn't work, then it's time to escalate to the higher power in the room. If that doesn't work, and the perpetrator keeps hitting my kid, what am I supposed to do? Let her be bullied? Hell no! I'm perfectly fine with advocating self defense. I am NOT a pacifist. If you hit my kid, expect to be hit back, little mean kid!

Anyway, we'll have to see how that goes. Wish us luck!







Then it was time to go home...











and bake some congratulatory oatmeal chocolate chip cookies...

(You're hungry now, aren't you? Mmmm-mmm!)

and make some more cloth napkins (That's one, over there - pretty red, huh?). This time for the big folks. This time it didn't take 2.5 hours for two! Nuh-uh! I made 8 in about 2 hours 40 minutes - roughly 20 minutes apiece. I've got the hang of it now! Now we can stop using paper napkins and conserve! OK, you don't care, but dang it! I worked hard on those suckers. Aren't they pretty? Pat, pat, pat. Gooood Hatchet.

Tomorrow, curtains. Oh yes, leave me at home alone and I get all domesticated. See?!

Ack!

Stop me before I start knitting! (Sorry Val, had to say it!)

Ciao!

Update: I made the giant mental leap that said, "Hmm...school is 5 days per week and I've only two napkins for Caitlin. I will need to make more napkins! I will need to buy more material! I will need to go shopping for material!" Then, I went shopping. Picked up the cutest cat related material for napkins, in a color that is somewhere between blue and purple and whipped out 4 more napkins in 10 minutes apiece! Yup, I've got the hang of this now! Now, my hems aren't perfectly straight or anything, but they will work just fine as napkins. Also, being in a kindhearted and sewing mood, I took some of the left over fabric (not quite big enough to be a napkin) and made a tiny blanket and pillow set for her Pediatrician Barbie.

Yes, yes I did.

After that, I pulled out the material to make the (supposedly) light blocking curtain for the window over the sofa. Worked on that until I reached the point where I could no longer make decisions (Should I hem it now or cut it now?), around 1am and then toddled off to bed. Finished up the curtain the next morning and felt all productive and stuff. Or, rather like this:

I've felt like that on many a morning! Only to have the bed suddenly become a black hole of warmth and softness and suck me back in.

At least until Caitlin wakes and demands breakfast.

There's something ridiculously satisfying about having made a dozen new napkins and a curtain (even if it doesn't fully block the light) all by myself. I'm certainly not skilled in the way of sewing, but boy golly! I can now sew a straight line! Well, mostly straight.

Anyway....

Yay me!