Almost Breathing Time

Five more days to summer break.

It's been a hairy month. Most of the hairy-ness came from me freaking out over my son's MIL coming for lunch. B---'s always had everything nice to say about his mother-in-law so it's been just me being nuts. I have never been this nervous. The visit was marvelous. The only moment of awkwardness was when they came in. How do two mothers, separated by culture and language - not to mention an ocean - whose children have been in a relationship for nine years (married two) greet each other for the first time? I pretty much took care of that by smothering the woman in a big hug, which she happily returned and then all was well. Y--- did a fantastic job of translating for all of us.


I think my scrapbooks saved the day. Y--- and her mom snuggled in on the couch to go through my Christmas and Disneyland scrapbooks. Mama decided she wants to scrapbook, too. They seemed to enjoy going though the books while I finished lunch and relieved some of the conversation anxiety. As always, G--- saved the food day. I had sliced, diced and boiled but he came home from work and pulled everything together into his trademark dish (bowtie pasta with doctored-up Alfredo sauce). I baked two pans of frozen garlic toast and burned one, but the second was delicious so the joke became that you have to make it that way (burn the top rack) so that the toast on the bottom rack comes out right. For dessert I had strawberries from The Stand. There is one strawberry stand (and strawberries are the main crop around here; the county even has an annual strawberry festival) in town that is revered as the best in the land. And, happily, it's the one closest to my house. Anyway, they were huge and delicious and I melted a pound of Mercken's dark chocolate and we dipped them right at the table. That turned out to be great fun, although we could not get Mama to let them harden. I have to say, she might be onto something. The warm chocolate was awfully good.

I have a very busy week scheduled next week. Tomorrow is the 8th grade's annual graduation trip to Magic Mountain (a Six Flags park about 45 minutes from us). I don't care for the place. No pixie dust. Anyway, any 8th grade teacher who doesn't go to MM with the kids as chaperon has to stay at school and move class-to-class covering for 6th and 7th grade teachers who want to go on the trip. Talk about a lose/lose for me. I figured out a few years ago that this was well worth saving a personal day for. I use a personal day and take the day off. A sub gets one more day's work during the last week of school (usually not a big sub income week). The students get a sub one way or another so it might as well be someone they have probably had as a sub all year anyway.

And I go to Disneyland.

This is turning into a big Disneyland month for me. I usually take my folks one day while their passes are still good. The Disneyland annual passport magazine said the All American College Band would be there June 1 through August 18. My folks' passes are still good up through June 17 (during the week) so we scheduled two days to go see the band, only to learn the band is in rehearsal and doesn't start performing until June 18. Figures.

I had already arranged a day off to take them last Tuesday and ended up just taking Mom. It worked out really well. We did "girl" things.



Mom had never been to the Princess Fantasy Faire. We got there just in time for Mulan to tell her story, then they had a cor0nation. For a coronation ceremony first all the little kids go get a gold crown and a page of stickers that they can use to decorate their crown. Then a lord and lady come onstage and teach them to wave regally and to curtsy and bow. Then, with the help of two pages and two - I don't remember what they called them but they're female castmember dancers - they teach the little ones a dance. THEN the princesses come out and they sing the Welcome song and dance. Then they bring out three maypoles and do "the ribbon dance."

Mom said that was the best part of the whole day! (She loves watching little kids get into fantasy and it's so easy to do at Disneyland.)

After the Faire we went down and claimed our favorite seats for the parade.

After the parade we got something to eat and headed home.

So, tomorrow was supposed to be a day both DH and I go to Disneyland and California Adventure. I'm supposed to go again on the 20th to take my dad to see the All American College Band, and then was planning to go all by myself on my birthday, the 22nd. I was going to get myself a birthday button and just indulge myself. I never really mentioned my plans to anyone but DH. The family birthday bash will be the day before and everyone knows DH and I leave for Utah on the 23rd. Who in their right mind goes to Disneyland the day before they are scheduled to leave for a two-week vacation? (Reference line above "just me being nuts.")

Anyway, B--- and Y--- were checking their calendars a couple of weeks ago and noticed that my birthday was on a Sunday that the annual passports I got them last month were still unblocked. So, they emailed me to ask if I wanted to go to Disneyland on my birthday with them. Sure bet! Then yesterday, DH hears of this change in plans and says he wants to come, too, even though it will cost him extra money. Then B--- talks his brother into it so now we have the whole family going with me on my birthday! Which is way cool but totally not what I had planned.

That's all right, though, because DH can't seem to face going twice in one month so he's bailing on me for tomorrow's trip and I will be "all by me onesy." S'okay. I've stuff to do that I don't impose on him.

Tuesday will be "finish up" day for me finishing grades and returning things to kids and so on. Wednesday I've taken another day, this time to go into LA to see B---'s school, then to Encino for his school's end-of-year production. Should be fun.

Thursday is the official last day of school. I'll be mostly cleaning my classroom until commencement. I'll have to come back on Friday to finish cleaning before I can check out. When I was sick in January (5.5 weeks) I got behind and never caught up so there's a lot of sorting and pitching and dusting to do. But then I will be well and truly done for a while.

I agreed to take the union presidency (can't whine if you won't act). Things are such a mess I don't know if I'm inheriting a nightmare or something salvageable (probably the former). My main goal is to use the year to wrangle the reins away from the Old Guard and hand them to the New Ideas. Definitely time for a change.

I can hardly wait to get to Utah. I've got my charts ready to go on a spree at Shepherd's Bush (my LNS is 800 miles from home.) I'm going to kit La Balancoire, the Nimue chart I got after Christmas and one of the Victoria Sampler charts I bought this spring.

Mostly, though, I'm looking forward to just being in Eden. If you'd like a glimpse at my home away from home (someday - economy recovery willing - it will be my home) check out this link. Watch the little video. The golf course is the backyard of our condo, and is between the condo and the lot we bought to build on.

Someday.

Sigh.