Another day in another week of a home learner's life.

Last year, at the age of eight, Kitten began the school year in her first 'real,' away from home school. It was a phenomenal, tiny little independent school with its curriculum based in bioregional sustainability. They believed in child-led learning and we loved it there - we fit. It wasn't perfect, nothing is, but it was the best of all worlds to our little family. A month after school began, our delightful landlord gave us six months notice. He was selling our house. Gee, thank god we'd redone the 30 year old flooring throughout and completely rebuilt the rotting bathroom! He might not have been able to get the $400K he was hoping for.

I digress. With housing being what it was in the city (read: nonexistent) we quickly discovered that we didn't have the option of sticking it out for the remainder of the school year. With that decision made for us, we discovered another positive point about the school. It had a great distance learning program. Brilliant. Me? Not so much. I really prefer to do my own thing. I don't like feeling like I've got someone looking over my shoulder. Not only that but I'm really lazy and easily overwhelmed. Not the best two characteristics when trying to... well, anything! So our poor DL teacher had to pull it out of her ass at the end of the year because my reporting sucks.

We're with a new program this year. My sister has been with this program for a couple/few years and offered to be my paper-worker as they require weekly reporting of a very detailed nature. She said, "You do the home learning and give me a general outline of what you've done, I'll put it in the form they want to see." Well, guess what? They seem to be less than pleased about the fact that Kitten is registered under my sister's name (as opposed to a parent) and they want me to register with the program. Yay. I'm f*ing thrilled. From 3x yearly reporting (which I sucked at) to weekly reporting... did I already say 'yay?'

Needless to say, my life has not exactly been what I'm used to. Kitten has swimming lessons 2ce/week, plus 'Library afternoon,' 'Park day,' and woodworking. Monday is the only day we're not scheduled out the ass. Whee. Yeah, I've been busy, not that it really makes a difference to blogging. Busy... lazy... it all ends up the same. No updates.

I'm updating!

Now, for the news. Wolf had a laparoscopic appendectomy on September 9th (Happy birthday to YOUUuuu!) He's doing well and only had to go back in once (due to refusing post-operative hospitalization for longer than 12 hours.) He's still tender which means kitten head butts him in the belly at least once a day. Yesterday, finally, we were painfully graphic about the procedure. Hopefully the abdominal abuse eases for a bit.

Kitten is doing well. She's in her element- busy, busy, busy! I'm ... me. I have good days and not so good days. I'm okay. I'm rolling with it. Sometimes I'm rolling under it, protecting my arms and legs from the wheels, but I'm still here.

Curses.

I awoke at 4:45 this morning to the sound of a phone ringing. It was Wolf's cellphone and he launched himself from the bed saying, "No way." He returned in a huff with the announcement that one of his crew needed a ride to work as his previous arrangement was 'puking drunk.' The usual Monday-drive to work grew from one to two and a half hours. Wolf left at 4:58 and I promptly went back to bed.

I awoke at 6:08 this morning to the sound of a phone ringing. It was Wolf calling to say he was passing our house (having procured his passenger) on his way to work. He said he'd wave but I'd already taken the phone back to bed.

I awoke at around 8 this morning to the sound of a phone ringing. It was Wolf, checking to see if I was okay. He thought I'd sounded a bit 'off' when last he called. I told him that I had been sleeping, not 'off.' I told him I'd call him back.

I awoke at 10:30 this morning to the thought of calling Wolf back. I've had a headache since phone call number two. I opened my eyes and there it was.

God, I hate phones.

Once and for all, and all for what?

My next door neighbour is currently going to esthetics school. A few weeks ago, while sitting around the bonfire (god, I love the country) we started talking manicures. I confided that I'd only ever had two (fie, for shame!) in my life, that both consisted of acrylic overlay to strengthen my natural nail, and that both had a life of about 48 hours before they began to lift off my natural nail. She scoffed at the poor workmanship of my previous Estheticians and offered to do my next manicure for $40 dollars, about half the price I'd pay in a salon.

Saturday, we finally got around to making it happen. Here's the breakdown.

The first hour was spent in preparation. There are powders and liquids, bonding agents and nail jewels, five different files - not to mention the pot that apparently needs to be smoked before the laying of product can begin... hey, I did say that I'm in the country now, and she did say that she liked to have a plan. Cannabis is said to aid in the production of creative juices.

Anyway, that first hour passed without incident. It took all of ten minutes to prep the nails of both hands so they were ready for acrylic. The next two hours was spent applying, shaping, filing acrylic to my left hand with a brief flurry of "Shit, you made me bleed!" **A short, two hour break followed so that Wolf and I could honour a dinner date at the local pub, then we were back at it.** It took another two hours to re-prep and complete the overlay on my right hand.

As I said, that was Saturday. Today, at least five of the overlays are pulling up. I say at least because much of my pinky nail is covered in a Superman Band-aid, protection for my raw and bleeding cuticle.

Summary:
I spent five hours with a pot smoking student (whom, I discovered, is only 2 months into her 8 month esthetics course,) having uneven, misshapen, bubbly acrylic nails applied, which have taken less than 48 hours to begin pulling up, for half price!

I am thankful, though. When we first began talking esthetics, her class was learning the art of the Brazilian Bikini Wax.

Creation: you are all gods.

I, like most I'm sure, have favourite bloggers. Some earn this rank by the quality of their writing, some by their humour. If a person can shift my perspective - I appreciate that, as well. There are countless specific reasons that a blog might catch my eye but they all have one thing in common. They change me. For whatever reason and in whatever way, after catching up with my blog-list bloggers, I walk away from the computer seeing life (seeing myself) a different way.

This is a prime example. Jenny (from Mamadrama) writes about originality but she covers so much more.

So thank you Bloggers for taking part in my creation.

Alive and kicking, so to speak.

Okay, I know that I've been gone a really long time and I generally don't like that fact. I haven't had the time or motivation to write lately no matter how I would love to do just that.

I want to be able to catch up just like that but I am so distractable and time runs a bit faster for me because of it. If only I had... there are too many things and none of them would actually help. If only I had a laptop... I'd still have to open it and use it without getting totally distracted. If only I had a laptop that wasn't connected to the internet... I'd still have to get my writings from it to the PC. If only I had a Mac... No, that one pretty much stands, lmao. I have to make the time, post the pictures... there's a lot to do and the list gets a little longer everyday. This is not a bad thing, it just is.

I'm very glad for the 'friend page.' It means that you will know this is here, rather than not knowing of the update until you happen to check in, like other (cough-blogger-cough) blogs. Ahem, I seem to have a tickle.

Anyway, I have already eaten butt-loads of computer time and Kitten wants to check on her blasted webkin. I must let her as she finally, finally cleaned up her room and it only took 3 weeks. (Truth be told, I didn't really institute consequences until this week. It works! It confused her a little bit after the 2 wishy-washy weeks - wait a minute, she's nine! - but I'm sure we'll both get the hang of this thing.)

I'm outta here, but maybe this entry signals the beginning of the Three Posts a Day part of my cycle? Ooh, suspense

Dead woman walking.

I am so tired. I just can't seem to get any sort of spark lit under my ass right now. My sink is full of dishes, the only clean laundry in the house is stuff I can do in the sink (read: underwear). Dinner, this evening, was egg salad on toast... and chips and ice cream.

I'm already dreading this full week ahead of me... I don't know for sure but I'll bet setting a bedtime that's earlier that 3am might help a touch.

I'll let you know.

Overheard at my house.

I love my family. I love my daughter. I struggle to let go of my need to control. Our cat (Kitten's cat) is particular and precious and patient. She will speak when she's less than pleased, but she almost never strikes out. She's not much for being carried and will say so, meowing once as if she's been startled.

Kitten comes from one side of the house, carrying her beloved cat. A brief conversation ensues.

K - There, I finally found a position where she doesn't meow!
Me - Oh yeah? You picked her up by the muzzle?
K - NO!

Kitten loves to make forts for her cat. She designs complicated tunnel and bridge systems, some of which remain upright long enough to be enjoyed. Sometimes Kitten will forget about their game, leaving the room. This morning, after having fed her cat into one such tunnel, Kitten returns to the kitchen to chat. She spits out a brief flurry of statements, some of which are even related to each other, before returning to her room.

K - I know how to find just where she is in the tunnel (giggling)
Me - You enter the room and suddenly scream like a banshee?
K - NO!

Yeah, she has to deal with my crap all the fricken time.