I am sitting here at
Domani Spa and Salon with the color on my hair waiting for it to color all the gray so I thought that I would write a new post. I remember when I used to be happy reading magazines while I waited here at the salon, but now that they have wireless, I just figure I might as well work on a post here.
When I was in High School we had to write a journal for Sophomore English class and I absolutely ate it up. In fact I would write in several boys' journals because they didn't enjoy doing it, so I actually authored quite a few entries in those journals. I still have my journal, it is in a green composition book stored safely away in a box in the basement. I wish I had chosen a fancier notebook, but who knew I was going to save that thing for years and years. I remember there were five sections that you were supposed to write in:
- Poetry - One of my favorites, to this day I love writing poems. Most of them rhyme and are generally pretty lame, but I have made up many, many songs for my Preschool classes over the years and I think my background in journal poetry was helpful.
- Observation - I remember this section had to include lots of adjectives. I remember describing winter walks, chemistry class, and High School hallways. I still consider myself pretty observant although my crazy eyesight prevents me from catching it all.
- Diary type writing - This is the place where you wrote down the happenings in your daily life and oh, how I love rereading those. I had a boyfriend who just happened to be the most handsome boy in school and I kept track of lots of our dates and activities during that sophomore year. I also documented birthday parties, long walks with best friends, and roller skating adventures among many other things.
- Opinions - Probably my most difficult area since I never really formulated my own opinions in High School on big issues. I just went with the flow. If my friends were demonstrating the Vietman War, I demonstrated, too, although I hardly knew we were in a war. I got most of my ideas about opinions from Seventeen magazine. I am still wishy washy and will go with the popular flow. Less controversy that way, right?
- Stream of Conscious - Now I am finally getting to the reason for this post title. There was a reason for all of this, HA! This was the section where you could just write down anything and everything. Thus the post for today, not sure where it is going, but we shall see.
First of all, I am thinking about my next grandchild who may or may not already be born and living in Ethiopia. I have no idea where Courtney and Paul are on the waiting list, I don't even think they know or if they do, they are not sharing at this point. Note to self, be sure and ask Courtney when I see her next. I am really hoping it will be less than nine months, you know, the time most people wait for a baby. I am so anxious to see if this child will be a boy or girl and how the child will fit into the dynamic of the Van Auken family. I am also hoping I can be a good grandma to a second child. I am a fantastic grandma to Tizita, if I do say so myself and I do, but how can I ever give the next one everything I have given Tizita?
I just read a blog on breastfeeding and the woman was all for breastfeeding until the kid weans himself. Ugh! The boy was four and still sucking milk from his mom. This grosses me out so much. I can't even imagine if my Preschoolers were still nursing. If a kid can ask for it, he is too old! Just my two cents worth on that subject.
I had J0hn cover our tomatoes tonight since a big frost is predicted. We still have so many tomatoes on the vines ripening that I am not ready to let them all freeze away yet. We have certainly had a bumper crop and have enjoyed them so much. Next year, less carrots, lettuce planted at various times so it comes in gradually and not all at once, lots of tomatoes and cukes again and of course the peas. For our first year, it was a great success.
Full moon tonight and it is showing itself in my classroom. You can say what you want, but I know that the moon affects how we act.
Alissa and Nathan enjoy going to Leff's Lucky Town in Wauwatosa. It is like their corner bar where everyone knows your name, but now someone is throwing eggs at customers who are sitting outside in the beer garden. One woman suffered a serious eye injury from an egg. Alissa says now she will have to wear a helmet when she goes there!
John got selected for jury duty which really stinks because of his new job. Why couldn't they have sent him a summons when he was unemployed, then he would have been happy to do his civic duty. We are trying to formulate a story so he can get out of it which I guess is not easy to do. I remember when I got a summons shortly after Courtney was born. I made John call and say I was breastfeeding and couldn't serve. They accepted that, I think I may have in fact been breastfeeding, but I know I quit BF before Courtney turned four.
Sometimes I wish I had taken more pictures of when I was pregnant so I would have had some documentation of that time, but that just wasn't something you did in those days. I also would have enjoyed wearing those tight shirts that just show your baby bump instead of those big maternity shirts, oh well, that is not going to happen in this lifetime.
Okay, time to get my shampoo so I will wrap this up. Just let me tell you that I have the best styylist here at Domani. Thanks Rachel!
I am going to go dig up that green composition book when I get home and take a walk down memory lane.
This is a bit of snuggle time right before we left today. We had such a fun long weekend that it was hard to see it end and say our good byes.
All ready for church.
Here is our cute little purple hippo ready to trick or treat at the downtown businesses on Saturday afternoon. There is a corn maze and many fun games set up on the square for all the little ones to enjoy and after that many businesses hand out candy. It was a fun way for all of us to get into the Halloween spirit. Courtney was planning on making pizzas for supper that night, but after our fun afternoon, we all decided that going out for pizza and beer was the right thing to do. After our pizza, John and I babysat for Tiz so Courtney and Paul could enjoy a night out. By the way, Courtney made this hippo hat for Tiz in four hours on Saturday morning. Her crocheted hat business has really taken off this year and she spends all her spare time crocheting.
On Saturday morning Tiz dressed up like Nathan complete with a polo, pants that hang down, street socks, and a gas bubble. We hope the pictures we sent Nathan made him smile. I also rigged myself up in this costume, not sure what it is exactly, but we sure had a lot of laughs together. If I could have walked in it without fear of falling with no arms to break my fall, I could have worn it out to the square.
On Saturday morning we also had a huge picnic with all of these stuffed friends. 
Each morning when Papa and Tiz get up, they pretend to open their cafe and serve breakfast, so when we were there, Tiz opened the cafe each morning and served us breakfast. It is really quite the business and she is quite the waitress and cafe owner. We sure had lots of laughs with this one, too. 
On Friday Tiz and I baked pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and banana bread, both of which were so yummy. Tiz is really so good at mixing things up and helping in the kitchen. The cookies and bread must have been really good because the five of us ate everything up in just two days! On Friday we also went shopping and bought some ornaments which we painted together. We did lots of craft projects and homschooling on Friday, too and had a delicious lunch at Caramel Crisp.
On Thursday evening we met my friend Connie, her daughter Sarah, husband Chad, and two grandkids, Ava and Aidan at Good Company in Appleton for dinner. A very nice time was had by all! 
