Stacy’s Version
This day is pretty easy to write about even though I didn’t
keep good notes, so I’ll keep it pretty brief. We all slept in, snuggled,
talked a bunch, got up, had breakfast together, got ready, cleaned up some,
wrapped presents for a birthday party, grabbed a tin-of-cards trivia game for
the car, etc. Mark had gone out to mail a package and while he was out, he got
us all 3-inch breakfast sandwiches from Subway as a surprise. Very fun
surprise! So thoughtful.
The night before, while at Wal-mart, we got some surprises for
the kids – books and a magazine about books. We don’t usually get magazines,
but Kate really LOVES those collector edition magazines about books/movies she
likes and there was a nice one all about Catching Fire which she promptly
devoured that night before bed.
For Emily’s benefit, I tried to pay attention to what we
talked about today – we really talk all the time (like nearly constantly) and I
didn’t take notes, but I tried to generally pay attention. I’m sure I’ll miss
stuff in these lists, but here goes a good effort:
Weird dreams
Catching Fire
Classifying books as YA or Middle Grade
What readers like to read
Ages of characters that readers respond to
Our writing challenges
Our writing ideas
Friends
Approaches to work and learning
1:30 PM
In the car, we played the trivia game, which led to more
discussion about many things including:
The Tour de France
Lance Armstrong
Steroids
Charities
Oscar Pistorious
Fall colors
The CA Gold Rush
Fish
Prime Numbers
Fashion Terms
Game strategies
Fountain Pens
Our friends
The drive was unbelievably beautiful – all the leaves here
are fully turning brilliant, vibrant colors – reds, oranges, yellows . . . just
GORGEOUS. The Amish Country is such a beautiful area, too, so the drive is
lovely anyway – add the dynamic colors and it’s a sensory gift from the
universe.
We arrive at our friend’s house and enjoy a lovely
Lego-themed birthday party planned and coordinated by her son, whose 7th
birthday it was. He is one of the most adorable, sweetest, smartest kids and we
all enjoy being around him and his family. Both of his grandmas were in town
for the party – one from Connecticut and one from California. It was so nice to
enjoy the day with all of them.
They had invited us to stay for dinner and we ordered in a
bunch of Chinese and Thai and Japanese and it was all delicious. Conversation
was great and steady all day and all night. We really enjoy these friends a
lot. It makes me think of those blog memes that ask you who the greatest new
friend is you made in the past year – yeah, they win the prize for sure.
Some topics discussed:
New Hampshire
Connecticut
California
Pennsylvania
Moose
Homeschooling
Unschooling
Overseas travel
France
Lisbon
Movies
Grapes
Wine making
The Foster Care system
Adoption
Newport, RI
Mystic, CT
The legal system
The economy
Texts from a Dog (hilarious website)
Philosophies
Friends
Autism
Severe disabilities
Laws
People we know
Classes we take
Games
Legos
Dogs
Work
Writing
How the semester is going for our friends, both professors
Acupuncture
Mental Health
Parenting
Learning
Reading
10:30 PM
We drove home. I hate driving at night or in the rain, worse
if it’s both. Thankfully, it wasn’t raining. We talked all the way home about
the party, our friends, how much our friends’ son looks up to our kids and how
much we appreciate how they look out for him, politics, college, roommates, our
childhoods, and religion. We also figured out how many Gilmore Girl episodes we
could watch tonight (two – and oh are they good ones!) as well as Clone Wars episodes
for the boys (three – and Max is sad that the series is over).
1:00 AM
Mark's Version
SATURDAY - 9:30 AM
For once this week I actually get to sleep in a bit, so I take
advantage. My subconscious tried to wake up at 7:30, but I refused to let it.
After puttering around and doing some dishes I check on the kids since we were
planning to go to taekwondo this morning. The kids were still sleeping and I
was very hesitant to wake them since when they sleep in it generally means they
really need the rest, and knowing how our sleep is so closely tied to our
health, I decided that sleeping instead of going to taekwondo would be better
in the end.
11:30 AM
I run out to the post office to make sure I get a package in the mail
before noon. On the way home I pick up some Subway breakfast sandwiches since
we are always lamenting how breakfast is so boring sometimes.
NOON
We finish up wrapping the
birthday present and get ready to go. We jump in the car and head down to
Lancaster for the party. On the way down we play a trivia game and discuss
topics as diverse as prime numbers, women's fashion, and fountain pens. The
leaves are also a brilliant array of colors right now so the drive is great.
2:15 PM
We arrive at Jack's house for a Lego-themed birthday party. Jack is a
great 7-year-old boy who adores Max. He likes the rest of us just fine, too. We
had a great afternoon with Jack, his parents, Jack's friend and mother, as well as both of his grandmothers. I had a very
difficult time finding all 8 of the black Lego bricks I was assigned during the
scavenger hunt. I knew I was in for a treat when the first one was up on top of
a picture frame and another was on top of the dining room chandelier. I needed
help.
We played some games, had a lot of interesting conversations, and even
got to stay for a delicious dinner of sushi,
as well as Chinese and Thai food. It was a great way to spend an
afternoon.
10:30 PM
We left a bit later than we originally planned, but that's OK. We had
such a wonderful time. The drive home was uneventful, but filled with lively
conversation. It is still date night, but there is no way that we are going to
be able to do our normal 5-hour dates. We are determined to use the extra hour
for sleep, or to bank it and use it to get ready for the surprise birthday
party Kate is throwing her best friend tomorrow. Max and I watch the final
three episodes of the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" series. It is a
very good ending, but I can tell he is quite dissatisfied. He's also sad that
the series is over.
1:00 AM
I go to the grocery store to pick up a few things for the party
tomorrow. I figure I'd rather have everything I need at the house in the
morning instead of needing to run out during prep time. Soon after I get home
we go to bed. I reset a bunch of clocks in the house, but not the kids' clocks.
We'd rather that they wake up in the morning and be surprised that we rolled
back the clocks rather than stay up later because they know we did. Ah, the
games we play. In the end, I don't think it really changes anything, but we
play the games anyway.
15 comments:
I should keep track of what Bill and I talk about during the day. Our jobs are different, but in the same field. So, we tend to talk about work a lot, I think. Luckily, we talk about a lot of other things too though.:)
Yay for Gilmore Girls. I watched a couple episodes myself today. Which episodes did you watch?
I've never had a Subway breakfast sandwich. I don't even know if I knew they existed. I'll have to try them out. You guys are right. Breakfast food is boring.:)
The dinner sounds awesome. I want some sushi now.
I'm always bummed when I've finished watching a series. I understand how Max felt.
Ha! I love that you guys didn't set your kids' clocks back.:)
I can't wait to hear about the surprise party.:)
Great post, Mark! I like how you wrapped it up. :)
Gilmore Girls - we saw the one where Richard and Emily renew their vows, Emily meddles by getting Christopher to swoop in on Lorelai's relationship with Luke, and Rory and Logan begin to hook up. We saw the one before that, too, but the one that makes you go "WHOA!" is that one. :P
Those are really good episodes. I actually really love the episodes that come after as a result of the fallout from Emily's meddling. I get satisfaction from Rory standing up to Emily and standing up for Luke. The episodes where L&L are broken up are heartbreaking, but great.
Some interesting contrasts in our lives--my day starts much earlier and ends much earlier than yours. I can hardly stay up past 10pm and for sure by 9pm I'm ready to be home and winding down. Two daughters attending early morning seminary helps drive that behavior. Plus, I just like mornings.
Also, I'm noting how less social we are than you, and that comes as a surprise. I think I'm pretty social, but unless there's an activity at church, we are home to stay from dinner time on. It gets worse in the winter.
My oldest daughter has a medical condition that has made it difficult for her to find friends. I wish there were a book club or writing group or something like you describe for her here to get involved with. I think that would be good for her.
I do eveything I can to avoid WalMart after dark. Your earlier sewer description was spot on.
And despite how boring I make us sound, I hate all the running around it feels like we do.
The last couple of years I've been realizing I'm an introvert, but thought something was wrong with that so I tried to fight it. Now I've settled into it.
Can I just say that I am jealous that the girls are watching GG? The little snippets I see are so awful because then I just want to see more. But, with that said, my Saturday nights with Max are awesome.
Oh my gosh Stacy, thanks for the topic lists! I'm cracking up! You really do talk about EVERYTHING. Prime numbers? Nerds. :)
Sushi--gross. But everything else? Yum! I swear I've tried, it's just not for me.
I love that episode, especially when Luke and Christopher are fighting over who gets to beat up Logan on Rory's behalf. I love Logan. LOVE. I think that's mainly why I like The Good Wife, because of Logan Huntzberger. Dreamy.
I hate leaving the house when it's late, especially to go to the store. I just don't feel safe here at night.
LMW, it is SUCH a great show.
Jimmy, I often think we're like shift workers around here. 2nd shift. :P With a little bit of 1st and 3rd shift thrown in. Heheheh.
I'd say most of our Mormon friends are the same way when it comes to socializing - it comes from church and little else. (Funny enough, our friends who are of other religions seem to have church as well as other social engagements in their lives). Curious.
I wonder if you could start a group for your daughter? Maybe something based on a hobby she loves? Most of our groups are ones we've started.
You don't sound boring at all! And there is nothing wrong with being an introvert. It simply means you recharge from quiet time more than from being around lots of people - nothing wrong with that!
Mark, I think you've got to figure out a way to Wii together some on Saturday nights. He's so cute playing video games with you. And you're cute, too. :)
Emily, you're welcome! LOL! We really do.
I always think of you when I see Logan, because I know you like hij so much. He's a bit smarmy for me, so I have a hard time with him, but he can also be very sweet.
They've definitely written guys for Rory that have serious strengths as well as flaws. Can we have Dean's looks, Jess's dry humor, and Logan's smarts and sweetness all wrapped in one, please?
I don't like going out at night either. I appreciate that Mark mostly does it when we get things late. Having a 24-hour grocery store across the street is seriously very convenient! This area is generally safe, but I'm a big safety-in-numbers person.
Wow! Another way that we're alike, Stacy! I have a hard time with Logan too. I actually like things about him, but he's definitely a bit too smarmy for me too. He gets better as the show progresses, but it's hard for me to let go of his earlier snobbiness. Then again, Jess made me want to punch him in the face sometimes (Too violent?), but I give him credit for helping Rory pull out of her rut in the sixth season. I liked Dean the best, but I admit that he could be one-note a lot of the time and not an equal match, in some ways, to Rory. Plus, him cheating on his wife, downgraded him in my mind a little, even though Rory had responsibility in that too.
It is pretty incredible how involved you guys are in your community. It sounds like a wonderful place to live. I'm like Jimmy, though, and tend to be in by 5:00 each week day evening. I'll do more on the weekends and maybe Thursday night, since it's getting close to the weekend, but I avoid exerting myself too much after the work day is done. Then again, we're the type of people who, if we leave town for a few days, make sure to schedule a day to rest after our trip before we have to go back to work, even if it means cutting the trip a day short in order to accomplish it.:)
Also, Mark, I hope you find a way to watch Gilmore Girls someday.:) While he wouldn't choose to sit down and watch it on his own or anything, he's seen enough episodes while I've watched it to respect it. He thinks it's written very well. I do know of a few men who enjoy it and have no problem admitting it. I didn't start watching it until it was already on its sixth season,because the name gave me the wrong idea of the show's primise. I still need to try Amy Sherman Palladino's new show, Bunheads. But, once again, the name of the show is kind of offputting.
Oh, LMW. I LOVE Gilmore Girls, and not just because of how attractive Lauren Graham is (list worthy?). The writing is fantastic and everything about the setting and the side characters and the story lines is great. I can see where my comment could have been misleading. I'm supremely jealous and hate that I'm only getting small clips at this point. I really want to go back to Stars Hollow. Stacy and I watched the show together in a relatively short period of time, but I've only seen it that one time. Stacy is the lucky one, getting to watch it for the second time. Oh, and Kate is lucky for getting to watch it for the first time. Oh, man! Now I want to watch it again!
I think I liked Dean the best, too, except for his temper. I hated that!
I totally get the "extra day" scheduled in to rest! Makes sense to me!
And oh yes, Mark and I have watched all of GG together. A couple of years ago, we blasted through it. We own it and LOVE it. Such a great show. Never gets old. Timeless!
Let me amend my comments. I have always liked Marty. I love when a friendship turns into more, so I was always kind of hoping that she and Marty would get together.
You know, I hoped she and Marty would get together. I actually think he could've developed into my favorite of her boyfriends if he had had a chance to actually be one, though his arc in season 7 was a little bizarre. Dean's temper was definitely unflattering. I was fortunate to discover GG during my summer vacation, so I was able to marathon watch all of the 5 seasons that had been released at the time. It was a great summer.:)
Oh, you know? I've forgotten his story arc from season 7. I've only seen Gilmore Girls one time all the way through. This is my 2nd time. I'm enjoying it SO MUCH.
Mark and I marathon watched all 7 seasons a couple of years ago. We LOVE this show. It just makes me happy!
Now I'm curious to see (again) what happens with Marty - I don't remember! :P
I won't spoil it for you. But I'd like to hear your thoughts about it when you get there. You're actually lucky that you don't remember, so it'll kind of be new to you again while watching.:)
Post a Comment