Another Busy But Fruitful Day

Yesterday was one of those days that you begin by wondering how the heck you're going to pull it off, and by day's end, you are overcome with a profound sense of satisfaction and accomplishment because you survived it. And it all stems from being too ambitious.

We had a performance to attend at the Hop, and I'd just like to give a big thumbs up to the people responsible for the Youth Educational Series, or YES, for doing a great job of organizing the program. It was the best yet, in the opinion of Fred Lee.

The show was at 11:15, which would normally give you plenty of time, but we are slow starters, and we had to get my wife to work, as well. You want to know what's awesome, though? A and knew about our schedule, and came down early in the morning already dressed. How cool is that? They are so cute.

Getting out the door was much easier than I had anticipated, and by 9:30 we were heading out to DHMC. The plan was to drop Ruth off, do our stuff, and then pick her up for the Africa school benefit. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? We dropped R off and had about an hour before the show, so we went to the Howe. My idea was to get some books or movies to entertain N during A's rehearsal, because it's hard for him to sit through an hour of choir, and I feel bad subjecting him to it.

We actually had plenty of time at the library, so there was no rush and we could enjoy our time, which is how we like it, and this is a great time of year because they seem to get an onslaught of holiday material, which is always fun. And, I always enjoy chatting with D about parenthood and homeschooling.

I picked out some movies for N, mainly Thomas and I Spy, and we went off to meet the Mack's. Now this is unfair, but I was counting on A to get there early and save us some seats. In the end, I should be responsible for our own stuff, and when we got there, it was crowded. A said she'd gotten there late and there weren't enough seats, so we had to improvise. The place was packed, and we were going to have to split up, but leave it to A to take charge of the situation. She asked the women at the end to scoot over and make room, and they did so, albeit seemingly begrudgingly. I felt bad, but actually had a chance to meet MP, which was nice

We also saw the rest of our homeschooling brethren, and it was very interesting to see the homeschoolers who are out there. Many of them I had seen around town but had no idea that they were being homeschooled, and was happy to learn that they are. Very interesting.

The show was great, as I've mentioned. I don't know if it's the British sensibility, or what, but they did such a good job of making the show interesting, entertaining, and funny. It was so very witty, we all enjoyed it very much. After the show, we experienced the usual neurosis with Amanda of not knowing what to do. We wanted to get lunch, and Amanda is always there to bust your balls and give you a hard time over everything you say and do. All in good fun, mind you.

So went for pizza, and like always, it worked out well. It's just fun hanging out with the Mack's, even though it stresses me out at times. I just feel so under the gun and scrutinized. We managed to get by with one pizza, talk about affordable. I think the entertainment value of eating with friends just goes a long way.

We said our goodbyes and then it was off to home, but not before stopping off at Stern's for some fruit and veggies. I love that place. Granted, it's not local, but it's a great value, and you can find some real home runs. Just try to find comice pears at Shaw's. They didn't have pineapples, which I was planning on getting, but everything else went well. And we got to see Gary walking the kids out to the playground, though he seemed preoccupied and busy, understandably so.

After Stern's, we stopped at the dump to unload the recycling, and saw our good friend and neighbor EB. What a great guy, so representative of the Hartland good vibe. I would love to see more of the guy, but we're all busy, in the end.

To the post office to get some stamps and send off our Euro Christmas cards, and then to chorus. Of all the stupid things, I managed to do a zinger. I checked out some movies for N during chorus and then left them all at home, so when we got to chorus, I set up my computer and was all ready, getting him all psyched up for it, and when I went to the car, the movies were gone, because I'd left them at home. Sometimes I think stupidity is the biggest factor in evolutionary removal.

I had to drive us back home, get the movies, and then get back to choir. Stupid. Anway, it worked out fine, he got to watch Thomas with the headphones, and I got to watch A's rehearsal. I'm still struck but how much certain kids just don't seem to listen to the adults.

After chorus, we piled back into the car, drove to DHMC and played in the CHAD room. There seems to be some turnover at that place, and the new people are just as nice. I believe her name was Jennifer, and they are always nice to the kids. They have a brand new Thomas track, so N has a blast, and A can draw or read. And I can sit and do nothing. Perfect. She said she'd put A's picture on the wall, but I'm not sure if she realized she already had one up there.

By the time 5:00 rolled around, R met with us and we went to our Africa benefit. Our friends were holding a dinner with a silent auction to raise funds for a school in Kenya. Very nice, and the turnout was huge. I thought it would be some small deal, but there were a lot of people, and I'm hoping that it went well. We got to see some old friends and the food was good, as were the desserts. We brought our brownies.

AND, we got some stuff at auction. The kids got to experience the thrill of victory when you bid on something, not to mention that anxiety and stress that go with hoping your bid will win. They both got necklaces and were happy, and RutRh got this beautiful painting. It got a little cutthroat at points, and I felt myself getting defensive of our choices. One guy was auctioning off some of his pics and he outbid everyone for them so he could take them home. Talk about lame, and we know this guy.

In the end, it was for the school, and we gave them all of our coins that we rolled up, which was well over $400. That's a set of new snow tires!

Until the next time, thanks for reading.