Photopost Friday in Sepia

Someday I will have current pictures....when I remember to bring the camera with me.

True Dialogue

"Jupiter? Why didn't you eat your fried rice at lunch today?"

"Because it still tasted too much like rice."

"So, wait. You like fried rice because it doesn't taste like rice?"

"Yeah. And, I can't eat the leftover rice from lunch, because I put my apple juice in it."

"Why did you put your apple juice in it?"

"Because I couldn't throw the apple juice away."

(I should have known to stop earlier. But I couldn't help myself.)

"Why didn't you DRINK the apple juice?"

"I didn't want it." (Duh).

"Well, then why did you open the apple juice if you didn't want it?"

"Well, I did want it then. Then I didn't want it."

School calls

Yesterday, the school called twice. In one day.

But it wasn't bad. Not that my heartbeat doesn't start racing as soon as I see any number that ends 183- on my phone.

The first call, at 11:15, was from the school social worker. Jupiter has been making such good choices at school that she will graduate from the behavior check in/check out sheet on Friday. Jupiter is happy about this.

The next call came at 2:15. Jupiter had a vision screening and did not pass the distance vision part of the screening. The school nurse called to tell me in case Jupiter might be worried about it and not give me the form she was sending home. I like the school nurse. I hung up and called the eye doctor to add Jupiter to the appointment I'd made for myself two days before. Two specialist co-pays in the same day.

I got the form (Jupiter handed it over willingly. I'm not sure she was aware she did not pass the screening) and it said her vision was 20/50 in one eye and 20/60 in the other eye. I always figured when she put her face right down to the paper she was just blocking all the extraneous stimuli.

My uncorrected vision is 20/400. Just for perspective. Although the number of things I can do in the dark without bothering to turn on a light suprises me sometimes.



I can't imagine Jupiter with glasses. I can see her taking them on and off all. day. long. I can see her taking them off and spinning them in the air. I can see her throwing them in the air and catching them. But actually wearing them, I'm having a hard time envisioning.

Side note: I got my glasses in third grade. The first time we went to the ocean that summer, I looked out over the water and promptly asked my mother "When did they put that island out there?"

Update on hiding things in stores: I drove to work this morning and they were STILL asking that question. They almost NEVER run the same topic for two days in a row.

And for those commenters who feel bad because they have done this (:)).....today a man called who went to a big box hardware store during an ice storm and found a generator. He did not have enough money for the generator, so he made himself a nice sign that said "Motor Blown", went to the bank, got more money, and went back to get his generator he had hidden in plain sight.

I ask you: if you were going to look for a generator, why wouldn't you bring enough money with you to buy the generator? It's not like a generator is an impulse buy or something. You pretty much have to intend to buy one ahead of time.


And update two: the radio co-host who hid the purse in the store for three weeks is now planning to return the purse back to the store because it is not big enough.

I kid you not.

Hiding Things

This morning, after I dropped Jupiter off and attempted to make my commute through the "light" falling snow, the radio station announced their call in topic for the day.

Hiding things in stores to go back and get later. Waiting for it to go on sale, don't have enough money with you, whatever. Apparently the radio show co host did it with a wallet three weeks ago.

And I thought Jupiter was the only one who did that. She's been doing that since she could enter stores not riding in the cart. My favorite was the can of Pringles she hid in the drugstore (behind some other bags of chips). Two days later, she went and retrieved it.

Now she does it with clothes. I keep hoping she'll forget. But she never does.

PTO

So my boss wants me to figure out when I am going to use all except 8 days of PTO that I have this year.

Let me be clear: I am NOT in the least complaining about having 280 (plus about 30 hours left over from last year) hours of PTO to use up. It's the top reason I haven't left the bank to become an edcator (or a farmer). In fact, the whole reason I wanted to work for the bank when I started was because they had holidays. We don't have many holidays anymore; but I have PTO.

So while our computer systems were down this morning, I worked on the PTO Project. (sounds like a PBS committee or something). I wrote down two weeks in August and Christmas week. That used up 120. I put in a day next week when Jupiter had to go to the orthodontist. I made my optometrist appointment for the same day so I could justify not going to work at all. I randomly took two days in March to celebrate Spring and two days in April so if the stars and planets line up in exactly the right order, we can go to Montreal for two days during April vacation. I put in the mandatory (we think) holidays...Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. I took the day after Thanksgiving just because I wanted too. Then I put in a note for a non specific day in May or June and a non specific day in December that I will need for Jupiter's school music concerts; as yet unscheduled.

My boss loves that.

Still have time. I'm sure I can use it up between snow days and sick days, though.


Speaking of snow days, it was 5 degrees at 4pm when I left work today. The tv keeps informing me that its the coldest weather we've had in two years. I know. Last year we didn't have a true Maine winter.

It was great. I loved it.

But it was fun to imagine warm summer days when I get to use the PTO.

God bless warm water indoor pools

Amen.


I always forget the look of pure joy that lights up my daughter's face the first two minutes of swimming. Especially after a months long hiatus from same.

She swam for about two hours and only gave it up because she had to go to the bathroom. Otherwise I think she would have stayed until they literally threw us out of the pool at 4:30.

And boy was she mellow tonight. Didn't even get mad at the money counting worksheet we finally got finished. And she asked to snuggle on the couch while we watched The Alaska Experiment. I'm not sure why she likes the Alaska Experiment. But hey.


Our free Y card is good for another week. How many times can we get back in the pool this week, I wonder?

God bless pools.

Amen.

Mystery

Tonight's question:

Jupiter's laptop (clarification: not a real laptop. A pretend laptop she made out of a large sheet of drawing paper which she folded in in half, drew a large apple on the front labled "apol", and on the inside drew lots of squares with letters on them, as well as a bunch of other buttons) is not on the kitchen table anymore. Is it....

1. In Jupiter's lifebook where I meant to put it? Did I put it there and forgot?

or...

2. Is it NOT in Jupiter's lifebook, even though now I THINK I put it in her lifebook even though I don't remember putting it in her lifebook?