The Boxes Go Marching One by One....

Hoorah, Hoorah!

I currently have 12 boxes full of school stuff, some upstairs and some downstairs. Two more large boxes on my enclosed porch, full of stuff that needs returned to k-12. Three empty boxes that the Jedi just took out to the garage....which I think I need back so that I can use the cardboard for painting frogs for VBS decorations. AND, one LARGE box (that held a water purification system) which has been transformed into Toa of Boy's clubhouse. Toa of Boy has already asked if he can do his school work in his clubhouse. I think I'm going to have a cardboard clubhouse in the middle of my living room for a couple months to come. Other women have coffee tables, flower arrangements, and ottomans. I have a trampoline and a cardboard clubhouse.

However, lest the above paragraph sound like whining, I am happy. Delightedly giddily happy. The Jedi, who hasn't had a free night in well over a week, spent Friday night moving bookcases and furniture for me. My desk and my computer are now in the corner by the patio window. The Jedi also spent a chunk of time getting my computer back on the network. Sometime after midnight on Friday we managed to clear a path from our bed through the demolished family room/school room for middle of the night bathroom trips. (Which was all for me, since I'm the one who needs to make middle of the night bathroom trips.) I woke up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep because I was still rearranging furniture in my head.

Friday morning, yes, yes, time jump with me. Friday morning we had a box opening party to explore the new curriculum books which have been sitting by the door for nearly a week now. Friday afternoon we spent 4 hours shopping the deals for school supplies and a few things to decorate and brighten up the school room. I only went $2.50 over budget. Before we went shopping, I swung through the ATM and got cash out to give to Sweetling. She had a list of everything she would need for the year, and had already spent time deciding what she had from last year which could be reused. At each of the six stores we went to, Sweetling got her own cart, took her list, and was in charge of her own shopping and her own budget. She got all the supplies she needed, plus supplies to donate to our church's school supply drive, plus a cute T to wear to her first night at youth group. Go Sweetling :)

So, skipping through time again, Saturday morning was belt testing for the Jedi and me. I was showering after the test and realizing that I was pretty tired and felt really sore. I felt, in fact, like I was a little beat up. Oh yeah, I realized, that would be because I just got home from being a little beat up. I have a bruise on my arm, a bruise on my shin (despite the shin guards) and my ankle got scraped up when I put my foot through a board. But I broke all three of my boards. Reverse side kick, first try. Cross behind sidekick, second try. Elbow, first try. And I sparred against the Jedi, against the winner of first place at nationals, and against a high red testing for his junior black belt. (The Jedi broke two boards at a time for a total of six boards. He sparred against the high red, me, and then the high red again, and then me AND the high red against the Jedi. And the Jedi has a sprained wrist and forgot to wear his wrist brace to testing.)

Saturday afternoon, we headed out to the Dayton Air Show. THAT was so very cool. We walked up inside a C-17 Globemaster and got to see the monster of a plane that was the C-5 Galaxy. We got to watch them close up the nose cone of the Galaxy. We also watched the USAF Thunderbirds perform. They were absolutely incredible. At one point, one of the soloists buzzed the audience. It was completely unannounced and unexpected. The air just split apart. I remember trying to reach for Sweetling to cover her sensitive ears, but before my hands could get there, every ligament and tendon in my knees detached themselves from my bones. I found myself sinking to the ground without any conscious choice. Apparently, though I don't remember this part, the tendons and muscles in my upper spine also went on strike. The next thing I do remember, when the roar of Armageddon had begun to recede, was looking up from the cowering heap on the grass where the kids and I had collapsed and discovering that nearly everyone of the hundreds of people packed around us had had a similar, involuntary reaction. All around us people were shakily regaining their feet. Even those stalwart few who had managed to remain on their feet, like the Jedi, had still instinctively ducked. Strangers stared at each other, stunned. Then, as we realized we were still alive and understood what had just happened, dazed smiles began to spread across faces. A gasp of wonder and amazement could be heard even above the distant jet-thunder.

Sweetling summed up the Thunderbirds with the simple and accurate description, "They are awesome, Mommy!" Toa of Boy stood perfectly still on the grass, concentrating intently on his little hands as he tried to twist and turn his hands to recreate the aerial dynamics of the jets. Later, Toa of Boy scoured the venders' tents looking for a red and white toy jet that resembled the Thunderbirds. He spent every dollar in his wallet to bring a that little jet home with him.

After the air show, the Jedi stopped at LaRosa's on the way home for a surprise pizza dinner treat. So, aces for Saturday all around. Sunday was a great day too with church, the annual Tae Kwon Do picnic, family TV time watching a couple episodes of The Muppet Show, season one, and then a MarioKart coin runner battle. (We raced on the same team and won three in a row. This victory was followed by a loss to the computer at a Mario Party mini-game challenge. But we had a great time with both activities, and that's what counts.)

Air show pics, cause I'm too lazy to put them in the middle of my post:

C-17 Globemaster


Sweetling and the Globemaster


Toa and the Globemaster


Sweetling (in the orange hat) and I in front of the maw of the C-5 Galaxy