Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Can I get a refund?

Three hours at preschool today.

"Did you have fun today?"

"Yes"

"What did you do?"

"Things that I like."

"Like what?"

"Just things that I like."

Okaaaaay. After 20 minutes of grilling while we walked, I learned that he had a cupcake at snacktime (someone's birthday), he sang a song that he can't remember, and he had his picture taken (which I knew already).

Friday, September 24, 2010

Giveaway on another blog

I just entered a giveaway contest on another blog:
http://adeliciousmelody.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/reisenthel-easybag-giveaway/

That Reisenthel bag looks beyond nifty. It would be a cool thing to win, and if not, I may be tempted to buy one from Reuseit.com.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Target's clearance

I do like finding things in Target's clearance stuff. This week, it's been school supplies mostly.

First trip:
binder 1.5 inch .74
binder 1.0 inch 1.24
sandbox toys .50 x2
workbooks .50 x 11 - 2 crayola, 3 reading, 4 pre-k same/different etc, space, dinos
100pk post its - .50
clear index tabs - .48
Pooh Snow Days color book .50
dry erase placemats .50 x 3 - printing, cursive, games
dry erase poster sets 2.48 x2

I went on a quick trip today for more of the dollar-spot workbooks for El Burrito (he needs a little practice and some self-confidence with writing and drawing), and got:

dry erase posters 2.48 x 2
sandbox toys .50 x3
1.5 inch binder .74
workbooks .50 x5

The dry-erase posters are from Crayola. I got two plain and two with lines for writing practice. I've got plans of putting these on a wall or a table, and letting El Burrito decorate them. They're supposedly removable/reusable, and they came with 3 Crayola Dry Erase Crayons each.

The sandbox toys were a must-have, since there's a house in the near future, and of course a sandbox soon after that.

Wish I'd gone back yesterday, most of the pre-K workbooks were gone. I lucked out and found 3 in the regular-price stuff, and only one left with the clearance books. The rest were all older levels.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Strange conversation

Got shanghaied into a very strange conversation at the book sale on Sunday. Started as random chitchat over the lousy selection of DVDs that were left, and ended up with an older gentlemen giving a monologue to me about journalism and random conspiracies. He's a self-proclaimed expert on the Amish, subject of a show on the local PBS station, former journalist for a big paper in Hartford CT, and blacklisted author who's written 22 books with 2 in progress (which seems contradictory). His theories include that the CIA assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. and have it on video, and that Sonny Bono was murdered to prevent him leaking information about some drug trafficking with Bill Clinton and George Bush the Elder.

I managed to hmm and "oh really" for a few minutes until he was distracted by something, and then I quickly moseyed the other way. I heard him talking out in the hall a few minutes later, still about Sonny Bono's death.

And I thought the guy walking around at the sale talking to himself was odd - he was saying "oh boy" and similar phrases, but not in a "wow, that's a good book" way. More of a "can't believe they're selling this" way or something. Plus, body odor. Common at book sales, where it mixes with the old-book smell.

Friday, September 10, 2010

I've got Eeyore and a moose in my freezer!

or, Today's Yard Sale Haul :)

(Yes, there's a plush Eeyore in the freezer, along with the moose - kill any dust mites or whatnot)

The church where El Burrito's preschool is was hosting a fundraiser rummage sale today, so I stopped in after I dropped of Mr. Crying El Burrito. I got the following stuff for only $6 total:

  • Plush reindeer (for me)
  • Plush Eeyore, with tags (okay, also mine)
  • 4 clay plant saucers for $1 - would have bought the clay pots, but they were nested and stuck together :(
  • Metropolitan Museum Of Art hieroglyphic stamps set (too cool) for $1
  • mini-van for El Burrito's dollhouse 25c (after I remove the batteries)
  • Lizzie McGuire DVD $1
  • 2 other books
  • tiny Eeyore figurine
  • watercolor paint set 25c
  • whole bag of craft stuff for $2


There were a couple of pattern booklets, one new skein of baby yarn from Bernat, 4 or 5 partial skeins, a new roll (word?) of crochet thread in sage green, a partial roll/skein/ball in white, a pack of 5 darning needles, and 5 steel crochet hooks in assorted sizes. The hooks alone were worth the $2 price, even if a couple of them are tiny enough that I'll never be able to use them (unless I can crochet my own hair - they're that tiny).

I'll have time to hit a couple of local yard sales on Friday mornings now. Whee!

One week down, 40 or so to go

El Burrito (aka Bob the Builder, since April - and yes, he introduces himself as Bob) has survived his first week of preschool.

The first day was actually the easiest, or at least the most quiet in terms of morning fuss. He's a fretter and worrier, which he gets honestly, mostly from my side of the family. Since the second day, he's been crying and questioning non-stop, starting even before he opens his eyes. How long is preschool, how long is three hours, school is too screamy, I don't like show and tell, my teacher isn't a good watcher, I don't like French, on and on and on, until I'm ready for earplugs. He cries from the car to the classroom, with the big big tears and everything.

But then, when I show up at pick-up time, he will barely bother to wave at me because he's too busy playing on their playground. Go figure. He's been singing in French, took a book for show & tell, and has started playing a bit. Still says he doesn't know anyone else's name in his class (6 other kids), and "can't tell" me the words he learned.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Neat finds at the book sale

Yesterday was the bigger monthly sale at the library, and in a happy coincidence (since El Burrito is going to French-immersion preschool), this month's theme was reference and foreign languages. I found
  • 3 very basic French textbooks (French for travel, that sort of thing)
  • 2 Latin textbookss and a Latin dictionary
  • an introductory book to Scottish Gaelic (bought it thinking it was Irish Gaelic)
  • some fun books for El Burrito - 2 Berenstain Bears, 101 Myths and Legends, and a book with the stories from 55 Disney movies (heavily abbreviated)
  • two Sci Fi books for DH
  • Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal for only $1.
  • 2 American Girl books to pass on to my mother-in-law, who gets them for the granddaughters
I also saw the second Harry Potter in Spanish, but it was $2 and I'd already found $25 worth of books, so I passed on it.

Interesting stuff. I've been wanting to learn Latin for a while, and regret not taking it while I was taking all my other Classic Civilizations courses in college. Now I've got a couple of books to at least make a start.

Preschool

Day 2 of preschool today. Drop-off went worse than yesterday, actually - someone was leeched to my finger and wrapped around my neck until one of the teachers helped pry him off. More tears, too. But yesterday at pick-up time, he didn't want to leave. Playground time was just too much fun. (Not surprising, he does this at the grandparents' houses too.)

Morning half-day may have been a really good thing, although we didn't know it. He woke up worrying about how long school would be, missing us, school was "too screamy" and other things. If he was doing afternoon sessions, he'd be worrying himself sick all day.

And I still feel like a heel after drop-off today. I hope this gets better after a few days.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Houses & Preschool

Update A: Signed a contract for the house today. If (knock wood) inspection and appraisal go okay, we'll be moving next month.

Update B: Finally heard back from the preschool. We're going for a school tour tomorrow, and if that checks out, El Burrito starts on Tuesday. Between the holiday and helping my brother paint his house, today may have been our last "normal" day for a while. Until the new routine becomes "normal" anyway.

I had three Tim Tams, and haven't hyperventilated yet. Doubt I sleep well tonight though.