Vacation Bible School

...is a wonderful thing. When Grace came home from there today, it was her first day and her first year, she was singing the songs and actually telling me what she did, the games she played, what the story was about. Whenever she came home from preschool she was never like that, maybe a few times, but generally if you tried to get any information out of her she would just say she didn't remember or didn't know. So we're pretty sure she really enjoyed it and she seems excited about going back tomorrow. I'm excited too because I'll actually get some free time.

So today was our neighbor's daughter's last day of school and she's going to be coming to our house most days during the week to help me with Grace. She took her babysitting class through the park district and she seems really eager to watch Grace and help out. The only thing was that her parents were going to talk to us over this last weekend about the whole plan for how everything was going to work, but we weren't really home so we never got to talk. So when she came over today I as a little surprised, but not a lot. I did know it was her last day of school today, but I just don't understand the whole going for an hour thing. I do in the sense that if they go for a certain amount of time they get credit for a full day from the state and get the funding they need for it, but it just seems like such a waste of everybody's time and effort.

So she came over after I had taken Grace to VBS and was with us until one of her parents got home which was about 5pm I think. So she was a big help with Grace today and kept her occupied a lot which was really good because we had the film crew here and the reporter stopped by for a few minutes in the afternoon. The film crew showed up at the time we were leaving to go pick Grace up from VBS so he came with us. He mic'd me up and was asking questions and shooting video in the car on the way there. Then he shot video of our neighbor and I going in to pick her up and then leaving to go back home. He shot video of me doing a little vacuuming and making and serving lunch. I had to save the vacuuming because he had called early in the day and asked what my plans were and I said cleaning the house and mowing the grass. He wanted to shoot video of me doing at least some of that. So I offered to mow the grass first and then I was going to start cleaning. Well if you remember from above, he showed up as we were leaving to pick up Grace so I had already done most of the cleaning but saved one rug to vacuum after we got back.

And I didn't get the back yard mowed either during the time Grace was in VBS, I had to do that later. Just before lunch Grace's friend from across the street came over also and she claimed she hadn't had lunch (I was pretty sure she had already eaten because she usually eats at a particular time and it was after that time) so I made her a grilled cheese sandwich anyway and I wasn't surprised when she didn't eat it since I had already presumed that she ate lunch already. So we all had lunch and then a little while later the reporter came and interviewed me and he interviewed Grace a little and then he had a few more questions and he left. The film crew stayed longer and shot video of the three girls playing and of us trying to go for a short bike ride. I figured doing something outside would be good considering it was a nice day and all, but unfortunately the neighbor from across the street was really tired and ready for a nap so we didn't ride our bikes for very long. But the video guy was happy with the footage he had gotten so it was just fine.

So he left and we had about three hours before Julie was coming home, so we all went in to cool off and relax. Grace was a little cranky herself and wasn't really cooperating too well. But we all got in front of a computer and were playing around for a while and then the neighbor went home because her parent/parents were home and Grace and I went outside and I pushed her on the swing for a few minutes and then was mowing the back yard. If you remember, it was like a field. I have to say though that my lawn mower really rocks. I used to have a craftsman mower that it would have taken me twice as long to cut the back yard considering how long it was, but this mower just pushes right on through without complaining or bogging down or anything. It's a Toro Recycler (model 20041) and it just plain works great. I didn't think I'd really care about electric start, but it's a nice feature to have and the self propelled I had never wanted either because all the old lawn mowers I had tried in the past that had it I just hated it. But this is done really nicely and works quite well.

While I was mowing her other friend from next door came over and played with Grace until a little while later when Julie came home and then his dinner was ready so he went back home. So when I was done mowing I came in and Julie and I talked and then we decided just to go out to eat to Dog-n-Suds. So I made Grace's dinner since she won't eat anything from there and we headed out. As soon as we pull in my phone rings and it's my BIL and he's wanting to know the logistics for tomorrow since we're going to the Cubs game at night. Well apparently as we pulled in the lights on the car turned on because we were under a covered area and I guess the car thought it was dark enough to turn on the lights. So I'm on the phone and the guy in front of us in his convertible starts flashing his lights at me asking me to turn them off. Obviously they turn themselves on and they also turn themselves off, so I figure he can wait a couple of minutes for them to turn themselves off while I talk to my BIL. But no, that's not good enough as he continues flashing his lights. So I turn off the car and show him the key in my hand. The lights will now turn off in 3 minutes. Not good enough for him as he GETS OUT OF HIS CAR and walks over and says our lights are directly in his eyes and to turn off the lights. I guess he doesn't give a crap that I'm on the phone and my family is with me and that the car is off and that they will turn off on their own. So I turn them off and say some snide comment and he 's finally appeased and walks back to his car and now I can finally talk to my BIL about the Cubs game. What an a$$. Sometimes I just hate people. All they care about is themselves. Maybe a little compassion or patience would be a good gift for that man.

So we finally order and get our food and Grace is just completely out of control. She's really tired and it shows, but we make it through dinner and get home. Then Julie takes her to get ready for bed and she just really loses it and can't cooperate for anything Julie tries to get her to do. But she finally gets to bed and I settle down to call my Gramma because today is her 79th birthday. So I call her and she seems to be doing quite well and seems happy and everything. She's going to a nerve specialist tomorrow to see about why her feet have been red and swollen and painful for the last 4 to 5 years. So that's good because she says she wants to walk more or even ride her bike because she wants to stay active. That's really good to hear. I don't want to lose her too and that's a really good sign that she wants to stick around and enjoy life as long as she can.

So we talk for over an hour and at the same time Julie's talking to Aunt Connie on the land-line phone. We both get done about the same time and watch most of the news together - neither of us can really stay awake at this point. So then we wake up and now I'm writing this before getting to bed. I have another fun day planned for tomorrow; we've got VBS obviously and another photographer from the Sun-Times is coming first thing in the morning and then there's the Cubs game. Can't go to too many Cubs games!