The Fry of the Fish

1970's-ish church hall.  Metal folding chairs.  Average age of the crowd -- roughly 65.  Chad was shaking up the fish fillets in the flour and seasoning with the Catholic cooking crew in the church garage full o' oil fryers while I spooned slaw onto foam plates for diners coming through the line.  It was some good, quaint Friday evening community time, and one customer made my year  .  .  .

An older gentleman with what I'm sure is excellent eyesight must have noticed my "Illinois State" T-shirt when he asked if I was a student.  I giggled at the flattery and told him "No, but THANK you!"  After a short pause, as he continued to await the potatoes to be put onto his plate, I felt obligated to add, "Actually, I'm a teacher (chuckle, chuckle); so, I'm taking that as a BIG compliment!" 

To assure himself of his general judgment on the matter, he followed up with a gentle, kind inquiry, "How many years you been teaching?"  At this moment I paused, fearing my answer might embarrass him, and after hedging, I finally answered truthfully, "About 15."  The stunned look on his face was sweet, and wonderful, and I felt badly and made sure we reconnected in laughing together and assured him that he was allowed to make that "mistake" any old time he wanted.  I'm sure he has crystal clear, 20-20 vision; certain of it.

Tee hee heeee.  (Heck, Wal-mart stopped carding me over a year ago.  I no longer even look "Under 35" to their cashiers.  I'll take any moment of personal delusions that I can get!)

Sensory Explosion

And even my skin hurts.  Wow. 

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry was a exciting surprise to our four kids, as we headed them off to bed the night prior with only indication that spring break is ending and school starts back up soon; so, we've got to get our clothes picked out at night and go ahead into bed "on time"  .  .  .  to get back closer to "routine." 

They did not know we were going to Chicago until we were 1/2-way (1 1/2 hours) into the drive, already passing nearby Clinton (One child cried out curiously to the rest "Hey, guys, we're past Lilah and Brooks'; we must be going to Nathan and Ethan's.")  But then, we passed also Bloomington-Normal.  Hunter inspected the cargo space behind his seat and noted there was not any luggage stowed there, "We must not be going to Pap and Grandma's."

Despite the typical reminders (and sometimes tired admonitions) to "stay with us" or "watch where you're going," the day was full of visual excitement, hands-on displays, and lots of auditory components.  Already having done the inaugural 3-day Chicago experience last summer, the kids seem to have remembered the lessons learned in general about things being busy and crowded and that they needed to be mindful of how to maneuver in large, peopled public spaces. 

Chad and I were thoroughly impressed with the additional (extra $), timed-entry, coal mine exhibit, despite Bay's terror of anything potentially dark or noisy or not under her control; everyone enjoyed their sodium and sugar-rich, overpriced lunch; the submarine encounter was marvelous; the "You" exhibit of human body parts on display was very interesting, but I was disappointed, I think with myself, that I found it less beautiful than I anticipated; and then a ton of smaller, quicker areas and displays.  OH, and the space display included two "real" NASA vehicles used in missions (Apollo, and one from the series prior).  We ended in the gift shop, of course, where the kids did a good job of finding small, appropriate treasures -- Bay -- a plastic case of gem/mineral samples; Anna -- a bag of colorful, polished rocks and NASA freeze-dried ice cream; Jameson -- a foam flyer to construct; and Hunter -- a geode and Lego set. 

The Mythbusters exhibit and flight simulator (both extra tickets) also looked pretty darn cool, but we set ourselves on a budget.  Maybe next time ; )

Thinking the Art Institute, and/or North Michigan (cool shops and wonderful eats), and/or Chinatown will be on the docket for the next northward excursion  .  .  . 

For now, this introvert needs to recover from a museum designed for children and for giving sensory stimulation.  Over.  Stimulated.  (Hence the "my skin hurt" comment).  Time for nestling under thick covers with book 4 of Maya Angelou's autobiographical series.  And quiet.

I do love taking the kids to Chicago -- as a piece of their learning that their functional daily world is but a tiny corner in a larger world. 

Nurture me when I'm down;

but when I become complacent, stir in me discomfort. 

So, my sister got me hooked on a daily email subscription from a website/education program created by Father Richard Rohr, and I have to say it's been a fresh, calming way to start a day humbly.  To be honest, I like that it's edgy -- pushes daily human issues to stir us up, make us think, make us reconsider our present comfort zones  .  .  .  Today's was particularly pointed  .  .  .   (excerpted for brevity)  .  .  .

"The second temptation of Jesus is another one that all of us must face. Satan takes Jesus up to the pinnacle of the Temple, symbolizing the top of the religious world itself, and tells him to play “righteousness games” with God. “Throw yourself off and He’ll catch you” (Matthew 4:6). It’s the only time in the Bible where the devil quotes Scripture. Holy words can be used for evil purposes, it surely says. This second temptation is to think of yourself as saved, superior to others, the moral elite on the side of God and religion, and to quote arguable Scriptures for your own purpose—being against God in the name of God. Actually it is quite common  .  .  . be careful before you stand on the pinnacle of any Temple, Scripture, or Sacrament. It is the common temptation of actually loving ourselves under the guise of loving God." Adapted from Radical Grace: Daily Meditations, p. 295, day 309 http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/

Her World

As Baylor was away with a friend for an overnight, I took the opportunity to do another "purge" of the girls' toy room  .  .  .  a large, black trash bag hauled out to the curb, and another big bag carried to the basement marked "Bay -- ferment -- March '12" (of things I deem trash that have potential to be a legit treasure in her mind -- after 6-ish months, this collection goes from lower level to trash).  What remains is easily, then, organized and put away, leaving lots of breathing room and space to play.  Phew!  There were a few papers that I kept for scrapbooks  .  .  .  Evidence of her playing teacher in her make-believe classroom  .  .  . 

"Dear Julie Cunningham,  Johnathon needs to work on four core words.  Thye are, somebody, landscape, author, and natinal.  He knows alot already.  Like without, throughout, tantrum, department, catalog, and dictinoary.  He's really good!  Yours truly, Ms. Mkay  P.S.  If you'd like a copy of all of his lists, just let me know! --Mrs. Mkay"

And this concoction, apparently from a day she was spending time with her dictionary  .  .  .

"Funny word list from the dictionary  .  .  .  rainbow  beef  misel  measles  throng  spur  sprung  astronomer  baffle  bacterium  bald  barber  band  barium  barnacle  barracks  barometer  barris  basin."   

Must have begun randomly, and then went OCD in the "b's."

It is an exhausting few hours to do the "Baylor's stuff purge," AND hilarious!

I found three "story-writing" binders.  And two folders of the same -- completed stories she's written, ideas for future stories, lists of the stories  .  .  .  Papers too numerous to count that have come home from school with her that she uses for her "classroom" upstairs -- lunch calendars, extra worksheets, old flashcards  .  .  .  Old, used-up gift cards as play credit cards  .  .  .  Scraps of fabric from Grandma's she's using for God knows what in the "baby nursery"  .  .  .  And then the bags and purses that multiply on the row of hooks behind the door, in one of which I found ANOTHER "story-writing" binder AND folder  .  .  .

I'm going in, if you don't see me in three hours, send search and rescue -- I've disappeared into Baylor Ann Hermione-Ramona Cluver's imaginary world.

Lights

Payard champaign truffles (dusted in cocoa powder) from New York -- sent as a birthday indulgence by a dear sister-friend.

New yoga DVDs.

Children learning how to do the dishes.

May weather in early March.

Getting responses to my research inquiries for my grad school paper.

A lovely visit and lunch with a gentleman and some OSF sisters to talk about Haitian Families First.

Funny students, and bright, curious, and good-natured.  My teaching gig is good.

A "cake" (type yet to be discovered) dusted with cocoa powder, also shipped to me by sister-friend for my birthday; arrived in special packaging and dry ice.  In freezer until I've enjoyed the truffles -- parceling out all that goodness for extended birthday enjoyment.

The decluttering process.  I've been in the works at a moderate pace for two months.  I anticipate it taking through the summer to finish.  It is so energy-giving, but I have to do it in small projects in between other priorities.  It does feel like a breath of fresh air, though!

A massage gift certificate from my sis-in-law and bro-in-law for, yep, my burfday.  Can't wait for that appointment  .  .  .  very soon.

Have I mentioned anything about sweet delicacies dusted in cocoa powder?

Maya Angelou's books.  I'm pretty far in life to be tackling that series, but after dabbling in her works a wee bit over many years (LOVE "On The Pulse of Morning"!!! And her eulogy at the funeral of Coretta Scott King is eye-watering and skin-tingling amazing), I realized I needed to know more, read more.  At least, I suppose, I'm getting to it before I'm 40.  (Right before -- sh!.) 

A daughter VERY excited about an out-of-town sleepover invite from a sweet, dear friend.

Another daughter recovering from her hilarious, passionate excitement over ISAT testing.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Way, way serious about good performance, writing "good luck on ISAT" notes to classmates, being sure to wear her "comfy ISAT clothes" to school.  Alarmed by her earache and the possibity of being sick from school during the testing.  Sit-com funny.

A son who has lived through his first grounded-to-his-room consequence.  Has lived to tell the tale, and finds great relief in rejoining his brother "out in the world" for hugging, tickling, and giggling, once again.

A dog who makes yoga darn near impossible.  50 pounds of pup lying on the yoga matt makes quite difficult the transition from child's pose to prowd warrior.  She is her own downward dog.

In process of refinancing the house.  Ridiculous big money to be saved.  Ridiculous big money we all pay in interest, typically.  Wow!  And wow!

A former student, now a Starbuck's barista, gave me his employee discount.  Nice.

I've got a tentative idea for my eventual master's thesis.

Our taxes are almost finished.

Sleeping with the windows open, and awakening to BIRDS! 

I realized the other day that there are some people out there who do, indeed, read my blog.  You rock!

Nigh-night. 

Seasonal Randomness

I think we're all on the mend -- various viruses and bacteria made their way through the 6 of us, at staggered times.  Phew!

And it was SEVENTY-EIGHT degrees here today!  Woo hoooooo!  When the boys were at the state bball tourney Saturday, we, girls, decided we needed to do something fun, and the polished result of professionally painted toenails got to see some sunshine this afternoon.

Taxes.

Plodding along with my paper -- the history of Haitian adoption, and analyzing such relative to historic trends in U.S. perspectives of Haiti.

Kids granted TPS (Temporary Protected Status); so, they are now allowed to stay in the U.S. until January.  Then, more bureaucracy .  .  .    (Thankful for the lovely lady within one agency of the government who continues so graciously to guide us -- serious "amen" for her!)

Mom's recovering well from her cancer surgery and will soon learn her radiation regimine, and wonderful thing that it doesn't start until after her annual "sisters' trip" (all four Miller girls).

Anna and Jameson are in the tail-end intensity of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children -- introduction and blessings at mass last Sunday and the next two, then baptism and first communion at the Easter Vigil. Lots of studies and homework yet to go.

Still doing what I am able to spread awareness of the work of Haitian Families First; big visit tomorrow with some local (Decatur) folks in influential positions -- wish me well!

"Did You Drink All Those Pills?"

Anna asked. 

Wild Alaskan Salmon oil pills.

Probiotic capsules.

Lyseine pills.

Organic multi-vitamin and mineral supplement.

Super extract wild Mediterranean oregano capsules.

Breathing relief tea.

Vitamin C throat lozenges.

Kill the germs!  Boost the immune system!  Soothe the cough!  Pleeeeeeeeeeease! 

Urgent care doc said "virus," and for me to rest and push fluids.  My whole body hurts -- entire upper 1/2 -- from burning throat and sore ears to raspy, irritated chest/cough and swollen glands and nodes.  And aches and chills all over.  Don't they usually put critters out of their misery before they get to this point?

Apparently, all my laundering and Lysol-ing and window-opening and hand-washing didn't save me from the boys' (all 3) germs. 

Bum-COUGH-mer.