The Texas Giant: Safety Hazard?

Well folks, I had an amazing time at Six Flags, one of the best! Which is saying a lot, because I've been to that specific Six Flags at least 12 times. I even did something I've never been able to do: I rode all the major roller coasters in one day! Plus all the smaller coasters, except for Runaway Mine Train. The New Texas Giant was amazing! We ended up waiting hour and twenty minutes for it because they had to take one of the trains off, but I'm so glad we waited!

Due to an odd number of people, I rode the Texas Giant with a stranger, which usually proves to be uneventful, but sometimes yields an interesting experience. This time, the lady I sat with seemed fine until we started getting strapped in, but quickly started to panic about the safety of the ride. The attendant came by and checked the restraints, and when he finished, she called him back over and asked if he could double check her restraints. He chuckled, and thoroughly re-checked it for her. Then, (pardon the slight rabbit trail) a lady in the front of the train tried to sneak her purse on and buckled it into the seat with her. This of course was frowned upon, and they wouldn't let her ride with it. She made a ruckus and refused to leave it behind, so they had to unlock her car and she left the ride. Then they had to re-check all the cars, and the lady next to me, looking pleased, sort of giggled and said, 'Oooh, triple check!' And then promptly had them check her seat a fourth time.

All in all, it was a great trip! So great, in fact, that I could barely pull myself out of bed for work this morning. I can't help but wonder if the girls can tell when I'm extra tired, because the younger one did all in her power to frustrate me. Every day, both girls are required to practice piano for 30min and read for 30min. Not that much, but the 8 year old fusses like there's no tomorrow! She started throwing piano books around when I asked her to practice, and then she started crying about how terrible her life was compared to her older sister's. And while reading she asked every 2min how much longer, and complained about how boring the book was. I'd finally had it when she threw a fit when I asked her to brush her hair before lunch, and was 2cm away from not giving her lunch and cancelling the movie we were going to see, but didn't because that would make the older one mad, which would mean endless fighting the rest of the day. I'm going to keep hoping that eventually the girls will realize that just doing what they're supposed to do without complaining takes less time and energy, and just do it without making me ask them 42 times every day!

Back to normal?

I have always thought that there isn't any "normal," but I am more convinced now then I ever was. I have done all sorts of things that don't fit into this category, from spontaneous outings with friends to simply having a different schedule every day. It wears me out so much that sometimes I wish there was a normal to return to.

Anywho, after we got home Sunday night (our trip was great, by the way), I have felt like I have had a million things to do, but I never can remember them all. Choir starts next Tuesday, as does my babysitting job, so I will have more to adjust to. The following Monday, the all consuming and imposing history class starts again. I am excited though, to be back to seeing people regularly again.

I really have so much to do this year, but it should be fun. I will enjoy babysitting, and my jewelry business is always fun (if time consuming). I am hoping to get a webpage for it this fall sometime. I will also get my license in a month or so, which will be cool. I don't have a car, but I will be saving every possible penny so I can maybe get one next year.

Last night I was at a small group sleepover, and we made a late-night run to Taco Bueno (not that terrific). Anyway, I jammed my finger getting out of the car (climbing over a seat), and it hurts dreadfully now. I iced it last night, but it is still swollen and a little purple in one spot, and I am starting to wonder if there is something I need to do about it.

I need to go do other things now, so I will go. Have a happy, un-normal day!

~Ellentia

Busy Week

The past few days have been exciting. Tuesday it was announced that Dad will be taking over the homeschool choir next year, yay! The current director (Mrs. V) will be stepping down at the end of the year and Dad will be the head of the choir. In addition, our current secretary will be resigning as well. She has worked so hard, all volunteer work, and has made it possible for many choir members to earn the money to go on tour. Thank you Miss Kitty!

Last Saturday Jc and I babysat 7 kids! That was truly tiring. 6 boys, 1 girl, including 3 babies! I was so tired afterwards that I decided to stay up till 1 (not counting the time change) attending the last 2009 ACDA concert. It was a really good concert though.

Tomorrow, hopefully, I will get my permit. I have to take a reading test before I go to take the written test and eye test, so I will get to spend my whole morning in Edmond taking tests. Fun. But, I will finally get my permit (a month and a half late) and I will start working my tail off trying to get in the classroom and driving hours to get my license in 6 months.

Today I found out that there is a chance that I might be able to set up a business and sell handmade jewelry at the state-wide homeschool convention in May! That would be so much fun! I would have to get a Sales Tax License, or something like that, in order to sell. It shouldn't be too much of a problem though. The real problem is that the convention is May 1-3, and Jc and I were possibly coming down for Court's graduation. I would have to pick between the two, and that will be difficult. I would love to see everyone again, but I haven't kept in contact with very many people, so I am really not good friends with most of the people I would be around. If I decided to stay, though, I could go to my history class' paintball party, and that would be fun as well. I will have to think about this some more.

~Ellentia

Last night we watched Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. If you have not seen it, I suggest you go rent it. It is one of my favorite Hitchcock movies, and it is really good. I'll post a review sometime on Writer's Critic. Afterwards, Mom said that the man who played Bruno, the bad guy, looked like Bill Murray, so then Dad had to hook up his computer to the tv and show us some clips of him from youtube. That somehow led to watching the Blues Brothers, a Blazing Saddles clip, and then we watched a clip of Gene Wilder, and another of Pete Seeger. We also listened to Rawhide, which was how we got started watching Blues Brothers. Don't ask me how the rest got started, I don't remember. At some point, I don't remember when, Dad showed us a clip from the Vicar of Dibley. I was impressed with myself, I actually followed and understood everything that the girl said. I guess I got practice on Wednesday at small group. Anyways, here is the clip he showed us:




I think that would be fun to use for a conversation starter.

After all this, it was after 1 am before I got to bed, which made for a very late morning.

Oh yeah, we finally got our microwave on Saturday, which means we waited about 3 weeks to clear up some problems with Sears, that were not our fault. Something went wrong when we ordered it, and it just went downhill from there.

Tomorrow I am going to be busy from the time I get up to the time I go to bed, literally. I am going to a workday in the morning, but I am leaving early to volunteer at the Library Booksale (it is supposed to be humongous) and then I am going to babysit the rest of the afternoon and evening. This will make it difficult to finish my history paper that is due on Monday. Hmmmm, maybe I should go work on that.

~Ellentia

Mythbusters

So, I was watching Mythbusters last night and Jamie and Adam were trying to separate two phone books that they had interlaced the pages of. How much pressure do you think it would take? Watch the video to find out:





Now, do you want to know how much force it took to separate those phone books? 8,000 pounds! I was quite surprised. That means you could hang the two cars in the video from the phone books and they wouldn't break. That's some serious strength!

So, I have been babysitting this whole week. My choir director was not happy that I missed sectionals but since it is the only time I have missed anything since September, I don't feel too bad about it. The two kids I have been babysitting for are 2 1/2 and I think 10 months. I didn't get to meet the younger one (Carter) until yesterday because he was already asleep when I got there the other times. Both kids are so cute and they are both quite fat, but babies are supposed to be fat. Tonight Jc is babysitting for them so it will be awhile before I see them again.

On Sunday our girls ensemble will finally sing in church. I am a little concerned because we have never been all that spectacular and it has been awhile since we worked with mics. But, whatever happens, I want to get it overwith and start fresh in the spring.

~Ellentia

Bits and Pieces

So, it has been a while since I actually wrote a post. I guess it is just easier to use something that is already written. I feel like I have been terribly busy with school, but it's also possible that I am just suffering from bad time-management. Monday I had to turn in my big poster project for history. I was so glad I had it finished last Saturday so I didn't have to do anything on Sunday. I then had to complete another project and study for and take the 9 weeks test that isn't given at the 9 weeks point.

I also babysat all Wednesday night. The people had tickets to the first official Oklahoma City Thunder game. I had a good time though, the kids are the age of Libba and Phil so I was used to that age of kids. After Zander and Zella were asleep I watched tv (I know, but I was told I could). Have you ever watched the show Prototype This on Discovery? It is a cool show! On the one I watched in two weeks they built a car that could move directly sideways, park over other cars (completely automatically) and drive over other cars to escape traffic jams. The Trafficbuster. The wheels they found were the coolest part though. They are Airtrax wheels, I would suggest looking them up.

Last night we went to the Pops Oklahoma Philharmonic symphony. It was called Hitchkock and they showed clips from four Hitchkock movies, To Catch a Thief, Dial M for Murder, Strangers on a train and North by Northwest. However, the symphony played all the music. It was a really fun concert.

This afternoon we are going to another OU game to take tickets. The game doesn't even start till 7pm so it will be extremely late before we get home.

~Ellentia