Stuff. And Thangs. And books.

So, I did miss some things in what we've been up to ...

Last Saturday, we went to the Home Depot kids' workshop ... because you get to bang things with hammers and it's free.
And this month's project was a desktop calendar. And, oy, it was NOT easy.

For the first bit, you had to hammer in nails on a diagonal.
Another little girl was in tears ... since even when you DID get the nails in correctly, the nails were really cheap and started bending (not such an issue when you can hold things squared).
I was doing my best to NOT curse and blue streak (there were CHILLENS around, y'all!!) and I was crying, myself.

Good thing Michael, the engineer, who once worked at making walls for manufactured homes, was there. He got the kids started. I helped another gal work on her daughter's calendar.
Then we bought some stuff to do a few projects around the house (and some more cleanser ... and a mop!! And a bucket for the mop!!)

Since I last posted, I have swept and mopped the floor. And vacuumed TWICE! Shocker.
Still, the house should be a LOT cleaner, since people might come over on Saturday.
I can do this. I hope.

Bruise met with the school's speech specialist. He does have a few issues. But nothing that'd qualify him to attend Speech classes. So, in a couple weeks, I'll be meeting with the Speech specialist and she'll teach me a few things to work with him on. And she's confident that, a few months to a year from now, he'll be speaking much better. If not, once he hits nine, then he could have Speech at school.

(It's just 'r's and "th" and, since he's not got his front teeth in, his "sh" sounds.)

Last night, Bruise had his first Pack meeting for Cub Scouts ... Michael had a meeting in the bad part of town, and he couldn't get out of it. So the rest of us went. And, after we got home, I texted Michael to make sure he wasn't lying dead in the gutter or got shivved or whacked or bumped off.
Thankfully, he was fine and got home about 10 minutes later.

Tomorrow, Bruise and Bucket turn eight.
That is crazy.

That peace lily that my Nana got me while I was in the hospital on bedrest before having them is still alive. It's not THRIVING, but it's still alive.
Also crazy.

Bubbles is getting another tooth. (Finally her canines start to come in!) This is making her cranky.
Which doesn't help MY level of cranky.

I have a ton of Michael Crichton books from the library to read.
There's a story behind this.

A few nights ago, Michael and I finished watching Season One of Once Upon a Time.
We were talking about stories and tropes and such.
Then we were looking at the tumblr "What Musicals Taught Me." Which brought up "Love Never Dies," which we didn't really enjoy.
Don't get me wrong ... I'm normally an Andrew Lloyd Webber fangirl. I really liked the music (especially "Devil Take the Hindmost" in this one) ... but ... the plot. It was like a BAD fanfic.
(And, as someone who's read some fanfic, I know that not all of it is bad.)

And, I segued onto how some fanfic is pretty awesome. (I got started once, reading some Labyrinth fanfic. There's some that I love ... and I came across a great Anne of Green Gables fanfic. It's the story told from Gilbert's perspective. So darling and sweet) ... which brought me to a regular statement that Gilbert Blythe is the perfect literary boyfriend/husband.

And Michael patiently puts up with that.
And he started talking a little about Matthew and Marilla ... and I ask him if he knew why Marilla is so prickly. And he stated that he didn't.

Me: "Spoiler alert. ... But, since the book's been around about a hundred years ..."

Michael: "What if I told you that I was actually reading it?"

BACKSTORY: I was aware that Michael would NEVER read the Anne books. He once watched part of one of the movies since his sisters were watching it. And he's always brought up how he was BORED OUT OF HIS SKULL with it (whereas I ... adore the Megan Follows DVDs. Well, the ones that ARE based on the series. My aunt once lent our VHS sets to a friend. And that friend moved OUT OF STATE without ever returning them to us. ... Yes, I'm still rather peeved. SOMEDAY, I will get them on DVD and watch them. ... I also need the Veronica Mars seasons on DVD, but that's another story).
    He also states, on a regular basis, how over the top everything is in Anne's world. So I knew that, love him as I do, he'd never share my interest in Anne Shirley and her world.

Me: "... ... ... ... Are you KIDDING me?!??!??"

Michael: *pulls out his tablet and brings up his Kindle app. I look at the page he's on.*

Me: "SERIOUSLY?!?? ... You're not joking me?!??"

So, yes, this is how much he loves me. And he admits that he's gained a LOT of insight to how I was when I was younger, since I LOVED Anne. She was one of my BOSOM COMPANIONS (since, well, I was an only child. And I was often grounded from playing outside since my room was a sty. So, instead of cleaning my room, I'd just read. And read. And read and read and read). And, oh, I wanted to BE Anne -- with her puffed sleeves and her bright hair and mind ...

And, it's the least I can do to read one of HIS favorite authors. ... And, since ALL my holds came in at once, I have my work to do, don't I?
(I mean, I did read "The Andromeda Strain" ... but that was ages ago, shortly before I started college. It barely counts. ... And, after I get through "Timeline," "The Terminal Man," "The Andromeda Strain," "Sphere," and "The 13th Warrior/Eaters of the Dead," I think that everyone would agree that a reread of some Anne books is quite earned.
(I've already shared "Jane Eyre" and Robin McKinley's "Beauty" with Michael ... so we're, pardon the pun, on the same page now.)

Still, though, I'm rather shocked. I'd NEVER have foreseen that he'd willingly read an Anne book. Much less do it without me nagging him (and I hate nagging people. I nag Bruise and Bucket to clean WAY TOO MUCH. So over that.)

But, yeah. I'm quite chuffed.