I Don't Know What You're Doing Tonight, But...

Here at Pozo de Dinero, we're gonna party like it's 1985!!

Congratulations, Kansas City Royals!!!  We love you guys!

On a very "make me feel older than rope" note--I was in seventh grade in 1985.  The exact same age my youngest daughter is now.  

We wore skinny jeans back then, too.  And crop tops.

Holy frights.

Photo Dump

I got a new phone last month.

The old one is still sitting next to my computer with hundreds of photos that need to be downloaded.

You know, the really super-important ones.

Pictures of a dinner I actually cooked myself.  Twenty selfies of my daughter (a reminder that I really should take thirty seconds and change my phone password).  That weird blurry one that I think might be the lining of my purse--taken totally by accident.

So I decided with this phone, I'd try to stay on top of the camera roll.  

And what better place to keep them than here?  Especially since I haven't put a picture in a scrapbook or photo album in at least ten years.

I guess a driver's license isn't good enough for The College Board.  Now if you want to take the S.A.T., you have to submit a mug shot.

My attempt at Paleo "sushi."

Let's come back here for prom dress shopping in a few years, 'Kay?

Back to school mani/pedi.  So much better with a BFF.

Fabulous fifteen!!  Birthday waffles and chocolate-caramel cheesecake.

Road instructions, "Yoda-style."

Family demolition day.

The bruise I got from "Family Demolition Day."

Twenty years!!!  

And it still fits!!!

The "cookbook" section at the middle school book fair.  I have no words.  And yes.  Those are board books.

The lining of my purse...I think.

A little bit of Kansas here in California.

Raindrops!!  And a wet street!  Best three minutes of the day!

I'm augmenting my trophy wife gig with a little substitute teaching on the side.

I updated to iOS 8.  Seriously creeped out by its new "capabilities."  I suspect NSA involvement.

Home What the HECK?

I'm a teacher by trade.

So I sort of get homework.

Sort of.

I get assigning math fact flashcard practice.

Reading minutes.

Outside book report reading.

Revising/editing papers.

I even understand--though I totally hate that due to time constraints and budget cuts, it's necessary--assigning certain "projects" for homework.  Things like dioramas, science fair projects, PowerPoint presentations.

And of course I totally get the homework that happens because the kid screwed around in class and now gets the logical consequence of "You can do it now, or you can do it later.  Your choice."


I do not, however, understand assigning a seventy-nine term word search in the shape of a Parthenon where the unused letters (in order) spell out the name of the creature that was engraved on Athena's shield (according to myth).

In addition to your "Cretes" and "mythologies" and "Poseidons" this thing has words like Down.  East. Farm. Plots.

I want to scratch my eyes out just looking at it.  And I like letters.  And words.  And Ancient Greece.

This is the sort of activity that you have in a file folder on the back table for those kids who always finish whatever you've planned for a fifty-five minute class in three seconds flat.

Or what you keep in your bottom drawer for the substitute to pull out on the day that your kid develops a 102 degree fever ten minutes before you're headed out the door and detailed lesson plans just "aren't gonna happen."

It shouldn't EVER be homework.

It isn't even a good extra credit assignment.

So I'm off to help my kid with a Google search on Athena's shield.

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

A Facebook Fad (or A Welcome Diversion from Holding a Paintbrush)

My father's wife recently tagged me in a new Facebook fad.

Actually, I'm not certain how recently I was tagged.  My adventures as Casey the Carpenter are seriously cutting into my Facebook-lurking time.  I could have been tagged weeks ago.

I'm also not sure how new the activity is.  I think I did it before--a few years ago.  So if this is a repeat, I apologize.

Anyway--the activity is this:

List 10 books that have stuck with/had an impact on me.

I've seen several of these go around--some say prose only--no poetry, graphic novels, or sacred scriptures.  All say not to over-think it.

The first part I can totally handle.  Except I fudged on #10.  But I snuck in two on #4.  So maybe I'll get partial credit.

Not so much the second.  I'm completely over-thinking it.

But in case you didn't know, I like books.  Just a little bit.  So I thought, "Sure.  I'll play."  and I also thought...

BLOG POST!!!

Unfortunately, this particular book does not come anywhere near making the cut.

Maybe if it had, I would not still be living in complete chaos, surrounded by sand paper, paint brushes, and a shop-vac--feeding my children convenience foods from Trader Joe's.  As long as the Pop-Tart is organic, it's totally healthy, right?

So here goes:

1.  Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever.  My earliest memories are of my mom and/or dad reading this to me before naps and bedtime.  I owe my love of reading--and writing-- largely in part to this daily ritual of which they were so faithful.

2.  The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss.  This is the first book that I read independently in its entirety.  My poor mother.  I followed her around the house for the better part of three days reading this out loud and asking her to tell me words I didn't know.  There are few demonstrations of unconditional love  or exercises in patience like listening to an emerging reader "share" his/her newly discovered skills with you.  It is also one of the most beautiful experiences in which to be a part.  So hug a kindergarten/first grade, teacher, para, or parent of a kindergarten/first grader.  They need it.  Especially with homework assignments like "Read out loud to someone in your family for 10 minutes every day."

3. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.  My dad read this aloud to me when I was in elementary school. And can I just say that my dad just might have the best read-aloud voice ever?  This is kid lit classic that's even more enjoyable when you re-read it as an adult.

4.  A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  My mom's childhood friend recommended these to me--even loaned me her beloved copies.  To this day, I still treasure book recommendations from this lady.

5.  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  If you haven't yet read this, obtain a copy.  Today.

6.  The Chosen by Chaim Potok.  Same with this one.

8.  How Children Succeed:  Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough

9.  Pastrix:  The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber.  I had never even heard of this lady until a few months ago, when my mom and I watched an interview she gave at the Wild Goose Festival.  If I lived in Denver, I would go to the church she pastors.  I would stalk this lady and do everything in my power to make her my friend.  This is the kind of lover of Jesus I want to be.  Without all of the tattoos.  Because I just can't do prolonged needles.  And no matter how much I work out, I'm never going to have her guns, so all of that beautiful art would be a total waste.

10.  The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church

I think I hear a paintbrush calling my name.  Sigh.

Mission Impossible

Your mission, should you chose to accept it:

Turn this

Into this.  Ish.

I have average intelligence.  Not only should I never have touched this one with a ten-foot pole, but I should have run from it, screaming, with all the life left in me.

But there's this little phenomenon called the Do It Yourself blog post, where perky people assure you that these kinds of transformations can occur in roughly a week--all while working around your busy toddler's erratic nap schedule.  

And I'm kind of a tight-wad.  Living in a place where I know very few people and trust even less of them.  And where I'm 2,000ish miles from Nelson Construction--the only people I would ever consider paying to accomplish this.

So in desperation, I Google searched.  And spent an hour on Pinterest.  After reading just a couple of these DIY entries plus a trip to Home Depot and the Benjamin Moore paint store, I was fully armed with the tools and  most importantly, the ego necessary to begin.  

That was four days ago.  

My kitchen now looks like this.

And there's still all of this that hasn't even been TOUCHED yet.

I swear those cabinet doors are having babies over in that corner.  Every.single.time. I walk by, there are more of them.

I am nowhere near finished.  At this rate, I'm shooting for a completion date around Eldest Bro's high school graduation reception.  June-ish of 2016.

So even though "Carpenter Casey" has a nice, albeit Sesame Street-y ring to it, I'm pretty certain it is not ever going to be a thing.  Ever.

And the Do It Yourself blog is very possibly the spawn of Satan.