Our house...in the middle of our street...

I've been promising pictures, but I really have been so busy that even though we found the camera cord there wasn't a chance to take them or post them.

But I'm taking a few minutes away from house stuff now. Okay, here they are, at least to start (more to come, I promise):

Yea! Cute house! The flower beds need weeding and organization.














This is the hideous wallpaper in the kitchen that we are in the process of removing. That's what I was doing right before this.














Matt takes a ride around the yard.

I win the storytime battle!

Today I was at one of the branch libraries where the kids are rather...well...out of it. They're just not as quick or lively as some of the other children. Last week they just didn't get it. But I felt like a lot of them were actually listening this week. I tried to read really expressively and loudly. We got up and sang a song twice. We read 4 books,which is more than I expected them to make it through.

But then, when it was time to go, they noticed I had other books out on the table that we hadn't read. About half the group was clustered around me, not lining up with their teacher, asking about the books and wanting me to read more! Hopefully, it will always be like this!

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

I'm reading a new book when I'm not working or cooking or arranging stuff in the house. It's a graphic novel, so it's kinda like a sophisticated comic book. More interesting to me is the subject matter, which is the author's account of her childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

blogging during my lunch break...

I love that I have a lunch break in which to blog.

So, we bought a house on Friday. We handed over the largest check I've ever seen and signed a bunch of papers and then we moved in. Now we (we includes my mom, who is here to help out with stuff) are living with a bunch of boxes everywhere and I'm really looking forward to getting home so I can get things settled.

We went to IKEA last night and bought this, this, and two of these in dark brown. That's a TV armoire and three bookshelves. There was supposed to be a coffee table purchase as well, but they were out of stock. We'll have to go back for it.

The bad news: the a/c is still out in my car because it would cost $600 to fix it. I'm just not willing to spend that much on my little car. Besides, it'll get cooler in a couple months.

And I promise, house pictures are coming as soon as we find the cord for the camera.

crazy Tuesday...

Today was a very good day at work. I did my second storytime and it went very well.

But things are crazy here at home. Matt's going nuts being stuck in the house with no car (mine's in the shop until tomorrow - we hope!), but he is being very useful dealing with the podunk electric company and the podunk bank and the podunk U-haul rental place. We don't have very much packed. The cat keeps ripping up the couch, and somehow we can't manage to keep enough food around for a decent meal. (That's not really true. We just don't feel like cooking it usually. But then we do, and everything's okay as far as tummies go.)

We're closing on the house on Friday. Pictures to come soon thereafter. I can't believe this is all happening so fast!

First Day of Work!

There I am, going off to work at 6:30 yesterday morning. The long commute is no fun, but that will be cut significantly after the move. I like my job. The atmosphere is very laid back and friendly, and I'm going to really enjoy most of the stuff I get to do.

These first two weeks are pretty much an orientation and getting-the-hang-of-everything period. I'm observing the end of summer reading programming, meeting staff at the branch libraries, and reading through the documentation the previous children's librarian left for me. I'm also cleaning out the files in her - wait - MY office.

Soon I'll start the storytimes and book orders. :-)

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

I'm reading another children's book. This one is about a boy who lives on Alcatraz in the 30s because his dad is an electrician for the prison.