I made a video today.   Of our son's toenail coming off. 

Now my eldest son and his wife and children are here.  I had a Déjà vu moment.  It's a piece of heaven at my house now.

My dad is here.  And Ann.  It's been such a nice visit.  I hate for it to end.

Went to first football game.  Been meaning to go for six years.  I don't really understand why people go to high school football games as I was never into sports in school.  But this night I watched and experienced as if outside myself.  It was sweet.  Kathy said, c'mere, c'mere, and we all stood in long line on either side of a giant Tigers banner.  The high school boys, the football team, came tearing through the banner running at top speed, all full of testosterone.  The people on each side hollered and cheered and let go of their balloons.  I clapped and smiled and accidentally started to cry.  It's something like what the sound of bagpipes do to me.  Chokes me up with emotion.  I don't know why.  I don't even like football.  But I do think it's wonderful that people go a support the team, watch their children, watch the neighbor's children, playing football.  The stands are so small.  They don't even extend half way around the field.  Only about an eighth of the distance I suppose.

The team got skunked.  Zero to 42.  It's not fair really - pitting a tiny school against a school that comes from a much larger city.  

The men are doing pre-algebra in the Zumba room.  Son will also be reading more of "The Light In The Forest" for school.  He rode someone else's horse tonight.  They've been having trouble with their horse and wanted to see how our son would do on him.  He said the horse gave him trouble only one time, and to top it off he encouraged a girl to ride uphill with him.  She was afraid to, but he helped her do it.  I'm glad.  It's good to be an encourager.

My friend and I talked a long time today.  I was of no help.  I felt bad about that. 

I dreamt of a large beautiful tree.  The air was crystal clear.  Green grass.  Keen horizon of blue and white.  Perfect clouds.  I kept trying to catch it with my camera but someone bumped me.  After that, I could not get the elements framed rightly no matter which way I tilted my camera.

Is there meaning to it?  Or is it one of the Microsoft desktop photos that came with my laptop.

I got two new tops for Zumba.  I like them both.  Discountdance.com.  One is blue (basically) and the other orangeish with purple.

The bottom one is my favorite.  They fit perfectly.  Snug but not tight.  I needed some tops with a crew neck for my kid classes at the Christian school.  I noticed the handbook says no cleavage allowed and almost all of my Zumba racer back tank tops show cleavage when I bend over.  I wish they'd stop making the necklines on the Zumba clothing bigger and wider and deeper.  My very first Zumba top that I ever bought is just fine.  All that I've ordered since that one have gotten lower and lower in the neck line.  I might stop ordering Zumbawear tops.

The order turned out so well that I went to dancewearsolutions.com and ordered a few more crew neck styles.  They were cheaper and I hope they'll fit since a couple were on sale and therefore, nonreturnable.

I had 16 students in my adult class Tuesday!  That's a jump up from the eight or so regulars that have stuck it out with me all through this miserable hot summer.  Finally the weather is decent and some peeps I haven't seen since May have come back.  Sold more toning sticks.  I'm so happy for that.  The toning routine addition has been a hit.  I want to add another one - the African song one.

My sis got to attend my class last night.  She was a hoot.  Noisier than most of my regulars and she made the class so fun with her clapping and woohooing.  She loves Zumba as much as I do.  She burned 500 calories.  I was disappointed I didn't make her burn more.  I wanna second chance!  I can do better!  She did say her bum is sore today and so I think I can take credit for that.  Yay!

Maranatha.  I looked it up.  It occurs only once in the Holy Bible at the end of the book of 1 Corinthians.  It means "Our Lord has come" or "Our Lord, come!"

Took my sister to the airport today and now we miss her a lot.  I have to sleep without her tonight.  I don't want to.

Son is excelling in horse lessons.  I think he's doing fair in school but has an Eeyore complex.  He's down talking everything about it. 

Saw the pills my dad is taking.  There are so many of them.  So many bottles.  Looked like a dozen bottles in a large Ziploc.  It took him an hour to get his pill box ready for the coming week.  The chemo pill is making his hair thin.  Gave him nausea one day.  His feet are swollen.  Today he feels fairly well though.  It's good for him to be up and about as much as possible.  Our son gave him a new, cool hat and he liked it especially since he forgot to bring his own hat.  Made me happy that our son did that and did it all on his own. 

My dad.

Today my husband drove with my sister to pick our new horse trailer! It purty.  It's pewter colored.  He said in the time they traveled my sister talked more in five hours than I did in the entire six years we were on the road.

How did all these dust bunnies get in?  Is there a secret entry somewhere?

My niche

I think I've found my niche.  The Zumba with kids went super duper well today.  It was a joy to have such a big group - about 25 kidlets age 9 to 13.  I think they liked it.  I heard the principal is pleased with it.  She was outside with us for a bit and when I saw her sit down I completely forgot my train of thought.  I had to change the subject.  I talked at length about good posture - head straight, shoulders down, chest open, abdominals held in, pelvis tucked under.  I named and demonstrated some dance steps and they did them with me.  I will review posture and steps next week and see if anyone remembers.  I need a little oven timer so I can watch the time.  My husband told me what time it was and I didn't realize I was talking so long!  The kids all listened well.  Oddly, none of them got antsy or looked bored while talked.  The principal did have to separate two teeny bopper girls.  I couldn't tell why but they did ignore me while I was lining them up at the beginning of class.  I had to say, "Yoohoo, you need to move."  I did perceive some attitude in that corner when I began class. Hehe!  I was ready for it.  I think their hearts softened a bit by the end of class.  It's nerve wracking, I know it is, when you're a teen and you're told you have to do Zumba.  I hope the teen chickadees will end up enjoying it.

When I entered the building to collect the kids everyone was talking about Zumba!  I could hear a general murmur going on about Zumba.  I couldn't see them but heard some girls saying, "Zumba isn't dance.  It's just shaking your butt."  I bet it was the talk of the school when I brought them back after class.  Several of the children on the way back told me they loved Zumba.  Bless their hearts.  Made me feel so good.  So good.  Especially the 10 and 11 year old age seemed to be very positive about it.

My wonderful husband put a cover out for me so I didn't have to stand in the sun.  Good thing too.  I don't think I could have done it in the sun.  That reminds me.  I need to instruct the kids on how to jump correctly to ease the impact on their skeletal system.  We're outside on cement.

I had a case of the almost-throw-ups before class.  Sheesh.  I had to lie down on the bed and relax myself.  It's just kids and I still got nervous.  Me and Adele.  I read she throws up before a performance.  I hear she's a very good performer too.  I've never actually thrown up though so I'm not exactly like Adele.  Haha!  She's very beautiful too.

I think I've found my niche.  Pastor says when we are older, kids are raised, we should be teachers.  Everyone has something to share, experience to pass on to younger people.  It resonated with me.  I think he's right about that.  Although I'm 52 and husband is 70 and technically we're not done raising the last one.  :)

If you have Jimmy Hoffa on your side, it ain't good.  Neither is an on-stage introduction that includes obscenities.  Obama says he didn't hear it.  He didn't hear his pastor for 20 years.  He didn't know the Republican debate was on the same night he scheduled (yet another) speech. 

At a week-end program of religious observances for 9/11, there will be a rabbi, a bishop, a lama, a hindu, an imam, the president of the Islamic Society of North America and a Muslim musician.  No Baptist or representative from any of the 400+ Protestant denominations in the world has been invited. The White House probably overlooked it.

And another stimulus is coming down the pike.  It's our president's best idea to turn the economy around.  It hasn't worked before and it didn't work when Bush was in office.  A stimulus (Pelosi has deleted the word from all publications) causes a blip as it gets spent then it's over - similar to Cash for Clunkers, but on a bigger scale.   Zero percent job growth last month - it's the worst since WWII.  Keep doing what you're doing and you get more of what you've got.

Over 1700 waivers for the Affordable Health Care Act have been given to companies who want special permission to not be part of it.  An unusually high number of waivers were awarded to businesses in Pelosi's own district.  It's such a good program that Congress has their own separate health care program instead of this excellent one passed on Christmas Eve for the People Of America. 

Chicago politics are transforming our federal government.  My United States government has gone corrupt.  I mean, more corrupt than usual.

This morning I'm teaching Zumba to the kids at the school.  I hope it goes well.  I'm going to start off talking about good posture and the names of various steps.

First day of school tomorrow

Our child is going to private school tomorrow after 13 years of homeschooling.  He'll be in ninth grade.

It's the beginning of a new chapter.  I've heard good things about the school.  I'm expectant, happy, and sad.