There's a show....

There's a show called something like "Try My Life." Obnoxious teens 'trade lives' with totalitarian parents. It's chock full of laughs. No, I'm kidding. But the kids think it's a great idea. I told them they would never be allowed to disrespect us or any adult the way those kids do. Or at least how they do in order to play up to the camera.

So, last night over dinner the kids decided that they would like for children to be in charge of everything in our family. After all, we get to stay up late and they often discover open packages of cookies on the coffee table. Yes, we're busted. They said they'd especially like to be able to send us to bed. I glanced at Ian and asked him if he'd mind being sent to bed at 7:30 or 8 p.m. Hmmm, let me think, nope. But then I asked them, OK... beyond the TV watching and cookies would you really want to be responsible?
You can imagine where the conversation went. The younger three thought it would be fabulous. Katherine, well....
The initial idea sounded dreamy, but upon further inspection she said she likes being a kid. We discussed what her jobs as a kid really are: To have fun. To go to school. To make friends. To do what she's been asked around the house. To learn and ask more questions.
Yes, the kids decided that they would like for children to be in charge of everything in our family. Maybe just for a few days though.
Our discussion moved on to the topic of respect, in its simplest form of addressing others and how it's all based on relationships.
We seem to be having more and more talks over dinner that actually make a difference in who they are and how they conduct themselves. Is this what happens as kids grow up?

I usually hate doing these...

I certainly don't need to "know" what Super Hero Villain I am or what kind of mold I am. But I thought this was sort of interesting. To give you an idea of how good we've got it even out here in Togo.

Do you have:
[X] Your Own Cell Phone
[] A Tv In Your Bedroom
[X] An Ipod MP3 Player (my husband does, does that count??)
[X] A Photo Printer (An Inkjet Printer Which Does A Passable Job With Photos)
[ ] Your Own Phone Line (??)
[] TiVo Or A Generic Digital Video Recorder
[X] High-Speed Internet Access (Aka Not Dialup) (brand new! as of Thursday)
[ ] A Surround Sound System In Bedroom (not in the bedroom)
[ ] Dvd Player In Bedroom (not in the bedroom)
[X] At Least A Hundred DVDs
[X] A Childfree Bathroom
[] Your Own In-House Office
[X] A Pool
[ ] A Guest House
[ ] A Game Room
[X] A Queen-Size (Or Larger) Bed
[] A Stocked Bar
[] A Working Dishwasher (do the cook and Katherine count??)
[] An Icemaker (ice cube trays for us)
[X] A Working Washing Machine And Dryer
[] More Than 20 Pairs Of Shoes (for the entire family, yes)
[ ] At Least Ten Things From A Designer Store
[ ] Expensive Sunglasses
[X] Framed Authentic Art (Not Lithographs)
[X] Egyptian Cotton Sheets Or Towels
[] A Multi-Speed Bike
[] A Gym Membership
[] Large Exercise Equipment At Home
[ ] Your Own Set Of Golf Clubs
[ ] A Pool Table
[ ] A Tennis Court
[X] Local Access To A Lake, Large Pond, Or The Sea
[ ] Your Own Pair Of Skis
[ ] Enough Camping Gear For A Weekend Trip In An Isolated Area
[ ] A Boat
[ ] A Jet Ski
[ ] A Neighborhood Committee Membership (Homeowner's association..?)
[ ] A Beach House Or A Vacation House/Cabin
[X] Wealthy Family Members
[] Two Or More Family Cars
[X] A Walk-In Closet Or Pantry
[X] A Yard
[ ] A Hammock
[ ] A Personal Trainer
[X] Good Credit
[] Expensive Jewelry
[ ] A Designer Bag That Required Being On A Waiting List To Get
[X] At Least $100 Cash In Your Possession (I don't carry it with me though, that would be dumb)
[X] More Than Two Credit Cards Bearing Your Name (Not Counting Gas Cards Or Debit Cards)
[X] A Stock Portfolio
[X] A Passport
[ ] A Horse
[ ] A Trust Fund (Either For You Or Created By You)
[X] Private Medical Insurance
[X] A College Degree, But No Student Loans (ah, but Ian does.)
MY TOTAL: 22
Do You:
[ ] Shop For Non-Needed Items For Yourself (Like Clothes, Jewelry, Electronics) At Least Once A Week
[ ] Do Your Regular Grocery Shopping At High-End Or Specialty Stores (Whole Foods & Trader Joes, You Decide)
[X] Pay Someone Else To Clean Your House, Do Dishes, Or Launder Your Clothes
[X] Go On Weekend Mini-Vacations (we used to and we will again)
[ ] Send Dinners Back With Every Flaw
[] Wear Perfume Or Cologne (Not Body Spray)
[] Regularly Get Your Hair Styled Or Nails Done In A Salon
[ ] Have A Job But Don't Need The Money OR
[X] Stay At Home With Little Financial Sacrifice
[X] Pay Someone Else To Cook Your Meals
[ ] Pay Someone Else To Watch Your Children Or Walk Your Dogs
[ ] Regularly Pay Someone Else To Drive You
[ ] Expect A Gift After You Fight With Your Partner
MY TOTAL: 4
Are You:
[X] An Only Child
[ ] Married/Partnered To A Wealthy Person
[X] Baffled/Surprised When You Don't Get Your Way
MY TOTAL: 2
Have You:
[X] Been On A Cruise
[X] Traveled Out Of The Country
[] Met A Celebrity (I don't know what constitutes a celebrity)
[X] Been To The Carribean
[X] Been To Europe
[X] Been To Hawaii
[X] Been To New York
[] Eaten At The Space Needle In Seattle
[ ] Been To Mall Of America
[X] Been On The Eiffel Tower In Paris
[] Been On The Statue Of Liberty In New York
[X] Moved More Than Three Times Because You Wanted To (As Opposed To Losing Your House Or Being Evicted)
[X] Dined With Local Political Figures
[X] Been To Both The Atlantic Coast And The Pacific Coast (In Any Country)
MY TOTAL: 10
Did You:
[ ] Go To Another Country For Your Honeymoon
[X] Hire A Professional Photographer For Your Wedding Or Party
[X] Take Riding Or Swimming Lessons As A Child
[X] Attend Private School
[] Have A Sweet 16 Birthday Party Thrown For You
MY TOTAL: 3
MY GRAND TOTAL: 41

"Spring" Break

It's not really "spring" break, is it? I mean, it's still about 88 degrees outside with about 88% humidity. But still, today is day three of our break.

Yesterday we made brownies and an Oreo cake. The three older kids went swimming. Twice. Jonathon played Big Thinkers on the computer. As a group we cleaned up the TV room. Complete with vacuuming, it took all of 15 minutes. Amazing what can be accomplished when we all pitch in. We played Harry Potter Scene It and watched 101 Dalmatians. The kids drew pictures... their individual flags, holidays, and some abstract swirls of color. Of course, there's homework each day and plenty of free play time too. They've been setting up a "Chinese" restaurant which I absolutely must patronize as they take orders and serve food dressed up in clothes Amy in Beijing sent them. They look adorable.
Last night I went to bed way too late, so I've been quite the grump today. I try to take my bad moods out on dirty sinks and piles of laundry, so this morning I cleaned our bathroom, helped Nicholas pick up his room which still looks fabulous from my deep clean a couple weeks ago, threw in a load of laundry, cleaned out a bunch of magazines to bring to the school and weeded through books in the girls' room (have you ever read the "... from the Black Lagoon" kids' series? It's awful, and I only just cracked one of them open today. I thought it would be good easy reading, but found the language itself rather pointless). Together we've had lunch and begun the Art Fraud Detective book. Now, they're watching Star Wars III, though it's not going so well. Jonathon was just put down for a nap because he's had one too many crying jags about the unfairness of mankind. Or at least of his brother.
In a couple hours Ian and I will head out to the store. We have a list of groceries we need and tomorrow is busy with his proctoring of the FS exam, and then a get-together for some recent promotions in the Embassy. Stores are only open 9-12 and 3-6, and closed on Sundays, so it's this afternoon or not again until next weekend.

Fascinating...

I own a copy of the book The Gospel of Mary Magdalenewhich I haven't gotten around to reading yet, but I'd best get moving if The Gospel of Judas (though short in its 31 pages) is being released soon by National Geographic.

I still have Misquoting Jesus and The Confessions of Saint Augustine in the wings, which makes me think that rereading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will have to wait. Well, Katherine said she wanted to read it again first anyway. Hmph.

Of course, everything has to wait until I'm done rereading Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, the definitive version of course. Since I'll be working with a highschooler after the break on the book, it kinda takes priority.

I have no doubts that by the end of this tour, all the books on our shelves will be read.

Ah yes, the real deal.

This is what we mean when we say we lived in Orlando and loved it. The theme parks are great, but we discovered Orlando magic in the city itself long before we bought Disney passes. Orlando really is a great city to live in and raise a family, and you don't have to be inundated with Mickey Mouse if you don't want to.

Missed the byline...

It appears neither of us noticed the name of the author of that story on Togo dropping out...

"Avril Phule"

Ian says I should pack our bags

http://sport.iafrica.com/news/153701.htm

Togo has withdrawn from the World Cup, citing "political instability" in the country. South Africa will be taking its place.

Making it to the World Cup was a huge boost to this country's moral, but the team has had nothing but problems since. They did miserably in the African Nations Cup held in Egypt, then lost their coach and a top player. And now, they quit the World Cup before it even starts. Just Thursday, reports had them preparing to train in Holland. *shakes head* Ian's expecting riots tomorrow. I think he's joking.

Togo can be really depressing.

In happy news, the George Mason Patriots are in the Final Four. I have never watched college basketball, but a couple games at our alma mater (not George Mason). But even I have to say it's pretty darn cool that my hometown school has done so well in March Madness 2006.