template changes

Why the heck am I so inept at this stuff? I've been experimenting with trying to change my very old template with something I really liked, but then I lose stuff, it gets rearranged or just plain looks ugly. I'm generally pretty good at picking up on things, but this and photoshop elements has me looking for something other than a computer to work on.

In the meantime, as most of you who read this blog already know, my sister, Lunasea had a freak accident a week or so ago playing with her 3 year old which gave her a pretty significant head injury and landed her in the hospital for 3 days. Scared the bejeezus out of us. I got to spend the weekend with my nephews, which I love, but that is just not the best way to do it! I had planned to spend that weekend gathering and preparing stuff for Li'l K's birthday party, but I played with them instead.

Strangely enough, her birthday party came off pretty darn well in spite of all that. We had an "old fashioned" birthday party, at our home, with a music theme. We made shakers out of little playdoh containers and jingle bells with tongue depressors and bells, natch. And then had a marching band. We sang some songs (I played the guitar), played musical chairs (let me tell you, that is fun when your participants range in age from 2 - 8, with the majority being 3), ate some pizza and later, cupcakes. I had both my camera and the video camera out and available, but my DH completely missed the hint and I was a little too busy to remind him to pick one or both of them up and take some damn pictures!!! Good news - injured sister felt good enough to drive oldest nephew to the party and was snapping pictures here and there. THANK YOU!!!

Anyway, I was downright surprised at the comments about it. Many parents thought I should go into the birthday party business (can you say INSANE with me?). omg.

I made the mistake of telling LK that there wasn't enough time left in the party to open her presents (besides, how boring is THAT for kids???) so she decided she'd help everyone to leave. She suggested (nicely - sort of) that gee, she would get to open her presents after everyone left, so could everyone please leave now? Her message eventually got across to the minions and she was left to open gift after gift. And some very cool things she got! Clothes even! I never think to get clothes for kids - except, I suppose my own family and extended family. She really liked them, though!

My nephew told his mother that we have a beautiful bath tub. I hadn't exactly looked at it quite that way before. And when he spent the weekend here, I don't think he felt the same way about it - he really wanted to wash his hands in the kitchen instead of the bathtub and wasn't very happy about my insistence that I wasn't leaving the other two naked kids in the bathtub to go wash his hands in the kitchen. It was almost a melt-down moment, but he pretty much pulled it together. He's a trooper.

Other news: re: previous post, the timeline was changed again. Let's see, that first one came out on a Thursday, and by Monday, we had a new one. This one has our sites going live 9/2007. A pretty big jump from 2009. The clinical people are jumping for joy, the IT folks are freaked out! There's a lot to be done before then... But I'm not totally believing this timeline, as it only took them what, 3 days to change it this last time? I'm not holding my breath. This whole saga is going to need a whole new blog. But no - I can't figure out how to make time for this one! But suffice it to say at last count, I occupy 4 different positions. Simultaneously. One of them will have to win, but I just don't know what it will be. Some counts have 19 people reporting to me, some more, some less.

whatever...

New and exciting - I'm heading out to Boulder to see The Learned Ladies, starring (among others) my dear darling (and oldest) daughter. Leaving Friday - back Monday. FUN! FUN! FUN! She says the audiences have really enjoyed it and that it's really a fun production. Can't wait. After this closes, she goes straight into Richard III, her last production in her undergrad career. Letcha know how it goes next week.