this and that

* Our neighbor, (in the red house) put up a privacy fence this past week. At first, I was miffed, esp. when she just put it up from her sideporch to our garage. Are our doings and kid messiness so disgusting that she had to wall us out? However, it's starting to grow on me. She respected the code and put the ugly part to her side. And, I didn't realize how the way the pine trees hung just low enough to make it hard for me to glance over to acknowledge her and nod/speak/neighbor when I was going in or out. *(not a problem with our other neighbor; she's a teacher and is gone most of the day. And if she's home, she just calls over; I don't feel the need to deliberately 'take care' of her the way I do the other one. We have a longer-standing, good, neighborly relationship.)* I'm surprised at the amount of relief I feel. Plus, the fence adds a degree of coziness to our patio area. Now if she would only fence in the rest of her yard to keep her cats out of our yard (and away from the birdies, chipmunks, squirrels and other wildlife that we like to watch from our windows.)

* The bike riding is going apace (as I commented in the 'dixie' remark.) There was a slight setback when the girl fell on the sidewalk by OLP yesterday, but she got up, shook off the skinned knee and rode the rest of the way to school, with only slight urging from me. *And, I was even able to correlate her behavior to that of the Spartans, whom we are studying now---teachable moments, indeed.* She was a bit hesitant to ride again today, but felt more comfortable when I said she could ride in the street. I think the wider area, despite the obstacles of parked cars, makes her feel safer. I just ride behind her (with the boy on the trail-a-bike) to keep the cars back. I suppose that is riskier for the boy, but it doesn't seem so since he's attached to me (and has a big fluorescent red flag flying from his bumper.)

* Pat is doing math with the girl this week. (It's geometry and involves moving shapes around/putting them together to make other shapes---not my strong suit at all.) They seem to be doing well, esp. since I supplemented the lesson with [Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157091169X/qid=1147297442/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-9431410-8202458?s=books&v=glance&n=283155). This is one of a series of books which are about the aforementioned Sir Cumference, his wife, Lady Di of Ameter, his son, Radius and various other characters. I have to eye-roll at some of the names, but I think they're a great way to introduce math concepts. *(And if I had read them when I was a kid, maybe I wouldn't be such a spatial idiot now.)*

* My subconscious threw out a garbled version of the song, "There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza" while we were driving to pick up Pat today. The boy was, (of course) entranced and has been making me sing it over and over, esp. when I came home and googled the real words. Maybe this will interest him enough that he will stop pointing out my soi-disant "big-assed" bicycle seat to everyone we meet. He's doing a Scout Finch and expirimenting with swear words. And, being quite the potty mouth, I can only tell him to keep his cursing at home to avoid offending less understanding adults.

* The girl and I ended up picking out an old "fairy cross" [(read staurolite crystal formation)](http://www.littlefallsmn.com/CrossRocks.php) for the First Communion we attended on Sunday. The communicant was as gracious as could be expected from a boy who was looking for monetary gifts toward his goal of a PS-2, (but his mom liked it). The church was so crowded, that we didn't get to see him actually receive Communion, so I spent time pointing out aspects of the Goddess in the church and faith to the girl, as well as doing a small lesson on Romanesque architecture with a teaser about Gothic flying buttresses. Thank you, Miss Averdick!! Gianna declared that she wasn't interested in being Catholic until they respected women more. I wish I could remember her exact words, since they took me aback. She wasn't literally quoting from anything I said, but her intonation, tone and meaning made me feel like I was listening to myself. I wondered if I was 'frontloading' too much until a little voice of reason said that I was giving her fodder for her adolescent rebellion. Far better for her to become a Catholic than to taking up smoking, I think.

* Actually bought a paperback copy of [Eats, Shoots and Leaves](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592402038/qid=1147298938/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-9431410-8202458?s=books&v=glance&n=283155) for my bedtime reading. Could I be more of a nerd? And of course, I'll have to be trying out my newfound punctuation mastery here. I'll bet you can't wait. And, if anyone cares, there's a children's version of the book coming out in July. Yes, we'll be getting it and using it for school.

Pat has dinner ready, (bless him!) and I have to get into something decent to go see clients. Later, tators!