May 2011 Round Up

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What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
Spent most of the month on The Rough Guide to Boston. I feel like I'm cramming for an exam! LOL

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
* TV Time: Pretty much everything! That's what May Sweeps gets you. So not only were all of our regular shows finishing up, a couple of our "off season" shows got started, like Law & Order: Criminal Intent and In Plain Sight.
* New Films: Thor (okay; had terribly silly moments but some good ones as well; seen better and seen much worse), Kung Fu Panda 2 (okay to good, though not as good as the first; darker, more intense, more serious, but visually stunning), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (I liked it (more than DH); better than 3, on par or better than 2; well done for a "reboot"/redirect), Eat Pray Love (okay; nothing stands out about it, but it was perfectly fine), The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (excellent documentary about this truly legendary musical duo, who wrote most of my favorite childhood Disney songs)
* Old Favorites: Steel Magnolias, Ferngully, Sweet Home Alabama, Julie & Julia, Pleasantville, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, The Great Mouse Detective, The American President

What special days did I celebrate and how?
Actually spend Mother's Day with my mom, though that wasn't the original plan. Also went down to visit our families in south Georgia over Memorial Day.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Tea towels from my friend Joy, all the way from the UK! Now I just have to figure out what to make with them. Maybe a yest something, so I can precisely follow the "cover with tea towel and let rise" instructions.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
Luke and I were both sniffing and coughing as the month dawned, but it went away on its own without getting any worse by the end of the first week. I'm betting it was allergies. Then the dermatologist called to say the mole I had biopsied came back as melanoma. It was excised the following week, and the pathology came back with clear margins, so that should be all done. Luke has come home for two weeks straight with at least two new bandaided injuries. They are mostly minor and heal in 2-3 days, but I'm waiting for the school or daycare to start charging us a bandaid fee.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
We finished up the spring soccer season with the usual pizza party and bounce house place. Made our annual pilgrimage to the Georgia Ren Fest. We also took Luke to the beach when we visited my parents.

Not sure this counts as fun, but it was definitely exciting. We drove through some awful weather trying to get out of town for Memorial Day. First, there was torrential rain and pea sized hail, then we stopped for dinner and watched the lights flicker (like in the movie Twister) as more wind, rain, and hail swept through Jonesboro. I was ready to crawl under the table! It passed with no damage other than debris all over the interstate, but it was scary there for a while.

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
Honestly, at this point, I do not remember. That whole melanoma thing really threw off my month.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
I've bought (or had purchased for me, thanks Mom and Dad!) several new sun protection items in light of my diagnosis. Tried a couple of new sunscreens, bought a few new hats (two of which Mom kept because they didn't work for me), and the best find in the world: Coolibar sun sleeves (no affiliation, just a happy customer). I'll talk a little more about my new finds in a later blog post; I have a couple of things I still need to try before I'm ready for that one.

What were this month's disappointments or frustrations?
Finding out I had melanoma was certainly an unpleasant shock, and dealing with the aftermath of any surgery, no matter how minor, is always frustrating. Not being able to do things for myself, like change my bandage or tie my shoes, was extremely aggravating, but thankfully short lived. I was *really* hoping Luke's top right front tooth would come out this month. It's been loose since mid-March, and it was extremely loose by the end of this month, but it's still hanging in there. I'm starting to wonder if it will ever come out!

What were my accomplishments this month?
I was diagnosed with and cured of melanoma! (Actually, that would be my doctor's accomplishment, but still.) We are current so far on our summer movie schedule. Really thought we would be behind already, but we unexpectedly managed two movies over Memorial Day, so we're up to date for now. Woo-hoo! I also "changed my hair style." I'm now parting it on the left instead of the center. I know, wild and crazy, right? (I'm so sad.) And I was complimented on my skill at reading aloud during a training class at work; the facilitator had us read key concepts out loud from the book to keep us "engaged" in the training. I was a bit embarrassed by it, but she meant it sincerely and asked if I could read all of the sections from then on! LOL

What were Luke's accomplishments this month?


Luke finished Kindergarten!! I'm not sure who is more relieved, him or us. Not that there was a chance he wouldn't finish, just that we can have a break. That was *so* much more stressful than I ever imagined. If that was Kindergarten, I am not at all looking forward to the next 12 years. Sheesh!

But Luke did very well in Kindergarten! There were only three "objectives" where he was still "progressing" instead of "achieved," two in writing (persuasive and something else; all other forms of writing were achieved), and making change with coins. He also qualified for gifted for next year (in math; no surprise there).

We also wrapped up the spring soccer season, as I mentioned earlier. After not scoring any goals at all in the first 5 games, Luke rallied during the last half of the season and scored 5 goals in the last 4 games. He'll move up to the next league in the fall, playing 4 on 4 instead of 3 on 3, graduate to the bigger field (which is about 1/2 the size of a regulation field, instead of 1/4 the size like this league), and they'll have a referee for the first time (usually a teenager from some of the older leagues). There will also be practice twice a week instead of once, and games on Saturday or Sunday, instead of just Saturday. Quite a change!!

Anything else noteworthy to record?
My best friend gave birth to her second child. Diana Violet Sierra was born Tuesday, May 31 at 8:10 a.m. 8 lbs, 8.4 oz, 19 3/4 inches long. Great end to the month!

Monthly Round Up courtesy of Katie the Scrapbook Lady.

Currently feeling: worn out by this month