The Misplaced, Normal Friday

Well, this post was originally supposed to be for Friday. I totally intended to draft it and post it that day. I had the time for it. Only problem--I didn't know it was Friday. I've been one day off all week. ; ) It happens like that when you don't look at the calendar for a week and a half because you really don't need to. We were too sick to go anywhere for several days so everything was on hold.

We were all flat out on the couches at some point or another watching probably a million movies and feeling worth half a cent. We recently pulled out of the fevers (although congestion still lingers), and it has been such a blessing to have our health back again!!! Friday (even though I did it the dishonor of thinking it was Thursday) was, consequently, one of our first nice, normal days in a while. I always love those.

There was weeding (gorgeous job, Mom!), PianoGuys music, first taste test of the homemade orange juice the little girls and I had made the day before (that day was pretty normal too--making orange juice and a doll tutu), the tail end of Sense and Sensibility (Aimee loves to watch movies while she does laundry), tons of work for our used book business (sorting through it all, listing some, and finding out that we have a ton to turn into the used bookstore for credit!), and then...an Amazon adventure.

That's right. An Amazon adventure. And I'm talking about the Amazon that has a smile instead of snakes. Just near the beginning of when we were getting sick, Amazon had me to do some focus group work for them and a phone call interview that included a complementary gift card. GIFT CARD. Thank you. Let's just say, without gloating, that it was a big one. So you might be hearing about some more Amazon adventures lately because--it was a big one.

Anyway, my normal Friday did have it's spark of the exciting because it is always exciting when you've been tracking your package while working on other things and "out for delivery" is staring you in the face. And then you take a few enthusiastic little sisters to the mail, and there is your gorgeous, fat yellow mailer.

And you have this inside...

Yay!!! You have been patient long enough and not bought "inferior" ebook copies! You may now hold, sniff, and love (that can also mean bend) real copies!!!

And take pictures of them with your dorky green couch in the background! Yay!

You may also see the back cover of the book you test read and point out to your siblings that your name (and your book's name!) got to be on the back. ; ) I always find it so cool to see something I've test read be published and know that I've helped in a tiny way to get it published. It's especially awesome because this time I get to read it with the illustrations. ; )

But back to normal Friday. I interrupted my siblings' projects to specifically show them Through the Tunnel since we had all gotten to help out with the snowflakes inside. They were all thrilled to see their own creations in a real book, and the credit with their names telling that they had made some. Even Anna who hadn't made a snowflake but helped me trace everyone else's was included with a special thanks that both surprised and delighted her. Here's my snowflake...

But the day wasn't over. Now I'm not so sure it was normal; because now that I think of it, it was pretty exciting. I guess I just use the word normal for "not-sick-or-too-busy-or-overly-stressed-out-day". Daddy brought home a little ice cream to celebrate how normal the day was and some Valentine's Day flowers for Mom. That ice cream was so yummy!!!

After the younger sisters were in bed (have I told you about their reindeer names? Hmmm... I may have to get special permission...), Dad, Mom, Paul, Anna, and I watched "Beyond the Mask" together on our starry projector. It was Paul's and my second time around (I enjoyed it way more this second time!), but the others had never seen it. Dad and Mom both really liked it (which is a huge compliment to an independent film!), and so did Anna; so altogether it was a hit! ; )

So, that was my nice, normal Th--Friday. ; P Lots of good excuses there for not posting. ; ) How was yours?