It's mine and the Jedi's seventeenth wedding anniversary today. We're going to Bob Evans for lunch, and we're taking the family to Cold Stone for dinner.
We were discussing these plans at breakfast this morning, and the Jedi was saying how much he was looking forward to telling Toa of Boy that we were going to have ice cream for dinner. The Jedi is looking forward to hearing Toa of Boy ask, "No, really?" So that the Jedi could say, "Really, that's what we're having." Then Toa would say, "No, for real, what's for dinner?"
At this point, Toa of Boy walked in the kitchen and announced, "I heard that."
"Good," said the Jedi. "We're having ice cream for dinner tonight."
Toa looked at him for a minute, realized Daddy wasn't joking, and then exclaimed, "Not again!?!?!?!" (We've had Cold Stone for dinner once before, to celebrate the Jedi's birthday.)
"I know," said the Jedi, "you lead such a hard life."
Toa of Boy gave up and walked back out of the kitchen.
Mama laughed and said that Toa tried to tell her that he had had ice cream for dinner last night. "No really," she had said, "what did you have for dinner?"
"Ice cream," replied Toa. (We had had chicken burritos and ice cream for dessert.)
"No really," said Mama, "what did you have?"
"Ice cream," replied Toa, trying to keep a strait face.
"No really," said Mama, "I know your Mommy well enough to know she wouldn't really let you have ice cream for dinner."
"Well apparently," interjected Sweetling, "you didn't know her that well, cause we're having ice cream for dinner tonight."
Coming to my own defense, I pointed to the Jedi and said, "Yes but its the sane, logical, rational one who has made that decision."
"And therefore," concluded Sweetling, "the decision must be a sane, logical, and rational one."
I decided to drop out of the conversation at this point. I jumped back in when it somehow came around to the nursery rhyme of the old woman who lived in a shoe.
"I wonder," said Mama, "if anyone has ever built a house shaped like a shoe?"
"I'd live in it," I quickly chimed in. "But I would want a lot of children."
"You already have a lot of children," argued Sweetling.
"No I don't," says I who secretly wants a huge farmhouse with many bedrooms and filled to the rafters with fostered and adopted children. "I only have two."
Sweetling looked at me in disbelief for a moment.
"It just seems like a lot," clarifies the Jedi, "cause Sweetling's world suddenly shifted to include Toa of Boy, and he's like an army of boys all rolled into one person."
Sweetling smiled, glad that she had a Daddy who immediately understood her.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Facebook Friday, Aug 28
yep, I'm doing it again. It's facebook friday, and I'm posting a collection of my facebook updates from the previous week so that I have them to reread at a later date for my own personal enjoyment.
August 21 at 9:18am
I need something (like some direction) for my devotional time in the morning. Suggestions?
August 21 at 12:19pm
Its a beautiful day and we have our windows open. Now, I have to turn on the oven and heat up the house for the afternoon. Silly Vaya having a baby ;)
August 21 at 3:10pm
ingredients for a cake: cake mix, eggs, water, oil. So, why, after my cakes were in the oven and I got the boy out of the tub, did I come back to the kitchen to find MY OIL STILL IN ITS MEASURING CUP?????
August 22 at 8:26am
sings: "We're very very busy and we've got a lot to do and we haven't got a moment to explain it all to you...."
August 23 at 8:27am
hot chocolate makes all mornings a bit better.
August 23 at 4:44pm
slept for 2 hours. Could have slept 2 *more* hours.
August 23 at 6:09pm
LSI (Laundry Scene Investigation): Toa of Boy's shirt had chocolate embedded in a wrinkle pattern. Therefore, he must have slept in a puddle of melted chocolate ice cream. Except, the chocolate stains were on the top of his left shoulder. Therefore, ...he must have slept in a puddle of melted chocolate ice cream while standing on his head.
August 24 at 9:36am
back to Pig Island today :)
August 24 at 2:21pm
Back from Pig Island. Two fairy houses were built, a flag was hung, a speech was made, many photos were taken, and lunch was eaten beside a waterfall. And in answer to several ?'s I got this morning, here was our first trip to Pig Island.
Tue at 8:50am
I've only managed to curl half my hair so far this morning. Now you all know.
Tue at 2:02pm
why does it lok like a peach was repeatedly bounced upon my kitchen floor?
Tue at 2:56pm
Sweetling got her hair cut. It has been discovered that Sweetling hair is bouncy. :D
Wed at 8:05am
The googles are standing up on the kitchen counter, trying to determine which google is the tallest and which googles owe chocolate tax to whom.
Wed at 9:59am
Algebra Dare of the Day: Find two consecutive integers whose product is five less than five times their sum.
Yesterday at 7:39am
Sweetling doesn't like the chicken dance at 7:30 am any more than she likes it at any other time of the day. She even had to work up the energy to scowl at me :)
Yesterday at 12:14pm
got all caught up getting my coupons clipped and filed. Yes, my life is just this exciting. That's why the paparazzi follow me around.
2 hours ago
Friday confessions: It's 10am. The kids and I are still in our jammies. The living room floor is covered in webkinz. No one has started school yet. I'm making a second cup of hot chocolate for myself.
August 21 at 9:18am
I need something (like some direction) for my devotional time in the morning. Suggestions?
August 21 at 12:19pm
Its a beautiful day and we have our windows open. Now, I have to turn on the oven and heat up the house for the afternoon. Silly Vaya having a baby ;)
August 21 at 3:10pm
ingredients for a cake: cake mix, eggs, water, oil. So, why, after my cakes were in the oven and I got the boy out of the tub, did I come back to the kitchen to find MY OIL STILL IN ITS MEASURING CUP?????
August 22 at 8:26am
sings: "We're very very busy and we've got a lot to do and we haven't got a moment to explain it all to you...."
August 23 at 8:27am
hot chocolate makes all mornings a bit better.
August 23 at 4:44pm
slept for 2 hours. Could have slept 2 *more* hours.
August 23 at 6:09pm
LSI (Laundry Scene Investigation): Toa of Boy's shirt had chocolate embedded in a wrinkle pattern. Therefore, he must have slept in a puddle of melted chocolate ice cream. Except, the chocolate stains were on the top of his left shoulder. Therefore, ...he must have slept in a puddle of melted chocolate ice cream while standing on his head.
August 24 at 9:36am
back to Pig Island today :)
August 24 at 2:21pm
Back from Pig Island. Two fairy houses were built, a flag was hung, a speech was made, many photos were taken, and lunch was eaten beside a waterfall. And in answer to several ?'s I got this morning, here was our first trip to Pig Island.
Tue at 8:50am
I've only managed to curl half my hair so far this morning. Now you all know.
Tue at 2:02pm
why does it lok like a peach was repeatedly bounced upon my kitchen floor?
Tue at 2:56pm
Sweetling got her hair cut. It has been discovered that Sweetling hair is bouncy. :D
Wed at 8:05am
The googles are standing up on the kitchen counter, trying to determine which google is the tallest and which googles owe chocolate tax to whom.
Wed at 9:59am
Algebra Dare of the Day: Find two consecutive integers whose product is five less than five times their sum.
Yesterday at 7:39am
Sweetling doesn't like the chicken dance at 7:30 am any more than she likes it at any other time of the day. She even had to work up the energy to scowl at me :)
Yesterday at 12:14pm
got all caught up getting my coupons clipped and filed. Yes, my life is just this exciting. That's why the paparazzi follow me around.
2 hours ago
Friday confessions: It's 10am. The kids and I are still in our jammies. The living room floor is covered in webkinz. No one has started school yet. I'm making a second cup of hot chocolate for myself.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Seven Things I've Learned Today
1. Mommys, sadly, are not allowed to have M$M's for lunch. Even if they are peanut M$Ms.
2. Sixth graders do not appreciate being zurburted during algebra.
3. Squirrels won't eat or take lily bulbs, but they will dig them up from the garden.
4. Boys need more than cocoa krispies for breakfast.
5. Even if I follow a collection of pro-tips, it would take me four hours to clean my house properly...assuming I don't start with a sink of dirty dishes and several flat surfaces of clutter in every room and that I'm not counting laundry time. How depressing is that?
6. Having five weeks worth of newspaper coupons to clip and file is the suxers. I don't even know how I got so far behind. I have a theory whose name starts with the letter X and ends with the letter N.
7. Learning to read is a magical, mystical process. Any expert who claims to have it all figured out must be lying. Really, what happens is you work with a child and work with a child and the child works and works and gets frustrated and cries and then tries again. And you get frustrated and cry and think you are a miserable failure of a teacher, but you try again. And then, suddenly, before either of you know it, you are sitting beside the child while they are reading aloud. And suddenly it hits you...hey! He's DOING IT!!!!! And then you wonder, when and how did that happen?
8. (Because I can't leave you with an accurately numbered list, now can I?)
8. When you are six, it's always a good time to look at fun cakes.
2. Sixth graders do not appreciate being zurburted during algebra.
3. Squirrels won't eat or take lily bulbs, but they will dig them up from the garden.
4. Boys need more than cocoa krispies for breakfast.
5. Even if I follow a collection of pro-tips, it would take me four hours to clean my house properly...assuming I don't start with a sink of dirty dishes and several flat surfaces of clutter in every room and that I'm not counting laundry time. How depressing is that?
6. Having five weeks worth of newspaper coupons to clip and file is the suxers. I don't even know how I got so far behind. I have a theory whose name starts with the letter X and ends with the letter N.
7. Learning to read is a magical, mystical process. Any expert who claims to have it all figured out must be lying. Really, what happens is you work with a child and work with a child and the child works and works and gets frustrated and cries and then tries again. And you get frustrated and cry and think you are a miserable failure of a teacher, but you try again. And then, suddenly, before either of you know it, you are sitting beside the child while they are reading aloud. And suddenly it hits you...hey! He's DOING IT!!!!! And then you wonder, when and how did that happen?
8. (Because I can't leave you with an accurately numbered list, now can I?)
8. When you are six, it's always a good time to look at fun cakes.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Seven Day Wait
I'm sure there's a name, a catch phrase that I can't remember. Isn't there a certain term for the waiting period between when a person applies to buy a gun and when that person is actually eligible to purchase the gun?
No, I'm not planning on buying a gun. Smurf can start breathing again. Deep breaths, Smurf. In and out. There ya go.
But I do want to start a new project, some new creative outlet. I need some new creative, self-chosen (not externally mandated) project. I think the fact that I was envisioning and composing margarine commercials in my head last night as I made my toast is a pretty fair indicator of this need. The fact that I had to step over multiple laundry baskets to get to the computer to write about my need for a creative outlet is completely irrelevant to the conversation.
Trying to launch a new blog meme is one possibility.
Learning and practicing some photography is another possibility. Check out this description of the 365 project.
Learning something about web design? blog design? to redo my very boring blog page is another possibility....but that involves the evilness of computers, so don't hold your breath on this one.
NaNo is coming up in November but that is NOT a possibility. Hear that Nora? I'm not going to be sucked in this time.
Sketching? Do I really want to get my poor neglected sketchbook back out?
What about my poor, even more neglected, flute?
Being an ENFP, I've learned, well---I've almost learned--- from past mistakes that I should impose a seven day waiting period on myself before I try to commit myself to any new undertaking. If my brain were less mushy, I'd leave you with some clever and witty simile comparing the dangers of guns to "shooting myself in the foot" with a new project. But that lame statement is as close as I'm getting today.
No, I'm not planning on buying a gun. Smurf can start breathing again. Deep breaths, Smurf. In and out. There ya go.
But I do want to start a new project, some new creative outlet. I need some new creative, self-chosen (not externally mandated) project. I think the fact that I was envisioning and composing margarine commercials in my head last night as I made my toast is a pretty fair indicator of this need. The fact that I had to step over multiple laundry baskets to get to the computer to write about my need for a creative outlet is completely irrelevant to the conversation.
Trying to launch a new blog meme is one possibility.
Learning and practicing some photography is another possibility. Check out this description of the 365 project.
Learning something about web design? blog design? to redo my very boring blog page is another possibility....but that involves the evilness of computers, so don't hold your breath on this one.
NaNo is coming up in November but that is NOT a possibility. Hear that Nora? I'm not going to be sucked in this time.
Sketching? Do I really want to get my poor neglected sketchbook back out?
What about my poor, even more neglected, flute?
Being an ENFP, I've learned, well---I've almost learned--- from past mistakes that I should impose a seven day waiting period on myself before I try to commit myself to any new undertaking. If my brain were less mushy, I'd leave you with some clever and witty simile comparing the dangers of guns to "shooting myself in the foot" with a new project. But that lame statement is as close as I'm getting today.
I need a new meme....
If I were feeling creative, I'd go ahead and finish that little piggy-back jingle. But then again, if I were feeling creative, I wouldn't be hoping for a new "meme" community to join.
Blogger Friend School is gone.
Homeschool Memoirs is gone.
Heart of the Matter's meme is gone.
Not that I participated every week in these memes, but it was nice to have them available to read and sometimes be inspired by when I was stuck on what to write.
Behold the power of Google:
Or, design my own:
Making Memories, Monthly Meme
--need, cute graphic button...I'll have to throw myself on Sweetling's mercy
--need, to figure out how to make Mr. Linky work on blogspot
--need, to have a description and guidelines up in time for the next blogroll at wierd, unsocialized homeschoolers
--need, to do a tiny bit of rearranging of my side bar to make the button and topic list for the meme always easily accessible for visitors
Making Memories, Monthly Meme
What it is:
An easy format for sharing ideas for family projects, activities, or outings.
Who it's for:
Any blogger interested in an ongoing source of workable and tested....this is crap. I'll write more later. Maybe.
Blogger Friend School is gone.
Homeschool Memoirs is gone.
Heart of the Matter's meme is gone.
Not that I participated every week in these memes, but it was nice to have them available to read and sometimes be inspired by when I was stuck on what to write.
Behold the power of Google:
Or, design my own:
Making Memories, Monthly Meme
--need, cute graphic button...I'll have to throw myself on Sweetling's mercy
--need, to figure out how to make Mr. Linky work on blogspot
--need, to have a description and guidelines up in time for the next blogroll at wierd, unsocialized homeschoolers
--need, to do a tiny bit of rearranging of my side bar to make the button and topic list for the meme always easily accessible for visitors
Making Memories, Monthly Meme
What it is:
An easy format for sharing ideas for family projects, activities, or outings.
Who it's for:
Any blogger interested in an ongoing source of workable and tested....this is crap. I'll write more later. Maybe.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Why We Should Believe People Who Say the Anti-Christ Is Going to Use Computers to Take Over the World
Behold the log of evidence:
Yesterday, 7:30 a.m.
The Jedi is at work already. I sit at my school desk to login and update attendance and lesson plans for our online school. No go. Now, I usually try to do this at night before bed, but couldn't log in the night before either. I close Firefox and try IE. No. I try from the kitchen laptop. No. I get on facebook to whine and learn that the school site isn't down, cause other people can log in. Its just me. I clear my cache. Nope. I clear my cache and reboot. Nope. I jump through every technological hoop I can think of and a few that facebook friends suggest. Nope. Short of sacrificing a chicken on the keyboard, I'm just not getting on the OLS (online learning system) today.
Yesterday 11:30 am.
I've done math and phonics with Toa of Boy, because we don't need the OLS for either of those subjects. I sit down with Sweetling to do algebra at the kitchen table. But, I haven't done the problems in advance, I haven't worked yesterday's problems either, and I'm pretty frustrated in general.
"Do you want to do algebra?" I ask Sweetling.
"Not really," answers Sweetling.
"Good. Let's go play Wii," say I. And that's what we do till lunch. After lunch we have a literature and language day, which means that Mommy reads a book, Sweetling reads books and posts on her boards, and Toa of Boy plays Super Mario Galaxy.
Yesterday 5:30 pm
We are all sitting at the dinner table. "When you get back from Sweetling's Tae Kwon Do," I ask the Jedi, "can you look at the computer? I can't log on to K12." I then regale the Jedi with my tales of computer woes from the morning.
Yesterday 6:12 pm
I get an email from the Jedi, sent from his phone, from the TKD school. The text?
"K12 is fixed." And indeed it is. Still, I don't use the opportunity to get my records caught up or to look at tomorrow's lesson plans. Instead, I finish my book.
Today, 6:20 am
I'm awake, much to my dismay. Sweetling is sleeping on the floor of our bedroom in a sleeping bag, having arrived there sometime after midnight last night. Rather than wake her with the window "boot up" chimes from my school computer right outside our bedroom doorway, I set up the laptop on the kitchen table. Plus, the kitchen table is more conducive to early morning cups of hot chocolate. I sit down to log in to K12.
NOTHING.
The Jedi is in the shower. I patiently do other things while I wait for him to get out.
Today, 6:40 am
The Jedi is out of the shower, dressed, and comes into the kitchen for breakfast. I open the K12 log in screen so that the Jedi can see exactly what has been driving me batty since Wednesday night.
As soon as the Jedi ENTERS THE ROOM, the login goes perfectly smoothly.
I sit at the kitchen table updating my attendance and looking over today's lesson plans. The Jedi has his breakfast, packs his lunch, and heads to work.
Today, 9:40 am
Sweetling and I sit down with her algebra to check her work from Wedenesday and do the next lessons. I open the K12 log in screen, cause I still haven't gotten around to working out the problems myself, and just want to enter her answers and have the computer check her work. That's involved parenting at its best.
NOTHING.
I try from the OTHER kitchen laptop, the one that's permanently mounted to my kitchen wall. Still nothing. I start jumping through the same non-productive hoops I jumped through yesterday trying vainly to get k12 to load. I throw a fairy fit. Sweetling says, "Ok Mommy, you're starting to act a little creepy."
I sit down with a pad of paper and a pencil to work out the algebra problems, check Sweetling's answers, and teach the next lesson. I complain bitterly the entire time to Sweetling about the wickedness of the computer and how it PLANS to fail on me when the Jedi isn't around to keep it in line.
Sweetling sincerely asks, "Do you want me to go get you my Edward Bear to sit next to the computer?"
So that's where I am right now. Resorting to plush Jedi voodoo dolls in hopes of influencing the internal processing of the computer in my favor.
Today, 10:40 am
Sweetling and I have finished algebra. Sweetling sits at her school computer downstairs to do some independent learning. Sweetling logs into K12 without any problems whatsoever. Why? Because she's the Jedi's little girl, that's why.
I'm going downstairs to climb into a large cardboard box with Toa of Boy so we can do phonics together.
Yesterday, 7:30 a.m.
The Jedi is at work already. I sit at my school desk to login and update attendance and lesson plans for our online school. No go. Now, I usually try to do this at night before bed, but couldn't log in the night before either. I close Firefox and try IE. No. I try from the kitchen laptop. No. I get on facebook to whine and learn that the school site isn't down, cause other people can log in. Its just me. I clear my cache. Nope. I clear my cache and reboot. Nope. I jump through every technological hoop I can think of and a few that facebook friends suggest. Nope. Short of sacrificing a chicken on the keyboard, I'm just not getting on the OLS (online learning system) today.
Yesterday 11:30 am.
I've done math and phonics with Toa of Boy, because we don't need the OLS for either of those subjects. I sit down with Sweetling to do algebra at the kitchen table. But, I haven't done the problems in advance, I haven't worked yesterday's problems either, and I'm pretty frustrated in general.
"Do you want to do algebra?" I ask Sweetling.
"Not really," answers Sweetling.
"Good. Let's go play Wii," say I. And that's what we do till lunch. After lunch we have a literature and language day, which means that Mommy reads a book, Sweetling reads books and posts on her boards, and Toa of Boy plays Super Mario Galaxy.
Yesterday 5:30 pm
We are all sitting at the dinner table. "When you get back from Sweetling's Tae Kwon Do," I ask the Jedi, "can you look at the computer? I can't log on to K12." I then regale the Jedi with my tales of computer woes from the morning.
Yesterday 6:12 pm
I get an email from the Jedi, sent from his phone, from the TKD school. The text?
"K12 is fixed." And indeed it is. Still, I don't use the opportunity to get my records caught up or to look at tomorrow's lesson plans. Instead, I finish my book.
Today, 6:20 am
I'm awake, much to my dismay. Sweetling is sleeping on the floor of our bedroom in a sleeping bag, having arrived there sometime after midnight last night. Rather than wake her with the window "boot up" chimes from my school computer right outside our bedroom doorway, I set up the laptop on the kitchen table. Plus, the kitchen table is more conducive to early morning cups of hot chocolate. I sit down to log in to K12.
NOTHING.
The Jedi is in the shower. I patiently do other things while I wait for him to get out.
Today, 6:40 am
The Jedi is out of the shower, dressed, and comes into the kitchen for breakfast. I open the K12 log in screen so that the Jedi can see exactly what has been driving me batty since Wednesday night.
As soon as the Jedi ENTERS THE ROOM, the login goes perfectly smoothly.
I sit at the kitchen table updating my attendance and looking over today's lesson plans. The Jedi has his breakfast, packs his lunch, and heads to work.
Today, 9:40 am
Sweetling and I sit down with her algebra to check her work from Wedenesday and do the next lessons. I open the K12 log in screen, cause I still haven't gotten around to working out the problems myself, and just want to enter her answers and have the computer check her work. That's involved parenting at its best.
NOTHING.
I try from the OTHER kitchen laptop, the one that's permanently mounted to my kitchen wall. Still nothing. I start jumping through the same non-productive hoops I jumped through yesterday trying vainly to get k12 to load. I throw a fairy fit. Sweetling says, "Ok Mommy, you're starting to act a little creepy."
I sit down with a pad of paper and a pencil to work out the algebra problems, check Sweetling's answers, and teach the next lesson. I complain bitterly the entire time to Sweetling about the wickedness of the computer and how it PLANS to fail on me when the Jedi isn't around to keep it in line.
Sweetling sincerely asks, "Do you want me to go get you my Edward Bear to sit next to the computer?"
So that's where I am right now. Resorting to plush Jedi voodoo dolls in hopes of influencing the internal processing of the computer in my favor.
Today, 10:40 am
Sweetling and I have finished algebra. Sweetling sits at her school computer downstairs to do some independent learning. Sweetling logs into K12 without any problems whatsoever. Why? Because she's the Jedi's little girl, that's why.
I'm going downstairs to climb into a large cardboard box with Toa of Boy so we can do phonics together.
Facebook Friday
This will hold zero interest to those of you who already follow me on Facebook. Seriously, just stop reading now.
Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you.
I'm declaring Fridays as Facebook Fridays, in which, I copy my brilliant and much beloved facebook updates into a blog post. Why? Is it because I'm that egotistical? No, not really. Only the Maven would rise to that sort of level. But, because I frequently do reread my blog posts, but I never reread my Facebook updates. And often I toss tidbits up to facebook that never make it to my blog. And then those tidbits are "lost" forever instead of saved for posterity.
So, when you put it that way, maybe I am just that egotistical.
*grin*
Sweetling does think I am most definitely like King Julien. Since I'm flattered by the comparison, it's probably pretty accurate.
Anyway, here is Facebook Friday, with the names changed to protect the innocent. I'm in a quandry, should I post all the comments to my updates as well? Or is that "too much"?
August 14, 9:29 pm
When your son says, "I love you Daisy...I mean Mommy..." You might be spending to much time playing MarioKart.
August 17 at 10:17am
If I had a gunea pig, na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na, all day long he'd twitch his little nose, while he nibbled on his blueberries!
August 17 at 2:37pm
Why is "What's for dinner?" such a difficult question to answer? In the meantime, Toa of Boy is downstairs drawing guinea pigs for art.
Tue at 11:54am
Boys crayons get broken quickly because the crayons aren't actually things that you color with, they are *really* soldiers which fight out epic battles across the surface of a school desk.
Tue at 6:11pm
stale brownies are not yummy :(
Wed at 3:13pm
I am teaching a cardboard box. I ask the question, and then the answer is heard coming from the cardboard box.
Yesterday at 7:19am
Can any other K-12ers log on to the OLS this morning? Or is it just me? I couldn't get on last night to log attendence, and I can't get in this morning to check lessons plans.
Yesterday at 9:13am
Young men who have to hold their pants up when they run amuse me.
25 minutes ago
Is back on-line for school this morning. Wanna know why? 'Cause the Jedi came home last night and fixed everything in like two minutes flat.
Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you.
I'm declaring Fridays as Facebook Fridays, in which, I copy my brilliant and much beloved facebook updates into a blog post. Why? Is it because I'm that egotistical? No, not really. Only the Maven would rise to that sort of level. But, because I frequently do reread my blog posts, but I never reread my Facebook updates. And often I toss tidbits up to facebook that never make it to my blog. And then those tidbits are "lost" forever instead of saved for posterity.
So, when you put it that way, maybe I am just that egotistical.
*grin*
Sweetling does think I am most definitely like King Julien. Since I'm flattered by the comparison, it's probably pretty accurate.
Anyway, here is Facebook Friday, with the names changed to protect the innocent. I'm in a quandry, should I post all the comments to my updates as well? Or is that "too much"?
August 14, 9:29 pm
When your son says, "I love you Daisy...I mean Mommy..." You might be spending to much time playing MarioKart.
August 17 at 10:17am
If I had a gunea pig, na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na, all day long he'd twitch his little nose, while he nibbled on his blueberries!
August 17 at 2:37pm
Why is "What's for dinner?" such a difficult question to answer? In the meantime, Toa of Boy is downstairs drawing guinea pigs for art.
Tue at 11:54am
Boys crayons get broken quickly because the crayons aren't actually things that you color with, they are *really* soldiers which fight out epic battles across the surface of a school desk.
Tue at 6:11pm
stale brownies are not yummy :(
Wed at 3:13pm
I am teaching a cardboard box. I ask the question, and then the answer is heard coming from the cardboard box.
Yesterday at 7:19am
Can any other K-12ers log on to the OLS this morning? Or is it just me? I couldn't get on last night to log attendence, and I can't get in this morning to check lessons plans.
Yesterday at 9:13am
Young men who have to hold their pants up when they run amuse me.
25 minutes ago
Is back on-line for school this morning. Wanna know why? 'Cause the Jedi came home last night and fixed everything in like two minutes flat.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Call Me MacGyver
It's 7:50 am. My Mama is standing in the hallway outside the bathroom wrapped in a towel. "Angel," she says, "I know you aren't going to want to hear this....but..."
Now, anytime someone prefaces a piece of information with a comment like that, it's pretty safe to assume that your day is about to take a marked turn for the worse. On the plus side, it was still early in the day, so how bad of a down turn could this possibly be?
On the minus side, it was early in the day. Mama, who is supposed to get her shower between 7 and 7:30 so that I can get my shower at 7:30, actually started the water at 7:28. Now, I'm not Mrs Punctuality myself, but this has been a slight bone of contention in the past. In the 45 minutes that I've been up, I've gotten some straitening done downstairs in the school room. I have a friend coming over at 9:30, who works in a school, but who'd really love to see our schoolroom. Not that I'm worried or anything. Not that our schoolroom looks like a homeschool room maintained by a free-spirited teacher with two creative and active children. Not that. Not that I can even put away the thirty plus pieces of computer paper piled everywhere which have the entire second half of the Incredibles movie depicted in stick figure animation that my 6 year old has been working on for the past couple of days which he believes really need to "stay in the right order". Or do anything about the large cardboard club house box dominating the middle of the floor. But still, I've been straitening up and waiting for my turn in the shower.
So, here I am at 7:50, wearing my nightshirt and heading to the shower with my clean clothes in hand.
I don't know if you know how a toilet actually flushes. I really only have the vaguest notion myself...all of it gained through trial and error this morning. Apparently, when you depress the handle on the outside of the tank, inside the tank there is a lever which raises. At the end of the lever is a chain which descends and attaches to a plunger shaped stopper at the bottom of the tank. You depress the handle, the lever raises, pulls on the chain, which lifts the stopper (which I assume is somehow connected to a stopper at the bottom of the toilet bowl itself) and the water in the bowl runs out, and the water in the tank flows out from the bottom to rinse and refill the bowl.
But not this morning. This morning, the chain that runs from the lever to the stopper has broken. So, this morning, if you depress the handle OF THE ONLY TOILET IN MY HOUSE, nothing happens. The water in the bowl doesn't go out. The water in the tank doesn't rush back into the bowl. Nothing.
And I have one friend coming at 9:30 and staying through lunch, and a separate family coming at 4:30 and staying through dinner. And no flushing toilet.
Oh sure, if you take the lid off the toilet tank on the back of the toilet, reach your arm down through the water, and lift the plunger in the bottom of the tank yourself, the toilet flushes just fine. But nothing quite says "welcome to my home" like having to reach down through the toilet tank to manually cause the toilet to flush, now does it?
By now it's after 8 and I'm considering my options. I'm not showered or dressed. I have two children and none of the three of us have had breakfast. Do I try to get myself and Toa ready, fed, and to Lowe's and back before 9:30? Do I even know what I need at Lowe's? Or do I go and throw myself on the mercy of whatever orange-vested person I can find?
Or, option two, can I MacGyver some way to repair the chain myself?
Because I know the suspense is killing my readers...
That's right. I fixed my broken toilet with three paper clips.
I so rock.
Now, anytime someone prefaces a piece of information with a comment like that, it's pretty safe to assume that your day is about to take a marked turn for the worse. On the plus side, it was still early in the day, so how bad of a down turn could this possibly be?
On the minus side, it was early in the day. Mama, who is supposed to get her shower between 7 and 7:30 so that I can get my shower at 7:30, actually started the water at 7:28. Now, I'm not Mrs Punctuality myself, but this has been a slight bone of contention in the past. In the 45 minutes that I've been up, I've gotten some straitening done downstairs in the school room. I have a friend coming over at 9:30, who works in a school, but who'd really love to see our schoolroom. Not that I'm worried or anything. Not that our schoolroom looks like a homeschool room maintained by a free-spirited teacher with two creative and active children. Not that. Not that I can even put away the thirty plus pieces of computer paper piled everywhere which have the entire second half of the Incredibles movie depicted in stick figure animation that my 6 year old has been working on for the past couple of days which he believes really need to "stay in the right order". Or do anything about the large cardboard club house box dominating the middle of the floor. But still, I've been straitening up and waiting for my turn in the shower.
So, here I am at 7:50, wearing my nightshirt and heading to the shower with my clean clothes in hand.
I don't know if you know how a toilet actually flushes. I really only have the vaguest notion myself...all of it gained through trial and error this morning. Apparently, when you depress the handle on the outside of the tank, inside the tank there is a lever which raises. At the end of the lever is a chain which descends and attaches to a plunger shaped stopper at the bottom of the tank. You depress the handle, the lever raises, pulls on the chain, which lifts the stopper (which I assume is somehow connected to a stopper at the bottom of the toilet bowl itself) and the water in the bowl runs out, and the water in the tank flows out from the bottom to rinse and refill the bowl.
But not this morning. This morning, the chain that runs from the lever to the stopper has broken. So, this morning, if you depress the handle OF THE ONLY TOILET IN MY HOUSE, nothing happens. The water in the bowl doesn't go out. The water in the tank doesn't rush back into the bowl. Nothing.
And I have one friend coming at 9:30 and staying through lunch, and a separate family coming at 4:30 and staying through dinner. And no flushing toilet.
Oh sure, if you take the lid off the toilet tank on the back of the toilet, reach your arm down through the water, and lift the plunger in the bottom of the tank yourself, the toilet flushes just fine. But nothing quite says "welcome to my home" like having to reach down through the toilet tank to manually cause the toilet to flush, now does it?
By now it's after 8 and I'm considering my options. I'm not showered or dressed. I have two children and none of the three of us have had breakfast. Do I try to get myself and Toa ready, fed, and to Lowe's and back before 9:30? Do I even know what I need at Lowe's? Or do I go and throw myself on the mercy of whatever orange-vested person I can find?
Or, option two, can I MacGyver some way to repair the chain myself?
Because I know the suspense is killing my readers...
That's right. I fixed my broken toilet with three paper clips.
I so rock.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Progression of Thought
step one: What's for dinner?
step 2: What do I have?
step 3: What do I have that I don't have to thaw?
step 4: Eggs. And potatoes.
step 5: We could have egg sandwiches.
step 6: Yummy egg sandwiches.
step 7: I'm not buying the "yummy" part.
step 8. We could have omelets.
step 9: Omelets and bacon.
step 10: Ok, this is good. Omelets and bacon and something else...maybe toast?
step 11: Toast is good, rather dull. How about biscuits? We have a tube of biscuits in the fridge.
step 12: BISCUITS AND CHOCOLATE STUFF!!!! OH YEAH BABY!!!!!
step 2: What do I have?
step 3: What do I have that I don't have to thaw?
step 4: Eggs. And potatoes.
step 5: We could have egg sandwiches.
step 6: Yummy egg sandwiches.
step 7: I'm not buying the "yummy" part.
step 8. We could have omelets.
step 9: Omelets and bacon.
step 10: Ok, this is good. Omelets and bacon and something else...maybe toast?
step 11: Toast is good, rather dull. How about biscuits? We have a tube of biscuits in the fridge.
step 12: BISCUITS AND CHOCOLATE STUFF!!!! OH YEAH BABY!!!!!
Simple Woman's Daybook, Aug 17th
FOR TODAY, Monday, August 17th 12;45 pm ...
Outside my window...weeds. Weeds and hornets. Overcast. Muggy. Hot. Still, there are no less than seven robins having a banquet in the grass.
I am thinking...that Toa of Boy and I would like a pet guinea pig. Now, there are two major obstacles to this thought becoming a reality. (Well, three, if you count the expense of buying or building a habitat.) The first is, where would we put a guinea pig home? Guinea pigs need a lot of square footage, and we are rather scarce on the "free" square footage department. The second is, would the Jedi and Mama be allergic to the guinea pig? I need to find someone with a guinea pig who needs a pig sitter for the weekend. Then we could find out if a guinea pig would be an allergy issue.
I am thankful for...the wonderful, wonderful weekend we had.
Friday I was congested and miserable. Saturday morning, I woke up at 5am and couldn't go back to sleep, so I read a mystery novel and went back to bed a little after 9. I had a lovely nap, and woke up feeling much better.
We played MarioKart in the afternoon (during which we discovered that if your little boys says "I love you Daisy...I mean Mommy" that maybe everyone should take a break from MarioKart.) Saturday evening we held Monkey Vs Food. This was a huge hit. I made peanutbutter syrup to go over plate sized banana pancakes. Sweetling and the Jedi each ate one pancake. Mama and I each managed a half a pancake. Toa of Boy thought that the entire stack of pancakes should be his, but had to settle for his one, plus the half that Mama couldn't finish, and then immediately declared, "I'm hungry." That evening the Jedi and I laid on the waterbed and read together chapters from our books to prepare for Sunday school.
Sunday held a lovely service, during which God once again put a message about prayer in my path. Sunday afternoon held another delightful nap, followed by a successful battle waged against the laundry monster, a game of Mario party, a family geography challenge to draw and label the seven continents and four oceans from memory, and finally more reading and discussing with the Jedi.
From the learning rooms...we've officially been "back to school" for a week and a half now. Yet still, lessons didn't start till 10:15. (Ok, that isn't quite true, everyone did their morning devotions AND everyone took turns exercising with Wii Active Life: Outdoor Adventure.) Before lunch, Toa of Boy and I had an impromptu fire safety lesson, rehearsing what to do if there was ever a fire in the house.
From the kitchen...Monkey vs Food of course! And, I tried to make chicken fingers on Sunday. They turned out all right, but a little bland. I've decided next time, I'll dip the chicken in ranch dressing, then bread them with Ritz cracker crumbs and bake them.
I am wearing...jean shorts (my favs) and a cute coral tee. Tonight we're taking a family picture to send to the child we sponsor through Compassion International. The Jedi wanted to take one yesterday, but he asked me about it after I had put on sloppy clothes and had just woken up from a nap. Today, my hair is curled, my clothes are casual but cute and attractive. Today I can have my picture taken.
I am creating...I refuse to say "nothing". So help me, I'll come up with something to create rather than leave this prompt empty.
I am going...to Blockbusters after school today. Toa of Boy won the point contest and would like to pick a movie for tonight.
I am reading...Have a New Kid by Friday and How to Make Children Mind without Losing Yours, both by Dr. Kevin Leeman. They are both very good books. I tend to prefer the first over the second, because I think it has a clearer emphasis on molding your child's Attitude, Behavior, and Character through increasing their feelings of Acceptance, Belonging, and Competence. Both, however, are extremely good books. I've put some of the principles into practice and saw immediate and positive results. I read the first book aloud to the Jedi in the car and he also thought it contained great material. We're working together to utilize some of its principles.
I am hoping...hmmmm...that we can get school finished in a timely manner this afternoon? Sweetling still has quite a list ahead of her, so I'm concerned about her finishing in time to go to Blockbuster with us.
I am hearing...the children working together to redecorate Toa of Boy's igloo on Club Penguin, the dishwasher running, the ceiling fan creaking, the keys clacking as I type.
Around the house...the school room transformation is finally complete :) Our new set up is working out really well for us. We still have some furniture that either needs to get stored in the garage or given away.
Last Thursday, I thought I would be oh so clever and clean the living room carpet. I dragged or carried as much extra stuff out as I could and then vacuumed really well. Now, I have a Bissell carpet cleaner, but it's been broken for a while now, because it wouldn't spray out soap from the detergent dispenser. So, it would get the carpet wet, but not clean. However, a couple of weeks ago I found a tip on Works for Me Wednesday about cleaning with vinegar water. I thought, ha! I can do that with my machine. So, I dragged out the furniture, I vacuumed. I pulled the Bissell out of the corner of the laundry room and wiped off the thick layer of dust. I hefted the heavy sucker up the stairs. I filled the water tank with a gallon of warm water and a half a cup of vinegar.
I plugged it in, turned it on, and...although the engine was revving and the carpet brush was spinning, no water was coming out. I went back downstairs and dug the owner's manual out of a drawer. (I knew exactly which drawer it would be in, because the Jedi keeps and organizes all the owner manuals. Otherwise, you know it would have been long lost.) I checked the trouble shooting section. I did all the things it said to do in the trouble shooting section. Still nothing. The last item on the list was to check the drive belt. I got a screwdriver and began trying to pry off the belt access plate. Several frustrated minutes later, I had the thought that if I lacked the mechanical aptitude to even get the access plate off, perhaps I had no business messing around with the drive belt. Nevertheless, I persevered and got the access plate off. The drive belt appeared fine. The clear plastic tubing held water. I tried to figure out where each tube came from and where each tube went. I discovered that the axle that the drive belt was wrapped around was still hot. I closed the access plate. I tipped the machine over and scraped out layers of filth that had caked around the concave housing for the scrub brush. I tried to keep Toa of Boy from putting his face in the filth as he watched Mommy "fixing". Still no water spray. I got a huge tapestry needle from my sewing kit, tipped the machine over, and began jabbing the needle in any small hole-like space on the bottom of the machine, in case there was a clot in some critical spot. I had the fleeting thought that large tapestry needles are not part of any sane person's repair kit. I continued jabbing anyway. When I was convinced that no hidden clots, I plugged it back in (see, I do have some sense) and tried again. Still no cleansing spray. I resorted to kicking and shaking the thing. Toa said, "No no Mommy, you're going to break it!" I replied that it was already broken.
The Jedi came home, and calmly suggested I should just wait until we could take it in to a repair shop.
One of my favorite things...time with family :)
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Monday: movie night
Tuesday: grocery shopping, Tae Kwon Do
Wednesday: Miss Tammy visits in the morning and Mrs Mollie and kids visit in the evening and play wii. Also, Toa of Boy's new glasses should be ready to be picked up.
Thursday: Tae Kwon Do
Friday: family fun night? date night? hmmm...maybe a little of both!
Outside my window...weeds. Weeds and hornets. Overcast. Muggy. Hot. Still, there are no less than seven robins having a banquet in the grass.
I am thinking...that Toa of Boy and I would like a pet guinea pig. Now, there are two major obstacles to this thought becoming a reality. (Well, three, if you count the expense of buying or building a habitat.) The first is, where would we put a guinea pig home? Guinea pigs need a lot of square footage, and we are rather scarce on the "free" square footage department. The second is, would the Jedi and Mama be allergic to the guinea pig? I need to find someone with a guinea pig who needs a pig sitter for the weekend. Then we could find out if a guinea pig would be an allergy issue.
I am thankful for...the wonderful, wonderful weekend we had.
Friday I was congested and miserable. Saturday morning, I woke up at 5am and couldn't go back to sleep, so I read a mystery novel and went back to bed a little after 9. I had a lovely nap, and woke up feeling much better.
We played MarioKart in the afternoon (during which we discovered that if your little boys says "I love you Daisy...I mean Mommy" that maybe everyone should take a break from MarioKart.) Saturday evening we held Monkey Vs Food. This was a huge hit. I made peanutbutter syrup to go over plate sized banana pancakes. Sweetling and the Jedi each ate one pancake. Mama and I each managed a half a pancake. Toa of Boy thought that the entire stack of pancakes should be his, but had to settle for his one, plus the half that Mama couldn't finish, and then immediately declared, "I'm hungry." That evening the Jedi and I laid on the waterbed and read together chapters from our books to prepare for Sunday school.
Sunday held a lovely service, during which God once again put a message about prayer in my path. Sunday afternoon held another delightful nap, followed by a successful battle waged against the laundry monster, a game of Mario party, a family geography challenge to draw and label the seven continents and four oceans from memory, and finally more reading and discussing with the Jedi.
From the learning rooms...we've officially been "back to school" for a week and a half now. Yet still, lessons didn't start till 10:15. (Ok, that isn't quite true, everyone did their morning devotions AND everyone took turns exercising with Wii Active Life: Outdoor Adventure.) Before lunch, Toa of Boy and I had an impromptu fire safety lesson, rehearsing what to do if there was ever a fire in the house.
From the kitchen...Monkey vs Food of course! And, I tried to make chicken fingers on Sunday. They turned out all right, but a little bland. I've decided next time, I'll dip the chicken in ranch dressing, then bread them with Ritz cracker crumbs and bake them.
I am wearing...jean shorts (my favs) and a cute coral tee. Tonight we're taking a family picture to send to the child we sponsor through Compassion International. The Jedi wanted to take one yesterday, but he asked me about it after I had put on sloppy clothes and had just woken up from a nap. Today, my hair is curled, my clothes are casual but cute and attractive. Today I can have my picture taken.
I am creating...I refuse to say "nothing". So help me, I'll come up with something to create rather than leave this prompt empty.
I am going...to Blockbusters after school today. Toa of Boy won the point contest and would like to pick a movie for tonight.
I am reading...Have a New Kid by Friday and How to Make Children Mind without Losing Yours, both by Dr. Kevin Leeman. They are both very good books. I tend to prefer the first over the second, because I think it has a clearer emphasis on molding your child's Attitude, Behavior, and Character through increasing their feelings of Acceptance, Belonging, and Competence. Both, however, are extremely good books. I've put some of the principles into practice and saw immediate and positive results. I read the first book aloud to the Jedi in the car and he also thought it contained great material. We're working together to utilize some of its principles.
I am hoping...hmmmm...that we can get school finished in a timely manner this afternoon? Sweetling still has quite a list ahead of her, so I'm concerned about her finishing in time to go to Blockbuster with us.
I am hearing...the children working together to redecorate Toa of Boy's igloo on Club Penguin, the dishwasher running, the ceiling fan creaking, the keys clacking as I type.
Around the house...the school room transformation is finally complete :) Our new set up is working out really well for us. We still have some furniture that either needs to get stored in the garage or given away.
Last Thursday, I thought I would be oh so clever and clean the living room carpet. I dragged or carried as much extra stuff out as I could and then vacuumed really well. Now, I have a Bissell carpet cleaner, but it's been broken for a while now, because it wouldn't spray out soap from the detergent dispenser. So, it would get the carpet wet, but not clean. However, a couple of weeks ago I found a tip on Works for Me Wednesday about cleaning with vinegar water. I thought, ha! I can do that with my machine. So, I dragged out the furniture, I vacuumed. I pulled the Bissell out of the corner of the laundry room and wiped off the thick layer of dust. I hefted the heavy sucker up the stairs. I filled the water tank with a gallon of warm water and a half a cup of vinegar.
I plugged it in, turned it on, and...although the engine was revving and the carpet brush was spinning, no water was coming out. I went back downstairs and dug the owner's manual out of a drawer. (I knew exactly which drawer it would be in, because the Jedi keeps and organizes all the owner manuals. Otherwise, you know it would have been long lost.) I checked the trouble shooting section. I did all the things it said to do in the trouble shooting section. Still nothing. The last item on the list was to check the drive belt. I got a screwdriver and began trying to pry off the belt access plate. Several frustrated minutes later, I had the thought that if I lacked the mechanical aptitude to even get the access plate off, perhaps I had no business messing around with the drive belt. Nevertheless, I persevered and got the access plate off. The drive belt appeared fine. The clear plastic tubing held water. I tried to figure out where each tube came from and where each tube went. I discovered that the axle that the drive belt was wrapped around was still hot. I closed the access plate. I tipped the machine over and scraped out layers of filth that had caked around the concave housing for the scrub brush. I tried to keep Toa of Boy from putting his face in the filth as he watched Mommy "fixing". Still no water spray. I got a huge tapestry needle from my sewing kit, tipped the machine over, and began jabbing the needle in any small hole-like space on the bottom of the machine, in case there was a clot in some critical spot. I had the fleeting thought that large tapestry needles are not part of any sane person's repair kit. I continued jabbing anyway. When I was convinced that no hidden clots, I plugged it back in (see, I do have some sense) and tried again. Still no cleansing spray. I resorted to kicking and shaking the thing. Toa said, "No no Mommy, you're going to break it!" I replied that it was already broken.
The Jedi came home, and calmly suggested I should just wait until we could take it in to a repair shop.
One of my favorite things...time with family :)
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Monday: movie night
Tuesday: grocery shopping, Tae Kwon Do
Wednesday: Miss Tammy visits in the morning and Mrs Mollie and kids visit in the evening and play wii. Also, Toa of Boy's new glasses should be ready to be picked up.
Thursday: Tae Kwon Do
Friday: family fun night? date night? hmmm...maybe a little of both!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Toa of Boy in the Morning
All these conversations happened within a 20-30 minute time period, most of it before 9am. I think I need to start spiking my hot chocolate with a shot of expresso or something just to keep up with him.
I was making our eggs in the microwave. Toa of Boy was laying on his stomach in the hallway just outside the kitchen. He had his hands pressed together in front of his head, weaving his arms back and forth.
Toa of Boy: Mommy, guess what I am?
Mommy: A snake.
Toa of Boy: Guess what kind of snake?
Mommy: A zerburt snake.
Toa of Boy: Nope. Guess, guess.
Mommy: (still not very awake) A striped snake. (cause his shirt was striped)
Toa of Boy: Nope. (giggle) Guess again, Mommy, Mommy, guess again.
Mommy: I don't know. What kind of snake are you?
Toa of Boy: A polka-dotted snake. (He jumps to his feet.) Mommy, are there such things as polka-dotted snakes?
Mommy: I have no idea.
Toa of Boy: Does God know?
Mommy: Yes, God knows. He made all the snakes, so he knows.
Toa of Boy: Does God forget?
Mommy: No, God doesn't forget.
I haven't even gotten the eggs in the microwave yet.
Toa of Boy: I want to go on a trip around the world.
Mommy: That would be very cool. I'd like to go on a trip around the world too.
Toa of Boy: Bet it cost a lot of money.
Mommy: Yes, traveling around the whole world would cost a lot of money.
Toa of Boy: I'm going to start saving up my money right now. How much does it cost, Mommy?
Mommy: I have no idea, but a whole whole lot.
Toa of Boy: How about one hundred sixty-eight thousand? Is that enough?
Mommy: Yes, I think $168,000 would be enough.
I'm getting eggs out of the microwave. The toast and Sweetling's Pop-Tart are in the toaster oven.
Toa of Boy: Is it ready? Mommy, Mommy, is it ready?
Mommy: Almost, I have to put the butter on your eggs. (Remember, the Mommy is still not fully awake.)
Toa of Boy: (laughing) No, Mommy, no. Not the butter on my eggs, Mommy, the butter on my toast. Not my eggs, Mommy. Butter not go on my eggs, Mommy. (more laughter)
Mommy: Listen to what Mommy means, not what Mommy says.
Sweetling: He was just correcting your logic, Mommy. Something that needs correcting often, no offense.
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Sweetling: (who also isn't quite awake)Hmmmm.
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Sweetling: Ok, if I have any free time, I'll go to Club Penguin.
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Sweetling: Ok, I'll go to Club Penguin, when I have some free time.
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Mommy: Toa, Sweetling has to do school first. Then she can go to Club Penguin.
I am in the process of putting butter on toast, not on eggs.
Toa of Boy: I can't wait until tomorrow, I can't wait.
Sweetling: Why? What's happening tomorrow?
Mommy: Potatoes in the mix. (Every Saturday, Mama gets up and cooks a special breakfast, which she and Toa of Boy have named "potatoes in the mix".)
Toa of Boy: AND???....
Mommy: Monkey vs. Food (Based on the tv show "Man VS Food". We are going to make plate sized banana pancakes for dinner Saturday night, get out the video camera, and film "Monkey vs. Food". Toa of Boy shall be the monkey, of course.)
Toa of Boy: Yep!!! And????....
Mommy: We count dots and pick a family activity.
Toa of Boy: I hope I win. I think I'm going to win.
Sweetling has said her grace and is now sitting down eating her pop-tart. I don't know what I'm doing, but Toa's breakfast isn't ready yet. He fills his time by "shelling" his sister.
Toa: I'm going to shell you Sweetling. Sweetling, I'm going to shell you. (Toa of boy grabs a paper "shell" off the fridge, which is currently decorated in a Mario theme. He places it by her plate.)
Toa: I shelled you Sweetling, Sweetling I shelled you.
Sweetling: ...
Toa: I'm going to bomb you Sweetling, Sweetling, I'm going to bomb you. (He grabs a paper "bomb" from the decorations on the fridge, places it beside Sweetling's plate, and makes an explosion noise.)
Toa: I bombed you Sweetling, Sweetling, I bombed you. You are blown up.
Sweetling: ...
Toa: I give you a star. Here I come with a star... (A Mario star now comes down from the fridge and goes beside Sweetling's plate...)
Sweetling and Toa of Boy are now both sitting down with breakfast. Milk and juice are being poured.
Sweetling: Please leave me alone.
Silence reins for a few minutes while everyone, including Mommy, eats at least part of their breakfast. Toa of Boy inhales the first half of his egg sandwhich, and then...
Toa of Boy: What's the name of the dog in Green Eggs and Ham? You know, the one that didn't like the green eggs and ham?
Spiritual Insight
I was making our eggs in the microwave. Toa of Boy was laying on his stomach in the hallway just outside the kitchen. He had his hands pressed together in front of his head, weaving his arms back and forth.
Toa of Boy: Mommy, guess what I am?
Mommy: A snake.
Toa of Boy: Guess what kind of snake?
Mommy: A zerburt snake.
Toa of Boy: Nope. Guess, guess.
Mommy: (still not very awake) A striped snake. (cause his shirt was striped)
Toa of Boy: Nope. (giggle) Guess again, Mommy, Mommy, guess again.
Mommy: I don't know. What kind of snake are you?
Toa of Boy: A polka-dotted snake. (He jumps to his feet.) Mommy, are there such things as polka-dotted snakes?
Mommy: I have no idea.
Toa of Boy: Does God know?
Mommy: Yes, God knows. He made all the snakes, so he knows.
Toa of Boy: Does God forget?
Mommy: No, God doesn't forget.
Future Plans
I haven't even gotten the eggs in the microwave yet.
Toa of Boy: I want to go on a trip around the world.
Mommy: That would be very cool. I'd like to go on a trip around the world too.
Toa of Boy: Bet it cost a lot of money.
Mommy: Yes, traveling around the whole world would cost a lot of money.
Toa of Boy: I'm going to start saving up my money right now. How much does it cost, Mommy?
Mommy: I have no idea, but a whole whole lot.
Toa of Boy: How about one hundred sixty-eight thousand? Is that enough?
Mommy: Yes, I think $168,000 would be enough.
Sweetling Joins Us
I'm getting eggs out of the microwave. The toast and Sweetling's Pop-Tart are in the toaster oven.
Toa of Boy: Is it ready? Mommy, Mommy, is it ready?
Mommy: Almost, I have to put the butter on your eggs. (Remember, the Mommy is still not fully awake.)
Toa of Boy: (laughing) No, Mommy, no. Not the butter on my eggs, Mommy, the butter on my toast. Not my eggs, Mommy. Butter not go on my eggs, Mommy. (more laughter)
Mommy: Listen to what Mommy means, not what Mommy says.
Sweetling: He was just correcting your logic, Mommy. Something that needs correcting often, no offense.
Club Penguin
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Sweetling: (who also isn't quite awake)Hmmmm.
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Sweetling: Ok, if I have any free time, I'll go to Club Penguin.
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Sweetling: Ok, I'll go to Club Penguin, when I have some free time.
Toa of Boy: You should check out Club Penguin Sweetling, there's something really cool on Club Penguin.
Mommy: Toa, Sweetling has to do school first. Then she can go to Club Penguin.
Favorite Day of the Week
I am in the process of putting butter on toast, not on eggs.
Toa of Boy: I can't wait until tomorrow, I can't wait.
Sweetling: Why? What's happening tomorrow?
Mommy: Potatoes in the mix. (Every Saturday, Mama gets up and cooks a special breakfast, which she and Toa of Boy have named "potatoes in the mix".)
Toa of Boy: AND???....
Mommy: Monkey vs. Food (Based on the tv show "Man VS Food". We are going to make plate sized banana pancakes for dinner Saturday night, get out the video camera, and film "Monkey vs. Food". Toa of Boy shall be the monkey, of course.)
Toa of Boy: Yep!!! And????....
Mommy: We count dots and pick a family activity.
Toa of Boy: I hope I win. I think I'm going to win.
Shelling His Sister
Sweetling has said her grace and is now sitting down eating her pop-tart. I don't know what I'm doing, but Toa's breakfast isn't ready yet. He fills his time by "shelling" his sister.
Toa: I'm going to shell you Sweetling. Sweetling, I'm going to shell you. (Toa of boy grabs a paper "shell" off the fridge, which is currently decorated in a Mario theme. He places it by her plate.)
Toa: I shelled you Sweetling, Sweetling I shelled you.
Sweetling: ...
Toa: I'm going to bomb you Sweetling, Sweetling, I'm going to bomb you. (He grabs a paper "bomb" from the decorations on the fridge, places it beside Sweetling's plate, and makes an explosion noise.)
Toa: I bombed you Sweetling, Sweetling, I bombed you. You are blown up.
Sweetling: ...
Toa: I give you a star. Here I come with a star... (A Mario star now comes down from the fridge and goes beside Sweetling's plate...)
Final Chapter
Sweetling and Toa of Boy are now both sitting down with breakfast. Milk and juice are being poured.
Sweetling: Please leave me alone.
And Then...
Silence reins for a few minutes while everyone, including Mommy, eats at least part of their breakfast. Toa of Boy inhales the first half of his egg sandwhich, and then...
Toa of Boy: What's the name of the dog in Green Eggs and Ham? You know, the one that didn't like the green eggs and ham?
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Elven fashion
You can be a nerd right along with me. Isn't the internet wonderful that way?
I went looking for elven traveling clothes, but got suckered into the flowing, impractical gowns. Pretty sure I've found some of these, and posted them before. Sue me.
Ok, this one isn't fitting in the frame correctly. The coolest view of the dress is the one on the right, which is cut out. So you have to click on the image to see the best shot of the dress. Yes, yes, you have to. It's not optional. Click on the image.
(And in case you're thinking, wait, that's a tree, not a dress...yes, yes it is. But isn't it cool?)
I went looking for elven traveling clothes, but got suckered into the flowing, impractical gowns. Pretty sure I've found some of these, and posted them before. Sue me.
Ok, this one isn't fitting in the frame correctly. The coolest view of the dress is the one on the right, which is cut out. So you have to click on the image to see the best shot of the dress. Yes, yes, you have to. It's not optional. Click on the image.
(And in case you're thinking, wait, that's a tree, not a dress...yes, yes it is. But isn't it cool?)
Thursday, August 06, 2009
"Vacation" Home
This is from Ty Pennington's At Home magazine.
How cool is that? That's their job together. Buy it, remodel, redecorate. A total blank canvas in each room that it your JOB to paint, find and make art for, accessorize, co-ordinate. So cool. It immediately captured my imagination.
Mind you, I wouldn't be a good fit for that life. I'd loose my mind living in a constant state of remodeling. Or at least, I couldn't live in a constant state of remodeling AND homeschool. If the kids were gone all day and my job while they were gone was painting and projects, maybe.
But, the other piece of this puzzle is that I STINK AT FINISHING PROJECTS. It's sad, but true. How many weeks ago was it that I set out to rearrange and redecorate the school room? And I put a lot of hours into it. And the basic floor plan and elements are in place. But it's not finished. Even as I type, the wall above my computer is bare. I want to hang two "water lillies" paintings up there...one by Toa of Boy and one by Sweetling. Plus Toa of Boy's self-portrait and Sweetling's self portrait. But I haven't yet, because I also want to get frames for these pieces. I can't afford frames right now, so the wall is bare and the precious pieces of art are in a box somewhere. I should put up the art, unframed and then get the frames later, but I haven't. Along one side of the room are three boxes of books still waiting to go *somewhere*, and three empty boxes, also just waiting.
And since you've joined me in my little arm-chair psycho-analytic session, I think what happens is: I get to a point where I can't get the project done as perfectly as I had envisioned it, so I stop working and never complete the project. And I fine little excuses like, "oh, I can't get frames right now" to justify the line of boxes left waiting on the tarmac.
Ok, that's pathetic. I'm getting off the blog now and finishing the schoolroom. Bet I can have the little unfinished bits all wrapped up and put away in about half an hour.
Have you ever come home from vacation at a great resort and felt a huge letdown when you entered your own house? ....designer Amanda Sandberg and her husband, Blake, have made it their business to remake houses to feel like a getaway all year round. Amanda and Blake are serial renovators: They buy unly-duckling houses...and while living with their own family in the house, renovate and decorate to create an irresistible idyll. Then they sell the home---furnishings, artwork, and all--so the new owners can enjoy the total experience.
How cool is that? That's their job together. Buy it, remodel, redecorate. A total blank canvas in each room that it your JOB to paint, find and make art for, accessorize, co-ordinate. So cool. It immediately captured my imagination.
Mind you, I wouldn't be a good fit for that life. I'd loose my mind living in a constant state of remodeling. Or at least, I couldn't live in a constant state of remodeling AND homeschool. If the kids were gone all day and my job while they were gone was painting and projects, maybe.
But, the other piece of this puzzle is that I STINK AT FINISHING PROJECTS. It's sad, but true. How many weeks ago was it that I set out to rearrange and redecorate the school room? And I put a lot of hours into it. And the basic floor plan and elements are in place. But it's not finished. Even as I type, the wall above my computer is bare. I want to hang two "water lillies" paintings up there...one by Toa of Boy and one by Sweetling. Plus Toa of Boy's self-portrait and Sweetling's self portrait. But I haven't yet, because I also want to get frames for these pieces. I can't afford frames right now, so the wall is bare and the precious pieces of art are in a box somewhere. I should put up the art, unframed and then get the frames later, but I haven't. Along one side of the room are three boxes of books still waiting to go *somewhere*, and three empty boxes, also just waiting.
And since you've joined me in my little arm-chair psycho-analytic session, I think what happens is: I get to a point where I can't get the project done as perfectly as I had envisioned it, so I stop working and never complete the project. And I fine little excuses like, "oh, I can't get frames right now" to justify the line of boxes left waiting on the tarmac.
Ok, that's pathetic. I'm getting off the blog now and finishing the schoolroom. Bet I can have the little unfinished bits all wrapped up and put away in about half an hour.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
WFMW: Pencils and Squabbles and Duct Tape, oh my!
Go ahead and call me anal. But, within a year of teaching two children, I realized that the Chinese water torture of my day was the ongoing question of 'whose pencil is this???"
For those of you unfamiliar with this problem, let me illustrate. There are three common scenarios. These repeat themselves ad nauseum in several variations throughout the day.
Scenario One:
Mommy: Whose pencil is in the middle of the living room floor waiting to impale the bottom of someone's foot?
Child One: Not mine.
Child Two: Not mine.
Mommy: I'm going to eat a child.
Scenario Two:
Child (speaking to sibling who is writing with a pencil): Hey! Isn't that my pencil?
Sibling: No, it's mine.
Child: No, it's mine because......
Sibling: No, it's mine because....
(etc, etc etc, until....)
Children: Mommy!
Mommy: I'm going to eat a child. Maybe two.
Scenario Three:
Mommy: Ok, get a pencil so we can do [insert school subject here].
(Child goes to pencil cup. Child's pencil cup is empty. Child goes to sibling's pencil cup and obtains pencil.)
Mommy: You can't take a pencil from your sibling's pencil cup.
Child: But Mommy, some of those pencils are mine because....[insert lengthy explanation here].
Mommy: I'm going to eat a child.
Solution:
Apparently, according to my daughter, cannibalism is illegal. So, cannibalism is not a valid solution to any of the above scenarios.
Instead, I give you three legal options:
Colored duct tape--We love duct tape. We use it to make wallets, DS cases, and to decorate pencil cups, notebooks, and folders. So, we always have several rolls of colored duct tape lying around. One of the "back to school" traditions in our house is that each child picks a roll of colored duct tape, oldest child picks first, and I cut off a narrow strip to wrap around the end of each of their pencils, right near the metal that holds the eraser. All pencils are now quickly identified. End of problem.
Colored foil stars--Since colored duct tape runs four dollars a roll, and I know not every family has this on hand, a pack of 700 colored foil stars costs just $2. I literally have three packs of these in my desk drawer. These have another advantage in that peeling off stars is a lot easier than cutting little strips of duct tape. There are five different colors on each sheet of stars, but its easy to cut each sheet into five strips of one color each. Then children can be handed a strip of stars and decorate their own pencils, rulers, markers, etc. Any school item whose ownership might be called into question....stick a few colored stars on it. Ta da!
Round, "color coding" label dots-- These circular stickers work along the same principle as the foil stars. They are larger than the stars, and therefore easier to spot on an item. A pack of these are generally a bit more expensive than the stars, but I throw them out as an idea.
For more great back to school ideas, check out We Are THAT Family!
For those of you unfamiliar with this problem, let me illustrate. There are three common scenarios. These repeat themselves ad nauseum in several variations throughout the day.
Scenario One:
Mommy: Whose pencil is in the middle of the living room floor waiting to impale the bottom of someone's foot?
Child One: Not mine.
Child Two: Not mine.
Mommy: I'm going to eat a child.
Scenario Two:
Child (speaking to sibling who is writing with a pencil): Hey! Isn't that my pencil?
Sibling: No, it's mine.
Child: No, it's mine because......
Sibling: No, it's mine because....
(etc, etc etc, until....)
Children: Mommy!
Mommy: I'm going to eat a child. Maybe two.
Scenario Three:
Mommy: Ok, get a pencil so we can do [insert school subject here].
(Child goes to pencil cup. Child's pencil cup is empty. Child goes to sibling's pencil cup and obtains pencil.)
Mommy: You can't take a pencil from your sibling's pencil cup.
Child: But Mommy, some of those pencils are mine because....[insert lengthy explanation here].
Mommy: I'm going to eat a child.
Solution:
Apparently, according to my daughter, cannibalism is illegal. So, cannibalism is not a valid solution to any of the above scenarios.
Instead, I give you three legal options:
Colored duct tape--We love duct tape. We use it to make wallets, DS cases, and to decorate pencil cups, notebooks, and folders. So, we always have several rolls of colored duct tape lying around. One of the "back to school" traditions in our house is that each child picks a roll of colored duct tape, oldest child picks first, and I cut off a narrow strip to wrap around the end of each of their pencils, right near the metal that holds the eraser. All pencils are now quickly identified. End of problem.
Colored foil stars--Since colored duct tape runs four dollars a roll, and I know not every family has this on hand, a pack of 700 colored foil stars costs just $2. I literally have three packs of these in my desk drawer. These have another advantage in that peeling off stars is a lot easier than cutting little strips of duct tape. There are five different colors on each sheet of stars, but its easy to cut each sheet into five strips of one color each. Then children can be handed a strip of stars and decorate their own pencils, rulers, markers, etc. Any school item whose ownership might be called into question....stick a few colored stars on it. Ta da!
Round, "color coding" label dots-- These circular stickers work along the same principle as the foil stars. They are larger than the stars, and therefore easier to spot on an item. A pack of these are generally a bit more expensive than the stars, but I throw them out as an idea.
Have a great school year!!!
For more great back to school ideas, check out We Are THAT Family!
Sunday, August 02, 2009
So, About August.....
It's August already. What did we do this summer? I have no idea.
Last week, I had the kids brainstorm a list of activities they would like to do before we really knuckled down to school. Mind you, I'm planning on starting our core lessons next week, if the OLS is up and running. (Core being phonics and math for Toa of Boy and Lit, Algebra, Vocab and Grammar for Sweetling.)
Here's our list, with my contributions in there as well:
--go to acorn land. This was Toa of Boy's first contribution to the process. "Acorn" and "coconut" remain very funny words to say. We're going to interpret this suggestion by going on a nature hunt through the woods to look for acorn caps.)
--revisit Pig Island. Sweetling spent Tuesday morning crafting the Pig Island flag to plant. Sadly, it rained Wednesday and Thursday, so the planned expedition has yet to happen.
--see G-Force in the theater. This is Mommy's suggestion. Spy guinea pigs in 3-D? Oh yeah, bring it!
--park playground. We're going to combine this with another park trip.
--Parcours Trail with the Incredibles. We have to wait till after the county fair in August for the Incredibles to be available.
--cash in our library bookmarks. Did this. Still need to plant the library superstar sign in the front yard.
--work out our school schedule. Yeah, this was another Mommy suggestion. It wasn't met with any enthusiasm.
--Hold a Webkinz VBS. This was accomplished last week. The Webkinz attended the VBS in piles all over the house, where the different stations were thoughtfully set up and decorated. Sweetling worked out a schedule for the stations and the different groups of Webkinz in Excell prior to the event. The VBS had a Mario theme of course. One decorative sign taped up in the living room read "Mushroom Kingdom Christians."
--visit the art museum with Tia Smurf. *cough cough* Tia Smurf *cough cough* Call me.
--make a leaf collection and identify the type of trees the leaves came from. Another Mommy suggestion, but the kids think it sounds way cool.
--build fairy houses. All summer long, there has been great discussion about finding a good location for our fairy houses. This activity will likely wait until September, cause fairies just don't go looking for houses until the start of fall. You have to understand the fairy housing market.
--have an overnight with Pinkie and Violet.
--set up a lemonade stand. Mommy isn't keen on this project, but I told Sweetling that if she and Pinkie and Violet wanted to do it during their overnight, knock themselves out.
--have Mango teach me how to use my camera properly. The kids are fine with this, since it really means a playdate with the Incredibles for them.
--have a pj party for Toa of Boy. Sweetling gets to have an overnight, and Toa would like one too. Toa and his friends aren't quite old enough for an overnight, but I'm fine with a pj party where parents pick up kids before its actually time to go to sleep.
Call me crazy, but I sat down to post because I wanted to brainstorm some ideas for other academic endeavors in August. Somehow, before I started to write, our list seemed sparse.
So, other ideas:
--Sweetling wants to know where aardvarks live.
--Sweetling wants to know what animals live in different types of habitats.
--Mommy wants to study the different states and what sorts of things can be found in some of the states. Sort of like a virtual vacation. oooo...look at the list of links I found on Wierd, Unsocialized Homeschoolers!
--Toa of Boy wants to play wii.
So, we could make lapbooks for different types of habitats. We could make a virtual travel scrapbook of the states.
Ok, now I'm happy. Thanks for joining me on this little planning session.
Last week, I had the kids brainstorm a list of activities they would like to do before we really knuckled down to school. Mind you, I'm planning on starting our core lessons next week, if the OLS is up and running. (Core being phonics and math for Toa of Boy and Lit, Algebra, Vocab and Grammar for Sweetling.)
Here's our list, with my contributions in there as well:
--go to acorn land. This was Toa of Boy's first contribution to the process. "Acorn" and "coconut" remain very funny words to say. We're going to interpret this suggestion by going on a nature hunt through the woods to look for acorn caps.)
--revisit Pig Island. Sweetling spent Tuesday morning crafting the Pig Island flag to plant. Sadly, it rained Wednesday and Thursday, so the planned expedition has yet to happen.
--see G-Force in the theater. This is Mommy's suggestion. Spy guinea pigs in 3-D? Oh yeah, bring it!
--park playground. We're going to combine this with another park trip.
--Parcours Trail with the Incredibles. We have to wait till after the county fair in August for the Incredibles to be available.
--cash in our library bookmarks. Did this. Still need to plant the library superstar sign in the front yard.
--work out our school schedule. Yeah, this was another Mommy suggestion. It wasn't met with any enthusiasm.
--Hold a Webkinz VBS. This was accomplished last week. The Webkinz attended the VBS in piles all over the house, where the different stations were thoughtfully set up and decorated. Sweetling worked out a schedule for the stations and the different groups of Webkinz in Excell prior to the event. The VBS had a Mario theme of course. One decorative sign taped up in the living room read "Mushroom Kingdom Christians."
--visit the art museum with Tia Smurf. *cough cough* Tia Smurf *cough cough* Call me.
--make a leaf collection and identify the type of trees the leaves came from. Another Mommy suggestion, but the kids think it sounds way cool.
--build fairy houses. All summer long, there has been great discussion about finding a good location for our fairy houses. This activity will likely wait until September, cause fairies just don't go looking for houses until the start of fall. You have to understand the fairy housing market.
--have an overnight with Pinkie and Violet.
--set up a lemonade stand. Mommy isn't keen on this project, but I told Sweetling that if she and Pinkie and Violet wanted to do it during their overnight, knock themselves out.
--have Mango teach me how to use my camera properly. The kids are fine with this, since it really means a playdate with the Incredibles for them.
--have a pj party for Toa of Boy. Sweetling gets to have an overnight, and Toa would like one too. Toa and his friends aren't quite old enough for an overnight, but I'm fine with a pj party where parents pick up kids before its actually time to go to sleep.
Call me crazy, but I sat down to post because I wanted to brainstorm some ideas for other academic endeavors in August. Somehow, before I started to write, our list seemed sparse.
So, other ideas:
--Sweetling wants to know where aardvarks live.
--Sweetling wants to know what animals live in different types of habitats.
--Mommy wants to study the different states and what sorts of things can be found in some of the states. Sort of like a virtual vacation. oooo...look at the list of links I found on Wierd, Unsocialized Homeschoolers!
--Toa of Boy wants to play wii.
So, we could make lapbooks for different types of habitats. We could make a virtual travel scrapbook of the states.
Ok, now I'm happy. Thanks for joining me on this little planning session.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)