| Which Keanu Reeves Character Are You? My Result: Neo | |||||||||
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7 years ago
Saturday, May 31, 2008
I'm NEO
I just joined Facebook. So, if you're on there, please add me as a friend. Use my real name. :-)
If you're not already there, give it a try. It's fun so far!
If you're not already there, give it a try. It's fun so far!
MP3 through car stereo speakers
LOVE THIS GADGET and wish I'd bought it last summer when I got my MP3 player!
(Yes, I have a cassette deck in my car, as well as a CD player. I haven't used the CD player since I got this thingie-ma-bob though!)
Play your portable CD or MP3 player through your car cassette player. Loads like a regular cassette, no installation needed. Gold-plated 1/8" stereo jack connects to the headphone jack of your MP3 player, CD player or iPod.
(Yes, I have a cassette deck in my car, as well as a CD player. I haven't used the CD player since I got this thingie-ma-bob though!)
Play your portable CD or MP3 player through your car cassette player. Loads like a regular cassette, no installation needed. Gold-plated 1/8" stereo jack connects to the headphone jack of your MP3 player, CD player or iPod.
- Play your portable music player through your car's cassette player
- No installation needed, just pop it in, plug it in and play
- Connects to your portable music player's headphone jack
- Uses gold plugs to deliver better sound
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Romantic Getaway
I should be writing. But, I am unmotivated as yet. Can't get the hang of a schedule this week!
So, it's what you've all been eagerly awaiting instead - a recap of my romantic weekend getaway!
My parents graciously agreed to run herd on our four offspring over the Memorial Day weekend so that my husband and I could celebrate Twenty Years of Marriage (and coincidentally, my husband's 47th birthday as well).
We dropped the kids off Saturday afternoon and headed out. We stopped at a thrift store (be still, my heart!) to see if Bob could find some jean shorts. Nope, but we found lots of other goodies, including wine glasses which would come in handy later.
Our destination was Muskegon, on the coast of Lake Michigan. Our hotel was inland, however. I had reserved a suite at a mid-priced hotel which included an in-room Jacuzzi tub, a love seat, a balcony overlooking the (indoor) pool, a kitchenette, and a loveseat. We think this hotel is undergoing some transitions and our room was comfortable, but not pristine or luxurious despite all the amenities. It was clean, though, and met our needs just fine.
After settling in, hunger overtook us, and we settled on eating at a nearby Asian buffet. Bob's method is to try everything, including baby octopus. Ew. I couldn't. I usually stick to the old standby's, but this time also tried Crab Rangoon, which was quite tasty.
The Jacuzzi was quite something and we enjoyed it for a long time, with glasses of wine and candles all around. We also watched some television. Over the weekend we caught parts of several movies - Purple Rain (which we both love - go figure!), Titanic (I love it, him not so much), What Women Want (amusing), Dreamgirls (I want to see the rest), and something with John Candy and Ally Sheedy (I could have cared less, but Bob wanted to watch it). There was also some horrid reality dating show with some guy called Flavor Flav or something equally as inane. That was on ALL the time, as well as unending episodes of SpongeBob and Suite Life of Zach and Cody. We didn't watch any of those for more than a minute. Not much variety on television, really. LOL
But, no, we didn't only watch TV. (heh heh) On Sunday, we drove to the lake shore and dipped our toes in. It was quite chilly and the sun was out most of the day, EXCEPT when we were at the beach. That's ok, though, as we were only planning to walk on the sugar sand, not swim or even sunbathe. I'd like to take the kids there to swim sometime.
Seeing the sights of Muskegon filled the rest of the early afternoon - the marina and beach cottages, etc... The sand drifts up onto people's yards and driveways and there were numerous signs for "Free Sand". We saw one sign that read "REALLY FREE SAND" and another for "FREER SAND" - we giggled at that.
Subway for lunch and then Best Buy to browse and Family Christian Store, where I got some clearance bargains. We never get to shop together without kids, so that was fun. We went back to the hotel for a swim and then out to eat at another buffet - Golden Corral. Also very yummy with a huge variety of food! More Jacuzzi time in the evening - I want one in our house! lol
Monday was the end and time to say goodbye to Muskegon and hello to real life again. We had lunch with my parents and collected our girls and their cousin. We then went over to my sister Denise's house where the boys now were staying and spent a lovely afternoon there. Our drive back home was punctuated with a stop at Baskin Robbins.
Reconnecting with each other and romancing each other were the goals of this weekend. Success! It's nice to see that we still love each other and have something to say to one another even when the kids aren't around. I think we'll try this kind of getaway as a more regular event now that our kids are old enough to do without us for a short time.
I didn't take many pics at all, but here is one of each of us at the beach. Yeah, I know, I should have tried harder for photo opps, but, well, I just didn't. :-)
So, it's what you've all been eagerly awaiting instead - a recap of my romantic weekend getaway!
My parents graciously agreed to run herd on our four offspring over the Memorial Day weekend so that my husband and I could celebrate Twenty Years of Marriage (and coincidentally, my husband's 47th birthday as well).
We dropped the kids off Saturday afternoon and headed out. We stopped at a thrift store (be still, my heart!) to see if Bob could find some jean shorts. Nope, but we found lots of other goodies, including wine glasses which would come in handy later.
Our destination was Muskegon, on the coast of Lake Michigan. Our hotel was inland, however. I had reserved a suite at a mid-priced hotel which included an in-room Jacuzzi tub, a love seat, a balcony overlooking the (indoor) pool, a kitchenette, and a loveseat. We think this hotel is undergoing some transitions and our room was comfortable, but not pristine or luxurious despite all the amenities. It was clean, though, and met our needs just fine.
After settling in, hunger overtook us, and we settled on eating at a nearby Asian buffet. Bob's method is to try everything, including baby octopus. Ew. I couldn't. I usually stick to the old standby's, but this time also tried Crab Rangoon, which was quite tasty.
The Jacuzzi was quite something and we enjoyed it for a long time, with glasses of wine and candles all around. We also watched some television. Over the weekend we caught parts of several movies - Purple Rain (which we both love - go figure!), Titanic (I love it, him not so much), What Women Want (amusing), Dreamgirls (I want to see the rest), and something with John Candy and Ally Sheedy (I could have cared less, but Bob wanted to watch it). There was also some horrid reality dating show with some guy called Flavor Flav or something equally as inane. That was on ALL the time, as well as unending episodes of SpongeBob and Suite Life of Zach and Cody. We didn't watch any of those for more than a minute. Not much variety on television, really. LOL
But, no, we didn't only watch TV. (heh heh) On Sunday, we drove to the lake shore and dipped our toes in. It was quite chilly and the sun was out most of the day, EXCEPT when we were at the beach. That's ok, though, as we were only planning to walk on the sugar sand, not swim or even sunbathe. I'd like to take the kids there to swim sometime.
Seeing the sights of Muskegon filled the rest of the early afternoon - the marina and beach cottages, etc... The sand drifts up onto people's yards and driveways and there were numerous signs for "Free Sand". We saw one sign that read "REALLY FREE SAND" and another for "FREER SAND" - we giggled at that.
Subway for lunch and then Best Buy to browse and Family Christian Store, where I got some clearance bargains. We never get to shop together without kids, so that was fun. We went back to the hotel for a swim and then out to eat at another buffet - Golden Corral. Also very yummy with a huge variety of food! More Jacuzzi time in the evening - I want one in our house! lol
Monday was the end and time to say goodbye to Muskegon and hello to real life again. We had lunch with my parents and collected our girls and their cousin. We then went over to my sister Denise's house where the boys now were staying and spent a lovely afternoon there. Our drive back home was punctuated with a stop at Baskin Robbins.
Reconnecting with each other and romancing each other were the goals of this weekend. Success! It's nice to see that we still love each other and have something to say to one another even when the kids aren't around. I think we'll try this kind of getaway as a more regular event now that our kids are old enough to do without us for a short time.
I didn't take many pics at all, but here is one of each of us at the beach. Yeah, I know, I should have tried harder for photo opps, but, well, I just didn't. :-)
Is This Your First Piercing?
For Emily's birthday (at the beginning of March), our gift to her was ear piercing. However, it took us this long to actually get it done. (Yeah, we're those SLACKER PARENTS you read about.)
I took her last Thursday when she got her new glasses. (She didn't want me to post about it until Grandma saw her ears as it was to be a surprise!)
The clerk at Claire's said, "Is this your first piercing?" LOL Why yes, it is.
Emily was nervous.
But it was over soon and she was pleased.
By the way, this is one of her new pairs of glasses. The other ones are very similar to her previous ones - wire frames. I will try to have a pic of those soon.
I took her last Thursday when she got her new glasses. (She didn't want me to post about it until Grandma saw her ears as it was to be a surprise!)
The clerk at Claire's said, "Is this your first piercing?" LOL Why yes, it is.
Emily was nervous.
But it was over soon and she was pleased.
By the way, this is one of her new pairs of glasses. The other ones are very similar to her previous ones - wire frames. I will try to have a pic of those soon.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Netzero
I just spent 25 minutes on the phone with Netzero getting charges reversed for services that were SUPPOSED to be cancelled back in March. But were not. Good news - they did reverse the charges and I should have "no further charges". Let's hope so.
I don't recommend Netzero anymore, although once I found it a great service. For the last couple years I paid for the service, it would automatically disconnect me after a set time online. It wasn't "supposed" to do this and if I asked Netzero about it, they'd say it was my phone service. However, it was predictable to the minute and it was definitely Netzero doing it. Ah well. I don't have to deal with them anymore.
Loving the high speed from Charter Communications!
I don't recommend Netzero anymore, although once I found it a great service. For the last couple years I paid for the service, it would automatically disconnect me after a set time online. It wasn't "supposed" to do this and if I asked Netzero about it, they'd say it was my phone service. However, it was predictable to the minute and it was definitely Netzero doing it. Ah well. I don't have to deal with them anymore.
Loving the high speed from Charter Communications!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Lazy
Whew, I am lazy today. Laid in bed for a long long time. So did the kids! David, in particular, slept until 11:00!
Bob, otoh, had to get up really early for an MRI. He's not back yet - went shopping afterwards for a rake and some flowers.
I am still in my jammies and so are most of the kids. Maybe all. I don't know. They're upstairs. Doing who-knows-what. This is the first day of our summer vacation, so we're allowed to be lazy.
And the weather is SO not what it was over the weekend. In fact, there is a frost advisory for tonight.
I should probably pull myself together and go make some coffee and find some clothes. And then marshall the troops - make them do chores! Do laundry! Make lunch!
And yes, it's back to work tonight. But at least I had yesterday off and I got PAID for it! Whee!
I will post about our weekend later on. Fun times!
Bob, otoh, had to get up really early for an MRI. He's not back yet - went shopping afterwards for a rake and some flowers.
I am still in my jammies and so are most of the kids. Maybe all. I don't know. They're upstairs. Doing who-knows-what. This is the first day of our summer vacation, so we're allowed to be lazy.
And the weather is SO not what it was over the weekend. In fact, there is a frost advisory for tonight.
I should probably pull myself together and go make some coffee and find some clothes. And then marshall the troops - make them do chores! Do laundry! Make lunch!
And yes, it's back to work tonight. But at least I had yesterday off and I got PAID for it! Whee!
I will post about our weekend later on. Fun times!
DPW Pix
A friend took some pictures at the DPS field trip and emailed them to me. Here are a couple. Yes, that's my Emily in the bucket in the first pic!
The second pic is one of the presentations we listened to, the only one that I can remember us sitting for. We were watching the worker climb the "tree". (I'm on the far end of the first row. Don't I look interested? lol)
The second pic is one of the presentations we listened to, the only one that I can remember us sitting for. We were watching the worker climb the "tree". (I'm on the far end of the first row. Don't I look interested? lol)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Pix of Six
I am overdue for posting some birthday pix of my six-year-old Suzy. Here she is with her excited face, with her cake (Aunt Janet is in the background of one of the pix.), and with her new Webkinz. Do you think she had a fun birthday? Yes, she did!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Stuff to Do While I'm Away
Some stuff to keep you busy while I'm gone, in case you are home all weekend with nothing to do. :-)
Make a Fabric-Covered Journal (easy craft for the handicraft-challenged)
13 Places to Watch TV Online for Free (I haven't explored this yet, at least not much.)
The Official How-It-Should-Have-Ended Website (Did you ever think Lord of the Rings could have been resolved more easily? How about Pirates of the Caribbean? Star Wars? The Matrix Revolutions? Then this is the website for you!)
Measure yourself for eyeglasses (and save money ordering your glasses online)
Draw My Thing (online game like Pictionary, you play against others - warning though, some of the screen names and profiles are questionable)
Sue Games (interesting animated games, such as you have to make candy FAST or put together meals FAST. The only catch? They are in Japanese so you have to figure out the directions yourself. We had a lot of fun with this one chilly afternoon.)
Have fun! Let me know what you like!
I LOVE COMMENTS! GIVE ME SOME COMMENT LOVE! lol
Make a Fabric-Covered Journal (easy craft for the handicraft-challenged)
13 Places to Watch TV Online for Free (I haven't explored this yet, at least not much.)
The Official How-It-Should-Have-Ended Website (Did you ever think Lord of the Rings could have been resolved more easily? How about Pirates of the Caribbean? Star Wars? The Matrix Revolutions? Then this is the website for you!)
Measure yourself for eyeglasses (and save money ordering your glasses online)
Draw My Thing (online game like Pictionary, you play against others - warning though, some of the screen names and profiles are questionable)
Sue Games (interesting animated games, such as you have to make candy FAST or put together meals FAST. The only catch? They are in Japanese so you have to figure out the directions yourself. We had a lot of fun with this one chilly afternoon.)
Have fun! Let me know what you like!
I LOVE COMMENTS! GIVE ME SOME COMMENT LOVE! lol
Hectic Week, Relaxation for the Weekend
This week barely afforded me a chance to breathe.
Let's do a quick review, shall we?
Monday - spent driving back from Cleveland with Janet, then celebrated Suzy's birthday with cake and presents, then went to a soccer game that was delayed 30 minutes and then went for 90 minutes, then drove to another town for a 2-1/2 hour movie. Did not work Monday.
Tuesday - unpacked some, said goodbye to Janet, drove 35 minutes to a field trip that was supposed to be 90 minutes long and instead was 2-1/2 hours long. Called Bob and met him on my way to work and transferred the kids over to him. Worked 8 hours and came home.
Wednesday - slept in a little (FINALLY!), unpacked some more, taught some children, downloaded some songs on emusic so my subscription downloads wouldn't expire, researched hotels and made reservations, got Suzy registered on webkinz.com, and went to work. Worked 8 hours and then came home.
Thursday - Packed some clothes for the weekend, took Emily to get her new glasses (Suzy went along), went to Walmart with the girls, came home just in time to go to work. Worked 8 hours and then came home.
Friday - Got the kids ready and headed out to park day. Spent 2 freezing hours at the park and then came home and got ready for work. Worked 8 hours and then came home. Packed the rest of my clothes and some stuff for the weekend. Folded a bunch of laundry.
Did you notice that the only day I was really home was Wednesday? Crazy schedule!
Saturday will include - taking the bunnies to a friend's house for bunny-sitting, checking the kids' suitcases for complete packing satisfaction, loading the car, and heading out for a 2 hour drive. Drop kids at my parents' house and then continue on to a weekend of relaxation with my husband.
Yes, a whole weekend (a long weekend, at that!) with my husband of very nearly 20 years. His birthday is this weekend and our 20th anniversary is coming up in just about 3 weeks, so we thought it would be a great opportunity for a weekend away!
No clocks! No plastic parts! No lessons!
See you next week!
Let's do a quick review, shall we?
Monday - spent driving back from Cleveland with Janet, then celebrated Suzy's birthday with cake and presents, then went to a soccer game that was delayed 30 minutes and then went for 90 minutes, then drove to another town for a 2-1/2 hour movie. Did not work Monday.
Tuesday - unpacked some, said goodbye to Janet, drove 35 minutes to a field trip that was supposed to be 90 minutes long and instead was 2-1/2 hours long. Called Bob and met him on my way to work and transferred the kids over to him. Worked 8 hours and came home.
Wednesday - slept in a little (FINALLY!), unpacked some more, taught some children, downloaded some songs on emusic so my subscription downloads wouldn't expire, researched hotels and made reservations, got Suzy registered on webkinz.com, and went to work. Worked 8 hours and then came home.
Thursday - Packed some clothes for the weekend, took Emily to get her new glasses (Suzy went along), went to Walmart with the girls, came home just in time to go to work. Worked 8 hours and then came home.
Friday - Got the kids ready and headed out to park day. Spent 2 freezing hours at the park and then came home and got ready for work. Worked 8 hours and then came home. Packed the rest of my clothes and some stuff for the weekend. Folded a bunch of laundry.
Did you notice that the only day I was really home was Wednesday? Crazy schedule!
Saturday will include - taking the bunnies to a friend's house for bunny-sitting, checking the kids' suitcases for complete packing satisfaction, loading the car, and heading out for a 2 hour drive. Drop kids at my parents' house and then continue on to a weekend of relaxation with my husband.
Yes, a whole weekend (a long weekend, at that!) with my husband of very nearly 20 years. His birthday is this weekend and our 20th anniversary is coming up in just about 3 weeks, so we thought it would be a great opportunity for a weekend away!
No clocks! No plastic parts! No lessons!
See you next week!
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Bunny, The Bunny
The Bunny, The Bunny, Oh, I love the Bunny....
OK, if you're not a Veggie Tales fan, you might not know The Bunny Song. But you still have to admit our bunnies are darn cute!
First we have Patches, who was obtained via Freecycle.
And then, there's Zeus, who was given to us by another homeschool family.
Zeus is a little more cuddly than Patches, but they are both pretty sweet. My kids have enjoyed taking care of them and have done really well with feeding them.
OK, if you're not a Veggie Tales fan, you might not know The Bunny Song. But you still have to admit our bunnies are darn cute!
First we have Patches, who was obtained via Freecycle.
And then, there's Zeus, who was given to us by another homeschool family.
Zeus is a little more cuddly than Patches, but they are both pretty sweet. My kids have enjoyed taking care of them and have done really well with feeding them.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Hands-on Fun at the DPW
Where can you look down a sewer pipe, use a hand drill, sit in a police car, and see an excavator pick up a two ton log?
At the Department of Public Works! A nearby municipality had an open house today and invited our homeschool group to have a guided tour. It sounded somewhat interesting and it was free, so we went ahead and signed up.
Fascinating would have been a better description! What's better than listening to someone tell you about their job? Actually getting to TRY the same things the workers do! Our kids got to do the following:
I am just amazed at how enjoyable and hands-on this learning day was!
The only downside? I forgot my camera. :-P
[UPDATE - A friend took some pictures and here are two of them.]
At the Department of Public Works! A nearby municipality had an open house today and invited our homeschool group to have a guided tour. It sounded somewhat interesting and it was free, so we went ahead and signed up.
Fascinating would have been a better description! What's better than listening to someone tell you about their job? Actually getting to TRY the same things the workers do! Our kids got to do the following:
- touch a myriad of different tools and utensils
- turn off and on streetlights using photosensitive eyes
- feel a cold copper pipe filled with water (pressure!)
- use a metal detector to find a water pipe
- put toilet paper down a sewer pipe and watch it on camera
- watch a video of an actual sewer pipe
- watch a sewer cleaning truck pick up a bowling ball with suction
- touch hard hats with 2 way radios inside
- peel off the vinyl on a diecut sign sample (and take it home!)
- see where all the road signs are made and stored (and touch them!)
- see an excavator pick up and drop (with an earthshaking THUD) a 2 ton log
- stand next to about 10 different kinds of large machinery or DPW vehicles
- walk under a car up on a lift (to be fixed) and see what the underside looks like
- see where the lights are installed on a police car
- see portable spike strips (for tire deflation in a chase)
- watch a guy climb a tree with gear
- see how a huge oak tree grows from a tiny acorn
- best of all - go up in a cherry picker (boom lift) one by one
I am just amazed at how enjoyable and hands-on this learning day was!
The only downside? I forgot my camera. :-P
[UPDATE - A friend took some pictures and here are two of them.]
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cleveland.... Someone's Six!
:::tired smile:::
Well, it's been a whirlwind few days! Saturday we had 4 soccer games and after they were done, my sister Janet came over and she and I drove away! For two whole days! We visited the tourist mecca of Cleveland, Ohio. Yeah, I know, it's an exciting town. lol Janet was supposed to attend an event there, but that didn't end up working out. However, she already had bed and breakfast reservations there that she couldn't cancel, and she had already asked if I wanted to accompany her on this venture, which I had eagerly agreed to do.
I drove Janet's car, which is a fairly new...um... (I think it's a) Cobalt? It's about a 4 hour drive from my house and we arrived just after dark on Saturday night. We got settled into the suite she reserved and took a walk around the area where the house is located, in a downtown neighborhood. Then we came back to the room and tried to watch a movie. I soaked in the tub while reading a book too.
Sunday we had breakfast cooked by our host (waffles) and headed out to do some shopping - thrift store, used book sales, Trader Joe's, chocolate store, and more. Very fun! Arrived back at the B&B and relaxed for a while before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner. After that, some relaxing by the TV.
Monday morning we packed up and headed down for breakfast - omelets and fried potatoes - and then we took our leave. On the way out of town, we stopped at the West Side Market and drove by Lake Erie. Then we were on our way back to Michigan, singing and laughing. What fun! A delish lunch at Panera Bread on the way and we arrived home late afternoon bearing a birthday cake for my Suzanne who turned 6 today!
Suzy opened her presents and we had cake and ice cream. Then it was off to David's soccer game. Breezy! They won!
After THAT, we headed out to the cinema for a late (9:15!) viewing of Prince Caspian - Auntie Janet's treat for Suzy's birthday! What a fun time we had! Thanks, Aunt Janet! (Hopefully I'll get a review up of the film soon at Mirkwood.)
Got home just past midnight! LATE NIGHT for all and everyone is in bed but me. I should be there soon. We have a field trip tomorrow!
Thanks, Janet, for spoiling me rotten this weekend! I had a lovely time!!!
Well, it's been a whirlwind few days! Saturday we had 4 soccer games and after they were done, my sister Janet came over and she and I drove away! For two whole days! We visited the tourist mecca of Cleveland, Ohio. Yeah, I know, it's an exciting town. lol Janet was supposed to attend an event there, but that didn't end up working out. However, she already had bed and breakfast reservations there that she couldn't cancel, and she had already asked if I wanted to accompany her on this venture, which I had eagerly agreed to do.
I drove Janet's car, which is a fairly new...um... (I think it's a) Cobalt? It's about a 4 hour drive from my house and we arrived just after dark on Saturday night. We got settled into the suite she reserved and took a walk around the area where the house is located, in a downtown neighborhood. Then we came back to the room and tried to watch a movie. I soaked in the tub while reading a book too.
Sunday we had breakfast cooked by our host (waffles) and headed out to do some shopping - thrift store, used book sales, Trader Joe's, chocolate store, and more. Very fun! Arrived back at the B&B and relaxed for a while before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner. After that, some relaxing by the TV.
Monday morning we packed up and headed down for breakfast - omelets and fried potatoes - and then we took our leave. On the way out of town, we stopped at the West Side Market and drove by Lake Erie. Then we were on our way back to Michigan, singing and laughing. What fun! A delish lunch at Panera Bread on the way and we arrived home late afternoon bearing a birthday cake for my Suzanne who turned 6 today!
Suzy opened her presents and we had cake and ice cream. Then it was off to David's soccer game. Breezy! They won!
After THAT, we headed out to the cinema for a late (9:15!) viewing of Prince Caspian - Auntie Janet's treat for Suzy's birthday! What a fun time we had! Thanks, Aunt Janet! (Hopefully I'll get a review up of the film soon at Mirkwood.)
Got home just past midnight! LATE NIGHT for all and everyone is in bed but me. I should be there soon. We have a field trip tomorrow!
Thanks, Janet, for spoiling me rotten this weekend! I had a lovely time!!!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Two Pair
Have 3 minutes for a quick update.
Took Emily to a cheap glasses place today because hers are broken and her opthamologist can't get her in until July. The place I took her offers an exam and 2 pairs of glasses for 69.95. Everyone was friendly and professional. The eye exams seem just like every other one I've ever sat through. (Which are quite a few!) The place we went was: America's Best Eye Care.
If you need glasses and don't want to spend a lot, I recommend them! (I guess maybe I should wait until the glasses come in, lol. 2-7 business days, I think she said.)
We also went to Office Depot and Meijer. Came home in time to unload the groceries, put my hair up, change my shoes, type for 5 minutes, and head out again.
Took Emily to a cheap glasses place today because hers are broken and her opthamologist can't get her in until July. The place I took her offers an exam and 2 pairs of glasses for 69.95. Everyone was friendly and professional. The eye exams seem just like every other one I've ever sat through. (Which are quite a few!) The place we went was: America's Best Eye Care.
If you need glasses and don't want to spend a lot, I recommend them! (I guess maybe I should wait until the glasses come in, lol. 2-7 business days, I think she said.)
We also went to Office Depot and Meijer. Came home in time to unload the groceries, put my hair up, change my shoes, type for 5 minutes, and head out again.
Next Year's Lessons
So, I am going on the assumption that I'll be home with my kids and able to focus once more on their lessons to the fullest of my abilities. With that in mind, here is what we plan to use.
(If you're not interested in homeschool curriculum, go browse youtube or something. Oh here's an idea..... Mom Song (William Tell Overture))
BIBLE
All of the kids together will be doing Bible study.
We will continue to use the Bible Study Guide for All Ages. We have made it to the fourth and final volume. This is an accomplishment since I believe I started Volume 1 when David was in KINDERGARTEN. lol I do plan to go back through all 4 volumes before David graduates.
We will also begin Volume 2 of Character Building for Families, alternating the units with the units in the BSGFAA (above).
We will continue with learning a monthly hymn and a monthly praise chorus. (I have not chosen them yet - SUGGESTIONS??)
We have recently reintroduced Bible memory - one long passage per month. We will work on that too. (Again, suggestions?)
Family prayer and devotions will also be included. I plan for this Bible Hour to be the cornerstone of our day.
DAVID will be in 8th grade and will turn 14 during the school year. He will be doing a lot of work separately for the first time, as well as doing it mainly independently.
He will be using Math-U-See Algebra I. (Once he finishes Pre-Algebra. That may occur before fall or it may not.)
A return to Sonlight is in the plans for David next year; this is History and Literature. We did Sonlight K and 1 when he was very young and I had hopes of returning to it for high school. We'll see how we like it. Sonlight Core 100 is what I've chosen and it includes lots of historical fiction, American history, and good literature. He will also be doing the Bible component in addition to our family Bible time. We will pick and choose the books, rather than do everything, as I think that will be overwhelming to David and be way too much work! lol He will be able to listen to some of the books on audio, which he will like.
Apologia's Exploring Creation with Physical Science will be his science course. It will be a more structured study than David has ever done, but that will be good for him.
Language Arts will be similar to what we have done in the past - Spelling Power, Literature Journals, English from the Roots Up, Communication Journals. We will redouble our efforts to complete IEW's Student Writing Intensive Course.
This year I am adding Easy Grammar Plus for David. (I didn't like Sonlight's Grammar Ace much at all and we only completed about half of it this year.) I am ready for him to have his grammar intensive, probably over two years.
David won't be playing soccer next year but hopefully he will take the soccer referee class and be available to ref some of the little kids' games. He also may help me coach a team. (Here's your cue to remind me how much I hated doing that before.) He also wants to concentrate on his skateboarding. He will take PE at co-op as well, I think.
EMILY will be in the 6th grade and will turn 12 near the end of the school year. TWELVE! Yikes!
She will be finishing Math-U-See Gamma soon and will complete Delta within the year, hopefully moving on to Epsilon before the beginning of her 7th grade year. I am hoping for a very good math foundation for her rather than moving her along and never gaining a good understanding.
Emily, along with her two younger siblings, will probably be doing Apologia's Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. I may even put her in charge of this study. We'll see.
Emily, James, and Suzy will all be studying World History through Mystery of History Volume 2: The Early Church and The Middle Ages. (Actually David will be sitting in on this as well for the information and any projects he cares to participate in.)
Emily's Language Arts will be very similar to David's, except she will be reading literature chosen by me instead of by Sonlight. She may do the Easy Grammar or she may not. I need to see how the workload is for her compared to David's. I also want her to focus on neater and correctly formed handwriting.
Emily won't be playing soccer either next year and I am looking for an idea of a physical activity to replace it - preferably one that will focus on coordination and grace. Ballet? Hopefully she can take PE at co-op.
I am thinking about piano lessons for Emily again.
JAMES will continue in the 3rd grade and he will turn NINE during the school year.
He's doing Math-U-See Gamma now and will continue that into the year, probably moving to Delta somewhere around the halfway point.
He will do the Flying Creatures book with his sisters and Mystery of History as well.
James' Language Arts will continue much the same, with an increase in difficulty as needed - Explode the Code, mom-chosen books to read aloud and silently, Literature Journal, Communication Journal. He will also begin Spelling Power at some point during the year and will learn cursive.
James WILL be playing soccer. It will be his 5th year and he will move up to the U10 League.
SUZANNE will be in 1st grade and will be six for most of the year.
Suzy has already started Math-U-See Alpha and will likely transition into Beta at some point during the year.
She will finish Alphabet Island Phonics and continue working on Explode the Code. She will read Bob Books and other appropriate readers.
She will listen in on History and Science and complete some fun projects.
Soccer next year will be Suzy's 3rd year and she will move up to the U8 league. (This is the one I would coach - Hey, now, I would get a big discount!)
I'm sure I've forgotten some important things, but that gives you a good idea.
Oh yeah, foreign language and art. I am seriously considering buying Rosetta Stone, but which language. When I gave David a choice, he said JAPANESE. Now, if he's serious, that's a great choice. Knowing Japanese would be a huge asset, especially if he goes into computer animation or CAD. I was hoping for German, really. I could teach Spanish without the computer program, so I am aiming away from that.
Art - The 3 older kids will do art with Mr. West, James for the first time. I want to include some more structured art program at home, but we'll see. No idea.
So, there you have it. I hope you're praying for me to be at home again next year. I surely am! And going on faith buying all this curriculum! LOL I have nearly all of it.
(If you're not interested in homeschool curriculum, go browse youtube or something. Oh here's an idea..... Mom Song (William Tell Overture))
BIBLE
All of the kids together will be doing Bible study.
We will continue to use the Bible Study Guide for All Ages. We have made it to the fourth and final volume. This is an accomplishment since I believe I started Volume 1 when David was in KINDERGARTEN. lol I do plan to go back through all 4 volumes before David graduates.
We will also begin Volume 2 of Character Building for Families, alternating the units with the units in the BSGFAA (above).
We will continue with learning a monthly hymn and a monthly praise chorus. (I have not chosen them yet - SUGGESTIONS??)
We have recently reintroduced Bible memory - one long passage per month. We will work on that too. (Again, suggestions?)
Family prayer and devotions will also be included. I plan for this Bible Hour to be the cornerstone of our day.
DAVID will be in 8th grade and will turn 14 during the school year. He will be doing a lot of work separately for the first time, as well as doing it mainly independently.
He will be using Math-U-See Algebra I. (Once he finishes Pre-Algebra. That may occur before fall or it may not.)
A return to Sonlight is in the plans for David next year; this is History and Literature. We did Sonlight K and 1 when he was very young and I had hopes of returning to it for high school. We'll see how we like it. Sonlight Core 100 is what I've chosen and it includes lots of historical fiction, American history, and good literature. He will also be doing the Bible component in addition to our family Bible time. We will pick and choose the books, rather than do everything, as I think that will be overwhelming to David and be way too much work! lol He will be able to listen to some of the books on audio, which he will like.
Apologia's Exploring Creation with Physical Science will be his science course. It will be a more structured study than David has ever done, but that will be good for him.
Language Arts will be similar to what we have done in the past - Spelling Power, Literature Journals, English from the Roots Up, Communication Journals. We will redouble our efforts to complete IEW's Student Writing Intensive Course.
This year I am adding Easy Grammar Plus for David. (I didn't like Sonlight's Grammar Ace much at all and we only completed about half of it this year.) I am ready for him to have his grammar intensive, probably over two years.
David won't be playing soccer next year but hopefully he will take the soccer referee class and be available to ref some of the little kids' games. He also may help me coach a team. (Here's your cue to remind me how much I hated doing that before.) He also wants to concentrate on his skateboarding. He will take PE at co-op as well, I think.
EMILY will be in the 6th grade and will turn 12 near the end of the school year. TWELVE! Yikes!
She will be finishing Math-U-See Gamma soon and will complete Delta within the year, hopefully moving on to Epsilon before the beginning of her 7th grade year. I am hoping for a very good math foundation for her rather than moving her along and never gaining a good understanding.
Emily, along with her two younger siblings, will probably be doing Apologia's Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. I may even put her in charge of this study. We'll see.
Emily, James, and Suzy will all be studying World History through Mystery of History Volume 2: The Early Church and The Middle Ages. (Actually David will be sitting in on this as well for the information and any projects he cares to participate in.)
Emily's Language Arts will be very similar to David's, except she will be reading literature chosen by me instead of by Sonlight. She may do the Easy Grammar or she may not. I need to see how the workload is for her compared to David's. I also want her to focus on neater and correctly formed handwriting.
Emily won't be playing soccer either next year and I am looking for an idea of a physical activity to replace it - preferably one that will focus on coordination and grace. Ballet? Hopefully she can take PE at co-op.
I am thinking about piano lessons for Emily again.
JAMES will continue in the 3rd grade and he will turn NINE during the school year.
He's doing Math-U-See Gamma now and will continue that into the year, probably moving to Delta somewhere around the halfway point.
He will do the Flying Creatures book with his sisters and Mystery of History as well.
James' Language Arts will continue much the same, with an increase in difficulty as needed - Explode the Code, mom-chosen books to read aloud and silently, Literature Journal, Communication Journal. He will also begin Spelling Power at some point during the year and will learn cursive.
James WILL be playing soccer. It will be his 5th year and he will move up to the U10 League.
SUZANNE will be in 1st grade and will be six for most of the year.
Suzy has already started Math-U-See Alpha and will likely transition into Beta at some point during the year.
She will finish Alphabet Island Phonics and continue working on Explode the Code. She will read Bob Books and other appropriate readers.
She will listen in on History and Science and complete some fun projects.
Soccer next year will be Suzy's 3rd year and she will move up to the U8 league. (This is the one I would coach - Hey, now, I would get a big discount!)
I'm sure I've forgotten some important things, but that gives you a good idea.
Oh yeah, foreign language and art. I am seriously considering buying Rosetta Stone, but which language. When I gave David a choice, he said JAPANESE. Now, if he's serious, that's a great choice. Knowing Japanese would be a huge asset, especially if he goes into computer animation or CAD. I was hoping for German, really. I could teach Spanish without the computer program, so I am aiming away from that.
Art - The 3 older kids will do art with Mr. West, James for the first time. I want to include some more structured art program at home, but we'll see. No idea.
So, there you have it. I hope you're praying for me to be at home again next year. I surely am! And going on faith buying all this curriculum! LOL I have nearly all of it.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Summer Off....and an Incentive
Usually we continue our home education year-round, but this year we're going to be formally done the Friday before Memorial Day. :::cheers::::
We won't begin again until after Labor Day. ::::cheers again:::: And I really hope to be here full time with my babies by then. Pray, pray pray!
This has been the most difficult year of homeschooling I have ever done. Most of it has been merely focusing on the basics - Bible, Math, Reading, Writing. And that's ok! I really am ok with it (even if you are not! lol), but I want to get back to my more complete version of learning at home next year.
To keep the kids learning over the summer months, I have introduced an incentive plan. (It's not a "bribe" since the dictionary tells me that a bribe is "an inducement to dishonest behavior," which doing lessons certainly is NOT.)
The kids can earn money for each lesson they complete - up to 2 math lessons per week, up to 3 hours of instructional reading per week (from a list I will provide and including journalling about the reading), and up to one personal letter written correctly per week.
They are all quite fascinated by the idea, especially the older two. The money will likely be used for garage saling, since we try to do that once every week.
They will mostly be able to do their work independently, leaving my mornings free for WRITING.
We won't begin again until after Labor Day. ::::cheers again:::: And I really hope to be here full time with my babies by then. Pray, pray pray!
This has been the most difficult year of homeschooling I have ever done. Most of it has been merely focusing on the basics - Bible, Math, Reading, Writing. And that's ok! I really am ok with it (even if you are not! lol), but I want to get back to my more complete version of learning at home next year.
To keep the kids learning over the summer months, I have introduced an incentive plan. (It's not a "bribe" since the dictionary tells me that a bribe is "an inducement to dishonest behavior," which doing lessons certainly is NOT.)
The kids can earn money for each lesson they complete - up to 2 math lessons per week, up to 3 hours of instructional reading per week (from a list I will provide and including journalling about the reading), and up to one personal letter written correctly per week.
They are all quite fascinated by the idea, especially the older two. The money will likely be used for garage saling, since we try to do that once every week.
They will mostly be able to do their work independently, leaving my mornings free for WRITING.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Weapons Mixup
At Park Day the other day, the moms all found it comical that just about every boy that showed up brought a play weapon of some sort - light saber, wooden sword, Nerf gun, walking stick, etc....
Then the emails started coming. I think you may find this amusing.
Deb said:
Unknown to me, my Jeremy brought his plastic light saber and left it there. If anyone has it please contact me for returning it back to him.
Jane said:
Matthew brought home the extra light saber, but it has Haupt's name on it. So I do think there is a mix up some where.
Pam said:
I brought home the sword that I thought Garret Haupt left behind but Jacob informed me it is actually James sword.
I said:
James says he didn't take any weapons to Park Day. (I think he may be the only boy who didn't! lol) He tells me he and Jeremy shared weapons. (The sign of true friendship!)
Pam said:
The sword had chew marks on it which I thought was odd since I knew James had no dog. The case is solved! I will keep it in my car until the next time I see you Deb!
~~~~~~~
Traditionally schooled children don't have this kind of fun anymore. It's not politically correct. hehe
Then the emails started coming. I think you may find this amusing.
Deb said:
Unknown to me, my Jeremy brought his plastic light saber and left it there. If anyone has it please contact me for returning it back to him.
Jane said:
Matthew brought home the extra light saber, but it has Haupt's name on it. So I do think there is a mix up some where.
Pam said:
I brought home the sword that I thought Garret Haupt left behind but Jacob informed me it is actually James sword.
I said:
James says he didn't take any weapons to Park Day. (I think he may be the only boy who didn't! lol) He tells me he and Jeremy shared weapons. (The sign of true friendship!)
Pam said:
The sword had chew marks on it which I thought was odd since I knew James had no dog. The case is solved! I will keep it in my car until the next time I see you Deb!
~~~~~~~
Traditionally schooled children don't have this kind of fun anymore. It's not politically correct. hehe
From One Thing to Another
1:40 AM Head hits pillow
7:09:00 Alarm goes off (Note that is less than 6 hours of sleep)
7:09:05 I hit snooze
7:15 Bob says, "What time were you planning to get up?"
7:19 I roll out of bed and start getting ready for the day of soccer games.
8:15 David, Emily, and I drive out of the driveway.
8:26 We arrive at the soccer fields and I push Emily out of the car.
8:33 I drop David at HIS soccer fields and head back to Emily's game.
8:45 I plop into my chair at Emily's game and sit back to watch her team win 8-5. She kicks the ball a couple times!
9:45 Emily and I head over to David's game where we watch the last half. I overhear a couple of fathers positively discussing David's soccer skills at the game and get a warm glow.
10:35 David trudges to the car, all upset because his team lost 7-2 (or something like that). I tell him what I have overheard but he doesn't cheer up.
10:45 Arrive at the optician and get the bad news that because of our insurance changes, Emily has fewer choices for covered glasses. I decide to wait until I talk to the opthamologist before ordering replacement glasses for her. (Hers are broken and repaired with tape.)
11:05 Arrive at the library (in the soccer town) and go to their book sale, where I find a few things. Sign out several DVDs and books.
11:30 Arrive back at the soccer fields to watch the last quarter of Suzy's game. (Bob brought Suzy and James to the field.) Her team lost and she was upset, but she played well regardless.
11:50 Hop back into the car and go looking for garage sales, which are harder to find than I imagined they would be. Give the kids sandwiches that Bob made. Stop for gas (eek! $3.83!) Drive around some more. (Promised the kids garage saling for whomever helps with soccer field cleanup at 2:30.) Bob leaves and goes back home for some alone time.
1:15 Arrive BACK at the soccer fields for James' game. Score 3-1 our favor. His coach complimented him on his playing today.
2:30 Start emptying the trash cans and collecting the signs at the field. (Our volunteer contribution)
3:00 Leave the field and head to the grocery store.
3:45 Leave the grocery store and find more garage sales. Give the kids fudgesicles.
4:30 Stop at the pharmacy and then find more garage sales.
About 5:00 - Arrive home and unload the car.
5:10 - Pour a Diet Coke and sit at the computer, ignoring the fact that the house is a wreck and that all the kids are filthy. Watch the kids rollerblading on new rollerblades ($1) and playing new plug and play video game ($2) and sorting through large bin of nail polish and fripperies ($1 and free). Listen to David mowing the lawn.
The rest of the evening will involve:
7:09:00 Alarm goes off (Note that is less than 6 hours of sleep)
7:09:05 I hit snooze
7:15 Bob says, "What time were you planning to get up?"
7:19 I roll out of bed and start getting ready for the day of soccer games.
8:15 David, Emily, and I drive out of the driveway.
8:26 We arrive at the soccer fields and I push Emily out of the car.
8:33 I drop David at HIS soccer fields and head back to Emily's game.
8:45 I plop into my chair at Emily's game and sit back to watch her team win 8-5. She kicks the ball a couple times!
9:45 Emily and I head over to David's game where we watch the last half. I overhear a couple of fathers positively discussing David's soccer skills at the game and get a warm glow.
10:35 David trudges to the car, all upset because his team lost 7-2 (or something like that). I tell him what I have overheard but he doesn't cheer up.
10:45 Arrive at the optician and get the bad news that because of our insurance changes, Emily has fewer choices for covered glasses. I decide to wait until I talk to the opthamologist before ordering replacement glasses for her. (Hers are broken and repaired with tape.)
11:05 Arrive at the library (in the soccer town) and go to their book sale, where I find a few things. Sign out several DVDs and books.
11:30 Arrive back at the soccer fields to watch the last quarter of Suzy's game. (Bob brought Suzy and James to the field.) Her team lost and she was upset, but she played well regardless.
11:50 Hop back into the car and go looking for garage sales, which are harder to find than I imagined they would be. Give the kids sandwiches that Bob made. Stop for gas (eek! $3.83!) Drive around some more. (Promised the kids garage saling for whomever helps with soccer field cleanup at 2:30.) Bob leaves and goes back home for some alone time.
1:15 Arrive BACK at the soccer fields for James' game. Score 3-1 our favor. His coach complimented him on his playing today.
2:30 Start emptying the trash cans and collecting the signs at the field. (Our volunteer contribution)
3:00 Leave the field and head to the grocery store.
3:45 Leave the grocery store and find more garage sales. Give the kids fudgesicles.
4:30 Stop at the pharmacy and then find more garage sales.
About 5:00 - Arrive home and unload the car.
5:10 - Pour a Diet Coke and sit at the computer, ignoring the fact that the house is a wreck and that all the kids are filthy. Watch the kids rollerblading on new rollerblades ($1) and playing new plug and play video game ($2) and sorting through large bin of nail polish and fripperies ($1 and free). Listen to David mowing the lawn.
The rest of the evening will involve:
- Baths for everyone
- Laying out church clothes
- Heating up frozen pizza (unless Bob plans to cook out)
- Doing some speed-cleaning (everybody)
- A movie for the kids (if they are quick)
- or early bedtime (if they aren't)
- Dan In Real Life DVD for me
Friday, May 9, 2008
Park, Park
Today Bob read devotions to the kids (Keys for Kids) and we had family prayer. Then I sat the kids down to watch Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends. Um. Convinced, they aren't. lol Gonna have to work on that more, I guess.
After that, I got everyone shod (that was painful) and headed out to the park for an hour with our homeschool friends. I think there were about 10 families there. Just about every boy brought a light saber, a sword, a Nerf gun, or some other kind of weapon. LOL
Headed back to the house and handed off the kids to Bob, smearing some sunscreen on them in the process. He took them to yet another park for James' softball clinic. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping. Trees are in bloom. Spring in Michigan is lovely!
The main road in our village is being worked on this week. That means a lot more traffic down OUR road.
Kids and I listened to about 2/3 of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo in the car on the way to and from Maryann's house. They loved it! I brought it in the house so they can hear the rest of it, maybe tonight. She wrote Because of Winn-Dixie, which you may have heard of. (OK, I had no idea until just now when I googled that Despereaux won the Newbery! Have I been living under a rock!?)
Dan In Real Life is waiting for me at the library. YAY!
Do you like my Shelfari in the sidebar? I think it's rather neat.
After that, I got everyone shod (that was painful) and headed out to the park for an hour with our homeschool friends. I think there were about 10 families there. Just about every boy brought a light saber, a sword, a Nerf gun, or some other kind of weapon. LOL
Headed back to the house and handed off the kids to Bob, smearing some sunscreen on them in the process. He took them to yet another park for James' softball clinic. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping. Trees are in bloom. Spring in Michigan is lovely!
The main road in our village is being worked on this week. That means a lot more traffic down OUR road.
Kids and I listened to about 2/3 of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo in the car on the way to and from Maryann's house. They loved it! I brought it in the house so they can hear the rest of it, maybe tonight. She wrote Because of Winn-Dixie, which you may have heard of. (OK, I had no idea until just now when I googled that Despereaux won the Newbery! Have I been living under a rock!?)
Dan In Real Life is waiting for me at the library. YAY!
Do you like my Shelfari in the sidebar? I think it's rather neat.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Flaring Nostrils of Total Rejection
Yesterday we went to Meijer - all of us. It's part of my "make the most of family time" plan. I give David and Emily each a list and send them off to shop. Good practice, right? David had frozen foods and meat yesterday and Emily had produce. Stopped at Taco Bell for takeout burritos and tacos.
Bob also went to the Secretary of State and renewed his drivers license and our car registrations.
Got home in time to have our quick Mexican lunch and then took Emily to art class. David had to forego it this month since his soccer practices are only on Wednesdays.
After I dropped her off, I went to the thrift store and got myself some summer clothes (2 shorts, 2 tanks, 2 capris, some tees). I needed some nicer things, as well as some more shirts to wear to work. Also got David two pair of pants (1 jeans, 1 black pair), a pair of shorts for soccer, and a tshirt. A dress for Emily, a pair of jeans and a swim coverup for Suzy, and 6 books completed my purchases. I love shopping secondhand!
I bought a few t-shirts with pithy sayings.
Got one for David that says:
I already have a shirt that says:
David's team practiced in the rain. He didn't particularly like that, although he likes playing a soccer game in the rain.
Last night at work I didn't run a press. Instead I went through 29 boxes of parts looking for any bad ones. I didn't find any bad ones, which made for a really boring evening.
Right now I am taking a break from taking my winter clothes out of the closets and drawers and replacing them with my summer clothes. Also, I need to figure out lunch. Soon.
We are almost done reading Nim's Island. Still haven't made it to the theatre for that. This weekend there is supposed to be rain and it will be chillier, so maybe it will be a good movie weekend. However, I'll likely opt for Speed Racer instead. Heh David wants to see Ironman.
Tomorrow is Homeschool Park Day and James has a softball clinic. I need to take Emily to get her glasses fixed or order new ones. That might end up being Saturday. I need to call about that.
Four soccer games on Saturday - 8:30, 9:00, 11:00, 1:30. So, yeah, it'll be a soccer day. If it's nice enough, maybe we'll do some garage sales in between.
Oh yeah, what's up with the post title? Well, David has been going around saying it. Evidently it's a line in Kronk's New Groove, which the kids watched the other night. LOL I found it rather catchy.
Bob also went to the Secretary of State and renewed his drivers license and our car registrations.
Got home in time to have our quick Mexican lunch and then took Emily to art class. David had to forego it this month since his soccer practices are only on Wednesdays.
After I dropped her off, I went to the thrift store and got myself some summer clothes (2 shorts, 2 tanks, 2 capris, some tees). I needed some nicer things, as well as some more shirts to wear to work. Also got David two pair of pants (1 jeans, 1 black pair), a pair of shorts for soccer, and a tshirt. A dress for Emily, a pair of jeans and a swim coverup for Suzy, and 6 books completed my purchases. I love shopping secondhand!
I bought a few t-shirts with pithy sayings.
I could give up
CHOCOLATE
but I'm not a quitter.
CHOCOLATE
but I'm not a quitter.
(Yes, I had that on my other blog for a while, so I thought it apropos to have the shirt.)
Power Corrupts.
(but absolute power is kinda neat)
(but absolute power is kinda neat)
Got one for David that says:
SOMETIMES I AMAZE MYSELF
I already have a shirt that says:
Chocolate is
cheaper than therapy.
(I get a lot of comments on that shirt whenever I wear it!)
cheaper than therapy.
(I get a lot of comments on that shirt whenever I wear it!)
David's team practiced in the rain. He didn't particularly like that, although he likes playing a soccer game in the rain.
Last night at work I didn't run a press. Instead I went through 29 boxes of parts looking for any bad ones. I didn't find any bad ones, which made for a really boring evening.
Right now I am taking a break from taking my winter clothes out of the closets and drawers and replacing them with my summer clothes. Also, I need to figure out lunch. Soon.
We are almost done reading Nim's Island. Still haven't made it to the theatre for that. This weekend there is supposed to be rain and it will be chillier, so maybe it will be a good movie weekend. However, I'll likely opt for Speed Racer instead. Heh David wants to see Ironman.
Tomorrow is Homeschool Park Day and James has a softball clinic. I need to take Emily to get her glasses fixed or order new ones. That might end up being Saturday. I need to call about that.
Four soccer games on Saturday - 8:30, 9:00, 11:00, 1:30. So, yeah, it'll be a soccer day. If it's nice enough, maybe we'll do some garage sales in between.
Oh yeah, what's up with the post title? Well, David has been going around saying it. Evidently it's a line in Kronk's New Groove, which the kids watched the other night. LOL I found it rather catchy.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
IMAX! Cinco de Mayo! Goal! Wheelie!
Oh wow, I just got an email that Speed Racer is going to be out on IMAX. :::shivers:::
And may I just say that I am still uncertain of the reason for the desire I have to see this movie? I'm not a fan of anyone in the cast (as screenit.com often says in their reviews), nor am I a fan of automobile racing. And I barely recall the old cartoon.
:::shrugs::: Mysterious. Yet fascinating.
And, yes, I believe I'll be seeing it this weekend. Unless I have to work.
Went to Maryann's Sunday night for the night and dragged all 4 kids along. They had a blast! Monday was Maryann's annual Cinco de Mayo party and about 75 homeschoolers descended upon her home bearing Mexican food and candy for the pinatas. We had to leave before anyone else so I could get to work on time. ::::sticks out lower lip:::
David had a soccer game Monday night. He made a goal! But he was offsides so it didn't actually count. Don't ask ME to explain offsides. I still can't!
For some reason I got to thinking of other old cartoons I remember besides Speed Racer (which actually I barely recall) and Underdog (which I once adored). And a vague memory of chopper motorcycles came into my head. Oh yeah, maybe it's because I drove most of the way to work behind a guy riding a chopper.
ANYWAY...( Yes, you are getting the "after work babbling Lisa" tonight! lol)
It's Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch which aired in the fall of 1974, when I was 8 years old. I think we still had a TV then.
What will James remember from this time? He's eight.
And may I just say that I am still uncertain of the reason for the desire I have to see this movie? I'm not a fan of anyone in the cast (as screenit.com often says in their reviews), nor am I a fan of automobile racing. And I barely recall the old cartoon.
:::shrugs::: Mysterious. Yet fascinating.
And, yes, I believe I'll be seeing it this weekend. Unless I have to work.
Went to Maryann's Sunday night for the night and dragged all 4 kids along. They had a blast! Monday was Maryann's annual Cinco de Mayo party and about 75 homeschoolers descended upon her home bearing Mexican food and candy for the pinatas. We had to leave before anyone else so I could get to work on time. ::::sticks out lower lip:::
David had a soccer game Monday night. He made a goal! But he was offsides so it didn't actually count. Don't ask ME to explain offsides. I still can't!
For some reason I got to thinking of other old cartoons I remember besides Speed Racer (which actually I barely recall) and Underdog (which I once adored). And a vague memory of chopper motorcycles came into my head. Oh yeah, maybe it's because I drove most of the way to work behind a guy riding a chopper.
ANYWAY...( Yes, you are getting the "after work babbling Lisa" tonight! lol)
It's Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch which aired in the fall of 1974, when I was 8 years old. I think we still had a TV then.
What will James remember from this time? He's eight.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
INCH Report
Arrived at the conference Friday afternoon and took my bags up to our room at the hotel. Paid my registration fee at the conference and headed into the vendor hall. Wow, look at all the STUFF! Oooh-wee!
Off to the first break-out session - Is Art Essential to Your Child's Education? The first screen of the PowerPoint presentation read: Congradulation! I should have left right then, because it only went downhill from there. I'll spare you all the details, but just say that the woman has a PhD in art education but does not know how to communicate with an audience. This is the worst seminar I have ever attended at a conference. Ever.
So, it can only get better from here, obviously! lol
I then attended the seminar - Peace Treaties in the Living Room. This was presented by Sarah, Steven, and Grace Mally, homeschooled siblings who are now ages 29, 22, and 19. This was a wonderful seminar and I highly recommend it. However, some friends attending the conference didn't give it as high marks, so your mileage may vary. This is the seminar I bought the DVD of. (See previous post for link.) They discussed: How to handle irritations successfully, conflict resolution, how to have meaningful conversations, and what parents can do.
Those are the two sessions I attended on Friday. I did not attend the general session in the evening (nor on Saturday morning) so I did not listen to the keynote speaker, Phil Downer.
Some of us wanted to eat together Friday night, but the downtown area isn't big on good restaurants. We found a list of restaurants and called one. We asked, "Is your restaurant more like a pub or more like a restaurant?" We were told it was more like a restaurant, so we walked several blocks to it, only to discover that, no, it really is more like a BAR. So, we walked back and ate at a sports bar RIGHT NEXT to the convention center. lol
Stayed up late playing games and chatting.
Saturday morning we ate breakfast in the little cafeteria at the convention center and then headed into the vendor hall. The first seminar I attended on Saturday was Raising the Strong-willed Child by Paul Downer, a twentysomething homeschool graduate who admits to his strong-willed disposition. This was an AWESOME talk and again, I highly recommend it. Here are his main points. (He had a LOT of them! lol)
A - Kids take energy!
B - Our Enemy has a very specific plan for each of us.
C - Satan always goes after the next generation of God's warriors.
D - He told his own story.
Strategies for dealing with SW children:
1 - Remember the power of modeling daily dependence on the Lord.
2 - The power of prayer
3 - Say "I was wrong and I'm sorry."
Practical Ways
1 - Celebrate your child without a reason.
2 - Have fun together.
3 - The power of YOUR happiness.
4 - Dates with mom and dad
5 - Draft your strong-willed child onto your team.
6 - High Impact Relational Experiences (Do fun stuff!)
7 - Communicate to your child that you are FOR him, not against him.
8 - Explain the flesh vs. the spirit.
9 - Name their gifts
10 - Draw them to the heart of God. Rom 2:4
11 - Acknowledge the good in their flaws and call them to a higher standard.
12 - Study strong-willed heroes.
13 - Avoid comparison.
14 - Danger of crushing the strong-willed child's spirit.
Discipline:
Explain the offense.
Communicate the standard.
Explain the consequences.
Administer discipline.
Wait for repentance.
Give forgiveness.
Restore the relationship.
Giving grace is beneficial at times.
The other two seminars I attended were given by Danielle Olander from Institute for Excellence in Writing. They were Content Area Writing and Creating, Editing, and Grading Writing Assignments. Both were excellent and neither required that you use IEW materials. (Although I do.)
I spent some time in the vendor hall, as you saw if you read my previous post. Lunch was at the restaurant hotel and it was overpriced and the service was very slow. Six of us stopped at Don Pablo's on the way home and that was a great time of fellowship and the food was excellent!
All in all, a wonderful convention experience. Well worth the time and money.
Off to the first break-out session - Is Art Essential to Your Child's Education? The first screen of the PowerPoint presentation read: Congradulation! I should have left right then, because it only went downhill from there. I'll spare you all the details, but just say that the woman has a PhD in art education but does not know how to communicate with an audience. This is the worst seminar I have ever attended at a conference. Ever.
So, it can only get better from here, obviously! lol
I then attended the seminar - Peace Treaties in the Living Room. This was presented by Sarah, Steven, and Grace Mally, homeschooled siblings who are now ages 29, 22, and 19. This was a wonderful seminar and I highly recommend it. However, some friends attending the conference didn't give it as high marks, so your mileage may vary. This is the seminar I bought the DVD of. (See previous post for link.) They discussed: How to handle irritations successfully, conflict resolution, how to have meaningful conversations, and what parents can do.
Those are the two sessions I attended on Friday. I did not attend the general session in the evening (nor on Saturday morning) so I did not listen to the keynote speaker, Phil Downer.
Some of us wanted to eat together Friday night, but the downtown area isn't big on good restaurants. We found a list of restaurants and called one. We asked, "Is your restaurant more like a pub or more like a restaurant?" We were told it was more like a restaurant, so we walked several blocks to it, only to discover that, no, it really is more like a BAR. So, we walked back and ate at a sports bar RIGHT NEXT to the convention center. lol
Stayed up late playing games and chatting.
Saturday morning we ate breakfast in the little cafeteria at the convention center and then headed into the vendor hall. The first seminar I attended on Saturday was Raising the Strong-willed Child by Paul Downer, a twentysomething homeschool graduate who admits to his strong-willed disposition. This was an AWESOME talk and again, I highly recommend it. Here are his main points. (He had a LOT of them! lol)
A - Kids take energy!
B - Our Enemy has a very specific plan for each of us.
C - Satan always goes after the next generation of God's warriors.
D - He told his own story.
Strategies for dealing with SW children:
1 - Remember the power of modeling daily dependence on the Lord.
2 - The power of prayer
3 - Say "I was wrong and I'm sorry."
Practical Ways
1 - Celebrate your child without a reason.
2 - Have fun together.
3 - The power of YOUR happiness.
4 - Dates with mom and dad
5 - Draft your strong-willed child onto your team.
6 - High Impact Relational Experiences (Do fun stuff!)
7 - Communicate to your child that you are FOR him, not against him.
8 - Explain the flesh vs. the spirit.
9 - Name their gifts
10 - Draw them to the heart of God. Rom 2:4
11 - Acknowledge the good in their flaws and call them to a higher standard.
12 - Study strong-willed heroes.
13 - Avoid comparison.
14 - Danger of crushing the strong-willed child's spirit.
Discipline:
Explain the offense.
Communicate the standard.
Explain the consequences.
Administer discipline.
Wait for repentance.
Give forgiveness.
Restore the relationship.
Giving grace is beneficial at times.
The other two seminars I attended were given by Danielle Olander from Institute for Excellence in Writing. They were Content Area Writing and Creating, Editing, and Grading Writing Assignments. Both were excellent and neither required that you use IEW materials. (Although I do.)
I spent some time in the vendor hall, as you saw if you read my previous post. Lunch was at the restaurant hotel and it was overpriced and the service was very slow. Six of us stopped at Don Pablo's on the way home and that was a great time of fellowship and the food was excellent!
All in all, a wonderful convention experience. Well worth the time and money.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
INCH Purchases
Thought I'd post some photos of my convention acquisitions.
OK, this first pic is all the free catalogs, brochures and fliers that I was given at the conference. Have to spend some time perusing it!
These are my freebies - a tote bag, umbrella, and lanyard from ASVAB (military aptitude test), baggie of coffee beans, 2 pencils, 1 pen, a bracelet, a pin. Also had some candy, but that's long gone. lol
I bought the book Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends 2 years ago and read it aloud to my kids. (They need to hear it again! lol). The authors - the Mally siblings - were at the conference this weekend and I sat in on their seminar of the same title. I decided getting the DVD of the seminar was a good idea. And, lo and behold, now there are activity books to go along with the book! Way cool!
My necessary Math-U-See items for the upcoming year. Actually James is ready for Gamma right now. I already bought Alpha used for Suzy (thanks Sarah!) and she has already started it.
That Algebra book is the Honors supplement. I already have the Algebra I program for David.
The big box is a board game based on Pilgrim's Progress. Looked very cool in the display. Hope the kids find it enjoyable. We watched the movie, if you'll recall and Emily recently read the book.
Also in the pic, a board book of the hand signs to remember the 10 commandments. Even though none of my kids is a toddler anymore, I thought this book was great! The game and book are from Kregel.
Also a couple stocking stuffers for the boys. (not from Kregel - can't remember where.)
Some stuff I bought at Miller Pads and Paper - one of my favorite vendors. We needed new dry erase markers and they also had dry erase CRAYONS!
The colored pencils are also for Christmas stockings and the Mosaic book is for Suzy at some point. On the right are some tortillions for blending and some drawing pencils.
I've been considering the purchase of Edu-Track software for quite some time. Since David is approaching high school at a rapid rate, I thought it would be good to get it now and get familiar with how it works. It does lesson plans, report cards, transcripts, and more.
This stuff was FREE for signing up for a mailing list. It is a very cool family journal for helping a family be accountable for family and personal devotions and Bible study. I hope it will help us! The planner is a personal prayer journal. The book is entitled The Spontaneous Spread of Home-Discipleship Christianity and I've read the beginning. Looks intriguing! This stuff is from a church in the Grand Rapids MI area called Family of Faith Church.
I also bought the kids some Smencils which were a big hit and some little notebooks. I gave those items to them already as a "mom's home!" gift.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
What Does $22 Buy?
What does $22 buy?
Well, I could put gas in about half my tank. Fast food lunch for the family (if we are being cheap). A pair of jeans (maybe?).
Or I could go to a church rummage sale and buy the following:
Well, I could put gas in about half my tank. Fast food lunch for the family (if we are being cheap). A pair of jeans (maybe?).
Or I could go to a church rummage sale and buy the following:
- 1 pair Levi jeans size 30x32 (David)
- 1 outfit of capris and shirt to match (Suzy)
- 1 pink Tshirt (Suzy)
- 1 pair tan pants with embroidery (Emily)
- 1 jean skort (Emily)
- 1 pair tan capris for work (Lisa)
- 1 pair jean capris for work (Lisa)
- 2 pair black sandals (Lisa)
- 1 pair Old Navy sandals (David)
- 1 pair slippers (Lisa)
- 3 tshirts (Bob or Lisa)
- 1 long sleeved shirt (Lisa)
- 6 books
- 1 stack American Girl magazines (Emily and Suzy)
- 1 leather purse (Lisa)
- misc. notepads and stationery
- 1 Star Theater planetarium toy - missing a part! darn! (James)
- 1 small butterfly house
- 1 bookshelf with 3 shelves (Em & Suzy)
Randomness Times Ten
Randomness - Penny posted some and so I will too!
1 - A coworker's last name is McIvor. Say that aloud.
2 - Did you know that I often drink Diet Mountain Dew? Yes, at work, the pop machines have (GASP) only Pepsi products. I dislike Diet Pepsi, so I get Diet Dew when I need more caffeine.
3 - The Dauphin DIED in the Temple Prison. The Scarlet Pimpernel is fictional and therefore could not really rescue him. Sad. I didn't know he died. His jailers were very cruel to him (and his sister) before he died too.
4 - My children gave me a funny looking bird Beanie Baby called Kuku. It has a pink fluff on the top of its head.
5 - The surge protector for my computer has started to emit a very high pitched sound lately. It drove me nuts until I realized what it was. I guess I should replace it, eh?
6 - My son likes hip-hop music. My son LIKES hip-hop music. Has everything I've done been in vain?
7 - The brake pads on my Taurus needed replaced and my handy husband did that for me on Tuesday. Cost: $27 for the pads.
8 - We went to the first garage sale of the season on Sunday. I bought 6 items of clothing for 25 cents each and a VHS tape for 50 cents. :::shivers::: Isn't it exciting?!
9 - Someone on freecycle came and picked up something I was giving away and she left me two samples of perfume called Juicy Couture. There is a picture of a model on the package; she is holding a huge perfume bottle and is wearing a fancy strapless gown and huge puffy pink bouffant wig. (At least I hope that is not her hair.)
10 - I still do not have a bedroom door. Wait, I do HAVE a door. It's just not stuck to my bedroom wall. It's sitting in the back room waiting to be painted.
OK, if you didn't get #1 - McIvor sounds an AWFUL lot like MacGyver. Doncha think?
I have updated Mirkwood Reflections four times in the past week. If you haven't been there, I am pleading with you to go and comment over there. Does anyone read it? I am not too proud to beg! lol My April reads are up, as well as some movie reviews.
1 - A coworker's last name is McIvor. Say that aloud.
2 - Did you know that I often drink Diet Mountain Dew? Yes, at work, the pop machines have (GASP) only Pepsi products. I dislike Diet Pepsi, so I get Diet Dew when I need more caffeine.
3 - The Dauphin DIED in the Temple Prison. The Scarlet Pimpernel is fictional and therefore could not really rescue him. Sad. I didn't know he died. His jailers were very cruel to him (and his sister) before he died too.
4 - My children gave me a funny looking bird Beanie Baby called Kuku. It has a pink fluff on the top of its head.
5 - The surge protector for my computer has started to emit a very high pitched sound lately. It drove me nuts until I realized what it was. I guess I should replace it, eh?
6 - My son likes hip-hop music. My son LIKES hip-hop music. Has everything I've done been in vain?
7 - The brake pads on my Taurus needed replaced and my handy husband did that for me on Tuesday. Cost: $27 for the pads.
8 - We went to the first garage sale of the season on Sunday. I bought 6 items of clothing for 25 cents each and a VHS tape for 50 cents. :::shivers::: Isn't it exciting?!
9 - Someone on freecycle came and picked up something I was giving away and she left me two samples of perfume called Juicy Couture. There is a picture of a model on the package; she is holding a huge perfume bottle and is wearing a fancy strapless gown and huge puffy pink bouffant wig. (At least I hope that is not her hair.)
10 - I still do not have a bedroom door. Wait, I do HAVE a door. It's just not stuck to my bedroom wall. It's sitting in the back room waiting to be painted.
OK, if you didn't get #1 - McIvor sounds an AWFUL lot like MacGyver. Doncha think?
I have updated Mirkwood Reflections four times in the past week. If you haven't been there, I am pleading with you to go and comment over there. Does anyone read it? I am not too proud to beg! lol My April reads are up, as well as some movie reviews.
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