I think the purpose of this blog has become broadcasting through the entire world wide web how big of an idiot I really am.
Here is another installment of Tricia Is A Dork…
They were having a bake and gift sale at Scottish Rite today, so while A was in class E and I went down to the sale. They have some great stuff because of all their retiree volunteers. I mean! The things these ladies can do with a crochet hook or knitting needles! I obviously still have a lot to learn. But back to the point, my public embarrassment.
The sale is set up with all these tables in the main lobby and it can be a little tight. Scottish Rite specializes in Orthopedic children’s issues, as well as the Dyslexia Lab, so there are many, many people and children in wheel chairs and various walkers/crutches.
Well E and I were passing one of the volunteers who happen to be an elderly lady in a wheelchair. It was the automatic kind. I knew Evelyn was looking at the tables and not where she was going and would run into this lovely lady if not warned. So I kindly, and in a quiet voice, said “Watch where you are going, Honey”.
This lovely lady then said to me in a sweet little voice. “Oh don’t you worry about me, I’ve been driving this thing around for years”.
What a nice little lady; I smiled at her and I think I said something to her about the plethora of baked goods or something equally mundane; then Evelyn and I walked on.
Truly, I did not realize until a good 5 minutes later that that sweet lady in the Wheelchair thought I was telling HER to watch where she was going!!!! I am so slow that it took a good 5 min for my brain to catch up. It was a surreal moment as the scene played itself over in my head and I realized what had happened. I wanted the ground to open up and suck me in! I frantically looked around to see if I could find that lady and apologize, but she was long gone. Just as well actually, because my apology, (AFTER 5 LONG MINUTES) would have probably been incoherent, and if possible, more insulting!
OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!!
People, they should not let me out of the house!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Pretty!
I found something while I was at Wal-Mart yesterday. I just have to share. First a little background…I have no drinking glasses. There I said it. Martha Stewart is doubling over in pain right now.
My boys have been doing the dishes for years, and the girls are learning now. While this is great because I haven’t done the dishes in years, it has been a little hard on the dishes. When they started we had lots of pretty matching glasses and some nice big chunky green clay plates. I know, typed out like that it sounds really ugly, but trust me they were nice, impractical, but nice.
Through the years the glasses kept breaking and the plates kept chipping. I replaced the glasses with cheap ones from Wal-Mart but those seemed to spontaneously shatter upon entrance to my house. And the plates kept on chipping. Rarely did they break altogether; they just chipped…a lot.
Finally, a year ago I bought new plates. I was so excited. I was also a little worried that I was so excited about the very Correlle that my mother had, that I swore as a teen I’d never, ever own. I do have to say here that her Correlle was ugly. Mine is cute. No matter what she says, it has nothing to do with the time. Hers were and always will be ugly, while mine are and always will be, cute. Just FYI!
Okay, back to the glasses. I finally gave up. We went to cups. I bought a huge assortment of plastic cups in all sorts of summery colors, like; royal blue, puke green and Pepto Bismol Pink. Appetizing, right? Well these cups did not break; they seemed to have grown legs and walked away. Seriously, we were down to about 3 cups. Only 3 of us could drink at a time without having to break out the plastic disposable cups. How sad is that?
Back to my find at Wal-Mart…
See those pretty, chunky glasses with the enticing green ring? THEY ARE NOT GLASS!!! They are acrylic or plastic, or something. But not glass. I am so very excited about these glasses (yes I’m calling them glasses even though they are not glass because they’re to pretty to be cups!)
See how nicely they match my timelessly beautiful Correlle?
So here is a shot at my kitchen table, all set and ready to go. Martha I am not, but it‘s not bad if I do say so myself!
Lest you think I am completely hopeless in the homemaking department. That dark spot you see on one of the chairs is not actually a stain, it is from Gunnar sitting there in his swim shorts, (no matter how many times I tell him...)
My boys have been doing the dishes for years, and the girls are learning now. While this is great because I haven’t done the dishes in years, it has been a little hard on the dishes. When they started we had lots of pretty matching glasses and some nice big chunky green clay plates. I know, typed out like that it sounds really ugly, but trust me they were nice, impractical, but nice.
Through the years the glasses kept breaking and the plates kept chipping. I replaced the glasses with cheap ones from Wal-Mart but those seemed to spontaneously shatter upon entrance to my house. And the plates kept on chipping. Rarely did they break altogether; they just chipped…a lot.
Finally, a year ago I bought new plates. I was so excited. I was also a little worried that I was so excited about the very Correlle that my mother had, that I swore as a teen I’d never, ever own. I do have to say here that her Correlle was ugly. Mine is cute. No matter what she says, it has nothing to do with the time. Hers were and always will be ugly, while mine are and always will be, cute. Just FYI!
Okay, back to the glasses. I finally gave up. We went to cups. I bought a huge assortment of plastic cups in all sorts of summery colors, like; royal blue, puke green and Pepto Bismol Pink. Appetizing, right? Well these cups did not break; they seemed to have grown legs and walked away. Seriously, we were down to about 3 cups. Only 3 of us could drink at a time without having to break out the plastic disposable cups. How sad is that?
Back to my find at Wal-Mart…
See those pretty, chunky glasses with the enticing green ring? THEY ARE NOT GLASS!!! They are acrylic or plastic, or something. But not glass. I am so very excited about these glasses (yes I’m calling them glasses even though they are not glass because they’re to pretty to be cups!)
See how nicely they match my timelessly beautiful Correlle?
So here is a shot at my kitchen table, all set and ready to go. Martha I am not, but it‘s not bad if I do say so myself!
Lest you think I am completely hopeless in the homemaking department. That dark spot you see on one of the chairs is not actually a stain, it is from Gunnar sitting there in his swim shorts, (no matter how many times I tell him...)
Monday, June 11, 2007
Want to see what we're doing next year?
For the next two years we will be studying American History. I am very excited about it and I thought I'd tell you a little about what we are doing. I will be using Sonlight Core 3 & 4 over the next 2 years. We will be using the Sonlight core lightly, really mostly as a reading list and we will be using the History of the USA workbooks for my 4th and 6th grader to do independently. We will be using the Landmark History book rarely if at all.
But that is not what this post is about. This is what I am excited about and have been working on all weekend. Our State Study! I bought Simply Stated at the Convention this year. I have the main state history book, maps, guides, and literature, now I'm setting up the Notebook we're going to keep all our work in.
Here is what I did. First I spent HOURS going to the main tourism website for EVERY STATE IN THE UNION (for those not from around here that is 50 States!!!) and the capital city of Washington D.C. and requested a tourist guide and map. They will start arriving in 4 to 6 weeks.
This is what I am going to store all that paperwork in until we are ready for it. I'll just file them alphabetically.
Then I hit Walmart for all the needed supplies.
First up...The LARGE binder. I got a 3" but now that it is full of file folders I probably should have gotten the 5".
Then I bought a box of Manila Folders, I need enough for one for each state, Washington D.C. one for a general US history introduction page and one for the various US territories (I have learned there are several territories, we'll probably just list them all with a fact or two for each and leave it at that, so only one manila folder for all the territories).
Next I punched holes in the manila folders so they will go in the binder.
When they are open we'll have the whole inside to fill up with maps, facts, copywork, drawings, etc, about the state.
Then I took the smaller envelopes and attached them to the back of the manila folder.
I used double stick tape and stick glue. This took the most time. The envelope will be used to store the state map we get from the tourism board and any other info we can't put in the folder but want to keep with the state.
I organized the folders in chronological order of when they became states. We will study the 13 colonies first and then go chronologically from there. We will do about one state a week. We will do some out of order if we are going to visit that state or someone from out of state is visiting us, or as we see fit. We'll do Colorado first as a trial this summer in preparation for our trip there in July.
There you have it! When we are done we should have one notebook with all the pertinent info about each state, with a state map and tourism guide, included. How cool is that!
My kids will keep their own notebook (just a spiral notebook) with a page for each state. I will photo copy some stuff from each child's notebook or drawings or copywork to put in the main binder. I don't want to have 3 binders like this but I want each of my youngest three to participate in the main binder. I'll probably switch out who gets to put what information on the folder. Only their best work will be photocopied and put it the main binder. I am hoping that this will encourage them to do their best work!
I'll post some pictures of the state folders as we finish them.
This is a homeschooling blog at it's core so I thought I should share some homeschooling stuff from time to time! :o)
But that is not what this post is about. This is what I am excited about and have been working on all weekend. Our State Study! I bought Simply Stated at the Convention this year. I have the main state history book, maps, guides, and literature, now I'm setting up the Notebook we're going to keep all our work in.
Here is what I did. First I spent HOURS going to the main tourism website for EVERY STATE IN THE UNION (for those not from around here that is 50 States!!!) and the capital city of Washington D.C. and requested a tourist guide and map. They will start arriving in 4 to 6 weeks.
This is what I am going to store all that paperwork in until we are ready for it. I'll just file them alphabetically.Then I hit Walmart for all the needed supplies.
First up...The LARGE binder. I got a 3" but now that it is full of file folders I probably should have gotten the 5". 
Then I bought a box of Manila Folders, I need enough for one for each state, Washington D.C. one for a general US history introduction page and one for the various US territories (I have learned there are several territories, we'll probably just list them all with a fact or two for each and leave it at that, so only one manila folder for all the territories).
Next I punched holes in the manila folders so they will go in the binder. 
When they are open we'll have the whole inside to fill up with maps, facts, copywork, drawings, etc, about the state.
Then I took the smaller envelopes and attached them to the back of the manila folder. 
I used double stick tape and stick glue. This took the most time. The envelope will be used to store the state map we get from the tourism board and any other info we can't put in the folder but want to keep with the state. 
I organized the folders in chronological order of when they became states. We will study the 13 colonies first and then go chronologically from there. We will do about one state a week. We will do some out of order if we are going to visit that state or someone from out of state is visiting us, or as we see fit. We'll do Colorado first as a trial this summer in preparation for our trip there in July.There you have it! When we are done we should have one notebook with all the pertinent info about each state, with a state map and tourism guide, included. How cool is that!
My kids will keep their own notebook (just a spiral notebook) with a page for each state. I will photo copy some stuff from each child's notebook or drawings or copywork to put in the main binder. I don't want to have 3 binders like this but I want each of my youngest three to participate in the main binder. I'll probably switch out who gets to put what information on the folder. Only their best work will be photocopied and put it the main binder. I am hoping that this will encourage them to do their best work!
I'll post some pictures of the state folders as we finish them.
This is a homeschooling blog at it's core so I thought I should share some homeschooling stuff from time to time! :o)
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
I am so proud of A!
Today I had one of those aaaaahhhhh moments. The kind that tell me I am doing a good job, that I am a good Mom, that maybe when I get to heaven I really will hear "Well done good and faithful servant".
I took my kids to Pump It Up for their cousins birthday party. It was great fun btw!
When I was signing them in, I had to tell them my kids birthdays. My youngest happens to be born on St. Patrick's Day. When she told the lady behind the counter that, the lady asked her if she was lucky.
Without missing a beat or being cheeky, she replied, "Nope, I'm blessed".
Wow, how cool is that?
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
TOO...MUCH...NATURE!
I was innocently putting my girls to bed last night and the doorbell rings. As soon as the door opens I hear my teen boys screech. They will not admit to screeching but I'm telling you, it was a screech. This was on the other side of the door. (Good thing I didn't answer the door, I'd have had a heart attack!)
The neighbor boys were at the door with a snake, that they found IN THEIR YARD, JUST A FEW HOUSES DOWN FROM MINE! At least this was not found in my laundry.
I have had entirely too much nature!
Needless to say, the girls did not get to bed on time.
Just so you know, the neighbor boy holding the snake is a self-proclaimed snake expert and assured me this was not a poisonous snake. It is some kind of constrictor...he thinks. HE THINKS??? He's holding the thing! You think he'd be rather FIRM in his belief that this was a non venomous creature BEFORE he picked it up! Boys!
The neighbor boys were at the door with a snake, that they found IN THEIR YARD, JUST A FEW HOUSES DOWN FROM MINE! At least this was not found in my laundry.
I have had entirely too much nature!
Needless to say, the girls did not get to bed on time.
Just so you know, the neighbor boy holding the snake is a self-proclaimed snake expert and assured me this was not a poisonous snake. It is some kind of constrictor...he thinks. HE THINKS??? He's holding the thing! You think he'd be rather FIRM in his belief that this was a non venomous creature BEFORE he picked it up! Boys!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Coke Zero, Anyone?
I have a story to share, A little self deprecation, just for you.
I was driving home from Scottish Rite today…actually, I must go back further. It really began with the coke machine. I am about to pay $1.25 for a Coke Zero. I have a whole case of Coke Zero’s at home, but I forgot to bring one. So, here I am about to pay an exorbitant price for something I already have; brilliant I know, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
I put in my money, and hit the Coke Zero button…nothing. I hit it again, several times in fact. Nothing. Okay, I’m a reasonable person. I can deal with regular Diet Coke. I hit that button…nothing. I decide to just wait till I get home for my Diet Coke fix and hit the money return button, you guessed it…nothing.
So I get a Sprite. I am not a huge fan of Sprite, but it was that or the scary orange or grape drinks. I really didn’t want the Sprite so I put it in my wheelie box and head to the lobby to do some school planning.
On my way back up to pick up the kids, I stop at the gift shop to make up for my loss of Diet Coke, and I buy myself some chocolate. It is not lost on me that it is 9:30 am and I am attempting to drink Diet Coke and eat chocolate, but that is for another post.
After walking up to the Dyslexia Lab to pick up the kids, then back through the hospital and out through the parking garage to the parking lot on the other side (my 12 passenger van is too tall for the parking garage) we finally load up and head home.
As I am entering the highway on the short entrance ramp and trying to merge with the other one billion people in Downtown Dallas, who, by the way, all drive SUV’s or Extended Cab Diesel Ford Trucks and are driving 90 mph, I decide to go ahead and take a sip of my Sprite. I need something to wash down the chocolate after-all.
This is the same bottle of Sprite that has been bouncing around in my wheelie cart for the last hour. I open the twisty lid and put the tip of the bottle to my lips, all while merging and keeping my eye on the road. I do have precious cargo in this van you know.
Because of my conscientious driving, I failed to notice that the Sprite was fizzing over the top until I felt the cold sticky substance ALL THE WAY DOWN MY SHIRT! I literally poured at least a cup of Sprite down my shirt…while merging onto the highway-from-hell.
I want you to know that I did this without swerving in the least and managing to merge gracefully onto the highway-from-hell, between all the SUV’s, Ford Super Duty’s and Semis, like a pro.
People, I’m ready for NASCAR!
I was driving home from Scottish Rite today…actually, I must go back further. It really began with the coke machine. I am about to pay $1.25 for a Coke Zero. I have a whole case of Coke Zero’s at home, but I forgot to bring one. So, here I am about to pay an exorbitant price for something I already have; brilliant I know, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
I put in my money, and hit the Coke Zero button…nothing. I hit it again, several times in fact. Nothing. Okay, I’m a reasonable person. I can deal with regular Diet Coke. I hit that button…nothing. I decide to just wait till I get home for my Diet Coke fix and hit the money return button, you guessed it…nothing.
So I get a Sprite. I am not a huge fan of Sprite, but it was that or the scary orange or grape drinks. I really didn’t want the Sprite so I put it in my wheelie box and head to the lobby to do some school planning.
On my way back up to pick up the kids, I stop at the gift shop to make up for my loss of Diet Coke, and I buy myself some chocolate. It is not lost on me that it is 9:30 am and I am attempting to drink Diet Coke and eat chocolate, but that is for another post.
After walking up to the Dyslexia Lab to pick up the kids, then back through the hospital and out through the parking garage to the parking lot on the other side (my 12 passenger van is too tall for the parking garage) we finally load up and head home.
As I am entering the highway on the short entrance ramp and trying to merge with the other one billion people in Downtown Dallas, who, by the way, all drive SUV’s or Extended Cab Diesel Ford Trucks and are driving 90 mph, I decide to go ahead and take a sip of my Sprite. I need something to wash down the chocolate after-all.
This is the same bottle of Sprite that has been bouncing around in my wheelie cart for the last hour. I open the twisty lid and put the tip of the bottle to my lips, all while merging and keeping my eye on the road. I do have precious cargo in this van you know.
Because of my conscientious driving, I failed to notice that the Sprite was fizzing over the top until I felt the cold sticky substance ALL THE WAY DOWN MY SHIRT! I literally poured at least a cup of Sprite down my shirt…while merging onto the highway-from-hell.
I want you to know that I did this without swerving in the least and managing to merge gracefully onto the highway-from-hell, between all the SUV’s, Ford Super Duty’s and Semis, like a pro.
People, I’m ready for NASCAR!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Here We Go...Again!
Okay, we made it through our first day of Dyslexia Lab School at Scottish Rite Hospital; downtown Dallas.
I have a friend whose son is also going to the program and we were able to set up a carpool. So at least I only have to drive 2 mornings a week.
A was quite happy to go, and was up and dressed before the sun was up. I was not so happy to see this hour of morning. I really don’t like 6am. 6am and I are not on speaking terms. 6am is a retched, retched time to have to get up.
I think this is going to be a good thing, despite its unfortunate start time. It will be good for A and I’m sure for me too. Apparently, God thinks I need to grow more. So here we go for another 2 years and a summer.
I took a deep breath and jumped in. I can do this…again. I can. God will give me strength.
At least this time I have a REALLY BIG car. I can put those two VERY AWAKE children in the far back seat where I can barley hear their chatter over my Miranda Lambert WAKE UP, GIRL! music, and can concentrate on my coffee and driving.
And speaking of driving, what is with those people that get in the HOV lane and dive 50MPH? 50 people! It is a 65mph zone. I can understand if you feel you must drive 65 even though everyone knows it is an unwritten rule that the HOV lane is for SPEEDING! I’ll not grouse if someone thinks they must obey the speed limit exactly (legalism anyone?) But 15mph UNDER? Really? Must I deal with this while I am trying to get down my first cup of coffee of the day? It is just more than a girl should have to deal with. But, like I said, I am growing and stretching as a person…again. Growing and stretching hurt at 6am!
I have a friend whose son is also going to the program and we were able to set up a carpool. So at least I only have to drive 2 mornings a week.
A was quite happy to go, and was up and dressed before the sun was up. I was not so happy to see this hour of morning. I really don’t like 6am. 6am and I are not on speaking terms. 6am is a retched, retched time to have to get up.
I think this is going to be a good thing, despite its unfortunate start time. It will be good for A and I’m sure for me too. Apparently, God thinks I need to grow more. So here we go for another 2 years and a summer.
I took a deep breath and jumped in. I can do this…again. I can. God will give me strength.
At least this time I have a REALLY BIG car. I can put those two VERY AWAKE children in the far back seat where I can barley hear their chatter over my Miranda Lambert WAKE UP, GIRL! music, and can concentrate on my coffee and driving.
And speaking of driving, what is with those people that get in the HOV lane and dive 50MPH? 50 people! It is a 65mph zone. I can understand if you feel you must drive 65 even though everyone knows it is an unwritten rule that the HOV lane is for SPEEDING! I’ll not grouse if someone thinks they must obey the speed limit exactly (legalism anyone?) But 15mph UNDER? Really? Must I deal with this while I am trying to get down my first cup of coffee of the day? It is just more than a girl should have to deal with. But, like I said, I am growing and stretching as a person…again. Growing and stretching hurt at 6am!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Thank You!
I have to admit that Memorial Day went buy in a flurry of activity (actually, truth be told, a flurry of mosquitoes!)
We were camping and barbecuing and horseshoeing and just generally having fun and being a family. I did not really take time to think about what that day is about.
My SIL sent me this video and it really touched my heart.
Wow. How do you say thank you for this kind of sacrifice?
How do you say thank you to that little boy for being away from his Daddy so I can enjoy my freedom?
God Bless all the soldiers like this man who are giving up their freedom's so I can keep mine.
We were camping and barbecuing and horseshoeing and just generally having fun and being a family. I did not really take time to think about what that day is about.
My SIL sent me this video and it really touched my heart.
Wow. How do you say thank you for this kind of sacrifice?
How do you say thank you to that little boy for being away from his Daddy so I can enjoy my freedom?
God Bless all the soldiers like this man who are giving up their freedom's so I can keep mine.
My favorite thing about summer.
This is one of my favorite things about summer.
My girls will spend hours creating amazing designs with their sidewalk chalk. It is 7:45 AM and it was so quiet in the house I had to go investigate. This is where I found them.
They will probably do this for most of the morning, then all four kids will go to the neighborhood pool where all their friends are. The lifeguard is a very nice girl I knew when she was a baby (that is totally because she's young, not because I'm old!)
They will hang out there for most of the afternoon.
I love the slowness of summer. I love that my kids can just be, explore, and play.
I'm enjoying this last day before A and I have to get up early and head downtown. A is happy it's early, she'll be home by 10:30 so, as she said, she won't miss much summer. I however wish it were a bit later so I won't have to miss so much sleeping in!
I have decided to choose to Praise HIM about this Scottish Rite business. So every day, for a while, I'm going to read (and post) a praise verse.
Here's today's...
Psalm 52:9
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.
My girls will spend hours creating amazing designs with their sidewalk chalk. It is 7:45 AM and it was so quiet in the house I had to go investigate. This is where I found them.
They will probably do this for most of the morning, then all four kids will go to the neighborhood pool where all their friends are. The lifeguard is a very nice girl I knew when she was a baby (that is totally because she's young, not because I'm old!)
They will hang out there for most of the afternoon.
I love the slowness of summer. I love that my kids can just be, explore, and play.
I'm enjoying this last day before A and I have to get up early and head downtown. A is happy it's early, she'll be home by 10:30 so, as she said, she won't miss much summer. I however wish it were a bit later so I won't have to miss so much sleeping in!
I have decided to choose to Praise HIM about this Scottish Rite business. So every day, for a while, I'm going to read (and post) a praise verse.
Here's today's...
Psalm 52:9
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.
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