Thursday, May 31, 2007

We Interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to bring you this news...



I deleted the original post because, well, it was whiny; shame on me for being such a baby.

I have a lot of responsibilities next year and we’ve just added taking A to Scottish Rite, daily (except Fridays) for two school years and one summer session starting on Monday. I’m a bit overwhelmed.



But I don’t have cancer, I haven’t had to go through the Holocaust, my children are healthy and not suffering from some incurable health problem. I was not forced to have an abortion because my country does not allow more than one child per couple. My dh is not leaving me for another woman, or molesting our children. And really doesn’t that just put it all into perspective?

I have been wallowing in self pity (and I do mean wallowing!) since we made the decision to accept the space offered to us in the Dyslexia program. Well, today I either read about or was told about someone experiencing the above pain, and other than the Holocaust and the abortion thing, the suffering is happening to people I know.

So, God, I get it. I’ll make it through the next two and a half years, and it could be SOOOO very much worse.

To those of you who had to read my little pity party, I’m sorry. You caught me at a week moment. Thank you nsremom for your kind comment.

And now, please excuse this little interruption. You can go back to your regularly scheduled post reading…

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Dyslexia


This morning we got the official diagnoses from the lovely people at the Scottish Rite Hospital that A is Dyslexic. This is not really news to me. I know she is dyslexic.

After going through it with G and doing the 2 year remediation program, not to mention being dyslexic myself. I know what it looks like.

She is not as severe as Gunnar, although they at SR don't like to use terms like mild or severe.

DH and I are now trying to decide to keep on doing what we are doing with her; a heavy phonics program, or send her to the 2 year remediation program, like her brother.

Personally I'm opting for the at-home approach. I know what to do and how to do it and have seen improvement since we started a more phonetic approach to learning reading.

DH is opting for the 2 year program. I have to say that I'd rather hit my thumb with a hammer several times daily for the next 2 years then have to drive downtown 4 DAYS A WEEK FOR 2 YEARS.

We're praying about it. I was desperate with G. No matter what I did that kid did not improve. I was so grateful for the program. I am not desperate with A. I have seen steady improvement, it is just slow going.

I got the impression that they would happily take her into the program in a heartbeat. They know us there and really liked Gunnar. He is such a likable kid!

But 2 more years! UGH!

Praying for God's leading here...

BTW, I feel like the above cartoon is not in poor taste as I am not only making fun of my 2 dyslexic children but of myself too. I see untie, every time I read united.

I saw a tee-shirt that said...Dyslexics of the would UNTIE! I did not get it at first! Then I laughed my head off!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Nice Girls and Camping

Well, we’re back from our little camping trip to North Eastern Oklahoma. It was beautiful, but there was a bit too much nature for me; flies, ticks, mosquitoes and the like. We won’t be camping for 6 weeks until our Colorado trip the third week in July. It will probably take me that long to get over the mosquitoes bites.

Seriously, mosquitoes have no respect for the DEET that I spray all over my body, often. I must have 50 mosquito bites, AGAIN!

I have 4 to 5 days of scratching, bathing in Aveeno, slathering myself in Benadryl Cream while being in a stupor from taking the oral variety. Oh Joy!

Here is a photo of all of us, and yes that is my husband being a dork and ruining the nice family photo. My family of 6 (dh, myself, 2 boys and 2 girls; all the blondies in the photo, except me, I'm the only one in the family with dark hair.) and my dh's brother, his wife and his 2 girls (the brown headed girls) and we took dh's other brother's youngest daughter. (the darkest hair)



We took this photo before we went on a hike to Robbers Cave, where some notorious outlaws like Jesse James were reported to have hidden out. It was cool!

Now, the reason for this post. This book.



I don’t even know where to begin with this little book. It is called Nice Girls Don't Change The World. It is a quick read. I think I read it in 30 min. My sister in law told me I HAD to read it and handed it to me. She said it is life changing. Well, I have to admit, I’m a skeptic. I’m not a faddish person (okay except for those leggings, but who didn’t fall for that one?) I didn’t like the Secret of the Vine or Prayer of Jabez books. Not that I think they’re bad, I guess I just feel like If something is going to change my life, I’d just as soon it be the Bible itself.

But I read this little book because, well, honestly, I was in the hammock and forgot to bring my book with me and my SIL walked by and told me I HAD to read this book and put it in my hand and it was easier to read that book then walk all the way back to the camper and get mine. I am lazy like that.

I have to say that this book was stunning. It really blew be away. There were some powerful thoughts in this little book.

If anyone has read it I’d love to hear their opinion. I am a nice girl. I like being a nice girl. I think the idea that being a nice girl (hear people pleaser) may not be God’s best for me was hard to swallow. The idea that doing what others have asked, required, cajoled or guilted me into doing may not be what GOD wants for me, is a bitter pill to swallow.

Now, of course the author is not suggesting that we be selfish and just do what feels good, to throw off our roles and mothers and wives because nurturing is not our gift. I think she is suggesting that sometimes it is easier to hide behind what others require of us and not listen to what GOD is requiring of us.

I don’t have the book with me right now, but there was a passage about fear that hit me hard. That fear is one of the things that keep us from being obedient to God with the gifts he has given us. She made a comment about how she’d rather face her fear than have to face God and tell Him she didn’t have the courage to do what He asked.

There was another passage about low self esteem. The idea that God made us the way we are and we have something to offer to the world. I am the only one like Me. My perspective is unique. What I have to say, paint, do, sing, or offer in any way up to God, is something he created me for. It is a gift He gave me. What does it say to God when I think I’m not good enough to use the gift He gave me? Ouch! That one hurt. Others’ judgment should not be the thing that stops me from using the unique gift God gave me. Easier said then done!

This little book had some big thoughts in it. I hardly know what to think about it. I am praying that God leads me to His truth on this issue of being a Nice Girl.

Honestly, I’m not sure I want to change the world. I just want to be a Mom and Wife. Is that hiding, or can I change the world, not be judged, not face my fears, and be nice doing it? Hummm, thoughts to ponder.

I want my cake and eat it too!

***If you are Jewls, or are coming her by way of my comment on her blog. You might also find this post on fear interesting.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

The blog will be quiet for a few days. My family and I are going on a camping trip over the holiday weekend.

So if you must have your Homeschooling on the Hilltop fix, go read some old posts, like the poignant post about my first son getting his learners permit. Or you could watch the spider video again. Come on, you know you want to!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

ICK!

I think I have mentioned before that I have a problem, a medically documented issue, a phobia. I am not alone in this phobia. So many people share my phobia that they have made some really awful B movies about it. It is…you guessed it…arachnophobia.

I am absolutely certifiable when it comes to spiders.

Well, today has set my wellness plan back years, decades maybe. I found THIS in my house!



Okay, to be honest, my son found it. He was doing laundry (yes my teenage son knows how to do laundry. I am teaching him for his future wife. One day she will thank me) and he started to put the towel load into the machine. As he picked up a towel, he found his hand precariously near a HUGE spider. A TARANTUALLA!!!!!! Now, this load of towels has not sat in the basket for weeks, in fact I think I did a towel load about 3 days ago. We are not filthy people with nests of TRANTUALLAS in our home. We just live in TX.

In TX you can have the cleanest house on the block with the Merry Maids coming every other day, and you will still have creatures in your house.

I think we have a food chain going on under our house. I never see any roaches. I know that most people would rejoice at this, but as I said, in TX the presence or lack thereof of creatures, has no bearing on the state of your home. They are simply everywhere. And if they are not, it is because you have something higher on the food chain in or around your home. We have had snakes (not the good kind, the rattling kind) we have had many shapes and sizes of lizard. We have had bugs that even the most skilled entomologist would have a hard time identifying. But the thing that strikes fear into my heart is the GIANT SPIDER!!!

How do my kids feel about this whole thing? Watch this.



I guess I did not pass my certifiable phobia to my offspring. After watching this video my 12yods took of letting the GIANT SPIDER go FAR AWAY from my home, I do know my daughters have my girly silliness in spades!

Do they have GIANT SPIDERS in Canada? I think I’m moving!

Friday, May 18, 2007

What do you use? (This is a homeschool blog afterall!)

This is one of the questions you are bound to hear if you have more than two homeschoolers in one room.

At first I asked this question because I was looking for the magic bullet. The one curriculum that would teach my kids their letters, numbers, scripture and how to leap small buildings in a single bound. After a few years I learned that that magic bullet does not exist. Actually it might for me, but you might try it and hate it. Each of our kids is unique, so it follows that they will have a unique response to any given curriculum.

With that said, I thought it’d be fun to talk about what we use in our homeschool and why. What we like and what we hate. What worked wonders and what made our kids cry every time they laid eyes on it.

There is too much to cover in one post (I have been at this homeschooling thing for 10 years now) so I’ll start with this post and every now and then, update it.
So, let’s start with my favorite…History!

What do you use?



I use Sonlight now. I used Sonlight for my boys when they were in the 1st – 3rd grades and was not happy. It was just too much. I was too new to the homeschooling game to realize I was in charge not the schedule. So I kinda over did it.

My one beef Sonlight is the shocking lack of picture books. I Love picture books. When my girls were little I found Five in a Row. I LOVE Five in a Row. It was such a gentle approach. Five in a Row taught me that kids can really learn and it can be fun and painless.



My kids are too old for Five in a Row now, so we’ve gone back to Sonlight, although, I am teaching a Five in a Row class at our homeschool co op. So I’ll never really have to stop reading all those great picture books!

I really like Sonlight for older kids. Primarily 3rd grade and up. So while my oldest (he’ll be in 10th grade) will be doing core 100 (American History) my three younger kids (they’ll be in 3rd 5th and 7th) will be going through Core 3 (American History).

Really, the thing these curriculum have in common that I love is literature. Books, books, books. I think if someone told me to choose only one thing to use to teach all my kids, it would be a Library card.



I found something new that we are going to add to our American History study next year. It is called Simply Stated. It is inexpensive and really cool, and uses, you guessed it, BOOKS! I think this is going to be just the thing to add fun and the spark to our year. I spoke with the creators and know just how I want to use it. We’ll be making a notebook page for each state with a few facts and the state name and capital, drawing of the state bird, flower, etc. Then we'll read a short story from that state in It happened in America : true stories from the fifty states, then read one of the books in the list in the manual. Then we might do some map work, and place that state's sticker on our map.

There you have it. That is what I am using/have used for history. Five in a Row, Sonlight, and Simply Stated.

So, what are you using? You can put your answer in the comment or leave a link to your own blog where you answered your own post.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Look How the Time Flies!

Please allow me to reminisces…go back with me almost 13 years.

B was just over 3 and had gotten a new bike for his birthday. He rode it for about a week and began asking his dad to take off his training wheels. For over a week he begged, “Daddy, Plllleeeeaaaassseeeee, take them off.” Finally my husband relented and told him he’d take one off. He knew that as soon as he crashed and burned the first time, he’d want them back on.

An amazing thing happened. He did not crash. He went around the circle two or three times and then came to his Dad and said, “Daddy plllleeeeaaaassseeeee, take the other one off.” So he did.

There was my baby, with his little chili bowl haircut and knobby knees, riding around the circle, pretty-as-you-please, with no training wheels. That was the beginning of his love for all things with wheels. He has been riding a three-wheeler or dirt bike motorcycle almost as long as he has been riding his bicycle.

But today, we opened up a whole new chapter. Today, my baby got his learners permit.

He is allowed, with restrictions, to drive a car. He will have these restrictions for 6 months. I can already hear him saying “Plllleeeeaaaassseeeee, take them off”.

My, how time flies. I feel like I am looking at that same knobby kneed 3 year old, only this time he’s driving my car!

Do you see that empty passenger seat? That is my place now.



I posted over at The Well Drained Mind.
Come check it out!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Food Allergy Awareness Week



This is Food Allergy Awareness Week. Unless you have a child with a potentially fatal allergy, you probably don’t know that.
I do. My 8yodd is fatally allergic to dairy. ALL dairy. Just the smallest amount of whey powder in a graham cracker is enough to kill her. This makes our life interesting.

I am posting this today because in the 8 years we have been dealing with this we have come across several different responses to her allergy. It has been hard. Church has been one of the hardest places for my dd to be safe. This world revolves around food. People just don’t understand how serious a food allergy can be. We often have to just take her home instead of going to Sunday school because there will be food in the room. It breaks my heart to see her being excluded from Church because of her allergy. Sometimes I am heartsick at how other adults treat her. Christian adults.

So if you know someone raising a child with a food allergy, do me a favor. Don’t judge. Offer help. Pray. And don’t condemn.

If you work with children and have an allergy child, please find another way to reward your class other than food.

Is it really worth a life to hand out Hershey’s kisses on Valentines Day?

And try not to judge our over protectiveness. It is life and death.

I remember before I had A, reading an article about a school district that outlawed pb & j sandwiches because they had a couple peanut allergy kids in the district. I was incensed! How ridiculous, to make the whole district pay because of one or two kids. Now I get it. I didn’t know how easy it is to get exposed to the offending allergen, I didn’t know how little of the allergen is required to incite a reaction. I didn’t know it was life threatening.

Now I get it.
For more information on food allergy's go here.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Misery!

Is it possible to die of itching? To literally tear ones skin off one layer at a time?

Aveeno as become my new best friend! I can't stand it!!! Only after I have sat in an Aveeno bath, taken Benadryl orally, and rubbed the gel variety all over by body, do I get any relief, and it is short lived.

I HATE MISQUITOES!!! How long must I suffer?

I must go now, I've used my hands for something other than scratching for as long as I can stand...now...must...scratch!

Tricia Needs...

Okay, I’ve seen this on Kathleen’s blog and Jane’s. So of course, being the Lone Wolf that I am. I had to try it.

Here is what happened when I typed “Tricia needs” into Google. Hilarious!

Tricia needs constant assistance to meet her personal care needs.
Tricia needs affection, stability and devotion, not charm and empty words.
Tricia needs a rest.
Tricia needs our support.
Tricia Needs our prayers.
Tricia needs a new pair of shoes.
Tricia needs help again.
Tricia needs therapy.
Tricia needs a vacation.
Tricia needs to hear "I love you" every single day!
Tricia needs to see her roots and learn to drink beer from a koozie.
Tricia needs to study.
Tricia needs to train like a football player.
Tricia needs a similarly valley-girlish specimen with whom she can practice her supernatural powers.

And my all time favorite…
Tricia needs...uh...no, she's perfect.

Whew, before that last one Tricia was starting to worry about herself…and sound a lot like Bob Dole.

Monday, May 14, 2007

My Nemesis

I hate mosquitoes. They are quite possibly the most vile creatures on earth.

I am sitting up at 2am, covered in mosquito bites. I have at least 70 bites, and they ITCH! I am not a normal person, no my bites get nickel size and ITCH for days, really like, 10 to 12 days!

So here I sit, covered in Benadryl cream, and yes I know not to use to much, but, at this point I'm willing to risk a diphenhydramine overdose; it's that or tear my own legs apart with my nails.

We were camping for Mother's Day this year and I guess I made a tasty treat for the vile beasts. My kids and the other adults that were with us are not covered, only me. Want to know why? DEET!

I bought this new Off product because I hate the feel of Off, so I thought this would be great. It was, no sticky feel. It also does not work, AT ALL!!! It has no DEET. I did not know this when I bought it. I NEED DEET!

I will never, ever, ever, stray again. Never.

People, If it does not have DEET, It is just strange smelling perfume!

I must go now, I need both hands to scratch.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Oh, No, it is that look!

Do you see that look? That is the Mom-you're-such-a-dork look! WHAT!?? She is 8, 8! Way to young for the Mom-you're-such-a-dork look. She is supposed to still think I am the coolest person on the planet, that I hung the moon, that I am Superwoman! How did this happen?

They say the days go by slowly and the years go by quickly. Well, I blinked and some years flew by.

How do I get my baby to stop growing? I need some Miracle Grow for kids, only the kind that works in reverse.

I can see the teen years looming...looming...

Okay, so she's giving me the Mom-you're-such-a-dork look; that aside, isn't she the most beautiful 8 year old?

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

I Always Knowed I's Smart!

This was kind of fun. It turns I'm a Smart American after all, and we've been on World History for 3 years now.
I am looking forward to American History next year. This quiz proves that I am smart enough to teach it. (Okay, with a little help from Sonlight)


You Are a Smart American

You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed.
Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be.


Just editing to add, I don't really like that "foreigners" statement. It says I'm not a Dumb American, but makes me sound like an egotistical one! :o)

I don't want to alienate all 3 of my readers who aren't from 'round here. :o)

4 TO 6 WEEKS!

I shipped off one of my best friends yesterday.



My cordless phone started acting strangely yesterday. It would not hang up. I would hit the off button and put down the handset thinking all was well, only to find out when I went to make a call later, the phone had been off the hook the entire time. The only way I could disconnect the call was to go unplug the base from the wall. This was rather inconvenient being that usually I was not anywhere near the base while making a call. This is the beauty of the cordless phone after-all. Not only was in inconvenient to go all the way to the base, but the base was plugged into the wall behind my dresser; moving this dresser was very inconvenient.

I went to the VTech website to try to find some magic solution to this mystery. I went through their 50 step troubleshooting plan…nothing.

So, I call the company. They said my phone should not be doing this, especially since it is only 6 weeks old. (No, really?) They said I must send it back; they will fix it or send me a new one. It will take 4 to 6 weeks. 4 TO 6 WEEKS, PEOPLE!!!

I packed up my beloved phone and sent it off this morning with my dh. Now I have ONE phone. It is attached to the wall, with a CORD!! It does not tell me who is calling before I answer the phone. I must answer the phone blind. BLIND, PEOPLE! What if it is someone I don’t want to talk to? What if it is the election people, again? What if it is the Association for the Betterment of Battered Mice wanting a donation? I WON’T KNOW UNTILL I ANSWER!

It gets worse; I now have no answering machine either. Not only won’t I know who called by looking on my magic phone handset, but no one can leave me a message. People will call over the next 4 TO 6 WEEKS! and I will not know about it AT ALL!

I vaguely remember the days before caller ID, cordless phones and answering machines. I remember having to run to the phone on the wall and try to answer it before they hung up. I remember the acute disappointment when it was not my husband or my best friend. It was the guy from the local paper wanting to sell me a subscription.

I am not sure I can hang on for 4 TO 6 WEEKS! How did we ever survive without cordless phones, caller ID, and answering machines?

Ask me in 4 TO 6 WEEKS!

Monday, May 7, 2007

Why Women Take So Long in the Public Bathroom

This very funny story was sent to me by one of my lovely Bible Study ladies. I just thought it was too funny not to share...enjoy!

When I was a little girl, my mother would take me into the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat. Finally, she'd instruct, "Never, NEVER sit on a public toilet seat. Then she'd demonstrate "The Stance," which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. By this time, I'd have wet down my leg and we'd have to go home to change my clothes.

That was a long time ago. Even now, in my more "mature years, "The Stance"
is excruciatingly difficult to maintain, especially when one's bladder is full.

When you have to "go" in a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women that
makes you think there's a half-price sale on Nelly's underwear in there. So, you wait and smile politely at all the other ladies,who are also crossing their legs and smiling politely. You get closer and check for feet under the stall doors. Every one is occupied. Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter. The dispenser for the new fangled "seat covers"(invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook if there was one - but there isn't - so you carefully but quickly hang it around your neck (mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and ssume "The Stance."

Ahhhh, relief. More relief.

But then your thighs begin to shake. You'd love to sit down but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance" as
your thighs experience a quake that would register an eight on the Richter scale. To
take your mind off of your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be
the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice
saying, "Honey, if you would have tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN
there was no toilet paper!"


Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on
yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet.

"Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle, and sliding down, directly onto the insidious toilet
seat. You bolt up quickly, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom
has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had
taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she
knew, because you're certain that her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat
because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it
flushes, sending up a stream of water akin to a fountain that suddenly sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for
fear of being dragged off to China.

At that point, you give up. You're soaked by the splashing water. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket, then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and, at this point, no longer able to smile politely.

One kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long asthe Mississippi River! (Where was it when you NEEDED it??)

You yank the paper fromyour shoe, plunk it the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this."

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has since entered, used and exited the men's
restroom and read a copy of War and Peace while waiting for you. Annoyed, he asks,
"What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who have ever had to deal with a public restroom (rest??? you've got to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what
really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked question
about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other woman can hold the
door and hand you Kleenex under the door.

7 Random Things Meme

*****UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF POST*****

I have been tagged by Halfmoon Happenings. I have to say that I am totally relieved to be tagged Tokay. I seem to have hit a blogging wall. I was blogging about milk cap rings the other day, for goodness sake!
So here goes…seven totally random things.

1. I bite my nails. I know, what a horrible habit. I have bitten my nails all my life. I can remember biting them so much as a child they would bleed and sting, and throb. Nuts Huh? I don’t bite them like that anymore, but If I don’t have my fake nails on, my nails split and I bite them. So I usually have pretty, purchased nails.

2. I don’t like water. I love coffee, coke and tea. In order to be friendly to my kidneys I only drink 2 cups of coffee, and one Coke Zero (love that stuff) a day. The rest of the day I drink tea. It is not too sweet, and I make it with decaf tea bags so my Dr. said it counts as water, whew!

3. I have Fibromyalgia. I hate Fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago. I have had strange undiagnosed pain in my hips since I was 20. I have been tested for just about everything under the sun over the last decade or so and stumped all the doctors. A little over a year ago the pain suddenly went everywhere and they tested me for Fibromyalgia. Bingo.

4. I have 4 kids. I always wanted at least 6. After baby #4 and no $. DH said no more. I was very sad and mourned no more babies. Now that I look back I can see God’s hand in it. I can’t imagine having a baby or toddler with Fibromyalgia. I do still miss babies, but I am really enjoying my older kids and I wonder if I would be able to enjoy where they are in life right now If I had a baby in tow. Not to mention on the days where I’m In a lot of pain, they would have to help, a lot.

5. I hate spiders. I mean really hate. Like as in certifiable paranoia. Once I screamed and flailed and almost brought down the shower curtain because a spider was on me in the shower. DH walked in and calmly asked, “Spider?” Seriously, if we had a camera on me when I thought there was a spider on me we could win great gobs of $!

6. I met my dh when I was in 6th grade! We did not start dating for a few years but I knew him. He was an older brother of a guy in my youth group. I thought he was hot! (BTW, I was right)

7. I read, A LOT. I love to read. I love, love, love, books. I twirl my hair, just like my grandma when I read. I keep a book list and I run somewhere between 75 and 100 books a year. DH asks me to please read a few less books and do a few more loads of laundry. :o)
I will think on who I am going to tag. Later today I’ll add my tagees.

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!.

*****UPDATE*****
Because I am having decision issues today, I have decided to take the easy way out. I really want to hear 7 random things about all of you!
So if you're reading this consider yourself tagged! You're IT!
Now, leave me a comment telling me you're playing and I'll come read 7 Random things about you.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

The Invisibility Phenomenon and the Tooth Fairy.

I want to talk about those little plastic milk rings. You know the ones; those obnoxious things that insure that the lid of the milk jug will not suddenly pop off in transit and spill that precious white liquid out before it can reach the store.

I am convinced within myself that these little nuisances are invisible to the eye of anyone under 15. I don’t really know when they become visible to the eye. It is sometime between 15 and adulthood. When It happens I’ll let you know. It is as if, once removed from the milk jug, they disappear into thin air. Poof! Just like that.



Only that is not what really happens. If you are an adult you know what happens…it ends up on the floor. I think there is a progression. It comes off the jug, and the children think it goes poof, but really it falls to the counter. Sometime in the next few minutes it falls to the floor. Then it gets kicked around for a while until someone over 15 walks into the room and picks it up and throws it away.



This is the strangest phenomenon. When asked, all children in the room will deny any knowledge of said plastic ring.

I have seen this same phenomenon in play with all kinds of trash. I have conducted an experiment. I saw a piece of wadded up paper on the floor in the hallway. I did not pick it up. I did not yell at anyone else to pick it up. I did not interrogate the entire family to find out who put it there. I noted the date, and waited…and waited…and waited. 3 weeks I waited, until I could wait no more. You see, that hallway had been vacuumed 6 times during those 3 weeks. By 3 different children. And still the piece of paper remained. When questioned, not one of those 3 children remembered seeing the piece of wadded up paper. I have surmised that it is trash in general that is invisible to the eye of anyone under 15.

To further complicate my experiment, I have noticed this invisibility phenomenon also seems to relate to some non-trash items like pencils. We have homeschooled in some form or another for 10 years and I have seen this problem skyrocket. No matter how many pencil holding devices I buy or systems I put it place, pencils continue to pop up in odd places, like the floor…in the bathroom. Why? I don’t think I want to know.



I thought I had the invisibility phenomenon beat this year, at least the pencil aspect of it. I bought each child their own color pencil. Just FYI, finding 4 different color pencils was quite a trick. But I did it. And it worked…for a while.

When ever I saw a pencil on the floor I could know immediately whose it was. What a wonderful solution, until…one child ran out of his color pencil. I scoured the stores for purple pencils, they were everywhere in September, but could not be found now. So I had to add another color into the mix. Then as the year wore on, they would get other pencils, cute ones with cars or Barbie on it. But once it hit the floor, suddenly it belonged to no one; it could no longer be seen by anyone under 15.

I think the root of this problem is the Tooth Fairy…now hear me out. We teach our littlest, most impressionable of children that when they put a piece of trash (an old tooth) under a pillow, a fairy comes and takes it away for them, and even leaves them money!



I think this begins a deep seeded belief in fairies, I think…the root of this whole invisibility problem, is that my kids believe in the Trash Fairy.

Ladies and gentleman, I’m here to tell you, I did not like being the Tooth Fairy and I definitely don’t like being the Trash Fairy.

I am in search of an antidote to this Invisibility/Fairy Phenomenon. If I find it, I’ll pass it on for the good on mankind.

If you have one, please oh please tell me what it is!

Friday, May 4, 2007

R.I.P


No, not THAT kind of R.I.P.
Reading. In. Public.
Do you do it? Why or why not?


I have nothing fun or inspiring to say today. We had open house at our homeschool Co op last night, after a day of teaching at the co op. So I am TIRED. After full days
like that I tend to be a bit on the achy side. Thank you ever-so-much, Fibromyalgia.

So instead of my usual oh-so-inspiring comments, I bring you this Meme. I love books so this seemed like a good one. If you would like to participate go to Booking Through Thursdays. Yes I know today is Friday, but I was busy yesterday, and better late than never, right?

So here goes, YES! I absolutely Read in Public! I read in line at Wal-Mart. I read at co op between classes, I read in line at the bank; in fact I read in any line. I have even been known to read at a long red light! I try not to read at family gatherings because, well that would be rude. I try to be sensitive and not read when I should be paying attention to someone or something. I know it would be rude to read, no matter how good the book, at my Mother In Law’s birthday party, or during church, even if the guest preacher is a bit boring. Sometimes I am tempted to read when I should not. I try to be good. I just love books so very much!

Think about it, what other thing can take you, in your mind, to another reality, time or place? Or let you meet people who never existed or who are long dead? If you do those things without the benefit of a book, I think they call it a mental illness!

I think I got started having a book with me at all times when my kids were babies. I often put them down for naps at others’ houses and would sit in the room with them till they went to sleep. Sometimes I’d look up from a particularly good book and realize that my baby or toddler was fast asleep, and probably had been for some time.

Books even go before fashion for me. One of the main things I look for in a good purse is, is it big enough for my book? I will never buy a purse that a book won’t fit into. I am doomed to a life with a huge purse, but that is okay, because I love books so much, I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Where in the world are the responsible adults?

Would you like to see yet another reason why I homeschool?

Last year we heard that one of the Algebra teachers at our local high school (the one my son would have had were he in public school) was arrested for being a notorious seriel rapist in a neighboring city.

Now this. This is my school. This is where I went to school. This is where my kids would go to school. This is not local news, no this is national. This is what my little town gets on the map for.

After you watch an 11 second creepy ad for a new television show, you can see an ever more disturbing school fight. If you can get through the first few seconds, you'll hear an interview of a "responsible adult" not taking responsibility.

But let me tell you…the fight goes on and on and on. That is one of the reason it hit national news. Where in the world were the teachers to break up such actions.

Okay, so we have some bad days around this homeschool once in awhile. But now I am feeling pretty good about my choice to continue homeschooling my highschooler.

UGH, and again, where are the parents? Where are the teachers? Is anyone responsible for our youth anymore?

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

The things you learn from teens.

I have a funny story to tell you. This happened a few years ago, but something reminded me of it yesterday, and like the good blogger that I am, I thought, I must blog that!

So here’s the story. A friend of mine walked into a bar…sorry, wrong story. A friend of mine went in to a Christian book store looking for a CD for her husband. Now for you to really get the humor, you must let me describe my friend. She’s a little thing from Mississippi; accent and all. She’s cute as a bugs ear, as they say in the south.

She goes to the lady behind the counter, an older lady who owns this establishment, (it is a mom and pop shop, not one of those chains) and the lady asks my friend if she can help her find anything.

My friend replies, “yes, I’m looking for a CD for my husband, something like Devil Chasers, or Demon Catchers, Satan Searchers…something like that.” (All said in her cute lil Ol’ Miss’ippi accent)

The little old lady’s eyes bug out of her head and she replies, “Honey, this is a Christian book store, we don’t carry anything like that.” I’m certain at this point she and her little ol’ husband, who’d come on the scene, were thinking of throwing her down on the ground and saying “Devil, come OUT!” or throwing Holy Water on her or something.

But before this embarrassing event could transpire, a teen walked up (presumably the summer help) and said, “Oh, you mean Demon Hunter, it’s right over here, let me show you.”

Now, I can only presume that the cute little Ol’ couple went straight back there after my friend left, and took every one of those devil CD’s off their shelf!

Personally, I would never have found myself in this situation because I have teens. My friend’s child was only 4, she is still listening to Barney in the car. Not me, no I know all about Demon Hunter. And there are others, groups like Piller, Skillet, Kids in the Way, Roper, Switchfoot, Kutless & Hawk Nelson can often be found blaring through my car.

I made the mistake of downloading the entire Windows Media Player onto my MP3 player when I first got it. I did not realize that the boys had their music on it too. And since I’ve never taken the time to take off all my teens’ crazy music off my MP3 player I have had the opportunity to listen to some of the stuff. I must say here that some of it is downright scary (I know I really sound like the MOM) but you can’t understand what they are saying, how do I know it is Christian music? You can’t understand the words!

But… and I’ll never admit this to my kids…some of it is pretty good. Like this one, and this, and this. Try it out. Your kids will be totally impressed that you know their music.

And if you end up liking Demon Hunter, don’t go to a store to get it. Just buy it online, it’s better for everyone.

Life with 12 & 15 year old boys.


They look so respectful and well behaved in that photo don't they? Hummm.

I told my boys that we are going to start writing out the Shorter Catechism for copy work this summer. So they don’t forger their cursive.

My 12yods replied, “What is the Shorter Catechism?” (I must insert here that we have talked about this before, he is a very forgetful boy. I am a good teacher and mom, I am, I am!)

I replied, “What is the Chief End of Man?” to remind him.
He said, “I don’t know, the bottom?”

My 15yods pipes up and replies “No, that is the business end”.

At that point they fell on the floor with laughter, and I left the room, hanging my head in shame.

Oh the irreverence of Teen boys!