The Beauty of Homeschooling -- A Day Off

Yup, we're taking a day off today. Actually, we're switching today for Wednesday of next week as we already had Wed - Fri scheduled off. DH has the day off. Ah, I love homeschooling and having the freedom to do such a thing!

Oh, I had grand plans for DH...go sell one of our four cars. I've only been begging him to do this for YEARS. He got mad at me (again) for suggesting that he do that today of all days. I said again, if not today, then when? We pay way too much for car insurance, especially considering he hasn't driven this car in about three years. Ugh. It sits in our driveway, cluttering our home, our neighborhood, my mind and the checkbook.

It's still cold and the wind is a blowin' something awful. No outside work today.

DH is on the couch reading. DS is in my bed reading. I'm at the computer, reading.

I don't know what we'll do with the rest of our day off. I'm thinking perhaps we'll paint the windows. I found a recipe for making window paint:

Use Tempera Paint
1. For each color of paint, mix about 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with 1/2 tablespoon of paint (the mixture should have the creamy consistency of house paint).

2. Using a different brush for each hue, paint on the window, being careful to avoid sills and woodwork.

Tips:
To remove the dried paint or fix a mistake, wipe it off with a moist paper towel.

DH said he didn't mind if we did this. (Yes, I asked his opinion. I would have done it anyway, though. lol) He's concerned about getting paint on the trim, though. I'll have to tape the woodwork really well before we start. I envision cute pumpkins and a scary witch or two. DS will probably make bats and spiders: easy art, but cool and creepy.

Today was just weird

Murphy's law was working against me today. This morning I started to do yesterday's dishes (all of 'em). They were stacked in the sink, unrinsed. I usually rinse. There were even some on the counter. It was definitely a full dishwasher load.

I turned on the water, started rinsing, and the sink clogged up. The disposer wouldn't work. Shoot. What a mess. I called DH at work. He wasn't happy.

It was C~O~L~D in Minnesota today. When I got up, I turned the radio on. The announcer informed me snow was on the ground and that it was a whopping 24 degrees out. There go my flowers! The kitchen was 62 degrees. I confirmed the radio's report by taking my dog outside. Brrrrrr.

After the dog was in, the coffee was made, I trudged down the stairs to turn the furnace on. Flipped the switch, climbed back up the stairs, and turned the thermostat on. Nothing. Oh, for the love of Pete. Nothing. I trudged back down the stairs, stood next to the furnace and heard a clicking. Click, click, click. Shoot. I called my DH. I asked him if he wanted me to call the furnace guy. No, he'd look at it over the lunch hour.

Did I mention it was 62 degrees in the kitchen?

I woke Thomas up. Luckily I had bought him a pair of fleece jammies for his birthday. He was in those. He was so cold that he put a big sweatshirt and sweat pants on -- on top of his jammies. He wore the hood.

We ate breakfast and started school. Funny, in this cold, I actually felt good. I hadn't felt this good in a very long time. The swelling in my foot was gone, for the first time in two months. It was either the cold or the fact that I did not take a sleeping pill last night.

The noon hour came quickly. He looked at the furnace, couldn't figure it out, and told me not to call, that he'd check it out after work. He ignored the sink. Yeah, that's okay, I don't need to do dishes. He was a sweetie and told me he'd take me to dinner tonight.

Thomas had an "on" day with school. He did more work today than he did the last two days put together. Maybe that cold was good for him, too.

DH got home from work and went straight for the sink. Wouldn't you know it, he got it unclogged in about two minutes. The disposer was working again. I don't think he did anything other than turn it on.

Then he went downstairs to the furnace. He vacuumed the thing out and tried it. Nothing. I brought him a flashlight and he just started laughing. It seems when the air conditioner repairmen were here this summer (of which we had THREE different companies) one of them turned the switch inside the furnace to the off position. We never do that, only the outside switch. So he turned in on and.....ah, warmth.

DH was relieved that he didn't have anything major to do, no headaches, no cursing. I was relieved everything was working. DH lied down on the couch, snuggled up under a Biederlack blanket, and fell fast asleep.

Me, I got on the internet instead of doing dishes.

All is well in my world, the heat is working, the sink is draining, Thomas did an awesome job with school today, and no cooking for me tonight!

Candidates for Mayor

Last night, minding my own business while shopping at Kmart, this guy came up to me. I was looking at pumpkin cake pans. He started talking about the pumpkin cupcake pans next to them. He talked and talked.

I'm thinking to myself...I'm fat, I'm in sweats, I haven't touched my makeup since early in the morning, he's not coming on to me, but WTF does he want??? (Yes, I thought the "F" word, it was so weird.) He kept chatting away, very nice, then all of a sudden he says...I have something for you. He reaches into his back pocket slowly. I kept thinking...I have to be safe, I'm in Kmart, for crying out loud. He pulls out a brochure. Whew. He's running for mayor.

He then proceeds to BS me for about 15-20 minutes. He was very nice, but also very uneducated. I just have a thing about people using poor grammar. It bugs me. Not that mine is perfect, far from it, but ain't ain't a word, ya know? lol Trying to put that aside, I listened to what he had to say. He was a rebel and wanted to make changes in our unprogressive little town. I kind of liked his spirit.

I did catch him in a falsehood -- or an uneducated assumption. He mentioned the place my husband works, not knowing I have an affiliation with it, and that their salaries aren't any higher because there is no competition in town. I smiled my evil grin and asked him if he was positive that no competition had any relevance? Oh, yes, he assured me.

Then I let him know that it didn't. I told him that the company is a Fortune 500 company, it is international, and there are three divisions in the United States. My husband would make the same no matter where he lived. That's just poppycock. And it is.

Gosh, get your facts straight before you start throwing stuff out in your campaign.

I checked his website out when I got home. Let's just say he's not a good testament to our local public schools. Every plural word he used he spelled with 's. Yup, an apostrophe S. He spelled economy "ecconomy." Actually, he had tons of misspellings. No, I won't hold all that against him, but it still gets under my skin. Hire a proofreader, for crying out loud.

So fast forward to early this afternoon. Thomas and I are snuggled in bed for reading. Okay, I admit, I'm napping and he just started Little Town on the Prairie. All of a sudden BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM -- someone is pounding on the door! Scared the you-know-what out of me. My dog went crazy. I actually had another WTF moment.

I get up, peek out the window, and no one is there. I open the door. Not a soul. I did find a brochure. Another mayoral candidate. Sheesh.

When my hubby got home, I told him about it. I told him it really ticked me off that the guy pounded on my door. I said the only time anyone pounds on my door is -- well, no one pounds on our door. I told DH that I was going to shoot off an email.

Before I emailed, I read his brochure. I liked it. He had a proofreader, that's for sure. lol I agreed with the few things mentioned on the brochure.

So I composed my email. I told him we had a doorbell and that I thought the pounding was very rude. Then I switched, told him one little problem with our city -- tiny, but something people of importance might not know about. Then I asked him his party affiliation.

Five minutes after I shot the email off, the phone rings. It's mayoral candidate number two. Apologizing profusely. Mrs. Straight, I'm so sorry, that was me. I did knock on your door. (He pounded.) He said he did that because doorbells don't always work. I'm thinking to myself it would be smart to try the doorbell first. We chatted a little bit. He didn't know about my little problem and was thankful that I mentioned it.

One of the questions I asked him in the email was his party affiliation. He told me that didn't matter for the position of mayor. I told him it mattered to me, because we need a progressive mayor for our city, and open-minded mayor, and someone who is an ultra-conservative (which our town is full of) won't be as open minded as an independent or moderate. He then told me he was a republican, but that he had democrats working on his campaign. I checked it out, it's true. So that tells me he'll be an open minded mayor. (Hopefully.)

I don't know who I'm going to vote for yet. I do know this: Mayoral candidates are a pain in the neck. The guy last night took up so much time that I didn't have time to leave Kmart and go to another store that closed at 9pm. Darn it all, I absolutely needed a new Yankee candle. And who in their right mind goes to Kmart, pretending to shop, but in actuality it is a guise to campaign. On top of that, he was going on and on about the crime problem in our little city. The crime here is horrible. I started laughing when he said that. I told him he needs to move to a big city if he wants crime. He said that we have actually had a few murders through the years and there was recently a stabbing. Now those things are awful, but I had to open my mouth again. I told him I was a court reporter for 11 years and that I had sat through more murder trials than I care to admit. I told him our community is very safe. And it is. As much as I hate this town, the one thing I will say about it is that it is very safe.

The guy today violated the peace of my home. You just don't pound on doors. It's rude.

Oh bother. I will stay informed and watch the televised mayoral debate tonight. Maybe then I can make a good decision.

One more thing tonight

I just can't shut up tonight.

Last week I ordered Megawords by EPS publishers. Yet another stab at the spelling monster.

We've done several lessons.

Guess what? I can almost see that lightbulb going off above Thomas's head! He's making connections. Finally!

The first lessons are on compound words. There is a big list of words at the beginning of the lesson. I ticked off the ones he didn't know when we started this chapter. It was a lot. Just the four days we've been working the program, he has figured things out and he is now only missing two words: horseback and snowshoe. He can't spell horse, for some reason...same with shoe. However, that was a huge list of words and he's got them.

It's funny because I've looked at the program in the past and thought there was too much busywork. Lots of worksheets, writing-which he hates-and stuff he calls busywork. He saw crossword puzzles in the book and balked because he doesn't like them. Guess who did his first crossword puzzle in the book today -- and was happy about it to boot.

I think we've found our magic bullet, our magic wand, our ace in the hole. I have my fingers crossed.

So far, Megawords is a huge hit!!!!

Oh, for fun I also ordered Wordly Wise 3000 at the same time. Why didn't I order that when we first started homeschooling? Another program I thought would be too much writing, too workbooky, too much like busywork. Nothing could be further from the truth. He's loving it.

Sheesh, I just love it when things go right!

Knock on wood. I don't want to jinx anything.

Frankie on politics

Thomas and I have been watching a little TV lately. What we seem to notice the most are the political commercials. We've been having lots of discussions about parties, how his father and I are 75% of the time polar opposites when it comes to politics, and how annoying the darned commercials are.

I just have to state that I had planned on voting a straight democratic ticket this year. Normally I don't vote by party, but I felt the need to do it this time. I am an independent.

That decision has changed. There is one woman, Amy Klobuchar, running for US Senate. She's a democrat. She has the most annoying commercial on TV. The darned thing plays over and over and over ad nauseum.

Thomas and I have discussed her commercial at length. We also gag every time it comes on. She has a mother talking about how Ms. Klobuchar brought her child's murderers to justice. That's fine, good job, Amy. But here's the annoying part. The commercial cuts away to other stuff, and then the same mom comes back at the end and says, "Mark Kennedy," the republican up against her, "You ought to be ashamed."

I'm thinking...why? Why should he be ashamed? What did he do personally to you to make that statement? He's standing up for his beliefs, running for office, why should he be ashamed? There's no connection to the statement. It bugs me. I just don't get the connection specifically of the victim mom making that statement.

I find it annoying. It's the kind of politics that I can't stand. Don't name call. It's childish. Really, the voters have more intelligence than you are giving them credit for. Talk issues, don't use playground language -- or rather, ahem, public school language. (Boy I had to get a homeschooler's dig in there!)

I don't think I'm going to vote for her -- all because of her commercial. If she approves that kind of thing, she's definitely not someone thinking on the same lines that I am.

Rant over. It was a learning experience for Thomas as well. We do not use the word ASHAMED in our house. It's a very powerful word that would be used only in dire cases. Shame gets you no where. Thomas is highly annoyed by it as well.

That all said, I didn't mean to put down the mom who lost her daughter. My heart goes out to you, you've suffered the greatest loss imaginable. It's just the way the commercial was put together and the amount of times it plays daily.

My stupid stunt

I went to the library tonight because one of the books I had requested on ILL was in.

The book is on ADD. I read about it on some blog, checked it out at Amazon, and put in my request to get it. It was the first book I'd seen that actually gave some ideas on what to do to help with focus.

I don't know whether Thomas is ADD or not, labels don't matter, honestly. I do know that when it comes to math, he struggles with focus. So thought I'd start doing some reading.

At any rate, when I went up to the counter, the lady grabbed the book for me. She said, "Hmmm, that must be hard." The book's title is something along the lines of Dealing with Teenage ADD/ADHD." I smiled and changed the subject. It's always been a pet peeve of mine when librarians comment on what I'm checking out. Stupid, I know.

So, idiot that I am, I left. Got to my car and could not find my keys. I had left the doors unlocked because this is small-town America, it was right in front of the door, and I knew I'd be back in two minutes. I hopped in the car, emptied the entire contents of my purse onto the seat. No keys. I literally dumped my purse. Good thing I just cleaned it out. lol

The horror of horrors...having to go back into the library to look for my keys. I hopped out, traced my steps; sadly, no keys. I went straight to the counter and asked if she had found a set of keys. She gave me the most odd look....it was absolutely priceless. Yes, the woman who commented about my ADD book two minutes prior, was judging me, probably laughing, and thinking what an idiot was. No keys.

I was embarrassed and scurried out of there. As I was walking, I looked down and tucked neatly in the side pocket of my purse were my keys. I never put them there.

So I gave the lady a good laugh. I'm sure she's thinking that I need to read the book for me! And karma biting me in the butt because I should have replied to her comment about the book instead of changing the subject.

Doesn't sound so funny reading through -- had to be there, I guess. I laughed all the way home, though. I thought the next time I go to the library and see her, I should wear a tshirt that says I suffer from ADD and CRS disease. My husband bought me a keychain years ago that says I suffer from CRS disease....can't remember shit. He bought it because I was always losing my keys.

And so it goes.

And no, I don't remember where I put my keys when I got home.

150

You copy and paste the 150 things to your blog and bold the ones you’ve done. From Carole's blog.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (Eiffel Tower, too! I'd die if I tried that today!)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne -- yuck!
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse (not horse, but dog - hit a trifecta)
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day (I pretend I'm a southern belle)
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie (No, but I was on the national news once, lol)
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo (not me, never!)
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (73 once and 35 another time, so I'm counting it)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane - my brother-in-law let me take over the controls
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (all three)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts - I didn't but my husband did and I watched
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Oh My

My sweet, dear, loving husband had had enough. He ran to the store for something really quick before the game (go Vikings!) and when he got home IT was outside.

IT is the poodle that lives next door. IT barks incessantly. It barks at leaves blowing in the wind. IT barks at me -- or any of us if he sees us inside our house! It barks every time we step outside. Every single time. Doesn't matter if IT is inside ITS house or outside. IT barks. And barks. And we can hear it, even with our doors and windows shut.

What could possibly be worse than IT? ITS owners. See, they don't stop IT from barking. Occasionally you'll hear a no-no IT but usually they just go on with what they're doing without a reprimand to IT.

I've always said there is no bad dog, only bad owners.

We have another neighbor who is a big, fat jerk. I might have blogged about him in the past. He's mean and he hates kids. He hates us. He hates himself. Anyway, the jerk was talking to another neighbor, who just happens to be ITS uncle. (ITS mom lives across the street and two houses down from her sister.) For some reason, they were in our driveway talking. At any rate, I was sitting at my kitchen table, minding my own business, eating my lunch when they started talking. I heard everything they said. Seems the jerk is furious over IT. The jerk hates IT. So does ITS uncle. They moaned about it for ten minutes -- in my driveway. At first I chuckled, because I had been validated. ITS barking drives me insane. Then it scared me that I actually had something in common with the JERK other than both being human. (Although his humanity is questionable, tee-hee.)

So today, my husband ran to the store to get some pop before the game. He pulls up in the driveway, gets out and IT starts up. Yap, yap, yap. I looked out the window, ITS mom and dad were out there and neither of them stopped what they were doing to stop IT.

Husband, in his very loud and scary voice yelled: SHUT UP. Then he slammed our garage door.

ITS mom and dad just continued what they were doing. I, of course, told my husband that he shouldn't do that, that if the dog bothers him he should go speak to them in a civil manner. He said he was sick of the dog and didn't care.

There comes a point in time where civility goes out the window. I was really upset that he didn't exhibit the manners I thought should be used. Then I got to thinking. These people have lived here for a year. That dog barks at us continuously -- to the point that we can't go outside. I have talked to ITS dad, who is actually very nice. He will usually take the dog in their house after it has been barking for awhile. I know he gets frustrated with the dog. He's told me how the dog gets upset and pees on their carpet and furniture. (Ewwwww) The uncle, who babysits the dog, has told me how the dog chewed up his carpet. This summer I couldn't take our dog out to potty after 10 pm because they go to bed then and leave their window open. Their dog would bark at us out the window. I was worried about waking them. (What was I thinking???)

What can you do? Screaming shut up won't get the point across -- but the dog did shut up for a moment.

Our city has an ordinance that if a dog barks for 15 minutes, you can call the police. I really hate to do that. I don't want to. But it's come to the point that it may be necessary.

Friday Thomas and I were working on an art project in our schoolroom. We were both standing up while working on this project. The neighbors were in their back yard working. That dog saw me through the window and started barking. I was in the privacy of my own home getting barked at by the neighbor's dog.

Today is a beautiful day. I need to rake leaves. I'm not out doing it. Why? Because it is outside and it will start barking.

There are two sounds that are extremely unsettling to me: A baby crying and a barking dog. A baby crying makes me want to pick it up and love it. A dog barking just frazzles my nerves.

Shut up, IT, shut up.

Proof positive

Your Depression Level: 16%

You aren't depressed, and you probably already knew that. Like everyone else, you have ups and downs. But unlike most people, you've mastered keeping your mood stable.

Are You Depressed?

10 years ago

You've Changed 48% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person. You're clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

Ten years ago I knew that you're was a contraction for you are. I still know it today. Do they ever proofread at blogthings? Sheesh.

Global Warming

Sick Day

I'm taking a break...from lying in bed.

I awoke this morning feeling icky. I had promised Thomas cinnamon rolls, so we popped them in the oven. I ate a couple, as did he. We started school. About 10:30, I simply had to lie down.

I have some bug and have been sick. Without getting descriptive, the kind of sick where you aren't lying down too long.

UGH yuck yuck yuck

I am whiner, hear me whine.

I went to the fridge to get a pop and ended up getting ticked instead. The husband drank it all. Damn. I could really use something carbonated right now. Jerk.

My internet addiction led me to the computer to check email and blogs. (Simply have to get my mind off things, ya know.)

Thomas did all his schoolwork that he doesn't need my help with or my instruction. He then climbed in bed with me to read. This afternoon I think I'll have him read some more.

I'm going back to bed.

I might attempt to get a pop first.

We might do grammar this afternoon. As payback for the husband drinking all my pop, I'm going to have him do math tonight. Thomas doesn't like math. Thomas is a royal pain when doing math. Yeah, that will serve the husband right having to do math with Thomas.

Coming up in the world

Our small town is getting bigger. Thomas and I took a little drive and determined the rumors are true, work has begun on our new WalMart SuperCenter. The newspaper confirmed it today. This past weekend, we hit city-wide garage sales and then had lunch at our new Wendy's, which I don't think is even a year old yet. It was an educational lunch, as the three of us ate our lunch staring out the window, watching the brick workers doing their brick work on our new Starbucks. Because dad was along, Thomas was able to learn all kinds of terms that I wouldn't have known or thought to share with him. It was fun to watch.

I've been thinking about all our progress. One thing I hated upon moving to this tiny town was lack of shopping. I know WalMart is controversial, but I am thrilled. Our town has a very small Kmart and a very small Shopko. We must drive 20 miles to hit a WalMart, and I wouldn't even describe that as very small -- shoe box is how I usually refer to it. Anyway, I don't know that a fast food joint, a coffee shop and a WalMart Super Center are "good" progress -- but I know two of the three will make my life happier.

I worked at Wendy's while I was in college. Yes, back when the phrase "Where's the beef" was popular, those TV commercials were running nonstop. It used to drive us nuts, all the people who were just so clever walked in and asked us, "Where's the beef?" We had to wear those stupid buttons, too. I wish I had kept mine, I bet it would be worth $5 on Ebay today. Anyway, I am partial to a Wendy's hamburger. Whenever we used to hit "civilization" or in other words, a town of relative size, I always wanted to eat at Wendy's. Now it's five minutes from my house. And I don't even abuse it. I probably go once a month, if that.

Starbucks. I don't think I've ever had a Starbucks coffee. My sister may have bought one for me while we were visiting my dad in Colorado, but I'm not sure. At any rate, I'll call myself a Starbucks virgin. I used to make fun of people paying $3+ for a cup of coffee. Why, I can buy a whole can of Folgers for that on sale. That was my justification -- make my envy go away with a frugal comment. I am excited to have an expensive cup of coffee every once in awhile -- as long as it's good. I asked some friends awhile back for recommendations. I don't want to go into Starbucks and look like a virgin. I want to know what I'm talking about. Well, I know I'll go in there looking like an idiot anyway. I like very strong coffee. (I use six scoops in my Bunn coffee maker! 2 regular and 4 unleaded, always Folgers.) I like cream. I used to use the powder, but have switched to fat-free half and half. If I make a pot in the evenings, it's still as strong but all decaf. (Gee, think this influences my insomnia???) I love my coffee, and I'm anxious to try Starbucks. So I guess it's a good thing, unless I become addicted, then I'll have to worry about my wallet.

Progress. Now if only we could get some liberals here, get out of our 50-year-behind-the-times lifestyle that people in this small town are stuck in, that would be *real* progress.

I need some recommendations

Our microscope just isn't working out. It's a few years old, but it was cheap. Basically, it's junk.

Today we tried looking at skin cells and neither Thomas nor I could see. When DH came home, he took it apart, cleaned the lenses, and it still didn't work. You get what you pay for. We paid under $100 for this thing and it wasn't worth that much.

We need a new one. Something under $200. We need something that will last years. Something that is good -- well, as good as can be for that price.

DH told me to start researching, to check Carolina Biological, Edmund Scientifics, and I thought I'd check out homesciencetools.com as well.

I'm clueless, though. Thought I'd ask for recommendations first.

Thanks!

Sunday night ugh

I did not seem to get refreshed over the weekend. I need another day to rest before starting in on school, but I know that won't happen.

My insomnia was in full force and effect last night. I was up until 4:30 am and finally drifted off to sleep after 5. DH gets up at 5, even on the weekends, and we talked a little when he got up. I slept until 2. Yup, 2 in the afternoon. I woke up with the nastiest headache that I couldn't shake. Whine, whine, whine. Didn't get hardly anything done on my to-do list today. Monday will be rough here because of it.

Finally around 5 pm my husband noted that I had not had any caffeine today. He made me a pot of coffee. Amazing, after lots of pill popping, a head massage by both DH and Thomas, it was a cup of coffee that took that nasty headache away. Thank goodness.

Once alert, I sat and did Sudokus and watched the last half of North Country. Good movie, only I'd like to see the first half!

I did manage to order some new books. I ordered three books from Amazon. Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations -- to teach me how to interact with people. Well, to teach me how to deal with a-holes. I'm not good at it, but now that I'm older and wiser, I'm standing up to people. I just want to learn to come across less bitchy and more effective. These books were recommended to me by an awesome speech teacher who is starting up a coaching business as well. So I'm anxious to get those.

I also bought a silly little book that had an Amazon 5-star rating with almost 200 positive reviews. I think some of them are shill reviews, but they can't all be. The Easy Way to Stop Smoking. From what I gather, it's a cognitive therapy-type approach, or a brainwashing, to help you learn to stop smoking. Let's see, in the past I've tried gum, patches, cold turkey, and have been prescribed Welbutrin but didn't take it because I heard nasty things about the drug. I've even tried putting a rubber band on my wrist and snapping it every time I wanted a cigarette. I've tried chewing on pencils, suckers, hard candies, too. None worked. So I'll give this a shot. I figure one of these times it's got to work. Either that or my I'll just continue to feel like a failure. Damn, I hate addictions. This is why I do not drink alcohol. Addictive personality.

I also placed a small order at Rainbow. We're still struggling with spelling, and after looking at tons of recommendations, sites, programs galore, my try will be with Megawords. We'll try it a few weeks and see if I need to do a weekly spelling list, and if we do, I have one printed from Everyday Spelling. Ugh. Thomas is a good rule follower, and I think Megawords will present the rules well enough for him plus giving him some practice. Time will tell.

Broke down and bought Trail Guide to US Geography, too. I just don't have the time to figure out an organized program with Mapping the World by Heart -- right now.

Thomas was rather cute when I told him I bought some new supplies. He said, "Wow, thanks, mom, for taking care of me and providing me with the supplies I need." lmao... In the next breath he gave me his birthday request list. Butter me up, kiddo. He's learning. ;-)

Here I sit on the computer with several loads of laundry that need done, trash that needs emptying, dishes that need washed, menus that need planned, floors that need vacuumed.

Time to do a 30-minute crazed woman sweep then taking a sleeping pill and hope it will knock me out.

Ugh.

He works so hard

He really does work hard.

The darned cat follows us everywhere! On this occasion, the cat started flapping his tail into Thomas's pencil. Thomas was highly annoyed but got over it quickly.

Loving kitty.

Loving kiddo.

In case

Just in case someone is reading my blog but not the comments, I thought I'd share here what Becky and Julie found out.

The owner of blogPot.com has it set up so you can type anything in front of blogpot and go to his site. Just miss one little S and you're going to face that. So secular homeschoolers and/or Pearl "haters" aren't being targeted. It's everyone.

I read further that this same crackPot (great name, Becky!) also bought the right to blogpsot.com, but I couldn't get any of the URL's from blogspot blogs to work there.


Sick.

Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick.

I found more...

http://adventuremouse.blogpot.com/

http://asmallcornerofnowhere.blogpot.com/

http://escapadesfinnslinky.blogpot.com/

http://homeschoolalong.blogpot.com/

http://lifewithheathens.blogpot.com/

http://lightingthefires.blogpot.com/

http://mylittlesoapbox.blogpot.com/

http://mom2radata.blogpot.com/

http://harmsinoz.blogpot.com/

http://deskfullofclutter.blogpot.com/

http://laneygardner.blogpot.com/

http://twicebloomed.blogpot.com/

If you want to check your blog, make sure that you have just the blogpot.com address and nothing after. I originally thought Audrey and Sam had not been splogged, but then realized that their main page to their blog had "index" in the address. When I took that off, I found their splog.


Now here's my big question: Has blogPot taken over all blogspot blogs? I ask because I found many blogs I read, that are not homeschool related, to also have their own blogPt versions.

Well, I've given way too much time to this matter.

Back to school.

Too much time on your hands

Someone out there has too much time on her hands.

A friend visited my blog and wrote to me to let me know it was taken over. As it turns out, it was not taken over but it was "splogged." Someone out there with way too much time on her hands has started a new blog with the "S" omitted from blogspot. The splog site takes you to a very Christian webpage.

The website is called blogPot.com.

I got to thinking, I wonder if some of my blogging-world friends got spogged.

Yup. I only checked a few of my blog friends, but here is the list with the FAKE addresses.

(The content on all the blogs is the same as on the original blogPot.com page.)

http://kitchentablelearners.blogpot.com
http://farmschoolathome.blogpot.com/
http://docssunriserants.blogpot.com/
(notice they didn't use the correct address?)
http://evilmissyrants.blogpot.com/

http://hair-brainedmind.blogpot.com/

http://thehouseofus.blogpot.com/

http://mothercroneshomeschool.blogpot.com/

http://progressive-homeschool.blogpot.com/

http://classicalcynicism.blogpot.com/

http://thoseweirdhomeschoolers.blogpot.com/
http://onejellydonutplease.blogpot.com/

Well, splog might not be the correct term, but we've been copied, that's for sure.

Comments, anyone???

Mud

Thomas played with some long-time friends last week. They are also homeschoolers. They live next to a creek. The kids were all filthy! What is it about a creek and kids? Instant fun -- hours of fun.

Thomas had already hosed off before I saw him. He only had mud remaining on his face. His clothes were soaked.

This was a play date that will stay with him forever. He talked about it all weekend. He even asked this question:

"Mom, would you and dad consider relocating? And if you would, could we please buy a house next to a creek?"

I wish we could. I love to let him play, explore and get filthy dirty. That's what makes a happy child.

Poor Wyoming

Wyoming is so misunderstood.

I was born in Wyoming. I lived in that state until I started the seventh grade. I have countless friends and relatives still living there. It has a beauty that is like no other. Some of it is barren. You can see for miles and miles. There are antelope. Lots of antelope. There are beautiful mountains. The wind blows. And blows. And blows. I recently read that Cheyenne, not Chicago, is the real windiest city.

Why do I think Wyoming is misunderstood? Well, I decided to print out state maps for Thomas, because we still haven't done a "good" state study. I went to enchantedlearning.com because it is a great website. Well, much to my dismay, I found their Wyoming state map. I didn't like what I saw.

Enchanted Learning's Wyoming map

Go ahead, take a second and look at my beautiful Wyoming.

So if you don't know anything about Wyoming, what would you think by looking at this map? That the entire state has mountains!

Wrong.

Here's a physical map of Wyoming.

See the difference?

Yes, Wyoming has mountains -- beautiful Mountains. But it also has "flat" land. Not flat like Kansas, but the type of land you can see for miles and miles. Desolate, barren, antelope-filled, wind-swept prairie land.

I googled some photos of the Wyoming I know:

photo one Does this look like a mountain? There are miles and miles of this!
photo two Ditto

site three: This site has a great selection of photos showing great mountains and the barren lands.

I'm just very picky. I decided to not use Enchanted Learning's maps. Wyoming isn't all mountains. I don't want Thomas thinking that it is. Well, he wouldn't, he's driven through eastern Wyoming many, many times. But...if their Wyoming map is incorrect, I wonder how many other states are? I only know a handful of states. I've been to many, but not like I know Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

I didn't bother checking any of the other state maps.

My beloved Wyoming was misunderstood and I didn't care to go further.

CBS, 9-11 and Women Firefighters

I watched the CBS 9-11 special tonight. I was glued to the television. It was so, for lack of a better term, good. I cannot put into words my thoughts and feelings about it.

However, at the end of the program, when they showed photos of all the firefighters that died, something popped into my mind. All were men. Were there no women firefighters there that day? Obviously none died, but were there women?

I'm too tired to do much research, but I did find a website with a short article. It is about Lt. Brenda Berkman. So in answer to my question: Yes, there were women firefighters on the scene.

Here's the article.

I will probably be doing more research about this in upcoming days just to satisfy my own curiosity.

I remember when women were "allowed" to become firefighters way back when. The big question was always, "Do you want a man or a "weak" woman carrying you down a ladder from a burning building?" My answer then and now: Doesn't matter, I want someone that can do the job.

I remember the day of 9-11 well. I was severely deperssed. Thomas had just started kindergarten. He had the teacher from hell. That woman was a b*tch and I do think I could say that to her face, so I feel safe saying it here. She started in immediately. She treated Thomas like garbage. She was a parent's (and child's) nightmare. Eventually after Thomas lost all self-esteem and was depressed himself, we demanded a transfer and a new teacher. Took some time to convince my husband, sadly.

The morning of 9-11, I had decided to "pull myself up by the boot straps" and get on with life. I went to my cleaning group, logged into the chatroom to say hi to my friends. We used to chat for five minutes, then clean our houses for 25, then meet in the chatroom again. It was fun. I needed them that morning to get me out of my funk. Instead, I was informed that one plane had hit the towers. I logged out of the chatroom and was glued to the television for days to come.

I was miserably depressed that year. I had a son who was suffering, a husband who was burying his head in the sand, and I was as down as I had ever been in my life. I was scared and sickened from 9-11. I think the worst thing about 9-11 was there was nothing I could do to help.

What a difference five years makes. My heart still aches, as does everyone's. There just are no words. But life goes on and we honor those who lost their lives by living ours.

Tomorrow we will have a moment of silence. Tomorrow we will discuss 9-11. Tomorrow, and forever, we will remember.

my downfall

I stole candy from a baby today. Well, actually it wasn't candy, it was the last bag of chocolate chip muffins. Darn, they're good. Poor Thomas was saving the last bag for him, but I ate it. I didn't feel guilty, either.

I wonder why I'm fat -- 250 calories, 14 grams of fat in each mouth-watering bag containing 5 muffins. Argh. Each box has four bags of muffins. Cost is $3.29, or if we're lucky and catch a sale, two boxes for $5.

I don't buy these often because they're gone in a matter of hours. I can feel pounds of fat forming on my body -- my skin painfully stretching by just eating one bag. Okay, I am exaggerating, but I know these are killers for my weight-health.

I make great muffins. I have played around with standard muffin recipes quite a bit and ended up with a mean batch of oatmeal chocolate chip muffins. I also have the very-best-in-the-world bran muffin recipe. Both my concoctions are yummy, healthy, and low in fat -- but they just aren't Hostess Mini-Muffins.

So in terms only a 10-year-old can appreciate: I got the last bag, nanny-nanny poo-poo.

I'm so evil!

COMMENTS FROM THOMAS: What a terrible person to steal from their kid! Those were mine, I'm mad! I love mom anyway.

First Week Down

Our first week of homeschooling this year is now under our belt. What did I learn?

1) I hate the spelling program that I bought and it is history. Yes, I bought Rod and Staff spelling. No, it wasn't a good fit. Yes, I knew it wouldn't be a good fit when I bought it, but for some reason I bought it anyway. Thomas tested at grade level with spelling, but he's not a good speller. We liked Sequential Spelling, but Thomas likes rules. Give him a rule and he'll remember it. Ugh. Live and learn. Back to the drawing board. I think we'll switch back to Sequential and read a spelling rules book I bought at Rainbow. I'll need to spend a bit of time tweaking this weekend.

2) Rod and Staff English is a hit. It was last year, too. I only wish that Growing With Grammar had their 5th grade program out, which we liked even better, but it's not, so Rod and Staff will have to do. We do the entire book orally. This year I am having Thomas do worksheets corresponding to the lesson. We had the worksheet book last year but I was hit and miss assigning them. I really think this is a very solid English program. (Which is probably why I tried their spelling -- I was hopeful.)

3) Math is math. Thomas hates math, although he is good math concepts. I have an entire blog entry swimming around in my head about math that I need to write. Someday soon.

4) History, world and US, is a hit. Easy for me, because both are CDs. We're loving Hakim's book on CD and we snuggle up in my bed while it plays. It's quick, it's easy, and Thomas remembers. World History we're doing SOTW. I debated doing I or II and ended up starting II. I have the activity book, but honestly, coloring sheets are not Thomas's style. I doubt we'll do much in the way of activities listed in their book, but we do have the book out when we listen to the CD because we look at the maps as the CD is playing. I'll add in map work and supplemental books to both as time goes on.

We expanded a little on the Romans in Chapter One of SOTW. I got a bunch of videos from the library and we watched those. One was on Pompeii. I was there when I was 17. What they didn't show in the video we watched was their fascination with sex. We were allowed into one room, while in Pompeii, that had all kinds of sculptures with the male human anatomy greatly exaggerated. The teacher we were with wouldn't let us into any of the other rooms -- I'm still upset over that! I'll never forget the one room, though. I don't know how one particular statute stood up -- "it" was the size of an arm. Gee, that's all I seem to remember from Pompeii. Shame on me. ;-) No, I didn't share that with Thomas. But it raced through my mind the entire time we watched the video.

Last night we watched Gladiator. Russell Crowe is so easy on the eyes, even as he's whacking someone's head off. I prepared Thomas ahead of time that it was going to be gory, violent and gross. We all loved the movie and I don't think the gore did any damage to Thomas. I can't believe that movie came out in 2000, won best Oscar, and we had not seen it yet! I'm glad I noticed it at our library.

Science needs some more work. My husband is in charge of Switched on Schoolhouse Science. He hasn't spent enough time figuring out the program and getting things assigned. It is kind of complicated for a first-time user. So that needs some work. However, I am doing science with Thomas as well. I grabbed How Science Works and we've been reading every night. I did not buy stuff for experiments and Thomas is quite upset with that. So I need to do that this weekend and hope the stuff will get here quickly.

The absolute best thing I did this year, though, was schedule really light days on Fridays. We do math and world history, plus Thomas has to read. That's it. What a luxury that is. I almost felt guilty Friday morning, but quickly got over it. This light Friday business might just keep me sane throughout the year.

We're doing lots of other stuff too, but those are the highlights. Thomas has a favorite. I bought him a logic book. He loves it, begs to do it, and will be done way too soon. I wasn't going to buy another this year, but I have changed my mind. I have to remember to encourage what he loves. He watches me do Sudoku after Sudoku, so why should he be able to do logic page after page if he wants!

This year's classroom photo

Pardon the fuzzy photo, it's a camera phone, what can I say. We did a little rearranging this year. Added was a desk that I picked up at a garage sale at an area public school for $1. The little table holding the hermit crab tank in the back corner was also $1 at the same sale. Oh, and the tank holding the hermit crabs was also $1 at the same sale! Whoops, can't forget the chair with the ugly blue chairpad on it -- also $1. I use that chair, believe it or not. It actually causes me less back pain than an adult-sized chair! It comes in very handy as a step stool, too.

The file thingamabob on my desk I got at a garage sale for a quarter. I'm so damned cheap! lol Of course I picked up tons of nice reading material at garage sales, too. Can we say tightwad? Oh, no, perhaps frugal diva might be better. Yeah, I like that one better.

I wonder if Thomas will grow up and complain about his garage-sale furnished childhood. tee-hee

We are liking this arrangement much better. It created lots more surface area in such a tiny room. I like having books on my desk. Thomas likes that his desk has compartments down the side to hold many books and his Alphasmart. Of course he doesn't like the "Tyler sucks" that was scratched into the edge of his desk. Oh well, I guess he could get the sandpaper out and erase it.

Even with our "nice" (to us, at least) classroom, I still go stir crazy in there. If Thomas had his way, he'd do all school in there. I can't. The first day of school this year we did and I found it boring, boring, boring. So we have decided to compromise and take turns picking where we'll study. I like to bounce around. Thomas will still snuggle with me when I'm reading to him, and our big chair is great for that!

This room is fantastic as it contains everything, including all homeschool supplies, all kid books, five hermit crabs, a cat that will not leave us alone, a dog that will not leave me alone, and probably a few spiders to boot.

How Strange!

I had written my last blog entry wishing I had a photo of the special puppy. Our camera is not working right, so I didn't run to snap a shot. Both DH and I just got new cell phones with cameras. Well, how strange is it that my husband, not knowing I had blogged about the puppy, took a photo of it and sent it to me!

So, here is Thomas's beloved puppy, affectionately known as Dot. We could write a book on her adventures and travels, the worst being lost in Kmart for a week. I'll save that for another day.

Heartfelt tears

One of the things I find so special and endearing about my son is he is so compassionate. That compassion runs from people to objects, but especially feelings.

Today, while he was finishing up On the Banks of Plum Creek, he burst into tears. Tears were pouring down his cheeks! I asked him what on earth was the matter. He was furious at Ma. It seems Ma made Laura give away Charlotte, Laura's beloved rag doll.

Immediately I sped back 30 years into the mid 70s, sitting on our green couch with my toes just barely touching the (ugly) green shag carpeting. There I sat bawling. Why? Because Ma made Laura give away Charlotte, Laura's beloved rag doll.

Like mother like son.

Thomas kept saying: She had no right, she had no right! What a bad parent. I told him I agreed that it was a bad decision. We discussed manners of their day, manners of our day, and why Ma did what she did. I also took his book and showed him that she apologized because she hadn't realized Charlotte meant so much to Laura. I explained that she was human and subject to err -- as we all are. I explained that I was just as horrified at what she did when I was a child (and even today!) as he was. We also discussed how it worked out in the end.

Oh, but to be forced to give away that one something special.

My special something when I was a child was a yellow Baby Beans doll. Her name was Jody Ann. (What was I thinking with that name?) After reading the above-mentioned passage, I remember hugging her tight and hoping my mom would never give her away or put her in one of her garage sales like she did so many of my toys. She didn't. Jody Ann is still in my household today. There's a picture of a doll just like Jody Ann here at the very bottom.

Thomas's special thing is a black and white Playskool puppy. He got it for Easter before he turned one and it has been with him ever since. It's been to every state Thomas has. Thomas even took it to South Carolina last fall. Although the puppy is not the constant companion it once was, "puppy" will always be a part of our home. It's his one something special.

Thomas related to Laura giving up Charlotte. To him, it would have been like giving up his puppy. To me, it would have been like giving up Jody Ann.

Thomas ended up finishing the book today after I got him calmed down. Let me just say, though, that his dad got an ear full at the dinner table about Ma's poor choice.

I wonder how many children over time that bothered. ;-)

Thomas isn't spoiled, stingy or selfish. He shares, gives things away that surprise me -- it's just that he related to the specialness of Charlotte.

Duh

Well, I feel stupid. Tuesday I peaked out the window and saw no kids at the bus stop. I was surprised by that.

This afternoon we had a weekly paper delivered at 1:45 pm by one of Thomas' former classmates. I'm thinking -- why in the heck isn't that kid in school!

At about 2:15 this afternoon, I noticed older kids outside playing. I couldn't figure it out! School started Tuesday.

Well, how soon we forget! This is our third year out of public school and I completely forget about the back-to-school conferences! The Tues and Wed after Labor Day, they hold 15-minute back-to-school conferences for all kids in K-6 here. And get this: They count both days as official school days!

On the one hand, when I was the parent of a public school kiddo, I appreciated those back-to-school conferences because Thomas got to meet his teacher, take all his crap--er, school suplies in ahead of time, and it was less scary for him. It was nice for me to meet the teacher instead of waiting for the first fall parent teacher conference.

However, I am astonished that they get to claim that as an official school day and get away with it.

So, I'm ticked that we started too soon. lol Well, not really, I guess, because we're getting a good routine going. I'll peak out the window tomorrow morning and check out the cute twins across the street as they start kindergarten...I remember Thomas at that age, and all the kids in the neighborhood. They all wore backpacks that were almost bigger than they were.

Now it seems so wrong to send such young children off into the world. I knew it wasn't right then, but didn't have a husband who was on the same wavelength as I was.

Oh well. Live and learn.

I think a party is in order tomorrow. A not back-to-school party, as I keep reading about on blogs. Maybe another run for biscuits and gravy is in order. lol Any excuse to not cook breakfast here!

First Day!

Today was our first day of 5th grade. We'd been practicing going to bed early and getting up early in anticipation. ... Like you can really practice that! It was a long, hard day -- for mom.

We did our annual biscuits and gravy breakfast. Hopped in the car right as the school bus drove by then hit Hardees. That has always been a great incentive for getting Thomas up and out of bed.

Started school at 8:10. By 11:00 I thought I was going to drop. I was sooooo tired. Thomas was working on his math and I went to lie down on my bed -- just for a few minutes. 45 minutes later Thomas woke me up asking what was next. Good grief!

The afternoon "session" was strange. We break our day and do stuff in both morning and afternoon, and the afternoon I scheduled reading time for Thomas so that I could take a nap (if needed, which sadly happens frequently.) Today we were also going to do geography and science in the afternoon. Thomas threw me a curve ball today, though. When his appointed time was up for reading, he insisted he get to read longer. He was really enjoying his book. (One of the Little House Series which he didn't finish this past summer as I had hoped.) Well, he read for an hour and a half longer than he was supposed to.

That's a good thing, right? I told my husband and he said well, he doesn't have to read tomorrow. I said bull! He has to read daily. So DH was upset we didn't do geography or science today. DH was supposed to take over science, but he didn't have anything prepared except for Thomas to identify a huge moth he caught. So tonight Thomas and I snuggled up in my bed tonight, read about matter from How Science Works and then drew maps of the world and labeled them. We have a lot of geography learning ahead of us, because sadly, neither of us did a very good job. It was fun, though, and will be great to compare today's maps to the maps we will do at the end of the year.

I took a sleeping pill a half hour ago in hopes that I'll be asleep by 11 tonight. I think we'll get up a tad bit later tomorrow morning. I'm hoping this old bird can get used to the schedule this week so I'm not dragging so badly! Thomas did fine. The rest of the week I can see me tweaking our schedule, adding and dropping some things.

All in all, I'm so happy that we said goodbye to the public school a few years ago. Homeschooling is wonderful.

Saturday Afternoon ups and downs

Thomas has been playing outside all day. I get a little worried when I don't see him zipping in and out or in the neighbor's yard, but I assume (hope!) he's fine. It's about time to call the mom down the road to see what the boys are up to.

I haven't felt like blogging at all. I have such a feeling of sadness. Sometimes, after almost 17 years of marriage, I lose touch with my husband's feelings -- or he loses touch of mine and we just tend to exist together. It runs in spurts, and I think it's a comfort thing, like wearing an old, worn pair of shoes or jeans. That feeling is gone, now, as I watch him. I can see his stress and worry on his face. His entire demeanor has changed. My heart aches for him.

Losing a parent (or anyone) is always difficult. My husband confessed it's been years since he's lost anyone. He was young when his grandparents passed. We were newly married when the final grandma passed. This one is so much closer to home.

Anyway, as my husband said the night we wept together at the Pizza Hut, it makes you appreciate those you love more. He was right. I have been flooded with feelings for my man. Even though he's testy and a little grumpy, I just feel so drawn to him right now. He hurts, therefore I hurt. I just want to hug him and make it all better.

The cowboy had a very rough night last night. We got the phone call that he may not make it through the night. He had developed pneumonia. Well, he made it through the night and is a little better today, but he's still on shaky ground. I wonder if he will ever be able to go home again -- even for a short time. I just can't imagine leaving for a doctor's appointment and cat scan and never going home again.

It's weird, but when Thomas and I were alone that night at the cowboy's house, I did dishes. They don't have a dishwasher, so I had to wash by hand. I picked up the Cowboy's coffee cup that was sitting next to his chair. I knew that was the cup he had used for his morning coffee that very morning. The thought ran across my mind: I wonder if this is his last cup of coffee here. Weird as it may seem, I almost didn't want to wash the cup. I wanted to save it and just look at it for awhile. I wanted it to give me some peace -- like he going to walk in at any minute, sit down at the table with me and have a cup of coffee together.

Life is short. Hug those you love. Even if they're grumpy, stressed, sad and worried.

One thing is true: I am looking forward to starting school. I need some certainty in my life. We start after Labor Day. I have one week to get the school room cleaned. I've been working on that all summer. lol

I wish I could say Thomas was looking forward to school. He's not. I'll be completely honest here: He never looks forward to school. It's just something he has to do. I do envy reading about kids who are excited to start. My reality is 180 degrees different. And that's okay. He's still learning.

I've got a room that needs a cleanin' calling my name.

Cowboy

To a very special cowboy.

My heart aches for you. My heart aches for your wife. My heart aches for all your very large family. My heart aches for my husband, my son and me.

We're going to be losing our cowboy sometime soon. The doctors say anywhere from two to eight months. Four words: two to eight months. Four very powerful words.

We've been out of town the past few days. We got "the" phone call last Wednesday night that B's dad was not well and was going to the doctor and for a CAT scan on Friday. Thursday we drove half way, slept, got up and stopped at Wall Drug for an hour of fun for Thomas. On the road again, we walked in B's mom's house. Cowboy and wife weren't home yet from the doctor appointment. No sooner had we walked in than the phone started ringing. It was Mrs. Cowboy, B's mom. She said that the small hospital was sending him immediately to a larger hospital via ambulance right now. She was coming home first to eat a sandwich and pack a bag, and would B please drive her over to the other hospital. I didn't want to interfere or intrude, plus I did want to shelter my son from an emegerncy room visit when things were seeming very dismal. I stayed home and went to the grocery store and bought tons of sandwich meat, bread, bananas, butter, chips and pop for B's siblings and their families as requested by Mrs. Cowboy.

Later Mrs. Cowboy and B returned looking exhausted, worried and upset. It seems the Cowboy had a bleeding brain and what appeared to be a brain tumor.

The next day everyone drove to the big hospital. That day we also learned there was a tumor in his lung as well. Then we faced the weekend where hospitals aren't very busy, tests aren't run, and things are at a snapping turtle's pace. Monday morning comes in with the hope of action, more tests and answers.

The tests and answers came today as my family was back on the road to Minnesota. We couldnt stay any longer. Tonight B received the sad news of two to eight months.

When I was alone with Thomas, I was gently honest about what was to transpire. No one in the family to this point has even mentioned the word cancer. It's beyond their grasp at the moment. Since I'm a little removed, I can say it -- with respect and sadness. Thomas and I had a long discussion about what would transpire. I knew with a brain tumor and a tumor in the lung that things were not good. The cowboy is 81 years old. I knew, I felt it. I talked. After Thomas cried and cried, I said maybe I shoudn't have told you. His eyes got huge and he said you HAVE to be honest to me, it wouldn't be fair.

The Cowboy is having moments where he's with us and then when he's not. It's sad to watch, but heartwarming when he's his old self. The day Thomas and I visited him, he was having a very bad off day. We walked in the room and he smiled and said, "Hi, Thomas!" Thomas gave him a great big hug. As a mother, I was so touched because I saw the love oozing out of Thomas in his face. Grandpa Cowboy asked him if he'd like to go get some biscuits and gravy -- a pasttime that the two boys, and B, have enjoyed in the past. Cowboy turned to me and smiled a great big grin. He then said, "You changed the color of your hair." I had to laugh! Out of all the relatives, he was the only one who noticed I had gone from golden brown to a very dark brown hair color. It made me smile and warmed me to know that he noticed that.

In the scheme of things, Cowboy has lived a long and good life. We knew this was coming as he wasn't well the past few months. But until it really hits, you don't feel it.

We're feeling the pain now.

B took Thomas and I to dinner last night to get out of the house and to be alone. We sat at a Pizza Hut and both B and I burst into tears. There we sat in a crowded restaurant, lost in our own worlds crying. I was touched because my sometimes aloof husband grabbed for my hands and said some beautiful words to me. He said this is making me appreciate those I love even more. And then the tears all started up again.

The big strong cowboy is falling and we can't catch him. Death is a part of life. But none of us are ready for the Cowboy to go. I hope (and pray) that he is not in a lot of pain. I hope that he can have a death with dignity. I wish this weren't happening.

One of my happiest memories of my Cowboy was in the late 80s, before we were married. Cowboy had invited us to his sister's house as they were branding. I soon learned branding was a very social event. While I was too timid to help catch calves, I climbed up the fence for a good view and watched the day. I grimmaced when the babies were branded because darn that had to hurt. I watched Cowboy on his horse. I knew I was watching the real thing -- the real cowboy. He helped teach young kids how to catch the calves. He taught an older cousin how to brand. He taught a niece, in medical school, how to give injections.

He wore his cowboy hat and boots with pride. I knew I was watching something special. It was a day I have never forgotten, nor have I forgotten the image of him up on his horse.

I've never seen Cowboy without his cowboy hat or boots. He always wears western wear. He knows his job, he knows his animals. He saved us from a rattle snake last summer.

Cowboy is a man of few words. He has a grin, though, with a devilish sense of humor that I have always appreciated. Cowboy and I also shared something together that no other family member could be involved on. He sat on a month-long trial as a juror in a case that I was the court reporter. I couldn't go to his house during that trial, and my judge forbade me from sending a birthday cake into the jury room on his birthday. But we had that trial we shared together. And when it was all through, we enjoyed discussing it together.

I feel so empty. I wasn't very close to the cowboy, but I liked him, he made me feel welcome into a family that I didn't always feel very welcome. He was a good man, warts and all.

Ah, cowboy, my heart is aching for you.

And so it goes

We've been trying to enjoy the last bits of summer here. The pool closes this week and we'll hit it two more times. The county fair starts today and we're going tonight. We didn't finish many of our projects for the fair and so Thomas only entered two things. Thomas designed and made a newspaper box for me. He also entered a buzzer he made in scouts. When we were at the fair yesterday entering his projects, I felt so bad that I didn't push harder to get things done.

We all vowed to enter something next year. I know I said that last year, but I really mean it. My husband is going to paint a picture. Thomas has the list of things that he was going to make for this year, and I'll have to think of something for me to enter.

We will also check out 4H. Actually, I told my husband that *he* gets that honor. I do too much with scouts, homeschool, play dates, field trips, etc. It's DH's time to take something on. To my surprise I found out that DH was in 4H when he was a kid! You learn something new every day.

All three of us are enjoying the six new hermit crabs we bought a couple weeks ago. I need to post pictures because in an ugly sort of way they are cute. I still can't hold one. I've lasted for about two seconds. I can pick them up by their shells, but they're just too creepy looking and I don't want them climbing on my hand. They are a lot of fun to watch. Many times I'll get up in the middle of the night (insomnia!) and turn the black light on and watch them. They are very active then.

Last night Thomas and I were picking up and organizing the school room. He came across his logic book, looked at the first page and freaked. What is a hertzog? I don't get it! Mom, you can't make me do this. Oh, the horror. So just for fun, I grabbed a pencil, told him to breathe and let's figure it out. I told him that when the book came I had to call dad in to help me figure out the first page. I was freaking myself because I didn't get it. Well, once he calmed down and got some oxygen in his system, I slowly read the directions and then said let's attack this head on. He looked at the page, then looked up at me and screeched: I GET IT! And he did. And then he proceeded to work the first 15 pages of our logic book within about five minutes. He wanted more, but I told him to stop because we needed to save some for school. I have a feeling I'll be buying more logic books this year. And that's okay! =)

Look! Our fantastic science experiment...

NOT.

Warning: This post shows the author has no class, no decency and extremely questionable housekeeping skills.

Further proof that I am not a domestic goddess. Went on a major grocery shopping spree and had to do a quick clean of the fridge to get it all in. This nice little item was up on its side in the far right back behind two cases of pop. Who knows how long it was there.

We all got a glimpse and said, "Cool" in unison. lol

Now if you *really* knew me, you'd know I wouldn't be showing my faulty housekeeping abilities online with photos. But I have to disprove the theory that I am a dosmestic goddess. Will this one get me off the hook?

I will admit that this was the worst thing I have ever found in my fridge in my life. But as I said, it was also cool. We all looked at it for a good five minutes. And it didn't really stink, either.

I'm ticked!

I decided to go blog hopping this afternoon. All my favorites at homeschooljournal.net (and homeschooljournal.net itself) have been hacked. I think that whoever is responsible for this ought to be stripped naked, hung by their toes in a public forum and beaten.

DeFacED By eMP3R0r Hacking Team

Sorry, but I love memes...

here's another one that I found at those weird homeschoolers.

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? Never.
2. What color are your eyes? Blue
3. When was the last time you went sledding? Last winter.
4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? Sorry, honey, but alone.
5. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes.
6. Do you consider yourself creative? Kinda/sorta
7. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie? Who cares? lol
8. Who was your first crush? 5 years old, his name was Tim. I was in the hospital with a dislocated arm and his mom was my nurse. He was in my K class and when I got back to school, we were suddenly in love.
9. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you? Of course.
10. Have you ever been ice skating? Yes, as a child and I tried two years ago. The man behind the counter at the rink laughed his butt of at me. I made one lap and gave him back the skates.


11. How often do you remember your dreams? Daily.
12. When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? The other night when I told Thomas he could not watch a certain show and caught him watching it. He was completely convinced I had said it was okay. It just struck me funny and I got the giggles.
13. Can you name 4 songs by The Beatles? Of course, and I can sing them too, but no one would want to listen as I can't sing.
14. What's the one thing always on your mind? Thomas
15. What talent do you wish you had? no clue
16. Do you know anyone in jail? Well, kind of. I was a court reporter for 11 years so I met people that were incarcerated on a daily basis. A few names and faces popped into mind that I know are serving life sentences. That's the extent of it, though.
17. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew? I don't know.
18. Have you ever been punched in the face? Nope.
19. Do you own any stuffed animals? I couldn't part with my stuffed panda that DH gave to me. He had tied a ruby ring to its bow as a gift. I gave it to Thomas.
20. Do you have a major crush on someone? Not at the moment. I do get taken with stars occasionally, though.


21. Do you miss someone right now? Well, to see in person, I suppose -- but thank goodness for the telephone.
22. What are you listening to right now? The beautiful hum of the air conditioner.
23. Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry? Hmm, Princess Diana made me sad, John Denver made me sad, but I don't think I cried. I cry for noncelebs, though, even if I don't know them -- sad stories tug at my heart.
24. What color underwear/boxers are you wearing? White.
25. Where do you work? At home.
26. What ended your last relationship? ???
27. What food do you crave right now? Nothing at the moment, just had left over spaghetti.
28. What was the last TV show you watched? Last night I watched Sex and the City.
29. What is the last thing you ate? Spaghetti.
30. Are you on any medication? Yes.


31. What side of the bed do you sleep on? That depends -- as you're looking at it or as you're in it? When I'm in bed, I'm on the right side.
32. What color shirt are you wearing? A gray t-shirt.
33. What is your favorite frozen treat? Ice cream shakes made by Thomas. That's his specality.
34. How many tattoos/piercing do you have? Ears are pierced, never wear earrings though.
35. Can you imagine yourself ever getting married? Again? No. If my husband were to leave, by whatever means, I'm done.
36. Have you ever done something to instigate trouble? Of course.
37. Do you like your nose? Don't care? It works, so I'm happy.
38. What color is your bedroom? Purple and white.
39. Where do you live? Minnesota
40. Are you an aggressive driver? Absolutely not.
41. What color is your car? Which one? (We're a used car lot.) My favorite is the old van and it's gray.
42. What do you smell like right now? Coffee and stale smoke, probably.
43. What is your favorite color? Anything pastel.
44. What character from a movie/TV most reminds you of yourself? Yikes, I'd have to think about this for awhile. No character comes to mind -- I'm too unique. lol
45. Do you enjoy giving hugs? Only to DH and Thomas. I am so not a touchy-feely person.
46. Do you own a digital camera? Yes.
47. What books, if any, have made you cry? Tons, I cry easily.
48. Are you a jealous person? Sometimes.
49. delted, this is a g-rated blog.
50. What shoes are you wearing right now? Shoes? In the house? In the summer? None.


51. What is your major weakness? Nicotine. Food.
52. Do you suffer motion sickness? Yes.
53. What's the best pizza? Pizza Hut Pan, cheese lovers.
54. Longest relationship? 16 3/4 year marriage, been together 19 years.
55. Are you afraid of thunderstorms? Not anymore.
57. Have you ever given or been given an engagement ring? Twice.
58. What was the last gift someone gave you? Beautiful flowers in June.
59. Who would you call first if you won the lottery? My husband.
60. Can you cook? Yes, I can, but I don't enjoy it.


61. What is your favorite jelly/jam? Grape.
62. Can you swim? Yes and I love to.
63. What is your first memory? Being put to bed in our travel trailer when it was still light out. I screamed and cried and was ticked off because everyone was outside having fun but me.
64. What item would you like to have buried with you? Nothing but clothes to cover me.
65. What are three things you're dying to have right now that would make everything just about perfect? Better health, more love, money.

Domestic Goddess???

Does this look like the kitchen of a domestic goddess? The sink contains yesterday's lunch, supper and snack dishes, plus today's breakfast and lunch dishes. I could have had this *done* in the time it took me to snap the photo, upload it and blog about it, but I couldn't have anyone thinking I'm actually a domestic goddess. I'm only a wannabee.

Why is it?

Why is it that when I lie down in bed at night I can think of a million things to blog about, yet when I sit down at the computer, my mind goes blank?

Friday afternoon was fantastic. Thomas and I went to the pool, there were only about 15 kids there -- at the most. We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful time! The water temp was perfect, the weather was perfect. We swam for four hours. I had taken enough money to hit Wendy's on the way home, and I was so glad I had. We were exhausted -- Thomas even fell asleep in the car on the way home! We devoured our sandwiches and passed out.

Saturday I spent cleaning my kitchen. It was in dire need of attention. I got everything done but the floors scrubbed and the walls washed. I hoped to do that today but instead put my attention on laundry and the school room.

I bought a few workbooks this year for Thomas. He's a leftie and hates writing in workbooks, so I spent a good hour cutting them up. Only one had perforated pages that I could tear out. It was so tedious that I did something I shouldn't have. I got out my rolling blade for quilting (can't think of the correct name). It had a brand new blade and I didn't have an old blade. I used that on the workbooks. It worked great, but was expensive. Those blades aren't cheap.

Tonight I played at the computer typing up our daily schedule. I couldn't make a 4-day school week happen, but I did get in a 4 1/2 day week. On paper at least. We'll see how it goes, but I would love to have free Friday afternoons.

I also tried to burn CDs for the next Hakim volume from audible. Well, I don't know what I did, but I'm going to have to call them again. I ruined two disks and it kept telling me that something was too fast. ??? I am so hopeless.

My friend Jo posted a great entry on lists. That made me laugh because my life is ruled by lists. I thought of her today, though, and didn't make a list for the day. I needed to see if I could get through the day without -- and I can proudly say that I did! However, rest assured, tomorrow I'll be doing lists again.

Saturday night we rented a bunch of movies. I rented The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio yet again. I don't dare share how many times I've watched that movie, but it's a lot. I usually move the DVD player to the kitchen and play it while I'm doing something constructive. Last night I had homeschool stuff scattered across my bed and watched and worked. I'm at the point that I can officially say that I am obsessed with this movie. I grew up with a very negative mom and in this movie the mom is so positive. I think my brain is just craving that positive energy. Even though I'm not my mom and have worked very hard at being positive, Evelyn Ryan, played by Julianne Moore, still teaches me a thing or two.

I'm weird, I admit it.

I told my sister she needed to rent this movie. We don't always have the same tastes in movies so I was very worried whether she would like it or not. She said her entire family watched it and they all loved it -- even her husband. Sis even surprised me by saying that this was now her all-time favorite movie.

Well, I guess I'm not alone in my love for the movie, but I probably am with my obsession! lol

I think it's time for bed.

withdrawn from life

I had a conversation the other night with someone I'm very close to -- related by blood. She informed me that I had withdrawn from life. She stated it in this context: You know what your problem is? Actually, it's our problem. You have withdrawn from life.

Huh???

When I questioned her on this she snapped at me: "When is the last time you contacted 'Jane Doe'?" who was a high school friend. I told her that high school was 23 years ago and that I had no interest or desire to contact Jane Doe because our interests had changed, she chose a professional life (she's a physics professor) and has no children. We both grew and our common bond (high school) was no longer there.

"Yes, but." My relative said this. Yes, but. So I waited. She stated that I am a hermit. I hide in my house. I don't go out, I don't have friends and I don't do anything.

Excuse me???

She stated that I don't like people and I have admitted it. Well, that's partly true. I don't like some people and I did state that.

So according to the blood relative, the definition of a hermit who has withdrawn from life is:

A mom, who is an introvert, who likes to stay at home.
A very active volunteer in Cub Scouts.
A mom who homeschools her child.
A mom who hates carting her child around and taking him to classes, but does so anyway.
A mom who initiates play dates.
A mom who meets friends in the park for play.
A mom who goes to others' houses so kids can play and moms can gab.
A mom who takes her child to the beach, parades, community events, walks, zoos, swimming, etc.
A homeschooling mom who joins the local homeschool group and does one activity. (Okay, she may have a point on this one.)
A mom who keeps in contact with local people that I have no common interests with and don't share the same beliefs because said mom is open to having her child exposed to all different types of people.
A mom who endures four weeks of sitting on the benches watching swimming lessons.
A mom who is constantly on the go.

A woman who chooses her friends wisely. I'd rather have a few friends that are close than many acquaintances, although I do have many acquaintances.
A woman who has a best friend that is so special and vital to my life -- one that I have phone contact with (at least two hours at a shot) once a week, plus emails. (Said friend lives three hours from me.)
A woman who has made good internet friends. Friends that I have stayed in weekly contact with for six-seven years.
A woman who is fortunate enough to have the best online homeschool support group imaginable -- 10 fantastic women, 11 including myself) that I can share almost anything with. These women are so great that I have met five of them in my travels.
A woman who is in tune with herself and knows that she is an introvert and needs to recharge at home.
A woman not afraid to make choices to benefit her needs.
A woman who follows her interests. While I don't have the time to jump into things that I would if I didn't have a child, I still have my hobbies.

Oh, shoot, I could go on and on.

The conversation then took the turn of past friends. For some reason she thought I didn't stay in contact with anyone in the past. Not true. I keep in contact with good friends from the past. Not daily, not weekly, but a few times a year.

I was a little defensive with this person. I was also floored with the "withdrawn from life" statement. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's like homeschooling, you teach to your child's strengths and weaknesses, you figure out his learning style and go with it. Well, I've figured out my life style and I make no excuses for the way I live. I go with what works for me.

After about two minutes of reflection on this conversation after it ended, I came to the conclusion that said relative was projecting her own issues on to me. It's so much easier to find fault with others than to be open and honest regarding self. Although sometimes a fresh perspective from a friend is of value, I don't think that's the case here.

Sure, I have issues...I'm fat, I would rather stay at home than be in a large crowd. I would love to have a close friend who lived in my town. I get down every once in awhile. I get frustrated with my husband. But all of those things ARE life. If I would have withdrawn from life, none of those things would ever bother me. I'd be too busy being numb.

So rest assured sweetie, I have not withdrawn from life. And neither have you. If you had, you wouldn't be thinking.