I was reading blogs this morning and learned it was cold all over yesterday. Audrey at A Small Corner of Nowhere was digging for blankets and going through her son's clothes.
Thomas and I did that last night. We brought all of his drawers into the living room because there's more room in there. Poor kid was trying everything on for me--a task no child likes. Maybe girls like that, but I've never known a boy to like that. I made my piles for keep and donation.
In the mean time, I needed to do laundry. I made two loads of just T's clothes. He wears more clothes than I do! When he gets dirty, and he really gets dirty in the summer and I view that as a good thing, he changes. I put the first load in the wash and went off to do something. When I came back, there was water all over my laundry room floor! This happened last weekend when I did laundry, too. We thought that it was the drain hose from the air conditioner because it got moved away from the drain and was extremely humid last weekend. Not so. It was the floor drain backing up.
Yuck!
So it's about 9:30 at night when I discover this. Wal-Mart to the rescue! I have been meaning to blog about the joys of Wal-mart but never got around to it. My teeny, tiny town finally stepped into the 21st century and a new Wal-mart opened a few weeks ago. A Super-Wal-mart.
Thomas and I went on opening day. It was packed. It was lovely. I don't like their floors, they're stamped concrete stained an ugly brown. They're supposed to be environmentally friendly. Concrete floors are not Frankie's-back friendly. Oh well. The brown will serve a good purpose as they won't look dirty, I see why they chose that color.
Aside from the ugly floors, and the fact that they have an arcade -- bluch!!! -- it's a wonderful store. Thomas is not happy with his mom because I rant on about how arcades are a complete waste of money. Thomas went to Wal-mart opening week once with me and twice with his friend. This friend is a claw-machine addict. And Thomas wanted to spend all his money with his buddy on the claw machines. I ended up letting him take two dollars each time for the arcade, but with the warning that we will not be spending money there on a regular basis.
I'm so mean. Bob and I got to talking and I had completely forgot that we used to play at arcades -- a lot -- when we were a young couple. Then I remembered that I used to play as a teenager. I think I'll stick to my two-dollar-once-in-a-blue-moon rule, though. He can have fun with two bucks every once in awhile.
Back to last night, at 9:30 I bought two bottles of Drano. And a gallon of milk. And a package of Hebrew National hot dogs. (Always wanted to try those.) We got home a little before 10. The minute I put our bag down and the milk in the fridge, I started ranting, "I hate Wal-mart, I hate Wal-mart."
I don't hate Wal-mart, but I hate their circular bagging things that the clerks use. I realize that those things save time for the clerk. But this was the SECOND time since our Wal-mart opened that one of my bags got left behind.
I wonder how much Wal-mart makes because of those circular bagging things. (What are those called, anyway?) So off to Wal-mart I go again. The clerk has my bag of Drano. She said, "Don't fret, you're not the first person this has happened to." I snorted back, "This shouldn't happen to anyone."
When I visited Wally-World after the first time I left one of my bags at Wal-mart, I joked with the clerk that I didn't want to leave anything behind again. She told me that it is the clerk's job to make sure we get all our stuff. Well, she's the only clerk that has ever told me that or has loaded my cart with bags.
So I will have to be very vigilant from now on. Things is, after I'm done shopping, I'm usually tired and ready to get home. That means I'm not in "think" mode. Guess I'll have to snap out of it.
We were happy to find a nice selection of clothes for Thomas last night at very good prices. Thomas liked the shirts that came with a tie. That's what he wants, and he wants to wear a tie to school. Alex P. Keaton. We didn't buy anything, but I'm sure we will in the near future.
I started laundry up again this morning and the Drano did not work. I still had water all over my floor. Yuck. Guess I'll be calling a roto rooter man first thing tomorrow.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Nice Matters
I had a lovely surprise today. Heather at My Supernatural World awarded me with the Nice Matters Award. Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me as I *try* to be nice and kind. I'm not always good, but I do try very hard.
I must pass this on. "This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award."
This is painful to me. I read a lot of blogs, have a lot of blogging friends, and frankly, they're ALL nice. How on earth do I choose? Luckily I know some have already received the award, so that makes it just a little easier.
Believe it or not, I tore up a bunch of paper, wrote blogggers' names, and drew seven. That's how hard it was for me, I just couldn't choose on my own.
So with the caveat that ALL my blogging friends deserve the Nice Matters Award, the names I pulled from the bowl (didn't have a hat nearby) are:
Mull-berry at One Jelly Donut, Please
Becky at Farm School
Audrey at A Small Corner of Nowhere
Meg at Get In, Hang On (Nice online AND in person!)
Carole at Mt. Pleasant Academy
Kate at Homeschooling in the Garden State
Hillary at No Harm Done
I must pass this on. "This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award."
This is painful to me. I read a lot of blogs, have a lot of blogging friends, and frankly, they're ALL nice. How on earth do I choose? Luckily I know some have already received the award, so that makes it just a little easier.
Believe it or not, I tore up a bunch of paper, wrote blogggers' names, and drew seven. That's how hard it was for me, I just couldn't choose on my own.
So with the caveat that ALL my blogging friends deserve the Nice Matters Award, the names I pulled from the bowl (didn't have a hat nearby) are:
Mull-berry at One Jelly Donut, Please
Becky at Farm School
Audrey at A Small Corner of Nowhere
Meg at Get In, Hang On (Nice online AND in person!)
Carole at Mt. Pleasant Academy
Kate at Homeschooling in the Garden State
Hillary at No Harm Done
For Crying Out Loud
I'm trying to get our school schedule finalized, lesson plans done, etc.
Someone tell me WHY I always bite off more than I can chew?
There's so much on my school list and just NOT enough time to do it all.
This happens to me every stinking year.
World History World History Made Easy
CD: Gombrich's A Little History of the World
American History American History Made Easy
Geography Geography textbook
Science Physics with dad at night (Power Basics Physics)
Earth Science- text book/Cyber-Ed Plato
Life Science- text book/Cyber-Ed Plato
Spanish Spanish curriculum we own OR United Streaming
Math Lial's
Spelling Sequential Spelling
Logic Orbiting With Logic
Latin English from the Roots Up
English:
Grammar Rules!
Write! Write! Write!
A short outling workbook, will only take a couple weeks
Vocabulary Wordly Wise
Computer Excel Book, Finish Typing Made Easy
Art Ceramics class, Usborne Book of Art, my own plans
Music Piano Lessons, Themes To Remember
PE/Health Building Better Bodies II
Swim twice a month
Reading Nonfiction Reading 6th Grade
Communication Communication and Interpersonal Relationships
Literature Book list, oral reports and discussion
This is impossible to schedule. It's too much. Thomas likes to study both American and World History. He thrives on that much science. We'll do earth first, then move on to life science. He has to have spelling. He loves logic and vocab. It takes only five minutes to review EFTRU flashcards. He loves the nonfiction reading book.
He hates the English stuff, but that's where he needs the most work this year.
I typically schedule core stuff Monday through Thursday. Friday we do art, computer, music, health, communication, and projects.
I guess in reality it's all falling together except for the history and geography. There's just not time to do it all. I'm going to have to figure that out.
Someone tell me WHY I always bite off more than I can chew?
There's so much on my school list and just NOT enough time to do it all.
This happens to me every stinking year.
World History World History Made Easy
CD: Gombrich's A Little History of the World
American History American History Made Easy
Geography Geography textbook
Science Physics with dad at night (Power Basics Physics)
Earth Science- text book/Cyber-Ed Plato
Life Science- text book/Cyber-Ed Plato
Spanish Spanish curriculum we own OR United Streaming
Math Lial's
Spelling Sequential Spelling
Logic Orbiting With Logic
Latin English from the Roots Up
English:
Grammar Rules!
Write! Write! Write!
A short outling workbook, will only take a couple weeks
Vocabulary Wordly Wise
Computer Excel Book, Finish Typing Made Easy
Art Ceramics class, Usborne Book of Art, my own plans
Music Piano Lessons, Themes To Remember
PE/Health Building Better Bodies II
Swim twice a month
Reading Nonfiction Reading 6th Grade
Communication Communication and Interpersonal Relationships
Literature Book list, oral reports and discussion
This is impossible to schedule. It's too much. Thomas likes to study both American and World History. He thrives on that much science. We'll do earth first, then move on to life science. He has to have spelling. He loves logic and vocab. It takes only five minutes to review EFTRU flashcards. He loves the nonfiction reading book.
He hates the English stuff, but that's where he needs the most work this year.
I typically schedule core stuff Monday through Thursday. Friday we do art, computer, music, health, communication, and projects.
I guess in reality it's all falling together except for the history and geography. There's just not time to do it all. I'm going to have to figure that out.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Late-Night Surfing Can Be Dangerous to One's Health
I was somewhere on the net tonight and clicked a link to the 50th anniversary of The Osmond Brothers. Having been a child of the 70s, I had a crush on Donny and Jimmy, both.
Well, I had just taken a sip of pop when I clicked. Big mistake. There, before my eyes, was a completely white-haired Merrill Osmond. At this time I started choking on the pop in my mouth. And that's never good because it fizzed up. Good grief, The Osmond Brothers almost killed me.
I exaggerate. But I did choke. Then I swallowed that air-filled pop. I burped -- loud. Perhaps I should have sung an Osmond tune while I was burping, but I didn't think fast enough to do that.
When did this happen? When did The Osmond Brothers get OLD???
I only spent a few minutes at their website. The spinning pictures annoyed me. Frankly, I've outgrown their music. It just doesn't really appeal to me anymore. (Okay, I'm lying, some of it is okay, but I won't be buying an album.) Donny Osmond singing the Bee Gee's How Deep is Your Love just didn't cut it for me. Nobody can do that song but the Brothers Gibb. (Yes, I love the Bee Gees -- I admit it!) I clicked on several of their links and scanned.
I was shocked as Alan Osmond walked on stage with a cane. My initial reaction was to find out what had happened. And I found out. Sadly, he has MS.
Well, after nearly choking, I ended up having a nice ten minutes or so going down memory lane, catching up with the old heart-throbs, teeth and all. It is unsettling, though, to see that white hair. If they're old, that means I'm getting older, too.
I think tomorrow I'll introduce Thomas to The Osmond Brothers. In fact, I think I'll greet him in the morning by singing I'm a little bit country -- NO, I am definitely Rock 'n Roll. (My twist on words. I always change the words in songs to suit me.)
I think Thomas needs to learn that little bit of trivia: Osmonds, teeth, LDS, millions of kids, good, clean entertainment. I'll tell him about the story I read years ago that their father made them clean their auditorium restrooms before or after performances. I'll tell him about my crush on Donny and Jimmy. I'm sure he'll roll his eyes and ask if he can go outside and play -- so that he can be very far from me.
Sheesh, white hair. Sigh.
Well, I had just taken a sip of pop when I clicked. Big mistake. There, before my eyes, was a completely white-haired Merrill Osmond. At this time I started choking on the pop in my mouth. And that's never good because it fizzed up. Good grief, The Osmond Brothers almost killed me.
I exaggerate. But I did choke. Then I swallowed that air-filled pop. I burped -- loud. Perhaps I should have sung an Osmond tune while I was burping, but I didn't think fast enough to do that.
When did this happen? When did The Osmond Brothers get OLD???
I only spent a few minutes at their website. The spinning pictures annoyed me. Frankly, I've outgrown their music. It just doesn't really appeal to me anymore. (Okay, I'm lying, some of it is okay, but I won't be buying an album.) Donny Osmond singing the Bee Gee's How Deep is Your Love just didn't cut it for me. Nobody can do that song but the Brothers Gibb. (Yes, I love the Bee Gees -- I admit it!) I clicked on several of their links and scanned.
I was shocked as Alan Osmond walked on stage with a cane. My initial reaction was to find out what had happened. And I found out. Sadly, he has MS.
Well, after nearly choking, I ended up having a nice ten minutes or so going down memory lane, catching up with the old heart-throbs, teeth and all. It is unsettling, though, to see that white hair. If they're old, that means I'm getting older, too.
I think tomorrow I'll introduce Thomas to The Osmond Brothers. In fact, I think I'll greet him in the morning by singing I'm a little bit country -- NO, I am definitely Rock 'n Roll. (My twist on words. I always change the words in songs to suit me.)
I think Thomas needs to learn that little bit of trivia: Osmonds, teeth, LDS, millions of kids, good, clean entertainment. I'll tell him about the story I read years ago that their father made them clean their auditorium restrooms before or after performances. I'll tell him about my crush on Donny and Jimmy. I'm sure he'll roll his eyes and ask if he can go outside and play -- so that he can be very far from me.
Sheesh, white hair. Sigh.
Homemade Gift Exchange
Oh my gosh, I signed up to do this at Becky's Farm School and forgot to blog here about it!
Homemade gift exchange
Here are the slightly-abbreviated rules from Kim's blog:
If you are one of the first three commenters on this post, then you are in. I send you a homemade gift sometime soon. (With me, that could be a month or two!) In return, you go to your blog and make the same offer. So, you’ll be making 3 things and receiving one.
FAQs here at Kim's post.
What if you don’t have a blog?
Well, if not, I’ll host your request here. But only if you are a really awesome knitter. Haha. Okay, I’ll do it no matter what. If you join the exchange on your blog let us know here!
What if I don’t like my gift?
Too bad. Mom taught us all how to be gracious.
What if I’m not crafty or artistic?
So? Do it anyway.
What about shipping?
Like I said, an artist trading card? That might cost one stamp or less. But if you want to make a bust of the recipient out of pine, go ahead.
What? I have to give someone in cyberspace my address?
Well, yeah. So you should probably only sign up here if you have read or known me for a few months, that way you know I am a fine upstanding citizen who will only plague you with annual Christmas cards after the exchange.
Okay, I'm not overly-crafty, but I'll come up with something!
Homemade gift exchange
Here are the slightly-abbreviated rules from Kim's blog:
If you are one of the first three commenters on this post, then you are in. I send you a homemade gift sometime soon. (With me, that could be a month or two!) In return, you go to your blog and make the same offer. So, you’ll be making 3 things and receiving one.
FAQs here at Kim's post.
What if you don’t have a blog?
Well, if not, I’ll host your request here. But only if you are a really awesome knitter. Haha. Okay, I’ll do it no matter what. If you join the exchange on your blog let us know here!
What if I don’t like my gift?
Too bad. Mom taught us all how to be gracious.
What if I’m not crafty or artistic?
So? Do it anyway.
What about shipping?
Like I said, an artist trading card? That might cost one stamp or less. But if you want to make a bust of the recipient out of pine, go ahead.
What? I have to give someone in cyberspace my address?
Well, yeah. So you should probably only sign up here if you have read or known me for a few months, that way you know I am a fine upstanding citizen who will only plague you with annual Christmas cards after the exchange.
Okay, I'm not overly-crafty, but I'll come up with something!
Reading List
I have a very short reading list prepared. I haven't spent much time searching the net for good books. I am open to sixth-grade reading recommendations. Here's the list so far:
Bud, Not Buddy
Julie of the Wolves
Shiloh
Tom's Midnight Garden
The Castle in the Attic
Holes
The Hobbit
The Giver
The Phantom Tollbooth
Bunnicula
Cheaper by the Dozen
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Because of Winn Dixie
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Secret Garden
Thomas has been reading the Myth series by Robert Asprin (I think it's Robert Asprin's series, without getting off my chair to check.) Thomas has not yet read any of the Harry Potter books! So those might go on the list, too.
I like to have a big, long list at the beginning of each year. This list is way too short. I like for Thomas to read half the books on the list.
Bud, Not Buddy
Julie of the Wolves
Shiloh
Tom's Midnight Garden
The Castle in the Attic
Holes
The Hobbit
The Giver
The Phantom Tollbooth
Bunnicula
Cheaper by the Dozen
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Mr. Popper's Penguins
Because of Winn Dixie
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
The Secret Garden
Thomas has been reading the Myth series by Robert Asprin (I think it's Robert Asprin's series, without getting off my chair to check.) Thomas has not yet read any of the Harry Potter books! So those might go on the list, too.
I like to have a big, long list at the beginning of each year. This list is way too short. I like for Thomas to read half the books on the list.
We have a bug
The bug we have is called lazy-summeritis. It's nasty in that we just don't feel like doing a darned thing. I think this is the worst case we've ever had.
Well, maybe it's my worst case. Thomas always feels like playing.
The past several days I have not felt like doing a darned thing. I dream of having pajama days that are guilt free. Oh, yes, I have my share of pajama days, but they're always full of guilt. What if the doorbell rings, what if Thomas gets hurt while playing outside, what if my husband gets upset. (He's been known to get upset over my love of pajama days in the past.)
It's funny that I actually do accomplish things -- much more than I think or feel like. I wanna be a kid again. I want carefree days where I can run and play and dream. I don't want to have to cook. I don't want to have to prepare for school. I don't want to clean the school room.
That's it, the school room. That is where I picked up the summeritis virus. I don't want to clean that room. I have too much stuff for the small space. There are books on the shelves that are way below Thomas's level. I don't want to get rid of them to make room for stuff that is on his level. I don't want to let go of the past. I don't want to admit that my baby is growing up and is not a baby anymore and hasn't been for quite some time.
That or I just don't want to do the work. Or both.
I've just been a lazy bum. I think I'll go with that for awhile. All that hard work is fast approaching and I think I'll take a breather while I can.
Maybe summeritis is a good thing.
Well, maybe it's my worst case. Thomas always feels like playing.
The past several days I have not felt like doing a darned thing. I dream of having pajama days that are guilt free. Oh, yes, I have my share of pajama days, but they're always full of guilt. What if the doorbell rings, what if Thomas gets hurt while playing outside, what if my husband gets upset. (He's been known to get upset over my love of pajama days in the past.)
It's funny that I actually do accomplish things -- much more than I think or feel like. I wanna be a kid again. I want carefree days where I can run and play and dream. I don't want to have to cook. I don't want to have to prepare for school. I don't want to clean the school room.
That's it, the school room. That is where I picked up the summeritis virus. I don't want to clean that room. I have too much stuff for the small space. There are books on the shelves that are way below Thomas's level. I don't want to get rid of them to make room for stuff that is on his level. I don't want to let go of the past. I don't want to admit that my baby is growing up and is not a baby anymore and hasn't been for quite some time.
That or I just don't want to do the work. Or both.
I've just been a lazy bum. I think I'll go with that for awhile. All that hard work is fast approaching and I think I'll take a breather while I can.
Maybe summeritis is a good thing.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Lucky Us!!!
We are so lucky! Meg from Get In, Hang On was on her way home tonight and stopped in our teeny, tiny town. We got to meet!
We met at a local restaurant. Meg is extremely warm and friendly -- I liked her immediately. Her kids -- wow, I was so impressed. Warm, friendly, personable and fun. They're cute, too.
I had such a nice evening. It was so nice to meet an online friend. It was even nicer that she was so great. Sigh -- I wish we lived closer.
Thomas had a good time, too. He liked Boy and Girl and thought Meg was very nice. My little guy slightly embarrassed me, but I'll forgive him. He was playing with jelly -- and pretty soon I looked over and it was in his shake glass. Good grief, Thomas! lol
Thank you, Meg, for stopping to visit us. What a treat!
We met at a local restaurant. Meg is extremely warm and friendly -- I liked her immediately. Her kids -- wow, I was so impressed. Warm, friendly, personable and fun. They're cute, too.
I had such a nice evening. It was so nice to meet an online friend. It was even nicer that she was so great. Sigh -- I wish we lived closer.
Thomas had a good time, too. He liked Boy and Girl and thought Meg was very nice. My little guy slightly embarrassed me, but I'll forgive him. He was playing with jelly -- and pretty soon I looked over and it was in his shake glass. Good grief, Thomas! lol
Thank you, Meg, for stopping to visit us. What a treat!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Disgusting...
Go here to read how a school district forced an eight-year-old autistic girl to spend three hours in time out.
What gets me is after a hearing in which the parents won, the school district was of this opinion:
The Waukee district and the Heartland Area Education Agency, which helped prepare the learning plan for Isabel, are adamant that they did nothing wrong and are appealing the decision.
When will they get it? They cannot treat children like this.
What gets me is after a hearing in which the parents won, the school district was of this opinion:
The Waukee district and the Heartland Area Education Agency, which helped prepare the learning plan for Isabel, are adamant that they did nothing wrong and are appealing the decision.
When will they get it? They cannot treat children like this.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
and baby makes 17
Yes, the Duggars had baby number 17 today, a girl named Jennifer Danielle.
You can see pictures here.
I didn't know they were expecting, although I should have expected that they were expecting.
Thomas was delighted as he enjoyed watching their documentary on TV.
Me? Um, no comment.
UPDATE: I guess I do have a comment. I believe in freedom. If someone chooses to have 17 babies, so be it. Live and let live. I do worry about the health of the mother. I worry about the message this sends: don't use birth control. I believe they have the message on their website along the lines that states that it's God's will that they have so many babies. Well, I believe that God gives all women and men a brain. I think God expects people to use their brain. I just don't think it's healthy to have 17 babies. I believe God invented birth control for a reason.
I don't know. Who am I to judge?
I think that's why I find the Duggars so intriguing...I just don't know what to think!
You can see pictures here.
I didn't know they were expecting, although I should have expected that they were expecting.
Thomas was delighted as he enjoyed watching their documentary on TV.
Me? Um, no comment.
UPDATE: I guess I do have a comment. I believe in freedom. If someone chooses to have 17 babies, so be it. Live and let live. I do worry about the health of the mother. I worry about the message this sends: don't use birth control. I believe they have the message on their website along the lines that states that it's God's will that they have so many babies. Well, I believe that God gives all women and men a brain. I think God expects people to use their brain. I just don't think it's healthy to have 17 babies. I believe God invented birth control for a reason.
I don't know. Who am I to judge?
I think that's why I find the Duggars so intriguing...I just don't know what to think!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
what day is it? Or, I'm an idiot!
This is the second time since I've been home from vacation that I have totally messed up what day of the week it was. I thought it was Monday. It felt like Monday all day long. Bob and I were paying bills tonight and I was complaining that we had to wait three days until payday and couldn't pay everything today. He looked at me as if I were crazy. Because I WAS crazy.
I've been crazy twice now.
crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy
Today is Wednesday, August 1st, 2007.
Perhaps I'll have Thomas make a big kindergarten-like calendar for me tomorrow. We can put it on the fridge. I can have him drill me.
As Homer would say, "D'oh!!!"
I've been crazy twice now.
crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy
Today is Wednesday, August 1st, 2007.
Perhaps I'll have Thomas make a big kindergarten-like calendar for me tomorrow. We can put it on the fridge. I can have him drill me.
As Homer would say, "D'oh!!!"
Monday, July 30, 2007
Monday Afternoon
This is the third time I've tried to blog today. My computer keeps closing blogger down on me.
Have cramps. Sick of cramps. Am ready for menopause. Right now.
Hot out. Thomas came in because it was too hot to play. All the neighborhood kids wanted air conditioning.
Ordered all our school stuff. Less than $200. Woo-hoo to that! Thomas looked at the language arts stuff I blogged about and Painless Grammar and some other stuff I found. He chose Grammar Rules! and Mechanics. Go figure. I guess I'm learning to read him pretty well.
Have discovered that our school room actually has a floor complete with carpeting. Of course there isn't a clean, flat surface in there yet, just stacks of books, but will get it all cleaned before school starts in September.
Thomas is working on a quilling project for the county fair. I have my mom's old quilling supplies and dug them out. Neat entry for the paper craft category. All the stuff we found was pretty "girly" and then we found some neat books with bugs and fish, so Thomas has been making fish, sea horses, etc. Didn't buy the books, but studied the pictures online. Call me cheap. Will share pictures when it's all done.
Can't believe it's almost August. Where did the summer go?
I think the couch is calling me. I still feel like crap. I wish I could have a motrin IV drip -- well, actually I'd prefer something a little stronger and something that would make me "happy" if you know what I mean. I'm sure Bob would agree with that!
Have cramps. Sick of cramps. Am ready for menopause. Right now.
Hot out. Thomas came in because it was too hot to play. All the neighborhood kids wanted air conditioning.
Ordered all our school stuff. Less than $200. Woo-hoo to that! Thomas looked at the language arts stuff I blogged about and Painless Grammar and some other stuff I found. He chose Grammar Rules! and Mechanics. Go figure. I guess I'm learning to read him pretty well.
Have discovered that our school room actually has a floor complete with carpeting. Of course there isn't a clean, flat surface in there yet, just stacks of books, but will get it all cleaned before school starts in September.
Thomas is working on a quilling project for the county fair. I have my mom's old quilling supplies and dug them out. Neat entry for the paper craft category. All the stuff we found was pretty "girly" and then we found some neat books with bugs and fish, so Thomas has been making fish, sea horses, etc. Didn't buy the books, but studied the pictures online. Call me cheap. Will share pictures when it's all done.
Can't believe it's almost August. Where did the summer go?
I think the couch is calling me. I still feel like crap. I wish I could have a motrin IV drip -- well, actually I'd prefer something a little stronger and something that would make me "happy" if you know what I mean. I'm sure Bob would agree with that!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Restaurant Meme
Meg tagged me while I was on vacation and I am just FINALLY getting to it!
Here are the rules:
1. Link to name of person that tagged you.
2. Include state and country you live in.
3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.
Okay, I've linked to Meg. I live in Minnesota, USA. There are not 5 favorite local restaurants, only two, so I'm going to pretend I'm in Denver visiting dad.
1. Olive Garden -- my all-time favorite
2. Black-Eyed Pea -- another good restaurant, although not very healthy because of all the deep-fat fried stuff
3. Cracker Barrel -- see number 2
4. Dino's -- Italian restaurant on Colfax in Lakewood. It's been there FOREVER. They have homemade spaghetti noodles that are fat and it is absolutely THE BEST.
5. The Armadillo. Yummy Mexican food. Started in LaSalle CO (or Greeley) and last I knew there were two or three in Denver area.
We do have two local restaurants that are pretty good. One is a bar that sits on one of our lakes. It's a really good hamburger and deep-fat-fried place. We don't eat there often, though. They serve one heck of a pork tenderloin sandwich. This restaurant is very homey -- knotty pine walls that are probably 50 years old, old ugly carpet, ugly tables, but the service is great. It is really fun to go there in the winter because you're on the lake and you sit there watching all the ice fishermen. You watch the fisherman driving their cars on the lake. It's freaky watching that.
We also have a good Mexican restaurant. We have some fast food, too: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Taco John's (gag!, but my boys love that place) KFC and Starbucks. We lost our Taco Bell and I'm still mourning that! We at at Taco Bell so many times at my dad's house that I actually got sick of it -- something I never thought possible.
So Meg, when you come to visit, McDonald's is right on the interstate. The lake restaurant is clear on the other side of town, it's a bar, and people smoke and drink in there. You'll have to choose where we "do lunch". Of course we could eat at my house, but I hate to cook and any excuse to get OUT of my house I grab. =)
Once again, I tag anyone who wants to play!
Here are the rules:
1. Link to name of person that tagged you.
2. Include state and country you live in.
3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they’ve been tagged.
Okay, I've linked to Meg. I live in Minnesota, USA. There are not 5 favorite local restaurants, only two, so I'm going to pretend I'm in Denver visiting dad.
1. Olive Garden -- my all-time favorite
2. Black-Eyed Pea -- another good restaurant, although not very healthy because of all the deep-fat fried stuff
3. Cracker Barrel -- see number 2
4. Dino's -- Italian restaurant on Colfax in Lakewood. It's been there FOREVER. They have homemade spaghetti noodles that are fat and it is absolutely THE BEST.
5. The Armadillo. Yummy Mexican food. Started in LaSalle CO (or Greeley) and last I knew there were two or three in Denver area.
We do have two local restaurants that are pretty good. One is a bar that sits on one of our lakes. It's a really good hamburger and deep-fat-fried place. We don't eat there often, though. They serve one heck of a pork tenderloin sandwich. This restaurant is very homey -- knotty pine walls that are probably 50 years old, old ugly carpet, ugly tables, but the service is great. It is really fun to go there in the winter because you're on the lake and you sit there watching all the ice fishermen. You watch the fisherman driving their cars on the lake. It's freaky watching that.
We also have a good Mexican restaurant. We have some fast food, too: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Taco John's (gag!, but my boys love that place) KFC and Starbucks. We lost our Taco Bell and I'm still mourning that! We at at Taco Bell so many times at my dad's house that I actually got sick of it -- something I never thought possible.
So Meg, when you come to visit, McDonald's is right on the interstate. The lake restaurant is clear on the other side of town, it's a bar, and people smoke and drink in there. You'll have to choose where we "do lunch". Of course we could eat at my house, but I hate to cook and any excuse to get OUT of my house I grab. =)
Once again, I tag anyone who wants to play!
Do I hafta??
Do I have to get ready for school? Do I have to place my order PDQ so that it arrives in time? Do I have to sit down and figure things out? Do I have to THINK about school?
Argh.
Actually I've got it all planned out except for language arts.
Thomas got his CAT scores back (and yes, he's a brilliant child -- a mother can brag, right?) and something really knocked my socks off. He scored post high school on language expression. I don't even remember what types of questions language expression covered. He got grade level with spelling (I thought it might be lower) and he got grade level with the grammar part -- I forget the correct name of the sub test.
So anyway, I knew this before I got those test results back, but we have to work on English. Yes, we've done Rod and Staff, the "granddaddy of 'em all" but we really hated it and retention started going down the drain. My enthusiasm died shortly at the start of last school year. It was the dreaded subject.
I used to like Rod and Staff. It's a good program. I think I may have blogged how great it was before...but in reality, it's not a very good fit.
So it's time for a crash course. Well, it's time for an intense focus. Now I just can't figure out which books to get.
I'm looking at:
Grammar Rules!
Better Sentence Structure Thru Diagramming 1 and 2
Exercises in English Grammar Book 1
Mechanics of English Straight Forward Series
I'm linking to Christian books and Rainbow, but CB has better samples.
Any comments, thoughts, ideas? Anything better out there?
We need to review parts of speech and mechanics, both. I want something straightforward. I don't want to have to this every single day, like we had to in Rod and Staff (and didn't.)
Thomas will be starting 6th grade. Where does time go? Sixth grade is the time I really start remember being human. lol Now he's there...complete with brand-new pierced ear. (I need to blog about that as soon as I snap a picture! -- traumatic for mom.)
Argh.
Actually I've got it all planned out except for language arts.
Thomas got his CAT scores back (and yes, he's a brilliant child -- a mother can brag, right?) and something really knocked my socks off. He scored post high school on language expression. I don't even remember what types of questions language expression covered. He got grade level with spelling (I thought it might be lower) and he got grade level with the grammar part -- I forget the correct name of the sub test.
So anyway, I knew this before I got those test results back, but we have to work on English. Yes, we've done Rod and Staff, the "granddaddy of 'em all" but we really hated it and retention started going down the drain. My enthusiasm died shortly at the start of last school year. It was the dreaded subject.
I used to like Rod and Staff. It's a good program. I think I may have blogged how great it was before...but in reality, it's not a very good fit.
So it's time for a crash course. Well, it's time for an intense focus. Now I just can't figure out which books to get.
I'm looking at:
Grammar Rules!
Better Sentence Structure Thru Diagramming 1 and 2
Exercises in English Grammar Book 1
Mechanics of English Straight Forward Series
I'm linking to Christian books and Rainbow, but CB has better samples.
Any comments, thoughts, ideas? Anything better out there?
We need to review parts of speech and mechanics, both. I want something straightforward. I don't want to have to this every single day, like we had to in Rod and Staff (and didn't.)
Thomas will be starting 6th grade. Where does time go? Sixth grade is the time I really start remember being human. lol Now he's there...complete with brand-new pierced ear. (I need to blog about that as soon as I snap a picture! -- traumatic for mom.)
Monday, July 23, 2007
Tagged =)
Mama B tagged me. This was more difficult than I thought, and I didn't give it a whole lot of thought either 'cuz I'm tired.
1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
My Middle name is Gail.
G - Groceries -- I'm constantly buying groceries.
A - Antiques -- love 'em, especially if they were in the family, such as my kitchen table and Hoosier cabinet.
I - Incognito -- love being incognito on the net. Frankie is not my real name, but Gail is my real middle name.
L - LOVE. That says it all.
I tag: anyone who wants to play!
(I never know who wants to play. If you like being tagged, let me know, and I'll make a list. I do like to play, so feel free to tag me.)
1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
My Middle name is Gail.
G - Groceries -- I'm constantly buying groceries.
A - Antiques -- love 'em, especially if they were in the family, such as my kitchen table and Hoosier cabinet.
I - Incognito -- love being incognito on the net. Frankie is not my real name, but Gail is my real middle name.
L - LOVE. That says it all.
I tag: anyone who wants to play!
(I never know who wants to play. If you like being tagged, let me know, and I'll make a list. I do like to play, so feel free to tag me.)
Monday Ramblings
Last Friday I thought it was Saturday. I got up at 9 am (late!) and wondered where Bob was. I figured he decided to hit the office while no one was there, a time when he can get a lot of work done.
At lunchtime he came in the door and laughed his pants off at me. He thought it was very funny that everyone else in the office had decided to work on a Saturday, too.
Hmph. I'll blame it on the summer, and the fact that we haven't turned the TV on in ages. I haven't been reading the newspaper, either.
It's actually kinda nice to live in a bubble.
Last week I bought Anvsoft DVD slideshow. I became obsessed. I have worked on genealogy nonstop. I organized then scanned all of my grandmother's ancestors, cropped, fixed, labeled, and put them in the slide show. I had to go to the store and figure out the difference between all those CDs and DVDs and DVD-RWs and DVD+RWs, etc. Way out of my comfort zone.
I am thrilled with the results of my project. Except that I fear it will never be done. I keep tweaking. This will be my Christmas present to my sisters and brother. I have tons of work remaining, I have to do my granddad's ancestors, then my father's family, then photos of my grandmother and grandfather's life together...
A happy little hobby. Hopefully it will make my siblings happy as well.
It's also a huge relief, getting those photos scanned and saved. Once they're done, they'll be "safe". I worry about such things. I mean you just cannot replace civil war photographs, tin types of your great-great grandparents, etc. Plus the fact that everyone can enjoy them.
Half the photos aren't even mine, they're jpegs that have been shared with me. I love the internet for that purpose alone. It will be nice to share.
The back-to-school sales have started again. We went to Shopko yesterday and picked up four bottles of glue for 10 cents each. I was a little annoyed because they had a "limit 4" sign. We go through a lot of glue in this house. We also got some spirals for a dime each, although we have never used those in our school because Thomas is a lefty. Will see how that works. I plan on going back to Shopko and getting four more bottles. Shame on me.
Our Walmart will be opening next month. Let me just say that I am tremendously excited.
Thomas has been playing nonstop. The neighborhood has changed as the younger kids have grown up a bit and two of the pain in the you-know-what kids have moved. Now all the remaining kids have a blast together, even though their ages range from 6-12. That's a good thing.
Thomas also has a friend, who happens to be a girl, that he's known since kindergarten. She calls every day, several times a day. They talk for hours. I think she's very lonely as her parents work. She's been coming to play once a week since we got back from vacation. Those phone calls are mildly annoying to me, but I figure it's part of growing up.
I've started looking at my sixth-grade list. I need to place my orders. I am just not ready to think about school right now. Our school room is still a pit. Piles and piles of stuff from the end of the year are gathering dust. I need to get away from the genealogy this week and defeat the messy room. It is very bad.
I'm looking for some great books to buy for Thomas to read this year. At this point I'm clueless only because I don't want to think about it. Thomas isn't a child who goes to the library and drools over the books. However, if I pick something that I think he will like, he'll read it and get into it.
I guess that's about all the rambling I have this morning. It's 11:30 and I'm still in my jammies. I love summer. I need to get moving because we have friends coming over this afternoon.
At lunchtime he came in the door and laughed his pants off at me. He thought it was very funny that everyone else in the office had decided to work on a Saturday, too.
Hmph. I'll blame it on the summer, and the fact that we haven't turned the TV on in ages. I haven't been reading the newspaper, either.
It's actually kinda nice to live in a bubble.
Last week I bought Anvsoft DVD slideshow. I became obsessed. I have worked on genealogy nonstop. I organized then scanned all of my grandmother's ancestors, cropped, fixed, labeled, and put them in the slide show. I had to go to the store and figure out the difference between all those CDs and DVDs and DVD-RWs and DVD+RWs, etc. Way out of my comfort zone.
I am thrilled with the results of my project. Except that I fear it will never be done. I keep tweaking. This will be my Christmas present to my sisters and brother. I have tons of work remaining, I have to do my granddad's ancestors, then my father's family, then photos of my grandmother and grandfather's life together...
A happy little hobby. Hopefully it will make my siblings happy as well.
It's also a huge relief, getting those photos scanned and saved. Once they're done, they'll be "safe". I worry about such things. I mean you just cannot replace civil war photographs, tin types of your great-great grandparents, etc. Plus the fact that everyone can enjoy them.
Half the photos aren't even mine, they're jpegs that have been shared with me. I love the internet for that purpose alone. It will be nice to share.
The back-to-school sales have started again. We went to Shopko yesterday and picked up four bottles of glue for 10 cents each. I was a little annoyed because they had a "limit 4" sign. We go through a lot of glue in this house. We also got some spirals for a dime each, although we have never used those in our school because Thomas is a lefty. Will see how that works. I plan on going back to Shopko and getting four more bottles. Shame on me.
Our Walmart will be opening next month. Let me just say that I am tremendously excited.
Thomas has been playing nonstop. The neighborhood has changed as the younger kids have grown up a bit and two of the pain in the you-know-what kids have moved. Now all the remaining kids have a blast together, even though their ages range from 6-12. That's a good thing.
Thomas also has a friend, who happens to be a girl, that he's known since kindergarten. She calls every day, several times a day. They talk for hours. I think she's very lonely as her parents work. She's been coming to play once a week since we got back from vacation. Those phone calls are mildly annoying to me, but I figure it's part of growing up.
I've started looking at my sixth-grade list. I need to place my orders. I am just not ready to think about school right now. Our school room is still a pit. Piles and piles of stuff from the end of the year are gathering dust. I need to get away from the genealogy this week and defeat the messy room. It is very bad.
I'm looking for some great books to buy for Thomas to read this year. At this point I'm clueless only because I don't want to think about it. Thomas isn't a child who goes to the library and drools over the books. However, if I pick something that I think he will like, he'll read it and get into it.
I guess that's about all the rambling I have this morning. It's 11:30 and I'm still in my jammies. I love summer. I need to get moving because we have friends coming over this afternoon.
Friday, July 20, 2007
the pot at the end of the rainbow
Finally, it's been seen and photographed...
and wouldn't you know...
and wouldn't you know...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Does such a beast exist?
I've been working on my genealogy -- a lot -- lately. It has always been a passion of mine, but it has usually been put on the back burner.
On our recent vacation, we came home through Kansas so I could stop and dig. Thomas was bored to tears, but had his Gameboy to help pass the time.
I learned a little. I learned much more when I got home and hit ancestry.com. I'm ready to go back to Clay County and Washington County, KS again because I'm armed with much more info and many more questions.
***
Several years ago, I called a cousin I hadn't talked to in years to ask her what she knew of our family history. This is a basic beginning step in genealogy: ask living relatives first. She didn't know anything, but she told me her brother did. Well, thing is, my mom couldn't stand her brother and he always kind of "scared" me because of mom. So, I wasn't going to call him.
Instead, he called me. He was elated to find that there was a family member out there who was into the family history. He had two trunks full of stuff that his son did not want. He wanted to give it to someone in the family. Would I like it? Duh, of course I would like it. So instead of me planning a trip to Colorado to get it, he planned a trip to Minnesota and brought the stuff to me. Wow, a great "gift" delivered!
That was the single most best "gift" I have ever received in my life. Ever.
One of the trunks was lined in newspaper. One of the pages of that newspaper had my great-great grandfather's name and a date of February 1879. I surmised from that that my 2great-grandmother had just received the trunk from her father who had just passed. It is a really old trunk and even if it had arrived to my home empty, I would have been thrilled.
But no, that trunk was stuffed. Full of photos and other "stuff." Newspaper clippings, hand-written scraps of paper, etc. It was a genealogical gold mind.
***
Fast forward to this week. I have all these photos. With all my work, I have discovered some of the photos that I thought were friends are actually related to us. I want to share this stuff with my siblings and cousins. But there are too many pictures to make copies of. I simply could not afford to do that -- even at only .19 per photo. There are too many.
I could write a "book" and print it, but I wouldn't be able to include all the photos and it still would be way too expensive.
I could make a computer disk -- ah, the easiest solution. However, one sister does not own nor does she want a computer.
I have read somewhere that you can make DVDs to play on your TV of your photos. I think this would be perfect. I could make jpegs out of my tree information (family group sheets) easy enough and include those.
Thing is, I'm clueless on how to do this. Is there a software to do this? Plus I'd want an antique-type feel to it. Music would be fun, too. I'm not too keen on narration, as I don't like to hear my own voice. I can make jpegs out of any factual information I want to share to counter the lack of narration.
Does such a software beast exist? In my mind, it is the perfect solution.
I will close with a photo of the road to my second-great-grandparents' home. They lived to the left, a quarter of a mile in. It was gorgeous -- if you love farm country, that is.
On our recent vacation, we came home through Kansas so I could stop and dig. Thomas was bored to tears, but had his Gameboy to help pass the time.
I learned a little. I learned much more when I got home and hit ancestry.com. I'm ready to go back to Clay County and Washington County, KS again because I'm armed with much more info and many more questions.
***
Several years ago, I called a cousin I hadn't talked to in years to ask her what she knew of our family history. This is a basic beginning step in genealogy: ask living relatives first. She didn't know anything, but she told me her brother did. Well, thing is, my mom couldn't stand her brother and he always kind of "scared" me because of mom. So, I wasn't going to call him.
Instead, he called me. He was elated to find that there was a family member out there who was into the family history. He had two trunks full of stuff that his son did not want. He wanted to give it to someone in the family. Would I like it? Duh, of course I would like it. So instead of me planning a trip to Colorado to get it, he planned a trip to Minnesota and brought the stuff to me. Wow, a great "gift" delivered!
That was the single most best "gift" I have ever received in my life. Ever.
One of the trunks was lined in newspaper. One of the pages of that newspaper had my great-great grandfather's name and a date of February 1879. I surmised from that that my 2great-grandmother had just received the trunk from her father who had just passed. It is a really old trunk and even if it had arrived to my home empty, I would have been thrilled.
But no, that trunk was stuffed. Full of photos and other "stuff." Newspaper clippings, hand-written scraps of paper, etc. It was a genealogical gold mind.
***
Fast forward to this week. I have all these photos. With all my work, I have discovered some of the photos that I thought were friends are actually related to us. I want to share this stuff with my siblings and cousins. But there are too many pictures to make copies of. I simply could not afford to do that -- even at only .19 per photo. There are too many.
I could write a "book" and print it, but I wouldn't be able to include all the photos and it still would be way too expensive.
I could make a computer disk -- ah, the easiest solution. However, one sister does not own nor does she want a computer.
I have read somewhere that you can make DVDs to play on your TV of your photos. I think this would be perfect. I could make jpegs out of my tree information (family group sheets) easy enough and include those.
Thing is, I'm clueless on how to do this. Is there a software to do this? Plus I'd want an antique-type feel to it. Music would be fun, too. I'm not too keen on narration, as I don't like to hear my own voice. I can make jpegs out of any factual information I want to share to counter the lack of narration.
Does such a software beast exist? In my mind, it is the perfect solution.
I will close with a photo of the road to my second-great-grandparents' home. They lived to the left, a quarter of a mile in. It was gorgeous -- if you love farm country, that is.
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