Annoyingly mundane...

Yesterday I finally went to the grocery. A long overdue trip. I have a new love for Kroger. They have good sales and in-store coupons. I got waffles for 45 cents, frozen orange juice concentrate for 45 cents and frozen veggies for 45 cents each. All these item were on sale for $1, which was a great deal but then they had a 55 cents off coupon on their door, so that made it even better. Kayla was with me and she was amazed (as was I) how cheap things were. Diet cokes were on sale too-$2.50 a 12-pack. Pepsi products were on sale last time so I bought pepsi products and may I say pepsi one tastes like "no.2" but I love fizz and try to keep my habit cheap.

Anyway, Kayla and I had good one-on-one time. Much needed. I have started reading with Lilly before bed. Again, much needed one-on-one time. (Don't miss that-She is reading!! I am so proud and it is only short vowel words but she reads me her books before bed and I think it is awesome!!) Erika and I of course have the mornings as she is a very early riser and comes and talks to me (sleeps/snuggles). The hardest part of having three is finding time with each one through the day. Most days it does not happen. I am trying to do it on purpose more often. I am also trying to start getting up before my kids which is no small task for a night owl that loves to sleep in.

Erik and I had a bit of a fight last night about how he can ask about school without sounding so negative. I hope we can come up with a way for him to hold me accountable and ask about school without sounding so ogre-ish..."Did you do school today?" This sounds to me like the assumption is that we did not which really makes my blood boil. Pray for us as we try to reach a happy compromise. Tips would be great. I need the accountability of him asking and checking up on me-but not the "accusation" of not doing school.

Sorry so mundane...I warned you.

I won, I won!!

I won dominoes last night. This is a first for me. Since our friends Ken and Debbie introduced us to the game, we have played many times-mostly with our kids. I am not very good. I usually end up with amazingly high round scores. Last night, however, we played with Mike and Sara and I managed to pull off a win. Now this was an abbreviated game because Sara needs her ZZ's but stopping when we did got me a win. YAY! It was a nice visit. Erik and I have decided we need to have people over more. I was gonna wait until we got the house nice and tidy-but that may never happen so we are moving ahead.

Erik is off today so our schedule is already altered but we love it when he is home with us. The girls just beam. Today is Erik's Mom's birthday so we have a visit in our future.

Thanks so much for all of your nice comments on my major accomplishment. Anyone can comment by the way, I have it so even if you don't have a blog you can still comment so you have no excuse Heather!! In answer to your question Sandy, yes I did it many times and the next day...no nose plugs but I did hold my nose. It is fun and really the funnest, quickest way to get in the pool. I think, at age 34, I may have conquered a lifelong fear. WOW!

We got our homeschool yearbook yesterday and it looks great. We do it scrapbook style which makes it very interesting. Each family gets a two-page spread to tell about their school year. Neato-burrito. Mine looked better in color but it was still cute. This year I am hoping to remember to take pictures as we go along of school stuff. We did not have a single field trip picture in our pages. Bad bad reporting of our year. We did make it into some other people's pages so that was nice.

Well I'm off to take on an interesting schedule day.

Back and almost well!

We are back from our journey to Aurora. It was great fun and now we are non-contagious, everyone has crusted over. I will have to do the math and see about quarantining Erika. It is not going to be as easy with her, because unlike the others, I have no idea when she was exposed or even if she will get them again. I will do the best I can. Anyway, I wrote this blog entry at Aurora, the dark ages, so I am posting it today.

I was a little girl, about 8 or 9. I was sitting at the deep end of the pool with my feet dangling in the pool. It was some sort of holiday because my Uncle Vernon and his son Jeff were at an Illinois State Park at a pool picnicing and hanging with my Dad, his wife-at-the-time Jean(#2 of 3), my sister, Linda & me. We had just been swimming and chatting. My sister came up behind me to scare me and tapped just a little too hard. I went off the deep end (pun intended!). She and Jeff waited for me to bob right up but I did not. I recall thinking how hard it was to scream underwater. No telling how much water I took in. Thankfully, at some point my cousin realized I was not coming up and he jumped in, swam me up and put me on the side of the pool. My saviour for the day. I don't think Linda even got into trouble because she looked so scared to death. Of course we dreamed of killing each other and often tried-but for real was a whole other thing. So intensified my already rampant fear of water.

I did finally learn to swim a little at Camp Currie and then many summers of FFA camp made me a stronger swimmer, but I never jumped in or got water on my face if I was in deep water. I could do all sorts of tricks as long as I could touch. In deep water I just swam or floated.

When we first got our boat from Erik's uncle, my biggest hope was that I would not pass my water terror to my children. We also got an easy-set pool in our backyard. We watched our kids go from terrified, to a little more confident with floaties or a lifejacket, to fish with nothing in shallow water. It has all been very gradual and very scary for me. For the last 3 summers, they have jumped off the boat with life jackets on as often as Dad would stop the boat and let them. Last summer, after much prayer and staring into the water, I finally joined them and was able to jump off the boat as well. LIFE JACKET of course!! Not something I did alot and this summer I have done it a little more than last. Slowly, I am feeling a little more comfortable and confident.

Today, at our "resort" in Aurora, I got to watch my girls jump into the deep end of the pool without life jackets for the first time. I thought my heart would explode waiting for them to come up and yet I knew they could and were very strong swimmers. Erika went first, did great and then it was Kayla's turn. Of course Kayla made the deal that if she jumped in, she would get to keep Tabby-the only remaining kitten. Then she jumped in and swam great as well. Lilly is not there yet, maybe next year. I told the girls how proud I was, that they had just done something I had never done-jumped in the deep end. I never really even wanted too. I would climb into the deep end via the ladder and that was fine with me.

Erik said, "You could,you just won't." I don't guess I had ever thought of it that way and it occurred to me he was right. I am a strong swimmer just like the girls. I just never really got over that deep-rooted fear of water. So after many assurances from Erik that he could save me if I didn't come up and many emergency plans laid-just in case-I donned the girls nose plugs and I JUMPED IN!!

I shared a milestone with my girls and I am proud of all of us!

Double your pleasure, double your fun...

...when two have chickenpox instead of one. Kayla decided the 30 chickenpox she had at two was not enough to count and decided to get them again. Erika only had 10 when she was three-but has decided for now not to join the pox bandwagon. We got medicine from Dr. Telle to make the duration and intensity less. The medicine has to be taken within 24 hours of the first pock so I think we are doing good. Scalp is the first place to start getting them.

Now I will participate in a meme that I got from Sandy because I know you are sick of the chicken pox!!


1) ONE HOMESCHOOLING BOOK YOU HAVE ENJOYED

I read a few books when I first got started, but none of them really inspired me. Soooo, the best inspiration for me comes from this website and I will call that my "book" for today.

2) ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULDN’T BE WITHOUT

The library. We live and breathe the library. Especially now that I am in declutter mode. I love that we get the books, borrow them & take them back. NO CLUTTER! AWESOME!! We also listen to many, many books on CD that would cost $30-50 a pop if we had to buy them.

3) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER BOUGHT

To narrow it down to one is very hard. I bought everything remotely "schoolish-looking" at yard sales for a whole summer. (And a few on ebay!) That resulted in a whole bunch of crap that has been sold and shared. If I have to say just one, it would be Abeka math. I hated it and so did the kids. NOW, all purchases are thoroughly researched and gone over with friends(who use it) before being made. I am very happy with this year's selections.

4) ONE RESOURCE YOU ENJOYED LAST YEAR

The Prairie Primer. A friend at church loaned it to me and we have used it both exclusively and as a supplement. We will finish it this semester hopefully and it has taught us more than any other single item!


5) ONE RESOURCE YOU WILL BE USING THIS YEAR

My friend Eve turned me on to the most painless style of record keeping in the world-a spiral bound notebook. It is so simple it works. Just the date, which kid, and subjects along with page numbers and grades. I am so keeping track, really!! Loving it.

Also PATCH, our homeschool group. Don't know where I would be without my friends!!

6) ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY

Some built-in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in my dining room with one of those cool bench things with storage underneath right smack in the middle. Other than that, I think we have bought all my "dream" books for this year.

7) ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH EXISTED

Rosie the Maid from "The Jetsons".

Or self-grading papers. (These are Sandy's but I totally agree!)

8) ONE HOMESCHOOL CATALOG YOU ENJOY READING

Rainbow Resource is the most thorough. Honestly though, I hate all of the catalogs. They hype the product and make it sound so good and then you get it and think-oh I didn't need that!!

9) ONE HOMESCHOOLING WEBSITE YOU USE REGULARLY

I guess blogs, mine as well as other homeschoolers. My blog helps me vent frustrations. Other people's have allowed me to cut myself some slack and realize there is no "perfect" day or way to homeschool. Also Lisa Whelchel, Blair Warner from "The Facts of Life" (Some of you don't know what I am talking about!!) has an awesome website with great recommendations!!

10) YOUR TURN!

If you don't homeschool, tweak it somehow and make it work!!

A Day Late...

The pox have come to play, the pox have come to play. Hi-ho-the-dairy-o, the pox have come to play.

Chicken pox have been spotted(hee hee) around the scalp and upon the back of Lilly. She is grinning and has no idea what she is in for. We are so happy to have poxage instead of a mutant child who cannot get them. Now I am off to call the doc about some sort of medicine that makes them not "as bad".

Also, I have posted my blog on Miss Zoot so maybe the whole world will know there are weird people who expose their children to the pox instead of getting shots. I am doing my part to support life-long immunity instead of a lifetime of boosters.

We are unplugging from life for a while and enjoying the land of quarantine...unless you want to invite the pox over to visit your house too!! We will be most contagious for the next two days.

Why am I so happy?? I love a successful experiment!!

My child is super-human!!

Well maybe she is. Still no chicken pox. They should have started last night. Today her alabaster skin is still clear. Not exactly, she is covered with scars from scratched mosquito bites, the leapfrog wound is healing and there is residual redness from poison ivy-BUT, nothing new. I called the doctor today to make sure I did not get her the vaccine. No vaccine. The nurse said sometimes people don't get them. I will be forced to do the shot if this plan does not work. The best laid plans...

We are taking a mini-trip. We are all excited. It is only to Aurora, but that is just fine indeedy for us. We will take the boat to a body of water we very seldom go to so it will be very exciting and we will rent a cabin/room. Aurora is untouched by the changing times. Walking into one of their hotel rooms or cabins is like stepping back in time. 1950s. We love it. Google Aurora, KY and marvel at the lack of changes in this small town!!

We are trying to survive this spontaneous week!! Yesterday Erik made much needed repairs to the boat trailer while I did school, meals and caught up on laundry-hey that is what I always do!! He did occupy Lilly alot so that was fun and different.

We may have missed music classes for no reason and that really stinks.

I'll keep you posted on the days of our pox/nonpox. No church tonight-just in case. Don't want to share the love unintentionally!

My husband was all set...

...to pull the best, most well-thought out prank of his life. He had a red rose and a honey walnut cookie(Kirchoff's, best in the whole world). He was all set to tell me he had traded in his jeep for the little red corvette sitting in our driveway. The rose and the cookie were to soften the blow.

REAL-LIFE scenario?? He walked in the door and heard me having a heart-to-heart with Lilly in her room and came in with the rose and the cookie. Since I was feeling like the worst parent in the whole world and knew nothing of what he drove up in, I thought he was just being sweet not being a trickster. I immediately dissolved into a pool of tears and said I don't deserve a cookie or a rose. WOW!! Talk about deflating a practical joke. When the tears finally stopped he told me about his whole joke plan and then we all took turns going for a ride in the "hot" car.

The girls were so impressed with the car which we borrowed all weekend.(A guy on Erik's route has been telling him to borrow it for the weekend and take me out on a date in it forever...Erik finally said yes) Erik and I had date night Saturday night and it was fun to be in a red corvette instead of a white mini-van. I drove it a couple of times and it was neat but I think I like something a little less showy...and a five-speed...if I'm going to be sporty that is. In my life though, the best thing to drive is a mini-van. Plenty of room and lots of doors.

Our date Saturday was The River's Edge Film Festival. Even though the tickets were free, I still wanted my money back...hee hee. I think independent films are just not very good. We are lucky we were involved with shorts films and animated films or it could have been worse. I know the basic jist is to show off their directing, angles, film abilities, etc. But they were just not entertaining. Our "showcase" was from 5:30-7:30 and I have never seen a theatre emptied more quickly in my life!! Some people left before 7:30 and I so wanted to be one of those people, but Erik wanted to see it through...hoping. The last one was the best. In Japanese. With subtitles. The best one, subtitles. Hurray, get your tickets for next year before they sell out.

While it was not the best date of my life, it was awesome to be away from the kiddos and spend some time with my honey alone. I think he was a little hurt that I did not enjoy myself more. Maybe I am a red-neck, I wanted to see Talladaga Nights. Will Ferrell is funny. I like funny. In his defense, Erik wanted to see that too, but free tickets are free tickets. We were frugal. And cultured.

**********************************

It is Tuesday and we await the outbreak of chicken pox eagerly. We are quarantining ourselves until Thursday and if we don't have them by then it won't be the first time our plans went awry!! We are still going boating though!! As long as Lilly feels okay. Of course we won't take her if she is very fevery and sick-but just pox will not keep us out of the lake. Away from people, yes. Fun with nature, no.

Erik is on vacation this week so we are off track and spontaneous. It drives me crazy to not have any sort of plan, but he likes to take it easy and do things as the mood strikes him. It is like herding cats. Speaking of which, we are down to one kitten and it just so happens to be the girl's favorite one. We may keep it. We still have a week to decide as they are five weeks. It is awfully cute.

My posting will be very spontaneous like my week.

I don't know what I am doing!!!!

I stripped Lilly's room to the bare walls yesterday. Her behavior was completely out of control all this week, but after some writing on the wall and breaking her mirror for sport, a drew a line in the sand so to speak. We took every toy and pretty thing from her room except one doll and one set-around on her dresser. It is empty. She must earn it all back with good behavior or lose even more. I must remember to notice the positive today and this weekend. There is a distinct difference in her behavior today-I hope this works. I don't know what I am doing!!!! I am fearful someone will come for my mommy license.

In other news, one of my friends at church is expecting!! This will be their first and I am so excited!! She will be too if she can find a medicine that makes her stop throwing up!! I had great pregnancy with no sick, so I can't relate. I am praying for her though. That I can do.

Gotta go, we are trying to get as much school as possible today before some friends come to visit. Have a great weekend.

Supermom really got me to thinking with her "Make Me Over" post. Last night was my homeschool support meeting which was glorious. My friend Jennifer rode with me (what was she thinking!!) and when she showed up, she looked gorgeous (she usually does). I decided to go in and put on some lipstick and eyeliner and change shirts. I was having a decent hair day so I looked alright. This topic of "looking our best" came up many times through the night. Several of us were standing in the parking lot talking into the wee hours of the night (a Janice tradition). We concluded no one really likes their hair and no one ever really feels good about how they look. Why is that?? I know I am VERY disappointed about my size. It grieves me every day, and yet I don't do anything to change it. Off and on I have tried things, but nothing too serious for too long. I have some pretty deep-rooted self-esteem issues( a product of the lovely home environment I grew up in) and I guess I hide there with all my baggage. Sorry to get off on that track!!!

I suppose the point of this all is to say that I had my day in my teens and early 20's. I spent alot of money on myself and my hair and I was looking good. I snagged me a man and now that chapter of looking good is closed forever!! Just kidding!! I was still looking good up until I got pregnant and then it was downhill from there. ( : Stop it with the sarcasm crazy woman.

It IS different now. We are a one-income family. I have three children with needs and wants. I have a husband with needs and wants. When I had great hair in my 20s, it was high-maintenance($$). I can't afford that luxury now...actually that isn't true, I WON'T afford that luxury now. It is a corner I DECIDED to cut. I do the best I can with what GOD gave me and it all works out OKAY. There will come a day when there will time and money to spend on myself. I can wait. Until then, yard sale treasures in my size and good hair days are a blessing. $100 beauty days are not. I can handle it. I am not a martyr, I am a realist. Beauty costs big bucks, even if you shop at Walmart. I would rather take a vacation with my family then get my roots touched up. I would rather get the curriculum I want than have a spa day. I am making some sacrifices. Do I feel empty and depleted and neglected? NO, quite the contrary, the things I am not participating in make me more in touch with the woman God calls me to be.

Please don't think I am judging anyone who gets their hair done or spends alot of money on clothes. We are all unique-there is no mold every woman fits in(contrary to the world's view)The truth is, I have never liked make-up and hair the way some women I know do. I always liked doing sports and outdoorsy things and it always seemed awkward to juggle hair and makeup with the out-of-doors. Bees really like the smell of perfumes and hairspray. Having children was just the straw that broke the camel's back and made me walk away from FRU-FRU forever.

Also, I know when my three girls get to be teenagers, they will be writing Oprah about how awful I look and we will all 5 get an all expense paid trip to Chicago because of how I have let myelf go for so long.

It's my week, anyone joining me? I'll make the reservations!

Okay, this is a total stranger from the poison ivy hall of fame pictures-don't go there-EEEWWW!!! but VERY similar to what Lilly woke up looking like Saturday morning. Her eye was actually swollen shut and it looked as though someone had gotten a good punch in. When she said "Mom I think this is a little bit of poison ivy on my chin, it really itches." I looked at it sure, I thought it was a very vague rash and took no further action, kissed her goodnight and did not give it anohter thought until I saw her Sat morning!!!!! Proud Mommy moment # 10,054. We had lots of running to do after our call to the doctor. Plus I had promised the big girls yard saling, so we had alot of 'splaining to do-ALL DAY!! Lilly was very happy to have a new story though. She lives to talk, don't know where she gets it!!

Yesterday, she added to her already blemished face with a fall on her face and knees when our dog (BUDDY the wonder dog-we wonder where he came from and why he chose to stay)played leapfrog with her. When she comes down with the pox on the 22nd, will I even know it??? She will have so many "healing spots" we won't recognize them!!

Erika and Kayla are getting settled into their new school routine very well. I am keeping better records this year and we are doing alot more work. I ordered the last of my curriculum and it should be arriving any day. I am very pleased with my choices this year. Usually that lasts until Christmas when I want to set it all on fire and start on something else. I AM FUN!!

Flipflopmamma, I can obviously post pictures from anywhere except the disc my cousin gave me!! I love my computer challenged-ness.

Busy week this week!! I am hoping to get in late on a consignment sale that starts tonight. First music class for Lilly(it is all she talks about!) and also first homeschool support group meeting. Must take big girls shopping with their birthday money before the outbreak!! Also must stock up on fun stuff for the outbreak as well, like oatmeal and the pantyhose to hold it for soothing baths!! Maybe we can oatmeal the pool! I love my crazy life!! The more I prep, the more likely we are to not catch!! That would be EXACTLY my luck!!

Also, we have been blessed three times in the last month with wonderful hand-me-downs. I think it is because I am holding a little looser to our stuff than I ever have!! I keep having names pop into my head of people I can share our hand-me-downs with. Giving away is wonderful. My house is slowly but surely uncluttering!!

Enjoy the cartoon and smile through this story!! Okay, I get up Thursday morning with a sense of dread because it is birthday party day and all sources say we will be getting thunderstorms in the evening which is when the OUTSIDE birthday party is. Our house is only about 1500 square feet and so it is a squeeze just for those of us who live here, much less the guests we have invited. Nevertheless, I am making plans for an indoor shindig since I am thinking the weather is not cooperating. This means I must really CLEAN as guests have a way of making their way through my entire house, led by one or more of my children usually. "Come and see my Mom's closet, it is really a big giant mess." So I brace myself and clean the best I can. As I get the kitchen all tidied up, I try not to look in the living room where the kids are playing barbies.

"Mom, did you know the ceiling is dripping in here? I just sat in a wet spot on the floor and now it is dripping on my head." The roof, I think, panicking. although we are trying to save for its replacement, we thought we had lots of time. Wait a minute, even though storms are predicted for tonight, there hasn't been rain here in forever. Next thought, air conditioning central unit is in the ATTIC. Now I wish it could be the roof instead I think. There is a bulge in my living room ceiling where I can tell water is standing in the attic. Why me? Why today? I call my hubby who is just as distressed as I, but also trapped at work. He has me call a friend at church who assures me it is probably just the drain pipe clogged up or the pan rusted out. Either one is a relatively easy fix. It could be something else, but check those two first. He recommends that I climb the ladder outside and use a drain snake(which I am very experienced with since the bathroom drain incident) to snake out the pipe. First I go up into the 125 degree attic and yes, the drain pan is full to overflowing and so I decide cleaning the pipe is the way to proceed.

Now, I must tell you that I am very afraid of heights. More than that though, I am afraid of collapsing ceilings on party nights!! My first item of business though is to drill a small hole in the ceiling so that at least the water has somewhere to go besides down with the entire ceiling. Hole drilled, water dripping. Mentally preparing myself for ladder climb and working from high spot!! Very TENSE. One of my friends calls and says her husband could come by if I can't muster the courage to do it. Now I am on a timetable as he will be passing through the area at a certain time. I make Kayla and Lilly come outside with the phone in case I die and they must call 911. Erika is finishing school. I decide I will feel better if I don't wear shoes, that way I can grip the rungs better. I cautiously climb up with the snake. I reach a point where I think I can get the snake into the drain pipe. I begin to wish I had shoes on as it is very painful to stand on a ladder with no shoes. WHAT WAS I THINKING??? As I feed it in through the pipe, I begin to imagine all the possibilities of what could be clogging the drain. I say many prayers to God and reason with him that it will be hard to not freak out if some sort of bee or snake(REAL) were to exit. Freaking out on a ladder is not ever a good thing. I get the (drain)snake all the way in and then let it start coming out. Lots of water and muckety muck. That is all. I go ahead and do it again and then I climb down. Many praises to God who is so good!!

I search the yard over for children and finally find them. They were very worried about my safety(HA!). I get them back inside and go back into the 150 DEGREE ATTIC to see if I have done any good. Seems not as full but I decide I should get a glass and bucket and manually drain the pan so that we don't have to revisit this crisis until post party. After climbing attic stairs with a bucket and glass and maneuvering myself back to the drain pan, I discover there is only about an inch of clearance and the only way I could drain would be with a straw. (Why didn't I notice that before??) I take myself, bowl and glass back down the ladder and decide that is all I can do for now and switch gears back to party mode. Making the cake(as originally planned)is now out of the question so I call Sam's and order one. Later when I pick it up I will find that they made it twice as large as ordered so we have cake for 100!! It did end up being a fun party-we ate inside and then the kids were able to go play outside because the storm had blown over. By the time we squeezed in two tables and the chairs to go with them, you could hardly tell I did not clean much!! Erik took all the leftover cake to work with him so that wasn't a big deal either. I have decided no one will have another birthday party until they turn 16, but luckily this is the last one in our summer string of birthdays so I have some time to reconsider. Whew!! I am so exhausted from writing all of that, you will have to wait until tomorrow for the drama I woke up to this morning!! Here is a hint: What happens if a five year old gets a small patch of poison ivy on her chin?

I was hoping to show you a pic of me and my three sisters along with my Dad at the family reunion. Unfortunately my computer skills are as challenged as my housekeeping skills!! I want to do it well, I just lack the know-how. So maybe you will get a chuckle out of this pic instead.

Birthday party went well, I will post more about the exciting events pre-party later when I have more energy!! I am very thankful that it is Friday and that it is yucky and rainy and that we have run all week so I can justify a chillin' out day. School is done and we call it a day's work.

Have a blessed weekend!!

Waterparks Rock!

We went to a waterpark yesterday as our first homeschool field trip. It was great. Because public school had started, we had the place pretty much to ourselves. It is so cool to have a huge group of friends all in one place. In line you knew almost everybody-at the end of the slide , same thing. It was truly awesome! I was able to give my kids some freedom, even Lilly. It was only mildly abused!!

Back to work today. We are counting yesterday as PE but I don't think it can count for anything else!! Still have to catch up on our Math and such.

Been counting my blessings lately and it is quite a list. I am feeling very blessed and that makes me a little speechless. (I know!!)

My blog has been filtered the last couple of days, so I feel like I am sneaking in to post. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Have a super awesome Thursday!!

Chickenpox Anyone?

We have friends with chickenpox coming over tomorrow to share their disease. I want my Lilly to get the real thing and have lifelong immunity like my older two. Only homeschoolers would embrace this disease, we are passing it through our group!! HEE HEE! Lilly is so excited. Two weeks is incubation so we should have just enough time to get them and be done in time for first scouts meeting. Planned illness, what a concept.

Bailed Thunder out. He was home for about an hour before he nearly broke the door running out. Next time they haul him to the big house, we will forward all his papers and hope his new owners have a nice securely fenced in backyard(not with gaps a determined doggy can poke himself through). He is a great dog, neutered, shots, doggy tags. It is only when you spend money on them that they begin to be trouble!!

Family reunion was awesome!! We had relatives from Missouri, California, Illinois, Florida, Michigan and of course, KY. I will post pics my cousin burned on a disc for me if I can find them ( : I'm fun like that!!(Losing stuff I mean) We had 4 generations present. Pretty cool!!

Thunder(my dog) is a persistent felon, jailed again. Someone has it out for him though. we were told he would not be picked up if properly tagged. Apparently the person that has it in for him knows this, because his tags were removed. Now I have to decide if it is worth the battle it will continue to be with this unknown neighbor to keep him. We do love him, he is the best natured dog I have ever met. He has no enemies-human, dog or cat-except the dog-hating nazis. He doesn't even bark. People are so annoying. We are out in the coutry but too darn close to suburbia I guess!!

Yesterday was Erika's tenth birthday!! We ate at Applebees and we were going to go see CARS but alas, we have waited too long and it is no longer on. Yes, we are cutting edge!! So, She did almost an exact repeat of Kayla's birthday, jungle golf, animals, go-karts. We talked the guys into letting her drive her own cart since she is ten despite the fact she is still not 54"(she is about 52"). I don't usually push limits like that because I know it is for your own safety-but it is a go-kart and a five year old that is tall could drive-so why not my ten-year-old??!! She can't help it that God put her in a small package. It was a fun day and I am glad the birthday book is nearly closed!! (still have the party and then that is all till next year-June, July, Aug parties all in a row-wheew!!)

Gotta go, everyone is diligently working on schoolwork but that will change oh so quickly if I don't reappear quick enough!! Spell to Write and Read is awesome by the way!!

Day two, day two...

...now is through. Today was a little tougher. I was such a slacker last semester that I will pay a penalty while we get back to school this year. We are putting more time in and doing a slightly "more intense" curriculum. Never fear though, I plan to actually do the fun science experiments that have been hanging out in my closet for two years as well.

I am so excited about tomorrow!! It is my family reunion and this year will be very well attended. I plan to get up early with the girls and yard sale on the way to my dads. Erik is off tomorrow but he will have to drive as well because he has a gig tomorrow night. Hopefully he won't burst my yard sale bubble!! We have not gone in quite a few weekends.

Gotta go, must make yummy food for tomorrow! Hope you all have an awesome weekend!!

School started today and it was a good day. I am glad to have it over and done. Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. I love my children and I love teaching them, but some aspects are just not fun. The number one issue we have is that I am not a "teacher"-defined as a stranger one tries to impress all year. All three of my girls have honest-to-goodness "teacher's pet" in their blood. They get it honest. When I think of school, regardless of the grade, I think of the teacher and incidents that happened with teachers first. I don't know what we studied in fourth grade, but our teacher, Mrs. Butler, read us lots of books and poetry. I love her still. I love every teacher I had, well there are about 5 that should really have pursued other career paths in my opinion, but I was a brown-nosin' teacher's pet and I loved it. You are so surprised I know!! One of my college professors gave me a "C" in a class I should totally have flunked. We hung out and talked before class about politics and everything else under the sun. He overlooked my lousy performance and told me not to worry I had a good solid "C" in class. I did not ask any questions because I was on my own, working 2 jobs, AND carrying 15 hours. Color me grateful. I am mildly ashamed, not really.

My pulse quickens and I get a big goofy grin on my face when I run into a teacher from my school career. The grin is even bigger and goofier when they remember me too. Some of them are friends of mine as a grown-up-but I still call them Mrs. Cope, Mrs. Nelson, and Mr. Wright. I tried really hard to call Mr. Wright, Eddy, but I just felt like a little kid trying to sound grown-up.

I DIGRESS, as always!! SO, all of that to say, my kids want to impress me of course, I have alot of power in their lives. But are they frantically trying to "WOW" me with their carefully labored over schoolwork? NO!! "Here Mom, am I done yet?" "Is this good enough?" "Do I have to do ALL of them?" I never should have sent them to public school. EVAH!! But I did and this is the consequence. Lilly on the other hand finds me totally amazing and LIVES to impress me with her super-skills. The girl is five and she can add. and subtract. She also knows all the sounds the letters make. When reading clicks for her, there will be no stopping this kid!!

I hope the new emphasis on developing Godly character helps all of us. We could sure "esteem one another more highly than ourselves" around here-myself included! I am looking forward to DAY 2 tomorrow and mostly the weekend!!

Mel Gibson should totally be exonerated...because...he was not drunk...he was drinking tequila. That is not drunk. Tequila is a mind altering hallucigenic(sp?). No one should ever be judged in any way responsible for actions or comments made while under the influence of tequila. I HEAR that it is some bad stuff.

We went to an outdoor wedding tonight. It was so pretty. It was a shame we all melted in the heat into little puddles of ooze. Just kidding-it was the shortest ceremony I have ever been to and we all rushed into the air-conditioned reception. It was fun and I am so happy for Joe and Jackie!

I have so been stressing over my girls scouts earning a bronze award. Every detail from the project to the order we have done the work and all points in between. Last night instead of sleeping like a normal person, I looked over the exact requirements for the award and discovered-hold onto your hats-we have already earned all the things we needed to. Since I very seldom read through the badge requirements, we accidentally earned the proper badges and awards without knowing it. I love this so much!! Now I can't wait to see about some silver for my cadettes, maybe they already have earned them...hee hee!!

Can't spend to much time on here...gotta hubby plant to water. ( :