Hi Diane! Thanks for the note. I have to admit I'm really *really* not a technical person. (Reference the whole "plug thingie" bit about the CD-DVD thing.) Any successes I've experienced are usually due to pure dogged determination and a good grounding wire. However, I'll share what we stumble upon as we go along. You have to promise to do the same, though, OK? Maybe if we all share our tips and newfound ideas we can make some use out of these newfangled gadgets.
So far, the best perk we've enjoyed from the short video clips on the camera is the ability to create short email video messages for family and friends far away. The boys sang Happy Birthday for Jess' son, Ryan and we emailed it to him (took me three days to figure out how to "convert" the file for email- d'oh!- but it can be done!) And it was really fun when Ryan, and all the rest of the gang, sent a Thank You video back! So that's our typical birthday card now. We'll also use it to tape the boys doing their memory work or singing a song and email those things to Gram, who can no longer read.
Also, and I haven't played w/ this just yet (because I found it the other day), our camera software has the ability to create single frame photos from the video! Now, considering how difficult it is for me to get catch all three boys mid-motion without at least one of them being some kind of UFO-like blur across the screen, I think once we figure out how to do this, it's gonna be FUN!
I'll try to figure out how to upload and save movie files. Perhaps one of my more tech-oriented readers will decide to do their kind deed for the day and walk us through it? Wouldn't it be fun to have movies on the blog!
~Dy
If you don't mind the construction dust, come on in. The coffee's hot, the food's good, and the door is open...
Tuesday, September 28
Sunday, September 26
Just thinking out loud
Lord of the Rings: brain candy, deep reading, or a little of both? I can't decide, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the read. I do, however, find myself getting confused after reading LOTR for a bit and then going through The Hobbit with James...
CD-DVD: *sigh* The box didn't come with the proper pluggie thingies and the computer is ignoring it. That is the official report from the "Tech Dept." It's going back.
Neighbor Kids: Zorak has become the local "fix-it guy" for the neighborhood boys. We're very glad they are comfortable coming to the door when they need help with their bikes or anything else, and we enjoy having them around. Still, it is a little sad knowing they don't have someone at home to do these things. (We don't know the details of their home lives, only that they don't have anyone at home to show them how to take care of their things, or to keep them supplied with tools and such.) He wants to pick up brake pads this week. The boys are cruising around on bikes with no brake pads and they're grinding their wheels to death.
They are very good boys, and we enjoy having them around. They're in 8th and 9th grades, right on the cusp of testing those waters of manhood. It's a tenuous period. We hope to help keep positive things and healthy activities within their grasps as they grow. Active young men will look for things to do, and it's human nature to do whatever is easiest. Zorak remembers that all too well. *grin*
Church & Tithing: You know, there is simply no delicate way to handle the mandate of tithing when discussing it between believers and non-believers. It sounds like it's all about the money, which completely depends on your perspective, I guess. I'm pretty sure that's because the two parties are not coming from a common foundation or using common definitions. Obviously, we don't tithe. Not because I don't believe in it, but because Zorak earns the money and he doesn't agree with it (y'all should've seen his face the first time I suggested tithing! "Ten percent of all of it???") He's never taken issue with me tithing monies I've earned, which I appreciate and respect. I also respect his stance on the money he earns. Today in the Visitor's Class, the topic of the day was... ta-da! Tithing! Zorak and I had a good talk about it after class, but that's one of those topics that probably won't ever find a consensus.
Computer Time: I think I'm going to cave in and allow the boys scheduled computer time. If they're going to be on, I'd rather it be doing something slightly more productive than playing MOHAA with Zorak. Now that the computer is running stunningly better, we'll install some programs on the boys' log-in and work it into our regular routine. It helps that we don't have access to regular TV, so I don't feel like it's just one more thing to compete with for their attention.
Typo: oh good grief, we watched Horatio, not Horation. *sheesh* Evidently I didn't have enough coffee last night, eh?
All-in-all, a quiet weekend with not much going on. After church today we came home and made fried chicken. We told stories and made root beer floats. Then we read ourselves into a stupor and tucked the boys into bed. I love days like this.
Oh, and John has discovered the ultimate filibuster! He makes up a story to share. It's generally long and involved, but comes to an ending something along the lines of, "And they lived happily ever after... Except for the time that..." and he launches into yet another impromptu story! This will go on for as long as you can stand it. He has found it useful for both supper and bedtime so far. We usually give him a little leeway, just to appreciate his creative and wonderful stories. (And to quit giggling- it's really hard not to giggle when they're so cute.)
Ah, well, I am going to head out and gather this week's schedule. Hope you are all having a lovely end of September!
~Dy
CD-DVD: *sigh* The box didn't come with the proper pluggie thingies and the computer is ignoring it. That is the official report from the "Tech Dept." It's going back.
Neighbor Kids: Zorak has become the local "fix-it guy" for the neighborhood boys. We're very glad they are comfortable coming to the door when they need help with their bikes or anything else, and we enjoy having them around. Still, it is a little sad knowing they don't have someone at home to do these things. (We don't know the details of their home lives, only that they don't have anyone at home to show them how to take care of their things, or to keep them supplied with tools and such.) He wants to pick up brake pads this week. The boys are cruising around on bikes with no brake pads and they're grinding their wheels to death.
They are very good boys, and we enjoy having them around. They're in 8th and 9th grades, right on the cusp of testing those waters of manhood. It's a tenuous period. We hope to help keep positive things and healthy activities within their grasps as they grow. Active young men will look for things to do, and it's human nature to do whatever is easiest. Zorak remembers that all too well. *grin*
Church & Tithing: You know, there is simply no delicate way to handle the mandate of tithing when discussing it between believers and non-believers. It sounds like it's all about the money, which completely depends on your perspective, I guess. I'm pretty sure that's because the two parties are not coming from a common foundation or using common definitions. Obviously, we don't tithe. Not because I don't believe in it, but because Zorak earns the money and he doesn't agree with it (y'all should've seen his face the first time I suggested tithing! "Ten percent of all of it???") He's never taken issue with me tithing monies I've earned, which I appreciate and respect. I also respect his stance on the money he earns. Today in the Visitor's Class, the topic of the day was... ta-da! Tithing! Zorak and I had a good talk about it after class, but that's one of those topics that probably won't ever find a consensus.
Computer Time: I think I'm going to cave in and allow the boys scheduled computer time. If they're going to be on, I'd rather it be doing something slightly more productive than playing MOHAA with Zorak. Now that the computer is running stunningly better, we'll install some programs on the boys' log-in and work it into our regular routine. It helps that we don't have access to regular TV, so I don't feel like it's just one more thing to compete with for their attention.
Typo: oh good grief, we watched Horatio, not Horation. *sheesh* Evidently I didn't have enough coffee last night, eh?
All-in-all, a quiet weekend with not much going on. After church today we came home and made fried chicken. We told stories and made root beer floats. Then we read ourselves into a stupor and tucked the boys into bed. I love days like this.
Oh, and John has discovered the ultimate filibuster! He makes up a story to share. It's generally long and involved, but comes to an ending something along the lines of, "And they lived happily ever after... Except for the time that..." and he launches into yet another impromptu story! This will go on for as long as you can stand it. He has found it useful for both supper and bedtime so far. We usually give him a little leeway, just to appreciate his creative and wonderful stories. (And to quit giggling- it's really hard not to giggle when they're so cute.)
Ah, well, I am going to head out and gather this week's schedule. Hope you are all having a lovely end of September!
~Dy
Neat Day!
The hard drive has been replaced successfully! Not only did we replace it, but we *knock on wood* managed to piggyback the two drives and transferred all our files intact! It was a tense few hours and we went to bed just as the sun was thinking of coming up, but it worked! Zorak says he feels "like such a Beta nerd". (Picture the Superman pose w/ a cup of coffee in hand as he says this.)
Today...
Jacob walked! Not just one step or two, but up to five at a time, and he kept at it all day. I don't know who is more proud of him: us, the boys, or himself.
St. Mary's County Fair is where we spent our afternoon. It was absolutely wonderful, and probably one of the best County Fairs either of us has ever attended. We had a lovely time in all, saw several people we know, enjoyed the rides and the junk food.
We learned so much about goats that we hadn't known before. Neither of the boys wanted to milk one, although they both had several opportunities to do so, but they did enjoy hearing about them and touching them. One gentleman in particular spent plenty of time answering all our questions and sharing "getting started" stories about raising goats. The nubian goats are just beautiful!
We also were fortunate to find and visit with the folks who brought draft horses for the horse pull. Holy Cow! These horses are mammoth! We had to head out around seven thirty, and the teams were only pulling around 6,000 pounds when we left. (I say "only", as we heard last year's pull was up around 12,000 pounds by the end- can you even imagine? The power and grace in these animals is just awe inspiring.) They weren't even straining! It was amazing.
The bonus, the unexpected thrill of the entire fair, though, came as we headed for the gate. Among the competing sounds of loud 80's rock, the calls of the horse pull announcers, the whirrs of various vittle makers, we heard something familiar and... we stopped, listened, and turned to face one another. It was like our own personal Cricket in Times Square! We heard Western Swing! Playing live, no less! Oh, finditfinditfindit! I chirpped happily, hopping up and down, trying to discern the source of the melodies amidst the din. We found it, and we danced. We waltzed, we two-stepped, we danced the happy, strange, spinning dances that only children (and parents of children) do. We danced with the boys, we danced together, we swayed and hummed and just absorbed the familiar, warm music we both love so much. This bit of serendipity delayed our exit from the fair by about half an hour, but none of us minded. The band is truly excellent, which only added to our excitement.
Nobody seemed to know the name of the band, but we plan to track them down and if they play locally, then there's a date night coming on!
We got video from the fair on the digital camera- wow, this thing is GREAT! Not only can we take great snippets of video with it, but we can extrapolate stills from the video clips once we've uploaded the files to the computer. Wow, technology has come such a long way from the Commodore 64, or Polaroids! Neat stuff.
Anyhow, Zorak and I stayed up way too late watching Horation Hornblower (which we thoroughly enjoyed, and now I'm going to have to read the entire series!) so that's all I have time for this evening.
Enjoy a beautiful Sunday!
~Dy
Today...
Jacob walked! Not just one step or two, but up to five at a time, and he kept at it all day. I don't know who is more proud of him: us, the boys, or himself.
St. Mary's County Fair is where we spent our afternoon. It was absolutely wonderful, and probably one of the best County Fairs either of us has ever attended. We had a lovely time in all, saw several people we know, enjoyed the rides and the junk food.
We learned so much about goats that we hadn't known before. Neither of the boys wanted to milk one, although they both had several opportunities to do so, but they did enjoy hearing about them and touching them. One gentleman in particular spent plenty of time answering all our questions and sharing "getting started" stories about raising goats. The nubian goats are just beautiful!
We also were fortunate to find and visit with the folks who brought draft horses for the horse pull. Holy Cow! These horses are mammoth! We had to head out around seven thirty, and the teams were only pulling around 6,000 pounds when we left. (I say "only", as we heard last year's pull was up around 12,000 pounds by the end- can you even imagine? The power and grace in these animals is just awe inspiring.) They weren't even straining! It was amazing.
The bonus, the unexpected thrill of the entire fair, though, came as we headed for the gate. Among the competing sounds of loud 80's rock, the calls of the horse pull announcers, the whirrs of various vittle makers, we heard something familiar and... we stopped, listened, and turned to face one another. It was like our own personal Cricket in Times Square! We heard Western Swing! Playing live, no less! Oh, finditfinditfindit! I chirpped happily, hopping up and down, trying to discern the source of the melodies amidst the din. We found it, and we danced. We waltzed, we two-stepped, we danced the happy, strange, spinning dances that only children (and parents of children) do. We danced with the boys, we danced together, we swayed and hummed and just absorbed the familiar, warm music we both love so much. This bit of serendipity delayed our exit from the fair by about half an hour, but none of us minded. The band is truly excellent, which only added to our excitement.
Nobody seemed to know the name of the band, but we plan to track them down and if they play locally, then there's a date night coming on!
We got video from the fair on the digital camera- wow, this thing is GREAT! Not only can we take great snippets of video with it, but we can extrapolate stills from the video clips once we've uploaded the files to the computer. Wow, technology has come such a long way from the Commodore 64, or Polaroids! Neat stuff.
Anyhow, Zorak and I stayed up way too late watching Horation Hornblower (which we thoroughly enjoyed, and now I'm going to have to read the entire series!) so that's all I have time for this evening.
Enjoy a beautiful Sunday!
~Dy
Friday, September 24
Technical Difficulties
Well, the computer was kind enough to let me know it's dying. That gave me time enough to try to back up the files before it goes under completely. Sort of. There are a few things it seems I will never learn: go to sleep at a reasonable hour the last two weeks before the baby is born, fill the gas tank when it hits the 1/2 full mark, and back up my hard drive regularly to an external source.
As it turns out, the vague period between your first inkling that your computer is dying and the moment it actually dies is not the time to discover that your CD burner is also kaput, or that your photos are too numerous to fit on all the zip disks you own (including cannibalizing from hubby's school set).
The new hard drive is waiting patiently beside my chair. Photobucket is going to charge me double in the morning, I'm sure. Zorak is picking up a new CD-RW at Wal-Mart (while we're in there, we might as well do all the fixin' it needs). It's going to be a long night. Hopefully, though, it will be a productive one.
In case we don't see you until Monday, have a beautiful weekend. Enjoy the fresh fall air (chilly fall air for those of you way up North!) Be good to one another, and hug those babies.
~Dy
As it turns out, the vague period between your first inkling that your computer is dying and the moment it actually dies is not the time to discover that your CD burner is also kaput, or that your photos are too numerous to fit on all the zip disks you own (including cannibalizing from hubby's school set).
The new hard drive is waiting patiently beside my chair. Photobucket is going to charge me double in the morning, I'm sure. Zorak is picking up a new CD-RW at Wal-Mart (while we're in there, we might as well do all the fixin' it needs). It's going to be a long night. Hopefully, though, it will be a productive one.
In case we don't see you until Monday, have a beautiful weekend. Enjoy the fresh fall air (chilly fall air for those of you way up North!) Be good to one another, and hug those babies.
~Dy
Thursday, September 23
He's Home
So, just wanted to share a snippet about the joy of homeschooling an accelerated and/or asynchronous learner (edited for clarity since it's not three am this time 'round!) This is part of a larger thread on the concept of grade skipping advanced children.
And now, I'm off! Not that I don't love spending time with you all, but hey, you guys didn't bring me a big honkin' box of baklava!
G'nite!
~Dy
We don't have to pick one or the other (comfortable surroundings with a healthy environment or quality academics). They can learn at their own paces, grow at their own paces, garner the skills they'll need to be fledglings at their own paces.
If that means we're having to bone up on physics theory or other high-end (or obscure) areas of study so that our children can continue their educations at home until they're 18 or so, that's fine with us. That's actually what we anticipate.
They'll probably have things they will look back on and say they wish we'd done this or that differently (rare is the child who doesn't), but hopefully they won't look back and feel they had to pick between an excellent education or their childhoods.
And now, I'm off! Not that I don't love spending time with you all, but hey, you guys didn't bring me a big honkin' box of baklava!
G'nite!
~Dy
Wednesday, September 22
Our homeschooling days...
Mmmm, the bliss of the cocoon has begun to show benefits! Thank you to those who encouraged that we just follow the nudge of the soul. It's been a great week! It's been a slightly different week, but good in new ways and warm, fuzzy ways. Anyhow, I thought I'd touch base on education tonight- both mine and the boys'.
We've pretty much ignored Latin this week, except for the prayers. I know, bad Classicist. Hey, I have two more stages to play with (and most of this first one), so I'm really not sweating it. Besides, we promised James we would attend a Latin Mass over the bridge once he finished Prima Latina... and I'm in no hurry to drive an hour and a half to sit through a church service that *I* won't understand most of, anyway. LOL. We've focused on Spanish a bit more this week, trying to get the boys into a comfortable spot with that.
Still trying my darndest to reconcile the differences between Castillian Spanish and Mexican, but I think we can find a way to make it blend. We've read one book a day in Spanish all week, and that's rapidly become one of the highlights of each day! (Who'd a thought?) Too bad I can't speak/read Latin as easily as I can Spanish. As for the pronunciation differences, I figure the boys will end up wonderfully adaptable with dialects, or totally unintelligible in any Spanish-speaking country.
Math this week has been a mix of everything. Place value has been the study du jour for John, which he is mastering with great finesse. He can build, read, and even write just about anything you ask him to. He still likes dotted lines to trace, though- it's fun for him, and a bit more interactive that way. So, dotted lines it is! Review of skip counting by 7's, word problems galore, and a ton of mental math games have been the plan for James. He makes up most of the games. Today he wanted to play what he called "string along", where you begin by adding two numbers, then adding another, subtracting a number, etc. (He, erm, kept up better than I did.) Later, and I've no idea what started it, while we were putting away the wash, the boys erupted into an impromptu game of "what number am I?", using their bodies to form numbers. That was fun, and a great game for building concrete understanding of the symbols, as well as spatial comprehension of forms and axis orientation!
Reading is always a "go" here. I will admit to spending more time reading in the evenings than Zorak traditionally does. Namely, I am bone-tired by the end of the day and the mere thought of wrestling or roughhousing makes me want to hide in a corner and whimper quietly. Still, it's so important (for all of us) to spend time together, and while I have zero drive to be mauled by three excitable little monkeys, it is nice to snuggle with them once they've beensedated, er, bathed and jammied. So, we read and read and read until they (or I) begin to fade. John surprised me by bringing in a stack of books he literally could not see over, announcing, "We'll begin reading from the bottom of the stack!"
Can't seem to find read alouds for the boys that James doesn't get to first. Of all the books we picked up at the library this week (over 20), there is ONE he had not read by this morning. That one, he said, he started to read but just "didn't find it very interesting". *pphhttbbbtthhh* I'm going to have to hide a secret stash of books to read aloud for that boy! (Oh, I know. I'm definitely not complaining, I'm overjoyed!)
History has been moved to the supper table. The boys this week have requested Lei Zu & the Silkworm, and the Anansi stories (both found in Story of the World Vol.1) each night. Tonight, however, we also read about the bull-jumpers of Crete. The boys acted it out after supper. I was in stitches. They're pretty goodbackpack, er bull jumpers.
And what have I been doing with my quiet evenings this week? I've been simmering through Lord of the Rings (which, I have to laugh at myself here, I'm reading the same way I read The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt- with one thumb in the appendices, constantly flipping back and forth. It is going to take me a month to finish this book, but that's ok. I plan to be here in a month...) My "snippets of time" selection this week has been Eats, Shoots & Leaves, which has not failed to provide all the enlightenment and humor for which it has become so well-known. This is a delightful little book! I've also enjoyed music that usually gets butchered by my own personal Weird Al (Dan Folgelberg, James Taylor... It is amazing what Zorak can do to seemingly innocuous lyrics, really!)
Zorak is doing well, and will be home tomorrow. We contemplated meeting in PA and doing a little visiting over the weekend, but tonight he said he just wants to come home and "do what we do". That sounds perfect to me! Thanks for allowing me to wax sentimental while he's been gone. I'll try not to be too sappy too often, but sometimes a little sap is good. That's where you get yummy syrup for breakfasts, healing balm for scars, and gin. (OK, gin's from juniper berries. I couldn't think of one made from sap.)
*update: wine! You can make wine from birch sap! There ya have it! Learn something new every day!*
Enjoy those precious babies (of all ages)!
~Dy
We've pretty much ignored Latin this week, except for the prayers. I know, bad Classicist. Hey, I have two more stages to play with (and most of this first one), so I'm really not sweating it. Besides, we promised James we would attend a Latin Mass over the bridge once he finished Prima Latina... and I'm in no hurry to drive an hour and a half to sit through a church service that *I* won't understand most of, anyway. LOL. We've focused on Spanish a bit more this week, trying to get the boys into a comfortable spot with that.
Still trying my darndest to reconcile the differences between Castillian Spanish and Mexican, but I think we can find a way to make it blend. We've read one book a day in Spanish all week, and that's rapidly become one of the highlights of each day! (Who'd a thought?) Too bad I can't speak/read Latin as easily as I can Spanish. As for the pronunciation differences, I figure the boys will end up wonderfully adaptable with dialects, or totally unintelligible in any Spanish-speaking country.
Math this week has been a mix of everything. Place value has been the study du jour for John, which he is mastering with great finesse. He can build, read, and even write just about anything you ask him to. He still likes dotted lines to trace, though- it's fun for him, and a bit more interactive that way. So, dotted lines it is! Review of skip counting by 7's, word problems galore, and a ton of mental math games have been the plan for James. He makes up most of the games. Today he wanted to play what he called "string along", where you begin by adding two numbers, then adding another, subtracting a number, etc. (He, erm, kept up better than I did.) Later, and I've no idea what started it, while we were putting away the wash, the boys erupted into an impromptu game of "what number am I?", using their bodies to form numbers. That was fun, and a great game for building concrete understanding of the symbols, as well as spatial comprehension of forms and axis orientation!
Reading is always a "go" here. I will admit to spending more time reading in the evenings than Zorak traditionally does. Namely, I am bone-tired by the end of the day and the mere thought of wrestling or roughhousing makes me want to hide in a corner and whimper quietly. Still, it's so important (for all of us) to spend time together, and while I have zero drive to be mauled by three excitable little monkeys, it is nice to snuggle with them once they've been
Can't seem to find read alouds for the boys that James doesn't get to first. Of all the books we picked up at the library this week (over 20), there is ONE he had not read by this morning. That one, he said, he started to read but just "didn't find it very interesting". *pphhttbbbtthhh* I'm going to have to hide a secret stash of books to read aloud for that boy! (Oh, I know. I'm definitely not complaining, I'm overjoyed!)
History has been moved to the supper table. The boys this week have requested Lei Zu & the Silkworm, and the Anansi stories (both found in Story of the World Vol.1) each night. Tonight, however, we also read about the bull-jumpers of Crete. The boys acted it out after supper. I was in stitches. They're pretty good
And what have I been doing with my quiet evenings this week? I've been simmering through Lord of the Rings (which, I have to laugh at myself here, I'm reading the same way I read The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt- with one thumb in the appendices, constantly flipping back and forth. It is going to take me a month to finish this book, but that's ok. I plan to be here in a month...) My "snippets of time" selection this week has been Eats, Shoots & Leaves, which has not failed to provide all the enlightenment and humor for which it has become so well-known. This is a delightful little book! I've also enjoyed music that usually gets butchered by my own personal Weird Al (Dan Folgelberg, James Taylor... It is amazing what Zorak can do to seemingly innocuous lyrics, really!)
Zorak is doing well, and will be home tomorrow. We contemplated meeting in PA and doing a little visiting over the weekend, but tonight he said he just wants to come home and "do what we do". That sounds perfect to me! Thanks for allowing me to wax sentimental while he's been gone. I'll try not to be too sappy too often, but sometimes a little sap is good. That's where you get yummy syrup for breakfasts, healing balm for scars, and gin. (OK, gin's from juniper berries. I couldn't think of one made from sap.)
*update: wine! You can make wine from birch sap! There ya have it! Learn something new every day!*
Enjoy those precious babies (of all ages)!
~Dy
Tuesday, September 21
Missing Zorak
It's quiet. I didn't realize how much we talk together. Our conversations and banter feel so natural that for the most part it goes unnoticed until it's gone. Then it's awfully quiet. He's such a great conversationalist- witty, funny, sarcastic, occasionally smarmy, but always warm and honest.
It's also really cold. Now, listing this as one reason to miss him in no way intimates that he could be replaced by a hot water bottle. Not by a long shot! But that is one definite perk. If I can outlast him by about four minutes, my side of the bed is warm. Yup. Not necessarily a bonus in the summer, but sure would be nice this evening!
He smells really nice and gives the best hugs. I am a geek, yes, and am wearing his shirt. I can't get a hug right now, but this is close.
I also used his coffee mug today. :-)
Wow, it's almost funny to think he's got me thinking and acting like a twitterpated school girl.
What am I saying? When it comes to him, I feel like a twitterpated school girl! After ten years, it's still a wonderful feeling!
The boys sure will be glad when he's home, too. They miss him the most in the evenings, when he is generally there to wrestle and read after bath. We talk a lot about Daddy during the day, about what he does and why, about how Daddy would handle this situation or that situation.
They know Daddy will always pick the morally right choice, even when it's not the easy choice. They know Daddy will always help the underdog. They know Daddy loves them and misses them even when he's far away. They know Daddy is so smart~ he's the smartest, bestest, biggest, lovey-est Daddy in their whole wide world!
Yep, Zorak is loved and missed.
~Dy
It's also really cold. Now, listing this as one reason to miss him in no way intimates that he could be replaced by a hot water bottle. Not by a long shot! But that is one definite perk. If I can outlast him by about four minutes, my side of the bed is warm. Yup. Not necessarily a bonus in the summer, but sure would be nice this evening!
He smells really nice and gives the best hugs. I am a geek, yes, and am wearing his shirt. I can't get a hug right now, but this is close.
I also used his coffee mug today. :-)
Wow, it's almost funny to think he's got me thinking and acting like a twitterpated school girl.
What am I saying? When it comes to him, I feel like a twitterpated school girl! After ten years, it's still a wonderful feeling!
The boys sure will be glad when he's home, too. They miss him the most in the evenings, when he is generally there to wrestle and read after bath. We talk a lot about Daddy during the day, about what he does and why, about how Daddy would handle this situation or that situation.
They know Daddy will always pick the morally right choice, even when it's not the easy choice. They know Daddy will always help the underdog. They know Daddy loves them and misses them even when he's far away. They know Daddy is so smart~ he's the smartest, bestest, biggest, lovey-est Daddy in their whole wide world!
Yep, Zorak is loved and missed.
~Dy
Monday, September 20
Oh, today was nice!
Our Wonderful Neighbor was right- the weather today was absolutely perfect! It was just gorgeous, and of course, we had to go play in it. The boys rode their bikes and built a "shelter" among the trees (there's a nip of forest-like stuff at the edge of the property, with plenty of deadfall for small children to enjoy and make stuff with), and just sat and visited with us moms. Just beautiful. I love this time of year!
We're enjoying the redesigned family room upstairs, too- it's got great natural light, there's plenty of creative space for three boys to romp and play, and room for all of us to negotiate around during lessons. It's not really a large space at all, but the right furniture did wonders for its usability.
Zorak arrived safe and sound. He called to chat a bit and say goodnight to the boys. I'd forgotten the quiet void that one of us being gone creates. We are actually glad for this opportunity with his work, and I think he'll enjoy the work itself... but we both said we're really glad he didn't take a position with a lot of travel. That's something we've both done in the past, and it's a whole different ball game pre-children. Ah, in the meantime, we'll just cruise along and try to keep the pace. He'll be home much sooner than we first thought, so that was nice to hear.
We went to the library this evening, just before supper. That's really a nice time to go- we've never been in the evening before. The boys got to watch one of the volunteers clean the big fish tank, and the guy was great- he explained the tool he was using, let them touch it, played with them. Wow. And they both remembered to say "Thank you" when we headed on in to the books. We stocked up on wonderful books- some old favorites, some new surprises. Eats, Shoots and Leaves came in, too! WOOHOO! So after I'm done here, I'm going to curl up and do a little learnin'.
I do owe y'all an apology- I got sucked in and broke my own rule- don't talk to strangers. So, for my part in the unpleasantness on the blog recently, I do apologize to you (the innocent bystanders, friends, family, the ones I ought to be talking to) and I will remember my own rule in the future. Please forgive me.
Let's see, what else is going on over here? Not too much. With Autumn on its way, things always look a lot brighter. There's just something about the crisp air, the light breeze, the incredible shade of blue in the sky... it puts a spring in our steps and whispers that there is something amazing around every corner, in every meeting, in the daily to-do, even. We really love the fall.
Tomorrow will be a day of library books spread out all over the living room, music playing in the background, and time spent just hanging out enjoying one another. Someone used the term "cocooning" to describe what I've been feeling, and I think that sums it up really well. There are tides and seasons to everyone's life, and if we listen to the rythm of those cycles, things go much more smoothly, more enjoyably. Incredible things happen inside cocoons! And a time of emergence follows shortly after... good stuff, this life.
Wrap your arms around those sweet babies and breathe in the love!
'Nite,
~Dy
We're enjoying the redesigned family room upstairs, too- it's got great natural light, there's plenty of creative space for three boys to romp and play, and room for all of us to negotiate around during lessons. It's not really a large space at all, but the right furniture did wonders for its usability.
Zorak arrived safe and sound. He called to chat a bit and say goodnight to the boys. I'd forgotten the quiet void that one of us being gone creates. We are actually glad for this opportunity with his work, and I think he'll enjoy the work itself... but we both said we're really glad he didn't take a position with a lot of travel. That's something we've both done in the past, and it's a whole different ball game pre-children. Ah, in the meantime, we'll just cruise along and try to keep the pace. He'll be home much sooner than we first thought, so that was nice to hear.
We went to the library this evening, just before supper. That's really a nice time to go- we've never been in the evening before. The boys got to watch one of the volunteers clean the big fish tank, and the guy was great- he explained the tool he was using, let them touch it, played with them. Wow. And they both remembered to say "Thank you" when we headed on in to the books. We stocked up on wonderful books- some old favorites, some new surprises. Eats, Shoots and Leaves came in, too! WOOHOO! So after I'm done here, I'm going to curl up and do a little learnin'.
I do owe y'all an apology- I got sucked in and broke my own rule- don't talk to strangers. So, for my part in the unpleasantness on the blog recently, I do apologize to you (the innocent bystanders, friends, family, the ones I ought to be talking to) and I will remember my own rule in the future. Please forgive me.
Let's see, what else is going on over here? Not too much. With Autumn on its way, things always look a lot brighter. There's just something about the crisp air, the light breeze, the incredible shade of blue in the sky... it puts a spring in our steps and whispers that there is something amazing around every corner, in every meeting, in the daily to-do, even. We really love the fall.
Tomorrow will be a day of library books spread out all over the living room, music playing in the background, and time spent just hanging out enjoying one another. Someone used the term "cocooning" to describe what I've been feeling, and I think that sums it up really well. There are tides and seasons to everyone's life, and if we listen to the rythm of those cycles, things go much more smoothly, more enjoyably. Incredible things happen inside cocoons! And a time of emergence follows shortly after... good stuff, this life.
Wrap your arms around those sweet babies and breathe in the love!
'Nite,
~Dy
Lookie! A troll!
Wow, I didn't know I had a secret loather! And a long-reading one, too, evidently! Is that cool, or is it scary? Hmmm. Actually, a little creepy, but I won't go into that because I might get tired from telling someone how much I hate snarky anonymous posters who can't follow the rules! Wouldn't want to make anyone else angry, now, would we?
LOL! Ah, so let me see if I have this straight... if I'm angry over having to cough up $800 to register a vehicle in MD, that's not OK. And if, after the two week three-ring circus of trying to get the thing registered, I'm just thinkin' it's not feelin' like it's worth it, and I make the comment that I resent being forced to pay for two years (am I allowed to resent this, or is this another problem you have with me?), and in my exhaustion and frustration say that I don't want to be here that long... oooohhhhh, bad Dy. It evidently upsets people who are FROM Maryland. Why would this upset you? Ought I to have been tickled pink over spending nearly a grand on this? Did ya want me to just keep it quiet? Was I inadvertently airing Maryland's dirty laundry? Or were you just unaware that other states don't really charge that much and you're mad at the messenger? I'm missing why this has your panties in a bunch.
Or, looking at the other referenced incident, the "whole blog of June 16th", if I am bothered by the level of Big Brother poking his nose into my home when he can't even run his own schools well, that makes me "inappropriately nasty". I cited my examples for being frustrated. So, just HOW does that make my frustrations "inappropriately nasty"? What in the WORLD are you talking about?
Since, dear reader, you signed your cheerful little note, "Sheeple", I'm taking a wild stab here and guessing you are in favor of the government involvement I discussed in that post. OK. Yay for you. You evidently see some benefit to it that I'm not seeing. At the time, I'd have asked you to share them, but ya know... not so much now. I think perhaps you have enough issues to deal with than trying to be civil to someone when Big Brother isn't making you do it.
I'm so glad to see you've completely missed the things we like here- they may not be the same things YOU like about Maryland, and you might be offended by that, too!
And see, my question that you inappropriately replied to was in response to another snark-n-run attack from the other day- had nothing to do with MD. Entirely different issue altogether! You're funny.
Finally, and then I'm going to play outside with the boys, why on earth are you coming if I'm so offensive to you? One Click Away! It's that easy. I'm not blogging to make you mad, and I assume you don't come online to get your feathers ruffled. From the tone of your comment, you find nothing of redeeming value here, so I don't know what you think you're going to find by coming back. Anyway, it's a big world, and there's plenty of room not to have to run into one another. If you actually know me IRL and honestly feel that I've somehow set out to hurt your feelings, let me know and we'll talk, but this anonymous deal just doesn't bring out the bleeding heart in me.
~Dy
LOL! Ah, so let me see if I have this straight... if I'm angry over having to cough up $800 to register a vehicle in MD, that's not OK. And if, after the two week three-ring circus of trying to get the thing registered, I'm just thinkin' it's not feelin' like it's worth it, and I make the comment that I resent being forced to pay for two years (am I allowed to resent this, or is this another problem you have with me?), and in my exhaustion and frustration say that I don't want to be here that long... oooohhhhh, bad Dy. It evidently upsets people who are FROM Maryland. Why would this upset you? Ought I to have been tickled pink over spending nearly a grand on this? Did ya want me to just keep it quiet? Was I inadvertently airing Maryland's dirty laundry? Or were you just unaware that other states don't really charge that much and you're mad at the messenger? I'm missing why this has your panties in a bunch.
Or, looking at the other referenced incident, the "whole blog of June 16th", if I am bothered by the level of Big Brother poking his nose into my home when he can't even run his own schools well, that makes me "inappropriately nasty". I cited my examples for being frustrated. So, just HOW does that make my frustrations "inappropriately nasty"? What in the WORLD are you talking about?
Since, dear reader, you signed your cheerful little note, "Sheeple", I'm taking a wild stab here and guessing you are in favor of the government involvement I discussed in that post. OK. Yay for you. You evidently see some benefit to it that I'm not seeing. At the time, I'd have asked you to share them, but ya know... not so much now. I think perhaps you have enough issues to deal with than trying to be civil to someone when Big Brother isn't making you do it.
I'm so glad to see you've completely missed the things we like here- they may not be the same things YOU like about Maryland, and you might be offended by that, too!
And see, my question that you inappropriately replied to was in response to another snark-n-run attack from the other day- had nothing to do with MD. Entirely different issue altogether! You're funny.
Finally, and then I'm going to play outside with the boys, why on earth are you coming if I'm so offensive to you? One Click Away! It's that easy. I'm not blogging to make you mad, and I assume you don't come online to get your feathers ruffled. From the tone of your comment, you find nothing of redeeming value here, so I don't know what you think you're going to find by coming back. Anyway, it's a big world, and there's plenty of room not to have to run into one another. If you actually know me IRL and honestly feel that I've somehow set out to hurt your feelings, let me know and we'll talk, but this anonymous deal just doesn't bring out the bleeding heart in me.
~Dy
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