John is thoroughly engrossed in Huckleberry Finn!! Oh, I cannot tell you how exciting this is. He cried when Zorak said it was time for bed and they'd have to cut storytime short (James was squirrelly and Jacob was snuffling about for a blanket to bring down to me, so it was quite distracting for everyone).
Zorak brought me the Smidge and explained what happened. "I'm going back up to read more to him," he said, with a smile. I am so thankful that Zorak understands what a wonderful thing this is for John, too. What a cool family.
****
Mea culpa?
A few years back, when we started homeschooling using The Well-Trained Mind approach, a friend warned me that kids will be kids and even if it's Latin, you've got to keep an eye on them. Yeah, ok, thanks for the head's up. (And I promptly forgot that part.)
Last week, we were in the car when I heard from the back seat a little squeak, followed by some giggles and John's giggly voice, "Mea farto!" The riotous laughter that ensued from the backseat was priceless.
Today, during Latin, James asked, "Since Latin nouns usually end in 'a', wouldn't it be 'mea farta'?" Most of our lesson was on mea/tua and the applications of words that can be both nouns and verbs. And there, ladies and gentlemen, you have a great study of Latin, as it applies when you are six and four.
I love our life.
****
Things are going well here, in general. We're about due for a restructuring of "how things are done", as it's just plain time for one. This will be good. I've downloaded PearBudget, which the highly esteemed Charlie from Peace Hill Press created. I can't wait to play with it!!
I'd like to track our spending and just make sure the ship is as tight as it can be, that resources are being siphoned off in the right places. While we're doing well and are happy with how we've handled things, I don't think it ever hurts to audit yourself now and again, just to be sure.
****
Tomorrow night I go in for the Inquisition at church. OK, it's just the Communicant Interviews to transfer membership to the church we've been attending. I look forward to the stability of it, the accountability of it, and to knowing that no matter what the plans are for our stay, we will have a church home. This step will be good.
We really like the congregation and the ministry, but I have to say they have no sense of humor! Pastor was trying fervently to allay my "fears" (or what fears he seemed to think I have about this process -- I guess he doesn't realize yet that I'm not one of those slated to inherit the earth) by explaining that the Session members who oversee the Interviews are all gentle, kind, Godly men. I said, "Oh, that's good. So they don't break out the red robes for this, then?" Silence. Stone cold silence. Finally, a somewhat unsettled, "Um, no."
Well, Zorak thought it was funny.
****
Have a lovely week, and kiss those babies!
~Dy
Monday, February 7
Saturday, February 5
Weekend Blog
Gosh, sorry I've been so quiet. Lots going on, but not much I can blog about. Makes for an interesting life, but a frighteningly dull bloglife. Hmm. Some weeks are just like that, I suppose.
OK, O'Brian fans, WHY didn't anyone give me a head's up about The Surgeon's Mate? Hmmm? Yeah, I spent the ENTIRE book suspecting Jagiello of something untoward... Anyhow, finished that one last week and The Ionian Mission over the weekend, so now it's time to get back to the library for the next two. These are so much fun.
The house has been in a bit of an uproar lately.
Mostly it's me.
And my need to move things around.
In a house with a floor plan that pretty much allows for only one setup.
Bah!
Found a home today for some fabric I'll never use in a gazillion years. It feels quite good not only to no longer need to find a place to hide it, but to know that we won't be moving it with us again when we move. Someday. If the good Lord's willing. And that creek thing, too.
K, math is done, house is great, weather today was gorgeous so I hung clothes on the line. Unfortunately, it just dawned on me that I don't know if I brought it all in or not. I better check.
Have a wonderful weekend! And if you travel this weekend, be safe.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
OK, O'Brian fans, WHY didn't anyone give me a head's up about The Surgeon's Mate? Hmmm? Yeah, I spent the ENTIRE book suspecting Jagiello of something untoward... Anyhow, finished that one last week and The Ionian Mission over the weekend, so now it's time to get back to the library for the next two. These are so much fun.
The house has been in a bit of an uproar lately.
Mostly it's me.
And my need to move things around.
In a house with a floor plan that pretty much allows for only one setup.
Bah!
Found a home today for some fabric I'll never use in a gazillion years. It feels quite good not only to no longer need to find a place to hide it, but to know that we won't be moving it with us again when we move. Someday. If the good Lord's willing. And that creek thing, too.
K, math is done, house is great, weather today was gorgeous so I hung clothes on the line. Unfortunately, it just dawned on me that I don't know if I brought it all in or not. I better check.
Have a wonderful weekend! And if you travel this weekend, be safe.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
Thursday, February 3
Security and Stuff
Well, I'd planned a thorough blogrun and a fun little update tonight, but I've been installing security updates on our computer for the last three and a half hours! So much for a leisurely evening catching up with friends. We are, however, now ensconsed in an armadillo-like armor, from which I may never surface.
There's snow on the ground, and it's beautiful! When the boys saw it coming down this afternoon, John yelled, "It's SNOWING!" James said, "And you know what snow means? It means ICE!" Uhhh, well, yeah, here, I suppose it does. They cannot wait for the snow to ice over so they can break out the hammers again. Zorak said he saw pictures of the snow in Boston- YIKES!! I'm glad to say, sometimes it's nice to be snugged against the bay like this. We've had nothing of the sort here- just a dusting and some ice. *whew* Stay safe up North, guys!!
I will have to tell you about about Wonderful Gram in the morning. Right now, however, I have a video I need to format and send to her- wanted to send it before supper, but the first one we made was almost entirely black and you couldn't see a thing. So we redid it after supper and I'd like to get that off to her before bed.
Enjoy a lovely Friday, and as always,
Kiss those babies!!
~Dy
There's snow on the ground, and it's beautiful! When the boys saw it coming down this afternoon, John yelled, "It's SNOWING!" James said, "And you know what snow means? It means ICE!" Uhhh, well, yeah, here, I suppose it does. They cannot wait for the snow to ice over so they can break out the hammers again. Zorak said he saw pictures of the snow in Boston- YIKES!! I'm glad to say, sometimes it's nice to be snugged against the bay like this. We've had nothing of the sort here- just a dusting and some ice. *whew* Stay safe up North, guys!!
I will have to tell you about about Wonderful Gram in the morning. Right now, however, I have a video I need to format and send to her- wanted to send it before supper, but the first one we made was almost entirely black and you couldn't see a thing. So we redid it after supper and I'd like to get that off to her before bed.
Enjoy a lovely Friday, and as always,
Kiss those babies!!
~Dy
Wednesday, February 2
What Happened To Your Hair?
James awoke this morning and there was something... well, wrong, with his head. It was his hair, specifically. You see, normally, his hair looks like this (only not green- I don't know what I did wrong with the photo editing- he isn't this hue, really- but this photo is for the texture and lay of the hair, so look at that part):
See how nicely it all behaves?
But this morning, he had a fuzzy patch on it, right near the top. It was sort of felted and frizzed. It felt like carpet- like old, shag carpet. The rest of his hair didn't do this, just this one little island of fur that developed atop his head. It looks like this (he's not mad in this photo- he's trying to see his hair and also make his regularly scheduled silly photo face- the exertion did him in and we ended up with this expression):
Do you see the tuft at the top? It's a good half inch high!
Can you tell what happened?
It took me most of the day to finally piece together enough information to make a stunning Sherlock Holmes style discovery.
He was trying to make static electricity last night by rubbing his flannel sheet on his head!! I'm guessing he made quite a lot of electricity, but if he keeps this up he'll have dreds before he's seven! It's time to just give in and build a science lab somewhere in the house, I think.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
Sweet Bedtimes
Our routines have changes as we've added each child, adjusted to meet the needs (and dynamics) of a growing family (not to mention the switch to zone defense of the escape routes once we were officially outnumbered and could no longer do the man on man defense!)
Some of it has stayed pretty much the same, though, and the general routine for bedtime is simple: bath, jammies, wrestle time, story time. Then to bed for eleven minutes of reading (Zorak just combined the older boys' ages and let that be the "official time", although we'll be in trouble when James actually has a clock in his room and realizes we often let them go longer, or that we cut it short if they're squirrelling and not reading!) So when the boys are in bed and reading, the Smidge comes downstairs for his quiet time. I love this time of night. Zorak sets him down and Smidge comes running (Muppet style- arms flailing) down the hallway to me.
Normally I'd pick him up and go snuggle on the couch, but lately he has his own process. He finds a blanket and brings it to me, setting it on my lap and talking animatedly the whole time. He then leads the way to the couch and pats the couch, indicating I need to spread out the blanket. When it's ready for him, he turns around and backs up to me to pick him up, all the while doing a happy little arm-flapping dance. I set him on the blanket and bundle him up with his little arms held high and waving back and forth, his whole body trembling in anticipation. As soon as the corner is tucked, he closes his eyes and lets out a deep little sigh.
We still snuggle a bit before he goes to his bed, and he still nurses regularly, both of which I am thankful for. These little ones move on to independence so quickly, and I have no desire to rush any of them out of the nest. I love this time with them, and I love knowing that they're content and safe- and that they know they're safe and loved.
Sweet Bedtimes are one of my favorite parts of the day.
And now, we are off to stock the pantry and enjoy this glorious (read: above freezing) day!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
Some of it has stayed pretty much the same, though, and the general routine for bedtime is simple: bath, jammies, wrestle time, story time. Then to bed for eleven minutes of reading (Zorak just combined the older boys' ages and let that be the "official time", although we'll be in trouble when James actually has a clock in his room and realizes we often let them go longer, or that we cut it short if they're squirrelling and not reading!) So when the boys are in bed and reading, the Smidge comes downstairs for his quiet time. I love this time of night. Zorak sets him down and Smidge comes running (Muppet style- arms flailing) down the hallway to me.
Normally I'd pick him up and go snuggle on the couch, but lately he has his own process. He finds a blanket and brings it to me, setting it on my lap and talking animatedly the whole time. He then leads the way to the couch and pats the couch, indicating I need to spread out the blanket. When it's ready for him, he turns around and backs up to me to pick him up, all the while doing a happy little arm-flapping dance. I set him on the blanket and bundle him up with his little arms held high and waving back and forth, his whole body trembling in anticipation. As soon as the corner is tucked, he closes his eyes and lets out a deep little sigh.
We still snuggle a bit before he goes to his bed, and he still nurses regularly, both of which I am thankful for. These little ones move on to independence so quickly, and I have no desire to rush any of them out of the nest. I love this time with them, and I love knowing that they're content and safe- and that they know they're safe and loved.
Sweet Bedtimes are one of my favorite parts of the day.
And now, we are off to stock the pantry and enjoy this glorious (read: above freezing) day!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
Tuesday, February 1
Deep Blogs - This Isn't One
Blogs are great in that they aren't static. A blog flows and changes along with its owner (master? blogger?) If you read a regular blogger long enough, you do get a good sense of that person's general personality, quirks, and joys. The picture won't ever be wholly accurate, nor necessarily concise, but odds are you'll get a good overall picture. (Like those aerial shots of towns that were so popular in the late 50's- you can, if you look at it long enough, find your favorite spots in town on them, but they may be a little fuzzy.)
Anyhow, this time of year seems to be a natural time for blogs to start running deep. Theology, ideology, obfuscatology*, it just goes on and on. Entries get longer, sentences more complex, and suddenly you find yourself thinking, "Should I be taking notes? Will there be a quiz later?" (Or, if you weren't publikly skoold, you'll take notes whether there's a quiz or not, but I, graduate of the Public School System, just wanna know if it's going to be on the test or not, alright?)
I'll admit this phenomena leaves me a bit intimidated. I haven't the fortitude to blog that deeply in the winter. I haven't the attention span to keep deep, thorough thoughts adrift long enough to get them all in the boat. Also, I just can't leave many comments this time of year. I left one for TulipGirl the other day and after hitting "post," I realized it was well past time to go to bed.
This time of year, if you're looking for thought-provoking posts, I fear this isn't the place. So, rather than allowing myself to not-blog out of a bashful awareness that I haven't much in that realm to blog about, I intend to continue on blogging about silly things and daily things, and I hope that you'll forgive me for not following the unofficial blog-calendar. :-)
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
*Yes, I made that one up, but wouldn't it be a fun field of study?
Anyhow, this time of year seems to be a natural time for blogs to start running deep. Theology, ideology, obfuscatology*, it just goes on and on. Entries get longer, sentences more complex, and suddenly you find yourself thinking, "Should I be taking notes? Will there be a quiz later?" (Or, if you weren't publikly skoold, you'll take notes whether there's a quiz or not, but I, graduate of the Public School System, just wanna know if it's going to be on the test or not, alright?)
I'll admit this phenomena leaves me a bit intimidated. I haven't the fortitude to blog that deeply in the winter. I haven't the attention span to keep deep, thorough thoughts adrift long enough to get them all in the boat. Also, I just can't leave many comments this time of year. I left one for TulipGirl the other day and after hitting "post," I realized it was well past time to go to bed.
This time of year, if you're looking for thought-provoking posts, I fear this isn't the place. So, rather than allowing myself to not-blog out of a bashful awareness that I haven't much in that realm to blog about, I intend to continue on blogging about silly things and daily things, and I hope that you'll forgive me for not following the unofficial blog-calendar. :-)
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
*Yes, I made that one up, but wouldn't it be a fun field of study?
Will garlic work on MLM folks, or just vampires?
Sometimes I just have to shake my head.
I have a dear friend who wandered into MLM (multi-level marketing) programs a few years back. It's been good for her in many ways: she's become amazingly optimistic, her vocabulary has increased, and she has learned to think "outside the box".
Sadly, some of this translates into not so positive points, as well: she can't admit when her schemes are falling stunningly short of success and a five-year plan that's ten years overdue is still her holy grail; I swear if she uses the word "paradigm" one. more. time. ARGH; box? What box? What rules of socialization? No doesn't mean "no". It means "rephrase it and try again, and again and again."
It's funny to see someone I've known for so long get sucked under what I consider to be the intellectual bus, but there's really no broaching the subject with her. And, to be honest, she is happy doing this, so there's no point in trying to talk her out of it. The friends she hasn't run off with her constant sales pitch are now happily selling under her, so hey, whatever works, right?
But sometimes, like I said, I just have to shake my head...
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
I have a dear friend who wandered into MLM (multi-level marketing) programs a few years back. It's been good for her in many ways: she's become amazingly optimistic, her vocabulary has increased, and she has learned to think "outside the box".
Sadly, some of this translates into not so positive points, as well: she can't admit when her schemes are falling stunningly short of success and a five-year plan that's ten years overdue is still her holy grail; I swear if she uses the word "paradigm" one. more. time. ARGH; box? What box? What rules of socialization? No doesn't mean "no". It means "rephrase it and try again, and again and again."
It's funny to see someone I've known for so long get sucked under what I consider to be the intellectual bus, but there's really no broaching the subject with her. And, to be honest, she is happy doing this, so there's no point in trying to talk her out of it. The friends she hasn't run off with her constant sales pitch are now happily selling under her, so hey, whatever works, right?
But sometimes, like I said, I just have to shake my head...
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
Quick Morning Coffee
Hi guys! The boys are taking a quick break and so I thought I would, too.
It's Tuesday (Tuesday? Yes, I think that's right.) There will be no house for auction on Thursday. The sale has been cancelled for this particular house, and while I'm sad that our plans for that house have been squashed, I'm also glad to know that another family was able to stave it off. I'm sure they are relieved, too. I do think, however, that I'm just not going to say anything until we return from the closing table on whatever house comes through. Far too many ups and downs, twists and turns. Makes me irritable and somewhat meanspirited, which neither you nor the boys need to put up with. :-)
Hey, for you knitters out there- Is there such a thing as "Knitter's Thumb", or am I just doing something terribly wrong? The scarf is looking quite recognizeable, though. And, while I'm begging for advice, is it possible to yarn over without realizing it? I'm not sure how it's happening, but every tenth row or so I find an extra stitch in there- just loose, but definitely "there" and I have to decrease. I can't figure out when it's happening, though, and it's driving me batty!
The boys are enjoying a short break before we start our next lessons- James is reading Junie B. Jones (which he says isn't bad, although she doesn't like broccoli, which he finds a little strange), and John is oohing over a Mindware catalog, begging for new puzzles. (Sorry, kiddo, but we're going to have to do more culling before we allow anything new into the house!) Smidge found James' bowl of peanut butter and chocolate chip oatmeal. ('Nuff said.)
In the mornings, before the day's activity begins, I've been reading Breaking Free by Beth Moore and completing the discussion with a group of online ladies. I seem to have doctrinal disagreements on nearly every page, but there are some good nuggets worth harvesting from it. The group is nice, although some are terribly quiet. I hope the discussion picks up soon- there's so much to be gleaned from one another, and that's what makes a study (online or in real life) so much fun.
Also reading The Surgeon's Mate, which is, as always, wonderful fiction for my quiet little nook. Hey- do you have a picture of your favorite spot to read? Maybe we should get Donna to do one of those now that everybody but, er, one nameless person, has showed their desks!
I'm going to go supervise the Latin practice before they start making up their own verbs and things go horribly awry. We don't want to leave Zorak out of the picture, either, so we'll save the word inventing for supper.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
It's Tuesday (Tuesday? Yes, I think that's right.) There will be no house for auction on Thursday. The sale has been cancelled for this particular house, and while I'm sad that our plans for that house have been squashed, I'm also glad to know that another family was able to stave it off. I'm sure they are relieved, too. I do think, however, that I'm just not going to say anything until we return from the closing table on whatever house comes through. Far too many ups and downs, twists and turns. Makes me irritable and somewhat meanspirited, which neither you nor the boys need to put up with. :-)
Hey, for you knitters out there- Is there such a thing as "Knitter's Thumb", or am I just doing something terribly wrong? The scarf is looking quite recognizeable, though. And, while I'm begging for advice, is it possible to yarn over without realizing it? I'm not sure how it's happening, but every tenth row or so I find an extra stitch in there- just loose, but definitely "there" and I have to decrease. I can't figure out when it's happening, though, and it's driving me batty!
The boys are enjoying a short break before we start our next lessons- James is reading Junie B. Jones (which he says isn't bad, although she doesn't like broccoli, which he finds a little strange), and John is oohing over a Mindware catalog, begging for new puzzles. (Sorry, kiddo, but we're going to have to do more culling before we allow anything new into the house!) Smidge found James' bowl of peanut butter and chocolate chip oatmeal. ('Nuff said.)
In the mornings, before the day's activity begins, I've been reading Breaking Free by Beth Moore and completing the discussion with a group of online ladies. I seem to have doctrinal disagreements on nearly every page, but there are some good nuggets worth harvesting from it. The group is nice, although some are terribly quiet. I hope the discussion picks up soon- there's so much to be gleaned from one another, and that's what makes a study (online or in real life) so much fun.
Also reading The Surgeon's Mate, which is, as always, wonderful fiction for my quiet little nook. Hey- do you have a picture of your favorite spot to read? Maybe we should get Donna to do one of those now that everybody but, er, one nameless person, has showed their desks!
I'm going to go supervise the Latin practice before they start making up their own verbs and things go horribly awry. We don't want to leave Zorak out of the picture, either, so we'll save the word inventing for supper.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
Monday, January 31
Weekend Hodgepodge
Did I spell that right?
Anyway, the weekend update goes something like this:
Saturday: wonderful day with the boys, cold-cold weather, embarrassing shopping trip for jeans for me while the guys stocked up on goods at BJ's. Love the new jeans! Zorak loves the new jeans. Gotta get another pair o' them thar jeans! Went for drinks w/ Zorak's co-workers- lovely folks, had a great time- then to the concert. Wasn't sure how that would be: totally worth the price! WOWSA! If you have the opportunity to hear The Iguanas play (they're out of New Orleans), RUN- don't walk- RUN to go see them. If you like John Hyatt, or Robert Earl Keen, but particularly if you are a fan of Flaco Jimenez' accordian playing (NOT to be confused w/ Weird Al's accordian playing... completely different levels of quality here!) you will love these guys! I danced a Corrida* like nobody's business -- right in the aisle! It was heavenly!
Sunday: did I mention it's cold? OK, just checking. Ice storm, followed by snow storm, topped off with more ice. The trees are gorgeous! A bit bowed under the weight of the ice, but just beautiful anyway. Revamped the family room (which has been un-usable since the Halloween CostumeFiasco er, Event) and enjoyed playing with the boys most of the day. Just fun!
Shouldn't have mentioned having to pull out the scarf. I had about 18" of scarf made when I realized it was far too wide to pull this off with one skein of yarn. (Yes, quite wide, I know.) SO, James got to pull it all out. He was sad to see his scarf disappear, but was thoroughly awed by the size of the ball it made! The scarf is now a manageable width and is back up to around 4" long. It may be done by Easter.
HOUSE-NEWS!!
We are going to an auction this week to check out the home auction scene. There is a lot to learn, but it's an avenue we haven't pursued yet, so it's worth taking a look. My prayer is the same one I've been praying (maybe it's time to switch tactics?): if we are meant to stay, then the right home (ie- one we can afford without needing our own live-in police officer) will come along. Mortgage guy said it's kind of like a crap shoot, but that he can get us financing regardless and wished us luck. (Gotta love a lender with a sense of the absurd!)
Everyone is healthy. Everyone is cold. I love flannel. I love wool. Rah! Rah! Rah!
Alrighty, and on that note, I am going to go tuck the covers over my babies, kiss their little noggins and curl up for a short winter's nap.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
* The dance, not the bullfight. You know, just for clarification.
Anyway, the weekend update goes something like this:
Saturday: wonderful day with the boys, cold-cold weather, embarrassing shopping trip for jeans for me while the guys stocked up on goods at BJ's. Love the new jeans! Zorak loves the new jeans. Gotta get another pair o' them thar jeans! Went for drinks w/ Zorak's co-workers- lovely folks, had a great time- then to the concert. Wasn't sure how that would be: totally worth the price! WOWSA! If you have the opportunity to hear The Iguanas play (they're out of New Orleans), RUN- don't walk- RUN to go see them. If you like John Hyatt, or Robert Earl Keen, but particularly if you are a fan of Flaco Jimenez' accordian playing (NOT to be confused w/ Weird Al's accordian playing... completely different levels of quality here!) you will love these guys! I danced a Corrida* like nobody's business -- right in the aisle! It was heavenly!
Sunday: did I mention it's cold? OK, just checking. Ice storm, followed by snow storm, topped off with more ice. The trees are gorgeous! A bit bowed under the weight of the ice, but just beautiful anyway. Revamped the family room (which has been un-usable since the Halloween Costume
Shouldn't have mentioned having to pull out the scarf. I had about 18" of scarf made when I realized it was far too wide to pull this off with one skein of yarn. (Yes, quite wide, I know.) SO, James got to pull it all out. He was sad to see his scarf disappear, but was thoroughly awed by the size of the ball it made! The scarf is now a manageable width and is back up to around 4" long. It may be done by Easter.
HOUSE-NEWS!!
We are going to an auction this week to check out the home auction scene. There is a lot to learn, but it's an avenue we haven't pursued yet, so it's worth taking a look. My prayer is the same one I've been praying (maybe it's time to switch tactics?): if we are meant to stay, then the right home (ie- one we can afford without needing our own live-in police officer) will come along. Mortgage guy said it's kind of like a crap shoot, but that he can get us financing regardless and wished us luck. (Gotta love a lender with a sense of the absurd!)
Everyone is healthy. Everyone is cold. I love flannel. I love wool. Rah! Rah! Rah!
Alrighty, and on that note, I am going to go tuck the covers over my babies, kiss their little noggins and curl up for a short winter's nap.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
* The dance, not the bullfight. You know, just for clarification.
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