Where's the Snow?

DRAT! Blogger told me it couldn't post it and then it DID.

So I re-posted. And then I had TWO.

So, erm, that would be Double-Drat, then, wouldn't it?

Ok, well, g'nite!

Dy

Photos for Y'all

Photos for y'all tonight. Photobucket has added this very nifty "Blog 'Em" feature, and aside from the fact that I truly appreciate any business that will actually use the word, "'Em", I also happen to appreciate this particular added feature! Go Photobucket!

This first picture is a milestone in several ways. It is our first attempt at using the timer feature on our new camera. (Notice the somewhat harried expression on my face- I was the fortunate soul chosen to run across the snow and ice in less than the alloted ten seconds. The camera is so far away because Zorak's "little brother" is six foot nine! We had to back waaayyyyy up!) It is also the first known photo of the Little Brother and his future Little Woman as an engaged couple! (We are so excited! He picked a good 'un!) It is also the first photo in a while that James isn't making an exceptionally estranged face... (we don't know who he's talking to, either...)

These folks are, from L-R Zorak (strangling? John, in the blue), Me (gasping for air), James (in red, talking to the camera) Zorak's Mom (AKA- GRANNY!), Jacob (talking to GRANNY!) and being held by Uncle L, and The-Future-Aunt-M.  

This next one would be James, making his regularly scheduled photo expressions. We fought this for a year and finally realized someday he won't be a goofy little boy anymore and we will cherish these expressions so very much. Thankfully, he's given us plenty to cherish. :-)

Smidge and the run-away caramel spoon. He grabbed the spoon, headed out the kitchen door... and this is where he sat for half an hour, chewing on the rapidly cooling caramel and watching his socks freeze to the sidewalk. Tons of fun when you're one!

Our son, Grace... I have no idea how this happened. As you can see by his expression, though, it didn't damped his enthusiasm one bit.

OK, I also feel compelled to point out that we are playing in four or five inches of fresh snow and the boys are wearing only hooded sweatshirts for warmth. They are not waterproof. That is because in New Mexico, it's a "dry snow" (similar to the "dry heat" you hear so much about in Arizona...) It's just not that cold!

I will post photos of playing in the snow out here (if we get snow- right now we have two lovely inches of ice that seems to have escaped from a Sonic Drive-Thru. You know the kind- it looks exactly like that.) The attire is completely different. It's the strangest thing...

Kiss those babies, and enjoy their funny little ways!
~Dy

Photobucket

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

Cabin Fever

I figured it out! The grumpiness, the grouchiness, and the overall, "ARG-iness" of this week is probably due to a bad case of cabin fever! WOOHOO! I'm not losing my mind. Oh, the boys will be so relieved to hear that!

The older two boys are all healthy now. Smidge isn't getting any better. (But we're not giving up on him.) I need to find a new pediatrician, as we are currently without one. Our beloved ped was charged with child molestation a couple weeks ago. *sigh* That does make it a little awkward, ya know. Zorak is getting recommendations from the guys at work and we have to find a new one. In the meantime, Smidge is so tired and out of it that he has begun to look like Spicoli, which probably isn't good.

I steam cleaned our couch yesterday. That went well. Then I spot treated the carpets and... the carpet cleaner died. Ew! So right now, the living room reeks of a very strong chemical smell, and if you walk around in socks you'd think we're living with an angry cat.

However, there is hope on the horizon. Zorak is supposed to bring the Suburban to me in a little bit, so I can run all the errands that should have been run by Wednesday (at the latest!) And on Tuesday the temps are supposed to get above freezing at some point during the day! Yippee! We can sit on the porch and get some fresh air.

How do y'all combat cabin fever?

Kiss those babies! I'm off to snuggle my little sick monkey.
~Dy

Just When I'm About to Throw in the Towel...

I get this (see, Donna, I'm writing it down, too!):

James: Mom, did the Ancient Greeks really believe Athena was as big as the statue in the Parthenon?

Me: Yes, probably bigger.

James: Yeah? Well, our God is way bigger than that!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Happy Inauguration Day!

Today we're going to the Wonderful Neighbors to watch the Presidential Inauguration. The boys are excited, in the distracted way you get excited about events in your world when you're six and four. Smidge will be happy to run laps around their house. I am looking forward to witnessing history. (Yes, I know, we have one of these every four years, but we only have so many during one lifetime and I plan to enjoy each one since I'm no longer in that distracted stage, which, for me, lasted well past six years of age...)

Enjoy your day with your children, love on them and cherish them.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Game Reviews

We've begun our family time after supper again -- since supper has been ready earlier now that we're back in our groove.

Last night was Chinese Checkers, which was a huge hit with everyone (even Jacob had fun playing with the leftover balls). The boys woke this morning and immediately set up the board. That's a good sign.

We played Charades for Kids earlier in the week. It's a fun game, but honestly I wouldn't recommend spending the money on the Kids' version. Maybe it's us, but we prefer the all-out free-for-all, the ongoing guessing process, the working together, and the interaction of playing Charades more free-form. So, we kept the cards and ditched the game board (game board?? Yes, because there has to be one winner, doesn't there? Blech.) Much more fun our way, we think. *wink*

If you've never experienced a four year-old acting out phrases, and a six year-old trying to guess, you've got to come play Charades at our house! That's more fun than the game itself.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Combining The Well-Trained Mind and Robinson Curriculum

I get a few questions each month about how that's workin' for us. When my printer's working, the whole thing flows like a Class II river. Really. It's not that hard.

Now, I must add a caveat here: we eat sugar; I sit with my children; we do our things together. I answer questions. I don't know that Dr. Robinson would approve. (OK, I'm certain he wouldn't.) Do you know why we do things this way? Because I'm the Mommy. That's my job. We all like it this way, and are thankful for the enjoyment of learning together, living together and exploring together. (Not to mention the sheer joy of M&M's.) However, I'm not widowed, and not in a position where I have a need to make my children self-sufficient straight out of the gate. If something were to happen to me (like, say, a more permanent alien abduction), though, Zorak could sit down with the disks and, after a few pots of coffee and a new ink cartridge, pick right up with the boys and find a way to continue to give them a wonderful education.

Obviously, we aren't strict Well-Trained Minders, though, either. *sheepish grin* We use a combination of the two- and we love it. So, in light of receiving questions about this seemingly odd combination, I thought I'd write up our reasons for using both and how we make it work (and title it appropriately, so I can find it in the archives, unlike trying to track down the posts on "why we love Math-U-See", which has been, thus far, unfruitful.) So, here ya go-

I love the WTM because:
* it is rigorously structured, thorough, and produces the education Zorak and I most want for the boys. It goes deeper on content than any other program I've ever seen simply due to the four-year repeat cycle. Nothing is stale because each time you go deeper and broader, covering more and learning more. It's the education we wish we'd had. Having suffered through six full years of American History with no foundation in Western Civilization, I can say I know for certain that's not the way to develop competent citizens.
* The Well-Trained Mind does a better job of helping us prepare the boys for Citizenship and Statesmanship as adults than any other philosophy I've seen.
* I love the formal study of Logic, in all its forms. What a great way to corral a jr. high age child's natural tendency to question *everything*! That has a feel of, "Wow, God did that on purpose, didn't He?"
* Latin, which I don't consider optional in a Classical Education. Latin allows the brain to comprehend the logic and history in our culture. It opens the doors to the past in a way that translations do not. It creates a structure in the brain that I haven't seen replicated elsewhere, even in the harder engineering sciences. SO that's another point of TWTM that we love.

NOW, for what I love about RC! :-)

* The quality of literature for young minds, even for advanced young minds (or perhaps especially for them- as it's difficult to find higher level modern literature without delving into unsavory themes) is, for me, beyond value. The stories are phenomenal.
* The vocabulary is rich and varied.
* It's easy to follow and I love knowing that I can give the boys an RC book to read and not have to worry about them picking up sentence fragmentation (a la Magic Tree House), poor character emulation (a la most modern children's popular books), or encountering inappropriate content (such as premarital relations, dating- which isn't OK for a 6yo, anti-Christian themes... I could go on!)

*The science fits right in with how I prefer to "do" science for little guys. It's reading. They explore plenty on their own and don't need pre-made experiments right now. Right now they need exposure to the world around them, and RC's "science" books before the actual Physics book he recommends are exactly the kind of enjoyable, engaging, interesting stories that capture a child's imagination and open the door for discussion and exploration together after he's done reading. LOVE that aspect.

***And the biggie (this makes Zorak a bit twitchy to discuss, but if we're being honest here...) IF something should happen to me, RC would allow the boys to continue to be homeschooled. Admittedly, I'm the one who did all the legwork and research into homeschooling and curriculum preparation, so it's "my realm" by default. Zorak trusts me to make the best decision for our children that I can, and I did. But I don't know that he would have the resources available to teach three boys in the manner I've set up to do it. After all, I have all day, every day and thanks to his dedication and effort, I don't have to work. If I should die, he would have to take on my role as teacher, as well as picking up the slack everywhere else.

Since the boys are already familiar with RC, the transition wouldn't be that big for them. They would have to make some adjustment, because I just don't feel like they need to be quite as independent right now as Mr. Robinson does *wink* and I am admittedly a lot more involved, but at least it wouldn't be totally foreign. If they can read, Zorak can move them into RC. He could do it without having to learn all the ropes of the different programs. He can still give the boys a thorough, wonderful, academically rigorous education without me.

Finally, how we combine them!

We use Math-U-See for Math, Writing Road to Reading for Language Arts, Prima Latina for Latin, Plants Grown Up for Bible Study, SOTW for history. We use Robinson Curriculum for reading, science, vocabulary, and supplemental reading that corresponds to whatever else is going on.

Others may blend it differently. There is certainly room to maneuver without sacrificing the quality of education. It's a wonderful mix for our family and allows the perfect level of independent work and snuggle-time-work that I, personally, feel like we need. (The boys are 6, 4, and 1- as they get older, they will get more independent and will probably rely more heavily on the RC-style of independent study.)

I blend.

I print off and turn 'em loose.

Thanks for letting me put these thoughts in a more permanent place, so I don't have to re-type it so often. ;-) If you combine TWTM and RC, would you please share how you do it so that others can get more than one perspective?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Idiot Criminals (PG for language)

Normally I read about the "Stupid Criminal" stories and shake my head. Tonight I'm writing one and am ready to rip somebody's head off.

Last night I spent several hours online with Hewlett-Packard's customer service, trying to fix my grouchy printer. I have to say the customer service rep was very thorough, patient and eventually determined that it may be a cartridge problem. So, since the cartridge is brand new and therefore still under warranty, he arranged to send one to us. Yippee!

Yeah, until tonight at supper when the phone rings. And it's somebody wanting me, by first name, and completely failing miserably at pronouncing it. (Sometimes having a unique spelling does help weed out the solicitors, *grin*, but she mangled it so badly that I honestly didn't think it was a derivation of my name in any of its androgynous forms. She finally attempted the last name and got it close enough that I figured they were shooting for my name.) Supposedly she was calling from HP, they sent us a black ink cartridge, yeah, yeah, and???

"Well, we need to confirm your credit card number so we can get that out to you."

*snort* *sputter* *gag* Excuuuuuuuse me?

Shyah, ok, primer on the term "warranty" for ya. That indicates you're shipping it at your cost, not mine. You're not getting my credit card number. *snort* Thanks, though.

"We need it for security."

*literally laughing in this gal's face* Yeah, I'm sure you do, and security is exactly why I'm not giving it to you!

"OK, fine. Good-bye." And she hung up.

Jackass.

However, this little foray into the world of the intellectually hindered is a strong reminder that while the moron making the call may not be smart enough to walk her way out of an ampitheater, somebody was smart enough to hack something, somewhere. *sigh*

Of course, nobody at Verizon is available to help me track down the call. Nobody at Hewlett-Packard is available to field questions or concerns. Thanks, guys! (I know, not their fault. I'm grumpy.)

SO, just a friendly reminder- keep your passwords secure, don't give our pertinent information over the internet, or on the phone. And certainly never share information with someone who has phoned you!

ARGH. I'm going to play Chinese Checkers with the boys. I'll be back to blog a real blog later.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Snow Day

Another wonderful thing about homeschooling is that you don't have to cancel school just because it snows. This morning we enjoyed our lessons while keeping one eye on the tantalizing snow flurries as they grew and grew. By the time there was enough to play in, we'd done math, Latin, and spelling/phonics.

Then we played.

Now they're cold and wanting hot chocolate. Mmmm, I hear a story coming on! And we didn't have to get in the car, go out on the big-scary roads, keep one ear glued to the radio for closures and updates! What a wonderful way to spend the day.

How do you guys enjoy your unexpected snow days?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This...

(Sing it with me, everyone!)
There'd be days like this, my Mama said.
*mama said, mama said, yeah!*

We'll start with the good...
Today was a good day academically- math, Latin, reading, reading. (We read quite a bit today.) The boys nearly imploded when I stopped reading Old Granny Fox (Burgess) just as Granny Fox was in Farmer Brown's Boy's sights. But I placated them (and the need to do some cooking) by asking them if they thought she would get out of the situation, then supplying the necessary very big paper and many crayons for them to draw the scenarios they pictured. The results were truly fantastic. I laughed and giggled and enjoyed them thoroughly.

James' art work is gaining great depth: he used a darker shade of red to show her farthest two legs shadowed by her body, her body is positioned so she is leaping at an angle to the paper, and he included "motion lines" behind her to indicate that she was leaping (in case anyone thought she was falling, I suppose).

John's art work is along the impressionistic side, leaving tons of room for interpretation. The stories he makes to go along with the drawings, however, are rich, detailed, and generally involve some Tragic Act of Nature and a helicopter. Farmer Brown and His Boy didn't fare well in John's narration.

Oh, and the house looks great! John mopped the kitchen floor today. The mop is twice his height, and it was a struggle, but he did it, and it was beautiful! Not perfect in Martha Stewart terms, but I think it just shines. I know he did when he finished.

That pretty well concludes the positive portion of today. Thanks for tuning in.

****

Then the bad...

I think the high today was 20'. Two of three children are now expelling mass crud from their bodies at alarmingly high velocities (the Grapefruit Seed Extract is working wonders on whatever had lodged in their lungs, though, and I'm thrilled to see it coming *out*!) This combination of factors pretty much ruled out the long overdue library excursion I had planned.

Jacob is showing a rather pointed preference not to be located in his crib. When he is wide awake, he will lay down on the couch, on our bed, on the floor and pass right out. Not a problem. You can wash him, change him, roll him over like a little steam roller and he'll sleep right through it. But even from a deep, comatose-like sleep he will leap to full alert mode when lowered into his crib.

I'm inclined to go with it (after all, who wants to sleep where we aren't comfortable), except for the fact that, well, between him pinning me down and Zorak's Elbow of Death (which I can generally avoid if not under a small child), I'm really tired.

So, I'm thinking it's time for a toddler bed. Could it be? Now? Already? *sigh* He may be ready, but I'm not. quite. there. yet. Could it be anything else? Really?

And finally, the UGLY...

Our local homeschool group is taking meals to a homeschooling family that's facing some medical issues right now. This week is my turn. Today I prepared a truly lovely meal. It was a wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, peanut-free, low vitamin-K meal that promised to be succulent and tasty! But then... *insert lost stare* I don't have *any* idea what caused it, but the chicken exploded! I mean that in a very literal sense. Zorak went so far as to approach me and say, "Erm, may I inquire what the chicken did?" I couldn't take that over! So tomorrow morning I get to call, apologize profusely for detonating their food and arrange to bring fresh, non-volatile food to them in the afternoon. *sigh*

Ah, well, I am going to do some math. The boys are over at the Wonderful Neighbors house, watching a movie and enjoying their kerosene heater before bed. Heat pumps don't work extraordinarily well in this level of cold. I got to stay behind and put the Smidge to bed, and am sure wishing we had a nifty kerosene heater to warm our tootsies by tonight! (See, I can handle the Elbow of Death because Zorak's body temperature rises at night- so he gets in first, warms my spot, and I get to enjoy all the benefits of an electric blanket with none of the side effects or concerns! Definitely worth the occasional bruised temple, trust me.) Zorak is over at the Wonderful Neighbor's, "watching" the kids. (I think the adults are actually gabbing in the kitchen, but that's the nice thing about having kids like these four and parents who are all friends!)

So, I'm thinking do a little homework, get an early bedtime, perhaps an early start tomorrow, and hopefully we'll be hosting a much better sing-a-long tomorrow night!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Ch-ch-ch-chaaaannngggeesss!

Well, I had a deep, thought-provoking post about forgiveness and healing. But then I checked my email and I got this from Claudia, and well, this is so much better! (We'll talk about that other stuff tomorrow -- for tonight, enjoy!)

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

GOOD BYE TO 2004!
I want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me your chain letters over the past year. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy.

Because of your concern...
I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

I no longer drink anything out of a can because I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from hell with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer date the opposite sex because they will take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes. (Jeeze, the Bible did *not* mention it works that way!)

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th time).

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

Yes, I want to thank all of you soooooooo much for looking out for me!

I will now return the favor. If you don't send this e-mail to it least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds, a large bird with diarrhea will crap on your head at 5:00 pm this afternoon and the fleas of a thousand camels will infest your armpits.

I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's neighbor's cousin twice removed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Voting is Over

Well, guys, the 2005 Best of Blog Awards voting is over. I'd venture to say the campaign was a sucess. There was a great deal of interactive blogging, new blogs, new awareness of blogging and all it entails, raised from the whole thing. Thanks to everyone who voted, no matter who you voted for- just "Thank You" for being involved in your online blogging community and keeping it fun and informative.

I'd like to share the finalists from the Education/Homeschooling Blog category (although there were many, many great categories! Browse through them if you have some time. You won't be sorry.):

The Homeschooling Revolution, blogged by Izzy Lyman. Not only does she blog, but she writes, too!

Relaxed Homeskool, by Kim, a homeschooler with a flair for great photos who is in touch with the news, the camp, and the overall coolness of livin' the homeschool life!

Tulip Girl, a long-time Classic Adventures favorite read, filled with a little bit of everything- from what's happening in the Ukraine to the latest on Ezzo. She keeps a wealth of information, fellowship, and fun growing in her garden.

Hipteacher, this is a public school teacher with a love of kids and hope for the future. Her blog was new to Classic Adventures, since, well, we tend to hang out with other homeschoolers, just as I'm sure Hipteacher hangs out with other public school teachers. Her blog is an interesting, funny, and at times heartbreaking peek into what a teacher sees in her classroom.

The Quiet Life, ahhh, another Classic Adventures favorite! Our own Dear Donna, with her funny wisdom, kind words, awesome retro photos, and her annual "Show Me Your Household Apparatus" blog! If you haven't had morning coffee and toast with Donna yet, you really must go do it now. I'll wait.

Homeschool Buzz is a homeschool news-type blog. I admit I hadn't seen it before, but it's filled with homeschool news from all around the world (which is nice!), as well as a "Daily Manna" blurb in the upper left-hand corner, curriculum choices on the right-hand sidebar, and a huge, MONGO-sized selection of online homeschooling resources in her left-hand sidebar! Neat stuff.

Guilt-Free Homeschooling, blogged by Carolyn. She's wonderful! She is a homeschooling mom in the season of her life that allows her to look back and say, "Yeah, I wouldn't have worried quite so much about this," or "Step back, have a cup of tea, and try something different -- see? This isn't etched in stone." I know there are many out there who are in this position, but Carolyn is kind enough to actually do it for us! This is another blog we've known and loved here for a while, and it's always worthwhile to go spend a few minutes touching base with Carolyn.

Amy Loves Books, this is another public school teacher blogging her thoughts and experiences along the way. Amy's blog touches more on the personal journal side of things than some of the other ps teachers I've read. She has a great writing style and is very realistic, witty, and honest in her writing. Again, I enjoyed peering down the path we didn't choose and being reminded that they're just like us, learning to read one digraph at a time, hoping for a good day each morning.

PEDABLOGUE, blogged by Mike. I have no idea why this garnered as few votes as it did, because it's a g-r-e-a-t blog! I think, though, that his readership is too busy actually doing things to go vote. When the boys enter college, it is my hope and prayer that they each have at least one (preferably an entire cadre) of instructors and mentors like this guy.

And while this blog wasn't in the Education/Homeschool category, and it's definitely not a Mommy Blog (although I did see a cat picture there recently -- nearly fell out of my chair), it's a wonderful blog filled with a little bit of everything to get your brain working, pique your curiosity about things you haven't yet explored, and in my case, provide a wry smile to get me started on my day. Mental Multivitamin, hosted by Mrs. M-mv and the rest of the M-mv clan! Congrats on your strong showing in the BoB Awards!

What a fun experience!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy

What to Blog?

It was Saturday. We're all still functioning around 60% capacity, so it's not like we pulled out all the stops today and had a high-blog-content day. Those days happen.

Slept til nine- all of us.
Panicked when we realized it was Saturday.
Got haircuts.
Had lunch.
Drove around to look for homes.
Didn't find any we could afford without selling a couple of kidneys.
Came home.
Didn't make the trash run.
Played in the living room.
Played in the dining room.
Played upstairs in the hallway.
WEEE! That was fun!

Tomorrow is church and we hope to hear from our realtor, who was going to look at two homes today and if either one lists and is in our range, he'll take us to see them tomorrow.

Hope you are all having a perfectly splendid weekend!!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Third Vow

Well, I tried to Google the term to find y'all something substantial, but the previous entry on it was pretty much the most I could find. So I'll just explain it here, but for an official stance on it, you can talk with your pastor and he will most likely be familiar with it.

The third vow in a marriage ceremony, as we understood it and incorporated it, is a vow taken by those attending the wedding, where they recognized that they witnessed the couple's vows to love, honor and cherish and that they, as witnesses, vowed to uphold that union, vowed to support it and not counsel unwisely or foolishly, vowed to do all in their power to not only just "not get in the way" (phrased much more eloquently in the actual ceremony), but to actively encourage good will and be a source of strength for the marriage and the family formed by that union.

Good stuff. Hope this helps.
~Dy

Continuing Education

A thread on the WTM forums asked us what we'd like to do or accomplish? The lists were great. Then Steph carried the theme over to her blog. And I, being the sheep I am, just had to jump on this one.

But first, a little backup is in order. Zorak is a math-man. I've mentioned before that he reveres certain mathematical figures the way MFS reveres our dear Mr. Shakespeare. Not only does he love it, but he's good at it.

His natural aptitude and inborn fortitude leave me feeling somewhat incompetent, to say the least, when it comes to all things Math. And I just don't like that feeling. Granted, it's been great fun to learn along with the boys (God bless Math-U-See, which has, I admit, cleared up a few confusing tidbits here and there), but I feel I ought to be more than just a step or two ahead of them on a regular basis.

Zorak is eager to teach them higher math, and he most likely will take over the bulk of the work at some point in this realm. However, just as I want the boys to feel comfortable coming to either of us with questions about history, science, literature, and life, I want them to feel comfortable coming to either of us about, yes, math.

So, I had two choices: keep whining about not knowing math very well, or quit whining and remedy the situation. In response, I began studying from Zorak's pre-calculus text this weekend. (Nothing like taking one's own advice to set an example, right?)

So far, so good. Of course, so far it's all review and I'm not about to show James that it's stuff he could be doing. Let's think of the first few chapters as the, erm, Confidence Boosting period before we get down to brass tax, shall we?

Zorak, meanwhile, is literally salivating at the thought of enlightening me in The Wonderful World of Math! Heaven help me, what have I started??

So, allow me to modify the original question: what would you like to will you learn or accomplish this year?

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

I may have pictures for you!

I didn't get a chance to tell you all, with all the hullabaloo that's happened since we've been back, but we did have the opportunity to sneak in a quick visit with a surprise guest (and one of her beautiful children) while we were on vacation! I've emailed her for permission to post pictures, and will hold off on the whole tale until I hear back.

Stay tuned!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

What Shall We Do Now, Mother?

While I was fixing supper and the boys were doing projects in the dining room, our four year old, John, came to me and said, "Mom, Jacob has a mea culpa." This translates roughly to, "Jacob dumped something in the dining room and the mess is definitely his fault, not ours." Not bad for a first attempt at using a foreign language in daily discourse.

Today we did double duty on the house, hoping to recover from the mess that *other* family left in our foyer. For the first time in over a week, I am not twitchy over the condition of the house. The boys came first, and I'm not sorry for putting the house second in this case, but I am so Very Happy to have a tidy home once again.

The boys played and played. The weather was gorgeous (still is! This is sleeping-on-the-porch weather!) They rode bikes with the Wonderful Neighbors. They had ever so much fun. John is getting more comfortable getting on and off his bike. James may never get off training wheels, as he now rides at a slight angle, always leaning on one wheel. The image brings to mind the old Benny Hill sketches. Smidge was so happy to run and frolic like the little puppy he is at heart! Other Wonderful Neighbor came by with her little 9month old. Neighborly visiting, kids laughing, fresh coffee and nice weather. Today was downright Rockwellian.

The Suburban has been returned to us with a nifty, tight tranny. The Aamco guy solved the Mystery of the Vanishing Water for us. The water pump is on its way out. Naturally, the Aamco guy told Zorak he'd hook us up and "cut you a deal". Yeah, don't take it. $300 to replace the water pump, which may be the going rate, I don't know. What got us was his sales pitch: "That includes both the upper and lower radiator hoses. Yours need replacing." Do they, now? Funny, since one is less than a month old and the other one is less than a week old. It has a shiny, clean shield on it. It has sparkly new clamps. Yeah, we'll replace the water pump ourselves, thanks! The gall of some people is just stunning sometimes.

So, that's what Zorak did this afternoon, and now he's out zipping around town, "test driving". (He's actually getting Chinese food from Jerry's, but we can call it a test drive, right?)

This weekend we'll cruise town, trying to pick up chicks er, house listings. We've got a favorites list going, but haven't been able to reach the realtor to find out how long they've had contracts on them. That's our theme. Here is the typical conversation:
ooohhh, a house we can afford that's larger than 10 square feet!
Quick, call the realtor!
...K, thanks, anyway.
Contract?
Yup.
Crap.
Yeah.
Wish us luck and send us some happy house hunting vibes, if you don't mind! We could sure use them.

Oh, and Zorak is back from his hunting trip. He caught some sweet and sour chicken for me (it's rare to find sweet and sour chicken in-season like this, you know). I'm going to go enjoy a quiet evening with my Love.

Have a wonderful Friday, enjoy those wonderful children, and as always, Kiss those babies!
~Dy

If You Pour the Pine-Sol IN the Coffee...

Is that a sign that you need more coffee, less coffee, or just a break from cleaning?

The sad thing is, I didn't realize what I'd done until I looked and realized the coffee was the wrong color! I just thought, "Wow, the house is smelling so nice and clean!"

Today the weather is gorgeous, windows are open, doors flung wide. The coffee is brewing, dishes washing, laundry spinning, boys playing (in the laundry) and it feels so very good to be home.

I've been thinking today about marriages, particularly in today's climate, and how very fortunate I am for the friends we have in our life. When we married, we included the "third vow" in our ceremony. Marriage can be difficult enough to navigate, and it was important to us that the people in our life knew that we needed and expected their support through the ups and downs. We wanted those in our life to support our union. This is something we've kept in mind as the years have passed, and while many of the people in our life today may not have been present to take the third vow with the guests at the wedding, they're the kind of folks who would have taken it -- and meant it.

Over the years, I have learned from these friends to be a better wife; more supportive, more understanding. That's helped me to be a happier wife, and person in general, as well. What a wonderful gift! I'm still far (far, far, faaarrrrrr) from perfect, and it's an ongoing process. The process isn't always easy. Sometimes it's hard to take a deep breath and say, "Let's do what you need to do," when what Zorak needs to do isn't necessarily what I wanted to do. But I'm learning, and it's getting easier.

Sometimes we make decisions that are truly terrifying and I'm scared to pieces, but we do it together and it works out well, and I'm learning to remember that the next time a scary decision comes upon us.

Some days it's difficult to smile when Zorak walks in the door at the end of a long day (for both of us) and the first thing out of my mouth is some request (er, demand) like, "Did you get creamer?" Gee, he may have spoken with other people and done other things since that small email in the wee hours of the morning...

Yes, I am learning to remember those things. I don't always get it right, but I want to, and I strive to. And when I forget, I have beautiful friends to give me a gentle reminder that he might have had a busy day, too, out slaying dragons so that I can stay home...

with the boys...

caring for our family...

being the Mama and doing the Mama stuff...

and he brings me creamer, not because he has to...

but because he loves me.

Ask any parent who has uttered a word in traffic that they'd rather not have their children repeat -- your children are listening and watching. They will see that we aren't perfect- there's no getting around that- but will they also see that we love and strive and work together? Is that what we're showing them? It is. Moreso each day. We hope they will be able to say, when they are grown and discussing their ideas about marriage, that they've seen how well it can work when you work together, stick together, and surround yourselves with people who value your union and the strength of marriage, and that they've seen it through us.

Thank you so much, my friends, and my Zorak. What an education we're all getting!

Kiss those babies!
~Dy

Get Comfy- I have creamer!

Yes, I'm back to my 1200 calorie per day addiction. I'm good with it and Zorak doesn't seem to care. I suppose it's better than bon bons, right?

*****
First things first:
I've noticed some new faces here on the front porch, and wanted to give you all a proper welcome! I'm glad you've come to visit. The coffee's always hot (and a kettle is always on for tea), and you're welcome to come and visit. I look forward to getting to know y'all more. As you've probably noticed, we're terribly informal here: kick your shoes off, grab a cup, and curl up on the porch swing. Share your favorite stories and join right in!

*****
Friends:
Our Wonderful Neighbor offered a lift to the market tonight if we needed to pick up anything. After thinking it over (hmmm, cleaned out the fridge completely before leaving for vacation, made one run to the market for eggs and milk when we pulled in, yup we're out of e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g...), I took her up on the offer.

We had so much fun, just she, the Smidge and I! It's been a long time since grocery shopping wasn't an orchestrated event, timed for optimal blood sugar levels and nominal sleep deprivation in the wee ones. We laughed and joked. We perused! Man, I haven't perused in the market in years! I got out of there with twelve bags of groceries for $40, and it didn't feel like it took very long at all!

The boys will be thrilled to have fresh fruit with breakfast tomorrow, too.

*****
Hobbies:
Zorak has rediscovered an old hobby this week: he's carving. Earlier in the week, he carved a ball inside a hanging cage. He saw a picture once and figured it out from there. (I'm tellin' ya, I am RCA puppy! I have no clue how he can do that!) Tonight he's making a camel. It's beautiful.

He can also weld a truly beautiful bead and decorate the most delicate, ornate wedding cakes. He swears the two skills are connected and are linked directly to manual dexterity.

Whatever it is, I don't have it- I'm pretty much stuck with the blunt force hobbies such as cooking (ok, cooking the way *I* do it, but then I'm not known for my cooking), basic use of power tools, and the occasional (poorly played) round of racquetball.

*****
School:
Tomorrow is our Friday, as we use a four-day school week. It's been a great first week back, and we're having a lot of fun. We have a little tweaking to do. I need to encourage more activity in our routine. Not that I mind having children who sit still for lessons, but to be honest, I think they are just humoring me for some of it and I'd like to draw them into the lessons a bit. There's nothing etched in stone that says we can't compromise and find a blend that truly works well for all of us. Quite the opposite, actually. We're doing this our way so we can, well, do it our way! I just love that.

*****
That's about all for now. The guys at Aamco (which I cannot spell without saying the commercial in my head) have the tranny apart, but they don't know what they're going to do with it. I am praying we have it back by Friday, as we have an appointment with a lender on Friday. We'd kinda like to make that... I hope they figure it out soon!

I'm going to tidy up a bit and prepare for tomorrow. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day and around here, we nab 'em when they come! So we're schooling in the yard and taking some nature walks! Maybe we'll spend some time sketching, too, if the weather holds.

Kiss those babies!
~Dy