Daddy's Date

He brought her flowers and they went out to Carrabbas, just because she's his little lady. She gets all dressed up and usually puts on makeup--notice the eyeshadow. They do this every once in a while. What a great dad. He's setting the bar high.

Popcorn's Feline Friend

Meet KittyCat.



This extra family member clings to Popcorn. He's been around for quite a while and is the quietest of our troop. His name is KittyCat and he's very much alive--at least Popcorn thinks so. Popcorn recently added a KittyCat groopie--Little Kitty. He's the little black and white beanie baby sidekick. You can see him watching this morning's oatmeal being zapped in the picture.

The big one goes almost everywhere with Popcorn--the trampoline, the swing, the front of the scooter for neighborhood walks, to the bathroom, to bed (of course). He even made his beach debut during our vacation. He also goes a few places that Popcorn will never go: on the back pew of a church for three months, the washing machine (because he'd been in a wet bed), and stuffed into many a suitcase.

I'm just glad he has the stuffed version, because I'm not a big fan of moody animals.

Wiggin' Out

Why is Shakespeare winding yarn around the legs of the piano bench, you ask?



So he can become a long haired Burgundian (tribe in France) from the middle ages, of course. Notice the braids that complete the fiery headress. He complained that he looked like a girl, so I gave him his viking battle ax, and he felt much more secure in his manliness.

Happy Birthday to You, You're 32

That's what Jon and the kids sang to me over a brownie sundae with hot fudge and a candle. It's my birthday! Happy Birthday to me!

What's a Mom to Do?

I put the rail lower because the higher rail didn't keep him from hurtling over. This is the youngest that any of mine have figured out how to climb out.

Sometimes I call him Houdini. Maybe I need to change his blog name. Right now it's Sinatra, but his eyes aren't blue any more, so maybe Houdini would be a good idea.

More Vacation Shots

Four Kings: 2 King Mackerel (25 lb.) and the boys that caught them while deep sea fishing.



The whole family!



Here's Popcorn relaxing in the sand.



This is me reading my book.



Gem and Shakespeare helped me fly the kite. The perpetual breeze and wide open space made a great place to fly this beautiful kite.



Our very generous friends lent us their beach house for the entire week. It was a 5 bedroom duplex. It was so much nicer than a timeshare property because it was outfitted with all the personal things that are never included in a rental--telescope for the beautiful night skies, binoculars, the kite, tons of books, a very well-equipped kitchen, cleaning supplies, and fishing poles and tackle.



Sinatra loved the sand.

Pumpkin Patch?

I don't think there is a real pumpkin patch in this state. But that didn't detour the kids from enjoying picking out their pumpkins yesterday.

In Indiana, you went out into a field and picked your pumpkin--and often a bushel of apples too. There were hay rides out to the field and hot apple cider for sale when you came back. Not so in North Carolina.

A couple of years ago a friend asked us to go to a hay ride/pumpkin picking thing an hour from our home. When we got there, the hay ride was authentic (minus the hay) and the pumpkin patch was a grassy spot covered with pre-picked pumpkins. There was no field within sight. It just didn't have that fall feel to it. Sigh.

I enjoy the moderate weather down here, but miss the Yankee autumn.

Shots from Vacation

Jon looks like Capt. VonTrapp climbing the mountain with his little train of kids following. Friends joined us on our final weekend and we went out to Cape Lookout Lighthouse for the day. It was beautiful.


Here are the little ones playing in the big "sandbox".

Sinatra on the deck.


Shakespeare getting warm after boogie boarding for an hour.


Here we are at Ft. Macon--Civil War and WWII post.

More to come. No time now.

Life at the Beach

We have internet. Our neighbors were kind enough not to secure their wireless connections just so I could blog. I can't, however, post pictures because I'm using Jon's laptop from work, which doesn't have my camera software on it. So you'll have to wait until we're home to see what we're up to . . .

But let me tell you! First of all, I was wrong. The house isn't on the bay side, it's right on the beach. Yea! Popcorn asks me if he can go off the deck to play in the big sandbox!

Right now, Sinatra is taking a nap and the rest are on boogie boards in the Atlantic or shoveling sand. The weather has been perfect. Right now it's hot, but yesterday it was in the low 80's. So much better than the middle of summer.

I found a nylon kite with long tails in the basement so we flew that this morning. The first evening, Gem and I walked the beach, watched the moon set and looked for constellations. We've been studying astronomy so that made it especially fun. We've also been swinging in the hammock, hunting shells and catching crabs.

Uh Oh

I blogged about it here, but I finally caught it on video. Check out Sinatra's favorite thing to do--well, the bunkbed thing is also a favorite. So, check out two of Sinatra's favorite things to do.

Emerald Isle or Bust!

The beauty about homeschooling is that we can drop everything and go on vacation. We've lived here almost 5 years, and have never made it to the beach in this state. We keep hearing that the Outer Banks are gorgeous. It will be so nice to experience them first hand.

This week we'll be on Emerald Isle in the southern Outer Banks of North Carolina. It's supposed to be in the low 80's, so we'll be in the water.

We're staying in a home right on the beach that has a pier that juts out into the ocean (sound side). The owner told us that the people who were staying there a week ago were catching all kinds of fish from it.

We probably won't have internet connection so I doubt that I'll update this site until we're back. So, until next weekend just think of me sitting on the beach, reading a good book as the kids build sand castles. When we return, I promise that I'll inundate you with pictures.

2 Dozen

Adopting?

I know of three families that read this blog that are in the process of adopting. For you, and for anyone else who wants their hearts to be overwhelmed, go here and watch the process of one couple going to pick up their son in Korea (11 short videos--well, one is 20 minutes long). Have a box of tissues ready for the the video when they actually get him.

The whole thing was shot on a Cannon Elfe digital camera, about the same size as our new Sony.

So, grab that box of tissues and make sure you have a high speed connection.

New Camera

We just bought a Sony CyberShot DSC-W90. Great camera with 8.1 mega pixels and Carl Zeiss lens. Yea! The best thing about it is that it is so compact--easily fits in a pocket.

Works for Me Wednesday, Shelves in a Snap

A mother of 5 showed me how to make these shelves. When she would move to a new house, one of the first things she would do is install them around the parameter of each child's room.

So, here's a quick, inexpensive shelf to hold all those trophies, Lego creations, small framed pictures, molding clay masterpieces, and knickknacks in a child's room. It took me about three hours (including painting, cutting, kissing a boo boo, changing a diaper, and running up and down the stairs 10 times for supplies) to install them. Final cost: $9.

You can do this!

Here is the short version: Slap some paint on a 1x4 and a 1x6. Take the 1x4 and secure it against the wall. Screw the 1x6 into the 1x4. Voila! A shelf without brackets.

Longer version

Supplies:
1x4 solid pine
1x6 solid pine
Drill
Screwdriver (I use my drill with screwdriver bit)
Tape Measure
Pencil
Paint
Large Level with straight edge
Stud Finder (scan it across your husband and make it beep)
Saw
Slave labor

Measure the space for how long you want your shelf. Keep in mind that it must be anchored into studs (solid wood framework behind the drywall) so it has to be at least 18" long.


Cut your boards to length. You can use a hand saw if you don't have a power saw, or are intimidated by things that plug in and are potentially self destructive.

Paint the 1x4 on one side and along one edge. Paint the 1x6 on both sides and along one edge.

On the wall, find the height that you desire and make a mark. Use your level to draw a line across your entire wall. If you have a laser level I'm very jealous--use that.

Now take your stud finder and scan it across your line, marking the studs as you go.

Take your 1x4 and conscript some slave labor to hold it against the wall along your mark (Mine usually wears a shirt, but spilled grape juice on it right before being called to help.) Make sure your painted edge faces down. Use your drill to predrill a hole in one end--through the board and into a stud. Hurry and screw the board into the wall at that point. Now one side is tacked and your slave can relax a little. Now make sure your board is lined up and tack down the other side. Relieve your slave for a few minutes. Now screw in your board at every stud. Remember to predrill your holes. Pine is soft and will split fairly easily.

Next, take your 1x6 and place it on top of your 1x4, forming a right angle. Have your slave hold up the shelf as you predrill holes along the back edge and into your 1x4. Tack it down with a couple of screws at each end and in the middle then relieve your forced help. Now predrill and put screws in, every 8" or so.

Now, go back and paint over the screws in the shelf!

This handy shelf will hold trinkets and small items, but not your resident midget wearing a Superman cape.



And that's what works for me this Wednesday! To check out more great tips visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer and scroll to any Wednesday!

Got to Laugh

(This is supposedly a true account, recorded in the police log of Sarasota, FL.)

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle.

She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her lungs, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!" The four men didn't wait for a second threat. They got out and ran like mad.

The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition.

She tried and tried, and then she realised why. It was for the same reason she had wondered why there was a football, a Frisbee and two twelve-packs of beer in the front seat.

A few minutes later she found her own car parked four or five spaces further down.

She loaded her bags into the car and drove to the police station to report her mistake.

The sergeant to whom she told the story couldn't stop laughing.

He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

No charges were filed.

Moral of the story?

If you're going to have a senior moment . . . make it memorable.

The Game

Sinatra turns 18 months old tomorrow. He is already talking a little bit . . . Ma, Da da, moha (more), gog (dog)followed by panting (thanks to Shakespeare), poo poo. But my favorite thing is when he drops something, usually purposefully, and says uh oh. I tried to catch it on video but, of course, he never did it until I turned off the camera. I did, however, manage to catch him at his little game in still shots. So, here is Sinatra doing his thing.


Have the grape.


Casually drop the grape.


Uh oh.

Three Week Reprieve

Right now, the kids and I are enjoying a three week break from school. Three weeks in October, you ask? Yep. We're trying year round school: we go 9 weeks on, 3 weeks off. It's such a wonderful breather so far.

We've been filling our days with outdoor and indoor play, mostly concentrated on how to get more computer time from Mom. As if the computer needed more allure, today I paid for a one month subscription for Gem and Shakespeare at Club Penguin. They have been buying all kinds of things that you can't get without a subscription and having a wonderful time.

By the way, if your kids haven't checked out this site, try it. The free environment is very fun. It will consume hours if you let them go that long, but it's a fun, interactive environment. And if you have a penguin and happen to bump into Zambagoo (Shakespeare) or Agwina (Gem), make sure to say hi!

Thanks, Nat, for telling us about it.

Works for Me Wednesday

Over at Rocks in My Dryer, Shannon is doing backwards day for her Works for Me Wednesday (WFMW). Instead of giving a tip, she's asking for an answer. I thought I would join in. So . . .

1) Besides buying a new one, how do you get rid of smells in your microwave?

2) I'm looking for a math program that gives my kids conceptual understanding, not just mechanics. Anyone have any suggestions? My kids are K and 3rd grade right now. Currently, I use Horizons Math and have been pleased up to this point, but I'm finding that my 3rd grader has little understanding of real life application, though she can work a problem with no trouble.

I love that so many people who were educated in my grandfather's generation can tick off multiple digit multiplication and division in their heads. I don't know how to train my kids that way because it wasn't modeled in public schools for me. I've looked at Math-u-see and would love to know more about what people think of that, but I'm open to many options. I've also looked at a math program that utilizes an abacus.

So, what do you use? What do you suggest? What works for you this Wednesday?

Our Adventures in an Odyssey

We got a Honda Odyssey! But this is not just a Honda Odyssey--it has everything but wings. Yes, I'm about to blather on and on about minivan features. But before I do, I have to tell that we got an incredible deal on the thing.



We bought it from a lady at our church who was going to trade it in, but called us and offered it to us for the trade in price because she would rather see us get it than the dealer. When Jon called our bank about the loan, because the price was so unbelievable, the guy cautioned him to make sure that it wasn't a scam. Ha!

Okay, so here's the rundown: (normal stuff)leather, sunroof, dual power sliding doors, cool deep trunk compartment in back, 6-disc CD changer, built in DVD . . . (not so normal stuff) GPS system, a carousel style compartment in the floor behind the front seats (for snacks, DVDs, extra diapers), a little convex mirror on the sunglasses holder facing that lets you see if Shakespeare is pestering Popcorn, and drum roll . . . when I put the thing in reverse, the GPS screen flips to a different mode that shows what's behind the van--a backing camera. I've only ever seen that on motor homes. So Fun! New gadgets.



Ours is an '05, so those of you with newer models are probably yawning, but I'm thrilled. It's going to take a while to get used to all the new buttons, but I'll manage somehow.

The Ultimate Gift

A fellow homeschool mother told me about a movie that one of the local homeschool dads was involved in co-producing. She told me the plot and said that it was great and that I should pick it up from Blockbuster, but I wondered if it was a cut-rate production. Well, why not try it.

It's great! The kids and I watched it today and all of us loved it. Check out this trailer, then go straight to your local video rental store and pick it up--or just buy it.

It's called The Ultimate Gift and is part of the FoxFaith Movies productions.

Little Red

When the Air Force moved my family from Ohio to Oklahoma, one of the things in our caravan was a little red, '82 Toyota Starlet. It was a 4-seater manual that ran like a dream. There were plenty of miles on it, but it wasn't done chugging along--a Toyota.

One day Dad came home from work and gathered all the family together for one of those solemn, the-family-has-something-big-to-talk-about meetings. At first I thought that maybe they were considering adopting or something really big, but it was just about Little Red (our name for the car).

Dad explained that on his way to work he came across a woman stranded on the side of the road. Her car was done for. Dad gave her a lift to work (which was conveniently on base) and came home with a decision to make. He and mom had talked and they wanted to give the woman Little Red. They asked what we thought and we were all in favor of it.

So, Little Red moved on and blessed another person.

Now I'm 31 (at least until the 27th) and have my own family to call together for one of those the-family-has-something-big-to-talk-about meetings. Nope, I'm not expecting.

On Saturday, I was on my way to meet Jon at a restaurant and was first in line at a light. From a truck next to me, a man jumped out of the passenger side and ran in front of my car, waving his arms wildly and shouting toward a car in another lane. I looked in that direction and saw a smoking car and fire underneath. The woman heard the man and she and a boy bailed out of the car safely.

About that time the light changed and I went on, praying, "Lord, what can I do to help that woman?" My only thought at the time was that she might need a ride somewhere. Later that evening as I was lying in bed I thought about Little Red. Maybe our van could bless a woman who no longer has a car.

People are so much more important than money in my pocket. I don't know if I will even be able to track that woman down, but I'm so glad that my parents demonstrated what it is to bless others. And I'm thankful to have the Holy Spirit quicken my mind to remember Little Red and to move my heart with compassion.