tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40060962804513672112024-03-13T14:18:12.614-06:00Reading 'Riting 'RithmeticAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-50194962591971255142009-11-18T21:48:00.002-07:002009-11-18T21:58:36.550-07:00Wow, what a giveaway!<b>Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme<br /><a href="http://www.todaysmama.com/exclusives.php">TodaysMama</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/4ikY3c">Provo Craft</a> are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.<br /><br /> 1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></b>I'd like to get my wedding ring fixed, I'd like a nice wide prime lens for my camera with a good macro function for taking pictures of baby, I'd like an Ergo baby carrier, a set of Harmony wood knitting needles, and maybe some nice wool for knitting more socks<b><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?<br /> </b>I've gotten quite a few over the years from my very crafty family, but I guess I love the blanket my grandma crocheted for me, and the other quilt my other grandmother made for me best of all.<br /><b> 3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?<br /> </b>I've always wanted to make a quilt. Also Waldorf dolls were on the list and I just finished making three for my girls this year for Christmas.<br /><b> 4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?<br /> </b>My goodness, I have no idea. Maybe my very own stereo system with a record player or my electric piano.<br /><b> 5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?<br /> </b>They all want very specific webkinz<br /><b> 6. What is your favorite holiday food?<br /> </b>Pretzel jello!!<br /><b> 7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?<br /> </b>Waldorf dolls for each girl and wardrobes for said dolls, doll slings, and a pair of jammies for each girl. Also some other things I cannot blog about!<br /><b> 8. What is your favorite holiday movie?<br /> </b>Family Man, Elf, The Santa Claus, pretty much any sweet and sappy holiday movie!<br /><b> 9. Favorite holiday song?<br /> </b>I love Christmas Carols. O Holy Night, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, pretty much all of them!<br /><b> 10. Favorite holiday pastime?</b><br /> Cooking, baking, canning, crafting, singing, decorating, just not cleaning :)<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-2514004768233942002009-11-13T08:25:00.002-07:002009-11-13T08:46:57.861-07:00Too cute not to shareJust had this conversation with my 6-year old:<br /><br />Her: Mom, there is something I want to ask Jesus when I get to heaven.<br /><br />Me: Yeah baby, what's that?<br /><br />Her: I want to ask if I can be a kid forever.<br /><br />Me: Well, that is something we just don't know about heaven, right? Maybe we will all be grown ups.<br /><br />Her: Maybe we will all be born again! I want to be born again because I like having chubby cheeks!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/4100187915/" title="Six by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4100187915_6b9e900d5a_o.jpg" width="534" height="800" alt="Six" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-2510470573771708772009-11-09T21:35:00.000-07:002009-11-09T21:35:06.265-07:00http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/11/handmade-dress-patterns-guest-giveaway.html<a href="http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/11/aunty-ollie-100-guest-giveaway.html">http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2009/11/handmade-dress-patterns-guest-giveaway.html</a><br /><br />This giveaway rocks. I am planning to make each of my girls dresses for Christmas, and I love each of these patterns!<br /><br />Too cute!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-75740011528797538962009-10-18T14:02:00.002-06:002009-10-18T14:05:08.968-06:00Just had to blog about this great giveaway!Wouldn't this be the perfect Christmas gift for Ainsley?<br /><br />http://mamasamess.blogspot.com/2009/10/all-childrens-furniturecom-giveaway.html<br /><br />She even got to meet her favorite author again yesterday, Donita K Paul. She found out that the book she is currently reading, The Vanishing Sculptor, will have a sequel and Donita is already on chapter 24 of it! So exciting.<br /><br />Sorry for the lack of blogging lately! Maybe I will get back into it :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-35765612435637726412009-06-07T18:55:00.003-06:002009-06-07T18:56:14.693-06:00Another awesome giveaway, that you just better not enter!<a href="http://ohhellofriend.blogspot.com/2009/06/16-shop-giveaway.html"><img src="http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn206/ohhellofriend/blogdesign09/misc/editedgiveawayban.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This one is humongous!! I promise a real blog entry soon, just as soon as I stop finding all these awesome contests to enter :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-15746082822811587252009-06-07T15:50:00.000-06:002009-06-07T15:53:59.712-06:00Look at this awesome fabric giveaway!The Fabric Shoppe isgiving away a huge stack of fat quarters! Aren't they gorgeous?!<br /><br />But don't enter, okay, so that I will win? Please?! Pretty Please?!!<br /><br />http://the-fabric-shopper.blogspot.com/2009/06/giveaway-30-fat-quarters-katie-jump.htmlAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-55460555396027320622009-06-02T09:00:00.003-06:002009-06-02T09:16:13.870-06:00Spring is hereSomehow, time has gotten away from me, and all the things I have been meaning to do keep getting pushed to the back burner. (And in our house, there is only one working back burner, so things back there take a long time to get sorted out!) I've been meaning to post on my blog more frequently, meaning to talk about our first year with COVA, meaning to talk about the end of the year at co-op, meaning to talk about the dismal behavior my children have been exhibiting as of late, etc. The list really could go on and on and on.<br /><br />As of this week, we have nearly completely finished our required schoolwork for the year, and in the push to get that all finished, I have had little time to think and reflect. One of the last big things we had to finish was the Scantron exams. Ainsley took hers in Reading and Math, Liberty took hers in Math only. I was concerned because at the beginning of the year, both girls were behind in Math according to the test. I really wanted to see improvement from the beginning of the year. And I don't hang my hat on standardized testing to show us how we are doing, but I do think they can be a useful tool to help guide our focus in the year to come. Well, both girls did great and had HUGE improvements in their scores. Ainsley is reading at probably a tenth grade level. She got nearly 100% on the test. And the way the test works, it scales itself based on their answers, easing up when they answer incorrectly, advancing as they continue to answer correctly. We thought the test would never end because she kept answering correctly :) Ainsley was also below target in Math at the beginning of the year and had improved to nearly advanced in Math on this test! I know she really had an exposion of understanding in Math this year, which made her feel good, and me feel really proud! Liberty also did great in Math, only a couple of points away from advanced. Now, if only she would believe in her own ability, I think she would do even better!<br /><br />So, I am glad to have seen real progress in my girls this year, not only on these test, but in their daily work. Liberty is reading so much better, and is actually beginning to enjoy reading for pleasure and outloud to her younger sister. And Melody can read almost as well as Liberty now, sounding out almost everything I put in front of her! This summer, we are going to continue to work on math and reading, though it won't be everyday. They've worked hard and deserve to play and have lots of fun. We will probably take several field trips and work on bookwork 3x a week.<br /><br />In other news, my BABY has a loose tooth! I can't believe it. She is only five and a half! We were eating corn on th ecob the other night and she was having trouble, which is strange because she is usually the first to devour her corn! She was saying it was too hard to eat. Then she felt in her mouth and said, "My tooth is wiggly!" I couldn't believe it, but sure enough those two bottom teeth are wiggly, one is just about to fall out! I am not ready for this!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-14617053334270299362009-04-21T23:03:00.003-06:002009-06-02T09:34:27.492-06:00100 things to do before starting Kindergarten<p>This is for Miss Melody:<br /></p><p>1. Go to the zoo—<strong>Yup, have had a membership a couple of times, and all three would love if we had one again<br /></strong></p> <p>2. Visit a farm—<strong>yes, and a ranch :)</strong> </p> <p>3. Go on a hike—<strong> of course, next up begin training to make it up Pike's Peak!<br /></strong></p> <p>4. Play with kittens or puppies—<span style="font-weight: bold;">as often as possible</span><strong></strong> </p> <p>5. Catch a frog—<strong>yup, thanks Nana and Papa</strong> </p> <p>6. Make a gigantic mess—<strong>without a thought</strong> </p> <p>7. Help clean up a gigantic mess—<span style="font-weight: bold;"> if tasked with specific objectives</span><strong></strong> </p> <p>8. Master the monkey-bars—<strong> working on it at the new park we found, but they are still awfully high up for her taste</strong> </p> <p>9. Swing high up into the sky all by themselves—<strong> not so hot at the pumping of the legs yet</strong></p> <p>10. Try ice-skating - <span style="font-weight: bold;">even in our own back yard, and she LOVES it sometimes, hehe</span><br /></p> <p>11. Go sledding—<strong>again in our own back yard, haven't braved the really big hills yet<br /></strong></p> <p>12. Make a snow-man—<strong>Yes</strong> </p> <p>13. Blow bubbles—<strong>YES</strong> </p> <p>14. Plant seeds and watch them grow—<strong>Watching them grow daily<br /></strong></p> <p>15. Have a pillow fight—<strong>Yes with my poor pathetic couch pillows</strong> </p> <p>16. Jump on a big bed—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>17. Jump on a trampoline or in a bounce house—<strong>Yes, again daily</strong> </p> <p>18. Hang out in a tent—<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yup. Even in a massive thunderstorm!</span><strong></strong></p> <p>19. Spend days at the beach—<strong>Yes</strong> </p> <p>20. Build sandcastles—<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes, ah, I miss CA sometimes</span> </p> <p>21. Go fishing—<strong>Yup, but did we catch anything, nope nope nope</strong> </p> <p>22. Go out on a boat—<strong>Hmm, not sure about this one. Does Disneyland count?<br /></strong></p> <p>23. Play with blocks and puzzles—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>24. Read the classic picture books—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>25. Read a classic chapter book—<strong>Yes. She has listened to Narnia and Alice through the Looking Glass, as well as all the stuff we read for school. Loves Mrs. Pigglewiggle<br /></strong></p> <p>26. Check out library books with their own library card—<strong>Not yet.</strong> </p> <p>27. Get a passport—<strong>Sadly, no.</strong> </p> <p>28. Carve a pumpkin—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">29</span>. Hold a newborn baby (to see how much they’ve grown) - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes</span><br /></p> <p>30. Love a special doll or stuffed animal—<strong>Yes, her babies are all special and her kitties</strong>. </p> <p>31. Bake cookies and cakes—<strong>Of course!</strong></p> <p>32. Help plan their own birthday party—<strong> yup, her Alice in Wonderland party this year!<br /></strong></p> <p>33. Go to the circus—<strong> supposed to go next week!</strong><strong></strong> </p> <p>34. Go to a museum on a quiet weekday—<strong>Yes</strong> </p> <p>35. Play hide-and-seek—<strong> yes </strong></p> <p>36. Play a board game—<strong> Balloon Lagoon and Candy Land are the current favorites</strong> </p> <p>37. Do nothing whatsoever all day—<strong> more often than not, lol </strong></p> <p>38. Try a sport—<strong> just at co-op</strong> </p> <p>39. Watch a sporting event—<strong> been to several Minor League Baseball games<br /></strong></p> <p>40. Learn to swim—<strong> mostly</strong> </p> <p>41. Be tickled in hysterics—<strong> often!</strong> </p> <p>42. Paint and draw as much as desired—<strong> yup<br /></strong></p> <p>43. Have the use of scissors and glue—<strong> yup</strong> </p> <p>44. Display artworks and other creations around the house—<strong> taped to many walls and the fridge<br /></strong></p> <p>45. Learn to use a camera (and keep an album of the results!)—<strong> one day we took an entire roll of film and printed them out into their own albums, I love those! We also use the digital camera a lot, but haven't printed those pictures very often.<br /></strong></p> <p>46. Play with clay—<strong>Yes.</strong></p> <p>47. Pick flowers—<strong>Often, and they usually end up behind her ear.</strong> </p> <p>48. Climb a tree—<strong> The big one in the front yard!</strong> </p> <p>49. Gaze at the moon and stars—<strong> Yes, especially while camping</strong> </p> <p>50. Toast marshmallows—<strong>Of course!</strong> </p> <p>51. Learn to eat an ice-cream cone - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yup, too bad the photographic proof is mia currently</span>!<br /></p> <p>52. Watch a sunset—<strong>Yes, over the lake while camping, aaaahhh, and at the ocean, and over the Peak . . .<br /></strong></p> <p>53. Learn to write their own names—<strong> Yes, all over everything</strong> </p> <p>54. Learn their addresses and telephone numbers—<strong> yes</strong> </p> <p>55. Learn their parents’ full names—<strong>Yes. </strong></p> <p>56. Set the table—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>57. Clear the table—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>58. Help wash the dishes—<strong>Yes.<br /></strong></p> <p>59. Learn to say their pleases and thank yous and excuse mes—<strong>Yes, usually</strong> </p> <p>60. Watch fireworks—<strong>We even let her stay up til midnight to watch the fireworks off the peak</strong> </p> <p>61. Go to the ballet or theater or a puppet show—<strong> Yes, we saw Narnia on stage and she loved it<br /></strong></p> <p>62. Put on a ballet or play or puppet show at home—<strong>All the time</strong> </p> <p>63. Face paint—<strong>Of course!!</strong> </p> <p>64. Dress up in costumes at will—<strong>Frequently</strong></p> <p>65. Learn rhymes and poems and songs by heart—<strong>Yup</strong> </p> <p>66. Have a dance party—<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yes, quite often</span><strong></strong> </p> <p>67. Enjoy friends at preschool and at the park—<strong>Yes, and I am so glad we have had co-op this year for building those friendships<br /></strong></p> <p>68. Invite friends over to play—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>69. Get to know grandparents—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>70. Play with cousins—<strong>Second cousins, as they don't have any cousins yet (And we aren't in a hurry for that either! Get married first girls!) </strong></p> <p>71. Become attached to a wonderful preschool teacher and/or babysitter—<strong>She loves Miss Stephanie, Miss Jackie, Mr. Jason, and she has always loved her teachers at church<br /></strong></p> <p>72. Learn the name of our president—<strong>Yup</strong> </p> <p>73. Know the name of their town, state and country—<strong>Yup</strong> </p> <p>74. Be familiar with a map of the world—<strong>We love the maps and globe around here!</strong> </p> <p>75. Listen to music from many different ages and genres—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>76. Hear and learn words from a different language—<strong> She listens to her sisters' French and watches Muzzy, plus we sing songs in Spanish<em></em> </strong></p> <p>77. Learn the difference between trash and recycling— <span style="font-weight: bold;">Working on it!</span><strong></strong> </p> <p>78. Grow their own vegetables—<strong>Not for lack of trying, but we are not super successful round these parts.</strong> </p> <p>79. Learn to ride a bike (or try!)—<strong> Yup, its two wheels all the way now!</strong> </p> <p>80. Take a road trip—<strong>Yes, many, many road trips.</strong> </p> <p>81. Draw a self-portrait—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>82. Slurp alphabet soup—<span style="font-weight: bold;">Yup, and spell her name with her soup</span><strong></strong></p> <p>83. Learn to twirl spaghetti on a fork—<strong>Yes</strong> </p> <p>84. Pick apples—<strong>Not yet, though we have a trip to the orchard planned for the fall</strong> </p> <p>85. Star in a home movie—<strong>Yes.</strong> </p> <p>86. Learn a magic trick—<strong>Hmm, not that I know of, but we do say, Ta-Dah! alot<br /></strong></p> <p>87. Try different hair-dos—<span style="font-weight: bold;">All the time</span><strong></strong> </p> <p>88. Practice writing letters—<strong>Yes</strong></p> <p>89. Practice counting to 100—<strong>And beyond</strong> </p> <p>90. Make up stories—<strong>Yup, funny ones too!<br /></strong></p> <p>91. Send a letter—<strong>Not often enough</strong> </p> <p>92. Receive a letter—<strong>Yes, thank you grandparents and cousins!</strong> </p> <p>93. Ride on a merry-go-round—<strong>Even a double-decker one! And one at the beach, and Disneyland!<br /></strong></p> <p>94. Give away toys and books to less fortunate children—<strong>Yes</strong> </p> <p>95. Learn the value of coins and bills—<span style="font-weight: bold;">Knows most of them, not all though</span><strong></strong></p> <p>96. Keep a piggy bank—<strong>Yes</strong> </p> <p>97. Try a musical instrument—<strong>The violin and the piano, the glockenspiel, and the recorder, multiple percussion instruments too<br /></strong></p> <p>98. Have a heartfelt wish granted—<strong>Maybe?<br /></strong></p> <p>99. Have a heartfelt wish denied—<strong>Probably, but I can't think of something specifically</strong> </p> <p>100. Receive a million (make that a billion) heartfelt kisses and hugs from their parents—<strong>Of course!</strong> </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-36784887677326210262009-03-06T11:30:00.003-07:002009-06-02T08:31:45.693-06:00My new gigI was invited about a month ago by a blogging friend to be a part of a wonderful homeschool resource called <a href="http://hsbapost.com">The Homeschool Post</a> as part of the team of contributing writers. I was so honored, as I have really admired these gals! They are veteran bloggers and homeschoolers, and I am such a newbie to the blogosphere. <a href="http://hsbapost.com/2009/03/another-newbie-here/">My first post is up</a>, and I would like to invite you to subscribe to the blog! If there is anything you think I ought to write about, I am up for the suggestions!<br /><br />Also, be praying for us next week please, Ainsley has state standardized tests 3 mornings next week, and she is feeling a bit overwhelmed. I am really not concerned about the test results, I just want her to do her best and try hard. She has been having a rough couple of weeks, and has slipped back into some behaviours that I thought we were long past. It hasn't been my finest parenting hours lately, and I am feeling overwhelmed. I covet your prayers, truly!<br /><br />Oh, and here are some quick pics from our Valentine's day photo shoot. I need to take a picture of their actual Valentine's cards. They were so cute, if I do say so myself!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/3272139909/" title="Happy Valentine's Day by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3519/3272139909_01aee78672.jpg" alt="Happy Valentine's Day" width="357" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/3272960138/" title="Happy Valentine's Day by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3272960138_9956dedda3.jpg" alt="Happy Valentine's Day" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/3272958222/" title="Happy Valentine's Day by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3272958222_76ccf8bde0.jpg" alt="Happy Valentine's Day" width="333" height="500" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-29255312841627441872009-02-16T18:31:00.002-07:002009-02-16T19:25:01.711-07:00School, SpED, parties, and sickness, Oh my!I feel like I have been a whirling, twirling top ever since we got home from California in January. We've been on the go nearly constantly, or stuck at home in bed. We even missed a week of co-op due to fevers and a stomach virus. It seems that at least one of us has had some sort of virus since the first week of January, and no amount of bleach and Lysol will rid us of these germs! When we haven't been sick, we've been at special ed evaluations, co-op, get-togethers with long lost friends, and parties. There really just hasn't been a moment to sit and reflect, much less to actually blog those reflections!<br /><br />The special evaluations went well for the most part, confirming much of what I already knew and giving me some insights into my Sensory-challenged child. Girlfriend is brilliant in math, has excellent language processing skills, writes and articulates like a pre-schooler. We are going to be doing some handwriting therapy, speech therapy, and allowing for some accommodations, like reading all assignments except the Barton Program and actual reading, outloud. Her OT would like us to go for a private evaluation in the big city for a more thorough sensory evalution, beyond her capabilities in the little facilty we attend. Funny thing is, she has really bonded with the speech therapist and will do all sorts of things for her! She had previously met with the speech therapist and gotten all settled into the environment before meeting for the first time with the OT. OT said she wouldn't have had any idea about most of her issues if she hadn't heard them from me or heard the observations of the ST. Crazy. We were even able to do a short eval with the psych, and may try to do another eventually, which in all our years of therapy and evals we've never been able to do. Much of this paragraph probably makes little sense, but I really can't read through it and don't have the energy for more, so this will have to do for now. If anyone wants to know more about it, feel free to ask!<br /><br />The thing is, having a child who for the most part, appears to be normal, but has serious coping issues can be so frustrating for the parents. And I know its hard on her too. But it feels so unfair sometimes. I have high expectations for this kid, and I am not content to let her isolate herself from the world. At the same time, I daily feel like I am a failure as a parent. That someone else could parent her so much more effectively than me.<br /><br />(Uh Oh! More breaking glass just heard upstairs!!! Yesterday Mellie broke the glass turntable on the microwave. Second microwave she's disabled in just 5 short years. Actually its only been 6 months between breakages!)<br /><br />What was I saying, oh yeah, I am a failure as a parent. Daily. The thing is, I know I am not doing my best, and that there is always room from improvement. I feel like I am giving constantly, and it's so draining to relive the same struggles day after day. Tonight, for example, the girls and daddy sat down to play a card game, and daddy tried to teach them the actual rules, even though they had been playing all afternoon with their own rules. Libs was convinced from the get-go that she was going to lose, just like she <span style="font-style: italic;">always</span> does. She either <span style="font-style: italic;">has</span> to win, or she doesn't want to play because everyone else must be cheating. Anyway, it all fell apart when she did something against the rules and she proceeded to have a massive screaming fit in the middle of the kitchen. Her normal MO is to run away and slam the door. I wouldn't let her leave. Her screams got louder and more blood-curdling as I continued to make her stay in the kitchen. All the while, I am trying to stir stuff in the (broken) microwave, on the stovetop, and not burn the stuff in the oven. Of course, it means stuff boils over on the oven and I drop four things out of the freezer on to my toe. I get sick to my stomach and lose my appetite. I get a huge headache. Eventually, she calms down enough to join the family at the table, whereupon it is discovered that nothing I have prepared is edible for this child. Vegetables! The Horror! Ravioli! Disgusting, this pasta is not long and straight! Red Spaghetti Sauce! Evil! All must scream and cry because no one can tolerate the nastiness gracing our table. She was asked to leave the table due to her inability to calm herself down. The evening ended for me when I left the table feeling miserable. Now, here I am blogging and watching Chuck, feeling sorry for myself. I spent about a half an hour in prayer, and she eventually calmed down enough to return to the table for a few bites to eat before bed. Unfortunately it feels like this routine repeats itself in different Variations on the Theme, nightly. UGH.<br /><br />I am anticipating that we might eventually be able to work though some of this in therapy. Not that I think we can solve all our issues overnight, but I need some new strategies. And so does she.<br /><br />In other news, lots of parties, including my girls' first real Valentines' parties. We even had a skating party and all the girls improved in their roller skating abilities. They all still prefer the ice, but they can at least make it around the roller rink a few times! And now the Valentine's Day cards are all stashed away in secret hiding spaces to be saved until the end of time. I really need to take a picture of the cards I made for the girls. They turned out super cute and were quite a hit!<br /><br />I was also approached about a new opportunity to write, and when I know more I will pass it along! It sounds like it will be a lot of fun to be a part of a great community!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-9283020081790454862009-02-02T13:24:00.002-07:002009-02-02T13:30:13.876-07:00I really ought to be getting ready to go . . .But I am procrastinating with a meme instead. Feel free to play along and let me know if you do!<br /><br /><p>Use the first letter of your name to find a word for each of the following:</p> <p><strong>Your Name</strong> - Gretchen<br /><strong>Four letter word</strong> - grow<br /><strong>Boy name</strong> - Gerald<br /><strong>Girl name</strong> - Gertrude<br /><strong>Occupation</strong> - grocer<br /><strong>Color</strong> - green<br /><strong>Beverage</strong> - green tea (is that cheating?)<br /><strong>Something found in a bathroom</strong> - grime, eww<br /><strong>A Place</strong> - Grover, PA<br /><strong>Reason for being late</strong> - grounded? grouchy? ran out of gas?<br /><strong>Food</strong> - gingersnaps<br /><strong>Something you shout</strong> - Grrrrr-eat!<br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-67200203434919244782009-01-16T08:48:00.003-07:002009-01-16T09:10:34.192-07:00Picture Princess - Melody<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/3192457375/" title="Poser by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3535/3192457375_b4f4f40966.jpg" alt="Poser" height="500" width="334" /></a><br /><br />So, <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/c-15-shabby-baby.aspx">Shabby Baby</a> is having a contest for their model for the Spring Collection! Wouldn't Melody be just perfect?! She is such a little princess anyway, and I always call her my Picture Princess. She is my child who will always willingly model for me when I have a fun photo idea, or the light is just right. And she is all about the swirly-twirly dress, even in the dead of winter! She asks nearly every morning if she can wear a pretty dress for the day. Remember for her birthday how I sewed her a frilly Alice dress?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/2733625500/" title="Through the Looking Glass by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/2733625500_62d1f88b47.jpg" alt="Through the Looking Glass" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />It is still one of the first things she will tell people about when they ask how old she is! She loves to pick out special bows for her hair to match, is the queen of all things pink and sparkly, carries her wand with us wherever we go. When asked to pick 3 toys to take with us to California, she picked her wand, her kitty, and a sparkly tiara. Then she got two more sparkly tiaras for Christmas! She is the girliest girl in the house, and would be completely thrilled to win a brand new wardrobe full of all sorts of gorgeous frocks! Of course, she is just as home in the mud and cowboy boots as she is in sparkly shoes and twirly skirts, but that doesn't make her any less of a princess, right?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/3190457208/" title="Untitled by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3190457208_2e30130d3b.jpg" alt="" height="500" width="334" /></a><br /><br /><br />Wouldn't <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/p-84-queen-of-hearts.aspx">this dress</a> be just perfect for Miss Melody?! <a href="http://www.shabbyapple.com/p-82-vineyard.aspx">Or this one?!</a><br /><br />My little sparkly girl :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/3097383916/" title="Untitled by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/3097383916_decfa9462d.jpg" alt="" height="500" width="334" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-49381106170639609942009-01-09T09:37:00.001-07:002009-01-09T09:37:37.605-07:00Woohoo, happy early birthday to me!<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="448" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.sun7news.com/flash.php?videoCode=3V231O5t18ADP903lzuF"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="flashvars" value="videoCode=3V231O5t18ADP903lzuF"><param name="BGCOLOR" value="#000000"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.sun7news.com/flash.php?videoCode=3V231O5t18ADP903lzuF" quality="high" width="448" height="355" align="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="videoCode=3V231O5t18ADP903lzuF" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" bgcolor="#000000" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-88077008991471457532008-12-17T22:11:00.002-07:002008-12-17T22:21:01.699-07:00Because I am too busy to talk about anything . . .Here is a little meme:<br /><br /><p>Rules: bold it if you’ve done it.</p><p><strong>1. Started your own blog</strong> (obviously)<br /><strong>2. Slept under the stars</strong><br /><strong>3. Played in a band</strong> (Like Band? or like a Rock Band? Because yes to the first, no to the second! Man, I miss being part of an orchestra.)<br />4. Visited Hawaii<br /><strong>5. Watched a meteor shower</strong><br /><strong>6. Given more than you can afford to charity</strong><br /><strong>7. Been to Disneyland (DisneyWorld)</strong> (many times, even DisneyWorld for our honeymoon!)<br /><strong>8. Climbed a mountain </strong><br /><strong>9. Held a praying mantis</strong><br /><strong>10. Sang a solo </strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Bungee jumped</span><br />12. Visited Paris<br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">13. Watched a lightning storm at sea</strong> (seen plenty from my own window, while camping, and over a lake in Guatemala)<br /><strong>14. Taught yourself an art from scratch</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">15. Adopted a child</strong><br /><strong>16. Had food poisoning</strong><br />17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty<br /><strong>18. Grown your own vegetables</strong><br />19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France<br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">20. Slept on an overnight train</strong><br /><strong>21. Had a pillow fight</strong><br />22. Hitch hiked<br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill</strong><br /><strong>24. Built a snow fort</strong><br /><strong>25. Held a lamb</strong><br />26. Gone skinny dipping<br />27. Run a Marathon<br />28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice<br /><strong>29. Seen a total eclipse</strong><br /><strong>30. Watched a sunrise or sunset</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">31. Hit a home run</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">32. Been on a cruise</strong><br />33. Seen Niagara Falls in person<br />34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Um, does Mexico count?)<br />35. Seen an Amish community<br /><strong>36. Taught yourself a new language</strong><br /><strong>37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (in general)</strong><br />38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person<br /><strong>39. Gone rock climbing</strong><br />40. Seen Michelangelo’s David<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">41. Sung karaoke</span><br />42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (not yet but that is our next family vacation destination!)<br />43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant<br />44. Visited Africa<br /><strong>45. Walked on a beach by moonlight</strong><br />46. Been transported in an ambulance<br /><strong>47. Had your portrait painted</strong><br /><strong>48. Gone deep sea fishing</strong><br />49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person<br />50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris<br /><strong>51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling</strong><br /><strong>52. Kissed in the rain</strong><br /><strong>53. Played in the mud</strong><br /><strong>54. Gone to a drive-in theater</strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">55. Been in a movie</span><br />56. Visited the Great Wall of China<br /><strong>57. Started a business</strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">58. Taken a martial arts class</span><br />59. Visited Russia<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">60. Served at a soup kitchen</span><br /><strong>61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies</strong><br /><strong>62. Gone whale watching</strong><br /><strong>63. Got flowers for no reason</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma</strong><br />65. Gone sky diving<br />66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp<br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">67. Bounced a check</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">68. Flown in a helicopter</strong><br /><strong>69. Saved a favorite childhood toy</strong><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial</strong><br /><strong>71. Eaten Caviar</strong><br /><strong>72. Pieced a quilt</strong> (it was a giant flannel and denim one, but I would like to do a proper one!)<br /></p><p>73. Stood in Times Square<br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">74. Toured the Everglades</strong><br />75. Been fired from a job<br />76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London<br /><strong>77. Broken a bone</strong><br /><strong>78. Been on a speeding motorcycle</strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person</span><br />80. Published a book<br />81. Visited the Vatican<br />82. Bought a brand new car<br />83. Walked in Jerusalem<br /><strong>84. Had your picture in the newspaper</strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">85. Read the entire Bible</span><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">86. Visited the White House</strong><br /><strong>87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating</strong><br /><strong>88. Had chickenpox</strong><br />89. Saved someone’s life<br />90. Sat on a jury<br /><strong>91. Met someone famous<br />92. Joined a book club<br />93. Lost a loved one<br />94. Had a baby</strong><br />95. Seen the Alamo in person<br />96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake<br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">97. Been involved in a law suit</strong><br /><strong>98. Owned a cell phone</strong><strong><br />99. Been stung by a bee<br />100. Read an entire book in one day</strong><strong><br /></strong></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-48516952620872426972008-11-27T14:53:00.002-07:002008-11-27T15:00:07.005-07:00Happy ThanksgivingI'm finally sitting down for a moment! I've been baking, cooking, sauteing, and washing all day long. Actually since yesterday!<br /><br />I am feeling so thankful for a home, a family, modern conveniences, groceries, and a clean table. Even though I have been really sick all week, I am still thankful. Especially for Nyquil.<br /><br />I should probably try to take pictures and document our yummy meal. Maybe I will even get around to uploading them someday!<br /><br />And now, I need to go uncover the turkey and pop the dressing and sweet potatoes into the oven.<br /><br />Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-88814572244536321342008-11-08T22:47:00.002-07:002008-11-08T23:02:47.922-07:00Sewing frustrationURG. urg. urg. urg. urg. urg.<br /><br />Does that accurately portray what I am currently feeling?<br /><br />URG<br /><br />I was in the very last stage of a new pair of flannel jammies for Melody, just needed to gather and sew the sleeves on, when I fiddled with the feed dog mechanism on my machine. Now, it is dead dead dead to all regular sewing. I cannot believe it. I was already frustrated with it because it was refusing to cooperate earlier. I cannot ever get the stupid automatic button holer to work. Oh, how I miss the four step button hole on my mom's machine. But now . . . now, the material will not feed through the machine. I am so completely disgusted.<br /><br />I looked up several repair shops in the area, and its going to be a minimum of about $90 to $140 to get it repaired!!!!!!!!!!! I can go buy a new machine from Costco for $179. My machine is from 2001, so it isn't ancient or anything. It shouldn't be falling to pieces already. I thought for sure that when I *someday* got a new machine, it would be an upgrade to a real embroidery machine. So much for that idea :S A new machine was so not in the budget. But I have about 10 different sewing projects either in process or that I need to finish before Christmas.<br /><br />Now I just need to decide if I am going to find a cheap used machine for the time being, or go grab something from Costco or Sam's, or just make due borrowing a machine from a friend to finish the current project.<br /><br />UGH!!! It just really bugs me that I have taken the whole darn machine apart and I cannot find a reason why it is being difficult. If you know me, you know that I like to be able to fix whatever is broken. And not being able to fix it just makes me want to throw it out the window!!!<br /><br />And. . . Why is sewing repair and maintenance so incredibly expensive now? I remember I used to take the old machine in for about $30 for standard maintenance. Here the minimum is $69 for basic cleaning!<br /><br />urg . . . urm. . . ughAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-33813069763392626342008-10-26T17:03:00.002-06:002008-10-26T18:40:42.136-06:00Molly Cat - or "God answers prayers . . ."Over at <a href="http://blog.parentbloggers.com/">Parent Bloggers</a> a contest about pets is being sponsored by <a href="http://www.clubbk.com/">Burger King.</a> I thought it was the perfect excuse to talk about how Molly came into our family!<br /><br />When we moved to Colorado, one of the perks our kids were excited about was the fact that we would have a bigger home and yard, and therefore space for a new addition to the family - a pet, not a baby. We had been through more than our fair share of pets already, and my husband was not anxious to try another. We ended up with 2 parakeets and a fish for the girls. And while the parakeets are fun to listen to, and talk to, they aren't snuggly or cuddly, and don't really play with you very well. And the fish died. Note to self: tropical fish and cold climates do not mix.<br /><br />So eventually, the girls started asking for a cat or a dog. The husband firmly said absolutely no dogs. I am a dog person myself, but they do take a lot of commitment and our last dog experience was not a positive one. So we started praying about the possibility of getting a cat. I started browsing the local humane society's website and looking at their pictures of cats. I was thinking of adopting an older cat, but the husband and kids were really hoping for a kitten. After lots of considering, I realized that in a loud household like ours, it might be better to get a kitten who could grow up used to the noise! And kittens are quite playful. Still, I knew that we needed a very special cat. One that would put up with being petted, maybe not as gently as we might like. One that would play with us, not run and hide from us. One that would not shed too much. And one that would be willing to stay indoors, and maybe even catch mice!<br /><br />The girls and I prayed a lot for several weeks about finding just the right cat for our family, one that we would love and that would love (tolerate!) us back. One Friday afternoon while browsing on the H.S. website I came across an adorable blue-eyed siamese cat named Stevie. She looked so sweet, and I knew in my heart that she was the cat for us! We prayed about it again, and the girls talked to daddy, who said we could go look at her in the morning. That Saturday was the last of a special month of an adopt-a-thon, and it was SO busy! We wandered through the facility, but couldn't see Stevie anywhere. And I had forgotten the paper with her number on it at home, which is the only way the HS could look her up and find her for us. All the kittens that we liked were already spoken for, and we really knew that it was Stevie that we wanted. I remembered that I had e-mailed the hubby the day before, and he had his Palm cell phone with him, so we could look up the number! Hooray! I had to stand in a long line again to request a visit with Stevie's number, if she were still there. We got to the front, and lo and behold, she had been put into isolation because of the kitty respiratory virus. It was as if God had set her aside specifically for us. The isolation unit cannot be seen from the public viewing area, and if she'd been in the public area, she would most likely have been already adopted that day. We had no problem getting a kitten with the respiratory infection because we were taking her to the vet anyway, and we had no other animals that she could infect.<br /><br />It was so perfect, and such a great way for my children to see the hand of God at work in their lives in such a small, but important way. We finally got to hold little Stevie in our arms, listen to her sweet mewing, and check her out. She took to all of us right away, and especially my husband. We were able to take her home with us that day, give her the name Molly, and just love on her like crazy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/933283135/" title="Our new baby by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1025/933283135_b04f1dcd34.jpg" width="500" height="359" alt="Our new baby" /></a><br /><br />To this day, Molly is the most unique cat I have ever known. She is almost dog-like in the way that she follows me around from room to room. She has to be a part of whatever I am doing, whether is working with power tools to put up bookshelves, or making the beds, or schooling the girls. She had to be right in the middle of the workers who were installing our new water heater last year. She comes when you call her name, just because she wants to be with you. She loves to play with hair bands and crumpled paper. And she loves to catch mice and wasps and spiders and moths, making the strangest chattering sound at the insects. She loves to curl up in her bed in the sun, or sleep on my lap while I type. She is in every way the exactly perfect cat for our family, and I couldn't ask for a better pet! We remind the girls all the time that Molly shows us how God cares about every detail of our lives, and we can go to him with our smallest concerns and our biggest ones.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/2144369715/" title="Crashing the photo shoot by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2144369715_3bee5f6705.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Crashing the photo shoot" /></a><br /><br />I am sure there is more I could add about our sweet Molly, but I have to run to bake a pie, and I have already interrupted myself about 10 times in the middle of writing this post! If I have any chance of getting this published tonight, I'd better do it now :)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Burger King Corp.”</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-66364636946760845442008-10-25T17:21:00.002-06:002008-10-25T17:35:43.476-06:00Getting politicalOk, I realize my readership is practically miniscule, but I cannot stay silent. I was just sent <a href="http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf">this link from Focus on the Family Action</a> and it makes me want to throw up. It is a fictional letter from the year 2012 based on facts and, while not a prediction, it is a glimpse into what the future could hold for us if Barack Obama is elected president of the United States.<br /><br />I just cannot fathom how any Christian could be swayed into voting for a man who has proven himself time and again to vote as liberal as possible. Honestly, I am so disturbed by the possibility that this man could one day hold so much sway over my rights. Read the letter, and just put yourself in that time frame for one moment, and then tell me if it doesn't scare the cr@$ right out of you. I know that Christians will one day find themselves the object of extreme persecution, but I wouldn't want to be a part of ushering it in. I would like to continue to teach my children how I see fit, when I see fit. I consider myself extraordinarily blessed to be a part of something like COVA, where the "teacher" assigned to us also attends our church, where I can continue to teach my children about the Bible, and Jesus Christ who died for our sins. I cannot imagine Jesus voting for Obama.<br /><br />Its just scary.<br /><br />And there are nine billion blogs out there right now about politics, but I have never felt more strongly that we NEED to get out there and vote. And seriously consider what Jesus would do. Do I think John McCain is the perfect choice for our country? Not necessarily, but in light of the alternative I say a resounding YES! Please, if you are a citizen of this country, get out there and vote. Don't tell your children one day that you would have voted, or you would have done something differently. Make the effort. Go early, so many places are now allowing early voting. Make your voice be heard. Pray. And Vote.<br /><br />And now I am hopping of my soapbox, and praying I don't have nightmares after reading that fictional, but highly probable letter.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-64856490570265367972008-10-17T16:45:00.003-06:002008-10-20T16:11:39.739-06:00Melody is 5<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/2949675647/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/2949675647_ce08067dce_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/2949675647/">Melody is 5</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/curlytop/">Curly Top</a></span></div>I cannot cannot cannot believe my BABY, my youngest, my littlest, is a five year old! She is learning how to read, loves to write, loves to sing and dance, is every bit the princess, the baby, and the trouble-maker. I love her to pieces, and I seriously cannot imagine life without her. I just can't believe that tiny little thing is FIVE!<br clear="all" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-81057515214934720272008-10-14T15:11:00.002-06:002008-10-14T15:19:37.227-06:00Birthday party preparationsMy baby turns 5 today!! And for some crazy reason, we are having her birthday party tomorrow afternoon, so today is preparation day! I have no idea what I am doing for dinner tonight, and we are going to have cupcakes for dessert and the candles tonight. I finished sewing her Alice costume so she can wear it to her party tomorrow. I am trying to make cupcakes in the shape of teacups. We will see how that goes. And I am packing up little party bags with homemade peppermint hot cocoa. So I need to print tags for the party bags and the cocoa. Oh my. Oh my. Why am I typing instead of working? Oh yeah because the cupcakes are in the oven. And I have a million things I should be doing, but my feet are just killing me.<br /><br />Kevin took Melody out this morning for her birthday breakfast, so very sweet. And they had a blast. Let's see, I kicked the middle child out of the house today and sent her off with a friend. Her jealousy was making it hard to get anything done, and it was giving me a headache. She is going to go to a friend's hockey game and then come home. Or I may go get her before the game, who knows?<br /><br />This may just be my most rambling post ever, which shows how my brain is right now!<br /><br />Anyway, back to printing, and checking out how my cupcakes are doing. Hopefully I can actually break out the camera and finally get some pictures of the goodies and my sweet baby who now is one whole hand old!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-33112629236287748662008-10-05T22:57:00.001-06:002008-10-05T23:02:30.712-06:00How I spent my Sunday Evening . . .Thanks to a willing friend, Kevin and I have been able to have 2 date nights in 2 weekends in a row. Normally we'd try to space things out a bit, but that's just how it happened to work out!<br /><br />Tonight we went to the World Arena for the 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars! It was quite surreal and very fun. I took about ninety-nine million pictures and filled up a memory card. Silly me, I didn't bring an extra either!! Whoops.<br /><br />And someday I will eventually get around to processing the pictures and sharing them with the world who will no longer care because I will be ninety-nine years old and no longer able to remember who anyone is. Oh well.<br /><br />But here is a shot to tide you over in the meantime!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/curlytop/2917925784/" title="How I spent my Sunday evening by Curly Top, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2917925784_0e82536ea4.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="How I spent my Sunday evening" /></a><br /><br />It was lots of fun, and if the show comes your way, and you have any interest in gymnastics (and don't mind listening to Disney-pop for a long long time) I highly recommend the show!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-36722903488251101562008-09-28T11:12:00.003-06:002008-09-28T11:52:24.945-06:00Trying out this audio uploader thingamajigMelody surprised me last night by reading the first book from the K12 phonics readers that came for Liberty (they send the whole program, not just the level she is on!). Its great because its a very comprehensive phonics program, and will be great for Melody and Liberty. Anyway, this morning she wanted to read the last chapter of the first book, and I had my laptop on my lap with its little bit in microphone. I thought it would be fun to record her reading the book :) So here is my four-year-old reading! I made 4 recordings, but the last one broke down into silliness . . .<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="260" height="130" align="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always allow" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.soundlantern.com/static/SoundPlayer/player.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="FlashVars" value="myVar=http://www.soundlantern.com/sl234214/SoundFiles/43372009282008110245.mp3&_autoplay=0" /><embed src="http://www.soundlantern.com/static/SoundPlayer/player.swf" FlashVars="myVar=http://www.soundlantern.com/sl234214/SoundFiles/43372009282008110245.mp3&_autoplay=0" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="260" height="130" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always allow" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"/></embed src></object><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="260" height="130" align="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always allow" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.soundlantern.com/static/SoundPlayer/player.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="FlashVars" value="myVar=http://www.soundlantern.com/sl234214/SoundFiles/43372009282008110702.mp3&_autoplay=0" /><embed src="http://www.soundlantern.com/static/SoundPlayer/player.swf" FlashVars="myVar=http://www.soundlantern.com/sl234214/SoundFiles/43372009282008110702.mp3&_autoplay=0" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="260" height="130" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always allow" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"/></embed src></object><br /><br />Crossing my fingers that these audio clips work. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-15428544417676774362008-09-26T08:12:00.002-06:002008-09-26T08:24:14.824-06:00What a morning. . .I cannot believe the ridiculousness that has been this morning. Ugh ugh ugh. Was shocked out of bed by massive shattering glass. In my suddenly awakened brain, I saw flashes near the skylight of our bedroom and thought it was the skylight crashing down on us. I screamed, and had a near fatal heart attack. Then I hopped out of bed and realized the cat had knocked over the door mirror which had recently been dislodged from its home on the back of the bedroom door. The next hour, until around 6 am, was spent in gloves and shoes cleaning up tiny shards of broken glass spread up and down the staircase, upstairs hall, our bedroom, the landing, the main floor, and the sitting room next to the stairs. My vacuum was doing overtime, and apparently had recently been lowered so it tore up little bits of carpet while I used the hose. I need one of those vacuums that turns of the stupid brushes when the hose is engaged. Crap.<br /><br />My girls woke up cranky and fighting. I am cranky and fighting. I have too much to do, not enough time to do it, and am blogging instead because I can't seem to get my brain to actually function properly. The only thing keeping my eyes open is the fact that I was asleep before 10pm. Was supposed to have a date night with my husband, but am not really feeling it, we have to be at Focus on the Family at 6:30 in the morning tomorrow. Think I am going to be dropping off my girls for the night, going straight home and going to bed.<br /><br />In the meantime, I am crossing my fingers that I can win a free handbag from http://www.handbagplanet.com/ My purse from Target is falling apart, and the strap is set to break any day now. And since I am not a purse person, and don't care too much about my purse looking fashionable, the only way for me to get a stylish replacement is to win one! Maybe you could win too, just don't pick the same bag as me! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-33725247311126577172008-09-23T19:30:00.005-06:002008-09-24T20:11:52.700-06:00On the mend, for now. . .Liberty seems to be getting healthy, though she was still cranky and needed a nap today. She probably could take a nap every day! She even fell asleep in my arms today. It was so sweet, even if she is almost 50 pounds! <br /><br />The girls also have a new little friend who comes over almost every day asking to play, and its been a good encouragement for them to get their work done early in the day so that they can play with her in the afternoon. It helps Ainsley the most, as she is the one who has both the most work to complete, and is the slowest worker.<br /><br />Last night's dinner was quite yummy too. I made a cross between swedish and italian meatballs. My girls will never eat meatballs in spaghetti, even though I've tried to convince them that meatballs are just like little balls of hamburgers! So, I thought maybe I could introduce them to meatballs at home like the ones they used to love at IKEA. Only we didn't have sausage, or ingredients for cream sauce. So we just baked up the meatballs in the oven and had a variety of dipping sauces. Of course Ainsley said at the beginning of the meal that she didn't like meatballs and wasn't going to eat them. She knows she has to try everything on her plate, but she was convinced that it would take her eating them many more times before she would like them. Well, all it took was a little A1 sauce for Ainsley to eat both the meatballs on her plate and ask for more! Victory :) All the girls had seconds, and are looking forward to the mini meatballs that I made for their lunches tomorrow.<br /><br />On the school front, the girls are doing well. They had a Scantron test last week, and though I haven't officially gotten the results, I know Ainsley did very well. She did MUCH better on her math than on her placement exam! We've really been working on Math this past month, and I feel like she suddenly has the confidence in her ability to do math. It is just wonderful! Its very similar to the way she started reading, actually. And I knew that the moment would come, but it feels like its been a long time coming. In fact, she missed so much in the placement test, even on the second grade level (yet scored 100% on things like multiplication!) which is why I asked for the second grade level to be sent. I hoped we'd be able to get through 2 years of math this year. And just yesterday, she did the end of the year test in the second grade Math book and passed it!!!! I saw the areas where she needs work, and we will go over those couple of areas while we wait for the third grade Math to arrive. I asked the teacher to order it yesterday! Now I am hoping that we can get through third grade Math by December, and then maybe we will actually begin 4th grade Math this year!<br /><br />And her writing is improving, and its not such a struggle to get her going in the morning. All around, this is shaping up to be the best year of homeschooling yet.<br /><br />Oh, the recipe for the meatballs!<br /><br />Around 2 pounds of ground beef<br />2 eggs<br />enough bread crumbs to bind the meatballs, approx 1/2 cup<br />1/4 cup Parmesan cheese<br />sprinkle of garlic<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />2 Tbs dried onion<br />A dash of chili pepper<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray cookie sheets with Pam<br />Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl with your hands<br />Roll into small balls, about 1 Tbs or less of mixture (we did large ones for dinner and small ones for lunches)<br />Bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes turning about halfway through<br />Serve with a variety of dipping sauce, make extra to add to spaghetti sauce, and for lunch the next day! We ate ours with cheater baked potatoes (I microwaved them first for 15 minutes then through them into the over with the meatballs.)<br /><br />Yummy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4006096280451367211.post-20623705614078135452008-09-21T16:55:00.002-06:002008-09-21T17:23:04.065-06:00Its been a looooong week . . .We have been dealing with a feverish, cranky kid all week. Liberty was feeling really yucky on Monday, but Tuesday she seemed to be on the mend. She was fine on Wednesday. But halfway through co-op on Thursday, she started complaining that her ear was really hurting. She had a fever and a seriously painful ear, even on two types of painkillers. Poor kid! We even had to skip a meeting with the teacher :( She still has a touch of a fever today, but her attitude is much improved, and she has been running around a playing today, which is a huge improvement over several days spent sleeping, eating, and coloring in the big blue chair.<br /><br />I have a post hanging out in the cue about the recent birth I attended, but I have been waiting 'til I got the pictures processed before posting. Whoops, have had ZERO time to sit at my computer!<br /><br />Oh and Molly has been catching mice in the basement. EEEEeewwww. But at least she is earning her keep, I just wish she didn't HAVE to. I hate rodents. I really really really need to get them out of my house. Yucky. Eww. Gross. Ick. All the more reason to not sit at my computer. . . too close to the mice!!!<br /><br />Ummm, what else can I ramble about?<br /><br />Oh yes, pancakes!<br /><br />Each weekend I have been making up a batch of a different type of pancakes for us to try out. The first week we tried applesauce pancakes. I used a simple pancake mix that added applesauce and cinnamon for a "moister" pancake. They were okay. Not fabulous. Better than plain pancakes, but took a long long time to cook, and had a funky texture. Last weekend, I made pumpkin pancakes. These were a LOT better than the applesauce ones. It was a much thinner batter with soy milk and eggs, pumpkin pie spices and canned pumpkin. These were almost like eating pumpkin pie for breakfast! They made the house smell delicious, and I had plenty of extra that we toasted up for breakfast a couple more times during the week. The girls declared them the best pancakes ever, and I had to agree. But this week we had the very best pancakes yet! We had German Pancakes, or popovers, or pop-up pancakes. We used <a href="http://www.makeandtakes.com/pop-up-pancakes">this recipe,</a> but modified it with soy milk as my tummy is growing more and more lactose intolerant. I probably should also have added a bit more flour for our altitude. As it was they took over twenty minutes and didn't get quite as lovely and golden. We ate ours with jam and powdered sugar, and a few with syrup and butter. They were so tasty! A bit like the crepes we love, and a bit like waffles. Super easy, and the only thing you have to make sure to have on hand is plenty of eggs. <br /><br />Its been an eating sort of a weekend. I just cooked up some spinach and popcorn for dinner. Yes its weird. But it was yummy, and since we had salad and corn dog muffins for lunch, none of us were super hungry. And we have fresh made green tea ice cream for dessert tonight, so why fill up on other food when you can have ice cream?! About that lactose intolerance, yeah, I give up. Do those Lact-aid pills work? Or are there any good soy milk ice cream recipes out there?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18023662613646528161noreply@blogger.com0