Thursday, September 08, 2005
Learning to say "No kidding" in Korean, is something that I feel that I should DEFINITLY know. Thanks Cribchick! And after hearing Gem's story......well, I believe the price of a pedicure for me, just went up! I'm guesin' it's pricier salon ped.'s from here on out.
Yesterday, we were taking down our pool, (yes, we have one of THOSE...don't laugh, we like it), and we were about to pull up the ground cloth that looks as if it has been fused to the earth beneath it. Jack comes over excitedly and says, "Oooohhhh, who knows what manner of mother natures adventures waits for us under there?" *bink blink* Where did this child come from? Later in the day, I was in the bathroom drying my hair, when I see this same little boy streaming down the (significant) hill by the window, perched cartoon-like, inside a wheelbarrow. I drop the hair dryer and rush to the window. Just before it crashes, he bails out, never hits the ground.....and then crouches down looking for bugs. His death-defying feats will surely make me age waaayyy before my time.
Today is packed full with lessons, martial arts, jiu jitsu, and ballet.I've gotta get going!
Have a great day!!!!!!
Melissa
Yesterday, we were taking down our pool, (yes, we have one of THOSE...don't laugh, we like it), and we were about to pull up the ground cloth that looks as if it has been fused to the earth beneath it. Jack comes over excitedly and says, "Oooohhhh, who knows what manner of mother natures adventures waits for us under there?" *bink blink* Where did this child come from? Later in the day, I was in the bathroom drying my hair, when I see this same little boy streaming down the (significant) hill by the window, perched cartoon-like, inside a wheelbarrow. I drop the hair dryer and rush to the window. Just before it crashes, he bails out, never hits the ground.....and then crouches down looking for bugs. His death-defying feats will surely make me age waaayyy before my time.
Today is packed full with lessons, martial arts, jiu jitsu, and ballet.I've gotta get going!
Have a great day!!!!!!
Melissa
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Hey thanks for all the comments about Savannah’s art work. I may take Whiterabbit’s (I feel funny callin’ her that), advice and begin putting together a portfolio. And yes, Dy, all of the captions were hers. (so THIS is love……) Too cute!
We made it through lessons without much fanfare or fuss (meaning, it was good). After we took the boys to martial arts , Savannah and I met
Thom for a manicure/ pedicure. I simply cannot wait for her blog entry about this. Do y’all remember that episode of Seinfeld, where Elaine thinks that the Korean gals doing her manicure are talking badly about her (in Korean)? My sister has a knack for this sort of thing. Savannah and I were really having a fun time, and were really pleased with our manicure/pedicures. Thom however (who has had Waaaaayy more of these done than I ever have), found herself becoming increasingly irritated at the little Korean chic doing her nails. I’ll leave the details to her, but it WAS funny! Anyway, it was a fun time, and I don’t want Savannah to be a stranger to such things, ya know? (But I WILL add that there was LOTS of talent for my up and coming tv show, “Dumbass” at the nail salon (S. is not a stranger to THAT sort of thing either, she get’s it)). Funny stuff. Oh- and after the nails, we went and got coffee at B&N. Always good.
In the world of home school, I would like to assure all of you who believe that I am inflicting some sort of torture upon my 13 y.o. son, by making him read Eusebius, that this is simply not the case. After descending the stairs, from his hour of reading, he said in a truly deep and appreciating voice, “Man, this book is pretty cool.” (Ho! Ho! What’s this? What do my ears hear???) Trying to sound normal and avoiding eye contact I say, “Oh?…. Really?” Austin says, “Yeah, all that stuff about Herod getting eaten by worms…..that’s pretty……I mean……woah.” So there you have it my friends. Need I say more? In the eyes of a 13 yo boy, the grotesqueness associated with the early medieval times is totally worth wading through the heavier and more difficult text.
The gov.’t has decided to let Race have SOME of his vacation. I will be sending the kids down to the beach with Thom (thank-you), on the day that we were SUPPOSED to go, and I will wait and accompany Race down later. When he told me today, on the phone, I had to resist the urge to fall in the floor and kick and scream. Selfish, I know. But it seems as if we are fighting a pack of wild, hungry hyenas, just to have a day or two together . They’ve surrounded us. I am just trying to get in one good kick to the head, so that we can make a run for it. I suppose the bright side is that he will be trapped in the car with me for about 6 hours, forced to listen to all the crap that I’ll ramble on about on the way down. Well, there ya go...there IS a bright side! On that happy note, I’ll go and drag myself down to the basement for my workout.
Have a great night!
Melissa
We made it through lessons without much fanfare or fuss (meaning, it was good). After we took the boys to martial arts , Savannah and I met
Thom for a manicure/ pedicure. I simply cannot wait for her blog entry about this. Do y’all remember that episode of Seinfeld, where Elaine thinks that the Korean gals doing her manicure are talking badly about her (in Korean)? My sister has a knack for this sort of thing. Savannah and I were really having a fun time, and were really pleased with our manicure/pedicures. Thom however (who has had Waaaaayy more of these done than I ever have), found herself becoming increasingly irritated at the little Korean chic doing her nails. I’ll leave the details to her, but it WAS funny! Anyway, it was a fun time, and I don’t want Savannah to be a stranger to such things, ya know? (But I WILL add that there was LOTS of talent for my up and coming tv show, “Dumbass” at the nail salon (S. is not a stranger to THAT sort of thing either, she get’s it)). Funny stuff. Oh- and after the nails, we went and got coffee at B&N. Always good.
In the world of home school, I would like to assure all of you who believe that I am inflicting some sort of torture upon my 13 y.o. son, by making him read Eusebius, that this is simply not the case. After descending the stairs, from his hour of reading, he said in a truly deep and appreciating voice, “Man, this book is pretty cool.” (Ho! Ho! What’s this? What do my ears hear???) Trying to sound normal and avoiding eye contact I say, “Oh?…. Really?” Austin says, “Yeah, all that stuff about Herod getting eaten by worms…..that’s pretty……I mean……woah.” So there you have it my friends. Need I say more? In the eyes of a 13 yo boy, the grotesqueness associated with the early medieval times is totally worth wading through the heavier and more difficult text.
The gov.’t has decided to let Race have SOME of his vacation. I will be sending the kids down to the beach with Thom (thank-you), on the day that we were SUPPOSED to go, and I will wait and accompany Race down later. When he told me today, on the phone, I had to resist the urge to fall in the floor and kick and scream. Selfish, I know. But it seems as if we are fighting a pack of wild, hungry hyenas, just to have a day or two together . They’ve surrounded us. I am just trying to get in one good kick to the head, so that we can make a run for it. I suppose the bright side is that he will be trapped in the car with me for about 6 hours, forced to listen to all the crap that I’ll ramble on about on the way down. Well, there ya go...there IS a bright side! On that happy note, I’ll go and drag myself down to the basement for my workout.
Have a great night!
Melissa
Monday, September 05, 2005
Pictures n' stuff
The kids and I are plugging along this week, looking forward to our time at the beach.
Austin is currently reading Eusebius A Church History, for school. Lot’s of food for thought here, as this is the first written record that we have from the early church since Luke wrote the book of Acts. It is amazing to read the account of a man who had lived during the time of Roman persecutions. The questions from Omnibus are very thought provoking, and we have had some good discussions. Now. If I can just get the boy to read a little FASTER. We have taken some time away from Latin for a bit, while we try to get comfortable with Omnibus, which covers Medieval history, theology, and literature.
Jackson is doing really well in his lessons, even if the attention span is still like a flash of lightening: Blink……and you’ll miss it. Although he still hates to WRITE, he has turned out to be quite the little math whiz.
Savannah is my “perfect student” these days. She takes pride in her work and is quite the overachiever. Anything less than 100%, and she is holding back the tears. (Don’t know where she has gotten this from, because we have never really been big on keeping grades at all in our home school world…..if you didn’t get it, you just kept trying). She is our artist. She uses reams and reams of paper. We put a computer in her room this year, and she very quickly learned to use the paint program. For the first day or two she would just draw basic things, but after about three days, she was using that simple paint program to produce pictures like these. What do you think? These come straight from her imagination, and are not copied from anything. Anyone have any ideas about computer graphics?
Austin is currently reading Eusebius A Church History, for school. Lot’s of food for thought here, as this is the first written record that we have from the early church since Luke wrote the book of Acts. It is amazing to read the account of a man who had lived during the time of Roman persecutions. The questions from Omnibus are very thought provoking, and we have had some good discussions. Now. If I can just get the boy to read a little FASTER. We have taken some time away from Latin for a bit, while we try to get comfortable with Omnibus, which covers Medieval history, theology, and literature.
Jackson is doing really well in his lessons, even if the attention span is still like a flash of lightening: Blink……and you’ll miss it. Although he still hates to WRITE, he has turned out to be quite the little math whiz.
Savannah is my “perfect student” these days. She takes pride in her work and is quite the overachiever. Anything less than 100%, and she is holding back the tears. (Don’t know where she has gotten this from, because we have never really been big on keeping grades at all in our home school world…..if you didn’t get it, you just kept trying). She is our artist. She uses reams and reams of paper. We put a computer in her room this year, and she very quickly learned to use the paint program. For the first day or two she would just draw basic things, but after about three days, she was using that simple paint program to produce pictures like these. What do you think? These come straight from her imagination, and are not copied from anything. Anyone have any ideas about computer graphics?
After school, everyone had some extra chores to do as we prepare to get ready to leave the house for a week. We are putting the garden “to bed” for the winter, draining/cleaning the pool, taking care of the yard, and just some general cleaning inside that needs to be done.
Jack spent the rest of the day burying “treasure” and making maps. He also traversed all over the property with a metal detector. Stuff like that can keep boys busy for hours!
Yesterday evening, Race and I went out to shoot for a while. He has improved my shooting SOOooo much. It is incredible the difference that proper stance and grip make in your accuracy! We went through about 10 magazines with his Sig. I really do like shooting, and it is really great fun to try and improve each time.
Jack spent the rest of the day burying “treasure” and making maps. He also traversed all over the property with a metal detector. Stuff like that can keep boys busy for hours!
Yesterday evening, Race and I went out to shoot for a while. He has improved my shooting SOOooo much. It is incredible the difference that proper stance and grip make in your accuracy! We went through about 10 magazines with his Sig. I really do like shooting, and it is really great fun to try and improve each time.
So, what’s up with y’all?
Oh, and a “Way to Go!” (high fives) to The Dude over at Me and the GuysFor an awesome run at the Rock n’Roll marathon over the weekend!
G’night everyone!
Melissa
Oh, and a “Way to Go!” (high fives) to The Dude over at Me and the GuysFor an awesome run at the Rock n’Roll marathon over the weekend!
G’night everyone!
Melissa
Sunday, September 04, 2005
One more thing......
Go and check out AnnieSue's blog to see a couple of little girls who are trying to make a difference in the Katrina disaster. One is Annie Sues daughter M.K, and the other is her cousin A. A is from New Orleans, and while her family has been able to ascertain that their home is still standing......well, that's about it. A. also had to leave her pet cat behind. The story and pictures will warm your heart. Go check it out at Anniesue.
Running.........
Well, thanks for all the birthday wishes! And how about that comment from Brandon (my cousin who is around Jack's age)? My NEW, FAVORITE cousin. LOL, Thanks Brandon!
At least I can say that I am in better shape at 36, than I was at 35, right?
Well, Race got to come home after working 24 hrs straight. So he slept a good part of the day. He has to go back up tomorrow, and we are just praying that we will still get to go to the beach together next week. This new work is related to the disaster, so things are a little shaky. Hope that it doesn't sound selfish, but we really need the family time. This afternoon, he wanted me to go for a run with him. I went. Like a lamb led to the slaughter. This was my first run since the spring (and I am NO runner), but I figured that with all the working out that I've been doing, it wouldn't be too bad, ya know. We live out in the sticks, and all of our roads are dirt/gravel, so you rarely ever see a car.But it was hot. Race put me on the run 5 min., walk 5 min, 5 times. Sounds easy, but it totally kicked my butt! It was around 3 miles, and we are in the mountains, so there are always hills! And what is it about a husband who is in tip-top shape, saying " Come on! Right here. You can do it! Push it hard! Just 30 seconds- c'mon Push it, you're doin great!" that makes you want to use your last drop of waning energy to leap upon his back and begin tearing at his hair? I didn't do that........couldn't. But the deep, low primate-like growl that ensued from my lips pretty much said what I was feeling. So anyway, here it is an hour or more later, and I am STILL red faced! Whew!
And, what? NO ONE has a comment about the swim suits, below? Um...y'all are scaring me. Have I gone terribly awry here? Will I be embarrassing myself and not be aware of it? Oh, man. I really hate that. Do you think that they are old lady-ish? Too teeny-bopper-ish? I had to order them online, because , of course , if you wait till Sept. to GET a swim suit in VA, you CAN'T. Well, let's just hope they hold up the top and suck in the middle...I'll be happy.
Well, I gotta get off of here. My posts are so boring, as of late. Sorry. This week is going to be so busy, and I have to plan out school lessons and errands and do SOMETHING about all that laundry. (How can we wear THAT many clothes????)
Have a great Sunday!
Melissa
At least I can say that I am in better shape at 36, than I was at 35, right?
Well, Race got to come home after working 24 hrs straight. So he slept a good part of the day. He has to go back up tomorrow, and we are just praying that we will still get to go to the beach together next week. This new work is related to the disaster, so things are a little shaky. Hope that it doesn't sound selfish, but we really need the family time. This afternoon, he wanted me to go for a run with him. I went. Like a lamb led to the slaughter. This was my first run since the spring (and I am NO runner), but I figured that with all the working out that I've been doing, it wouldn't be too bad, ya know. We live out in the sticks, and all of our roads are dirt/gravel, so you rarely ever see a car.But it was hot. Race put me on the run 5 min., walk 5 min, 5 times. Sounds easy, but it totally kicked my butt! It was around 3 miles, and we are in the mountains, so there are always hills! And what is it about a husband who is in tip-top shape, saying " Come on! Right here. You can do it! Push it hard! Just 30 seconds- c'mon Push it, you're doin great!" that makes you want to use your last drop of waning energy to leap upon his back and begin tearing at his hair? I didn't do that........couldn't. But the deep, low primate-like growl that ensued from my lips pretty much said what I was feeling. So anyway, here it is an hour or more later, and I am STILL red faced! Whew!
And, what? NO ONE has a comment about the swim suits, below? Um...y'all are scaring me. Have I gone terribly awry here? Will I be embarrassing myself and not be aware of it? Oh, man. I really hate that. Do you think that they are old lady-ish? Too teeny-bopper-ish? I had to order them online, because , of course , if you wait till Sept. to GET a swim suit in VA, you CAN'T. Well, let's just hope they hold up the top and suck in the middle...I'll be happy.
Well, I gotta get off of here. My posts are so boring, as of late. Sorry. This week is going to be so busy, and I have to plan out school lessons and errands and do SOMETHING about all that laundry. (How can we wear THAT many clothes????)
Have a great Sunday!
Melissa
Saturday, September 03, 2005
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Today is my birthday. I turn 36 (shudder). SOooooo..what do I have to look forward to? Menopause? breaking a hip? Race was supposed to have a long weekend, and we were SO looking forward to it. But work called yesterday, and he had to leave today. So, all plans are off. We were so bummed yesterday, when he got the call. Then we were running the kids all over with their friends for different activities. So, when we got home it was 9 p.m. I still needed to do my PM workout, so I went to the basement for that, and he played/ talked with the kids. Soon after, everyone was in bed, and race and I were finishing up things that we each needed to do, tying up loose ends for the day. A little later, we end up in the kitchen, digging through the fridge. We ended up eating. Race pulled out a few pieces of hunks of gourmet cheese that I had left over, some good olives, crackers, and a bottle of champagne that had been in our fridge for about a year. *A gift from an Italian flight attendant on the way back from Rome. SHe had given us 2 bottles. We tried one, but didn't really care for it, but THIS one was incredible! * SO we sat and ate and talked......till it was my birthday. And you know it just helps me so much to talk (duh).
So I felt better, and today was O.K. after all. The kids made me the sweetest cards, and I got some birthday phone calls from friends and family, and of course my blog birthday wishers. Thanks! I ended up heading into our little small town, to the nursery that I love and picking up a few new perrennials. I got lambs ear, more summer phlox, and a pretty pink chrysanthimum. I am trying hard to create an english garden look around our little cape cod house. I LOVE to work outside, it is so relaxing to me. Oh- I also ordered my swimsuits for the beach Which you can see HERE
and HERE
I got periwinkle blue, and pink. I've still got the blonde thing going on, so I am hoping that these colors are good. Comments please. (Would you be caught dead in these?) And you know, of course, that now that you have seen these swim suits on the V.S. gals, you must NEVER actually see waht they look like on me...you know that, right?
I got the most encouraging email from Lynette this week. It was so great to touch base with them again. And, I got an email from Annette about how her inlaws are fairing after the hurricane. The kids (mostly Savannah) have put together a box for her niece that we will be getting out on Monday. Nothing special, but we hope that it brings a smile.
I'm still doing the 2 workouts a day, and it is cool enough to start running, but I just can't bring myself to run without Race here.
So, that's it. WHat's going on with y'all? I'm going to go check around the blog world a bit before I hit the old Fanny Lifter. And ladies.....take my advice. DO NOT let your fanny droop too far before doing something about it. This is the most excruciating thing to correct! And for as much pain as I have experienced in that area from these excercises....IT. SHOULD. BE. LIFTED by now! But alas, a backward glance in the mirror reveals to me that if it had been ignored much longer, my butt would have been hitting the back of my knees when I walked. So, once again, I shall climb the Fanny Lifter.....over, and over, and over. With clenched fist raised to the blackened sky, I shout, "As God as my witness, I SHALL lift my fanny!"
36.
ugh.
So I felt better, and today was O.K. after all. The kids made me the sweetest cards, and I got some birthday phone calls from friends and family, and of course my blog birthday wishers. Thanks! I ended up heading into our little small town, to the nursery that I love and picking up a few new perrennials. I got lambs ear, more summer phlox, and a pretty pink chrysanthimum. I am trying hard to create an english garden look around our little cape cod house. I LOVE to work outside, it is so relaxing to me. Oh- I also ordered my swimsuits for the beach Which you can see HERE
and HERE
I got periwinkle blue, and pink. I've still got the blonde thing going on, so I am hoping that these colors are good. Comments please. (Would you be caught dead in these?) And you know, of course, that now that you have seen these swim suits on the V.S. gals, you must NEVER actually see waht they look like on me...you know that, right?
I got the most encouraging email from Lynette this week. It was so great to touch base with them again. And, I got an email from Annette about how her inlaws are fairing after the hurricane. The kids (mostly Savannah) have put together a box for her niece that we will be getting out on Monday. Nothing special, but we hope that it brings a smile.
I'm still doing the 2 workouts a day, and it is cool enough to start running, but I just can't bring myself to run without Race here.
So, that's it. WHat's going on with y'all? I'm going to go check around the blog world a bit before I hit the old Fanny Lifter. And ladies.....take my advice. DO NOT let your fanny droop too far before doing something about it. This is the most excruciating thing to correct! And for as much pain as I have experienced in that area from these excercises....IT. SHOULD. BE. LIFTED by now! But alas, a backward glance in the mirror reveals to me that if it had been ignored much longer, my butt would have been hitting the back of my knees when I walked. So, once again, I shall climb the Fanny Lifter.....over, and over, and over. With clenched fist raised to the blackened sky, I shout, "As God as my witness, I SHALL lift my fanny!"
36.
ugh.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Thank-you, thank-you Laney, for getting what I meant about the "work sheet scholars". That's one of the things that I love about classical home schooling. No work sheets, no fill-in-the blanks, no multiple choice, no matching. Ya gotta write it out......... not copy it...write it out. Ya gotta discuss it. When you can write about it and discuss it.....it's YOURS. You learn to THINK. It is my opinion that the currently accepted U.S. educational method of fill the bucket, spit it back for the test, then forget it forever, is one of the greatest disservices that we push on students today. (Now, don't go emailing me, the kids HAVE done multiple choice before..)
Race had a Very Important Interview today. This something that we have been praying about for some time. It went very well. No idea what this will mean for us in the future, but it all looks positive.
We are looking forward to the weekend. Race got some time off! I'm not sure what we will do, if anything, but it will be great to be together for a bit. We were talking about camping, so maybe that will materialize. I MUST get some pictures!
That's it for me tonight. I'm beat.
Y'aal have a good weekend!
Melissa
Race had a Very Important Interview today. This something that we have been praying about for some time. It went very well. No idea what this will mean for us in the future, but it all looks positive.
We are looking forward to the weekend. Race got some time off! I'm not sure what we will do, if anything, but it will be great to be together for a bit. We were talking about camping, so maybe that will materialize. I MUST get some pictures!
That's it for me tonight. I'm beat.
Y'aal have a good weekend!
Melissa
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