O.K., Dy, you are a genius! A bumper buddy is just what I need!
Waving wildly to Karen. SO good to hear from you. You've got mail.
Dy and Lynette, thanks for the nice comments. I envisioned well meaning ladies everywhere reading about our backyard adventures, and gasping, while uttering a barely audible "Good God", right before clicking quickly to another blog.
In further efforts to get things under control a bit here at home, I have started using Saving Dinner This is the only thing that I have been able to successfully use to keep us eating fairly healthy, and AT HOME. With all of the running around that we do in the late afternoons, it is just too easy to stop and grab something.
So, with my list in hand, I headed to Wal-Mart. I used to shop at Wal- Mart all the time. I HAD to shop at Wal-Mart all the time. Saving $$$ was like breathing. Since then, convenience has taken the place of saving $$$, so I haven’t been to the old Wal-Mart in awhile. I went today. Things have changed. All of the employees that I interacted with today (while they were speeding away from me in their “May I help you?” vests) were all but comatose. Well, except for the nasty, disgusting, freezer-putter-awayer-guy, who STILL remembers me from when we used to come in, and is still in luuuuuuuvvv. Sick. This guy totally creeps me out. And as KathyJo says over at Barefoot Meandering this guy better never approach me on the “dark side” of my suburban in the parking lot, or he is getting a hard kick to the crotch.
Oh, and also, the bitter woman whom I was fortunate enough to have as my cashier. I don’t know if y’all know this or not, but they “don’t have enough room to stand” behind there, and sometimes,(use your gravest victim voice here) “people come through here, not payin’one bit of attention to what they’re doin” and they just spin the cart, and it catches me right HERE….happens every day” (O.K., I admit, I had to stifle a little laugh here). While scanning my boys’ baseball cards, she informs me that she would LOVE to have “them horse cards” but apparently Jerry Falwell has crushed THAT dream for her. (???!!!) This had something to do with off track horse betting, but I really couldn’t follow. Why, oh WHY didn’t I use the self check-out?
Hey, and how about that guy out by the garden center door. Man. I’d like to have his job. He sits in a chair holding a yellow marker. When you go through, with your arms full of mums……..he …….MARKS it. He also remarked that the sound of my shoes (I wore flip-flops) woke him up. But, hey, he never dropped that marker! No sirreee, he never dropped that marker.
So, anyway, I ain’t goin’ back. Not because I’m on that whole “Boycott Wal-Mart” bandwagon,(sometimes I get claustrophobic on those wagons) but because I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. The old Food Dog ( meaning Food Lion, but the picture on the sign actually looks like a dog, so that’s what WE call it), will have to be good enough for me. Sure wish we would get a Ukrops! Man, they still take your groceries to your car!
Over heard today:
Jack (Loudly,from the backseat of the car): "Oh, MAN!!! THAT WAS SOooo SCARY!!! There was this HUuuuuge guy, with no shirt, and he was allll smoooothe, and he was on his mower! Oh, sick! Did y'all see that?"
(sigh)Where DO they get it from?? (*blink*blink*)
Cheers!
Melissa
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Yesterday was busy, but good. We did not have any outside classes or lessons, so that means that we had the whole day at our disposal, to schedule (or not) as we pleased. We hit all the basics of our school lessons-(indeed, the world will not come crashing down if you miss a day of grammar.) We got some outside yard work done, and Jack helped me put my flowers in the ground.
When your husband is home so rarely, and you have NO PICK-UP TRUCK,( And I suppose that last point is really the big one) you use imaginative ways to haul off your junk. In trying to reclaim our backyard, we pulled down "Old Woody". This is what my kids have affectionately named the monstous, (old) jungle gym in our back yard. It had come time (No, it was past time) for "Old Woody" to go, to make way for new plans. Now, this is not your run o' the mill jungle gym from Lowes. This sucker is HUGE. I have pictures of the kids camping out in it! Anyway, all that was remaining was the tall, tower-like part. The boys engineered the ropes in such a way that it required very little effort on my part, (O.K. Mom...PUSH!) they pulled with all their might on the ropes....and down it came! There was a hush. And then, like wild chimps, they descended upon the felled jungle gym with hammers and began wildly hammering and tugging, and kicking. Throwing boards off to the side as they went. I was really pleased with all of this effort, because "Old Woody" has been in my sights for awhile now. But, alas, they soon tired. The sound of hammering became more sporadic, and then ceased all together. So, now there is a mutilated jungle gym laying in the backyard. The work shall continue. But I am guessing, with less enthusiasm than I witnessed yesterday. But soon it will be in pieces that we can actually haul AWAY.(shrug) I am guessing that not everyone does it this way....
Savannah and I made brownies yesterday, and then Jack and I went for a walk down to the creek. He was in true Jeff Corwin mode. In the space of less than 45 min. (W/staff in hand, and faithful dog, "Scout" by his side) he found crawdads, salamanders, minnows and turkey feathers. We saw lots of turkey and deer sign. It was a good walk. When you live in the mountains, everything is either, "Just at the bottom of that steep hill", or "Right up at the top of that steep hill".
To Race:
I am still trying to run each day. I am only running a mile, so it's really not that much.( Here's where you cheerily say,"No, hon, that's great, keep up the good work!") But, I AM getting it done each day so far. I have actually begun to look forward to it....kinda.
So, anyway, it was a good day. I finished "Jane Eyre" again last night....I LOVE that book! And I worked on my Spanish lessons (kids are way ahead of me on this. Don't know HOW that happened!).
HAve a great day!
Melissa
When your husband is home so rarely, and you have NO PICK-UP TRUCK,( And I suppose that last point is really the big one) you use imaginative ways to haul off your junk. In trying to reclaim our backyard, we pulled down "Old Woody". This is what my kids have affectionately named the monstous, (old) jungle gym in our back yard. It had come time (No, it was past time) for "Old Woody" to go, to make way for new plans. Now, this is not your run o' the mill jungle gym from Lowes. This sucker is HUGE. I have pictures of the kids camping out in it! Anyway, all that was remaining was the tall, tower-like part. The boys engineered the ropes in such a way that it required very little effort on my part, (O.K. Mom...PUSH!) they pulled with all their might on the ropes....and down it came! There was a hush. And then, like wild chimps, they descended upon the felled jungle gym with hammers and began wildly hammering and tugging, and kicking. Throwing boards off to the side as they went. I was really pleased with all of this effort, because "Old Woody" has been in my sights for awhile now. But, alas, they soon tired. The sound of hammering became more sporadic, and then ceased all together. So, now there is a mutilated jungle gym laying in the backyard. The work shall continue. But I am guessing, with less enthusiasm than I witnessed yesterday. But soon it will be in pieces that we can actually haul AWAY.(shrug) I am guessing that not everyone does it this way....
Savannah and I made brownies yesterday, and then Jack and I went for a walk down to the creek. He was in true Jeff Corwin mode. In the space of less than 45 min. (W/staff in hand, and faithful dog, "Scout" by his side) he found crawdads, salamanders, minnows and turkey feathers. We saw lots of turkey and deer sign. It was a good walk. When you live in the mountains, everything is either, "Just at the bottom of that steep hill", or "Right up at the top of that steep hill".
To Race:
I am still trying to run each day. I am only running a mile, so it's really not that much.( Here's where you cheerily say,"No, hon, that's great, keep up the good work!") But, I AM getting it done each day so far. I have actually begun to look forward to it....kinda.
So, anyway, it was a good day. I finished "Jane Eyre" again last night....I LOVE that book! And I worked on my Spanish lessons (kids are way ahead of me on this. Don't know HOW that happened!).
HAve a great day!
Melissa
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Thanks for the prayers, everyone. They are so appreciated.
Well, of course, I COULDN'T write any more last night. Because LAST night was an important one. But you already knew that, right? LAST night was the first episode of the Amazing Race. (Not a show about my husband...But I did think about that..) We had to watch it last night, because I hadn't learned how to get along with my new friend, TIVO yet. But, WOW. TIVO is the stuff! TIVO,TIVO,TIVO!! I am now, comfortably in the drivers seat of what comes outta that box! I LOVE it! (BTW, Amazing race did not disappoint either..) Please remember that this gushing comes from a family who lived WITHOUT ANY TV for about 4-5 years, and could quite happily to return to that state. Take control: GET TIVO.
I *think* that fall is here. No, seriously. I like to go out on the front porch in the mornings before anyone else is up, and read my Bible and drink my coffee. This morning, I promptly came BACK inside, and grabbed a sweatshirt! Oh, the thrill!! (I was also quickly reminded that I need to go and buy socks....For everyone.) This morning was especially nice, because as I stepped back inside, Race called, so I got to have coffee with Race this morning, while sitting on the porch and enjoying the beautiful weather.
We had a lot of running to do yesterday, and so far we have crossed off Modern dance, Martial Arts, Jiu Jitsu, and Art. The rest of our errand running for this week has been lightened considerably, because the boys Martial Arts classes for the rest of the week have been cancelled. So that only leaves Ballet to go! I am hoping to be able to catch up on a lot of outside stuff, and put these young energetic beings to work a bit.
We are missing Race, like crazy. Jack wants me to help him make a "chain of days", so that he can tell when dad is going to be home. SO, I guess that we will do that today. It's just a paper chain that has the exact amount of days till dad gets back. Each night, Jack tears off one link of the chain before he goes to bed. It helps him to visibly see the time getting shorter till dad will be back with us.
Our school lessons have been going well, and everyone has really been putting forth a genuine effort. Oh, doesn't that make the teaching SOooo much more rewarding!
O.K.- before I go- a little reminder as to why I take great pains in my child's education....And WHY they are not in our local public school. Yesterday, a young 20 something guy comes to install TIVO, and fix some wiring that was bad. Nice guy. Really chatty. In his conversation, he had revealed to me that he was "local" and had graduated from the local highschool. (Not sure why he kept up this conversation, but he seemed to be intrigued about the whole home schooling thing that was going on around him as he worked.) Anyway, when he was all finished, he needed to use the phone, so he came into our kitchen, where we have a large world map on the wall. He is chit chatting w/ me and staring at the map, while holding the phone to his ear and waiting for someone to answer. All of a sudden he breaks away in mid sentence and says," WOAH!, I had no idea that Asia was-like- so much bigger than everything else!"
Now THAT, my friends is a teaching example for your wide-eyed children. THAT will make a connection in their wee minds...
Cheers!
Melissa
Well, of course, I COULDN'T write any more last night. Because LAST night was an important one. But you already knew that, right? LAST night was the first episode of the Amazing Race. (Not a show about my husband...But I did think about that..) We had to watch it last night, because I hadn't learned how to get along with my new friend, TIVO yet. But, WOW. TIVO is the stuff! TIVO,TIVO,TIVO!! I am now, comfortably in the drivers seat of what comes outta that box! I LOVE it! (BTW, Amazing race did not disappoint either..) Please remember that this gushing comes from a family who lived WITHOUT ANY TV for about 4-5 years, and could quite happily to return to that state. Take control: GET TIVO.
I *think* that fall is here. No, seriously. I like to go out on the front porch in the mornings before anyone else is up, and read my Bible and drink my coffee. This morning, I promptly came BACK inside, and grabbed a sweatshirt! Oh, the thrill!! (I was also quickly reminded that I need to go and buy socks....For everyone.) This morning was especially nice, because as I stepped back inside, Race called, so I got to have coffee with Race this morning, while sitting on the porch and enjoying the beautiful weather.
We had a lot of running to do yesterday, and so far we have crossed off Modern dance, Martial Arts, Jiu Jitsu, and Art. The rest of our errand running for this week has been lightened considerably, because the boys Martial Arts classes for the rest of the week have been cancelled. So that only leaves Ballet to go! I am hoping to be able to catch up on a lot of outside stuff, and put these young energetic beings to work a bit.
We are missing Race, like crazy. Jack wants me to help him make a "chain of days", so that he can tell when dad is going to be home. SO, I guess that we will do that today. It's just a paper chain that has the exact amount of days till dad gets back. Each night, Jack tears off one link of the chain before he goes to bed. It helps him to visibly see the time getting shorter till dad will be back with us.
Our school lessons have been going well, and everyone has really been putting forth a genuine effort. Oh, doesn't that make the teaching SOooo much more rewarding!
O.K.- before I go- a little reminder as to why I take great pains in my child's education....And WHY they are not in our local public school. Yesterday, a young 20 something guy comes to install TIVO, and fix some wiring that was bad. Nice guy. Really chatty. In his conversation, he had revealed to me that he was "local" and had graduated from the local highschool. (Not sure why he kept up this conversation, but he seemed to be intrigued about the whole home schooling thing that was going on around him as he worked.) Anyway, when he was all finished, he needed to use the phone, so he came into our kitchen, where we have a large world map on the wall. He is chit chatting w/ me and staring at the map, while holding the phone to his ear and waiting for someone to answer. All of a sudden he breaks away in mid sentence and says," WOAH!, I had no idea that Asia was-like- so much bigger than everything else!"
Now THAT, my friends is a teaching example for your wide-eyed children. THAT will make a connection in their wee minds...
Cheers!
Melissa
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Too sad..
We got some sad news, from a member of our family last night. It's one of those things where you feel so helpless. I would ask anyone who would, please pray for this person, who is so special to us, that God would be his comforter in his time of grief.
I will write more tonight. I am thinking that Popeye probably doesn't fit well into the frame of Classical education...
Melissa
I will write more tonight. I am thinking that Popeye probably doesn't fit well into the frame of Classical education...
Melissa
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Jack has set up another store in his room. This one sells all manner of seashore items and is called "Jackson's Shell Supply Store". I bought myself a beautiful shell there this afternoon for a mere .50 cents. I was informed by the store owner that the same shell will cost you a buck down at Emerald Isle. Can't pass up a bargain.
While watching some mind numbing tv tonight, we were unsuspecting victims of a commercial announcing the new 'Barbie Pegasus" movie. All three kids were equally mortified by this display. "Why do they keep MAKING those?!" they said. Austin pipes in with scorn and says, "That's not even Pegasus! Pegasus is WHITE...not PINK!" So, trying to even the boy-girl balance which is frequently tilted to the boy side in our home, I replied, "Well, maybe Barbie has a pink one.....You don't know....I mean Barbie has everything." Jack sits up and quickly retorts, "Barbie doesn't have a SHOTGUN!" " Touche'! But if she did, it would be pink!" So, how about that for an idea: NRA Barbie! You KNOW it would sell! Heck, Dy would buy about 1000 NRA Barbies just to pas out on her own! (BTW, Austin went on to explain, with some noted shame, that there was only ONE Pegasus in Greek myths.....that's WHY he was Pegasus....."Oh".)
Savannah spent part of the day putting finishing touches on the book cover that she has created on the computer, for the story that she has been writing. It is REALLY good! The back cover was done with the picture in the background, and then a synopsis of the book typed in over it in the foreground. Quite impressive!
I met Thomasina this morning at our little local nursery, called The Patch. We both got some new flowers, and then we cleaned out all of the marked down perennials at Lowes. Planting, planting, planting!
I am reading Jane Eyre (again) By Charlotte Bronte, and Middlemarch( again), by George Eliot. I LOVE both of these books, but this time through, I am noting so much more humor in Middlemarch that I didn't catch the first time through. I thoroughly enjoy both books!
" Sane people did what their neighbors did, so that if any lunatics were at large, one might know, and avoid them."
From "Middlemarch"
Goodnight!
Melissa
While watching some mind numbing tv tonight, we were unsuspecting victims of a commercial announcing the new 'Barbie Pegasus" movie. All three kids were equally mortified by this display. "Why do they keep MAKING those?!" they said. Austin pipes in with scorn and says, "That's not even Pegasus! Pegasus is WHITE...not PINK!" So, trying to even the boy-girl balance which is frequently tilted to the boy side in our home, I replied, "Well, maybe Barbie has a pink one.....You don't know....I mean Barbie has everything." Jack sits up and quickly retorts, "Barbie doesn't have a SHOTGUN!" " Touche'! But if she did, it would be pink!" So, how about that for an idea: NRA Barbie! You KNOW it would sell! Heck, Dy would buy about 1000 NRA Barbies just to pas out on her own! (BTW, Austin went on to explain, with some noted shame, that there was only ONE Pegasus in Greek myths.....that's WHY he was Pegasus....."Oh".)
Savannah spent part of the day putting finishing touches on the book cover that she has created on the computer, for the story that she has been writing. It is REALLY good! The back cover was done with the picture in the background, and then a synopsis of the book typed in over it in the foreground. Quite impressive!
I met Thomasina this morning at our little local nursery, called The Patch. We both got some new flowers, and then we cleaned out all of the marked down perennials at Lowes. Planting, planting, planting!
I am reading Jane Eyre (again) By Charlotte Bronte, and Middlemarch( again), by George Eliot. I LOVE both of these books, but this time through, I am noting so much more humor in Middlemarch that I didn't catch the first time through. I thoroughly enjoy both books!
" Sane people did what their neighbors did, so that if any lunatics were at large, one might know, and avoid them."
From "Middlemarch"
Goodnight!
Melissa
Friday, September 23, 2005
And now, dear readers the moment has come. This is a sad time for me, but it must be said. Due to Race being away, and only able to communicate through internet, I regret to inform you of the following:
For the next few months, this blog will be a chronicle of our hum-drum, every day, boring lives. Shocking. I know. Those of you who depend upon my daily insights for the sharpening of your intellectual faculties........well.......I'm deeply sorry.
(O.K. *snort*, I am so full of crap....... no real change, other than Race will actually be READING this once in awhile! Oh- and if there were anything ever written on this blog that was even slightly intellectual, I can assure you that it was purely by accident.)
But before I tell you about my boring day of cleaning, let me share some of my best memories from the beach!
First of all....the critters that the kids CAUGHT, but RELEASED before we left for home included: sand crabs, 2 kittens, several anoles, a possum, clams, and a little green tree frog. Glad to say that NONE of these came home with us.
Some of the meals that the fam prepared for us (you knew that this was coming): Prime Rib, steamed shrimp, seafood bisque(I would like to request now, my fathers seafood bisque upon my death bed), seafood bouillabaisse, and Thom's memorable mexican seafood meal that was made utopia by her own outta this world marguerita's!
The kids all had such a GREAT time on the beach. And when they weren't in the sand, they were in the pool, or the hot tub! Our beach vacation is never complete with out one of Thom's now famous treasure hunts. She makes messages and maps and leads the kids all over on a (sorta) scary hunt for the "treasure" which is always a big Pile O' Candy. She dresses up and goes to great lengths to "scare" the kids, and they LOVE it!!!!!!!!! One of her most common costumes is that of an old sea hag, whom they have to go down to the beach at night and talk to for thier next clue. It is a riot, and the kids look forward to it every year. Em's boys will be coming along soon, for a diluted version!
There were a ton of beautiful shells found (thanks to the hurricane), and over all 9 sharks teeth were found this year! Fun stuff.
We are still not unpacked completely, but the kitchen and the dining room are spotless now, so that helps. And the house has lost that funny smell it gets when all the windows and doors have been closed for awhile, and it smells clean again. Austin got the yard mowed today, and Jack and Savannah did the jobs that they were assigned as well. I plan to stick close to home the rest of the weekend, to catch up on the rest, so that Monday will find us back to "normal".
I have SO much blog reading to catch up on! Thanks for the comments below, I appreciate them very much. The one thing that's gonna be lacking around here for the next few months will be adult conversation. (I would like to talk to Austin, but after a few minutes, he begins to speak over my head, so that's no good.)
Have a good night!
Melissa
(Who is returning to her natural, fish-belly white skin tone very rapidly.)
For the next few months, this blog will be a chronicle of our hum-drum, every day, boring lives. Shocking. I know. Those of you who depend upon my daily insights for the sharpening of your intellectual faculties........well.......I'm deeply sorry.
(O.K. *snort*, I am so full of crap....... no real change, other than Race will actually be READING this once in awhile! Oh- and if there were anything ever written on this blog that was even slightly intellectual, I can assure you that it was purely by accident.)
But before I tell you about my boring day of cleaning, let me share some of my best memories from the beach!
First of all....the critters that the kids CAUGHT, but RELEASED before we left for home included: sand crabs, 2 kittens, several anoles, a possum, clams, and a little green tree frog. Glad to say that NONE of these came home with us.
Some of the meals that the fam prepared for us (you knew that this was coming): Prime Rib, steamed shrimp, seafood bisque(I would like to request now, my fathers seafood bisque upon my death bed), seafood bouillabaisse, and Thom's memorable mexican seafood meal that was made utopia by her own outta this world marguerita's!
The kids all had such a GREAT time on the beach. And when they weren't in the sand, they were in the pool, or the hot tub! Our beach vacation is never complete with out one of Thom's now famous treasure hunts. She makes messages and maps and leads the kids all over on a (sorta) scary hunt for the "treasure" which is always a big Pile O' Candy. She dresses up and goes to great lengths to "scare" the kids, and they LOVE it!!!!!!!!! One of her most common costumes is that of an old sea hag, whom they have to go down to the beach at night and talk to for thier next clue. It is a riot, and the kids look forward to it every year. Em's boys will be coming along soon, for a diluted version!
There were a ton of beautiful shells found (thanks to the hurricane), and over all 9 sharks teeth were found this year! Fun stuff.
We are still not unpacked completely, but the kitchen and the dining room are spotless now, so that helps. And the house has lost that funny smell it gets when all the windows and doors have been closed for awhile, and it smells clean again. Austin got the yard mowed today, and Jack and Savannah did the jobs that they were assigned as well. I plan to stick close to home the rest of the weekend, to catch up on the rest, so that Monday will find us back to "normal".
I have SO much blog reading to catch up on! Thanks for the comments below, I appreciate them very much. The one thing that's gonna be lacking around here for the next few months will be adult conversation. (I would like to talk to Austin, but after a few minutes, he begins to speak over my head, so that's no good.)
Have a good night!
Melissa
(Who is returning to her natural, fish-belly white skin tone very rapidly.)
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Just got home!
Just got home. From the beach. Computer fixed. Bestdogsitterintheworld did NOT scrub my house clean.(She did,however, take EXCELLENT care of the pets!) Suburban filled with backpacks, snack trash, shells, pillows, sharks teeth, sand, and various other treasures. Can't-see-over-the-pile-of-mail. Race is gone. Very little phone contact possible. Heart rate is definitely UP. Will write more calmly later. But..........I'm BACK!.........and I'm TAN!!!!!!!!
Friday, September 16, 2005
Where AM I???*blink* blink*
We have been on the road so much, that I don't know if I am coming or going! A small recap:
We were evacuated from E.I,on Tues. due to hurricane Ophelia. While the rest of the fam, headed for hotels off the island...(which is a hilarious story the telling of which I shall leave to it's participants...but it involves a motel called The Buccaneer *snicker*), Race, the kids and I had to head for home. We did not leave E.I. until around 5 pm, so we headed to Raleigh, and grabbed a couple of rooms at the Hampton.
We arrived at home the next day. Race and I had a TON to do, and a VERY short time to get it all done. I'll spare you all the boring details, but a new computer was purchased, old computer taken to be repaired, unpacked, then RE packed, etc, etc,. Thursday was more of the same, along with the kids lessons, and errands, making for a long day.
This morning at 5 am, we were back on the road heading north. Race dropped us off and is wrapping up some things at his office before he takes off tomorrow. The kids and I are here at Mom and Dads (they are still at the beach, remember?)
Tomorrow, we take Race to the airport, and then the kids and I are heading BACK DOWN to E.I for a few days, to see if maybe we can actually catch a few rays of sunshine after all. It turns out that the beach house that we rented faired well, and only had some minor damage. The pool and hot tub are filled with debris, and the fence surrounding the pool collapsed. Other than that, it's fine. Austin was particularly worried about that game room on the bottom floor being flooded!
Much to the kids disapointment, I was able to grab some school books while we were at home!
We have spent a LOT of time in the car. Mid-trip, Race turned around and asked Jack what he was doing:
J: "Just counting all my scars."
R: "Oh?"
J: "Yeah. I am circling them with a pen, and then I'm going to count them.Hang on...I'm almost done."(counting silently)
J: (proudly) I have 43!
R: (turning to me), "Got any wet wipes? We we're gonna be stopping for lunch in a minute."
Me: "Uhh...no."
So, we took ouk our small boy into 5 Guys with 43 circles drawn in pen all over his body. The burgers were good.
We pray for God's protection for Race, on what will be a very dangerous trip. We miss him already.
Melissa
We were evacuated from E.I,on Tues. due to hurricane Ophelia. While the rest of the fam, headed for hotels off the island...(which is a hilarious story the telling of which I shall leave to it's participants...but it involves a motel called The Buccaneer *snicker*), Race, the kids and I had to head for home. We did not leave E.I. until around 5 pm, so we headed to Raleigh, and grabbed a couple of rooms at the Hampton.
We arrived at home the next day. Race and I had a TON to do, and a VERY short time to get it all done. I'll spare you all the boring details, but a new computer was purchased, old computer taken to be repaired, unpacked, then RE packed, etc, etc,. Thursday was more of the same, along with the kids lessons, and errands, making for a long day.
This morning at 5 am, we were back on the road heading north. Race dropped us off and is wrapping up some things at his office before he takes off tomorrow. The kids and I are here at Mom and Dads (they are still at the beach, remember?)
Tomorrow, we take Race to the airport, and then the kids and I are heading BACK DOWN to E.I for a few days, to see if maybe we can actually catch a few rays of sunshine after all. It turns out that the beach house that we rented faired well, and only had some minor damage. The pool and hot tub are filled with debris, and the fence surrounding the pool collapsed. Other than that, it's fine. Austin was particularly worried about that game room on the bottom floor being flooded!
Much to the kids disapointment, I was able to grab some school books while we were at home!
We have spent a LOT of time in the car. Mid-trip, Race turned around and asked Jack what he was doing:
J: "Just counting all my scars."
R: "Oh?"
J: "Yeah. I am circling them with a pen, and then I'm going to count them.Hang on...I'm almost done."(counting silently)
J: (proudly) I have 43!
R: (turning to me), "Got any wet wipes? We we're gonna be stopping for lunch in a minute."
Me: "Uhh...no."
So, we took ouk our small boy into 5 Guys with 43 circles drawn in pen all over his body. The burgers were good.
We pray for God's protection for Race, on what will be a very dangerous trip. We miss him already.
Melissa
Monday, September 12, 2005
Watching Ophelia at the Beach!
Hey, y'all! We are having a wonderful time at the beach in spite of Ophelia threatening to give us a good drenching. We have an absolutely gorgeous house this year! BIL was kind enough to let me use his lap top, as ours was wounded just before we left. May have a new computer purchase in the near future.
We are enjoying the family time even more, because we found out on Sat. that Race will have to leave Saturday for the M.E. for the next several months.
Anyway, just checking in really quick!
We are enjoying the family time even more, because we found out on Sat. that Race will have to leave Saturday for the M.E. for the next several months.
Anyway, just checking in really quick!
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?
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