"As many of you know, CNN forced the takedown of behind-the-scenes video shot by Andrew Marcus of Founding Bloggers and posted to YouTube. Founding Bloggers has sent and published an open letter to the cable network requesting that the video (which has aired on other TV networks without retribution) be restored;" (from: michellemalkin.com)

On October 29, the Wall Street stock market crashed with disastrous worldwide effects. First in America, then the rest of the world, companies went bankrupt, banks failed and people instantly lost their life savings.
Unemployment soon soared and poverty and starvation became real possibilities for everyone.
The people panicked. Governments seemed powerless against the worldwide economic collapse. Fear ruled. Governments stood on the brink. The Great Depression had begun.
Adolf Hitler knew his time had come.
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/quiet.htm

If outvoting them takes longer than outshooting them, at least the results will be guaranteed by their own Constitution! Any lawful process is slow. But sooner or later we shall have a majority - and after that Germany." - Hitler stated while in prison.
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/new.htm

Hitler had discovered much to his delight that he could speak well in front of a strange audience, hold their attention, and sway them to his point of view.
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/ends.htm

The Nazi Party would be organized like a government itself, so that when power was achieved and democracy was legitimately ended, this 'government in waiting' could slip right into place.
.http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/new.htm
 

My unofficially, unadopted, child wrote this and all I can say is-

Yeah! That's what I meant!

Down Once More....

"The original idea was that the annual ships would bring food and supplies, but erratic winds made for serious delays in crossing the Atlantic.

And the rule was that the colonists would share available food equally. This "common store system," an early form of communism, caused enormous squabbling."

(Why squabble? Some worked hard and some didn't work at all. All ate. Food ran out.)

"A few gentlemen tried to lead the colony and failed, so in desperation, they elected Captain John Smith who used the stick of "work not, eat not", which averted total disaster."

(Better? Of course. Even women and children then went to the fields to plant seeds.)

"But the investors in England were becoming restless, and in 1611 a new governor, Thomas Dale, changed the rules to "work more, eat more" allowing colonists to keep the fruits of their labor and profit."

(Now there's some real incentive!)

Found here

And here's some food for thought:
'Benjamin Franklin stated,

"Gentlemen we give you a Republic . . . if you can keep it."'

... like I knew that I would!
Here are some smile makers.

Feeling poor? Politics and the economy got you down?

"HOW RICH ARE YOU?
"Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world.
Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where
would you sit on one of those lists? Here's your chance to find out."

Go here: http://www.globalrichlist.com/
You most likely will be pleasantly surprised to find that you're a lot richer than you ever dreamed!

Has anyone NOT seen "Charlie Bit Me"?
I'm not sure it would be the same without that British accent!

And my all-time favorite when I need a quick pick-me-up, 'cause it NEVER gets old!

Typical homeschool conversations-

(or: “How A Train of Thought is Derailed“)

Computer time for me! Woo Hoo!
The 19-yr old is holed-up studying for her Biology Lab test tomorrow.
The 12-yr old is working on Writing.

Silence.
Blessed silence.

12-yr old: Mom? What's next?
*shakes head to clear "mindless" and transition to "mature"*
Me: You're done? Ok. Go ahead and read the next chapter in The History of Medicine.
Back to silence.

12-yr old: Mom? Were firearms around in the 1800's?
Me: Yes. That was during the Old West.
(She's seen all the John Wayne movies. That's a distinctive time period for us....)
12-yr old: When were firearms invented?
Me: I don't know the exact time. They've been around for awhile, though.
12-yr old: When did the Medieveal time period end?
Me: I don't know exactly. Why?
12-yr old: Did they have firearms then?
Me: *sigh* I don’t know. Ask your Dad. He knows all that.
12-yr old: Can you Google it?
Me: Ok, just a second.....

*while I'm Googling*

12-yr old: Mom?
Me: Yes?
12-yr old: Can humans get rabies?
Me: Yes. But I don’t know if they get the “foam at the mouth” type where they bite people.
12-yr old: But that’s what I’m talking about.
Me: *sigh* Let me Google it.

12-yr old: Mom?
Me: Hold on! I’m already Googling two questions.

Me: Are you listening?

“The symptoms of rabies in humans include irritability, headache, pain, itching or a twitching at the infection site, and fever. As the disease progresses, muscle spasms in the throat and respiratory tract affect breathing, and the sufferer may have difficulty swallowing, the combination of which can produce the trademark “foaming at the mouth”. Further symptoms of rabies as it progresses are hallucinations, convulsions, seizures, paralysis, and eventually death. ” http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-symptoms-of-rabies-in-humans.htm

 

“Wild animals most commonly found to carry rabies in the United States are raccoons, followed by bats, skunks, and foxes. An estimated 85% of animal rabies cases in the US are attributed to wildlife. In domestic animals and livestock, cats are the most commonly infected animals, though dogs tend to be responsible for more bites. However, bats are responsible for well over half of the cases of rabies transmitted to humans in the US.” http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-symptoms-of-rabies-in-humans.htm

 

“The fire-lance had developed into the gun by the 1100s, the date of the earliest known depiction of a gun, a sculpture from a cave in Sichuan. The earliest Islamic documentation of the gun is from the work of the 13th century scientist Hasan al-Rammah. The earliest European documentation of the gun is Walter de Milemete's De Nobilitatibus, Sapientiis, et Prudentiis Regum from 1326. Gunpowder arrived in India by the mid-1300s, but could have been introduced by the Mongols perhaps as early as the mid-1200s.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms

 

Now where was I?

When Dad is an electrcian, a study of electricity is essential.

So I was thrilled to see this little booklet on sale for $1.50.( I don't know anything about the company and have never used anything by them before.)

But leafing through the booklet made me decide it was a good "sidetrack" for science.
And, of course, I was hoping that the projects were something Dad and youngest could work on.

I could probably do it, if necessary.
I took Electronics for two years in high school.
But that was *coughcoughalongtimeagocoughcough*.
And I pretty much now know how to flip a light switch on and off.
Which is something others here seem to have problems with...
And I can even change a light bulb.
Most of the time.

So I asked my Guy if he'd be willing to do this with her and he said;
"Sure! Let me get a few things together and I can cover up to page 13."

I'm;
"Ok. Great!"
"BUT!"
"We need to break it down. Let her read over a section, answer questions, then *show* her."
"She'll remember it better that way."

He said;
"Sounds good."

A collective "AWWWW!" for my awesome man!

Except:

"Getting a few things together" means:

And a good time was had.
And time passed quickly.
And things were going well.
And much was learned.

And then it ends with Guy saying;
"We have to stop now. Mom said we can't move on to the next stuff."

And I got glared at!

Ants that aren't!

Sorry to be confusing!

I've been trying to catch a shot of one of these critters for a while now.

They move FAST!
And they hide:

I'd never seen or heard of them until we moved here.
They're called Cow Ants or Red Velvet Ants.
They're brightly colored, fuzzy, and look like a HUGE ant.
But they're NOT ants.
They're wasps??!!
Now I know them pretty well.
I sometimes step on them with bare feet.
Then I think not nice thoughts.
Hurts worse than a wasp sting or a fire ant bite!

Only the female stings.
Only the male has wings.
I'm glad!

I'd sure hate for them to sting AND fly....

See this?

It's not on our property.
But it's close....

We were on our way back home when we took a side road on the bike.
And this fella was just scurrying around.

I asked Guy to stop so I could take pictures.

"Ok. But why??!! They're all over the yard."

"Yes, Baby. But they're usually running from the sound of your shotgun."

"Oh." *chuckles*

You may have seen them as roadkill.
Those are usually on their backs with their legs straight up.
Or squooshed.
But never squishy.
And they sure will damage a tire!
"Armadillo" is a Spanish word that means "little armored one".

In the country, we call them other things.
Not nice things at all.

Armadillos do this in one spot:

Then they do this in another:

Then they do it some more in another spot:

And they keep looking for another spot:

And another:

And...:

And they've been everywhere I've ever lived.

If they're not in your area, they will be...
And they can sure tear up a yard!

For more info:
Armadillo Online!
Armadillo
Printable Fact Sheet

... is a retired Marine, school might look like this:

You may be fingerprinted-

And you may learn to stand at attention-

Along with weapons training-

Oh! And the 3 R's may be squeezed in, too!

(just kidding- these were extra's by request from the youngest)

I was tagged by Prodoceo yesterday, so being the on-the-ball kind of gal that I am, I'm doing it today.

How's that for efficiency??!!

(Ok, so it was last month and I'm always late. But anyway.....)

Here are the rules: 

Guess who's 19 today?

Hard for me to believe....

She's growing up too fast.

Mostly.

It's been awhile since I've seen a movie so good that it became my "new favorite movie".
And we watch a lot of movies.
So I'm always thrilled when we find one THAT good.
And we did.

It's one we've been wanting to see since we first saw the previews.

The biggest draw to me was wanting to see Jodie Foster in a comedic role.

The very-close-second reason was because it has Gerard Butler in it.
You know, Gerard Butler??!! The hot, Scottish, guy?
King Leonides?
Attila the Hun?
Timeline?
But I digress....

And let me tell you, my husband is so wonderful that he will take his Southern accent and do a really bad Scottish accent just for me!!

Oops! Still digressing.....

It also has Abigail Breslin, who's a phenomenal actress.

Yeah, it's awesome!
Lots of adventure.
A homeschooled kid.
Strong parental love.
Laughter.
And it's actually a family movie.

If I'm really good and get my "to do" list done, I'm going to reward myself and watch it again today.
If I don't get it all done, I'm gonna watch it anyway.
Sort of a consolation prize. 

seg·re·ga·tion- 
the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means

In keeping with the theme (does 2 posts make it a theme?) of political correctness, I give you TRUE desegregation!

Now wouldn't the world be a better place if we all lived together in such harmony??!!

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the fact that we can discuss current events and not worry about being "politically correct".

We can take as much time as we need to fully cover the subject matter. 
Which would include, of course, the history of the event that is current.

Add some hands-on activities along with definitions and you've got some great lessons!

And you all have had some great lesson plans that I've enjoyed so I wanted to share the love and return the favor.

One of the recent hot potatoes in the political arena is "gun control", which is defined as:
"efforts to regulate or control sales of guns".

Yet-
The definition of "gun" is:
"a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)".

And "control" means:
"power to direct or determine".

So we have some hands-on activities to help you really understand all about "gun control":

This is the "point and shoot" method:

This is the "target":

A close-up:

Some other steps include, loading the magazine:

And cleaning your firearm afterwards:

We are firm believers in gun "control"! 

This is for your kids.
I'm sure Arby's boys will appreciate them! 
You may want to skip these if you have a Grinch heart.
But as I regress to my 2nd?, 3rd?, 4th? childhood, I have to admit that I was extremely amused.
And still chuckling....

Some have been around forever. Some are new to me,

You could count it as Language Arts. Yeah! That's it!

Thank you toNona for e-mailing me these....

Look!
Lil' Leapin' Lizard!

Can you stand another bit of singing?
Please forgive me!
This is one of my all-time favorite songs.

This is one that always makes me think of My Guy...

And this is also a video that makes me sniffle since it's the day that my baby girl got back from New York.

Poor kid!

She got up at 3:30 a.m. in New York.
Caught a plane to Atlanta.
Then a church bus for hours.
Then unloaded at G'Ma's and showered.
And then:

*****8-01-08:
Indian Lake Papa's name was drawn!*****

I buy books.
I buy LOTS of books.
Mostly used, sometimes new...
And I have way too many.
So I want to share.

And I'm starting with an awesome book that I found I have two copies of.
I really don't need two of the same book.

So if anyone would like to have my spare, just leave me a comment here or at Down A Red Dirt Lane before July 31st..
If more than one is interested, I'll draw a name on August 1st.

Oh! What book, you may wonder?
Sorry! I forgot to mention that....

It's not in perfect shape but the price is right!
And the stories are wonderful!

We've all had those moments in homeschooling where we've wondered if it's working.
If homeschooling is the best choice.
Or maybe days of frustration where we contemplate the ease of life if we put the kids in traditional schools.
Or simply moments of reflection where we wonder if someone else could better get through to our child.

Or is it just me??!!

Anyway, my youngest (12) has never embraced reading or any type of language arts. Yet, I could tell she's an intelligent child. Not through any parental prejudice but simply because it's obvious if you're around her for any length of time. She's very articulate and quick witted, along with being a tremendous worker with an amazing memory.

So I assumed the problem was with me. And I would back up and formulate a new "plan". Her mind doesn't work the way mine does. She doesn't learn the way I do. And she doesn't "see" things the way I do. My goal simply became to back things up to where she did "get it" and go from there. Which is a good theory but  it didn't take the uniqueness of my child into account.

So did anything finally "work"?
Well, yes.
And thank you for asking!

What finally worked was to simply buy her a book she wanted, that her older siblings had read, and leave her alone.

Huh?

Yup.

She finished:
*drumroll, please*
And has now started on:

And since then?
All those other books she has been reading in between don't seem too overwhelming.

Barnes and Noble is having a reading program for 1st through 6th graders where they fill out a "journal" listing 8 books they read and they turn it in to get a free book. Her journal is filling up quickly!

But the best part? She wanted to do it!

My oldest daughter has abandoned me.
Oh sure, she'll be back.
But the point is that she actually had the audacity to leave in the first place.

Forget that she's almost 19.
Forget that she used her own money for the trip.
Forget that she calls every day.
Just remember that she left me.

She's gone to New York for a week.
The Bronx, no less.

And she's loving the subway.....

So I told her; "You can't stay there!".

"Of course not!", she said.
"I only want to come back once a month and stay for a week."

Pardon me?

...you should never let your water go dry in the incubator.
But if it happens one time, just one time, you'll have problems with an egg.
Not that we would do something like forget to check it once,
but from what the "big boys" have told me it could be a problem..... *ahem*

So assuming that someone else forgot to check the water one time and let it go dry, it could possibly make the eggshell too dry for the chick to get out.

And if, hypothetically speaking, that happened, the chick wouldn't stand a chance without a Hero to rescue it:

And it might be a messy job. And it might look like one bedraggled chick:

But the chick might just make it:

My Aunt Fran is a busy woman.
Ever since my Uncle died (has it really been over to 10 years ago?) she's stayed busy.
Really busy.
She lives "in town" and I rarely see her. Unless I bump into her at the grocery store...

She works part time at the Senior Center. She's been "dating" a widowed gentleman. She meets with a group of ladies to play cards (Guy calls them "The Blue Hairs"). She goes to church Wednesday night and twice on Sundays. And she's often on trips out of town.

But she finally made time for us last night. She's been promising me my favorite treat for some time now.
Yes, there was whining and pleading involved.

But I have no shame when it comes to this:Fried green tomatoes!
It's a southern staple and mine just never taste the same.

So she told me I had to feed her supper and she'd make them for me us (I had to share).
Deal!
So forgive the mess, it was all cleaned up after both cooks were done:

We truly enjoyed the visit and she promised to come back SOON and do it again!

Yeah, I'm counting this as "Art"...

I looked out my kitchen window this morning and squealed like a girl.

Honestly!

This is what I saw:

Eight little ducklings waddling around:

Busy, busy, busy! They don't sit still:

Following "Mama" wherever she goes:

And if that's not enough cuteness for one day, we also had this birth:

Freshly hatched:

And though he's way ahead of schedule, he's doing well so far:
His name is "Shel".
As in-

"Early Bird"
by Shel Silverstein

Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early early bird---
But if you're a worm, sleep late.

My oldest daughter has taken the summer off from college. She'll be going on a missions trip soon and she had to have her wisdom teeth removed, so taking off the summer seemed like a good idea.

But lately she's been really busy with singing and we all go as a family to support her.

So yesterday I said to the 12-yr old; "Do you ever feel like a tag-along? 'Cause I sure do these days."
"Oh yeah.", was her very dry response.
"But I'm usually stuck driving", I said.
She responded, "But at least you have rank. I'm just the backseat kid!".
I laughed so hard.
And when I told Guy about it, he said; "Tell her that's where the Generals ride."

So now I've lost all my rank.

Father's Day she sang at the opening of a cowboy church, so click if you want to tap your toes... (Hey! It IS a cowboy church!)

This is THE coolest science experiment in the world.
It's cheap and simple and has amazing results. 
That means it's my kind of science!

First, you put some cleaned up chicken bones in a container:

With me so far?

Then you pour vinegar over the bones:

We still good?

Then you put the lid on the jar:

See? Even I can do that!

Now you just put it aside for two weeks.

Ok, we had unexpected company so ours sat for two weeks and two days.
No problem! Just make sure it's at least two weeks...

I won't show you the results since it would ruin all the fun.
But it is amazing!

Knowing that the acid in vinegar dissolves calcium-
Ask the questions:
1. How have the chicken bones changed?
2. What would happen to our bodies without calcium?

And if you want to go further with it:
Bones and Calcium

One of the best things about homeschooling to me is the ability to take the time to notice things. We're able to slow down and really take a look. It may get us off track from our original plan of learning but it keeps us on track of the learning process itself. It keeps us able to enjoy learning....

Case in point is this gal:

When I went outside yesterday morning I saw her.

I have no idea where she came from or even where she was going.

But she was a welcome visitor!

Naturally, I had to run and get the camera. And naturally, I had to keep her around until the girls got up.

And even more naturally, since we homeschool, we had to learn more about this "box turtle"!

Since they're so common, you may see one. And if you do, here's a great site for imformation:
The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)

Man, these guys are growing!
In just 4 weeks they've gone from this:

To this:

They stay outside during the day now.
Soon they'll be staying out all night.
Sheltered, of course.

It's been over a year now since we last had turkey poults.
And I had forgotten just how rapidly they grow.

Sorry Guy, they've been named!

The smallest one is "Colonel Mustard" (as in do you have a Clue what kind of messes a poult makes?) 
and the other is "Hardy" (as in Thomas, Tom for short)....

It's been a bit hectic around here lately. But then again, isn't that a common refrain for a homeschooling family?

Just to back up a few days....

Saturday we celebrabrated my youngest child's birthday. She turned 12. Do you have any idea how rough it is to know your baby is 12?
That means next year she'll be a teenager.
My baby.
*sigh*
Thankfully, she's not trying to grow up too fast:

And I never know what she'll want to do on her birthday:
*We've done parties with kids.
*Just family to see a movie. The interesting thing about living so far out in the woods is that going to a movie IS a big deal. We live an hour away from a theater....
*To the zoo in Panama City (Hey! She had broken her arm that year and that zoo is 2 hours away...).
*Chuck E. Cheese's (which I lovingly refer to as "Romper Room on Acid").

So this year?
She wanted family and friends that are like family to come and hang out.

I thought kebabs on the grill sounded great!

But it was a bit time consuming to get them ready, so I called in the Marines.
I love to call in the Marines!Look how good he is! And he grilled them, too!

We had a wonderful time but the very best moment for me was seeing this:Proof that they're not always fussing!

One word for you, Mr. Obama.
Just one:
Homeschool!

He's visited 57 states. And he still has one more to go? That would be 58?

But adding Alaska and Hawaii would make it 60?

The clip is only 25 seconds long.... 

We have been without television for 8 years. No cable (which doesn't exist out here) and no satellite (which does exist) and no regular local reception (which is just an amusing concept).

But stand back when we visit folks who do have tv.

Stopping by mom's, for instance, means that we're hollering "dibs" on the remote before we get there.

Guy likes The History Channel and all things war related or anything educational.
The 11-yr old wants cartoons.
The 18-yr old wants music videos.
The 26-yr old just likes to watch moving pictures.

Me? I only want to watch...

I know Guy understands and I hope Mel will.

But since we can't always visit when the show is on, my 26-yr old has been good at providing me in-home viewing with the purchase of these:

He'll continue to be fed.

My computer died.

I'm on a borrowed laptop.

I'm grieving.

It has no mouse.

Just a stOOpid touchpad.

Aargh!

Until this problem is fixed or replaced, I'll be offline.

I already miss reading about your daily happenings.

But I'll catch up as soon as I can...

*sniff*

Until then, I'll re-read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

Maybe twice.

School in R Home is having a "mommy giveaway". 
"This giveaway is for any mother. Leave a comment telling me something about your children or how you feel blessed as a mom!"
Head over there to enter!

And I got a sweet surprise from blessedwith2angels:

(Insert 5 people to pass it on to in this space)

And finally, here's a neat link (free, of course) for languages, some of which I've never even heard of...
FSI Language Courses 

When I went to the feed store last week (which involves driving an hour and crossing a state line) they happened to have some cute little critters in the store. Honestly, I didn't even notice. But the 11-yr old was with me and strangely enough, she did notice.

And then it began... "Mom, look! Aren't they so cute? Mom, don't we need some?".

And being the rock that I am, I said with a sigh, "Yes. They are cute. And no, we don't need any. We have enough mouths to feed. Just get two.".

I hang tough.

So here they are:

And they're already spoiled.

But the funny thing is, they actually like to burrow....

And apparently it tickles when they do.

Courtesy of Arby and clan...

These swaps with Arby are fun! You never know what's going to be in there....

This time, Arby and Family have put us in prison!
Ft. Leavenworth, to be exact.

There's a book about the prison (we LOVE books!), some *coughcoughArmy* souvenirs, fabulous photos of local historical interest, maps showing some interesting topographical changes, postcards (to remind me of my child's neglected education, she hadn't heard of "Buffalo Soldiers") complete with personal notes throughout.

A fun, interesting and educational package from the Arby's! Thank you all so much!
And a special thanks to The Boss! Guy was only damaged a little....
You all are great sports!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I've been meaning to share a neat link for those who like Mad Libs.
You can play online at:
It's a Mad Libs World

And if you look on the left, you'll even see:
Mad Libs Junior

My husband will not wear a pink shirt.
He doesn't care if another man wears pink, but he won't.
Not to give the wrong idea here, though, he's definitely not afraid of pink.

As a matter of fact, he sees benefits to pink.

If he's taking his own personal tools to a job, he can recognize them.
They all have a tip of fluorescent pink on them.
And strangely enough, no other man ever tries to take them.

And he's secure enough to wear pink on say, a hat.
Which is what he did almost 14 years ago for our oldest daughter's fifth birthday party.
A Barbie birthday party, no less.I say only a real man can wear a Barbie hat and look this dignified!

We've had an onslaught of "must do's" that have kept us on the road during much of the day.

Things like a consulation with the oral surgeon to find out what it will cost to have the 18-yr old's wisdom teeth removed ($1373.00) and what our part of that will be (*gulp* $580.00) and other kinds of high-stress, non-fun, anti-schooling activities.

So here's what school has looked like lately...

For Home Skills, we covered decorating and recycling:

For Art, there's the "if life gives you an ant pile make a dragon" lesson:

For Science, since it's spring we're finding caterpillars:

For P.E. there's always hiking:

And Music is important:

Sometimes life gets in the way of school.
Sometimes life IS school.

Spring! Glorious Spring!

My bottlebrush plant looks like it will finally have flowers, after three years of waiting!

The Weigela is blooming:

We'll have fresh blueberries in June:

Pooh (26) got me this for Mother's Day, a few years ago.
So I call it my JaPOOHnese Maple:

We may never get apples, but we have the scented blossoms:

And this baby crape myrtle is less than a year old:

But these petunias are my favorite:
For a few years now, they've bloomed.
They were never planted there.
They were planted in the barrel to the right.
Apparently, some fell down and decided to stay.
And since our winters are mild, they've been blooming every year since....

I just love spring!

(Warning: The link is appropriate for married couples. I'd call it PG-18. )

I am a disgustingly happily married woman.
I say "disgustingly" since most people just get disgusted at how happy we are.
We do have the occassional spat (which, of course, is always his fault) but they are rare.

But I'm always open for improvement.

So when I saw an article called "What Keeps a Man Crazy in Love", I thought I'd check it out.
Better safe than sorry, right?
I mean, he seems really happy.
He says he's really happy.
But I'm always open to learning...

So I start reading...

Play Poker
Hmmmm. Already we have a problem. I'm a better poker player than he is. And I know more types of poker than he does. Ok, skip that and moving on....

Give the Perfect Backrub
Uh-oh. I've tried that and it doesn't work. It would take a jackhammer for him to feel it. I'll have to stick with a back scratch. THAT one I can do.

Tie His Tie for Him
Not looking good here. He doesn't wear a tie. Ever. And if I put one on him, he'd be most unhappy.

Make A Mean Steak
That one's easier. If it's beef, he's happy.

Quote At Least Three Lines from The Godfather
I tried this.
Really.
With my best mafia voice, even.
He looked at me like I was nuts.
I got a better response with,
"This is where we fight. This is where they die..."
in my very best macho, Spartan, voice.
Not a great response mind you, but a better one.

I gave up.

I said; "But I want you to be 'crazy in love' with me."

"I already am", he said.

*swoon*

Forget "Where's Waldo?".
How about "Where's Guy?"!
Can you see him?

Wherever he flops down, he becomes a beanbag.
Couch, floor, doesn't matter.
He's just comfy.

Well, he may not be comortable.
But if you use him for a beanbag, you'll be comfortable.

(from my journal: Tuesday, August 14, 2007)

Peeved or Persecuted?

I got to thinkin' the other day about all the religious people who have come to accept a certain "thing" as "the "right thing", or even "the only thing".

You know, somehow they've gone through a step-by-step process to arrive at a conclusion and it becomes another commandment.

Thou Shalt....
or Thou Shalt Not....

Of course, it's not what Scripture says.
But they can tell you the whole logical process they arrived at to get to that conclusion.
It's flawed.
But they don't want to know.
They know what they know and that's just that.

And as soon as someone disagrees with them,
they pull out a "persecution card".
Like:
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

It always seemed so.... I don't know, silly? maybe.
To call it persecution if someone simply disagrees with your interpretation is a bit much.

And it's sad that their next step is to gather all their buddies and gang up on the supposed offender.
Hateful things are said.
Shunning begins.
And so it goes.....
All the while claiming Christ and persecution.
Ironic.

Then I read about those who are tortured, or even murdered, for their faith and it makes all the petty stuff seem so much more petty.

"Why on earth would men and women leave the comfort of their homes and the safety of their homeland to put their lives at risk in order to aid strangers in a foreign country? For many it's hard to fathom. But for Christian missionaries throughout the ages, it can be summed up in two words: "Love" and "Obedience." Love for Christ and for their fellow man. Obedience to the Great Commission." (Fools for Christ's Sake)

Which reminded me of this:

You know you're old AND homeschoolers when-
You have to head to the city to get one of these:
And:
1. You count it as a date since it's just the two of you.
2. It becomes a science lesson and a unit study for the whole family.

Seriously.

While California is trying to decide whether or not a parent really needs to be certified to teach their own children,

there's a teacher in Florida working with other people's children who isn't.

He has a temporary teaching certificate. He's trying to get his permanent certification.

"Machacyk, 49, has dyscalculia, a type of dyslexia that involves numbers. His learning disability puts him at a fifth-grade math level. The state certification test asks questions on a 10th-grade level."

"Machacyk, at one point, lost count of how many times he has taken the state's General Knowledge Math test. (The answer, he later recalled, is five.)

He does know this: He has failed every one of them."

It takes a score of 200 to pass the math test. Machacyk came close once, with a 181. But it might've been a fluke, he said. "I sweated through that and guessed on most of them," he said."

Now, I'm not saying he isn't a fabulous art teacher. He may well be and it sounds like he has quite a fan base. I'm not even saying that I wouldn't let my kids take art from him. And I'm definitely not saying that his disability is laughable because it isn't.

But honestly.... he's teaching children with state approval without meeting all the requirements that California would require of me?

I'm sorry but that just makes me laugh.

So many folks are coming up with pithy titles for days of the week.
I'm not.
I can't.
I can't even seem to keep up with theirs.
But in appreciation for their timeliness and an apology for my lack thereof, I give you:
Wacky Wednesday.
This is where (for this particular Wednesday only) I try to catch up.

First, I missed Flashback Fridays with Kellieann:
So I'm flashing back to when this beautiful-hearted young lady
(who also happens to be my 18-yr old daughter):

Was a bit younger:

*sniff* Where did the time go?
(and no, the Chinese calendar isn't an indication of beliefs. It's a gift from a friend.)

Then, I missed Messy Monday with Mommyyyyyyy!!!:
And I was going to do a fresh picture of a new mess but the old one is still bugging me:
It looks a little different now.
But it's just as messy.
Only the papers have changed, to condemn the guilty....
(One more week of this mess just may prompt me to deal with it.
Till then, I'm staying in denial!)

And even before all that, I didn't share our most recent swap with Arby.
(Yes, I did thank him and let him know it arrived. Sheesh! I'm not THAT bad!)

This particular package was really interesting!
It had real life nature stuff!
I'm talking the kind of stuff that you have to wipe up after you look at it!
And this package caught Guy's interest, too.
There was information on the Osage tree.
The tree limb (ok, just a piece of one) has an orange hue that I've never seen but Guy remembers from his time in Illinois.

And cool, lethal-looking thorns from a tree that we don't have.

And seeds to plant our own bit of Kansas right here in Georgia!
And information on wildflowers and grasses from their area.
And the one thing both states have in common is the Eastern Red Cedar. I had no idea that they had them, too!

And, for dessert, a CD of the markers of famous Kansas.
(I say "dessert" since we're still working on the main meal!) 

Thank you so much, Arby!
Don't let the fact that I'm a slacker fool you into thinking we haven't been enjoying the package!

And last but not least:
(Hey! it was only day before yesterday! Something I'm not way behind on....)
Pam tagged me for What's On Your Fridge.
So here it is, in all it's glory:
(Does anyone else feel really vulnerable doing this?)

And since you can't tell too much from the picture, the stuff on the bottom is safe stuff for visting children.

My favorite is the little school bus at the very bottom.
When you push the bus, it plays "The Wheels on the Bus" and the lights blink.
I, uh I mean, they haven't worn it out, yet.

And the side has this:

Yes, I like refrigerator magnets. A lot.
And this is after I took it all off about a month ago, to clean the outside of the frig.
But so many are ones my kids made (see those mini tiles?).
And there's some from England and Scotland. Nona went. I didn't.
And then there's Maxine.
She says; "The kitchen just stays a lot cleaner if you eat out all the time.".
And that's my kind of logic!
And I'm supposed to tag 5 people.
But honestly, I'm really curious about all of you!

Please! Show me your frig!

Previously, I said:

SPOILER ALERT!

We finally saw I AM LEGEND.
It opens with Will Smith and his dog, Sam.
They both die.
The End.
Oh, and it was really scary.....

After we watched I Am Legend I was not happy. I had waited a loooong time for it to come out on DVD. The story drew me in and I was having a good ole time. The suspense was building and it kept me on the edge of my seat (Ok, so I was flopped on the floor but you know what I mean). And I love a good scary movie with suspense. I don't like slasher flicks, and gory stuff, but a good story? Oh yeah!

But by the end of the movie I was fussing!
"How could they...?"
"I can't believe....!"

And my 18-yr old said, "You didn't like it?"

"NO!"
I was mad.

"But it was so hope-filled."

"Yeah, whatever", I maturely responded.
"They killed off the two main characters."

So in the interest of fairness, I give you her views:

I just love that word! It was the name of my high school yearbook....

Anywaaaay,

I've never read Don Quixote (a translation of). And that's always bugged me.
Then I stumbled across a really cool site that e-mails it to me in installments:
http://www.dailylit.com

Some you buy, some are free. I stay in the "Classics" section (I think they're all free). 
There's enough in there to keep me busy for..., say..., the rest of my life!

And speaking of books...
Earthling has a "Prince Caspian Challenge" over at her blog.
She says:
"I thought it would be fun to get some people to read Prince Caspian together and discuss it before the movie comes out."

She also said it; "is not a hard or long read, and we have not quite two months before the movie comes out."
That was the clincher for me!

We (ok, my 18-yr old has/) have a copy on hand. I'm thinking we'll take turns reading it aloud....
If you're interested, head on over to take the "Prince Caspian Challenge"!


Moving on to movies....

SPOILER ALERT!

We finally saw I AM LEGEND.
It opens with Will Smith and his dog, Sam.
They both die.
The End.
Oh, and it was really scary.....

And I was shocked and amused to see that my words were taken and used as someone else's.
Shocked, because I stumbled across it and did a double-take because it was unexpected.
Amused, because, well, who knew I was quotable?
Not to mention my bad (ok, lazy) punctuation was also used.

From my profile:
About Me:
We homeschool because we know that: "Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school." (Federal District Judge Melinda Harmon) and we're just too selfish to give up our rights- and our children- to strangers.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/profiles/CrossView/

What I stumbled on:
"You have been hoodwinked.

As Texas Federal District Judge Melinda Harmon succinctly put it: "Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school." (quoted in _Schooling for a Global Age_, James Becker ed., p.xiii)

That is why we homeschool. And we're just too selfish to give up our rights- and our children- to strangers."

Amanda
http://superangelsblog.com
6th comment down...

Ain't that a hoot??!!

And to end on a good great note:
Maybe I could read Don Quixote in Spanish??!!

Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE! 

This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.

This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program.  Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking.  Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included!  For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports. 

To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/  and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it.  And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it.  And good luck!  The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg.   And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win.   Yay for free stuff!

Genesis 2:18:

"The LORD God said,
"It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a helper suitable for him."

When The Lord God said that, it was in reference to Adam.
Adam, who was alone.
Literally.
There were no other people.
The population was 1.

Today, none of us are "alone". 

1 Corinthians 7 says:

"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say:
It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.
But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,
for it is better to marry than to burn with passion."

"Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife."

"An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs:
Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.
But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—
how she can please her husband."

So is marriage wrong? Absolutely not.
But it also not "required".

"But if you do marry, you have not sinned;
and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.
But those who marry will face many troubles in this life,
and I want to spare you this."

Whether or not the Lord has planned for my 18-yr old to marry remains to be seen.

Forget Hardy, Dickinson, and the others.
I'm here to fill in your poetic needs!

Homeschooling

The neatest thing about homeschooling is-
you can do whatever works best for your kids.
 
If you like traditional schooling, they can sit at a desk.
Or if you're more a relaxed type, they can bypass a test.
 
The reason it works is simple to see,
you simply gear school to the child's capacity.
 
As they learn, you move on from there.
But if they don't catch it you stay where you are.
 
As the foundation is set, it's strong and it's pure.
The learning will grow and the children are secure.
 
They've got the knowledge, and the tests still prove
that learning is best when it's done out of love.

There's No Place Like Home...
There's No Place Like Home...
There's No Place Like Home...

I'm staying home today!
Last week was one road trip after another.
I hate road trips.

Every day had a far driving "have to" on it.

Tu: Take the Harley in for regular maintenance- 2 hr. round trip.
W: Pick the Harley up from regular maintenance- 2 hr. round trip.
Th: Doctor's appointment for regular maintenace- 2 hr. round trip.
F: Have taxes done- 3.5 hr. round trip.
Sa: Everything I put off all week and chauffering child (1 hr. round trip)
Su: Church- 2hr. round trip.

By the end of the week I was feeling:

But I'm on strike now and I'm staying home today.
All day.
Just knowing this makes me feel:

All images:
www.allposters.com/

Wanna go?
Come on!

Let's follow Guy as he heads to the woods:Ok, so you don't know him and he has an axe and a rifle...
Don't worry!
The rifle is for protection. There are snakes in the woods.
And the axe is needed for this trip!

Ah! There it is:

It's an old stump.
Woo Hoo!

So what's so special about this old stump?
Well, it's full of pine resin.
And that makes it fatwood.
Only Guy calls it "fat lighter", but it's the same thing.

So he gets out his handy-dandy axe...

And he gets some of this:
No, he hasn't lost his mind!
Not even after being married to me....

It's a "non-toxic, environmentally friendly, easy to use, hot burning" quick and easy way to start this:

Hanging out with Guy is always educational!

Flashing back to 2 years ago....

My youngest, the homebody, agreed to go to a basketball camp.
That meant that I got to drive her
an hour each way,
every day,
for a week.

And I was thrilled!

Not because she agreed to try it, though that was great!
Not because she'd learn more about basketball, though that was a bonus.
Not because she'd be "socialized" with a whole lot of kids her own age, though that was, well, never mind...
Not because we had to get up early and get on the road, though that was interesting.
Not because I got to sit on a cement floor for most of a day, though I met some great moms.

I was thrilled because it was a Meadowlark Lemon Basketball Camp.
I remember Meadowlark (can I call him that?) from his Harlem Globetrotter days. I saw them when I was young, and they were amazing!
The man is 76 and he still got game. He was gentle and elegant, even. The man is a legend! Forgive me, but I was all giddy and I just don't do giddy.

And he touched my shoulder. *swoon* 

Woo Hoo!
We got our swap package from Hilltop Academy!
What fun this is!
We're learning a lot about other states and really enjoying seeing the personalities shine through!

Disclaimer: 
My 18-yr old has a *ahem* slight addiction to all things chocolate.
So when you see the photo you may notice a partially eaten Moon Pie.
That is NOT the condition it arrived in.

Ok, moving on....

The 11-yr old made a cookbook with the state flag. Great job!
We''ll be trying some of the recipes (starting with the Candied Apples?)! LOL!
The 7-yr old gave us an overview of their football team. Another great job! I've only heard of the Vols....
(Those two are our favorites!)

There is a historical timeline which is a great idea!
A cute coloring book that covers the state symbols and facts.
Magazine articles from around the state.
Flashcards of their interesting famous folk with photos. (Toby Mac is our favorite!)
A Johnny Cash CD. And we love Johnny Cash!
Pamphlets on historical attractions. I'm currently reading "The Battle of Franklin".
And did I mention Moon Pies? Those are from Cracker Barrel which first opened in TN and the Moon Pies are still manufactured in TN.

Thank you so much Hilltop Academy for "swapping" with us!
We have thoroughly enjoyed your package!

We've begun reading biographies. I'm planning on one a month, at least. We've discussed the difference between a biography and an autobigraphy. I've made up a print-out to go along with it. The 11-yr old fills in the title, the subject, what the subject is famous for, and the author, along with any interesting facts as she reads.

So I pick up a book on Louis Braille. Our library had two; one was too easy and one was a little difficult. 
I got the latter.

After reading through it, I decided we'd count it as history and geography, too. The book is phenomenal!

The squawking began.

"Why do I need to read about a dead guy?"
"Because he made a huge impact."
"But he's dead."
"Yes, but what he did has far outlasted his life."
"But he'd dead."
"But there are millions of people who have been helped by him."
"But he's dead."
"It'll be good for you. And you'll get to read Davy Crockett next." *add "the look" here*

So she's had to read 20 (sometimes 30) minutes a day in this book.
It has a lot of French names and places so it can be tough to read.

And then a funny thing happened.
She started telling me some interesting things about Mr. Braille.
And conversations ensued.
How the blind were treated in the 1800's.
Why they were treated the way they were.
How one priest made an eternal difference in a life.
And on and on....

And just to be sure that she has the compassion needed, she had to be blind for an hour. Now don't get me wrong, she has a huge heart for the living. Even for the cranky people that we run in to... You know, the ones you just want to smack for being so rude? She's quick to defend them. "Maybe they just got some bad news. Or maybe they're not feeling well. Or maybe...." 

But after our starting discussion I wanted to be sure.
To begin with, pick up all your stuff and put it away.

No, I won't tell you what it is.

She got it done. And we went for a walk. And she "met" the 18-yr old to learn how and why to be introduced and shake hands. And she learned why the blind use a walking stick ("ouch"). And how a trained dog gives them freedom. And how boring it would be to sit in a dark space with nothing to read...

Arby tagged me with an interesting tag.
jsgay97 has started Messy Mondays.
And luckily for me they tie-in.

I'm calling it "multi-tasking" since the more honest description would be "lazy" and that just doesn't have the same ring to it.

The mess:
I propose starting Messy Mondays where we post pictures of whatever our biggest mess is at the moment. Who wants to join me?

The tag:
What's on your desk?

You can tell a lot about a person by the state of their desk and what they keep on it. So, share what's on your desk. You can take pictures, take an inventory, or do both. Don't have a desk? That's okay, just give us a glimpse into the space where you pay bills, write letters, grade papers, study, or work on the computer.

When you've finished your photos or inventory, post it on your blog and tag five more people to do the same. Don't forget to share the rules with those you tag and ask them to share their posts with you when they are done.

Yesterday, I dropped "My Precious"  so today I had to use the old stand-by camera with no flash. The picture is really bad and I apologize but I didn't want a little thing like a bad picture to prevent me from playing along.

So without further ado, I give you- my mess of the moment and the closest thing I have to a desk:

This is an ongoing mess. I'll clean it up and within days it's a mess again.
This is my forever Messy Mondays.

The far right is my stack of books I'm presently reading. My mood of the moment dictates which book I pick up to continue in.
The basket with a handle holds blank note cards and an ink pad and some stamps.
The basket to the right it has mail that I've organized.
The pile in the center are the new bills and some junk mail that I need to go through and maybe even pay.
The phone is a leash phone (corded) since every storm brings a loss of electricity.
There's also some loose change that one of my kids has apparently straightened out. Probably to count it...

There's a lollipop in the pencil holder that does not belong to me.
Behind the pencil holder is a pile of "gotta have on hand" stuff  like dentist appointments and the veterinarian's business card.
The pile to the left of the pencil holder actually contains folders that are organized for paid bills.
Oh, and on the far right is a candle that I need to toss. Maybe I'll do that today. The trash can is three feet from it.
The frames each have artwork done by friends and family.
Ok, that was just ugly.
So I'm tagging:

Prodoceo is one of those people that just make you smile because of her kindness. So I was honored to be given an award by her. 

THEN, I was also given thisaward by Nikowa who's another smile-maker that's a new friend.

How awesome is that??!! *doing the happy dance here*

Now I had my moments of wondering "Why in the world...?"
but I decided to ignore that and just say, "Thank you!"
So thank you both so very much!

 
And I don't have a very competitive nature so I get my kicks out of toying with those who do. My husband is one that's more competitive. He's one of those who is always working on doing his best. Not so much trying to be better than anyone else but always trying to excel against his own best. A man of integrity, even. I love that about him.

So to relax he plays Spider Solitaire. I don't find it relaxing. I find it annoying. But, I like to leave a good score open just because I know he'll keep at it till he beats it.

Yes, it's deliberate.
Yes, I toy with him.
Yes, I laugh about it.
Yes, he's aware of it.
But his competitive nature takes over, anyway.

But I got him this time.
His best was an 89. And now, he's got this to contend with:

Just one move less than his best. Just one move. Mwahahaha!

So do I have a big head now? Nah:

I saw this at Huber Hoff Academy and had to try! 

You Are Bare Feet

You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules

It's Friday and I'm having a "flashback".

After the break (just home from the ER):

After the permanent cast:

And a month later, a revised birthday party to the zoo (instead of the Moonwalk in the yard):

I started a grocery list the other night so I wouldn't forget the necessities when I ran to town the next morning.

And when I stumbled in to make coffee I found this:

Over in the left-hand margin it says:

"I love you more than all of the cacao beans in all of the tropical and temperate climates in all of the world! and more than what comes from them! *gasp!*  K"

Ok, I admit it took me a minute to decipher the meaning.
It was early and I hadn't even made coffee, yet.
But when I realized that my 18-yr old loves me more than chocolate I was a very happy mom!
And then I got tickled at how far behind those homeschoolers are....

Living in the country means that we spend a lot of time outdoors.

And being outdoors in the country means that we see a lot of cool stuff that we never did get to see in the city.

Let me show you...

We see deer tracks:

And raccoon tracks:

And deer and rabbit "droppings":

And, of course:

We find:

That ever elusive:

Pond scum:

My husband requested strawberry pancakes.
So while I was getting the batter ready for those, I realized I wasn't in the mood for fruit pancakes.

I was in the mood for the other food group.

I'm all about feeding my family nutritious meals.

So I added these:
CHOCOLATE! The Other Food Group:

And yes, I made him strawberry pancakes.

We got our first swap package yesterday from Arby and crew.

All of us here have taken the time to go through everything and have already been enjoying Arby's sense of humor with his notes. Lots of laughing out loud!! And lots of "Did you know...??".

There are facts and figures and cool extra's like postcards and a magnet (stuff we don't have in our area) and his personalized touch and even seeds!
What a great package!

Monday, we're definitely going to work on Geography!
We'll be finding out where their state is in relation to ours and start notebooking the information!

Thank you so much, Arby!

Ah, the romanticized and oh-so-commercial holiday.
You either love it or hate it.

I love it.
Do you want to know why?
Do you even really care?
No matter.
I'll tell you anyway!

I love Valentine's Day because of:

He's MY Valentine.
And today's my anniversary.
And he picked the date.

God's gift to me.
At a time when I didn't even think God remembered me.
A man strong enough to deal with me and gentle enough to tame me.
A man who loves me for who I am and what I am.
My man!
*sigh*

We also studied the Chinese New Year on Feb. 7th.
We made lots of goodies like this:

And since we didn't have a parade, we threatened asked for help:

We learned that, "Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away."
But we also learned that we're NOT Chinese (or superstitious) so it doesn't pertain to us- even though it was *ahem* suggested.

And we found lots of fun printables:
A Flag (but since I'm mean, I had my student look up the flag in an old-fashioned book to find out the colors)
Calligraphy
A Rat (for The Year of the Rat *shudders*)
Paper Dolls (and a variety of outfits)
And lots more!

But no study would be complete without a field trip.
And I so want my child to really learn!
I mean, that IS why we homeschool.
So being a dutiful mom and teacher means that we simply had to go to a Chinese restaurant!
Woo Hoo! I love learning!
And I'm the only in our household that can't use chopsticks...

And the very sweet Mrs. Mae took the time to talk to us about the Chinese New Year. She seemed so happy to share with us. She had tears in her eyes as she spoke of her family and how they would be celebrating. And we realized that, for her, it was probably much like us being far away from family at Christmas. The impromptu lesson will stay with us...

We've actually been doing some pretty fun stuff for school.
I'm showing and sharing in case you want to have some fun, too!

We've sidetracked off into Colonial times.
And one fun link is at Colonial Williamsburg.
My favorite game there is Name that Founding Father.
Ok, it's only my favorite because I actually remembered more than I thought I would....

And we even made this:

Which goes to make this:

Yup! A Quill Pen complete with Ink!

Right after I snapped a shot of this:

I got tasked to shovel LOTS of this:
 
Into this:
And go forth and spread it....

I thought he was kidding when he said I better not take that picture.

I haven't mentioned the 18-yr old for awhile. She's still alive. And I feel kind of bad that I haven't said much about her lately. But the truth is that she seems to be holed up in the shire, for the most part.
Now I'm not complaining about the studying. Her grades are phenomenal and so I'm proud of her.
But I do get tired of looking for her and only finding this:
She does come out on occasion...

We don't give allowances to the kids.
And they have "chores" that they are required to do daily.
And if they get in trouble, there are plenty of extra chores they "get" to do.
There was a time when the two boys were teens, that they would get a little *ahem* mouthy at times.
My husband's famous line was:
"I see your mouth moving but all I hear is, 'More chores'".
And more chores it was.

It was a good season for me.
My garden was well weeded.
My car was spotless.
Things were scrubbed clean.

Ah, the good ole days...

Anyway, since we don't give allowances, a kid is reduced to this:

Just to earn some cash.

A deal between the youngest and Daddy...
When it was suggested, she said; "I thought it was a chore?".
No sweetie, if you're not in trouble you can wash it for cash.

Either way, I didn't have to do it!

AKA: The Dark Side of Homeschooling...

In our unit study on Colonial America, we came across this interesting information:
"In England, beer was the preferred drink for the whole family, even children."

So what's an 11-yr old to do with that information?
Why, ask if she can order a beer, of course.
Apparently, they don't serve beer to minors at Red Lobster.
(Edited upon request by the 18-yr old:
Yes, she was kidding! She referenced the above information with a big ole grin...)

This is the same 11-yr old who toys with empty wine bottles.

And when I shared that with you, Kellieann asked:
"I'm sure everyone who reads this will want to know how the wine bottle became empty if you're a non-drinking family....?"

And Prodoceo said "Kelli Ann's question was on the tip of my tongue too!"

And I keep forgetting to answer that, *edit* not that it bothers anyone but me.

And if you stay with me for a minute, I'll even tell you WHY we're a non-drinking family!

The wine was a gift from a houseguest.
So I smiled and said, "Thank you" and set it aside.
I can tell you it was a red wine but that's all I remember about it.
The label has long since been gone.
But I used most of it for cooking.
And the rest sat in the back of the refrigerator for a long time.
I came across it and looked at the thick, furry stuff in it and decided to pour it out.
But the bottle is pretty so I saved that.
My kids still bring me flowers in spring and I think they'll be lovely in the green bottle.
But just in case you wonder about the "why" we didn't drink it, or even why we don't drink, I'll tell ya!

We're not against drinking.
As a matter of fact, Scripture indicates that it's the moderation aspect that's important.
Not a prohibition against drinking, just against drunkenness.

But years ago, my husband would keep beer in the refrigerator.
Heineken, if I remember correctly.
*Edit* Excuse me, it was Corona with lime....
I did NOT remember correctly!
He would have one on occasion. Usually with a guest that would stop by and want one.
But one day, when our 18-yr old was about 5 or 6, he brought in a six-pack to keep in the refrigerator.
She saw it and got upset.
Highly agitated.
Very emotional.

She said:
"Oh no! Now you're going to start drinking and going to the bars and not come home!"

To this day we have no idea where she got that idea...
...or why.
But that ended the rare alcohol buying of my big bad Marine!

THEN:
She loved to help Daddy clean a turkey...

NOW:
She's about ready to bag her own:


Head over to Kellieann's for more Flashback Fridays!

Normally, I read through other people's ideas and either try them or dismiss them outright.
If I try them, it's because something sounds like it's a good idea and I figure I'll give it a shot.
I have to tweak of course because, well, it's just that I must.

And sometimes the ideas that look good, and sound good, simply won't work for me.
And if it's an idea that seems to work for a huge amount of people then I know it must be that the problem is me.

So I'll just come out and tell you that planning a menu for my household weeks, or even months in advance, does not work for me.

Now I'm not knocking that a lot of you can do it. I think it's wonderful!

But here's why I can't do it:
1. I look at the list of foods and get bored. Honestly! After I've seen, say, sloppy joes on a list for days I just get tired of seeing it and have to change it.

2. I'm half an hour from a grocery store and just in that time it takes to drive it, I'll change my mind.

3. I'll ask my husband what he wants for dinner next week and he'll say he has no idea.
He'll say, "How do I know what I'll be hungry for next week?"
I'll follow with, "If you don't know what you want next week, how should I know what you want next week?"

4. If I plan to make something that's time consuming, something else always comes up that has me scarmbling for a replacement at the last minute.

5. When the day comes that I'm scheduled to make something, often I just don't think it sounds good.

6. It's not cheaper for us. It seems as if everything I need from my planned menu is at it's highest price when I shop!

7. It's detrimental to my walk with the Lord! I would concentrate so much on "being a good steward" that I would neglect the "give us our daily bread" portion of faith. And He hasn't let us go hungry...

So to relieve my stress of trying to make something fit that just doesn't, here's what I do:

I shop for 5-7 days in advance by simply buying what's on sale that week.

And as I tell my kids, everything in the grocery store goes on sale at some point.
And it's at that point that I buy it.
It's so much cheaper for me to skip the ground beef that's $3.19 a pound (and that's the 73%), and head to the chicken that's on sale for $.49 a pound.
When we left the store the other day, it hit me.
I mumbled something about spending $41.00 for a few things and my youngest asked me if that was a lot.
I stopped and did the math and said;
"Wait! I just got enough food to feed five of us for 6 days for $41.00!
NO! That's not a lot at all!
As a matter of fact, that's CHEAP!"

And that does work for me!

My husband is a constant source of amusement to me.
Not in a laughing at him kind of way, just a novel way of thinking kind of way.
He's practical and resourceful and well, I'm not so much so.

He usually stays out of the kitchen.
But if it involes cutting up something, he always offers to do it for me.
Isn't that protective of him?
Especially since he's worried I'll hurt myself.
And it's only because of the one time I did....
But anyway....

Night before last, I was going to make seasoned potato wedges with chicken salad sandwiches.
That involves the cutting up of both celery AND potatoes.

Enter My Hero:

I get to do two different tags!
Thanks to Schoolin"R"Home for this book tag!
Rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

The book is:
The Immortal Six Hundred: A Story of Cruelty to Confederate Prisoners of War
by Major J. Ogden Murray, Secretay of the 600 
Copyright, 1911

"Now here is an admission from the major-general commanding the Department of the South that it had been ascertained that the Confederate Government was feeding the prisoners of war good rations in Charleston, yet we prisoners of war in General Foster's hands, under fire on Morris Island, were fed four rotten hardtack crackers, with half  a pint of soup each day. Was, we ask, this cruelty wanton? If these Yanks had treated us half as well as our government treated Federal prisoners of war we would have made no protest."

And is it just me or is that first sentence like a page long??!!
And please don't take offense, anyone! It's the book nearest to me!

I tag:
kympossible,
ichuzchrist,
LizzieBee,
skdenfeld,
sockmonkey

And thank you to kympossible for this one:
The rules are:
(1) Link to the person that tagged you.
(2) Post the rules on your blog.
(3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
(4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
(5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. 

1. I started turning gray in high school.
2. I'm lactose intolerant.
3. Not enough calcium caused the early graying.
4. In my 20's, I had problems with ulcers.
5. I lived off of Tagamet when it was presciption only.
6. Now I don't get ulcers, I give them.

I tag:
SchoolinRhome
brownie
nikowa
homeschoolingmommaof4
stackeyha
BChsMamaof3


And if you're still reading, I'll share this since I was trying to be mad at my husband over it but laughter always prevents that for me.

Weather changes here have caused most of us to have colds. Night before last I was over tired and really stuffy. Apparently I snored. It's rare that I snore so I suppose I try and make up for lost snoring when I do snore.

My husband told me that when I'm snuggled up to his back while sleeping, all he has to do is start to turn over and I'll turn to my other side.
Fair enough.

That didn't stop my snoring.

So he told me that if he moves my leg, I'll move to another position.
Say what??!!

Then he told me that he can move my leg again and I'll turn again.
All this while I'm asleep??!!

While trying not to laugh, I indignantly informed him that he makes it sound like I'm a science experiment.

He told me that I'm much more easily manipulated when I'm asleep.

MEN!!!

My dishwasher died.
We saw it coming, we just didn't know "when".
Apparently, "when" is now.

I love dishwashers.
I mean I REALLY love dishwashers.

We got our first one when I was 6.
I only have hazy memories of my first five years of life being without one growing up.

And there was that time we rented a house that didn't have one.
Which is a time filled with ugly rememberances of never-ending piles of dirty dishes.
Hours spent washing, drying, and putting away to cook another meal that led to more washing, drying, and putting away which led to,
but I digress....

When we bought our land, I told my astonishingly patient, long-suffering, and wonderful husband that I didn't care if we had to pitch a tent to live in as long as we had a really long extension cord to run a dishwasher.

Cleaning windows? No problem!

Digging ditches? Sure!

Mucking excrement? I'm there!

Just so long as I don't have to wash dishes.
I HATE washing dishes.
Did I mention that I really, really, don't like doing dishes?

But the kids are all old enough to help now.
And we've been keeping a pan of clean, soapy water and washing as we go.
And it hasn't been so bad.

I'm even thinking of stretching this long enough to see if it makes a big difference on the electric bill.
And dish soap is cheaper than dishwashing detergent.
And I feel all housewifey when I do them now.

Maybe we'll just do without one completely.

But I'm still saving up for THIS one just in case the novelty wears off:

Ain't she a beaut??!! *sigh* 
Two independent wash drawers mean you can wash two separate loads completely independently
9 cycles for every washing need
Superior washing performance incorporates the worlds first flow through detergent dispenser prevents detergent burn so your dishes last longer
ENERGY STAR® qualified

And for a whopping price tag of $1,511.84 (+ tax), I'll be saving for a long time!

Back when I was teaching Sunday School we did a project  that has stayed with ME.
And since so many of you have Bible studies in your daily schooling, I thought I'd share it.
I'm planning for us to do it again this week.

It's messy.
It's grace-filled.

You can use more of the following Scripture for your older kids. And just the specific verse for the younger. And you can use any or all. They all tie-in together. And that fact alone makes it seem extremely important in my mind.
Matthew 23 (specifically verse 25)
Mark 7 (specifically verse 14)
Luke 11 (specifically verse 39)

You'll need:
Styrofoam cups, 2 per child (but any container will do).
Dish detergent.
Water.
Dirt.
I do this outside...

Get both cups wet. Completely wet.

Add mud to the inside and outside of both cups.

Wash the outside of one cup. Just the outside. Note the mud inside.

Then wash the inside of the other cup. Careful to try and keep that mud on the outside.

Ask which cup they'd rather have a drink from (if they could only have a drink from one of the two).

We incorporated heart lessons, appearances (concentrating on), judging ourselves and others by what we see, "outwardly" and "inwardly", whitewashed tombs, and most importantly we noted how cleaning the inside first made the outside cleaner, too, as it overflowed while pouring. But it was really easy to clean up the mud from the outside and still keep the mud/filth inside.

Can you stand just a little more on Mr. Snake? I'm still not over my fascination! And I'll throw in some education for you....

Mr. Snake is a reptile:

Mr. Snake is still young. He's about 4 years old and will get MUCH bigger. "The eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi) is the largest nonvenomous snake in North America. Individuals up to 104in (263cm) have been measured." That's 8.67 FEET.

"The young are lighter in color and have a faint banded pattern."
But Mr. Snake looks darker than he should:
And that's because he's about to shed, said the Nice Lady (who's name I cannot remember).

Speaking of reptiles, 
as an added bonus you can see one way to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile:Can you tell which would be the alligator and which would be the crocodile?
Here's a hint; "Never smile at a crocodile..."

That would be the 'gator on the left.
And the toothy grin on the right?
That would be the crocodile.

Class dismissed.

We actually went on a real life homeschool field trip yesterday.
It's been a year since we met up with the nearest group of homeschoolers.
"Nearest" is such a misleading word.
They meet a little over an hour away and that just doesn't qualify as "near" to me.
But they were closer to us this time!
We got to visit a planetarium and a reptile exhibit.
One of the coolest parts was getting up close and personal with this guy:He's an Eastern Indigo Snake and he is gorgeous! The nice lady holding him let us pet him.
We actually have a few of these in our "yard" but only because we're surrounded by woods.
The best news about this fella is:
"They can eat rattlesnakes and other pit vipers because they are immune to their venom."

We also have rattlesnakes and pit vipers in our area.
I love you, Mr. Snake.

Would any of you be interested in exchanging information through the mail with us about the area you live in? I know there are lots of "groups" online already set up to do it and it's worked for us numerous times that way.

But then I realized that with those of you on my "Friends" list, it would be even better!

There's a variety of states AND countries and I already have a vague idea of your kids' ages and hobbies. In other words, we kind of already know you....

I could "swap" with someone every 2 to 4 weeks (once or twice a month).

How it works is:
We'd get information together on the state we live in. That gives my kid/s a chance to learn more about the place WE live; the history, industry, etc. Whatever makes our area "special". We'd gather small, inexpensive momentos of our area (think pinecones and postcards) along with a handwritten note (writing skills), and/or a drawing (art), the information (geography/history), the momentos (more geography/history), and mail it off to you at the same time you mail yours to us. A small box or big envelope- nothing pricey to mail.

Then when we get "your" package, we'll have a lesson in History and Geography on your area.

Instead of a thank you note, we can post an entry (maybe with photos?) on our "package" after we receive it, or even have our child write/type it... What they learned, what they found interesting, what's the same or different, etc.

If you're interested, or would like more information, please let me know.

I think it would be great fun since you guys are on my Good List for a reason!

And if you aren't interested, that's ok. We'll still love you anyway!

Ooh! Fun! I got tagged by: Entmoot Academy and Huber Hof Academy

"The game is called scattergories. Use the first letter of your name and find words with that letter. The number of letters in your name determines how many people you can tag."

It's a Monday and I'm up for avoiding reality, so I answered x2. Pathetic? Of course.

What is your name?  CrossView
4 letter word: Cool, Cola
Vehicle: Car, Cab
City: Chicago, Columbia
Boys name:  Carl, Carroll
Girls name:  Christine, Carla
Movie: Cars, Chicago
Occupation: Chairman, Charwoman
Something you wear: Clothes, Chinos
Celebrity: Cher, Cyd Charisse
Food: Chinese, yum! Ok, Cheesecake, Chocolate
Something found in a kitchen: Coffee, Chai
Something found in a bathroom: Child, Crayon
Reason for being late: Children, Chores
Cartoon character: Charlie (the Brown one), Chuckie (from Rugrats- the other one isn't a cartoon)
Something you shout: Come!, Cheater! (well, it's not something *I* shout...),
Animal: Cheepdog Caribou, Cheetah
Body part: Cheek, Chin
Word to describe you: Cheeky (from a South African friend), Cool (from my kids when I've pleased them)

And today I turned 45. Egads! I tell you that only so that I can tell you what my husband said. It amused me but you may have to know Bruce Lee movies to appreciate it:

Me: Baby? It's time to get up. (He got called twice in the middle of the night)
Guy: Mmmm. *mumble mumble* Happy *real* Birthday. (We celebrated yesterday)
Me: Thank you. Ooh! Now I really am 45. *gulp*
Guy: When things get rough, I'll just 'pull out a .45 and Bang! settle wit'.
Me: *Manical laughter*

And since I've mentioned it, I'll add a Blogthing:

Your Birthdate: January 21

You're a restless rebel with an unpredictable nature. Bright but unbridled, you tend to seek out wild experiences over new ideas. People are frustrated by your great potential, but you love your unconventional life. You're a heartbreaker. People get attached to you, and then you're gone. Your strength: Your thirst for adventure Your weakness: Not taking time for slow pleasures Your power color: Hot pink Your power symbol: Figure eight Your power month: March

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

And I'm passing the tag to: tomboy (we'll call it "school"),
The Reformed Home Schooler (because men doing these things just amuse me),
Homeschool Fuel (for a break from real life),
Our Little Corner (because I don't remember reading a tag by her),
ZooKeeper & the F-Troop and
Musings by Debbie (they've been MIA for so long they may want a jump-start),
Insanity Runs in My Family...It Practically Gallops! (just because she's an awesome young lady),  desperately seeking sanity (who may need a vacation from her vacation), and
Pretzel Family (since she may need a time-out for play)
and that's the nine I'm supposed to do but feel free to grab it if you want to!

Yep.
I'm self-diagnosed.
But I'm just sure I have "Adult-Onset Attention Deficit Disorder".

What else can it be?

I start the washer to run a load.
While the detergent is getting all friendly with the water, I set off to get the hamper.
On my way, I'm called by my child to answer a question about schoolwork.
Or my husband needs something and doesn't know it's location.
Then I see something out of place and pick it up and put it in it's rightful location.
I stop to make my bed.
I pull something out of the freezer for dinner.
I Google a new recipe idea.
I...

....forget the washer.
It has run through all the cycles and is now clean.
Laundry still needs to be done but my washer is clean.

My tomboy tagged me.
So being the good parent that I am, I'm doing it.
And if you read this, you're tagged.
Don't try to pretend you didn't....

Name: CrossView

Age: 44

B-day: January 21st

# of siblings: 1

# of pets: 1 horse that's supposed to be mine but I share. And an Old English Sheepdog- in my dreams.

State you live in: Chaos and Confusion. I'm quite at home here.

Fav thing to say online: Dork. It reads funny and makes me smile. Dork. Dork. Dork.

Fav smiles: The rolling eyes one. It's like looking in a mirror.

Fav animal: Well, I like my children a lot. And my horse. And my Sheepdog that isn't.

Fav person: Jesus, my husband and my kids.

Fav place: Home.

Where do you wish you lived: Ummm... no idea. Though my husband and I have discussed this at length. Neither one of us know where we want to live when we grow-up.

What animal do you wish you had: Did I mention an Old English Sheepdog?

Where do you wish you lived: Ummm.... Deja vu.

Cat or horse: Horse, of course. I'm not a cat person.

Cat or dog: Dog, an Old English Sheepdog. I'm not a cat person.

Chewaw dog or persian cat: Neither.

Braces or dentures: Never had braces and so far don't have dentures.

Classical music or country: Rock. If not, then either of them I s'pose.

Rubber or steal: I don't steal. Just kidding. Rubber OR steel is fine.

We love this lady:She's my mother-outlaw and today is her birthday.

She's an amazing lady.
And I use the term "lady" very tightly here.
She's gracious and kind.
And she can cook Cajun food that's so good you'll eat like a hog.
Have lots of tea on hand, though...

She's got a HUGE heart.
And a forgiving nature.
And is graciousness personified.

I won't tell her age because, well, I'm afraid she'd smack me.

She's the total opposite of me.
Her idea of casual is my idea of dressy.
She won't leave the house without her face on and I... just have my face.
You get the idea.

And she does an awesome Mae West impersonation.

Most folks call her "Kathy".
The kids call her "Nona".
I used to call her "mother-in-law".
Now I call her friend.

Happy Birthday, Kathy.
I love you!

GQ

I love the anonymous saying.
I love the photo my (18-yr old) daughter took.
And she put them both together for me!

This kid:
just defies logic.

Well, my logic, anyway.
Which may not be all that logical.
At least according to those practical type people.
coughcoughLike my husbandcoughcough
But I digress...

She always hated reading and writing. Hated it! With a venegance...
And forget about fairy tales!
Pshaw!
"Mom, what's the point? They're not real."
She'd cause my eyes to roll so much that I was afraid they'd get stuck.

I always loved to read.
I still do.
And I could never understand those people who only read for information.
coughcoughLike my husbandcoughcough

And writing?
Goodness!
There's nothing more enjoyable than a notebook and pencil!
You can doodle and copy stuff and put thoughts down and...
Who wouldn't love that?
coughcoughLike my husbandcoughcough

Well, she's finally embraced reading.
Somewhat.
Thanks to Roald Dahl and the Bunnicula author.
And a science book on gross and disgusting things.

But writing is still not a great love.
coughcoughLike my husbandcoughcough
She's making progress though, with her daily journal entries, and now has been forced commanded allowed to start her own blog.
It hasn't been terrible for her so far.
We've both survived.

And she still has time for stuff like this:She's another kid I guess I'll keep.

If you get a chance, stop by and say "hi"....

... only it's called "frost" and it just doesn't last through the morning!

But it's pretty and we can pretend....

Until the sun touches it....

This kid amazes me:

She's smart, funny, sassy, and creative.
Only thing is, she doesn't know it...

But who else could fiddle with a paper clip and end up with unique jewelry?

The Old English ones.....

I have always wanted an Old English Sheepdog.
Ok, maybe not "always", but for a really long time.
And I will probably never get one.
There's none to be had in our area.
The closest I can find is about 14 hours from us.
Then there's the price.
EGADS! Anywhere from $800-$1000 DOLLARS!
And for only about $250 more, I can have one delivered here to the boondocks.
So it most likely ain't happening....
(Sorry- but my grammar gets real bad when I'm despondent.)
I didn't want to bore anyone with that information so I never posted about it.

But there's been that niggly feeling that my 11-yr old may have been misunderstood in a previous post when she said; "You look like a sheepdog because of your hair."

Saying your mother looks like this:
might be misconstrued as rude or insulting.

But just look at that fluffy heap!!
Is that not the cutest dog on earth?
And I even love to have my head scratched like that!
But what does that have to do with how I look?
Well, if you take a *coughcough40somethingwoman* and add in a lot of hair and understand that she started going gray in high school then you get this:

Our 18-yr old got a new camera for Christmas.
Naturally, she had to try it out.
And siblings make the best victims...
If a mom whines loud enough long enough, she gets to borrow some of the shots!

*Note the distinctive lack of snow here in the south?*

Let's see, December brought with it:
1. Harley taxes due
2. Car taxes due
3. Land taxes due
4. House taxes due
5. The death of the DVD player
6. The death of the VCR
7. The death of the microwave
and
8. Driver's license renewal

But I'm undaunted.
Because it also brought Christmas.

Christ - mas.

Since "mas" means "more" in Spanish,
then I'll just lean on Christ "more".
That's all we need, anyway!

While we still can, we celebrate the birth of Christ openly.
And thankfully.
Knowing that the Christ child was in a manger but didn't stay there...

"Kudzu is a weedy vine (Pueraria lobata) with often rampant invasive growth (a foot or more in a single day), which, if not controlled, soon covers anything in its path -- shrubs, trees, automobiles, or even small buildings."

It's true.
I'm not being an alarmist.
In the South, it's everywhere.
And at first glance it's actually pretty!


But look again.
Look closely:

"Kudzu kills or degrades other plants by smothering them...
...and by breaking branches or uprooting entire trees and shrubs through the sheer force of its weight.

Once established, Kudzu plants grow rapidly,,,, 
...at a rate of about one foot per day. 
As many as thirty vines may grow from a single root crown."

So why would anyone plant this?
Well, originally it seemed like a good idea.
Erosion control, feed crop, ornamental....
Who knew that it grew better in it's new land than in it's original Japan.
Who knew it was so, ummm, invasive??!!

And what does all this have to do with Christmas??!!

"The 17 congressmen who supported a resolution recognizing Islam and Ramadan but voted “no” or “present” (that is, there but wouldn’t vote) on a similar resolution introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) recognizing Christianity and Christmas.

Lawmakers who voted “no” for Christianity and “yes” for Islam are:
Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Fortney Stark (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).

Those who voted “present” on Christianity and “yes” on Islam include:
Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Peter Welch (D-VT) and John Yarmuth (D-KY)."

Voted "No" or "N/A" for Christmas but "Yes" for Ramadan?
Voted "No" or "N/A" for Christmas but "Yes" for Ramadan?
Voted "No" or "N/A" for Christmas but "Yes" for Ramadan?

I'm on a roll!

I read a post about Cinnamon Dough Ornaments and decided that we needed to make them.
Right then.
I was inspired.
So I check and it only requires 3 ingredients.
Just 3?
Alright!

But,
of course,
I only have 2 of them.

No problem!
A quick "Google" search (seeing as how I am the "Google Queen") led me to another recipe that requires water. Which we have. Which completes that list.

So we make some ornaments.
See?

I've had my heels firmly dug in on avoiding all the "busy" things associated with the season.

So how's that working for me?

About like this:I've been drug, kicking and screaming fussing and flailing, against my will.

We have our tree up and decorated with presents underneath.
We have wreaths on the front and back door.
We have a few decorations up outside.
We have a few inside, too.
But that was mostly the 11 year old.

I will finish up my shopping today (hopefully).
I made cookies with the girls.
I bought wrapping paper.
I attended a Christmas party.
I provided financing and transportation for the kids to finish their shopping.
And. Uh.

(Let me preface this as an addendum with the disclaimer that I should never read Voice of the Martyrs and then think about fruitcake. Even though I really do not like fruitcake, I'm not asking that you give up yours. That would be more of a Christianity-should-be-banned-in-non-Christian-countries type of thinking.)

I don't like fruitcake.
I've never tried a fruitcake that tasted good.
Therefore, I don't believe in fruitcake.

And since I don't like it
or believe in it
then you shouldn't have any, either.

We should just ban fruitcake.