February saw my birthday, Valentine's Day, my and dh's anniversary (17 years now!)  and now in March, in just a few days, my oldest son will turn 16.  That seems just a significant age.

I tried to post a week or so but couldn't get on so I gave up.  I still have a testimony I want to  share with you.  I need to get off this now so Samuel can do more of his schoolwork, but I will try to come back to this soon!

Thank you to those who have left comments.  I'm sorry I have not been very active lately on HSB but I will try to improve. 

We got our 11 year old the chameleon he wanted for Christmas.  Yoshi joined our family on December 23.  We could have waited until the 24th to go get him, but I wanted to get him on Saturday so over the first full day of our having them we would be able to call Chris at the pet store if anything concerned us.

I took a photo of Yoshi tonight as he was going to bed.  I keep getting blurry pictures of him but you get the idea and can see his beautiful tail.

He is about 12 weeks old, so still a baby.

Last Monday, I think, our oven was "condemned."  It had so much wrong with it, and was so old it was no longer worth repairing.  The lower oven I had been using, was corroded on the bottom and the eletrician told me not to use it any more.   So we've been using the slow-cookers or the stove top for our meals since then.

We've looked at some ovens on Ebay but have lost all the auctions we've bid on. I'd be willing to do without an oven for another month or so, it does mean no Christmas cookie baking ,but I could do without the calories so it's no bad thing. 

Speaking of David we've had a bit of a scare with his vision - to make a long story and several dr. appointments short, we (well, I and the drs) were concerned he had a detached retina.  After a thorough exam at the eye hospital it was discovered he has a blocked blood vessel which has starved his retina (we think) which led to the loss of 1/4 to 1/3 of his vision.   He is taking aspirin now, and hopefully the clot will dissolve.  If it does, the eye may repair itself.  That is what we are praying for.    He has to go back in January for an ultrasound, and then later for another appointment with the eye specialist.   Please pray for him.

We've taken this last week off.  I sure needed it.  Didn't get as much done as I'd like - either in housework, marking schoolwork, or even just sitting and knitting but it's been a good week.  I got my hair cut again - just about 3 weeks after a trim at my normal salon, and 2 weeks after getting it permed.  This time I went to another salon because I finally admitted to myself that I just wasn't happy at my former one and the girl there who does my hair, just too often doesn't get what I want, and when I have perms I've been disappointed.  At the new salon the stylist showed me what she would have done and used to get the effect I told her I wanted, and it made sense to me and in fact lined up with what I thought should have been done in the first place.  She cut my hair quite quickly, and even when wet I could see it had a much better shape it.   And to top it all off, as it was my first time there, the cut was half price!

We are getting ds2, Ben, a chameleon this Christmas.  David brought home the vivarium and all the stuff for it yesterday after work but didn't have time to work on it until today.  He had a half-day off, but still didn't manage to get a lot done on it until tonight.  Preparing to have this creature in our home has been a real learning experience.  We've learned about caring for one, and what kind of habitat they need, and tonight we learned first-hand about setting their kit up!

Ben was sick in the night last night.  I sure hope that no one else gets it.  On Wednesday night I felt queasy but didn't get sick, poor old Ben was sick for real.  Why do my children always get sick at night?  It's rare that they ever start anything in the daytime!  

If I don't write again before Monday, I hope you have a lovely Christmas!

I realized I never got a photo of the fleece poncho.  I had a photo taken of me at Wayland's Smithy last weekend, although you can't see it hanging down, you can at least get an idea, so here it is:

I'm crocheting, if you're wondering....

Today we are having a very easy day - my excuse is that it is Dh's birthday!!  Happy birthday David!   We had Bible and a fiction book this morning, and I did some practical life-skills with Benj (shoe tying, many children learn it earlier but he wasn't ready at the "normal" age and then we kind of left it!).  Abby will do some sewing later.  Right now she and Samuel are in town buying some things for their dad's birthday.

All of the younger 3 children have been playing with KNex yesterday and today.  They have been working on wheeled objects - really working on balance which I think is a practical side of physics.

Last weekend Dh did some experiment in the garage with the two younger boys.  Here is a photo:

It had something to do with a battery, that's all I know.

I finished my poncho - all but the fringe.  I sewed the seams last night.  I'm a bit disappointed with how small the neck is, I suppose I should just lose more weight!  I hope to get the fringe on in the next few days, and I'll post a new photo of it then.  Here's how it is so far:

While sorting out my photos on Photobucket to post these here, I accidentally deleted another photo!  I'm not sure which it is so I am going to trawel through my posts here and a couple of other place to find out what's missing! How silly of me!

More news another time, there is a possibility of a big change for us but I'll write about it later.....

On Thursday night I shut the back door, which because of its weak hinges, scrapes the tile floor when it's moved, and it screeched.  Immediately I heard an answering screech from the back yard.  I assumed it was an owl and listened as it continued screeching.   I got a flashlight and dh got one too, and we went out back to see if we could see it.  Dh went in after a bit, but I continued on toward the back of our property, shining the light from time to time, to see if I could see the screeching owl.  I saw nothing, so decided to come in.

I started looking up the tawny owl on the internet, as I assumed that that was what it was.  I read that they do attack humans occasionally when disturbed.  I thought, well, good thing I didn't disturb it.  I found a page with sound  (Owl Calls and Sounds  - go about halfway down to find the section for Eurasian Tawny Owl) on it, and listened to a call.  My husband agreed that that was the sound we had heard.  I became very thankful that I did not have an encounter with the owl, as the call we heard apparently displayed aggression!

On Saturday ds1 went to play paintball with some men and their sons from church.  They were split up and put into teams with other people who were playing that day.  When Ds told us about it all over lunch today, I was impressed at how the paintballing was run.  They organize things so that the risk of injury is minimalized, fair play is observed, and enmity is not formed between the various groups who come to play (a church group will be divided and put with another group, which is also divided, for example).  I was glad ds had a good time.

The rest of us, in the afternoon, went to a couple of pet stores to learn about various reptiles that Ds2 is interested in for a birthday present (it was back in Sept!).  I am putting my foot down about snakes, spiders, and other insects (I could have conceded over stick insects, perhaps).  So many of the reptiles are so expensive!   I encouraged ds to think of a caged pet because I thought our home is too small for a dog (and I'm not too fond of cats, and they make me sneeze).   

 I tried not to influence him too much as he looked around.  At the second pet shop, for which we had driven a long way by English standards, a man spent quite a little while with us talking to us about axolotls and chameleons.  As we held a chameleon, ds decided that that is what he wanted. They are my favorite reptile too.   They are extremely interesting little creatures (although they won't stay little!) and if we can keep one healthy it should be a fascinating pet.  We did not buy one then, though I did buy a book (a bit too advanced for ds, but I will direct him to sections he will be able to understand).  We need to think about sorting out the finances for this venture.  It's not so much the chameleon, as the kit for it that will cost so much. 

I'd like to get some chickens too.  I found a place with prices much more in line with our budget, even though they sell purebreds.  I was and still am thinking about getting hybrids again, as they are much less expensive.  The problem is that they produce eggs like mad for about a year and a half, and then stop and my last lot was not all that thrifty, dying earlier than I felt they should have.  Purebreds would lay fewer eggs, but for longer (in theory).  I still need to think about this all.  I wonder if we can sell the eggs.

On Friday Ds3 turned 6.  I loved the whole year when he was five, he was inquisitive, and cuddly, and so bright in how he noticed and learned things, so I was sad a bit to see it end!  Of course he is still the same boy, but I know this year will bring many changes and I was just nostalgic already about when he was five!  I made him a "worm" cake for his birthday, which he liked.   

On a forum I frequent there was a discussion about what to bring to someone (or the couple) who has invited you to dinner.  There were some good suggestions. I mentioned something about flowers and then said I had some stories about when people brought rather inappropriate items.  I was asked to share them, and I thought that I could blog about them too, and so I give you my post (slightly edited from what I put on the forum) on two unusual things that have been brought to me when I have given dinners.  

When I share these two, I in no way wish to be unkind to the people mentioned. So here goes. One I find quite funny, and the other I rather shake my head over still.

Well, one time my mom and I had an Indonesian friend (male)from college over to my mom's house for a dinner. (I lived on campus, but in my own home town.) He came over, and brought cans of fruit cocktail as a gift!  Mom and I conferred in the kitchen about what to do - we weren't sure whether he meant for them to be served with the meal, as his "contribution" (which we didn't expect in any way, as we invited him) or whether he just thought it was a nice hostess gift. We smiled a bit (privately) but we took the matter seriously because we didn't want to hurt his feelings. My mother finally tactfully asked him somehow if he wanted these with the dinner, did he bring them to be served that day, and he said yes. So we did. We still don't know if this was a cultural difference or more of a "young male" sort of thing. We just appreciated his kindness in bringing what to him was something special (we assumed it was special to him, anyway).

The other thing that comes to mind of a (more) major nature is when I was living on my own, and invited two couples over for quite a fancy dinner. 

I had a very elaborate meal prepared; baked ham en croute, with vegetables of some sort, chocolate victoria tarts and homemade toffee topped with chocolate (all from my beloved Victoria magazine!). So all was covered, from a to z as far as I was concerned.

One couple brought ... doughnuts in a box. I was able to confer with the wife of the other couple (who had been married longer and was a Southerner like me) and although the cream was already whipped, and the chocolate cream might separate and make the tarts' crusts soggy if not eaten, she helped me see that the only thing to do was to serve those doughnuts that night. So I did.

I think in the first instance, my mom and I didn't mind the situation, realizing we were dealing with both a single young man and one who came from a different country. In the second instance, I tried to cope graciously with the situation (and so didn't let the couple know that I had made the tarts, for example), but given their age and other things, I feel they should have realized that you don't bring a dessert or other food item for a dinner unless you have been asked or cleared it with the hostess. Now, if they had brought a smaller box and said, we hope you will enjoy these tomorrow, that would have been great! I did try to appreciate their kindness but do feel it is an example of "what not to bring!"

Those are the two main ones. I have had flower issues (with trying to hurry to find someplace to put them and more importantly a vessel to put them in, while greeting people and trying to keep the food under control) but again realize that kindness was the intent and receive them with as much grace as I can. (And I do appreciate the kindness.)

Typing this out has made me realize that I ought to get myself a second-hand tall vase, so that I can just plunk the flowers in and think ahead of where such a thing might go (sometimes my mantle is already decorated) so that I may be more appreciative and gracious and less stressed. So I'm glad for this opportunity to write these things down - it's made me realize a way I can do better!

Now, after writing all this, I think I sound like an unappreciative, ungrateful shrew - truly that has not been my intent and I hope you will understand that I did not write in mean-spiritedness....

(OK, I just checked Peggy Post's Etiquette book and she says if you take flowers make sure they're in a vase, for the reasons I've mentioned. In the same paragraph she says don't bring food unless requested  and she mentions wine, chocolates, and gift soaps as good things to bring. )

I read something I found hysterical today, and wanted to share it with you:

"We're on our 3rd pair of underwear and it's only 10 a.m."   (h/t Berrymorin )

We're home!  I'll write about our trip another time.  Today I'm supposed to be organizing and tidying.  Have spent too much time on the computer, is what has really happened, although I have done a few useful things.  I had the older children do some reading, but we are mostly all just reacclimating ourselves to our home environment. 

I've been printing out some things for ds1's Systematic Mathmatics unit but something went wrong with the printer and I had to quit.  I will look at it but I'm not sure I will be able to do anything that will fix the problem.  I think the nozzle is probably blocked, but that is just a guess.

I'm off now to supervise some teethbrushing, dishwasher loading, laundry doing before tackling a few chores of my own (such as bleaching the shower tiles and tidying up my desk (that I share).  See you later!

I suppose this is making up for the times I don't put anything in!

I did get to town today, and bought some fleece.  Some is for blankets for my two youngest children.   Some is for a poncho for myself, just for casual wear. I'm thinking it might be nice to wear while camping (we're supposed to be going soon).  I've got some coordinating fleece to make a hat and bag with too.  I'm going to base my poncho on the directions found here.  I'm going to look around to see if I can find a pattern for a hat and bag too, or I might just figure something out myself. 

Here is something I found inspirational today, from the Homeschoolblog "Serendipity"  What Kind of Wife Are You?

We did manage to get a walk yesterday.  We walked to the stables of a famous racehorse breeder.  There are signs not to feed the animals, but the owners obviously don't mind people going up to the horses and petting them.

The weather was lovely, and the trees are beginning to turn.  The horse chestnuts are still growing but in a couple of weeks will start to drop.  Then the conker collecting will begin!  (Conkers are the horse chestnut - er, nuts! They are non-edible, so they aren't the chestnuts that will be roasting on an open fire later on.)

...for a few days anyway.

We went to our homeschool conference and holiday week over in Wales.  As usual, we had a great time.  Sadly, the Boyers didn't get to come after all, as something went wrong with their airplane and with the new security rules in place, they couldn't get on another flight until Sunday (the end of the conference!).  The organizers had to quickly make other arrangements, and we still had a good conference.  The holiday (vacation) week was lovely although for me it was physically tiring.   I'll try to post more about it tomorrow. 

Now we're planning to go camping for a few days.  I'm glad to say that the sun has been shining and I have been able to dry about six loads of laundry!  I was able to do laundry at Cefn Lea (the Christian park/camp where we have our conference and vacation) but there was still much left to do at home, and I still came back with dirty laundry.  It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, so I hope to get through a few more loads.  Tomorrow also should see the arrival of the heating element for our tumble drier, so we should be able to start using it again soon, if David is able to install it.

I came back with quite a few books - many I had intended to purchase, and some which I hadn't!  I'll try to list them tomorrow.