Jun. 20, 2008 - Goo head Joe
Molly got a glitzy glamour-girl gift set for her birthday a few weeks ago. One morning earlier this week, I was helping her apply the assorted glittery lip glosses, glittery hair gels and glittery skin-softening lotions. A bit later, Joey had to go potty. After he did his business, he closed and locked the door, and stealthily stayed in the bathroom for too long. He emerged looking like this...
...with glittery lotion in his hair. I guess it coulda been worse...like the time earlier this year he played dress-up...
That's my Joe...
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Jun. 19, 2008 - Good answer!
Robbie had an evaluation done yesterday to assess his need for speech therapy. Included was a vocabluary test, on which Robbie scored well above average. I had explained on our application that Robbie is an avid reader, so when the speech teacher asked him why he thought he knew so many words, I thought for sure he would tell about all the books he read. But he pondered her question a moment, and then told her, "Because I do home school."
That's my boy! 
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Jun. 12, 2008 - A lesson in irony
We had to postpone our science experiment on the rain cycle, due to severe weather.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Jun. 12, 2008 - Not his day
Yesterday, I had all 4 kids in the van on the way home from Molly's ballet class. We took a different route home and saw some sights that impressed all the kids, but truck-and-car-loving Joey especially.
We saw a school bus that had been converted into a watermelon market.
A while later, we saw police cars and an ambulance with lights flashing, blocking the oncoming traffic lane and surrounding several dented cars. Shattered glass littered the road.
Just 3 blocks later, more emergency vehicles surrounded a pickup truck that had flipped up onto its side, blocking part of the intersection. Our light turned red just in time for us to inspect it thoroughly.
Four more blocks and we saw a fire truck and ambulance, again with lights flashing, at an apartment building.
Finally we crossed an intersection narrowed by diggers and earth movers for a road construction project.
"This really was your day," I told Joey, who was positively beaming at all the sights he enjoyed.
"When's it going to me my day?" grumped a jealous Robbie.
Just to reinforce the point, Molly chose this moment to remind Robbie, "Superheroes aren't real."
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Jun. 11, 2008 - Wordless Wednesday
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 26, 2008 - Can you really find everything on eBay?
A few weeks ago we studied Caesar and Cleopatra in History. Robbie and Molly were both fascinated by the story of how Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy IV sent Caesar the head of Pompey.
A couple days later, I wanted Molly to tell Glenn and Robbie who would be coming to her birthday party, but she clammed up, so I teased, "Ceasar, Cleopatra, Ptolemy..." (pause for a giggle) "Oh, but he lost his head..."
"That thing's probably on eBay," Robbie muttered.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 26, 2008 - He thanked us
Happy Memorial Day!
This morning we went to a Memorial Day parade in a small nearby town. When the veterans in the VFW group marched past, one of them called out, "Thanks for bringing your kids out to the parade this morning!"
He thanked us.
He, who must have been a soldier in an overseas war at some point, and risked his life, and fought for our freedom, thanked us.
I could only imagine what he may have been through, he and all the other men who proudly marched alongside him. He did it for us. Yet he thanked us.
It was so humbling. And such a striking reminder about what we are really celebrating this Memorial Day. He thanked us.
Happy Memorial Day.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 12, 2008 - Molly's Fancy Nancy party
Molly turned 6 on Saturday, and we celebrated with a party based on the Fancy Nancy books, which all the girls in our house just love, love, love!
As decorations, we used the books, along with beads, a feathery boa, a pink bedsheet, and the posh pink puppies that also served as a party activity/party favor.
Cake decorating is not one of my strengths. A while back I purchased a cake decorating set off an infomercial, but discovered Saturday morning that it didn't include icing bags! I panicked and had to scramble for a substitute (a freezer bag).
Despite this, Molly loved her cake, and said it was beautiful.
For activities, I read the three main "Fancy Nancy" books aloud. The girls decorated pink tassled bookmarks with glittery stickers, and "dressed" the pink puppies with barrettes, baubles and bows.
For lunch, I served the fancy menu of macaroni & cheese, sandwiches, and yogurt parfaits with sprinkles.
And, of course, the cake.
Molly says she had a great time, and it seemed like everyone had fun.
Happy Birthday, Molly!
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 12, 2008 - Maybe we're doing something right
It's been a rough couple of weeks, and I've been feeling discouraged about parenting in general, and homeschooling in particular. But Friday afternoon, Robbie told me, "When I grow up, I'm going to help poor people by building them houses for nothing. And I'm going to give them Bibles for nothing, too."
Molly gently reminded him, "You can do that when you're a kid, too."
As I dashed off to record their words of wisdom, they continued in discussion about how they were going to do these works at the same time, so they could be together.
I guess maybe we're doing something right.
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 11, 2008 - Happy Mother's Day
This afternoon, I made a solo trip to the grocery store. As I loaded a sixth gallon of milk into my cart, a complete stranger wished me "Happy Mother's Day!"
Now, how did he know?
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
May. 1, 2008 - Going on 13
We were talking to one of Molly's little friends after ballet class yesterday, and found out that her friend's birthday is exactly one week after Molly's.
Then the little friend announced, "I'm almost 13!"
"Really?!" I asked, playing along. "How old are you now?"
"Six," she said proudly. She looked down and counted on her fingers. "Seven, eight, nine ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen... Just seven more years!" she optimistically announced.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Apr. 28, 2008 - Chorus of approval
I already knew that ravioli is one of the older kids' favorite dinners...but apparently it ranks right up there with Katie, too. Robbie told Molly it was on the menu one night last week, and Katie overheard. "Hall-e-lu-jah, Hall-e-lu-jah!" Katie chirped.
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Apr. 28, 2008 - Oops, I did it again!
I left the house in my slippers again. I almost wore them to church yesterday! We were out the door, in the car, and halfway down the block when I realized. Luckily we had enough time to turn around and get my shoes.
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Apr. 12, 2008 - Joey wants to know...
"Do monster trucks say 'Rr-r-r-oar-r-R'?"
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Apr. 1, 2008 - That's Gore-y
Sunday night I flipped on CBS to check a basketball score. Joey heard the TV switch on and joined me on the couch...but the games were over. 60 Minutes was on, and Al Gore's magniloquent mug filled the screen. Joey watched for a second, and then informed me, "I don't like that guy's face."
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 25, 2008 - The wrath of Joe
Sometimes when Joey gets angry, he blows a world-class fit. Other times he simmers, scowls and grumbles like a cranky old man.
This morning, he was fed up about who-knows-what. He started muttering, "That's it....I'm out of here...I'm leaving...."
He went on, "I know how to start the car."
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 23, 2008 - Why we don't watch TV
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 23, 2008 - I want my mummy
Robbie, Molly and Joey were playing "mummy" a while back. They wrapped themselves in blankets, then placed their Egyptian "funeral masks" over their faces. What a hoot.
Here they are modeling the masks. This is Robbie:
and Molly:
and Joey:
It's hard to choose a favorite!
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 23, 2008 - Spring will come...maybe...
Last Tuesday afternoon we spent a long time playing outside. It was warm-ish (...okay, in the 40s...) and we had a blast.
Suddenly, Molly shrieked, "I see grass! Let's have a par-tee!!"
So the kids ran around in circles doing a "grass dance".
But--oh, what happened!
First this--
and then this!
WHOMP! And there was another foot of snow...
• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
Mar. 23, 2008 - I really slipped up
This is my slippers (of course with me in them) at the Starbuck's in Rockford, Illinois.
I forgot to change into my shoes before I left. The sad thing is I've done it before...but this time I drove for over 2 hours and didn't notice until literally there was no turning back! So I spend a lovely day across the state line in my slippers.
Really. Just ask Heather.
• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
<- Last Page • Next Page ->
