I realize that this is a Mothering on Mondays post, but I will be unable to access my computer Sunday or Monday, so this had to be posted early.   Join Amy to participate.
One of my favorite mothering moments is the look of horror on my daughter's face whenever someone says, "This is your daughter, isn't it?  She looks just like you!"  Feel free to let us know if you think we look alike.
This week I decided to post some comparison pictures.  Here's me when I was six. (Notice the "cool" seventies attire.)

Here's a picture of my daughter when she was six.

Here's a picture of me at seventeen with my cool eighties hair.

and my daughter at fifteen.

Also, my sweet blogging friend, Speaking From the Heart blessed me with the "Faithful Servant" award. I enjoy her friendship and her blog so much.  This is the description:

 Earlier this school year I talked about our homeschool exercise and quality family time program.  Our goal was to swim several times a week in our neighbor's pool.  This plan was derailed by our sweet neighbor who popped out to talk to me while my son swam, usually offering a sample of whatever she was cooking. 

Walking with the kids is not good, as the last time I took the kids and spares they stopped by the local store and bought sour gummy worms and a coke.  "You mean we're doing this for exercise?" they asked incredulously.
If we walk with my husband, he usually strolls slowly along taking business calls. 

What is the new plan?  I am actually considering-gasp! shock!- taking up jogging while the kids bike ride (or jog, if they so chose.)  Today I managed to jog for (approximately) 10 feet!  Considering my aversion to running, this is real progress!
I did power walk for 1/2 mile and "amble" with my husband for another 1 1/2 miles. 

Don't these two look ready for jogging?  I'm sure we will consider this quality time when I collapse and the kids drag me home.

Join Amy to participate in Monday's on Mothering.

It's time for another edition of Friday Show and Tell with our host, Mary.  I had talked earlier this school year about doing more "hands-on" projects and field trips with the kids.  Here's a sample of what we've been doing:

We made "fake stained glass."  This is a griffin from a piece called "Lunette" created by John La Farge in 1882.  I found it in "The Metropolitan Museum of Art Activity Book."

We took a field trip to "The Science Time Show."  It was supposed to explain different scientific principles.  Unfortunately, we used to be members of the McWane Science Museum in Birmingham. Not only had the kids already seen these experiments, they had participated in them.
My son asked, "You didn't have to pay to bring us here did you, Mom?"

Finally, the kids are raising this new calf, Sir Loin.  (Catchy name, huh?)  They are having a wonderful time bottle feeding it, petting it, etc.  

My son and his cousin also made a lovely "hay man" out of a bale of hay and various pieces of trash. They used golf balls for eyes, bubble blowers for arms, and more.  Before I could get a picture of it, someone took the hay bale!  Maybe they can "recreate" the hay man soon.

Also, if anyone is interested, I am giving away a copy of "SOS for PMS: Practical Relief for Moms" by Mary Byers on my book review blog.  You can find it here.

As the mother of a teenager, I have found that I am faced with many challenges.  From the small challenges, such as seeking to become more independent....  ("Of course I can do this by myself.  Why aren't you helping me, Mom?")

to wondering how silly and giggly teenage girls can be...


The biggest  problem of having a  teenage daughter is having teenage boys discover  they think she is cute.  
Because she is fifteen and ,thankfully,  doesn't want to date  (the last time a boy tried to hold her hand she came home and told me,  "I told him to let go of my hand because this is one of the biggest ways to spread infection."),  it has not been much of a problem.

However, I needed a back up plan in case of emergency.   I have found it here.....


This is a kid who has grown up hanging out at our home and thinks he is one of our "spare children."  He often introduces us as his "family" and my daughter as his "sister."  This has worked out to our advantage.  Recently, at an outing at the park, he stood between her and a guy.  "Don't look," he told her, "that inappropriately dressed shirtless guy is trying to get your attention." 

It also helps that my daughter knows karate.  As my spare child once told me,  "I'm never touching her because she'd hit me."   I'll take giggliness and goofiness any time over boy troubles!

Join Amy to participate  in Mondays on Mothering.

I also have a few things I would like to share.  Thanks, Kim  and  Farrah for awarding me with the "Brillante Weblog" award.  I'm only a month late!  I think you both have "Brillante" blogs and are wonderful friends.  

Also, thanks to Tina  for awarding me the "I Love Your Blog" award.  You are such an encouragement to me and I love your blog too.   I think all my friends have brillant blogs and I love them all, so I award you all.

Also, thanks to Nikowa , my sweet blogging friend, for interviewing me as "The Featured Homeschooler" for Heart of the Matter Online Magazine.  It was a great honor and lots of fun too.  If you'd like to read it, you can find it here.

Earlier this week I mentioned that we were experiencing a "small crisis" around our house.  Two weeks ago, I began having a rash that looked like this on my arms:  (This is not my arm, but a photograph from the University of Iowa. I didn't think about taking a picture.)

What was causing this strange rash? Have you ever seen one of these?

Thanks to my husband's frequent business travel,  he brought home an unwelcome visitor--bedbugs. These are on the rise in the United States, up 64 % in the past four years.  As assured by my pest control specialist,  you can pick them up at the nicest hotels.  Plus, no matter how clean your house is, once they infect your luggage, they will enter your home. 

What followed was a week of intense cleaning, in which we tried to salvage as much furniture in our room as possible, followed by washing everything in hot water,  bagging everything else in black bags to set in the sun for three days,  disposing of our mattress, burning papers, and having the house heavily treated with insecticide,  moving everything out of the room, etc., etc. 

Thankfully, our pest control specialist waived the $325 per room treatment fee since we are regular customers.  Another plus was that we caught them early (since I was allergic to them) and they had not spread to the kids' rooms.

On the positive side, our room is now exceptionally clean and totally redone. We were also  able to do an interesting science study  on bedbugs.  Still, it is not an experience I'd care to repeat. 

Our pest control specialist says more and more people are getting these while traveling.  He recommends checking your mattress at where ever you stay.  If you see anything that looks like this, (you probably will not see the actual bug), do not take the room!!


I know this is a gross post, but I hope  that I can prevent someone else from experiencing this!  Visit our sweet host, Mary , for normal, interesting posts.