In the Florida sun - Homeschool Blogger

A new blog for me.

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:59:00 -0600

I have started a new blog, for various reasons. One is that I spend way too much time on HTML here at HSB :( I love pretty templates and love to play around in them, but I just don't have the time to do it here. So please comes see me at (Half-Baked) In the Florida Sun.

I hope to see you over there.

Wordless Wednesday

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:30:00 -0600

Floridians live for days like these!

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:17:00 -0600

It's a lovely day in S. FL. Seriously! I feel for you guys up north with your 0 degree days, but when you guys are hunkering down trying to stay warm, well...it means we can go outside at noon without bringing along a gallon of water.

I'm actually sitting on my back porch enjoying the sind blowing and the lower temperatures. We don't do a lot of school this time of year because I literally toss my dc out the back door to play, lol.

Rest assured, come June, July and August we will be cramming a lot of school in. The only way I'll be able to get my dc outdoors then is if it's into the A/C of the car to the A/C of wherever we are going. And, honestly, can't say as I blame them. :-)

Blessing my husband, because I was blessed!

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:11:00 -0600

Today I had to go to the doctor. UGH! Diagnosis: Double Ear Infection. Isn't that lovely? Wouldn't you like one, er, two??

So I decided to treat myself to a great big, humongous cup of Starbucks Pike with Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce syrup. YUM. Please note that I said "Sugar Free" That's because I'm on a weight loss program and I've lost 60lbs, thankyouverymuch.

Sooooo, anyways, as I'm waiting for my order to be filled, the gentleman next to me (obviously a regular customer) asks "So, what are those cupcakes for?" Apparently he could see some cupcakes on the counter behind the baristas and they said that they were new cupcake flavors that they were tasting before they began selling them. Chocolate and red velvet cupcakes, mmmmm. Well, this very charming gentleman managed to finagle a taste for himself, quite charmingly. All the while, I was chuckling(I mentioned he was charming, right?) I went over to the condiment table to add a little sweetener and half-n-half and I hear over my shoulder "pst, come back over, I'm working a deal for you." LOL He convinced them to give me a sample taste, as well.

Now, remember that I mentioned the "Sugar Free Cinnamon Dolce" and the whole 60 lbs thing. I didn't want to appear ungrateful or rude, that whole "Southern in-breeding" and all. So what do I do??? I thought, Hey, I'll just take it home to the dc. But there are THREE of them and only 2 half pieces of cupcakes. Sigh...Oh, hey, wonder where Miguel is right now? So, I called him. Turns out he was less than 5 minutes away at the hospital w/a "client" (I'll have to explain more about dh's job in another post). So, I asked him if he'd like some cupcakes and, well, I'm the only strangoid who'd turn down cupcakes, you know. So I took him some yummy FREE cupcakes and got to steal a moment alone :-) He was so thrilled, he bragged on me to his partner, lol. I've apparently gotten quite the reputation as a "dream wife", too bad I'm not as quite as good as my reputation, sigh...

Read Your Own Books 2009 Challenge.

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:50:00 -0600

Okay, so I have lots of books. Lots and lots. My beloved dh is very tolerant of my book addiction, though I understand there are people out there who have it worse than I do. I do get rid of books, mostly because I use Paperbook Swap to get more books. But I have dozens on my shelves just waiting to be enjoyed. So now I have a challenge to help me out. Of course, that doesn't preclude me from adding to the shelves, you know. LOL

So if you'd like to join in, as well, go here -

So, I've got a good start going already:

Night Light by Terri Blackstock
True Light by Terri Blackstock

Anyone want to join me?

Dude, they totally tagged me!

Sat, 3 Jan 2009 00:59:00 -0600

You Belong in 1988

Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.

What Year Do You Belong In?

Well, maybe not totally.

I got to meet an E-maginary friend today!

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:45:00 -0600

As a Sonlight Curriculum user, I frequent the forums that the company hosts as a benefit to using their program. And when I say frequent, I mean I practically live there, but don't tell my dh, okay? One of the ladies who is also a Sonlighter was traveling through my area in the Sunshine State and we scheduled a meetup at a local outlet mall. What fun! Here are a few pictures!

Me and Beth from the camera phone:

The mall was very crowded and I didn't want to ask some stranger to take a picture with my ~~baby~~ Nikon D40x. Call me untrusting, but hey, it was a MALL, you know. So the camera phone had to work.

Here's Beth shopping for shoes:

That time I was too lazy to pull out the Nikon, so the camera phone works, shoot me. Anyways, note the Cheesecake Factory bag :) We were going to eat dinner there but the wait was too long. Beth does not live in the states any longer so must do her shopping here when they are state side and time was of the essence. Since you go to The Cheesecake Factory for CHEESECAKE, (duh, right?) she decided to get a couple of slices to go. She may, or may not, share with her dh. I say, ransom it. :D We ended up eating at Taco Bell, much cheaper and faster.

So while we were checking out the Liz Claiborne Outlet, my eye wandered across a display of clearance items and a little red change purse caught my attention. Well, since we had splurged a whole lot less than I had planned on dinner, I thought I'd spend a few $$ on me and this adorable, sassy(adjective courtesy of my Boonie friend, Susan) little change purse. But , Beth, being the extremely nice person she is decided to treat me. How very sweet of her and I love it. Check it out, I took the photo (with my ~~precious~~ Nikon) when I got home using the centerpiece I made up for Christmas.

Isn't it loverly! I love e-maginary friends!!!

Mince Pie, a mixed blessing.

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:00:00 -0600

So last week the grocery store had Mrs. Smith's pies on sale. I'm not a baker of pies (cookies and cakes, certainly, but pies not so much) so I decided to grab a few. I picked out an apple, a dutch apple and, what I thought was a cherry pie. Yeah, it really pays to actually look at the label in your hand. Sigh...

So, it turns out I managed to purchase a mince pie. It couldn't be too terrible, could it? Well, let's just say the females of this house are the least picky eaters and ,yet, it was the males who loved the mince. Strangoids! LOL. I think I've passed my dislike for cooked raisins along to my daughters. And apparently, cooked dates are in the same category. That would be the EWW category. I'll be watching for Cherry Pie sales!

Wordless Wednesday

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:17:00 -0600

Happy Birthday, Emma!

For more Wordless Wednesday, go here

Two Turtle Ducks and a Portrait of a Pear Tree???

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:55:00 -0600

Ah...the sounds of the season. Christmas Carols. They've been ringing through our home on the voice of angels, er, impish little kids who keep changing their Christmas lists. So last night youngest dd, Emma, was singing the Twelve days of Christmas and cracking me up. Apparently, her true love will be giving her two turtle ducks and a portrait of a pear tree. I wonder how he'll get the pear tree to sit still long enough?

So, about those Christmas lists? Our ds is pretty good about being very specific and only putting things he's pretty sure about on the list. He may be a bit type A (like his father) but it sure makes getting him gifts pretty easy. The girls, however, are a whole different story. Especially the youngest, Emma. "I want that." is a common phrase from her. It really doesn't even matter what it is or who the product is intended to entertain. In fact, other than food, I've never heard her say that she didn't want something. I pray that it turns into a good thing for her as we try to guide her through these years teaching her about wants and needs and discipline and charity and so on. Parenting is stinkin' hard! But I bet you already knew that, huh? Well, why didn't someone warn me, uh, like 14 years ago?