Surviving The Testosterone - Homeschool Blogger

My new home.....

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:52:00 -0600

For my blog that is. I've decided to try Blogger for a while and see how it goes. If you get a chance, check out my new one at http://survivingthetestosterone.blogspot.com/. I hope to see you there!

Amanda

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:33:00 -0600

Picture posted with permission by http://jackiehollowayphotography.com/blog/ Isn't she awesome??? I met her the year we started homeschooling.

Well, duh!

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:11:00 -0600

Darwin's Birthday Poll: Fewer Than 4 in 10 Believe in Evolution

Thursday , February 12, 2009

A new poll released just in time for Charles Darwin's 200th birthday found only 39 percent of Americans say they "believe in the theory of evolution" and just 24 percent of those who attend church weekly believe in the explanation for the origin of life.

The Gallup survey, released Wednesday, found a quarter of those polled do not believe in evolution, and 36 percent say they don't have an opinion either way.

The poll of 1,018 American adults, found strong ties between education level and belief in the theory.

"Among those with high-school educations or less who have an opinion on Darwin's theory, more say they do not believe in evolution than say they believe in it," Gallup found. "For all other groups, and in particular those who have at least a college degree, belief is significantly higher than nonbelief."

Just 21 percent of respondents who had up to a high school level of education believe in evolution, compared with 74 percent of those with postgraduate degrees.

Frank Newport, Gallup's editor in chief said, attitudes were shaped to an even greater degree by religion.

"Previous Gallup research shows that the rate of church attendance is fairly constant across educational groups, suggesting that this relationship is not owing to an underlying educational difference but instead reflects a direct influence of religious beliefs on belief in evolution," he said.

Among weekly churchgoers, only 24 percent said they believe in evolution, while 41 percent do not and 35 percent have no opinion.

Inversely, 55 percent of those who seldom or never attend church expressed belief in evolution, while 11 percent do not, and 34 percent have no opinion.

It's well known that Charles Darwin's groundbreaking theory of evolution made many people furious because it contradicted the Biblical view of creation.

• Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Evolution & Paleontology Center.

But few know that it also created problems for Darwin at home with his deeply religious wife, Emma.

Darwin held back the book to avoid offending his wife, said Ruth Padel, the naturalist's great-great-granddaughter.

"She said he seemed to be putting God further and further off," Padel said in her north London home. "But they talked it through, and she said, 'Don't change any of your ideas for fear of hurting me.'"

The 1859 publication of "On the Origin of Species" changed scientific thought forever — and generated opposition that continues to this day.

It is this elegant explanation of how species evolve through natural selection that makes Darwin's 200th birthday on Feb. 12 such a major event.

More than 300 birthday celebrations are planned in Britain alone, where Darwin's face graces the 10-pound bill along with that of Queen Elizabeth II.

Shrewsbury, the central England town where Darwin was born and raised, is holding a monthlong festival for its most famous son. And a permanent exhibition re-creating some of his most famous experiments is opening at Down House, his former home near London.

Many more events are planned worldwide, including the Second World Summit on evolution in the Galapagos islands in August. In Australia, the Perth Mint is putting out a special commemorative silver coin.

Even Darwin's ideological adversaries concede that he was a towering figure.

"He was clearly extremely important, his thinking changed the world," said Paul Taylor, a spokesman for Answers in Genesis, a prominent group that rejects Darwin's theory of evolution in favor of a literal interpretation of the Bible. "We disagree with his conclusions, with the way he made extrapolations, but he was a very careful observer and we've got a lot to be grateful for."

Bob Bloomfield, special projects director at London's Museum of Natural History, said Darwin was cautious not only because he didn't want to offend his wife, but also because he understood that the concept of man's evolution from other animals was controversial.

He didn't want to present it simply as a hypothesis, but as an explanation buttressed by many observations and facts.

"He knew he had to make an absolutely iron-cast case for his theory," Bloomfield said. "He was one of the earliest true scientists where everything he was prepared to write about had to be based on evidence."

Darwin's small, handwritten diaries are on display at a major exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, as well as thousands of specimens he collected.

Some came from his fabled five-year trip to South America aboard the Beagle, when he visited the remote Galapagos Islands and saw how some species had adapted to its strange, demanding environment.

The diaries offer insights into Darwin's meticulous, analytical approach. He even lists the pros and cons of getting married.

The advantages? A wife would be a constant companion, a friend in old age, and fill the house with music and feminine chitchat.

The cons? Losing the freedom to come and go as he pleased and to read as much as he wanted at night. Visiting relatives. And he would have to spend money on children, not books.

After much deliberation, Darwin renounced the single life: "One cannot live this solitary life, with groggy old age, friendless & cold, & childless staring one in ones face, already beginning to wrinkle," he concluded.

It is in the diaries that Darwin's personality best comes through, said Padel, one of 72 great-great-grandchildren.

"That's where his real life was," said Padel, an acclaimed poet. "He had the most amazing sense of wonder. He was always thinking, 'How does that work?' And that led him to everything."

Once he married, Darwin turned his family into willing research assistants. He enlisted his wife to play piano to a jar of earthworms placed on the piano lid to see if they would respond to music (they didn't).

Stephen Keynes, a great-grandson, said Darwin also enlisted his children to throw flour on bees so the path of their flight could be followed. There are no reports of any of the children being stung.

"He was the most wonderful father, ever," said Keynes, 81. "He allowed his children access to his study where he was working at any time."

Darwin was also an innovator at home. He put wheels on the chair in his study so he could get to his specimens more quickly — and, bingo, the modern office chair was invented.

His passion to understand nature's unseen workings made him a frequent visitor to the London Zoo, where he made friends with an orangutan called Jenny.

He offered Jenny a mouth organ and showed her her reflection in the mirror. He also noted that when her keeper would not give her an apple, she pouted and sulked like a child.

These seemingly trivial observations helped Darwin develop his theory that man evolved from primates.

"He was very interested in the expressions of animals and in particular primates and how similar they could be to humans," said Becky Coe, an education director at the zoo, which is setting up a temporary "Darwin Trail" using animals to help explain evolution.

Coe said Darwin went back to the zoo time and time again to make sure he had physical evidence for every aspect of his theory.

Darwin's inquisitiveness outlasted his physical vigor.

"Late in life when he was quite ill, he would look at plants curling up at the window, bending to the light, and he would wonder, 'How do they do that?'" said Padel. "He was constantly thinking of relationships and that led him to understand natural selection. He realized that every population is in competition with every other. He realized that is how species adapt, because they are always competing for light, water and food."

What would he be doing if he were alive today?

Padel thinks he would probably be studying DNA and the immune system. And she thinks the great scribbler would be online much of the time.

"He'd be a demon at e-mail," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Count Your Blessings

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 02:05:00 -0600

Count Your Blessings
Author Unknown

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Count on God instead of yourself.

Today is Ethan's birthday!

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 20:58:00 -0600

This was from 6 years ago

This is from December.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN!!!!!

New Year = new things

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:09:00 -0600

It's only mid-January and there have already been lots of changes at the Mosley Institution of Higher Learning. For one, I think sometime in the next week or so I'm going to switch to blogger. I've gotten some really good tips from people already using it so I may try it for a while.

The other major change is in December my middle ds (Ethan, 5) was evaluated for OCD. Our family doctor agreed there were some issues with Ethan that were beyond his expertise so he sent us to a specialist. Come to find out, it's not OCD but actually it's Aspergers. This doctor said that his behaviors were more repetitive than obsessive plus a whole other list of things I won't get into right now. Unfortunately, we've been down this road before.......

Our oldest was evaluated when he was 4 and we were told that he has some Asperger tendencies along with some anxiety issues. Never a dull moment in our house. So now, I'm trying to revamp our homeschool schedule and/or curriculum to better fit their needs. If you have any experience with teaching an Aspie or have any advice, feel free to leave me a comment or email me.

Also, since I now have at least one child on the autism spectrum, Mike and I decided to stop Aden's vaccinations at least for now. The thought of getting his 1 year immunizations literally makes me ill. I can't bear the thought. I've known too many parents who had neuro-typical children until they received the MMR vaccine and maybe some others. I even tried spacing Aden's shots out where he only got one at a time and they were spaced at least 2 weeks apart, but my heart wasn't really in that either. Since we homeschool we won't need a shot record for school or anything (thank goodness), but I'm sure I'll end up battling it out with well-meaning family and friends. Of course, some of those are the same ones that give me a hard time about homeschooling. LOL

Anyway, that's the latest news for us. We're getting back into our school routine which has been better for all of us. I hope this semester is a good one for you. Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment so I'll know you were here.

Hugs,

Amanda

Maybe a new blog

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 20:02:00 -0600

I'm thinking about switching to blogspot and I was just wondering about your experience with it. Someone told me it's much easier to add photos, etc. Whatcha think?

Hugs,

Amanda

Learning to walk is hard to do

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 10:51:00 -0600

Poor little Chunky Monkey got this shiner the other day. He had pulled up to the TV stand in our living room and was trying to get turned around when he fell and caught the corner of the stand. We're thinking about putting him in a helmet and some bubble wrap until he's at least 3.

In the meantime, I hope everyone had a Happy New Year. Guess what I got to do to ring in the new year???........I got to meet Marsha!!!!! (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/drewsfamilytx/) We have a mutual friend (Hi Leslie!) in my local homeschool group. She's every bit as sweet as I had guessed and I had a ball talking to her for a couple of hours. My only regret is that I didn't get to meet her boys but hopefully we can do that sometime.

Now I'm off to REALLY clean my house (why does it always get trashed over the holidays?) and get ready to start school next week.

Hugs,

Amanda

Happy New Year!

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 23:17:00 -0600

Merry CHRISTmas!

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:21:00 -0600

Cookie Disclaimer

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:37:00 -0600

I got this in an email today and it just cracked me up! Having worked for an attorney, I really enjoyed it. :)

CHRISTMAS COOKIE LIABILITY and INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

Santa Claus, AKA Kris Kringle, AKA Jolly Old St. Nick (hereinafter referred to as "Santa") acknowledges receipt of Christmas cookies from ______________________ (hereinafter referred to as "Baker").

Santa acknowledges and understands that no warranty, either expressed or implied, is made by Baker as to the nutritional content of cookies. This document is offered to duly warn Santa that dangerous conditions, risks, and hazards may result from over-consumption of cookies. Santa is hereby informed that cookies may contain any of the following: calories, carbohydrates, sodium (salt), fat, saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat, nuts, sugar, caffeine, and good cheer. Santa acknowledges that eating way too many cookies may incur risks including, but not limited to, satiation, indigestion, heart burn, dizziness, laziness, heart disease, holiday spirit, "food coma," and "that bloated feeling."

As consideration for accepting Baker's cookies, Santa indemnifies Baker from all liability for injury or other harm (including obesity) which may be caused, in whole or in part, by said "too many" cookies. Santa agrees that neither he, nor his heirs or personal representatives will sue Baker for any injury suffered, in whole or in part, as a consequence of binging on cookies. Santa assumes full responsibility and will indemnify Baker for any damages in the event that he transfers cookies to any third party (including, but not limited to, potential claimants Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, Mrs. Claus, and various elves).

This indemnification includes an agreement not to haul Baker into court on the basis of:

Failure to provide nutrition information and a list of ingredients (the "Grandma's secret recipe" clause);
Failure to caution of the potential for overeating because cookies taste too good and are provided at no cost;
Failure to advise that walking, biking, and jogging will shed pounds, but riding around on a sleigh will not;
Failure to warn that Christmas lights, lawn ornaments (plastic reindeer, snowmen, etc.) and other holiday decorations may constitute manipulative marketing to lure Santa into over-consumption.
Failure to offer "healthier" cookie alternatives (e.g., tofu bars);
Failure to counsel that cookies may be habit-forming and/or irresistible; and
Failure to notify that eating way too many cookies may lead to even greater levels of obesity for St. Nick (the "Sanity Clause").

SANTA HAS READ THIS DOCUMENT AND UNDERSTANDS IT. SANTA IS SIGNING IT FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY.

SANTA: ___________________________

DATE: __________________

99 Things on the Wall Meme

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:56:00 -0600

99 Things on the Wall Meme

The things I've done are in bold. Let me know if you play along!

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - from Romania to Hungary
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - both
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (I used to work for an attorney, so I was involved in a lot of them LOL)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Holiday Advice

Tue, 9 Dec 2008 11:42:00 -0600

As the holidays begin, I wanted to pass these tips along to you. Enjoy the spirit of the festivities.

1.   Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately.   Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly.   It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. if something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. as for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7.. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies or pralines in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three.   When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in   sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Have a great holiday season

A CHRISTmas poem

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 08:25:00 -0600

I received this from my Homeschool with Humor email group and thought I'd share it. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! I was one of those crazy shoppers out bright and early on Friday morning, but I've gotten 90% of my shopping done and about half of it wrapped and under the tree already. If you would, just pray for my patience while I try to keep Aden from destroying the CHRISTmas tree. LOL

Hugs,

Amanda

'Twas the month before Christmas when all through our land, Not a Christian was praying nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a " Holiday ".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets are hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "DreamTree"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !

Husband Tag

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:16:00 -0600

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Football (Go Cowboys!)

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch or Thousand Island .

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Okra

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? a beer

5. Where did he go to high school? Greenville H.S. in Greenville, MS

6. What size shoe does he wear? 10.5

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Computer stuff (and I'm sure that's the technical term for it LOL). He repairs them as a side job.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Turkey and Cheese with mayo and mustard

9. What would he eat every day if he could? Meatloaf or my meatball sub sandwiches

10. What is his favorite cereal? Frosted Flakes

11. What would he never wear? a thong LOL

12. What is his favorite sports team? Dallas Cowboys although I have converted him into a St. Louis Cardinals fan too.

13. Who did he vote for? McCain

14. Who is his best friend? ME.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Put off doing laundry until he's completely out of underwear.

16. How many states has he lived in? 2 I think

17. What is his heritage? He's a mutt like me

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? He's not picky about cakes. He likes just about anything sweet. (He married me didn't he??? LOL)

19. Did he play sports in high school? No

20. What could he spend hours doing? Playing the Wii or building a computer

21. What's something cool about him? He's an awesome daddy and a great husband. Bless his heart, the coolest thing about him is he puts up with me.

Be sure and leave me a comment if you decide to use this tag too! It's fun.

Boys will be boys

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:58:00 -0600

Today had yet another one of those proud mommy moments that only the moms of boys will understand. I take that back. You would probably also understand if you spent a lot of time around boys or grew up with a big brother like I did.

Anyway..........

I was changing Aden's diaper and he was rubbing his little hiney where the diaper was a little too snug around his legs or something. Ethan was standing beside us waiting to throw the diaper away for me (the older boys take turns) when he saw what Aden was doing. As only a proud big brother could say, Ethan turned to Trevor and said, "Awwwww, Aden learned to scratch himself." What a rite of passage, huh?

Amanda

Wordless Wednesday - Sort of.......

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:10:00 -0600

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MR. CHUNKY MONKEY!! I can't believe it's been a year already.

Then:

Now :

Happy Halloween a day late

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 16:36:00 -0500

Trevor and Ethan decided to wear their football uniforms that Santa brought this past Christmas. Aden was the football. LOL Don't worry. I made the boys promise not to throw their little brother around for any touchdown passes. :)

Redistribution of Wealth

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:03:00 -0500

Ok, I tried REALLY had not to make a political post on here but I did it anyway. Thanks to Rhonda for emailing this to me today. Don't forget to vote no matter what your political views may be.

Hugs,

Amanda

Redistribution of wealth

Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign the read "Vote
Obama, I need the money." I laughed.

Once in the restaurant my server had on a "Obama 08" tie, again I
laughed--just imagine the coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him
that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood
there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his
tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. The
server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server
inside as I have decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was
very grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized
the homeless guy was certainly grateful for the money he did not earn, and
the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he worked for and
rightly deserved.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept
rather than in practical application.

Very interesting information

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:47:00 -0500

Check out JoJo's blog for some interesting information on one of our presidential candidates.

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/CommunicationFUNdamentals/600311/

Hugs,

Amanda