Mom's Mutterings - Homeschool Blogger

Moving, Moving, Moving

Sat, 23 May 2009 09:00:00 -0500

If you have stumbled across my blog or just haven't visited in a while, I have moved to a new blogging home: http://momsmutterings.blogspot.com.

I am slowly, beginning today, deleting this blog. I have already deleted 131 entries I had made.

I would love to have you come visit me at my new location. I'll still be talking about the same things: recipes, family, and more. Plus, periodically I'm hosting some cool new contests and giveaways.

If you are interested in advertising or have a product you would like me to review on my new blog, please contact me through my email address. I would love to work with you.

Hope to see you there!

Missing In Action because of Parenting

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:43:00 -0600

Perhaps some of you are wondering, "Why did Pam's week long blogging break turn into a month of no posts?" I was sure that when the excitement of the holidays was over it would be back to business as usual. I was feeling better from my recent medical problems and was excited about starting a new semester.

I noticed that my daughter was feeling bad for several weeks in November, but since she has asthma, I attributed her symptoms to that. No! She had a severe sinus infection. It was causing her blood pressure to skyrocket, dehydration, fainting spells, and other problems. She was very sick. We thought that after her two week dose of the strongest antibiotics available and a major diet change, she would be well.

Nope! Instead, she got worse. Back to the doctor we went. This time the doctor suggested because she had been on antibiotics so long (several times since September) that they are no longer working. Plus, her sinuses were so backed up that she is barely able to breath. Only a couple of pinhole size spaces are available for her to breath through. The doctor told her, "I don't see how you are still functioning." Her doctor recommends sinus surgery because something is wrong with her sinuses.

We are visiting an ENT tomorrow to find out what the verdict will be. Therefore, I have been missing blogging to "do mothering." I do miss everyone and hope I will be able to catch up soon!

On to more fun topics, my son received this gift (his favorite!) for Christmas.

My son says, "Nothing says love like a new weapon."

Check out Amy's site for other musings.

Now I Feel Old.....

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:08:00 -0600

The week before Christmas was my daughter's "Sweet 16" party. She only wanted to invite a few friends. Here's some pictures of her from the party. Notice how "cool" she is. (I think I really just dated myself with that term.)
She has written "birthday girl" on her hand, perhaps because she thinks we need help remembering who the birthday girl is????

How many times can one kid change clothes during the day?

Notice the glasses she's wearing indoors....

Here's everyone at the party.

Wow, sixteen!!!!! Where does the time go?

Join Amy to read more Mothering on Mondays or to join us.

Happy Sweet Sixteen!

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:26:00 -0600

Yesterday, my oldest child turned sixteen! She is very proud of her birthday present from her grandfather. (She got a magazine subscription and a pizza party for her and her friends from us.)

By state law, she can't test for her driver's license until the 28th of December--and only if she finishes an online state mandated driver's class. She was well on her way, but when our computer crashed it erased several of her hour and now she is having to make them up. Since she can't drive her car, she can sit in the car and pretend.

I wonder if my father realized that he was giving me gray hairs and worry lines when he gave her the car? Hmmm...... (I don't see her being allowed to drive by herself very much for a while.) Join Mary for more show and tells.

Party, Party, Party!

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:56:00 -0600

Every year our homeschool group hosts an annual Christmas party. This year the event coordinators decided to try something "new, exciting, and different." Hence we ended up at "Partyville," a giant room of inflatable toys to slide, bounce, and climb on. Later there was pizza and drinks. Everyone brought a gift to donate to the "forgotten children fund" instead of exchanging gifts.
It was a great time of food, fun, and fellowship. Of course, in the midst of actually getting to converse with adults, I only made one picture.

Join Amy for more Mondays on Mothering.

Tis the Season to be Rushed......

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:39:00 -0600

I love Christmas. What I don't enjoy is the rushed, hectic feelings I have during the month of December. I had planned a lovely Show and Tell post about our annual town celebration, "Christmas in the Streets." Instead my computer crashed (again!) with all my photos stored on it.
No problem, I thought, as I dragged my daughter's old computer into my room. I've been tagged by Kimalita, so I will just post that. Not that I have had a chance to get on the computer anyway. Here's my plans for the next two weeks:

1. This weekend-- niece's 12th birthday, host a Sunday School get together for 25, Children's play at church.

2. Next weekend-- daughter's 16th birthday party, Christmas contata at Church. I also need to finish Christmas shopping for my father, who told me this week he needs me to buy presents for him and get a bunch of required paperwork from the local school board for my daughter's driver license (a fairly new state policy, required even if you homeschool.)

Hopefully, I'll be posting and visiting (with a repaired computer!) soon.
In the meantime, for your reading enjoyment, , here's the Christmas tag.....2. Real or fake tree? Real. It’s a family tradition.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper & gift bags. Whichever is easier for me to stuff the gift into.

3. When do you put up your tree? Thanksgiving Day

4. When do you take your tree down? Christmas Evening or the day after.

5. Do you like egg nog? Yes

6. Favorite gift received as a child? a toy stove, sink, and fridge from Sears

7. Hardest person to buy for? My mother in law. She has everything she needs.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My husband. He tells me what he wants.

9. Do you have a Nativity set? Yes.

10. Christmas cards. Mail or e-mail? For the first time ever--neither.

11. Worst Christmas gift received? Stale candy

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Frosty the Snowman

13. When do you do your shopping? I begin in January and pick up gifts I think people would enjoy all year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate

16. Lights on the tree? Yes. I like white but the kids like colored, so we have both.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Breath of Heaven & My Grown Up Christmas List

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Travel to my in laws. They only live twenty minutes away.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? yes

20. Angel or star on the top of your tree? neither--Britt put a bow on top of the tree this year.

21. Open presents Christmas eve or morning? We open presents from my dad on Christmas Eve, from our immediate family on Christmas morning

22. The most annoying thing about this time of the year? To many activities crammed into to little time

23. Favorite ornament, theme or color? My favorite ornament is a lennox ornament I had really wanted that my aunt bought me before she died of cancer.

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Forget the dinner, skip right to the desserts

25. Favorite decorations? Anything handmade by my kids

26. What do you want for Christmas this year? for my husband to find a new job

I am supposed to tag several people, but I know everyone is busy right now. If you want to do the tag, great! Let me know so I can come by and check it out.

Falling Apart at Forty

Sun, 7 Dec 2008 14:32:00 -0600

Many book bloggers last week were touring the book, "Flirting with Forty." I, on the other hand, never flirted with forty, just ran into it full steam ahead.
On my visit to the doctor last Monday, he found that my blood pressure had risen dramatically, much higher than its ever been before. If it's not down in two weeks, I get to discuss a "treatment program."
My hubby's helpful advice? "We're just at that age when stuff like that is going to start happening to us, Pam." I am still awaiting my other test results to see what could be causing my problems, but I believe blood pressure has been a big factor.

I am sure you are wondering, "How does that relate to mothering?" Because I feel unwell, I am not able to do as many fun things (or boring, educational adventure, depending on who you ask), with my kids.
However, we did get to visit with some of the animals at the Christmas tree farm.
Here's Ash feeding a lamb...... Brit refused to feed it because she wanted to look for a tree.

I "asked" the kids to accompany me through the barn. We saw some strange looking chickens. I don't have any idea what kind they are.
a cute pot bellied pig...
and a very thankful turkey....

Many of the animals were wandering around outside. Of course the kids were much more interested in a tree than animals, but when an educational opportunity presents itself, I can't resist.

Join Amy for more or to join us.

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 12:29:00 -0600

Every year our family drives to the local Christmas tree farm to choose a tree. First, the kids have to stop for the family photo which I make every year. There is much complaining that they would rather be hunting for a tree.

The kids wander around the five acre farm "discussing" the perfect tree for our home. When everyone agrees, the hard work begins. One of the kids has to saw down the tree while the other supervises.

One of the kids holds the tree steady, so it won't fall on the ground when it's been cut.....
Finally, we take the tree down the hill to be taken home. Just like a Norman Rockwell painting (if he had lots of complaints during the day)...
We even have a tree stump to do various science experiments with, proving once again that I can ruin any trip for my children by finding something educational to do in the future.

Join our hostess, Mary for other fun show and tells.

Kids and Thanksgiving

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 11:51:00 -0600

On Thanksgiving our entire family meets at our home for dinner. After lunch the adults gather around to talk leaving the kids to their own devices. What do they choose to do?

For my fifteen year old daughter and my sixteen year old niece, the lure of the computer and the chance for "girl talk" is to much to resist.

For my eleven year old son and eleven year old niece, the simpler pleasures still call to them.
First, bury one of the kids in a pile of leaves....
and wait for him to come out.
or continue to dig in the huge hole, wondering what you will find....

Finally, the kids have to stand around for the obligatory photos made by mom and Aunt Kim, who always say, "Stand close together like you all get along. hee hee!" Which results in photos like this:

Nope, stand closer....
Perfect.....

Now, it's back to the fun stuff! Visit Amy to read more Mondays on Mothering posts or to join us!

Our Thanksgiving Craft

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:45:00 -0600

I had an interesting "Mothering on Monday" planned. My daughter has been learning about hydroponics. She has grown some plants and Sunday she got a chance to help sell hydroponic, organic lettuce at the Chattanooga farmers market. She made all kinds of interesting photos that are not downloaded to my computer. I guess this is a preview attraction of a future post.

Instead, I will focus on Thanksgiving.

On Thursday, our entire family comes to our house. This means I need to be cleaning the house and beginning the long list of items to cook. Instead, I will procrastinate and post a picture of the fun project that my son made. First, he cut out a turkey and painted it. Then he cut out bits of paper and glued them onto the turkey. The finished project looked like this:

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!