Hilltop Academy - Homeschool Blogger

I'm Leaving on Jet Plane.....

Thu, 28 May 2009 13:53:00 -0500

Well, not exactly...but I am moving my blog!

First of all, I am so, so sorry about dropping the ball here at Hilltop Academy without one syllable of an explanation. I never called. I never wrote. How pathetic.

I reached a point in caring for a new baby and trying to homeschool my other two that I just had no time for much else. Plus "American Idol" and "24" were in full swing, so I had to what TV three nights a week. Priorities, ya' know.

Over the past few weeks I feel I have finally fell into some sort of routine and could perhaps think about blogging again, but when I logged into this site, it felt kinda stale and worn out, and I began researching some other options for me.

And this....

www.thepiratemom.com

is what it's all come down to. I still have plenty of work to do before it's a completely functional site (and the very scary thing is that I have little to no idea what I'm doing...thankfully my hosting site is fairly user-friendly), but feel free to stop by and have a look around. I hope over the next week or so to actually get some content posted, and I would love to have some visitors!

So, make sure to change me on your RSS feeds (whatever those are) and your blog readers. I can't wait to touch base with all of you again!

Kellie Needs....

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:45:00 -0500

I am a mess. My last entry I go and tell you I want to create a bigger, better blog, and then I go more than a week without posting anything here. I'm sorry. Time just gets away from me nowadays between feedings and school and diaper changes and baseball tryouts and laundry and sleepless nights and ballet rehearsals and well, I think you see how it is.

In the meantime, I thought I'd post this funny little thing that I saw over on Ginny's blog. You type your name and the word 'needs' and do a google search. Then post the first ten sentences that come up. I thought this might be fun, but actually it was scary how well Google knows me and what I need....

1. Kellie needs more votes!

Oh Google! You're too late! I lost in that Funniest Blog category for the Homeschool Blog Awards months ago. Oh well...

2. Kellie needs a cheeseburger.

That's cruel, Google. You must know I just started Weight Watchers, and that cheeseburgers have about 523 points. I wouldn't be able to eat anything but cucumbers for days if I had a cheeseburger.

3. Kellie needs to stop doing stuff to her face.

Now Google, just what exactly do you mean? I wash my face. I put toner on my face. And I refuse to give up my mineral foundation. Leave me alone, Google.

4. Kellie needs a clue.

Oh, Google, you have NO idea!

5. Kellie needs to channel her inner Angelina.

Why just the other day I was thinking how badly I needed to go break up someone's marriage and then proceed to have and adopt four children with the guy in three different countries! Google, how did you know???

6. Kellie needs to sing country.

Yes, I do!!! I mean here I am in Nashville and all. I just need to slip a little twang into my voice and head on down to Music Row and get signed. Excellent, google! Just excellent!

7. Kellie needs a family that is patient.

Google, I tell them this everyday. I tell them I'm trying. I tell them that I'm trying to get back on my feet and scrub the toilets and scramble them eggs and things like that. Google, do you know what it's like having your third child who won't nap at age 36? Do they? *sob, sob,sob*

8. Kellie needs her own TV show.

I don't know, Google. Really? That might be a little much, especially if I'm going to sing country and adopt international children and all. I think I'll just focus on the bigger, better blog thing.

9. Kellie needs to go back to school.

Alright, Google, back off! I can't go back to school. I have no time! I have no resources! What?! Are you giving me a scholarship....and a nanny, Google? Are you? Huh? Huh?!

10. Kellie needs to get a grip and move on.

You are sooooo right, Google. Things got really out of hand there. Sorry. Moving on....

****Thanks to Kellie Pickler, former American Idol contestant, whose fame and noteriety provided all of my funny Google finds!***

Resolve

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 06:33:00 -0600

Resolve: 1. To make a firm decision about 2. To change or convert

People, I'm resolving.

I'm sort of on the fence about New Year's resolutions. Some years I'm all over them, making my list and checking it twice. Other years I avoid them like the plague, knowing I'm just setting myself up for failure...again.

This year New Year's came and went and I didn't bat my eye at one resolution. Of course, New Year's this year found me still trying to sleep whenever I had the chance and my house full of dusty furniture and dirty laundry. I was in survival mode...not resolution mode.

So, this year I'm making my resolutions today, on March 2. I don't know why. I just woke up yesterday and thought, "Ya' know what? I need to make some changes!" And since yesterday was Sunday, and it happened to snow four inches here, I decided to wait until today. Because you can't change your life on a snowy Sunday. Everyone knows that.

In the spirit of commraderie, I thought I'd share some of my resolutions with you so that you can pray for me and encourage me and laugh at me in a month and half when I've failed. Not really on that last one. I hope. Here we go...

1. Lose weight, be more healthy, exercise, drink more water, blah, blah, blah....

I know this one is cliche, but I have to add it. I do have to make these changes. I mean I just had my third child at age thirty-six, for Pete's sake! I'm a nursing mother, so I can't do anything extreme, but with Weight Watchers you can just give yourself 10 extra points a day (to be filled with extra milk and fruits and veggies....not a Krispy Kreme doughnut...darn). I also have to get in some exercise. Hopefully, with the weather warming up soon, I can start walking regularly, which is my favorite form of exercise. If not, then I figure that Jack will be walking in about ten months or so, and I'll just start my exercise then by chasing him everywhere.

2. Read more. Read better.

I probably read a bit more than the average person, being an English major and all, but I've fallen into some bad habits with reading. You know how on "American Idol" the judges are always telling the contestants that they picked the wrong song? Well, I've been picking the wrong books. I'll be half-way through a book, and think, "I really don't like this book. I think I'm wasting my life trying to finish this book." So then I'll quit reading it. I either need to commit to finish what I start (unless it really is just garbage), or research my book picks a little more, so that I know it's compatible with me. I think I need to make a reading list, and just stick to it.

I'm also including here that I need to be more in God's word. Period.

3. Be more organized. Get more accomplished.

*Sigh* This is another regular on my list. This, by the way, is more for me personally. While I do want my house to be clean and organized, there's only so much you can do when you have children that own probably a million Lego pieces and have no problem with stuffing dirty underwear under their beds.

For me, I need to use my time more wisely. Tonight, instead of just sitting in front of the TV and watching two hours of "24," I could also be working on my scrapbooking or thank-you notes or clipping coupons. Tomorrow night, instead of just sitting in front of the TV and watching two hours of "American Idol," I could also be working on my scrapbooking or thank you notes or clipping coupons. On Wednesday night, instead of....I think you get my drift.

4. Be more intentional with my relationships.

I could almost be a hermit, I think. I like to be at home, and I'm most comfortable with my family. To connect with others, I often have to leave my comfort zone. But I need to do this. Jesus told me to.

I told Big D that I want to start having a family over for dinner every other Friday night when it works with our schedule. This will be a great way to get to know our neighbors better, connect more deeply with our church family, and reach out to friends/acquaintances that are lost. Plus it will give me an excuse to make and eat a slice of cheesecake....as long as I have enough WW points for it, of course.

5. To create a bigger and better blog.

I have had some ideas and plans for my blog for some time that I just have not implemented. One reason is that I haven't had time. Another reason is that I really don't know how. Big D is committed to help me, but I have to be responsible for tapping that resource. I think soon I should be once and for all rid myself of my smiling coffee cup. You know the one that's been in the upper left corner of this blog for the past two and half years? Yeah, that's the one. It needs to be shot.

Well, that's about it folks. If I could get those things taken of, then I'd be just about perfect. Ummm, yeah right. Far from it, but I'd be on my way to being a better, more productive human being. I'd be a tad closer to the person that God created me to be. Pray for me, 'kay?

Why I Often Can't Remember His Name

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:45:00 -0600

Yes, it's sad and ridiculous...but very, very true. Sometimes I can't remember HIS name...

Isn't that awful? And tragic? And slightly retarded?

I've been so disturbed by this fact that it has caused a bit of reflection on my part in search for a REASON I can't remember my baby child's name. Here's what I've come up with so far....

1. I'm mildly retarded.

2. I'm sleep deprived.

3. He has too many nicknames.

Baby Jack, Jack-Jack, Cap'n Jack, Black Jack, Cracker Jack, Pepper Jack, Jack-in-the-Box...you name it. And the funny thing is, even with all these nicknames, do you know what I call him about 50% of the time? Two "names" actually....Baby and Bubba. One generic and one just plain hick. I guess I'm just a generic hick. A confused, indecisive generic hick.

4. I inherited a name-confusion gene from my late grandma.

My grandma, bless her heart, had a hard time with names...especially if she was agitated or frustrated. I was called, for most of my life by her, Linda-Debbie-Bonnie-Cindy-Jody-Kellie. If she couldn't remember your name, she just started going down the list until she came to the right one. That list, by the way, is half dog names....and one was a boy. I regularly call my baby some combination of Harrison-Damon-Jackson. I even have called him Annaleigh a couple of times, but I don't want to talk about that.

Even when Grandma got the first name right, she would sometimes falter on the middle name. After Harrison was born, she told two of her sisters on the phone that I had named our baby Harrison Ford. Thankfully, I or Indiana Mimi was close by and corrected her to Harrison Paul. The other day I made up a whole song with three verses and a bridge, all about Jackson Paul. When I was finished singing it to him, I looked up at Harrison who was sitting nearby listening. I asked him what he thought of my clever tune. "Oh, it's fine," he said smiling sweetly, "except his name is Jackson Henry." Oops.

Grandma, if you're allowed to read my blog from Heaven, please know that I totally understand now, and I'm sorry for teasing you about this. Forgive me.

5. It has not been decided exactly what we are officially going to call him.

OK...here's the deal. Up until about 3 or 4 weeks before his birth, his name was going to be William, but one day I just sat the family down and told them we had to come up with a new boy name, that William just wasn't right. Well, that was tough. I love the name Jack and brought it up again. Big D wasn't loving it. He likes longer names. We rolled around in a few more suggestions, and then we finally came to rest on Jackson. It was a good compromise. Well, fast-forward to the day he was born. We christened him Jackson Henry, which I think is the cutest, sweetest boy name in the world, and what does Big D do? He immediately starts calling him Baby Jack. Now, every time I go to call him by name I have a moment's hesitation when I'm not sure if Jackson or Jack is going to leave my lips. Mostly it's Jack...except when it's Baby or Bubba.

6. I'm either consuming too much or too little caffeine, and it's doing something funky to my brain cells.

I keep going back and forth and can't decide, so I think I'll go brew a pot of coffee and ponder it some more before I have to feed what's his name.

Home Schooled Kids Are NOT Weird, I Tell You...

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:44:00 -0600

...and I'm out once and for all to prove it. I'll use my own kids as specimens.

Here is my 12 year-old daughter. She goes to great lengths not to be weird. She tries very hard to fit in. She....

...umm...well....never mind. Forget you ever saw that photo.

I'll just use my 8 year-old son. He is certainly not weird. He prides himself on his practiced coolness. He always...

Uhh...oh my. Okay, two down, one to go. Moving on...

Alright now, Baby Jack, while not exactly in the throes of his education is certainly not weird. He hasn't even been present on this earth long enough to be weird. He's just a tiny baby, for goodness sake. Why, he...

I give up. I guess home schooled kids CAN be weird. Obviously, it is an inherited trait that begins at birth.

Tune in soon for my next exciting post on "Home Schooled Kids Are Always Nice, Well-Mannered and Love Their Siblings"!

Baby Photo Shoot

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 00:11:00 -0600

Since Big D is sort of an amateur photographer with a growing collection of equipment, including backdrops and such, there was NO WAY I was going to lug Jack to some over-priced studio for a photo shoot. Nope....we just set up a little make-shift studio in our loft one Sunday afternoon when the lighting was decent, and Big D just shot away.

There were a few things that we learned that day, however, about photographing infants. First of all, they cry a lot for no apparent reason other than the fact that you just lay them naked on a cold, white sheet....

They also will occasionally toss their cookies....

Then when their mother blindly throws the photographer daddy a burp cloth over the top of the white backdrop that's set up in their family room, this might happen...

Then there are some props that you'll try that just won't work and you hope will not be viewed by anyone who works for DSS...

After the crying fit and the bad prop, the mother then may spy a stray booger that needs removed...

But it's all worth it when you can finally get a shot that looks like this...

Whew...finally!

Our Political Pet

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:57:00 -0600

I normally do not get very political here on my blog. In fact, I believe the one and only time I ever mentioned my political views was on election day when I made a last minute conservative plea. Since that revelation of my political preferences, and things ultimately didn't go the way I wanted, I've been fine. I have just committed to trust God and pray for our new President. I've also encouraged my children to do the same.

But one of my children has a problem with this. This is that child....

For reasons that we don't entirely understand, Clara has fears and concerns about our new administration. What? Don't believe a dog can have these sorts of inclinations? Then watch this...

I tried to tell you. We own a very conservative dog. And no, we've never hit her with a newspaper....and we didn't teach her to do that.

Here's what she was responding to...

I don't know what Clara knows about hope, but it's pretty obvious she's chosen fear. Her remediation is high on my to do list.

Project 365

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:22:00 -0600

Some time in the month of December I received my scrapbooking magazine in the mail. One feature for this month was an article on something they called "Project 365." The idea is that you take a slice-of-life photo every day of the year and then scrapbook the whole shebang. They were even selling a kit for it. I thought I might try it....and then I laughed for a whole fifteen minutes about the scrapbooking part because I really hardly ever scrapbook anymore. Even though I have a whole corner of our family room dedicated to the hobby. Even though I still shop for and purchase the supplies for it. Even though I still receive and religiously read my magazine.

I shared my thoughts, and ultimately my dilemma, with Big D, and he loved the idea. He loved it so much that he created a special gallery for me on his photography website. Even though I do not take great professional looking pictures like he does. He's kinda nice to me that way.

So, since I'm going to all the trouble to take, edit and post a picture and brief commentary everyday, I thought I'd share it with you. Here's the link...

http://www.193945.smugmug.com/gallery/7073797_XqWiR

If you visit often, you will come to realize that my life is nothing but...

and a little bit of....

And, okay, a whole lotta...

I will probably get very redundant eventually with this project.

Big D is doing it too. Here's his link...

http://193945.smugmug.com/gallery/7144099_XFuA6

His pictures will make you oooohh and aaaahhh. Mine will not.

Enjoy and come visit whenever you can. I wish there was some way that I could make you a tall glass of ice tea or something.

2008: What a Year !

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:54:00 -0600

I've decided to do that thingy that I did last year. It's kind of a year-in-review for your blog. You post the first sentence from your first post for every month. Then you also post a random favorite photo from that month as well that may or may not have anything to do with the sentence you posted. And just for fun, I'm going to make the posted sentences linkable. That way when you read my random and ridiculous sentence you can actually click on it to get the post from which it came. Confused? Yeah, well, welcome to my life.

JANUARY

Can you endure one more Christmas tale?

FEBRUARY

I've always had this secret desire to write movie reviews.

MARCH

I am sorry to the rock band, Dire Straits, for borrowing and altering a line from one of your songs.

APRIL

Just when you think you might run out of good blogging material some day...

MAY

As summer approaches it finds me thinking more and more about movies.

JUNE

Before I get to this review, I just wanted to tell you all how much I've missed hanging around this site.

(I know that's a video and not a picture. I didn't have a lot of photos from June apparently.)

JULY

Every now and then I like to change things up around here.

AUGUST

I have made no secret on this blog that our family struggles with household chores.

SEPTEMBER

Here I am on the threshold of my last trimester, so I thought it would be a good time to fill you in on how things are going with me and Peanut.

OCTOBER

Whoa....it's been a week since I've blogged anything new.

NOVEMBER

This is my last Halloween post.

DECEMBER

I Am Not Dead......although I feel like it about 50% of the time.

(I actually didn't post that pic in Dec, but you're going to have to give me a break, as I only posted twice that whole month, so there wasn't much to choose from.)

Thanks all for bearing with me through all of last year...especially the latter part when I dropped off the face of the earth. I look forward to blogging through 2009 with you!

Jack and His Seahorse

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:33:00 -0600

Recently I posted some new pictures of Baby Jack on my Facebook account. One of the pictures was of Jack and one of his Christmas presents: a light-up, musical seahorse toy. A friend commented that my title for that picture sounded like it was a fairy tale, and after looking again at the same series of pictures, I've tried my hand at actually writing that fairy tale. You, my dear blogging friends, are about to have the pleasure...or otherwise...of reading it. Here we go....

Once upon a time, there was a little, tiny baby named Jack. He was pretty much friendless in the world, so his mommy bought him a seahorse.

"For me?" Jack asked.

"How exciting!" Jack exclaimed. "I've always wanted a seahorse!"

It was then, however, that Jack realized there was something very, very wrong with his seahorse friend. It was bigger than he was, and Jack was a little frightened.

Jack knew something had to be done. So Jack slowly crept up on the unsuspecting seahorse.

"Come here, little...er I mean gigantic...seahorse," Jack cooed. "Let's have a little chat."

"Just a little closer..." said Jack. And then he made his move to EAT the seahorse!

"No, no Jack!" cried his mommy. "You musn't eat the seahorse. The seahorse is your friend." Jack cried because ~~he really, really wanted to eat that seahorse~~ he was really, really sorry about his behavior towards his first friend.

And so Jack said sorry to the seahorse and kissed him on the cheek.

Jack and his seahorse lived happily ever after.

The End

And that my friends is why I just write a measly blog and am not a published author.