Recreational Scholar

Details from the nightstands

2011-12-22T05:24:00.000-08:00

First off, all the books mentioned in the previous post have been purchased by me or borrowed from our library. No free reviews copies for me. I only have time to write about the books I read this week. I want to give the Boxcar Children their own post.
Locked On by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney was one of the books I bought with my birthday amazon card. I would have had to wait months to get it from our library and I'm not big on delayed gratification when we are on a break from school. I did weigh the fact that I was purchasing a $15 book that I would read (inhale) within 2 days. I'm not sure what that comes out to on a hourly entertainment rate, but it's not much. I'm mostly greedy about my shelf space and if I don't know that I'll love the book I usually wait and get it from the library first. This book falls in with some of the new Maeve Binchy books. I'm excited to see old characters return, because I'm one of those people who always continue the story in my head after reading the book. Let's just say that I am probably not the target audience for this type of book. I'm not sure why I started reading Clancy, but I've read almost every book he has published. It's like watching my boys play COD, but I know the background of each of the shooters.I admit that although I do know what a flash bang is and the science behind them, I thought the war scenes didn't sound like Clancy in Hunt for Red October/ anything he wrote alone. I ended up just skimming through several pages of what seemed to be forced, show-offy (is that a word?) military details. John Clark, Ding and the Ryan's are all back with their Secret Service detail and all the same people over at the CIA. Edward Kealty seems like Teddy Kennedy with the politics of Obama. I was anticipating a good visit with my insider friends over in Washington and I wasn't let down in that regard. I thought the plot dragged a little in the military detailing this time. The thing that left me feeling all "meh" was the cliffhanger ending. A lot of Clancy stories have continued into the next novel.I think he jumped the shark. He couldn't have been worried about getting another contract for another book. It's like being at the movies where the supposedly dead killer opens his eyes during the last camera shot and everyone practically yells out, "sequel"

In Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, Bryan Sykes, professor of genetics at Oxford, describes his research and conclusions on the Genetic Atlas of Britain project. I was hoping for more imagined descriptions like he put in his previous book, The seven daughters of Eve. Basically, this book gives a excellent description of how DNA can be traced back far enough that the label"Celt" doesn't really apply to anyone who claims to be from the UK or Ireland. It did lead me on a rabbit trail over to National Geographic where I am thinking how cool it would be to participate in this.

On the nightstands

2011-12-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

In an effort to step up posting more than once in a blue moon; I offer this post on what we are reading this week. It's a another birthday week at our house as well as a big week with the construction project. We'll have clean laundry for Christmas if we can keep the momentum going. Anyway, here you go:
Saxons,Vikings and Celts - me
The Small War of Sergeant Donkey- read aloud
The Yellow House Mystery- read aloud
Mystery of the Roman Ransom- Mary (technically on her history list for school)
The Lady in Blue- me
Locked On- me (remind me to complain about the cliffhanger ending)

I'm going to try and write up my thoughts on a few of these tomorrow after we build some marshmallow structures and see if they are earthquake proof. BTW, I don't get any sort of kickback from amazon. In the great state of Illinois we are exempt from their rewards programs. It's just easy to link to them.

This is actually my cake from last month. We saw the idea on pinterest and I talked it up enough so the kids made it for me. We also had soda. It was a sugar fest.

Garrett's 18th Birthday

2011-11-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

Notice his smile is actually just as big for the candy as it was for the cash. :)
Happy Birthday!

Musical Doodle......

2011-11-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

R-R-R Round and round the record spins all day.

Listen again, it takes you far away.

Trying to stop it is futile

So just listen now to my musical doodle!

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo

Listen again to the Musical doodle!

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo

Doo-doo-doo-doo.

Musical Doodle

This is what was in my head during school, while picking up insulation that blew into the yard, and at our scout meeting this afternoon. Tomorrow my goal will be to simply listen to another song that will drive this one away. Far away.

Sonlight- it's like a tractor beam pulling me to the mother ship

2011-11-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

As usual, we are flying through our planned curriculum.
I say "as usual" because this happens almost every year. Even the years like this one where we should be distracted enough to not get so far ahead. But, we seem to be unable to obey the schedule provided to us. This year we only have 2 students at the academy and apparently they are running at lightning speed.

I will admit that we'll be turning the Sonlight schedule on its side so that we read a lot of one book each day. Still, we settled into the couch with a contented sigh and read 60 pages of the boxcar children on day 1. I am thrilled to finish up core A with our youngest. We had started a year ago and ended up putting it aside until we could sit through chapter books. Mission accomplished. This is my third go round with Core G and I am looking forward to all that entails. It is my first time reading those books with a girl. I'm wondering if I can con her into sword fighting like I did with my older boys? :)

Random web wanderings

2011-09-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

One winter hat off my shopping list. I especially like the double rainbow ribbons.

Trying to get Chorepad set up on multiple ipods. Hopefully, we'll get the chores under control. I sooo hate begging for someone (anyone) to empty the garbage.

Toy Soldiers on xbox 360. A WW1 themed toy soldier strategy game. This game reminded me that never once during my school time did we ever get as far as WW1. Or maybe we skipped it, cause we did read about WW2? Hmmm. Anyway we are having fun and when you win the game throws out period type sayings. History and gaming? Me likey.

I am seriously thinking of stealing this idea and using it upstairs.... Narnia in real life?

We are planning yet another weekend of home repair. Hopefully, the rain will hold off long enough for us to finish a big outdoor project.

September 22- The Anniversary of Lost and....

2011-09-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/09/happy-hobbit-day-seven-geeky-ways-to-celebrate-frodo-and-bilbos-birthday-with-your-kids/

We'll be having Chicken Pot Pie for dinner and mushroom pizza for lunch. I'm planning some map making activities as well. Second breakfast is a given.....

Resurrecting the blog

2011-09-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

{Pretty}

My Mary when she was 2. Notice Grandad lurking in the background.

{Happy}

Still happy and pretty-now she's a young lady of 12, who does her studying in a cloak.

{Funny}

Declan and coconut play their math game together. All these pictures fall under {Real} due to our remodel mess.

{ Real}

The school table during school. We've got one girl's lit assignment, a golden cloak (formal wear), salt left out from lunch, a fireman's flashlight needing batteries, scissors, pens, ipod cord, and coconut the stuffed cat who already knows how to read.

The dog days of Summer

2011-06-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

Finished our Terra Nova test today

2011-06-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

100 points to Gryffindor!

Watching The Mummy

2011-06-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Evelyn: Look, I... I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am.
Rick: And what is that?
Evelyn: I... am a librarian.

This will be me if I'm not careful

2011-05-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

My nemesis introduced me to Stabucks this weekend. It was a convenient meeting point to pick up my daughter. I didn't know how to order- but the drink I got was terrific. Now I see how the whole daily coffee thing works. I started thinking about how if I had one everyday I'd get sooo much done. Ah, the beginnings of addiction. Must resist.

Book list from Abebooks

2011-05-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.abebooks.com/books/children-reading-lists-parents-teachers/50-books-children.shtml

Books every 11 year old (give or take a couple years) should read. Not only do I agree with this list I wish I owned all the books with their cool old hardback covers.

Britain, that most bookish of countries, has seen some heated debate this year about how many books children should be reading. Education Secretary Michael Gove believes an 11-year-old should read 50 books a year.
Some folks agreed, others said it was too many, some people said the number did not matter as long as kids read and others said this statement made no sense while many of Britain’s public libraries are being threatened with closure.

I am trying to resist clicking on all the covers of books on this list that we don't own yet. If you haven't read these get yourself to the library most of the books listed are excellent for all ages.

Tuesday Pix

2011-05-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

We call this M&M Monday.

This is just fun.

Another reason to thank our revolutionary forefathers

2011-05-18T03:44:00.000-07:00

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c473c282-75f3-11e0-82c6-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1MeD2yvf7

Elite British education is not as rigorous as I had imagined.

You arrive at Oxbridge knowing little. After all, you probably did school exams in just three subjects. At university, you only study one. Often it’s English literature or history or Latin and Greek – the sort of subjects that have parents in other countries asking anxiously: “But what use will that be later?”
Nor is workaholic study encouraged. A South African relative of mine started his first “supervision” at Cambridge by confessing that he hadn’t read every single book on the reading list. “Good God,” said his supervisor, “nor have I. I put them down hoping that you’d look at a couple, and tell me what they said.”

Annual Mandatory Curriculum Post

2011-05-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

For those not in the know we follow a Highlands Latin School approach using most of the materials offered by Memoria Press.

Here is the line up for 2011-2012:

7th grade

Latin: First Form
Singapore Math
The Trojan War
Anne of Green Gables
Treasure Island
The Hobbit
Literature Study Guides
Voyages in English 7
Famous Men of Greece Set
Horatius at the Bridge
The Bronze Bow
Bronze Bow Study Guides
Christian Studies IV
Guerber American History
Everything You Need to Know About American History
200 Questions About American History and Key
Exploring the World of Biology
The Tree Book

Kindergarten

OPGTR
Singapore Math
Memoria Press K

Things that make you go hmmm

2011-05-12T05:42:00.000-07:00

Library check out pile

2011-05-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

Almost all the Sir Cumference books from the northern library loan system sit on the shelf here this week. We're on a bit of a medieval math kick.

I'm on a Sarah Vowell kick myself. History with the funny bits.

How we missed this book is a mystery to me. If I'd had it with a certain older boy he'd have probably liked grammar. Mary doesn't like the vampire stuff (Twilight is not how we roll) But, I'm picking and choosing out of it to reinforce our Voyages In English. How's that for a paradox?

We usually try to switch things up in the Summer term so I checked this out to gauge the interest level. I thought we'd maybe have a Robin Hood summer. We'd have the BBC version to watch on those hot hot days. Plus we could build a trebuchet!

Read our minds

2011-05-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ikea Manuals for props from science fiction movies - Boing Boing

2011-05-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Ikea Manuals for props from science fiction movies - Boing Boing

If you know me IRL you know of my love and allegiance to all things ikea. Now my online imaginary friends know too.

Guess what I'm getting for Mothers Day?

2011-05-05T05:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.geekmom.com/2011/05/unfamiliar-fishes-covers-new-terrain-with-signature-style/

The picture takes you to amazon but I get no kickback due to the fact that I live in the state of Idiocracy (Illinois)

Librarians

2011-05-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

After about a year of frequent visits we have won over our librarians. It's a good feeling. Contented. The library is one of the first places we found are way to in our new area. We mostly use inter library loan so we are at the main desk quite a lot. The youngish librarians were easy as soon as we had exceeded the book lending limit a couple times they knew us. The older ones were more of a challenge. I think it was borrowing some Vision books on the Saints that worked with one. Now she has a smile and a bookmark for my youngest each week. Now I am really starting to feel like we actually live here. There is no really no point or cute story- just thought my fellow autodidacts would understand.

Friday Bookshelf

2011-03-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

Random selections from our library check out list:

13 American Artists Children should know Finger, Brad (Book - 2010)

The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back.

The Apostles:The Origins of the Church and Their Co-workers

Benedict (Book - 2007)

Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse

Socksquatch

Tiny Desert Home

2011-03-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/garden/10texas.html?_r=1

IN October 2007, Mr. Wells bought this land — a 40-acre parcel — for $8,000 in cash, adding a 20-acre tract for $5,000 a year and a half later. It took nine days and $1,600 to build the shell of his one-room house, the first structure in a compound that now includes four shipping containers under a soaring arched roof planted on a lacy framework of metal trusses, all of which he made himself. He gave it all a fancy moniker, the Southwest Texas Alternative Energy and Sustainable Living Field Laboratory, but you can call it the Field Lab for short.

How to teach like Gandalf

2011-01-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.nicksenger.com/csc/how-to-teach-like-gandalf

Every hero journey has a mentor; wise teachers like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Dumbledore guide and aid the hero as he or she sets out on a quest of self-discovery and maturity. Your classroom is the proving ground for two dozen or so heroes each year–heroes who are on a journey every bit as important as Frodo’s in The Lord of the Rings. Your students are on a quest to discover their talents and gifts, and to learn how to place them at the service of Christ in order to do their part in bringing about the Kingdom of God. And just as Frodo had Gandalf to guide and mentor him, you are asked to guide and mentor your students. What can we learn from Gandalf’s example?

US approves genetically grown food

2011-01-29T19:53:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/business/28alfalfa.html?_r=4&adxnnl=1&src=twr&adxnnlx=1296162037-4bw0bigy71SXGFC+nltNvw

Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety, the advocacy group that organized the lawsuit against the Agriculture Department, said his group would soon ask the judge in the case to rule that the environmental impact statement was still inadequate.
“It’s clear that Vilsack caved to pressure from the biotech industry and Monsanto,” he said. “We’ll be back in court seeking to vacate this approval, as we have done in the past.”

Yes, it's very clear to most of us. I have no confidence in the USDA at all.

InsideCatholic.com | Satan: A Tapeworm | Feature | Articles

2011-01-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

InsideCatholic.com | Satan: A Tapeworm | Feature | Articles

The best description I've ever read:

The Catholic faith is neither. In fact, like really authentic Mexican food (think habeneros and fried crickets), it is at once both pungent and offensive. It offends me all the time, with the outrageous demands it makes of my fallen nature and the sheer weirdness of its claims. It asserts that, behind the veil of day-to-day schlepping, of work and laundry and television and microwaved burritos, we live on the front lines of a savage spiritual war waged by invisible entities (deathless malevolent demons and benevolent dead saints) whose winners will enjoy eternal happiness with a resurrected rabbi, and whose losers will writhe forever in unquenchable fire. Sometimes I step back and find myself saying in Jerry Seinfeld's voice: What's with all the craziness? Why can't I just enjoy my soup?

The Church's heroes, seen from a worldly point of view, are a pack of self-destructive zealots who embark on crackpot projects like lifelong celibacy, voluntary poverty, and (worst of all) obedience; who leave perfectly serviceable chateaus in France to go preach the Beatitudes to scalp-collecting Indians in freezing Canada; who volunteer to sneak into Stalin's Russia precisely because he has imprisoned so many priests, then spend decades saying secret Masses in labor camps; who open up pro-life pregnancy centers in crappy neighborhoods so they can talk welfare queens into having still more babies we'll have to pay for . . .

Dying for Discovery - NYTimes.com

2011-01-27T05:28:00.000-08:00

Go read about it here:
Dying for Discovery - NYTimes.com

This brings me to a small proposal: We go to great lengths commemorating soldiers who have died fighting wars for their countries. Why not do the same for the naturalists who still sometimes give up everything in the effort to understand life? (Neither would diminish the sacrifice of the other. In fact, many early naturalists were also soldiers, or, like Darwin aboard H.M.S. Beagle, were embedded with military expeditions.) With that in mind, I constructed a very preliminary Naturalists’ Wall of the Dead for my book, “The Species Seekers,” to at least assemble the names in one place. (A version of it can be viewed here.)

Journey North Mystery Class starts soon

2011-01-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/mclass/About.html

Second semester 2011 self education update

2011-01-26T06:35:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce that our youngest child has conquered his pencil allergy and is now flying through the kindergarten Handwriting Without Tears workbook. Yay!
Our 6th grader is on track to finish the academic year early- like in April. So I'm thinking about what we can use to fill out the 4th quarter.
9th grade boy got good grades in his first semester of public school. He's going to work on being a little less social this semester. :) I can't wait til someone asks me about socialization now. I've got a few really good replies saved up!
Our 2 oldest are taking a few classes part time and their painting business has really taken off. They are actually juggling jobs!
I'm almost done with my first year of Latin and am thinking about taking a class from :http://www.vintageremedies.com/home/ Any reviews out there?

I'm going to start posting a books read post each month also.

Shelf stable meals an epic fail

2011-01-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

I've decided that we cannot commence any kind of end of the world scenario until I find at least one yummy shelf stable meal. So far I've made three meals. All fall under o.k. but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat it again.
I think that I need to go about this in a different way. What I need to do is figure out how to make the food we eat shelf stable. Our favorite meal as a family is spinach peanut chicken. It's kind of a thai inspired stif fry. I can easily stockpile these ingredients:
rice, canned spinach (or fresh if my garden works),olive oil, peanuts, peanut butter, peanut sauce. I'll try to post a picture next time I cook it.
Then there is the main ingredient: chicken. It's going to be a mutli step plan. First I'll buy canned chicken- just so I have all the ingredients. But, if I am given the luxury of a few years before any chaos begins, I can see us getting chickens. Not this year- but soonish on the grand plan scale.

Also I discovered another great blog for ideas-http://thesurvivalmom.com/

Economy 101

2011-01-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

Congratulations! You are now in charge of the U. S. budget. Use this tool to balance the budget your way.

This should give us some interesting dinner conversations tonight.

Inspiring

2011-01-12T05:24:00.000-08:00

Hobbies that add up
Here's a little:

IN 1986, I was a 26-year-old college dropout and world traveler who had decided that I didn’t want a job, much less a career. What I really wanted was to get paid for my hobbies: writing, gardening and politics. So I made that my goal.

He ended up succeeding of course.Shouldn't that be everyone's goal? Getting paid to do what they love? Just think: If everyone was getting to be paid to do what they loved and were good at. Imagine.

Minecraft awesomeness

2011-01-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

Ok- a lot of the gifts under our tree came from thinkgeek. With that fact disclosed we've had a lot of minecraft time spent in the afternoons here. We've not come close to this: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/11/largest-possible-min.html
But it does give us a goal to shoot for.

Back to shelf stable foods/I love a kitchen split in half

2011-01-10T19:45:00.000-08:00

Seriously, it's not like we are die hard meat eaters. It's just what we're used to. This week I'm going to serve 5 shelf stable meals and we'll see how they go over with the reviewers.My goal for shelf stable means that the ingredients can be stored on a shelf or under a bed. I will figure out a way to cook them. I'm also assuming that water is available. I was thisclose to just buying processed crud and sticking it under my bed for safe keeping. But, if there is a crisis which involves staying home and eating what we have- filling our gfcf sensory overload kids food that normally makes them and me crazy is probably just not a good idea. In fact, starving to death may be more appealing than spending time with the 2 most chemically challenged kids- especially since one of them is now 6 ft 3 inches. It's like a scene from The Hulk,"you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Remodeling update for those following our saga to live in a mold free environment:
We are combining this new food week with the kitchen is half torn out week- just to keep things interesting.
Our "new" kitchen is in the old laundry room which was a step down from the rest of the house and has a lovely concrete floor. Step one in renovating is raising the floor, insulating underneath, and screwing new plywood on top. Half our cabinets are in the living room, but since the washer and dryer have been there for months it's really not as weird as it sounds.

Sorcerer's Apprentice

2011-01-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

Movie Night!

Water storage

2011-01-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

We'll need 2 gallons per person for 2 weeks, plus 1 1/2 gallons per day for the pets. That comes to a grand (rounded) total of 240 gallons of stored water. I'm thinking crawlspace. It will of course freeze in the winter but if I rotate it we shouldn't have a problem. I'm also looking for a hand pump that we could attach to our well in case of long term power outages. They seem to run about $600, so until my house has all the fancy stuff like drywall and electricity in outlets, that purchase will not be made.
   I'm going to start filling up empty 2 liter bottles and see how many I have in a month. That in itself should be enlightening as we see how much diet pepsi one man in this house consumes. Hmmm. There are worse addictions, but caffeine withdrawal would also be a concern in a long emergency. Maybe I should store some of that too, so he could wean himself off of it slowly. At least the tea I drink and the diet pepsi are shelf stable! :)
I'm also going to start picking up those 5 gallon water containers that we take camping. We'd need about 48 of them and they would be easy to rotate although until I buy one and play with it, I don't think they are refillable. More on that after I hit the grocery store later.
    Thanks to some helpful folks over on the wtm boards I now have some websites to continue my research. I found this about water storage: http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/babysteps/step-2-water/
    By the way, I googled water storage images so I could add a photo to this post. Since I didn't want a virus included, there is no picture today. I will take some pictures of my own soon.

Another good article

2011-01-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

This from Memoria press.http://www.memoriapress.com/articles/Stop-cleaning-the-kitchen.html
I always enjoy their catalog and of course anything by Susan Wise Bauer. Remember I'm still trying to learn latin...

Watch me learn food storage. Are you watching?

2011-01-07T05:40:00.000-08:00

So, really no matter what your view on our economy, future, ancient aliens or the probable zombie apocalypse, most of us don't have enough food in our homes.
One of my goals is to remedy that in this house. I know I will end up with food in some weird places as we are already 8 people in (right now) 2 bedrooms. After the attic is complete we'll be more spread out but it's still only 1200 sq ft. Our kitchen is apartment sized while it's in it's half way remodeled form.
   I took Sharon's advice in the book and drank several cups of tea while I tried to figure out step 1. It did seem easy, I can see why she starts with 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners, 4 snacks that your family already eats. The problem (and face palm) happened after I started listing items. We have some food allergies, picky eaters, and an age of range from 5 years to Grandad who will turn 78 soon. We have die hard meat eaters, a vegan, and some that love processed food in any form. Feeding all of us on a daily basis is tough. A lot of nights I have 2 versions of the same theme or meal. Feeding us from only shelf stable food sources may be impossible. Oh, and a note for another post- we need our own chickens. We go through 4 dozen eggs a week. While planning these meals, eggs got me almost every time. One thing I'm looking for today is a source for powdered eggs for my just in case storage.
   Breakfasts- granola,cereal,oatmeal and milk ( we on any normal day have rice,almond,soy and dairy in our fridge) I already buy all of it those milk boxes that don't need to be refrigerated until opened. Almost everyday I cook a hot breakfast: eggs, pancakes, french toast, breakfast sandwiches- so without access to cheese, eggs, or an oven to bake our gluten and gluten free bread- our choices would be somewhat limited.
We do go camping, but I am slowly becoming aware, that even while we were congratulating ourselves on living in the camper for 6 weeks at a time, we were never very far from the grocery store. Even propane would run out eventually, then what?
Lunches- peanut butter and jelly on crackers? Assuming there is no bread. We eat leftovers from dinner as our main lunch. Sometimes I'll cook mac and cheese or personal pizza's. We homeschool and lunch is a quick hurried meal here. Grab and go sort of thing. Reilly is thrilled to be in school this year where the cafeteria serves him something he didn't eat for dinner the night before. Come to think of it- that is probably the draw that John has to lunch at work too. Right now I'm leaning towards getting a bunch of canned soups and pastas just so we have something until I can start canning my own. They won't go to waste as Connor will devour them at 2am if I mark them open season.
   Dinners- I already buy rice in a 50 pound bag. I used to buy potatoes that way too. I think we are going to have to store up a lot of processed food at first and then slowly switch over to healthier items. I make my own stir fry sauces, pasta sauces, and buy meat weekly. Obviously a garden is in our future.
Snacks are easy at least. Oh wait, we usually eat fruit which I buy at the store ever week. So, I'll buy some canned fruit, granola bars, cookies, chips and salsa. I know what we need! One of those yummy flourless chocolate cakes from trader joes. Wait, I have one of those now. I'm going to go eat cake and think about this some more.

more on this soon

2011-01-06T05:51:00.001-08:00

"A mystery is something that can be experienced even if it cannot be explained."

Interesting...

2010-12-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

trauma: how we created a nation addicted to shopping, work, drugs and sex

I think he's generally wrong about autism, but the ADHD stuff is food for thought. Obviously, not in all cases, but I haven't seen this point of view before. I especially thought this was interesting:

Well, if people’s behaviors and dysfunctions are regulated, controlled and determined by genes, we don’t have to look at child welfare policies, we don’t have to look at the kind of support that we give to pregnant women, we don’t have to look at the kind of non-support that we give to families, so that, you know, most children in North America now have to be away from their parents from an early age on because of economic considerations. And especially in the States, because of the welfare laws, women are forced to go find low-paying jobs far away from home, often single women, and not see their kids for most of the day. Under those conditions, kids’ brains don’t develop the way they need to.

And so, if it’s all caused by genetics, we don’t have to look at those social policies; we don’t have to look at our politics that disadvantage certain minority groups, so cause them more stress, cause them more pain, in other words, more predisposition for addictions; we don’t have to look at economic inequalities. If it’s all genes, it’s all—we’re all innocent, and society doesn’t have to take a hard look at its own attitudes and policies.

Peak Oil Books for everyone

2010-12-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

Sharon has a great post up listing Peak Oil books that you could gift (I know the holiday is over but there are 12 days of Christmas) Peak Oil Books for everyone
We are busy finishing the house and this Spring we are planning our first vegetable garden. Ideally I'd have liked to get solar panels on the roof, but seeing the trouble we had just getting a roof over our heads I'll let it go for now.
I think I may just start working my way down the list over the winter. Gas was $3.35 today when I filled the tank and I doubt it's going down any time soon.

Saint of 2010

2010-12-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

Jump over and visit Jen at conversion diary. She's got a neato new toy. Saint name generator

I got St. Michael the Archangel. Cool. Then by some sort of serendipity while cleaning out a over stuffed drawer a real nice picture of St Michael popped out and is now on our fridge.

2010-12-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

Ironic?

2010-12-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny how I have a amazon cart filled with over 100 items and now when I have a gift card burning a hole in my pocket- I can't seem to choose anything.... I could order food- but I'll end up getting that anyway. I could order something for the kids.... I know I need a new 2011 date book. I do have a lot of books in my cart. But I haven't crossed checked them against my library.

Just sayin....

Merry Christmas

2010-12-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

Misc cute pictures Fall 2010

2010-12-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

Construction pix- or why blogging isn't a priority

2010-12-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

All pictures

2010-12-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas/Advent prep

Wow- it's been awhile.

2010-11-15T06:18:00.000-08:00

What can I say- the internet comes last when I have time to/for myself. So- if anyone still reads this page here is a quick update-
We are still chugging along with the whole house remodel. It's taking soooo long- but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
   Real high school is going well for boy #3- he has some issue with writing his name on his paper- guess that's a learning experience since at home it was obviously his paper...
    Boy #2 now 17 has created a successful painting business for himself and even employed a friend for one job- so that is/was cool.
    Meanwhile at our home school- we continue on doing school outside, at the library, on the floor wherever there is room for us that day.
   And it's my Birthday today- so after some unavoidable boring errands I'm going to do something fun.
I'll try really hard to get back over here more often- really.

Core 6 online links- Egypt

2010-09-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

Pyramid Challenge

Create a Mummy

Water Cycle Song- funnier when you have a Uncle Dan

2010-09-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

This week at our house

2010-09-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

So, instead of writing a post about what we did last week, I'll write what we'll do this week. Friday I'll let you know how far we got in our list.

Kindergarten:
Working on finishing ETC primer A
Going on Eagerly last few pages
Saxon Math K lessons 14-17
Reading Eggs-3x this week
Letter Factory board game (from our library)
Sonlight LA K- wk5 with copywork starting in week 1
Sonlight Science week 2 (We finished week one over the weekend)
Sonlight core K- reading the boxcar children out loud, with that llama poetry book
Easy Tech for beg. tech

6th grade:
R&S Math- lessons 11-15
Mathletics-5x
R&S English: Test 1, lessons 11-13
Peace Hills's 5th grade writing beta testing
Sonlight Core 6 Reading Mara Daughter of the Nile and the Golden Goblet
Sonlight Science 6 week 15
Greek Alphabet Code Cracker- lesson 2
SOTW 1 Chapters 5,6,7
Usborne World Religions Chapter 2
American Studies- The Atlantic States
If it gets here we will add Draw Your World and the American Culture journal.
We are still waiting on our winter promise order, I have about zero tolerance for long waits and paying for shipping. Sonlight has me spoiled.
Easy Tech- lessons on power point this week.

Here is one cool add on I borrowed from our library:

Ok- new year new approach

2010-09-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Still waiting on those posts? Me too. Remodeling to the extreme, plus only having 2 students full time this year has created some chaos. We have tons more time for school- but not a lot of space to work in. Good thing we have our camper and the yard and the library and the donut store.... You get the idea. Anyway Sonlight is back in a big way in our house. Their literature approach really does work best. Stay tuned....

Our first day

2010-08-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

We use Handwriting without Tears, but there is still a lot of writing for my youngest. In a burst of sheer genius I bought these:

We had a frustration-less morning:

I also thought I'd show off our really fancy memorization wall. I know you all wish you had plywood for walls. Nothin but the best for our kids.

In 6th grade news, we organized our books:

I asked Mary to choose which art projects she wanted to tackle by using post its:
I guess we are pretty much going to cover the whole book.

We had a snack:

School pictures to come using a real camera- instead of my phone :)

Just Pictures

2010-08-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Our youngest turned 5 last week! We also attended the company picnic and there are some pictures of that too. A note- it was extremely hot the day of the birthday party, we actually had a good time but we were HOT. The picnic was great- they had a awesome outdoor painting space set up for the kids. It ended up raining on and off that day but we had so much fun. Thanks again United!
Now we are back to work on the house- I'll update those pictures this week.

Meteor Rocket- what we do in between plumbing

2010-07-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

Well, we can't work on home improvement ALL the time. Here are some photos of our rocket launch. Mary and I built it with a little help from Declan. Reilly ended up coming out to give it a try, when we couldn't get it to stop launching before we were ready. Then finally a expert got involved and we had a successful launch. Teamwork rules. We got this for Christmas and its been sitting in one of two remaining closets waiting to be used.

On Vacation

2010-07-16T13:03:00.001-07:00

See you in August!!!

Remodel update

2010-07-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Another movie studio set:

Realistic rubber knife found in wall:

More comics found in wall. Quote from comic:

You dudes caught me without an equalizer once. Expecting to catch a Texan thataway twice is downright impertinent.

Notice the use of dude and impertinent in the same sentence.

One of the former resident kids:

Memoria Press K update or how to tweak it for a sensory seeking student

2010-07-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

We are in week 4 of Memoria Press K. So far I've tweaked just a little. I've had to make a few changes. The handwriting is a no go as written. I've got a perfectionist on my hands so handwriting is done on a white board or chalkboard using the hwt program. We haven't even used the composition/sketch book because he doesn't want to draw pictures in a book. :)
We are enjoying the nature reader and check out a few supporting books at the library on each animal. We know a lot about manatees, alligators and snakes.
We also love the literature, art and music choices. All can be found at the library or on the internet.
Phonics is going well exactly as written, and math so far has been easy.
Memory Work- There is a lot of it and shockingly he's doing ok with most of it. We practice several times a day:
during class
on the swings
on the trampoline
in the pool
He really enjoys reciting along with the older kids.

So far so good.

Breathing Eart h website

2010-05-26T12:33:00.001-07:00

Breathing Earth

This is very interesting. Check out the countries where the birth and death are almost equal. Madagascar's population is exploding. We're taking a break this afternoon and this is cool. The CO2 levels are surprising to me.

Kitchen rehab pictures

2010-05-25T17:15:00.001-07:00

Not quite before but pretty close.

This is the plumbing wall between the kitchen and bathroom. See the circular mold that goes through all 4 layers of drywall.

When we moved in I said that we should have a checkerboard floor. I chose the black and white and we used it in the laundry room. I really wanted red and white but Menards only carried black and white. Four layers down we discovered this:
I have to get more pictures off my cell phone and the other camera- so I'll try and put up more tomorrow. It looks way worse than this now. Let's pray it continues to go this smoothly.

Rehab pix- laundry room

2010-05-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the before pix of my laundry room. We needed to move the kitchen into the laundry room so we could level the floor. I don't have any pictures of the new counter. Its in stock home depot black laminate.

Here are the in progress and after shots:

LOST confusion

2010-05-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

I hope they can wrap this up. I read this on the WTM and its my exact reaction.

Quote:
Yeesh. This is the episode where i'm really beginning to doubt that they know what they are doing. Well, 3 1/2 hours left, let's see what they can do with that.

My experience with LOST goes something like this....

.

LOST: So there's this Island, and it's special, see. Time travel, polar bears, whispers, smoke monsters...

ME: Tell me more.

LOST: Let's ask the Dharma Initiative! Mysterious group of scientists, led by Alvar Hanso, searching for some unfathomable secret, with all their cool, 1970s-era technology. Cool, right?

ME: Yes! But what is the secret they are after?

LOST: You should ask the Others, they know. The Others have been around forever. At first they looked like savages, but -- surprise! They have modern ways and means. New Otherton, Mittelos Biotech... yes, sir, the Others are where it's at. Ben is the leader and he knows everything.

ME: Great... so what does Ben know?

LOST: Huh? Ben? He's actually pretty in the dark. The real big dogs here are Widmore and Eloise! They have all the answers!

ME: Super. Let's have more Widmore and Eloise, then!

LOST: Sorry, no time for that. We're going back to the '70s, when the Dharma Initiative was still around. Neat, right?

ME: Very. So the Dharma Initiative, they were...

LOST: Uhhh... just some scientists, i guess. They wanted to harness the electromagnetic energy for research, time travel, that sort of thing. Anyway, they are scientists, based in Ann Arbor. That's about it.

ME: Oh.... so what about Alvar Hanso? He must have some grand design, right?

LOST: Who? Alvar what-now? Nah, look, i've just been messing with you. Let's cut to the chase, time is running out. It's all about Jacob and his brother, Smokey. They are immortal! They play an epic game! There are rules, candidates, loopholes! Everything that has happened so far is because of them! Jacob and Smokey!

ME: Great! Let's learn about them!

LOST: Well... Jacob is just doing what his mother told him to do. He doesn't know why, really. His mother's dead. Smokey wants to leave the Island. That's about it.

ME: That's it?

LOST: Well, there's this light, see, this golden light underground. It's all the goodness in the world. But it turns people bad. It kills you, or makes you live forever. Something. It must be forever guarded but never used. It's inside everyone but can't be touched. Light! Light! Pretty light!

ME: .....this is getting lame.

LOST: LOL, PARALLELUNIVERSE! EVERYTHING DIFFERENT! WHAT IF LOCKE HAD HIS DAD BUT HIS DAD WAS RETARDED? WHAT IF CHARLIE STILL DID DRUGS? HOW IS JACK'S BABY FORMED?

ME: >__<

From the tiny house blog

2010-05-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is the wave of the future.

Mothers Day Daybook

2010-05-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

Outside My Window:

We wondered what was going on at the park. Further investigation showed us baby bunnies.

I am Listening to:

Scooby Doo and a lot of quiet. Its me and Declan this morning. The teens will sleep until Noon.

I am so Grateful for:

The chance for my kids to travel. The middles are with John on a trip until next week.

I'm Pondering:
Spending some time organizing the bedrooms. We had a garage sale this weekend, and now that we've decluttered- it's time.

I am Reading:
SPQR The Year of Confusion
It's a mystery based in ancient Rome

I am Thinking:
I like this font.

I am Creating:
A plan to reuse all the materials we salvaged from the attic and shed and use them as we remodel.

On my iPod:
Campfire Song Song---my ipod is mostly used in the car by Declan to delay car sickness.

Towards a Real Education:
Loving the new Memoria Press Lit Guides and the Kindergarten package! I may have to tweak it and slow down, but I really like it. Especially the SRA readers.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:
I'm working on a school schedule for only 2 kids. Its weird and freeing in a way.

I am wearing:
Bathrobe now- but I will wear something nice to Mass and the Legoland.

One more Picture:
The set of the incredible Peep Movie:

The Celtic Learning project in action (in pictures)

2010-05-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

Butterfly Project
Checking games out of the library rocks! This one is fun and takes only 10 minutes.
Fishing Cook County style
Acceptable results
Paperclip necklaces
Some Math
Pooka overseeing the school day. Edited to add: You can see the remodel plan on the fridge. I'll have to get a shot of that.

Riding our bikes to the store

2010-05-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

Notice the rubber snake- we're trying to find his brother in the wild. Well, I'm actually not trying too hard.

More on downsizing

2010-05-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

Maybe we'll call it Green Gables.....

We closed on our "old house" yesterday. It sold quickly because it is still what most people want. 2200 square feet plus a finished basement. 1/4 acre suburban lot, an hours drive from major employers. There is nothing within walking distance, there are no bike trails or walking paths to help pedestrians get to the library, school, or store. A nice young couple bought it. They both work and have no kids. They'll each drive 45 minutes to work each day.
We left closing thrilled (to be out of the mortgage payment) and because we were going home to our new, old house. I think they are nuts to buy a big house that they'll have to heat and a/c for only 2 people whether they are home or not. They think we're nuts for moving our big family into a small old house near the city. We have over a 1/2 acre here, live on a bike path that stretches over 10 miles. We can walk/bike to almost everything we need. We have a train station across the street and a bus stop at the corner of our yard.
The really strange thing is that we feel more "small townish" here then we did in our rural suburb. Our local stores all know us by name already.
My goal now that we aren't driving up to mantain the old house all the time, is to only use our car on the weekends. I'll have to grocery shop and buying food for 8 people I'll need the trunk. Eventually we'll get a freezer and I hope to just shop monthly. We can ride our bikes to the store for small things.

We have already started making this 1947 ranch more energy efficient. We are changing out the insulation and are going to finish our attic into some bedrooms and a second bathroom. A kitchen update is also in the pipeline. This is going to be fun!
Here are pictures of the old place:

I'll post some pictures of the remodel soon. We're diving into preparing for a massive garage sale. Maybe I'll blog that too.

Max the Cat Series

2010-04-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

We stumbled upon this series at the library. Declan Loves it. We used inter-library loan to borrow the other three titles in the series.

Max in America
Max in India
Max in Australia

At the end of the Australia title Max is drifting away on a surfboard to who knows where?

We'll never know because although the back cover says," More titles to come!"

There haven't been any published since this one in 1986.

I think we have a project ahead of us. I'm just trying to decide where Max should go next.

Planning/Planners

2010-04-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Since we've moved I've had to explain our family's educational philosophy to new neighbors, people at the park etc. They all ask how we can get it all done. This is how:

Here are some excellent free printable planning forms that I find useful.

Quarter Planner One subject, 1 page 45 days of lessons

Timer Daily Planner - excellent for kids who need to know-how long?

Daily Color Planner- Uses a lot of ink- but there are three colors available so kids can tell at a glance if it is theirs.

All the above can be found at Donna Young's website

When the big kids were younger I used Tanglewood's Core book

MOTH was my start point. After I planned every 30 minutes of the day, I worked backwards to planning each subject.

And last but not least I plan on using Serendipity's pretty planning pages and in the Fall with my daughter.

When I take the time to plan we have more free time then when I don't plan. For example we plan to take 2 trips to the park everyday and we do.

Here's cute picture I thought I'd share:

Sensory fishing on a rainy day

2010-03-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

What grade is Tree Climbing?

2010-03-25T05:42:00.001-07:00

Schooling year round

2010-03-25T05:30:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year. The warm days bring us outside and the kids are asked what grade they are in.
We school year round so for the most part, some of them are in between grades. Almost none of their ages match their "real" grade. I almost want to add a drill session where we pick a grade and practice announcing it with confidence. Maybe I will.

Small Successes

2010-03-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

1. I changed my email address after being hacked.

2. We cleaned (straightened?) out the garage, so that we have a path through the middle.

3. I taught my dog to go out through the back door. Who knew how much he loves the front door?

ABC.com - Lost - LOST Untangled

2010-03-04T12:37:00.001-08:00

ABC.com - Lost - LOST Untangled

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2010-02-28T18:06:00.001-08:00

Feingold

2010-02-28T04:52:00.001-08:00

For more than 30 years parent volunteers have been helping families address a wide range of problems that can be triggered by certain foods and food additives.

The Feingold Association has found effective, kid-friendly ways to resolve many issues by making simple changes in one's grocery shopping. But along the way we have discovered that any family can benefit from healthier food that tastes great and costs less. You don't need to have a family member with ADHD, asthma, ear infections, hives, bedwetting, headaches, eczema, depression or mood swings to enjoy our savvy supermarket strategies.

We have recently launched our "Feingold Family Pages" -- a free online newsletter with information on finding foods that are free of yucky additives. Also, see our seasonal hints, holiday ideas, crafts to enjoy with your kids, and ways to live better.

To access our Family Pages, visit our home page at feingold.org or ADHDdiet.org. Once you are there, click on the current Family Pages picture.

Chronological Mythology Study

2010-02-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

I started a thread about it over at the WTM boards. We are really looking forward to starting this study. We school year round so we'll start this in a few weeks and see how long we can stretch it. I am working up a book list and schedule. So stay tuned. I'll post it here when its more fleshed out. I am thinking about proctoring the National Mythology Exam next Spring as a conclusion.
We can use core 6 as a base for our ancient and middle ages studies. I think mythology we'll go along perfectly. There are tons of great books for kids on ancient mythology and we can even incorporate our geography and study of world religions.
My amazon cart is overflowing- so I'm off to crosscheck the library inter library loan system for matches! Chime in in the comments if you have any great mythology books to share!

Candlemas

2010-02-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

Candlemas was originally a Celtic festival marking the "cross-quarter day," or midpoint of the season. The Sun is halfway on its advance from the winter solstice to the spring equinox. The Christian church expanded this festival of light to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and her presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple. Candlelit processions accompanied the feast day.
Since the traditional Candlemas celebration anticipated the planting of crops, a central focus of the festivities was the forecasting of either an early spring or a lingering winter. Sunshine on Candlemas was said to indicate the return of winter. Similarly, "When the wind’s in the east on Candlemas Day / There it will stick till the second of May."

Catholic Cuisine: Recipes for February ~ Month Dedicated to Holy Family

2010-01-31T06:26:00.001-08:00

Catholic Cuisine: Recipes for February ~ Month Dedicated to Holy Family

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Final Season Of 'Lost' Promises To Make Fans More Annoying Than Ever | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

2010-01-22T14:57:00.001-08:00

Final Season Of 'Lost' Promises To Make Fans More Annoying Than Ever | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

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Small Successes

2010-01-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

1. Got all the toys installed in the Hall closet. Now called the "toy closet".

2. Carried one 4yo out of Sunday Evening Mass, passing the complimentary dessert table- going home and eating carrots.

3. Used wii fit every day at 3pm- sore back or not.

To hold myself accountable

2010-01-18T07:19:00.001-08:00

This week I'm going to try and put two habits into practice at home.

1. No eating between meals- for me or anyone else. The snacking around here is out of control.

2. No one does a chore that can be done by someone younger.
Its easier to ask big people to get things done. What I've forgotten is to train the middles.

I just don't see how Mr. Recreational Scholar and I can sit on the couch in one of these without popcorn:

Maybe we won't count after dinner as snacking. We could call it the 4th meal. It is healthy to eat a bunch of small meals. Hmmm

topic chat #1 « Core Foundations

2010-01-16T04:57:00.001-08:00

topic chat #1 « Core Foundations

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Daybook- Friday

2010-01-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

Outside My Window:

Snow is melting and I can see the driveway again.

I am Listening to:

Dishes being washed, a new song on the guitar, and someone entertaining the 4yo terror.

I am wearing :

Still in my Christmas Pjs, slippers, and headband.

I am Thankful For:

Teen boys who step up when they can see me getting stressed.

I am Pondering:

What if I allow myself to put the outcome in God’s hands and just live intensely in the present, absorbing and embracing life as it happens?

Emilie Lemmons
(thanks to Jen and Elizabeth for reminding me)

I am Reading:

Medicare part D forms- yawn....

From the Kitchen:

I made some amazing fried rice last night. We're having Rice sausage and maple syrup for breakfast today.

I am Thinking:

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....

I am Creating:

Educated people. Our oldest aced his College Entrance exams.

Towards a Real Education:

More narration, read alouds, and notebooking.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty:

I've been getting up at 6:30am all week. That seems to be the charm. I have time to myself first thing and I don't feel rushed getting everyone moving.

To Live the Liturgy:

We signed up with our new Parish and are looking forward to their new Sunday evening Mass.

I am Hoping and Praying:

We sell our old house this year.

In the Garden:

snow.

Around the House:

We're all adjusting to Grandad being with us Full time.

One of My Favorite Things:

Watching my daughter in the kitchen. As the only girl (besides me) I love having someone to share dessert recipes with!

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

More prepping and staging at the old house. I'm also hoping to get the bus schedule figured out.

A Picture Thought I'm Sharing:

2 Pictures from Christmas. The first is Christmas morning. That sweet bicycle is mine! Those weird post coming down are the loft beds we built our boys. The tree is actually in their room. I'm hoping to write some posts about how we've fit all of us in here. We have 8 people in 1200 square feet.

The second shows one of my crazy teens with our fixer upper kitchen in the background. If we get our old house sold-- Kitchen remodeling moves up on the to-do list.

Small Successes

2010-01-14T12:38:00.001-08:00

1. Got Grandad all moved in to our house. If you know him that is actually HUGE. At almost 80 years old he is his own man. Its hard to watch someone lose their independence.

2. Went to social security and the dr with Grandad and stayed sane. Also finished school on those days!

3. Stuck to the lesson plan I wrote last weekend. On a couple nights we finished school after dinner- but I was able to check off all the little boxes!

YouTube - 'American Idol 9': Maddy Curtis stands out in Boston

2010-01-14T06:43:00.001-08:00

YouTube - 'American Idol 9': Maddy Curtis stands out in Boston

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Email: Homeschooling through grief « A Brave Writer’s Life in Brief

2010-01-14T06:31:00.001-08:00

Email: Homeschooling through grief « A Brave Writer’s Life in Brief

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Blue-Collar Brilliance

2010-01-14T06:24:00.001-08:00

Blue-Collar Brilliance

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Writing English as a Second Language

2010-01-14T06:03:00.001-08:00

Writing English as a Second Language

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Small Successes

2010-01-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

1. As of today I have broken my 5th and 8th graders from schooling nexttome. They both have desks and an assignment sheet and a scheduled question/answer time with me. This is huge- it really should count for 2 and 3 for the week.

2. Our older boys are painting our old house so we can put it up for sale. I'm not doing anything- but I count it because I'm making sure that there is food in both homes.

3. I did not yell at our elderly cat after he urinated on the bathroom rug again. and again, and again. Patience is a virtue.

Still reading this week

2010-01-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

Like most readers I always have a couple different books that I am reading at any particular time. Here is my list for this week:

Recreational Scholarly Pursuit:
I'm trying to get through Susan's The History of the Medieval World before my time runs out on my review pdf. I have to read it on the screen so I don't get as much time in as I would like. I am liking it a lot. We've been through SOTW2 so I have a basic idea of most of the historical high points- but this book is for teens and adults and I really like how she fleshes out each chapter. This book is a page turner. (Or should I say page clicker- since I'm reading online?)

Family Life:
I'm also starting Simplicity Parenting. As if its a simple as reading a book. Right? I'll let you know later how I like it.

Household:
On the gardening front I'm reading Gardening When it Counts. It doesn't count yet- but I'm going into this season acting as if it does- because you never know.

Just For Fun:
World War Z Its actually a Christmas present that Garrett received. I couldn't wait to read it after just reading the back of the book.

Thursday Thought

2010-01-07T13:20:00.001-08:00

"It is not wrong to want to live better; what is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed towards "having" rather than "being," and which wants to have more, not in order to be more but in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself."

--Pope John Paul II

Daybook 2010

2010-01-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Outside my window … Cold, icy wind. Sunshine melting the icicles off the roof.

I am thinking … This is the last day of vacation. Pajamas all day!

I am thankful for … being moved before having to sell our old home.

I am hoping … to supervise the shelving project- that I know will make my life so much more organized. I just know it.

On my mind … the real estate market. I think I'll ban myself from realtor.com

Noticing that … All the toys are on the ground waiting for the shelves and they are getting played with a lot. I guess that means the 4yo shelf should be the lowest.

A few plans for the week … school

From the kitchen … donuts for breakfast, leftovers for lunch and breakfast for dinner.

Around the house … It looks messy but just because we are mid project.

One of my favorite things … Our oldest has a birthday tomorrow- wrapping up Birthday season for our Family.

A picture I am sharing … I found this while moving pictures for 2009 to the external hard drive. Teen boys can have fun anywhere....

Funny

2010-01-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

RIP Cardinal Daly

2009-12-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

He said the greatest thing people could give and share was their faith. "Faith is the one treasure of which we are sure and certain. The global recession which we are passing through now has surely taught us that we cannot put our trust in money, however carefully banked it is, no matter how securely invested it is."
He recalled the words of Jesus in Matthew's gospel, when he said: "Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy and thieves cannot break in and steal."
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1231/breaking66.htm

Words to carry us into 2010

2009-12-31T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today at this Mass, through her help and intercession, let us make her words our own as we offer ourselves through her to Her Son in the Holy Echarist: “Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.”—be it done unto me according to Thy Word.”

Read the rest here.

Last week of vacation

2009-12-31T08:39:00.000-08:00

I'm reading this as part of my prep for next years history cycle. I've read sections out loud and now a few of the boys are waiting for me to finish.

I'm waiting for this one- its like a gooey brownie. No nutritional value but so yummy. I love a good doomesday scenario.

Working as a team we've managed to get to the Final Boss!
Eight levels since Christmas- Mario has died over 500 times- I'm not sure if I'm proud or dismayed.