Thursday Thirteen

I'm not sure that I'll do this Thurday Thirteen thing every week, but I had a fairly eventful and productive trip to Walmart today (not my favorite place) and since that was riddled with blog material I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and create a list of...

Thirteen things I got at Walmart today...

1. An umbrella to attach to the back of my chair for shade when I watch Jake's Little League games

2. PINOCCHIO on DVD in honor of the fact that it was my grandparents' first date (they met at a square dance)

3. Hot chocolate

4. Sugar-free hot chocolate for Mike

5. Walmart brand Head and Shoulder's shampoo

6. 4 boxes of capri suns for the two games that we have to bring snacks and drinks for Jake's games

7. Granola bars...also for snacks for LL

8. A box of 12 individual bags for cheez-its...ALSO for LL snack

9. 500 sheets of printer paper (to replace all of the paper I used printing the lapbook stuff yesterday)

10. Two boards for our Guatemala display

11. Double-sided tape (for Guatemala display and other lapbooks)

12. Star Wars Clone Wars Monopoly on clearance for an upcoming birthday party (shh don't tell)

13. An excruciating headache and renewed appreciation for Target and Publix

Wasting time

I'm just sitting here wasting time reading blogs of people I don't even know, and figured I could at least be semi-productive by posting something on my own. I really should be doing more school with the kids, but I think I've gotten as much out of Jake as I'm going to and Jonathan and Madi are reading right now (their scripts I think), so I'm not going to disturb them for a change. There is laundry to hang out and a kitchen floor that could be washed, but I had two pieces of fudge a little while ago and my energy is gone. I stayed up until midnight last night finishing Twilight...it was different and interesting (and a little scary-so I had trouble falling asleep even after I was finished). The weather has been so perfect! Maybe I'll take a nap in the hammock if I can drag myself away from the computer. Theatre started back yesterday at the new location, and when it was time to go get the kids I walked to picked them up. Mike had already picked up Jake to take him to baseball practice so I just went to get Jonathan, Madi, and our friend Wyatt ( Caryn, you can show him that I'm mentioning him, since YOU haven't started YOUR blog yet!!). A few people asked the kids if they needed a ride home and then when we were walking another woman turned around to see if we wanted a ride. It was perfect weather and still really light outside...it is funny and sad how people assume something must be wrong if you are walking these days...like it is such an outdated form of transportation...that kind of thing just makes me want to walk so much more!! So... if you see me walking don't ask if I want a ride home! Jonathan and Madi and I are now into "The roaring 20s" in History...it is sort of the calm before the storm. We learned about the Spanish Influenza today and how in October 1918 13,000 people died in Philadelphia alone from the virus...that same month only about 2000 people died fighting in WW1. We talked about how my grandmother Mugga was 1 year old in 1918 and how if she had gotten that influenza and died as a child none of us would be here...well Mike would be somewhere, but not here. Jonathan and Madi get into this kind of thing as much as I do and it is neat because they remember the house where Mugga lived as a child it is also where my mother grew up...Mugga and Papa lived there until 2004. Also tying into history, our beloved "Auntie" was born 90 years ago yesterday (1919), she was Mugga's sister. It is especially neat because that is the exact time period we are studying right now. AND interestingly enough PINOCCHIO was "released from the Disney vault" this week for its 70th anniversary and Mugga and Papa's first date was to see PINOCCHIO...I think we're going to buy it! That's history in our house! I printed over 160 pages today for two different lapbooks-- one was free about St Patrick's Day and the other I had to pay for--Guatemala...I figured it was worth the money because we've got to get working on that International Day project. Well typing it out makes it seem like I did have a fairly productive day after all, my problem is that there is always more that I want to accomplish.

Daybook

I did this this morning, but was having trouble with it (still not sure if the trouble is with blogger or my computer). Thankfully it was all saved, so here it is a few hours later than usual...



For today, Monday, March 9, 2009

Outside my window...it is going to be a beautiful day. It was hard to get up when it was still dark at 7 though!

I am thinking...about the busy week ahead.

I am thankful...for all of the fun we got out of our Disney tickets this past year. They expired yesterday. We may renew again in the fall.

From the kitchen...we unplugged the refrigerator this weekend and when we put it on last night the water was working again...hooray!!! Doughnuts and fruit for breakfast, picnic lunch, then this afternoon I can start thinking about meal prep for the rest of the week. I definitely want chicken enchiladas again.

From the learning rooms...WW1 is over the Woodrow Wilson and the Prime Ministers of Great Britain and France have met at Versailles. Germany is the one to blame, they have to pay A LOT of money and sign the guilt clause...they will be in bad shape for a while and eventually will be willing to listen anyone who promises a change...which ties in so nicely with the bookclub book we just read on Nazi Germany. How could I have had so much schooling and never learn this stuff?!

I am creating...??????

I am wearing...clothes! Greenish capris, a black shirt, and blue jacket.

I am STILL reading...Twilight, but I'm into it now and will finish in another day or so. I'm also reading Holiness for Housewives. Jonathan and Madi and I are reading a WW1 book, I think it is called Flight to Victory.

I am hoping...the economy turns around.

I am hearing...Madi's alarm still going off eventhough she's already up and dressed downstairs.

Around the house...another weekend out of the house...you can only imagine!

Two of my favorite things...Dancing with the Stars (starts tonight!) and American Idol.

I am going... to the Holocaust Museum this morning.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Museum and bookclub meeting this morning. Full day tomorrow including Theatre at the new location (Yeah!!) Lots of schoolwork outside for the rest of the week...the weather is perfect!

A picture thought...My God daughter Sari turned 4 yesterday!

OK the park story...

Well Ladies, I can see you are all much more likely to comment when my kids are writing the blog than when I am...at least I know where I stand! The park story isn't really much of a story, but basically an older woman told some of the kids to stop playing where they were playing because she was going to call the police. A similar thing had happened with some of the boys at a different park last week, so a few of us mothers had our mother bear instinct kick in. I'm normally not one for confrontaion, but I did go right up to the woman and asked what the problem was (this is what made Madi proud). I think truly she was just concerned for their safety (I think unnecessarily so), but we cordially set the record straight. The kids were just playing around the stream, something that far too few kids get time to do in this day and age. I'm pretty sure no one told Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn to stop playing in nature! Most likely no one ever told this woman that either, but I think is was far too long ago that she was a child and she's forgotten what it was like. There were some of the littler kids down there too and I think that it is also sad how unusual it might seem to some people to see kids ranging from 2-13 years old all playing together. We know the older kids were all looking after the younger ones, but a stranger might not understand that. Sometimes our life seems so normal because it is our life and it often takes someone else looking at it to see how much we go against the grain. (we even grind our own grain!)

Theatre is back on starting next week...woohoo! They are going to be practicing right around the corner from our house...double woohoo!!

The kids and I are supposed to take part in an International Day in a few weeks where every family picks and country and presents info about it. We picked Guatemala because we sponsor a little boy who lives there, but I've struck out at two libraries trying to get info on Guatemala. Looks like we're going to have to do a lot of searching online.

I'm thinking of starting a writing club for Jonathan and Madi and some of their friends. I read a really neat article about one in Home Education magazine. Who's interested, let me know.

For those of you who don't know (although I think most of my readers are involved), there is a group blog about homemaking etc that you might be interested in. I just posted a delicious recipe for scones on there, you can check it out here.
http://thebeecharmers.blogspot.com/2009/03/pumpkin-scones.html

Answered by the kids

This is for all of you non-facebookers...

Answered by

Jake 6
Madi 10
Jonathan 13





1. What is something mom always says to you
Jake- I don't know...get dressed?
Madi- clean your room
Jonathan-get in the car

2. What makes mom happy?
Jake- I don't know
Madi- Theatre
Jonathan-getting a lot of stuff done

3. What makes mom sad?
Jake-I don't know
Madi-when we're mean
Jonathan- Jake

4. What makes your mom laugh?
Jake-nothing
Madi-Jake's creativity
Jonathan-Jake

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Jake-I DON'T KNOW cause I wasn't born!
Madi-very nice
Jonathan-smart

6. How old is your mom?
Jake-39
Madi-39
Jonathan-39

7. How tall is your mom?
Jake-I don't know5 ft 8?
Madi-is this just like a guessing game...5ft 6
Jonathan-5ft 3
(I'm 5 2)

8. What is her favorite thing to do
Jake- nothing
Madi- read in silence
Jonathan-read

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Jake- I don't know cause I'm not around
Madi-clean or blog
Jonathan-read

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Jake-you're never gonna be famous
Madi- "Are you Smarter then a 5th Grader"
Jonathan-yes, I agree with Madison

11. What is your mom really good at
Jake-being a mom
Madi- you're really good at a lot of things
Jonathan- being a mom

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Jake-nothing
Madi-backing up in the car
Jonathan-letting us get hurt?

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Jake- ya don't got one...and write that down... oh Mom, change my answer to that one...cleaning my room
Madi-being a teacher and selling tickets at Theatre
Jonathan-taking care of us

14. What's your mom's favorite food?
Jake-cream cheese and pepper jelly
Madi-lobster
Jonathan-chocolate

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Jake-cleaning my room
Madi-when you walked right up to the lady and talked to her (kids at the park were being criticized for being kids and playing in the stream)
Jonathan-uh being my mom

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Jake- supermom
Madi- a combination of snow white and doc
Jonathan-uh Hermione?

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Jake-love
Madi-book club
Jonathan-go on Disney roller coasters

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Jake-nuttin (not nothing nuttin)
Madi-we both like watching Jon and Kate plus 8 together
Jonathan-we both like roller coasters

19. How are you and your mom different?
Jake-I'm not as big as you
Madi-she's a better cleaner
Jonathan-I'm male and you're female

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Jake-I don't know
Madi-I just know
Jonathan-because she teaches us everyday

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Jake-here
Madi-Theatre
Jonathan-Disney

Daybook

For Today...Monday March 2nd.

Outside my window... it is sunny, cool, and very windy!!

I am thinking... about all that I want to accomplish today.

From the learning rooms...Catholic book club today, then home for hopefully more schoolwork. Jonathan and Madi (and I) are really getting into WW1, I never learned anything about this in school! Our lives are so full and schoolwork seems to always be the first thing dropped (eventhough I know they are always learning), but I'm really trying hard to make sure we keep plugging along--mainly because it is so interesting to me! Jake's on day 101 today! He's reading really well.

I am thankful for...Theatre and...

I am hopeful that... Theatre will continue--there are a number of places meeting today to discuss our practicing and or performing at their locations...one of them is right around the corner from our house...there's that extra hour in the day I've been looking for!!

From the kitchen...cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer...the water on the door still isn't working. It is apparently frozen, but we can't shut off the freezer without shutting off the refrigerator, SOOO we have to eat everything first! I made home made tortillas last week, and then made delicious chicken enchiladas with them...I want some more!!!

I am wearing... white silky jammies and fuzzy red socks.

I am reading...Twilight (still) it is a long book, and I had a busy week.

I am creating... a happy home?!

I am hearing...not much of anything at the moment...just the Beauty and the Beast songs still in my head. I think I had the only kids in the whole show who came home from the closing show and still practiced some more (not just Jake either...all three of them...Madi was even singing really loud (she doesn't usually sing for us unless we are in the audience of 100 or more people).

Around the house... don't ask...it was show weekend remember!

One of my favorite things... a hot bath after a long day.

A few plans for the rest of the week...school work, going to church most nights with week for the lenten mission, Jake's Tball games, and maybe even a little relaxing! Disney Sat and Sun and then our tickets expire.

Here is a picture STORY I am sharing with you...Saturday's parade...

A full FULL day...

I've had this blog post full of pictures in my head all day as we went from event to event (parade, Little League opening ceremonies, Jake's first Tball game, the play, and a homeschool support meeting thrown in the middle of it all), but either blogger or my computer isn't working right so I'm going to post this with what I've got on here and the rest will have to wait for another day, I'm getting in bed!!