Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Ups and downs...
The ups...
Friday: The kids woke up very excited as we were off to a park day birthday for one of their favorite friends! We ended up spending six hours at the park, playing with all the friends they hadn't seen in ages, along with the ones they have seen a few times in the last month. I got to chat with a few of the moms, and I think I may have convinced K that the homeschool 4-H isn't too institutional, or rigid, for her family. If I get my schedule fixed the way I want it (I turned in my written request yesterday), we'll be able to rejoin 4-H this fall ourselves, which I would really like for the kids. Anyhow, we had cake, lemonade, and lots and lots of fun Friday.
Saturday: We went to the flea market in the morning, and just wandered around for an hour or so. The kids had each brought a couple of dollars from their piggybanks, and carefully chose a toy apiece, plus I found a huge wooden dollhouse for a dollar. It is sadly lacking in any trim, or nice touches, but I can add those.
Then we came home for lunch, and some rest, before heading off to the movie theater to see Prince Caspian, courtesy of 4 free tickets my BIL gave us. Great movie! We all loved the first, and now the kids have demanded that I buy this one as soon as it hits DVD. Since the kids have only seen one other movie at the theater (Polar Express a few years back) this was a very thrilling experience for them, and both just sat there in awe the entire time. As far as "sequels" go, I found this one very satisfying.
After that, we stopped for very rarely eaten fast food, and that's the beginning of...
the downs...
Otherwise known as food poisoning. I was luckily the only one to get it, as I was the only one that had chicken. I spent all of late Saturday night, and well into Sunday, being absolutely miserable. I had to call in sick to work for the first time since I started working there. And it made my ulcer flare up for the first time in a couple of years. Yes, at the ripe old age of 35ish I have an ulcer. I developed it a few years ago during a horrible time of two very small children, an awful house, bad weather, and no money. Enough said about that, but Owwwww! So now I really have to watch everything that goes in my mouth. I did lose a couple of pounds in the last couple of days, but I really don't think this is the best way to do it.
And that's a rundown of the last few days here! How was your weekend?
Friday: The kids woke up very excited as we were off to a park day birthday for one of their favorite friends! We ended up spending six hours at the park, playing with all the friends they hadn't seen in ages, along with the ones they have seen a few times in the last month. I got to chat with a few of the moms, and I think I may have convinced K that the homeschool 4-H isn't too institutional, or rigid, for her family. If I get my schedule fixed the way I want it (I turned in my written request yesterday), we'll be able to rejoin 4-H this fall ourselves, which I would really like for the kids. Anyhow, we had cake, lemonade, and lots and lots of fun Friday.
Saturday: We went to the flea market in the morning, and just wandered around for an hour or so. The kids had each brought a couple of dollars from their piggybanks, and carefully chose a toy apiece, plus I found a huge wooden dollhouse for a dollar. It is sadly lacking in any trim, or nice touches, but I can add those.
Then we came home for lunch, and some rest, before heading off to the movie theater to see Prince Caspian, courtesy of 4 free tickets my BIL gave us. Great movie! We all loved the first, and now the kids have demanded that I buy this one as soon as it hits DVD. Since the kids have only seen one other movie at the theater (Polar Express a few years back) this was a very thrilling experience for them, and both just sat there in awe the entire time. As far as "sequels" go, I found this one very satisfying.
After that, we stopped for very rarely eaten fast food, and that's the beginning of...
the downs...
Otherwise known as food poisoning. I was luckily the only one to get it, as I was the only one that had chicken. I spent all of late Saturday night, and well into Sunday, being absolutely miserable. I had to call in sick to work for the first time since I started working there. And it made my ulcer flare up for the first time in a couple of years. Yes, at the ripe old age of 35ish I have an ulcer. I developed it a few years ago during a horrible time of two very small children, an awful house, bad weather, and no money. Enough said about that, but Owwwww! So now I really have to watch everything that goes in my mouth. I did lose a couple of pounds in the last couple of days, but I really don't think this is the best way to do it.
And that's a rundown of the last few days here! How was your weekend?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Not much to report...
Other than that the crazy weather just can't make up its mind! We went from overly hot each day to downright chilly half the day, and fairly warm the other half. I'd rather be a little cold though than overheated - I can always pile on a extra layer or two, but can only go so far in taking stuff off!
Childwise, the kids are just enjoying summer. We finally moved our piano, an old upright, from my mom's garage to ours - it will soon go into the living room - and the Elf spends a lot of time banging away on it. It is in desperate need of tuning, but I still enjoy his compositions. He pretends to read music too. I think this fall might be a good time for him to start some lessons. I have several friend-recommended teachers on my list already! And the Fairy has decided she would rather do Arabic/belly dancing than ballet, but no one seems to teach it for 5 year olds. I think mainly she likes the outfits, all the bells, the scarves. I don't blame her - they do look really exotic and pretty.
Oh, any recommendations for an enjoyable read-aloud for a 5 year old and a 7 year old? We are down to the last 2 chapters of James and the Giant Peach, and while I have some ideas as to what to read next, I am always looking for more ideas! We did read a great little book this week - A Birthday for the Princess, by Anita Lobel, full of Anita's trademark beautiful illustrations. A great little story with a happy ending that both kids enjoyed. The Elf thought it was funny that she spent her days doing copy work, since he's done a fair amount of copy work himself. And while I am giving recommendations, we really enjoyed The Spiderwick Chronicles. Couple of scary moments in there, especially for the Fairy, but overall a good film. The kids plan to name one of our kittens-to-be after the Brownie in the movie - Thimbletack, which I think is a fantastic name for a cat.
We're still reading up on Ancient Greek history. I dug out my Encyclopedia of Mythology to go more in-depth with some of the pantheon of gods and goddesses. Of course, the kids soon noticed the other books on that shelf, and have spent the last week studying gnomes and fairies on their own, with the help of books like this, this, and this. This has led to an outpouring of gnome home designs and fairy sketches - I'll have to scan some and post pictures. Anyhow, I think we'll be right on track with starting in Ancient Rome in the fall.
In other news, while I have applied for a couple of jobs, I think I have come up with a way to make the one I have work for me if necessary. No one likes the closing shift (5'ish to 11'ish), so I thought I would offer to take it 4 times a week, and no other hours. That way, I have all day to be with my children. We could actually homeschool in the mornings, and have the afternoons free. We could go to park days and on field trips. It's not a perfect solution, but I've got to keep reminding myself that this is only for another couple of years. And in the meantime, maybe I will find a better job (keeping fingers crossed).
ETA: Just after posting this, I checked my email, and lo and behold, there is a local dance studio that offers belly dancing for children! I think we may have to do a drop-in session.
Childwise, the kids are just enjoying summer. We finally moved our piano, an old upright, from my mom's garage to ours - it will soon go into the living room - and the Elf spends a lot of time banging away on it. It is in desperate need of tuning, but I still enjoy his compositions. He pretends to read music too. I think this fall might be a good time for him to start some lessons. I have several friend-recommended teachers on my list already! And the Fairy has decided she would rather do Arabic/belly dancing than ballet, but no one seems to teach it for 5 year olds. I think mainly she likes the outfits, all the bells, the scarves. I don't blame her - they do look really exotic and pretty.
Oh, any recommendations for an enjoyable read-aloud for a 5 year old and a 7 year old? We are down to the last 2 chapters of James and the Giant Peach, and while I have some ideas as to what to read next, I am always looking for more ideas! We did read a great little book this week - A Birthday for the Princess, by Anita Lobel, full of Anita's trademark beautiful illustrations. A great little story with a happy ending that both kids enjoyed. The Elf thought it was funny that she spent her days doing copy work, since he's done a fair amount of copy work himself. And while I am giving recommendations, we really enjoyed The Spiderwick Chronicles. Couple of scary moments in there, especially for the Fairy, but overall a good film. The kids plan to name one of our kittens-to-be after the Brownie in the movie - Thimbletack, which I think is a fantastic name for a cat.
We're still reading up on Ancient Greek history. I dug out my Encyclopedia of Mythology to go more in-depth with some of the pantheon of gods and goddesses. Of course, the kids soon noticed the other books on that shelf, and have spent the last week studying gnomes and fairies on their own, with the help of books like this, this, and this. This has led to an outpouring of gnome home designs and fairy sketches - I'll have to scan some and post pictures. Anyhow, I think we'll be right on track with starting in Ancient Rome in the fall.
In other news, while I have applied for a couple of jobs, I think I have come up with a way to make the one I have work for me if necessary. No one likes the closing shift (5'ish to 11'ish), so I thought I would offer to take it 4 times a week, and no other hours. That way, I have all day to be with my children. We could actually homeschool in the mornings, and have the afternoons free. We could go to park days and on field trips. It's not a perfect solution, but I've got to keep reminding myself that this is only for another couple of years. And in the meantime, maybe I will find a better job (keeping fingers crossed).
ETA: Just after posting this, I checked my email, and lo and behold, there is a local dance studio that offers belly dancing for children! I think we may have to do a drop-in session.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Darn, nasty heat...
It's been way too hot here the last few days, and from what I hear today and tomorrow are supposed to be worse. At least it's nice right now, and the evenings are lovely - warm enough that we had dinner al fresco last night (teriyaki chicken kabobs, a Caribbean-style rice pilaf with fresh pineapple, and a big green salad - yummy!), and then the kids went in the pool rather than take baths. I chose to just rest my feet in the pool, but ended up soaking wet anyway ;)
Speaking of the pool, the Fairy has taught herself to swim the length of it underwater. And by swim, I mean just that - my girl is swimming! I am in awe. I realize that yes, it's a fairly short pool, but still... And finally the Elf is losing his aversion to getting his head wet, and losing teeth. Yep, yet another visit from the Tooth Fairy last night. He has one more baby tooth (a canine), not including his six year molars. And I have to say, since all his dental trauma some time ago, he's gotten so much better at brushing his teeth - I no longer have to rebrush them for him. I bought, for both kids, these toothbrushes that flash for a solid minute, and have them using one set of flashes for top brushing, then they reactivate it and do the bottom, or vice versa. Seems to help so far.
Other than all the excitement of swimming, and losing teeth, things have been fairly normal around here. Our garden is growing (and sometimes wilting in this heat); we watch birds, butterflies, and cartoons; read stories; the Elf adds everything he can find... oh, and we're adding to our menagerie! Sometime in the next week or so we will have two kittens! They are undergoing litter training right now, and then they will come live with us. That brings us up to 1 dog, 1 snake, 2 parakeets (fairly recent addition), and 2 cats. I wonder what animal we'll get next!
Speaking of the pool, the Fairy has taught herself to swim the length of it underwater. And by swim, I mean just that - my girl is swimming! I am in awe. I realize that yes, it's a fairly short pool, but still... And finally the Elf is losing his aversion to getting his head wet, and losing teeth. Yep, yet another visit from the Tooth Fairy last night. He has one more baby tooth (a canine), not including his six year molars. And I have to say, since all his dental trauma some time ago, he's gotten so much better at brushing his teeth - I no longer have to rebrush them for him. I bought, for both kids, these toothbrushes that flash for a solid minute, and have them using one set of flashes for top brushing, then they reactivate it and do the bottom, or vice versa. Seems to help so far.
Other than all the excitement of swimming, and losing teeth, things have been fairly normal around here. Our garden is growing (and sometimes wilting in this heat); we watch birds, butterflies, and cartoons; read stories; the Elf adds everything he can find... oh, and we're adding to our menagerie! Sometime in the next week or so we will have two kittens! They are undergoing litter training right now, and then they will come live with us. That brings us up to 1 dog, 1 snake, 2 parakeets (fairly recent addition), and 2 cats. I wonder what animal we'll get next!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
At loss for a title...
Can't think of one! I get tired of typing "update" in that field.
We have had some gorgeous blue skies again, at last. And the fires are more under control, though still burning, to the north and east of us. It was funny - the first day we had actual sunshine (not orange, and without the odd aqua shadows) was Sunday. I got up early, made some coffee, and wandered over to the window just in time for the Elf to run up behind me shouting "Mommy! There are blue skies! I can see the sky!" He woke the Fairy up, and they immediately got halfway dressed, enough for decency anyhow, and headed out into the backyard. They didn't come in for about 4 hours, not even for breakfast, and after gobbling down a few snacks, they were right back out there.
Speaking of the Elf, he has yet another loose tooth. I think he's finally running out of teeth to lose. I am still trying to get used to his larger adult teeth. He has a little gap between the top two front ones, and has discovered that in addition to regular whistling, he can whistle through the gap. So, it is fair to say, we have a lot of whistling going on these days. And I caught him reading again, in bed, with a flashlight - a child after my own heart. I think he wants the same deal Jenny is giving her boy. And that may be a very good deal, after he finishes his phonics stuff. The Elf is also big into music right now, with lots of unique piano and guitar pieces being composed on the fly, and he's addicted to How It's Made, so I am learning a lot myself through eager, spur-of-the-moment narrations ("...and Mommy, did you know...?").
The Fairy is also very, very busy. She has a lot of tea parties to give, and a lot of babies to care for. And guitar music to play, stories to have read aloud, Max & Ruby to watch, and much, much more. She has decided that since she is five, it is time for her teeth to start falling out, and so she checks them every morning. Nothing even a tiny bit loose yet, but that never deters her. She is also very impatiently awaiting the end of summer, when "real" ballet classes start up. And it's funny - she is learning to read a little here and there, but she's doing it whole word versus phonics. She'll ask what a word is, someone will tell her, and then she remembers it and can point it out elsewhere, like the word "tea", which oddly enough is on every box of tea we own (about 20 or so). And of course she found the word "tea" at the grocery store.
I too have been busy. I've cleared out some of the garage-turning-play-&-school-room, but still have more to do. And I have work. And I am trying to help my local homeschool association with switching email list formats. And then there are everyday things, like dishes, and cooking, and trying to bathe wild hooligans (or at least get them to take a quick shower here and there), and watering our jungle vegetable garden, and prepping the front yard for an overhaul. And blogging!
We have had some gorgeous blue skies again, at last. And the fires are more under control, though still burning, to the north and east of us. It was funny - the first day we had actual sunshine (not orange, and without the odd aqua shadows) was Sunday. I got up early, made some coffee, and wandered over to the window just in time for the Elf to run up behind me shouting "Mommy! There are blue skies! I can see the sky!" He woke the Fairy up, and they immediately got halfway dressed, enough for decency anyhow, and headed out into the backyard. They didn't come in for about 4 hours, not even for breakfast, and after gobbling down a few snacks, they were right back out there.
Speaking of the Elf, he has yet another loose tooth. I think he's finally running out of teeth to lose. I am still trying to get used to his larger adult teeth. He has a little gap between the top two front ones, and has discovered that in addition to regular whistling, he can whistle through the gap. So, it is fair to say, we have a lot of whistling going on these days. And I caught him reading again, in bed, with a flashlight - a child after my own heart. I think he wants the same deal Jenny is giving her boy. And that may be a very good deal, after he finishes his phonics stuff. The Elf is also big into music right now, with lots of unique piano and guitar pieces being composed on the fly, and he's addicted to How It's Made, so I am learning a lot myself through eager, spur-of-the-moment narrations ("...and Mommy, did you know...?").
The Fairy is also very, very busy. She has a lot of tea parties to give, and a lot of babies to care for. And guitar music to play, stories to have read aloud, Max & Ruby to watch, and much, much more. She has decided that since she is five, it is time for her teeth to start falling out, and so she checks them every morning. Nothing even a tiny bit loose yet, but that never deters her. She is also very impatiently awaiting the end of summer, when "real" ballet classes start up. And it's funny - she is learning to read a little here and there, but she's doing it whole word versus phonics. She'll ask what a word is, someone will tell her, and then she remembers it and can point it out elsewhere, like the word "tea", which oddly enough is on every box of tea we own (about 20 or so). And of course she found the word "tea" at the grocery store.
I too have been busy. I've cleared out some of the garage-turning-play-&-school-room, but still have more to do. And I have work. And I am trying to help my local homeschool association with switching email list formats. And then there are everyday things, like dishes, and cooking, and trying to bathe wild hooligans (or at least get them to take a quick shower here and there), and watering our jungle vegetable garden, and prepping the front yard for an overhaul. And blogging!