Lovin' this Homeschooler

Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.

--Beatrix Potter





Thank goodness, indeed.

Catching up....

We've been plugging along....Travis is hoping to hear from a college soon. However, we know it will be April before he knows anything for sure about where he may or may not be accepted. It will be the end of April before he has all the information to make a decision. In the meantime, baseball starts soon for him. He is spending this week getting everything else done....physicals, eye doctor appt, dentist appt, haircut...you name it. You know, sniff, sniff, he'll graduate soon.

Holly has her car back. After it was repaired and THEN I got my car unstuck from the front yard (where we found it after our return from Mexico), she got to drive again. She and Trav participated in Disciple Now this weekend. It was pretty amazing, from all I hear. Ours is a community-wide DNow, which included 11 churches from several area communities and somewhere around 450 kids and 100 plus leaders. I think they had a lot of fun, and although we sent cheerful, happy kids and got back zombies, I'm pretty sure they grew up a little, too....spiritually and otherwise.

Nathan had his last regular season basketball game. He did really well this season despite some difficult circumstances, and we are proud of him. He will have the season-end tournament this weekend, then it is on to baseball....

Annie played in our regional music festival on Saturday, earning a "Superior" ranking, the highest available. She overcame serious nerves and fear to perform and do well. It was a great experience for her in a number of ways. Now, she begins soccer this week. We like soccer, but we really like fall soccer, summer soccer, and indoor soccer. Spring soccer is pretty nasty, as it involves below-freezing temps, a field in a wind-tunnel, and occasional sleet-filled games. Summer, please come soon!

My sweet nephew, Andy, is getting married in April. Our family is excited about making the trip to the East Coast to see the wedding. Getting to see a beach and an ocean is a thrilling bonus!

The new additions to the family, members I plan to spend a lot of time with, arrived yesterday. Today they had their final installation, and I am, as I type, doing my first load of steam-infused towels, which, according to the books, should come out 99.9% germ free. The new washer/dryer are just beauuuuuuutiful. We all know that pretty appliances make life worth living. Some days, it is just the thing to get us through.

I'm so excited, having made it almost all the way through two months of reading the Bible through and still being on track. I have to give kudos to Staci, for her recommendation of the ESV Bible Reading Plan, which splits each day into four sections. It is the MOST doable plan I have attempted, and I'm learning and enjoying every minute. I really was skeptical, but I have to say it's the best.

So now I'm hearing, "Mom, can you please fix supper? Time to run...parent-teacher conferences are tonight as well. Enjoy the day!

It's Almost Heeeerrrrreee.....

The signs are starting to appear. Recently, I have been hearing of my nephew's college baseball team's games. College baseball is the very beginning of baseball season, which is one of the first signs of spring.

Yesterday I read where the Cardinals have their first exhibition game Wednesday. That's, um, tomorrow....

My pulse begins to quicken.

This morning I looked out to the yard to see 2, 4, 6, oh, I don't know, maybe a dozen or more robins. One with a big ol' worm hanging out of his mouth....They looked just like this one:




My breath caught as it hit me. Spring is, well, here. It may snow, it may get very cold, but it will be a spring snow, and a spring cold snap. Soon we will see lots of these:




Oh, my heart be still. Gardens, baseball, flowers, swimming......I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight.

If This Doesn't Concern You.....

....you really need to get your head out of the sand.

Hat tip to Everyday Mommy for this quote:

You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that, my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.~~ Dr. Adrian Rogers ~~

Well said.

Glen Beck has figured out that a legislator has to read 640 words per minute from the time of receiving the bill in order to have read it before the vote, thanks to the fast track it is on. That is, in order for Nancy Pelosi to stay on schedule for her trip to Europe. Given that no legislator is capable of reading that fast, this bill will be voted on by people who have little to no idea as to what it even says. This is the largest expenditure in the history of the nation, with many, many naysayers, and they are jumping into it blindly. Can you say irresponsible? Insane? Utterly frightening?

It's a Plot

It has been awhile, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Staci wrote about appliance rebellion. I have further proof her story is accurate.

I'm not sure how, but I am convinced my dishwasher heard about me replacing my washer and dryer. Whether it overheard conversations (which would suggest appliances have some sort of hearing device akin to our ears), or if somehow it picked up from the laptop (perhaps some sort of satellite communication?)the number of times "Washer Ratings" was entered into the search engines, it knew. And it decided to revolt.

The dishwasher is pretty new. In fact, it is almost exactly 1 year and 3 months new. It was enough that there was some issue about whether it fell under warranty or the extended service protection plan that I am now sooooo happy I added at the last minute. The ESP won out, so eight phone calls and five trips through online forms later, a service tech is scheduled to come. Next week. I'm already on my fourth sink full of dishes to wash today. I'm seeing a serious purchase of paper plates and cups coming.

Oh, but that is not all the evidence I have. My car got wind of the coup and decided to join. Last night as we exited the car, Nathan investigated a hissing sound...it was the melody of a tire going flat. Quickly we drove it to the tire place, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, getting there before the flat was too far gone. Okay, I know a car isn't an appliance, per se, but you will not convince me this is coincidence.

So, today, I am without a car and a dishwasher. But that's okay. I get to stay home allllll day. What a blessing! And I can wash dishes allllll day, which is the perfect reason not to accomplish something more meaningful. Some days, I just need to be mindless. Maybe I can turn on House and do some baking to dirty up more dishes.....but only after I lovingly speak to my fridge and range to make sure they don't turn on me, too.

If You're Gonna Be a Bear.....

Be a Grizzly.

My family has told me that all my life. Usually, the philosophy pays off.

I'm in a rather unique position. I have a husband who is begging me to get a new washer and dryer....and mine still works. He just hates them. Really, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with these appliances. I love anything that takes stinky icky things and makes them smell all fresh and clean. However, there are issues with the whole fresh and clean thing.

So, my poisition is unique because, a) my husband really wants me to make this purchase, and I've been saying no (I've been doing WHAT?) for over a year now.
b) mine isn't broken so I'm not in a complete panic begging the sales guy to let me take whichever floor model home just so we can have some clean towels!!!!!!!!

I kinda like it here.

Hubby is what our sweet babysitter used to call "ticky ticky". He is rather particular about his appearance. The whole unknown spot from the washer, worn place in the new pants completely grates on him. He knows I try very hard to do a good job on the laundry and doesn't blame me. He blames the washer with its many issues. This thing would need intense counseling if it could talk, it has so many issues. But, it hasn't completely collapsed, with its tongue hanging out and little x's for eyes just yet, so I haven't been able to justify the purchase. Plus, given my propensity to wear denim anything and a tshirt which probably has a bleach stain, I don't stress too much about it.

This week, for some reason, it hit me. It really bugs him. I can get a new washer. WHAT AM I WAITING FOR??????????????

Lest you think the dryer is just along for the ride, I'm sure it is repairable, but it has issues of its own, including a cycle that takes almost two hours when it used to be just over 30 minutes. The additional time makes it difficult to keep my laundry quota up. Laundry in this house averages 5 loads per day, 6 days per week....give or take.

So, anyone who knows me knows researching new appliances is a great time to be OCD. What is information overload for most people is just the tip of the iceberg when I'm making a purchase of this size. I've talked to service people, sales people, housekeepers, looked at an unknown number of websites, been in various small and large retailers, and although I'll always have some buyer's remorse, I'm thinking it is time. I had settled on a particular model in Whirlpool, but I had a small issue. One of the things that excited me is that I can get a w/d set in some rockin' color. The model with the features I desire comes in white and aspen green. Aspen green is beautiful, but it will clash horribly with the new lemongrass walls in my laundry room, courtesy of the sweet painter ladies. Then my friend took me to Sears (again). The Kenmore that is just like the Whirlpool I like comes in wonderful colors. After more research (that heart-stopping red only comes in a size that is .4 cu ft smaller...did you know that?), I have settled on this: (lights, angelic background music, drumroll)


Well, add a dryer and minus the pedestals. It was a Chevy Chase Christmas Tree moment, to be sure.

Quotes from the Breakfast Table

From my sweet brunette that must really be blonde:

Discussing future college choices, we asked how important the gender mix is in her future college, i.e., would she want co-ed or all-girl/boy? Her answer?

"I really don't want to go to an all-boys school because I'd be the only girl there!"

No, she wasn't kidding.....

And later...

"Isn't Scotland in Italy or something?"

This cannot possibly be my child.........

Speedy Little Devils

A good friend gave me a cookbook called, "Friends on a Mission". The proceeds from this cookbook go to the American Cancer Society.

The first recipe I made from it, my family devoured quickly. Then, I made it again, with a slight modification, and once again, they devoured it. Anything with chocolate and peanut butter is a hit here, but this exceeded any expectations. Give it a try!

Speedy Little Devils

1 devil's food cake mix (I have used choc fudge and german choc....all choc is good as far as I'm concerned)
1 stick butter/marg, melted

Mix together with a fork. Reserve 1/2 C crumbs for the top. Pack remaining crumb mixture in an ungreased 9x13 pan.

Stir:
3/4 C creamy peanut butter
1 jar marshmallow creme

Spread over packed crumbs. Wet fingertips to spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over the top. Bake 350 degrees for 20 mins. Cool and cut into squares.

Variation:

Add:

Mix 1 pkg cream cheese, 1/2 C sugar (something like that) and 1 egg. Spread on packed crumbs. Spread peanut butter mixture on top. Bake about the same.

I kept it refrigerated when I did this...it was really good, too....

Enjoy!

LOST

Um, just fyi, I'm caught up. Completely. Through last week in this, Season 5. It's a bit frightening to suffer from this measure of OCD....

So, What's Been Going On?

For starters, we just returned from Mexico. We had a business trip over the weekend that took us to Puerto Morelos, just south of Cancun. I would like to pretend I was "put out" by having to leave my babies to go to the beach. I could focus on the weather that was cool enough to merit jackets and blankets by the pool. I could tell you how annoying it is to make all the arrangements for a weekend trip. All of it would be true. However, the truth is, I liked it. My babies were just fine, barring the car stuck in the middle of my yard when I returned and a house that looks like a train wreck. Yes, the weather was cool, but I found a perfect spot that blocked about half the wind and I am a DIE HARD so I endured with nothing more than a swimsuit by the pool. And, although it is a lot of work to leave, for a weekend or for weeks on end, the timing was just perfect, getting me back home to get everyone whipped into the routine that begins tomorrow.

They have been off school for a week because of what our local media refers to as "Winter Storm '09". Should we get hit again, I am hoping they call it "Winter Storm '09, Part Deux". Last week on Monday night through Wednesday morning we had about 30 hours of sleet, followed by snow. The end result was a bit more than ten inches of "white stuff" which provided days upon days of high energy entertainment for this crew plus a few. I am ever so thankful that we maintained our power. Not very far south of us are thousands of folks who are in their second week of no power in this frigid weather. When we were getting sleet and snow, they were getting freezing rain. The pictures my hubby took while checking the area out for his job were indescribable. We had an ice storm in '08 that cost us several days of power. Many of these folks have been told it will be four weeks or more.

As homeschoolers, we would normally do at least a bit of school on these days, but given the preparations being made to be gone and the really amazing, perfect play snow which comes so seldom in our area, I didn't have the heart. Instead I made some wonderful desserts, soups, chili, and homemade hot chocolate from Dove chocolate, no less. We consumed about five gallons of milk in about 36 hours and getting out to get a refill wasn't an option. There were a few tense moments when we had to ration the milk.

Probably the highlight of the weekend was the Superbowl. I wish I could watch it like that every year. The property where we were staying opened an on-site movie theater where they projected the Super Bowl and had snacks and drinks just outside the door. The place was mixed between Steeler and Cardinal fans. We could yell and scream to our heart's content. I was rooting passionately for the Cardinals, and more specifically Kurt Warner. I was terribly disappointed in the loss. Then, during the post-game interviews I was reminded that the Steelers are a classy organization, and the thought of Bill Bidwell making the acceptance speech made me cringe (a hint of bitterness that goes back to when he moved the Cardinals from St. Louis), so I just couldn't be too sad. It was one of the most exciting Super Bowls I remember with some amazing highlights. And, being a Marketing major, the commercials are always intriguing. I especially liked Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head for Bridgestone.

There you have it. Tomorrow we are getting back in sync and hitting "it" hard. Hopefully we will be able to extract my car from the yard. Our efforts thus far have proven fruitless.