2008 Olympics...Homeschool Style!

To kick off our Olympic fun, we set up an obstacle course and had LOTS of fun. We have been enjoying all aspects of the 2008 Olympics, from the fantastic Opening Ceremonies to discussing the controversies surrounding the venue, the scoring and the athletes.




We made Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to honor all of the amazing accomplishments we have been witnessing. Although Victor insisted that Princess Leia awarded him his medal for defeating Darth Vader. I guess we all have our own personal Olympic goals!

With only a few days left, we still have lots to see, lots to learn and lots of foods to taste. This has been the most fun we have had with a subject in a long time. Homeschooling has given us the time to truly immerse ourselves into the games. It's times like this that I forget all the times when I was about to pull my hair out in homeschooling frustration.

Here's to a few more days of Olympic fun...Homeschool Style!

What we have been up to...

After the release of our butterflies, we made clothespin/coffee filter butterflies. No, that's not a sour sucker in his mouth...that is his smile.


Blendy Pens...although I was not all that impressed with their "blendy-ness", the kids have been having fun with them for the past couple weeks. Gwen saw these on TV long ago and talked about them a LOT. She got these for her birthday and it was one of those gifts I stick back and spring out when something new needs to be explored. Overall, they have been fun.

Swimming...what can I say, it's become our lives. Since arriving home from vacation to our new, fabulous pool, we have spent lots of time there. Alyssa is having the best time doing flips and handstands. Gwen has excelled in learning to swim. She taught herself how to swim underwater! Victor is swimming with his floaties, but continues to want to swim without them. He jumps off the ladder yelling "cannonbaaaall."

Vacation and Beyond

Can you believe this photo? I think it's adorable and represents how much fun we had on vacation. This picture is midway through in Keystone, South Dakota. This is the cabin that we stayed in for 2 nights. It was GREAT! There was plenty of room for the kids to climb around and explore and the cabin was fabulous and clean. Keystone is a fun place to visit and I will consider staying 3 days next time we go. Alyssa and I took a trail ride through the mountains here and it was really beautiful. It rained a nice soaking, cold rain for the last 30 minutes of our ride but it was totally worth it.

Our stop in Minot, North Dakota to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins, was by far the most fun my kids have ever had. From the mini-motorcycles to the buffet style meals, the kids were in heaven. All three kids bonded quickly with my cousin's daughters and there was fun to be had. My aunt made the best food and we always had plenty. My uncle shared his love of remote controlled aircraft and the kids had tons of fun chasing the parachute man!! Overall, we had a great vacation and minus the tornadoes, flooding and a round of snotty noses, it was something that we will all remember with great love in our hearts.

When we got home from vacation the fabulous pool my mother-in-law purchased was set up in the front yard and ready for swimming. We have loved it every day since. We swim one or two times a day and it reminds me of my young summer days spent by the pool. I still think Bugels Corn Chips taste better with pool soaked hands! We started swim lessons the first of June and they will last until the first of August. After that, it will be back to soccer for Alyssa and gymnastics for Gwen. Gwen is really itching to get back to tumbling. I am thrilled that she likes it and I think she has the skills necessary to do well. The Olympics are going to be a HUGE hit around here. Alyssa moves to the all girls soccer teams and she's a bit bummed. She prefers mixed teams, even though the boys tend to mess around a lot. Olympic soccer is on before the Olympics officially start, I hope we get the channel it's on!

We also received our caterpillars in the mail and started our Butterfly Habitat Project. It was amazing. We all had fun watching the stages progress. Victor took an immediate interest and he was the one who noticed they were emerging! We are definitely sending off for more caterpillars, and soon! Two thumbs up for this project.

Independence Day was very fun. 4th of July means yummy food, friends and family and a great show! I tried a new salsa recipe, which was supposed to be a clone of Chili's Salsa. It was good and it almost tasted like Chili's. It gave me hope that I can make my own salsa this year when the garden overflows with tomatoes! I also made Candy Bar Apple Salad and it was OK, I think I need less apples next time. Alyssa's best buddy, Guy, spent a couple of nights and all the kids had loads of fun. We sent him home red as a lobster (oops, sorry Savvy!) but with lots of fun memories for everyone.

Cleaning up the next day...not as fun.

iPod Anyone?

What the hell is an iPod and why should I care? Well, because I have a soon-to-be tween and honestly, I just can't let my kids surpass me in techie knowledge...I just can't. Alyssa will be nine next month (*cringe*) and she has started down the path of music exploration. I am thrilled. I remember how much of an impact music had on me as a young person and I can't wait for her to feel the vibes. Personally, I am not musically inclined and you would surely tell me to shut the heck up if I started singing at your wedding...or in your presence. BUT, I can remember spending hours listening to the radio, playing records and trying my best to push that record button on my cassette player so I could have my favorite songs on the radio on a fabulous mix tape. Ahhh, the days of the mix tape. Kids these days just don't understand the painstaking process of mixing a tape. Point and click, how hard is that? What happened to running across the room and flinging yourself over your bed to the cassette player as soon as you heard Raspberry Beret by Prince? Now that is music love.

Noticing that this music thing was not a passing fancy, I decided to look into an iPod. When walking through Wal-mart, I saw the iPod Shuffle. It's cute as can be...and on sale! Whoo Hoo! Because I try to be an informed consumer, I went online and checked them out. Not only do they get great reviews and are simple enough for a nine year old to use, when you order yours directly from Apple, they will engrave it and ship it FREE. Yeah, you heard me...FREE. I'm in love. I let her pick the color and what she wanted to have engraved on it, but I am not letting her have it until her birthday...I'm mean like that. She is really excited and frankly, so am I. Commercial free music of your choice, that's portable? What a freaking concept!!!

Commenting on my blog

My advice is to actually READ the post that you want to comment on BEFORE commenting on it. Check out the comments from 1892 gold mine on my Vacation Continuation post. Annoying.

Horse Camp 2008

This is Alyssa and Bert, aren't they adorable? Yes, that is Gwen's head in the corner of the picture...I believe that Alyssa has a lifetime of Gwen's head being in the corner of her picture. Bert was Alyssa's assigned horse for her week at Horse Camp. She had to feed him, clean his stall, groom him and of course, ride him. They were a team...he pooped, she scooped. After arriving home from vacation on Thursday (a vacation blog is coming!), Alyssa started Horse Camp on Monday. We had to wake up each day last week at 6am so that we could make it to camp by 8am. It took almost an hour to get there and after our L-O-N-G vacation, we weren't sure if we would make it. We did. The excitement of the whole thing nudged us out of bed and spurred us to be on time every day, anxiously awaiting the day of fun.

The Vacation Continuation...

Boo! Did I scare ya? Well, I've been here all along, searching and contemplating all aspects of the vacation. W-A-Y back in February, I posted about the vacation we would be embarking on at the end of May. Did you know that May is here already?! After many computer hours and several days of the kids running naked and starving to death (not really, but you woulda thought I abandoned them), I have all of the plans finalized and reservations have been made. This has stretched into a 10 day trip and I am both excited and apprehensive. Normal feelings for me when major excursions take place. So forgive me if this rambles or is less than helpful in explaining our plans...and because I am lazy, I am cutting and pasting from my first post and just adding to it...your welcome. All black text is new.

Day One ~ start from here and drive to Overland Park, KS We will arrive in town around lunchtime and visit The Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park, KS(http://opkansas.org/_Vis/Farmstead/index.cfm).

From the website:
Admission to the Farmstead is free. Please look for donation boxes to help support the best park in town, or consider becoming a Friends of the Farmstead Member today at our join and support page. Visit the Farmstead with your family and here's an example of what you will see:Charming One-Room School HouseKwanza Indian EncampmentInteractive Dairy Barn with in-house 'Moovie'Stocked Fishing PondPony RidesPlaygroundAuthentic Mining ExhibitJohnson County Extension Master Gardeners farm crops, veggies and flowersHorse Drawn HayrideKiwanis Repose GardenButterfly Garden & ChimesConcessions and Picnic PavilionsAnimal Exhibits including goats, chickens, rabbits, sheep, pigs, cows, peacocks, prairie dogs, turtles, fish, bald eagle, hawk, bob cat, ducks
Whoo Hooo! Sounds fun!

Day 2 ~ We leave Kansas City and head for Sioux Falls, SD In Sioux Falls I booked a hotel that has a small waterpark inside. I decided that having a few hours of water fun and dinner would be just as much fun as anything else I could have found...not to mention cheaper (a major factor on this particular vacation, as gas is literally going to cost as much as the lodging for the entire trip). The "waterpark" hotel seems to be the new thing and to be honest, I am thrilled about it! In comparison, this hotel has a tiny waterpark, more like a water play area, in my opinion. BUT, that is just what this mama wants. Some of those places are thousands of square feet and INSIDE a hotel, not the place I want to try and keep track of 3 kids. I am a paranoid freak, there I said it. Anyhoo, this stopover will surely bring lots of laughs and wrinkled toes.

Day 3 (4, 5 and 6) ~ We leave Sioux Falls and head to Minot, ND At our final destination, my aunt and uncle's house, we will unpack, eat all the food they have and then sleep in all their beds, all while they wonder what the heck they have gotten themselves into! We will spend the next three days enjoying the company of my aunt and uncle, cousins and their kids (five girls! whoo hoo). We will be heading to the Space Aliens Restaurant (http://www.spacealiens.com/) and possibly the zoo (http://www.rpzoo.com/), but for the most part, this section of the trip is unplanned.

Day 7 and 8 ~ We leave Minot, ND and head to Keystone, SD Here we will stay in a modern cabin on 75 acres near Mount Rushmore (http://www.holysmokeresort.com/). We will be here 2 nights so that we can fully enjoy the fun that Mount Rushmore's surrounding areas have to offer. The resort offers horseback riding and Alyssa and I are going to take a one hour ride together first thing in the morning on day 8. My mom will stay back with the little ones and explore nature...or dig holes and pile sticks...whatever. We plan on hitting a gold mine and panning for gold http://www.bigthundermine.com. Now, when I told the girls that we would be panning for gold, they began dreaming of finding necklaces and diamonds. When I explained to them that it was a "makeshift" kinda thing and that it's basically for tourists, they began dreaming of finding lost watches and wallets...ahhh, move over Indiana Jones, treasures await my children!!! Even after all the laughing I did, they are still convinced they are going to find something of tremendous value...I was hoping something a bit educational, but the world needs pickpockets too right? There are SO many other things to do in and around Keystone that I decided to note a few and then decide while there which ones to try. We will be in Go-With-The-Flow mode here.

Day 9 ~ Leave Keystone, SD and head towards Omaha, NE Due to arrival possibly being late in the evening, I did not schedule anything here...this is merely a stopover for sleep and refreshment before heading home. The hotel I booked is really cool and has themed rooms and castle turrets on one end, but that is the extent of it's excitement. They do have an indoor pool and really, who needs anything else? The hotel is in a central part of town with malls and screaming kid pizza palaces, so if necessary, we have an out. There is a hotel close by that has one of those HUGE waterparks inside...yeah, I didn't choose that one (see above). At this point, even the most avid vacationer would long for home and I am already foreseeing my future of longing.

Day 10 ~ Head home, fall out of the car, sleep on the lawn...

**While planning this trip I made sure of some things: 1)all rooms have micros and fridges so that there will be plenty of already purchased quick meals for kids who insist they are starving before bed, a nightly occurrence here at my house. 2)all breakfast meals will be ones that I brought or are provided by the hotel (or my sweet auntie)...no restaurants for breakfast! 3)all hotels have indoor pools, my free fun distraction. 4)every event is 2 year old friendly...you must always plan with the youngest child in mind and although museums are a fave for Alyssa and me, they are no fun with toddlers...a second museum focused trip will be planned at a later date and will include daddy.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Just go for it!

Sometimes you just gotta cook out some dogs, listen to loud music and pop those fireworks left over from the year before...oh yeah, and get really dirty.

24 Months

Twenty four months sounds like a lot, yet it doesn't. In the life of a child it's a mere pin prick of time. The changes made from baby to toddler are so amazing. I think time goes so quickly so parents aren't aware of how fast their little one is growing...I know I would cry everyday if I had time to think about how fast my kids have gone from needing my constant attention to needing me only when they can't figure it out for themselves. Victor has changed our family and he has changed me. I started out such a strict mama, with rigid rules and schedules to follow. When Alyssa was a baby, I actually kept a chart of her diaper changes...no joke. I have mellowed and become somewhat less rigid, although, my personality warrants some rigidity just to get through the day. But I am less concerned about issues that have no bearing on my children's happiness.

Taking on a third child was a huge challenge for me and I sort of retreated into my comfort zone. Gwen was 2 when Victor was born and she was having a great time reminding me that Alyssa's personality is what made Alyssa such an easy child to maintain, not necessarily my parenting skills! I was struggling with an independent 2 year old, a 6 year old that still needed me in many ways and an infant. I stayed home.

And then he was one year old. How did that happen? He seemed so big, yet so tiny. He turned into the family clown. Funny faces, funny noises, anything to make you laugh. We couldn't believe his comedic timing, not to mention his insight into what makes a person laugh. Surely mothers of famous comedians everywhere have said this for years. With two sisters who adore him, he will surely be a ladies man, constantly charming their friends with his wit and dimples.

Still the funny man, he has eye rolls and head tilts that will drop you to the floor laughing. Maybe these things are what have loosened me up as a mom, who could scold a child with such comedic timing? The family is constantly finding themselves laughing behind books, hands, anything to throw in front of their faces, while trying to be firm about whatever he's not supposed to be doing. He has taken a liking to a pair of blue rain boots that I purchased for Alyssa when she was about his age. They were in perfect condition when he confiscated them, but now, they are broken at the ankles and smell like we have kept garbage in them for the past 6 years. He LOVES these boots, first thing in the morning he puts them on and he reluctantly relinquishes them at night...he would sleep in them if I let him. You can literally smell them when he walks up to you. His Mimi and his Granny and Poppa have tried, in vain, to convince him he needs a new pair, but he has made it clear that there is no other pair of boots for him. He also has a cowboy hat that Alyssa gave him (more like gave up on ever getting it back) and he wears it regularly. It is made of plastic and has been stepped on so many times it's cracked and well worn. Again, not even a new, real cowboy hat would convince him to change over. He is clearly paving a fashion path all his own.

Some of the other things that he loves: Star Wars toys, particularly Storm Troopers, cars, all things Scooby-Doo, watching his sisters and daddy play video games (while holding his own Spiderman controller), all Superheroes and their villainous counterparts, reading books, scrambled eggs, playing outside, his double barrel shotgun (yes, it's a toy!) and poking people (he thinks this is hilarious). He can sit by the bookshelf for 30 minutes looking at various books and discussing them with himself. While playing in his room you can hear him have conversations with his toys and make up dialogue for his adventures, it's adorable. I am sure that it comes from being the third child but his vocabulary is large and he speaks in complete sentences when necessary. Both girls were not as verbal and spent some amount of time using baby signs to communicate. I never got a chance to teach him signs, as he was speaking before we ever thought he would. I am not at all trying to convince anyone (including myself) that he's some kind of genius, but we are all constantly amazed at his ability to carry on a conversation. He is also extremely adept at repeating what you have just said to him...sometimes this bites me in the butt...'nuff said.

And this is his smile.

Happy birthday buddy, we can't wait to see what you have accomplished next year!

FINALLY!

After weeks of waiting we finally had our first soccer game. It was cold, windy and misty but they played. Note the stocking caps and gloves...it was NOT soccer weather! We did not win this game, but honestly, no one cared. The only score our team managed was made accidentally by the other team!


This second picture was taken of our team and the coaches having fun congratulating each other on a good game...note the happy, laughing faces...now that is a sign of great coaching (not to mention great kids!) when 8 year olds can have this much fun after losing their first game.

Games we play...

We love games around here, card, board, video. We are game-y...uh, in a good way. LOL Recently Gwen has taken to challenging each and every person in a game, or several, of cards. Currently the favorites are the Spiderman Crime Stopper Card Game and Clifford's Beginning, Middle and End Card Game. We have played MANY hands of these games in the past week. She also has an I-Spy Card Game that she enjoys playing.

Board Games are also a big hit around here. Our most recent faves include, Clue Junior, the original Clue game and the Harry Potter Mystery at Hogwarts game (similar to Clue). Gwen also enjoys a mean game of The Backyardigans Mission to Mars/Pirate Treasure Game. Monopoly is one of Brian's favorite games and one of my LEAST favorites, so I occasionally have to suffer while he and Alyssa enjoy a L-O-N-G game of Star Wars Monopoly. Funny though, it seems like I always win...ironic ain't it?

Puzzles are prominent in our game cabinet too. Gwen can do pretty hard puzzles and enjoys the challenge. Alyssa is mostly a joiner of puzzle fun...it would not necessarily be her choice of game to play. Brian is a fan of puzzles and likes really challenging ones, I, on the other hand, like the ones with little wooden handles on each piece...LOL...well, not THAT easy, but pretty close! We have some "family" puzzles to start on one day, but we have to wait until the youngest child can control himself around things that need to be left alone...tick tock. Due to my anal nature, I like a puzzle you can put together, enjoy and then put away...all in less than an hour. Puzzles that must take up table space make me uncomfortable.

Video games, well, that would be ALL Brian's influence because I could really just leave them...shhh don't tell anyone! Computer games, X-Box 360, PS2 and Wii are all options around here and let me tell ya, they all offer something completely different. We ALL love the Wii and it's simple little sports game that comes with the console. Fun, Fun, Fun. Alyssa tends to dominate on the Wii...something I can not explain. Gwen has been trying her best to get through the Scooby Doo Unmasked PS2 game and she is putting a real dent in it. Over the past year she has gone from making everyone else fight the monsters to getting through levels without any help. She is fast approaching the level that Alyssa, Brian and I have been unable to beat. We are stuck. I will be thrilled to see Gwen just beat the heck outa that level!

Here's to games...and more games. Brian and I are currently discussing introducing Alyssa to our favorite pastime of all, Dungeons and Dragons. I can not wait to begin adventuring with Alyssa and eventually bringing in all the members of the clan...we will be unstoppable!! LOL

Harry Potter...the end of an era

Well, approximately 10 months later, we finished the series. We loved it. The whole family quickly became fans of Harry and his gaggle of loyalists. As I finished reading the last page of book 7, Alyssa looked at me and said, "can we read them again?" LOL

Our new read aloud book is the first in the Trixie Belden series, The Secret of the Mansion. This series was one of my absolute favorites as a child. Alyssa is loving the first one and I am excited at the opportunity to read all of them again!

It appears that mysteries are the new interest around here. Alyssa has been reading some books, that my cousin gave us, from the Clue Mysteries series. We are searching used book stores and antique markets for the rest...hard to find actually. I am also searching out the rest of the Trixie Belden books, I have found a few and had no idea how hard they would be to find. Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books fill the shelves but there's slim pickin's when it comes to Trixie. I think her fans must be pretty die hard collectors. There are so many great books to read, I am just glad that we have been fortunate enough to pick some really fun ones. The first Trixie books were released in the late 40s and although some of the language is dated, we love reading them...cliff hanging chapters don't hurt a bit!

Soccer Rules!

Last season the first soccer game was rained out. And by rained out, I mean my undergarments were soaked, my shoes were filled with water and my camera was so fogged this was the best picture I could get. They literally played ONE minute and it started pouring. It was Alyssa's first EVER soccer game and she was so disappointed I wanted to cry. Luckily, there were 9 more games and we got better pictures.

The coaches were fabulous, nice, fun and fair. No yelling, no threats and always a "way to go" for any attempt. I was leary about team sports because parents can get really freaky about their kids and winning. We focused on fun and Alyssa learned some valuable lessons. For instance, you don't always get to play the position you want. She was dying to play goalie. Why? I don't know. Potential face contact does not appeal to me, but to each his own. She never played goalie...much to my relief. Defense was her strong area. She wasn't afraid to get in there and try to take the ball. She'll likely play defense again this season and I am totally OK with that!

Practice has started for this season and the first game is March 8th. Let's hope for sunny weather and strong legs!!

A few of our favorite books...

Overstuffed bookshelves. Yep, I got 'em. Scholastic books are one of my guilty pleasures and when I taught school I ordered more books than my entire class! Here are some of the ones the kids are enjoying.

This has been one of Victor's favorite books for a few months now. It is adorable with GREAT illustrations. We have read this book so many times I have dreamed about it! Gwen can recite just about every word and often "reads" this book on her own.

Sanji and the Baker has become this week's pick for Victor. This book boasts fabulous art and a valuable lesson in greed. As a toddler, this was one of Alyssa's favorite stories and she has passed the torch on to Victor.

Jesse Bear is a cute, sing-songy book that is fun to read. The illustrations are nicely detailed. This was another of Alyssa's faves.


We have several of the Froggy books and they are some of Gwen's favorites. They are cute and have sound effects that make the book fun and unique.




Amelia Bedelia. What can I say...we love these books. As a child I loved Amelia Bedelia and had purchased several before we had kids. Lucky me, all the kids like these and they have been great reading practice for Alyssa. I read several a week for Gwen.






Gwen discovered seek and find books last year and fell in love. The I-Spy series is ok, but we have found some really fun ones published by Usborne. Gwen has a stack of these on her bedside shelf for quiet time reading.


Alyssa got this book for Christmas and it is lots of fun. There are MANY different things in it, from essential gear to games to women in history. This book is on her bedside shelf for quiet time reading. I can't even say how many bookmarks are in this book!!

Summer Vacation

My mother and I have decided to take the kids on a vacation this summer. We will be headed to North Dakota. What? you say, North Dakota? Yes, it is an odd summer vacation destination, but we are in fact, odd. We also have family there. We took Alyssa when she was 9 months old and had a lot of fun, but now we are taking an 8YO, 4YO(who can be a royal pain in the...well, you know) and a 2YO. Of course Alyssa is thrilled and has already started planning, in fact, last night she asked if she could start packing. The fun stuff for her will be the stops we make along the way. I have been searching and planning because that's what Type A's do!! Here's the tentative plan...

Day One ~ start from here and drive to Kansas City, MO. (estimated time, 5-6 hours) We will arrive in town around lunchtime and visit The Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park, KS(http://opkansas.org/_Vis/Farmstead/index.cfm). From the website:

Admission to the Farmstead is free. Please look for donation boxes to help support the best park in town, or consider becoming a Friends of the Farmstead Member today at our join and support page. Visit the Farmstead with your family and here's an example of what you will see:
Charming One-Room School House
Kwanza Indian Encampment
Interactive Dairy Barn with in-house 'Moovie'
Stocked Fishing Pond
Pony Rides
Playground
Authentic Mining Exhibit
Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners farm crops, veggies and flowers
Horse Drawn Hayride
Kiwanis Repose Garden
Butterfly Garden & Chimes
Concessions and Picnic Pavilions
Animal Exhibits including goats, chickens, rabbits, sheep, pigs, cows, peacocks, prairie dogs, turtles, fish, bald eagle, hawk, bob cat, ducks

Whoo Hooo! Sounds fun!

Day 2 ~ We leave Kansas City and head for Sioux Falls, SD (estimated time 5-6 hours) I have not started searching for Sioux Falls activites, but that is the plan for today. I can't wait to see what there is to do! Arrival in Sioux Falls will be afternoonish.

Day 3 ~ We leave Sioux Falls and head to Minot, ND. Currently it is below freezing there, but they have beautiful summers (and HUGE mosqitos). As a kid, all the aunties and cousins would pile into the car and drive up north. One year there was SIX of us that went and we drove in my aunt's VW Rabbit...yeah, you heard me right, a VW Rabbit...we all had to lift our butts when there was a bump or we would scrape the ground!!!! And yes, my cousin did throw up once. Good Times, Good Times. All that trauma aside, I still like to go there! LOL While in Minot we will visit with family and just relax and have fun. We will be making a trip over to the Space Aliens Restaurant(http://www.spacealiens.com/) ...we missed it last visit and I couldn't have been more disappointed!

Along the way there will be hotels with pools (a must) and lots of dining out...which we LOVE to do. On the way back we will be stopping at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota (http://www.mountrushmoreinfo.com/) and the Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska(http://www.omahazoo.com/) .

TO BE CONTINUED...

Green Thumb?

Apparently not in our family. This picture shows the watermelon that we tried to grow from a seed. Not great...cute, but not great.

This is the watermelon that we found growing under our deck. We did nothing to facilitate the growth of this monster, as we did not know it was there. It looks very nice, but cut open it was not developed and the kids could not eat it...yes, there was much disappointment.

Spring Co-op

Valentine's Day started the first day of our homeschool Spring Co-op. It was a Valentine's Day Party with treats and fellowship. I have mixed feelings about co-op and the responsibilities that come with it; we are returning after an absence of almost 2 years. After having Victor I found it was too difficult managing him, Gwen and helping Alyssa throughout the day's rotation and occassionally leading a class. I was a basketcase when the day ended. I simply could not participate effectively. I signed up this semester with an (almost) 2YO, 4YO and an 8YO, much easier to manage...I hope. Gwen simply did not want to go to the Valentine's party, she was uninterested. Her main concern was missing the sweets, but opted to stay home with the permission to have some of her cotton candy, so she wouldn't miss out. I did not want to take Victor and after Thursday have decided he will go on occassion. The number of kids has doubled to 100 since we last attended and bigger is not always better. It was pandemonium and I'm not sure I am happy with what it's offering. We will continue going because Alyssa enjoys the social interaction and it's nice to congregate with others who have some of the same goals as your family. However, that being said, sometimes desire to homeschool is where the similarities stop and that can be difficult. Wish me luck.

Why cameras without sound rule...

because this picture wouldn't be as sweet if you could hear me yelling in the background..."hey, watch out for the dog poop!"

Happy Birthday!

My homemade birthday cake...YUMMY! Alyssa baked my cake again this year and she did a great job. The bottom layer of the cake is chocolate, and the second layer is white and the very top tiny layer, made specifically for the honoree, is a tiny chocolate bunt cake filled with chocolate frosting. Alyssa calls it the volcano cake and it's enough to kill you...but it sure is good! The kids also gave me presents that they picked out at the dollar store with their Granny. Alyssa gave me a candle, a pack of gum and a laundry basket. Gwen chose a lemon air freshener and a candle. These are perfect mom gifts! From other relatives I recieved a Dirt Devil hand vacuum, which I was wanting, candles (Wood Wick, Fireside...mmm), mixing bowls (with little handles...thank god!) and a Reynolds Handi Vac vacuum sealer...which you should buy one of these now, because you will LOVE it!!! And three incense burners I bought for myself. So, on this birthday, the Birthday of Household Items, I am happy with smells, happy with food storage and most of all happy with life...minus the big poof of smoke that filled the room when I blew out 37 candles!!

FunBrain!

I just found FunBrain.com and it is lots of fun...check it out!