new toy

We found a real deal today - only $3.99 as an end-of-summer clearance item. The sand and water playset kept the kids happy for a good half hour before naptime intruded. Poor Jamie, he cried as he had to leave, "I miss it!" 

Ohio field trip

Our trip to Ohio was wonderful - a time for fun with family and friends. We relaxed, played and shopped. It made me wish to move to Ohio! Oh well.
On Friday we went on a field trip to the Brukner Nature Center, which is near Dayton. We got more than we bargained for, in a good way and a bad way. It was a very nice place to visit - a welcoming visitors center, birds and animals to observe, an old log cabin, and plenty of paths to hike (reminiscent of Hocking Hills). On top of those things they were having a sale, where we got some good deals! Unfortunately, Jamie had some problems keeping clean and healthy, so our visit was cut short. He did enjoy seeing the animals and birds, especially the turtles.
They rehabilitate injured wildlife there, which explains all the animals and birds. We were able to see owls, turkey vultures, a heron, a bald eagle, crows, foxes, a bobcat, turtles, quail, opossums, and snakes. All for free! The center is supported through donations and grants for the most part, and charges a small fee for entry (only on Sunday). I highly recommend a day trip here. It would be nice to go back someday.

hindsight

From a little book I picked up at the library this week:

The British government even tried this tea tax on the American Colonies, but the Americans would have none of it. At an enormous fancy-dress tea party in Boston in 1773, where the guestss came dressed as Red Indians, they decided to renounce tea in favour of Independence. Pitt the Younger then reduced the tax on tea in 1784, a classic example of locking the door after the horse has bolted.

by Helen Simpson

what assistant pastors do on their days off

Apparently they research Saabs and post on blogs like this. Of course, this is only conjecture on my part. BTW, Mom and I highly recommend the ballet.

toddler vacation

What does a three-year-old do when on vacation? So far Jamie has been spoiled by his grandparents - he's never had so much attention throughout the day. There's always someone who will play with him. There are lots of "new" toys, and new places to see.
In Norwalk Jamie tries to play with Abby, Grandma's dog. Unfortunately, Abby is a bit frightened by this small human, and tries to avoid being alone with him. She does sit by his feet at dinner, though, as he is the one most likely to drop food.
In Columbus there are trains. Lots of trains. If only we could see each and everyone go by... On the other hand, there are lots of toys inside the house, and a swing outside the house. Of course, in Columbus we also go to the thrift stores, where there are lots and lots of new toys just waiting to be played with! Too bad Mommy always wants to look at clothes.
On Friday Uncle Mike will come over. We will go out to Slate Run or Ye Olde Mill or something else fun. On Saturday Daddy and Dorothy will join us and we will have a big party! Want to join us?

Rupert Christmas Exchange

Summer is coming to a close. Soon school will start, leaves will fall, days will shorten and winter will arrive. The holidays will be here before you know it! Are you ready?

Here is the Rupert exchange list for this Christmas:

Mike for Joel
Linda for Katrina

Andy for Mike
Sharon for Linda

Jim for Andy
Laura for Sharon

Joel for Jim
Katrina for Laura

Katrina, I like jewelry! :-)
Sharon, what's on your list this year?

The result

This is what I have decided to go with for now... medium-length, side-swept bangs. Thanks for all the input! 

Hair

I had the same hair for so long, and I figured it was time to change something. At the beginning of the year I started to let my bangs grow out. I know that it is hard to grow hair out gracefully, but I am getting pretty tired of my long bangs. If I return to my old hairstyle I'll feel like I am giving up. What do you think? Should I go for all long hair / no bangs? short bangs straight across the forhead? long bangs swept to the side? medium side-swept bangs?

what you say... what kids hear

This week is Neighborhood Bible Time at our church. I am in the nursery this year, which is far more work than you would think... we had four babies (under one year old) and one toddler (under two years old). None wanted to sleep, but all needed to sleep. I have two teen girls helping, but they tend to let me handle the diapers and fussy kids. At least I am inside with the AC on, instead of out in the heat wave we are dealing with.
One perk of working with the babies - we can sneak in the back of the auditorium for a few minute of Bible time if we want. One day I walked in and listened as they went over the Ten Commandments. Mr. Brock (our NBT leader) asked the primary kids to help him list the commandments in order, one by one. They did well up until they hit #6.
"What is the sixth commandment?" asked Mr Brock.
"Do not kill adult trees." a young boy answered.

Museum day

On September 30, 2006, for one day only, museums and cultural institutions across the country will join the Smithsonian Institution in offering free admission to visitors.
Look for more details and a complete listing of participating museums in the September issue of Smithsonian or visit smithsonian.com/museumday.

There are a few here in our area that look a bit tempting. A day at Historic St. Mary's City? The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania? (Yes, the RR museum would be for Jamie... I'm sure he would be thrilled!)

the good part of the concert

Earlier I wrote about the patriotic concert we tried to enjoy. Here is a photo from the good part. Jamie is a very friendly kid - he says "hi!" to everyone who passes our house. Here you see him as he made friends with a boy nearby our seats, one who was kind enough to share his toy cars with Jamie. Jamie has good taste, don't you think? Or is it normal for my famiy to seak out redheads? 

pinocchio

If only I were a real boy! 

Happy 4th!

We have been looking forward to this weekend for awhile. Jim obviously has today off, but he took yesterday off as well, making it a lo-o-ong weekend. We cleaned in the basement, and took a load of stuff to the thrift store (and brought back books, of course), went swimming at our friends' house, did some finish work on the basement door, and did lots of yardwork. To actually celebrate the Fourth we made plans with friends to meet up at Oregon Ridge for the Baltimore Symphony's Patriotic concert and fireworks. We had gone last year, and we all really enjoyed it.
Last night we headed out the door a little after 5:30 - the concert started at 8 pm. We arrived at the alternative parking area and rode the bus (free shuttles, well timed!) over to the park. Jamie loved the buses! It was probably the highlight of the night for him... The park was packed when we arrived, but we found a pretty good spot on the far side of the hill, and we staked out enough room for our friends, too. Jim took the kids to the playground, and by the time they were heading back our friends arrived as well. We all settled in, opened snacks, and waited for the concert to start. Jim, being a closet pessimist, looked up and commented on the clouds. No, they'll blow over, surely? (Please God, let it blow over...) The concert started, and we all stood at attention for the national anthem. Jamie was frightened when they shot off a few fireworks at the end of the song... he might not be ready for fireworks yet. We sat back down, and the symphony started some Copeland, when Jim turned to me and said, "I felt a raindrop." I admitted that I had, as well. (Please God, let it blow over...) Jim began to pack things up, and folded up our quilt. People nearby also packed things up, or brought out umbrellas or tarps (things which we did not pack). The kids huddled in our laps as it began to pour! The music stopped, and they announced that there would be a short break in the program. I pulled Jamie's quilt over our heads while Jim and Dot simply cuddled up without cover. There was thunder and lightning. People began to leave. Jim wanted to just wait it out, but the minutes went by and the rain kept falling. Dot pleaded to go take shelter in the bathroom. Jamie started to quietly question, "Bus? Bus? Bus?" as he and I got soaked through. We gave up on trying to stay dry, and told our friends we were going to leave. We slogged through the crowd, dripping wet, looking for a bus to take us back to our car. Jamie was happy to ride the bus again, and happily exclaimed whenever we crossed train tracks. He did not want to get off the bus! However, we were wet and cold, and we miserably trudged across the parking lot to our car. Thankfully it was not raining there. We loaded our wet things into the trunk, stripped Jamie, and tried our best to get into the car without soaking it. We headed home, and noticed that it seemed dry everywhere else. Some areas were setting off fireworks, which we could see from the interstate.
We got home and changed into dry pajamas once we unoaded all our wet stuff. Jim set out the chairs to air dry on the deck as I started a load of wet laundry. We covered the table with wet and damp items from our pockets (even things in Jim's wallet got wet!), and finally got the kids to bed.
We slept well last night. No thunderstorms here - in fact, the only rain in our area last night was up there, where we were. There's a higher chance of rain tonight, though. Other than PBS, we may not see fireworks at all this year!

Favorite new toy

When Joel went to DC by himself KJ and I took the kids to the thrift store. What else do you do when site-seeing??? :-) Of course, the kids wanted to look at the toys, a section that amounts to a giant toybox. We do find good toys every so often, and they found one on this trip, too. For only $ 1.91 we bought a magnetic play theatre, and all the pieces were there! We thought that Dot would be the one who enjoyed this toy, but it turns out that Jamie has claimed it for himself. He loves to play with it, and loves to have Mommy tell stories with it. Check it out!

Whatcha readin?

Summer beach books have been snatched up by the thousands, and many have already been devoured or abandoned. No bestseller books for me this summer... Not that I have much time to read anyway, with the summer schedule we have! On my dresser there is a pile of books that I am working my way through:
Bright Captivity by Eugenia Price
Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft
The Holy Bible, ESV
AWife's Purpose by Cindy Schaap (for Ladies Bible study)

I wholeheartedly promote reading the first three books. The last one is okay - if you can't find something better (which should be easy enough to do!).

On top of all this, I am also reading through my latest issues of Smithsonian (always a good read) and Cook's Country (a sister magazine to Cook's Illustrated from America's Test Kitchens).

Last night I read from Ladybug and Highlights to Jamie. A little below my normal level, but enjoyable just the same. Earlier this summer I read The Westing Game before giving it to Jim and then to Dot. That was a fun little mystery, very engaging.

So, what are you reading this summer?

local attractions

This past week was spent visiting our many local attractions. We spent a day in Annapolis, touring the historic downtown and Naval Academy, and picnicking at the beach (where while "wading" both kids got soaked). Tuesday we all went down to DC, walking through two Smithsonians and two monuments (Washington and WWII). It was very hot and sunny, and we heard many a request (complaint) for a drink. We took a break on Wednesday, although Joel headed back down to DC to do some research on his own. Thursday we drove into Baltimore, where we started off the day with a wander through a cemetery. After touring the shot tower, we headed to Little Italy for lunch. We then went back out into the hot, humid, sunny day to walk to the Public Works museum (not worth the admission price) and then to Fells Point. On the way back we walked through the Fells Point Markets, where the kids enjoyed Italian ices.

The kids thoroughly enjoyed having Unc and Aunt Bean around, and so did we! I will miss KJ cleaning up around the house (now I have to do it by myself again!). Dot misses having Unc playing games with her. We will all miss going out to eat at restaurants...

If any of this sounds good to you, call us to vacation at our place! :-)

Bad! Bad! Bad!

Last time I posted I told you I was going to clean the house and stay off the computer. Yeah, right. My house is still messy, and I've spent too much time on the computer, and my kid still isn't potty trained (although we have had a few successes!). Oh well.

Unfortunately, I found a blog that really interests me: A dress a day.

Yeah, I spent way too much time reading that blog. Well, I also spent a good deal helping a little boy try out the potty and pull up training pants. Fruit Loops and trains are our prizes for successes. I'm not sure how much he really understands, but he's doing better. Hopefully he'll be trained soon!

I am not worried, though, about my messy house. I know that if I had cleaned it the work would have been in vain anyway. The kids would have trashed it. So, on Saturday we will clean and it will look good when KJ & Joel get here. Then we will let it go. It will revert to it's natural state. Unfortunately.

A little break

Of course, as soon as I post this, I will find something of interest online that I will just HAVE to tell you about...

This week we are cleaning and potty training. I am not sure how successful we will be at either one, but we will be busy. Next week we have company! As a good hostess, I should try to spend time with our visitors. Therefore, I plan to stay away from the blog for awhile...

Is it time for a new purse?

You may have seen my handmade purse, which, despite it's upside down zipper, is turning out to be a pretty good purse. You may have bought yourself (or your wife) a purse at some time. I doubt many of us have spent more than $50 on a purse, although I have seen many purses that retail for $100 or more. I will probably never own a purse that expensive. Why would a purse be that expensive? I'm not sure I could feel comfortable using a purse that expensive... I guess it's just me.
Here's what you can buy for the woman in your life if you win the lottery.

back to reality

Vacation was wonderful! We enjoyed the peace and quiet that the "camping" and hiking in Hocking Hills provided, but we had to come back to the busy, noisy city of Baltimore that we call home. After all, it was Jim's job that paid for that vacation...

It had been a long time since I had been in Hocking Hills. I had forgotten how beautiful it is. We were alone on most of the paths, and were able to really enjoy the scenery. Memorial Day week is a really good time to visit, if you are able. The weather is comfortable, there aren't many bugs yet, and most kids are still in school, so the parks are quiet. We saw many beautiful flowers and lots of butterflies.

The gypsy wagon was a nice place to stay. Of course, you don't expect to be pampered while camping (even cabin camping), so the air mattresses were about as comfortable as we thought they would be. (They squeaked when you moved, so we tried to stay as still as possible all night long. That wasn't much of a problem, though, since we were exhausted from hiking all day long.) The castle and grounds were very nice, and the owners were friendly. Our kids really enjoyed the castle dog and cat! We didn't spend a lot of time at the castle other than sleeping and eating, since we had hiking to do each day, but we did stop to play giant checkers once or twice.

During the day we hiked, and Dot did every step that we did. Jamie, however, spent much of the time in the hiking backpack, and some of it sleeping! He did get out to hike some of the gorge trails. We are proud of how well they did - we figure we hiked 12 miles last week!


By the way, we took about 150 pictures last week... want to stop by and see them sometime?

Mothers day

I got to take the day off this year... someone else did the kitchen work!

yard work

This morning I heard that rain was coming... possibilities of showers and thunderstorms. That would make mowing the lawn tomorrow an impossible task, so I ran out and did it this morning. It actually was a great day to mow, as it is cool and cloudy. After mowing I finished cutting down a few volunteer trees, and moved two hostas that have been hiding behind the bleeding hearts. The kids helped to water the plants, and watered themselves as well.
I love gardening - well, not the weeding, who does? - for so many different reasons. I get to make my little patch of earth beautiful and productive. I get to be outside, gettting exercise while working. I get to be away from the kids... ;-)
I know people who say that anything they plant dies. I have been blessed - most of my plantings flourish. I also have been able to transplant things that were here when we moved in. I have found, though, that I prefer perennials (come back every year), and I prefer in-ground plantings rather than pots or baskets. (They don't die as quickly if you forget to water them!)
Last year I took out all my perennials and redid the flower garden. All the plants seem to be enjoying their new spots, as they are either blooming like crazy or getting ready to do so! I do need to cut back the tulip foliage... This year I am working on the new vegetable garden and also on the plantings around the garage. I need to work on getting a trellis for the clematis to climb. It will help to dress up the garage - it has beautiful white blooms in the fall, and the fragance is like perfume! Another task this year - planting grass where the bushes used to be... but we have to move the mulch and logs first!

vacation tips?

Ooooh, we can't hardly wait! Vacation is just around the corner!
It has been a long time since I have been to Hocking Hills. I have many fond memories of our family hikes there, and I look forward to introducing it to my children. The kids are excited about camping in the gypsy wagon, and being able to explore places where Native Americans once lived. It will be nice to go without the television and computer, to be away from the city noises, to live at a more relaxed pace. Peace and quiet.
Any tips on hiking with kids? Best parks? Good restaurants? Neat stores?
Want to join us for a day? Meet us at the wagon...

cute and easy craft

I was surfing, looking for patterns for Dot's fair entries this year, and found these really cute crafts. They promote them as easy enough for VBS, and they only take 1/2 sheets of felt and some embroidery floss. Cheap!

cleaning out the attic

Our attic is stuffed full of boxes of children's clothing, mostly girls. We have finally asked ourselves why we should be keeping this stuff... if we ever do have another child (no plans to do so right now), what chance is there that it would be a girl born in late summer? Or a boy, born in early summer? Why are we using up valuable storage space on tubs of clothing? So, the clean-out begins... who needs clothing? I have clothing for girls, up to size 7/8, various seasons. I have boys clothes up to size 2T/3T. I have tons of girls shoes, and fewer pairs of boys shoes. It's all free! Ask for it now, I want it gone by the end of May!

How to get what you want.

Grand Prix 2006

This afternoon we went to church for the Master Club Grand Prix. Dot and Jim worked this week on her car, and both seemed happy with the results. Dot won 3rd place in the primary division!

aaarrgh!

As if there wasn't enough to do already... now there's more! Can my children play without making huge disasterous messes? Apparently not! My list will have more items added onto it than crossed off. And I don't know what we're having for dinner...

latest project

I had time to relax yesterday, and I spent it downstairs, sewing. It felt so good to create something!
I needed a new purse, and I figured I could make one for less than buying it (and I wouldn't have to travel all over the place looking for it). Last year I made myself a purse, and it turned out pretty nice. Dot has adopted that purse for this year, although she is waiting for me to make a special tote bag just for her. We picked out material at Joann's last week, and found some nice ones on sale. I forgot to buy strap material, though, so I had to scrounge through my leftovers to put together this purse. I worked without a pattern or instructions, and it turned out pretty well. It's a little Lacoste, I think, although those are dragonflies, not alligators... and the zipper is upside down. It'll work. For now.

ministry fair results

I worked hard on my booth for the ministry fair, and it went over well. Unfortunately, other booths included powerpoint and sound productions, or puppet shows, and I couldn't compete with them. The gift certificate is in someone else's pocket now... oh well. I did get a few more women signed up for the nursery, though, and that is a very good thing!

new eyes

We've done pretty well with Jamie's glasses. He kept the same pair for about a year, without harming them too badly. However, he lost them in the field outside Fort McHenry not so long ago. We searched and searched, but could not find them. Earlier this week we ordered new glasses, and they came in early. What do you think?
(By the way, that's chocolate that he is drooling!)

Re-posting photos

Sorry to take down that incredibly cute photo of Jamie earlier this week. For some reason I was having trouble editing while it was up. I think the photos may be too high-res.
Here are the kids, close-up.

modesty

I love to sew, and find so much joy in making a new piece of clothing. It is a very relaxing and rewarding hobby for me. (I wish I had more time to indulge!) As I prepare to make a new outfit, I look at the fashion magazines. I look for what cut and style are popular, what materials are being used. I know and understand that I will never look like those models, and I will never be able to afford those clothes, but I can translate that style into a modest, up-to-date outfit for myself. (By the way, neither Jim nor the kids ever look at these magazines.)
What is modest? Many people would like to tell you their set of rules. Is it neck to knee? The entire body covered? Always skirts? You will probably dress in accordance with your culture... for example, an Amish girl would not feel comfortable in frilly, lacy, or tight clothing. Unfortunately, our culture seems to have trashed the idea that girls and women should be modest. It is incredibly sad to walk through the store aisles and see bikinis, halter tops and low-rise jeans for little girls. Even baby girls can have their own bikinis...

If it isn't for sale, don't advertise it.
People should be able to call you a "lady."
You shouldn't make your father / husband / brother uncomfortable.

Many sites across the web will put out their message of modesty. Some I agree with, some I find fanatical. Here is the latest site that I have come across. I cannot tell you if the rest of the site is worthwhile, but this series of articles is pretty good. Included is a good reminder to girls looking at "prom" or wedding dresses.

our family tradition

While at work this past week Jim told of the Rupert family Easter tradition (or, rather, the day-after-Easter tradition). While some laughed at our love for Peeps, others agree that they should be eaten stale. They were all interested in the idea of Peep jousting, and told Jim he should write a paper on the sport. While I could not find any Peeps Chicks, and was astonished at the lack of Peeps after this Easter, we have had fun doing online research. This is one you should visit!

blessed busy-ness

Lately we have been feeling way to busy. We found that we had one weekend free this month - and used it to work on the yard (that is turning out to be more than we thought... we might till and reseed the whole side yard!). This week was looking busy with two nursery planning meetings, a shopping day, a curriculum fair, and the Master Club regionals on Saturday. We knew we could get through it all, but wished for rest. We are looking forward to our vacation in May!
But... then we were stunned by a death. A man from our church, not old by any stretch of the imagination, suddenly died this past weekend. He had been in poor health, but was doing better of late. No one thought death was imminent. He leaves behind a wife, two college aged daughters and a high school aged son. One daughter will be getting married this summer - with no father to walk her down the aisle.
It is hard to find the words to say. Sometimes verses seem trite. (How many people tell them God will not give them more than they can hande? That he has gone on to a better place? ) Will they really take you up on your offer of, "if we can help in any way, let us know..."
Thankfully this man was saved, and his family is, too. They do have comfort and peace from God. They do have a hope. They even have joy in the midst of this sorrow!
So, even though this funeral adds to our busy-ness this week, we have to look at it as a blessing. We can be a blessing to this family, and we can count our blessings... we are able to be busy!

using -or losing- your brain?

Some days I feel very old. I feel as though I may be going senile. What did I come into this room to find? What did I need to buy at this store? Wasn't I supposed to punish you for something?
Brain foods - ginko biloba, blueberries, etc. - are supposed to help you keep your brain functioning well. Other studies have show that doing "exercises" such as crosswords or cryptograms are helpful. Anything to keep your brain from getting lazy!
My brain suffers from dealing with children. (Where did I put that? It doesn't matter - the kids probably hid it, used it or threw it away. Look under their bed, you may find it there. Oh, in the fish tank, I never would have thought to look there!) They do not follow my well-laid out neurological paths. They make no sense. all the blueberries in the world won't help. They would just stain the carpet.

clean your room!

I will admit that cleaning has never ever been a favored chore for me. I had quite the messy room when I was young - although part of that mess was due to two sisters living in the same room with me. Even today my room is not competely spic and span. (We need more bookshelves!)
Dot's room is a disaster. Literally. She has stuff all over the place. Not just clothes and shoes, but toys, books, papers, crafts... you name it, it's on the floor. We've tried to explain why she should have a neat room, but nothing has caused her to clean. We've tried rewards. We've tried punishements. We've tried everything. Nothing has worked.
If that isn't bad enough, Dot has managed to have her mess spread - Jamie's room is getting messier, and the living room and dining room are spotted with Dot's stuff. Where will it all end?
We are frustrated. What do we do now? How do we get her to clean? and keep it clean? (without going crazy?)

my little chef

A few minutes ago Dot called to me that Jamie wanted some "chock mook." I told her he would have to wait a little while, as I was busy. Only a couple of minutes later I walked into the living room to find Jamie hard at work, making himself chock mook. He had brought in the jug of milk and the bottle of chocolate syrup, opened both, and was busily pouring the syrup into the milk. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't taken over, but I think it would have involved me using a carpet steam cleaner...

what a big yard!

A ton of work has been done at our house this weekend. Yesterday was beautiful, so Jim and Stuart spent the day taking out bushes - lots of bushes. The side yard was piled high with the branches... what to do? We don't have the truck anymore, so trips to the dump were out of the question. We tried a roll-off dumpster service - over $250! We tried a tree service - over $600!!! Yikes! We eventually found a friend with a truck who helped Jim rent a chipper, and this morning the pile of branches became a pile of mulch. The yard looks huge!
Today Stuart went to work on the basement door. He took out the old frame and replaced it. Jim replaced the old lock and installed a deadbolt. Now they are doing the finishing work.
What did we ladies do? Took care of kids, made breakfast, lunch and dinner, and went to the thrift store.

sympathy outpoured

Last week at this time we were still recovering from the initial shock of having our house broken into. Things have settled down considerably, but we are still trying to put things back together and make them better. The kids seems to have forgotten it even happened.
We are very thankful for all the sympathy that our family and friends have shown to us. A huge thank-you will be going out to the Greens, as they are taking a weekend to come out and help us fix things around the house. They have disguised it as a birthday treat for Jeanne (Happy birthday to you!), but we know that the gift is for us.
This makes me wonder, how have I shown sympathy to others? Is a listening ear enough? Was I too busy to help in some way? Would a batch of cookies help? A dinner or the offer to babysit? A note of encouragement? A phone call? Can I take my eyes off myself long enough to look at others?

not again...

Yesterday afternoon I took Dot to her gym class. Jamie and I spent the time at the library, where he picked out Rolie Polie Olies again. We picked Dot up and headed home, Jamie all excited about watching his dvd, Dot dreading it. (We've watched it a lot...)
As we waked in the door I noticed some food on the floor of the kitchen. "Who's been in the freezer?" I asked. Dot immediately piped up that her two year old brother had done it... ha. That sinking feeling hit me when Dot ran into the living room and called out that we had been robbed again - the dvd player was gone. She started sleuthing right away, trying to find what had been taken. She can't resist a mystery...
I called Jim, and then the police. This time the entry was forced - they broke down our door in the basement, and then kicked open the door that leads to the basement. For all that work (the doors are quite heavy!), they got very little. Obviously, they took the dvd player, bought for $40, but they also got my earrings (this time they weren't worth much), and the handmade quilt and baby dress that were ready to give out at the next two baby showers. The police officer came quickly and made her report, but it took a long time for the crime lab to come. While waiting Jim went out to buy supplies to fix the doors, and then I took the kids out to buy a new dvd player (another cheap one!). Finally crime lab came - and couldn't find any fingerprints, unfortunately. Jim then worked on the doors (we won't be using them anytime soon!), and I put away all the stuff that got thrown out of our drawers. Most everything is back to normal.
It's much harder to put your life back together. (I immediately put in a bid for moving, all the while knowing that it isn't practical at all.) How long does it take before you feel safe in your house, or safe to leave your house? How long before you stop "hearing things"? How long before you start trusting people again?

nursery promotions

At the end of April our church will be having a special day focusing on our in-house ministry opportunities. The evening service will conclude with a fellowship in the gym, where the heads of the ministries will each man a table promoting our ministry. Here's where it gets interesting: the church members will vote on which table they think is best, and the winner gets a $100 gift certificate to a fancy restaurant.

After my initial groan (not another responsibility!!!), I am now grudgingly beginning to plan out my table. While at the fair, we are drawn to the booths that are colorful and give away free items. The church will be providing hor d'ouerves for everyone, but I intend to have lovely frosted mini cupcakes at my booth. Everyone likes free food. I will also have the diaper bag tags that the church ordered last year, along with some favor for those who actually already work in the nursery... but I am not sure what to give them. As for decorating the booth, I first thought of balloons, stuffed animals, etc., the kind of thing you would see at a baby shower. Then I came to my senses. Ugh. Too cute. Now I am leaning toward a large cutout of Jesus and the children, you know, "Let the little children come unto me..." sort of thing. Other thoughts - children are the future, children are a blessing from God, arrows in your quiver... (I'm not sure where I am supposed to go with that last one!!)

Already it is all sounding like a lot of work and money. Any ideas on how to draw them in? Put your minds to work!

a funny little boy

Jamie is definately all boy - he likes to run, jump, hit, throw, wrestle, etc. Lately another boy trait has been emerging - he knows his sister has cooties.
Dot, our very affectionate little girl, has found it hard to give Jamie kisses and hugs lately. He will run from her, scream, anything to keep her from kissing him. When she does actually land a kiss on him, he cries and tries to wipe it away, and then comes to Mommy for a kiss to make it all better. Yup, Mommy does not have cooties. Mommy's kisses are okay, in fact, they are wonderful!

overwhelmed

Just a note to everyone - things have been a little crazy here at our home, and they will probably continue to be so. I am feeling a little overwhelmed by it all, and won't be blogging as much or responding to email as much as normal.

curriculum

If you have dealt with school systems before, you will know that now is the time for re-enrollment. Since we homeschool, we don't have to worry about that, but we do have to start thinking of what we are using. Are we happy with the curriculum? Is it appropriate for Dot's learning style and level? Is there something better?
We have used Calvert this year, and overall I have to say it was a good way to begin homeschooling. I didn't have to come up with anything on my own, and they took care of grading. There are a few areas I would like to change, though, and so we are out to look at other curricula (we looked this up, and the dictionary says you can also use "curriculums" - but it sounds funny) this morning. Thankfully there are a few good homeschool stores in our area. We are heading out to one in Severna Park - it is a Christian homeschool store. Not only do they have new curricula, but they also have a large selection of used, not to mention a play area for the kids. Another plus - in the same shopping center there is a toy store - with Playmobil and Thomas! Sounds like we'll all have fun this Saturday!

A dog we never take on walks

Even though our children would absolutely love to own a dog, we don't. For one thing, I'm allergic to dog hair. Also, I would have to do all the work of feeding, cleaning up after, and walking the dog... I already do that for my whole family; I don't need to add a dog to the list. I'm not sure we could afford a dog, either.

Lately, though, we have had a dog for free, and it is so easy to take care of! Jamie has started to use his imagination, and he imagines that he is a puppy. He makes a really cute puppy! He pants, gives doggie kisses, crawls around on the floor, and eats his food like a dog. Every now and again he gives a little bark, too. He is the best dog I could ever hope for!

I forgot!!

In lieu of the card I forgot to send...

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Joel,
Happy birthday to you!

Another marriage benefit

From the OSU Connect email:

Want to get rich -- or at least, richer? Ohio State research scientist Jay Zagorsky has some advice: Get married and stay married.

Zagorsky recently finished a nationwide study found that divorce chops a person's wealth by 77 percent, while marriage nearly doubles it, with a 93 percent gain.

Shopping Frenzy

After many weeks of spring-like temperatures we are finally back to winter. Well, not really WINTER, since I am still not using my heavy winter coat, but it is cold now. In fact, this weekend we are supposed to get a real winter storm! From the weather underground:

.. At this time... a swath of snowfall of 5 inches or more is likely across the area... with accumulations up to ten inches possible.

In our area predictions of snow are followed by a mad rush to the store to buy milk, bread and toilet paper. Apparently they think they will be snowed in for awhile... If you happen to need something at the store you would find the bread shelves would be empty - yes, the really long set of shelves that hold hundreds of loaves of bread - totally empty!
It is unfortunate that this is payday for us, and we need to go shopping. Fortunately, though, we don't need any bread, milk, or toilet paper.


Update Sunday, Feb. 12, 1pm
We have been busy! We got over a foot of snow last night - in our yard we measured one spot at 15 1/2 inches. The trees and bushes are bowing down under the weight of the snow - the trees in the schoolyard next door lost a few branches. Jamie had a very hard time getting around, and unfortunately it was too deep for his sled! Right now Jim and Dot are putting the finishing touches on a tunnel - made in the giant mound of snow removed from our driveway. (You can see Jim playing king of the mountain on it above.) The snow plow has made only one pass down our street, and it is still too slippery to go out. (While we were shoveling we saw a couple cars spin out and have a fender bender just up the road.) Tonight we will probably be suffering from all our hard work. Pass the ibuprofen... we will sleep well tonight!

Creativity

Today Dot starts a new class. She, and two homeschooled friends from church, will be taking a pottery class. The teacher will be having them learn hand building and how to use the wheel. All three girls are terribly excited about learning pottery.

I don't mind saying that I am jealous. My creative outlets have been restricted in the past few years. I will always have my sewing machine out and ready to use, but I don't have as much time to use it now that we are homeschooling. I haven't been able to do calligraphy for quite awhile - I don't have the space to set aside for an ongoing project. (I can just imagine Jamie getting into the ink!) I still like to see others being creative, and I love to see beautiful handmade items. Timothy Botts is a wonderful example of what I would love to do it I had the time and the chance to take my creativity seriously.

diapers

For quite awhile we have used disposable diapers on Jamie, but now we are back to cloth. (We hope they make him more inclined to be potty trained!) I think that people are afraid of cloth diapers, but they aren't that hard to deal with... you don't even need to use diaper pins anymore. Granted, there is a big investment to be made up front, but after you buy your basic supplies you're done spending money on diapers. (Okay, yes, some people pay for a diaper service, and others pay for special detergent, but I wash my own with the detergent we use for our laundry. No extra expense.) Two other points in their favor - 1. What is cuter than a kid in a cloth diaper??? 2. Cloth diapers make the best rags when you're done potty training. Note: I don't expect others to do cloth diapering for me, and I don't do cloth diapers on the road or at night.

Anyway, last night I was washing diapers, and when I went to put them in the dryer I noticed something strange. Somehow a disposable diaper had made its way in the wash! (We think that Jamie was having fun with the diaper pail...) Ever seen a kid in a regular disposable diaper at the pool or beach? That diaper ends up 3 times its original size! All those little bits of stuff that soak up the moisture ended up in the washing machine... and our pipes. Thankfully they didn't clog anything! Yet...

Over Christmas vacation Dot took a trip downtown to visit Uncle Mike at the Statehouse. What a great field trip! Not only did they go all the way up into the cupola, but she also got a trip on the ferris wheel. Dot highly recommends making the trip if you are able to do so!

USPS

As you well know, the post office has raised its rates again. We had recently bought another roll of 100 37-cent stamps... about a week before they let everyone know the rates were going up! Thankfully there are plenty of 2-cent stamps to be bought, and now there are plenty of 2-cent stamps in our house.
If you ever send a letter to Linda, you will need to know that the postage is now set at 84-cents for an airmail letter weighing one ounce. (For peace of mind, sheets of office paper generally weigh 5 grams, or 0.176 ounces.)
Who can forget running ot the mailbox as a child, wondering if there was anything addressed to you? And the joy when you found that someone had written to you! Do your bills and junk mail bring you joy today? Cheer someone up, it's a bargain at 39 cents (or 84 cents for Linda)!

Polenta

Tonight my kids willingly tried something new at dinner. After all, anything fried is good, right? As I fried up the pieces of polenta I let them try a small bit. Jamie wanted more right then and there, but I told him he had to wait until dinner, "just a little bit." He ran to his chair and climbed in, ready for dinner!
Polenta, cooked cornmeal, can be creamy like mashed potatoes, fried or grilled. Some people use it as a "crust" for pizza. There are many recipes for different varieties of polenta - check it out on Recipesource.

Christmas pictures

Most Christmas pictures end up being shots of the living room full of people and gifts. These two turned out pretty well, don't you think?

Fredericksburg KOA

These are from our camping trip at the end of last summer. Note: the middle photo is Jamie, eating a s'more while standing in the "dishwasher." Just like his daddy...

Spring?

Actually, this photo was taken this past fall... but the kids are planning on playing in the sandbox this afternoon. The weather here is unseasonably warm - yesterday it was 62 degrees! I took full advantage of this and painted another wall in the living room. Dot went to gym class in shorts and a tee shirt, and didn't wear a coat! Wow! Is this January?

Art?

This week I took the kids ot the library. Not surprisingly, Jamie immediately headed for the videos (his favorite, Rolie Polie Ollie, is a "no check out fee" video, so I am happy to let him get it over and over and over again...), and Dot headed for the computer and then the Boxcar Children (She ended up checking out and reading three all in one afternoon!). I wondered around with Jamie, and found an interesting new book. Seen Art?, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (I love it when they team up!) is an eyecatching book. Not content to try to flip through it while chasing two children, I stuck in my bookbag. When we got home I sat down to lunch and started reading. The story follows a young boy in NYC as he tries to meet up with his friend Art... the adults misunderstand him and send him on a hunt through the Museum of Modern Art. It is a cute little story, with the pun "Have you seen Art?" making children laugh throughout the book. While I am not an enthusiastic fan of modern art, there is some that I like; this book gave a good overview of some of the art in MoMA (not that I've ever been!). I think this book is a good way to introduce children to modern art.

music to my ears?

Lately Jamie has been trying to talk more - but it is not always very clear. In fact, most of the time we can't understand him. Oh well. It will come in time. Hopefully...
Anyway, he is entertaining us now with a song - his own song... it goes something like this (no, it goes Exactly like this): "Na, na, naaa!" Imagine its tune being sort of superhero sounding and you probably have it right. Imagine it being sung loudly, in stores, over and over! Yup, toddler entertainment, there's nothing like it...

holidays

We are home again, and recovering from our trip. All of us have been sick in one form or another; when you get that many people together in one house someone is bound to get sick. Thankfully we are mending, and we hope to have a much healthier rest of the year.

It was very nice to see family, although we didn't get to see everyone this time around. Unk and Bean were much missed in Columbus (I think we might have been able to squeeze them into the attic???), and I wish we could've gotten together with the extended families. Hopefully next time! (Wouldn't it be so nice to live nearby?!!) It was nice to see friends, as well. Too bad that it is cold and flu season, or we would've visited more. I guess we have to make a trip in the summer!

Everyone seems to have enjoyed the holidays; we received wonderful presents and came away with too much to eat. God has blessed us greatly!

Santa comes early...

Okay, so we don't really believe in Santa in our house. Our kids are the ones who ruin it for all their friends. Yup, there goes another childhood dream.
We did our own Christmas tonight. A trip to Double T for dinner (James ate my eggs, but there was enough corned beef hash - absolutely delicious! - for me to have a good dinner too) and then home for stockings and presents. This year Jamie knew what to do, and he did it. He tore into those presents and had fun the rest of the night. Poor thing had to go to bed without his new Duplo train... lots of crying. Hopefully it will bring good dreams of playtime for tomorrow. Dot is happy with more playmobil and a copy of American Girl magazine. She can't wait to do her two new crafts, but we won't open them until we get back from our family Christmases.
Jim was eager to play with his new toy, a joystick that plugs into your tv - with Ms. Pacman, Galaga, and other "old" games on it. Even the kids wanted to play with it. I am happy with my new kitchen toys and cd. To top it all off, my long-awaited LL Bean slippers arrived today, and I am so happy! They are so comfortable and warm. No more cold toes while washing dishes!
Wonder of wonders, the house is still clean from all my work today. Let's hope it stays that way!

good books

Lately I have entrusted a lot of my reading time to one man - James A. Michener. His books, while long, are very good reads. They combine the fiction I like with the history I like. On top of all that they also have quite a bit of geography, but don't let that put you off; the descriptions often make you feel as if you have been there your self, and want to go back for more.
Michener was not a Christian, and it shows through in his books sometimes. For example, in Centennial there was a whole chapter dealing with the evolution of the animals of the west. It was hard to read, to tell the truth. Also, as he tells the stories of the people you sometimes get exposed to bad language and questionable morals.
Overall, his stories are incredible, pulling you into those families, following their histories, successes and failures. If you had the time, you would want to read the whole book in one sitting (but that is hard to do, since most of the books are well over 600 pages).
Right now I am in Mexico, with wonderful descriptions of bullfights. I keep wondering if this really agrees with what Mexico is like. Hey, Joel, what do you think?

ornament

Yesterday, late in the afternoon, I received an email from Jim telling me he had a task for me. I was to help make an ornament for the office Christmas tree, something to do with the theme of a security enhanced Christmas.
Last year I made a small tree for Jim. It had penguins (Tux, from Linux) and little cardboard cd's on it. Dot loved helping me make the ornaments, and wishes she could see the tree again. (Alas, we cannot go to his office, and he cannot take pictures there...) Why couldn't they just use last year's tree???
Anyway, by the time Jim came home I had a list of word ideas. He liked the idea of a safe, so we went to Joann's after we ate dinner. I found a small square unfinished wood frame ornament and some silver cardstock tags - all on clearance! When we got home I painted the frame silver and started cutting up the cardstock. Jim printed out a picture of Tux with a Christmas tree, and we mounted that in the frame. TaDa! Tux's Christmas is "safe"!

Sick

Last week Jamie had a runny nose, but seemed to get better by the weekend. However, Sunday morning he was running freely again, so he couldn't go in the nursery. We had to go to church for the morning service, so Jim sat with him in the foyer. By the time we got home, though, we were feeling quite tired as well, so we decided to stay home in the evening. (Skipping church, can you believe it???) It's a good thing we did, as I definately have caught the cold now, too.
This bug is mean for a cold. No temperature, so you're not really 'sick', but you are really tired, almost like when you have the flu. I wish I could spend the day in bed... but I have two kids and a mountain of laundry. So, caffeine is my friend. I am sure the kids will get away with more than they should, but I will be happy just to make it through the day.

*** Tuesday morning: Last night Dot woke me up around 1am to ask for anti-nausea medicine. I had just given her a dose when it came right back up. So now we are dealing with the flu, too. Just in time for Christmas... Oh well, she seems to be doing a little better this morning, but we'll take it slowly.
*** Tuesday lunch: Dot asked for tomato soup, then proceeded to eat it with animal crackers. I think it must have been a very short, possibly 12-hour bug.

Merry Tuba Christmas

This Saturday we went downtown for our own family Christmas Tradition - Merry Tuba Christmas. Here in Baltimore it is held at Harborplace mall - right on the inner harbor, out in the elements. It can get quite cold with the wind, so it's a good thing there is no seating for the crowd. We all cram together and stay as warm as possible.
The official count for the tubas was 175 musicians. They didn't count the crowd... but it had a good turnout. Jamie was particularly happy to see a few dogs enjoying the music, too. Both kids were surprised to hear the Constellation fire a cannon at 4 pm. (Someday we will take them on a fieldtrip to that ship!) We were all happy to get back to the car, though, in order to warm up!
To round out our family day we all ate soup (it's hard to beat tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches!) and watched Christmas videos... and ate up a lot of our Christmas cookies!

not for me... yet.

I get quite a few update emails from different companies, most of them dealing with foods. This one made me think of a few family members and friends. They, of course, are gourmands and wouldn't really be interested in something like this...
I am not interested enough yet. The email told me that homecafe now can make tea as well. However, it isn't that hard to make a good cup of tea.
I sure could use a good cup of Earl Gray right now... with a little milk and sugar... yum!

when the cat is away

As a stay-at-home mom and a home-schooling mom I have found that I distinctly lack time to myself. I have had to rework my schedule quite a few times... perhaps it is a good thing I am somewhat spontaneous. One thing I have had to "fit in" is my internet time. Obviously, when Jim is home the computer is generally being used by him. Dot is another computer hog, but she usually leaves it in Windows, and it takes a long time to reboot into Linux. When I do want to be on the computer I have to fit it in with cleaning, laundry, cooking, teaching, etc. I also need to decide if I can leave the kids by themselves.
Today I left Jamie in the living room watching Cat in the Hat so I could do my email. Of course, I found myself interrupted when I heard him taking his diaper off... I went out and reattatched it, and came back to finish online. However, when I was done, and went back out to check on him, I found him without a stitch of clothing, standing on the couch (minus cushions), having a puddle at his feet...
Some things you can take pictures of to use as "blackmail" in the future (i.e., teenage years); this was not one of them. I will have to remember this one...

commenting troubles, 2

Earlier this year Jim bought a "new" (used) computer for us. When he got it up and running he informed me that while we would have Windows on the system he intended us to use Linux for the most part. I have been learning some of the Linux programs, and it is easy enough to use for the internet, but a couple of my programs do not have a Linux counterpart.
One problem I have found is the increased security in the web browser. Somehow I cannot sign in on any MSN blogs - including KJ, Linda, and Andy... That is why I haven't posted a comment in ages. Good thing we still have email.

Castoff cast

This morning Dot became normal again. (As normal as possible, I suppose!) She no longer has a cast on her arm, which is good, because it was getting quite stinky. At this moment both Dot and Jamie are in the tub, splashing water all over the bathroom. I am sure the mats will need to be wrung out. After six weeks of incomplete baths, Dot is now clean from head to toe. Hooray!

Both kids have been sporting a new look after our visit to the doctors office. Dot has an ace bandage on her arm, and Jamie has been trying out the castoff cast.

gingerbread

Dot has been looking forward to decorating for Christmas. Last night we put up the tree and greenery, and they look pretty good. Our tree is getting the hodge podge look that comes from having kids - there are more handmade ornaments every year. It makes for good memories, though.
Today we put together the gingerbread house. I broke from tradition, though, and did not use the mold that I usually use. This year I got a pattern online for a thatched cottage. We even used shredded wheat for the thatching! Dot is a little disappointed, though, as she has to wait to do the decorating. We will add snow and sprinkles when we do our cutout cookies - lots of frosting in one day!
In the meantime the kids will enjoy the leftover gingerbread. Both Jamie and Dot love gingerbread, so it never sticks around long at our house!

goodbye... hello!

Traditionally the day after Thanksgiving is spent in the mall, or some other retail outlet, shopping for Christmas presents. While there were some very good deals to be found if you were willing to brave the early morning cold and the crowds, we decided to skip the stores this year (AGAIN!). Instead we jammed ourselves into the truck and headed to the Honda dealer out in Ellicott City.
We test drove a 2006 Civic, comparing it to the Toyota Corolla we had test driven on Tuesday. Jim was happier with the Civic, so he sat down with the car dealer to start the paperwork. The kids and I spent time in the play area, where there was a lego table, a toy box filled with blocks, two pint sized tables, and a tv tuned to Nickelodeon. We spent a lot of time in the play area... it took quite awhile to get everything taken care of. Part of that was due to the truck being a trade-in. It was worth only $500, but it was a 1994, after all. Goodbye, faithful Ford Ranger...
Hello, new Honda Civic! The kids were tired and hungry by the time we headed out to the new car. To reward the kids we went to Burger King for lunch... but we didn't go through the drive through! No food or drink in the car for awhile...

vacations

Have you noticed that our vacations tend to be visits to Ohio? We love y'all so much that we spend our time off with you!
While we do love to visit family, we also want to do other things on vacation, too. We have discovered that we like to camp and hike. How can we put both together??? Thankfully there are lots of nice parks in Ohio, so we are thinking of going to Hocking Hills for our summer Ohio trip - we can camp (in a cabin, most likely) and hike, and we can invite the family down to visit. Perhaps the cousins can all make s'mores together... Dot and Jamie would love that!
Truthfully, this is still an idea that is just brewing. Lots of planning will have to go into this, but what else will we be doing during the long winter days? Dreaming of summer... checking things out online:

Ravenwood Castle, for those who wish they could've come with us to Great Britain (check out the gypsy wagons!). This looks interesting enough to visit on it's own!
Honey Fork Log Cabins and Top O' The Caves cabins for a rustic experience.

november rain

Today started out very nice for November. We ran a few errands and the kids took their coats off whenever they could get away with it. (Truthfully, I was more worried about them losing their coat than getting cold...) The sun went into hiding, though, and the clouds becames heavier. When we went out again after lunch it started to sprinkle... and now it is a cold, grey and rainy November day.

Our family didn't take many vacations - at least, not ones that most people would call "vacations." We probably couldn't afford them - after all, it costs a lot to feed and board a family of 7! I have warm memories of our trips to Hocking Hills in southern Ohio. It was so much fun to hike up and down all day, climbing rocks, slipping on wet fallen leaves, pretending to be Indians in Old Man's Cave, peering down into the Devil's Bathtub. One year we stayed in a cabin - it was almost camping! I remember a great big set of checkers, and a game played with tops? Better memories from the house we rented... it was small, but we fit in somehow. The hill (more of a slope, really, but seemed big to me at the time) was a great place to play some baseball, or roll forever!

Maybe we didn't go at the best time of year - the leaves were past their peak, and most of them were on the ground already. It was getting cold, and often rained. Somehow that didn't matter. We were away from home, on a grand adventure, enjoying the great outdoors. What an amazing playground God made there in southern Ohio! Someday I hope to take my kids there to camp and hike, to give them a chance to imagine, to wonder at the beauty. Perhaps next year...

Start your engines

Okay, this morning when we walked into Wal*Mart I noticed a sign hanging from the ceiling - 6 Saturdays until Christmas! YIKES! Time to get a move on!

Not that things aren't busy enough around here, but now it is time to buy the supplies and crank out the homemade cookies. Yum! This year we will be making about 7 different kids of cookies and a gingerbread house. Sprinkles will be everywhere! Buckeyes are always on the list, as are cutout cookies. (What is the holida season without decorating kids with frosting? I mean, kids decorating with frosting...) One of Grandma's recipes will be showing up this year - Thumbprint cookies (updated to include chocolate chips under the morello cherry jam). Of course, what is Christmas without date pinwheels?

While our to-do list includes cards, cookies and present, it also includes shopping for a car... finally. Jim is getting a little anxious as the weather gets cooler. Will the truck make it through another winter snow? It seems like we have considered most every type of vehicle out there... but now we are leaning towards a sedan - small and economical, but enough room to haul the whole family if needed. Top picks? Camry, Corolla, Accord, Civic, Mazda3... Sedans seem to all look somewhat alike, and since it will be "Jim's car" I don't really care which one we buy. When it comes to be my turn I will have more to say...

commenting troubles

Due to the 'overwhelming support' from the spam community, you will have to do extra work just to comment on my many wonderful posts. Sorry! It's just a few more letters to type...

GB, part 4: V&A

Thursday had been quite the success, and we felt like we had seen everything we wanted to while in London. So, on Friday we headed out to the Victoria and Albert museum. Happily for Jim, it was free. We spent a few hours wandering through the displays, mostly giving everything a quick look. If we had looked at everything in detail we would be there still! Being the nice guy he is Jim didn't put up a fuss when I wanted to go through the special exhibit on fashion, which was centered on a collection of clothing from Queen Mary of the Netherlands (Victoria's granddaughter). We walked through the European collection, and paid special attention to the Tudor, the Georgian, and to the Victorian periods. They have a lot of amazing items there! Things I had read about, things I had seen in history books were there on display. (Imagine owning something that old, or being able to touch it and take care of it!) Things were starting to blur together again, and our feet were really tired, so we sat for awhile to rest. Eventually we started off again, and looked at a lot of ironwork - beautiful, but you can appreciate only so many window grills. After that we headed down to the cast courts - plaster casts of all sorts of different items - Michelangelo's David or Trajan's column, for example. It is a wonderful room to walk into, where you can be overwhelmed by so much history and beauty. However, by this time we were getting hungry, and a little tired, so we left the museum and headed back toward our hotel. I stopped in a tea shop to buy some rose tea and amaretto tea (and green tea for mom), and then we walked up to Harrod's. I probably couldn't afford much in the department store itself, but the food courts were irresitible. We ended up buying a few scones and a bacon-and-cheese baguette. Yum. Slowly we waked back to the hotel, and just rested for a few hours. Later, just before dinner, we went to the two local charity shops, but didn't find anything we wanted. We ate in a pub for dinner - they had a restaurant in the basement which had very good fish and chips - made to order!
Saturday morning we headed out for our very long trip home. After way too many hours sitting in trains and planes, we arrived in DC, where Mom, Dad and the kids welcomed us home. We were exhausted - it was the middle of the night for us! We let the kids open the Christmas crackers (I knew that would be the perfect souvenir for them!), look over the leftover coins, and then finally put them to bed - so we could collapse! What a trip!

GB, part 3: Big Ben, etc.

After we walked through Westminster (and visited the gift shop - where we almost bought a kitchen "Chopin board" for Joel, ha!) we set off down the street towards Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. We couldn't go in, but we walked around the outside and took a few pictures. Another amazing building!
Next up, Trafalgar Square, just a few blocks down the road. The kids would have loved it! Big lion statues, fountains, lots and lots of steps... there were kids climbing everywhere. We decided against the National Gallery, and went off through the Admirality Arch down to Buckingham Palace. Once again, another place we did not go inside, and it wasn't the time for the changing of the guard, so we didn't spend much time there. We walked around the outside, though, on our way to Hyde park. We didn't spend long there, just enough time to sit awile and rest a bit once we had crossed "Rotten Row." We hopped on the tube (the all day pass is a really good deal!) and headed off to the Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral. The Tower is very expensive to get into, and it wasn't really that high on our list, so we just took a few pictures outside, and of London Bridge, and then headed to the Cathedral.
St. Paul's is another really old church. It is bigger than Westminster - brighter and more open inside. The history of St Paul's starts in 604, when a wooden "cathedral" was built on the site. Obviously it was rebuilt (many times!), the latest designed by Wren and completed in 1710. They did have to do some restoration and rebuilding after WWII, when it was a target during the Blitz. It is beautiful! Our favorite, and most tiring - part of the tour was the Whispering gallery in the dome. The elevator was out, so we walked up way too many stairs to get there. It was worth the climb, though, as we looked out over the railing down onto the cathedral floor. Wow! WOW! Eventually we walked back down, and finished the tour.
At that point we were pretty much done for the day, ready to get some food and put our feet up. We hopped on the tube again and headed back to the grocery store and hotel.

Great Britain, part 2: Westminster

Once Jim's conference was done we checked out of the amazing hotel and headed up to London. Every time we got on a train we remarked that our kids would love to be there with us... but they weren't old enough to deal with all the walking we would be doing. Sorry, kids, maybe next time!

Anyway, we got into London that afternoon and went to our hotel -we had booked it through a travel agent, and prepaid, so we didn't expect any trouble. Oh well, things don't always turn out so easy, do they? Somewhere along the line a travel agent stopped using our name to book the room, and used a generic name ("Smith"). Eventually they figured things out and sent us to our room... We went through the maze (this was an old georgian? rowhouse turned into a hotel - fire doors everywhere, back stairs, front stairs, etc.) and opened room 8. How depresisng! It looked like they had built four walls around a double bed and called it a room! I almost cried... until we noticed that there was someone else's stuff in there. Jim went to check it out, and found that we were supposed to be in room 18, not room 8. A desk clerk error, quickly repaired, and we found ourselves in a much larger room (although not as large - or as nice - as our room in Brighton). The view outside our window? A bunch of mattresses covered in plastic, and the wall of the house next door. Lovely.
We did a little walking around that afternoon, mostly to find a map of London and dinner for that night. We ended up buying most of our dinners at the local grocery store - cheaper than eating out, and still getting to try cultural foods (we really enjoyed the sausage rolls!). In the evening we looked over the map, watched for the local weather forcast, and decided what we wanted to see the next day.
Thursday was supposed to be gorgeous, and it was. Sunshine and 70's, perfect for being out and about. We headed out after breakfast on our walk to Westminster Abbey. Surprisingly it didn't take long - it seems further on the map... We paid our fee and went in to find an amazing church. The architecture changes your attitude and demeanor. It is so overwhelming - so large, so intricate, so beautiful! You could see how it put forth the idea of the glory of God. Of course, it put forth the glory of man, too, with all the big memorials and graves. They were interesting, too, though, seeing how much history is in that one place. (Funny thing - Jim didn't know that the graves were inside the church. He imagined it like most churches - with the graveyard outside.) In our country it is hard to find old places that are kept up so well. It was hard to comprehend how old this really was! Most of what is there now was built in the 1200's! However, there were monks at that spot in the 900's. While we walked around trying to digest that thought, Jim added on the thought of places with even older buildings - like Rome, Greece and Egypt. Imagine!
Jim's favorite grave in the church? The Plumber's grave, in one of the cloisters. Just think, serve your church well, and you might get to be walked on for centuries. (Oddly enough, someone else found this grave to be amusing, too, and took a picture. I don't know the rest of the content of the site...)
Another interesting thought - they have a small gift shop and snack shop in one of the cloisters... right on top of some of the graves. Important people??? Not anymore!

Thanksgiving article

One of our homeschool links send a monthly "epistula" to us. This month they focused on Thanksgiving, with Marlin Detweiler writing not only about the history of the holiday, but also about his families memories. My favorite line:

These memories are not just warm, fuzzy thoughts of friends and family. They are not just sappy Thomas Kincade pictures in our minds. They are visible, clear demonstrations of the covenant faithfulness of the God we worship.
(Italics mine.)

Veritas, the aforementioned link, has another good article posted on their site. Are you afraid of the Big, Bad Book?

how is it possible?

We have just caught up on all the blogs, and wow! there was a lot out there... I was surprised to find that my family is getting tangled up with our past. Somehow Kevin Mungons, the music minister from our old church in Iowa, has shown up on Mike and Joel's blogs...

Great Britain, part 1

Perhaps it was a good thing to have our return from the UK coinside with the daylight savings time change... or, maybe not. This morning both kids were in bed with me at 6 am. Ugh. Time for the tea I bought in London...

Other than too much time spent in the air, and the huge time change, we enjoyed our trip. Other than one very rainy and windy day the weather was beautiful. Great Britain was having a heat wave - temps in the 70's with lovely sunshine most of the time. Just the type of weather you hope for if you plan on being outside walking around all day.

We arrived Sunday morning, and got to Brighton before our room was ready. The concierge was happy to keep our luggage for us, so we went for a walk on the beach. Surprisingly, the beach had no sand - it was all pebbles and shells. At one point there were two piers in Brighton, but there was a fire a few years ago, and the shell of that pier sits crumbling and rusting in the water. It must have been lovely before the fire! The other pier is still intact, and houses an amusement park. At night it is all lit up and looks very nice. Finally, though, we stumbled along the boardwalk, crossed the street and checked into the hotel, where we showered and collapsed into bed. (We didn't sleep on the overnight plane trip!)

In Brighton we stayed at the DeVere Grand Hotel, a very luxurious hotel. It was beautiful! On Monday we awoke to the strong winds and the prediction of rain, and it did rain! I had gone out for a walk in the morning and came back soaked, despite having an umbrella. Thankfully I had planned on staying in for the afternoon - to experience a real afternoon tea. The Victoria Lounge, just off the hotel lobby, serves a traditional tea. After settling myself into a comfy upholstered chair at a corner table I ordered blackcurrant tea (one of my favorite herbal teas) and relaxed. The tea was lovely, and was accompanied by a selection of finger sandwiches (egg salad, tuna, cucumber, tomato, or smoked salmon), scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a few desserts (chocolate cake, sponge cake, and a fruit and cream tart). Oh, I love clotted cream! Yum!
On Tuesday we took off over the lunch hour to visit the Royal Pavilion. This was the palace built by King George IV, and was finished in the early 1800's. The far east was popular at this time, and it is reflected in the architecture and interior design of this building. (They have a set of Chinese Court Officials, made of unfired clay, that are the earliest "bobbleheads" I have ever seen!) It is lavish, as you would expect a palace to be. Many people must have been totally overwhelmed by the decor - it was rich, lush and golden. Even the kitchen had decor elements - four large iron posts made to look like giant palm trees held up the center ceiling.
While in Brighton we also took the time to walk through "the Laines", a shopping district. These are very european style streets - narrow and winding. Most of the stores (and restaurants) were much too expensive to even think of going into, but some parts offered more affordable items. We, of course, stopped in the two used bookstores we found. While Jim didn't actually buy any books (can you believe it???), I did find one on Mary, Queen of Scots that I wanted. To top it all off we ate dinner at Burger King. I know... we can eat that here in the USA. It was funny, though, to see the "American" decor.

Not right now!!!!

My life is already fairly busy, but this week is really, really busy, what with parents coming in (must have clean house!!!) and interntional travel next week. On top of everything else, this week in gym class Dot fell and hurt her arm. I had her elevate and ice it that afternoon, gave her ibuprofen, and figured that it would heal fairly quickly. She, of course, milked it for all it was worth. Drama Queen... But, the next day she said it still hurt, so she had more ibuprofen and applied heat. She still wouldn't use the arm...
This morning she was still favoring it, so I called the doctor. Turns out we could get in this morning... Now we have a referral to go to the Imaging center for an x-ray. So, soon we will find out if it is just a sprain or if she actually fractured the arm...
I will feel really bad if it turns out to be fractured...

* So, I do feel really bad. It is fractured, a minor one, but it is fractured. Tomorrow we go to the Orthopedic office... Dot has decided to go blue if she gets a cast, but most likely it will be some sort of brace. More later...

Christmas lists

For those who need to know...

Jamie -
The Incredibles dvd
anything Thomas the Tank Engine
coloring books and/or stickers
books

Dot
playmobil, especially these: 7600 wheelchair 3136 superset police 4639 magnificent lady
3980 hospital room 3235 playground 4641 equestrian woman
American Girls mystery books
Boxcar children books
Narnia audio books (see Narnia post)
books by Richard Peck (or audio books)


Laura
earrings and necklaces (gold, not silver, if possible)
good sewing scissors
plain metal baking sheets (look at Wassestrom for good, inexpensive ones)
60 x 124 tablecloth(s)

Jim will have to post his own list...

health question?

This afternoon I took part in a health survey of our neighborhood. I was given a series of questions by two students from Johns Hopkins. Most of the questions were normal, not even specific enough to be asked by your doctor. Do you eat fruits and vegetables? How many? Do you get regular exercise? How much? or Why not? They did have one question that I didn't know how to answer... it came after Do you consider yourself religious or spiritual? They asked How much do your prayers impact your health? How much do my prayers impact my health? After all, it's not that praying keeps me healthy or that not praying makes me ill. Consider Job. Ah, well, it is just a survey, and I gave the best answer I could.

Burl Ives

Today in history Dot learned about Robert E. Lee. The enrichment activity for his biography happened to be the song "Goober Peas", which the teacher was encouraged to sing... I think the kids enjoyed hearing me sing the song (they certainly laughed along with me!), but the usual question arose - "what are goober peas?"

I remember hearing this song on a Burl Ives recording that Dad had. There were other American folk songs on there, too. With her interest in "old time America", Dot would enjoy hearing fold songs. I wonder if there are any good recordings out there now. Too many are geared toward kids, and are too cutesy. I guess we will have to look in Dad's records when we are home for Christmas... (another intro to "old time America"- Records!)

Peas! Peas! Peas! Peas!
Easting goober peas!
Goodness, how delicious,
Eating goober peas!

Narnia

We are eagerly awaiting our next drive around town - we have been listening to Focus on the Family's production of Prince Caspian. At home Dot is reading through the series, and is devouring them! We are thinking of getting the whole series of audio books. Anyone want to spend alot of money on our kids for Christmas?
On the horizon - Disney is coming out with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a movie this December. According to WebIndia123 the royals are getting in on the premiere, and The Stone Table is asking the question we all want answered: Is it Christian?

another forward

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions.

Why did God make mothers?

1 She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1 He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts..

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1 God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1 We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1 My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1 His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?

1 My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats allot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?

1 Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1 Moms work at work and work at home, & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic they make you feel better without medicine..

What does your Mom do in her spare time?

1 Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?

1 She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back of her head.