The adventures of...

Meadville recently saw the return of Public Enemy Numbers 5392 and 5393, otherwise known as Smiley and Slim. Recalling such days as Bonnie and Clyde, these two found this small city the ideal place to find their loot. While surrounded by unsuspecting adults, the youngsters were able to make off with new headgear and a shiny gold tin, as seen in this stock photo:
Who knows what else they may have been able to lift? Smiley and Slim have been reportedly seen in the Cleveland area, possibly training another youngster in their sinister arts. If you happen to cross paths with them, please be advised that they are armed with excess energy and may be able to fast-talk you into unknowingly helping them on their sprees. Please contact their authorites at once!

I wish...

If I had the money I might spend it on this dress. (However, I'd ditch the makeup, shoes and hat.) Oh, but it's a couture dress, costing more that you probably imagine, so it will not be in my closet anytime soon. Or ever.
by Galliano for Dior See more of this wonderful couture show at Style.com.

An eight-year-old's update

Sometimes it pays to clean up. Earlier we allowed Dot to have the Playmobil Grand Mansion (we found it at a consignment shop), with the promise to "get rid" of her Barbies. (We are keeping the house Mike made. Can't get rid of that!!!) After a morning of sorting through her stuff, we took the decent items to Once Upon a Child, where Dot made a total of $25! With that money she has purchased a Our Generation doll from Target - an American Girl knock-off with a much lower price. Dot now dreams of all the outfits she will be sewing for her doll.
When not playing Playmobil or with her new doll, or doing school, Dot gets limited time on the computer. Lately all that time has been spent playing "Battle for Wesnoth." If allowed, she will spend all afternoon sucked into this game. If not allowed, she will then go read, with Calvin and Hobbes being one of her favorite ways to pass the time. Another favorite, Pick Me Up, a new library book that covers a bunch of different topics. It is an interesting read. (Watch out for evolutionary and cultural ideas, however.) In school we are reading Rolf and the Viking Bow. It is an Icelandic adventure set in the chivalric past. The book is more of an adventure (a "boy book"), but it is good for her to read.
Gym class has been introduicng her to the basic sports - football and basketball so far. Dot has not been enjoying that so much, but it is good for her to learn the basics. She hopes that next year we will opt for doing our own gym class of geo-caching. Hiking would be a good "sport" for her...
New things are on the horizon... preliminary plans include summer camp!

A three-year-old's morning

This three-year-old spend a good portion of this morning trying headstands (with help to get those feet up). Then he "read" a favorite library book, played hide-and-seek in our closet, and then hopped throughout the house. All this in less than one hour. Jamie lives life in fast-forward.

art class

Walmart has small plaster figures for 44 cents. Dot couldn't pass up the puppy and bird. Jamie decided the frog was irresistable. Since we already own paint and paintbrushes, I gave in and let them have "art class" this morning. Wearing old t-shirts they got to work, and now they are extremely proud of their efforts, especially Jamie. I am sure that it will have a place of honor in his room.

New Years Diet?

The amazing stewardess diet - be slim and glamorous, eat all you want. All meals must be taken aboard a domestic airline.
The new high-fiber bread wrapper diet - minimizes the absorption of calories from food. Easy to follow! Eat one bread wrapper at every meal. Based on little-noted nutritional fact that the body cannot digest plastic.
Oral bypass - the new non-invasive, non-surgical, cure for obesity that involves no change in daily meal patterns. Instead of putting food in their mouths, patients are directed to toss food over their left shoulders.
The amazing carcinophobic diet - rules out all foods suspected of being hazardous to your health. Weight loss guaranteed.
Control overeating - replace your ordinary refrigerator with Frigivault; locks automatically, opens 10 minutes, three times daily.
Fat city - condominium and country club, a planned community development. Here, you will not be considered fat. You or your spouse must weigh over 200 pounds to meet residency requirements. Planned recreation program, including bake-offs, taffy pulls and wine tastings. On-site shopping center with Fannie Farmer, Lane Bryant and Dunkin Donuts. Offering by prospectus only.

I found this in a notebook of recipe and food related clippings that Grandma Grimes had collected over the years. It is from "Slim Gourmet" by Barbara Gibbons.

Football

"There is no joy in Mudville..." as Jim put it so well in his daily email. After such a joyous, winning season last night promised to be exciting. The first play of the game seemed to indicate another good buckeye game. Ah, well. Things don't always work out the way they should. And I can't tell you much more about the game, as I went to bed before halftime.

Another game is getting coverage here in Baltimore. The Ravens will be playing the Colts! "Boo, hiss!" cry all the Baltimore fans. They are referring to the sale and secret middle-of-the-night departure of the Colts in 1984. To us, being from Ohio, this seems to make little sense, as the Ravens are simply "the team formerly known as the Browns."

Cousins on the stairs

Remember those old photos at Grandma Rupert's house? It must be time to start the tradition for the next generation...

Our Christmas

Last night we had Christmas at our house. The kids were hardly able to wait through dinner! After a little quick clean-up we handed out presents and brought down the stockings (or, socks, as Jamie calls them). The kids are very pleased with their new toys and books. (It seems that an inexpensive wooden top from Target is the favorite toy of all. Dot keeps trying to get Jamie to trade!)
Dot is at the age where she wants to give presents, but doesn't have much money. While we do let the kids pick out presents for us and each other, she wanted to give something all by herself. That means that I now own a new cookbook (cards from my recipe box copied on each page). Also, there were poems in our stockings:

Love
by Dot
love is love
no matter
what
love is
alive no
matter
what
love is
strong
love is
beautiful
love has
me and you

Trains
by Dot
trains are
going by today
so wave and
say hi trains
are big and
trains are
small trains
are a sleek
person
trains
arrive and
go goodbye
but there
are trains
everywhere

Christmas cards

Remember when you were young, and it was exciting to get the mail each day? You looked for something with your name on it, or the Highlights ads that would have stickers in them. It was wonderful to have something addressed to you, something you could open!

Christmas is great time of the year for mail. Yeah, the same bills come every month, and the same junk mail, but so do a bunch of cards from friends and family! Apparently it was too much for Dot. She has been the one to bring in the mail this week, and has quickly learned to separate out the cards. She was opening them, too, until I noticed that she had opened Jim's Christmas present by mistake... We put it back together as best we could, and now she lets me oversee the mail each day. I still let her open a card or two...

Hooray!

The cookies are done! I spent over two hours dipping chocolate the other day - I used 6 bags of chocolate chips! We have buckeyes, cookie truffles, oreo biscotti, pumpkin fudge, sugared pecans, cookie dough bites, frosted sugar cookies and cranberry-lemon cutouts. Oh yeah, and Jim has chocolate covered pretzels and ritz sandwiches. Not to mention the cherry crumb pie sitting in the fridge...

Yesterday we went on a theatre field trip. Goucher college does a series of plays for schools and homeschool. We joined an auditorium full of grade-schoolers to watch the Nutcracker. I wasn't sure if Jamie would sit through it, but he thought it was funny. The music was canned, the dancing and acting were adequate, and the sets and costumes were at local college production level. The kids loved it though, and Dot wants to see it every year. We'll go back for Seussical in May.

After the ballet we ate lunch at a nearby mall. I had chosen this mall for one reason - I had been told it set up a large model train layout for Christmas. Jamie loved it! He didn't want to leave... However, he has a cold, and needed a nap. We had plans to carol in the evening.

We met up with others from our church, and traveled to three houses. We sang pretty well for an unpracticed a capella group. It seems the "audiences" enjoyed it. It's Christmas!

it was a bad hair day

One morning last week I let the kids play together while I finished some work. They seemed to be playing so nicely, no whining or screaming. I soon found out why...
If you were 8 years old, would you let a three year old cut your hair? Apparently Dot thought it was a good idea. It really wasn't so bad on the sides, easily cut into a short bob, but that sort of thin patch at the top of her bangs? It's a crew cut! There wasn't a thing I could do about that. 

Laugh, it's good for you

I was looking up some quilting sites recently and came across this story. There are some other funny things on that site as well...

Revisiting my childhood

Having children is one way to enjoy those fondly-remembered childhood toys, books and shows without seeming weird or immature. Jamie is well versed in Underdog, and Dot is thrilled with Carmen Sandiego. Did you know they were even still around? Jim bought a set of Underdog dvd's, and they are watched frequently in our house. Jamie runs around giving people a "lightning jolt!" Dot is happy that Carmen Sandiego is an educational video - which means we have it checked out for 21 days!

Thanksgiving

Praise ye the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.
Praise ye the LORD.

Already???

Did anyone else get surprised by the holiday season this year? I thought we were just ending summer a couple of weeks ago, and now we're talking Thanksgiving and Christmas! Sigh... It's a lot of work... Time to shop for gifts, decorate, and bake all those treats. Time to eat, eat, eat. Time to write Christmas cards. Time to listen to Christmas songs, and sing along, making up words for those we can't remember. Time for nostalgic childrens' specials on tv.
We begin this weekend, decorating the house and breaking out the advent calendar. I'll start baking cookies soon, after I decided which ones to make. The kids helped to pick out a poinsettia this morning while we were shopping.
What are your favorite parts of the season? What cookies are you making? Will you go to Merry Tuba Christmas? Sing in a concert?

Meadville

It has finally hit me, now that we are home. I am grieving now. I am deeply saddened that I will not see Grandma again here on earth. My children will not know her, will probably not remember her. I will probably never see the house again, never be amazed at the ingenious little things rigged up by Grandpa, never again wonder what is hiding in the attic (those treasures were amazing to discover!), never again sit in the kitchen nook for lunch. I will never again receive a letter from her, with news of the weather in Meadville and what plants are growing in their yard. No more fruit cocktail, not that we have had that for awhile now.
I have often asked God why we are so far from family. Why does he not provide a home and job for us near our parents? I would love for my children to grow up having Sunday dinners at Grandma's, learning to sew or cook or fix cars or build a birdhouse or any number of other wonderful things that Grandma and Grandpa seem to have time to teach. It would be nice to let their cousins be their best friends. Is it enough to see family two or three times a year? To call once a week? To email whenever?
It was so nice to see everyone again. It's too bad that time was short. I wish we could've stayed longer, talked more, helped more.
There's so much more I'd like to say, but I don't know how to say it...

Exciting Uncle Mike

Our kids are so happy to have Uncle Mike here for a visit. All sorts of fun goes on, from gifts, dinners out, games, and lots of field trips!
Yesterday we went hiking in the afternoon. The weather was perfect - just what a fall day should be like, crisp and clear. We started out at Hampton, a national park just north of Baltimore. It was once a large plantation, and at this point you can tour the farmhouse and farm buildings. The mansion is closed for renovations (Air conditioning!!) until next fall/winter. The kids weren't too thrilled with the farmhouse - although they did enjoy the hands on exhibits.
A few minutes away was a county park, which also had a farm. This park had trails, and more importantly, a geocache. Mike brought his GPS and taught Dot how to use it for this "treasure hunt." Jamie couldn't follow them at their speed, so we wandered along the paths as we could. Eventually we all ended up back at the car, tired but happy with our afternoon's adventure. Dot loves geocaching - and hopes to get a GPS for Christmas... unfortunately, "Santa" can't afford that sort of present.

Shall we dance?

There were mysterious footprints on our deck this afternoon (they're still there, and likely to be there for quite awhile). It took a second or two for me to realize that was where Jim had sprayed rain repellant on his new boots. Apparently it works as deck protectant as well.

another busy weekend

Apparently fall is the time to complete tasks around the home... at least for us. We had another busy weekend. This time the dining room (finally) got painted. (Just a hint here - if you are painting a room in a house where there are likely to be children, don't use flat white paint...)
In between coats we took a drive down to DC, along the Potomac, and stopped to let the kids play in the leaves. It's not peak season there yet, but it was nice anyway. Jamie kept trying to throw the leaves away in the trash can!
During the week it's back to work and school. Dot is enjoying Little House in the Big Woods right now, and wants to do things just like Laura. Jamie is trying to help out in many different ways - he's becoming very independent. Watch out, he might become the next famous chef!

I'm done!

The quilt is completely finished! We have used it on our bed the last few nights, and it is wonderful! Well worth the work.

Busy weekend

We didn't have such big, exalted plans for this past weekend... but it turned out to be very busy. We talked it over - Jim was going to caulk in the bathroom, and I would clean a little and check out the buffet for some identifying marks. Not too much later and we were both in over our heads. Jim decided that the linoleum flooring should just come up - there was too much mildew underneath, and the tiles looked fine. Once he had done all that, and scrubbed up most of the glue and mildew, we ended up with a tiled bathroom floor that will eventually need some replacement tiles. It still looks nicer than the linoleum, though. We will need to do some more scrubbing - to get the mildew stains out of the grout.
After lunch we pulled out the buffet, but couldn't find any marks to help us identify the maker. We needed to move it somewhere - or get rid of it somehow - to make room for the new bookshelf that has been sitting in the dining room. It sure would be nice for storage in the basement... but it won't fit down the stairs. The buffet is now a proud resident of our garage, and will most likely be my "potting bench" for a couple of seasons.
A trip to Lowe's and Home Depot took up an hour of the afternoon, and then we both got back to work. Jim caulked, I finished up in the living room. It was good to get some work done.

How do you say it?

So, some of y'all say I sound southern now... Well, it's what ya' hear all day 'round here. Want to fit in next time y'all visit? Study up...

After you spend some time learning the lingo, get ready to sing:

Ao say can yew see ba de don's early late,
What sao praddly we held at de twahlate's lass gleemin,
Hews broad strapes en brate stors, frew de pearlus fate,
Ore de ramparts we watched were sao gawwandly streamin?
En de roggets' red glare, de bums burstin in air,
Gabe proof frew de nate dat air flag was still dere.
AO say does dat stor spangelt ban-an-ner-er ye-ed way-abe,
Ore de la-ann ub de free en da haome ub de brabe.

PLAY BAW

Laundry woes

Yesterday I found that my load of towels had taken a trip through the dryer with Jamie's jeans - which had a brown crayon in the pocket. Surprisingly, the dryer was very easy to clean. The towels, however, are still in the wash. Those brown spots won't come out! (Are you thinking of a certain line from Macbeth?)
How many times do you wash towels before you give up? How much effort should you put into getting them clean? Most of these towels are over 10 years old (but still in good condition). Do I just give up, and live with brown-spotted towels?
Aah, the joys of being a stay-at-home mom.

Help needed

Have you ever felt like you could really, really use a vacation? Right now?!?
Perhaps it is because we live in such a busy area, or just because homeschooling and trying to keep the house in order is a lot of work to begin with, but I feel like I need a vacation. Wouldn't it be nice to get away from it all? To put the to-do list away? To get out of the rut - er, routine?
Unfortunately, vacations cost money. And time. Both things are stretched rather thin right now. Any ideas for what to do?

All Aboard!

This past Saturday we went up to Strasburg, Pennsylvania for a day full of trains. Mom and Jeanne were on a church bus trip to Lancaster, and we met them at the railroad to spend the morning together. After we bought our tickets we looked through a few of the stores on the property - can you guess who was very excited by the Thomas store? We all got on the train together and enjoyed a 45 minute round trip ride through the country. After the ride we ate lunch, and then let the kids ride on the "crank cars." (These turned out to be Jamie's favorite part of the day.) Soon it was time for the bus to head back to Ohio, so we said goodbye and headed over to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania across the street.
Lined up throughout the large building were many trains, some of which you could climb aboard. There were more trains in the yard outside, where Jamie found a yellow caboose! However, the favorite spot here was the "Railway education center", where they have set up many different types of toy trains to play with. Dot played with Geotracks while Jamie preferred the Lego Thomas set. We had a hard time getting them out of that room! In the gift shop we found a few Erie Lakawanna items - need some EL coffee, placemats or playing cards? By this time the kids were getting cranky, so we headed back down to Baltimore.
This was my first time to go up to Lancaster County. I'm not sure why everyone raves about it. It was so built up and touristy. I'd rather "visit the Amish" in Ohio. At least there I feel as if I am in the country.

Halfway there

For three years I have been working (on and off, as I have time) on a new quilt for our bed. Things would have gone faster if I didn't have to stop every so often to make long-enough-shorts for Dot, baby quilts as gifts (probably 10 in that time frame), and, of course, homeschool. However, I worked hard this last month, and now it is done - well, at least the piecing is done. I now have to baste it to the backing and batting, then quilt it, and bind the edges. Probably another three years...
Oh, and it doesn't look that busy in real life... somehow the lighting makes it look crazy in that photo.

Jamie's beard

This past weekend held another "haircut Saturday" at our house. About once a month I get out my tools and cut hair for Jim and Jamie. While it is easy enough to do Jim's hair, Jamie is tricky. He does not like the razor, and hates, hates, hates the hairs left behind.

Jamie's prized "train board"

In the store you can buy a Thomas the Tank Engine playboard for $50, if you wish. Jamie needed something to put his trains on (the track comes apart more easily when on carpet), so we decided to buy a train board. We, however, are cheap. I could not pay $50 for a painted piece of particleboard. A $6 piece of pegboard and some acrylic craft paint make Jamie a happy boy.
By the way, you can see we have a roundhouse - a nice $2 thrift store find. However, we need the turntable to go along with it. It would make a nice Christmas present if you find one... Other gift ideas for Jamie: more track pieces, more bridges, more train cars (he has most of the engines). 

Dot's new pets

The ladybug larvae finally arrived this afternoon. Dot and Jamie gathered around as I dumped in the food/water balls, and oohed and aahed when I dumped in the larvae. We have about 10 that crawl around the habitat - they are the dark spots in the photo. Next, they enter their pupa stage...

its the most wonderful time of the year

New pajama time! The weather is getting cooler, and out come our comfy clothes. I admit it, I am a sucker for kids in pj's. Especially one-piece pj's on toddlers! 

Fair results

Dot won six dollars and a second place ribbon with this bowl at the Maryland State Fair. She has big plans for next year...

homeschool 2006

Today we had our first portolio review, and we passed with flying colors. The kids enjoyed spending the hour at the library, and I enjoyed showing off my daughter's work.

The public school system has an office that follows the homeschoolers. By law they are only allowed two portfolio reveiws a year as long as you are doing your job as teacher. I have heard some horror stories from other parents, but I had a good experience. I guess we are doing okay after one whole week...

I haven't planned out the entire year. I do have a few field trips planned - Science center, art museum, a couple of plays. When we read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory we'll visit Hershey. I'm sure we'll go to a Smithsonian at some point.

I never thought I would ever homeschool. It has worked out well for us, though, and I'm not crazy yet...

Captain Hook

Captain Hook must remember
Not to scratch his toes.
Captain Hook must watch out
And never pick his nose.
Captain Hook must be gentle
When he shakes your hand.
Captain Hook must be careful
Openin' sardine cans
And playing tag and pouring tea
And turnin' pages of his book.
Lots of folks I'm glad I ain't --
But mostly Captain Hook!

by Shel Silverstein 

what those Koreans are up to now

Most Americans have the idea that the people of the orient are super smart and super busy. Perhaps they are... but sometimes you have to wonder what they are busy doing. Is it worth the effort? It's worth a look...