Lawnwork

We are trying to beat the storm that is coming through our area later today. Things are growing, despite the cooler weather we have been having, so we need to get our new bulbs planted, and the lawn mown. It is a nice morning to be outside.

de-evolution

Last week I cleaned the house in preparation for company on Sunday. It looked good. The food was good, and the fellowship was great. However, kids will be kids, and the house has quickly reverted to its normal chaos...

Catalog craze

The afternoon brings the mail, and the mail has brought us an afternoon of wishing. The new Playmobil catalog has arrived, chock full of new toys the kids want to add to their collections. The newest collection is based on ancient Rome, with gladiators and a warrior ship. Other new items include the Micro sets, with one being Noah's ark - perhaps a toy for quiet play in the church pew?

Weekend busy-ness

Ever since we bought this house, and discovered that it lacked storage options, we have been thinking of different ways to put in shelves. Most of our shelving has been in the form of solid wood bookshelves, which has done much to get out books out where we can enjoy them. Hurrah! Now, however, we need storage for more mundane items, such as the vacuum, coats, tools, and toys. It would be wonderful if we could get everything organized and neatly put away...
This past Saturday we did take a step in that direction. For less than $100, and in a little more than an hour, we installed shelving in Jamie's room. It's not solid wood, but it does give us a lot more in the way of storage.
The work was not hard, and even Jamie was able to help. He had a wonderful time playing with the tools. His favorite? The "knocker" (hammer), because he can "knock" things!

Childhood imagination

Last night, just before bed, Jamie told us about the aliens. Apparently there are aliens coming, aliens that are like Cookie Monster. They steal cookies and eat them all up. In an effort to save our cookies (freshly made oatmeal chocolate chip), Jamie said we should hide them in his closet, where the aliens would not be able to find them.
While we did leave the cookies in the kitchen overnight, we found them safe this morning. No aliens here.

Done!

I have finished Ivanhoe. It probably wouldn't have taken me so long, except it's a little hard to read when you get interrupted by kids all the time. And it's really hard to read while Winnie-the-Pooh is on.

Wee Garden

This past Saturday, while cold and windy, was the day for Dot to begin a garden. She, along with 8 or so other children, took part in a "wee garden" workshop at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. They were able to put 5 small plants and various decorations into their planters. A small mirror became a pond, and nearby there is a snake, lizard, and turtle. Included in her planter: "Dortheanthus."

The arboretum is free, and has a few parking lots (unlike many DC sites). We'll probably go back some day, when it is warmer. (Jim and Jamie tried to walk some of the grounds, but it was not a good day to be outdoors.) The bonsai museum is very interesting - so much work goes into such a small tree. You can find your state tree, walk up to the capital columns, find your favorite herb in the herb garden, wander the fern valley, be overwhelmed by azaelas, and so much more. Check it all out here.

Children's church

Are your children singing too many Patch songs in children's church? Should they be taught hymns instead? Here is an early children's hymn:

"Let dogs delight to bark and bite,
For God hath made them so;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For tis their nature to.

But, children, you should never let
Your angry passions rise;
Your little hands were never made
To tear each other's eyes."

Perhaps this?
"1. Thou shalt have no more gods than me.
2. Before no idol bow thy knee.
3. Take not the name of God in vain;
4. Nor dare the Sabbath-day profane.
5. Give both thy parents honour due.
6. Take heed that thou no murder do.
7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean;
8. Nor steal, though thou art poor and mean;
9. Nor make a wilful lie nor love it.
10. What is thy neighbor's dare not covet."

both are found in The Church of Our Fathers by Roland H. Bainton

I have no idea what he's talking about

Guess who is speaking today at the SELinux Symposium?

Using GConf as an Example of How to Create an Userspace Object Manager

James Carter, National Security Agency

It has become apparent that many people want some of the benefits of MLS but in a way that is easier to use than the full MLS implementation.

There are various strategies that can be used to provide security controls over an application under SELinux. One strategy is to turn the program into a userspace object manager. Since the SELinux kernel object managers cannot control objects that are only visible in userspace, creating userspace object managers is a natural part of implementing the flask architecture on Linux. GConf is a configuration system for GNOME and controls configuration keys and values which are not visible to the kernel. This paper discusses the general process of providing SELinux controls over a program and the specific steps taken to provide SELinux controls over GConf.

Photos

For a moment this morning I found myself wishing for the "good old days" when the only thing you did with photos was stick them in a album and put it on the shelf. With digital cameras, photoshop, and the internet, I have so much more work to do. Oh well.
For those who care, I have started uploading my photos here. There aren't many there yet.

By the way, Happy Birthday, Fran!

Latest projects

(Sorry for the funny expressions- I was not feeling well when these photos were taken. I don't know what was wrong with Dot.)
Think I like green? I have finished these dresses, and I have more sewing left to do - at least three pairs of shorts have been cut out and prepped, I have quilt blocks to sew together and quilt, and Dot will need a few skirts for camp this summer.
I love to sew... but I hate to see the house after the kids have been left to their own devices.

Answered Prayer

For quite awhile Jamie has had a very simple, short prayer each night before bed - let Uncle Michael come home to our house. This weekend the prayer was answered. Mike arrived Saturday night and left after lunch today. Jamie cried when he saw that his bed was no longer made up for Uncle Michael.
Sunday ended up being more fun than they thought it would be due to snow. Our evening church service was cancelled, so we had a nice night at home. Our living room floor became a large train layout, and then a farm set-up.
On Monday we took a trip to Brookside Gardens Conservatory for their sculpture show. The two buildings were filled with beautiful plants - mostly tropicals and bulbs. It smelled amazing! It makes me long for spring, when all the tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs bloom. I can't wait to get into the garden again! We stopped at Ikea to walk through the store and have lunch. Jamie was not impressed by the long-awaited chance to play in the play area. I guess it's not as much fun as Dot made it seem.
Today we visited the pet store, where the kids dreamt of having many new pets. However, as I would be the one cleaning up after them and having to purchase their food and other supplies, I vetoed every one. Maybe when they are older... After lunch at Quiznos we headed home to say goodbye to Mike. The kids are sad that he is gone, and are a bit tired and whiney from the late nights, but they seem to be recovering - the dvd's I rented are a hit.

If we did it all over again...

Thankfully I am not in the middle of planning a wedding right now. I remember those days as being busy and a bit stressful. (And how is that different than my life right now?) However, I do like to look at those very pretty dresses (although I feel sorry forany modest bride-to-be right now, as all the dresses seem to be strapless).
I did run across this wedding ring option. It's a bit too modern for my taste, but it is interesting. Ah, well, we aren't doing it over again, and it is well out of our price range.

Modesty, Again

I have recently been working on a few dresses for this spring, and was a bit disappointed with how low the neckline was on one (it didn't seem that low on the pattern's picture). I was (and still am) looking for an idea of how to add to the dress to make it more modest without making it look funny. I have found many sites that talk about modesty, but don't give pictoral examples. I have found many sites that sell modest clothing (usually pretty expensive). The most interesting site yet, though, is a modesty survey. It has given me a lot to think about - most of the time we hear things along the lines of, "men are stimulated by sight, " or "make sure your clothing isn't a stumbling block to your Christian brothers." Not often are we females given practical examples. This survey, however, gives us the chance to read guys' minds as related to modesty. No pictures, but the questions are very specific, and the answers give even more info. Check it out, girls - you may be a little surprised.

Valentine's day as a snow day

Well, we did get some snow and ice, and some areas of Baltimore had power outages. Not us. We had the equivalent of a giant unflavored icee all over our neighborhood. Not fun to play in, not fun to clean up. And not a snow day... at least for Dot! Jim did have the day off, and used most of it shoveling icy slush. He has a four-hour delay this morning.
We did celebrate Valentine's day with a nice dinner: crumbed green beans, crab cakes and popcorn shrimp, mashed potatoes, homemade wheat rolls, and fudgy cherry chocolate cake. The kids did not like the crab cakes, but did stuff themselves with the rolls. (Jim actually bought that potted mini rose plant for me - without being "reminded" - how romantic!)
After dinner we all rested on the couch bed and enjoyed Disney's Alice in Wonderland. I had just finished reading the book to Jamie at nap time, so I thought he would like to see the movie. It is now favorite!

Do home-schoolers get snow days?

For the most part, we have not had real winter weather here. While we have had some cold temperatures (nothing like Minneapolis!), we have not had a good snow. The kids have been bemoaning the lack of sledding. My prediction has held true, and now that it is the week of Valentine's day we are getting a storm. (We've gotten big snow storms on past Valentine's weeks.) However, this storm hasn't been dropping much snow. The ping, ping, ping on the windows lets us know that we are getting freezing rain. Weather experts predict one-quarter- to one-half-inch of ice for our area, with the possibility of a bit more snow at the end of the storm tomorrow afternoon. Jim is pessimistic, and hopes we won't lose power.

Dot's art

Dot may be jealous of all the new and exciting things that Jamie has acquired and experienced, but we've spent more on her lately than on him. This Saturday she started in a new art class. First project - learning to draw an apple. She learned about shadows and highlights. She began with pencil, but finished with chalks. Here is one of her first week's projects:

Promises fulfilled

Now that he's done his part, and gotten fully trained, Jamie expected us to follow through on our promises.

We went to Chuck E Cheese's on Friday night, and spent way too much money on a not-that-good pizza and tokens. The kids loved every minute of it, though. Jamie cried when we left.

We let him pick out his new undies.

We installed the leaves for his bed on Saturday morning. He has enjoyed playing and sleeping under them. Dot is jealous.

Too soon to say for sure...

Beginning last Saturday we restricted pull-up usage... Things have progressed quickly, with a few failures, but more successes. Even away from home things are staying dry now. Hooray for Jamie! Now we will have to follow through on all those promises we thought we were making in vain. A trip to Chuck-E-Cheese's, a turn in the Ikea playroom, new Cars briefs, etc...

Science Fiction Craft Time

The robots are coming!

Hooray! Hooray!

The Robots are coming!

You'd better get out of the way!

All hail the mighty (tiny) robots!

Columbus of old

Last week we went shopping, and I found this map. I have no idea when it was published - only that is is before highways, and evidently before much of what we know of the city became part of Columbus. In fact, my old neighborhood isn't even on the map.

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...