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.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Monday, November 21, 2005
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...
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...
Thursday, November 17, 2005
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...
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...
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
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...
Friday, November 04, 2005
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!
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.
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.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
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!
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!
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
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?
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...
Monday, October 31, 2005
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.
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.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
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...
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...
Thursday, October 13, 2005
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...
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.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
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!
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!
Thursday, October 06, 2005
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?
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?
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
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.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
It's that time of year...
One of Dorothy's subjects this year is Greek Mythology. Her latest stories have been about Persephone and Hades, explaining the seasons of the year. (If Persephone is above ground it is spring/summer. If she is below ground it is fall/winter.) Dorothy has determined that it is almost time for Persephone to go back to Hades.
We are getting a bit cooler now, which is very nice. The highs are getting to be high 70's/low 80's now. The trees are starting to lose a few leaves, but the flowers are still blooming. This is the time for the crysanthemums to steal the show, and the poppies are starting to bloom, too.
Soon it will be time to clean up the garden. After all, it has been taken over by the neighbor's morning glory vines anyway. I also need to move some perennials in the flower garden, and plant some bulbs for next spring. If I find a good hauling company I will take out the overgrown bushes and the dead tree. It would be nice to get that done!
Note for next year - cosmos are very tall in the flower garden - one plant has blooms over my head! Perhaps I will skip those next spring. I will plant more poppies, asters and coleous, as they did very well in the garden this year. If possible, I will also move the vegetable garden - I am tired of the morning glories taking over every year!
We are getting a bit cooler now, which is very nice. The highs are getting to be high 70's/low 80's now. The trees are starting to lose a few leaves, but the flowers are still blooming. This is the time for the crysanthemums to steal the show, and the poppies are starting to bloom, too.
Soon it will be time to clean up the garden. After all, it has been taken over by the neighbor's morning glory vines anyway. I also need to move some perennials in the flower garden, and plant some bulbs for next spring. If I find a good hauling company I will take out the overgrown bushes and the dead tree. It would be nice to get that done!
Note for next year - cosmos are very tall in the flower garden - one plant has blooms over my head! Perhaps I will skip those next spring. I will plant more poppies, asters and coleous, as they did very well in the garden this year. If possible, I will also move the vegetable garden - I am tired of the morning glories taking over every year!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
camping
This past weekend we went on a short camping trip, away from the city noise and hustle and bustle. We rented a one room cabin at a KOA campground in Fredericksburg, VA for two nights. This cabin had no bathroom (communal campground ones down the road) and no kitchen (picnic table and metal fire ring on the ground out front), just a double bed, a twin bunk bed, and a small table by the door. With all our clothes, equipment, and cooler inside there wasn't much room to move around. The kids were thrilled, though, and they were climbing the bunk bed and jumping on the double bed while we unpacked. The cabin also had one more amenity - a window air conditioner! It did help to have that, though, as the temperatures were in the high 80's and low 90's that weekend.
Why Fredericksburg? We didn't visit any battlefields, and we didn't do much sightseeing. We did enjoy a short visit with our Navy friends who live nearby (wish it could have been longer, we had a great time with them!). However, it could have been any campground - we just wanted a low key, quiet weekend. We got what we wanted, and Jim didn't have to sleep in a tent for it!
Memories are made from trips like this. We simply spent time together as a family - swimming, playing on the playground or in the gameroom (foosball anyone?), making s'mores at the campfire, telling stories of other camping trips.
Why Fredericksburg? We didn't visit any battlefields, and we didn't do much sightseeing. We did enjoy a short visit with our Navy friends who live nearby (wish it could have been longer, we had a great time with them!). However, it could have been any campground - we just wanted a low key, quiet weekend. We got what we wanted, and Jim didn't have to sleep in a tent for it!
Memories are made from trips like this. We simply spent time together as a family - swimming, playing on the playground or in the gameroom (foosball anyone?), making s'mores at the campfire, telling stories of other camping trips.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
fair wages
Dot made money this year at the fair, and didn't have to work hard at all.
We picked up her entries this morning and found that, aside from many "participation" ribbons, she had won third place for her quilt, third place for her beaded jewelry , and an honorable mention for her apron. All were entered in categories for children up to 11 years old. She now has $11 of prize money to put in her bank account!
We picked up her entries this morning and found that, aside from many "participation" ribbons, she had won third place for her quilt, third place for her beaded jewelry , and an honorable mention for her apron. All were entered in categories for children up to 11 years old. She now has $11 of prize money to put in her bank account!
Nashville fried biscuits
With Jim home for labor day I was able to try a few new recipes without "help" from the kids. Yesterday for dinner I made two grilled chickens (I will always let poultry soak in a saline bath before I cook it - always!), green beans with bacon and onions, broccoli salad (just enough for me, since no one else really enjoys it) and Nashvile Fried Biscuits. I had found this recipe in a cookbook awhile back, and it sat in my folder of "recipes to try" for a really long time. I thought it might be time to try it.
The basic recipe is for a biscuit made with yeast - usually these are found in the south, named "angel biscuits." The beauty of this type of recipe is that you can prepare a large batch and then freeze it for later use. Pull out a few biscuits, let them thaw and rise, then bake. No mess, no fuss.
While angle biscuits are baked, these, obvious from the title, are fried. They are somewhat like a donut, just not so sweet. (Although, if you put a glaze on them, they might come close to a krispy kreme.) It turns out lovely, light and fluffy, with a crisp golden exterior. The inside is not as flakey as a biscuit, but when you eat one you won't care. They are delicious! Perhaps not worth the work all the time, definately not worth the health risk all the time, but nice to try every now and again.
Fried Biscuits
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp yeast
1/4 c. warm water
2 c. milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
5 c. flour
1/4 c shortening
fat or oil for frying
Stir yeast into warm water; set aside to proof. Mix together the sugar, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour. Cut in the shortening. Combine milk with yeast mixture, add to flour mixture. Add flour as needed to make a soft, smooth dough. Cover and let rise one hour, or until doubled. Roll out 1/2 inch think, cut into rounds. At this point the biscuits can be frozen to use at a later date. As the biscuits rise, heat your oil to 350 degrees F. Fry biscuits until golden brown, drain on paper towel and serve warm. Yields about 5-6 dozen 2-1/2 inch biscuits.
The basic recipe is for a biscuit made with yeast - usually these are found in the south, named "angel biscuits." The beauty of this type of recipe is that you can prepare a large batch and then freeze it for later use. Pull out a few biscuits, let them thaw and rise, then bake. No mess, no fuss.
While angle biscuits are baked, these, obvious from the title, are fried. They are somewhat like a donut, just not so sweet. (Although, if you put a glaze on them, they might come close to a krispy kreme.) It turns out lovely, light and fluffy, with a crisp golden exterior. The inside is not as flakey as a biscuit, but when you eat one you won't care. They are delicious! Perhaps not worth the work all the time, definately not worth the health risk all the time, but nice to try every now and again.
Fried Biscuits
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp yeast
1/4 c. warm water
2 c. milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
5 c. flour
1/4 c shortening
fat or oil for frying
Stir yeast into warm water; set aside to proof. Mix together the sugar, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour. Cut in the shortening. Combine milk with yeast mixture, add to flour mixture. Add flour as needed to make a soft, smooth dough. Cover and let rise one hour, or until doubled. Roll out 1/2 inch think, cut into rounds. At this point the biscuits can be frozen to use at a later date. As the biscuits rise, heat your oil to 350 degrees F. Fry biscuits until golden brown, drain on paper towel and serve warm. Yields about 5-6 dozen 2-1/2 inch biscuits.
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