Our classroom goes outside

We took a field trip to the zoo today so we could learn new signs (sign language) for animals. The animals were very active this morning. I guess they liked the cool air. We heard the howler monkeys in the parking lot. All three of the lions were pacing. Maybe it is getting to be mating season, not positive, I'm just going by some of the behavior I saw. We have been learning a little sign language lately, not conversational just words. So, this morning we took the classroom to the zoo to see what they knew. I think they had a lot of fun and learned some new things.

Thanksgiving 2009

I don't remember a more enjoyable Thanksgiving. This year we went to my parents' home. Dad recorded the Macy's Day Parade so the girls would not miss anything. I think I'm the one that watched it though. The turkey was delicious along with everything else. After lunch, my Dad was telling me about a book he was reading. It was sitting next to the couch so I picked it up and started reading it. It was good, but Dad wasn't finished with it. John and I both took a nap (so did Grandma later in the day). I nap. Wow! The girls had a ball with their playdoh and coloring books. The interesting thing came after our naps. John and my Dad started talking about another book my Dad had just finished. He handed the book to John and he read it until we went to bed that night. I guess he found it interesting because on the way home he asked if I had brought the book. Yep. I also brought the other book because my Dad finished it while I was napping. So, turkey, dressing, pumpkin cake (mmm!), and a few good books. What could have been better?

Change

John and I were talking tonight over dinner about how things have changed over the years. The way we spend holidays now is somewhat different than how we did before we had children. The people we see have changed. Gatherings that we used to attend we no longer attend.

I think, in a small way, we ourselves have changed a bit. Children tend to do that to most people. There they are, tiny little things, relying solely upon you to take care of them. Our children have allowed us to grow in ways I don't think we thought about before; yet we both still have childlike qualities that keep the "fun" of life going. There does seem to be a lot of "fun" going on in this place all the time. One game or another being played or argued over. Board games being won and lost. John was talking to his Mom a couple of days ago and somehow board games came into the conversation. She didn't believe him when he told her we play board games quite a bit. I'm not sure why, but it got a good chuckle out of all of us.

Holidays are special for us. Thanksgiving has to be my favorite. My pride for my country comes through on Thanksgiving just as much as Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Sacrifices for this country came long before there was a country, and for that I will always be grateful to our ancestors.

Things that relax me

I am trying to take more time to do things that help me relax. I haven't been stressed really, but not overly happy. I guess with homeschooling, homemaking, and everything else going on I just haven't taken any time for myself lately. I used to go to Mom's Night Out on Mondays, not every Monday but at least a couple of times a month. However, no one has really been going lately with the exception of Bridget but her schedule has been sketchy too. I used to think I needed more adult conversation, but lately it has become more evident I just need to do things I want to do.

I love to crochet but honestly in the summer I just can not bring myself to do it. It is warm enough without a growing blanket on top of me. So, I've been reading. Yep! Reading books that look interesting to me instead of being school related. I have read quite a few recently. Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott I loved. They were written in the late 19th century but I found some things hold up through time. The Little Black Book of Secrets was enthralling from the beginning. I just could not stop reading that one. And yes there is a trend here that the books are all from the juvenile section. So many good books I never read growing up.

I loved reading when I was young (Chloe's age), then I...well, I don't know exactly what happened. Somewhere in elementary school I became very intimidated by the library. Not sure why. The "big kid" section terrified me for some reason. So that is when my fun reading stopped. I did not pick up the habit again until college. Then I read a lot, when I had time. When the girls came along I read to them all the time when they were small. Now, they can read themselves so I am free to read what I want again. It has almost been like a weight lifted off of my since my adventures in books has returned. I do love a good book! I hoped, when I was pregnant with Jesse, to have children who love to read. I was teased a good bit by my co-workers at the time because every payday I'd go by books at the bookstore. A small fortune spent, but as I watch them now reading the books they have picked out on their own I know it was worth what I spent and so much more.

Cujo found

Friday night, as we sat watching television, we heard a ruckus on the front porch. John and I rushed out the door but saw nothing. Neither of us had turned on the porch light in our dash through the front door. We both stood there, as still as fence posts, listening as a cool breeze rushed across the porch. Suddenly, as if standing next to us, breathing. It was no ordinary breathing. A cross between a pant and a snarl. The small hairs on my neck stood up and I froze even more so than before. I felt like I stood there for minutes when truly it only lasted a few seconds. We still saw nothing though the sound felt as if it had been made directly in our ears. After a couple of minutes, John said what I was thinking, "That was spooky." No doubt!

A couple of hours later, I took Rosie out (fully armed with a torch and John's long paint stick). I found the cats were still in the tree next to the house. They finally came down the tree as I held the light on the ground verifying to the terrified cats there were no dogs, except Rosie.

Yesterday afternoon...another ruckus. Chloe was in front of me on the race for the door, but she missed seeing what I saw (the porch rail blocked her view). There it was! Oh, my! Not a big dog as the breathing would have suggested. Not in height anyway. It wasn't was tall as John's car tire to the shoulders, but the muscles. The muscles on that dog. It had its back to me so I didn't see its face, but its body said bulldog. I have never seen one quite like it. Then suddenly there were two! Two identical dogs. Not one Cujo but two running laps around John's car frantically trying to catch the cat that had run underneath it. I was horrified and pissed all at the same time. I yelled, then barked. Yes, I barked. I can not tell you why it is just what came out. The dogs took off up the hill.

Two hours later, Rosie lured the cats out from under the car; they are taking no chances with those two monsters. And I don't think I'll allow the girls to play outside unless I'm there.

Where do I begin?

We got back from our "Christmas" Disney trip on Thursday. Yep, a wee bit early for Christmas but it was when John could get off from work. We had the best time! I just don't know where to begin. John and I were talking on the way home and we both agreed this trip was completely different than any other trip we have made there.

First, we did three parks. We went to Animal Kingdom, EPCOT (per the girls request) and we went to Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Animal Kingdom was great! This was the park where the girls saw all the characters and of course they were dressed in their Christmas best! I, a personal awesome moment, got to dance with Goofy! Yep, little ole me. We had the best time and John got to eat at his favorite BBQ place.

EPCOT, as always was totally fab! I think we all agree the best part of EPCOT this time was lunch. We had lunch at Teppan Edo in Japan. I just have to tell you that our steaks were so good; they practically melted in your mouth. And the dessert! I have to find a recipe for that one. It was Ginger Chocolate Cake. I really thought I wouldn't like it, but tried it anyway. Ginger is not one of my favorites and can be very strong. This cake was heavenly. It was kind of like a thin shortbread on the bottom topped with a ginger, chocolate mousse then a chocolate glaze on top. Mmmm.

I do not know where to begin for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. But I think I should start with our attire. John was looking for a t-shirt for himself when he thought it would be a good idea for all of us to wear the same shirt for the party. Yep, John's idea! lol As soon as we got on the bus to go that night he wished he had not thought of it. He doesn't like being the center of attention and that certainly made us the center of attention. What fun that party is! We all had a blast there. And just let me say you have not ridden Big Thunder Mountain until you do it in the dark. There are very few lights on that ride so when the sun goes down you're pretty much in the dark. Wow! Scarey! Of course the girls loved it! And wanted to ride again! I have to metion Jesse's score on the Buzz Lightyear ride, because if I don't she'll be upset. The second time we rode it, she and I went together. I was doing well on my score until she hit something. I really wish I knew what it was because it gave her a ton of points. She wound up with 101,800 points! She was thrilled. Chloe insists I add something about her so here goes. The teacups! Chloe insisted we were spinning too fast in the teacups. She kept pretending she was going to be sick. It was cute, funny and a little disturbing. She got off laughing and five minutes later asked to do it again. Stinker!

I will say this about this visit, as far as the parks go. We did not wait longer than ten minutes for any ride (and that includes Mickey's party). The longest wait we had was at Test Track, as soon as we got in line they had "technical difficulties", which really made me wonder why I was still in line.

If you ask John about his favorite part of this trip, I promise he will answer the food. I have to say we did eat well this trip. This was the first time we used Disney's Dining plan and it is awesome. We had some fabulous food and ate at some very nice places. And each meal included a dessert!

My favorite part was, of course, I did not have to drive at all for the duration of our stay. The bus drivers and boat captains did it all for me. That is my idea of a vacation! No driving, cooking, or cleaning of dishes. Awesome!

Just in case your wondering...the weather was perfect!!

Strange happenings...

after every vacation. Seems the fish food for your vacations is just not quite right. Yes, we have a filter, so the water is in constant motion. Somehow after every vacation we lose a fish (or two). Yesterday afternoon we lost one. Then a couple of hours later another one passed. The same thing happened after our last vacation. I'm not sure what we are going to do, but a discussion is on the horizon for us.

Happy Birthday...

to my Mom and Tyler! We hope you both had a great day and enjoyed yourselves. We love you both!

Life...

in constant motion.

Have you ever noticed when you have a really good day something happens at the end to make you forget the good and focus on something, well, not so great?

I am going to go back to religion again. Just for a moment. I hear a lot about we should learn/or not (depending on your point of view) to "tolerate" this or that. I have a problem with the word "tolerate" used in this fashion. Tolerate means "to allow the existence, presence, practice or act without prohibition or hindrance; permit." I guess I have a problem with the world "allow" in that one. I just don't like to be told what to do/think so I assume others feel the same way about it. Personally, I would rather accept (to receive as to meaning; understand) people. I have quite a few friends who have come to me over the years (not always close friends) because they thought I was the only person they knew who would not judge or ridicule them.

I wonder, if we (as a world) did not believe in acceptance (or tolerance, if you insist), where we would be? We would be a world of racists. I am not racists; my husband is not either. I hope my children grow-up to be intelligent, accepting people. I can not imagine looking at anyone and wishing any harm upon them simply because of their religion. As I recall, Hitler had no tolerance for the Jews.

Really?!

John arrived home this afternoon. He stopped off first for a haircut (sounds innocent, right?). As soon as he walked in, I saw something different. Something wrong. I looked closely at the hand to his side carrying his work bag and a brown paper bag and his glasses. His glasses! In two pieces!! Are you kidding me??

Back story: John went Tuesday to pick up his new glasses. They were wrong. This makes like the third year in a row. So, they had to reorder them...another week at least.

I look at John in horror as I take the two pieces just to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. I was. After his haircut, this ***** salesman trying to pawn off some stupid eyeglass cleaner took his glasses to "clean" them and the first stroke broke them! What a ****** ****! Really?! Luckily, he had his Rx sunglasses with him. The guy gave him samples of "That Stuff" and a rag to make up for breaking the $400 glasses! Really?!

A lot on my mind...

more than usual it seems.

I've been thinking a lot lately about different kinds of things. One is remembering why we chose to homeschool in the first place. I've been tired lately and sometimes I must remind myself that I will only make these sacrifices for a few years then our girls will set off on a journey of their choosing.

I've been thinking a lot about family. What does "family" mean to me? I don't think of "family" as just those who happen to have the same bloodline. I feel a very strong bond to those who are not bound to us by blood, but have included us as part of their family; and they are certainly a part of ours. I have recently found my "little brother" on Facebook, which has led me more recently to his mom. Who I claim, and have for quite a while, to be my "second" mom. A lady whose poise and quiet nature always amazed me in a classroom full of nitwits! Well, not full but those few do stand out in a room of less than twenty.

Religion has been on my mind a lot lately too. Maybe Jesse's history studies have been playing in my head or life as it is right now. I am, brace yourselves, atheist. I am. I have been for quite a while. It took me a long to realize it. I mean after all I grew up in southern Baptist church getting yelled at the minister every Sunday until I was a teenager. But somewhere along the way, I found myself. Most readers of this will choose to believe I "lost" myself, but that would not be correct. I spent many years being what other people around me thought I should be even though it wasn't me. Now, today, I can see who I am and I have to say I am proud of who I am. I am a strong person, both mentally and physically. I have depth. I can see in people who they are, usually before they say anything. (I am not always right, but mostly.) I am accepting of others who are not like me. I mean really why would I want everyone to be like me...what would we have to discuss. Some of my closest friends are...dare I say...Republican. Deep breath! lol And no I am not a Democrat either. On that matter too I show and Independent thought.

Back to religion. I wish, and believe me this is hard for humans, everyone could be accepting of people's religious views. There are so many views going back so many years and they have changed so much over time. People seem to be in the mind set that what they believe is the only thing to believe. When really it is the only way for that person. That individual could not imagine believing anything else, and can not understand what is wrong with the rest of the world and tries to convert everyone. Something I find ridiculous, annoying and quite frankly disrespectful. Believing that anything you could say in a brief conversation could change a person's religious viewpoint on the spot is arrogant. I beg you to stop trying. If a person is going to change it will only come from within. Here is one I love! I personally get this one a lot. People who constantly tell me they were put in my life to show me the way. Really? Maybe I was put in your life to show you another way! Now, we are even. And by the way, stop that! Religions are delicate and fragile, yet create the strongest emotions possible in people. People protect their religions like they would protect a child, so be gentle.

I have a lot more on my mind, like why does laundry never seem to end even after you finish it. Why is it the neighbor's dogs prefer to poop in your yard? Where do all the pumpkins go after Halloween? Why do sweet things have to be so incredibly bad for you? Why can't lunch fix itself? And of course, where did the extra sock come from in the laundry? My mind seems to have, well, a mind of its own lately. If I have upset you, I apologize that was certainly not my intent. My intent was to clear my mind on my blog. If you have more thoughts, please feel free to clear your mind on your blog.

Note: I wrote this the morning of Nov. 5th. I didn't post it because I wanted to "sit on it" a bit. We had school in the afternoon so the TV was off. I did not hear about Fort Hood until I arrived at TaeKwonDo and Master Mike told me. This morning I listened to GMA as they discussed the Major being harassed because of his religion. I also heard he had been reprimanded for pushing his religion. Religion is not a two-way street...it is each person's own private road.

John's new space!

The is the door into John's new space. The picture is of John's Dad's Marine Company in 1953. He doesn't say it (but I know John) this is one of his prized possessions.

John's new desk. He has used this one a lot lately. I'm thinking he likes it.

The bookcase has a lot of things from John's travels to the middle east and central america.

The exercise bike is just in front of me here, so that is what you are seeing in the foreground.

Rosie update...

finally. I really don't know what has finally come over that pooch of ours, but she is finally barking to let me know she needs to go outside. I have been working on that since we first got her. However, she is very stubborn and would never bark. You could do anything and she would not bark. A month or so ago, I finally gave up trying. My thought was when she was ready she would figure it out. Finally, she has figured it out. The last couple of weeks she would only bark at me if I were in the classroom. Today she let out her loudest bark yet, while I was in the living room. Progress...finally!