Under attack!

No, that is not really an overstatement. Last week, a bill was put to the House K-12 committee that would eliminate the 3rd Option to homeschooling in South Carolina. In addition, they are wanting other requirements, that are already being done differently, but somehow they want to change things...for the worse.

I spent last week writing to all the representatives about how I feel regarding this bill. I also spent a good bit of time explaining what was going on to the girls, and John. I have to tell you John is not happy with this introduction of this bill. I have also spent a good deal of time on FB with a group of over 2000 homeschool moms and dads discussing our next move.

I'm glad to know we have a few representatives on our side. I am hoping this bill dies in the house. I'm not looking to have it changed; I want it DEAD.

So, I didn't have a chance to put pictures here. I'll try to get to it this week; however, this week is busier than last. ;)

BTW, Happy (Chinese) New Year!!!!!

Pictures from Halloween...

yes, I do know it is December 8th! lol  I've had a lot going on lately. I'll try to catch you up, but don't expect much until Tuesday.

Here are the girls just before going out to trick-or-treat. This was the first year we stayed on and went around our own block. There were only a handful of homes giving out treats, but they were really GIVING out treats! Their buckets were full after just, maybe seven houses. Insane!! They had such a great time and they immediately started planning for next year.

Our vampire bunny and a dead Cleopatra!

The Friday before Halloween we had a Halloween party with a couple of homeschool families we know. (Mom you'll want to see some of these pictures!)

We had so much fun that day. The kids voted on who had the best costume (of course the baby won!), a relay race (okay, several of them), then the kids created their own stage show at the stage in the park. And the food! So good!! We cannot wait to do it again for Christmas. :)

Chloe's out of book experience

I'm sure everyone some people were wondering what Chloe was up to, while Jesse spent the day sewing. Well, here is her story:

Chloe has been wanting to carve a pumpkin for the last couple of years. Two years ago we carved real pumpkins. Such a mess!! She asked John last year if they could do another, but they never did. This year she started asking again a few weeks ago. Over the weekend, John relented. However, she had to agree to do a "craft" pumpkin, rather than a real one. She agreed.

We bought a pumpkin at Target, then John helped her get started. She spent most of a day working, ever-so-carefully, on her design. This is what she accomplished:



A kitten on a jack-o-lantern, carved into a pumpkin.



Chloe with her artwork.



Halloween Pictures!!!!



Our "cemetary"



Front porch (before spiders!)

Yes, she made it with duct tape! And, yes, those are mustaches.



Door reads "The witch is "in", or "out".



Scully!!



John and the girls made those wonderfully creepy spiders.



A little...decorating

Here we are the end of September. Again! It amazes me how quickly times goes. We started working on our Halloween decorations this weekend. We did a couple of things yesterday. Okay, one thing. We put Scully out on the porch. Scully is the name, John chose, for our new skeleton. He is sitting on the front porch in one of our rocking chairs. He likes to rock and wave at passersby. He is quite alarming.

Today the remaining decorations came out of the attic. Somehow I thought we had much more than what we actually have. We did a little more shopping today; John had a new idea for the living room, so we needed a couple of items.

John and the girls made a spider. We actually saw the idea in a magazine. John and I both loved it. The picture was a yard with a skeleton (standing), wearing a hat, tie and carrying a poison sprayer. The skeleton was surrounded by spiders, BIG spiders. We can't afford to do a swarm of spiders this year, but we are making seven (one a little larger than the rest, the queen I suppose).

Jesse has also been creative. She found another picture in the same magazine of decorated pumpkins. But they were not decorated like you would think. They were wrapped in fabric. Well, the picture was next to a duct tape ad, so we put the two ideas together. She found some great white duct tape with black mustaches.

Chloe has also been using duct tape. She came up with her own idea by making witch hats, with cardboard and duct tape. She even put one of them on our nutcracker. lol

Of course, John's Halloween town is back out. And again, two years in a row, it has a new home. I like where we put it this year because last year it was in the dining room. This year it is in the living room, so we get to see "live" with it. You know?

Anyway, John and the girls are working on the last project. They are sewing a curtain. Yes, John can sew. In fact, my sewing machine likes him better, everytime I try to use the tension is wonky. He won't change anything, just sit down, and it works perfectly. Of course!

I'll post pictures once everything is done.

Too much time

I don't understand "Happy Memorial Day". Can anyone tell me what is "happy" about "Memorial Day"? John says too many years have passed since the end of World War II and we are a nation that forgets. What I really do not like is, if we go shopping tomorrow, the cashiers will be saying "Happy Memorial Day!", while smiling. What John does not understand is how a day to memorialize our fallen soldiers has turned into a day of barbecuing. Confusing. And, honestly, a sad reflection of how our nation thinks.

So, let's just do this. Tomorrow, whatever you decide to do, take a moment to think of all the men and women who have fought for this country and gave their lives for our freedom; some before this country was even a country (for the simple hope of being a country).

Personally, I think of them most days. There is now a National Cemetary just down the road from us, that we pass, almost, daily. You cannot help but think about our fallen soldiers when you pass the growing field of white tombstones daily.

Mother's Day

I know it is a day early, however, the girls gave me their present today. I've been wanting a new sports watch, with a stop watch (for various reasons). They bought me one, with a band that is a beautiful shade of blue. They had me timing how long they could jump rope and hula hoop today. lol They are adorable!

John bought me a fishing rod! He thought I should join in on fishing. I have to admit I'm a little concerned. My Dad took me fishing...once. John has taken *me* fishing...once. I think there were reasons neither wanted to take me again, but it has been so long he has forgotten why he didn't want to go back. {giggle} So, we'll see how it goes next time we go fishing. I imagine it will be soon; I, mean, I have a new rod!

A little homeschool, a little Easter

Last Thursday, we went with one of our homeschool groups to Columbia's Marionette Theater. I have been wanting to take the girls there since we moved here. We saw "The Wizard of Oz". We loved it; we even had a backstage tour after the performance. I was in shock a bit (along with a couple of other Moms) at how small the actual marionettes were in person. They looked so large on stage!

Friday we gathered with our Book Buddies crew for "video" Buddies. Friday was the last time we were going to be able to get together this school year. And with all of our lives a little crazy lately, the decision was made to do Shaun the Sheep as the theme. They made cupcakes that looked like Shaun, and another that was a flower. Then they watched an episode, or two, of Shaun the Sheep. Then to tie it into Easter, they colored Shaun popping out of an Easter egg. Too cute!!!

For Easter we went to see my parents. Since Dad can no longer go out without a mask, we kept it simple this year staying at the house rather than going to the BIG family gathering. My Mom was kind of elusive about what we were going to eat. But when we got there we knew. Something was being smoked! Dad made St. Louis style ribs. So good!! And John and I (mostly John) repaid him by fixing his recliner.

After lunch settled, Dad took the girls outside to pot a new plant (like the one I found growing on the steps). Now, each one has there own. Fingers crossed theirs will do as well as mine is right now.

Catching up #4 - Valentine's Day

I admit we have never celebrated Valentine's Day much, just John and myself. However, if you have read this blog for awhile you know John came back from the war zone on Valentine's Day, so it has special meaning now.

That being said, we always do something special for the girls for Valentine's. This year was no different; however, this year I got very lucky! You see our girls are collectors. Jesse has an adorable collection of rubber ducks and Chloe loves PEZ dispensers! I think that will be enough to explain the pictures. What I did not get was a video of Chloe jumping up and down like a crazed lunatic. lol



Chloe with her PEZ dispensers: Phineas, Ferb, and Perry

 

Share!!!



Jesse and her ducks: Santa, Mrs. Clause and a duck sticking out of a Christmas package



Chloe actually made this a day or two after Valentine's but I thought it should be posted.



Of course, the girls had to share the chocolate with John and myself; we thought that was only fair. :)

Another year winds down

I cannot believe tomorrow is the last day of 2011. I recall growing up my Mom would always tell me as I got older the years would go by faster, to stop enjoy each day. She was so right. I look at my girls and cannot believe they are ten and eight. I look in the mirror and cannot believe I'm over forty! Time seems to be moving more quickly every moment.

2011 has been a year of firsts for us. The girls were in their first play. The first time I taught a taekwondo class as a black jacket. I taught my first taekwondo classes...on my own. The first time we camped out in the backyard. The first time we had a pool in the backyard!

Our year has been a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs. Overall, I have to say it was a good year. I spent December not stressing or worrying. I even cancelled school for the last three weeks of December. No worries! I cannot wait to see what next year brings us. I know we'll see my parents more, so I can help out around the house and yard. I am excited about the chance to finally help out around there. So many new things and people are in our future. The future's so bright I gotta wear shades. :)

Happy New Year to all!!

Christmas 2011

I think I ended Christmas night still not feeling the full warmth of Christmas this year. Sad, but true. I have higher hopes for next year. :)

Of course, the girls were completely the opposite! I think at first Chloe was disappointed Santa only brought a total of four packages. But she didn't show it. John wanted them to open our presents before Santa's. I think he is a smart man. ;)  We got Chloe a new Betta tank; she was so happy! We gave Jesse, yet another, remote control car! She has received several over the years and something happens to make the stop working (i.e. John driving it off the front steps at full speed!) or it just never worked. Her last one she had to be within six inches for it work. The new one seems to be working great and she is very happy!

The girls opened their smaller package from Santa. Jesse thought Santa had a warped sense of humor by giving her a mouse pad, with Gerber daisies, for her "imaginary laptop". Personally, I thought it was hysterical. Chloe was confused as to why Santa would bring her a TV wall mount for her TV that clearly could not be hung on the wall. Oh, so much fun! Then they opened their big boxes. Jesse received a laptop and Chloe a brand new LED TV with a built in DVD player. Then Chloe excitedly exclaimed, "that is why Santa only brought four packages!!" Smart girl. ;)

By dinner last night, the laptop was up and running and the TV was hanging on the wall. Each girl in her own room doing her own thing. Okay, so that was my Christmas present...quiet. :) My parents bought me a cookie press and a Wilton turn table for cake decorating. Yeah! John bought me two pair of pajamas, Jesse gave me a Peanuts coffee mug and Chloe gave me a Peanuts notepad for my pocketbook. I was also surprised with a Mater and Zen Master Pitty cars. Pitty was MY favorite character in the new movie, especially how Mater related to him. So funny!! Everyone got a Mattel car this year!

Chloe bought Jesse a Stitch car at Disney World and I bought John a Indian Jones car. Jesse and Chloe both received two Cars 2 cars from Santa in their stockings. It was a Mattel car Christmas! lol

Jesse also made Chloe a scarf and Chloe added three more rubber ducks to Jesse's collection. I believe they were both thrilled with everything they received. My parents gave them the pajamas they had been bugging me about at Target (I knew they were getting them). Jesse wanted a pair with Scottish Terriers and Chloe wanted a pair with owls. Owls seem to be her new obsession. John keeps telling her she needs to drop an obsession before she gets a new one, because she is running out of shelf space. He is just too fun!

John had a great Christmas. He received Jenga!, a table top Cars 2 pinball machine, Big Buck Hunter Pro shooting game, a dart board and some chocolate! Oh, yeah. He is happy shooting at the aliens trying to steal his cows and trying to shoot Pappy!!! Poor Pappy!!

Everything said and done we had a great Christmas.

Our Christmas Eve Adventure!!!

I have told several people lately I was not in the Christmas spirit. I was starting to get into it yesterday afternoon. We decided to go to my parent's home on Christmas Eve this year. My spirits were lifted some by Christmas Eve afternoon. John was helping Mom with her laptop, in the office. The girls were doing something. I think they were watching TV, but I'm not positive. Dad and I were in the living room chatting, while I searched his Park Seed catalog for flowers and veggie seeds.

Then John and my Mom walked into the room, both with worried looks. I heard John say something about a man with a shotgun and a pistol in our yard. A what?! I was standing at that point right in front of their large living room window. I turned to look and there were two sheriff deputies with guns pulled crouching down in front of my mother's car...twelve feet from the front door and a lot less than that from the window. What does my Mom do?? She opens the door! Crazy woman!! I was fussing at her to close the door; okay, I was trying not to yell but I was loud for sure for her to be five feet from me. As soon as she opened the door, I saw the woman deputy shoo her several times. I finally (after three times of telling her) convinced my Mom to close the darn door! Then immediately I sent John with the girls to the back bedroom. This really could not be happening!! There they crouched for an hour, or more. Time stood still for quite awhile.

During this time we assessed the fact the road was blocked. We could see cars blocking the road in one direction, but not the other. We also knew there were two more deputies across the road in the between the trees on the hill. We also knew "our" deputies were looking across the street, but we didn't know which house: the preacher's house or the house next door. Nor did we know what was going on. I never thought I would fear for my children in a cross fire of bullets on Christmas Eve. I just wanted to know what was going happening.

Two Sheriff Deputies on Christmas Eve, leaning on Mom's car

After an hour, the male deputy left our yard the same as they had come in, just inches from the flowerbeds. He returned a little later with a coat, then left again. The woman officer then came to our door. She told us there was someone across the street barricaded in the house and armed. I asked which house. She told me and I said, "Not Archie." She replied, "Yes, Archie." (Mr. Archie is the preacher across the street that we have known since I was seven.) My Mom then replied something like, it isn't someone who lives there is it? The officer then informed us it was Archie was armed and dangerous. He was threatening anyone who came to the house. Are you kidding me?! Wow! I was so shocked I didn't even ask if his wife, Hazel, was alright. I hope she is. They did, within thirty minutes of that conversation, capture him alive. No officers were harmed from what we could tell as they all began to leave. Mr. Archie left on his own feet also.

Mr. Archie had (as my mother said) "gone crazy" a few years ago when he had a tumor on his brain. He had surgery and was fine. She is now worried another tumor may be there. I hope he and his family are safe tonight and he is getting the medical treatment he so greatly needs, and deserves.

A ruined Thanksgiving

Alright, I'm sure it will turn out okay. But far from what we thought it would be. You see I made a mistake. I adore my husband, you know that, but he has been bugging me all season to get the girls a flu shot. They did not want a shot but were willing to do the nasal mist. Last Wednesday, I took the girls in for their annual check-ups and they received the FluMist. The staff asked several times if we lived with someone who was compromised. Well, no. I assumed a week would be sufficient for us to visit my parents for Thanksgiving.

Saturday morning the girls woke up with low-grade fevers. I got on-line to see if I could find out if they were contagious or not. Low and behold I found out they were for 21 days! Realistically, it is the holiday season and I really felt the doctor's office should not have been so concerned about "living with" someone compromised, so much as "visiting anyone in 21 days" who is compromised. I am happy to report that particular doctor's office is changing the questions the ask their patients. However, that does not help us.

With Dad's white blood cell count so low (fluctuating between 1 and 2) we cannot visit them this week. I am very sad, especially since Dad was too sick to make the drive down last year. Which is the reason we were going up there this year. I'm sure the food will be good and we will still enjoy the parade, but it is not what we (I) thought it was going to be.

Halloween 2011

The girls had a great Halloween this year. I believe it is the first time, Chloe remembers, they have been through a neighborhood trick-or-treating in a very long time (since Edgefield, really). It was crazy over there! I have not seen that many people in a neighborhood in quite awhile.

April invited us and Wendy's family over to trick-or-treat in her neighborhood. I was worried about keeping warm, because I had left my coat at home. All that walking kept me warm though...no worries.

Yes, Jesse's costume is the same from last year, but made to keep her much warmer. Tempatures from this year and last year were very different! In all honesty, we were not sure if we would be trick-or-treating this year or not. John's work had given us this week as a possible date for him to be in D.C. After seeing the snow that fell there this weekend, I'm thankful that did not happen.

Many comments were made about Chloe's costume. She was a ladybug at the Halloween party and Scooby Doo for Halloween. Jesse was Scooby quite a few years ago and for the last couple of years Chloe wanted to be Scooby right up to the last minute. This year will be the last year she would be able to wear the costume, it is getting too tight. So this year she decided she was going to be Scooby Doo, because next year it probably will not be a choice. She was adorable! And Jesse just looks to grown up!

Conversation turned this weekend, as I tried to convince them to stay home and not go out for Halloween. I even offered them two bags each of their favorite candy! Chloe pointed out that soon they will not be able to go trick-or-treating. She was sad about it. I told her that is when we start having Halloween parties with their friends. Now, they are a little excited about the change when it happens.

Mother's Day

The girls made me some pretty tissue paper flowers. They helped John with breakfast, cinnamon rolls. John even got me another new book. Have I mentioned how much I adore Mary Higgins Clark? Well, her new book came out the same time as the other. Sadly for Ms. Clark, there was no choice; waiting years for a book is not the same as waiting months. :)

Today, was mostly nice. We did end up going into town for a bit, but it wasn't bad. For the most part I have been forced to sit on the couch and watch TV programs I want to see. :) Eventually, I will have to do something, but for now I'm enjoying my day.

I just wanted to add that my wonderful, loving husband and children cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast: cinnamon rolls. Lunch: Grilled New York strips, baked potatoes, and green beans. Dinner: chicken salad sandwhiches (John's homemade chicken salad). They are the best!

Another project!

Yep, we have yet to finish the yard. John says we are done until next year. :) The laundry room IS done. The reorganizing of the house did not get complete by Easter, but we're still working on things. And now another project.

John is irritated by the classroom. The classroom/office seems to be our next project. I will admit it was getting stuffy. We had a desk (for sewing), a cabinet and a Foosball table in the middle of the room and all the wall space was covered by a desk, bookshelf or tall plastic drawers. It was feeling cramped. Saturday night we worked on rearranging some things in the room. John and I went through our books and are donating some. Other items were rearranged or trashed depending on if they were still needed.

We cleared out a tall, skinny bookshelf that Chloe is now using on the other side of the classroom for her new collection of Goosebumps books (the 43 we bought a few months ago have been living in the box they came in). The cabinet that was once in the center of the room is now where the tall, skinny one was.

Today, John decided the closet needed a makeover. I think it will be the third, or fourth, time that one closet has been redone in three years. LOL I will admit I am looking forward to him finishing this one. Since we moved the classroom upstairs, the closet was the one thing we did not put back the same as we had it before. Organizing that space has been next to impossible without shelves in there. You have no clue how much stuff it takes to homeschool, unless you homeschool. :) I now understand why all the homeschool bloggers have so many bookcases(shelves). What is sad is just as I got rid of some things, our new English books arrived and math has to be ordered this week. {sigh} I think I will get caught up in 2021...when Chloe graduates.

Yesterday was Easter and we spent the afternoon with my family at my Aunt Delane's. We had a good time seeing everyone. The girls did an egg hunt Aunt Hilda. Then the girls hid eggs for the smaller children, of course the girls neglected to factor in the height of the smaller children. What do ya do? I only wish Cal was not in a kennel, in the house, so we could have stayed longer to talk. Seems like I don't see my family much and when I do I don't always have time to down with each person to talk. I miss them.

I'm slow

I can be slow about doing things but I finally put in pictures for Christmas morning. Check 'em out!

And the year winds down

Another year almost gone. {sigh} I remember being about Jesse's age when I started wishing I was another age, for whatever reason I had at the time. My Mom told me not to wish my life away because as I got older the years would go by much faster. Did I believe her? Not really. But she was right.

I look at Jesse and feel like I was just in the hospital having her yesterday. And Chloe, of course I cannot forget her birth...it was very lonely. No offense to my Mom, Jesse or Shannon but I would have given anything to have John there. So to realize Jesse is now nine and Chloe seven is hard to take in some days. I know the day is quickly approaching when they will leave the nest for their own adventures.

This year I has been good in so many ways and exhausting too. Believe it or not it was March when we started working on the yard, felling trees. John and I took three trips to Charleston; one was the first trip we took by ourselves. Which means the girls took their first trip to stay with Grandpa and Grandma by themselves. Another trip to Disney, but our first to trick-or-treat! And how could we forget the birth of all those cats!! So much excitement for one year to hold.

Christmas Morning

Not sure where to start so we'll start.

Chloe had somewhat of a Tinker Bell Christmas. Tink luggage from Santa and two pair of Tink pj's from us.

Jesse is quite happy with her new drawing pens (black and color) from Santa. Ferb now has green hair! The fun part of the day was when John, Jesse and Chloe all opened one of their presents to all discover they now all have new Nerf guns! The girls new Dad was getting one and the John knew the girls had theirs. I had all the fun of conversations from both sides about the other. Master Mike almost blew it last week at our TKD graduation dinner when he mentioned our Nerf wars. I quickly corrected him in saying he was probably thinking about the girls playing with Nerf guns at the park a few weeks ago. But we do have water gun wars. Nice save (at least that what the girls and John told me at different times afterward). ;) I do love giving!

Right now I am laughing hysterically because now I'm thinking the guns were not a good idea. Jesse is trying to protect the dog by shooting John, who is shooting the dog. (Bad John!) Jesse was trying to shoot his gun and instead shot in right in the center of his forehead. Maybe I should I have thought about this one longer. {sigh} "Duck and cover Chloe! Duck and cover!"

I personally had a great gift receiving morning. Chloe gave me a stuffed Snoopy hugging Woodstock. Jesse gave me a collection of philosophy books from the Peanuts gang. And John gave me my own MP3 player (no, I did not have one) with some of my favorite songs already loaded, including the song from our wedding. See, he loves me.

We only took videos this morning so you will have to give me time to "take" pictures from the videos. I will post some tonight or tomorrow.

Hope your homes are full of love and laughter this morning.

Christmas Eve

Well, it is Christmas Eve and all is well...kind of?

We actually went to my parents early for Christmas because they were calling for snow there and here. Not wanting to get snowed in up there we chose to go a bit early. The girls, of course, did not complain because they will wind up with two Christmas mornings.

This morning we opened presents at my parents. The only unknown was a large thin box that I have already been annoyed by. A Foosball table! The box read "one piece" the box lied like a ********* *****. We accomplished getting most of it together tonight, but we still have to do a little more to it tomorrow. Whether it is done completely or not the girls do not care; they have been upstairs for more than thirty minutes playing with it.

We also baked Santa's cookies tonight. I hope he enjoys them as we used a new sugar cookie recipe. We'll see if he eats them or not in the morning.

The girls exchanged their presents tonight (as tradition goes). Of course, Jesse bought Chloe a Tink necklace and a new Tink charm for her bracelet (with her birthstone). Chloe got Jesse a Minnie pin that says, "Its all about me!" and a Minnie backpack thing. You know one of those bags with the pull strings to close it and it goes around both shoulders. Well, I hope you got that because I don't know what they are called.

Hope everyone has a great holiday filled with love and family!