Tuesday to Thursday

Holly's gone, having a good time in Colorado. I appreciate that she's called me a few times each day.

Trevor had a friend spend two nights. The boys were ex-cit-ed. They played Legos, Star Wars (and of course Lego Star Wars), Bionicles, video games, and watched a movie or two.



They ran around in the rain and roasted marshmallows outside.



They had a mud fight, followed by a water fight (both in good fun). They did a great job at chasing two chihuahuas out of our yard which belong to our new neighbor.

(Nothing like getting the dogs trained right from the get go, although temporarily raising copperheads has crossed my mind more than once twice a few times.)

The boys played down at the creek and wandered through the woods.



It was a FUN time! :)

Curriculum Review! Lightning Literature

I have been wanting to review a few programs that we used last year, but this is the first one I've gotten around to. For 8th grade history, Holly used Beautiful Feet history. Because I felt it was light on literature compared to what we were used to, I chose Elizabeth Kamath's Lightning Lit & Comp as an additional literature course.



The curriculum consists of two books in notebook binders. The student's book is large and includes twelve chapters planned to cover two semesters. Each chapter contains a brief author bio, a short list of items to watch for while reading, recommended vocabulary lists, several comprehension questions, two literary lessons relating to a particular writing style or element, and several suggested writing exercises. The second half of the student's book contains a variety of workbook pages for each chapter, to be completed following the reading and literary lessons. Most of these I felt were worthwhile, although we skipped the busywork word search and crossword puzzle in each chapter.

The total cost for the teacher's guide and student book was about $65. It was not necessary for me to buy additional books, as I was able to find everything at my library.

Lightning Lit was an excellent choice for our school year. The book selections were not what I would have otherwise used; and Holly, for the most part, enjoyed them. Several of the readings were short stories or poems from Harold Bloom's Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages, authored by G.K. Chesterton, Christina Rosetti, Lewis Carroll, Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The books, both fiction and non-fiction, included A Day of Pleasure by Isaac Bashevis Singer, Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and Tolkien's The Hobbitt.

(I have to admit I was shocked to discover how much TREVOR knew A Christmas Carol--apparently from watching the MICKEY MOUSE cartoon. Sigh. I suppose I can never say that Disney didn't teach us anything...)

Early on, I told Holly she could opt out of one book throughout the course, and after she began reading Treasure Island, she decided that would be the one to skip.

What I liked:
- The book selections. For so long, I've handpicked books that fit both our curriculum and my daughter's tastes. This was great exposure to a variety of writing.
- Ease of use. Holly easily picked this up to do on her own, yet it was for me to pick up at the end of the day to later review with her. With me working part time this year, ease of use for both of us was crucial.
- Flexibility! It's easy to adapt the workload to fit the student, skipping over any workbook pages, based on what the student already knows (or may not need to cover). While there are guidelines on what should be completed each week, I had no problem adapting to fit us. I think we began several weeks into the school year, and we completed about 80% of the book.
- The lessons. They make the student think. These are not fill-in-the-blank answers.
- The writing exercises. Each chapter includes several writing exercises, and the student is told to choose just one. You can assign an additional exercise if there is time. Many of the exercises build on what the student has worked on earlier in the lesson. It was easy for Holly to choose the one that best fit her.
- The variety. Over the course of the year, students study and then apply a wide variety of skills, including identifying bias, taking notes, rewriting source material, writing ballads and free verse, and creating allegory.

What I didn't like:
It's minor, really. While the teacher's guide lays out lesson plans in an easy-to-read, check-the-box format, it didn't include any mention of reviewing the comprehension and discussion questions with the student. I NEED this reminder. It was easy to fix; I just penciled it in for each chapter. But it's a relevant part of the study to not include!

Lightning Lit has courses that continue through high school. I wish we were continuing to use it; it worked that well. Instead, we'll be using Notgrass-- partially because of how much it reminds me of Lightning Lit. The additional appeal of Notgrass is that it combines history, literature and Bible. If Notgrass doesn't work out, I'll definitely be back considering Lightning Lit. Meanwhile, I'll be planning to use this 8th grade book for Trevor in a few years. This was definitely a HIT at our house!

It's that time again!!

All the new, shiny books, fresh curriculum to start off a fresh year! While we won't actually begin school until after Labor Day, my biggest order arrived today. I'll have plenty of time to leaf through it, plan, and imagine. THIS will be the year that everything is PERFECT. THIS will be the year that I do it ALL right. THIS will be our BEST year YET, all because of these choices I'VE made.

And then I'll fall over laughing.

Blog tour and book review - Blue Like Play Dough by Tricia Goyer

I am still reading this book. When I am done, I will read it again. This has been my favorite non-fiction book that I've received from WaterBrook Press, and I only wish I had requested an additional copy to giveaway.

Tricia Goyer is warm, funny, engaging, and entertaining. I find myself repeatedly thinking, "I thought *I* was the only one who ever felt that way!" After reading a couple of chapters, I discovered she's also a homeschool mom, one more way for me to feel a connection to her.

Although I am not doing a giveaway, if you google 'blue like play dough blog tour,' you'll find others who are. This book is such an encouragement to me; I definitely recommend it! This book is available in the usual places, and you can always check out the publisher's website.

* * * *

Here's the blurb from WaterBrook.

Summary:

In the everyday stretch and squeeze of motherhood, Tricia Goyer often feels smooshed by the demands of life. In Blue Like Play Dough, she shares her unlikely journey from rebellious, pregnant teen to busy wife and mom with big dreams of her own. As her story unfolds, Tricia realizes that God has more in store for her than she has ever imagined possible.

Sure, life is messy and beset by doubts. But God keeps showing up in the most unlikely places–in a bowl of carrot soup, the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon, a woe-is me teen drama, or play dough in the hands of a child.

In Tricia’s transparent account, you’ll find understanding, laughter, and strength for your own story. And in the daily push and pull, you’ll learn to recognizes the loving hands of God at work in your life… and know He has something beautiful in mind.

Author Bio:

Tricia Goyer is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including Generation NeXt Parenting and the Gold Medallion finalist Life Interrupted. Goyer writes for publications such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family, speaks to women’s groups nationwide and has been a presenter at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) national convention. She and her husband, John, live with their family in Montana.

Monday

Holly and I left early this morning for the three hour drive to Raleigh-Durham. Once we got into the airport, I realized I made the fatal mistake of leaving my camera in my car. Of course, Holly was happy that I wouldn't be trying to sneak pictures of her.



I love this little airport; at least it seems little. The parking is fast and easy; once again, I parked in the second row away from the door. The food is reasonably priced, and the gates are a very short walk from security. (Although nothing beats Roanoke's airport, which is smaller than Sam's Club; I guess that's why we don't have a chance to use it that often.)

After Holly left, I met up with one of my loopy friends. I first met Michele back on SHS eight years ago. We have a lot of things in common: we started hsing using Sonlight, we both made big family moves to an unexpected spots, we've both worked in the children's section of our libraries, we both go to Calvary Chapels. We had a very nice lunch together, and I was amazed to find out afterwards that Michele took a VACATION day from work to make this happen!



It's always SO much fun to meet my loopy friends in person. These ladies have been such a wonderful support, such a blessing in my life. It was a very good day.

...comfort each other, and edify one another... 1 Thess 5:11

Holly on the edge

So it begins

Well, not really. But a few people thought it might be fun to get a jump on the fall soccer season. I wasn't one of them; in fact, I was really wishing I could stay home, but I knew that I should just go along and be part of a happy family.



It was a gorgeous evening, absolutely gorgeous.



I even learned to kick the soccer ball with my barefoot and not break a bone or hurt myself in any other way. (Yay, Mom!)

Holly caught the sunset on the way home.



We did this alot last summer but not at all this summer. I needed this, and I'm looking forward to doing it again, even if they have to drag me there kicking and screaming.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

That's a sound we'll be hearing around here.

For the past few months, we've been considering buying a Prius. For us, there are two clear advantages: 1) 50 mpg; 2) Toyota.

In fact, we've been waiting for someone to sell us one, but no one's been particularly interested. We took a drive over to a dealership in Christiansburg a few days ago.

Robert test drives...



and signs his life away.


Meanwhile, I set Trevor up on a computer, where he happily entertained himself.


It's a neat little car. So far, I love it; I knew I would. It's straight of The Jetsons, and a few things have me stymied. I have issues with the "Smart" key--I am NOT that smart. But I'll learn!


After driving my van for the past seven years, I'm surprised that I don't feel terribly short and vulnerable in this car. And as much as I love my van (which we are keeping), this little car makes me feel like I'm driving a sports car on our back roads.

Every time I think of 50 mpg, I get happy all over again.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Weekly menu

Chicken Jerusalem, brown rice, sauteed summer squash
galoush, bread, salad
bbq beef sandwiches, corn on the cob, creamed cukes, tater tots
knockwurst, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut
pizza
breakfast (scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausage, fruit)
BLTs, cottage cheese, chips
nacho dogs

Cake of the Week: Carrot Cake

On the back burner:Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, thanks again to Heather
chicken fajitas
Marlboro Man Sandwiches, creamy orange jello
grilled flank steak
frito pie

Book Review - Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

I've read and enjoyed all of Lisa See's books and am surprised to see that the last one was almost three years ago. Shanghai Girls is the story of educated, well-to-do siblings, Pearl and May. In 1937 Shanghai, they enjoy their carefree, modernized Westernized lives, modeling part time and socializing with friends.

As Japan invades China, their father gambles away his fortune, and to repay his debt, promises his daughters to Chinese-born brothers in America. Amidst the war, and after failed attempts to flee the commitment their father made, Pearl and May travel to southern California to embrace their new lives with their stranger-husbands.

I was swept away by this book, by the always-fascinating Chinese culture, by the hardships the sisters faced both together and individually. As in Lisa See's nonfiction book On Gold Mountain, a significant part of the story takes place in Chinatown, providing insight into the lives of many Chinese immigrants in the early to mid-1900s. The author has a wonderful knack for storytelling; this is one of those books that you can't put down. Highly recommended.

Irony of choice

There are two more books I plan to read with Trevor this summer, and I'm waiting for him to decide which one we'll read next. At some point, the irony of the choices dawned on me.

LOL

Something's been missing

Holly left Thursday morning for a church teen retreat.

Twenty-four kids went camping at Sherando Lake. Holly's never been camping before, and to put it mildly, she's not particularly fond of swimming.

And it's been QUIET around here. Empty seats.



Empty spot at the table. In fact, I made the rest of us sit in different chairs to make it not seem so empty.



Empty house.



Funny that it's so quiet here when the quiet kid is gone, lol.

No one to watch tv with. (Sorry guys: Trevor prefers Phineas and Ferb, while Robert watches several military channels simultaneously. I'm not up to either of these.)



I missed her terribly. She was gone for a week last summer, and even though she was 1500 miles away, it wasn't as hard on me, since I was able to talk with her several times. But cell phones were not on the "to bring" list this week.

She came home last night, yay!!! She had a GREAT time, the house seems back to normal, and I'm happy.



Even if I didn't get all of the attention. :D

Blog Tour and Book Review: A Perfect Mess: Why You Don't Have to Worry About Being Good Enough for God by Lisa Harper

I received this book courtesy of Waterbrook Press. I'm reading through it but didn't finish in time to post a complete review. I like the book, and I like Lisa Harper's friendly and sometimes humorous writing. The following is directly from the publisher:

Summary:

Caught up in the self-imposed pressure to do and be all the things they think a Christian woman ought to do and be, countless women are working desperately to convince everyone, including God, that they have it all together. Few have any idea that the Creator of the universe looks at them with delight even when they yell at the dog, drive a minivan littered with French fries, or think bad words about that rude clerk at the store.

A Perfect Mess offers hope to every woman who yearns for a vibrant relationship with God but worries she isn’t good enough or doesn’t do enough to merit His affection. With characteristic authenticity, speaker and author Lisa Harper shares poignant stories from her own imperfect life to showcase the real-life relevancy of the Bible in the lives of modern women.

As she guides readers on a story-driven journey through selected Psalms, they will be inspired to experience for themselves how God’s incomparable love transforms the messiness of life into a gorgeous work of grace.

Author Bio:

Lisa Harper is a master storyteller whose lively approach connects the dots between the Bible era and modern life. She is a sought-after Bible teacher and speaker whose upcoming appearances include the national Women of Faith Conferences. A veteran of numerous radio and television programs and the author of several books, she also is a regular columnist for Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Lisa recently completed a master’s of theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. She makes her home outside Nashville.

For more information, see the Random House website.

I forget I'm living in the south: more stupid things I say

At work today, an older man was checking out the book Mr. Lincoln's High Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons and More to Win the Civil War.

_____________

Me: That looks like a great book.

Man: I'm interested in learning what the North knew.

Me (joking): So you can see where we went wrong?

Man: It's so complicated. I don't think I can comment on that.

_____________

Yep. I forget they still take that stuff seriously around here.

Recipe - Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Oops!!! I told someone this recipe was already up, but I realized I'm still waiting to get the picture out of my camera. I'll add the picture later.

* * * * * * * *

YUM!!!!! We've been making this for years, many thanks to our former neighbor Marilyn, who first made it for us.

TEXAS CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

2 sticks of butter
1 c. hot water (I'll use any leftover coffee when possible)
4 T. cocoa
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk*
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

*Put 1/2 t. vinegar in measuring cup; add milk to equal 1/2 c. Let sit for 5 mins., stir before using.

In a pan on the stove, melt butter, water and cocoa over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

While waiting for it to boil, mix sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. When cocoa mix boils, pour it over the sugar mix, and mix by hand until well blended. Add remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 in a lightly greased pan until done. I use a 9x13 pan and bake for 25 mins., until done To make a "real" sheet cake, use a jelly roll pan, and adjust time accordingly.

Frosting:

5 T. milk
4 T. cocoa
1 stick butter
1 t. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar (about 4 c.)
1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or your choice)

Boil milk, butter and cocoa together on stove, stirring well. Pour over powdered sugar. Add vanilla and nuts, mixing very well. While still warm, pour over warm cake.

Snaking around my house

Shudder.

A few weeks' back, Robert filmed lovely video footage of a black ratsnake winding its way through one of our hanging flower baskets on our front porch. I was so creeped out that I couldn't even watch the whole thing. As if I'll ever look at the flower baskets the same way again. . .

Well, our snake friend; he's back.

Robert knows its the same one. Blacky (as my husband has affectionately been calling him) has a battle scar across one eye which appears to be blind. I should find a little bit of comfort in that, but I don't. I also don't find any comfort in knowing that this snake is all to comfortable making his way up onto my back deck.



To make me even more wary, that link I posted up there tells me that black ratsnake eggs are expected to hatch in August or September. What if our snake is female?



Rob tries to convince me that black ratsnakes are good, eating unwanted rodents that might otherwise hang around the house. That would be good--but I've never seen any mice or rats or anything like that. And I refuse to consider that the snake might be doing its job.

I would like Blacky a little better, just maybe, if he ate squirrels. But he's not quite that big.



And if I come across him unexpectedly and drop dead of a heart attack, that doesn't make him too good either. And it's also not good that now I can worry about little snake babies.

Shudder.

Another foreign fruit

I don't know what in the world is up with this. One of my kids noticed that this pepper came from Canada. Canada. I didn't know they even grew peppers in Canada--isn't it still winter there?



For as much as I've heard about shopping local, I've never really considered actually doing it. But it's ridiculous to be eating foreign tomatoes and peppers, it all seems so disgusting and, well, excessive... it's time to start reading produce labels.

Trevor camps out

A few days ago, I came home to see this in my yard.

I'll tell you, it just did something to my momma's heart...

But between the possibility of rain, and the fact that Trevor has not slept in this tent before, we decided the sure thing was to move it into his bedroom for the night.

I can remember what tents were like when I was this age. *I* never would have been the one putting it together, and the spikes would have prevented it from ever going up in our house!

Popcorn, jelly beans, staying up late at night.

And no rain and no scary noises--and no kids needing to run into the house in the middle of the night!

In the dark

Holly spent the afternoon up in Roanoke. It was very warm and humid, and several mini-storms went through the area. As we headed home, Rob called to tell me that we had no power.



Ugh. I can live without electricity (at least for a short time!, but I can't live without running water. When we lose power, we lose our well pump.

We had to change our plans for dinner and stopped at Dominos. As we waited for our pizzas, we ran to the store for a few things. SOMEONE-who-was-with-me-and-shall-remain-nameless asked, "Can we drive over?" Seriously. I took this picture in front of Dominos. You can see my minivan at the left edge of the photo. And she wanted us to drive over--and back.



We walked.

And it totally poured on us on our way back.

Still no power when we got home, but Robert always does a lovely job of making that seem fun.



YUM!!!!! You can see that my flash is a big source of light. :)



We'd stocked up on cookies. I ate the first package practically all by myself in about three minutes.




It was a good thing we'd bought three kinds of cookies, because I wasn't going to stop here. (I'm sooooooo pathetic.)

Reading by candlelight was starting to get old. Robert was not too remotely interested in tweaking the wireless connection to get the computer up. He likes to torture us that way, I guess.

Yippee!!! 10:30 p.m. and we have power! Just in time to turn on the AC and go to bed...uh, as soon as we get online first...

Weekly menu

cheeseburgers, Caesar salad, chips
pasta salad with tomatoes, corn and mozzarella
crockpot tacos
Robert's Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
tortellini salad, ?
tuna sandwiches, ?
nacho dogs, ?
bbq beef sandwiches, creamed cukes, ??

Cake of the week: I'm still waiting for this to happen!
Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake (blog recipe)

On the back burner:
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge, thanks again to Heather
chicken fajitas
knockwurst
Chicken Caesar Salad, creamy orange jello
Marlboro Man Sandwiches
grilled flank steak

I've seen this before

My loopy friend Laura has been on a three week long vacation "out west." Part of their family's trip took them through Wyoming and the Grand Tetons, and Laura was sweet enough to think of us and mail a postcard! (The white mark was a scratch courtesy of the USPS, and I probably should have fixed before posting here.)



I love this shot. I love this angle. I love this subject. I love it so much that we have it in a 6'x3' frame.



It hung on a big wall in our Colorado Springs house. We don't have walls quite that big here, so instead it hangs on a framed out wall in our dark, unfinished basement. It's kind of a waste, but at least it's out so I can see it sometimes. Maybe there will be a spot for it at some point, and we'll be able to truly enjoy it again.

Laura, it was so kind of you to remember us on your wonderful vacation. You and I long shared so many parallels in our lives, and without even thinking about it, you KNEW which postcard would touch me. Thank you!

Oh, the places we go!

The pictures could be more interesting, but apparently no one wants a picture taken of their face anymore.

We drove up to Roanoke for Trevor's MRI. He has a "venal malformation" on the side of his upper lip--a misformation of the veins. It might have been brought on by trauma (he's crashed his face into a few things over the years), or it might be congenitive. Whatever the case, it's grown, and it's time to consider having it removed.

One of our pastors works closely with the radiology department. In fact, we chose this hospital because of Derek. I was thinking, ah, just an MRI, no big deal, but at the last minute, I emailed him to let him know we'd be there. He answered immediately, asking us to have him paged when we got there; he said he could do Trev's IV.

What a **blessing**.

We know Derek pretty well. Two of his boys are Trevor's good friends; we are on the same soccer team too. It was much easier for Trevor to have Derek sticking a needle in his arm instead of a stranger. He escorted us to the MRI area, and Holly and I got to wait in a private waiting room.

Robert's our resident MRI expert, and he was able to stay with Trevor during the procedure. Thanks to Derek, before we left, Rob and I were able to meet with a radiologist to go over the scan results too.



Done at the hospital, we went across the street for a Chinese buffet lunch.

As we headed home, the kids spotted a car with a Colorado license plate. That's quite a rarity around here; I think we've only seen one other in the past two years. I was able to shout with the other driver at a stoplight, to find that they are also from the Colorado Springs area. It was kinda cool. I really wanted to get a picture, but I can only imagine that would not have gone over so well. (grin)

We had a little time to kill and went to the library. Seriously. Like I don't get there enough. And we got on the computers--like we don't do that enough at home either.

We went to Holly's eye doctor appointment in town. The picture below is before we found out she had satan's optometrist. (Can I say that?)

What a condescending jerk. I came home and wrote two pages of garbage that he said to me. Although we suffered through the appointment, we did not take the prescription at the end. I'm considering my next move. I requested he refund half of our exam fee, and we'll see what happens. On the plus side, I believe I was able to maintain my composure. I don't think I was rude in return, and I made a conscious effort to act in a Christ-like manner the entire time. On the negative side, we'll have to make another eye appointment elsewhere. But we can live with that.

To perk up my night (and boy did I really need it by then), we headed back up to Roanoke for church.

It was a great message, speaking to me about what had happened earlier in my day. It was JUST what I needed. But that's not really a surprise, is it? God is SO good. :)

What is wrong with this picture?

1. It is July.

2. I live in Virginia.

3. These tomatoes have more frequent flier miles than anyone I know.

* * *

Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes,
What would life be like without homegrown tomatoes.
Only two things that money can't buy,
That's true love and home grown tomatoes.
~John Denver

Because it's genetic

I say stupid things often enough, unfortunately MORE than often enough. For this talent, I thank my mom. (Sorry, Mom, you know it's true.) In the past, I've tried to keep my stupid comments talent a secret; maybe it's time to change.

This is a conversation I had with a regular library patron today.

Woman: My husband's coming home tomorrow!

(I'm totally shocked, didn't know she was married, and I notice the U.S. Army lanyard around her neck.)

Kristine: Oh! Is he in the Army?!

Woman: No, he's been in jail!!

Kristine: Well, THAT'S nice! (with that big old smile plastered across my face)


Sigh.

Every princess needs a castle

Pumpkin loves boxes. She has such a base instinct, drawing her into any kind of nest-like container. Comfort level never seems to matter; neither does threat of attack.

Fred is here

Meet Fred. He's a six year old genius who will be staying with us, hopefully for this school year, at least. This is the Life of Fred, and his story will be our algebra curriculum. I say "our," but that might not quite be true. Robert has offered to take over math with Holly for the upcoming school year. What I really should post is a picture of me with a great big fat smile of relief on my face. But all I have for this post is a picture of Fred.



It's a pretty small book, small and thin. That's a plus, as long as it works.



And it's even autographed, another plus, I guess. LOL

The accompanying Home Companion breaks down Fred's twelve chapters into manageable daily lesson plans, includes teaching notes, and gives extra practice problems.

Straight from the text: The five of them sat down at the poker table. When they had first started playing poker on Thursday nights back in August, they had used a square card table, but that didn't seem to work out very well with five players. The ratio of players to sides of the table was 5:4. Darlene didn't mind since she got to sit next to Joe.

But everyone else did mind since: 1) Darlene couldn't concentrate on the game with Joe so close to her and 2) Joe kept forgetting that you're supposed to keep your cards secret. Whenever he got a good hand, he'd show it proudly to Darlene.

Sound a little silly? It twists its way into negative and positive numbers, with problems to work such as: What does (-1)(-2)(-3)(-4) equal? How about -15/+2?

It's definitely an out-of-the box approach, but that might be the key word there, too, approach. We shall see. I'm looking forward to it; Holly's at least interested; and Robert has no idea what he's in for. Muhahahaha!!

One of those days

1. I ran over a turtle this morning on the way to church. I was going 60mph, and the turtle didn't stand a chance. Rob and the kids of course were there, so now there's no hope of ever forgetting this. CRUNCH. Ewwwwwwwwww.

2. It rained all day.

3. I drank most of a cup of coffee, and when I poured the rest into the sink later, this is what I found. I'm trying not to think too hard about this either.

It wasn't the worst of days, but still...