Okay, we have "ordered" the cow. Several of my blogging buddies responded to my post a few days ago wanting to join us in our cow purchase.
My pastor's wife, R, called to place the order. The person at the farm said these exact words, "We have a cow with your name on it." She is feeling oh so guilty and referred to herself as a "cow hitman".
JR, another friend joining us on this excursion, has insisted we refer to this whole transaction as the "beef tree" that needs to be harvested. I told her we need to have a moment of silence on Wednesday for our cow. When I said that, she almost lost it.
Oh my. Good thing none of us sissies came to the Pacific Northwest with Lewis and Clark. Sacajawea would have laughed her leather smock and moccasins off at us.
Oct 31, 2008
Feeding the Wolves
I listen to Dr. Laura when I can. Her show isn't for young kids, so when I am in the car while she is on, I try to listen. I love her! I have listened to her for 10+ years, and her wisdom is great. She is a little rough on people but her advice is rock solid.
I had a moment yesterday to listen to her. I want to share with you a little story she shared with a caller. The young gal called in and just starting crying. She is a young mom, has a huge history of abuse, and is wondering what in the world she is doing thinking with her history she can mother, etc. Just completely fell apart at the words "hello" on the call.
Dr. Laura gently, and encouragingly shared this story.
A grandpa is sitting with his young grandson on his lap. Grandpa shares how he has two wolves in his brain. One is ferocious and mean. He will tear you up if he were near you. The other wolf is happy go lucky, enjoys life, likes to have fun and loves people.
Well of course, this startled the little boy a bit. He asked with trepidation, "Grandpa!! Which one will win?!"
Grandpa replied, "The one I feed."
I had a moment yesterday to listen to her. I want to share with you a little story she shared with a caller. The young gal called in and just starting crying. She is a young mom, has a huge history of abuse, and is wondering what in the world she is doing thinking with her history she can mother, etc. Just completely fell apart at the words "hello" on the call.
Dr. Laura gently, and encouragingly shared this story.
A grandpa is sitting with his young grandson on his lap. Grandpa shares how he has two wolves in his brain. One is ferocious and mean. He will tear you up if he were near you. The other wolf is happy go lucky, enjoys life, likes to have fun and loves people.
Well of course, this startled the little boy a bit. He asked with trepidation, "Grandpa!! Which one will win?!"
Grandpa replied, "The one I feed."
Oct 30, 2008
List of Facts....And Opinions....
In our lessons right now, we are distinguishing between facts and opinions. I feel bad for JM. At his age, it is hard to see the gray area of opinion. Here is my list of facts in my life right now, as well as my opinion....
Facts:
1) I am voting for McCain/Palin.
2) I have my ballot ready to fill out.
3) I have not a clue on the ballot measures I have to vote on.
4) I have precious little time to read the ballot measure pamphlet/book.
5) I have to send in my ballot in the next 48 hours for my vote to be counted.
6) I don't know when I'll be sleeping in the next 48 hours.
Opinion:
1) I think that once we get anyone in the White House, it could be Elmo at this point, the economy will relax.
2) I think Sarah Palin has had enough mud thrown at her.
3) I think the press, and it's fear mongering headlines, has caused a lot of the fear we have in our economy right now. In the words of a network executive "I use the headline that will get my shareholders the most money." Yep, and because of that, the rest of us just lost our 401K's and won't be retiring until we're 90. Thanks.
4) I think the press needs to be fair, and dig up dirt on Joe Biden, mix it with water, and throw it at him. It's only fair. They are doing it to Sarah Palin, they should do it to Joe Biden.
5) I think we have a great nation that needs to remember back to the basics of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and what it means to protect our country.
6) I know my military upbringing has a lot to do with my opinions of our country, national security, and conservative attitude. I am glad for it. I think all of us should experience sacrifice for our country. I didn't have my dad for many Christmases, holidays, birthdays, etc. because of his service. Many times he was on secure missions where we honestly didn't know where, literally, in the world he was--for months at a time, during a very tenuous time in our history with the Middle East. He could very easily have not come home even though he didn't see combat.
7) Bottom line, I think Barack Obama hasn't a clue how to handle the future of this country in regards to the Middle East. Why do I care so much about this? Because I don't want any more planes flying into our buildings. I don't want a war on our soil.
Okay, I am done. As you were....
Facts:
1) I am voting for McCain/Palin.
2) I have my ballot ready to fill out.
3) I have not a clue on the ballot measures I have to vote on.
4) I have precious little time to read the ballot measure pamphlet/book.
5) I have to send in my ballot in the next 48 hours for my vote to be counted.
6) I don't know when I'll be sleeping in the next 48 hours.
Opinion:
1) I think that once we get anyone in the White House, it could be Elmo at this point, the economy will relax.
2) I think Sarah Palin has had enough mud thrown at her.
3) I think the press, and it's fear mongering headlines, has caused a lot of the fear we have in our economy right now. In the words of a network executive "I use the headline that will get my shareholders the most money." Yep, and because of that, the rest of us just lost our 401K's and won't be retiring until we're 90. Thanks.
4) I think the press needs to be fair, and dig up dirt on Joe Biden, mix it with water, and throw it at him. It's only fair. They are doing it to Sarah Palin, they should do it to Joe Biden.
5) I think we have a great nation that needs to remember back to the basics of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and what it means to protect our country.
6) I know my military upbringing has a lot to do with my opinions of our country, national security, and conservative attitude. I am glad for it. I think all of us should experience sacrifice for our country. I didn't have my dad for many Christmases, holidays, birthdays, etc. because of his service. Many times he was on secure missions where we honestly didn't know where, literally, in the world he was--for months at a time, during a very tenuous time in our history with the Middle East. He could very easily have not come home even though he didn't see combat.
7) Bottom line, I think Barack Obama hasn't a clue how to handle the future of this country in regards to the Middle East. Why do I care so much about this? Because I don't want any more planes flying into our buildings. I don't want a war on our soil.
Okay, I am done. As you were....
Oct 25, 2008
Apple Crunch
This is one of the best apple crisp/crunch recipes I have found. For two reasons, you make a vanilla/caramel sauce that just oozes when it's done. Second, it's beyond easy.
Apple Crisp
1 c chopped apples (approx. four apples)
1 c flour
3/4 c oatmeal
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
Sauce
1 c white sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 c water
1 tsp vanilla
Cook sauce ingredients over medium to low heat until thick. Stir constantly.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients with butter until crumbly. Press 1/2 of crumble mixture into a 9 x 9 greased baking pan. Cover with apples. Pour vanilla sauce over apples. Top with remaining oatmeal mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Of course, you will want to serve this with vanilla ice cream.
1 c chopped apples (approx. four apples)
1 c flour
3/4 c oatmeal
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
Sauce
1 c white sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 c water
1 tsp vanilla
Cook sauce ingredients over medium to low heat until thick. Stir constantly.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients with butter until crumbly. Press 1/2 of crumble mixture into a 9 x 9 greased baking pan. Cover with apples. Pour vanilla sauce over apples. Top with remaining oatmeal mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Of course, you will want to serve this with vanilla ice cream.
Cows and Such.....
My parents did this all the time when I was a kid. They would go to a neighborhood butcher and buy a "side of beef" and suddenly our freezer was stocked with beef of all kinds of cuts for the next two years. A lot of people I talk to have the same childhood memory.
That doesn't happen much anymore. I think one reason, neighborhood butchers are few and far between.
My pastor's wife, R, has found a farm that does grass fed beef, and we can buy "a cow" in quarters, halves and whole. I didn't know it, but grass fed beef is very good for human's health. Basically, it is much less fatty beef with a lot of antioxidants and nutrients.
So we want to buy a section of beef. R and I can't afford a whole quarter, so we are going to split a quarter between our two families, which will be about $200 per family. We will get all kinds of cuts plus a nice supply of ground beef.
We have checked around our church to see if we can gather enough families to purchase a whole cow (which makes the price per pound much cheaper). So far we can get a half of a cow. If anyone in our neck of the woods wants to join us on this venture, let me know. The website has links to show the cuts you would get, how the process is done, etc. I know if you are purchasing a quarter, the butcher actually calls you and asks questions to customize your order.
If we order in the next week or so, we should have the fresh products delivered by December. It is fresh beef. In other words, the cow we order is still grazing right now.
That doesn't happen much anymore. I think one reason, neighborhood butchers are few and far between.
My pastor's wife, R, has found a farm that does grass fed beef, and we can buy "a cow" in quarters, halves and whole. I didn't know it, but grass fed beef is very good for human's health. Basically, it is much less fatty beef with a lot of antioxidants and nutrients.
So we want to buy a section of beef. R and I can't afford a whole quarter, so we are going to split a quarter between our two families, which will be about $200 per family. We will get all kinds of cuts plus a nice supply of ground beef.
We have checked around our church to see if we can gather enough families to purchase a whole cow (which makes the price per pound much cheaper). So far we can get a half of a cow. If anyone in our neck of the woods wants to join us on this venture, let me know. The website has links to show the cuts you would get, how the process is done, etc. I know if you are purchasing a quarter, the butcher actually calls you and asks questions to customize your order.
If we order in the next week or so, we should have the fresh products delivered by December. It is fresh beef. In other words, the cow we order is still grazing right now.
Oct 24, 2008
You Know It Will Be A Good Morning Part II
It is only a brief moment, but it is there nonetheless. I have two ever so brief moments in the day when I am blind. It happens in the morning and at night. You can guess, it is when I put my contacts in and when I take them out. I have been wearing contacts since I was fifteen, and we all know I just celebrated the other side of the hill.
Over the course of my lifetime in contacts, I am amazed at what can happen in that thirty to forty second time slot. I have a huge list of weird things that have happened over the years, but they are usually the things I want to forget.
Like this morning. I am stone cold blind (no joke, I am legally blind without them in, it's no exaggeration there). I am about to stab my left contact lens into my eye. I am in total auto pilot. I go into manual pilot with my finger in the air with my contact lens hanging precariously on it.
The Russians are coming. No. Ummm.....a plane landed in the backyard. No. A huge bird fell out of the sky and is plummeting down our steep roofline. No.
It is my three year old son falling down the stairs.
And I can't see a thing. Of course.
Wonder what tomorrow morning has in store for us.
P.S. All is well. A few kisses from Mommy and we're good.
Over the course of my lifetime in contacts, I am amazed at what can happen in that thirty to forty second time slot. I have a huge list of weird things that have happened over the years, but they are usually the things I want to forget.
Like this morning. I am stone cold blind (no joke, I am legally blind without them in, it's no exaggeration there). I am about to stab my left contact lens into my eye. I am in total auto pilot. I go into manual pilot with my finger in the air with my contact lens hanging precariously on it.
The Russians are coming. No. Ummm.....a plane landed in the backyard. No. A huge bird fell out of the sky and is plummeting down our steep roofline. No.
It is my three year old son falling down the stairs.
And I can't see a thing. Of course.
Wonder what tomorrow morning has in store for us.
P.S. All is well. A few kisses from Mommy and we're good.
Oct 23, 2008
You Know it Will Be a Good Morning When.....
You walk into the living room and your seven year old bursts out saying "Mommy! There was candy on the porch and I didn't touch it!" Really? Well let me see. Yes, in fact a friend, probably my sweet neighbor, has left a gift bag of candy and supposedly the seven year old hasn't touched it. I don't believe that for a second but don't pursue it at the moment because the coffee pot is calling me and my head is exploding with a head cold.
I go downstairs to my office to check email, etc. Suddenly, JM bursts into the room, "Mommy! I found a piece of gum on the floor and I went to take it out of my mouth and now I have it all over me! Waaaaaaa!" Sure enough. He has it up and down one of his arms AND strings of it on the back of his neck embedded in his afro hair. Oh my WORD!
I also call the hubbie and get the scoop. Yes the bag was on the porch when he woke up and JM was given express direction to leave it alone until later. That worked well didn't it?
I didn't go ballistic. I let him do that for me. I went down my list.....JM, we just don't leave candy and gum on the floor of our house, where did you get the gum and the truth please? Yes, he took it from the candy bag. Next question, do Daddy and I always tell you to keep your gum in your mouth? Yes. You didn't just go to take it out of your mouth if you have this much gum on the back of your neck, so that wasn't the truth either right? Right.
Okay, now what do we do? I stall for time and make him get in the bathtub and work on it. He gets it off his arm pretty well. We just have the stuff in his hair on the nape of his neck, which is super tender hair on anyone. I go google "how to get gum out of hair".
Yes, there is the old standby of freezing the hair. I am not sure how to do that on his neck. Next option, take cooking oil and rub it in and it will emulsify the gum a bit and cause it to slide out. Sounds good to me.
At this point, he is freaking out. He won't let me touch him. Why? Because since he's been sitting there working on it, he has realized how much it hurts to pull that hair. Sigh.....I give him options. I am not going to sit here and fight with him. Either I leave the room to find that elusive cup of coffee or he lets me work on it, which may hurt and I will try not to hurt him. Waaaaaaaa! Neither option is great for him. I was hoping to get that coffee!
He finally lets me pour some oil on it. We let it sit for a bit. He won't let me work on it at all. So I go find that coffee! However, he quits his fit and realizes he can get it out. Nice! We wash the oil off and he gets out of the bathtub.
"Mom, I am so sorry for all of that." "Sweetie, thank you."
I go downstairs to my office to check email, etc. Suddenly, JM bursts into the room, "Mommy! I found a piece of gum on the floor and I went to take it out of my mouth and now I have it all over me! Waaaaaaa!" Sure enough. He has it up and down one of his arms AND strings of it on the back of his neck embedded in his afro hair. Oh my WORD!
I also call the hubbie and get the scoop. Yes the bag was on the porch when he woke up and JM was given express direction to leave it alone until later. That worked well didn't it?
I didn't go ballistic. I let him do that for me. I went down my list.....JM, we just don't leave candy and gum on the floor of our house, where did you get the gum and the truth please? Yes, he took it from the candy bag. Next question, do Daddy and I always tell you to keep your gum in your mouth? Yes. You didn't just go to take it out of your mouth if you have this much gum on the back of your neck, so that wasn't the truth either right? Right.
Okay, now what do we do? I stall for time and make him get in the bathtub and work on it. He gets it off his arm pretty well. We just have the stuff in his hair on the nape of his neck, which is super tender hair on anyone. I go google "how to get gum out of hair".
Yes, there is the old standby of freezing the hair. I am not sure how to do that on his neck. Next option, take cooking oil and rub it in and it will emulsify the gum a bit and cause it to slide out. Sounds good to me.
At this point, he is freaking out. He won't let me touch him. Why? Because since he's been sitting there working on it, he has realized how much it hurts to pull that hair. Sigh.....I give him options. I am not going to sit here and fight with him. Either I leave the room to find that elusive cup of coffee or he lets me work on it, which may hurt and I will try not to hurt him. Waaaaaaaa! Neither option is great for him. I was hoping to get that coffee!
He finally lets me pour some oil on it. We let it sit for a bit. He won't let me work on it at all. So I go find that coffee! However, he quits his fit and realizes he can get it out. Nice! We wash the oil off and he gets out of the bathtub.
"Mom, I am so sorry for all of that." "Sweetie, thank you."
Oct 22, 2008
Oct 20, 2008
It's not just me!
I thought I was going crazy this year looking for costumes for the kids for that pagan holiday coming up next week.
This is what I saw my choices were for boys: pirates, Star Wars, super heroes or Power Rangers. That is pretty much it.
For girls, thank goodness I didn't have to shop! I see spaghetti straps on the fairy costumes. I see French maids for seven year olds. Wonder Woman, in all her glory. Ballerinas and fairies with the dress mid thigh. Who's holiday is this anyway? I know the real answer is pagans, but on the marketing level, it's supposed to be for kids. So why are we dressing these girls, in particular, as though they are going to audition for an adult movie?
I just found my backup. Another parent besides me sees what I see. Click for here the short article.
And the argument I had with my kids! I tried the approach of what people see when they open their doors. We always see all the Star Wars characters (seriously, costume makers, the original Star Wars is 25+ years old, let's get something new going!) and pirates. Let's find something that no one has seen and will be surprised to see. The boys were a little intrigued by that, but it was hard to say "no" to the storm troopers.
I found a costume for a ketchup and mustard bottle. Could you imagine opening your door and seeing my kids decked out like that? That would be fun! Kids said no.
What we did find was a Shaggy and Scooby Doo costume. I found a deal on them with free shipping. That will also be fun to open your door and find on your porch. Picture JM with a Shaggy wig on!
But as I was scrolling through costumes online, it is getting weird! I don't like what I am seeing in kids costumes at all. I might be needing to make them for the kids in the future.
In addition, practicality. Where I have been bugged is how skimpy the costumes are getting and yet trying to dress the kids warmly. I have very vivid memories of trick or treating with snow drifts higher than me. Well, that was Colorado for you! Where we live now, a thirty degree blustery night is not out of the realm of possibility and is quite normal. Okay, so how do you put a pair of sweats on beneath a pirate costume that only comes with a silky vest for a top? How would you put long underwear underneath a ballerina costume that has spaghetti straps and comes mid thigh? I know, I am practical and just ruined the fun.
I might have just found a way to make my millions. Make costumes for "that" holiday that truly are whimsical, fun, practical, warm, and appropriate for children. Not "sexed" up.
This is what I saw my choices were for boys: pirates, Star Wars, super heroes or Power Rangers. That is pretty much it.
For girls, thank goodness I didn't have to shop! I see spaghetti straps on the fairy costumes. I see French maids for seven year olds. Wonder Woman, in all her glory. Ballerinas and fairies with the dress mid thigh. Who's holiday is this anyway? I know the real answer is pagans, but on the marketing level, it's supposed to be for kids. So why are we dressing these girls, in particular, as though they are going to audition for an adult movie?
I just found my backup. Another parent besides me sees what I see. Click for here the short article.
And the argument I had with my kids! I tried the approach of what people see when they open their doors. We always see all the Star Wars characters (seriously, costume makers, the original Star Wars is 25+ years old, let's get something new going!) and pirates. Let's find something that no one has seen and will be surprised to see. The boys were a little intrigued by that, but it was hard to say "no" to the storm troopers.
I found a costume for a ketchup and mustard bottle. Could you imagine opening your door and seeing my kids decked out like that? That would be fun! Kids said no.
What we did find was a Shaggy and Scooby Doo costume. I found a deal on them with free shipping. That will also be fun to open your door and find on your porch. Picture JM with a Shaggy wig on!
But as I was scrolling through costumes online, it is getting weird! I don't like what I am seeing in kids costumes at all. I might be needing to make them for the kids in the future.
In addition, practicality. Where I have been bugged is how skimpy the costumes are getting and yet trying to dress the kids warmly. I have very vivid memories of trick or treating with snow drifts higher than me. Well, that was Colorado for you! Where we live now, a thirty degree blustery night is not out of the realm of possibility and is quite normal. Okay, so how do you put a pair of sweats on beneath a pirate costume that only comes with a silky vest for a top? How would you put long underwear underneath a ballerina costume that has spaghetti straps and comes mid thigh? I know, I am practical and just ruined the fun.
I might have just found a way to make my millions. Make costumes for "that" holiday that truly are whimsical, fun, practical, warm, and appropriate for children. Not "sexed" up.
Oct 16, 2008
Our Adventures at the Pumpkin Patch
Yes, today was the chosen day to go out to the pumpkin patch. We went with our pastor and his family, which includes four children. We watched how our older boys maneuvered us through the corn maze, figured out the clues, and had a great attitude. The younger tykes were helped up onto the huge hay pyramid with no complaining. We rode a bumpy hayride that made our lower lumbar scream and our motherly fears kick in as we watched three year olds bounce around mercilessly. Our children followed the rule "you can't pick a pumpkin you can't carry" without a fault. Three of the children rode a silly cow ride that is as old as our parents and loved it.
It was....a perfect day. I hope you enjoy the pictures half as much as we enjoyed our day.
It was....a perfect day. I hope you enjoy the pictures half as much as we enjoyed our day.
Oct 15, 2008
October 15th!
Why is today kind of cool to think about? If you are a "Deadliest Catch" die hard fan like me, you may want to know, the Alaskan King Crab season started today. All our favorite guys left Dutch Harbor today and are on their way out to sea.What has been a cool thing, a good friend of mine has become friends with the guys on the Time Bandit. She took the picture shown above last summer when the Time Bandit was in Seattle for some major overhaul repairs. I have a picture of her in the captain's chair, and it's kind of weird to look at, I must say. I have pictures of her with all the guys from the Time Bandit as well as the guys from the Cornelia Marie and the Northwestern. But the Time Bandit guys are the ones she has kept in touch with and they have been incredibly nice and gentlemanly to her. Freaky to see her cheek to cheek with Johnathan (of course, with a cigarette in one of his hands)!
I know, none of us will be able to see what is going on now until like February or so when the Discover Channel releases this season's episodes they are filming right now. But I do wish all the crabbers an excellent and safe season!
Thanks AK for the great pictures!
Corn Maze
Okay, in my last post I explained how excited I was to go with the youth group from our church to the local Haunted Corn Maze. I have always wanted to go but couldn't because of my kids. If I took them, all potty training up to this point in their lives would be lost. I also wanted to get out of the house, and have the needed diversion my worn out body needed. It worked.
Here is the scoop on the festivities of that evening:
1) It was a full moon. So while walking through a dark corn maze, it was kinda creepy.
2) Young teens are not brave at all. The handful of 14 year old girls were squealing most of the time. One girl actually fully peed her pants. Why? Because she did not take our advice and use the restroom like the rest of us before we went in.
3) Young teen boys. They are definitely not brave. Of all the kids we had, they were the ones who wanted to turn back and get a refund. They were not at all ashamed to say they were scared to death at the beginning.
4) My pastor's wife, R. She was scared because she wasn't sure what the whole thing entailed. I promised to hold her hand, but as you read on, that was impossible.
5) We had one of the kid's dad's there. Big huge bear of a man. I have actually called on him to help a friend I know with a domestic violence situation. His physical presence alone is daunting. So, the characters that jumped out at us definitely didn't come as close as they would normally just because we had him with us.
So, what you do is this, you pay your money, and you go through a corn maze, in the dark. There are hired scary characters that jump out and startle you. They actually have passageways behind the corn, so they can watch us, and follow behind us, and scare us. They did a great job, mainly because they jump out from right beside you when you think they are coming out in front of you. It was awesome!
The best character was the dude with the chainsaw. He jumped out from the corn, and fired up a chainsaw and revved it up fiercely. Plus, the hockey mask he had on added to the ambiance.
The one character that kind of annoyed me was the possessed ape/monkey. He came right up to my ear, within a few inches, and wouldn't stop growling. They definitely get into your personal space a little bit, but amazingly, they don't touch you.
Another interesting observation I saw. Since we were in a large group, if you ended up in the back, you didn't get frightened because they people in front screamed first. When we got separated for awhile, it was actually more fun.
Also, when characters jump out, they slightly block your path. Interestingly, junior highers would just stand there and wait thinking the character would move. Ummm....no. They will stand there and keep revving the chainsaw. It was a mystery watching the entire group kind of freeze for several moments.
Okay, here is where I needed the Advil. We had three teenage boys, well four, but one was hanging with his girlfriend in the girl group. But the three I dealt with were scared just standing in line. I pictured that they would close their eyes and I may need to lead them like a sight impaired person, right? Wrong.
At several points, I was leaning hard on R because I started out holding her hand. Why am I dragging off her backside? Well, I had one boy on one shoulder "being cool". He was trying not to act scared and scream or anything, but his grip was pretty firm on me. I had one on the other shoulder with his head in my armpit. The third boy was hanging off my back with his arms around my waist and his head buried between my shoulder blades. I looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame trying to walk. R was my balance!
And you know what? By the end of the maze, the two with their heads buried wanted to do it again. I told them, no way, not until I have seen my chiropractor! I am so glad my back is in shape. Could you imagine if I did this in May with these guys?
But all is cool in junior high land now.....whewie!
Here is the scoop on the festivities of that evening:
1) It was a full moon. So while walking through a dark corn maze, it was kinda creepy.
2) Young teens are not brave at all. The handful of 14 year old girls were squealing most of the time. One girl actually fully peed her pants. Why? Because she did not take our advice and use the restroom like the rest of us before we went in.
3) Young teen boys. They are definitely not brave. Of all the kids we had, they were the ones who wanted to turn back and get a refund. They were not at all ashamed to say they were scared to death at the beginning.
4) My pastor's wife, R. She was scared because she wasn't sure what the whole thing entailed. I promised to hold her hand, but as you read on, that was impossible.
5) We had one of the kid's dad's there. Big huge bear of a man. I have actually called on him to help a friend I know with a domestic violence situation. His physical presence alone is daunting. So, the characters that jumped out at us definitely didn't come as close as they would normally just because we had him with us.
So, what you do is this, you pay your money, and you go through a corn maze, in the dark. There are hired scary characters that jump out and startle you. They actually have passageways behind the corn, so they can watch us, and follow behind us, and scare us. They did a great job, mainly because they jump out from right beside you when you think they are coming out in front of you. It was awesome!
The best character was the dude with the chainsaw. He jumped out from the corn, and fired up a chainsaw and revved it up fiercely. Plus, the hockey mask he had on added to the ambiance.
The one character that kind of annoyed me was the possessed ape/monkey. He came right up to my ear, within a few inches, and wouldn't stop growling. They definitely get into your personal space a little bit, but amazingly, they don't touch you.
Another interesting observation I saw. Since we were in a large group, if you ended up in the back, you didn't get frightened because they people in front screamed first. When we got separated for awhile, it was actually more fun.
Also, when characters jump out, they slightly block your path. Interestingly, junior highers would just stand there and wait thinking the character would move. Ummm....no. They will stand there and keep revving the chainsaw. It was a mystery watching the entire group kind of freeze for several moments.
Okay, here is where I needed the Advil. We had three teenage boys, well four, but one was hanging with his girlfriend in the girl group. But the three I dealt with were scared just standing in line. I pictured that they would close their eyes and I may need to lead them like a sight impaired person, right? Wrong.
At several points, I was leaning hard on R because I started out holding her hand. Why am I dragging off her backside? Well, I had one boy on one shoulder "being cool". He was trying not to act scared and scream or anything, but his grip was pretty firm on me. I had one on the other shoulder with his head in my armpit. The third boy was hanging off my back with his arms around my waist and his head buried between my shoulder blades. I looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame trying to walk. R was my balance!
And you know what? By the end of the maze, the two with their heads buried wanted to do it again. I told them, no way, not until I have seen my chiropractor! I am so glad my back is in shape. Could you imagine if I did this in May with these guys?
But all is cool in junior high land now.....whewie!
Oct 12, 2008
Mumbo Jumbo
Here is my bulleted life in the last twenty four hours:
* Have you ever wondered what a moulting chicken looks like? What is moulting? Once a year or so chickens go through a time when they lose all their feathers, and look like a nasty disease got ahold of them. All the books tell me this happens in summer. In the six years I have kept chickens, it always happens when it's cold, like in the 30's at night here in the last week or so.
Here is my Miss Maisy. She looks awful! My backyard looks like a down pillow blew up in it. The white spikes you see on her bare patches are actually the new feathers coming in. I can't wait!
* The hubbie is home. And the hubbie is cranky. That's what you get when you've been traveling for 36 hours straight.
* Watched "Derailed" last night. It's one I've wanted to watch for awhile. It stars Clive Owen (a handsome Brit right in the same category as Colin Firth) and Jennifer Aniston. It's dark. It isn't one of Jennifer Aniston's little happy go lucky comedies. I heard reviews that it was slow. Not so! It's an intellectual thriller. You must watch every detail from the very very beginning, and I mean the opening credits. It has a huge twist at the end, and I figured it out before it happened, and I usually don't do that. But it is good, but it's not action. It might seem slow, but if you turn your brain on, it's good.
* I have a new recipe in the crockpot right now. It smells divine, so feel free to try it out, click here. I like hearty soups in the chilly fall. I also like cheap and nutritious ingredients. You can't go wrong with lentils. I think I spent a total of $5.00 to make this huge crock of soup.
* What is my break today? The hubbie is very motivated right now to get the kids in bed on time tonight. Why? He is dead tired himself. What am I doing? The youth group at my church is going to the Haunted Corn Maze. If I took my kids, they wouldn't sleep for a week, and I have always wanted to see it. But the truth of the matter is, my pastor's wife is obligated to go because she is the adult leader. She is a chicken and is scared to go. I told her I would come and hold her hand. That is my story on that one, and I am sticking to it.
I know, because I am going to a Halloween function, I am sure somewhere out there someone might think I am not a Christian anymore. Trust me, I have done a lot worse things in my life that have made me wonder if I actually did lose my salvation. This isn't in that sphere of severity at all. Have I ever blogged about the time we euthanized one of our chickens on the weekend of Halloween? That was creepier by far than this, trust me. Hmm....future post in the works right now.
* Hubbie home tomorrow. For once, he is not going to the office on a holiday. We might get something done around the house. Praise God for a babysitter this week who washed the mountain of dishes in my kitchen sink. That was a gift to me, and she may not realize it.
* Have you ever wondered what a moulting chicken looks like? What is moulting? Once a year or so chickens go through a time when they lose all their feathers, and look like a nasty disease got ahold of them. All the books tell me this happens in summer. In the six years I have kept chickens, it always happens when it's cold, like in the 30's at night here in the last week or so.Here is my Miss Maisy. She looks awful! My backyard looks like a down pillow blew up in it. The white spikes you see on her bare patches are actually the new feathers coming in. I can't wait!
* The hubbie is home. And the hubbie is cranky. That's what you get when you've been traveling for 36 hours straight.
* Watched "Derailed" last night. It's one I've wanted to watch for awhile. It stars Clive Owen (a handsome Brit right in the same category as Colin Firth) and Jennifer Aniston. It's dark. It isn't one of Jennifer Aniston's little happy go lucky comedies. I heard reviews that it was slow. Not so! It's an intellectual thriller. You must watch every detail from the very very beginning, and I mean the opening credits. It has a huge twist at the end, and I figured it out before it happened, and I usually don't do that. But it is good, but it's not action. It might seem slow, but if you turn your brain on, it's good.
* I have a new recipe in the crockpot right now. It smells divine, so feel free to try it out, click here. I like hearty soups in the chilly fall. I also like cheap and nutritious ingredients. You can't go wrong with lentils. I think I spent a total of $5.00 to make this huge crock of soup.
* What is my break today? The hubbie is very motivated right now to get the kids in bed on time tonight. Why? He is dead tired himself. What am I doing? The youth group at my church is going to the Haunted Corn Maze. If I took my kids, they wouldn't sleep for a week, and I have always wanted to see it. But the truth of the matter is, my pastor's wife is obligated to go because she is the adult leader. She is a chicken and is scared to go. I told her I would come and hold her hand. That is my story on that one, and I am sticking to it.
I know, because I am going to a Halloween function, I am sure somewhere out there someone might think I am not a Christian anymore. Trust me, I have done a lot worse things in my life that have made me wonder if I actually did lose my salvation. This isn't in that sphere of severity at all. Have I ever blogged about the time we euthanized one of our chickens on the weekend of Halloween? That was creepier by far than this, trust me. Hmm....future post in the works right now.
* Hubbie home tomorrow. For once, he is not going to the office on a holiday. We might get something done around the house. Praise God for a babysitter this week who washed the mountain of dishes in my kitchen sink. That was a gift to me, and she may not realize it.
Oct 11, 2008
What a week, part II.
It's the morning after watching "PS I Love You".
Yep, all I heard was true. I cried incessantly.
It is Saturday morning and my eyes are puffy and swollen.
I recommend it, but my word, don't think you're dressing up and going out afterwards. You will be a mess. It is a great movie that touches on the grief after losing a husband, and not just the days afterwards, but the months afterwards. It has it's little Hollywood lack of believability in a few spots, but it definitely touches on what a mess it is to grieve.
Now, I need to find some Advil and an ice pack for my eyes.
Yep, all I heard was true. I cried incessantly.
It is Saturday morning and my eyes are puffy and swollen.
I recommend it, but my word, don't think you're dressing up and going out afterwards. You will be a mess. It is a great movie that touches on the grief after losing a husband, and not just the days afterwards, but the months afterwards. It has it's little Hollywood lack of believability in a few spots, but it definitely touches on what a mess it is to grieve.
Now, I need to find some Advil and an ice pack for my eyes.
Oct 10, 2008
What a week!
I might seem absent....because I am.
T minus thirty six hours and counting.....my husband coming back from being gone since Tuesday.
Why? He makes an annual pilgrimage to Scotland to meet with his PhD advisor. I am hoping this is one of the last times he makes this journey. He is on the home stretch of his doctorate degree, and I can't wait!
But more importantly, I can't wait for several things.
Here is my list of what I am looking forward to:
* Not being interrupted while taking a shower. I waited until really late last night (like past midnight) to take a shower, and I still got a little sleepy face poking into the shower asking me for milk.
* A break.
* Not wondering what every bump in the night I hear is. Wondering why the motion detector lights keep going off in the middle of the night. Security in general feels better with hubbie home. Although I have turned on the alarm so that we are safe inside while sleeping.
* To go to the grocery store. I know, I could go with the kids. But right now, three year old is really bad in public. It's a stage, and it shall pass, but it's hideous.
* Eating something other than peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, or tuna sandwiches. The kid fare is getting old.
* Having back up when I hit my wits end.
What I have enjoyed this week:
* Watching whatever I want on TV. I have no clue what is happening on the NFL and don't care to find out.
* Putting kids to bed at their actual bedtime, not when hubbie feels like it. No one is sleep deprived this week except me.
* Why? Because I am also catching up on my movies! "PS I Love You" is in the player waiting for me right now.
* I have the whole queen bed to myself including the covers. Except for the cat.
* I have an awesome friend who watched the kids for a couple of hours today, and it was great! I got a whole bunch of work done that has piled up. I ran a bunch of errands. It will make it easier to sleep tonight knowing a few things got checked off the urgent list.
* I am also planning a trip with the kids to the pumpkin patch tomorrow, weather permitting. Should be fun, and should also burn off the ants that have accumulated in two little boy's pants.
* I don't know if this counts, but it got done, and it needed to get done. Feels good to get it done. I cleaned out the chicken coop today. I know, gross. But with some recent rains, it needed to get done, and the chickens seemed relieved too. Now, I hope they reward me by laying some eggs soon!
Sigh.....my movie is calling.
T minus thirty six hours and counting.....my husband coming back from being gone since Tuesday.
Why? He makes an annual pilgrimage to Scotland to meet with his PhD advisor. I am hoping this is one of the last times he makes this journey. He is on the home stretch of his doctorate degree, and I can't wait!
But more importantly, I can't wait for several things.
Here is my list of what I am looking forward to:
* Not being interrupted while taking a shower. I waited until really late last night (like past midnight) to take a shower, and I still got a little sleepy face poking into the shower asking me for milk.
* A break.
* Not wondering what every bump in the night I hear is. Wondering why the motion detector lights keep going off in the middle of the night. Security in general feels better with hubbie home. Although I have turned on the alarm so that we are safe inside while sleeping.
* To go to the grocery store. I know, I could go with the kids. But right now, three year old is really bad in public. It's a stage, and it shall pass, but it's hideous.
* Eating something other than peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, or tuna sandwiches. The kid fare is getting old.
* Having back up when I hit my wits end.
What I have enjoyed this week:
* Watching whatever I want on TV. I have no clue what is happening on the NFL and don't care to find out.
* Putting kids to bed at their actual bedtime, not when hubbie feels like it. No one is sleep deprived this week except me.
* Why? Because I am also catching up on my movies! "PS I Love You" is in the player waiting for me right now.
* I have the whole queen bed to myself including the covers. Except for the cat.
* I have an awesome friend who watched the kids for a couple of hours today, and it was great! I got a whole bunch of work done that has piled up. I ran a bunch of errands. It will make it easier to sleep tonight knowing a few things got checked off the urgent list.
* I am also planning a trip with the kids to the pumpkin patch tomorrow, weather permitting. Should be fun, and should also burn off the ants that have accumulated in two little boy's pants.
* I don't know if this counts, but it got done, and it needed to get done. Feels good to get it done. I cleaned out the chicken coop today. I know, gross. But with some recent rains, it needed to get done, and the chickens seemed relieved too. Now, I hope they reward me by laying some eggs soon!
Sigh.....my movie is calling.
Oct 8, 2008
A State of Affairs
Some of my long time blog followers will remember that I have talked about a friend of mine who was diagnosed bipolar a little over a year ago. There was one day when she called me ready to commit suicide. I got her to her counselor who then diagnosed her pretty much over the phone. In the last year, my friend has gone to the emergency room countless times with feelings of being out of control, suicidal, helplessness, extreme anxiety, etc. Not much effective help has come from that at all. In fact, several times she was told to not go because they couldn't help her. She asked for a specific type of therapy she knew she needed and was told "You're not bad enough, there are several people ahead of you more urgent."
Well, much has changed, and I got an update a few days ago. It all came to a head about six weeks ago. Not only was she suicidal again, but attempted it, and was in the ICU for eight days on life support. Why did she do it? Not for the reasons you might think. Given the logic she was told countless times, she attempted suicide to get the help she needed. "I was tired of hurting so much, and if it took a suicide attempt to get the help (she knows this was twisted thinking) I did it. It was the only option given to me by mental health doctors." Shocked me to death to have her standing in front of me yesterday telling me everything and completely healthy, physically.
She also thought it would be a stomach pumping and it would be over. Hollywood does it again. People come into NBC's Thursday night "ER" and get their stomach pumped, right? No. She almost died. Period. My friend actually was joking with the paramedic about whether she would be conscious by the time they reached the ER, and she barely won the bet. She remembers seeing the doors open and the overhead lights. I think that was a very smart paramedic.
For sure, without God, she would not be with us today. Her attempt was pretty serious, and had not a few things been done correctly, she would have succeeded.
Here is what we know. She actually isn't bipolar. BUT--because she was put on antidepressants years and years ago, she exhibited bipolar symptoms. She was never suicidal until she was on antidepressants. Sound familiar? One of the biggest concerns about antidepressants, especially in teens (she was a teen [18] when first given antidepressants) is that is can cause severe suicidal thoughts. As she got older, that was what the professionals kept doing, messing with her antidepressants.
I have always said all along, I think her problem is her childhood. Her childhood has been marked by nothing but abuse. When she was in college, it was her testimony in court that put her abuser in prison. For that alone, I give her a medal for bravery. I have always believed she needs to sit down and sort out her childhood. She has a lot of loss, anger, grief, resentment, etc. that is unresolved. But who am I?
Well, turns out this suicide attempt gave the professionals a wake up call. She is not bipolar. She is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). What does that mean? It means lots of really misplaced anxiety because of past trauma. Because of past stuff (soldiers who have seen war have this as well) your mind can't handle, it disassociates. It goes somewhere else to handle the trauma of here and now. Problem is, once the trauma is gone, your mind is still back there. When a current trauma comes, like the rent is due now (it can be simple), or a friend betrays you, or a boss yells at you, your mind copes with that by using the past disassociative mechanism. Also, anything little begins to stress you out because you become afraid of the anxiety attacks that also come with being disassociative. And yet, you don't know where it comes from. It's quite stressful.
Very different than an organic brain disorder, like bipolar. So my friend is finally in a therapy that will reteach her how to deal with anxiety in the here and now. Once she is strong, her next step in therapy is to dig back to the past, pull it out, lay it on the table, take it apart, lay it before God, get angry, sad and mad, and deal with it. She will also have the opportunity to do for herself what no one else has done, nurture that little girl who had no one to nurture her. She will bring the past to the present, and reassociate what has been disassociated.
I have been through a simpler version of this kind of therapy, and I am a huge advocate for it. It deals with the root issue, instead throwing meds at it. You can see the tragic results when things are misdiagnosed.
You also know that I have a friend who is definitely diagnosed bipolar. So, I give you the above story not to scare anyone, not to say one thing is better than the other, etc. But if we talked to my bipolar friend, I think we might find her with a few frustrations at mental health care that is offered to the average Joe. It is frightening to me how once my suicidal friend got into the mental health system, she just became a number.
Where are we now? She is very encouraged that she has a plan for recovery from PTSD, and won't be white-knuckling it anymore after several years of pretty much feeling the need to die. I see a huge difference in her, and I thought she was bipolar! Why? Because the meds she was on exhibited that! It's interesting to see her now, calm, hopeful, purposeful, setting goals, etc.
I know this a honeymoon stage for her right now of having a brush with death, the really hard work of dealing with her past will kick her down again soon enough. She has had a crappy 6 years, it has been nice to see her happy. She deserves it, and I will be there for her when the crappy work begins. Lord bless her!
Well, much has changed, and I got an update a few days ago. It all came to a head about six weeks ago. Not only was she suicidal again, but attempted it, and was in the ICU for eight days on life support. Why did she do it? Not for the reasons you might think. Given the logic she was told countless times, she attempted suicide to get the help she needed. "I was tired of hurting so much, and if it took a suicide attempt to get the help (she knows this was twisted thinking) I did it. It was the only option given to me by mental health doctors." Shocked me to death to have her standing in front of me yesterday telling me everything and completely healthy, physically.
She also thought it would be a stomach pumping and it would be over. Hollywood does it again. People come into NBC's Thursday night "ER" and get their stomach pumped, right? No. She almost died. Period. My friend actually was joking with the paramedic about whether she would be conscious by the time they reached the ER, and she barely won the bet. She remembers seeing the doors open and the overhead lights. I think that was a very smart paramedic.
For sure, without God, she would not be with us today. Her attempt was pretty serious, and had not a few things been done correctly, she would have succeeded.
Here is what we know. She actually isn't bipolar. BUT--because she was put on antidepressants years and years ago, she exhibited bipolar symptoms. She was never suicidal until she was on antidepressants. Sound familiar? One of the biggest concerns about antidepressants, especially in teens (she was a teen [18] when first given antidepressants) is that is can cause severe suicidal thoughts. As she got older, that was what the professionals kept doing, messing with her antidepressants.
I have always said all along, I think her problem is her childhood. Her childhood has been marked by nothing but abuse. When she was in college, it was her testimony in court that put her abuser in prison. For that alone, I give her a medal for bravery. I have always believed she needs to sit down and sort out her childhood. She has a lot of loss, anger, grief, resentment, etc. that is unresolved. But who am I?
Well, turns out this suicide attempt gave the professionals a wake up call. She is not bipolar. She is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). What does that mean? It means lots of really misplaced anxiety because of past trauma. Because of past stuff (soldiers who have seen war have this as well) your mind can't handle, it disassociates. It goes somewhere else to handle the trauma of here and now. Problem is, once the trauma is gone, your mind is still back there. When a current trauma comes, like the rent is due now (it can be simple), or a friend betrays you, or a boss yells at you, your mind copes with that by using the past disassociative mechanism. Also, anything little begins to stress you out because you become afraid of the anxiety attacks that also come with being disassociative. And yet, you don't know where it comes from. It's quite stressful.
Very different than an organic brain disorder, like bipolar. So my friend is finally in a therapy that will reteach her how to deal with anxiety in the here and now. Once she is strong, her next step in therapy is to dig back to the past, pull it out, lay it on the table, take it apart, lay it before God, get angry, sad and mad, and deal with it. She will also have the opportunity to do for herself what no one else has done, nurture that little girl who had no one to nurture her. She will bring the past to the present, and reassociate what has been disassociated.
I have been through a simpler version of this kind of therapy, and I am a huge advocate for it. It deals with the root issue, instead throwing meds at it. You can see the tragic results when things are misdiagnosed.
You also know that I have a friend who is definitely diagnosed bipolar. So, I give you the above story not to scare anyone, not to say one thing is better than the other, etc. But if we talked to my bipolar friend, I think we might find her with a few frustrations at mental health care that is offered to the average Joe. It is frightening to me how once my suicidal friend got into the mental health system, she just became a number.
Where are we now? She is very encouraged that she has a plan for recovery from PTSD, and won't be white-knuckling it anymore after several years of pretty much feeling the need to die. I see a huge difference in her, and I thought she was bipolar! Why? Because the meds she was on exhibited that! It's interesting to see her now, calm, hopeful, purposeful, setting goals, etc.
I know this a honeymoon stage for her right now of having a brush with death, the really hard work of dealing with her past will kick her down again soon enough. She has had a crappy 6 years, it has been nice to see her happy. She deserves it, and I will be there for her when the crappy work begins. Lord bless her!
Oct 6, 2008
Fabulous Family Pumpkin Recipe
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 C vegetable oil
2 C canned pumpkin
1 C All Bran cereal
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1 C coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 C vegetable oil
2 C canned pumpkin
1 C All Bran cereal
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1 C coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, spices and sugar. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add pumpkin, vegetable oil, and All Bran. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, mixing only until combined. Stir in chocolate chips, and nuts. Spread evenly in two ungreased 10 by 4 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour and 10 minutes, or until wooden toothpicks inserted in center come out clean. Cool completely before removing from pans.
Ummm...YUM! Honestly, you won't even taste the All Bran, I promise!
Oct 3, 2008
And so far!
I know, I have been a blogging idiot this week. It's been eventful!
Okay, we just did a huge round of unit testing with JM. After three weeks of learning about plants, geography, math and language arts, we had a little series of tests that we submitted. You remember the fiasco a week or so ago regarding the math test, and how JM melted down because he heard me say the word "test".
Learned my lesson! So, for the science test, I pulled it up on the laptop and casually asked, "Hey, JM, what part of a plant is in the soil?" He answered correctly. "What part of the plant holds up the plant?" And so on. And yes, he scored 100%. A little later, I showed him his score, and of course he was baffled about when he took the test. I explained to him I was giving him the test when I was asking the questions earlier. His eyes bugged. He was so proud of his score, and subsequent scores he got in other topics. I told him, I honestly wouldn't let him take a test if I didn't think he knew what he needed to know to pass it. I know, I tricked him, and I won't make a habit of that. I just wanted to show him that if he is calmed down, and just answered what he knows, he will do fine. He's beginning to turn a little corner on tests and starting to see them as a challenge and not an obstacle.
So where are we now? Onto the next sections of all of our subjects. We also sent to CA a portfolio of paperwork so his teacher could see his work. She just graded all of those and posted his scores. Here it is:
Language Arts --A+
Science 2--A+
Social Studies 2--A-
Math 2--B
Phys Ed--Satisfactory
I can tell you right now, his math score would not have been that good in a traditional classroom. Simply because he figured out how to skirt out of math in a group setting. This score also includes the score I helped him biff. His first test was in Social Studies, and I did it wrong, and he got a D. Well, despite me, he has an A. Nice huh?
I also showed the hubbie the scores last night and his reaction was "JM has an A+?!" His reaction was of surprise only because of the hard days we have had, it's a wonder any learning was going on at all.
I know some of my other traditional homeschool buddies out there aren't as compelled as I am by scores. I am a newbie at this. I want to see where my kid is, so this latest round of test assures me we're doing this right. It was quite painless too. It wasn't testing that was a test of how well you knew how to take a test, it was a test on what we had been learning. I also presented the test in such a way to test for information and understanding, not which is more right A or C. I am impressed by CA's ingenuity to make testing of subjects that way. I can see that they want the learning and process to happen, not just presenting and regurgitating.
I am liking Connections Academy a lot.
Okay, we just did a huge round of unit testing with JM. After three weeks of learning about plants, geography, math and language arts, we had a little series of tests that we submitted. You remember the fiasco a week or so ago regarding the math test, and how JM melted down because he heard me say the word "test".
Learned my lesson! So, for the science test, I pulled it up on the laptop and casually asked, "Hey, JM, what part of a plant is in the soil?" He answered correctly. "What part of the plant holds up the plant?" And so on. And yes, he scored 100%. A little later, I showed him his score, and of course he was baffled about when he took the test. I explained to him I was giving him the test when I was asking the questions earlier. His eyes bugged. He was so proud of his score, and subsequent scores he got in other topics. I told him, I honestly wouldn't let him take a test if I didn't think he knew what he needed to know to pass it. I know, I tricked him, and I won't make a habit of that. I just wanted to show him that if he is calmed down, and just answered what he knows, he will do fine. He's beginning to turn a little corner on tests and starting to see them as a challenge and not an obstacle.
So where are we now? Onto the next sections of all of our subjects. We also sent to CA a portfolio of paperwork so his teacher could see his work. She just graded all of those and posted his scores. Here it is:
Language Arts --A+
Science 2--A+
Social Studies 2--A-
Math 2--B
Phys Ed--Satisfactory
I can tell you right now, his math score would not have been that good in a traditional classroom. Simply because he figured out how to skirt out of math in a group setting. This score also includes the score I helped him biff. His first test was in Social Studies, and I did it wrong, and he got a D. Well, despite me, he has an A. Nice huh?
I also showed the hubbie the scores last night and his reaction was "JM has an A+?!" His reaction was of surprise only because of the hard days we have had, it's a wonder any learning was going on at all.
I know some of my other traditional homeschool buddies out there aren't as compelled as I am by scores. I am a newbie at this. I want to see where my kid is, so this latest round of test assures me we're doing this right. It was quite painless too. It wasn't testing that was a test of how well you knew how to take a test, it was a test on what we had been learning. I also presented the test in such a way to test for information and understanding, not which is more right A or C. I am impressed by CA's ingenuity to make testing of subjects that way. I can see that they want the learning and process to happen, not just presenting and regurgitating.
I am liking Connections Academy a lot.
Oct 2, 2008
Did You Know?
That your sense of smell brings back memories faster than any of your other senses? I know this because of my job peddling candles.
I experienced it first hand today when using the Tempura paints. Took me right back to kindergarten. We all lined up and buttoned on shirts and painted at our tables using huge sheets of butcher block paper.
Tempura paints. I do love them! They have vibrant color and are so easy to clean up. Learning Palace, where I get them, is near me and will be moving even closer to me by the end of the month. $3.99 for a quart bottle and you too can have flashbacks to kindergarten.
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