7 Quick Takes: March 26, 2010 (Vol. 35)

~ 1 ~

At the end of last week, I declared to Eric one night at dinner, "I need a PDA." Then, in my defense, I did follow that up with, "Hang on -- did I see need?  I meant I want one."

I went looking around on Amazon that night and saw that one of the things that came up again and again as something that other customers bought instead of one of the PDAs was an iPod Touch.  Hey!  I have an iPod Touch! 

That's when I sat down and realized that all of the things that I really wanted from a PDA were also things that my iPod Touch can already do.  I did buy one extra app, but $4.99 is definitely a lot cheaper than a PDA. 

I was so proud of myself!

~ 2 ~

I have yet to find anything to watch regularly from 11:30 pm - 12:30 am on TV. 

I still miss you, Conan.

~ 3 ~

I've been having a strong desire lately to unfriend some people on Facebook.  It's not that they have annoyed me or even that I know specifically who it would be (I have some ideas though).  But, when I have people that I only kind of knew in passing on an online message board or people that I went to school with but never remember talking to, it just seems silly.  But, then I don't want to make waves and take the chance at hurting anyone's feelings.

Then again, if I feel like I barely know them and would likely never comment on their statuses, they probably wouldn't notice if we weren't "friends" anymore.  (And, chances are, if you're reading this and feel that we actually are friends, I'm probably not thinking about unfriending you.  So, don't worry.)

Thoughts on this?

~ 4 ~

Holy Cow!  This week's episode of The Big Bang Theory was hilarious!

"A neutron walks into a bar and says, 'How much for a drink?' The bartender says, 'For you - no charge.'"

I laughed at this episode until I almost cried.

(I was extra thrilled then to find a Flash Gordon shirt for Noah at Once Upon a Child this week.  If you watch the show, you will understand my excitement.)

~ 5 ~

In anticipation for moving my blog to self-hosted WordPress, I am going to start selling ads for Many Little Blessings more actively.  They will be higher on the page than they are now (much higher), and I am starting the pricing off pretty darn low.  (Really low, especially considering that I tend to get my best traffic at this time of year.)

If you have a small business, this is a great opportunity to get a great rate on advertising.  Please contact me if you want more information about advertising here (or on any of my blogs, such as Catholic Mothers Online or The Homeschool Classroom).

~ 6 ~

Last weekend found us at my new favorite furniture store.  I mentioned it in #5 of my quick takes two weeks ago.  (It was the furniture store that gives a huge discount for paying with cash.  Love it!)

I'm now not allowed in there for a while. 

No, I didn't cause a scene or anything crazy like that.  It just seems that what with buying a desk for Molly and an awesome bunk bed last time, and then buying a love seat and a head board at our last trip, Eric thinks it's best for us not to go there for a while. 

On the up side though, the kids now have a great love seat for the play room (which used to be the school room), and we saved $45 off the price by using cash!  Love it!

~ 7 ~

I had realized that today (the 26th) was going to be my Grandma's birthday a few weeks ago, but then forgot about it until my Mom mentioned it on the phone.  I don't know why the whole thing still seems pretty surreal.  What I seem to have the biggest mental block on is that I just can't imagine that someone else lives in her apartment now.  That seems like such a funny sticking point, doesn't it?

Happy Birthday, Grandma.  We miss you.







This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.


lemonade stand photo by shaletann

The Valentine's Dance

Since Eric and I have been dating since high school, all of my memories of formals and semi-formals include him.  That's kind of fun, I think.  I don't have to say to people, "Oh yeah -- do you remember when I went to prom with that guy?" 

I can remember picking out the special dresses, getting hair done, and evenings filled with dancing and friends.  They are great memories.  I'd even go so far as to say that they were definitely some of the finer things in life.

But, I have to say that without a doubt, even more special a memory will be the Valentine Dance that Eric went to this year.  He took another girl to the dance though, but that's okay.  At least I got to help her get ready.  (I even picked out her corsage that was made with sweetheart roses and sprayed with glitter, though Eric got all the credit.  But, I was pretty darn okay with that too.)

So, yeah -- my man took another girl to a Valentine Dance.  But, it was definitely one of the finer things in life.

How Do You Get Caught Up?

I don't know if it's the weather or so much sickness going around or just the time of year, but it seems like a lot of people that I have talked to lately report just feeling behind in just about everything.  I am feeling like that too. 

So, of course, I know that none of us can "do it all," but I would love to hear some of your best tips for getting caught up when you are feeling behind.  Mind you, it doesn't have to be how you get totally caught up, maybe just a tip or two to help in getting caught up.

 (Oh, and on a side note -- Happy Birthday to my wonderful, amazing, super cool Mom!  Love you!)







photo by Sybren A. Stüvel

Molly's Unique Units of Measure

One of my favorite things about kids are the words they come up with or the funny ways they say things.  Every time they come up with something new, I always think, "I'm always going to remember just the way they said that."  But, of course, I usually don't.  (The one exception to this rule is that Noah always used to say "your" instead of "you."  So, he would say, "How are your doing?"  Loved that!)

So, let this be my public record of Molly's way of measuring either a lot or a little of something...

A sminch -- this, as you might imagine, denotes a very small amount.  This can be either a sminch of food, or even asking if she can just sit on the counter for a sminch.

A smock -- this means a lot.  I understood the general idea of where "a sminch" came from, but I have no idea how "a smock" became synonymous with "a lot."  That makes it a little more fun, in my opinion.

So, how much did you do this weekend?  A smock or a sminch?








photo by Darrren Hester

Those Moments That Bring Life Into Sharp Focus

It's easy to let life slip by us, isn't it?  I know I'm guilty (too guilty) of finding time to play on Facebook or Twitter, but "forgetting" to do an activity that I told the kids I would do.  Or, I grumble when my Mom asks a favor while I think I am too busy doing something that probably isn't all that important anyway.

I think that there are so many of us that find ourselves caught up in life, but not in the important things -- those things that, if we knew we would die tomorrow, we would wish we had focused on more.  Probably very few (hopefully none of us) would say, "Wow -- I wish I had been more active on my blog."  Instead, I suspect many of us would cite things like our families, our friends, or our church, for example.

Every so often though, something happens that brings life into sharp focus.  You have a sudden clear vision of exactly what is important, and also of what really isn't all that important.  It has been my experience that it usually happens a moment, and it's not something that you expected.

It's something like when we were driving to an All Saints Party in November, and I got the cell phone call from my Mom that started like this, "Dad is at Grandma's house, and he thinks she may have died.  I'm on my way there now."

I vowed that I wanted to bring more focus to my life after that.  But, it's so easy to forget about that once things start to settle.  This seems especially true because those kinds of moments don't usually happen to someone often.  It would seem that I had another one of those moments less than a week ago.  (It doesn't seem right to have them happen so close to each other.)

Let me tell you, while the unexpected death of your 90 year old Grandmother puts a focus on your life, seeing a pediatric cardiologist who is normally jovial walk into a room after "checking some measurements against the normal range" with a serious look and a deep breath, life gets a whole lot more focused.  Then, when words like aortic aneurysm are said as the doctor looks from you to your eight year old child, the priorities in your life become, in an instant, crystal clear.  

I think that over our Christmas break, I need to make some plans to help me live so that my true priorities really come through in my life.  I know all too well that once life settles, it's easy to forget that sharp focus.  But I also know that I need more of it.

If anyone has some great tips of how to manage your time or how to work on priorities, I would really appreciate it!

(I don't really want to get into a lot of medical details right now, but I also don't want anyone reading to worry that we are looking at anything life threatening right now.  Although we'll have to worry about things a lot sooner than we once thought, we're still fine enough for now.)


 





photo by ToniVC

Christmas Shopping for Siblings in The Mom Shop

 

I have written about our Christmas "Mom Shop" before, but it seemed like the perfect time of year to talk about it again, especially since my kids are already saying at least a few times a week, "I can't wait until we do the Mom shop again!" 

 

One of the most vivid memories I have about Christmas growing up was one year when my school had a Christmas shop.  (This was back in the day when they still could have called it a Christmas shop, mind you.)  The idea of this little store is that kids could bring money and shop for their families.  The reason that I remember it so clearly is because I remember the pride and delight I felt to be able to do some shopping all by myself.

 

I realized two years ago that I had never given my own children that same opportunity for a sense of pride and giving come Christmas morning. I knew that I had to remedy that situation.  However, the thought of taking them into a store and asking them to pick out things frightened me.  So, I took a cue from my memory of Christmas shopping at school and carried on with my idea.

The Plan

 

So, two years ago, after a trip to Walmart, I had enough small toys to set up "Mom's Christmas Shop" in my bedroom. I bought a few gifts that I thought would be appropriate for each child -- all costing between $1.48 - $4.98. Despite the various costs, I actually only priced my items right around $1 per item.  (Last year, when the boys were receiving allowance, I charged them closer to the actual item's price.  However, I continued to look for items that were $5 and under.)  

 

Then, I invited each of our boys (then aged eight and six) to shop without each other. For instance, when Noah came to shop, I had one area of gifts to choose from for Jack and one area of gifts to choose from for Molly. I allowed Noah shop for one gift for each of them, and we worked on wrapping the gifts together. Then, I put away the gifts that were possible for Jack, and I put out the ones for Noah.  I invited Jack up and let him shop and wrap. The boys used money from their own allowances to shop.

Last year, we were excited to allow Molly to shop as well.  Since she was only just barely three when we began this new tradition, we envisioned her trying to keep all of the toys for the boys for herself and throwing a fit.  Because we didn't allow her to shop, I just picked out an item from her for each of the boys from the leftover toys.

The Benefits

 

One of the things that I really like with this method of shopping is that I can pre-select things that I think are appropriate, and my kids don't have to be overwhelmed with deciding from a whole store of toys.

I had thought to just return the extras to Walmart for a refund. But, then I realized, "Hey -- why not just keep the leftovers to fill their stockings?" (My kids didn't remember that they are the same.)

 

The Results

 

When Christmas morning has come each year that we have done it, our kids seemed to be literally glowing with pride and anticipation!  While they were thrilled to receive gifts, they definitely were most excited to see their siblings open the gifts that they had chosen.  In a lovely twist, it seemed that the gifts that had come from a sibling became some of the favorite gifts.  Molly cherished the $3 baby doll that came with a bottle, and gave a mild smile to the American Girls Bitty Baby Twins that she got from us.

 

I cannot recommend this method of holiday shopping for siblings enough!  I can already see that it is going to be a cherished family memory in years to come.  And, while gifts may come and go, those memories will be forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and Finer Things Friday.

photo by allerleirau

Real Life Confessions: I Really, Really Bribed My Kids

Oh sure, I've admitted to bribing my kids before, like when I shared that I will pay them a dime every time they try a new food (or a food that they already know they don't care for).  And, darn it -- I stand by that bribery.  It hardly costs me anything and I can't believe the things they have tried for a mere ten cents.

But, I am a bit ashamed to admit that I really bribed them at Thanksgiving.  I'm not talking dimes either.  I'm talking serious cash.

My kids don't like animals.  Their feelings on animals range from mild distaste to overwhelming fear.  Actually, I have misspoken.  They actually all like animals.  They all like to read about animals, watch shows about animals, and they love to see animals at places like a zoo.  They just don't understand why anyone in their right mind would want to own a pet.  And, furthermore, they have zero desire to be at the home of anyone who would do something as crazy as owning a pet.

We have been blessed by many understanding family and friends.  I can't tell you how many times the dear people in our lives have put away animals or even had them go to friend's houses while we are there.

But, back to the bribery.

We went out of state for Thanksgiving to be with family.  We were meeting at my grandparents house, which is always an experience, since they have a very active Yorkshire Terrier named Rambo.  This means that the day is spent with quite a lot of consoling fears, as well as Eric keeping the kids downstairs while the dog is upstairs and my Grandpa keeping the dog downstairs while they kids are upstairs.  Oh, and then there is the horribly uncomfortable keeping the dog in a separate room during the meal.  He barks, everyone feels bad, and my kids get nervous.  Oh the holiday fun.

So, as we were at the hotel the night before Thanksgiving, I threw down the challenge.  I hadn't preplanned it.  It all just popped out of my mouth as I talked.  We talked a lot about the dog and what they could expect when they saw the dog.  Then, I told them that if they didn't cry, didn't cause a scene, didn't make it necessary for the dog to be somewhere else, I would pay them.  

Each child had the possibility of earning up to $30.  No, you didn't read that wrong -- that's a three and a zero, which would total $90 if everyone got it.  I wanted it to be an amount that would really get their attention.  And, trust me -- it was.  I told them that if they freaked out when they walked in, but then calmed down after the initial confrontation, I would give them $10 (instead of the $30).  I was sure that I would not be paying it all out, but thought I might be paying out the $10 each.

When we got to my grandparents, we reminded the kids what the dog would do (lots of jumping and kissing) and then brought the kids in one at a time. There was definitely nervousness, but not a single tear.  As a matter of fact, there were even some giggles.

After some initial shyness, both Jack and Molly wouldn't stop playing with Rambo all day.  Actually, first Molly thought his name was Scramble, and then she started calling him Scrambo.  All they talked about that day (and for the days afterwards) was "Scrambo."  Molly even drew pictures of him and her together to send to Great-Grandma and Great-Papa.  Noah never did play with Rambo, but he did sit and pet him for quite a while.

When we got home, I stopped by the ATM and got out money.  I then paid each of my kids $30.  Whew!  

You know what though?  It was a beautiful day.  They had a wonderful time.  All of my family members seemed more at ease when my kids weren't causing a scene.  My Grandpa didn't have to hide out in the basement with the dog.  Eric and I were both so happy that it went smoothly.  We all stayed much longer than we expected we would.

So, yeah, I bribed my kids.  But, you know what?  That was just about the best $90 I have ever spent.








photo by yomanimus

Don't Do Yoga in the Bathtub (and Other Things You Thought You'd Never Say)

Sometimes, in parenthood, you say words together in a sentence that you would never have dreamed that you would put together.  You know those kinds of sentences, don't you?

Just yesterday, after hearing a splash and running for the bathroom, I had to say to Jack, "Don't do yoga in the bathtub."


Do you have any gems to share like this?


 






photo by  Voxphoto

7 Quick Takes: November 13, 2009 (Volume 21)

~ 1 ~

Thanks so much for all of the kind words on my Grandmother's sudden passing.  It was so helpful for me to be able to write about it, and I appreciate all of the kind words that you guys have left.

We had the funeral last Friday, and spent this week continuing to clean out her apartment.  It has all been tiring both physically and emotionally, but it has also offered so many small moments of joy, as well as time to be with family.

~ 2 ~

In my quest to say yes to the kids a whole lot more often, I have found myself spending a lot more time doing things like listening to books that the kids have written (especially by Molly, who has to read them to me, since they are mostly scribbles with a "mom," "dad," or "cat" tossed in occasionally), playing rock paper scissors,  and drawing with the kids.

Though I have felt so behind in many things I need to do lately, it has also been nice to say yes a lot more often instead of saying "in just a little while," which becomes "how about tomorrow?"

~ 3 ~

  

Speaking of being busy -- how can I always be busy?  And, really -- if a person is always busy, then are they actually busy or is it just their normal?

~ 4 ~

After struggling with whether to get the H1N1 flu shot for the children or not, we finally had the immunizations.  They had been very scarce around here.  So, when the county had a mass immunization, I knew we just had to decide.  Since Jack has a heart defect (and Molly now has a small murmur), I thought that it was probably a good move for our family.

So far, so good -- no side effects.  And, while the shots were free, we did spend an hour and thirty minutes in line.  We also spent $16 on books for the kids as rewards (seriously -- what kid wants to wait in line that long for a shot?), and then $25 on lunch from out.  Those were some expensive shots!

~ 5 ~

The Homeschool Classroom has been nominated for the 2009 Homeschool Blog Awards!

Help us move up a few more places in the Best Homeschool Group or Family Blog category -- we would really appreciate your support! 

~ 6 ~

It was with a lot of sadness that I read this week that my favorite online scrapbook store, Lifetime Moments, is closing in less than a month.  Not only is this an amazing store with great selection and fabulous customer service, but their message board has introduced me to a whole new family and their yearly crops have left me with memories that will probably stick with me forever.

If you're a scrapbooker and have never shopped at Lifetime Moments, you might want to check out their closing sale.  They have 25% off everything in the store with the code of 25-011 at checkout.  Go quickly though -- they are already selling out of an awful lot of things.  To make it easier to browse though, it does appear that they are trying to keep up on deleting products that have sold out.

Goodbye, Lifetime Moments, I'll miss you.

~ 7 ~

One of my favorite song lyrics lately is from You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie by The Submaries:

Love can free us from all excess, from our deepest debts, 

Cause when our hearts are full we need much less.

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

Photos by: [ henning ] (cemetery statue) / kelvin255 (stressed out doll) /  Brent and MariLynn (candy hearts)

And This is Why My Grandma is Cringing in Heaven

As you can probably imagine, this week has been a hodge podge of craziness, weeping, stress, surprise at all of the support we've had, and also moments of sheer delight in the aftermath of my Grandma's sudden and unexpected death on Sunday.  

Yes, I said that -- sheer delight.  This story is one of those.  But, I think if you can't find some moments of sheer delight in the aftermath of someone close to you passing, then you need to find people to be around that were close to them too, and you need to share stories.  Share lots of them.  Moments of laughter and joy are sure to be mixed in with the sorrow.

So, back to what happened the other day at my Grandma's apartment.

I don't know if I have mentioned this, but although my Grandma was 90 years old and basically home bound, she still lived by herself.  Because she lived in government subsidized housing, we have only two weeks (plus one day) from the date she died to clean out her apartment.  So, although we have put a hold on doing it anymore until after her funeral, we have already spent hours going through things, sorting, and such.

When we worked for a few hours on Tuesday, I took the kids with me.  They dutifully sat on the couch and watched some television.  Finally, not being able to stop themselves, they climbed onto my Grandma's motorized scooter.  This was, of course, forbidden before.  Well, that's not entirely true.  They used to sit on it, but then Grandma worried too much, and they weren't allowed near it.  Finally able to again sit in this forbidden fruit, they moved the joystick around, pretending to drive it around.


But, then a wonderful and unexpected thing happened.  It was the kind of thing that reminds me why God gave kids grandparents.  My Mom told my Dad that he should take the kids out into the long hallway and let them each drive the scooter themselves.

And, that is why, on Tuesday afternoon, a ten year old, an eight year old, and a five year old got to each take turns driving a motorized scooter throughout the retirement home.  Sure, they got some looks, but there weren't too many people around.

They loved it.  And I loved it.

I stood at my Grandma's doorway and looked down the long hallway that we had walked down so many times before.  I watched as the kids had so much fun, and I laughed.  I laughed so much that I couldn't help but put my hand in front of my mouth.  And then, I had to choke back tears.  But, in the next moment, I was laughing again.  And then back to tears.  It was a crazy melding of emotions, but I loved it anyway.

After it was all done, I told my parents that I figured Grandma was probably cringing in Heaven, watching those kids riding her scooter down the halls.  She probably was turning to my Grandpa, her husband of 57 years prior to his passing 15 years ago, "Howard -- do you see what he's letting those kids do?"

Sure -- she may have been in Heaven cringing, but I really hope that she was just like me.  I hope she was staring down that hallway -- laughing and crying and then laughing some more.

My Day Took The Kind of Turn That You Just Never See Coming

Isn't it funny how sometimes we have our days planned and we think we know just exactly what to expect.  And then, in a moment, that same day takes a 180 degree turn and you end up somewhere you never guessed you would be that day?

I had a day like that today.

My family and I were driving to an All Saints Day party about 25 minutes away.  When we were about 10 minutes from our house, I got a call on my cell phone from my Mom.  In the next moment, I was breathing quickly, crying, and telling Eric, "Don't turn!  Drive straight!"

Instead of us all heading to the party, I needed him to take me to my Grandma's apartment, in order to meet my Mom there.  She had told me that she was driving there because my Dad had gone to visit Grandma (his mother) and he thought that she had passed away -- right while he was there.  One minute he was talking to her, then he was changing her clocks and she started to cough a bit.  Then, just a minute or so later, he asked her a question and she didn't answer.  He couldn't get her to respond, and called 911.

I got there to paramedics, police, and my Dad.  In what I didn't know would happen, the paramedics wouldn't tell us anything.  But, when they finally wheeled past us to take her to the ambulance, both my Dad and I caught a glimpse of a small monitor that was held on the gurney -- it showed a straight line and a zero.  We were told that we needed to meet them at the hospital.  We couldn't help but watch as they rushed her out, working on CPR the whole time.

The drive to the hospital was surreal.  We talked in terms of "if."  "If she has passed away, we need to (call whomever, do whatever)..."  I kept thinking that we would show up at the hospital and she would be fine.  Not fine, of course, but with us.  I don't know why.  I just thought that if I talked like she had passed, then we would look back and think how silly we had all been to over react.

We (my Mom, Dad, and I) made it to the emergency room and they seemed to indicate that she wasn't there yet.  And, then it seemed like just moments later, the employee at the front desk told us that they were there with her, but that we needed to wait in the waiting room.  But, just a couple of minutes after that, he told us that they wanted us to wait in a small, quiet room inside the ER to wait for the doctor.

At each step of this, I thought, "She's gone."  But, in each step, I also thought, "They're going to tell us that she's still alive."

Finally, a doctor and a nurse came into our small room.  Their faces and voices were soft but somber.  The doctor asked what had happened that morning.  My parents recounted having talked to her on the phone, and how she had been chatty with my Mom about a movie they had both watched.  They then talked about when my Dad was with her.

Then, the doctor had her turn to talk.  She told us briefly about what the paramedics had done for her.  And, while this story sure sounds like the ending is pretty easy to figure out, I thought she was going to say, "We got her back, but she's not doing well."  I don't know why -- I just thought that was exactly, word per word, what she was going to say. 

But, of course, it wasn't.  It was that the paramedics had never been able to get her back.  They had done everything right, but she was gone.  And, we would probably not know exactly why it had happened, but based on what Dad had said (and some previous heart attacks), it was probably a massive heart attack that had taken her in just a moment.  She probably didn't even have a chance to be in pain.

They were both the words I expected to hear, and not at all what I expected to hear.  And, even though we were able to see her and say goodbye, I have to admit that this still seems like a weird mix of reality and a hazy dream that you wake up from and say, "Was that real?  It seemed real, but that was too weird to be real, so it must be a dream." 

I keep telling myself that it shouldn't be so hard to believe, as she was 90 years old, but it still isn't quite within my grasp.  So this week, I will not only be helping to clean out her apartment and assisting with anything that my parents need, but I'll also be working on really believing that what happened today really did happen.

Soda Bottle Recycled Into a Bird Feeder

My kids have a great love for birds.  (I have even written about using bird feeders as a homeschooling tool before.)  The kids just can't get enough of watching birds in our backyard at our bird feeder.  So, when I saw a small contraption that would allow us to turn a soda bottle into a bird feeder, I knew that the kids would really love that!

This project was easy for the kids to primarily work on by themselves, with a bit of help from me (specifically when making holes in the top of the "bird feeder" aka the bottom of the two liter bottle).  And, with the actual feeder costing only a few dollars, this was a fun and frugal way to recycle an old bottle.

Not only were the kids able to enjoy watching the birds, but the birds seemed to enjoy it as well!

What are some inexpensive utilitarian crafts that you enjoy with your family?
 






This post is linked to Thirsty Thursday and Frugal Friday.

Cousins Share a Special Bond

Looking through pictures, and seeing this one of Molly with our 9 year old niece just makes me kind of sad.  It was hard to see them go when their week with us this summer was over, and still feels hard when remembering how close Molly and "Em" have been each time they get together.  Life is hard like that sometimes, isn't it?


This post is linked to Wordless Wednesday.

7 Quick Takes Friday: October 2, 2009 (Vol. 17)

~ 1 ~

We're studying early American history this year with the boys using Winter Promise's American Story I.  While we were reading on of our books (I believe it was The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689), there were some hints toward the idea of the Revolutionary War.

Jack said, "I hope the Americans win."

And, being the wonderful bad Mom that I am, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.  Of course, I didn't feel so bad, because I saw that little flicker in his eye that suggested that he really knew the answer and was saying it to be funny.

But, then he continued, "What?"

"Jack -- who do you think won the Revolutionary War?"

"I don't know."

"Are we British or are we American?"

"Ummmm...American?" in that way of asking a question that kids do sometimes when they really do know the answer.

"Okay, so who do you think won?"

"The Americans?"

"Well, there ya go," I said with a smirk.

~ 2 ~

During the same time of reading during our schooling, we were reading a few pages from Children's Encyclopedia of American History.  There was a little snippet about Benjamin Franklin on one page that we read.  (Don't worry -- we're reading more than just a snippet about him in other books.)

In telling about him, one of the things is said was that he had "made key discoveries about electricity..." (the emphasis on the word key is mine, not the book's).

Eric heard us from the other room and he and I laughed so hard!  The kids needed to be clued in to why that sentence was horribly funny.  I told Eric, "Whoever wrote that was probably laughing his butt off about it."

~ 3 ~

On the good deal alert front, I just noticed that the Wii has dropped by $50, taking it down to $200, plus Amazon has a $25 gift card if you buy the Wii through them.  We love our Wii!

The other good deal that I just heard about is that at Motivated Moms, they have the 2009 Planner marked down to just $2.  They are normally $8 for a whole year, but with having just released the 2010 edition, they marked down the previously marked down 2009 edition to $2.  This is a great way to be able to inexpensively try it out to see if you like it enough to buy it for the new year!

~ 4 ~

Isn't it funny how you can make friends with someone so deeply in a seemingly short amount of time?  I first met my friend Amanda only about a year and a half ago.  It was a bit longer ago than that, but that's the first time we really talked at all.  (Ironically, we actually went to high school together, though I didn't know her, and I was in a class with her husband.)

And, now, I feel like all the time when I am talking I say things like, "Well, do you know what my friend Amanda does?" or "My friend Amanda said...".  People probably get tired of hearing about "my friend Amanda."

I have thought many times about how God has blessed my life by bringing Amanda and her family into it.  I especially thought of it last night.  I had been having a hard time, and probably wasn't the best of friends of the phone when we had a problem come up that Amanda and I had to deal with for our homeschool group.  I later text messaged her to say that it had been a hard day for our family (because of news about a close family member who is having a very difficult time right now), and that I was sorry for being "a sucky friend and a whiner." She texted me that she adored me.

And, even better, when I saw her later in the evening, without saying a word, she just came up and hugged me.  It was a long, firm hug.  And, I couldn't help but have to fight back tears.

I suppose it's a sign of a true friend when no words are needed, isn't it?

~ 5 ~

It seems appropriate for number five to say that Molly has been counting down the "sleeps" until her fifth birthday.  It's pretty darn soon!

How do they get so old so fast?

~ 6 ~

Speaking of little girls, we were excited to find out that my sister-in-law (Eric's sister), who is pregnant, is expecting a baby girl!

In a very odd twist, they (Eric's sister and her husband) had sent Molly a gift card for her birthday and she went out on Tuesday and bought a doll that she named Elizabeth.  Well, imagine our surprise to get a call (and email) confirming that their baby is a girl, and they will be naming her (yeah, say it with me) -- Elizabeth.  Funny, huh?

~ 7 ~

 It's been a week of some real ups and downs.  When I was feeling particularly down, I saw that Amanda (from Encouragement Along the Way, not the Amanda from #4) posted on Facebook the following as her status, and it was really exactly what I needed:


His mercies are new each morning!

 




This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes Friday.

photo credits: flag by Angie @ Many Little Blessings, except: keys by Bohman, sisterhood by  patries71, pink booties by debcll

Play It Again: 10 Things I've Learned From My Kids

I've been pretty busy lately, but I think that I'll be caught up soon!  In the mean time, please enjoy this post that was originally published in August 2008.  Funny -- when I read through the list after more than a year has passed, I still thought, "Yeah -- totally!"

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1. When you go at a task with enthusiasm, it makes it a lot better. My kids get so excited when I "let" them dust (they pretend they have their own secret agent cleaning company) or I allow them to help me cook or bake. They are so excited for some of the tasks that I would rather not do. I need that excitement.

2. If you like the music that's playing, then dance. Dance with your whole body, and don't worry about what you look like.

3. The most fun games are the ones you make up when you aren't even trying.

4. Going through the car wash is like an amusement park ride if you make excited noises while you're going through it.

5. Always give great big hugs to the people you love when they leave the house and to greet them when they come home. Even if they have only just run to the grocery store -- let them know how happy you are to see them again.

6. Being able to receive Communion every week makes us pretty lucky people.

7. Winning isn't everything. Sometimes, it's more fun to let someone else feel like a winner. (This, of course, doesn't always happen in our house. But, every so often, someone will obviously throw their win, just to let another sibling feel good. And, you can always tell that it meant even more to the one who didn't win than to the one that did.)

8. It's okay to get mad sometimes. But if you're going to blow up about something, it's better to yell it out by yourself behind closed doors. (Yeah, so we have to tell Jack to go into his room to do it, but we've learned from him that it works.)

9. It's okay to sit around and just play all day.

10. Big vacations are fun, but sometimes, it's just fun to go stay in a hotel just because it's a hotel.

What is Mumbling?

The kids were talking in the van as we were getting out, so I said, "What?"

 

Noah replied, "Jack was just mumbling to himself." 

 

This made Molly ask, "What is mumbling?"

 

Noah answered, "Mumbling is when you are silently saying something to yourself but somebody else hears and asks what you said.  Then you tell them, 'Oh, nothing.'"

 

Apparently mumbling only happens in very specific situations.

 

Free Home Depot Kids' Workshops

A couple of months ago, Eric took the boys to Home Depot to complete one of the Kids Workshops that they offer.  The boys came home pleased, and also had a completed project, a pin (with a graphic of that month's project on it), and a certificate of completion. (Oh, and some orange aprons that were very small, but Molly enjoyed those.)

Home Depot offers these workshops for free on the first Saturday of each month from 9 am until noon at their stores.  The workshops are for kids aged 5 - 12.  Expect that you will be helping your child to complete their project -- they don't do the project with the kids, but just have the kits, tools, and space to work on them.  The projects are easy to complete, and the boys were very proud of what they were able to complete.

I like that the website shows the next two projects, so that you can decide if it's something that you're interested in trying out with the kids.  Their next project day is Saturday, October 3rd.

I really liked that they made sure that the kids used a variety of tools, so that they could feel like they really made something.  Eric enjoyed the chance to spend some time with the boys, and they definitely enjoyed spending the time with him! 

So, let's see.  Time with parents to complete a project: Cool.  A nice variety of projects: Cool.  No need to register ahead of time: Very cool.  The fact that the project is free: Totally cool.








This post is linked to: Works for Me Wednesday, Finer Things Friday, and Frugal Fridays.