My Daybook, Entry #48

FOR TODAY
Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010...

Outside my window... 56 degrees. It is cloudy, but the sun is peeking through. I imagine that by 3 o'clock this afternoon, the sun will have burned off all of the clouds... or not.

I am thinking... about the Oscar Mayer Wiener mobile! We saw it yesterday when we hopped on the interstate to drop off a package for UPS delivery. It was super exciting for everyone to see such a silly thing on wheels heading down the interstate at near breakneck speed. They were speeding and I was trying to catch up so that we could all wave at the driver... The kids had never seen it before and couldn't understand what I was telling them was in front of us. Imagine a hotdog from behind on a yellow base... not too impressive. So, I had to go a wee bit faster then them to catch up. I do NOT like to speed. My heart was racing just thinking that a state patrol man was around the next curve. YIKES! No harm done. We passed them and waved, got in the right lane and were passed by the Wienermobile and waved again! Fun times!!

I am thankful for... a mom who was available by phone to sing the Oscar Mayer Wiener song to my children since I could not remember how the whole thing went!

From the learning rooms... oh, MY! Branch is well on her way to receiving half of her fifty states of postcards and is loving every minute of it. She loves going to the post office to check the p. o. box, studying the picture side of the card, reading and re-reading the note from the sender, sorting the card into her special storage pouch, taking them all out and looking at them again, sharing them all with everyone who will look and listen, marking them off on her list so that she can quickly know at a glance which states are left to find cards from, and on and on and on!!! Bud has been enjoying the in depth study of The Chronicles of Narnia and even made some "Turkish Delight," which he did not care for very much. He believes that the stuff Edmund ate in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was most definitely "magic" from the white witch since it wasn't that good, Bud believed he could have easily resisted!! :) We made red - almond flavored and green - mint flavored. It was interesting, to say the least! Blossom has been making giant strides in her reading. The biggest hurdle we must next cross is all about confidence! She thinks that she "can't" even after she gets through reading some pretty decent words! So, I have been playing games with her for reading to add confidence and have fun! She is getting close to finishing her Math book for the year - she has only 60 pages left... which is 30 days - one page/two sides each day! There were many days that she was working directly in her book and I didn't take the pages out and give it to her, and she worked on MANY pages in one day. I fear that she thinks that if the book is empty she is done! HA HA HA... won't she be shocked when the first grade math book shows up for January!!!

From the kitchen...

Tues: I have chicken legs soaking in buttermilk and a package of "Don's Chuck Wagon All-Purpose Batter Mix" beside them. I plan to coat the legs and bake them. I hope the mix is yummy! Corn and Mashed Potatoes sound good with Baked/Fried chicken!!

Wed: Stirfry?? if the day goes well that'll work! If not... chicken nuggets/fish sticks

Thurs: Salmon

Fri: Hamburgers

Sat: Birthday CAKE!!!

Sun: Roast

Mon: Steaks

I am creating... well, we created Artist's Trading Cards this past weekend to send into a swap. A nice and ambitious homeschooling mom, Kimberlee, is hosting a swap of these cards that we created for each of our favorite Saints - in the month of All Saints Day. I sent out package off to her and we eagerly anticipate the return of several cards for each of us!! It was fun to see how everyone coped with the task of creating 5 pieces of very small art that would be representing a or many saints. I made five of the same thing... St. Michael the Archangel - I am not much of an artist, If I could have SEWN something? It might have been more interesting, but an artist on paper I am NOT! Bud did a very nice job and I am bummed to say that I didn't remember to take pictures before I sent them all off. He created two cards with a slain dragon to represent St. George, one of John the Baptist, one with a set of keys to represent St. Peter, and a bishop's mitre (hat), staff and a small coin sack to represent St. Nicholas. They were ALL very good! Branch used watercolor pencils to make drawings of St. Cecilia, St. Rose of Lima, St. Gabriel the Archangel, St. Anne and St. Therese the Little Flower. She did a very nice job all by herself representing these saints. Blossom also used watercolor pencils and drew Bl. Kateri, St. Gabriel the Archangel (twice), St. George and St. Francis of Assisi. She asked me to help her with St. George and St. Francis... and I did what I could with her holding the pencil and I guided it - they turned out fairly well - even with two people trying to draw with the same pencil! Would you believe that we convinced Pops to join the fun! He drew some interesting things... a bull and veterinary aesculapius to represent St. Anthony, patron saint of veterinarians; a stalk of corn to represent St. Isidore, patron saint of farmers; a bundle of wheat to represent the patron saint of harvest; an airplane to represent St. Joseph of Cupertino, patron of air travelers; and a salmon to represent St. Kentigern, patron saint of salmon. Lots of Artistry this past weekend!

I am going... to have to plan a "1st Birthday Party" for this weekend! Without family nearby... it will be a small celebration!

I am reading... A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot - a spectacular book to read if you are feeling like your "homemaking/homeschooling world" is spinning out of control! I am also reading Brain Rules by John Medina. Page 95 begins "Short Term Memory" I can't wait to get there! My short term memory (my long term memory, to for that matter!) is not very good. I'll meet you on the sidewalk, you tell me your name, I put it in my brain... "She is Sue... She is Sue... She is Sue." As we part ways, I have no idea who I was just talking with! I think page 95 can't come fast enough!!

I am hoping... to spend a little time at the coast soon!!

I am hearing... Blossom is talking on her fake phone, Branch is being a boss, Bump is screaming since Blossom just took her fake phone back to talk again, WHERE IS BUD?!?!! Holed up with a book! Smart kid... stay out of all that trouble!

Around the house... I am working on it. I hope to get my "Mother's Rule" figured out and then I will tell you how "around the house" is a calm peaceful space where we make the time for all of the IMPORTANT things.

One of my favorite things... my big boy, Bud. Yesterday (and this morning, too) I asked him if he was getting too big for mom to snuggle him up on my lap - he is 9 after all. He kind of sheepishly grinned at me. SO, I grabbed him and pulled him on my lap and hugged and squeezed him until he was nearly blue... then I let him take a BIG breath and I did it again. Whew. That was AWESOME. It is sad when the little babies get bigger and bigger and somehow we forget to make the time to hug and squeeze them and give them the tactile love that they need, too. So, I am working at making sure that there is ENOUGH for everyone and I am LOVING it!!!! :) Who wouldn't love it? It makes me think of that story Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, where the mom creeps into the bedroom and snuggles her baby, toddler, little boy, etc until one day she is too old and he comes to her and holds her and sings her song to her. OH, if you haven't read that one... it is a MUST read!!!

A few plans for the rest of the week... School, Post Office, Walk, Birthday shopping, Cake Baking, Child Wrangling, ok this is going downhill fast... off to the pictures!

A picture thought I am sharing...

Bud worked with modeling clay to make a dragon for his Narnia study. It was a statue that Edmund saw in the Witch's Courtyard. Lovin' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!!

To read more daybooks or to join in the fun, head over to Peggy's.