7 Quick Takes - 7

--- 1 ---

Today is 11-11-11. I LOVE it when the date does that!! Only one more year of that kind of fun for a loooooooooong time! Then I will go back to just loving the time being like that: 11:11!!!

--- 2 ---

Today we had our RV "winterized." That means they removed all the water and put in some antifreeze - among other things, I assume! We will leave our RV parked for quite a while as we live in the homes of family or hotels for the next (nearly) two months! WOW! With all that we have going on, we just can't pull our house along for the fun... and we anticipate some cold weather in Nebraska where it will be parked for this time!

--- 3 ---

What is quite strange about the process of leaving our home parked for such a long time... It is so easy to know what to bring along for the home hopping! We have fewer clothing items, we "play" with fewer things. So, we pack the several outfits we have, the toothbrushes, hairbrushes & clips, make-up (absoLUTely), and some coats and shoes! Simple!!! Not really much to debate over. All the other things in our "home" are necessities that are found in others' homes! (Well, except for the three million pounds of books that Bud will want to bring along!) I guess simplifying our home is simplifying decision making in the small things!

--- 4 ---

I am still working on my novel... although I have given myself a "pass." I doubt I will finish it by Nov 30, 2011. It is not a practical goal this year!! But, I find the story line to be interesting, so I will continue to find out what happens and write when I can. That also means that I *should* have enough time for this blog. But, you never know, there, either! I have picked up something else that is more conducive to picking up and putting down with children running amok!

--- 5 ---

Knitting. Yes, I decided to try ... AGAIN. This time, though, I was more successful! I chose a chunkier weight yarn, bigger needles and discovered that I could knit just fine. There was only one mistake and it was within the first 5 rows. My lovely knitting started out as ... nothing. It was just row after row after row of knit stitches. About 32 or so on each row. As I continued, I envisioned a hat. So, I tried some decreasing stitches, and then some more. Then I bound off the end, cinched up the end and sewed the seam shut. I made a puff ball and affixed it on top. Blossom is thrilled with her fun little winter hat!!!

--- 6 ---

Crochet still seems to be my arch-nemesis. Anyone want to instruct me in the ways of crochet?? I do iChat or Skype. I would like to learn!! But, I get easily frustrated. I am maybe not an ideal student!! Oh, and I like to make quick work of things... I only spent three days on that hat - and not full days, mind you. A few hours here or there! Oh, and I probably don't pay very well either. Like I said... not an ideal student!

--- 7 ---

Have you ever done a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to determine psychological preferences? I am an INFP. If you click on the link for "INFP" you can read and learn a little more about people like me! If you know your "letters" you can go HERE and find out more about people like you!! If you'd like... leave a comment sharing your type and I would love to learn more about YOU!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

A Day in the Life

Yes, I am still here! Notice: this post is heavy in verbiage and lacking in photos of any kind!

I thought that I would share how a day goes for us. Sometimes it is far more boring than this - in fact more often it is "boring" as we don't go out and about every day. Most weeks we go somewhere once or twice during the week.

Yesterday, we got up, had a quick breakfast and began the day...

• Bud read a chapter and did the problems in Life of Fred (math), read a section of "30 Days Has September:Cool Ways to Remember Stuff," a chapter of "The only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need," and read in one of the many Redwall books here. These are the things that we have decided are what he will do every day M-F to make a "school day" for himself. We often add some history reading that I pick out and he picks up! (For this, I have a syllabus of a study of history that focusses on reading good books from picture books for the younger set all the way up to high school level reading.) He reads everything that is laying around... a blessing, yes, but also a challenge! I have to make sure I don't leave any notes laying around for myself that I wouldn't want him to see: Christmas is coming!!
• Branch spent time reading in the American Girls Series story about Molly during World War II. We had some interesting conversations about war. She also has a Life of Fred book but prefers to work a lot at once instead of spreading out the chapters one per day, so I think that she may have already completed her book - well, certainly the whole week is done! She also worked on some things around the house that she had put off the night before, like tidying up her space, putting her clothes to the laundry, putting away clean clothes, etc. She writes lists and lists and lists - her handwriting is something that she likes to work on improving.
• Blossom prefers a math workbook instead of Life of Fred (well, she likes to listen to me read it, but doesn't like to write too much, and you write out the problem and answer with that text - so writing only answers in a workbook appeals). She also does a lot of play acts with the little 4ish inch size schliech/papo princesses and princes. So, she spent some time quietly in the morning with her own thoughts and conversations. I think she was laying on the floor looking through a book and trying to act out that with her little people. She was busy writing lists yesterday, too. Her handwriting is coming along and she cracked me up when she asked me to spell something and I started spelling a different word (a synonym, but not what she really asked for. She rolled her eyes and spelled it herself - correctly!!)
• Bump is working on gaining a career either as an NFL football player or as a Professional Bull Rider and works at his craft all day, every day!! So, how this plays out in our house yesterday morning. He had one of his 3 million footballs and put on his bigger brother's too big football helmet. Tucked the ball under his arm, tucked his chin and ran from one end of the RV to the other. Back and forth and back and forth. Then, he wanted a partner for catch... so, we all took a few turns catching or throwing the football to him (which strangely he has been able to catch for more than a year, now). Then he chose to work on tackling. So, he wanted us to carry the football and he works on wrapping up around your leg and pulling you down until you either truly fall - or at least get on the floor. This is all fine for a while, but I am getting old, so I quit catching the ball thinking that I ma brilliant, eh?? NOPE! He hollers tackle and will tackle anyone who is up and moving around. So, visitor beware!! It is fun, but trying at times when attempting to get things done!! For his cowboy practice, he gets out his cowboy hat, his very small plush rocking horse (which he pretends is a bull, most times, but will say it is a horse sometimes - fickle cowboy!) and some form of a rope, string, yarn, ribbon, broken girls' necklace, etc. He climbs on top of the horsey/bull and rocks a bit with one hand in the air and then rocks it hard back so he bucks off, or rolls it forward to buck off forward, or goes to the side - all are acceptable dismounting locations for my cowboy. After he has finished his work on the horse, he moves into being the bull. On all fours, the string or such wrapped around his chest and bucks and bucks kicking his feet high in the sky - sometimes ending up flipping himself over (very shocked expression on his face is priceless!) - but always spinning in his bucking. He is a funny boy!! And if you are concerned, he was counting along with the big kids yesterday - I think that he made it to 8!! There is also a possibility for a Nascar option... racing cars around the mat or on the floor is also a preferred activity... and he likes to stand up and get dizzy spinning in circles, so he'll fit right in driving round and round, but he is going to have to get higher than 8 in his counting before he considers this option too seriously!!

Just before lunch, we all herded out to the truck and piled in. We were off on an adventure! (The Treekids LOVE that word, so I can create excitement for something not terribly exciting if I need too - but, it can backfire if used too often. But yesterday was TRULY an adventure!) First stop: McDonald's drive-thru... yuck, I know. They had the option of eating when we got to our destination OR eating in the truck on the way and I had nothing at home to take along. They wanted all fun once arrived, so we ate a fast, consistent product on the way. Drove the 15-20 minutes to the south side of Lincoln, NE where we made our first appearance at "Lost in Fun" which is a HUGE indoor playground. There are 3 or 4 swing set/climbing/slide/fort type structures, several Little Tykes plastic structures, a smallish inflatable bounce house, a HUGE ball pit, a basketball room - on about a half-court with a small hoop as well, a room with a huge foam pit and ginormous foam building blocks of varying sizes and shapes, another room with two HUGE inflatable bounce houses - one with a twister game in the middle and basketball hoops on each end and the other with a huge climbing thing with a tunnel and a very tall slippery slide. There was also a laser game where you try to get to the three treasures and then to the stop button without being in the way of a laser in the "fastest time" - think bank robbery laser thing. Must act like a spy to go over, under wait for the moving lasers, etc. There were also various coin operated video type games to use - but we were so busy with everything else that we didn't opt for any arcade play. It was a fun and active 2.5 hours! (IT is a rather pricey adventure and I wish we could have stayed longer to take advantage of the cost - BUT I did have a coupon AND little kids - under 2 are free... and Parents ALWAYS play free!! FUN FUN FUN!)

Then we had an errand to run before our stop at the Pediatrician's office. Re-checked some ear infection for Blossom (all clear - woo hoo!!), well child checks for both boys. Stinky yucky vaccinations to catch up on for Bump. So, he fell asleep on the way home and after I got him plopped into bed, the bigger kids all helped me to clean out the truck. Since it could "technically" be considered our foyer, it does get plenty of live-in time! So, we worked at cleaning it up and I spoke with Pops' cousin about the tour we will be taking at their egg farm on Monday morning!

We had a quick put together supper of Sausage and Kraut with a lettuce salad. Cleaned up the kitchen, tidied the kids' bedroom, got ready for bed, said prayers, tucked in the three oldest with their books as they read for a while at night before falling asleep. (Bud reads until I insist the light is out, often at midnight, but sometimes later - earlier if we have something to get up early for. Branch reads for an hour or two depending on how tired she is and how interesting her book basket is. Blossom reads and looks at books for an hour or less and usually crashes quickly.) I put together a bedtime snack for Bump for him to eat while I watched the end (only saw 3 awards and 2 performances... drat!) of the CMA show while Pops worked on his computer, put Bump to bed and spent time chatting with Pops before we crashed in bed. Day over.

So, that is our Day, in a nutshell, yesterday! What was happening at your house!?!!

7 Quick Takes - 6

--- 1 ---

I took a creative writing class in college. I had a professor who had us turn in our "writing notebooks" three or four times during the semester. I was rather excited when I turned in my writing for the first go. I had written a fairly nice piece on some topic that I no longer recall. I was shocked and horrified to receive the writing back with a big red "C" on his notes page. I thought it was a decent story. And, I had a poem in the mix, too! I went and talked to him after class and he told me that I did not write enough. I asked how he knew how much I wrote. He told me that there were not enough pages in my notebook. I told him that I didn't turn in every rough draft. I didn't know that he wanted all of that. (I had typed on a computer. Reworked the paper and saved. Rework and save. Rework and save. Notebook due... Print! So, I only turned in what I had then, not all the writing changes before then.) He told me that he wanted much more writing. I asked what would be enough. He said that each notebook that I turn in should have 200 pages of writing. About ANYTHING. It could be journaling, letters to my mom (yes, I photocopied them before I sent them off, mom), phone messages for my roommate (yes, I took them back after she read them), anything that I wrote down, I taped or glued into my notebook. I asked if my papers that I did turn in were any good. HE did NOT know. He didn't read them. He flipped through to see how many pages I had written. Next two notebooks had far more than 200 pages of crap writing. I hated that class and I bellyached over it to anyone who would listen for THE. WHOLE. semester. Final grade was a B, I think.

--- 2 ---

Writing is on my mind... A LOT. Can you tell?!!?? I am having starts and stops with this novel writing thing. I don't love my plot, so I toss a twist in and change it up. But, that didn't really help. So, I am on path to change it up again, TONIGHT! But, I have to do these darn 7 things.

--- 3 ---

I rented Cars2 from the RedBox yesterday. The treekids really liked it. So did the mom. I had no idea what to expect and I enjoyed the story. Everyone is wondering what will happen in Cars3! As an aside, did you know that RedBox prices will be going up to $1.20 next month. Bummer. It was bound to happen... but, that twenty cents might brake the bank!

--- 4 ---

The last of the antibiotics is taken. We have finished the rounds. We will commence activity with the outside world tomorrow! Pops is taking Bump, Blossom and Branch to the Huskers vs. Northwestern game at Memorial Stadium - wooo hooo! Fun times! Bud and I ... plan to make an appearance at the library. We will possibly spend hours there!! I will write and he will read and read and read. He is SO excited!

--- 5 ---

I need to remember to take my camera out of the camera bag. That would prove to make for a few more photographs!! I must have my mind on other things...

--- 6 ---

We are loving the "cooler" weather. But, this means we also have to think about the possibility of freezing! We stay plenty warm, but the water hose and connections are certainly having to be thought about! BUT, while it IS quite cold... I will not complain - it is better than 119 degrees, thank you very much!

--- 7 ---

To those of you who come and read. To those of you who "jump in the leaves" and leave a comment. To those of you who "lurk." To those of you who click and read and wonder what kind of crazy life we lead. To those of you who stop by ever... THANKS! It's good to see you around! I love to hear from you and love to know who is on the other side of the screen!!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Posing for Photos

Yes, I have been working on my novel. Why do you ask!?!

I have to share this, though. My mom is planning a family picture for when we visit at Thanksgiving. She wants to do some not so traditional sit on a stool and for a tight little cluster kind of portraits. I get it. So, we set sail on google to see what people are diong that are more fun. In my hunt I have discovered a VERY fun book. This is worth the time to click over to Amazon to have a look. REALLY! I have been there for the past 40 minutes laughing and nearly losing control of bladder function. Seriously. If you are having a blue day, click... go and look.

OR if you'd prefer...

Yes. These books are available for purchase on amazon. They actually have a lovely website that you can submit some great pics yourself! Here is where I spent too much time today: Awkward Family Photos Website Have a good time and let me know some favorites - I don't want to spoil it too much for you!

Now, must make lunch and then write 1,666.6667 words for today!! Happy November!

Tricky Treaters

Thought I'd share some (not so great) photos of the costumes these crazy treekids used this year. Last Thursday, we took the treekids to Morrill Hall for "Fright at the Museum" and played games and looked at icky bugs and dissected animals. We dressed in costume quickly and had two dancers, a cowboy and a football player!

Another day, we had to pick up a few items at the mall and found kids trick or treating at the stores! We were not prepared to join in, but there was a face painting table and we stopped there and the kids "put on their costumes" there. I thought to take pictures when we got back to the truck before it was all washed off... lucky you!!

A Nebraska Football Player

A Scarred Monster

(who walked mostly with his arms outstretched and with a strange Frankenstein-like gait)

A Kitty Cat

A Tiara Wearing Princess

We appeared to have enough practice for the big day! But, all the treekids were snuffling and snotting and coughing and hacking and gagging and fevering. So, that afternoon we made a stop at the doctors' office. They are being treated with an antibiotic and the big decision had to be made for whether or not to go out for the evening of spooks. The recommendation was to have a good time, but wear masks to prevent spreading any germs. So, we had to hatch a plan or two!

The costumes changed some...

Bump was a cowboy - easy with a handkerchief to cover nose and mouth! Bud wanted to be a vampire bat. So, a cape and a mask covered with black fabric. We affixed a nose and several teeth (most fell off by the end... should have used hot glue!!). Blossom chose to dress in all white and add a dress. Her mask had a little yellow oval nose and whiskers. Her bowed headband had two white ears attached. A little bit of Hello Kitty went a long way for her!! Blossom dressed in all black. We added black fabric to the mask, and a pink nose and silver whiskers. I made little ears to bobby pin to her head and a long black sock tail. Rather simple costuming this year but functional for the purposes of keeping our germs to ourselves!!