Isac, my pet newt

Hi everyone,

Today I'm writing a blog about my beloved pet newt.

He was a fire-bellied newt, and his name was Isac.

Today he has died.

Today is May 31st, but that dosen't make me happier.

I got him last year, not long after August 2006, the day we moved to this house.

He lasted quite a bit, but died because of head injuries.

His head was badly swollen, I suggested it was a broken skull.

It wasn't as if I didn't know he was hurt at first, like how birds they're all okay the first day and dead the next.

I'm probably going to get a new pet that isn't as sensitive as a newt soon.

I have not much more to say, but I hope to hear some comments!

Greta

What we did while Greta was gone today

Reading time
ok just random toothless pic

Today while Greta was on her trip, we came back home and the boys read some books together. It was very sweet. Casey turned antsy way before Charlie and proclaimed "I can't read!" which was interesting...I told him that Charlie is reading by just looking at the books, and that he can learn how to read with the letters and their sounds. He was intrigued for the first time. Then during lunch he wanted to write his name, also a first. He wrote "C" and "A" and then asked me to write the rest, which he told me was "S-E-Y".

Cool.

More fuel for my theory that kids advance in leaps and stops and that they all end up vaguely the same "level" (hate that word) no matter how they got there. Whats funny is that Greta and Mickey were all into ABC, 123, and all that jazz since they were crawling babies. I pounded it into them, they seemed to love it, etc. Casey hated any and all attempts at what I thought being a good mommy is about from almost birth. No, he doesn't want to play clappy songs, no raspberries on the belly, no he won't make you a stick picture that says MAMA with a little happy face heart, no mary had a little lamb, no peek a boo, no baby books, no jack in the box,but he'd sure enjoy a hammer, saw, knife, toolbox, duct tape, super glue, sharpie marker, 10 foot ladder....real keys real money real access to reality NOW.

So I thought well here will be my first child who does not talk at 9 months, talk in sentances at 18 months, recognize and name colors and shapes and letters and numbers at 20 months....

but here he is, at the EXACT age that Greta and Mickey were, "almost 4", wanting to write.

He was also early and easy to potty train, being "grown up" as his theme did help.

I dont know. Youre not supposed to compare your kids, but why not? If there isn't any mean spiritedness to it, how can you not? Dont you compare food, music, neighbors, dogs, sunsets?

Casey wants to read and write. Too cool. I will never worry about the children and how they are coming along ever again. hahahahaha

Girl Scouts today

Today Greta got to go to her Girls Scouts End of the year extravaganza. They take all the profits from their cookies sales and go on a special trip. Last year it was Binder Park Zoo in Kalamazoo, with water park hotel!!! This year was somewhat more low-key but nevertheless, they had a blast.



I dropped her off at 10:30 this morning to a bowling alley, where they were going to bowl 2 games, and then from bowling they got shuttled via different leaders' cars to Dave and Busters. LUCKY! She had never been there before and we told her how cool it was---she got home and told us we were right! She won all sorts of gifts and prizes for her brothers and herself (she always remembers to get them something when she goes out by herself) and was all worn out and happy. She even bowled the best game of all the girls---110 points! Better than I could do, I'm sure!

Her best friend from Girl Scouts is the leader's daughter, and they offered to drive Greta home today from it all--which is not on the way at all, so I really appreciated it. She is an only child, and the mom is always saying she can't imagine having to tote 3 little brothers around during naptimes---she is a saint!

In the car this morning Greta wanted to take a picture and here it is. No soft filter no adjusting the brightness and the contrast and the red/green, no over or under exposure --nothing. (I told you I was addicted to fiddling with pictures)
Probably the only pic of me with this hair I will ever like, but Greta just looks so happy, and I just love it. *sniff* My baby girl.




Girl Scouts is done for the summer, now, and I am glad. It is a major pain in the bum to take her out there (20 miles northeast) but I know she loves it and by fall it should be even easier to find something to do for 2 hours with the boys maturing and such. Thank you to everyone who bought cookies, you made her fun day possible!

puttin myself out there

Wow.

Ok, so I belong to 2 homeschool chat-boards, and I rarely post. Because there is nothing on these things besides "do you wanna go to the park" and then 500 replies about yes i wanna go to the park oh my gosh i cant go to the park (long description why they cant go).

Noone ever talks about homeschool, homeschooling, nothing. Occasionally there will be a little announcement of some book fair or some "do you like the YMCA swim lady or was she mean"

I just don't get that into it. I try and try. There are field trips but they seem to never be the right fit. Wierd times, expensive, far away...

But so I bared all a few days ago and posted a big post about my fears and issues surrounding our Home-School and what I was looking for, to be honest, were direct, experiential comments and suggestions, and yeah, maybe a little moral boost. I wanted to know who uses what brands of what educational products, did they suck, were they cool, and WHY.

but my Joy-ish way of speaking and writing got me a whole bunch of emotionally charged jaberwocky and a few good suggestions and a big SPAZ taget on my name, now, I fear.

why couldn't people say "We like Saxon Math. We tried Muzzy French and it wasn't for us because it was very reptitive and dull. We did Oak Meadow which was really gentle--perfect for my quiet nature girl but my older one hated the slow pace. We wanted to do The Well Trained Mind but it was very hard to follow and made us feel like we were failures. We love this one webiste for history called so and so dot com. For music, my kids do such and such. My one kid didnt read til he was 8 but my other one is 3 and can read. We like to play with magnets. Go easy on Toddlers and dont beat yourself up too much about the perfect house or the TV being evil. you are only human. "

See, the real punchline is that the answers are all inside my heart, and noone elses heart. Because it is my home and my kids and my homeschool.

I learn alot of lessons in life by putting myself out there and getting really embarassed and sometimes even trampled on. It is not my favorite but it is very true. Luckiliy, I have learned to "put myself out there" with people whom I only vaguely care about, and whose opinions of me I can afford to have be oh so off base.

This summer will be shapeshifting. Although we always have a "first day of school", we have never had a "last day of school" as it alwasy just naturally faded into birthdays and summertime...

But this year the last day of school is Friday June first. Saturday June second starts my quest.

My pumpkin baby

One of the cutest most adorable things on this planet to me is when a little kid has a front tooth or two out. Gets me everytime. I absolutely love it. I even ask kids at playgrounds to show me their teeth if I notice a little toothless grin--I am so weird! But they are always proud to show me!

Anyhow, my Mickey has officially joined the top-tooth-out cutey club tonight! Hooray for him and his tiny little tooth under his pillow! Him and Greta are still awake, writing and re-writing the perfect letter to the tooth fairy. Can you stand it?

Summery Wednesday

Charlie loves to dip the racquet into the pool and lick it
Look how muddy the pool got--no I did not let licking happen once this occured
Dirty Casey

Little muddy toes

Boing!

Today we did some mathematical stuff for school. We worked with the cuisenaire rods to discuss further the idea of "squared" and "area". I had Greta and Mickey first try to listen, then try to show an example, then make something symmetrical and then we found hidden instances of squaring as well as familiar multiplication examples within the block patterns. Casey was really really cool about going off and playing and filled a backpack so full of miscellanea that he really could not lift it! Charlie played with dice at the table with us, and felt part of the math action.

After this, I made lunch, and then put Charlie to bed. We went out in the yard and dumped-refilled the little pool with icy cold water and set up the sprinkler. It was HOT, and yesterdays games of mud and pedicures were much more water based today. Greta, Mickey and Casey made up a big "WAR" between cats and dogs, in which they were the cats. I tried to stay out of it, but from what I gathered from my little spot I chose to fail at tanning my neon white legs while keeping the sun off my face, one person had to be the dog, --who was the enemy-- who fought two cats. In the water, which was brown from mud... It was all about the different breeds of dogs, and their various attributes and skills versus the various cats who were ranked by age, nobility/rank and to some extent, military prowess. (Must be all that Battlelore with Daddy)

I mostly resisted my urge to tell them how cute and funny they were because that always wrecks the scene, but when baby Charlie woke up and was told in all seriousness that "You are gonna just fight a mouse, ok, Charlie?" and Charlie said "Mmm-hmm!", I had to laugh and kiss the muddy contenders, even Casey, who doesnt like kisses lately.

We did it, today- I actually made dinner at 430 and ate it at 5. When people are hungry. Before Steve even got home. I feel like some kind of super woman ultra genius. Our evening has been MUCH more relaxed, lingering, and long-feeling. At one point, I looked at the clock, thinking surely it had to be "bedtime", and it was 6:25! It was cool and weird.

Tomorrow is going to be hot again, but I think we are going to take somewhat of a break from frying out in the yard for 4 hours. Mickey's back is all hashed up from grass and mud burns, and the kids got too much sun. Steve has stayed comitted to riding his bike to work, even though for me, at 87 degrees, YEAH RIGHT would I bike in some long black pants and work shirt over 2 miles 4 times. But thats why he is fit and I am smooshy :) My point? We do have the van and we might go somewhere tomorrow. Somewhere air-conditioned.

Casey has a soccer game at 6pm and Steve has to work until 8. Yeah...lovely.... So I don't want to show up to this thing all sweaty and bedraggled with no other adult to help me with Charlie, who screams and cries and wont sit in his stroller and wants to run away from the soccer game, and then who will watch Casey? Who will encourage him to stay on the bench with his team and not trot away to the park? (the games are at a park, which is very very distracting to the players, to whom the allure of the swings and slides kind of overshadow the game)

I am honestly thinking of bringing a playpen (easy and lightweght, I know harhar) just so I can put Charlie in it if I have to. sigh. Soccer without Steve. I worry.

splash!

Morning
Charlie the poolman

Mickey the tarzan

Mickey jumping

Casey jumping

This morning we did a bit of a book called Draw Write Now, and we finished up our study about humidity. then we ate lunch with Daddy and started our Pool Party jamboree!

We brought out the little tent, towels, blankets, snacks, and have been playing out there since noon. the kids made up this big game about "pedicures" and have been covering thier feet with mud and then rinsing them off and then jumping in the pool as the "Final step" of the pedicure. PEDICURE! Where do they get this stuff--certainly not from me, who has not been inside a salon in years...but very fun and funny nonetheless.

Charlie is so brave about being drenched in cold hose water, and is now deeply asleep in his crib. I have snuck in to write this blog entry and to obsessively check if any jobs called me back. also to make iced tea the quick n painless way:

microwave a cup of water with 3 tea bags in it

dump the hot dark tea over a big glass of ice and lemon juice and cold water

enjoy

Steve only works til 5 today and the day is going by wonderfully fast and we are all barefoot and this is really fun. This evening he and the kids are going to play Battlelore while I add some toner to my canary yellow head and maybe go to the library or something. Last night I went on a walk with Charlie for exercise but it is 80 degrees today and Mama don't exercise when it is 80. :)

Hope our whole summer is this fun!

Our little soccer star

Super Fans
Coach telling Casey its time to go in

Sittin on the bench--er--the blankie

Action

Casey is good at throw-ins

Orange time at halftime!

Well its that time of year again, soccer season, and this year Casey is alot less shy about asking to be in goal, about talking to the coaches, and about trying to get a chance to kick the ball in a league of 3-4 year olds, there aren't a whole lot of assists if you catch my drift---there are a a small handful of ball hogs who take it down the entire field and score. Everytime. Casey is not one of them. But he is also not one of the ones who cries or rolls around in the dirt or wanders off the field. So for this we are proud. Plus just having the miniture cleats and shin guards around the home is too adorable! There are a few games left in the season, and we will miss it. It seems like it just started! He will be on this team next fall and spring, too, because it is 3 and 4 year olds and he is only 3 1/2. I hope these coaches are for keeps, they are beyond cool. GO CASEY!

A comparitive Analysis by Greta

Sam (CUTE)
Sauron (NOT cute) (IT'S ONLY HIS EYE)
Ron Weasley (CUTE)

Harry Potter (CUTE)
Aragon (OLD)
Fred & George (Funny YET cute)
Legalos (MY BOYFRIEND 4 LIFE)
Merry & Pippin (My OTHER Bfs Don't tell Legalos)
Dobby (Pain Train)
Albus Dumbledore (a little too old)
Frodo Baggins (CUTEST)

Golem/Smeagle (Mama hates him!)

Gandalf the Grey (Super cool and not as old as Dumbledore)

Hello there! It's me Greta! =)

I have just finished the Lord of the Rings movies, and am a BIG Harry Potter fan.

These Movies are rated PG-PG13 and are QUITE SCARY.

I have noticed some similarities while watching these films.

The pictures above will help you understand this blog.

I first realized Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins have things in common:

They both were put to an enormus task to save a Fantasy world from destruction.

The creatues creating this destruction is either Lord Voldemort, (Harry) or Sauron. (Frodo)

Both of which are Dark Lords.

I also realized that two VERY old characters in these films (Gandalf and Dumbledore) Play the same part. They tell Harry/Frodo about their task.

The characters Sirius Black and Aragon, are the same because they both are innocent men who were considered "Bad Guys". The characters Sam and Ron, are friends of Harry/Frodo and help them finish their tasks. Fred and George, and Merry and Pippin, are also friends of Harry/Frodo. And they are also both twins.

Dobby and Golem, are alike because they are both creatures that look weird, wear very little clothes, and call EVERYBODY, Master or Sir.

And Legolos? Well lets just say he's... well... MY FAVORITE CHARACTER OUT OF ALL OF THEM!!! He dosen't have any similarities, but he's an Elvish Bowman.

(Which means he never misses. Why you ask? Well if you had an unlimited life you would have all the time you wanted to practice!)

Well there you have it folks one blog.

If you want to ask me anything contact me at:

Seaworld97@gmail.com

And Thank You!

bye bye random crafts

I am pretty much getting to the point where doing "crafts" is no longer enjoyable. The main room of our house looks like this :

and after 30 minutes of vaguely fun play, I am left with all these popsicle butterflies to store somewhere, and then to feel guilty about tossing away!

We need to take all this mess and energy and do something much more meaningful, and what keeps coming up for me is cooking and baking and possibly indoor gardening. After all, if we are going to completely obliteate our dining room everymorning, why not get some bread or some seedlings out of the deal?

Tell me what you think!

cool blog

A great blog I stumbled upon, from a mother of seven
http://inthetrenchesofmotherhood.com/

Campfire Scouts

Circle time fun

Mickey running full blast
Good ole' Charlie the honorary scout

Days

Today we are havin a family come over that we met from campfire scouts---they have a 11 year old girl, a 7 year old boy and a 2 1/2 year old girl. We are so excited! The kids all love each other and I love the Mom! I was wondering what she might think of my bkue hair, since I had been away from scouts for 2 months, and when I saw her Friday she had dark purple hair!!!! What a good omen. :)

This might break me out of my strange unwanted 'rut' of not ever having over any daytime visitors. I hpoe we have a nice time. The backyard is all up and fun with sandbox and water balloons, and the house is tidy. I wish we had more exciting and delicious snacks to offer, but hey, we have kool aid and popcorn and I think most people like that.

They will be here in a half hour! Yippee!

This is the week that Dada works late Monday, which is my favorite of the 3 choices (he works on a three-week rotating schedule.) By the time the pals leave, we can do spaghetti at 5:30, baths at 6:30, and off to beddy bye at 8! See how easy?

I love Monday. Never thought I'd be one of those people.

Monday: Happy tidy organized times everything is darling and working right
Tuesday: Usually ok, Dada only works til 5
Wednesday: Can be sort of bad, losing grip a little, soccer practice 6pm "breaks up"/ruins the evening routine
Thursday: bad and long, sometimes Girl Scouts but thats over for the summer
Friday: Campfire scouts in the morning, really hectic and long day, can't wait to see Dada, maybe party out and stay up late though
Saturday: Busy, fun, Soccer games a.m., Farmer's market, grocery shop, perhaps have grown ups over, try to tackle laundry more

Sunday: get ready for week more, make plans, can be stressful or fun.