tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121702982011-12-27T01:31:05.598-08:00<br>tackling life's puzzles &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><br> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; one piece at a time.<br>purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.comBlogger12491100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-18365113474501705062011-07-09T10:54:00.000-07:002011-07-09T13:44:02.411-07:00

I am from the teakettle simmering on the back of the stove, from homemade Butterfinger ice cream, and tea parties with Holly Hobbie and Raggedy Ann.I am from the brown two-story house my father built, wrapped in a broad porch and shadowed by the hill, with frogs croaking at night and Ramblin' Creek bubbling and laughing below.I am from blackberry vines, wild roses, evergreen trees; tall grass,

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-31634527308165179742011-07-08T11:24:00.000-07:002011-07-09T00:09:24.301-07:00

In my last post, I invited requests for topics to cover as I (hopefully) start blogging regularly again. Liz requested an update on our family's food issues. I'm going to broaden it a bit to make it more of a general health update. :)Warning: This may be a long, boring post.#####################In a nutshell, we're all doing pretty well. Ebee is doing great, and seems to have completely grown out

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-11281950978694137282011-07-07T17:32:00.000-07:002011-07-07T17:44:14.397-07:00

I haven't blogged much recently. Part of that is because my energy levels and mental liveliness have been so low lately. I have come to the blog numerous times only to open a new post, stare blankly at the screen wondering what to write about, and then decide I'm too tired and give up. Another part has been that it often seems redundant. I have a Facebook account now, and post status updates and

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-85308872298266741932011-07-05T00:40:00.001-07:002011-07-05T01:45:29.777-07:00

I've felt better the last few days than I've felt in weeks (maybe months). Had a fabulous, memorable day with the girls today. I'm praying that I didn't overdo it too much and won't end up in Post Exertional Malaise tomorrow. Meanwhile, DH is absolutely miserable with the flu (respiratory/aches/fever version). Poor guy. I hope he feels better soon!Here's what the girls and I did today:We rested

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-86428339527637695442011-06-25T21:12:00.001-07:002011-06-25T21:56:16.046-07:00

There is currently a bill on the books in California that could have a huge impact on farmers and breeders of any animal in California, and could potentially impact the availability of meat also. It would criminalize any sale or transfer (including giving away or exchanging transport) of most animals on public property or in any public place (including at rabbit shows, transfer of animals in

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-23729103341124455292011-03-24T12:37:00.001-07:002011-07-06T21:52:24.502-07:00

We are really enjoying our Dressing Your Truth trials. We bought several copies of the $1 trial so that we'd have the information for all 4 types since we have all four in our family.I thought I'd share some of the things that have been helpful for us in deciding between one type or another, in case you're taking the course and having trouble deciding.###################################### 3 and

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-86487120527624675052011-03-21T11:32:00.000-07:002011-07-06T21:51:54.959-07:00

Today is the last day to sign up for the Dressing Your Truth special promotion to get full access to the Dressing Your Truth course to try it out for 5 days for only $1.00So far I've watched the Energy Profiling Class and am just starting into the actual Dressing Your Truth class, but what I've learned and gleaned already is already well worth more than $1.The Energy Profiling stuff does have

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-58907284325387659272011-02-13T15:36:00.000-08:002011-02-13T20:05:44.153-08:00

One thing the Lord has been teaching me in parenting is to focus on what the child needs to learn--what I do want them to do--and how to help them get there and develop the tools they need to successfully do that. This is a whole different mindset than focusing on what I don't want them to do and punishing them with the primary goal of making them feel bad or simply stopping the behavior in the

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-59132632019607510902011-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:002011-02-10T13:01:54.516-08:00

I accidentally discovered a great tool for indicating to the kids that they've forgotten to use their inside voices. I bought a "key finder" that beeps when you whistle.It never did make it onto my keyring. We discovered quickly that a high-pitched loud child's voice will set it off. So now it lives in the family room.It's great because it's completely non-judgmental, impartial, and it turns

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-903738000218495642010-12-24T00:54:00.000-08:002010-12-24T00:56:50.623-08:00

This chart detailing the nutritional content of different mammals' milk is fascinating. I wonder what kangaroo or polar bear milk tastes like, and how they harvested it for testing.http://classes.ansci.illinois.edu/ansc438/milkcompsynth/milkcomp_table.html

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-69544132061875463732010-12-20T11:47:00.000-08:002010-12-20T11:50:24.588-08:00

The kids have been making a game out of guessing what they are getting for Christmas. They keep trying to catch someone off guard to get one of us to tell them what we're giving them for Christmas.Some of their answers to the question get pretty cute and creative:"I got you a baby bottle for Christmas.""Oh, I would LOVE that! I got you a banana peel to put between your toes."

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-82653028018966164292010-11-15T15:46:00.000-08:002010-11-15T16:03:22.721-08:00

We recently purchased a Kindle for our family, and are very much enjoying it. I just started reading How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennet (available free from Project Gutenberg).I love this quote, "The chief beauty about the constant supply of time is that you cannot waste it in advance. The next year, the next day, the next hour are lying ready for you, as perfect, as unspoilt, as if

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-90684626461978944022010-11-04T10:06:00.000-07:002010-11-04T17:02:35.685-07:00

DH was tucking M&M in the other night before bed, and M&M said something about being really annoyed with her stuffy nose. DH sympathetically said something like, "Oh, yeah, stuffy noses are the worst."He finished praying with M&M and then went across the room to Ebee's bed. She had been lying there quietly, but looked up at him with a confused frown."Daddy, isn't leukemia worse than snuffles?""

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-83469539647807699322010-10-29T09:14:00.000-07:002010-10-29T09:17:15.683-07:00

AJ just came to me with a very sad demeanor and said, "I never even got to see a passenger pigeon. Did you ever get to see one, Mom? The last one died in a zoo just as World War I began. Now they're extinct. Did you get to see a passenger pigeon, Mom? Did you see World War I?"

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-72622455987061252872010-10-18T11:44:00.000-07:002010-10-18T11:59:54.820-07:00

AJ (age 9) announced that she read a book on financial management and has decided to divide her money into thirds: one to give away, one to save, and one to use. DH and I told her that was a great idea. Of course, the grand total she has to divide up at the moment is something like 27 cents. That's because a few weeks ago she decided to give all her money (including the $25+ she earned in

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-22089959827078551862010-10-04T20:48:00.000-07:002010-10-04T21:19:42.501-07:00

I've had quite a few people ask me what we eat, since I avoid excitotoxins and we don't eat much in the way of dairy products, gluten or processed foods. I've recently started posting again on my food blog, Restricted Gourmet. When I can remember to pay attention to how much of what ingredients I put into what I cook, I like to post the recipes that turn out well on the blog where I can find them

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-6888367919343214832010-10-02T21:00:00.000-07:002010-10-02T21:35:33.141-07:00

Ebee was trying to convince me that she's old enough (at age 5) to stay home by herself. I said, "You're not old enough to stay home by yourself yet. What would you do if there was an emergency?""I'd call 9-1-1," she said."But what if you needed help fast, before 9-1-1 could get here?""I'd run out of the house and go to a friend's house.""What if there was a fire?""I'd stop, drop and roll.""And

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-11433342899201390622010-10-02T20:39:00.001-07:002010-10-02T20:47:07.241-07:00

AJ said tonight, "You know, Mom . . . it's hard to believe, but when I have kids and tell them the story of my childhood, they'll probably say, 'Wow, that's really old-fashioned!'"She continued, "Because technology is advancing so fast, and National Geographic for Kids talks about things like Eagle Cars. We may even have things like hover-cars by the year 2020."

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-83360908184149854272010-09-30T23:04:00.001-07:002010-09-30T23:08:33.347-07:00

I've been really struggling with health issues and pain/energy levels again over the last several months, so we're looking at where we need to make changes and cut back to keep things more manageable and allow me to pace myself better. We're also hoping to sell our home and move soon, hopefully to a place with acreage where we'll have more room to breathe.The conversation with AJ was actually one

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-60956771717508086752010-09-30T22:21:00.001-07:002010-09-30T23:09:42.686-07:00

As I was tucking AJ into bed tonight, I talked to her about whether she would want to do a meat rabbit pen for 4-H this year. I explained that she would have to choose a doe, raise a litter, feed and keep records on them carefully, and then sell them at the 4-H auction. We would let her spend a little of whatever money they brought in, but she should put the rest into a savings account."You can

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-83911694016112932062010-09-30T18:30:00.000-07:002010-09-30T18:42:49.931-07:00

Hearing AJ rhapodize enthusiastically about the beauty of pi. She is definitely her father's daughter. Seeing M&M delight in learning to do a bridge kickover (a gymnastics move). Knowing Ebee absolutely LOVES her new combination ballet/gymnastics class (even though I could do without having her ask every 10 minutes all week long if it's time to go to her class again yet). Seeing AJ settle back

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-90284761215656824472010-09-29T20:17:00.000-07:002010-09-29T20:19:43.205-07:00

but it wasn't quite what I meant.M&M: "Mom, do I have to eat ALL my chicken to get dessert?"Me: "At least half of it."Ebee: "I'll eat your chicken for you, M&M!"

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-5655190208981932752010-09-27T19:34:00.000-07:002010-09-27T19:35:49.719-07:00

Ebee, practicing her handwriting with a pen on a piece of lined paper, just asked me,"Does this paper have a password?"

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-82845930980500857462010-09-10T20:33:00.000-07:002010-09-10T20:35:27.642-07:00

Ebee: "Will you help me brush my teeth?"Me: "Okay, but go to the bathroom first, and then I'll help you."Ebee: "But my gums might fall out while I'm going to the bathroom if I don't brush my teeth first!"

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-24473181737980751832010-08-18T11:20:00.000-07:002010-08-18T12:36:31.052-07:00

I was really glad this morning that I had just finished reading the Sanford book and was armed with great ideas to make problems caused by the kids' behavior be their problem and not my problem. :)M&M loves gymnastics and is very good at it, and constantly practices at home. The problem is that she doesn't always look before she leaps. She knows that she *should* look around to make sure nobody

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-28370165641227530152010-08-17T20:50:00.000-07:002010-08-18T11:58:23.553-07:00

I am reading a book by Tom L. Sanford called, "If Parenting is a Three-Ring Circus, How Come I'm Not the Ringmaster?: Creative Ways to Raise Great Kids!"I liked this quote from the beginning of Chapter Six: Discipline vs. Punishment:Punishment is the emotional response to another's behavior that has less to do with their actions and more to do with the release of your emotional energy.Punishment

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-75883706859711102372010-08-02T12:56:00.000-07:002010-08-02T13:15:11.745-07:00

I guess I never posted on the blog that NLASS got engaged and then moved out a few months ago to be with her fiance's family. We're still adjusting to that change, but we're managing.My health is still greatly improved as long as I completely avoid excitotoxins in my diet, although I still have to pace myself and be careful not to overdo it. We still have our dog, Mira, although I seldom need her

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-27076679370540444082010-08-02T12:31:00.000-07:002010-08-02T12:36:17.262-07:00

Ebee came into my bedroom this morning, climbed into my lap for a snuggle, and said, "Mom, I'm going to be FIVE tomorrow!""Yes, you are," I said. "I can hardly believe it. Five is too old. I think you should stay four."She shook her head. "Mom, I'm not going to stay four. I have to grow up.""I know. But will you still be my little girl--my baby?"She smiled up at me and hugged me more tightly.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-48379643335442381102010-07-27T10:25:00.000-07:002011-01-11T11:34:17.921-08:00

Today I'm using a variation on an idea in a book I'm reading, If I'm Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where'd I Leave the Baby: Help for the Highly Distractable Mom by Carol Barnier (fabulous book so far--I keep feeling as though it was written specifically for me and the way my brain works).I've been giving the kids a sign language "letter" to hold in their hands to remind them what I asked them

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-76351165569928198532010-07-19T20:29:00.000-07:002010-07-19T20:31:42.537-07:00

DH was sorting laundry and asked Ebee if she wanted to help."You can go through the socks and help find the matches," he said."If we find matches, we're NOT supposed to play with them," Ebee said. "We should take them right away and give them to a grown-up."

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-56814836190415831102010-06-21T11:56:00.000-07:002010-06-22T01:52:16.178-07:00

I should clarify that I didn't mean in my last post that it was never appropriate to give a child consequences for something like not staying in bed, even if their motives are not bad. I definitely think consequences can be useful, depending on the situation.A carefully-selected consequence may even help to deal with a root issue. For instance, children who can't be quiet sharing a room

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-43630611227776110132010-06-14T15:08:00.000-07:002010-06-21T12:43:41.113-07:00

A friend of mine posted a question for discussion about how to handle it when kids have bad attitudes. I have enjoyed reading the various perspectives, and learning from them.Here's mine:Personally, I think we can get into dangerous ground when we start judging our children's hearts and attitudes.#################### Only God can judge the heart, and it is very easy to misinterpret someone else's

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-85403084216777171672010-02-11T23:08:00.000-08:002010-02-11T23:26:44.391-08:00

Mira has made a lot of progress in the year and a half I've had her, but it has become clear that we will probably never be able to count on her being 100% unflappable and appropriate in every situation. She just has not been able to completely get past the consequences of having lived in an abusive household before we got her, and having been trained as a guard dog previously. Although she is no

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-48535371397946113682010-01-12T19:40:00.000-08:002011-02-25T02:08:40.002-08:00

I really shouldn't write posts after my brain has gone to bed for the night, even if I think I got a bit of a second wind. :) I realized that my post of yesterday probably made it sound like lots of toilet accidents are normal up until age 9 or 10, and that's not the case. It's also not necessarily true that all kids will have regressions.Certainly it's possible for kids to be reliably potty

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-51407811556129777942010-01-11T21:44:00.000-08:002010-01-12T18:03:41.570-08:00

I just wrote a reply to someone on Facebook who was asking about their child regressing and having potty accidents. Since I have quite a few first-time parents in my circle who are going through this stage, I thought I'd expand it a bit and post it here in case it was helpful for someone.My older post on Potty Training 101 covers the basics of potty training and beginning toilet training, but

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-70972567783671697092010-01-11T13:22:00.000-08:002010-01-11T13:27:39.025-08:00

I'm currently learning how to knit socks. The project may have been a bit ambitious for my first attempt at knitting something more complicated than a dishcloth, and my first attempt at knitting anything other than a gauge swatch in probably at least ten years. But I do love a challenge. And learning to knit in the round on multiple double-pointed needles was certainly not boring.Trying to figure

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-79432690785216842632010-01-01T18:55:00.001-08:002010-01-01T21:29:22.617-08:00

Last night AJ (age 8) said, "I was thinking of running away to join the gypsies. But there where 'do whatever you want to do, and don't do anything you don't want to do' was the rule, I would just want to run straight home again. I've been thinking about it, and it's actually pretty nice having a mom and a dad. But I would certainly pack some magic tricks and a gypsy outfit to carry back with me.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-43015771770333111112010-01-01T14:35:00.000-08:002010-01-01T16:47:43.074-08:00

There's much to be thankful for from 2009.Things like God, family, and friends of course go at the top of the list. We are so blessed in those areas. Spending a lot of time with family and friends over the last few weeks has made us realize again how much we enjoy being with our extended families and friends.Of course, being married to the most amazing man on the planet does give me a lot to be

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-90776471978141673692009-12-22T12:46:00.000-08:002009-12-22T13:07:13.834-08:00

I got the perfect birthday present today . . . 9 baby mini satins. The mother is siamese and the father is white, so the dark ones will likely be chinchilla or self-chin black. Most of the light ones have dark eyes, so they'll hopefully be siamese, although they could also end up being ermine (a.k.a. ghost chinchilla)--white with dark eyes and a bit of grey ticking. Looks like at least 1 regular

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-56888389182833769752009-12-19T12:50:00.000-08:002009-12-19T15:27:50.801-08:00

Warning: Long post ahead.We are doing really well here. Busy, yet not really all that busy. It's a happy, productive, relaxed, at-home busy, mostly. Yes, there have been the dental appointments, lessons, etc. We're enjoying the Christmas parties, church activities and time with friends and family. But a few of the regular activities (homeschool co-op, AWANA) are suspended for the holidays. We had

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-62812959677020017532009-12-02T10:17:00.000-08:002009-12-02T10:37:59.721-08:00

We're using the free American history curriculum (Year 1) from guesthollow.com for our core this year in our homeschooling. The girls and I are really loving it. Even if you're not homeschooling, I highly recommend this resource if your kids are studying U.S. History. There are lots of recommended books, as well as links to online resources such as copyright-expired books, crafts, printouts and

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-64376194434129691582009-11-04T11:53:00.000-08:002009-11-04T14:09:48.343-08:00

A couple of nights ago, DH was putting the kids to bed and AJ asked him if nail polish was poisonous, why people made it and put it on their fingernails. She showed him in the poison safety coloring book she got from the fire station that nail polish was one of the things listed as a "poison."She hasn't been believing our reassurances based on our own authority, so instead of reassuring her

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-9509756986661197052009-11-02T10:15:00.000-08:002009-11-02T10:29:46.930-08:00

Before this poison kick, AJ was worried about germs (interspersed with other things like being concerned about people mispronouncing or using the wrong words or putting the pens away wrong, of course). We tried lots of different things, but finally DH came up with a strategy that seemed to be pretty effective. He came up with three "rules" for AJ to use to determine for herself if she needed to

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-69550538299292256272009-11-02T09:21:00.000-08:002009-11-02T10:34:09.128-08:00

M&M and Ebee are getting pretty good at trying to think of ways to distract and cheer up AJ when her brain is stuck. It doesn't necessarily work, but it's sweet to see them try.This morning AJ was worried that something green on a bowl in the dishwasher was poison, and when accusing me of not believing her or caring about her when I didn't buy into it didn't work, she switched to crying about how

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-53453118162587190812009-10-31T20:14:00.000-07:002009-11-01T00:39:34.405-07:00

I let the kids wear costumes to hand out candy to the neighbor kids tonight. They all looked so cute.Ebee thinks she's found the ultimate logical reason for why she should eat all candy NOW: "But if I don't eat it, it will melt."AJ's obsession of the month is poison. Probably stemming from a combination of a Fire Department Open House (which included a presentation and coloring book from poison

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-47891478614475042372009-10-31T10:34:00.000-07:002009-11-01T00:23:42.678-07:00

DH is traveling right now, visiting his Alma Mater. It's a big anniversary celebration, and since DH's Great-great (?) grandfather founded the college and their family has remained quite involved with it, as many as possible of the family went out for the event. DH's mom and several of his siblings, nieces and nephews are all there.They have been having a great time, except that yesterday DH's

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-77225615688892591692009-10-22T08:38:00.000-07:002009-10-22T08:42:08.620-07:00

Our beans and rice project went well. Our goal had been to raise enough money for one well, which with a matching grant would dig two wells in Nicaragua. Instead, we were able to raise enough money for 4 wells, which with the matching grant will be 8! Praise the Lord!We learned a lot during the week about how people in poverty live, about the people group we're helping with the wells, and about

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-64944651887139881582009-09-30T14:27:00.000-07:002009-09-30T14:51:20.097-07:00

This week, we're eating beans, rice and water. All week long, for every meal. It's a project our church is doing together as part of our current sermon and activity series. We've been having a lot of messages about loving God and others, and passages like the Good Samaritan. Last week we heard a message about the passage where Jesus said that when we give a cup of cold water or help someone in

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-68670941821131863692009-09-23T00:01:00.000-07:002009-09-22T20:49:46.996-07:00

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-8675070665657245912009-09-22T20:45:00.000-07:002009-09-22T21:04:36.118-07:00

Ebee and M&M just made up a new bedtime game. Ebee is a princess and M&M is her servant. So M&M helps Ebee get ready for bed and waits on her hand and foot, while Ebee lies in bed and tells M&M what do to. They're both having a blast.It seems a little backwards, though . . . doesn't this game usually happen when the older child talks the little brother or sister into pretending to be the servant

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-22353810560944881292009-09-19T11:34:00.000-07:002009-09-19T11:36:35.645-07:00

M&M has become very interested in and diligent with keeping up her blog the last few days. I thought I'd repost her most recent posts here for those who don't read over at the other blog but might enjoy these.• Sep. 18, 2009What AWANA IsAwana is a Bible club. OK, first is council time. Next you play games. Next you say verses. Sometimes we color before verses. Then we sing. The last thing we do

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-33567234146076765192009-09-16T22:30:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:00:39.641-07:00

Two deaths I learned of this week leave me great sadness tonight.My friend J and her dog J were such a blessing in my life and Mira's this past year. They trained with us, dogsat Mira, and J and I spent much time talking on e-mail and the telephone. She was such a loving, caring, gentle and giving person. She was a precious friend to me. I know she is with her beloved Lord Jesus, but I miss her

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-74227606180419049942009-09-14T21:17:00.000-07:002009-09-15T00:06:00.988-07:00

AJ got her splint off today. It seems to be healing well. Things have been busy with starting the school year. We're enjoying it, but still working on getting into the swing of things. My goal for this week is to start getting to bed earlier so that I will hopefully have more energy.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-39506787270187369402009-08-27T11:56:00.000-07:002009-08-27T12:15:10.869-07:00

AJ cracked a bone in her upper wrist a little over a week ago, falling off a log at a friend's house. Not a bad break, but enough of a tiny buckle in the bone that the doctor wanted her to wear a splint for the next 4 weeks to protect it while it was healing.AJ's wrist is feeling OK, but she has been refusing to use her right arm or hand at all. Finally, last night after she had a complete

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-27411070110131221932009-08-26T10:27:00.000-07:002009-08-26T10:33:20.131-07:00

Mom: "Why are all the chairs and things clustered over on this side of the family room?"AJ: "Well, we were gonna push Dad off the couch a couple of days ago. So we moved everything hard out of the way. We didn't want to kill Dad or anything."-------------------------Ebee, in the car: "I don't hate the grinch! Cindy Lou Who said, 'I don't hate the grinch!'"AJ: "She said, 'I nominate the grinch,'

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-24423961369890667552009-08-14T09:42:00.001-07:002009-08-14T09:56:19.168-07:00

Well, I do still have at least one reader left despite my rare and sporadic postings. Thank you, dear Liz, for the prompt.Hopefully now that the summer is almost over, I'll be able to start posting a bit more now that we'll be getting back into a regular routine. Our summer has been quite full, with swimming lessons, family gatherings, continued work on decluttering, shopping for curriculum and

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-44700674692140636372009-08-02T09:52:00.000-07:002009-09-22T20:54:22.315-07:00

AJ has been struggling with not seeing the need to learn math, and therefore not wanting to do math. So we've been looking for creative ways to teach math facts to her. One of the resources we've found is so unusual and great that it deserves special mention: an unusually well-made RPG adventure math game called Timez Attack. I'm so impressed by this program that I signed up for their affiliate

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-49432311114599420832009-07-09T22:19:00.000-07:002009-07-09T22:21:39.957-07:00

"Will my teacher speak English?" Ebee wondered on her way to her first swimming lesson."I hope he doesn't speak English, because I don't know very much English. All I know how to say in English is gracias and adios."

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-62095175285626396052009-07-03T11:35:00.000-07:002009-07-03T13:10:41.840-07:00

[Cross-posted on Embracing the Risk]This article has some interesting food for thought. I remember hearing, quite some time ago, that the best way to teach children to allow others to go first is not by forcing them to let everyone else go first all the time, but by seeing others model the "after you" attitude. I think of our family gatherings . . . The youngest children are almost always served

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-25949587439567249952009-07-02T17:26:00.000-07:002009-07-03T13:16:07.151-07:00

It's been a very busy few weeks. First, SIL The Mentor and her husband, Science Teacher BIL, and Sweet and Energetic SIL came and spent 4 days helping us do a "total home makeover"--decluttering, organizing, moving furniture, and even doing some painting and redecorating.Then FIL passed away. All 12 of his children were able to come into town, from as far as Africa and the Middle East. We had a

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-32497522880753001092009-06-19T01:38:00.000-07:002009-06-19T01:42:21.135-07:00

DH's father, Dr. Bible Professor/Pastor, went to be with his beloved Lord tonight. Please keep the family, and especially DH's mom in your prayers. FIL leaves behind a legacy of 12 living children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who love the Lord, and goes to join two of his children and several grandchildren already in Heaven.We will miss him, but we know we'll see him again some

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-45485116382291435232009-06-04T12:53:00.000-07:002009-06-04T12:56:02.338-07:00

I've had the flu for 9 days now. The body aches/headache/fever/cough version. Influenza, the real thing. I haven't taken my temperature yet today, but it's just possible this could be my first day without a fever. I did go to the same-day clinic yesterday. The doctor said that my chest and lungs sound fine, but the cough could last for another 2-3 weeks or more.At least I'll be immune to this

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-59248439513562619302009-05-20T15:01:00.000-07:002009-05-21T00:51:51.349-07:00

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-2737441348956596402009-05-15T10:15:00.000-07:002009-05-15T11:20:46.092-07:00

M&M is doing her last Singapore math lesson for the school year! She's very excited that she's about to finish her book. AJ has quite a ways to go in hers, but I may not have her finish it because she has been so insanely frustrated with it lately. We borrowed Ray's Arithmetic from my mom, and both kids are really enjoying the all-verbal/hands-on approach it takes in the younger grades. I think

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-16795696143029122042009-04-29T01:32:00.001-07:002009-04-29T01:54:32.854-07:00

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-72105264180741369522009-04-27T11:20:00.000-07:002009-04-27T11:24:29.666-07:00

"But, Mom, this dress looks GOOD dirty!". . . and a few minutes later . . . "I flushed the toilet with my elbow. So now I don't have to wash my hands!"

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-90785851430218996342009-04-03T01:19:00.000-07:002009-04-03T01:59:47.287-07:00

I thought you all might enjoy this fun picture of Mira and Gingersnap. Aren't they cute together? I took some photos of baby bunnies this week, and will hopefully get a chance to post some soon. We've sent to pet homes some of the satin babies that weren't show-quality but had great personalities, sent to freezer camp a few that had health or temperament issues, and are looking for homes for a

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-74854624007155016272009-03-25T11:27:00.000-07:002009-03-25T18:46:17.890-07:00

I'm writing this post from a conference room in Excellent Teaching/Research Hospital. For the past 6 weeks I've been involved in a dietary study for people with fibromyalgia and IBS.For 4 weeks I had to completely avoid MSG, glutamates, and all other excitotoxins. Then last week and this week I came in on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for the challenge. Each day I drink a glass of juice and then

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-33475750570731038542009-03-14T00:25:00.000-07:002009-03-14T00:43:06.111-07:00

Last week's rabbit show was a lot of fun, except that I didn't realize it was going to be in an open horse arena and the girls and I didn't dress for being semi-outdoors in the snow and wind. Having the college student live with us is going pretty well. It helps that we like each other and get along well. :) The kids really like her, too. She has been helping quite a bit with meal preparation and

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-60672232209545495862009-03-01T23:31:00.000-08:002009-03-01T23:41:41.888-08:00

We're still sick here, so we ended up canceling our normal weekend activities. I fully intended to get up and get some things done around the house today, but I ended up just going back to bed and staying there most of the day. I don't like being sick, but I'm very thankful when it happens on the weekend and DH is able to let me rest. He was feeling better today and I let him sleep all afternoon

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-49479345776170764932009-02-26T00:16:00.000-08:002009-02-26T00:32:01.292-08:00

Apparently I haven't been doing very well at keeping up with my blog lately. I've been really busy with homeschooling, parenting, housework, birthday parties and family/church gatherings, the dog, and the rabbits. Oh, and Facebook. I do update that slightly more often.We had an opportunity to get a small group of pedigreed Satin rabbits from a show breeder who was quitting, so we now have Satin

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-88088674054001923722009-02-04T20:47:00.000-08:002009-02-04T22:56:54.223-08:00

(If you know me IRL, the photos that show our faces clearly are up on my Facebook album.)

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-24594368187816857312009-02-03T21:29:00.000-08:002009-02-04T01:10:27.044-08:00

Things have been really crazy the last few weeks with the wedding and everything. Dr. A's wedding was beautiful and fun, and everything went great. Now we're just trying to recover and get back into our routine.More updates below the fold . . . #########################I have been feeling quite a bit better the last few weeks. I was only down for 2 or 3 days after the wedding instead of being

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-84995124416400292462009-01-07T10:49:00.000-08:002009-01-07T11:05:23.854-08:00

I stole this from Wendy. I'm not going to tag anyone, but feel free to do it if you want to.Items 11, 54, 64, and 65 were missing, so I searched around and found a few different versions of them. I used the ones here. Just for the record, I'm absolutely amazed at how many bloggers copied and pasted the list and answered the survey without realizing there were only 96 statements instead of 100. :)

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-85723832524531883602009-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:002009-01-06T13:59:38.189-08:00

I set the timer for 10 minutes and told AJ that if she finished her last 2 math problems before it went off, she could have the remaining time to play. (She's been often taking 15 minutes to do one problem the last few days.)She spent her extra 8 minutes of play time making this:It says, "Math can be fun, if you do it fast!"I also taught the girls how to use the washing machine and dryer today.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-5471458581987210512009-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:002009-01-06T13:19:44.561-08:00

I was standing over AJ's desk, talking her through her math in bright cheery tones, trying to get her to do it quickly instead of dragging over it. "Come on, quick! What's 10 - 6? See how fast you can do it. Great! Now the next column. How fast can you carry the 1 and figure out the tens?" Suddenly she moaned, "But, Mo-ooom! You're making it sound FUN!" Her tone was one of accusation."Is that a

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-77476420239084157842009-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:002009-01-01T21:09:17.045-08:00

It's been a very interesting few weeks. We had a snow and ice storm that pretty much kept us home except for emergencies. DH and the kids made a delicious double chocolate cake on my birthday, and my family sent flowers. For Christmas, I made matching nightgowns for the girls and their dolls. After an initial tantrum from Ebee saying that she "hated" her nightgown and was "scared of it because it

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-21341524077514588552008-12-17T21:16:00.000-08:002009-01-03T22:53:24.650-08:00

Things are still going well here. I still have pain and fatigue, but it has been better the last few days. The head and neck pain is finally quite a bit better--the doctor said it was just a really persistent muscle spasm.Our friend and home helper is still coming, and is still being a huge help. Over the last few days we've gotten a little Christmas shopping done and stocked up on groceries for

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-57221882846344183382008-12-12T14:03:00.000-08:002008-12-12T14:03:01.027-08:00

Today I'm going in to the doctor to get my neck/head pain checked out. I've had a really localized pain in the back of my head between my skull and neck for about a month now, and it's getting worse. Getting my eyes and teeth checked and prescriptions updated, etc. didn't seem to help, so I'm going to have them check and make sure it's not something like a disk problem in my neck or something

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-66314990860561944412008-12-12T11:35:00.000-08:002008-12-12T11:50:28.509-08:00

Last night, I mentioned to DH that I had recently told a friend that I can only think of one time he has ever yelled at me."One time in ten years. That's pretty amazing," I said.He smiled. "Well, at least it's the only time I yelled at you out loud.""As opposed to yelling at me silently in your head--or in one of your heated shower conversations with yourself," I chuckled.I thought for a moment.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-63353344452971107492008-12-10T19:29:00.000-08:002008-12-10T19:31:07.912-08:00

10 points to anyone who can accurately guess what eBee was talking about just now when she said,"Mom, I was trying to det a drink of water dust now, and the water dust went right out of the sink! Even it pretended to be FIRE!"

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-42346942869081464022008-12-05T22:00:00.000-08:002008-12-05T22:06:01.209-08:00

DH and I were catching up on some grading tonight, and he came across this one in AJ's Bible workbook (it was in a discussion of the story of Abraham and Isaac in Gen. 21):"Your Sunday school teacher wants you to be in a program. You are afraid to be in front of the people at church. God wants us to trust Him. What will you do?"AJ wrote:"Ask If I colud Be in the adianc."

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-20344595246104089752008-12-02T13:39:00.000-08:002008-12-02T23:22:44.218-08:00

Sue Ailsby's Training Levels Site is the best resource I've found for training a dog. Whether you are teaching your dog to work, show, compete, or just be a great family pet, working through Sue's training levels will give you an excellent foundation.Mira and I are currently working at level 2 or 3 on most tasks, with a few on level 1 or 4. The levels go up to 7. Even at this stage of training,

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-54336875675169052552008-11-23T19:32:00.000-08:002008-11-23T19:42:36.616-08:00

AJ: "I have ideas storming through my brain. [A few minutes later:] Ideas are flashing through my brain like a slide show!"M&M: "Grandpa likes basketball. Hey! Basketball is a compound word! Basket-ball. It's two words put together to make one word. That's a compound word. My ears are always listening for compound words lately. Grandpa is a compound word, too. So is Grandma. Compound words!"Me: "

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-13751171467234379942008-11-21T16:58:00.000-08:002008-11-21T17:42:26.237-08:00

My mom got her Epstein-Barr Virus titers back today, and she's immune. That means she must have had it without ever knowing it as a child, the way most people get it. (Something like 95% of the population has had it before age 35). So her doctors will allow her to spend time with me. Hooray!We're having Thanksgiving here at our house. I'm excited about that. The cleaner is coming on Wednesday and

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-23180986871210994832008-11-19T19:54:00.000-08:002008-11-19T20:39:14.779-08:00

Tomorrow I have my appointment with the fibromyalgia specialist (well, he's an internist or something like that, really, but he's supposed to be one of the best fibro doctors there is). I'm really hoping he'll be able to offer some kind of help or solutions to try. The pain, fatigue, disorientation/brain fog, etc. has been pretty bad lately.In the afternoon tomorrow, an old friend/acquaintance is

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-22196769934223803952008-11-14T21:09:00.000-08:002008-11-15T00:42:09.751-08:00

I have had to miss the last couple of weeks of the kids' homeschool co-op because of being sick (DH took them). Since today was the last day of classes, I really wanted to go. And I thought I felt well enough. But I did too much this week, and then the full effect of a flare from having dental work done yesterday didn't hit me until halfway through the morning today.############################I

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-36912049719539254982008-11-13T18:13:00.000-08:002008-11-13T19:12:41.046-08:00

Finally, after 3 and 1/2 weeks, I seem to be getting over this cold. Everyone else in the family had it too, but they were all only sick for a couple of days or so. I've actually felt like I had a bit of energy yesterday and today.I finally found a denist that I think is a good fit for me. Today he fixed several problem fillings that previous dentists had done poorly, and also some other issues.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-73173565309704432342008-11-06T16:24:00.000-08:002008-11-06T17:05:30.268-08:00

The lab called and said that, although my doctor ordered a CBC test and they drew blood for it, somehow they missed running that test. So I'll have to go in and have another blood draw whenever DH can drive me over there. The PA talked to the infectious disease specialist, who was unconcerned about my monospot being positive again 7.5 months after the first--she said it can take months to get

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-36155037280121291202008-11-04T11:34:00.000-08:002008-11-04T11:41:53.345-08:00

I've found a few pages that say the monospot test can stay positive for up to 12 months after infection in up to 30-40% of patients. Other pages say it's rare after 4 months. So, anyway, a postitive monospot alone certainly isn't enough to assume chronic EVB infection.I think it's time to stop consulting Dr. Google and just wait to see what the infectious disease specialist has to say.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-56345268401303626562008-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:002008-11-04T00:44:05.286-08:00

Don't forget to vote. Please.And I want to mention that I am voting NO on our assisted suicide bill.One big reason is that in Oregon, virtually the same bill has in some cases become more the "duty to die" law than anything about a "right to death with dignity". Some people with terminal illnesses are now getting letters from the state health plan saying that their treatment (basically any

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-10927742992375645442008-11-03T21:17:00.000-08:002008-11-03T23:32:50.211-08:00

The physician's assistant (my new doctor) that I saw last week called today. Last week I saw him for the first time. He referred me to the sleep clinic and the fibromyalgia clinic, and gave me prescpriptions for a muscle relaxant and some sleep medication to try (not at the same time) to see if they help.He also talked with me about the fibromyalgia research studies I've been invited to

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-634701367312110552008-11-02T09:07:00.000-08:002008-11-02T23:50:44.589-08:00

I have a nasty cold, complete with cough, so I stayed home from church while DH took the girls. Mira will probably be harrassing me to take her for a walk or exercise her on the treadmill soon, but for the moment the house is quiet.

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-79253569984016572142008-10-31T13:43:00.000-07:002008-10-31T13:47:06.258-07:00

Thanksgiving is coming up, and it's a big holiday around here--it's when my side of the family does a big holiday gathering complete with gifts.This week the kids and I got out the bin of Thanksgiving decorations out, and decided to have a little fun:Happy Thanksgiving and Fall, Y'all!

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-4096510187073669752008-10-29T13:16:00.000-07:002008-10-29T13:55:33.911-07:00

I couldn't resist posting a few more photos from this weekend. I love beach photos.##########################

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-54092079250808754382008-10-29T11:41:00.000-07:002008-10-29T11:45:41.678-07:00

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-40770883626521241782008-10-28T20:55:00.000-07:002008-10-29T13:54:47.669-07:00

AJ has been doing a unit this week on the writing process. She started with brainstorming ideas and writing a word web. Then she picked a few of her favorite details to include in the story, and numbered them in the order they belonged.After that we wrote a first draft, revised it, copied the new draft (including some more descriptive words she chose from the thesaurus), proofread it (including

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-91157399307531578152008-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:002008-10-28T16:46:06.282-07:00

We took a wrong turn Satuday night and ended up at the coast, so we decided to make an adventure of it. We spent a night and day at the coast, then came halfway home and stayed at Adventurous BIL and Artistic SIL's house the second night. After an afternoon exploring and playing on their acreage, we finally came home just in time to cook dinner Monday night.It was a great adventure that the kids

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-15538972349752847452008-10-22T12:11:00.000-07:002008-10-22T12:15:24.706-07:00

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12170298.post-8400182455387604832008-10-15T20:56:00.000-07:002008-10-15T21:38:47.790-07:00

purple_kangaroohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.com2