Trip

Well, Hodge Podge's Pa is going in for some major surgery, so the Hodge Podge crew is taking a trip for a few days-even baby Bun. Hodge Podge's Friend is staying with Steve to keep him company.

Lord willing, Pa will come out of it O.K. There are many risks involved. Situations like this should make a person rise to the occasion- and it has for me. I look forward to being with my family during this time.

Even when these things are not a complete surprise, even when there may have been some handwriting on the wall, it makes a person think.

Martha and Buddy are going to be sitting in the waiting room doing some homework. They are packing their books. I think there might be limits to kids visiting, so we'll see. We should be gone a few days.

Please pray for our family. We appreciate it.

CEC

I was wrong..not Space Aliens- Chuck E. Cheese's. The kids had a blast playing all the games..it was worth $20. We totally surprised them. This isn't something that tweens like. Oh, no. They like to know what is going on, where we are going, what we are doing, etc. We survived the 45 minute drive with endless questioning. We also survived the photo booths. Some day, those photos will come back to haunt me.

Now it is back to business around here! The fun is OVER! Ya hear?

In the constant ups and downs of the battle of the bulge, I am back to fighting the bulge. I....will.....win! I wish all that was necessary was positive thinking. I am sure there is a weight loss book about the benefits of positive thinking. Unfortunately, burning calories or not taking calories in is what I need. :o) I think I will gain a little, lose a little all my life- all with the goal of not going to extremes on the gaining side. Too bad I can't get out there and just run- like Forrest Gump.

Blessings!

More to say about that

Little Bun Bun is alive and hopping. He is truly growing on us. We put down a big sheet on the floor downstairs and let him hop around and explore. He wants to go all over the basement, but he hasn't earned that freedom-yet. We are trying to litter train him and he must become better at that before hopping all over the house. He has bonded with Martha and Buddy, who spend a lot of time with him. He rubs his little nose and chin on their necks and chin..letting them know he is starting to trust them. I don't think rabbits are as expressive as dogs, but they come close. I can't believe the personality this rabbit has. So adorable!!!!

Steve and I went to a movie last night that surprised us. We went to 3:10 to Yuma- starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Both are favorites of mine. It is rated R for shoot 'em up violence. I can guarantee you that I closed my eyes during every predictable shooting scene and saw nothing. I only saw the final shooting scene- which a person can't miss. It is worth Best Picture. I can't tell you how complex, expertly done, and great this movie is. The movie is all about the relationship between the black-hat wearing bad guy (Russell Crowe) and the "white hat" good guy (Christian Bale). I don't go to Westerns. This is more than a western. The complexities involve moral dilemmas that take many twists and turns. It is bitter sweet- like all the best movies are. (the Japanese get that right!) I will be thinking about this movie for a while and wishing that there were more good ones, like this, out there.

Today is Steve's last day of "vacation". We are going to extract all the best this day can give us. I think our plan is to surprise the kids and take them to Space Aliens tonight for food and games. It is supposed to be a nice, warm fall day- perfect for family time and fun.

Enjoy your Monday!!

Little Bun Bun

I can't believe I am over a week behind on this blog. It has been very busy around here. I will try to post more frequently!! Sorry!

Tonight the kids got a new pet- a baby bunny. We have friends who have rabbits and love them. Their enthusiasm was catchy! Martha has been especially persistent about getting one. We got a very cute little gray mini Rex rabbit. It is so kind and gentle. We are going to litter box train it (it is already partially trained). It sleeps during the night and during the mid-day and loves to be held and played with in the mornings and evenings. (according to all the literature we've studied). We were choosey- we picked out a very calm and gentle one. The kids are so excited about socializing it. This is our homeschool project for this year!!!! (and 4-H project)

Steve has had a couple days off and will have Monday off as well. It is nice for him to be able to rest and relax, and to sleep in.

We have had a lot of rain over the past few days. I hope it soaks in deep and makes up for the severe loss of rain we've had all summer. Our trees are just starting to lose their green.

The kids had fun sleep overs last night. They have been blessed to meet new friends and to enjoy friends from all different areas- church, homeschooling,etc.

I will take a picture of Martha's Friend and add it to the website. I will wait a couple of days to let it get used to us before shocking it with a flash from the camera.

Good night.

Mid-week update

It is Thursday and I am happy to see it. I have a load in the washing machine, a load in the dryer, and a dry load waiting to be folded and put away on my bed. The kids are getting ready for school. What a day!

I printed off a school schedule last night and it is quite full. I am wondering if my expectations are too high. I think I will let the kids help me in determining that. I should know within a month or so, if they can meet the goals I have set.

Martha has a lot more reading. I am doing a literature course that is challenging, but very good. How many 7th graders have read Homer's Odyssey? I hope I can balance Martha-chosen books with some Mom-chosen books that will keep Martha's interest alive, but add a little more depth to her understanding of history. If I fail, I will let you know.

Buddy has been doing very well on all his work. Martha is a little jealous of it all. It is a tough reminder to have little brother always done with school earlier. I added a few chores to Buddy's work load to help off-set some issues. It will help me out, too.

I am pretty much done with next week's article. It is an emotional one for me. I go through these phases. Call it mild depression or just extreme sensitivity..who knows. It all comes out on paper. I begin each day writing and am not sure I could quit that habit. It is so helpful to me..very therapeutic, first thing in the morning. I think I wake up with a jumbled brain and after writing feel a sense of order to my chaos. There are brief moments where I wonder if I am going crazy. ***This is for future reference, in case I go crazy***

I have work to do, so I better keep this short. Hodge Podge's Friend is needing to go out. I must also say "good morning" to my birds...they are amassing at our house for the winter- it appears. MUST feed the birds...MUST feed the birds.....

:o)

Catching up on 9/11

It is a solemn day today. I remember those events from 9/11. The kids, even though they were young, saw them, too. I didn't think to protect them- they watched what I watched. Even in their young years, they responded with sadness.

We have a full week of school under our belts (almost) and are starting to fall into a rhythm. The subjects aren't quite so shocking and difficult. I've had to bend my expectations a little to create an environment predisposed to learning- and not panic.

Baby Melissa visited this weekend. We had a great time holding her. Martha was Queen for a day as she held and cared for this little Miss. We are looking forward to having her and her parents around more often- and soon!

The weather has been cool, the days have been sunny, and for brief periods all has seemed right in the world. We have gone on two trips to various parks in our area. We have identified wild flowers, grasses, trees, and mushrooms. We have seen birds heading south. It is a unique time to see the moving of one season into another. I love to celebrate these times. We often celebrate the summer to fall changes with apples in all sorts of dishes and desserts. Our trees are full of them and our chore will be to get them down. Our deer should return to help eat the rotten ones.

Recent connections with family have left me feeling sober and sentimental- all in a good way. The phrase "I remember" has been spoken often-all with love.

I hope you are enjoying your September days. What a beautiful month.

Back to School

Done! The first day of school is done. Yippee!!! My brain and body are tired. It wasn't just a shock to the kids, it was a shock to me, too. Homeschooling is tough work and I am feeling it. I have retreated to the basement to get away from questions-What is a prepositional phrase? How do you spell ____? Where is my notebook? Do we have a protractor? Can I use my calculator for some of my math problems? How much do I need to read?

It felt like an endless litany of questions. Whew! I am getting old.

We worked on math, vocabulary, literature, grammar, and creative writing. It was a full day of the core subjects. Martha started a new curriculum called "Omnibus". It is a combo of literature and history- and quite challenging. She will be studying ancient civilizations, reading through the Pentateuch, and reading Homer's Odyssey all in this first semester. We'll see- it might be a case of our eyes being bigger than our stomach.

Buddy's studies are not quite as difficult. He will find his drawing lessons the hardest, I believe. I had to practically tie him down just to get him to draw a pig standing in grass last spring.

While my students were working, I entered in all their information on my new transcripts computer program. It is always frustrating to me to figure these new things out, but I think I am getting the hang of it. Once all the curriculum information is entered, it should be a snap to make out their schedules and lesson plans. Last year I hand wrote every day out. This year, I am hoping the computer saves me some time.

Hodge Podge's friend just sat in the chair and watched all the hard work going on this mornig. He was pretty quiet- almost as if he'd remembered the routine from last year.

That is about all the energy I have to post tonight. We had a great weekend- Steve and I. We spent almost the entire weekend together -every minute. It was a great blessing. It was a nice way to end the summer. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa for watching our kids and dog!!!!!!!!!!