Homeschool Hilarity

The kids study history in sequential fashion and I supplement their curriculum with packets from Jackdaws. Jackdaws are replicas of original documents from a particular period in history that are organized around a particular subject. Right now J is working his way through a packet called California Gold Rush and is about the gold rush of 1848-1849. Today he asked to go outside and play, I responded by asking him, “How’s your gold mining going?” refering to his studies of the gold rush.

He replied, “My nose is clear, thank you. Now can I go outside?”

We all fell out laughing …

Pessimist?

Conversation overheard from the backseat the other day ...

"We can't wear that* out in public."

"Why not?"

"Mom said. Because she's a pessimist."

*"That" being a wrist cuff encircled with bullets. Mom can't abide it, because she's actually a pacifist and came to tears laughing in the front seat upon hearing the above exchange.

Some Days ...

Some days I can handle this parenting thing. Other days I'm a mess.

Some days I love having older children that I can talk to and reason with; engage in political, historical, economical, etc. conversation ... Other days I miss holding the little squigglers on my lap.

Some days I know how to respond to my daughter when she rejects me. Other days I want my curly sue to throw her arms around my neck again.

Some days I delight in the man my son is becoming. Other days I miss the smiling happy toddler he once was.

Some days I can handle being a mother. Other days I want to turn in my resignation.

Goalie Girl and Her Brother

Here's my girl ... playing between the pipes! This was a couple of weeks ago. But she's going to get another chance or two at a tournament in March.



Here's my boy ... loving every minute of it!

Mixed Up Memories

Grammy and Grampy (aka my parents) arrived this afternoon via the train. It was a much anticipated moment. We had to drive into DC to pick them up and that was fun ... really ... I mean it. It was. We drove past the National Christmas Tree and everything. It's from Vermont this year, so that glimpse was special too.



We arrived home to the comforting aroma of chili bubbling in the crockpot. All I needed to do was make cornbread and start rice for dinner. Which I did. It's my dad's birthday today. He's never been much for celebrating his birthday, but he gets a shy silly grin when we remember him and it's always been my job in the family to remember. I like that job. It's my princess joy.

We sat, ate, talked and laughed our way through dinner. And as we did, dinner yesterday came up. I'd made a childhood standard ... oven-fried chicken. I'd had it so often growing up, I really barely considered it above macaroni and cheese on the priority scale of entrees. But it seemed like the thing to make for dinner last night. So I did. Harumph. Ross declared it a meal fit for a king and has been whining ever since about my holding out on him for 20 years.

What. Ever. I relayed this story to my mother and she got a quizzical look on her face and said, "Did I make that before you left home?" Uh. yeah! About that time my father piped up with, "Hey, this chili is good, but I've never had it served over rice before."

This stopped me cold.

My father taught me to make chili. He taught me to use diced up stew beef or venison, depending on what is available at the time. He taught me to use a little maple syrup and other secret ingredients.

And he always. But always. Served it over rice!!

So we all fell out laughing at our mixed up memories ...

Catching Up

It's been far, far too long since I've posted anything here. Life's been far, far too busy and somehow chaotic. Not that I've actually gotten anything done, mind you. I just have a dizzy head.

Our Thanksgiving gatherings were joyous and fun. We had a grand time together and I'm finding those to be more and more filled with joy each time we have them. Here are a couple of pictures:

... And We'll All Have Excema!

The painting and cleaning continue apace.

Six days til Thanksgiving. Four days until the first arrivals begin. First my sister-in-law and her family (three daughters, one husband) next Tuesday. Then my brother-in-law and his family (daughter, son, wife and aging dog) and my mother and father-in-law on Wednesday (with RV). All will be staying in or around our house.

Sixteen people. In or around our house.

Yep.

For the last week or so I've been all itchy. At first, it seemed like poison ivy. But I don't go outside much and all the poison ivy around here is dead. And the first eruption was on my back. So ... it's not poison ivy. Then (the hypochondriac me) I thought it was my liver shutting down. Because of course everyone has liver failure in the normal course of their life. It took a day or so for me to remind myself that liver failure also includes violent vomiting and, um, yellow skin. It's not liver failure.

After much discussion with Jennifer, we've concluded it's stress-related excema. Wonderful. Not that I'm under any stress or anything.

This morning Ross was discussing the plan for the house (the remaining painting and cleaning) and how we're going to get it done without so much stress (read me ... yelling stomping and crying, or conversely sitting on the sofa losing all will to live) and with more happiness. John replied, "Well if we don't do that then we'll all have excema!"

Yeah.

And did I mention that the day after Thanksgiving every single known to me in-law is coming for a party. All 35 of them.

Deargodinheaven, what have I done?