DENVER is a gorgeous city and some from our family are seeing it at this very moment. ::snort:: Whoo hoo - now back to the turkey and gifts for tonight's staff party.

The Girls are IN THE AIR!!!! Hoot, hoot!

What an incredibly hectic couple of days. I'll try to write more later.

Unwelcome Surprises

Poor Mike often finds unwelcome surprises when he climbs into bed. The younger ones get to watch cartoons and such while the older ones are doing school or really busy.

One time Mike climbed in and discovered HIS side of the bed was wet. Often HIS side of the bed is "crunchy"....or "gritty".....I'm not sure WHY they like to snuggle under the covers on HIS side of the bed.....

Last night we climbed into bed and discovered the most irritating grit in our bed. I was perplexed. I had MADE the bed and didn't remember kids under the covers. This morning as I prepared to wash sheets I discovered the grit looked suspiciously like cookie crumbs. We HAD baked their favorite cookies yesterday. At one point I did decree that there would be no more cookies for Zander and Stacia. They didn't fuss. I did note that the older kids seemed to be eating a lot of cookies through the afternoon. Hmmm....

This I interrogated the suspects. I told Zander and Stacia, "Yesterday you two snuck some cookies, got under Mom and Dad's sheets, and ATE them.

Zander's eyes got huge and he said, "How did you KNOW that?" ::snort::

Thirty minutes later he came up and said, "Mom, how DID you know that?" I told him that Moms have ways of knowing when their children disobey.

ONE DAY CLOSER

Yep, those girls will be here very soon.

The day got off to an industrious start. I didn't get my workout in. I was thwarted. The two younger boys begged for Dutch Babies and chocolate chip cookies.

Even with 100% whole wheat these rise nicely.

Zander was NOT happy that Stacia kept eating his cookies.

We cleaned.


We made up more mixes to give out.

I went grocery shopping.

I moved the tower of photo crates from the library to my bedroom. They are now behind my recliner.....it's tall. I draped it with a mexican blanket and then topped it with the sombero that the girls brought from Mexico. Sort of strange looking....but discreet? Well - anyway - it's the best I can do now because I have NO SPACE in this house for these albums and they can't go to the garage. ::snort::

The Big Boys went shopping.

I went to the post office. The secret is to go at 5:30 p.m. when everyone else thinks the office is closed. It IS....BUT the APC is open!!!! I'm a whiz at those machines and there is never a line. ::snort::

I mailed out two more PBS books. YES!

We read Jotham.

What I didn't do? I FORGOT TO CALL IN OUR PRODUCE ORDER! I guess I'll be up bright and early tomorrow to get that done. Tis the season.

Need a Good Laugh??

Yvonne and Lisa, SHS members, shared the link to a hilarious video about a homeschool family. Kelli later shared a bit more about the video. The father in the video is Tim Hawkins. He and his wife homeschool and have 5 children. His wife is currently fighting breast cancer.

Tim is a Christian comedian. This webiste lists funny video clips, DVD's and CD's of various song parodies that can be purchased. Even if you aren't in the market to buy, you will find the clips on the site rolling on the floor funny. At least WE did.

Our sons think "Cletus Take the Reel" is hilarious. The prayer on "Tim on Church" is sure to bring laughter around here for quite some time. He explains why some women snort in "Tim on Marriage". ::blush:: Both of these can be seen if you click the red "more videos" link on the main page. There are some samples of funny song parodies if you go to the store and click on the CD albums.

Yes, we ordered the new 2 hour DVD. If it turns out to be approrpiate and funny, I think we'll have a public viewing here on that giant screen.

Click the photo below to watch the homeschool video - note that it is FULL of stereotypes....but we fit many if not most of them. ::snort::

*As with all comedy there may be parts in the clips or DVD's that you or I will personally find objectionable....but overall he made me LAUGH HARD.

**Note (because I usually get asked) SHS stands for Support4HomeSchool and is a yahoo group that Cindy and I co-own. This group has been around for 9 years and exists to support Christian women in their ministry at home and in homeschooling. It is VERY high volume as most topics will fit into one of those categories and many of the women have known each other for several years. I'm so blessed to have watched the group grow into the ministry that Cindy and I envisioned...a way for women who may not have strong local support systems to get support! The women on this list have been part of my "stability" through many moves until I establish local friends. But it IS high volume! (and pssst....I no longer read every email, every day).

Hair Adventures!

Consider this a warning to all my local friends and family – This is ME. Green eyes, dark hair that matches eyebrows, double chin and all.

I had decided to let the highlights grow out. I went in yesterday to get my roots done, after the mammogram….there isn’t a one stop center for mammograms and hair…YET.

I’d noted my hair was getting that “elastic feel” again. I decided to accept fate and go grey. I’d just live with the yucky months as it grew out.

I grew up in the tropics. My hair was always sun-bleached. I began to think I was a blonde. I moved to AK, where there is no sun for many months, and my hair got DARK. I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror. I asked them to please give me some “sun streaks” and they did. I’ve not looked back. I forgot how dark my hair is. Mike says that this is the color my roots have always been…..I get lots of highlights in the summer.

Heather said that I could just let it grow out and have longer and longer dark with blonde at the bottom…..OR she could put an all over color on that matched my roots. The highlights would be gone. She matched it to my roots. Since I was shocked at how dark it was, once again, she went a shade lighter….and here I am.

Mammogram Follies - 2007

Yes, the fateful day arrived. After telling me that I didn’t NEED one for another year, they suddenly decided I must have one NOW – before the end of the month. I dutifully trotted in. What a ZOO! I must say that I’m questioning this whole plan of having yearly exams and mammograms in DECEMBER. It sort of detracts from the whole Christmas Spirit thing.

I won’t recount the whole experience. It was much like last year’s. Once again I DID have the little room of waiting women in sawed off robes in laughter.

One sweet little lady looked at me as they called my name and said, “You homeschool don’t you?”

I was surprised, “Yes, I do how could you tell? Is it the way I’m dressed?” ::snort::

Once again the machine was NOT set for a woman of my stature (read 5’4” on my tiptoes – which I was). It was my lucky day as I got to have the procedure done THREE times (which the room of waiting women also found hilarious). At one point the technician had 2000 lbs of steel attached to *me*, had me take a deep breath and hold it, and THEN realized she’d forgotten to put the film in…she ran around did that and said, “Now relax!” I expelled my breath, and told her I’d take a breath, get back on my flat feet, she could detach the 2000 lbs of steel, I'd put some clothes on (hard to relax when you are 1/2 naked and talking to a perfect stranger) and THEN I would be glad to relax. ::snort:: All in all – it wasn’t bad – and I enjoy cheering up the ladies in the waiting room. Though I STILL wonder how they pegged me for a homeschooler. I'm still the youngest woman in the room - and still have to explain why I get to do this every year at "my age". Maybe it seems "ok" to me to go to these because it seems to be the one place in America where I'm still considered YOUNG. ::snort::

For the funniest story I've read about a mammogram read this….I’ve heard this attributed to Erma Bombeck, but this website says it’s the winning essay in an Erma Bombeck contest….whatever. My friend, Dorothy, is nearly as funny describing her first mammogram. Maybe she should enter a contest.

No photos of this adventure! I'll only go so far for the sake of a blog! ::snort::