Home sick

My two little boys were sick today, just hacky coughing, yucky noses, shouldn't-be-around-other-people sick, nothing major. I stayed home from church with them. It was a quiet day, peaceful but it always feels different when I don't go to church. I miss it. I play the piano in primary. I would like to be a better piano player so that I didn't embarrass myself so often but other than that it is a perfect calling.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time playing with my blog . I tried a bunch of different templates. I worked on the picture that goes with the blog title and tried to come up with a different title. But what?

Walking Home

I walked home from work tonight. It was a beautiful night. It was windy, I love wind, and a little cold, but not too cold. I really do like walking. I like night. It was about 7:oo but it felt later. I should have taken a picture but I don't know how to capture a perfect, cold, windy, spring night walk in a photo.

You're a Homeschooler When...

1. You ask for, and get, a copier for your anniversary.

It's true. I yearned for a copier for a very long time. I did not get it for an anniversary. I found our first one at a yard sale. It was so great but my children photocopied their faces, hands, toys, etc. So it died. Then Scott located another one. Very useful.

2. The principal can give the teacher a pat on the behind and its not harrassment. No explanation needed on this one.

3. Your husband can walk in at the end of a long day and tell how the science experiment went just by looking at the house. Life is basically one long science experiment, wouldn't you say? It is at our house.

4. Your neighbors think you are insane. This could very well be true but fortunately our nearest neighbors are also insane and, in fact, we sometimes take turns supervising each other's insanity.

5. You can listen to your child's favorite passage from Hank the Cowdog 47 times. This one is not peculiar to homeschoolers. I know of many long suffering public school parents that this one applies to as well. Although, not necessarily that particular book/series.

6. Your kids learn new vocabulary from their extensive collection of Calvin and Hobbes books. Talk about hitting the nail ON THE HEAD. You should see our hammered collection of Calvin and Hobbes. They love to read them while they are eating especially. There is still some bitterness over the fact that Corban is Corban not Calvin. Then there is that whole Hobbes nickname adopted by camper girl.

7. Your formal dining room now has a computer, copier, bookshelves and there are posters and maps all over the walls. I don't have a formal dining room but my front room is as described.

8. Talking outloud to yourself is a parent/teacher conference.

That one is my personal favorite and frighteningly true in my case.

9. Your favorite gift is a gift certificate to a bookstore. Well, duh. That one applies to lots of people I know. Homeschoolers do not have the market on that one.

1o. You live in a one-house schoolroom. Cleverly put.

                                                                                   Author unknown

A long time ago, 7-10 yearsish, I came across this list. I did not write it and I don't know who to credit it to. It is applicable to me and I am counting it as my homeschool post for this week. My comments are the ones in red.

Just me and my shadow

Here is a photo of my shadow. I took this picture in St. George in February. It is a LARGE shadow. I would like for my shadow to be less large. So, in the spirit of daily blogging, daily home school (with weekly blogging), and soda abstinence I would like to hereby add in a daily walk with a monthly shadow picture update. This will be fun, just wait and see. Atleast a mile every day. Wish me luck, fortitude and self-discipline. Thanks.

"That's very googley"

I have been feeling guilty. My sister likes to refer to me as the family guilt receptacle, a distinction I have earned over the past 44 years. If medals were awarded for the depth, breadth and speed at which I internalize guilt I would win multiple gold. Some of the guilt has been well deserved and this is one of those instances.

Confession: I intentionally used my blog as a manipulitave tool to draw my little sister's attention to me. It was pathetic and cheap. I am not proud of it but I am oh so happy that she is reading my blog and making comments! I feel so connected. As an added blogging bonus, big brother, Grant, is reading and making occasional comments as well. It makes me feel very googley, a term that I picked up from Grant's design blog. I use it here as a nod to him and as a slap in the face to my master's program that looks down on the use of google for research purposes although I find that it is often an excellent place to start.

Sorry Sarah, my bad. Thanks for reading my blog guys, "that's very googley". And that is a sentiment, from the heart, that I hope any of my other 5 or so faithful blog readers can feel as well.

observations

We do have a lot of cats, hundreds of cats, thousands of cats....Yesterday, Corban was standing on our side porch for quite some time observing the cats. After a while he came back into the house and told Amanda, "I don't know what the cats are trying to tell me." He can be a little intense sometimes.

I am thinking that I will drop my attempt at nicknames. I forget to use them sometimes and I haven't come up with good ones for some of my people. Plus, I'm just really tired so I'll think about it some more tomorrow.

I am feeling Corban's frustration, but amplified. I've been standing out on a porch (metaphorically) observing life for a while and I don't know what life is trying to tell me.

Johnathon's address

If you want to write a missionary, here are Elder Gay's addresses. I am sure he would love to hear from you.

johnathon.gay@myldsmail.net

The address to the mission home, which is where he likes for us to send his mail is:

Washington Kennewick Mission
8656 W Gage Blvd #205
Kennewick, WA 99336

Tuesday is his p-day.

I did email him this week just so I could dodge the "worst mother of the year award" that was coming my way and I will send him an actual, hands-on letter this week.