My unofficially, unadopted, child wrote this and all I can say is-

Yeah! That's what I meant!

Down Once More....

"The original idea was that the annual ships would bring food and supplies, but erratic winds made for serious delays in crossing the Atlantic.

And the rule was that the colonists would share available food equally. This "common store system," an early form of communism, caused enormous squabbling."

(Why squabble? Some worked hard and some didn't work at all. All ate. Food ran out.)

"A few gentlemen tried to lead the colony and failed, so in desperation, they elected Captain John Smith who used the stick of "work not, eat not", which averted total disaster."

(Better? Of course. Even women and children then went to the fields to plant seeds.)

"But the investors in England were becoming restless, and in 1611 a new governor, Thomas Dale, changed the rules to "work more, eat more" allowing colonists to keep the fruits of their labor and profit."

(Now there's some real incentive!)

Found here

And here's some food for thought:
'Benjamin Franklin stated,

"Gentlemen we give you a Republic . . . if you can keep it."'

... like I knew that I would!
Here are some smile makers.

Feeling poor? Politics and the economy got you down?

"HOW RICH ARE YOU?
"Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world.
Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where
would you sit on one of those lists? Here's your chance to find out."

Go here: http://www.globalrichlist.com/
You most likely will be pleasantly surprised to find that you're a lot richer than you ever dreamed!

Has anyone NOT seen "Charlie Bit Me"?
I'm not sure it would be the same without that British accent!

And my all-time favorite when I need a quick pick-me-up, 'cause it NEVER gets old!

Typical homeschool conversations-

(or: “How A Train of Thought is Derailed“)

Computer time for me! Woo Hoo!
The 19-yr old is holed-up studying for her Biology Lab test tomorrow.
The 12-yr old is working on Writing.

Silence.
Blessed silence.

12-yr old: Mom? What's next?
*shakes head to clear "mindless" and transition to "mature"*
Me: You're done? Ok. Go ahead and read the next chapter in The History of Medicine.
Back to silence.

12-yr old: Mom? Were firearms around in the 1800's?
Me: Yes. That was during the Old West.
(She's seen all the John Wayne movies. That's a distinctive time period for us....)
12-yr old: When were firearms invented?
Me: I don't know the exact time. They've been around for awhile, though.
12-yr old: When did the Medieveal time period end?
Me: I don't know exactly. Why?
12-yr old: Did they have firearms then?
Me: *sigh* I don’t know. Ask your Dad. He knows all that.
12-yr old: Can you Google it?
Me: Ok, just a second.....

*while I'm Googling*

12-yr old: Mom?
Me: Yes?
12-yr old: Can humans get rabies?
Me: Yes. But I don’t know if they get the “foam at the mouth” type where they bite people.
12-yr old: But that’s what I’m talking about.
Me: *sigh* Let me Google it.

12-yr old: Mom?
Me: Hold on! I’m already Googling two questions.

Me: Are you listening?

“The symptoms of rabies in humans include irritability, headache, pain, itching or a twitching at the infection site, and fever. As the disease progresses, muscle spasms in the throat and respiratory tract affect breathing, and the sufferer may have difficulty swallowing, the combination of which can produce the trademark “foaming at the mouth”. Further symptoms of rabies as it progresses are hallucinations, convulsions, seizures, paralysis, and eventually death. ” http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-symptoms-of-rabies-in-humans.htm

 

“Wild animals most commonly found to carry rabies in the United States are raccoons, followed by bats, skunks, and foxes. An estimated 85% of animal rabies cases in the US are attributed to wildlife. In domestic animals and livestock, cats are the most commonly infected animals, though dogs tend to be responsible for more bites. However, bats are responsible for well over half of the cases of rabies transmitted to humans in the US.” http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-symptoms-of-rabies-in-humans.htm

 

“The fire-lance had developed into the gun by the 1100s, the date of the earliest known depiction of a gun, a sculpture from a cave in Sichuan. The earliest Islamic documentation of the gun is from the work of the 13th century scientist Hasan al-Rammah. The earliest European documentation of the gun is Walter de Milemete's De Nobilitatibus, Sapientiis, et Prudentiis Regum from 1326. Gunpowder arrived in India by the mid-1300s, but could have been introduced by the Mongols perhaps as early as the mid-1200s.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms

 

Now where was I?

I'm a pack rat.
I can't help it.
There's a memory attached to every "thing".

And I'm married to a retired Marine.
Marines, whether retired or active duty, are pretty much modern day Spartan Warriors.
And with that comes the spartan lifestyle.

So, occasionally, there's a bit of a "problem".

Recently, for example, Guy had a problem getting into the closet.
Apparently, he stubbed his toe or something.
He seems to think that a walk-in closet means that you should be able to, well, walk into it.

Silly man.

So being the ever-so-dutiful wife that I am, I handled it.

All this:

went bye-bye.

All of it!

There are some things from when the 19-yr old was 2.
And when the 12-yr old was a baby.
And when....

Well, anyway....

it went to the local rescue mission.
I mean, they sell the stuff to run the mission.
And we've volunteered there so we know it's a good cause.

So wouldn't it make sense if I bought some of it back?
To help the good cause, I mean?

Just kidding, Guy.

Mostly.

When Dad is an electrcian, a study of electricity is essential.

So I was thrilled to see this little booklet on sale for $1.50.( I don't know anything about the company and have never used anything by them before.)

But leafing through the booklet made me decide it was a good "sidetrack" for science.
And, of course, I was hoping that the projects were something Dad and youngest could work on.

I could probably do it, if necessary.
I took Electronics for two years in high school.
But that was *coughcoughalongtimeagocoughcough*.
And I pretty much now know how to flip a light switch on and off.
Which is something others here seem to have problems with...
And I can even change a light bulb.
Most of the time.

So I asked my Guy if he'd be willing to do this with her and he said;
"Sure! Let me get a few things together and I can cover up to page 13."

I'm;
"Ok. Great!"
"BUT!"
"We need to break it down. Let her read over a section, answer questions, then *show* her."
"She'll remember it better that way."

He said;
"Sounds good."

A collective "AWWWW!" for my awesome man!

Except:

"Getting a few things together" means:

And a good time was had.
And time passed quickly.
And things were going well.
And much was learned.

And then it ends with Guy saying;
"We have to stop now. Mom said we can't move on to the next stuff."

And I got glared at!

Ants that aren't!

Sorry to be confusing!

I've been trying to catch a shot of one of these critters for a while now.

They move FAST!
And they hide:

I'd never seen or heard of them until we moved here.
They're called Cow Ants or Red Velvet Ants.
They're brightly colored, fuzzy, and look like a HUGE ant.
But they're NOT ants.
They're wasps??!!
Now I know them pretty well.
I sometimes step on them with bare feet.
Then I think not nice thoughts.
Hurts worse than a wasp sting or a fire ant bite!

Only the female stings.
Only the male has wings.
I'm glad!

I'd sure hate for them to sting AND fly....

See this?

It's not on our property.
But it's close....

We were on our way back home when we took a side road on the bike.
And this fella was just scurrying around.

I asked Guy to stop so I could take pictures.

"Ok. But why??!! They're all over the yard."

"Yes, Baby. But they're usually running from the sound of your shotgun."

"Oh." *chuckles*

You may have seen them as roadkill.
Those are usually on their backs with their legs straight up.
Or squooshed.
But never squishy.
And they sure will damage a tire!
"Armadillo" is a Spanish word that means "little armored one".

In the country, we call them other things.
Not nice things at all.

Armadillos do this in one spot:

Then they do this in another:

Then they do it some more in another spot:

And they keep looking for another spot:

And another:

And...:

And they've been everywhere I've ever lived.

If they're not in your area, they will be...
And they can sure tear up a yard!

For more info:
Armadillo Online!
Armadillo
Printable Fact Sheet

... is a retired Marine, school might look like this:

You may be fingerprinted-

And you may learn to stand at attention-

Along with weapons training-

Oh! And the 3 R's may be squeezed in, too!

(just kidding- these were extra's by request from the youngest)

I was tagged by Prodoceo yesterday, so being the on-the-ball kind of gal that I am, I'm doing it today.

How's that for efficiency??!!

(Ok, so it was last month and I'm always late. But anyway.....)

Here are the rules: 

Guess who's 19 today?

Hard for me to believe....

She's growing up too fast.

Mostly.

It's been awhile since I've seen a movie so good that it became my "new favorite movie".
And we watch a lot of movies.
So I'm always thrilled when we find one THAT good.
And we did.

It's one we've been wanting to see since we first saw the previews.

The biggest draw to me was wanting to see Jodie Foster in a comedic role.

The very-close-second reason was because it has Gerard Butler in it.
You know, Gerard Butler??!! The hot, Scottish, guy?
King Leonides?
Attila the Hun?
Timeline?
But I digress....

And let me tell you, my husband is so wonderful that he will take his Southern accent and do a really bad Scottish accent just for me!!

Oops! Still digressing.....

It also has Abigail Breslin, who's a phenomenal actress.

Yeah, it's awesome!
Lots of adventure.
A homeschooled kid.
Strong parental love.
Laughter.
And it's actually a family movie.

If I'm really good and get my "to do" list done, I'm going to reward myself and watch it again today.
If I don't get it all done, I'm gonna watch it anyway.
Sort of a consolation prize. 

seg·re·ga·tion- 
the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means

In keeping with the theme (does 2 posts make it a theme?) of political correctness, I give you TRUE desegregation!

Now wouldn't the world be a better place if we all lived together in such harmony??!!

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the fact that we can discuss current events and not worry about being "politically correct".

We can take as much time as we need to fully cover the subject matter. 
Which would include, of course, the history of the event that is current.

Add some hands-on activities along with definitions and you've got some great lessons!

And you all have had some great lesson plans that I've enjoyed so I wanted to share the love and return the favor.

One of the recent hot potatoes in the political arena is "gun control", which is defined as:
"efforts to regulate or control sales of guns".

Yet-
The definition of "gun" is:
"a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)".

And "control" means:
"power to direct or determine".

So we have some hands-on activities to help you really understand all about "gun control":

This is the "point and shoot" method:

This is the "target":

A close-up:

Some other steps include, loading the magazine:

And cleaning your firearm afterwards:

We are firm believers in gun "control"! 

This is for your kids.
I'm sure Arby's boys will appreciate them! 
You may want to skip these if you have a Grinch heart.
But as I regress to my 2nd?, 3rd?, 4th? childhood, I have to admit that I was extremely amused.
And still chuckling....

Some have been around forever. Some are new to me,

You could count it as Language Arts. Yeah! That's it!

Thank you toNona for e-mailing me these....

Look!
Lil' Leapin' Lizard!

Can you stand another bit of singing?
Please forgive me!
This is one of my all-time favorite songs.

This is one that always makes me think of My Guy...

And this is also a video that makes me sniffle since it's the day that my baby girl got back from New York.

Poor kid!

She got up at 3:30 a.m. in New York.
Caught a plane to Atlanta.
Then a church bus for hours.
Then unloaded at G'Ma's and showered.
And then:

*****8-01-08:
Indian Lake Papa's name was drawn!*****

I buy books.
I buy LOTS of books.
Mostly used, sometimes new...
And I have way too many.
So I want to share.

And I'm starting with an awesome book that I found I have two copies of.
I really don't need two of the same book.

So if anyone would like to have my spare, just leave me a comment here or at Down A Red Dirt Lane before July 31st..
If more than one is interested, I'll draw a name on August 1st.

Oh! What book, you may wonder?
Sorry! I forgot to mention that....

It's not in perfect shape but the price is right!
And the stories are wonderful!

We've all had those moments in homeschooling where we've wondered if it's working.
If homeschooling is the best choice.
Or maybe days of frustration where we contemplate the ease of life if we put the kids in traditional schools.
Or simply moments of reflection where we wonder if someone else could better get through to our child.

Or is it just me??!!

Anyway, my youngest (12) has never embraced reading or any type of language arts. Yet, I could tell she's an intelligent child. Not through any parental prejudice but simply because it's obvious if you're around her for any length of time. She's very articulate and quick witted, along with being a tremendous worker with an amazing memory.

So I assumed the problem was with me. And I would back up and formulate a new "plan". Her mind doesn't work the way mine does. She doesn't learn the way I do. And she doesn't "see" things the way I do. My goal simply became to back things up to where she did "get it" and go from there. Which is a good theory but  it didn't take the uniqueness of my child into account.

So did anything finally "work"?
Well, yes.
And thank you for asking!

What finally worked was to simply buy her a book she wanted, that her older siblings had read, and leave her alone.

Huh?

Yup.

She finished:
*drumroll, please*
And has now started on:

And since then?
All those other books she has been reading in between don't seem too overwhelming.

Barnes and Noble is having a reading program for 1st through 6th graders where they fill out a "journal" listing 8 books they read and they turn it in to get a free book. Her journal is filling up quickly!

But the best part? She wanted to do it!

My oldest daughter has abandoned me.
Oh sure, she'll be back.
But the point is that she actually had the audacity to leave in the first place.

Forget that she's almost 19.
Forget that she used her own money for the trip.
Forget that she calls every day.
Just remember that she left me.

She's gone to New York for a week.
The Bronx, no less.

And she's loving the subway.....

So I told her; "You can't stay there!".

"Of course not!", she said.
"I only want to come back once a month and stay for a week."

Pardon me?

...you should never let your water go dry in the incubator.
But if it happens one time, just one time, you'll have problems with an egg.
Not that we would do something like forget to check it once,
but from what the "big boys" have told me it could be a problem..... *ahem*

So assuming that someone else forgot to check the water one time and let it go dry, it could possibly make the eggshell too dry for the chick to get out.

And if, hypothetically speaking, that happened, the chick wouldn't stand a chance without a Hero to rescue it:

And it might be a messy job. And it might look like one bedraggled chick:

But the chick might just make it:

My Aunt Fran is a busy woman.
Ever since my Uncle died (has it really been over to 10 years ago?) she's stayed busy.
Really busy.
She lives "in town" and I rarely see her. Unless I bump into her at the grocery store...

She works part time at the Senior Center. She's been "dating" a widowed gentleman. She meets with a group of ladies to play cards (Guy calls them "The Blue Hairs"). She goes to church Wednesday night and twice on Sundays. And she's often on trips out of town.

But she finally made time for us last night. She's been promising me my favorite treat for some time now.
Yes, there was whining and pleading involved.

But I have no shame when it comes to this:Fried green tomatoes!
It's a southern staple and mine just never taste the same.

So she told me I had to feed her supper and she'd make them for me us (I had to share).
Deal!
So forgive the mess, it was all cleaned up after both cooks were done:

We truly enjoyed the visit and she promised to come back SOON and do it again!

Yeah, I'm counting this as "Art"...

I looked out my kitchen window this morning and squealed like a girl.

Honestly!

This is what I saw:

Eight little ducklings waddling around:

Busy, busy, busy! They don't sit still:

Following "Mama" wherever she goes:

And if that's not enough cuteness for one day, we also had this birth:

Freshly hatched:

And though he's way ahead of schedule, he's doing well so far:
His name is "Shel".
As in-

"Early Bird"
by Shel Silverstein

Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early early bird---
But if you're a worm, sleep late.

My oldest daughter has taken the summer off from college. She'll be going on a missions trip soon and she had to have her wisdom teeth removed, so taking off the summer seemed like a good idea.

But lately she's been really busy with singing and we all go as a family to support her.

So yesterday I said to the 12-yr old; "Do you ever feel like a tag-along? 'Cause I sure do these days."
"Oh yeah.", was her very dry response.
"But I'm usually stuck driving", I said.
She responded, "But at least you have rank. I'm just the backseat kid!".
I laughed so hard.
And when I told Guy about it, he said; "Tell her that's where the Generals ride."

So now I've lost all my rank.

Father's Day she sang at the opening of a cowboy church, so click if you want to tap your toes... (Hey! It IS a cowboy church!)

This is THE coolest science experiment in the world.
It's cheap and simple and has amazing results. 
That means it's my kind of science!

First, you put some cleaned up chicken bones in a container:

With me so far?

Then you pour vinegar over the bones:

We still good?

Then you put the lid on the jar:

See? Even I can do that!

Now you just put it aside for two weeks.

Ok, we had unexpected company so ours sat for two weeks and two days.
No problem! Just make sure it's at least two weeks...

I won't show you the results since it would ruin all the fun.
But it is amazing!

Knowing that the acid in vinegar dissolves calcium-
Ask the questions:
1. How have the chicken bones changed?
2. What would happen to our bodies without calcium?

And if you want to go further with it:
Bones and Calcium

One of the best things about homeschooling to me is the ability to take the time to notice things. We're able to slow down and really take a look. It may get us off track from our original plan of learning but it keeps us on track of the learning process itself. It keeps us able to enjoy learning....

Case in point is this gal:

When I went outside yesterday morning I saw her.

I have no idea where she came from or even where she was going.

But she was a welcome visitor!

Naturally, I had to run and get the camera. And naturally, I had to keep her around until the girls got up.

And even more naturally, since we homeschool, we had to learn more about this "box turtle"!

Since they're so common, you may see one. And if you do, here's a great site for imformation:
The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)

Man, these guys are growing!
In just 4 weeks they've gone from this:

To this:

They stay outside during the day now.
Soon they'll be staying out all night.
Sheltered, of course.

It's been over a year now since we last had turkey poults.
And I had forgotten just how rapidly they grow.

Sorry Guy, they've been named!

The smallest one is "Colonel Mustard" (as in do you have a Clue what kind of messes a poult makes?) 
and the other is "Hardy" (as in Thomas, Tom for short)....

It's been a bit hectic around here lately. But then again, isn't that a common refrain for a homeschooling family?

Just to back up a few days....

Saturday we celebrabrated my youngest child's birthday. She turned 12. Do you have any idea how rough it is to know your baby is 12?
That means next year she'll be a teenager.
My baby.
*sigh*
Thankfully, she's not trying to grow up too fast:

And I never know what she'll want to do on her birthday:
*We've done parties with kids.
*Just family to see a movie. The interesting thing about living so far out in the woods is that going to a movie IS a big deal. We live an hour away from a theater....
*To the zoo in Panama City (Hey! She had broken her arm that year and that zoo is 2 hours away...).
*Chuck E. Cheese's (which I lovingly refer to as "Romper Room on Acid").

So this year?
She wanted family and friends that are like family to come and hang out.

I thought kebabs on the grill sounded great!

But it was a bit time consuming to get them ready, so I called in the Marines.
I love to call in the Marines!Look how good he is! And he grilled them, too!

We had a wonderful time but the very best moment for me was seeing this:Proof that they're not always fussing!

One word for you, Mr. Obama.
Just one:
Homeschool!

He's visited 57 states. And he still has one more to go? That would be 58?

But adding Alaska and Hawaii would make it 60?

The clip is only 25 seconds long.... 

We have been without television for 8 years. No cable (which doesn't exist out here) and no satellite (which does exist) and no regular local reception (which is just an amusing concept).

But stand back when we visit folks who do have tv.

Stopping by mom's, for instance, means that we're hollering "dibs" on the remote before we get there.

Guy likes The History Channel and all things war related or anything educational.
The 11-yr old wants cartoons.
The 18-yr old wants music videos.
The 26-yr old just likes to watch moving pictures.

Me? I only want to watch...

I know Guy understands and I hope Mel will.

But since we can't always visit when the show is on, my 26-yr old has been good at providing me in-home viewing with the purchase of these:

He'll continue to be fed.

My computer died.

I'm on a borrowed laptop.

I'm grieving.

It has no mouse.

Just a stOOpid touchpad.

Aargh!

Until this problem is fixed or replaced, I'll be offline.

I already miss reading about your daily happenings.

But I'll catch up as soon as I can...

*sniff*

Until then, I'll re-read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

Maybe twice.

School in R Home is having a "mommy giveaway". 
"This giveaway is for any mother. Leave a comment telling me something about your children or how you feel blessed as a mom!"
Head over there to enter!

And I got a sweet surprise from blessedwith2angels:

(Insert 5 people to pass it on to in this space)

And finally, here's a neat link (free, of course) for languages, some of which I've never even heard of...
FSI Language Courses 

When I went to the feed store last week (which involves driving an hour and crossing a state line) they happened to have some cute little critters in the store. Honestly, I didn't even notice. But the 11-yr old was with me and strangely enough, she did notice.

And then it began... "Mom, look! Aren't they so cute? Mom, don't we need some?".

And being the rock that I am, I said with a sigh, "Yes. They are cute. And no, we don't need any. We have enough mouths to feed. Just get two.".

I hang tough.

So here they are:

And they're already spoiled.

But the funny thing is, they actually like to burrow....

And apparently it tickles when they do.

Courtesy of Arby and clan...

These swaps with Arby are fun! You never know what's going to be in there....

This time, Arby and Family have put us in prison!
Ft. Leavenworth, to be exact.

There's a book about the prison (we LOVE books!), some *coughcoughArmy* souvenirs, fabulous photos of local historical interest, maps showing some interesting topographical changes, postcards (to remind me of my child's neglected education, she hadn't heard of "Buffalo Soldiers") complete with personal notes throughout.

A fun, interesting and educational package from the Arby's! Thank you all so much!
And a special thanks to The Boss! Guy was only damaged a little....
You all are great sports!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I've been meaning to share a neat link for those who like Mad Libs.
You can play online at:
It's a Mad Libs World

And if you look on the left, you'll even see:
Mad Libs Junior

My husband will not wear a pink shirt.
He doesn't care if another man wears pink, but he won't.
Not to give the wrong idea here, though, he's definitely not afraid of pink.

As a matter of fact, he sees benefits to pink.

If he's taking his own personal tools to a job, he can recognize them.
They all have a tip of fluorescent pink on them.
And strangely enough, no other man ever tries to take them.

And he's secure enough to wear pink on say, a hat.
Which is what he did almost 14 years ago for our oldest daughter's fifth birthday party.
A Barbie birthday party, no less.I say only a real man can wear a Barbie hat and look this dignified!

We've had an onslaught of "must do's" that have kept us on the road during much of the day.

Things like a consulation with the oral surgeon to find out what it will cost to have the 18-yr old's wisdom teeth removed ($1373.00) and what our part of that will be (*gulp* $580.00) and other kinds of high-stress, non-fun, anti-schooling activities.

So here's what school has looked like lately...

For Home Skills, we covered decorating and recycling:

For Art, there's the "if life gives you an ant pile make a dragon" lesson:

For Science, since it's spring we're finding caterpillars:

For P.E. there's always hiking:

And Music is important:

Sometimes life gets in the way of school.
Sometimes life IS school.

Spring! Glorious Spring!

My bottlebrush plant looks like it will finally have flowers, after three years of waiting!

The Weigela is blooming:

We'll have fresh blueberries in June:

Pooh (26) got me this for Mother's Day, a few years ago.
So I call it my JaPOOHnese Maple:

We may never get apples, but we have the scented blossoms:

And this baby crape myrtle is less than a year old:

But these petunias are my favorite:
For a few years now, they've bloomed.
They were never planted there.
They were planted in the barrel to the right.
Apparently, some fell down and decided to stay.
And since our winters are mild, they've been blooming every year since....

I just love spring!

(Warning: The link is appropriate for married couples. I'd call it PG-18. )

I am a disgustingly happily married woman.
I say "disgustingly" since most people just get disgusted at how happy we are.
We do have the occassional spat (which, of course, is always his fault) but they are rare.

But I'm always open for improvement.

So when I saw an article called "What Keeps a Man Crazy in Love", I thought I'd check it out.
Better safe than sorry, right?
I mean, he seems really happy.
He says he's really happy.
But I'm always open to learning...

So I start reading...

Play Poker
Hmmmm. Already we have a problem. I'm a better poker player than he is. And I know more types of poker than he does. Ok, skip that and moving on....

Give the Perfect Backrub
Uh-oh. I've tried that and it doesn't work. It would take a jackhammer for him to feel it. I'll have to stick with a back scratch. THAT one I can do.

Tie His Tie for Him
Not looking good here. He doesn't wear a tie. Ever. And if I put one on him, he'd be most unhappy.

Make A Mean Steak
That one's easier. If it's beef, he's happy.

Quote At Least Three Lines from The Godfather
I tried this.
Really.
With my best mafia voice, even.
He looked at me like I was nuts.
I got a better response with,
"This is where we fight. This is where they die..."
in my very best macho, Spartan, voice.
Not a great response mind you, but a better one.

I gave up.

I said; "But I want you to be 'crazy in love' with me."

"I already am", he said.

*swoon*

Forget "Where's Waldo?".
How about "Where's Guy?"!
Can you see him?

Wherever he flops down, he becomes a beanbag.
Couch, floor, doesn't matter.
He's just comfy.

Well, he may not be comortable.
But if you use him for a beanbag, you'll be comfortable.

(from my journal: Tuesday, August 14, 2007)

Peeved or Persecuted?

I got to thinkin' the other day about all the religious people who have come to accept a certain "thing" as "the "right thing", or even "the only thing".

You know, somehow they've gone through a step-by-step process to arrive at a conclusion and it becomes another commandment.

Thou Shalt....
or Thou Shalt Not....

Of course, it's not what Scripture says.
But they can tell you the whole logical process they arrived at to get to that conclusion.
It's flawed.
But they don't want to know.
They know what they know and that's just that.

And as soon as someone disagrees with them,
they pull out a "persecution card".
Like:
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

It always seemed so.... I don't know, silly? maybe.
To call it persecution if someone simply disagrees with your interpretation is a bit much.

And it's sad that their next step is to gather all their buddies and gang up on the supposed offender.
Hateful things are said.
Shunning begins.
And so it goes.....
All the while claiming Christ and persecution.
Ironic.

Then I read about those who are tortured, or even murdered, for their faith and it makes all the petty stuff seem so much more petty.

"Why on earth would men and women leave the comfort of their homes and the safety of their homeland to put their lives at risk in order to aid strangers in a foreign country? For many it's hard to fathom. But for Christian missionaries throughout the ages, it can be summed up in two words: "Love" and "Obedience." Love for Christ and for their fellow man. Obedience to the Great Commission." (Fools for Christ's Sake)

Which reminded me of this:

You know you're old AND homeschoolers when-
You have to head to the city to get one of these:
And:
1. You count it as a date since it's just the two of you.
2. It becomes a science lesson and a unit study for the whole family.

Seriously.

While California is trying to decide whether or not a parent really needs to be certified to teach their own children,

there's a teacher in Florida working with other people's children who isn't.

He has a temporary teaching certificate. He's trying to get his permanent certification.

"Machacyk, 49, has dyscalculia, a type of dyslexia that involves numbers. His learning disability puts him at a fifth-grade math level. The state certification test asks questions on a 10th-grade level."

"Machacyk, at one point, lost count of how many times he has taken the state's General Knowledge Math test. (The answer, he later recalled, is five.)

He does know this: He has failed every one of them."

It takes a score of 200 to pass the math test. Machacyk came close once, with a 181. But it might've been a fluke, he said. "I sweated through that and guessed on most of them," he said."

Now, I'm not saying he isn't a fabulous art teacher. He may well be and it sounds like he has quite a fan base. I'm not even saying that I wouldn't let my kids take art from him. And I'm definitely not saying that his disability is laughable because it isn't.

But honestly.... he's teaching children with state approval without meeting all the requirements that California would require of me?

I'm sorry but that just makes me laugh.

So many folks are coming up with pithy titles for days of the week.
I'm not.
I can't.
I can't even seem to keep up with theirs.
But in appreciation for their timeliness and an apology for my lack thereof, I give you:
Wacky Wednesday.
This is where (for this particular Wednesday only) I try to catch up.

First, I missed Flashback Fridays with Kellieann:
So I'm flashing back to when this beautiful-hearted young lady
(who also happens to be my 18-yr old daughter):

Was a bit younger:

*sniff* Where did the time go?
(and no, the Chinese calendar isn't an indication of beliefs. It's a gift from a friend.)

Then, I missed Messy Monday with Mommyyyyyyy!!!:
And I was going to do a fresh picture of a new mess but the old one is still bugging me:
It looks a little different now.
But it's just as messy.
Only the papers have changed, to condemn the guilty....
(One more week of this mess just may prompt me to deal with it.
Till then, I'm staying in denial!)

And even before all that, I didn't share our most recent swap with Arby.
(Yes, I did thank him and let him know it arrived. Sheesh! I'm not THAT bad!)

This particular package was really interesting!
It had real life nature stuff!
I'm talking the kind of stuff that you have to wipe up after you look at it!
And this package caught Guy's interest, too.
There was information on the Osage tree.
The tree limb (ok, just a piece of one) has an orange hue that I've never seen but Guy remembers from his time in Illinois.

And cool, lethal-looking thorns from a tree that we don't have.

And seeds to plant our own bit of Kansas right here in Georgia!
And information on wildflowers and grasses from their area.
And the one thing both states have in common is the Eastern Red Cedar. I had no idea that they had them, too!

And, for dessert, a CD of the markers of famous Kansas.
(I say "dessert" since we're still working on the main meal!) 

Thank you so much, Arby!
Don't let the fact that I'm a slacker fool you into thinking we haven't been enjoying the package!

And last but not least:
(Hey! it was only day before yesterday! Something I'm not way behind on....)
Pam tagged me for What's On Your Fridge.
So here it is, in all it's glory:
(Does anyone else feel really vulnerable doing this?)

And since you can't tell too much from the picture, the stuff on the bottom is safe stuff for visting children.

My favorite is the little school bus at the very bottom.
When you push the bus, it plays "The Wheels on the Bus" and the lights blink.
I, uh I mean, they haven't worn it out, yet.

And the side has this:

Yes, I like refrigerator magnets. A lot.
And this is after I took it all off about a month ago, to clean the outside of the frig.
But so many are ones my kids made (see those mini tiles?).
And there's some from England and Scotland. Nona went. I didn't.
And then there's Maxine.
She says; "The kitchen just stays a lot cleaner if you eat out all the time.".
And that's my kind of logic!
And I'm supposed to tag 5 people.
But honestly, I'm really curious about all of you!

Please! Show me your frig!

Previously, I said:

SPOILER ALERT!

We finally saw I AM LEGEND.
It opens with Will Smith and his dog, Sam.
They both die.
The End.
Oh, and it was really scary.....

After we watched I Am Legend I was not happy. I had waited a loooong time for it to come out on DVD. The story drew me in and I was having a good ole time. The suspense was building and it kept me on the edge of my seat (Ok, so I was flopped on the floor but you know what I mean). And I love a good scary movie with suspense. I don't like slasher flicks, and gory stuff, but a good story? Oh yeah!

But by the end of the movie I was fussing!
"How could they...?"
"I can't believe....!"

And my 18-yr old said, "You didn't like it?"

"NO!"
I was mad.

"But it was so hope-filled."

"Yeah, whatever", I maturely responded.
"They killed off the two main characters."

So in the interest of fairness, I give you her views:

I just love that word! It was the name of my high school yearbook....

Anywaaaay,

I've never read Don Quixote (a translation of). And that's always bugged me.
Then I stumbled across a really cool site that e-mails it to me in installments:
http://www.dailylit.com

Some you buy, some are free. I stay in the "Classics" section (I think they're all free). 
There's enough in there to keep me busy for..., say..., the rest of my life!

And speaking of books...
Earthling has a "Prince Caspian Challenge" over at her blog.
She says:
"I thought it would be fun to get some people to read Prince Caspian together and discuss it before the movie comes out."

She also said it; "is not a hard or long read, and we have not quite two months before the movie comes out."
That was the clincher for me!

We (ok, my 18-yr old has/) have a copy on hand. I'm thinking we'll take turns reading it aloud....
If you're interested, head on over to take the "Prince Caspian Challenge"!


Moving on to movies....

SPOILER ALERT!

We finally saw I AM LEGEND.
It opens with Will Smith and his dog, Sam.
They both die.
The End.
Oh, and it was really scary.....

And I was shocked and amused to see that my words were taken and used as someone else's.
Shocked, because I stumbled across it and did a double-take because it was unexpected.
Amused, because, well, who knew I was quotable?
Not to mention my bad (ok, lazy) punctuation was also used.

From my profile:
About Me:
We homeschool because we know that: "Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school." (Federal District Judge Melinda Harmon) and we're just too selfish to give up our rights- and our children- to strangers.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/profiles/CrossView/

What I stumbled on:
"You have been hoodwinked.

As Texas Federal District Judge Melinda Harmon succinctly put it: "Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school." (quoted in _Schooling for a Global Age_, James Becker ed., p.xiii)

That is why we homeschool. And we're just too selfish to give up our rights- and our children- to strangers."

Amanda
http://superangelsblog.com
6th comment down...

Ain't that a hoot??!!

And to end on a good great note:
Maybe I could read Don Quixote in Spanish??!!

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