For Christmas, my mother gave me and Hubby a fun board game, "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?" Not having had TV for more than 4 years, I hadn't heard of the game show before this.
It says it is for ages eight and older so we invite the older boys to join us. Since we have a current 5th grader, we let him start the game. He did the 5th grade questions first and got them correct. Then, there was a 3rd grade science question: "How fast does light travel in one second?" We all looked at each other, chucked, and wrote down our answers. Oldest son got it wrong. We checked the answer, we all got it wrong. Oldest son got very mad and quit the game. Now, when we talk about the game, he just comments that he isn't smarter than a 3rd grader and can't play the game. I keep pointing out that we all missed that question, even Dad, who is a science fan.
Having played the game several times now, we discovered a few things. For Hubby and myself, science is our forte. Social studies is our bane. While Hubby sticks to geography, science and math, I venture out into art, music and literature as well as science. I'm terrible at grammar. I'm hoping one day to get Oldest Son back into the game with us, but he is such a sore looser, I'm not sure I want to go there again or not.
I've been thinking about Homeschooling again. Our school district isn't the greatest and I'm concerned about the things they aren't learning at school. So, last night we talk to the kids. They all said no, even our 5 year old who hasn't started school yet. Shoot me down. Well, millions of kids go through public school and do just fine. I guess mine will too. I'm still concerned though....
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Nothing to say
We had such a fun Christmas. I'm always so sad when Christmas is over. I love the holiday time. I love the music, the decorations, the lights, the feeling, the excitement, the food!
Since Christmas, we have hung out around the house, playing and enjoying the days off. It is hard for me to believe the cold, winter weather that the rest of the US seems to be in, because it is sunny here. The days leading up to Christmas, Christmas Day and a few days following have had wonderful weather, in the 50's and 60's. Today is colder, the 30's, but it doesn't feel quite so cold. We went out and just wore jackets.
I've been trying to write in my journal about the holidays. This, being Peanut's 1st Christmas, was especially important to write it down. She got her 8th tooth in and is starting to stand on her own. She is getting better and she sees it more as a game than anything else. She put on a show for her Grandparents on Christmas. It was pretty funny. She would crawl around, squealing and then she would pose with one leg in the air. What a show-off.
Well, not much else going on. I hope your days are as nice as mine.
Since Christmas, we have hung out around the house, playing and enjoying the days off. It is hard for me to believe the cold, winter weather that the rest of the US seems to be in, because it is sunny here. The days leading up to Christmas, Christmas Day and a few days following have had wonderful weather, in the 50's and 60's. Today is colder, the 30's, but it doesn't feel quite so cold. We went out and just wore jackets.
I've been trying to write in my journal about the holidays. This, being Peanut's 1st Christmas, was especially important to write it down. She got her 8th tooth in and is starting to stand on her own. She is getting better and she sees it more as a game than anything else. She put on a show for her Grandparents on Christmas. It was pretty funny. She would crawl around, squealing and then she would pose with one leg in the air. What a show-off.
Well, not much else going on. I hope your days are as nice as mine.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Lost in the kitchen
Moving is tough. Moving into a new kitchen is really tough. You have to arrange everything in a new way because the kitchen you move into is never the same as the kitchen you left. I am in the holiday mood and have been baking a lot. It is forcing me to learn my kitchen, but you should have seen me yesterday. Where did I put the bread pans? I couldn't remember. This kitchen is bigger than my last one and I had to search through several cupboards before I found them. Then I needed my big mixing bowl. I couldn't find it. I looked through all of the cupboards. What had I done with it? Then I looked up. It was sitting on top of the cupboards. I didn't put it there, Hubby did. He's 6' 1", he is tall and can reach the top. I can't. I had to get a chair. I told him not to do that with the stuff I use a lot. This is a big kitchen with lots of cupboard space. We don't need to store stuff on top anymore, like we did with the last kitchen. Still, he puts things up there. He told me that if I need something down, all I have to do is ask. Well, that's great except for when he is at work!
So, I'm learning my way around the kitchen. I don't know if I've got things arrange in the best way, but for now it's working and with it, I'm producing some super tasty things.
So, I'm learning my way around the kitchen. I don't know if I've got things arrange in the best way, but for now it's working and with it, I'm producing some super tasty things.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas is how soon??
So I was reading another friend's blog and her blog had a ticker for days until Christmas. It said there is 10 days left! What? It can't be true?
Where has all the time gone?
Well, 10 days is 10 days and I can do a lot in 10 days, if my baby lets me. Unfortunately, every time I move or even look like I'm going to move from one spot to another, she starts to scream at me. It makes it hard for me to get much of anything done. Still, 10 days.
Unfortunately, with 10 days to go and a phobia of going to the post office during the Christmas season, presents to family and friends will most likely be late. Sorry.
I have accomplished a few things, I made 2 batches of gingersnap cookies and some fudge. I made up plates of goodies and we went caroling to a few new friends here. It was fun and I got to meet and know some really nice people.
My ego was a little shot going to these homes of these nice people. Several of them had huge 10-12 foot trees, glowing with lights and ornaments that matched. One lady had an enormous wreath hanging over her fireplace that matched her tree. I look at my little scrawny 6 foot artificial tree. It only has three strands of lights and one two of those strands, only half of the lights are working. It is all the lights we had that matched. Our ornaments are mostly handmade, none of them match, and about half of them are made out of paper. The star on our tree is a gift wrap bow.
Well, our tree has personality and I can tell you a story about just about every single ornament hanging off of it. I wish it had some more lights, but yep, I like our tree. Maybe someday I'll have that fancy tree where the ornaments match, but for now, my kids are proud of the tree they decorated with the ornaments they made.
One ornament is a reindeer made from a large Christmas light bulb, googly eyes, a puff nose, and pipe cleaner horns. We've named him Seymour. Seymour has a brother, who looks a lot like him, but has one googly eye. We named him Bob. Yes, we are full of personality!
Where has all the time gone?
Well, 10 days is 10 days and I can do a lot in 10 days, if my baby lets me. Unfortunately, every time I move or even look like I'm going to move from one spot to another, she starts to scream at me. It makes it hard for me to get much of anything done. Still, 10 days.
Unfortunately, with 10 days to go and a phobia of going to the post office during the Christmas season, presents to family and friends will most likely be late. Sorry.
I have accomplished a few things, I made 2 batches of gingersnap cookies and some fudge. I made up plates of goodies and we went caroling to a few new friends here. It was fun and I got to meet and know some really nice people.
My ego was a little shot going to these homes of these nice people. Several of them had huge 10-12 foot trees, glowing with lights and ornaments that matched. One lady had an enormous wreath hanging over her fireplace that matched her tree. I look at my little scrawny 6 foot artificial tree. It only has three strands of lights and one two of those strands, only half of the lights are working. It is all the lights we had that matched. Our ornaments are mostly handmade, none of them match, and about half of them are made out of paper. The star on our tree is a gift wrap bow.
Well, our tree has personality and I can tell you a story about just about every single ornament hanging off of it. I wish it had some more lights, but yep, I like our tree. Maybe someday I'll have that fancy tree where the ornaments match, but for now, my kids are proud of the tree they decorated with the ornaments they made.
One ornament is a reindeer made from a large Christmas light bulb, googly eyes, a puff nose, and pipe cleaner horns. We've named him Seymour. Seymour has a brother, who looks a lot like him, but has one googly eye. We named him Bob. Yes, we are full of personality!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Trimming the Tree
Last night we decorated our Christmas tree. That is always a fun time. Our tree is little artificial tree we bought around 7 years ago. My husband had always disliked artificial trees, but seven years ago we were living in Hawaii and the real trees you bought from the tree lots were quite old by the time they made it to Hawaii. It was a bit of a fire hazard. I also didn't like cleaning those needles constantly.
So, we have our 6 foot artificial tree and it has served us well.
I always do the lights first. The past few years we've had multicolored lights on the tree, but this year, it's blue. After I finished the lights, I pulled out the decorations and let the kids go at it.
We have 6 small nutcracker ornaments. For some reason, my kids love those. So, last night when they put the nutcrackers on the tree, they grouped them all together on one branch. That way the nutcrackers can chat with each other. It's funny to see all those ornaments clumped together like that in the middle of the tree. Eventually, I'll find a few dinosaurs surrounding the nutcrackers in the tree, thanks to my oldest son. He likes to pretend that the dinosaurs attack the nutcrackers. Apparently the nutcrackers have had one dino-encounter casualty, one of them is missing his legs.
We have a Miss Piggy ornament and a Kermit the Frog ornament. To Piggy's delight and Kermit's dismay, they are always placed near each other on the tree.
There are many wooden ornaments on the tree that I painted myself my first Christmas after getting married. Those get hung up. I have no artistic talent, even when I'm painting in the lines.
There are a few ornaments from my childhood. I like seeing them. One is a cross stitch I did when I was seven. It is my favorite. I remember making that ornament. It was my first cross stitch project and it turned me onto a life long love of cross stitching.
The disco balls. Early in our marriage, Hubby and I discovered we loved to dance to disco music! Several years ago we found disco ball ornaments. We bought a bunch and I love seeing those on the tree. Some day I want to do a tree with nothing but blue lights and disco balls. That would be awesome.
So, now, our tree is up. This morning, Peanut went to explore the tree. We made sure to place a few soft and non-breakable ornaments down low that she could play with them. Instead, she tried to pull herself up and she ended up pulling the entire tree down on top of herself. I laughed, but she was pretty upset. Ornaments were strewn all over the floor. Thank goodness nothing is breakable on our tree. She hasn't gone near it since. I hope she has learned her lesson.
So, we have our 6 foot artificial tree and it has served us well.
I always do the lights first. The past few years we've had multicolored lights on the tree, but this year, it's blue. After I finished the lights, I pulled out the decorations and let the kids go at it.
We have 6 small nutcracker ornaments. For some reason, my kids love those. So, last night when they put the nutcrackers on the tree, they grouped them all together on one branch. That way the nutcrackers can chat with each other. It's funny to see all those ornaments clumped together like that in the middle of the tree. Eventually, I'll find a few dinosaurs surrounding the nutcrackers in the tree, thanks to my oldest son. He likes to pretend that the dinosaurs attack the nutcrackers. Apparently the nutcrackers have had one dino-encounter casualty, one of them is missing his legs.
We have a Miss Piggy ornament and a Kermit the Frog ornament. To Piggy's delight and Kermit's dismay, they are always placed near each other on the tree.
There are many wooden ornaments on the tree that I painted myself my first Christmas after getting married. Those get hung up. I have no artistic talent, even when I'm painting in the lines.
There are a few ornaments from my childhood. I like seeing them. One is a cross stitch I did when I was seven. It is my favorite. I remember making that ornament. It was my first cross stitch project and it turned me onto a life long love of cross stitching.
The disco balls. Early in our marriage, Hubby and I discovered we loved to dance to disco music! Several years ago we found disco ball ornaments. We bought a bunch and I love seeing those on the tree. Some day I want to do a tree with nothing but blue lights and disco balls. That would be awesome.
So, now, our tree is up. This morning, Peanut went to explore the tree. We made sure to place a few soft and non-breakable ornaments down low that she could play with them. Instead, she tried to pull herself up and she ended up pulling the entire tree down on top of herself. I laughed, but she was pretty upset. Ornaments were strewn all over the floor. Thank goodness nothing is breakable on our tree. She hasn't gone near it since. I hope she has learned her lesson.
Friday, December 05, 2008
mountains
The mountains where we are are really stunning in their own desert way. From my kitchen window I have a very nice view of one of the mountains. I love it. This particular mountain is in the middle of the range I'm going to attempt to describe.
This middle mountain, and I don't know if it has a name, is what I would describe as a typical mountain. It is tall and long. It is very majestic looking. The mountain immediately to it's south has a whole other look. It looks like organ pipes are rising out of the mountain. A very different type of erosion happened there. To the north of the middle mountain is a set of mountains that look like huge sand dunes, like the wind pushed the rocks up the mountains. It is very much like a sand dune, but it is the size of a mountain and made of rock, not sand.
Such three very different geological rock formations right next to each other. It is incredible to look at. I absolutely love it. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to live where mountains were. Of course, I wanted to go to Colorado and live among the amazing Rocky Mountains there, but where I am is just a more southern version of that great chain of mountains. I'm so happy to see them out my windows.
This middle mountain, and I don't know if it has a name, is what I would describe as a typical mountain. It is tall and long. It is very majestic looking. The mountain immediately to it's south has a whole other look. It looks like organ pipes are rising out of the mountain. A very different type of erosion happened there. To the north of the middle mountain is a set of mountains that look like huge sand dunes, like the wind pushed the rocks up the mountains. It is very much like a sand dune, but it is the size of a mountain and made of rock, not sand.
Such three very different geological rock formations right next to each other. It is incredible to look at. I absolutely love it. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to live where mountains were. Of course, I wanted to go to Colorado and live among the amazing Rocky Mountains there, but where I am is just a more southern version of that great chain of mountains. I'm so happy to see them out my windows.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Back
Well, we made it to our new home in New Mexico. We got here Saturday night, and got the Internet running yesterday. Our household good arrives on Friday, but it won't be unloaded until Saturday.
We are sleeping on air mattresses, eating at a folding table a friend in a near by city let us borrow and listening to our voices echo in the empty house.
The trip was good and we enjoyed seeing my sister and her family and my parents along the way. I'm glad the trip went as well as it did because things have really not been good since getting here. Peanut, who is 8 months old today, got very sick on Saturday night. A stomach bug of some sort with lots of throwing up. By Sunday night she had passed her bug onto my oldest and youngest sons. By Monday, Princess and son #2 had it as well. Monday night, Hubby got it. I was the very lucky one. I felt pretty queasy on Monday, but I figured it was from seeing, smelling and cleaning up many throw up disasters during the day. I made two trips the the laundry mat that day. I need to do another, desperately. I'll be so glad when Saturday comes and we have our washer and dryer hooked up. The laundry mat gets expensive when you are running loads for this many people as well as all the sleeping bags that have been puked on.
Today is Wednesday. I took the boys to their new schools. My oldest goes to one elementary that serve grades 3-5 and then my second son goes to a different school (right next door) that serves grades K-2. I think my oldest son is the only white kid in his class. He is certainly the only blond! My other son has one other white kid in his class. We are defiantly the minority. It's pretty funny. It makes it easy for me to pick out my kids among their classmates.
So, we are going to relax a bit this morning now that the boys are in school. Poor Peanut is still quite sick and having a hard time keeping anything down. She is doing better today and I hope she is on the upswing. She has lost weight, I can feel it when I pick her up. Poor baby. I feel so bad for her. When she wakes up, we will be making another trip to the laundry mat. We are out of towels and three of our sleeping bags need to be cleaned as well.
I am hoping that next week will be better. Our stuff will be here and we can try and make this house our home. We will be able to decorate for Christmas and that will be fun. I'll have my washing machine and that will be good. And I hope Peanut will be well again. Our house has no carpet, only hard tiled floors. It makes it hard for her to crawl around and play.
Enough of the bad, things can only get better and they will!
We are sleeping on air mattresses, eating at a folding table a friend in a near by city let us borrow and listening to our voices echo in the empty house.
The trip was good and we enjoyed seeing my sister and her family and my parents along the way. I'm glad the trip went as well as it did because things have really not been good since getting here. Peanut, who is 8 months old today, got very sick on Saturday night. A stomach bug of some sort with lots of throwing up. By Sunday night she had passed her bug onto my oldest and youngest sons. By Monday, Princess and son #2 had it as well. Monday night, Hubby got it. I was the very lucky one. I felt pretty queasy on Monday, but I figured it was from seeing, smelling and cleaning up many throw up disasters during the day. I made two trips the the laundry mat that day. I need to do another, desperately. I'll be so glad when Saturday comes and we have our washer and dryer hooked up. The laundry mat gets expensive when you are running loads for this many people as well as all the sleeping bags that have been puked on.
Today is Wednesday. I took the boys to their new schools. My oldest goes to one elementary that serve grades 3-5 and then my second son goes to a different school (right next door) that serves grades K-2. I think my oldest son is the only white kid in his class. He is certainly the only blond! My other son has one other white kid in his class. We are defiantly the minority. It's pretty funny. It makes it easy for me to pick out my kids among their classmates.
So, we are going to relax a bit this morning now that the boys are in school. Poor Peanut is still quite sick and having a hard time keeping anything down. She is doing better today and I hope she is on the upswing. She has lost weight, I can feel it when I pick her up. Poor baby. I feel so bad for her. When she wakes up, we will be making another trip to the laundry mat. We are out of towels and three of our sleeping bags need to be cleaned as well.
I am hoping that next week will be better. Our stuff will be here and we can try and make this house our home. We will be able to decorate for Christmas and that will be fun. I'll have my washing machine and that will be good. And I hope Peanut will be well again. Our house has no carpet, only hard tiled floors. It makes it hard for her to crawl around and play.
Enough of the bad, things can only get better and they will!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)