10.13.11
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School with a teenager

Literature

Teacher: Shakespeare wrote two kinds of plays: comedies, which always have at least one wedding, and tragedies, which always have at least one death.

Teen: What about Henry V?

{brief silence}

Teacher: Shakespeare wrote three kinds of plays: comedies, which always have at least one wedding, and tragedies, which always have at least one death, and histories, which are historical.

Science

Teen: Does anything travel at the speed of darkness?

Nutrition

Teen: Who drank all the coffee?  Mom!  Can you make more coffee?

Elective: Halloween Costume Design

Teen: During lunch, can you sew my cape?

Teacher: You want me to work on my lunch break?

{downcast look}

Teen: Can I sew my cape?

Teacher: Uh, no.

(I definitely see some potential here for him learning to sew on my machine, but I’m expecting more fabric today for two other costumes, and I just can’t afford the learning curve this time.  Maybe I’ll have him, after Halloween, make a cape for Billy and learn that way.)

10.10.11
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A Cool Giveaway!!

Last month, I had the chance to download – for free – some digital scrapbooking software to try it out.  My earlier post with photos from Mary’s birthday was made with this software.  It is super easy.

I made a few more pages, and turned it into a movie.  The quality I chose was “web-quality” which is fairly low-quality.  I did have other options, with higher resolutions, so I assume that they would be even nicer (but would be annoying slow for a browser).

Since I promised My Memories that I would do this review weeks ago, I don’t have the time to fully investigate the software’s many options.  What I did use was simple to manipulate and customize to suit my personal taste.  I am not a scrapbooker, because I just don’t think I’m that artsy…I’m more of a written word kinda gal (hence, I blog).  But I do think the ease of this software and the many templates available in the package or online (some are free and some are for a price) will help even a right-brained type like me be able to produce lovely keepsakes for their children.  And if you are the creative type, I’m sure you will find even more uses with the program.

Last year’s birthday party

photo shoot montage

Now, what would you do with these pages?  Once you have a pretty page or album, what could you do with it?  The scrapbooking software allows you to “share” your pages in many different ways.  One way is to turn each page into a jpeg.  One way is to email friends and family a movie.  You can print the pages and form a paper photo album (the “old-fashioned” kind) with the added bonus of being able to replicate it if it is lost or damaged.  I think, if I have the time, that making a slideshow or movie that summarizes the past year would be a fun and interesting way to send updates to distant family and friends in lieu of an annual “Christmas letter.”

Now, My Memories is so wonderful that not only did they give me their software for free, they have offered to give the software away to another lucky person.  In order to be eligible to win, you must go to their site and then come back here (or on FB) and comment on your favorite template or background.  If you “like” them on Facebook, tell me that you did so, and I will enter your name a second time.  And if you visit their blog, let me know that, too, and I’ll enter your name a third time.

Contest will be open until midnight on Sunday, October 16th.  Sometime on Monday, I will randomly pick a winner.

Lastly, if you don’t win, but you decide you want to order this software, you can receive $10 off by using a special promo code.  Not only do YOU get $10 off, but I get money for referring you.  Use this code: STMMMS61090

10.10.11
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Mary turns 4

Saturday was Mary’s 4th birthday.  I took it hard on Friday night for about 2 and a half minutes, which was all the time I would permit.  I can’t believe how old she is.

I blogged about her birth here.  I blogged about problems with nursing her, and how she tried hard to starve to death (I am not kidding).  I blogged about overcoming that to go on and having to cut her off eventually around her 2nd birthday because I was tired of it.  She still strokes under my chin to compensate for her “loss.”

So many of you readers have been with me through all of that.  Thanks for sticking around.  May we have many more good years of sharing.

On Thursday night, I strong-armed a woman into making Mary a birthday cake the next day.  With no notice, she did a fabulous job.  Mary really wanted a cake with unicorns.  She got one.  So cute!  Notice the broken M.  That was not how the cake looked when I brought it home.  This girl still can not keep her hands off anything.

 I love the middle picture here.  What to wish for?  Oooooh, I don’t know…so many choices…Oh! the pressure!

We squeezed Mary’s cake and party between Peter’s football game and his team’s end of season party/coach’s son’s birthday party.  The older boys had football later, followed by a party, Mass and camping.  A busy day.

I will blog about those photo spreads later today.

10.10.11
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Science/History class trauma

This happened weeks ago, but I’ve had these photos on my camera and finally downloaded them.

Katie was trying to find a quiet place to read her history.  This is quite a challenge here.  I’ve been to other people’s homes during school hours, and they are not as noisy.  I crave quiet students diligently reading, but that is not my lot in life.

Anyway…

The back deck was too hot and sunny, so I suggested the front porch which remains shaded until afternoon.  And so she went.  Not too many minutes later, she returned, a bit startled.  Apparently, a snake had been on the roof, stalking a gecko.  Apparently, he caught it, but in the process lost his balance on the roof and so the two came tumbling down, landing right in front of her.

After but a moment’s pause, we all jumped up to go see.  I took one look and went to get my camera, which was on B&W (I did not realize this until it was over).

There was a snake, with a gecko hanging out of it’s mouth.

snake on porch railing post

zoomed in

We stood, not 18 inches away, and watched the poor gecko in his last moments.  It was horrifying, in a detached, scientific sort of way.  The snake, in the middle of eating, was terrified by the looming figures of 7 people lurking over him, but he was a bit busy and couldn’t move.  As soon as the last of the tail was swallowed, the snake took off.

Back in the house, Jenny cried.  I held her tightly.  This is why I am not a biologist.  I hate this stuff.  I’m not fond of creepy crawly things at all, but around here, as long as they stay outside, the geckos are kinda cute.  We even consider them our friends.

10.09.11
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It’s about time

I finally updated my sidebar photos.  They were a bit…old.  Or young, I guess.  The kids have changed a bit.

The older ones haven’t changed too too much.

FRITZ (not much change)

before
after

BILLY (who won’t cut his mop head)

before
after

KATIE (the shorter hair makes her look older)

before
after

JENNY (who FINALLY has some teeth growing up front)

before
after

PETER (an older, wiser imp)

before
after

MARY (not even the same girl any more)

before
after
10.09.11
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Thinking Ahead to Advent

“Are you going to blog today?” he asked me.

“I hope so,” I said.

“You know…it’s been a week.”

(sigh)  Yes.  I know.

*******

Last Wednesday, I took Sarah Reinhard’s booklet, Welcome Baby Jesus, to church to show the DRE.  It’s not too early to be thinking about Advent, and I recommend her Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families.  My family used it last year, in text form only, and I think Ligori did a great job with the artwork to make it as visually appealing as it is spiritually appealing.

I go to church on Wednesdays because Fritz has CCD on Wednesday evenings.  Fritz asked about the booklet, and I explained that Mrs. Reinhard, whom he has met more than once, wrote it.  She even signed my copy.  I feel very special.

“Wow.  I know someone who has written a book,” he said.  He’s even breathed the same air.

“I know several people who have written books,” I told him.  I’m not going to even start dropping names now for fear that I will leave somebody out.

Fritz seemed even more impressed.  That’s right, kid, I know people.

“In fact, I would like to write a book.  I have several ideas, but I don’t have any time.  I think I’ll put you all in school so I have all day long to sit and write.  Is that ok with you?”

“No!”

“What?  Why not?  Shouldn’t I have personal fulfillment?  Shouldn’t I be allowed to pursue my dreams?”


“That’s what Saturdays and Sundays are for.”

(sigh)  Thwarted.  Stymied.  If only I didn’t need sleep.

10.04.11
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Just stuff

My once a week posting is rather pathetic.

These are busy times.  I know so many of you have only really just begun schooling, but here we’re around week 8 or 9.  Got a bit behind last week, since our Oktoberfest was on Saturday, and I had tons to do.  My sister was here all week, and she was a tremendous help in baking, cooking, cleaning, and decorating.  I would have done no school at all if she hadn’t been here making me feel guilty for neglecting my children and doing more than half the work to get ready for the party.

I’ve sold 4 ACU stockings already.  That’s quite an early start to the Christmas season, even for overseas shipping. 

Last night was the LAST practice for flag football and the last game is Saturday.  Woohoo.  It’s sad that I am so happy when the seasons are over.  I won’t have my Monday evenings completely back, but now I only have one child doing an activity that night instead of 4.

Fritz and I did the Life Chain on Sunday.  There were one or two rude people, some supporters, but the vast majority were apathetic.  Apathy is much harder to fight than hatred, because at least people who hate have passion that can be turned to the good.  People who don’t care at all are much harder to get fired up.  If you haven’t yet seen this movie, it’s worth the half hour.  Unfortunately, talking to every single individual for a half hour in order to change his or her mind is a tedious job, especially when their lack of interest just has them walking away. 

I took pictures a week or more ago of all the kids to update the sidebar.  Mary does not at all look like that any more.  Most of the kids look older.  Go figure.  Someday I’ll get around to updating them.  Jenny had her 8th birthday a few weeks ago.  Mary’s 4th birthday is Saturday.  How does this happen? 

And speaking of feeling old, Bill and I celebrated our 16th anniversary on Friday.  We met and started dating 22 years ago.  That’s a long time.

Must kiss hubby goodbye for work.  Perhaps I’ll post again before next week.

09.26.11
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St. Augustine Road Trip

I have an awesome husband.  He stayed home this weekend, washed the kitchen floor grout, re-painted the kitchen table, ferried children to all their activities, and monitored the eating, sleeping and hygienic habits of our children, my sister’s children and our 4 dogs…while my sister and I went to St. Augustine for a few days.

He’s my hero.

St. Augustine is beautiful.  I must go back there.

In brief:

Got a great walk-in deal at the oldest hotel in the oldest city.  Highly recommend it.  (But why do the nicest hotels charge $10/day for wi-fi when a Howard Johnson’s does it for free?  Why?)

Met the natives.

Went to jail.

Friendly people.

Went shopping.

See explanation below.

Had beautiful blue skies.

The cathedral

Statue in the cathedral’s courtyard

Had some not so blue skies which gave us off and on rain.

The fort.

Considered napping, but didn’t.

Spanish guard room bunks.

British barracks bunks – for 4.

Overlooking the town.

 Talking to locals gets you the best tip on places to eat.  We had lunch and dinner based on recommendations from a guy we met on the trolley going around town.  Loved the cheese-ale soup at A1A Aleworks.  After vigil Mass at the cathedral, we ate at a place called Casa Maya for dinner.  Yummy.

Earlier, we reserved spots on a ghost tour/pub crawl that began at 830 pm.  With some time to kill between dinner and the tour, we went and got tattoos.  Seriously, I don’t think my husband will let me go anywhere with my sister again.

Actually, he doesn’t mind.  It’s a tasteful pair of roses.

And it’s just henna.

Sunday morning breakfast at the Athena Cafe.

This sundial on the wall of the cathedral tower would be correct if not for Daylight Savings.  It was actually 830 am.

 Quick trip to the landing spot of Pedro Menendez in 1565.

And visiting the Shrine to Our Lady of La Leche.

Saw the oldest tree in St Augustine, a 640 year old live oak in the Ho-Jo parking lot.  The one with free wi-fi.

A wall made of tabby construction.  That means made from mud and sea shells.  Do not confuse it with coquina, which is also mud and sea shells, but coquina is natural and tabby is man-made.

We did not drink from the Fountain of Youth, so I still have my gray hair.

Decided to cross the Bridge of Lions to see the ocean.  We got there just as the drawbridge was going up.  I got out and took pictures.  See that group of people on the side?  They had posterboard signs.  We asked them what they were doing.  They were waiting for a boat…

Not one of these boats…

That man’s daughter was boating with her boyfriend.  He was going to propose marriage.  Their signs said, “Will you marry me?”  Isn’t that sweet?  My sister and I had fun talking to strangers all weekend.

Waiting for the bridge…

Great day for boating…especially if it means a diamond ring…

Any day now…

We actually didn’t see the ocean because you had to pay to go to the park, and we’ve already seen the ocean.  Once or twice.  We went back to the historic district.

City gate

Just hanging out in the bay…ah, the life…
Magnolia Street – lined by live oaks.

The afternoon came too quickly.  We got to see a bit of the Browns game where we ate lunch (they were playing Miami, and we tried hard to not be too loud as we rooted for our team).  Then we hit an outlet mall, and came home.

They survived, but nobody slept…neither kids nor dogs, hence not Bill.  Good thing it was only 2 nights!

09.18.11
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Sunday Morning Coming Down

We went to Mass last night, and Bill is dropping the older boys off to go canoeing today.

Bill plans to take Jenny out for lunch and to get her ears pierced – her birthday present.

I’m listening to my irreverent “Sunday Morning” playlist.  One of my favorite songs is Sunday Morning Coming Down, and my version has the Man in Black singing in a slow, mournful tone, much sadder than the version here.  If you’ve never felt lonely or separated from the love of God, you won’t get that song.  If you felt that way once upon a time, it will remind you to be thankful you no longer do.

The other songs on the list are very singable.  I picked them because they remind me of songs my father might have sung on weekend mornings, playing his guitar and serenading his sleeping children until they awoke.  Some of the songs, like Bed of Roses, are thematically inappropriate for children, and yet, my children know them as well as I did at their age.  Other songs, like Summertime by Kenny Chesney, are modern, but my dad might have learned to play them had they been out 30 years ago.

There are no church songs in my playlist.  I hope you still love me after that confession.

I’m stuck in my kitchen/family room area, because I’m making waffles.  Everybody has eaten their fill, but I’m making 4 batches, which should get us through the week.  I have one waffle iron, and it takes 6 minutes to cook.  Each batch makes about 6 waffles.  I’m not doing the math for you, but I won’t be going anywhere for a bit.  Perhaps my blog reading will get caught up.  Or my checkbook will be balanced.

I turned the A/C off two days ago.  That’s the first time since April, I believe.  I wore jeans last night since we went to see a movie at an outdoor venue.  I love fall.  We scrounged for warmer clothes last night, and I think I might have to do that whole clothing swap soon. 

Not today.

Today I’m going to sit and make waffles.  And take some deep breaths.  Maybe a nap.