Eighteen Erasers?

Occasionally, I like to write a review for a great product or curriculum we've used.  I went to Rainbow Resource's website a couple of weeks ago to let them know how much we like a particular eraser they carry.

You're thinking, "Eraser?  Really?"
Yeah.  It's that good.

I got an email today that went like this:

Hello Jennifer

Thanks for taking the time to write a review for the Mars Plastic Premium Quality Eraser. We enjoyed the enthusiasm of your review and are naming it a Customer Review of the Week.  We will place a $25  credit on your account which will be available the next time you place an order.  

 Warm Regards,

Janice Price

Consultant, Rainbow Resource Center

Cool, huh?  I didn't even know they were still doing the Customer Review of the Week promotion!  We simply like the eraser!

My review is here, if you'd like to read it.

Think of all the erasers I can buy with $25!!!  ; )

School vs. Grandparents

You know you're a homeschooler when...

~ the husband has to ask, "Is this a science experiment?" before he throws some moldy food away.

~ you joke at the dinner table about opening up a plant nursery and calling it "Turgor King".

~ the 6yo boy says, "If you do jazz hands with just one hand, it's just like you're waving."  (homeschool musical talk)

~ you grade kindergarten math, 3rd grade spelling, 8th grade literature, and 10th grade science all in the same evening.  (My brain...it burns!)

~ you can take a few days off of school because the grandparents are coming!

Dave's parents and my mom will be here Thursday.  They're going to help us out at camp this weekend (our annual Work Weekend), and then the in-laws are staying a few more days.

We are still behind in school.  We've caught up a little bit since the musical has finished up, so I hate to lose ground again, but we only see Ken & Gaynell once or twice per year.  Dave's dad turned 81 in March.  I'm not sure how many years he has left on this earth (he recently had some skin cancer removed from his forehead--that was scary).  We'll finish this school year eventually.  I would just kick myself if we did school full throttle while they were here, and then this ended up being our last time with the both of them.

We can maybe do a couple of subjects per day--or a field trip with the grandparents.

The nice thing about homeschooling is that I have a choice about this.  If the kids were in public/private school, they'd pretty much have to go to school for five out of the eight days their grandparents will be here.  I have to admit it.  I like being able to call the shots.

Grandparents WIN!!!

Kindle

For Mothers Day, Dave the kids got me a Kindle!  It's just the basic model, but I'm glad.  I'd just goof around on a Kindle Fire.  The goal is to read more.

And so far, I have!

Mostly, I've been reading homeschooling books (Lee Binz and Karen DeBeus).  I tried reading the Bible on the Kindle, but it's too fussy turning back and forth between passages.  I also downloaded a couple of classic novels--Emma and Pride & Prejudice.  It's funny; based on those two novels, the first book in my Kindle eBooks recommendations is The Anne of Green Gables Collection.  I think I'll wait a bit on that.  = )

For the most part, I still prefer real books.  I enjoy turning actual pages.  I like having more text per page than what the Kindle affords.  Plus, holding a paper book is somehow more comforting and homey to me than a digital contraption is.

However...

The Kindle is so portable.  I can carry a library in my purse!  Also, eBooks are generally less expensive than their paper counterparts.  Sometimes, they're free!  On top of that, if I've forgotten my reading glasses, I can easily change the text to a larger font size.  (That last one makes me sound older than I truly am.)

While the Kindle is a welcome addition to my literary way of life, I don't think I'll be clearing my bookshelves--too much--anytime soon.

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." ~ Cicero

"In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them."
                                                                                                   ~ Mark Twain

What are you reading?  And how?

Sew Busy!

Whew!  Okay...I'm back.

We had our performance weekend for Anne of Green Gables: The Musical a couple of weekends ago, and I'm still sort of catching up on things.  In fact, I should be folding a load of laundry right now.  I'll just make this a quick one.

Helping to direct this year's musical was very...educational.  I learned a lot of things that I didn't really have time for.  = )

One thing I learned is that I still know how to sew!

1. Pick out pattern.

2. Pick out fabrics, thread, & notions.

3. Figure out which pieces you need for your "view" of the dress.

4. Cut out those pieces.

5. *Iron* those pieces. 

6. Pin the pattern pieces to fabric *the correct way*.

7. Look at the directions about 17 times to accomplish step 6.

8. Transfer dart and reinforcement lines from pattern to fabric.

9. Check directions 26 *more* times.

10. Step back and admire the pieces so far.

(yoke, bodice, skirt)

Steps 11 through 87 are not pictured here, but a few of them are, "Call your mom to ask for help."  Each of the even-numbered steps is, "Check directions again."

88. Thank the good Lord that it fits!

Lydia had a line in the musical about having to wear copper-toed boots even though she was a fairy-like "Spirit of Canada" for the Avonlea School's history pageant.  I took Emma's costume boots from last year (which fit Lydia this year even though she's seven years younger) and added our own "copper" to them.

I added two coats of copper paint and topped it off with some clear nail polish.

TA-DA!

"Gertie Pye" & "Rupert Blair"