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"

Kid Stuff ~ The Cute & the Messy

The Cute
My sisters have been posting some old pictures on FB recently.  (I'm still not on FB, but Dave is.  He told me about it, and I promptly hijacked his account to see the pic's.)  I love this one.  I think I'm about 8 or 9 here, wearing my favorite lavender dress.  We were in Anaheim, CA visiting my Dad's sister and family.  We did Disneyland and visited my grandparents--both close by.  I have two boy cousins about my age, so it was fun playing with them, too.

I love Matt's little suit and Melody's self-cut bangs.

She cuts hair for a living now. (She's gotten way better.)

The Messy

This is what happened one evening while I was making dinner.

Later....

I didn't get one of Sam's comments on video, but I'll tell you it here.  First let me say, he and Lydia have been asking for ways that they can earn extra money.  (They get a paltry allowance.)  I've told them that when they do a job they don't normally do--i.e. it's Mom's or Dad's usual chore--then they can earn some extra cash.  So, as we were finishing up:

Samuel (excited):  So Mom, can we get some extra money for...wait...nevermind.  (Not-so-excited) It doesn't count if we make the mess ourselves, does it?

He's quick!

Back to the Blog

January 22nd?  Really?!  That's the last time I've blogged?  Well...here anyway.  I've been blogging every week on our homeschool performing arts page.

So much has happened, but I'll catch you up on only a few things today.

Here are those ice skating pictures I promised a while back.

Lydia has come a long way!  She used to have to push a skating walker

around the rink.  Then she graduated to the wall.  Now she's independent!

(Too bad this building is getting ready for 4H horse stuff now.  The ice is gone.)

Jeffrey turned 14 years old a few weeks ago!

He likes Tic-Tacs, so I bought him a couple of 12-packs online.

We had our Awana Grand Prix last month, too.

 Samuel sanding his car.  He was really getting into it.

His whole body was twisting side-to-side.  = )

 Samuel & Lydia painting their cars

 Lydia's advice: "Samuel, don't guide the paintbrush. 

Let the paintbrush guide you."  The nut.

 The fam, minus myself (taking the picture) and Lydia, who was over...

 ...here with her good friends.

 Samuel won 2nd place for speed!  He missed first place by 0.04 seconds.

 Lydia won first place for speed in the older kids' group!

And here are all of Dave's the kids' trophies from Awana Grand Prix past.

Swimming Lessons

This is Sam's first year of official Red Cross swimming lessons at our local Rec Center.

Ready to go!

Blowing Bubbles

Talking with Dave, his teacher

These pictures were taken last fall (my camera still isn't here, so that's why the older photos).  Sam's class back then was really small.  His current class has about a dozen young kids in it!  Dave is a great swim teacher and I trust him completely (he's taught all of my kids now), but he still only has one set of eyes.  So...Jeffrey has started helping with Sam's class!  Now, he's not old enough to be a full-fledged lifeguard.  He's only 13.  Our Rec Center offers a "Lifeguard Readiness" class for strong swimmers who aren't old enough to take the actual Lifeguarding Training Course.  He's taken that a few times, so Dave was glad to have him help.  I overheard some of the other parents comment about how they felt so much better having another person in the pool.  I smiled and said, "That's my son."  

I'm a proud mama.