100 Posts.† I started this blog when my Mother died.† It helped me so much in the first few days/weeks/months.† I don’t keep† it like I should.† I write sporadically at best.† This is my 100th post and I wish I had something earth shattering to share, some wisdom to impart to the 2 people who read this.
But I don’t.
Life goes on, soon it will be 2 years that my sweet Mamma died.† 2 years, it seems impossible that it has been that long.† Things change, my Daddy has remarried to a wonderful woman who I love.† I still miss my Mother every day of my life.† Kei still tells me at times I call for her when I am falling asleep.† We are living in her house.† She would be tickled pink that we are here.† I wish she lived here with us, but that wasn’t God’s plan.
Kei bought a candy making kit on clearance after Easter.† It looked like something that would be a huge mess to me.† She was outside playing and decided she had to make candy NOW.†† I warned her that it probably wouldn’t look like the candy on the box.
Getting Ready
She did it all by herself and I was amazed how it turned out!† It was beautiful!
Yummy!
The roses are blooming here.† It is so strange how I lived here when I was younger and visited here every day of my life almost, but I have never really noticed how beautiful the roses and flowers are.† I guess ownership <however loosely> makes you more aware.
Beautiful Rose
There are about 15 rose bushes scattered everywhere.† Mother always loved roses.† They are amazing.
Rose with Ladybug
We celebrated Earth Day by going on a Wildflower walk.† I love this place but this year there wasn’t much water and the kids didn’t get to splash around much.† We then went to a nearby park and ate lunch at Taziki’s Greek Restaurant.† It was YUMMY!
EArth Day Hike
There is the coolest house made of twigs and limbs.† We wondered who built it?
House Made of Twigs
All in all a good week.† We were invited to go camping next week and are so hoping we will be able to go!
The weather is still CRAPPY!† Seriously I get tired of always talking about the weather but sheeshhhh.
Kei and I went to see Alice.† It was really good and totally cool with the 3D.† Although my boss, who worked on the film, said it wasn’t filmed in 3D.† Kei loved it.† If she can love Johnny looking like this, it must be true love.
True Love...
We went to see Circo Comedia which was hilarious.† Kei loved it.† I can’t imagine just moving around, city by city, performing.† Under the right circumstances that could be so fun!
Kei loves to make things for me.† I woke up Tuesday and she had a clue in the bathroom that led me through the house to a ‘prize’.† I had to post her clues because they were cute and the last one can still make me laugh a week later.
1. “Where people say we should eat, is a clue to your treat.” <kitchen table>
2. “Now go to the desk where WOW is played to get a jump start on your day.” <my computer>
3. “Last but not least, look in the cookie jar for your treat.” <cookie jar>
4. “You found your treat, so Bonaparte.” <Ok I read this and said, “Huh? and she said ‘bon appetit , I spell checked it!’> I am still laughing about it.
Thursday we spent the day with some of our bestest friends <we missed you Gina and Heather!>† It was Suzette and Michelle’s birthday.† We ate at Olive Garden and then went to the Rosenbaum House which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.† It was unbelievable.† Kei and I loved it and wanted to move in.† Then we went to the park for cheesecake. Great day, great food, great friends, great learning.† Perfect day. Thanks Suz, Em and Zachery for letting us ride with you.
Kids at FLW
Kei at the RiverMoms at FLW
Kei had play practice Saturday and Sunday we had a great day at church.† Sunday was the 1st day of† DST so we were both tired all day.† Kei begged to watch a scary movie during the daytime! ;)† I finally let her and she was so funny.† She got a bunch of stuffed animals and watched it with them assuring them at various times it was “just a movie”.† Other times she screamed at the TV about how stupid the people were.
It's ok, it's JUST a movieDON'T GO IN THERE!!!
All in all, a good week.† Now if the sun would come out and it get above 50∫ I may survive.
We started ‘school’ back today.† Kei and I were both ready for it.
She did a report from “The Daring Book for Girls”.† This is the coolest book ever.† She picked, of all things, Karate.
Then she helped me fax my work flyer to about 50 Production companies.† She said she needed to write down the numbers so she would have them ‘one day when I am about to be an actress’. 🙂
We had to miss our roamschool outing to Moe’s.† Daddy wanted us to come over and go through the house again.† I have such conflicting emotions about moving.† I just pray that it all works out.
Tomorrow we start cleaning over there.† Lord give me strength and patience! 🙂
Well Christmas has come and gone.† Thanks to the coolest friends in the world, we had an amazing Christmas.
We left Santa cookies and milk.
Ho Ho Ho...
We then spent a very restless night.† Kei could not sleep because she was so excited.† She started at 1:00 am asking me if she could just sneak down and check and I said no.† She asked me every 30 minutes until 5:30 when I finally said yes.† I have to have a bath before I function <hey some people need coffee, I need my bath!> so we have started a tradition of her opening her stocking on the bathroom floor while I am waking up in my bath.
Kei got everything on her list!† And more!
Wonderful Christmas
We went to Eddie and Heather’s for Christmas breakfast.† Daddy and Marlene† came too.† We had a yummy breakfast casserole, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, orange juice and coffee.† Then we opened presents.† Good times were had by all!
Kei and I came home she played for hours while I took down the tree! I know, I know, but I was sick of that puppy.† So down it came.
Then we went to Marlene’s for Christmas dinner.† We met her son and his wife and their adorable little girl.† Everything was delicious and it was a nice night.† You know, traditions sometimes change.
Saturday we went to Laura’s for traditional Christmas dinner.† The food was excellent and the company was awesome.† I laughed so much my stomach hurt.† We love you all so much!
Suzette had everyone over to her house for our !st Annual Homeschooling Christmas dinner.† We had the best time ever!† We had fajitas and beans and rice and tons of sweets.† We also played Trivial Pursuit.† It was a great time with great friends.† Suz, you are the best.
Trivial PursuitMore Trivia
We spent New Year’s Eve quietly at home.† I had given her an early birthday gift and she played Wii sports for hours!
I played WoW with Carla and a friend from Canada.† We laughed so much and had so much fun.† Here is a screen shot of Carla and I waiting on Paul to figure out how to get me on a zeppelin that I was 7 levels too low to go onto.† It is a hilarious story but you have to play WOW to understand. :)† Yes we did it!
Happy 2010 on WOW!
The 3rd was my beautiful girl’s 10th birthday and she was SO EXCITED. She is such a blessing in my life and I thank God for her every single day.
Sweet Child of Mine
She told me she was going to be the Big ONE OH!
10th Birthday
We went to church and then we went to IHoP.† This is the 6th year in a row we have gone to eat breakfast on her birthday.† The waitress’s all sing to her and she loves it!
Happy Birthday!
Then we came home and Daddy and Marlene came over.† Marlene had made Kei a beautiful birthday cake. It was yummy too!
Yum Yum Yum
Then she opened my gifts.† She loved everything ….
but nothing as much as the Johnny Depp bag I found for her.† I took 5 pictures and they were all blurry because she kept jumping up and down!
Kei & her future husband
Eddie, Heather and the kids† came over and brought her a Zhu Zhu complete with a house.† She loved it!† Later on that night, she was playing with it and I was on the computer.† Everything got very quiet.† I said “What’s up?” and turned to look at her.† She had her Zhu Zhu dangling from her hair!† She said, “I was laying on the floor and he just backed up and ran over my hair!”.† Only Kei.† I got one wheel out but I could not get the other one.† We called Jerri and went to her house for assistance.† Everytime you touch the dang thing the wheels would turn and it would make crazy noises.† Jerri and I were laughing so hard we were crying.† We finally got out all but about 10 hairs and we just had to cut it out.
Zhu Zhu of Death
Kei said, “Please don’t blog or Facebook this Mom”, but…it was too good to resist.
Now we are in the middle of a huge FREEZE! It is cold, I mean COLD, didimentionCOLD?† My Southern blood isn’t up to this kind of weather.† We are in the house and not going out until the temperature hits at least 40!
So, here we are….2010.† Hang on tight because the best is yet to come.
I am not ready for December.† I am not ready for Christmas and presents and trees and decorations.
Kei is though.† She is more than ready for us both.
The past 2 weeks have been good.† We have done some really cool things in homeschooling.† We are still doing the American Revolution and also making a Grammar Lapbook.† It is a really fun one where you are a visitor from another planet and are trying to figure out the English language.
We have learned about the Brain and Kei made a brain hat. <this is so neat!>† She also did the Stroop test and thought it was so cool.† We determined which was her dominate side <left>.
The Girl with 2 Brains
We went to Heather’s for a GNO.† We ate pasta and sandwiches and desert and caramel popcorn and watched Momma Mia! on blue ray and trust me, it DOES make a difference.† Our girls were singing and dancing the entire time.† We don’t have 1 shy, introvert HSer among us! 🙂
"Momma Mia, Here I go again"MM Robot
Chan came and spent a few days with us.† We always love having her.† Her and Kei had so much fun.† They borrowed my camera and kept trying to get jumping shots of themselves.
Yes, Kei still has her tonsils!
Thanksgiving we spent giving back to our community.† We went with our church to serve 1400 meals delivered to families and serve 400 inmates.† We love doing this each year.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss
Then we went to Gina and Bobby’s.† We had an AWESOME Chinese dinner.† The lumpia’s that Gina made were out of this world.† I am still craving them.
Thanksgiving Chinese Style
Kei and I had written down a thing that we were thankful for each day in November.† We made them into a chain and read each other’s Thanksgiving Day.† It was scary how similar they were.
Kei and I spent the rest of the holiday weekend watching movies, playing computer games and board games† and laughing a lot.
While listening to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” Kei was to write what each season made her feel, taste, hear and see.† I have always thought I was a semi decent writer, but I don’t really remember writing things like this so young.† Maybe it is because I wasn’t homeschooled. 🙂
Winter
I see the white blanket on the ground,
I feel the cold, sharp air on my tongue and the white, wet snowflakes,
I hear stillness around me; for the animals have fled and so will I, go back to my den and I feel calm and happy.
Spring
I see the bunnies eating the fresh vegetables,
I feel the new pansies on my legs,
I hear ‘tweet tweet’ and ‘thump thump’ as life begins again,
And I taste the cool, moist air.
Summer
I see the water, the bathing suits,
I feel the water, splash, splash, splashing on my face
I taste the hot, sticky air
I hear people laughing and screaming
Fall
Cool, moist air lies on my tongue,
I see the red, yellow and orange leaves on the trees.
Kei got a new box.† It is amazing what you can do with a box, where you† can go, what you can be.
Step Into My Parlor...
It is a window to imagination…
Complete with Homemade Curtains
My Daddy has millions of acorns.† Kei and went over there and got some and painted them orange.† [Which is harder than it sounds.† Anyone know a better way to anchor these little guys while you are painting them?] Then she drew pumpkin faces on them.
FIVE little PUMPKINS
We had to punt the Edward Scissorhands idea.† Too expensive for this year, so she is going to be Mother Nature.† Which is very apropo for her.† We went to look for ideas at the Halloween store in town.† They have some of the coolest stuff!
We had to, of course, take the required ‘I’m so scared’ picture.
Today she was playing with clay and made this cute little clay family.† I thought they had a Gremlin ‘flavor’.
Do Not Feed After Midnight
All in all, a very good week.† Of course, it is supposed to RAIN tomorrow.
We are studying about Colonial Times and have watched a series on PBS called Colonial House. It is like a reality show with modern families having to live like Colonists.† We ordered it from Netflix.† We both agree that we wouldn’t really care to live during those times. We read a book about an average day and the little girl in the book put on 16 items of clothing every morning.† Kei tried it with skirts, stockings, tulle skirts and various things.† She kept it on about 10 minutes and then I found pieces of clothing like Hansel and Gretel’s bread trail. 🙂
She also did a poster on Seed Dispersal.† She loves hands on activities and I really think she retains more than just doing a worksheet.
I never throw away anything electronic that breaks.† Kei loves to take things apart.† Here she is taking apart our poor dead DVD player.† The funniest part was I heard her talking and I said, “Please don’t talk to inanimate objects” and she said, “I am pretending I am a doctor doing surgery on it”.
This is a picture Kei made of our gorgeous plant that Gina gave us.† It has done so well!† Especially considering I have a JET BLACK thumb!
All in all a good week.† Now if it would only stop raining.† It is supposed to cool off this weekend.† We have our electric blanket ready to go.
“Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain so yellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a young and a callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow–follow, oh-oh.” -† Try to Remember, Lyrics by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
I can’t believe it is already the middle of September.† Where does time go?
We are in full swing with homeschooling.† Loving it with very few meltdowns by either of us.
We missed the “Not Back to School” picnic and the 1st skate day because Kei was very sick.† We both hated missing it.
We did go bowling which was fun.† I got to see some people I hadn’t seen all summer.† Kei broke 100 which is a 1st for her.
She has been in a coloring mode lately.† Every night after dinner she colors and colors and colors.
We are learning about Kingdoms, etc.† Even though I think it is a little silly.† I mean how many times have you been asked for the Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus or Species of a mushroom???† Kei has memorized all of them which is more than I know.†† We did an experiment about “Opposable Thumbs” and it was a hoot.† She had to try to do all these things with her thumbs taped down.† Some she accomplished but it took forever and some she could not do at all.
I love homeschooling.† I love spending so much time with Kei.† I love learning right along with her.† I have learned relearned so much!† We are doing American History and I have never been so fascinated by Explorers and the first settlements.† In a perfect world we could go to visit Jamestown after studying about it.† But…with the internet that is almost possible.
Kei is now working on a play about Virginia Dare. She is convinced that the Indians got her and they all lived happily ever after.† She still believes in that…..
