We had a really good week and weekend.† We got our tree up.† Ok Keilee got our tree up, I helped very little.† We were going to get a real tree this year but our tree is so easy to put up.† I have had 20í trees, big fat touch the ceiling trees and theme trees.† Now we like simple.† Now ìIî like simple.† It is not a ‘bad little tree’† and Nomad approves!†

Wednesday Kei got a great opportunity.† They were going to test a new Mission at the Space and Rocket Center and asked for Homeschool volunteers.† I called Gina and asked if Brit wanted to go and she said, “YES”, so I signed them up.† We weren’t sure exactly what they were going to do but Space and Rocket Center is always the BOMB! And it SNOWED on the way there…wet, sloppy, “not going to stick” snow, but snow nonetheless!† If it isn’t slippery, I love driving when it is snowing.

Now they were going to be ‘guinea pigs’ for 3 hours so I had called my brother who works at Marshall Space Flight Center and asked him if he could get away for awhile.† He picked me up and we went to Sam’s.† Do you have Sam’s?† Similar to Costco’s.† We wandered around and got a few things and then he took me to his office.† This is on Redstone Arsenal and you have to have a badge to get on the base.† We stayed at his office for a couple of hours and I met his co-workers.††† He works with some great people!† I already knew a few of them because he has worked there for years.It made me remember how much I liked working in an environment with great people.† Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to do that, I just remember fun times.

On the way out he showed me the building where Wernher von Braun worked.† Google him or look on link if you don’t know who that is.† He was VERY instrumental in the Space Program.

When I got back to the Space and Rocket Center I saw Kei coming out of a space shuttle with her ‘crew’.† I cracked up because she had her purse!

Here are some pictures Kei made with her iPhone that was IN HER PURSE!† Never mind about the important saving the world moments…lets snap some photos.† I am so proud of her.

All the way home I heard what a blast they had.† They were divided into different groups.† Kei’s group stayed on the ship while Brit’s group had to repair the space ship “Aurora”.† Kei was the pilot and communicated with Mission Control with headsets.† The ship went down and for 20 seconds they were without communications and all red lights began to flash.† They finally re-established contact and fixed the problem. Brit’s group died I think. :)† They stepped out onto Mars before the ‘all clear’ sounded.† There were other groups doing other things but this is dictated to me by Keilee.† :)† They both loved it!

After the Mission Brit came and spent the night with Keilee.† They sang and sang and there may or may not have been a video of dancing to “Barbie Girl”.† Don’t try to deny it, if a picture is worth a thousand words…what is a video worth? Huh? 😉

Saturday Keilee tried out for “The Wizard of Oz”.† She didn’t expect a big role because they are very fair with letting the kids all have a chance.† But she really wanted to be The Cowardly Lion.† She has a strange fascination with tails.† Don’t ask…I don’t.† There were 130 kids that tried out!† Almost all of our core group of Homeschoolers tried out.† Many of them have never done plays and only Chan has done plays with this group.†

All the kids did a really good job.† We found out Sunday night that EVERY ONE of the HOMESCHOOL kids made it!!!† We were so excited.† They are going to have a blast.† Keilee was cast as the Wicked Witch which surprised us both very much.† So I have heard, “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too” about a thousand times already.

Sunday after church we met some of our favorite people at Bridge Street to see “Hugo 3D”.† Kei and I read this book [you must read it if you haven’t] and were very excited to see it.† Martin Scorsese directed it and it was wonderful.† It was one of the best “3D” movies we have seen.†

After the film Keilee and Sophie got into a fight about which one of them was marrying Johnny Depp.† It just drives Keilee crazy because Sophie wants Johnny to be one of her 3 husbands and Keilee just knows he is her one and only.† Crappy picture in dark theatre on iPhone but it was so funny.

Then there was ice cream at Maggi Moo’s and shopping.† Kei and Sophie flitted around like butterflies to pollen.† Every store had the cutest things.† Ahhh I wish I was rich.† But we did manage to get a few things.† She found some awesome distressed jeans on sale.† I bought them for her FOR CHRISTMAS! 🙂

We had such a great afternoon.† It is so cool to love the Moms of your child’s friends.† I am so blessed because I love all of Keilee’s friends Moms.

One of my favorite things this week was talking to Jess and Theresa.† They each called me Thursday and I am surprised my cordless didn’t go dead.† We talked and talked and talked.† I just love talking over things with these 2 women.† They are both just the greatest.† If only I could build that street, you know the one…with houses for me, and Jess and Theresa and Helena and Susan and Jenn and Phyllis and H-Mama and Mary and the Roamies [because sometimes 30 or 45 minutes is just TOO far]…it could be called “What a Jolly Street”.† Does anyone remember that book?† My Mom liked it and bought it for me when I was little and I loved it.† I bought it for Kei and she loved it.† We used to read it every night.

We also learned stuff!† Lots of stuff… and there was knitting and cooking and laughing and looking up things and videos and NO TELEVISION.† I forgot to mention that huh?† We are not watching TV until Jan. 4, 2012.† We are taking part in a fast at our church and that is what we decided to ‘give up’.† We are watching 2-3 shows a week or a movie.† But the rest of the time…silence from the boob tube.† I have loved it.† Kei hasn’t hated it. ;)† We chose to watch “Super 8” for our movie this week.† We both really like it!† [Thanks Gina and it went into the mail today ]

A great few days.† Aren’t we blessed?† Don’t you feel so blessed to be able to homeschool?† I know I do.† [most of the time] 😉

Homeschooling Rocks!
Karen

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”† – Anais Nin

“Every person is a new door to a different world.” – from movie “Six Degrees of Separation”