The Old House…

mamaw

My daddyís mom and dad lived in Moulton.

They were older. Even when I was small they were old. I loved my Mamaw more than anything when I was little. She never wore pants, always dresses and stockings with elastic garters. Mamaw loved red; even though she was a little embarrassed about the fact that she did. [She considered red a ëloose womanísíí color]† We went to their house almost every Sunday.†

About twice a month they would come spend the night with us. We always went to pick them up because even though my Papaw drove around town, he didnít drive distances. Mamaw would always let me pack her overnight bag. I loved picking out her dresses that she would wear.

Every summer I would spend a week or so with Mamaw and Papaw. They had a great house with a farm. It was strange because they lived on a farm but they lived in the middle of town. I would help gather eggs and milk the cows. It is sad that Kei has never done those things. Mamaw and I would walk to ëtowní. I loved it. It was right down the block but I always felt so grown up.

I have so many memories of my Mamaw and Papaw. The both lived to be in their 90ís. But by that time I was older and didnít spend so much time with them.

I loved their house. It was a big old farmhouse, over a hundred years old.† My daddy told me they bought it for $2500, with 16 acres! When my grandparents died, he and his brothers sold it for $20,000. It is for sale now. The asking price is $136,900!!!! They have even put in a pool!† That is with NO acres. My daddy didnít believe me, he came over here to look on the internet. He said that Mamaw and Papaw would faint if they knew how much it was.† I wish we could buy it. I would even live in Moulton!

I would give anything if, just† for one day, I could grab Keiís hand and pull her back in time. Back to Mamawís front porch, with Daddy making home made ice cream and Papaw smoking his cigar and Momma and Mamaw inside cooking fried chicken with all the trimmings. I would show her the pond and climb my favorite tree with her, I would show her the hole in the barn where we would throw apples, and the grapevines and the wraparound porch that we would play game after game of chase. We would quietly crawl under the house so I could show her the wild kittens that were just born. I would show her the secret room in the back of the house that we made up scary stories about. She could sit in Mamawís lap on the front porch rocker and feel so loved and happy. I miss my Mamaw and Papaw, but mostly I miss my Momma.

Happy Wednesday,

<3

K/K

Science Experiment #224

kei-lighted

Kei loves Science.† We do lots of Science, but I really want to do more experiments.† I found this online.† It is very simple but she LOVED it!!† She was amazed.

Materials we used:

  1. D battery
  2. flashlight bulb
  3. jumbo paper clip or metal

We just made sure that the metal touched the – of the battery and the metal base of the bulb.† The bulb had to touch the + of the battery.

It was so cool!

I love homeschooling so much!

<3

K/K

BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONNECTION IS MADE:

kei-unlit1

kei-lit-up1

A Weekend in Seussland…

kei-cindy-lou-who-hat

Well it is over.

2† 1/2 months of practice, listening to the CD over and over, making costumes, hot gluing pom poms, working on dialogue, working on blocking, working on sets, doing makeup, doing hair.

Friday and Saturday K performed Seussical Jr. The Musical 5 times!

Each time there was the same sense of excitement backstage.† Gina and I jumping up and down, making sure the kids were where they should be, making sure the sets were lined up to go on, worrying about lights not working, mics going out, last minute costume repairs, hair fixes.† [I wonder how many layers of the ozone was destroyed with hair spray!!??]

It was beautiful and wonderful.† For 1 1/2 hours the audience was taken into the magical world of Seuss.† K was just so excited.† She loves theatre.† She loves performing and all that goes along with it.

The DreamWeaver’s Children Theatre Group are just so awesome. I love how the kids all take care of each other.† How the older kids help with the younger kids.† Putting on a production involves so much work, but in the end, it is so worth it.

I will post other pictures later but now I am still exhausted.† I am going take a nap and dream of Solla Sollew.

<3

K/K

All the Who’s Down in Whoville….

cindy-lou-who

Practice, Practice.

This is Seussical week so we† have practice every day!† Tonight we move into the Princess Theatre. Kei is bouncing off the walls.† This is her 5th play and by FAR my favorite.† [of course my favorite is usually whichever one we are doing!]† But this is so good.† The kids have done such a great job.† We have some fabulous talent in our area!† I wish I could sing!† I am not one of those people who say, “Oh I can’t sing” and then start getting all Mariah Carey.† I am horrible as in,†† “My Best Friend’s Wedding Cameron Diaz bad plus 150%!

Oh well, we can’t have everything! 🙂

My back has been just killing me.† Last night I couldn’t sleep at all.† I went to the doc [Dr. Dake by the Lake..sorry Seuss humor] and he said I had a pulled muscle.† He asked me how often I bowled and with what size bowling ball and I fell in the floor laughing.† I told him I had bowled ONCE at an 8 year old’s b’day party and I used a 6 lb ball, the SAME size as my 9 year old!† He just rolled his eyes, he has known me for a long time.† He gave me muscle relaxants and some stuff to rub on it.† I said, “Well how long does it usually take to recover from a pulled muscle?”† And his answer?† “It depends, some people a few days, some a couple of weeks, some 3 months!” Sheshhh!

So I am trying to be really careful, but it’s hard NOT to use your upper back muscles.† Unless you have a cabana boy to wait on you hand and foot, and I’m fresh out of those!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

<3

K/K

Weekends…

We had a good weekend.† Saturday we didn’t do much.† My dang back is still giving me troubles.† [Note to self- too old to consider a career in bowling!]

Kei spent the day sewing.† I really want to sign her up for sewing lessons.† Cause I sure can’t help her much in that department!

kei-sewing

Sunday we went to church and to daddy’s for lunch.† Kei wore her backpack that she had made on Saturday.† She was so proud of herself!

kei-backpack

We grilled hamburgers and the kids all played outside. They rode the golf cart, shot the BB gun, played Frisbee and ran around Daddy’s big backyard.

Then we had Seussical practice all afternoon.† Kei is beside herself with excitement!† I wish I still got that excited about things.† The play is going to be great!† We can’t wait.

kei-britt-seuss

Happy Monday!

<3

K/K

Relaxing Fridays…

Today was a stay-at-home day.

We worked on Kei’s† “Mythological Creatures” Lapbook.† We are both loving it!† Afterwards Kei put on a play with her Webkinz about some of the Myths we had read.

Then we watched “The Blue Planet” about Oceans.† It was unbelievably fantastic!† Kei is fascinated by the oceans and the fact that only 1% of them have been explored.† We saw some of the coolest ocean animals.† It is almost hard to believe they are real!† The series is hosted by BBC so all measurements were in meters; as in “We are now 300 meters under the surface”† I told Kei I wished I knew meters and centimeters better.† Her answer was, “It’s ok Mom, you can’t help it, you went to Public School!” LOL

prog2_1

The deep-sea “Dumbo” octopus got its nickname from obvious places, it is equipped with large fins (which may resemble mammalian ears) to help it swim.

Kei spent the rest of the day sewing clothes for her American Girls.† She loves sewing so much.† This is one of the many reasons I love homeschooling.† It seems like children today are so slammed with ‘activities’ they don’t get enough time to be little.† Creative play is so awesome!

I missed my Mother a lot today.† I would be just going about my day and I would have the urgent thought, “I NEED to talk to my Mom”.† <sighs>† I miss you Momma..

Happy Weekend,

<3

K/K

Ivy Green/Spring Park

kei-pump

We had a wonderful day yesterday for a trip to Helen Keller’s birthplace.

Ivy Green was beautiful and I could imagine how serene it was during Helen’s era.† Kei was so excited even though some of the things the guide told us was not exactly how it happened. :)† It was so cool to see the very key that Helen had locked Anne Sullivan in her room with.

the-key

After Ivy Green we headed to Spring Park.† What a great place!† I had been wanting to go here for over a year and it was worth the wait.† I enjoyed catching up with my HS moms who I have missed so much during the long, cold winter.

Kei was in 7th heaven running and playing and train-riding and roller coastering and merry-go-rounding and duck feeding and jumping and giggling.

kei-falls

What a lovely day…

<3

K/K

If Girls Ruled the World…

We are learning about Ancient Greek and Rome.

K decided to put on a play.† She was up in her room for over an hour ‘getting ready’.† Finally she said she was ready and proceeded to bring down 25 Webkinz.† She divided them on the floor into 2 sides.† Each side had a Royal Family, soldiers and townspeople.

She said they were about to start fighting and I was thinking to myself, “This is the first time I have ever seen her pretend a fight”

There was discussions about battle strategy, there were meetings, the turtle, who was the messenger, [go figure] ran back and forth between kingdoms, finally the Kings from each side met in the middle and it was decided that “peace was a better option, that we can accomplish more if we work together”

Ahhh….what would this world be like if women ran it??

<3

K/K

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THEODOR GEISEL!

Otherwise known as Dr. Seuss!

Our public library had a Dr. Seuss Day and invited the kids in DreamWeavers to come sing.† It was so great! K loved it.

As you can see, this is a picture of some of them with The Grinch, obviously AFTER his heart grew 3 sizes!

Thank you Dr. Seuss, for all your wonderful, magical stories that inspire children each and every day.

Now….off to watch The Bachelor!† The Finale!† Duh. …..

<3

K/K

Happy March 1st!

It snowed here last night.† We don’t get snow here in Bama.† When I was younger it snowed.† There are pictures of me in snow up to my knees.† But the last few years, it just hasn’t happened.

K doesn’t even remember snow!† The last time it snowed, she was 3.† Today she was in heaven.† Me..not so much.† I love snow, I just like a wall between me and it.

We bundled up, went outside to play and was back inside within 10 minutes.† K bravely tried again a† little later.† She made a couple of snow angels, got throughly soaked and tracked half of the snow inside the house.

2 hours later, the snow was gone.

Good bye snow!† See you again in a few years.

K/K

A Mother, a Daughter and a Dog….