More and more every year ...

The US Dept. of Education has just published a new (2007) report on the homeschooling population.

Their conclusion - 1.5 million kids nation-wide.

You can see the complete document here.

NORAD Santa Tracking

Did you know that it has been 50 years since NORAD has been tracking Santa on Christmas Eve?

You can find out the story of the beginning of this Christmas tradition here.

And, in case you are interested in watching Santa's progress on the 24th, check out the NORAD Santa website.

Oh, Christmas Party, Oh, Christmas Party ...

Tonight was the christmas party for Daddy's work. It was held at a nice place and the food was pretty good. They gave out service awards after dinner - Daddy got one last year for being with the company for 5 years. After they awards, they give away door prizes. Most often they are gift cards, table centerpieces and one grand prize.

This year, Daddy won the grand prize!

He got a Wii game system plus two games. We were absolutely blown away! We don't play video games and are a bit lost as to what to do with it.

No, we don't intend to give it to other members of the family, so don't ask!

The girls don't know about it. We are saving it for Christmas. Hopefully, we can get a game that they can play before the 25th.

While Mommy and Daddy were busy, Kitty and Jules were able to see a three hour production of the Nutcracker ballet. They loved it! They went with friends and had a really great time. Then, the girls had a sleep-over with the friends.

God sure does bring surprises into our lives. What a night!

Christmas in November

Since we live to far from our Northern kin, we exchange Christmas gifts at Thanksgiving. It makes things a bit tense, getting gifts made/purchased in time. Especially, since the adults really have no clue what they want!

We do have a few standbys in terms on interest. Aunt C likes horses and her husband, Uncle E doesn't seem to mind those presents. We didn't really get their gifts done in time, except Kitty. Aunt C & Uncle E have a resale store. We would love to frequent it, but the drive is a bit much!

Little cousin L got a bear puppet that Mommy crocheted and a Little People set. It seems she also like cars - she sounds just like Kitty!

Aunt J & Uncle J are outdoorsy types, which is really cool. Uncle J is usually hunting/taking people out hunting during Thanksgiving, so we don't always get to see him. Mommy & Daddy's gift to them was a paper eagle. Mommy spent time cutting and gluing it together. It is really fragile, but came out great. It is about 2 1/2 feet from wing tip to wing tip. Jules has a present that she wasn't able to quite get done.

Grandma got some origami lilies in a glass vase and a papercraft swallowtail butterfly. Jules also made a painting of some roses for her.

Uncle R likes Ancient Egypt, so we have been doing that theme for a few years. This year, Jules, with some help from Mommy, made a customized matryoska (Russian nesting dolls) set. We are sure no one else has them with, going outside in, King Tut, Queen Cleopatra, Anubis, The Eye of Ra, a mummy and an anhk (the Ancient Egyptian symbol of life.) We chose Anubis, not because he is the Egyptian god of Funerals and the afterlife, but because he is readily recognizable.

The girls, of course, were thrilled with their gifts. Jules got an electronic dog, Tekno, a Bingo game, coloring books, The Frog Princess book set, a Christmas Duck and a necklace, the Sorry! Sliders game

Kitty got a Tinkerbell doll which flaps her wings and talks, a Crayola craft set, a Christmas Bear and a necklace, a Disney Fairies game, a Matchbox pop-up airport set, and coloring books.

We all got some gift cards to Barnes and Noble, which is great, because we can take our time figuring out what we want!

It was a late night, but we all had a really good time visiting with each other, sharing good food and just enjoying the time.

Goin' North, Eh?

We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Daddy had today off, so off North we go! Plans changed last minute, so we are heading to Grandma's instead of Aunt J's. No problem. Mommy's pain issues will be better if she doesn't need to go up and down stairs.

Traffic was a little nuts, as people were leaving for the holiday, as well. But we got through the interstates and tolls without any real problems.

It's a long trip, but we made it to Grandma's safely. Pizza was on the menu, which was great, as no one really wanted to cook, with Thanksgiving tomorrow and all.

Tomorrow, we all get to eat way too much!

Bowling!

This morning, we were able to attend a free bowling glass for kids. Each girl was in a different group, based upon age. We met our friends the Bs there as well. It was fun watching Kitty try to handle a 6 pound ball, which is the lighted made. She is not quite strong enough to do the complete follow through, but tried her best none the less.

While the lesson only lasted two hours, the girls had fun and we think they learned a few things. Daddy helped a few of the older Bs with their form and aim. He sure wanted to be able to do the bowling as well, but still had fun with the coaching. We all would love to be able to bowl more on a regular basis.

Oo, Oo, Oooooooooo!

Today was simply an amazing day! God is so great!

We went on a field trip today to Wolf Park, a wolf sanctuary, and an elk farm with our friends The Bs. It was freezing, literally (approx 27F), but is was an amazing time.

Mrs. B had met a couple who's property butted up against the park. They also contribute naturally hollowed-out logs for the wolves, who like to climb on and hide in them. Through this relationship, our friends were invited to a private tour of the park before it closes for the season. And, we were invited to come along. (Unfortunately, Daddy was working.)

Just after our tour guide led us into the park, we were greeted by a beautiful male wolf. We walked around a small lake that was part of the main enclosure for the animals. About half a dozen wolves occupy this area. As we neared the other side of the lake, we saw bison on the right side of the path. We then approached a small enclosure that held two coyotes. We watched them for a few moments and then one began to howl. Our guide suggested we all howl and see if any of the wolves answer. For a minute, our entire group was howling at the cold sky. Then, we listened. And we heard many wolves howling back. Four wolves we hadn't seen as we rounded the lake had lifted their heads and were singing to us and each other. It was truly amazing!

We continued our way around the park and saw several magnificent wolves.

At the end of our tour, we came to a small enclosure that held three red foxes. Our tour guide gave us a singular honor - we were allowed to enter the foxes' pen. The guide gave each of us a few treats and we sat down in the enclosure to wait. The black fox, Devon, moved to the other "room" and went back to sleep. Ember, the red fox was very skitterish - she eyed us warily while pacing the other "room". Basil, who is white, is friendly and came to each of us in turn to same the treats. He loved the dried cranberries and ate them more than the cat kibble. We were able to pet his, oh-so soft, fur. He didn't shy away, nor did he scratch or nip anyone. He sniffed towards Kitty's face, wanting to kiss her nose. She was too surprised to let him.

Our new friends have lived by the park for 20 years, and have NEVER been able to interact directly with any of the animals. Only the staff who have developed relationships with the wolves go near them. This experience was like swimming with the sharks at Typhoon Lagoon in Walt Disney World - beyond words.

We sadly left Wolf Park and drove to a nearby Elk Farm. There were at least 2 1/2 dozen animals in the main pen, several of them born just this year. At least one was still suckling. In a smaller pen, was the main bull. His rack was huge! He was trumpeting loudly. It was such an eerie sound. At least one of the cows was chirping back.

They keep the big bull separated because he is "just plain mean" and is very dangerous during rutting time.

We had hot chocolate before heading home.

What a day!

(Edited on Nov. 30, 2008 to add photos.)

Reveille

November 17 is a special day, as we honor those who have served our country.

We would like to share a video with you - a touching tribute to all service men and women. You may want to have a tissue handy.

Happy Birthday, Aunt K!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dearest Aunt K!
Happy Birthday to you!

We love you and wish we could spend this day with you!

Love, C, CC, K & J
plus Fluffy & Monster Boy

End Women's Suffrage?

As a little experiment, and a commentary on education today - some kids made a short film as they asked students at Padua Academy High School in Wilmington, DE, to sign a petition to end women's suffrage. In other words, to deny women the right to vote! Padua is a four year Catholic High School for girls. Only one of the girls shown in the video declined to sign.

What a frightening state of education in this country.



It might be fun to perform this same experiment in our town, just to see what happens. Although, we would want to include adults as well.

If we do, we'll post our results!

Some Corny Fun

We got up early this morning and went to a corn maze. We were volunteers to highlight the maze for a local TV station. We were filmed for the morning show. Then, we got to go through the maze for free.

It was chilly, but rather fun. Another opportunity we would not have if we were doing home education.

Why take the chance?!?

This video addresses a very important matter - what is in the food we buy. With the incidents of mass poisoning of pets last year and babies/children this year in China, we should be very concerned. There are foods that are made in China and are currently being sold here. Mild powder was contaminated with melamine. This is the same compound which is used to make the famous Melmac dishware. In that form, melamine is not toxic. However, when it is used as a filler for foods, it can cause very serious consequences.

Unfortunately, the FDA does not require country of origin on packaging of candy. So, we don't know if candy that contains milk powder might contain melamine. I don't want to take the chance.



Here is a more objective video from the Associated Press regarding this issue.



Check any candy not from a brand you recognize, like Hershey's, etc.

Hand Across the MIles

Mommy received two copies of this poem via email today. It made her think of those recently lost, as well as a dear friend who died a little less than a year ago. Mommy had never met her in person.


Hands Across the MIles
(Author Unknown)

My hands are always reaching,
Far across the miles.
To unseen friends so far away,
They help to bring a smile.

I may never get to see them,
But their friendship is so real.
Just as if they were beside me,
How good they make me feel.

For friendships know no distance.
The miles do not exist.
For they are in my heart forever,
Some things one can't resist.

I reach out with thoughts often,
Towards those friends unseen.
Wish things could be so different,
With no distance in between.

How I wish to simply see them,
To give a welcoming embrace.
And pledge friendship in person,
Is the dream I seem to chase.

So to all the on line friends out there,
Reach hands across the miles.
And you will be rewarded,
With everlasting smiles.

A Sad Goodbye ...

Today, we lost a dear member of our family. Lucky, Grandma & Papa's 12 y.o. male Boston Terrier died in his sleep early this evening. Grandma & Papa are on a vacation trip, so Mommy, Jules & Kitty are watching the dogs and house.

It wasn't much of a surprise. Lucky had been declining quickly in the past few days. He had had a stroke a few weeks before that affected his motor control in his back legs.

At least he died in his sleep. Mommy had prayed for such, wanting him to go, if it was his time, without any pain. He was so lost near the end, not knowing where he was and often walking, as best he could, in circles, with his eyes closed. We hope that he knew he was loved and was not alone. He did respond a bit to touch. He is going to be cremated and returned to be buried in the backyard with his mother and aunt.

He is much loved and was a wonderful companion.

Another sad note - Grandma P suffered a familial tragedy as well. It is a very sad day.

We thank God for allowing us the honor of knowing those who have gone back to him. They will be sorely missed.

Regulation?!? We don't need no regulation!

The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) has published a new study based that compares the performance on college-admissions tests of home school students from highly regulated states to those from states with little or no regulation.

To see the result of this study, read the article: State Regulation of Homeschooling and Homeschoolers’ SAT Scores.

Spoiler: To advocates of home educating, the results are not a surprise.

Mommy, who are they?

Kitty woke up this morning and came into Mommy & Daddy's room saying she was wet. As we went to her room, she asked, "Mommy, who are they?", meaning the two people sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room.

Mommy replied, "Friends."

Kitty then asked, "Do you know them?"

Mommy assured Kitty, "Yes."

As Kitty was getting dressed, Mommy went back into the living room. Both Unca and G were giggling. Unca said that Kitty had come over to them, looked closely at their faces and then proceeded to Mommy's room.

Mommy went to check on Kitty and woke Jules, asking her to come into the living room.

Once Jules was there, she exclaimed, "Unca." At this point, both Unca and G sat up and greeted the girls. Kitty was still a bit unsure, as the last time she saw Unca, she was only three years old.

Unca and G are making pancakes and bacon for breakfast. We'll post more on today this evening.

Ugh, mornings come too early in the day!

We made it to our breakfast this morning. We're glad we had planned on this being a free day for us - no parks, just rest.

Unfortunately, it was more of a small continental deal. Also, we got the sales pitch about "buying into" their vacation club. The place we were shown was nice, but did the whole thing need to SIX hours! The girls were entertained in a play room with toys and Disney movies.

Once we were done with that boring time, we had lunch and were able to go to the pool. It is shaped like Mickey's head, which amused the girls.

A benefit of sitting through the long presentation was that we were able to get our Disney tickets for just over half price. We have two major parks and one water park ticket. We're starting that tomorrow.

Mommy talked to Unca and G today. They are coming in to visit with us and going to a Disney park as well. They should be in early morning on Tuesday.

Mommy is up at this time, as she is creating custom T-shirts for the family to wear at the parks (except the water one, of course!) The one for the Magic Kingdom is a picture of Cinderella's castle sitting on clouds with fireworks above. This was placed on a light blue T. Mommy made six of these, as Unca and G are going as well.

The shirt for Animal Kingdom has an animal safari silhouette on a yellow shirt. Unca and G would need to be back at work by the time we went to this park, so it was just four shirts. This one was really cool.

Off to bed for Mommy, as an early morning call will come to let in our guests.

Disney, here we come!

Today we made the final leg of our journey, arriving in Orlando after supper time. We checked into our room, unpacked, shopped at Walmart for needed food stuffs, unwound a little and went to bed.

Once we left Marietta, we gave the girls some new dolls. They both like the Disney Fairies and have even taken a "quiz" to determine which fairy they are most like. Jules is most like Silvermist, a water fairy. Kitty is most like Rosetta, a garden fairy. So, each girl got the appropriate doll. That kept them busy for awhile.

We stopped in Lake City, Georgia for lunch.

One the way, we stopped at a welcome center just over the Florida state line. They offered cups of Orange Juice or Grapefruit Juice for everyone to try. Kitty and Jules realized where we were when the saw a sign that said "Welcome to Florida" outside the building. We can't believe we kept the secret that long! Perhaps, Jules was just playing along for the benefit of her sister.

Mommy had wanted to keep the Disney part of the trip secret a bit longer, but Daddy showed the girls a brochure when Jules asked where in Florida we would be going.

Okay, so now they knew. At least we didn't need to be secretive anymore. As a bonus, they didn't bug us too much as to when we would arrive in Orlando or what day we would be heading to the park.

Tomorrow we have a welcome breakfast at 8AM.

And, away we go!

Today we left for our vacation in Florida. Grandma stayed at the house and left after we did to maintain the illusion for the girls. We talked about where we were going as we drove. Jules thought we were going to The Lakehouse - a residence of our friends. We have been there before and stayed overnight, so it seemed natural to the girls that we would pack up and go. And, they thought that Daddy would get to go with us this time.

We kept the girls busy with some new activities: princess draw boards and coloring books. They stored them in their princess backpacks we had purchased for this trip, but the girls got them a few weeks ago.

Both Kitty and Jules kept asking when we would be there. We said we weren't there yet, but soon. As they watched movies later in the afternoon, they still didn't get that we weren't going to The Lakehouse. Jules did wonder why it took us so long to get there.

We spent the night at a hotel in Marietta, Georgia. We went swimming and then to bed.

Only one day to go!

Grandma arrived today. She is staying overnight, with the excuse that she has a meeting or seminar in town tomorrow morning. Actually, she is here to take the dogs to her house while we are on our trip. The girls don't have any idea where we are going. It's probably that Kitty doesn't even know we are leaving.

Mom hopes she has planned enough to be able to make this vacation relaxing.

School Choice

This isn't new, but it is still very relevant. And funny, to boot!

A backpack bigger than Kitty

Today, we went to a school supply give-away. Both Kitty and Jewel received new backpacks with some great school supplies in them. The funny this is, Kitty's backpack is almost bigger than she is!

Each girl got three wide-rule spiral notebooks, a pair of scissors, a calculator, a 12-pack of colored Crayola pencils, 24 Crayola crayons, 8 Crayola markers, and three folders.

God is Great!

I Can Read!

This morning, we had an historic event occur. Kitty read almost all of the Garfield comic strip from Sunday's comics by herself. She needed only a few hints.

This is cause for celebration!

Our little girl is growing up.

Monday, Monday ....

This morning, Mommy and Kitty watched a show on the Animal Planet channel called Growing Up Walrus. We were really interested because it followed an orphaned Pacific Walrus, Nereus, from Alaska to the INDIANAPOLIS ZOO! We have seen him on our trips there and didn't even realize it!

Then, this evening, Daddy came home with tickets to the Tennis Championship, part of the U.S. Open Series at IUPUI. Mommy and Daddy were amazed at how many people didn't cover their hearts with their hands! How have we lost our patriotic spirit? It arose quite dramatically after 9-11, but it seems to have been reduced to apathy again. Even 9-11 has lost it's significance.

We had fun at the tennis matches. Daddy's work gets box seats since they house the equipment for the matches throughout the rest of the year. All of the employees at the office get the chance to go to the matches for free. Plus, you get a parking pass for the garage. We hope we can go back on Friday or to the finals on Sunday.

Since the box seats are considered VIP status, we also get access to the Admiral's Club. It is an air-conditioned facility where you can eat and watch the matches, altho only on a TV. It used to be that you could actually see the matches from widows that were about ground level at one end court. Unfortunately, some of the players complained that they were distracted by the lights in the club during night matches. So, now there are screens blocking the windows so you can't see anything.

Andy Rodick, Jewel's and Kitty's favorite player, is not able to participate in this year's tournament due to injury. The girls love to see him and have at least two of his autographs each.

We really love to go to the tournament as a family. It is a nice outing for us all.

There be Gold!

Kitty received a $1 coin from the tooth fairy.

Now, we're just waiting until the next tooth comes out. Both of her middle top teeth are loose, one much more than the other. I should be any day now.

Toothless!

Kitty lost her third tooth today. She woke up with it in her mouth. Thank goodness she didn't swallow it!

HP Kids

Kitty and Jewel are about jumping out of their skins, as they have just agreed to participate in an Harry Potter Crafts Kids Swap. They're not sure what all they're going to send yet, but Jewel has already completed a hand-drawn picture of Harry.

Ship date is August 1, so this will be a fun month!

An Unlikely Way to be Heroic

A Chinese policewoman is being praised for her aid after the massive earthquake in China. Not only has she done her duty as a police officer, but she has also been breastfeeding infants in the disaster area as well. Five of the children she has fed were orphans. She also helped moms whose milk dried up or wasn't sufficient to feed their own kids.

This amazing lady is truly doing God's work!

You can see a video of this story from CNN.

EXPELLED!

"EXPELLED! No Intelligence Allowed" is a new, controversial documentary about Intelligent Design and the debate between Creationism and Evolution.

Being a Christian with a science degree and somewhat analytical thinking, I cannot accept that life, any life, on this planet is the result of an extremely rare, incredibly lucky accident. There is a designer behind all of this and it is God. His hand is in our creation and the creation of all life.

And while I do believe that he guides our lives, he has given us free will. That will extends to all of his creations. They, and we, make choices and we must live with those choices. Or die by them. We can adapt according to our free will, thus creating evolution in ourselves. All of God's creatures can do this. So, evolution exists within the realm of the creation of all life by our omnipotent God.

After seeing this trailer, I would like to see how well the issue is handled. We cannot create a future for the human race is we force our children, and ourselves, to be limited by what others view as "safe" ideas.

If nothing else, it will have far more truth to it that Al Gore's fakumentary about Global Warming. Maybe Ben will get a Nobel Peace Prize and an Academy Award for this, too!

Why Public Schooling Is Better Than Homeschooling

This may be "old" news, but it is still good for a laugh!!

Memo: Top 10 Reasons to Criminalize Homeschooling
by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace

(2002-08-26) — In an effort to increase the public drumbeat for criminalizing homeschooling, California Deputy Superintendent Joanne Mendoza has distributed a memo containing the top 10 reasons why public schooling is better than homeschooling. Here is an excerpt from that memo:

Why Public Schooling Is Better Than Homeschooling

1. Most parents were educated in the underfunded public school system, and so are not smart enough to homeschool their own children.
   
2. Children who receive one-on-one homeschooling will learn more than others, giving them an unfair advantage in the marketplace. This is undemocratic.
   
3. How can children learn to defend themselves unless they have to fight off bullies on a daily basis?
   
4. Ridicule from other children is important to the socialization process.
   
5. Children in public schools can get more practice “Just Saying No” to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.
   
6. Fluorescent lighting may have significant health benefits.
   
7. Publicly asking permission to go to the bathroom teaches young people their place in society.
   
8. The fashion industry depends upon the peer pressure that only public schools can generate.
   
9. Public schools foster cultural literacy, passing on important traditions like the singing of “Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg…”
   
10. Homeschooled children may not learn important office career skills, like how to sit still for six hours straight.
    

What Non-Homeschoolers May Not Know

Home education is an often misunderstood process. Kendra, a fellow home educating mom, has written a blog entry that outlines some info that is good to know by those homeschooling and especially those who are not.

What Non-Homeschoolers May Not Know

Enjoy!

Employment!

This is from another blog, but I love the idea. The only problem is that we don't have enough potential workers (kids). Plus, Kitty doesn't read. Yet!

Homeschool Employment from Boys in Tutus

Earthquake!

We were awaken this morning at 5:36 ET by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred 3 miles underground centered 61 miles North Northwest of Evansville, Indiana. The dogs barked and Jules cried out as she awoke. Fortunately, she went back to sleep, but Mommy could not. Maybe this is what caused this morning's headache.

Information from the US Geological Survey can be found here.

Pink? Really?

While this is not new, it is still amazing.

A rare pink bottle nose dolphin was spotted in a Louisiana lake in June 2007. You can see more of the story here.

More pictures of this incredible sight can be seen here, by the man who took the pictures.

16 Words!

We discovered today that Kitty can read 16 words! She didn't think she knew so many.

While that may not seem like a lot, it is a great accomplishment for someone who is learning to read.

Go Kitty!

Lippizanners!

We were fortunate enough to be able to see the World Famous Lippizanner Stallions today!

It is just amazing what those horses can do! There are no vocal commands. All directions are given to horse by the rider via his/her body movements. Often times, these movements are very subtle. Subtle enough that the rider appears to be along for the ride and the horses are performing the maneuvers by themselves.

We bought a poster from the show and two DVDs. One is a Disney movie that is no longer available - The Miracle of the White Stallions. The other is a documentary of the Lippizanner school in Austria.

You've got to see the website! There is info about the history of the stallions and dressage. Truly an education. And a beautiful one at that.

Basketball, Anyone?

This evening, the entire family got to go to a local NBA basketball game. We were able to eat in the Varsity Club, a rather expensive dining experience, but if you eat there you can stay and watch the game. The view is great! We were able to share free tickets with our friends and ate from the kids' menu, so it really didn't cost us much at all.

The girls had a really good time. Even Daddy enjoyed the game. He sat with the two older boys and was able to talk about sports. With Mommy, he usually gets some blank looks, since she doesn't understand sports too well.

Our friend also played a game with the kids. She wrote their names somewhere in the program and they had to find them. It kept them all entertained when they weren't watching the game.

Of course, some of the girls wanted to know if Mommy had any extra yarn and crochet hooks. She tries to take some with her, but it doesn't always work that way! She rarely has enough for each of the kids who wants to have something to do.

Anyway, the team lost, but it was a good game. We'll do it again, sometime, for sure.

Sunny Day, Sweeping the Clouds Away

Today was just beautiful! The girls spent some time outside in the back yard. They told me they heard some Cardinals and tried to imitate their song. They also helped with some gardening by cutting down all of the dead ornamental grass by the shed.

They had great fun playing in the bumblebee tent that Grandma B. had given them a few years ago. They use it as a house, a cave, a store, etc. I just love how big their imaginations are.

Even Mommy got to be outside for bit. What lovely weather!

A Real Life Invisibility Cloak - a la Harry Potter

Science is often inspired by works of fiction, especially movies.

One of the latest advancements comes from the popular Harry Potter movies. And that is, Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

An announcement made on March 30, 2008 in the Australian Herald Sun details this discovery. Check it out!

Is it tomorrow, yet?

Boy, what a day!

This morning started out great - we went to a fundraiser breakfast for a lady with cancer with our friends, the Bees. It was all you can eat and filled us right up.

Then we headed downtown to turn in the art projects the girls and the Bees had made for display. All 15 of us rode up in the elevator to the third floor just fine. We presented the art and left the office to go down stairs. The artwork will be returned at the end of April. Kitty was worried she wouldn't get hers back.

That was when the fun began.

We entered the same elevator that took us upstairs. We've done this many times before, in other buildings. Sometimes, even with Miss Bee's scooter. We went down to the third floor where two ladies got out. Unfortunately, when the elevator stopped, it was about 6 inches below the second level floor. We weren't too concerned about this, but we should have been.

The elevator doors closed, but we didn't move down. At least, not much.

The button panel showed the first floor, as did the numbers above the door. Unfortunately, the doors didn't open. We attempted to push the alarm button, which didn't work. After several tries, we were finally able to get it to ring, but only if we held it down.

No one answered the call. Finally, Miss Bees dialed 911. Mommy was sure the operator was a little surprised that she was calling from an elevator and that no one was coming to help us.

An HOUR later, with several patronizing remarks made by one man we couldn't see, the elevator doors finally opened. We were halfway down from the second level floor. Meaning, half of the doorway of the elevator was above the second level floor. We had to lift out about half of the kids so the firefighters could lower a ladder into the elevator so the rest of us could climb out.

Can you believe it!

But, hold on, it's not done yet!

We had parked in front of the building. Mommy had only put enough change in the parking meter for twenty minutes, sure that is would be enough.

Well, we come out of the building and there is a parking ticket on Mommy's car! The firefighters gave us some contact information of an officer at their station who could help us make sure that the ticket was voided.

So, we were off to the City-County building to ask about the ticket. When we found a parking space, the meter read 40 minutes left. Praise God! Mommy added two more dimes to make it 56 minutes. We walked to the building and through the security scanners with no problem.

The office that takes care of tickets was more like theater box office windows. We had to wait in line in order to say that we wanted to see someone about the ticket. Sadly, other people with different issues were rerouted from another window to be in front of us. After a good 45 minutes, we finally were able to get to the window. We were told that we needed to set up a court date to talk to a judge about the ticket. The earliest court date available was May 28th!!!

So, we set up the date and was told we needed documentation from the fire department that the call actually occurred. Once we have this, we can call a phone number to see IF they will void the ticket at that time. If they don't, then we are off to court.

When we finally got back to the car, the meter had only 4 minutes left.

Yippee.

So, is it tomorrow, yet?

A chance to relax and recoup.

We visited our friends the Bees today. The girls were joining them in collecting artworks for a display downtown. Miss Bee interviewed each child about the work and printed up a nice story. This was placed on colorful paper to accent each work.

The art will be taken downtown on Monday to be added to the display.

We spent the rest of the day playing games and relaxing with the Bees. Even Daddy enjoyed the time, playing Stratego, Manopoly and working on a puzzle.

April Fool!

April Fool's Day sure played a nasty trick on us. We all, except Daddy, came down with the yucky stomach flu. First Jewel, then Mommy, then Kitty. What a pathetic bunch of sickies we made. Mommy has taken the longest to recover.

Today was our first foray into the outside world. Jewel began singing lessons this evening. Mr. Steve, her instructor, is a really nice man. We were there for almost 3 hours. But it was all fun. Mr. Steve gave Jewel 6 songs to begin practicing. He also gave Kitty some songs as well. So, it seems that both girls will be taking singing lessons. Mr. Steve didn't mention that he would charge us any extra. He is a very generous man who enjoys teaching more than making money. The girls are very excited about next week's lesson.

Those lousy helmets!

A note from Mom:

Today, I saw a blog post that illustrated how important it is that our children wear safety helmets. We didn't have them when I was a kid, but then I didn't ride a skateboard, either.

This coulda been his skull.

Easter

Kitty and Jewel awoke this morning to find that there had been a visitor to our home. They each found a basket with some toys in it and engaged in an Easter Egg hunt in the living room.

We began the opening of the plastic eggs with the Resurrection Eggs the Easter Bunny supplied. They taught the girls a little bit more about why we celebrate Easter and that it is not just a holiday for candy, bunnies and food.


Jesus Lives!

Sing. Sing a Song ...

Sing a Song of Spring!

Yeah! It is finally here! And while not as warm as we would like it to be, it is a bright, sunny day! Too bad the ground is too soggy to play outside.

And there is another song to sing. Jewel is signed up to begin signing lessons at the beginning of April. She will have one 45-minute class each week. Grandma B said that we should get her into lessons when she heard Jewel sing last September. We've finally found a teacher who can work in our schedule. She is very excited. Kitty is not signed up yet, as we don't know if she really wants to do it or not. Let's hope there is some natural talent. And, we're sure that Grandma B wouldn't mind if it came from her!

Now, we just need to find a dance teacher for Kitty. That girls loves to jump and spin!

Leprechauns!

We were visited by leprechauns last night. They turned some furniture upside down, spilled some beads, left footprints everywhere and generally played some harmless tricks around the house. They even put one of Mommy's oven mitts in the refrigerator! Fortunately, the girls got a present from them as well. They were left with a pretty pencil. Kitty and Jewel really enjoyed hunting for things the leprechauns changed and where they left footprints. There was even a message on a white board that said "We were here. L." Maybe because we're part Irish, they didn't play any mean tricks on us. Or, maybe that's why they visited.

Whatever the reason, it was fun to wake up to the little surprises.

Well, Hail!

Wouldn't you know it?!? On a day for the "wearin' 'o the green", we'd be visited by small balls of ice falling from the sky. At the very least, it could have been green ice!

Well, hail!

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

That's "Happy St. Patrick's Day" in Gaelic. Don't ask us to pronounce it, but if you want to hear it, you can go this site.

We're wearing green today and the girls have received some activities from Professor Binns for the holiday. They have two activity books and get to build their own leprechaun. We'll post pictures when they are finished.

Dinos, dinos, everywhere!

They've returned! Those giants of the past. Although this time, they're not so giant. They're not even alive!

We've been studying dinosaurs. First, we read the Magic Treehouse book "Dinosaurs Before Dark." Then, the girls were sent assignments from Professor Binns and Hagrid. They were to complete a combination notebook/lapbook for their work. They had match, writing and spelling worksheets. Then, there were mini books to complete about dinosaurs. Jewel helped Kitty by reading the instructions to her. Both girls did a fine job of decorating their notebooks. Here are some pictures of their work.

Not Nice Ice

Brrrrr!

We're having an ice storm! The car in encased in ice, the grass is like a skating rink and everything else is coated in clear crystal. It's good that Mom was called to not go to work tonight. We have a Winter Storm Warning until midnight. They project we could get up to 1/4 inch of ICE!

Let's hope Daddy gets home safely.

Edited at 5:22PM to add Daddy did get home safe!

Sunday School

This morning we attended a Special Olympics basketball game to cheer on some friends. It was about an hour away from home, but a good time for all. Our friends got third place in the State, but both teams got medals. Everyone who plays in a Special Olympics sponsored sport is a winner!

For lunch, we went to an Irish Pub. It seemed like a tourist pub you'd find in Dublin, rather than one you'd find frequented by locals. The girls wimped out, in that they had Mac & Cheese. Daddy had a Corned Beef & Slaw Sandwich. Mommy had the Irish Monte Cristo. While we were there, we talked about Ireland, Gaelic, and leprechauns. Darn, school on a Sunday.

Maple Sugar Fun

Today, we traveled to a Maple Sugar Festival. While it was too cold for the sap to run, it wasn't too cold to see the tap lines.

We went on a tour of the farm, seeing how they use a system of tap lines. They also showed us the boiling center, where they condense the sap into maple syrup.

There was a wonderful exhibit of how pioneers and native american collected and "processed" the maple tree sap. The Chippewa or Ojibwa Indians didn't use maple syrup. Instead, they made a very fine maple crystals or sugar. This sugar was added to meat for preservation and taste, plus other foods as well. Salt was hardly ever used. Ojibwa families often went to a sugar camp during the running season. We also saw an exhibit of Ojibwa life at the time.

Kitty & Jewel had a scavanger hunt. They had to collect items from around the farm and turned them in for a bag of maple sugar cotton candy. Both girls also got to dip their own candles and dress up like pioneers.

We really enjoyed ourselves and look forward to returning again next year.

Seeing Red

Jewel was pulled out of bed by Mom and Dad to see the eclipse. This was her first and we thought that since she was still awake, we would let her see it. Especially since she wouldn't be able to see one for another two years. She was very excited and even brought her telescope out so Mom could try to get a better look. Dad didn't really see a difference between the eclipse and a gibbon moon - he really couldn't distinguish the red on the full moon.

Unca had called us to remind us that the eclipse was occurring. Thanks, Unca!

Kitty was fast asleep and we chose not to wake her. I'm sure she'll enjoy it more the next time around.

Now, the only problem is getting Jewel to go to sleep!

[Aren't these pictures cool! I added them on Thursday, so you could see it in case you missed it.]

Holy Lunar Eclipse, Batman!

There will be a total lunar eclipse on February 20, 2008 over the Americas. The best time to see it is at 10:26 PM EST Hopefully, I can keep us all awake to see it!

We're Not in Kansas ....

Even tho you might think we are. There is a wind advisory in effect today - wind speed at 35 mph with gusts to 45. It's a lot like last Sunday, but much warmer. It was 57 today, rather than below freezing last week.

Jewel wanted us to keep track of the wind speed. She has been spoiled that at Papa's, she can see that on the in-home weather station. Papa is part of the weather alert system of hams in FW and also a pilot.

Unfortunately, we don't have any wind monitors. We do, however, have cable TV. When the wind blows strong enough, the signal goes out, as it did today. We're just glad we don't live downwind of a trailer park! We don't want to invite tornadoes to come around.

Tiny Pterodactyl Discovered!

It was announced on February 11, 2008 in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that a tiny Pterodactyl was discovered recently in China. It was just the size of a modern-day sparrow.

God's work surely is amazing!