Wanted!

To make your own "wanted" posters, visit Glass Giant. Fun!

It's me, The Mom!

It's fun celebrating Home Education Week this week! Since I most often blog about my kids, I'll accept today's challenge to blog about myself for a change ;-) So, here's who I am, in a nutshell. Literally, because really I like being a nut. I figure a little humor can help ease the tensions of life.

Like many women, I used to have my own identity. Now I'm "The Mom." I see now who my mom was, during all of those years supporting me as I grew and developed. I don't regret my identity loss. I figure all too soon I'll gain yet another identity--Grandma--so I'm enjoying being "The Mom" for as long as I can.

Since I'm here, you can guess that one of my great passions is homeschooling. And you're right. I love learning with my kids, and I love helping other parents in their quest for the best education for their children. Hardly a day goes by that you won't find me in my mentorship role. Yet, there's uncharted territory ahead for me. I know I don't have all of the answers. High school is rapidly approaching ;-)

To keep this short and sweet, here's the rest of the nutshell:

• Vegetarian
• Violinist
• Love to sing
• Spiritual
• Passionate
• Cuddly
• Love to cook
• Bibliophile
• Creative
• Musical
• EMT-Specialist
• Helpmeet
• Walker
• Speedminton fan
• Treble Choir Lover
• Morel mushroom hunter
• Bicyclist
• Wife
• Avid learner
• Perfect pitch
• Goofball
• Storm lover
• King's Singers fan
• Friend
• Dispatcher
• Caring
• Paint Shop Pro putterer

Life before I was a homeschooling mom...

The challenge on Principled Discovery this week is to celebrate Home Education Week by blogging. Sounds like a great way to celebrate, if you ask me.

So.........what was that I said about life before being a homeschooling mom? Well, there was life as a homeschooled teen. Yea, back in the dark ages, aka "The 80s" when hsing in my state wasn't legal and we had to jump thru all sorts of silly hoops like having my curriculum "approved" by the teachers of the local public school, and having a certified teacher "tutor" me in every subject. Anybody who knows anything about hsing knows that those are silly, and even, unnecessary hoops to have to jump thru. Thank goodness the laws have changed drastically and we're now free to educate our children in the manner best suited to their learning styles and personalities.

So anyway, it was back in the 80s that I decided that when God blessed me with the title of Mom, that I wanted to hs my children. Luckily for me, the love of my life also had that desire, even tho our reasons were initially different. But before kids, we did have a life. I'm pretty sure it was a boring existence however, because there's just nothing like the adventures parenting can bring. I can remember fitting my schedule to my dh's odd work schedule more, so you might find us both sleeping during the day, and I'd be up cooking and cleaning and sewing for half of the night. I can remember being able to play cards with him, without some little person wanting to play. I think that when I went to bed in the evening, I used to read to myself. Silently, that is ;-) There was a time when I used to wear white clothing because there was no one to sully it.

Do I miss any of this? Nope...Not. At. All. Life is so much richer as a parent. There is no emptiness in our family or our hearts. Children have filled the voids. I had no idea that my own horizons would be greatly expanded by being my childrens' learning facilitator. Who'd have thought an adult could learn something from kindergarten!!! Twice, in fact. I wouldn't trade my world for any other. It's perfect just the way it is.

Tart 'n Zingy

Have you heard of True Lemon? It's 100% natural, crystallized citrus (comes in lemon, lime, or the new orange flavor) that you buy in a bottle or packets. You can shake it onto foods, use it in recipes that call for lemon, or mix it into your drinking water. My kids even love it, crazy as that sounds. If you click the above link, you can request samples of the product, and with your sample request, the company will also send product overseas to our Troops so they can use it in their drinking water.

She gets it!

Twice this week in the store my kids have managed to totally charm the checkout lane attendants. The first day, it was the line manager--she was all over them, interacting with them and ignoring the other customers ;-) The second time, ds6 started talking to the attendant. She commented that he "must be in school" and he boldly said "No, we homeschool." She said "Well, that's a good thing too" almost kind of skeptically--I was wondering where exactly the conversation was going to go. Then she followed that by saying "It's really cool to homeschool because if you are ahead in one thing you can just keep going with it, and if you need help with something else, you can slow down and work on it until you get it." I commented "Hey, she gets it!" to which she replied that she tutors 3rd thru 12th graders. Aha, well, she's figured out something that the schools can't seem to wrap their brains around, anyway ;-)

What she wants to change

OK, you asked what dd10 wants to change. I'm not entirely certain, as it seems to change from day to day! And knowing her, if one eensy little thing is bothering her, it affects EVERY aspect of her life and she'd like to change the whole thing, instead of just of focusing on changing the bothersome aspect. But here are some things she desires.

• She doesn't want to be in the Youth Honors Choral Program because the rehearsals are 1.5 hrs long and the teacher expects them to work.
• She doesn't want to take organ lessons because she "doesn't like the book" and I suspect because Grandma has high expectations.
• I'm pretty sure she's not really happy with taking flute lessons. Part of that I can understand because it was difficult for all of us when her original flute teacher, a longtime family friend and really fabulous lady, passed away last year.
• She doesn't like her art lessons because she doesn't want to learn the basics of drawing. (Are we seeing a theme here????)
• She doesn't want language arts books that cover "basics" and stuff like proper word useage, etc, even tho she makes mistakes in these areas and obviously still needs instruction therein.
• She only wants one math program, and she only wants to do one page a day in said math program (um, hello, since when does she get to dictate, and how long does she want to take to finish the book????????)
• And the ultimate "grass is greener"--she wants to attend to school. She has no clue how her life would change if THAT were to happen. She has it good, but is clueless as to just HOW good her life is.

That's probably the short list. I work with her as much as I can but sometimes I get tired of the complaints and demands. There are days that they're endless. My list of complaints would be short and to the point, however.

• She doesn't help enough around the house.
• She needs to learn to pick up after herself.
• I'm tired of stepping around/over her messes, and having to look at them for days on end.
• The "privileged princess" act can end anytime. If anybody deserves that title, shouldn't it be me????????

Shoe Sizes

So what's up with shoe sizing for kids' shoes? DD10 said her size 2 sneakers were getting a bit tight, so we shopped for shoes today. She found a pair she liked. They looked a bit big, so I gave her a size 2 to try on. They were huge on her. I gave her a size 1 and they were huge as well! There weren't any smaller so we gave up on those and found some nearly identical ones, just a different brand. Wouldn't you know, the size 2's in that brand fit just fine. Evidently the size 2's she had been wearing ran a bit small. It's just odd--3 different brands and totally different fits for the same numerical size. I think there's some merit to the European centimeters system of clothing/shoe sizing. Centimeters don't change from one brand to the next!

She wants change

I suppose people have the right to be individuals, but some days I wish I had a dd more like me! I'm basically a contented kind of person. Routine is just fine with me. Being at home and having time to do the things I need/want to do is just fine with me. (Well ok, I have time to do the things I need to do, but being a mom, my wants are usually swallowed up by the needs of my family.) But the Lord blessed me with a daughter who is different from me. A daughter for whom contentment is not as easily attained. Now to figure out how to balance her wants with the needs of the rest of the family.

What I can't blog about!

I can't blog about what ds5 is getting for his birthday, because just my luck, the precocious little youngster would get on here and read it ;-) But I can guarantee you that he will LOVE what his two "grandma wannabees" from church have each selected to give him. You know, they had to consult with mommy to make sure the items were ok to give so I am very much in the know. Can't wait for Saturday!

Pics from DS5

These are some recent photos taken by my ds5:

(top left) Big sister in school
(top right) Personalized birthday balloon
(bottom left) Butterfly on flowers at a field trip

(below) A pic he didn't take ;-)

Ah, little guy--don't break my heart and grow up so fast! Are you really sure you should be able to take pictures this good already????

A sure sign of spring!

Spring must be on its way! How do I know? Why, from reading on multiple friends' blogs, and also in the local newspaper, about all of the field trips people are taking to local Maple Syrup Events. So, I am here to declare, that we are not taking a field trip to learn how maple syrup is made, or to do sappy crafts meant to resemble something a Native American would have carried sap in (I'm sorry, but just how is a white paper-crafted bucket anything like the birch bark containers the Indians used????? And really, what fun is it to string 40 colored beads and 1 white bead in a repeated pattern to make a "40 to 1" necklace?) Lest you think that we're party poopers, or anti-syrupy people, or something like that, we're not. In fact, we only use pure maple syrup. We don't even pay an arm and a leg for it. Why????? Because hey folks, the field trip is at our house!

The sap's flowing like crazy, the wood pile is rapidly diminishing, but oh, the sweet scent of cooking syrup makes the world seem all right after all! This is my dad's project, but he of course requires the able assistance of neighbors, particularly the younger ones. His payment is the yummy whole-grain pancakes I make for him, among other things ;-)

Included in the fun on our outtings is:

• Butt sledding (when there was still snow!) down the ravine
• Actually helping to tap the trees and hang the collection buckets
• Photography of the gorgeous scenery where the tapped trees are
• Finding interesting ice patterns where the river has flooded and started to recede, and gotten frozen along the way.
• Learning that when the 5-gallon bucket of sap gets dropped on the slippery hill and spills, you've just lost 1 pint of maple syrup
• Late-night excursions to collect sap when the buckets are overflowing
• Late-night excursions to keep the fire burning
• Snuggling next to the fire
• Seeing the ISS fly overhead on a clear night
• Identifying planets and constellations on a clear night
• The annual "Breakfast by the Fire with Poppa" event
• Watching and listening as the ice in the river breaks up, and racing to the next vantage point to see & hear the ice pack pass by once again

Is it hard work? You betcha! Is it worth it? Totally! You should have seen us all twitching in anticipation of Opening Day this season ;-)

Oh, and ds5 is very excited, because TODAY they will jar the first batch of syrup, and HE gets to help!

Everything you ever needed to know about me!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Vegiemama!

1. You should always store vegiemama in an airtight container in the fridge!
2. Vegiemama has little need for water and is capable of going for months without drinking at all!
3. Vegiemama is picked, sorted and packed entirely in the field!
4. Vegiemama is worth her weight in gold - literally!
5. The book of Esther in the Bible is the only book which does not mention vegiemama!
6. Vegiemama is the world's tallest woman.
7. The canonical hours of the Christian church are matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vegiemama and compline.
8. In Japan, vegiemama can only be prepared by chefs specially trained and certified by the government.
9. The porpoise is second to vegiemama as the most intelligent animal on the planet!
10. It's bad luck to put vegiemama on a bed.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

What type of mother hen are you?

What type of Mother Hen Are You?

One Word Allowed

I've been tagged by Grace Academy. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged. Leave me a comment so I can come and read yours!

1. Where is your cell phone? Desk
2. Who is your significant other? Paul
3. Your hair? Grey
4. Your mother? Dorothy
5. Your father? Norman
6. Your favorite thing? Kids
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? Coffee
9. Your dream/goal? Heaven
10. The room you're in? Dispatch
11. Your fear? Absence
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Homeschooling
13. Where were you last night? Dispatch
14. What you're not? Patient
15. Muffins? Lowfat
16. One of your wish list items? Time
17. Where you grew up? Michigan
18. The last thing you did? Type
19. What are you wearing? Apples
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your Pets? Three
22. Your computer? Silver
23. Your life? Wonderful
24. Your mood? Stressed
25. Missing someone? Family
26. Your car? Uplander
27. Something you're not wearing? Pajamas :-(
28. Favorite Store? Meijer
29. Your summer? Hot
30. Your favorite color? Red
31. When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday
32. When is the last time you cried? Yesterday
33. Who will/would repost this? Friends

Lego Police Follow-Up

DS5 amused me further by thanking me profusely for having made clean-up so much fun. It was "much better than if you just said 'Go pick up the Legos,' mommy." LOL, what a goofball. Oh, and he now wants ALL clean-up to be accompanied by a creative play scenario. Oy, I've created a monster!

Watch out, the Lego Police are after you!

This afternoon the kids were supposed to be straightening up parts of the house that they messed up. DD10 had disappeared to her room, and ds5 was convinced that he could quit too. So, for once I had a brain cell functioning and I beat him at his own game! I had him don his Lego police vest and report to me for his special mission, should he choose to accept it. Well with a bribe like that, he couldn't resist.

The mission was as follows: Lego bricks have been sneaking into our house and congregating in corners to spy on us. On the designated night, they will sneak out of their corners, meet in the middle of the floor, build something from themselves, and attack us. DD5's job was to ferret them out of their corners so they can't spy on us or attack us.

Well let me tell you, he took off on the big search! He brought the first couple of pieces that he found to show them to me, and I made up these fantastic tales about who they were and what their roles in the invasion are, so then he started making up his own stories about the pieces he found. And wouldn't you know, the Legos all got cleaned up, with nary a complaint about having to "work" ;-) Lest you worry that they will sneak back out into the corners and spy on us again, they can't--they're "locked in jail", aka the drawers.

This game was such a success--I swear he jabbered on and on about it whenever he could get a word in edgewise at dinner, and to anyone who would listen! I shall definitely remember this one for future clean-ups ;-)

Somebody's getting a big head!

Yep, ds5. I just knew last fall that he'd be needing a bigger bike helmet. Sure enough, today he tried to put on his old one and it wouldn't fit. Being the safety conscious child, he refuses to ride on any of his wheeled toys until he gets a new one, LOL. And he remembers that yellow construction hat that he saw last year--he just can't understand that it's a toddler size, too small!!! I suppose I'll look on Ebay and see if there's a child size one like that ;-)

Inspiring Woman

I stumbled across the little-known explorer Alexandra David-Neel at the library the other day. She was the first western woman to enter Tibet. I plan to read more about her life, which seems so exotic and fascinating. My library booklist just got longer, again ;-)

Oh, and as an aside--I was chuffed when dd10 knew the location of Lhasa when I asked her (it's the capitol of Tibet, in case you didn't know ;-) Yay, some of this stuff is sinking in!

Of musical interest

My kids were playing "recording studio" today. They were taking turns making up songs and digitally recording them, in the hopes that mommy will help them make a CD ;-) Anyway, one of dd10's songs involved her singing a phrase, and little bro echoing her. It was interesting to note that he perfectly echoed what she sang, note for note and word for word, but where she used syncopated rhythm, he consistently sang it straight. Hmmmmm, I wonder what that means, LOL?

Ridiculously Easy Lunchbox Enchilada Casserole

Found on the FatFree Vegan Kitchen blog--this recipe for Ridiculously Easy Lunchbox Enchilada Casserole. And here is my version. I chose to use medium enchilada sauce instead of salsa, and my filling was refried beans, shredded Mexican cheese, and sliced black olives (all bits of leftovers lurking in my frig!) It was absolutely delicious. My only regret is that there wasn't more of it. Guess I need to buy me a new bigger dish because I can see this becoming a regular "take-to-work" food item :-)

There, I always knew I was one-of-a-kind

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm. Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?