tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71245096370620293852024-02-18T20:18:27.824-06:00The CR ReedsVLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-53390588428806428362020-11-30T18:00:00.003-06:002020-11-30T18:00:00.828-06:00Ambleside Online Y2<p> Well we are wrapping up another year of Ambleside Online and I am going to document my thoughts here probably with way too much detail to be interesting to anyone but an AO user. Mostly I want to be able to look back this in a couple years when I've completely forgotten what I've done! </p><p><span> </span>Copywork - we are in book D of Getty-Dubay Italic writing. I have found that this provides very good instruction for writing, but very poor for spelling. Towards the end of the year I started introducing a more classic copywork from the reading approach which is beginning to help with spelling. I also do lowkey spelling tests from the <a href="https://www.k12reader.com/worksheet/first-grade-master-spelling-list/" target="_blank">1st grade list</a>. </p><p><span> Reading Practice - Since I have a great reader to work with I would just have her read out loud to me from the books scheduled. By the end of the year she had completely taken over the Seabird readings herself. She also read "parts" of Pilgrim's Progress. Whichever part was shortest of course!</span><br /></p><p><span> </span>Recitation - This is an area I can probably do better in. I would have her read "beautifully" the same poem from our poet of the semester for a month, then move on to the next one. She enjoyed Rossetti the most. Every poem she heard was one she wanted for recitation!</p><p><span> Math - We did Right Start C this year. For the first time we aren't finishing the book in a single year. Although we will be pretty close. I intend to just continue until we are done. While this book did introduce subtraction, I was surprised at how little it was practiced. I saw that a great deal more comes in the review for D so I continue to have faith that this is the right program for us. This was the first book where we did drawing on the drawing board, and this was enjoyed immensely. I'm grateful I had the correct tools available and didn't cobble something together though, as I can imagine that being more frustrating than it would be worth.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> Spanish - We continue to make things up for Spanish. Salsa and Little Pim are old favorites. knowitall.com is used occasionally but she doesn't enjoy it. !Arte y Mas! is a new favorite. We read the Little Bear books in Spanish and still try to incorporate speaking in daily life. Now that she knows as much as my 4 years taught me I don't feel like I can lead this learning very well anymore. So more outside resources find their way in. </span><br /></span></p><p><span> Physical Activity - This has been a hard one. We started the year loving dance, gymnastics and ice skating. Once Covid lock down occurred we were left with riding bikes. A fair amount of play still happens, and recess is a must, but the sports side is empty for now.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> Art - An area I am completely out of my depth. Art Class growing up was being told how I did something wrong. So I compensate by leaving the direction wide open. She had a paint by number canvas. We did the first few lessons from Drawing with Children. We do pastels with hodgepodge.me. And tried out a couple how to draw Youtube videos. Nothing too structured, but she pursues her own interests here.</span></span></p><p><a name="wee" style="background-color: #fdfefe; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"></a><span> Timeline - I know I shouldn't have but I just couldn't do the timeline deal. We are still using the 100 grid homemade book of centuries from last year. I think we will through year 3 at least, maybe through 6. I'll upgrade it to a nice one at some point.</span><br style="background-color: #fdfefe; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px;" /></p><p><span><span> Handicrafts - Paper Sloyd! I was so intimidated by this book at first. The instructions seemed scant. Expectations high. It's been great. She loves it and I definitely credit it for making the geometry drawing lessons in math so easy. I'm so glad we ended up doing this, and it's providing built in ideas for Christmas gifts. So wins all around!</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> Folksongs we have done as scheduled. I try and get them from the library on CD whenever possible to play on my ipod wherever we go. Same with composer music.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> Nature Study - This one got hard during Covid, and then harder after the derecho. Our local parks are still filled with debris! Fortunately Spencer really leaned into this with road trips almost every weekend visiting surrounding state parks. We also formed a local Nature Club that has helped lend consistency to my haphazard scheduling.</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> Art Study and Composer Study have been as scheduled. Can I say Thank you to the Met for the free daily operas! We did the Wheeler books for a couple of composers and honestly I haven't been as impressed with these books as I had hoped to be. They are simplistically written and leave out any hints of controversal or even interesting life moments while glossing over things that need to be elaborated on. Just not my style I guess.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> History - An Island Story - Read as scheduled - Love it. Child's History of the World - Read as Scheduled - good, I wish we had read some of the skipped early chapters. I'll probably add those in for my next student. They cover some of the groundwork that I think would make early readings in Y1 make more sense. We did not use This Country of Ours at all. We used D'aulaire for Leif the Lucky and Columbus. We also supplemented with History or US by Joy Hakim. Reading from the beginning to Columbus. I think it is important that children are introduced to US history prior to Europeans setting foot here. There were thriving civilizations here that deserve attention. And this was my way of providing that. Hakim's book isn't great but it does starting with Beringia the land bridge and introduce various peoples. I also bought a book Legends of the Iroquois by Tehanetorens that we read as bedtime stories, no narrations, again just appreciating the cultures that were here.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> History Tales/Biography - Tales and Triumph was as scheduled. The Little Duke there is a great map from the AO forums that we used. I printed the Anne White study guide but didn't use it. My girl was so sad when this book was over. Joan of Arc as scheduled.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Geography - Read Tree in the Trail and Seabird as scheduled. As mentioned she took over the reading of Seabird. We focused on Western states for Map study while reviewing the upper midwest. For Seabird we followed places mentioned in the book and reviewed continents. In retrospect I should have done Oceans. We built Dad's model of the sun to Earth with a flashlight to look at how the earth moves around the sun as well as the axis tilt and how that effects seasons. We used his science model to build a pulley and see how that works. We looked at and used a compass as well as measured shadows to see how comparing shadows throughout the day can help make a compass.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Nature Studies - We didn't finish Burgess Animal Book, and continue to read a chapter a week through break. The printed picture of the animals found in the forum were great, and while it does feel like the section on mice will never end, it was appreciated more than the Bird Book. Maybe because we are growing. We did also use the taxanomy key linked in the footers on AO to sort the pictures and discuss why things were sorted the way they are.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span> Poetry - we tried to read one a day - but not always succeeding. We used Living Press books for De La Mare and Rossetti. We had a book on Whitcombe Riley. And printed the AO booklet for Field. I don't think any of our recitations came from Riley, but we did have some for the other three.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare was another hit. I don't think we found videos for any of this years selections, and I think Midsummer is still her favorite. </span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Parables from Nature is still a groaner, although we enjoyed it more than in year 1. <br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Pilgrim's Progress took turns being a favorite and a groaner. Toward the end it was tough to read because plot gave way to conversation. The Orion's gate CD's are a hit, and make great time passers on road trips if the driver can stay awake! </span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> Literature Selections of Understood Betsy, Wind in the Willows, and Robin Hood were all great reads. We are still doing Robin Hood on break with a free audio from stories.audible.com that is great (although the reader is a bit fast-pased.) I was surprised to enjoy Wind in the Willows, but it turns out all previous reads I had an abridged book! Reading it in full is a MUST.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span> Heidi junior deluxe edition is a poor translation - so next time we will do Wordsworth.</span><br /></p><p><span><span> A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales were the surprise favorite! Although I did use an audio book just because it was a lot for my voice to do out loud.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span><span> Five Little Peppers was trudged through as an independent read - she loved parts but on the whole doesn't want to ever read it again. Mary Poppins was also read independently, she enjoyed it but not enough to want to read the sequel. Abraham Lincoln was read independently and enjoyed immensely. Maybe due to pictures, but this one has come off the shelf since for free time perusals.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> Hans Christian Andersen, Mr. Poppers Penguins, Little House on the Prarie, Farmer Boy, Along Came a Dog, and Door in the Wall were read as bedtime stories. Brighty of the Grand Canyon was read with friends and enjoyed by all.</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> Pied Piper was read during Poetry Time one day. From the old Childcraft poetry book. Much love was given.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span><span> We have hopes to read Five Children and It, Otto of the Silver Hand, and Chanticleer and the Fox over break. We do not intend to read the Story of Doctor Dolittle, because I just happened to pick it up to pre-read it and really felt that the racism in it is beyond a conversation about "different times" or what my 7 year old is ready for right now. I'll leave it on the shelves, and curious minds may find it someday.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-87512620662640440242018-09-22T17:39:00.000-05:002018-09-22T17:39:11.059-05:00A look at our week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is a look at how I have organized myself to do Kindergarten with V this year. I have based a good deal on the advice of other homeschooling moms at the forums of Ambleside Online and I encourage anyone struggling to take the time to read that information. I am totally new at homeschooling, but so far this method is working for us.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPrt8nEfx7M1gYmmHH1uSU2r0nYfYX2J5vbURYYWK1inPRsJk6zhXayKDGDypedaIVmef4c4ZULssd0qovIri54H8QpO72pmPGMf34qWgJh4Yfv2CYXQP-JIJsfso-4XKMT0v3S7HHbgR/s1600/IMG_4738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPrt8nEfx7M1gYmmHH1uSU2r0nYfYX2J5vbURYYWK1inPRsJk6zhXayKDGDypedaIVmef4c4ZULssd0qovIri54H8QpO72pmPGMf34qWgJh4Yfv2CYXQP-JIJsfso-4XKMT0v3S7HHbgR/s320/IMG_4738.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last weeks schedule.</td></tr>
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I've been a bullet journal user for a while. It's been the easiest way for me to keep track of all my scribbled papers and to look back and remember what I am always forgetting. So integrating my homeschool schedule with my bullet journal was important to me. Pictured above is our week at a glance. At the top (mostly out of the picture) is our weekly appointment list. On the left is the day of the week and date followed by appointments that we have that day. </div>
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Then is our daily work list. My goal is to do these lessons 5 days a week, so I simply check off items as we complete them in our day. To the right are things I wish to do weekly. Followed by a list of all the books we are currently reading. My goal is to read a chapter in each book weekly to keep them somewhat fresh in our minds. At the bottom are the things that are newly added. We read Chanticleer and the Fox at the Library so I wrote it and checked it immediately. Later when I am updating her list of books read I can add it there. </div>
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As far as when I get things done, in V's list of to do's in the morning when she does things such as brush teeth and get dressed we read the Bible and a poem. This way regardless of how the day goes the most important item, and a frequently overlooked item are completed. While J is at school we try to spend time on either an outdoor or physical activity. This could be our Nature walk, playing at the park, or swimming at the Y. After we get J and have lunch, during nap time, we do copywork, math and our readings. Our copywork is one word a day usually, and the words we copy this week are the words she tries to visualize and spell next week. Then V does art, handiworks, or piano independently. The music we play during meals, or playtime. We sing together when we go for walks as the current folk and hymn are ones I happen to already know. Her memorization verses are written in her notebook which she carries in her backpack, so anytime in the morning when we have down time she pulls it out to practice. Sometimes, we don't have time to do it all, and honestly I don't worry about it. My priorities right now are building good habits, and spending time outside. If anything I think she spends too much time on schoolwork. But when she is after me all day to "do school" I have plenty of things to choose from.</div>
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Meanwhile, J loves school still. She loves getting her own snack (no surprise there) and she has a lot of fun playing outside. Her teachers and peers have been after her about her finger sucking, so hopefully we see a reduction in that soon. Otherwise she hasn't had any bad days yet! I worried about her one day when there was a thunder storm, and the teachers confirmed that she was upset at the first boom, but after seeing that her friends didn't react she was calm for the rest of the storm. So perhaps that fear will resolve itself. While she still comes home quite tired, when she wakes she is excited to play all her new games with Sis.</div>
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If you have questions, or if you have suggestions on things I haven't considered please comment below. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC3jgGs0e7Q4VWKaUwr1vvbZRJiiXPp6PyZF6r7c3J4FN72qfpwTKdXixTqs09fsg4-UkSfV6wEV0xz5A62txPWTJ6ngPq-l3Vb78ouYX1pMwxwuLyOpppbycx3zGEK5gNXZzxqfBOARX/s1600/IMG_4736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC3jgGs0e7Q4VWKaUwr1vvbZRJiiXPp6PyZF6r7c3J4FN72qfpwTKdXixTqs09fsg4-UkSfV6wEV0xz5A62txPWTJ6ngPq-l3Vb78ouYX1pMwxwuLyOpppbycx3zGEK5gNXZzxqfBOARX/s320/IMG_4736.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "story" she wrote during free time.</td></tr>
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<br />VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-14779734891719141692018-09-04T20:24:00.000-05:002018-09-04T20:24:22.223-05:00Day 1 is in the books . . . well kinda<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYcTDqUnqzTaNOy4TRCl_87Rn7Kozkfh6g4nNZ-mb_KDTy-bLbGZIr2jPRf4WdBljva3eYNxzikRu3k-1rcw0VzRv961VrEjl9yc_tjWZsT9TQ5eKVjhYdAZjQjTonecrqDeCpDBfiTv8/s1600/IMG_4730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYcTDqUnqzTaNOy4TRCl_87Rn7Kozkfh6g4nNZ-mb_KDTy-bLbGZIr2jPRf4WdBljva3eYNxzikRu3k-1rcw0VzRv961VrEjl9yc_tjWZsT9TQ5eKVjhYdAZjQjTonecrqDeCpDBfiTv8/s320/IMG_4730.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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There they are - ready to conquer the world!</td></tr>
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School year for 2018-19 is officially begun. J. wore her new school outfit - and loved it. She wasn't too sure about the belt at first, but it grew on her. She didn't want to take it off to go to bed! Seems like the first day we always have just a bit too much time to get ready in the morning. We could have left an hour early, easily! We picked up S. on the way so he could be there, he snapped a couple pictures at the school, then in we went. J. stopped to chat with the receptionist on her way by, wanted to make sure she saw how cool her PJ Masks backpack was. Then she found her locker no problem. After getting some help from her teacher Ms. Sara on putting away her water bottle she immediately found some work and sat down by Dixie. S. and I said good-bye to her back, and she responded bye without turning around The next time I saw her was at pick-up and she was exhausted! Kid was so tired I didn't think she'd make it through lunch. And for J. that's saying something.</div>
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The kinda part came in on V. Last night she had a fever, said her knees hurt, and had a headache. She was super low energy, and low appetite. After some meds she crashed for the night. So we didn't go into today expecting a whole lot. She wanted to get dressed up for her school pictures so there she is venturing into the world with Sis. She endured J's drop-off like a champ, maybe because she didn't have the energy to fight it. And ran a couple errands with me before she was too tired to go on. When we got home she laid down and looked at picture books for an hour or so before having the energy to do school. I didn't push her at all, but I think when she was too supremely bored to stand it she would come ask to do something. So in little spurts throughout the day we got her calendar set up, decided on some pre-drop off chores, and did a bit of Bible, reading, and math. We sang a folk song when walking to pick up J. and she listened to some classical during quiet time. She didn't have the health for much physical activity so not a lot of outdoor time, but for a sick day I'd say we did pretty well. We'll see how she's feeling tomorrow.</div>
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-45170708432341997742018-08-05T20:29:00.001-05:002018-11-07T13:24:23.088-06:00Kindergarten for Smoochie<div style="text-align: justify;">
With September fast approaching we are getting more and more ready for school, but not exactly the way we had planned. </div>
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J will be starting preschool at the same Montessori school V attended. In fact right now we anticipate her being in the same classroom that V was in, with one of the same teachers. Hopefully this means a tear free beginning, and an easy transition. J was very excited for the open house days and while I am not sure if she completely understands V won't be there, other friends will quickly distract her.</div>
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The surprise for the coming year is V. I've decided to homeschool her for Kindergarten, and if we get along fairly well to continue homeschooling her for the foreseeable future. Surprising, right? Around Christmas last year I was looking for a book list, a couple actually. I wanted a list for me to use at the library, but I also wanted one for the girls of those great kids books one really shouldn't miss. As I wandered the interwebs I found <a href="https://www.amblesideonline.org/curriculum.shtml" target="_blank">AmblesideOnline</a>. It is a booklist from K - 12 that I fell in love with. The books on there that I was familiar with were all favorites, which means the ones I wasn't familiar with would probably be pretty great. It broke things out by year so I could read to her without overwhelming her. And I pretty much fell in love with everything I read. At first I just planned to use these books as bedtime and family reading stories. But the more I learned the more I felt that this was something I really needed to fully embrace. So here we are becoming a homeschool family. </div>
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V. seems to be excited about the idea of spending more one on one time with Mom, but whether she really understands she wont be going to a classroom full of friends remains to be seen. She is such easy disposition when it comes to sitting down and doing lesson that it really makes the idea of it less overwhelming for me. </div>
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Will we love it? I don't know. What I am certain of is if I didn't give it a try I would forever be looking back and wondering. So here we go.</div>
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If you are curious about what exactly we are doing check out the <a href="https://www.amblesideonline.org/curriculum.shtml" target="_blank">AmblesideOnline</a> website. We have already finished the Year 0 books. Year 1 is intended for 6 year olds, so we are doing a modified year 0.5 that is discussed in the forums. We will officially start Year 1 next year between January and April depending on how things are going. Meantime there will be lots of nature study, handicrafts, poetry and RightStart math lessons. Year 1 free reads, spanish, piano lessons and art projects. </div>
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If your have questions or concerns about how we plan to make this work - or things that I may be overlooking - let's chat! </div>
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If you love bookstores as much as I do and want some titles to look out for here are a the ones for Year 1 that we haven't been able to find a hard copy of locally. However, they are all either available at our local library or through the public domain to read on the ipad.</div>
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<li>Benjamin Franklin Ingri D'Aulaire </li>
<li>Buffalo Bill Ingri D'Aulaire</li>
<li>A Child's Book of Poems Gyo Fujikawa</li>
<li>King of the Golden River John Ruskin</li>
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VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-26302703155504065872017-03-20T12:58:00.002-05:002017-03-20T12:58:52.970-05:00They say every kid is differentVeda finds an acorn hat.<br />
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Me: Did you find a treasure?<br />
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Veda: YES! (Proceeds to save cap to show Daddy, finds a box to keep it in, collects more caps to compare them. Starts to collect acorns to find ones that will fit with the caps.)<br />
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Jovi finds an acorn hat.<br />
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Me: Did you find a treasure?<br />
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Jovi looks at me like I'm crazy takes the acorn hat from the sidewalk and throws it in the bushes. VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-64782241279564676612016-03-03T13:16:00.000-06:002016-03-03T13:16:04.542-06:00Parachute Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it has been an active fun filled day - and it's only just begun!! We woke up to a snow covered world this morning. It made for a nice break from the grey that Iowa winters usually entail.<br />
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This mornings big activity was going to the library for Parachute Play. It's a popular program, and requires registration which is a bummer. We missed out on it previously because it fills up very quickly. It is once a month, so I'll be registering again for April really soon.</div>
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There were some other programs for kids going on at the same time as this one because when we got to the parking lot there were school buses, and general mayhem. I ended up parking by VF's school and we walked through the skywalk to reach the library. I'm sure we were quite the sight to drivers below. I had JA in the Moby wrap, a backpack diaper bag, and carrying VF for part of the walk it was quite a workout. I was glad that I left 20 minutes early though because we made it just in time!</div>
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VF saw the parachute through the window and was so excited I had to drag her away from it to go in the door around the corner. Silly kid. As soon as we hit the room she was peeling off the coat and shoes and racing out to run with friends. Now I remember playing with a parachute a couple times at school when I was a kid, and can I don't remember it being as much of an arm workout! Why don't gyms have a parachute workout class?</div>
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Veda ran and sang and had a really great time. After class the instructor blew some bubbles, which of course was a hit. I haven't let VF blow any indoors, and she hasn't wanted to go outside to do it. So it was a well timed side activity for her. Afterward I saw there was a concert for kids in the auditorium that was just about to start. So we popped in for some impromptu music fun. It was a very talented and patient quartet. They have to be when a train goes by and half the audience runs for the windows!</div>
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Both girls loved the show. We were due for a potty break so off to the bathroom to change a diaper, assist VF and generally juggle everyone and everything. I know this isn't what you come here to read about but just know - the bathroom struggle when outnumbered is real. Poor Jo was laying on coats so I could wash my hands! Next we went down to the kids library so VF could play while JA ate. I would have gone straight to the car - but JA was a bit upset at being overdue. So after playing with trains and eating it was a quick scurry through the sky walk and back to the car. The downside of parking in front of the school is that we needed to move the car before pick-up. I can't say that no one was upset about a vacant car in the pick-up line; but I can say that no one was inconvenienced. We were on our way as the first child exited the building.<br />
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That's my morning. I'm exhausted, but grateful that both girls are down for a nap. Now if only it lasts a bit longer I'll get some sleep too!VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-64353568208101849342016-02-28T07:35:00.002-06:002016-02-28T07:35:24.566-06:00The Big Bad WolfSo while VF was sick she spent a fair amount of time watching cartoons. Since Netflix has some Silly Symphonies on it right now, I took advantage and showed her some of the old ones from my childhood. She saw the three little pigs, in three different short shows. Of course the big bad wolf made a big impression. During the first show while the wolf blowed down the stick house and the piggies ran she cried out "That wolf wants to eat those piggies!" "He's hungry." And when practical pig held the door to the brick house open she said "Over here, come in my house and be safe!" So she was definitely getting the idea of the plot.<br />
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As with most things it then became a game. Daddy or myself would play the wolf, and she would be the princess piggy running away to her room. While we blowed the door down she would hide. Well last night Daddy was the wolf, and she was hiding in her room. JA was up on VF's bed just playing with her feet and socks. The wolf came in and looked around, not finding VF though he went over to the bed and started to eat JA. VF didn't waste any time, she leaped from her hiding spot crying out, "No not my Jovi! Not my baby sister!" She put her hands up by her face turning into a lion. "ROAR!" And that lion chased the wolf right out of there.<br />
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It's a pretty good time. Meanwhile, VF isn't just pretending the princess part. Aunt Alicia sent up a Sleeping Beauty dress for her, and she has worn it every day since. Thanks Auntie. <br />
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Finally, regarding her being ill, she has an ear infection. She is on antibiotics. Of course it is between us having health insurances due to S switching jobs, and policies not being allowed to start mid month. We ended up ahead though, because health insurance is $926 a month. And the Dr. visit, and medicine without insurance was only $100. This whole health insurance thing is quite the racket, and it's pretty ridiculously priced. Next year we will give Obamacare a try and see how it is priced for us.VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-66605455258981272002016-02-25T17:39:00.002-06:002016-02-25T17:40:04.559-06:00My lovey girl<div style="text-align: justify;">
J was lying on the floor under her new toy crying. She'd had enough of it I guess. I was wrapped up and couldn't get to her that minute. VF went over to her got down next to her and says "Don't cry. I'm here. Mommy's here. Fletcher here. Jovi here. It all ok. Let me help you play!" Does it get any sweeter?</div>
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-15893346377458906222016-02-21T09:08:00.000-06:002016-02-21T14:13:05.955-06:00An amazing Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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V was sharing the happy all day on Friday, so here are our stories.<br />
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On the way to school I gave her a bowl of O's to eat. The bowl I used is the one with the plastic flap lid that helps discourage messes. I had bought it for J because it was on sale somewhere. Now V had seen this bowl used by friends at different playtimes. Well you would think I had just handed her the toy of the year. "I have one of these?" "Holden has this bowl!" "Just like my friends!" Yep, the kid was over the moon because of a bowl.<br />
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When I went to pick her up from school Ms. Sophie had this story for me. Walking from the playground back to the school there was a huge gust of wind. V and her 4 friends were lifted off the ground and were about to be swept away! Dylan exclaimed "I'm in the sky!" Ms. Sophie envisioned the incident report stating that she just couldn't save them all. She jumped to action. She had Veda and Izzy each grab a leg. She put Ethan on her back. Then grabbed the last to kids and held them each under an arm. Then she braced against the gale and carried them all into the school. Hooray!<br />
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Once in the car V asked: do you know where we are going next?<br />
Me: um. . . home?<br />
V: nope, the bank! it's Friday!<br />
Yep, she is keeping track of the schedule now. Of course we had to go home first to get the monies to take to the bank, but we did make it to the bank for her Friday popcorn. At the bank while I was making the deposit I turned to see her pulling the kiddie chair across the sitting area. When I went over I asked why.<br />
V: to get taller, taller, taller.<br />
M: why do you need to be taller?<br />
V: to get up there? (pointing)<br />
Not sure how she knew, but sure enough there was a bowl of candy up there.<br />
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Let's see. When we were home she took a moment to show J how her new toy works. (See picture) Thanks for sharing it with us Black family!<br />
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Later after her nap she found a piece of a chair that was waiting to be put back in. She tried to do it with her fingers, but it didn't work. So she started looking through drawers.<br />
Me: What are you looking for?<br />
V: I need a screwdriver.<br />
Well, I wasn't going to get in the way of her completing this task so I helped her out. I got the screw pushed in and barely had time to grab my camera before she started using the mallet to tap in the cover.<br />
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It was a really great day. V has been sick since with a fever of 102. So that is why I am late getting this posted. Poor kid just gets to stay in bed watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Netflix cartoons all day. </div>
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<span id="goog_919364461"></span><span id="goog_919364462"></span>VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-29418117590357896522015-10-12T12:50:00.000-05:002015-10-12T12:50:04.989-05:00Watch Out - She's Hitting the Road!!<br />
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Thanks to a kind neighbor Veda has received not one but two new modes of transportation! I gave them a wash (spiderwebs, shudder) and they are ready for the road. The car could use a fresh coat of paint - luckily I know someone handy with a spray can. You up for some refinishing on your next visit Nea? The tricycle doesn't need a thing, just for Veda to get the hang of steering! She rode up and down the sidewalk a bit, learning her boundaries, and oh yes, Jovi was out there with us too! Can't leave her behind, she loves to be on the move in her slings! Oh yes, and notice Veda's hair. She wanted five ponytails today, so five is what she got!</div>
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<br />VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-22917538975600480282015-09-29T13:14:00.001-05:002015-09-29T13:14:30.011-05:00VF's First Poppy Seed Roll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's kinda a family recipe - or at least a family snack. I think my father's mother was the first one to make it as a regular thing. For me at least it has always been a snack that my Tia would bring with her when she visited. Or make ahead of time for us when we visited her. A couple years ago in Colorado she gave me a tutorial on how to make it, so today when we were looking for a yummy treat VF and I decided to make one up.<br />
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VF was an eager helper, as always, and she helped poor all the ingredients into the bowl. The whole while she mixed with a fork she was eager to get her hands into the dough. Toddler like however as soon as she was able to start kneading with her hands she didn't like it because they got sticky. We worked through it though. After the dough picked up a bit more of the dusting flour and after I pointed out to her that her handprints appeared in the dough she was once again on board with helping out. <br />
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While the dough rested she greased the pan (all by herself) and opened the can of poppy seeds. "Black ball seeds" as she called them. She tasted a few and declared them to be yummy. So we rolled out the dough together, and after I spread the seeds out on it she licked the spoon clean. Another wait for it to rise, and then into the oven they went. She helped keep an eye out for it to turn golden brown, and gave a shout when it was ready. I think it could have used a bit more time, as the inside was a bit gooier than I prefer, but overall I think it was a pretty successful job.<br />
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As for JA, she was here too - mostly just laying about. Babies - they just sleep the day away. Now if only she would do the same at night! <br />
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<br />VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-91371815334036184312015-09-09T15:34:00.002-05:002015-09-09T15:34:56.237-05:00First day of School!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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VF was all set for her first day of school. She could hardly wait for the long hand on the clock to point straight up this morning. She wore her new "school shoes" and outfit from Gma Nube and Tia, and had her "sma blankie" in her backpack just in case she needed it later. Oh boy did she like wearing that backpack! Once inside the school she sat with her teacher Ms. Sophie, and waited for all her friends to arrive. S and I stayed until most her friends were there, and then we headed out. No tears from anyone, she whined just a bit when we left, mostly I think because the other kids in the group were starting to whine. Ms. Sophie said when we picked her up that she was a good helper, and lots of fun, so it should be a good year. There are 6 kids in her class, and we should get a chance to meet parents a bit more tomorrow, and next week at some socials that are scheduled. <br />
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Meanwhile, Jovi had her weigh in yesterday - 6 lbs and 12 oz - so she is growing fast. I'm pushing the breastfeeding a bit more, and cutting out the supplemental bottles we had been doing. I think she is doing better every day. Now if only she could figure out how to eat while I sleep!<br />
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-81585107021116162932015-03-09T09:52:00.002-05:002015-03-09T09:52:53.225-05:00Ready for Summer!<div style="text-align: justify;">
With a change in seasons coming up I decided it was time to go through the box of "too big hand-me-downs" to see what we had for summer. We are blessed because the only hole in the wardrobe I found was a need for 2T (or 3T) pajamas. Luckily we have some large (for her) T-shirts that I think will fill the gap nicely. While rooting through the clothes though VF picked out her own outfit for the day - quite the fashionista, don't you think? I'm glad she likes the vest, I knit it as a fall layer and it just chanced to be in her favorite color - Orange!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5BpfR_mqU2bRm70RfQkxJGFr2MWtX8EhcUefEPPItcLtT5aGuJ36DFLtrZY_5yGH-3CZYOKVbiAO-J00LIhxUkE83upvJFkxUuxk89qUBXhBS0BW3l9DPQMlvD5-HONSrCuNjLG8w-i6/s1600/086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5BpfR_mqU2bRm70RfQkxJGFr2MWtX8EhcUefEPPItcLtT5aGuJ36DFLtrZY_5yGH-3CZYOKVbiAO-J00LIhxUkE83upvJFkxUuxk89qUBXhBS0BW3l9DPQMlvD5-HONSrCuNjLG8w-i6/s1600/086.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-55252941237471568372015-01-08T08:02:00.000-06:002015-01-08T08:02:24.871-06:00New Word - with a super cute new face!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzoKiD_9BBLd_no0aadBjitXIJ1pF2XN29CpdgXlp3vbI9KuufTT1oEDIftKSKRH_tjUAvh178x3MyLzLKl5Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-24084182668406951862015-01-06T17:13:00.002-06:002015-01-06T17:13:24.568-06:00Bad Butter!<div style="text-align: justify;">
So I forgot that I had spilt some butter on the bottom of the oven when I was making muffins yesterday. I remembered that had happened when I opened the oven to throw in some cauliflower today. There were flames on the bottom of the oven. I promptly closed the door. I may not be a genious, but I know oxygen and fires like each other. Once the door was closed I turned off the oven and thought about my options. Fire extinguisher seemed like overkill. Baking soda, maybe? Then I remembered I had read something about salt. So I grabbed the industrial sized salt box (full) and chucked some in the oven. Worked like a charm. I'm sure there are other methods, but I thought I would share the one that worked for me. </div>
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Then I texted S so he wouldn't worry. "Small kitchen fire, nothing to worry about." We'll see how long it takes him to call me. </div>
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Dang! I forgot to take a picture! Good thing I have more butter. </div>
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-78626781169426820782014-11-28T08:47:00.000-06:002014-11-28T08:47:26.045-06:00Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SYhyphenhyphenGQ40b4Lb1-9kXeJL8_ShxqOK7UbpzvCB8DsZdGNJrAJ5G7bXUYzC5VVRmMzPKhjbtjRG0SAgRaIMu7raui939ARUDYqi4CiF6D0DcWULGwZnsJy6onLeIumZGanH_koLnO_t2NlR/s1600/IMG_2569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SYhyphenhyphenGQ40b4Lb1-9kXeJL8_ShxqOK7UbpzvCB8DsZdGNJrAJ5G7bXUYzC5VVRmMzPKhjbtjRG0SAgRaIMu7raui939ARUDYqi4CiF6D0DcWULGwZnsJy6onLeIumZGanH_koLnO_t2NlR/s1600/IMG_2569.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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There it is, the damaged tire from Thanksgiving Eve. S is out right now looking to find a replacement. As you can see the tread is pretty new, which makes the situation fairly curious. We can't remember exactly when we bought the tires, but it wasn't more than 3 or 4 years ago, and certainly less than 25,000 miles.</div>
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After this week of eating I am excited to start the new workout program a friend selected. Sunday we had a feast with my parents, we failed to remember to send home leftovers with them, so minor feasts Monday thru Wednesday, and then a grand feast at S's moms house with a full dozen relatives! We've had the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie as well as the less traditional squash fries, brussell sprouts, and walnut/cranberry pie. We've had pea and cheese salad, apple fluff, cherry pie, prune cheese ball, and multiple gravies. We may not need to eat again until Christmas!</div>
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It really was great to see so many of our family members. S and his siblings hardly ever gather in the same room, so it was fun to see them interact. The cousins all got along famously - especially considering they only met this week. VF was running around like a wild child wanting to play with everyone. She had pillow fights in the TV room, dance party in the sitting room, and treasure hunting with GJ in the basement. She learned that going bump, bump, bump, down the stairs is fun, and that squirrels like to eat peanuts. She gave hugs to everyone, and was in such a winning humor all day that her uncle commented on how she "never cries." All in all, it was certainly a reminder to be thankful for the important things in life. I hope all of you had wonderful Thanksgivings, shared with a loved one, and ending with full bellies.</div>
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-76238873172340027262014-11-27T06:26:00.001-06:002014-11-27T06:26:32.692-06:00Thanksgiving Eve<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Last night the family loaded into the family car (ok station wagon) and headed out for Ottumwa to have Thanksgiving at GJ's house. Pretty straightforward - right? Should take about 2 hours, but with a bit of snowfall we were prepared for it to take a bit longer, but not nearly as long as it ended up taking!! Between Williamsburg and Belle Plaine our car started making a funny noise. At first we thought it could just be the snow covered road. Ah, wishful thinking. As the noise suddenly got worse, and as S reports, the car started pulling to the right we reluctantly pulled over. Upon inspection the front right tire had blown. S industrially pulls out the donut and starts changing the tire while I pulled out the insurance cards to try and contact our Emergency Roadside Assistance. With a bit of help S got the jack under the car and we were thinking it would be smooth sailing to finish changing the tire, when there was a setback. The aluminum lug nut wrench cracked when trying to remove an especially tight nut. When S would apply pressure to it now it would simply spin because it would separate. Good thing ERS was working on finding us a hero. The rest of the story is pretty boring. Sit for 1 hour while ERS calls around to find someone. Sit for 45 minutes for the guy to get here. Sit for 15 more minutes while he changes the tire. I will say that for that especially tight nut he had to go back to his truck and get a wrench with about 2 to 3 feet of leverage to get the torque to move that nut! Thanks BJ's towing! Kevin we appreciate you!</div>
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Lessons learned? Have a 4 way lug wrench in your car - don't count on the crappy factory one. (Technically V learned this lesson years ago in car care awareness class, (Thanks Cassill Motors) and she told S to buy her one. He didn't.)</div>
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Also you know those mile markers that have posts with reflectors between them? Well those posts have the mile marker on them as well. So if you are on the side of the road just find a post and you will know exactly where you are. They are every 300 feet so you wont even have to walk very far.</div>
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I'll update with a picture of the tire later - Happy Thanksgiving!!!</div>
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-79244984672329675812014-10-22T12:30:00.002-05:002014-10-22T12:30:13.724-05:00Parenting TipIf your kid has a boogie nose - don't give her a dandelion to blow on. Especially if she always smells flowers.VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-88063380740499647082014-10-08T13:25:00.002-05:002014-10-08T13:25:50.699-05:00Rose PetalsToday, for the first time, I have a bedroom floor showered with rose petals. <br />
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What is the occasion? <br />
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Well let me tell you. It all started with an innocent trip to the garden. This year has been an amazing year for my roses, one bush has been in bloom since spring! When looking at them today VF noticed that there were buds, and picked one. I showed her that when the green leaves were peeled back they revealed the red petals underneath. Well, VF though that was pretty neat, so she kept the rosebud as a treasure and wouldn't give it to anyone. Once we came inside she did a bit more investigating. After all, if the green revealed red, perhaps the red would reveal a new color. Petal by petal she peeled, until the bud disappeared. And that is how I ended up with a bedroom floor covered in rose petals.VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-2446384271948782852014-09-23T13:10:00.000-05:002014-10-08T13:26:30.583-05:00Super easy/healthy dessert<br />
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Berry Dessert<br />
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Berries<br />
Yogurt<br />
Cinnamon<br />
Brown Sugar<br />
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Fill four custard cups with berries - I used blueberries. Stir some
yogurt with cinnamon and spoon on top of the berries. Sprinkle some
brown sugar on top and broil for 5 minutes. Easy right? And you
probably have most the ingredients in your larder already. Tasty, tasty
tasty! VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-78596924973035730412014-09-22T13:47:00.002-05:002014-09-22T13:47:43.165-05:00New DeckWe FINALLY have a fully operational deck! It took up all summer, but better late than never. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi70ywiePEnUjL1u7bUS6qfZCz4wc_nG4BbOO7WWqe-aTyZHz-h12CcOP_QPHqlGzP01-_EJHgGyffuUF8FMbF3BadV26HgUgm2VQLLRWvnyaS9REUXkDyNf5wMUwfxHl04YBUg86lLWKH/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi70ywiePEnUjL1u7bUS6qfZCz4wc_nG4BbOO7WWqe-aTyZHz-h12CcOP_QPHqlGzP01-_EJHgGyffuUF8FMbF3BadV26HgUgm2VQLLRWvnyaS9REUXkDyNf5wMUwfxHl04YBUg86lLWKH/s1600/001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let's see it started in April when we hired a friend to build it. The first day of demolition was enough to make anyone nervous. <br />
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Building took about 2 months since our friend was doing the building on weekends and free days. After getting it all built, I waited for the stars to align to do some staining. I needed a day that wasn't too hot or cold, a day that would be followed by dry days without rain forecast, and most difficult of all a day that I had back-up for watching the baby. Tricky, huh. Truth be told the deck still isn't completely stained, but I think the high side has been knocked off it. <br />
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The last piece of the puzzle was getting some furniture for the deck, and this one took a while. After paying for it all to be built we had limited resources set aside for shopping, which meant waiting for a clearance sale. The umbrella and base came from Kohl's bought on clearance with a 30% off coupon. After using it I wouldn't recommend it, but it will last a little while. Then the furniture came from Sears - also on clearance. I had been shopping craigslist looking for a lucky find for a couple weeks - and I think S just got tired of hearing about it. We went shopping and after some minor dramas found what we wanted. I put together the chairs, and he helped with the table and voila!<br />
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Now we have an excuse to invite everyone over for some grilling!VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-63029100184280336292014-08-15T11:04:00.000-05:002014-08-15T11:04:27.256-05:00Smelly DiapersAs I mentioned in my previous post, <a href="http://thecrreeds.blogspot.com/2014/04/cloth-diapers.html" target="_blank">Cloth Diapers</a>, we have gone the old fashioned route of not using disposable diapers whenever possible. For the most part this has been an easy and rewarding switch. Until a couple months ago that is. Lately there has been a smell. More than that, a stench from the diapers. It seemed that once soiled and thrown in her wet bag they conspired to knock out anyone who entered the room. And since they are the room that VF sleeps in, generally with the door closed this was a bit of a problem.<br />
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First let me tell you more about the smell. I'm not exaggerating when I say a stench. It was a super concentrated ammonia burning smell that was very distinct. Trust me, if this happens to your diapers you will know it. Now after a few washes with an extra rinse thrown in and no improvement I decided a bit of research was needed. I read a few cloth diapering websites and found that there are two issues that can lead to smells. The first is detergent build-up. While this was a possibility since I don't use a "diaper detergent" it seemed unlikely as I wasn't having absorbancy issues. The second issue was ammonia build-up. Given the smell I felt confident that I had found my problem. Now for a solution. . . what? It depends on your water type? sigh. Sure enough the solution to the ammonia issue was not as straight forward as I had hoped. Depending on how soft or hard your water, there are different solutions. <br />
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Now here in CR we have a pretty hard water supply. It is listed as hard with 7.0 grains per gallon being pretty typical. So if you are in a similar circumstance, this may be the solution for you. If not you'll need to conduct a few experiments I am afraid. At any rate, I read good things about the Rockin' Green Hard Rock Diaper detergent so I bought a sample size and gave it a try. It was enough for 4 washers, and it certainly helped. Helped, but not completely. The stench wasn't quite as eye watering, but it was still there just lurking, and waiting for another chance to strike. I already had some Borax and Washing Soda so I tried these next. I did a load with a mix of both powders - super hot water and let me tell you, this did the trick. It worked so well that I complete forgot about the smell until I was getting ready to do the next load of laundry! Only as I carried the wetbag to the washer did I think - wait a second. Why can I think clearly and why aren't I wanting to hurl? <br />
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Going forward I think maybe every 2 or 3 loads I'll do the Borax/Washing Soda mix just to ensure future happy breathing. But for now I am calling this problem solved! VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-13346252581570803442014-08-11T21:48:00.001-05:002014-08-11T21:48:04.792-05:00Animal Cracker<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18062499-animal-cracker" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Animal Cracker" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371868006m/18062499.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18062499-animal-cracker">Animal Cracker</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7129927.Andi_Brown">Andi Brown</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1024107578">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Animal Cracker is the fictional story of a woman who works at a nonprofit animal organization and her office woes. The plot itself isn't terrible, but the poor execution and worse editing makes 2 stars a gift. <br><br>Basically the staff all hate their boss. He is certainly a loser and deserves it. Diane makes it her goal to take him out, and has some adventures along the way. All set up for fun and laughs, right?<br><br>Unfortunately, I don't think any of the readers thanked by the author were actually professional editors. Oh yes, and did I mention this book was self-published? At any rate, there are plot holes too big to ignore, and whole scenes that have no point. Why did I need to read about Diane going to the theater alone? To show she is independent? To show that she liked movies even before dating the movie snob? <br><br>Why was it necessary for her to be hung up on a guy that she stopped seeing months before the book took place. Especially when that guy didn't make a single appearance in the entire book.<br><br>Why would any member on the board still want a president after it is known that he embezzled large amounts of money? Why is the guy who is so obviously a cad treated like a god by all but our heroine Diane? Just because he is good looking? He isn't shown to be clever enough to run a con, or even manipulate people. So how does he get away with this again? <br><br>I don't know how old our author is - but she is NOT 24. If she was she would know that 24 year olds don't know what an information operator is - let alone what sort of information they can give. She would know that a 24 year old wouldn't try and board a plane as a man with a womans ID card. She would know that they don't use a racial stereotype at every given opportunity!! Especially if they are well educated!<br><br>Can someone please explain to me how Dag can be a cross between rag and nag? (pg 56) <br><br>Finally, she needs to re-check the book because the number of random paragraph breaks are too many to list. <br><br>
VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-75834626862080046002014-08-11T21:07:00.002-05:002014-08-11T21:07:11.343-05:00Shadowman<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16213817-shadowman" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Shadowman" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355854151m/16213817.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16213817-shadowman">Shadowman</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5302182.Aaron_Dennis">Aaron Dennis</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1024095282">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Shadowman if the fictional story of a man on vacation who suddenly falls into the world of Voodoo/Hoodoo. He takes this news in stride and tries to succeed in this new role without a backward look at whatever life he has left behind. Fortunately he has a friend who is able to liquidate all of the assets he once had and mail them on down so he can live this new life without too much strain. <br><br>This book reads like a video game. You know how the shopping area of the game just has booths filled with stuff and since your character can't click on it to see what it is it just remains unimportant stuff? Well this book is the same. The setting is New Orleans, but the author fails to capture any of the spirit of this city. Perhaps if it were any other city this would be easy to overlook. The main characters actions are very fated, he just bounces around trying to figure things out, just like in a video game. The characters receive only the slightest fleshing out, they are dreadfully two dimensional and very predictable.<br><br>I would consider recommending this to a younger reader who really loves the genre a whole awful lot. Otherwise there isn't a lot to draw in a reader.
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VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7124509637062029385.post-16811170287539884332014-08-11T20:56:00.002-05:002014-08-11T20:56:58.711-05:00War of the Whales<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18774982-war-of-the-whales" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="War of the Whales: A True Story" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404192843m/18774982.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18774982-war-of-the-whales">War of the Whales: A True Story</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8196099.Joshua_Horwitz">Joshua Horwitz</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1021306226">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This is a non-fiction story about a mass beaching of whales, the man who found them, and the subsequent battle regarding the cause. It is well written without the authors personal feelings becoming the focal point which I very much appreciated.<br><br>The cover art is perfect. I loved it more after reading the book.<br><br>The story of what happened and the battle to make the offending party own up to it really is just the surface of what this book made me think about. It also opened the question of what exactly the responsibilities are of people entering the ocean to also care for the ocean. Because it is a largely unoccupied area it is easy to disregard the importance that each small part contributes. I also thought about the responsibility that we have to truly test the safety of new developments before opening them up to the environment because they do tend to have much more wide spread consequences then expected. <br><br>The book does jump around a bit, both regarding the people it is following and the time period being described, so it is for more serious readers. Otherwise it is something that I think most people would appreciate reading.
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VLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11491426972815949112noreply@blogger.com0