8th st and 5th ave.
Huntington WV
12 noon to 2pm

As hard as I try....

I just haven't been able to get back into blogging. It's not like I haven't been doing anything... I just don't seem to have a minute to sit down and wax poetic about it.

as if...
But today is a slow day, by choice. I have a ton to do but it will all wait. I need a mini vacation.
I wouldn't mind making phone calls..
reading endless pages of legal jargon...
schmoozing (*barf) ....
designing fliers (ok,, that's kinda fun)....
answering 40 gillion emails...
answering the phone as it rings off the hook....
interviewing on the radio.....
keeping up the website....
ordering Tshirts and bumper stickers and other fundraisers...
selling said fundraisers...
running around procuring permits and the like....
and much more, if I were getting PAID! LOL Oh.. wait... I'm getting paid, by the RNC! No? I'm not? Really? DaPrez says I am.
Must be the Insurance companies then. It's not? Really? Nancy says I am.
Must be the Nazi party. That'd account for my swastika. What? I don't have one?
Something is FISHY HERE!
Better report me! ha ha ha ha

I've been neglectful!

Why in the world do I enjoy something for so long and then "BOOM" I just hate it? I don't know, it must be the ADHD... I'm riddled with it!
I'm also blaming facebook and bejeweled blitz... seriously, what a time SUCK!

I also kinda crashed after the excitement in Charleston. It was a lot of build up to a big thing and then, honestly, I think there needed to be something directly after to keep the fires burning. Not that MY fire isn't still burning! I'm looking for ways to serve, brushfires to start, banners to wave.

We've deviated so far from natural law in this country. Only when we recognize that we can only give government permission to make laws that protect our unalienable rights will we truly be free. Only when our sovereignty is secure can we feel safe and only when we realize that or liberty comes from the Creator, not government, will we be strong. I want to see a return to these principles.

There needs to be fires from within people. Start small. A small amount of people can make a difference. The revolution was won with only 1/3 of the populous supporting it. We don't need to win them over.... we only need to win.

Where is our manifesto? Read the constitution.

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*sigh* if only diet pills really worked!
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The EAGLE has landed!

Our last meeting of EAGLE was today. It's been a SUPER first semester. We have a lot of bugs to work out but all in all everything went really, really well. We start planning our next semester officially tomorrow. It's already underway but tomorrow it goes on paper.
The weather is finally looking up. Even though it's been raining, I've seen glimmers of sunlight and that makes me very happy indeed.
I picked up a rain barrel and some buckets today. I hope to set my entire balcony up with potted plants to increase the garden yield. It could still be weeks before my garden spot is dry enough to till. The ground cover is still mud! We're also going to concentrate on making our garden beds "raised" so we won't have this issue in the future.
I have so many plans for the garden this year! I want to experiment with seed banking. This seems like a must because of the f o o d m o d e r n i z a t i o n a c t. I want to concentrate fully on foods I can put up and can.
And speaking of canning...
I can't wait until next week! I'm going to go learn the intricacies of canning meat. This should be a huge help in the food storage department. A very generous friend of a friend is going to give us a class.
This Thursday we're going to get together for our first book club meeting! We're reading "The 5000 Year Leap" and man... is it GOOD! This will make my third time through the book and I am constantly finding something new in it. Just a spectacular read.
That leads me to the next thing. I live this guy so much. Bob Basso rocks so hard. His newest message is very exciting to me!

I wish I could rattle off with passion like him! I didn't get my entire speech from last week recorded but here's a few seconds!

I'm still a little jacked up!

Yesterday was amazing.
To see so many people stand up for their country as it was founded did my heart good.
THERE IS HOPE PEOPLE!!! Because so many of us care. We are truly not alone.
I'm so honored that I was able to speak yesterday. Now I'm not saying that I wasn't terrified (oh man,, and it showed!) but it was definitely a once in a lifetime thrill!
The weather on the other hand was FOUL. We were wet and frozen to the core but do you know what? So was George Washington when he crossed the Delaware. The Hessians weren't expecting him because of the weather. I wonder if Washington was expecting us?!
Here is my little speech from yesterday:

Good Afternoon!

I (too) want to thank you for coming out today when it would have been easier to stay home.
I want to thank those of you who have never done anything like this before but are ready to say "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
I respectfully stand in awe those of you who are steadfast and strong and have decided to stand on your principles.
I commend those of you who are afraid,,, but you're here anyway.
And for those of you who lie awake at night and worry.........
This homeschool mom of 2 awesome boys and wife of an incredible soldier who served his country until they made him come home.....
I would like to offer you a shoulder... because I understand.

When I began to ask people to join me here today they would inevitably ask me "What are you protesting?"
This gave me pause.
I hesitated again when Anne asked me why I felt like today was important.
Why do I feel so passionately about our presence here in Charleston WV? Why are people all over the nation raising their fists and saying "DON'T TREAD ON ME!"?
I believe we run the risk of becoming fractured if we do not come together and agree on a purpose.
I understand that without purpose there is anarchy and anarchy acts as a vacuum to which anything will rush in to fill the void.
So I needed a purpose, I settled on three major reasons:
My first is that I am terrified by the massive leaps towards socialism that this country is taking. What was skipping in previous years, is now a full fledged run. I cannot stand by while the greatest nation the world has ever known is destroyed from the inside out. President Reagan said it best when he reminded us that "if we loose freedom here we have no place to escape".
My second is our liberty. Liberty is what I hold dearest. I mentioned before that our family educates our children at home. This is only one of hundreds of liberties that are dangleing precariously ready to become over regulated and nearly impossible if the current transnationalist friendly administration gets it's way. We are entering into an age where state protectionism, economic interventionism, and regulatory policies are becoming the norm.
Thank you but no thank you Mr. President, I am a free citizen of these United States and I will fight while clinging to MY GOD and MY GUN, to keep it that way.
Last and certainly not least is OUR Constitution. The greatest document ever carved out by common patriots. The framers went to great lengths to prevent the type of tyranny they fought so hard against. The idea that political rule should be according to a document, not the will of kings is the essence of the republicanism (small r) that has made the US government great.
Right now? I don't feel like it is. I feel like they are making up rules as they go along. "Social Policy" they say. We are a nation of Laws not Men and NO ONE should be above the law.

Do we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the founding fathers? I challenge you to pick up a copy of the Constitution, read it, and cross off the parts that you don't want or that you are willing to compromise on. I'm willing to bet that it remains uncut.

I hear so often when I ask people to stand with me, "I'm just one person,, what can I do?" or "It won't do any good, they don't care". I understand this all too well because I too am only one person, as are you.... and you... and you.... and you. Together we are not "one person" together.... we are a MOVEMENT. While we may disagree on policy, I think we can all agree on the values of a peaceful society. The time has come to hold our representatives to these values as well.
Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Gratitude
I know these are the values that YOU live your life by and the time has come to send a clear message to our representatives that they work FOR US! They are held to OUR standards, we are not ruled... we are a REPUBLIC.
Thank you.

Here are some pictures

More Grown-uped-ness

I mentioned the other day that I barely recognize Thomas anymore. This is bittersweet of course. Life is cruel ya know. On the one hand you want them to grow up and get out but on the other hand watching it happen is hard. Life is also cruel because the plan was (in my head anyway....) that they would grow up and leave me so that I could buy a pair of Harleys and Chris and I would keep the roads hot.
Now I'm too old and achey to fathom hurting myself. I just don't heal like I used to!
Youth is wasted on the young!
This year my kids said "NO EASTER BASKETS" Ugh... they stink. They suck all the pleasure right out of my life. LOL They wanted cold hard cash. Fine. I should be grateful, it's easier but there was something very anti-climactic about it. They're happy tho and that's what matters on a day like Easter. I guess we did get something Easter-y
We got baby chicks!!!
Our plan was that we would get hens but there were none to be had. Well,, none that didn't have one talon in the grave so we decided to just brood up our own. Oh, baby chicks are so sweet! We got two Barred Rocks and two Buff Orpingtons. By fall we should have a dozen eggs every other day,,,, IF.... none of them are roos. We were assured they were all pullets but we shall see. We have no need for roosters!
I also took an Easter Portrait of the boys:
Domestic Terrorists? No.... but according to some we are! LOL

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Happy Easter!

1. Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
 waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Refrain:
 Up from the grave he arose;
 with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
 he arose a victor from the dark domain,
 and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
 He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

2. Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior,
 vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!
 (Refrain)

3. Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;
 he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!
 (Refrain)

Huntington Junior Business College

A small group of Middle and High School homeschool students went on a college shopping field trip today. The staff at Huntington Junior Business College welcomed us with open arms. I admit, I knew very little about about "junior colleges" before attending today's meeting. I was really impressed by the staff and the casual feel. It really does seem like a place where a younger non traditional student could excel.
You see, in WV a homeschool student can graduate at 16 if they can successfully complete their GED. If nothing unforeseen comes up, we suspect that this will be what our oldest does. My youngest is a totally different story but that's for another post. We just can't see any reason to waste 2 extra years going over stuff we've already covered just because someone says he has to stay in school "this long". So, he'll need a transitional program to enter. We assumed it would be some kind of "vo-tech" program but now that we've spoken with the Jr. College... we're not so sure! This is a serious possibility!
We met the teachers, sat in on some classes, at lunch, and talked to the financial aid director. It went really well.

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My Heart Hurts a Little

So... My boy.. my little boy... is not so much a little boy anymore.
Today I took him on his first College Shopping trip. Now granted.... it was just the Junior College but all the same. It hit me like a Mack truck when I realized that we could be shopping for financial aid in as little as 30 months. Then it hit me even harder when he said on the way home " I can get my Medical Assistant degree from the Junior College, then I'll be old enough to join the Army and become a Medic and then when I get out I can use my GI Bill to go to St. Mary's School of Nursing"
SOB! OMG!
When we went to pick up Tristen, I was standing beside Tom and realized... HE'S TALLER THAN ME. Holy moly. He wasn't taller than me last week! All his pants are also about 4 inches too short. He's like... a smallish man.
SOB! OMG!
So on the way home.... he wanted to stop by the graveyard and drive the car. I said "Ok, if it isn't busy for the Easter holiday" Well, there were no cars there so I got out and let him drive. YES... I know this is illegal but we're on private property and all the people there are already dead, so there. It's the same graveyard where I learned to drive. He did GREAT, I mean really, really well. He's quite a driver for 12 years old! LOL
again...
SOB! OMG!!
Oh well, just had to get that off my chest.

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The best quote I've read today.

“Remember, write to your Congressman. Even if he can’t read, write to him.” - Will Rogers

Big Week Ahead...

What else is new right?
Monday- Giving a test at noon- Band at 3:00pm
Tuesday- E.A.G.L.E. + Science Club
Wednesday- Field trip at the Huntington Junior College.
Thursday- Uhhmm,, I have nothing this day... yet but probably prep for the party
Friday- Dr's Appt. and Tristen's Birthday party!
Saturday- Lucasville Flea Market
Sunday - Easter (Plus it's Tristen's Birthday)

You are invited to Tristen's 10th Birthday Party!

When: Friday the 10th at 5pm (till 7)
Where: Skateland in Altizer


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Testing... VANQUISHED!

Well, not completely but the biggest part of it is done. Today was our big testing day. All of the children were very well behaved while they were taking their tests and we had a pretty good showing. We had a few hiccups that I'll undoubtedly spend the next month cleaning up but all in all I'd say it was a success.

My parent volunteers were awesome. I can't thank them enough. Testing day wouldn't be possible without them.

I'm tired. Man am I tired! I'm going to try and catch a nice snooze before I head out to Mom's Night Out tonight! Whoo Hooo! Mellini's here I come!
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I can't wait for summer, swimming with pool floats, gardening and just warm weather,, how 'bout you?!!
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What's New?

Not a lot, but I've been out of my mind busy. CRAZY busy. This past weekend I rested a bit though. Sorry to disappoint but I just had to!
We have a mega busy month coming up!
Monday- I'm testing 2 boys for their end of year review. That's like 3 hours. Blah.
Tuesday- The first Softball get together for the year. These are always fun.
Wednesday- My Dr's appt for my gallbladder. He's not going to be happy to know that I want to put it off until May.
Thursday- TESTING DAY! Yikes. Am I ready? No, prolly not. Are YOU ready? Yeah, you're ready! Thursday is also Mom's Night Out at Mellinis! I'm going to need it,, lemme tell ya!
Friday- The Brain Expo at Marshall U.
We also have to get some school in and then there's the 75gillion other things I have to accomplish this week.
It makes my head spin to think about it.. really. Next week is just as busy.

Here's the biggest and best news-

TAX DAY TEA PARTY!
April 15th, 12:00 noon
At the Capitol in Charleston
Feel free to contact me if you want any info at cnewmans at yahoo dot com

I'll be there. I hope you will too!

Too early to be thinking about Black Friday? NO WAY!

The Second American Revolution

Anne Frank: A Theme Unit

It's been a while since I made a homeschool update.
The last few weeks have been iffy around here for school work. On the first of March, T2 came down with a stomach bug. It came on slowly and lingered long. By the 4th, T1 had it too. Not to be left out,,, The Husband came down with it on the 8th. See a pattern here? Every 4 Days. The entire time I was scurrying around cleaning this and that, making 7up runs and wiping subsequent puddles(sorry, tmi). I was feeling horrible too. At one point I hadn't eaten or drank anything more than a sip or two for a week. The rest of the family eventually mended but I continued to feel really poor. Another week went by and I was feeling worse and worse. By the 15th I felt HORRIBLE. I was in so much pain. I was having crushing chest pains, upper back pain, trouble breathing, dizziness, sweating, pain in the upper arm, neck and jaw. I finally exhausted all known home remedies to make it stop and decided that the ER was in order. It turns out I was having a mild cardiac event, a gall bladder attack and my blood sugar was out of control. My BP was 220/100 when they hooked me up to the machine and my Pulse Ox was like 82.
NICE.
So I got to spend a few days in the hospital. I have to have my GB taken out, a stint put in, and I'm apparently a diabetic.
This ticks me off beyond words. I mean, I'm a "big 'ol girl" but I'm not like "cut a whole in the side of the house" big. What the heck is happening to me?!??! I've actually even lost 30lbs in the last few months! (Yay me btw!)
So yeah,, school work has taken a back seat. No one has felt like it. Just another awesome bonus to homeschooling!
So the other day we got back on the ball. We have a lot of catching up to do. The Husband has been giving the kids lessons on WWII. I figure it's his specialty so why not let him do it! I'm taking care of the more mooshy side. I'm reading "Anne Frank: A Diary of a Young Girl" with the boys. They are surprisingly pretty into it! After that we may read "Number the Stars" . I'm going to an Usborne book party today and picking up a few books on the subject too.
Here are some online resources we're going to use.
WWII a Thematic Unit PDF

A Reading Group Guide

A Reference Guide (excellent)

A Teacher's Workbook (excellent)

VocabularyPDF

There more be more to come. Right now I have to get out of the house!

Exactly.

Good Food, Great Friends

I attended a Glenn Beck Watchparty last night!
I'm trying really hard not to be disappointed because the evening wasn't disappointing at all. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense but let me see if I can explain myself. This might be hard because I don't know if I can really put my finger on it. Perhaps I'll have some kind of catharsis here? ha ha.
We Americans are feeling frustrated. Not Democrats, Not Republicans, Americans. Everyone can see that the current economic plan is going to bankrupt us, the core values are being dismissed, and our liberties are being stolen from us one by one. There are people out there that are saying "oh, it'll never happen" or "that's awful, but I can't do anything about it" and I understand that. I do! I understand because we call our representatives and they ignore us. We call and we're talked down to like we're unintelligent. They tell us we're drones of Talk Radio.
Then there are the folks that dig in, hang on, and decide that we're not going to take it! This country is OURS. This country belongs to US. I don't mean the conservative "us", I mean everyone! I want people who don't believe like I do to have the same liberties without MY LIBERTY being quashed. I don't like the direction the country is taking because the Progressive definition of "Fairness" seems to be smell an awful lot like "revenge" or "retribution".
Tell the Truth. That's all.
When we found out that nationally known talk show host, Glenn Beck was going to rally us around and introduce a program for those who feel like they are alone in feeling this way, some friends and I were really excited! We immediately started planning a watchparty. Glenn told us to gather all our friends and family and get together and watch the show. There were thousands of watch parties all over the country large and small. We held a covered dish meet and greet and watched the show at 7pm. We all waited anxiously for not a plan really, but just some support in our endeavors to take our country back to the founding father's principles and values.
Well, the food was wonderful, and the friends, old and new, were fantastic. We had a great time talking and eating but the show,, while sweet, was a little disappointing.
Glenn blew snot bubbles. That's always fun. No, really, it's funny. He introduced a new website called The912project.com . Great site if you can get there. Apparently the biggest server privately available was purchased and the site keeps crashing due to the HUGE amounts of traffic that is coming in. Chuck Norris was on the program via satellite from his watchparty, that was interesting. But other than that? I feel kinda let down. It did accomplish the goal though and I don't regret it. It's always fun to get together with people of like minds.
So, yes, I'm a little disappointed but not completely. This was a catalyst to hopefully something huge! We're already planning on getting together and learning what we can to reaffirm our beliefs in what we know in our gut is right. To use these principles and values to solve our country's problems and do what we can to add to our own personal security.
I've also put a reading list up on the side of my blog. We had some good discussion about that last night.
My personal goal is to do something every single day, no matter how small or large, to add to my family's personal security.
What did YOU do today to add to your security?
Crystal
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We're under attack.

We've had a horrible, viralant, nasty pestilence all week. It just WON'T GO AWAY. Just about the time I think we're on the mend... someone else gets it or gets it AGAIN!
I have wiped and bleached every surface in this house 10 times over. I've sprayed the couches with vinegar (it only smelled like a pickle for a minute) I've done every stitch of laundry 2 times. I just don't know how to get out from under it!
I'M TRAPPED HERE! Ugh,,, quarentine SUCKS!!!
Not that I haven't got out a few times but coming back to "sick house" has been the pits. It's been nice to have the doors open over the last few days. Hopefully that'll help air this hotbed of bacteria and germs OUTTA HERE!
Seriously people,, I'm about to loose it! We simply must get over this by Friday so we can attend the "We Surround Them" watch party!
Ok,, enough.
Can you all see my words? Jen mentioned that she can't see them. Jen? Are you getting a greenish background or a black one?
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We're going to need a new dehumidifier after this. I don't even want to know what kind of plauge is lurking in ours!

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We Surround Them

Sometimes it's lonely fighting the good fight. Sometimes you feel like you're in the minority. In this current climate, it's easy to feel that way if you have solid conservative values.
You have to know that you're not alone! If you are concerned about the direction that our country is taking and the looming economic collapse is keeping you up at night, consider attending a watchparty!
A watchparty is a kind of support group of sorts. We will solidify our core beliefs and feel strength in numbers!
What are these core beliefs?

The Twelve Values

Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Friendship

THE NINE PRINCIPLES

1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

Give me a call or shoot me an email if you're interested in attending! My email is cnewmans at yahoo dot com. It's on March 13th and it's covered dish! We will have lively discussion at watch the unveiling of Glenn Beck's We Surround Them project!

The "F" Word.

I don't generally watch much television. I make it a point to watch LOST on Wednesdays but until recently, that's about it. Thanks to a friend, I've become a huge fan of Gordon Ramsey. I LOVE IT!!! This man has no off switch on his mouth! He takes the "F" word to a whole new level.
This is kinda the opposite view from my review on that buy.com commercial but the difference is that I watch Gordon when the kids are asleep. It's definitely not a kids show.
There are 3 different shows:
1. Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares
2. The "F" Word.
3. Hell's Kitchen

The "F" Word is actually the better show. He talks more about the food on that one, it's less reality based and oddly enough? I think there's less use of the "f" word in it! ha ha.

Gordon is on Jay Leno tonight. He's making savory crepes.

Any Gordon fans out there?
My friend Judi started a facebook group called "What Would Gordon Do?" where we propose insane situations and discuss how Gordon would handle them. It's fun.. but beware... prolific use of the "F" word! LOL
Come on.. it's all in fun!
Speaking of Facebook. I may need professional help. It's quite addictive is it not?
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If I watch any more Gordon, I'm going to need home theater furniture!
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Not Dead Yet

But almost. Man!! have the kids been sick. This is the worst bug we've encountered in a long while. We've been mostly horizontal for 3 days.
It's a shame too because this was going to be a slow activity week for us and we were going to get all kinds of school work done.
Never fails does it?
We're going to skip all activities until we're sure we're not contagious. I don't want anyone to get this vile pestilence. Chris stayed home from work today too. This allowed me to get out and run a few errands.
I have yet to come down with it but I know it's only a matter of time. YAY! not. I'm so run down that I can't imagine how I wouldn't get it. My hands are so dry from washing that they're actually flaking and splitting. Pretty visual huh?
BUT...
On the upside..
It's MARCH!!!! WHOO HOO! Winter is almost officially over! It's over in my book though. I have daffodils coming up, pussy willows blooming and there are robins everywhere!
I love spring!
Speaking of spring, my youngest child will be 10 on Easter Sunday this year. Sigh.. it's all over. DOUBLE DIGITS! ugh.
That's all I have by way of updates!
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The kids can't wait for me to buy them new mattresses. How sad is that? They're getting mattresses from Sam's Club, nothing fancy like a sleep number bed.
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Sex Sells.

Have you seen this commercial?

I'm so grateful for our DVR. I've been considering letting our satellite service lapse but now I'm reconsidering it. I rarely watch television (save Wednesday nights, I must watch LOST!) but the kids still do. Fortunately, they rarely watch live TV. They only watch things that they've recorded. When you watch things on the DVR you can skip through the commercials. The commercial above is a very good example of the kind of thing I don't want my kids to watch. I'm not overly protective about these things but seriously... it's getting rediculous. It's hard to pass up a sale but I won't be shopping at buy.com.

WV HB 2749

I ran my mouth yesterday before I fully understood what I was talking about.
Who me?
Really?
No! LOL

I admit it though and I apologize for that. I never mind discussion, even when it's a bit heated. That's how we learn. Debate is good and yesterday, I learned something.

I learned that on Monday a bill was proposed in the West Virginia legislature that on the surface looks like a wonderful opportunity for homeschooled students that would like to participate in team sports at their local public school. I also learned to look very closely at these things because they are like David Copperfield.
"Hey, look over here, isn't this wonderful?!"
All the while they're slipping something ominous out of their sleeve.
On the surface the bill says that homeschooled students will be required to score at or exceeding the 50th percentile on the required end of year standardized test. Well that's fine,,, right? I mean, if publicly schooled children must maintain good grades then a home schooled child should, too, right?
Well, the ominous part to this is that this bill actually re-writes the Compulsory Attendance: West Virginia Code 18-8-1(a). It changes the language to state that a portfolio review will no longer be allowed for any student, not just those seeking a place on the team.
Portfolio review is a very important part of our WV law. Many parents choose to homeschool their children because they believe that a child does not progress according to a standardized test but by his or her own path. Some children have varying anxiety issues which makes testing counter indicated. Some parents prefer to maintain their personal liberties and believe that the state should have no interest in their children's test scores. I am the latter.
I believe this is a blatant attempt to whittle our hard fought rights away. They will not outlaw homeschooling all at once, they'll just make it so difficult and uncomfortable that no one will want to do it. Families are leaving the public schools in droves. This has to alarm the Department of Education.
Please contact your local representatives and tell them that you want this bill to be amended and that you will NOT COMPROMISE!!! Portfolio needs to stay in the current code.
Here is a link to the proposed bill:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2009_SESSIONS/RS/Bills/hb2749%20intr.htm
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I'm as mad as Hell, and you should be too.

I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's work, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad.
[shouting] You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell,
[shouting]
'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: [screaming at the top of his lungs] "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

Howard Beale. I just had to quote that. Has it ever been more appropriate?

My Big Old Saturday.

Today was fun. It was also exhausting and frustrating but mostly fun.
It is friend T's birthday today so that means lunch and shopping. My dear sweet husband has grown to expect that this is what happens on either of our birthdays and he's very accommodating.

I left the house at 9:30 AM this morning to pick up some last minute gifts for T and a card (yeah,, I'm a slacker). She's going to let me borrow said gift when she's done with it. Yes,,, she is. ha ha (she doesn't know this yet) We met just before noon and hit the mall with only 2 goals:
Running Shoes (for me)
A Cute Shirt (for her)
We scoured that entire mall. We finally did come out of Sears with shoes but the shirt is still eluding us. Everything out there is just total CRAP! I mean,, seriously? $54.00 for something I wouldn't buy at Kmart? Come ON! Everything on sale or clearance was about 6 inches too short. Don't think you've got me fooled fashion industry,, I know where you're skimping.
About 3pm we needed a break.
Time for food!!!
We usually go eat sushi and that was the plan today too except we wanted to try the new Shogun Steak House. We had no idea what we were getting into. I'd never been to a Hibachi house before and had to essentially have the waitress hold my hand through every choice. She was very gracious. I asked her one time "well, what do YOU eat here?" she replied "I don't eat here, it's too expensive!" ha ha ha,, you gotta love that honesty!
So the chef (who was named Pablo Martinez and only knew about 50 English words, 45 of which were the names of 80s Hair Bands) was doing his thing, throwing knives in the air, tossing eggs into his hat and all of the cool stuff they do when he laid a large slice of onion on the grill. He reversed the order of the slices with his knife so it formed a little cone, filled the cone with oil and then lit it on fire. The fire was like a little volcano shooting flame way into the air. He threw a knife into the air and caught it pointing at the little volcano saying "HOME DEPOT!!!"
Well, I thought,, I MUST have heard him wrong,, I must have! So we sat there watching the rest of his performance when the table behind us was coming to the same part in the show. I saw their chef light their volcano and exclaim "HOME DEPOT!!"
OH. MY. GOD!!!
Apparently they all misunderstood during training because I think they were supposed to be saying "VOL-CANO!"
Funniest thing I've ever heard.
The food was very very yummy and the sushi was superb. It was a bit on the pricey side but really? you're paying for dinner and a show so you can't beat it!

After dinner we continued shopping. We never did find a shirt and I didn't buy one other thing than shoes. 10 hours of shopping and I didn't find anything to buy. Ridiculous. It's like there is nothing on the shelves and what is on the shelves,, STINKS!
Ugh, an indirect product of stores not having a line of credit I guess. YAY DEPRESSION!!!
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After that meal I could use some weight loss supplements!
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Rick Santelli

You must watch this. I love this man.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1039849853

Another Busy Week

I sound like a broken record don't I?
Monday- Band
Tuesday- Skating
Wednesday- Science Club
Thursday- lessons? Appleton? Appleton? Anyone?
Friday- Field trip to the Post Office.
Saturday- big day of shopping and eating sushi. Mmmmm sushi.

None of the above is really a big deal except Wednesday. Wednesday is a huge deal because I have nothing prepared for it. NOTHING. Anyone have any cool science experiments for middle school kids that require very little time and supplies?
Yeah,, no?,, me either.

Our field trip last week to the Power Wagon factory was awesome. They were so excited to have us and we were excited to be there.
The Power Wagon is just a marvel. It hooks up to the back of any vehicle and makes and stores electricity while you drive! It's an amazingly simple idea but took years and years of recalibrating to just the right specifications. The really cool part is that now matter how fast or slow you're going, frontwards or backwards.. it charges the battery. It's an amazing thing and it's going to be huge. I feel really privileged that we got to meet the inventor because some day he's going to be in the history books!
Check out the website http://www.thepowerwagon.com/
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Out of floor space? Need that big TV up and out of the way? Look into a LCD mount .
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Cake Ball recipe

So, yeah, call them what you want. You can pick a new name if you live with boys or really? men in general, but I call them Cake Balls.
Here's what you'll need:
1 cake mix (and the goodies it calls for, eggs, oil, etc)
1 tub 'o frosting
1 package of white almond bark (it's the chocolaty stuff you melt, Wilton chips will work too)
Some mini cup cake wrappers or sucker sticks.
toothpicks
sprinkles (optional)

Bake your cake according to the instructions. Let it cool completely.
Here comes the fun part....
Crumble the entire cake up in a bowl.
Now, start adding the frosting to the bowl of crumbled cake. You MAY NOT need the entire tub. There's no way to tell this but trial and error. It depends on how dry your cake is. You should be able to form a ball with the resulting "dough".
I used my medium pampered chef scoop to get them all the same size and to keep my hands out of it. If you have hot hands this stuff will become mush pretty quick.
Now,, after I've formed all the balls on a cool cookie sheet I stick the entire thing in the freezer for about 15m.
While your balls are in the freezer (snicker), melt your bark either in a double boiler or in the microwave.
If you decide to do it in the microwave, PLEASE stir it often. It must "temper" or it starts to taste funky. Stir it at least every 30 seconds.
So now you have really cold balls (snicker) and a bowl of melted chocolate. Stab a ball with a toothpick and dunk it in the chocolate coating it completely. Let the excess drip off and either stick a sucker stick in it or plop it in a mini cupcake wrapper. If you want sprinkles, do it while they are wet.
Now if you leave these setting out they will eventually harden and set up but I stuck mine in the fridge periodically because I couldn't wait!
Enjoy these tasty balls! ha ha ha ha ha
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take these to work and you'll have some business insurance for sure!
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Chaos

When we first came up with the idea for our Enrichment Classes (EAGLE), we were very excited and had big ideas for all the classes we wanted to offer. Our enthusiasm was well received and we now have more students than we ever anticipated. This is a great thing! It really is.
BUT....
You knew it was coming didn't you? It's exhausting. It's a good kind of exhaustion but still. It's controlled chaos. And it IS controlled, very well. I hope that next year I do not have to feel obligated to hold a class in every block of time. Perhaps I can get to know some of the other moms a little better. I'm kinda stuck at my little table from 10am till 1:30pm. I'm even leading the 4H meeting during lunch.
We have an excellent group of kids. Everyone of them are curtious and attentive and as patient as they possibly can be.
Today we had a Valentine exchange and WOW! did the kids deliver when it came to decorating their valentine's boxes! I wish I'd taken pictures of them. They were just super.
We also had a bake sale for the 4H. I made cake balls. OMG,, they are SooOOoooOOOoo good!


Needless to say,, there weren't many left. That's a good thing tho!
All of us dieters have renewed interest in our diets and will weigh in again at skating.
I just can't say enough about the group of mom's we have at EAGLE. I'm lucky to call them all my friends.
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Cake Balls should totally be adopted by one of the fast food franchises!
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Write some stuff.

Hmmm, write some stuff,, write some stuff. I don't know, I have writer's block I guess!
Let's see, I'll wrap up the events of last week.
Monday- Band, I think everyone paid me, isn't that amazing?
Tuesday- snow, not looking too good for the field trip on Wednesday
Wednesday- snow, no field trip
Thursday- Mom's night out at Cheddars in Ashland. Oh yeah baby. That was GOOD. We had a really super turn out, too. Everyone must have had cabin fever!
Friday- Racina's house. THAT was fun! The kids had a blast and we had the world's biggest hen session. We needed that, we'd all been cooped up too long. Wow,, that's a lot of chicken references. BTW,, she's got the world's greatest dog and I love it and want to steal it.

This week should be very full.
Monday- Band. Early I think, at 3 instead of 4.
Tuesday- EAGLE barring a torrential downpour of snow.
Wednesday- Going to try to take our field trip again to the Power Wagon Factory.
Thursday- NOTHING,, WHOO HOO!
Friday- Project Day.

We'll have to work really hard to get all of our school work in this week. At this rate it will be March before we know it! COME ON MARCH!!
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Speaking of Spring. I could stand to do some spring cleaning, I'd love new office furniture !
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Oh, the snow was soooo awesome before it started to rain yesterday! The husband and I kept telling the kids legendary stories about how it would snow when we were kids but I'm not sure they believed us. The truth is that it hasn't snowed more than a few inches in my oldest's lifetime. This is the biggest snow they've ever encountered. Not that it was all that spectacular, but it was pretty good.
Before the rain came that is. Man is it nasty out there. We've been hearing trees fall all night and the electricity threatened and flickered many times. So far we've been lucky and we still have power. The sleeping bags and emergency heat are at the ready though.
We're supposed to get another 4 inches tonight and again on Friday. Be careful what you wish for huh?
Many forts were built yesterday. The snow was PERFECT for it. It just stuck together like play dough.


The chickens didn't leave the coop all day. Poor birds.

These days when our schedule is so out of whack, it's really hard on the diet. I just want to sit around, drink hot chocolate and eat cookies. But this is what got me into this mess right? So I persevered I didn't eat a bunch of junk, I stayed on track. Today is day 16 without one flub up. I've stayed within my calorie allowance for 16 days. For quite a few days in a row my weight stayed steady and I didn't loose an ounce. I stuck in there though. I reasoned with myself and said "it's impossible for a woman your size to eat this many calories a day and not loose weight eventually" Well, this morning the scales told the tale. I'm down another 2lbs. Whoo hoo!
Well, it's early and cold so I'm going back to bed! Stay warm and dry!

Stop picking on me! Whaaaa!

The maker of Beanie Babies can forget about getting a fist bump from the first lady.

Michelle Obama has issued a statement about Ty's newest dolls for their TyGirlz Collection, Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia. The plush pair are named after her and President Barack Obama's daughters, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10.

"We believe it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes," said Michelle's spokeswoman in a statement.

Guess that's one purchase the trendsetting first family won't be making...

story link

Nope. This doesn't fly with me. Barry said "Get over it, I won" Now I say "Get over it, people are going to merchandise your family". It's still a free country I hope. These dolls are very sweet and very well done unlike the incredibly tacky B.O. plates and coins. How is this different? I don't wanna hear any crap about how "it's the children, it's inappropriate because it's the children" Many a candidate has dropped from the running because he knew it would be too much for his family. The Obamas decided that no, it would NOT be too much for their family when they stuck in there. Now,, you don't get to control what people do because it makes you uncomfortable.
Get over it.

moar funny pictures

Friday

We had a meeting we the 4H director today about our group. I knew I was getting into a government program when we started so I didn't go into this blindly.
I couldn't help but get a "yuck" feeling when we were filling out some forms.
I guess I'm just going to have to suck it up though because they're providing us with such a fabulous building for EAGLE .
I still feel really icky about it though. Will we agree to anything so long as it gives us something in return? When we become increasingly desperate, how quickly will be cave?

On that topic... Here's some reading for you to ponder this weekend.

$600 million to prepare our country for universal healthcare
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ^ | Thursday, January 15, 2009 | DAVE OBEY (D-WI), CHAIRMAN

Posted on Friday, January 23, 2009 9:24:56 AM by jasoncann

Heard this on Glenn Beck.

Training Primary Care Providers: $600 million to address shortages and prepare our country for universal healthcare by training primary healthcare providers including doctors, dentists, and nurses as well as helping pay medical school expenses for students who agree to practice in underserved communities through the National Health Service Corps.

The document is located here: http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/PressSummary01-15-09.pdf

You'll want to check page 10 for the placement of the exact quote. I just want to know how you borrow money for something that hasn't been approved yet? Arrogant?
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I'm happy to say that my diet is coming along fabulously and I've no need for decaslim!
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I don't wanna fuss.

Some friends and I were talking this morning and one mentioned that he passes a cemetery every morning by the interstate. The interstate has gradually grown wider over the years and now one of the headstones is falling into the culvert. He commented on how your eternal resting spot should not be that way.
This prompted me to think about my own relationship with graveyards.
hmmmm.... that was a weird sentence.
Anyway.. I grew up with a large graveyard literally right in my back yard. The cemetery never seemed weird or scary to me. It was like having a huge back yard with a bike track.
We played kickball in "the field" where they had not yet started using plots. There were streets to ride our bikes on that were devoid of traffic. There was even a great hill to sled on when it snowed. They always kept the grass cut and it was nicely decorated! Who could ask for more?
My mom and dad often said we had the best neighbors. They never bothered us! I wish I could say the same for our living neighbors!
When we were a little older, the weather was nice and it wasn't a school night, we'd play spotlight. More than once we were run out of the cemetery by either the security guard or the cops. We'd also dare each other to climb into the freshly dug open graves. Now I never did this. Not that I'm chicken! I just have never had any upper body strength and I can't imagine trying to get back out if one of the ornery neighborhood boys wouldn't help me out. Oh man,, the trouble we'd be in!
There was a more sinister side though. There was a man who worked in the cemetery that we all knew. He was not a horribly creepy person to us children but we still got a "bad vibe" from him and tried our best to stay away from him. As far as I know, all but one of us (a boy on our street) was successful.
There was a strip of wooded area between the interstate and the graveyard that we called "Terrabithia". This was named after the book but LONG before the movie! One day we were exploring these woods when we came across an overturned trailer. It was the type that a construction worker might pull behind his truck. This wasn't an odd sight. There was lots of construction junk dumped in this area. But this one drew us to it. There were weeds all around it except for a beaten down path right to the door.
We looked at each other.
"Dare you to go in!"
"I'm not going,, you go!"
"Not me, you're older!"
"You do it,, I can run faster to get help if something gets you!"
Well, if we had only known how close we had come.
We decided to retreat a bit from our position and throw rocks at it from a concealed location. Nothing came out. No rabid dogs. No snakes. No hobos.
Over the next few days we ventured closer and closer to the trailer. When we finally went in we found that it had been frequented not by animals but by SOMEONE. There were blankets and candles and lots and lots and lots of pornography. At the time, this amazed us but it did not interest us. I wish I could recall how old we were but I would say we were about 12. We knew what we'd found was wrong so we gathered it up and flung it into the River. We also knew that whoever it belonged to would be mad so we staked the place out. Partly to see what kind of person would look at dirty pictures in the woods and partly because we wanted to see him get mad!
It wasn't long until we found out who the trailer trash was. It was The Man. The same man that the little neighbor boy did not escape from that day. Bad things happened to him. As far as I know, he never told anyone except us kids. He and I had both been chased by The Man that day when the bad things happened. I ran like the wind and didn't look back, he wasn't as lucky. I didn't know he wasn't right behind me.
Not long after that, a very scary thing started to happen. Not minutes from my house, women were getting raped. This was the first time I'd ever heard that word. Some of the details make me shiver to this day. I seem to remember that the man hid under the women's cars late at night when he knew they would be getting off of work. It still makes me tense up to walk alone to my car at night and I always try to see the underside of the car from afar.
The Man was convicted of these crimes. He spent 5 years in prison and was later released because of faulty DNA evidence. I cannot say if he did it or not. I do know that the place where the crimes were committed was only seconds from where we saw what we saw. We knew his character.
So, I don't want to be buried in a graveyard. I'd like to be cremated please. I don't want to waste any more space on this planet when my soul has moved on. I've an interesting relationship with cemeteries. On the one hand I have lots of great memories but on the other hand I think the greatest evil I have ever known lurked there.

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Some Goals for the Week.

This week at Backyard Academy will be a busy one as usual.
Monday- We have Band practice and I'd also like the boys to start a new project for next months project day/speech class. We've been waiting until the last minute on our projects and it really shows. This month *I* will pick because when I leave it up to them they change their mind 40 times.
Tuesday- Book work as usual but then we have roller skating. I'm sorry for those home schoolers that are coming from the far end of town but I'm loving it now that skating is like 10m from my house!
Wednesday- Science Club and Library day. We rarely get any actual book work done on Science club days but come on.... we're extracting DNA!!! that's some good stuff!
Thursday- Blissful nothingness. Lots of bookwork, maybe watch "My Side of the Mountain" since we finished the book. YAY NETFLIX!
Friday - bookwork and we have a 4H meeting at 3pm.

Then you know what? It'll be the last week of January. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. I do so HATE winter. I mean, I could list you a bunch of reasons why it's wonderful that we have winter and all that jazz. My brain knows winter is God's design and it kills bugs and etc but I despise it. It's not the cold, it's not the snow, I rather like those parts. It's the MUD and the GRAY and being cooped up. BLARGH!

The diet is going exceptionally well. It hasn't been hard at all yet. If we can get over the crud I'd like for us to start walking/running every day. The guys are trying to eat better too but they're just clueless. I went to the store to get a few of their favorite pizza's last night and they were bragging that they didn't eat the entire thing so that's good right? Well they ate half (each, I bought 2 pizzas) and for this particular pizza that's 1200 cal. and a whopping 60 grams of fat.
HO-LEE MOLE-EE. That's an entire day's worth of calories and WAY too much fat for one setting. I'm not saying I haven't done it, obviously I have but they're going to have to start paying more attention to their portion sizes.
They were stunned. If it tastes really good,, chances are it's REALLY bad for you! LOL

Buckle your seatbelts

Did you know we needed a NEW Declaration of Independence? Here's some Sunday Morning reading for you. Thanks Robbie!
Link

WASHINGTON (AP) — Invoking hope and history, President-elect Barack Obama rolled into the capital city Saturday night after pledging to help bring the nation "a new Declaration of Independence" and promising to rise to the stern challenges of the times. He kicked off a four-day inaugural celebration with a daylong rail trip, retracing the path Abraham Lincoln took in 1861.

Obama began his day in Philadelphia, where he said the young nation had faced its "first true test" as a fragile democracy. He ended it in Washington, where his own tests await after his inauguration on Tuesday.

The president-in-waiting drew on a grand heritage of American giants as he appealed "not to our easy instincts but to our better angels," an echo of Lincoln's first inaugural address. He took note of the enormous challenges that lie ahead and promised to act with "fierce urgency," a phrase often used by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Riding a vintage railcar on his whistle-stop trip to Washington, Obama carried with him the hopes of a nation weary of war, frightened of economic chaos and searching for better days. Vice President-elect Joe Biden joined the journey en route, from his home in Delaware, and spoke for many when he said he was excited and ready for Tuesday.

Then, sobered by the challenges of governing, Biden added: "I think it's Wednesday we need to be ready."

Obama was smiling and confident throughout the day and across the miles, reaching at each stop for history's lessons. In Philadelphia, he noted the risks taken by the men who declared America independent from Britain. In Wilmington, he applauded the state that first ratified the Constitution. And in Baltimore, he hailed the troops at Fort McHenry who beat back the British navy and inspired the poem that became "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Tinfoil hat anyone?

Please tell me, drop me a comment or an email or whatever if you're browsing my blog from a government computer/ ISP. If you're from the Washington and looking for people in Huntington WV that are concerned about NAIS, please,, don't be a stranger. Click the picture to see the entire thing.


You're freaking me out and I'm starting to look for Black Helicopters. Just sayin.

I'm Mean.

The boys are signed up for a Running training class. Their assignment this week is to run 1 minute and walk 2 minutes for 30m every other day. This is going to be really good for them if we can overcome a few obstacles.
When we got up this morning, I still felt pretty crappy. It's amazing how much snot a body can produce isn't it? I'm also pretty weezey so I didn't need to be out in the cold that's for sure. I needed somewhere we could get some excersize without having an asthma attack.
So about 8:30am I packed the boys up and took them to the mall. I thought, if it's crowded, we'll just walk really hard, if it's not then I'm make them do a light jog while I walk really fast. Well the place was deserted. "This is perfect" I thought.
Midway through our second lap a mall cop struts up hiking his pants by his belt and says "YOU BOYS WILL NOT RUN IN THIS MALL" real belligerent like. Well, I expected to get some flack from somebody for what we were doing but there was no need for that because I was standing right there with them. RIGHT BESIDE THEM. I put my hand on T2's head and on T1's shoulder and said "They're with ME, I have it under control." Well he "hrrummph"ed , nodded and walked away.
This was just about more than T1 could handle. T1, my child that has an overactive sense of what is right and wrong, a child who I've never caught in a lie, a child who blindly respects anyone in a uniform was devastated that someone with a belt and a badge had yelled at him. He was so embarrassed. A few moments later I told him "Don't you let that mall cop intimidate you, he can take it up with ME" and I thought he was gonna shrivel up and die.
About this time T2 starts crying and complaining that I was killing him. I start getting scornful glares from old lady mall walkers and I even heard one mutter something about torture.
What the heck ever.
I was walking faster than they were jogging and I have a good 170lbs on him! I asked him if he was sick or hurt and he said "no" so I made him keep on amidst the judging eyes of the elderly and pseudo authority.
So yeah,, I'm mean.
Here's the thing,, if I let these kids grow to be like 700lbs people will say "she shoulda made them excersize!" and if I make them excersize then I get scornful glares. I guess I'm just a meanie pants because they're going to keep it up and in the mean time I'm going to get some excersize too!

Day ONE.

Today was the first day of our new EAGLE homeschool classes!
It was a thing of beauty, it really really was. I'm so happy. We had a spectacular turn out. I counted 40 children.
I'm teaching 2 sketching classes, Spanish and Algebra. The kids paid attention, were curtious, and most of all they had fun.
I still have a massively nasty, vile illness. I sounded like a frog all day and we barely understandable but T1 was in most of my classes and took over when my voice gave out.
Yep,,, my KID helped teach my classes and I couldn't be more proud.
Also today is the day that a bunch of us started eating like normal people in the hopes to win the grand money prize in May! (diet is a bad word)
I think I've mentioned that we've started a Homeschool Biggest Loser group.
We weighed in (scary) had our body fat tested (even scarier) and took some before pictures.
You hide and watch,,, we're gonna look awesome come summer time!

Some Knitting- A Quick Post.

I have the crud. The really nasty yucky crud. This is probably the most virilant cold I've had in years. I laid in bed for most of the day today. Good thing it was a Sunday. I did get some knitting done while propped up in my death bed. I think I'll send it to my niece,, whaddaya think? The pattern is from the Fall/Winter 2008 Knit1. It was a quick, enjoyable knit but it was hard on the hands.

That's all I know that's new.

Happy Birthday

To me.
Man I'm old.
I don't guess I really am but I sure feel it.

Tuesday is the first day of my annual diet. I'm not going to be able to get out of this one though. I have a dozen other people doing it with me and watching my every move. They've promised to scorn me and make fun of me if I quit.
.... whatever it takes.... right? ha ha ha
We're going to have what we call HOMESCHOOL BIGGEST LOOSER. Catchy and original, no?
We're going to each put $5 in a hat each time we meet and weigh in. We'll have a cash prize each month for the person with the biggest percentage of weight lost. Not the most pounds. The prize in May will be somewhere around $400. Worth the effort!
I'm going to use the weight watchers plan again. I know it works and it's easy.
Tuesday is also the first day of our new homeschool group classes. (not coincidentally) I'm ready but I'm really nervous about how it'll go!
Today our brown chicken escaped from the chicken yard and made a nest in the snow and laid her egg right out in the yard. That bird is nuts. I think we're going to get her some real fertilized eggs to sit on. She might be ready.
The boys did some a few things for Project Day today. T2 did a survival kit and T1 did a homemade compass. We've been reading "My Side of the Mountain" so this went right along with that.
Other than that,, nothing really to speak of.
Stay Warm!

Awesome Blog, Stupendous Givaway!!

About 2 weeks ago I came across a blog that really caught my eye. The Fun with Food Storage Network.
I've vowed that this year we will work towards a sustainable pantry system. We will eat what we save and $ave while we eat! So this site was a real Godsend and came right at the right time.
The girls over at Fun with Food Storage are having a launch party this week and are giving away some rockin' prizes!!! Go check 'em out. You won't regret it!
Also, I'm really jealous of her beautiful well contrived web layout. I LOVE it. I'd love to have a site like that!

January 1, 2009

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. " ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Happy New Year everyone!