The Good Ole Days!

The email read: "This Thursday will be a dress up day for all history classes. Wear clothes or accessories from the 1920's."

My first thoughts:

a) What on earth did kids wear back then?
b) Where am I going to be able to find anything like that?

Then, I Googled "children's clothing 1920's" and boy, was I excited! Two reasons:

Short pants.
Knee socks.

Up until he turned five, I used to dress Pete up every Sunday in dress shorts, white high-top shoes, white knee socks, and a little bow tie. I know, some of you are gagging at the mere thought, but I LOVED it! Oh, those sweet, chubby knees!

And, believe it or not, Pete loved it, too! He always, said, "Mommy, do I get to dress fancy today?" And he loved his bow ties (he called them simply "bows").

I was so sad when he outgrew all of that. I could still find the outfits, but the shoes were way harder to find. And he was just so . . .big. Wistful sigh.

Which is why I was so thrilled to dress him like this for 1920's day:


Oh, I could just put him in a bowl and eat him up with a spoon! And how did he feel to be dressed this way? Loved it. His only complaint was that the bow tie wasn't real.

Drama Queen's dress is from Strasburg. I bought it for $1 at a consignment store. Yes, as in one single dollar. It probably cost $120 new. Please don't hate me.



This was so much fun! I am tickled pink that Drama Queen loves wearing dresses and that Pete still loves "dressing fancy"!

Field Trip Fun

We are having such a great school year. We got to go on five field trips this month! I know that may seem excessive to some, but they get so much out of them. I believe it is important to expose children to as many different experiences as possible. Books are one way to do that, but what better way than to actually see and touch and hear and smell?

Here's what we did:

We went to a botanical garden and were treated to a wonderful program about trees, the forest ecosystem, and so much more. Here the kids were acting out the roles of the different layers of the tree. Our friend in the middle chanted, "I support! I support!" while Drama Queen and Pete's group wiggled up from the ground while saying, "Slurp!" Another group swayed back and forth, saying, "We protect. We protect." It was so fun and memorable.

Pete checking out a bug he caught.

We went to an arts center that hosts a yearly fall festival in which they have hands-on activities teaching children about everything historical under the sun: blacksmithing, toys of yesteryear, printing (which Drama Queen and Pete are trying in the above pic), woodworking, weaving, spinning, quilting, feltmaking, cooking, beekeeping, churning butter, music, dance, making cornhusk dolls, caning chairs, art, trains, you name it! It is a fabulous experience. There was also a civil war era home next door that we were able to tour. The tour guide was top notch, and because we arrived as the school groups had to leave, we had him and the house all to ourselves!

We saw Slim Goodbody in Atlanta. Okay, this obviously wasn't the original Slim Goodbody, although when we saw this show two years ago we did see Slim himself. (And believe it or not, after all these years he really is still slim!) This show is AWESOME. He covers every one of the major systems of the body with an interactive, multi-media show. Even Screech is still singing the songs a month later! I can't recommend this show more highly.

I know this picture is freaking out many of you. Screech. Has. No. Fear. Of. Anything. Right after this pic was snapped she got fussed at for grabbing the snake! I'm not saying I want my child to be neurotic, but a little healthy fear is a good thing. If a dog barks in anger at her she gets in its face, wags her finger and yells, "Stop barking!" We are SO in trouble.
By the way, this was taken at the Georgia National Fair. (I don't get what makes it "National", but anyhow . . ) It is awesome. They have dozens of live exhibits and shows related to all things agriculture. We learned about beef cows, milk cows, sheep, dogs, rabbits, bees, pigs, chickens, and so much more. They had a free petting zoo and many hands-on exhibits. It was well worth the trip, and next year we plan to stay much longer.

Yes, this is a sweet pic, but I didn't take a pic moments later when
she dropped the poor thing on the concrete!

There was one more trip we took that I don't have pictures for: we went to see nationally acclaimed storyteller Odds Bodkin. He is incredible - quite possibly the best I've ever seen perform live. I am amazed at all the different things he can do with his voice. Be sure and check out his website. There is nearly an hour's worth of stories you can download for free!

This month has been so much fun. It's so funny how people who have no significant experience with homeschoolers assume that they're deprived. Deprived? Deprived????? In what other school can children have five field trips in one month's time? And as I've said before, being herded along like cattle on a field trip with a group of 75 kids is a completely different experience than having your own personal tour guide (Mom) and being able to take your time. With gas prices these days, many schools are cutting back so much that many kids are lucky to go on one or two field trips a year. To us, school is not just what we learn in books (although we read a lot!); it's about what we experience. There is so much out there to learn about and enjoy!

Kids Say the Darndest Things 2

I am so sorry I haven't been posting! I have been struggling with some sleep issues and have been a walking zombie for weeks as a result, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things!

Mommy: Pete, what do you call an animal that hunts its food?

Pete: Ummmm . . .

Mommy: Starts with a "p" . . .

Pete: (thinking hard) Ummmmm . . .

Mommy: Pre- . . .

Pete: (brightly) Pregnant!!!!

(Hmmmm . . . judging by the extreme hunger I had during my three pregnancies, I'd say he's not too far off!)

One more . . .

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!!!" Screech heard me growl in frustration at the microwave.

She asks sweetly, "You crazy, Mommy?"

I hope to have some pics up for you soon. My hard drive is full and I need to purchase another before I can download any more!

WFMW: Reading Motivation

Reading is such a critical skill that I am always on the lookout for ways to encourage my kids to read more. www.bookadventure.com is a great website where kids can create an account and read books for prizes. It is similar to the Accelerated Reader program that many schools have: the child reads a book, takes a short multiple-choice quiz on the book, and earns points toward great prizes like a free subscription to Highlights magazine. Not only do they offer quizzes on difficult chapter books, but they also have them for beginning reading books like Dr. Seuss. My kids love it and are so excited about reading! I like it because the prizes are really absolutely free!

Sorry I have been so slow about posting lately! I am slowly getting back into a groove, but our lives are a little hectic lately because Drama Queen is in a local musical and has had rehearsal every night this week. In case you missed it, you can click here for the latest "Mess of the Day" post, compliments of Screech. (I was afraid it would be missed since I posted it only a little while before this post.)

Here are my previous WFMW posts:

Finding a Babysitter
Charging a Cell Phone
Swim/Shower with a Cast
Free Tech Support
Calming Injured Children
Choosing a Phone Number
What NOT to Soak Contacts In
Broken Glass Cleanup
Cheap Rolling Cart for Conventions
Chocolate Recipes
Tooth-Tugging Tip for Terrified Tots
Handy Earache Relief
Uses for Leftover Bread
Leaky Diaper/Pull-up Fix
Snack Mix Recipe (at the end of the post)
Awesome Stain Recipe (at the end of the post)
"Fun"damentals of Family Life
Removing Wite-Out from Everything
When NOT to Save Money
Public Service Announcement

For more WFMW tips, stop by Shannon's blog.

Aaaaaugh!!! There's No Escape!!!!

Our babysitter loves to tell us all the cute things the kids do and say. Recently she told us that when she was playing Trivial Pursuit Junior with the older two, Drama Queen was struggling with the question, "Name a state which is named for someone famous." She thought and thought, then suddenly she brightened and shouted, "Hannah Montana"!

(Sigh. My work is cut out for geography this year!)

Good grief! There is no escaping this girl. We don't own Hannah Montana anything. Drama Queen has never watched the show even once. I think the only way to get away from Hannah Montana is to boycott Wal-Mart. And the mall. Well, all stores.

Sheesh. The Amish really have the right idea on some things.

Catching Up

I know that since my absence from this blog, you all have been waiting with bated breath to see what we've been up to. Well, here you go:

Sunday, we met my oldest brother for breakfast in Atlanta. (He was in town for a business trip.) We had a wonderful time together. Except that it was too short. And I didn't get to see my sister-in-law, who is so much fun to talk to. And I didn't get to see my nieces or nephew. Anyway, it was WONDERFUL to spend time with him, as we live so far apart now and don't get to see each other much.

Monday - Did school, made a major Wal-Mart trip.

Tuesday - Did school and also cooked all day for a neighbor who just had a baby. Tried really hard not to eat the peanut butter pie we made for her (and succeeded).

Wednesday - had playgroup with the local homeschool group. The kids had the BEST time! Unfortunately, said good times involved lots of red clay for which Georgia is so famous. Had to have everyone take two baths (the first turned the water completely orange). Fixed computer. (YAAAAAY!!!!) Went to AWANA awards night. (More on this later.)

WFMW: Two Tips

I have two tips for you today, so hopefully there will be something for everyone!

This morning, I had a mess of broken glass to clean up. Seems that no matter how hard you try, when you sweep the shards into the dustpan there are always those annoying, fine pieces that just can't make it over the lip of the dustpan. What to do? Using a vacuum cleaner can scatter the pieces, and you may never find them all. Enter my secret weapon:

Just pinch off the amount you need, and press it over the mess until it's gone! I have also heard of using a slice of bread, but this works much better.

My second tip is for those of you attending an upcoming homeschool convention. Do you ever wish you had one of those really cool rolling carts that looks like a milk crate with a telescoping handle, but don't want to shell out $20-25 for it? In the garden section of Big Lots, they usually carry these carts for just 10 bucks! They are slightly smaller than some (mine measures 13"L x 14.5"W x 13"H - about the size of a milk crate), but they work great. It collapses for easier storage. I've been really pleased with mine.

Here are my previous WFMW posts:

Chocolate Recipes

Tooth-Tugging Tip for Terrified Tots

Handy Earache Relief

Uses for Leftover Bread

Leaky Diaper/Pull-up Fix

Snack Mix Recipe (at the end of the post)

Awesome Stain Recipe (at the end of the post)

"Fun"damentals of Family Life

Removing Wite-Out from Everything

When NOT to Save Money

Public Service Announcement

For more WFMW tips, stop by Shannon's blog!

The Dress Is DONE!!!

The dress is DONE!!!!

Well, almost. I didn't get the lace on the neckline, and the bows weren't quite what I wanted because I hadn't bought enough ribbon. I finished it 15 minutes before the dance! I also didn't get to alter Drama Queen's too-large gloves or make her hat because I simply ran out of time. (Even after staying up until 3am for 3 nights in a row!!!) The trousers of Pete's store-bought costume had to be safety pinned because I didn't have time to deal with them, either.

Oh, well! Perfectionistic rantings aside, here is the finished product:


Drama Queen truly looked like a princess! She was so excited!

I have to say that this is absolutely the best sewing I have ever done. The seams were straight and even, and everything looked just like it was supposed to. I was especially proud because instead of following the directions for just one view of the pattern, I combined three different views and even added something (the sash) that wasn't on the pattern at all. Not bad, considering I am mostly self-taught. I plan to add the lace and take some closeups to post for you to see. (After I shovel out my house. Let's just say that the housework has been, um, a bit neglected these past two weeks.)

I forgot to take pics of the ADORABLE shoes I got at Payless. Here's a pic from the website:


Aren't they adorable?

Pete looked pretty dapper in his Confederate officer uniform:


The Civil War dance was SO much fun. Master's Academy goes all the way through high school, and seeing the high schoolers dressed up made me feel like I was crashing a prom. (Except these kids were sober, well behaved and overall pleasant to be around!)

We got to see the younger kids (Drama Queen's group) perform dances like the Virginia Reel and other square dances. The older kids did waltzes and other dances from the romantic era. I LOVED all the authentic dresses, especially the Scarlett-O'Hara-type ones! It was cool watching those humongous hoops sway and swish to the music. I should have taken more pictures.

They also had a daddy-daughter dance. My heart just melted watching Hubby dance with Drama Queen, looking into her eyes as though she is the only person in the room. (I might add that at the time he was suffering from terrible pain in his ears, with are both now infected. He had to go back to the doctor today.)



Pete also danced with Drama Queen. I would like to say it looked like this (the pic I had them pose for):


But in reality, it was more like this (the dance he agreed to after much threatening):


Fun was had by all (except Pete)!

Sewing Success (I Hope!)

Hooray! [happy dancing] I know what to do-oo, I know what to do-oo!

In case you're wondering what I'm blathering about, I got a 2nd call from Simplicity explaining how to sew the bodice on Drama Queen's civil war dance dress. I had missed their first call when I was dealing with yesterday's lice crisis, and the message they left on my answering machine was NOT helpful. I called and left another message today.

When 4:00 rolled around - the helpline is only open from 9 until 4 on weekdays - I was despondent at the thought of getting no sewing done this weekend. At 4:20, I got a call. On the verge of tears, I babbled on and on about how I had been so sure that I was going to have to wait until Monday.

She replied, "Well, you sounded desperate."

I suppose that's because I am.

On to the pattern problem. I fully expected her to gush, "I'm so sorry, there is a huge mistake in the pattern. Please accept our deepest apologies and this gift certificate to our online store."

Instead, she patiently explained that it was a princess seam with reverse curves and then proceeded to give me CLEAR, step-by-step instructions on how to pin it, clip it, and then sew it.

Not wanting to look too ignorant (just a little bit is okay), I thanked her and then demanded, "Why didn't Simplicity put these steps in the directions to begin with?"

She replied, "Well, with a complicated pattern such as this one, they're assuming that anyone who would choose it would be an experienced sewer and would know how to do a princess seam."

Gulp. I've done, maybe, 5 projects in my life.

I have 6 days to finish this.

I might not be talking to y'all for awhile. Feel free to bring my soon-to-be-neglected family some food this week.

Lousy Day

Today I had a bazillion things to do. Tops on my list was to call Simplicity regarding some erroneous directions on step 2 of the pattern for Drama Queen's dress for a Civil War dance (which is just a week away!)

(STEP 2. Not step 14. Not step 21. This really irked me. If they're gonna screw up the directions, why does it have to be at the very beginning? Couldn't they have picked a later step? I'm working on this late at night when the kids [read: Screech] are in bed. Since I can't go past STEP 2 I have to wait until 9:00am the the next day, call the helpline, leave a message, and then wait for them to call me back. I was steaming, thinking of all the sewing I could have been doing!)

Next on my agenda was to drop Drama Queen off at Master's Academy of Fine Arts, then pick up Cutie, a sweet, 10-year-old homeschooled girl in my neighborhood. She LOVES Screech and agreed to be a mother's helper for a couple of hours so I could get some sewing done. After lunch, I was going to take Cutie home, put Screech down for a nap, then sew some more. Then, I planned to pick up Drama Queen and have her entertain Screech while I sewed even more.

In my mind's eye I could just see that shapeless pile of ordinary fabric transforming into a billowy, pink masterpiece!

Because Simplicity had not called me back yet, when we got to Master's to drop off Drama Queen I showed my pattern to several people to see if they could help. While the other moms were taking turns telling me, "I have no idea" and "I don't sew," someone came to tell me that a nit was found in Drama Queen's hair.

This was not on my agenda.

My choices were to: a) take her home, or b) remove all the nits right then and there.

Did I mention that her thick, ropy hair goes almost all the way to her tushie?

New agenda:

- Throw fit. (Actually, I skipped this one. I'm quite proud of myself.)

- Cry. A lot. (Did I mention that I had been up until 3am for three nights in a row, trying to work on that dress?)

- Drive to a good friend's house. Pick up fancy schmancy $25 nit comb. Cry some more.

- Drive home. On the way, tell Drama Queen and Pete that they are not allowed to speak to each other until further notice because their fighting is driving me looney. Cry some more.

- On the way, tell a shrieking Screech repeatedly that I'm sorry, but she may NOT play with a certain loud, obnoxious toy because it needs new batteries.

- Make mental note NOT to change said batteries. Ever.

- Fix lunch.

- Put Screech down for nap.

- Put self down for nap.

- Deal with nits later.

A sweet, helpful mom told me about a great article by Dr. Sears that dealt with how to get rid of lice. It was great because it gave clear, sensible information, even listing all the medicated shampoos in order from least toxic to most toxic. It also mentioned many homegrown remedies. Best yet, it saved me from the hours of research I usually log when I am facing a crisis.

I chose Nix because it kills lice AND their eggs (Rid only kills the lice), plus it keeps working for two weeks so it doesn't require retreatment.

I thought every one looked pretty cute in their disposable caps. Good thing about Screech, she's a real sport when it comes to things like this. She only screamed when it was time to take it off.

As I rubbed the Nix into the hair and scalp of each member of the family, the texture and slight odor reminded me disturbingly of a flea shampoo I had once used on my cat before Advantage flea treatments were available. Which made me wonder: Why can't I just open a little tube, squirt a little on each person's neck and be done with this mess? (There's a wide open business opportunity for all you enterprising moms out there!)

Speaking of messes, here's my new (not necessarily improved) agenda for tomorrow:


This doesn't even include the 4 loads I already did. (Sigh.) I don't think I'll be getting much sewing done tomorrow, either. Hubby suggested that I just take it all to the laundromat, but I don't have the time to sit there for hours and wait and fight people for the triple loaders. I might add that some of my most horrible childhood memories took place in laundromats. Oh, the agony! The torture! (And that was just from the cigarette smoke and country music!)

P.S. If you didn't get a chance to check out LTDCHix.com for the t-shirt giveaway, there's still time! We've extended the contest to Friday, April 11th! Click here to see how to enter.

(Deep Breath, Count to Ten) At Least They're Learning and Having Fun

“Learning can only happen when a child is interested. If he’s not interested it’s like throwing marshmallows at his head and calling it eating.”
- Barbara Lamping

I LOVE this quote! I don't know anything about the author, but these words are so true!

School is so much fun. Today we took our nature walk (a la Charlotte Mason) in the woods behind our house. We found all kinds of cool things: twisted trees, sideways-growing trees, fungi, "baby pinecones," many furry patches of moss, and, coolest of all, a 6 1/2" lizard. We also found some blackened chunks of wood in the fire pit, which reminded Drama Queen of the the way that young Abe Lincoln had used it in lieu of a pencil to write on a shovel while he studied at home. Of course, they each had to get several pieces.




Unfortunately, all this fun comes with a price tag. Today I have had to clean up everything that was tracked in on the WHITE CARPET: lots of lovely Georgia red clay, crumbled-and-ground-in charcoal, as well as some thick black gunk from the grill (Hubby had taken it apart last night). Their shoes are a mess; I'm leaving them outside to dry.

Drama Queen and Pete had so much fun on the nature walk that they donned their good shoes and took another one while I fixed lunch. Goody. Now I have double the shoes to clean.

Then there's the gooey mayonnaise stalactite on the ceiling, formed when I dropped the container while distracted by Drama Queen's and Pete's fighting over whose turn it was to hold Kevin the lizard. I managed to remove the formation, but a greasy spot was left behind. I hope another one doesn't grow. Even at a growth rate of 1 millimeter a year, the way I am with housework I would never be able to keep up with it.

Of course, I still had the usual hailstorm of food to clean up underneath Screech's highchair. The area under the table near Drama Queen and Pete is never exactly pristine, either.

I'm worn out. If Kevin the lizard gets loose, I'm taking a hike.

By myself this time.

My Little Bookworm

This picture is priceless to me. Pete is reading because he wanted to. This is the same little boy for whom I asked for book suggestions a couple of weeks ago because he was not interested in reading.
YES!!!!!

St. Paddy's Party

We homeschoolers are quite the party animals. We had another skating party this month, this time with a St. Patrick's Day theme. Drama Queen, Persnickety Pete and Screech each won first place in their respective age groups for dressing up. (Well, to be PERFECTLY honest, Pete was the only entrant for his age group, and Screech didn't have much competition, either!)

Drama Queen with a buddy


Pete did his own makeup

Screech with her skating buddy

Screech's outfit was quite interesting. She does not own a single green item of clothing that was appropriate for slightly cooler weather. I ended up putting a turtleneck around one of her summer outfits and put some funky tights on to tie it all together. There were also some matching pink bloomers that didn't show up in the picture. Turned out pretty cute!

A Slice of Homeschooling Life

Here's my tip of the week. For more great tips on anything and everything, head on over to Shannon's blog, Rocks in my Dryer.

My family refuses to eat the heels of any loaf of bread. Truth be told, I’m not a fan myself. I don't even think bread pudding or dressing (stuffing, for you Northern folk) tastes the same made with just bread crusts.

Despite my loathing of the leftovers of the loaf, though, I absolutely can't stand waste. Instead of throwing them away, I pop them into a plastic bag I keep in the freezer. (I also do this with any leftover and/or dried-out bread, rolls, and biscuits. ) The next time the weather is pretty, we raid the freezer for all the bread and then go to the park to feed the geese and ducks. It's great, because there is always plenty of bread to go around, even with Screech throwing entire slices (or eating the occasional piece herself - ewwww). This last time, we even had to put some back into the freezer because we took so much.

Here is a pic of our latest outing when we had a gorgeous 75 degree day:


The kids love this park because they also have a small, free zoo. This particular day was so gorgeous, it would have been a crime to keep them inside doing workbooks (not that we do a lot of those anyway - blechh!). After feeding the ducks and geese, we spent the day at the zoo. I took a bagful of books, and as we visited each animal, we read a book about it. It was great, because we weren't limited to whatever information was posted by each exhibit. Being homeschoolers, we had the whole place to ourselves, and we could take as much time as we wanted.

Here's a shot of Drama Queen reading to Pete. I love the way they share books together!


Just think; if they had been on a public school field trip, they would have been herded along like cattle, having to stay on schedule. When I was a kid, I remember not getting much out of field trips because I was usually stuck in the back of the group and couldn't hear whatever the teachers or guides were saying. I never had time enough to really look at anything long enough to be meaningful. It didn't help that I was usually surrounded by the class clowns who were too busy climbing the exhibits to learn anything about them. (Yup - that there is called "socialization". Don'tcha just want MORE of that for your kids?)

My Homeschooled Hoodlums

My kids are the scourge of the neighborhood. I'm serious. The police are involved and everything!

I'm sure you're wondering what these precious young innocents could have been up to to cause so much trouble. Well, it all started when Drama Queen went down the street to play with a couple of the neighbor girls, one of whom just moved in last week. After about an hour, she skipped merrily through the door.

"So, did you have fun? What did y'all do?" I asked.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain."

(This is when my mommy radar should have gone up. Must be defective. Time to take it in to the shop. The way my luck is going, though, the warranty probably ended yesterday.)

"Well, did you play pretend, or play with toys, or run around outside . . . what?"
"It's just kind of hard to explain."

And with that I turned back to my task of bulldozing the kitchen countertops. Ooh ooh! A $10 coupon for JCPenney! Aw, nuts, it expired yesterday. (See what I mean?) Suddenly the phone rings . . .

Neighbor Down the Street: Hi, I just wanted to see if Drama Queen is okay. She was so scared after the police officer left, she shot out the door before I could talk to her.

Clueless Mommy with Broken Radar: Scared about what??? What police officer???? Why?????

Neighbor Down the Street: (incredulous) You mean she didn't tell you?

Turns out that the local police had paid them a not-so-friendly visit after Drama Queen and the two girls had called 911 at least 3 times! They had taken turns reporting that there were snakes in the house. (I don't know about snakes, but there were definitely 3 rats.) The officer gave them a stern talking-to about how serious a matter this was, and the girls were scared out of their wits.

After a lengthy debriefing with Neighbor Down the Street and Drama Queen, I deduced that Drama Queen honestly believed that: a) the phone was a toy; and b) that they were just pretending. (The phone looked like a toy; she once played with an educational kids' telephone that had a real-sounding "operator" which spouted real-sounding messages when you dialed 911. Also, there was some sort of interference going on with this particular phone so that the girls were unable to understand the person on the other end.)

However, I was naturally extremely upset with her for not telling me what had happened, and told her so in no uncertain terms. You'd be proud of me, though; I did not yell even one teeny bit. I spoke very calmly and didn't even raise my voice. (But it would have felt a little bit better to yell.) Now we come to the part in which you understand how Drama Queen got her name. She started bawling and wailed - with 100% sincerity - "Are you going to kill me???" (I racked my brains trying to think of anything I'd ever said or done that could have led her to think this, but thankfully I came up empty.) Her punishment ended up being that she had to go to bed immediately after supper, and tomorrow she will write a letter of apology to the police department. (I'm thinking of asking Hubby to have her also write me a letter of apology for lying. What do y'all think?) We thought about grounding her, but the weather will be yucky for the next couple of days so she wouldn't have been going anywhere anyway. I hope this will be enough to drive the point home. She had never done anything like this before.

Of course, you know this all happened because she's homeschooled and has no social skills. (Never mind that the other two go to public school.) Actually, I think that there was a huge let's-show-off-to-the-new-girl-and-see-how-silly-we-can-be factor going on here. I am concerned, though, and long for the days when Drama Queen was the one who kept her head on straight and kept everyone else in line. (I remember when she was six, lecturing a 9 year old and a 10 year old because they were speaking unkindly to one another in her presence. Just a few months ago, she eschewed American Girl Felicity because she was "sneaky.")

Oh - I forgot to tell you about Pete's antics. While I was in the middle of dealing with the fallout from Drama Queen's drama, I learned that he and his friend (another homeschooled hoodlum) were tormenting the dogs next door, pretending to shoot them. They were barking up a storm. So, I had to deal with them and call that neighbor as well. Good grief.

Believe or not, during all this insanity Screech was a perfect angel. (She'd gotten all her naughtiness out of her system this morning when she screamed and cried throughout Wal-Mart this morning. Nonstop. For an hour and a half. And for 30 minutes at Wendy's.)

What a day! Calgon, take me away!

Books Boys Love

This week's Works-For-Me Wednesday, hosted by Rocks in my Dryer, is a backwards edition. Here is my question:

Persnickety Pete, age 5 1/2, used to love being read to, but lately he hates it. He still enjoys picture books, but I have yet to find a read aloud that holds his interest. If Fern and Wilbur dueled with light sabers, or Pippi blew away the robbers with a .44 Magnum, it would be a different story. (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) So many "boy-friendly" read-alouds are just so far over his head that we can't get into them because I'm spending so much time explaining new vocabulary and concepts.

Does anyone have any recommendations for books that little boys love? Although I'm especially interested in read-alouds with fewer pictures, I'm also looking for riveting picture books to rekindle that love for literature that he has lost. Plots involving bad guys, heroes and weapons are a plus!

Thanks for your help! For more Works-For-Me Wednesday stuff, visit Rocks in my Dryer.

Valentine Fun

We have had a ball this month with Valentine parties! It's funny; people assume that homeschoolers miss out on activities like this and actually pity them for being deprived of social opportunities. On the contrary, we have way more (and better) opportunities to party!

I remember the obligatory Valentine parties we had in elementary school. We did the shoebox thing with Valentines, ate a ton of junk food, and if we were lucky, we got to do a word search or have a contest to see who could make the most words using the letters in "Happy Valentine's Day." Yippee.

Drama Queen and Pete each went through 3 boxes of Valentine cards to have enough for all their friends and parties this year. First we went to a Valentine's party for homeschoolers at the local skating rink. They participated in a Valentine box contest, and Pete won first place for his age group! I thought Drama Queen would have a great chance, but she didn't even place. I think it's good for her, though, because I feel it's important to learn how to handle not being the winner. It also was so good for Pete to be successful at something because while Drama Queen was skating and laughing with her friends, he was really struggling, falling down over and over while his friends and his two-year-old sister whizzed past him. (More on that in a minute.)

Here's Pete's winning treasure chest Valentine box:


Here is Drama Queen's refrigerator Valentine box:


Pete spent most of the morning in this position, but seemed to take it in stride.


Drama Queen is a party girl!


Here's Screech, our future roller derby star!


Soon after we got started, I wished I had left Screech with a sitter. I strapped on the smallest skates they had, which were several sizes too big. The attendant was unable to lock the wheels. I tried to hold her between my legs and glide with her, and she screamed the entire time. My back was aching and my feet cramping from being in this position, so I was relieved to have to let go for a moment to help Pete. Immediately, the screaming stopped and Screech took off! It was kind of a half-roll, half-walk, but she was skating by herself! What was amazing to me is that I could count on one hand the number of times she fell. She could even step down onto the rink from the carpeted ledge without falling! It was really cute the way she tried to skate backwards and do spins like the other kids.

We also had a Valentine party with the homeschool group in our county. That was a blast! We played, "Honey, Do You Love Me?" (a FUN, hilarious game!), Cupid, Heart Transplant, Hopping Heart Race, and many other fun games. We had a potluck meal with a lot of yummy treats, including these cupcakes that the kids had fun decorating:


I also created a recipe for a snack mix that turned out really tasty as well as festive. Here's the recipe:

Valentine Snack Mix
1 box Kashi Heart to Heart cereal
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
6 oz. white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups M&M's candies (Valentine colors, if available)
1 1/2 cups peanuts or almonds (optional)

Mix together. Store in an airtight container.