Okay, okay, I know it can be very unbecoming to brag about your kids. But you know what, I just can't help it today...I am so damn proud of Annie!
Yep, she did it! She finished NaNoWriMo! Her final word count was 50,287. I just can't believe she managed to crank out an entire novel in a month, especially considering the month she had!
I think all of you who participated in NaNoWriMo...Jean, Don, Chris, and of course, Annie...are simply amazing! Absolutely, positively, indubitably amazing! Congratulations to you all!
(Since no one was able to access Annie's profile at the Young Writer's Program (I guess it was for security reasons) , she posted a short excerpt from her novel over on her blog if you feel like reading it.)
Friday, November 30, 2007
just plain boring...
I've come to the conclusion that that is simply the best phrase to describe me. So, how did this revelation come about? Well, revelation is not the correct word...I've known I'm boring for quite some time. I just didn't quite realize how boring I am until Dewey tagged me with "7 weird facts about me" meme-y thing. She has this really interesting list posted, but I've been racking my brain for the past few days and can't come up with a single thing that is not totally snooze-worthy. (In other words, please feel free to stop reading this post now.)
7 possibly weird, but so not tantalizing things about me:
1. I don't own a dishwasher. I don't even want a dishwasher. Washing dishes is one of those household chores I actually enjoy. I enjoy ironing, too. But rarely have to do much anymore as Rich prefers the "rumpled professor" look and refuses to allow me to iron his clothes.
2. As much as I do love movies, I can't seem to make myself actually go to a movie theater. I have a hard time sitting still, and always seem to need to be doing something with my hands. Seriously, the last movie I saw in a theater was Lethal Weapon 3. When was that? Early 90's, I think. So many times a movie comes out, and I get soooo tempted, but I just can't ever seem to follow through.
3. I don't sort laundry. Which doesn't seem to fit into my personality. I'm so darn particular about so many things, so not sorting laundry just seems to go against "the real me". But we just have so much stinkin' laundry around here that I can no longer be bothered. Besides that, I have been working very hard to let go of some of those "anal retentive" tendencies.
4. Dewey mentioned on her list that she despises shopping. Ditto for me. (Unless you count book stores.) I don't want to steal her answer, but this did lead me to a few other stereotypical female traits which just don't apply to me. Rich has twice as many clothes as I do. Rich has probably four times as many shoes. Rich takes twice as long to get ready for the day. But each of those things is more a reflection on me than it is on Rich. Add to that, I'm not a jewelry person. Not that I don't like jewelry...I can particularly appreciate fun, funky, artsy jewelry...but I just never wear it.
5. Despite the fact that Rich's parents offered to send us wherever we wanted for our honeymoon, we chose to hike on the Appalachian Trail.
6. I despise talking on the telephone. Just can't stand it. Don't know why. Have never owned a cell phone. Can't imagine ever owning one. Hate driving, too. Only do it when I have to. And I don't even know how to pump gas...how pathetic is that?!!
7. My favorite beverage is Wegmans brand diet tonic water. I drink a liter nearly every day. In the evening, I occasionally add gin...but for the most part I just drink it from the bottle (the tonic, that is, not the gin).
I think I may have mentioned some of these things in memes in the past, but as I said, I'm simply not a fount of interesting tidbits. But hey, it probably is weird to be this incredibly boring, huh?
7 possibly weird, but so not tantalizing things about me:
1. I don't own a dishwasher. I don't even want a dishwasher. Washing dishes is one of those household chores I actually enjoy. I enjoy ironing, too. But rarely have to do much anymore as Rich prefers the "rumpled professor" look and refuses to allow me to iron his clothes.
2. As much as I do love movies, I can't seem to make myself actually go to a movie theater. I have a hard time sitting still, and always seem to need to be doing something with my hands. Seriously, the last movie I saw in a theater was Lethal Weapon 3. When was that? Early 90's, I think. So many times a movie comes out, and I get soooo tempted, but I just can't ever seem to follow through.
3. I don't sort laundry. Which doesn't seem to fit into my personality. I'm so darn particular about so many things, so not sorting laundry just seems to go against "the real me". But we just have so much stinkin' laundry around here that I can no longer be bothered. Besides that, I have been working very hard to let go of some of those "anal retentive" tendencies.
4. Dewey mentioned on her list that she despises shopping. Ditto for me. (Unless you count book stores.) I don't want to steal her answer, but this did lead me to a few other stereotypical female traits which just don't apply to me. Rich has twice as many clothes as I do. Rich has probably four times as many shoes. Rich takes twice as long to get ready for the day. But each of those things is more a reflection on me than it is on Rich. Add to that, I'm not a jewelry person. Not that I don't like jewelry...I can particularly appreciate fun, funky, artsy jewelry...but I just never wear it.
5. Despite the fact that Rich's parents offered to send us wherever we wanted for our honeymoon, we chose to hike on the Appalachian Trail.
6. I despise talking on the telephone. Just can't stand it. Don't know why. Have never owned a cell phone. Can't imagine ever owning one. Hate driving, too. Only do it when I have to. And I don't even know how to pump gas...how pathetic is that?!!
7. My favorite beverage is Wegmans brand diet tonic water. I drink a liter nearly every day. In the evening, I occasionally add gin...but for the most part I just drink it from the bottle (the tonic, that is, not the gin).
I think I may have mentioned some of these things in memes in the past, but as I said, I'm simply not a fount of interesting tidbits. But hey, it probably is weird to be this incredibly boring, huh?
Thursday, November 29, 2007
for the love of Christmas
Saw this little quizzie thing over at Melody's this morning. I don't usually actually post these things, but this one was just so dead-on. Well, all except that last line...I DO still believe in Santa Claus!
| What The Holidays Mean to You |
 For you, the holidays are about emotional connections and bonds. You are happiest being around those you love. You celebrate the holidays in an over the top style. If something is cute, you'll buy it. People end up with a lot of gifts from you - and your house is like a holiday wonderland, full of decorations. During the holidays, you like to feel cozy and comfortable. You're happy to stay inside with a roaring fire and a warm drink. You think the holidays should be decadent and indulgent. You never mind gaining a few holiday pounds... it's worth it! Your best holiday memories are of childhood foods and traditions. You secretly still wish you believed in Santa Claus. |
Monday, November 26, 2007
ahh...it's here
Oh, how I love the Christmas season! And I know I'm not alone on this one, am I? Just last evening I read Chris's post about getting that old Christmas spirit burning. And Melissa had a wonderful idea in one of her recent posts as well (an idea that I'm going to "borrow" shortly here...hope you don't mind Melissa!).
Anyway, Thanksgiving evening always marks the official start for us. That's when we begin two of our annual traditions...watching a Christmas movie/holiday episode/Christmas special and reading a Christmas book each night. And believe it or not, I did actually remember to bring these necessities along to my parents, as that's where we spent Thanksgiving. So far we've watched a couple short kiddie shows, and then Saturday we watched A Christmas Story (Rich lives for that one all year!). We watched another short one yesterday, but then last night Annie and I watched Hogfather. Wow...now that one is destined to become a favorite in this household, let me tell you! I haven't read the book (in fact, I've never read any of the DiscWorld books...a fact that MUST change soon!), so I can't say how it holds up in comparison. But the movie was a pure treat!
And as for books, we'd been reading short ones each night (mostly ones that feature a cat, thanks to Max). But last night, we started reading When Santa Fell to Earth, by Cornelia Funke. We haven't gotten far yet, but it is absolutely delightful!
And Friday at my parents' house definitely helped stoke those Christmas spirit fires...it snowed all day! Didn't end up amounting to more than 3 or 4 inches, but it was gorgeous and very spirit-inspiring! (When we arrived home, we only had about an inch here, so we were definitely in the right place on Friday.)
As for shopping, we definitely avoided the Black Friday crowds. Ewwww...just the thought of braving that scene makes me queasy. Perhaps I just spent too many years in retail. Anyway, I'm one of those year-round shoppers...I have a true weakness for buying gifts! But even though I've got a lot of shopping done, I still have a lot to do. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever been quite so unprepared at this point before. (Yeah, go ahead and rub it in, Mom! She's not only done with her shopping, but almost done with her wrapping as well.) We did brave the crowds and headed out to Barnes & Noble on Saturday...hey, some stores are worth the slight inconvenience of Christmas mobs, right? Picked up a few more items off the old list there.
My decorating is coming along slowly, due to my obsessive need to super-clean each room before decorating it. Why I don't feel this need to super-clean in the spring like normal people, I just can't say. Anyway, I have managed to clean both the boys' rooms. And yesterday we put up their little Christmas trees. It's amazing how many ornaments they've amassed so far in their short lives. (Last year, we even had to get a bigger tree for Annie, because she has so many ornaments now.) Anyway, very slowly, it's beginning to look a bit more like Christmas, too. Should make some progress on this during the week. I'm not sure if I've mentioned before that Annie has been participating in NaNoWriMo. In the Young Writer's Program she could set her own word goal...but since she loves nothing more than writing (except possibly reading), she decided to challenge herself and go with the "adult" goal of 50,000 words. But, of course, this month has not been kind to her. She got next to nothing written during the week after her grandpa died. And then to make matters worse, we had major computer problems while away for Thanksgiving so she didn't get to write at all for those couple of days. She's currently at 29,000-ish words, with only 5 days left to write. But she doesn't want to give up, so I'm going to let a lot of school stuff slide for the week and let her write up a storm. Though it'll put us even farther behind than we already are on the school front, it will allow me to get some work done around here.
Also on slate for today, is making up our Christmas card list. This is where Melissa's idea comes in. I've been wishing that I could send all my bloggy friends cards this year, but I only have a few of your actual addresses. Well, Melissa was smart enough to just ask. (Duh, Debi.) So if any of you enjoy receiving Christmas cards in your mailbox as much as I do, please just e-mail us your address. (rdagmstevens at frontiernet dot net)
Well, I suppose I should stop babbling away here and just go get something done, huh? Hope you're all enjoying the Christmas season, too!
Anyway, Thanksgiving evening always marks the official start for us. That's when we begin two of our annual traditions...watching a Christmas movie/holiday episode/Christmas special and reading a Christmas book each night. And believe it or not, I did actually remember to bring these necessities along to my parents, as that's where we spent Thanksgiving. So far we've watched a couple short kiddie shows, and then Saturday we watched A Christmas Story (Rich lives for that one all year!). We watched another short one yesterday, but then last night Annie and I watched Hogfather. Wow...now that one is destined to become a favorite in this household, let me tell you! I haven't read the book (in fact, I've never read any of the DiscWorld books...a fact that MUST change soon!), so I can't say how it holds up in comparison. But the movie was a pure treat!
And as for books, we'd been reading short ones each night (mostly ones that feature a cat, thanks to Max). But last night, we started reading When Santa Fell to Earth, by Cornelia Funke. We haven't gotten far yet, but it is absolutely delightful!
And Friday at my parents' house definitely helped stoke those Christmas spirit fires...it snowed all day! Didn't end up amounting to more than 3 or 4 inches, but it was gorgeous and very spirit-inspiring! (When we arrived home, we only had about an inch here, so we were definitely in the right place on Friday.)
As for shopping, we definitely avoided the Black Friday crowds. Ewwww...just the thought of braving that scene makes me queasy. Perhaps I just spent too many years in retail. Anyway, I'm one of those year-round shoppers...I have a true weakness for buying gifts! But even though I've got a lot of shopping done, I still have a lot to do. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever been quite so unprepared at this point before. (Yeah, go ahead and rub it in, Mom! She's not only done with her shopping, but almost done with her wrapping as well.) We did brave the crowds and headed out to Barnes & Noble on Saturday...hey, some stores are worth the slight inconvenience of Christmas mobs, right? Picked up a few more items off the old list there.
My decorating is coming along slowly, due to my obsessive need to super-clean each room before decorating it. Why I don't feel this need to super-clean in the spring like normal people, I just can't say. Anyway, I have managed to clean both the boys' rooms. And yesterday we put up their little Christmas trees. It's amazing how many ornaments they've amassed so far in their short lives. (Last year, we even had to get a bigger tree for Annie, because she has so many ornaments now.) Anyway, very slowly, it's beginning to look a bit more like Christmas, too. Should make some progress on this during the week. I'm not sure if I've mentioned before that Annie has been participating in NaNoWriMo. In the Young Writer's Program she could set her own word goal...but since she loves nothing more than writing (except possibly reading), she decided to challenge herself and go with the "adult" goal of 50,000 words. But, of course, this month has not been kind to her. She got next to nothing written during the week after her grandpa died. And then to make matters worse, we had major computer problems while away for Thanksgiving so she didn't get to write at all for those couple of days. She's currently at 29,000-ish words, with only 5 days left to write. But she doesn't want to give up, so I'm going to let a lot of school stuff slide for the week and let her write up a storm. Though it'll put us even farther behind than we already are on the school front, it will allow me to get some work done around here.
Also on slate for today, is making up our Christmas card list. This is where Melissa's idea comes in. I've been wishing that I could send all my bloggy friends cards this year, but I only have a few of your actual addresses. Well, Melissa was smart enough to just ask. (Duh, Debi.) So if any of you enjoy receiving Christmas cards in your mailbox as much as I do, please just e-mail us your address. (rdagmstevens at frontiernet dot net)
Well, I suppose I should stop babbling away here and just go get something done, huh? Hope you're all enjoying the Christmas season, too!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
what little I've read...
I can't believe how little I've read this month. *sigh*
In fact, I guess I may as well admit defeat in Callista's Book to Movie Challenge. With only a week to go, I still have two books to finish. Hopefully, I will manage to finish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...I've already started it and can't help but pick it up any spare minute I can find. But I was also supposed to read Zodiac, and I haven't even started it yet. Oh well...
Finished up another for the Book Awards Challenge. New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver. I really love poetry, but for whatever reason, don't get around to reading it very often anymore. Mary Oliver is one of my favorites. Her poetry is just so down-to-earth, so accessible. I feel like I can relate to her in so many ways...she's definitely an outdoors gal. If only I could do the wonders of nature justice the way she does. Take for example this passage from "Little Owl Who Lives in the Orchard"...
it's not size but surge that tells us
when we're in touch with something real,
and when I hear him in the orchard
fluttering
down the little aluminum
ladder of his scream--
when I see his wings open, like two ferns,
a flurry of palpitations
as cold as sleet
rackets across the marshlands
of my heart,
like a wild spring day.
Ahh, yes, I definitely wish I could write like that.
Finished up one for both the Newbery Challenge and Joy's 2nds Challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was one of my all-time favorites books as a kid...I used to daydream about hiding away in a museum all the time. So why I never read any of her other books, I have no idea. Better late than never, I suppose. But I do wish I'd read this one as a kid, too...I just know I would have loved it! It's the story of four six-graders and the teacher who "chooses" them for the school's Academic Bowl team. Each of the kids has a story to tell, and each of their stories send out tendrils infiltrating the others' tales. It's humorous and clever, and yes, a bit heart-warming, too.
And finally, I also finished up Animal Farm, for the New Authors Challenge. Hard to believe I've never read any George Orwell, huh? I've only been meaning to read this one and Nineteen Eighty-Four for, oh, twenty-five years or so. Once again, better late than never. This is actually our current literature selection for homeschooling right now. And a good choice, I think, for many reasons. It's given us a chance to explore the Russian Revolution a bit. A chance to talk about allegory. And most importantly, a chance to enjoy a really good story! (Though I thoroughly admit, I did find it more than slightly depressing.)
In fact, I guess I may as well admit defeat in Callista's Book to Movie Challenge. With only a week to go, I still have two books to finish. Hopefully, I will manage to finish Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...I've already started it and can't help but pick it up any spare minute I can find. But I was also supposed to read Zodiac, and I haven't even started it yet. Oh well...
Finished up another for the Book Awards Challenge. New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver. I really love poetry, but for whatever reason, don't get around to reading it very often anymore. Mary Oliver is one of my favorites. Her poetry is just so down-to-earth, so accessible. I feel like I can relate to her in so many ways...she's definitely an outdoors gal. If only I could do the wonders of nature justice the way she does. Take for example this passage from "Little Owl Who Lives in the Orchard"...
it's not size but surge that tells us
when we're in touch with something real,
and when I hear him in the orchard
fluttering
down the little aluminum
ladder of his scream--
when I see his wings open, like two ferns,
a flurry of palpitations
as cold as sleet
rackets across the marshlands
of my heart,
like a wild spring day.
Ahh, yes, I definitely wish I could write like that.
Finished up one for both the Newbery Challenge and Joy's 2nds Challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was one of my all-time favorites books as a kid...I used to daydream about hiding away in a museum all the time. So why I never read any of her other books, I have no idea. Better late than never, I suppose. But I do wish I'd read this one as a kid, too...I just know I would have loved it! It's the story of four six-graders and the teacher who "chooses" them for the school's Academic Bowl team. Each of the kids has a story to tell, and each of their stories send out tendrils infiltrating the others' tales. It's humorous and clever, and yes, a bit heart-warming, too.
And finally, I also finished up Animal Farm, for the New Authors Challenge. Hard to believe I've never read any George Orwell, huh? I've only been meaning to read this one and Nineteen Eighty-Four for, oh, twenty-five years or so. Once again, better late than never. This is actually our current literature selection for homeschooling right now. And a good choice, I think, for many reasons. It's given us a chance to explore the Russian Revolution a bit. A chance to talk about allegory. And most importantly, a chance to enjoy a really good story! (Though I thoroughly admit, I did find it more than slightly depressing.)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
just a few things...
First of all, I want to thank you all so very, very much for all your kind words. You have no idea how much they've meant to me. And to my family as well. Thank you to each and every one you from the bottom of my heart!
Secondly, before we go running out of here, I wanted to be sure to wish everyone a very, very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! And for those of you not celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, I still hope you have a very happy Thursday! We're off to spend a couple days with my parents (can't believe I'm here packing again, after finally finishing unpacking and conquering the mountain chain of laundry...though I shouldn't complain, at least I'm not hosting, right?). And I'm not really complaining...I always love spending time with my parents, and well, I'm just all that much more grateful to have them this Thanksgiving.
Finally, I really wanted to thank all you who have joined Annie's book challenge. She is sooooo excited by how many people have signed up! And anyone who can make one's kiddo that happy, deserves a great big thank you!
Hopefully when we return, I'll be able to update my challenge lists a bit and get a few reviews written.
Secondly, before we go running out of here, I wanted to be sure to wish everyone a very, very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! And for those of you not celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, I still hope you have a very happy Thursday! We're off to spend a couple days with my parents (can't believe I'm here packing again, after finally finishing unpacking and conquering the mountain chain of laundry...though I shouldn't complain, at least I'm not hosting, right?). And I'm not really complaining...I always love spending time with my parents, and well, I'm just all that much more grateful to have them this Thanksgiving.
Finally, I really wanted to thank all you who have joined Annie's book challenge. She is sooooo excited by how many people have signed up! And anyone who can make one's kiddo that happy, deserves a great big thank you!
Hopefully when we return, I'll be able to update my challenge lists a bit and get a few reviews written.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
searching for "normal"
One of my very favorite people in all of the world died last weekend. My father-in-law, my friend. I could never adequately put into words what an incredible guy he was. Seriously, he's the kind of person who could have a book written about him.
Travis grew up on a farm in Nebraska during the Great Depression. His childhood wasn't an easy one. And yet despite the long hours of hard, hard work he put in daily on that farm, he finished school. And then he joined the Army. It was near the end of WWII, and he spent his service mostly in Japan. Like many veterans, he nearly never talked of that time in his life. When he arrived back home, he put himself through college...all the way through to earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry. He worked for Rohm and Haas for 37 years, before retiring with a truckload of patents under his belt. He rubbed elbows with people like Linus Pauling and Wernher von Braun.
But he was a very down-to-earth, modest man. He didn't talk about his accomplishments as a source of pride. No, his joy came from his family, his gardens, his cement sculptures. He was undoubtedly one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. And one of the most hard-working. Idleness was not in his nature!
My children and I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. Rich is simply the most fabulous daddy I can imagine. It's not surprising...he had the perfect role model. Even in a time when dads weren't often so involved, Travis was. He fixed the boys breakfast before school and took off work to come to their tennis matches. Rich's bedroom was right next to his parents' as a kid, and Rich suffered through growing pains and insomnia during different parts of his childhood. He said that all he ever had to do was give a little knock on the wall, and his dad always appeared instantly to rub his legs or fix warm milk.
And he never stopped providing support to his family. Physical, financial, emotional. He was always there. It would take months to list everything he did to help our little family. He helped us move and put up fences and build bookshelves. He stayed with Annie and me (because I was still not quite recovered from hyperemesis during my pregnancy with Gray) while Rich had to go to England. And he came and stayed with us again during my pregnancy with Max. I was put on bed rest at 24 weeks, and we tried to make it on our own. But it was so hard on Rich, working and trying to take care of the rest of us, and after six weeks he finally took up his dad's offer to come stay with us. Travis spent four weeks helping our family make it through, without ever complaining, before Max was born. It was only appropriate that he got to be one of the first people to meet Max, still in the NICU.
Max was the last of eight incredible grandchildren. And he was so proud of each and every one of them! He was always so incredibly supportive of Annie. He absolutely loved her poetry. And she absolutely adored him! The boys are sad about Grandpa, but they aren't truly comprehending. Annie, on the other hand, understands. She's having a bit of hard time. Who can blame her?!!
During the summer of 2006, we took a wonderful vacation. We saw some amazing stuff like Devil's Tower and Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, but the most special part of the trip was getting to spend part of it with Rich's parents. They drove out from Pennsylvania and met us in Nebraska. Travis showed us the farm and all around the area where he grew up. And then they traveled with us through the rest of Nebraska visiting Ash Falls and Agate Fossil Beds, before they headed back home and we continued on with the rest of our vacation. We simply couldn't be more grateful that we got to spend that very special time together! Though I have photos from more recent times together, I've just always loved this picture from that vacation...
********
We arrived home last night after a week spent with the family. A good week. A hard week. A necessary week. I miss everyone already. But it's a fact of life, that we all have to now find a way to put some normalcy back in our days.
I can't wait to get caught back up with everyone out here...I've really missed reading what you've all been up to. But it will probably take a few days. You know how it is...lots of catching up to do...mail, e-mail, laundry, school, etc. In the meantime, I do hope you've all been well!
Travis grew up on a farm in Nebraska during the Great Depression. His childhood wasn't an easy one. And yet despite the long hours of hard, hard work he put in daily on that farm, he finished school. And then he joined the Army. It was near the end of WWII, and he spent his service mostly in Japan. Like many veterans, he nearly never talked of that time in his life. When he arrived back home, he put himself through college...all the way through to earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry. He worked for Rohm and Haas for 37 years, before retiring with a truckload of patents under his belt. He rubbed elbows with people like Linus Pauling and Wernher von Braun.
But he was a very down-to-earth, modest man. He didn't talk about his accomplishments as a source of pride. No, his joy came from his family, his gardens, his cement sculptures. He was undoubtedly one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. And one of the most hard-working. Idleness was not in his nature!
My children and I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. Rich is simply the most fabulous daddy I can imagine. It's not surprising...he had the perfect role model. Even in a time when dads weren't often so involved, Travis was. He fixed the boys breakfast before school and took off work to come to their tennis matches. Rich's bedroom was right next to his parents' as a kid, and Rich suffered through growing pains and insomnia during different parts of his childhood. He said that all he ever had to do was give a little knock on the wall, and his dad always appeared instantly to rub his legs or fix warm milk.
And he never stopped providing support to his family. Physical, financial, emotional. He was always there. It would take months to list everything he did to help our little family. He helped us move and put up fences and build bookshelves. He stayed with Annie and me (because I was still not quite recovered from hyperemesis during my pregnancy with Gray) while Rich had to go to England. And he came and stayed with us again during my pregnancy with Max. I was put on bed rest at 24 weeks, and we tried to make it on our own. But it was so hard on Rich, working and trying to take care of the rest of us, and after six weeks he finally took up his dad's offer to come stay with us. Travis spent four weeks helping our family make it through, without ever complaining, before Max was born. It was only appropriate that he got to be one of the first people to meet Max, still in the NICU.
Max was the last of eight incredible grandchildren. And he was so proud of each and every one of them! He was always so incredibly supportive of Annie. He absolutely loved her poetry. And she absolutely adored him! The boys are sad about Grandpa, but they aren't truly comprehending. Annie, on the other hand, understands. She's having a bit of hard time. Who can blame her?!!
During the summer of 2006, we took a wonderful vacation. We saw some amazing stuff like Devil's Tower and Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, but the most special part of the trip was getting to spend part of it with Rich's parents. They drove out from Pennsylvania and met us in Nebraska. Travis showed us the farm and all around the area where he grew up. And then they traveled with us through the rest of Nebraska visiting Ash Falls and Agate Fossil Beds, before they headed back home and we continued on with the rest of our vacation. We simply couldn't be more grateful that we got to spend that very special time together! Though I have photos from more recent times together, I've just always loved this picture from that vacation...
********
We arrived home last night after a week spent with the family. A good week. A hard week. A necessary week. I miss everyone already. But it's a fact of life, that we all have to now find a way to put some normalcy back in our days.
I can't wait to get caught back up with everyone out here...I've really missed reading what you've all been up to. But it will probably take a few days. You know how it is...lots of catching up to do...mail, e-mail, laundry, school, etc. In the meantime, I do hope you've all been well!
Thursday, November 08, 2007
lofty goals
Way too lofty, I'm afraid.
I've really, really, really been wanting to sign up for the Back to History reading challenge. Up to this point, I've managed to resist. But it keeps haunting me! I really do want to do it!
So, I decided the thing to do would be to sit down and work out how many books I've already committed myself to, and that would give me a better idea if I could swing it. And, well, the answer to that would have to be a resounding no! Sigh.
In the process, I did make myself up a quick little schedule though.
November:
*Animal Farm (New Authors/homeschooling)
*Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (Book to Movie)
*Zodiac (Book to Movie)
*New and Selected Poems (Book Awards, plus the fact that it needs returned to the library)
*The View From Saturday (Newbery, 2nds)
*The Tale of Despereaux (Newbery, 4-Legged)
*The Cobra Event (just because I've already started it)
December:
*Walk Two Moons (Newbery)
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Newbery, Book Awards)
*American Gods (2nds, Book Awards)
*A Christmas Carol (homeschooling)
--Not bad, so far, huh? It gets worse though.
January/February:
*Whittington (4-Legged)
*Ragweed (4-Legged)
*Ginger Pye (4-Legged)
*The Goose Girl (New Authors/Y.A./homeschooling)
*The Mysterious Benedict Society (New Authors/Full Circle)
*Fablehaven (New Authors)
*The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (New Authors)
*The Tenth House (Hometown)
*The Giver (homeschooling)
*Grimms Fairy Tales (homeschooling)
*The Lost World (Decades/homeschooling)
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM (Celebrate the Author)
*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Celebrate the Author)
March/April/May:
*Fahrenheit 451 (Numbers/Decades/homeschooling)
*The Fellowship of the Rings (Tolkien-Lewis)
*The Two Towers (Tolkien-Lewis/Numbers)
*The Sixth Target (Numbers)
*The Thirteenth Tale (Numbers/Full Circle)
*Thirteen Reasons Why (Numbers/Y.A.)
*The Lorax (Celebrate the Author)
*The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Celebrate the Author)
*Peter Pan (Celebrate the Author)
*I Was a Rat (homeschooling)
*The Book of Lost Things (homeschooling)
June:
*Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures (Book Awards)
*A Confederacy of Dunces (Book Awards)
*The Echo Maker (Book Awards)
*The DaVinci Code (Book Awards)
*The Chatham School Affair (Book Awards)
*Flowers for Algernon (Book Awards/homeschooling)
*The Higher Power of Lucky (Book Awards)
*The Octopus (Celebrate the Author)
July-December:
**58 additional books for various challenges
I'm fairly certain I'll never be able to finish all of these. Fairly certain...who on earth am I kidding?!! "Damn certain" would better describe the situation. I know there are plenty of people out there who could conquer that list 3 times over. But alas, I am not one of them. I'll just do the best I can...and remember to have fun doing it! (But, I guess this does mean that the Back to History challenge is out.)
I've really, really, really been wanting to sign up for the Back to History reading challenge. Up to this point, I've managed to resist. But it keeps haunting me! I really do want to do it!
So, I decided the thing to do would be to sit down and work out how many books I've already committed myself to, and that would give me a better idea if I could swing it. And, well, the answer to that would have to be a resounding no! Sigh.
In the process, I did make myself up a quick little schedule though.
November:
*Animal Farm (New Authors/homeschooling)
*Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (Book to Movie)
*Zodiac (Book to Movie)
*New and Selected Poems (Book Awards, plus the fact that it needs returned to the library)
*The View From Saturday (Newbery, 2nds)
*The Tale of Despereaux (Newbery, 4-Legged)
*The Cobra Event (just because I've already started it)
December:
*Walk Two Moons (Newbery)
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Newbery, Book Awards)
*American Gods (2nds, Book Awards)
*A Christmas Carol (homeschooling)
--Not bad, so far, huh? It gets worse though.
January/February:
*Whittington (4-Legged)
*Ragweed (4-Legged)
*Ginger Pye (4-Legged)
*The Goose Girl (New Authors/Y.A./homeschooling)
*The Mysterious Benedict Society (New Authors/Full Circle)
*Fablehaven (New Authors)
*The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (New Authors)
*The Tenth House (Hometown)
*The Giver (homeschooling)
*Grimms Fairy Tales (homeschooling)
*The Lost World (Decades/homeschooling)
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM (Celebrate the Author)
*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Celebrate the Author)
March/April/May:
*Fahrenheit 451 (Numbers/Decades/homeschooling)
*The Fellowship of the Rings (Tolkien-Lewis)
*The Two Towers (Tolkien-Lewis/Numbers)
*The Sixth Target (Numbers)
*The Thirteenth Tale (Numbers/Full Circle)
*Thirteen Reasons Why (Numbers/Y.A.)
*The Lorax (Celebrate the Author)
*The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Celebrate the Author)
*Peter Pan (Celebrate the Author)
*I Was a Rat (homeschooling)
*The Book of Lost Things (homeschooling)
June:
*Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures (Book Awards)
*A Confederacy of Dunces (Book Awards)
*The Echo Maker (Book Awards)
*The DaVinci Code (Book Awards)
*The Chatham School Affair (Book Awards)
*Flowers for Algernon (Book Awards/homeschooling)
*The Higher Power of Lucky (Book Awards)
*The Octopus (Celebrate the Author)
July-December:
**58 additional books for various challenges
I'm fairly certain I'll never be able to finish all of these. Fairly certain...who on earth am I kidding?!! "Damn certain" would better describe the situation. I know there are plenty of people out there who could conquer that list 3 times over. But alas, I am not one of them. I'll just do the best I can...and remember to have fun doing it! (But, I guess this does mean that the Back to History challenge is out.)
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
brain break
I've been diligently working away on Annie's first quarter progress report. I know I stress out about far more than necessary, and I know I include way more information than is necessary. Just my nature, I guess. But I decided I just needed a breather. So instead of doing something productive like cleaning or catching up on the laundry, I decided I'd pop in here for a few. Though frankly, I don't have anything of interest to say.
Yesterday was a busy one. Not full of the usual busy stuff, but those things that only pop up once in while...
Like taking all three kids to the dentist for their cleanings/check-ups. Good news--no cavities. Bad news--it still cost close to $500! Ouch! (Gray had sealants put on his molars, which upped the cost.)
Like receiving a jury summons. Which I had to call in about, because I simply don't have anyone to stay with the kids. All I have to do is send in copies of the munchkins birth certificates and I get a 2-year reprieve. Actually kinda wish I could do it. Back when I was young (850-some odd years ago or so), I used to enjoy going to watch trials just for the heck of it.
Like parent-teacher conferences. Which went extremely well. No big surprises or anything. We did make the decision with Gray's teacher to have him see an OT to help him with his fine motor skills. Someday I'll have to take a picture of the way he holds a pencil. It's amazing he can write legibly at all, let alone crank out the abundance of artwork he does. Academically, he's excelling. And as for Max, I'm so grateful he has such a sweet teacher. It took her no time at all to realize that Max is mortified to be the center of attention, so she's very good about only asking him things when he raises his hand (which I'm surprised he ever does).
Like getting to go to Borders without the kids in tow. I was very good, too. Bought two small Christmas gifts. And otherwise, only bought two books, both from the bargain tables. Dune, which I've been thinking of reading with Annie for school. Probably not until next year though, because we've already got so many on slate for the current school year. Also bought Light on Snow, by Anita Shreve. I've never read anything by her, and I'd never heard of the book, but it sounded like it might be good. I'll find out next year, because I substituted it for my "weather event" book for Annie's challenge.
Suppose I've wasted enough time. Back to the reporting.
Yesterday was a busy one. Not full of the usual busy stuff, but those things that only pop up once in while...
Like taking all three kids to the dentist for their cleanings/check-ups. Good news--no cavities. Bad news--it still cost close to $500! Ouch! (Gray had sealants put on his molars, which upped the cost.)
Like receiving a jury summons. Which I had to call in about, because I simply don't have anyone to stay with the kids. All I have to do is send in copies of the munchkins birth certificates and I get a 2-year reprieve. Actually kinda wish I could do it. Back when I was young (850-some odd years ago or so), I used to enjoy going to watch trials just for the heck of it.
Like parent-teacher conferences. Which went extremely well. No big surprises or anything. We did make the decision with Gray's teacher to have him see an OT to help him with his fine motor skills. Someday I'll have to take a picture of the way he holds a pencil. It's amazing he can write legibly at all, let alone crank out the abundance of artwork he does. Academically, he's excelling. And as for Max, I'm so grateful he has such a sweet teacher. It took her no time at all to realize that Max is mortified to be the center of attention, so she's very good about only asking him things when he raises his hand (which I'm surprised he ever does).
Like getting to go to Borders without the kids in tow. I was very good, too. Bought two small Christmas gifts. And otherwise, only bought two books, both from the bargain tables. Dune, which I've been thinking of reading with Annie for school. Probably not until next year though, because we've already got so many on slate for the current school year. Also bought Light on Snow, by Anita Shreve. I've never read anything by her, and I'd never heard of the book, but it sounded like it might be good. I'll find out next year, because I substituted it for my "weather event" book for Annie's challenge.
Suppose I've wasted enough time. Back to the reporting.
Monday, November 05, 2007
feeling honored
Do you know what my sweet bloggie friend Melody did? She gave me this award...
Put a smile on my face, I tell you. If I could choose one thing I want my "place" to be, it's friendly! Thank you, Melody!
As for passing this one along, geez...how do I begin?!! If you look over at my sidebar, under the heading of "worth reading," you will find a list of FRIENDLY sites. Seriously, I do not know how to narrow it down. I wouldn't be visiting all these wonderful people if they weren't friendly!
Since Melody is a fellow book-lover, I decided to follow along those lines and pass this along to three of my favorite book-lover blogs...
*Chris (stuff as dreams are made on...)
*Nymeth (things mean a lot)
*Dewey (the hidden side of a leaf)
Put a smile on my face, I tell you. If I could choose one thing I want my "place" to be, it's friendly! Thank you, Melody!
As for passing this one along, geez...how do I begin?!! If you look over at my sidebar, under the heading of "worth reading," you will find a list of FRIENDLY sites. Seriously, I do not know how to narrow it down. I wouldn't be visiting all these wonderful people if they weren't friendly!
Since Melody is a fellow book-lover, I decided to follow along those lines and pass this along to three of my favorite book-lover blogs...
*Chris (stuff as dreams are made on...)
*Nymeth (things mean a lot)
*Dewey (the hidden side of a leaf)
Saturday, November 03, 2007
At this moment...
*contemplating the wisdom of signing up for yet another reading challenge...I may have to force myself to stop visiting Joy's if she doesn't stop hosting all these cool challenges
*listening to Collective Soul's "When the Water Falls" on my iPod
*enjoying the chilly weather
*hoping Gray doesn't turn into a pumpkin seed (you know, that whole "you are what you" thing)
*feeling incredibly happy that I finished "Christmas-prep cleaning" the bathroom
*dreading writing Annie's first quarter homeschooling report
*wishing I hadn't eaten that second bowl of Rich's delicious chili for supper
*thankful for my life!
*listening to Collective Soul's "When the Water Falls" on my iPod
*enjoying the chilly weather
*hoping Gray doesn't turn into a pumpkin seed (you know, that whole "you are what you" thing)
*feeling incredibly happy that I finished "Christmas-prep cleaning" the bathroom
*dreading writing Annie's first quarter homeschooling report
*wishing I hadn't eaten that second bowl of Rich's delicious chili for supper
*thankful for my life!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
taking responsibility
I decided that I just need to put this down in black and white:
"The Christmas season does not drive me insane...I drive myself insane!"
There, I said it. I'm taking responsibility...
*I do not need to essentially redecorate the whole house (from curtains to afghans to the photos in our picture frames, etc.) for Christmas...I love having our home turned into a mini Christmas wonderland.
*I do not have to "spring clean" the house each November...I just feel so much better about decorating when everything is spotless.
*I do not have to make all (or even any) of our Christmas cards...it just feels good to do something so personal for those I love.
*I do not have to bake 10 kinds of cookies...I just love delivering platters of cookies to the neighbors, and yes, I enjoy devouring them myself as well.
You know, I could go on and on and on with this list. I'm not required to do any of these things. I choose to do them.
Now if you could just do me a favor? When I start whining and complaining about everything I "have" to get done and how there isn't any possible way I can finish it all, please reach through the screen here and wallop me upside the head! Thanks.
"The Christmas season does not drive me insane...I drive myself insane!"
There, I said it. I'm taking responsibility...
*I do not need to essentially redecorate the whole house (from curtains to afghans to the photos in our picture frames, etc.) for Christmas...I love having our home turned into a mini Christmas wonderland.
*I do not have to "spring clean" the house each November...I just feel so much better about decorating when everything is spotless.
*I do not have to make all (or even any) of our Christmas cards...it just feels good to do something so personal for those I love.
*I do not have to bake 10 kinds of cookies...I just love delivering platters of cookies to the neighbors, and yes, I enjoy devouring them myself as well.
You know, I could go on and on and on with this list. I'm not required to do any of these things. I choose to do them.
Now if you could just do me a favor? When I start whining and complaining about everything I "have" to get done and how there isn't any possible way I can finish it all, please reach through the screen here and wallop me upside the head! Thanks.
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