Just - Don't Tell Me

This was the second day in a row that someone told me something. The tone was chipper and uplifting -

"Wow, you look - "

My brain - good, great, together, wonderful, accomplished. I lost a few pounds. I did a lot today and feel pretty good about that.

"exhausted."

Oh.... I forget what the exact word was, tired, exhausted, over whelmed, something to that effect. It's all true of course, but I thought I at least appeared together.

I was surrounded by other mothers... maybe they can spot it better than others due to familiarity. Kinda like how animals are supposed to smell fear.

As I drove home I realized I can feel my eyelids dragging lower than normal. They feel heavy.... and poofy.

We had three commitments in two days. That may not sound like much, but with four young kids it really is. It's a production just getting out the door and half the time when you crawl into the driver's seat you begin debating whether it's worth it to leave at all or throw your hands in the air and drag everyone back inside.

This morning for example, breakfast was early. It needed to be eaten BEFORE we left the house just after eight. This is very early since I usually don't have breakfast on the table till nine. Anyway, it's time to go - "I'm hungry!"

"Grab your muffins and toast and get in the car or we'll be late."

Fifteen minutes later, I'm buckling Howler in her seat, " Hungry!"

"Where's your bread?"- Me
"Gone." - Howler
"She lost it!" - Tamarin
"The dog ate it!" - Lemur
*sigh*
"I've got bread!" - Tamarin holds up the bag of rolls Grandma had given her the day before that never left the car.
"No - you ate yours." - Lemur
"I have bread." - Tamarin
"Hungry!" - Howler

Unlock, turn off alarm, run into kitchen, grab a piece of bread, alarm, lock, in the car.

"NO, IT'S NOT. IT'S ROLLS!!"
"YES IT IS!!"

The thirty seconds it took me to run inside was enough time for the conversation between Tamarin and Lemur to devolve into a screaming match over whether roll and bread can refer to the same item. Seriously?!

New policy -  the car needs to be quiet when I climb in, no exceptions. For everyone else, do me a favor - If you see me and I look awful, just don't tell me. I already know, but allow me the fantasy that it's not obvious :p

Magic School Bus

If you didn't hear by now, Magic School Bus is on NETFLIX!!! Woohoo!!! I had been eying the complete series on Amazon for months so this was truly exciting for me (I know. What a geek, right?)

I've picked up quite a few of the Magic School Bus books at the used book store. I found out this week though that Scholastic has lesson plans and activities to go with the show and books as well for free!

Something I'd seen on Zulily is worth mentioning as well. There are science kits you can buy to go along with the show and books as well: Individual kits (You can buy it from the Young Scientist Club, but it's cheaper on Amazon) or a year's subscription. Once a year or so I've noticed they go on sale through Zulily.

I already mentioned before that I enjoy the Magic School Bus chapter books more than Magic Tree House. I feel like they are written better and are overflowing with information. For anyone who is a fan consider checking out this spoof Youtube trailer for a live action Magic School Bus film -



Anyway, I just had to pull all this info together for a friend so I thought I'd share it with everyone :) Hope it does someone some good!

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees, but Warm Fuzzies Do

Oh yeah, I had to punish you with some of my art work again. Pencil, my favorite. Blah. Tamarin has always asked why Daddy or Mommy had to go to work and she always got the answer, "Because we have to have money to pay for food, house, water, electricity. Everything you have and see has to be bought with money." She has understood that for a while and has been wonderful at saving her own money to buy her dog things.

Now we are creeping up on 7 years old and her wishlist on Amazon is.... hmm... well, she's got expensive taste. She keeps talking about all the things she will get for her birthday and I keep explaining to her she will not get everything on her list. She will be lucky to get SOMETHING from her list because she chose things that are very expensive.

" Well, how can I get more money?"
" You get a job, but you are too young to work."
" Can Daddy get more money?"
" Not likely."
" Where do they get money?"
" The government makes it."
" Can we make money?"
" No, that's illegal. You go to jail for making money."

The rest of the conversation turns into a discussion of how our economic system works. You work to get money. The only way you can avoid work is to go dig for gold, silver, other valuable rocks and  minerals, which is itself very hard work. Followed up once again with: You grow up, get a job (or dig?), move out, home of your own, possibly marry, maybe have kids, etc. Which she has all heard before.

" I don't want to grow up. I want to stay home with you forever."

I wonder how many more years of that attitude I have left?

How did you explain to your young children why they can't have everything they want?

History in a Box

Some of these are family, including some photos of my grandparents and great grandparents when they were young. Others, we have no idea. These were the ones that caught my eye be it for outfits, subject matter or pose. I found a handful of surveillance photos over Japan recording some bombings during WWII. There was also a journal that says 1867. I've included a couple of the pages if anyone wants to try to decipher the cursive. 

 

Anyway, hope you enjoyed looking at them as much as I did. If you are interested in seeing more then leave me a comment here or on facebook. There are hundreds more photos and historical mementos. These are the latest ones I found yesterday that did not get wet.

Papa Piccolo

This was how we wrapped up our school year. We'll probably still do some schoolish stuff during the summer, but my husband wants the girls to have a true summer vacation. Anyway, for our last lessons we read:



And no, this wasn't over the course of a week. With a baby in the house doing a week of Five in a Row takes at least two weeks :p We watched some youtube videos of gondoliers Vid 1 Vid 2. I took photos of the girls in a rowing position and they colored their gondolas.

We listened to Vivaldi's four seasons (the CD comes with the book posted above). I gave Tamarin and Lemur paper and encouraged them to draw whatever they heard in the music. Tamarin immediately took off. Lemur didn't have any idea what I was talking about.

I printed this cat activity pack which Lemur and Howler enjoyed. This site is full of activity packs. So many it's overwhelming....



I added pages to our Europe continent book with pictures and a few facts about Venice, Rome, Italy, Vivaldi, Gondolas, and Marco Polo.

I know there was more, but honestly it's been two weeks since we wrapped up and I think I've forgotten some other things. Shame on me, my blog has fallen to the way side recently. I think life will be slowing down here shortly (insert sarcastic "as if" laugh here). I'll be able to post more then.

The Great Flood

For those of you who don't know, a small tornado went through my hometown last Friday. It was tiny compared to what went through Moore and El Reno this past month, but a tornado none the less. It took out trees, power poles, a few buildings, shut down roads, flooded many others, and took out the electricity to most of the town.

My mother, being my mother, stood at the door and watched it as it passed her house. My father, being my father, drove through it in order to get home to my mother. Is it any wonder I have the tenacious personality I have?

This was the worst of the damage to their property by the tornado. This was a 40-50 foot cottonwood that was absolutely beautiful in the summer when the wind would rattle the leaves and the sun danced on it.

There were other trees that lost large limbs and their privacy fence came down, except a couple of panels. All very manageable. Most of their neighbors had trees and fences come down too. Those neighbors spent the weekend clearing and cutting. We spent the weekend climbing stairs.

Why? My parents are among the few Oklahomans that have a basement. I've heard a lot of noise since May 20th about how stupid all Oklahomans are for not having basements since. Now, as to "shame on people for not having a storm shelter," sure if you want to say that, fine, storm shelter, saferoom, a truly safe place for 99% of weather that tears through here. I think every home in Oklahoma should have one. Though I understand why many people don't see the risk high enough to warrant purchasing one. Many people go their entire lives here without having a tornado directly effect them so most people play an odds game and pray they never lose. Honestly, for 3-5K I'd say it's worth it, but to each their own.

For those of you who talk basements, sure, it is about cost, but foremost it's about natural science. This site has a good explanation. Click the picture to go to an Indiana based waterproofing company's explanation about water tables.

The short of it is, when the ground gets so soaked the basement cannot keep the water out. Then when the electricity goes out and the sump pump fails the water pours in. This is what happened at my parents' this weekend. All the furniture, toys, paperwork, family heirlooms, computers, everything on the floor or on something on the floor was soaked. It had standing water about 8 inches high. That was with my parents bailing water by the bucket for 3 hours in the dark Friday night and the electricity kicking back on by 10 o'clock the next morning. So not even 12 hours of water table seepage.

We spent a lot of time bringing things up to dry out on the sopping lawn. Lots of things were thrown away. Boxes of old toys, that had been my sisters', sitting under the table. We tried to salvage them.

This might be a nightmare of mine.... Revenge of the Cabbage Patch Dolls!

Boxes upon boxes of my deceased Grandparent's belongings that were stuffed in a closet with the intention of sorting through one day.


We found a box full of old black and white photos. Mostly of family members we don't have a clue who they are. We even found discharge papers dating to the civil war. Once they are all dried and pressed flat again I will post some of them. I am mystified by the clothing. There was even a picture of a little girl whose outfit matched Pollyanna's.

So, you never know, sometimes in aggravating circumstances there is a beautiful silver lining. Instead of laying around forgotten these photos get to see the light of day again. On a side note though, my calves hurt! Too many stairs!

Road Trip!

Well, technically a mini vacation with a purpose. Five hours round trip in the car. Why? Over the last couple of weeks we lost both of our roosters, the duck and the turkey to a predator. A couple of days ago we found one of our cats that had gone missing. I'm absolutely sure this is all due to a wandering dog. My husband's aunt offered us a solution.

Can you see it? It's sitting on Tamarin's lap. Pyranese. Yes, I know, you're saying, "But Laura, don't you have one already?" Yes, we have one. An adult that came from the shelter and only visits us once every two or three weeks. She says they do well in pairs. This makes sense since Hooch was indeed picked up with a nearly identical dog who was adopted before I got to the shelter. It seems likely that is why he has a wandering problem, he is probably still searching for his buddy.

Anyway, the logic made enough sense to me to load up all four kids and head south for a two and a half hour drive. After seeing her large flock of chickens, quite a few of which were running free, I believe she may be right. She generously gave us a pair of pups from her latest litter. I hope this does the trick for keeping our flock safe.

Can't you tell they are vicious guard dogs? :p I've lost track of what their latest names are. We've gone through at least 20 each today and none have stuck. Among those, Fluffy, Dot, Ann, Nina, Dan, Chloe, Joe, and Charlotte. What would you name these fluff balls?