If you are into reading about biking across the US, then you would like this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/12/30/biking.america.ap/index.html

Advice of the day

I have a smart child. Mike was talking about finding the special battery for a Christmas toy and GAlen piped right in and said "Go to That.com". How cute. How strangly appropreate. What does this tell us about how conected our kiddlets will be to the net?

On other news Galen was like an apple computer trying to run a microsoft program yesterday. He kept restarting but always crashed at the same place. But at least he kept trying to start. It seemed as if the translator was broken yesterday (just during Tae Kwondo).

Have a good one

Clayton's WALL OF BABIES pic

In my house we have a wall reserved just for baby pictures. And all my babies' pictures hang there (even when they are no longer babies). This picture of Clayton is joining that wall today.

I feel like a new person!

I'm not sure if it is jsut that the holiday is finally over,
or that the days or slowly getting lighter again or
maby it was the fact that I finally got enough sleep to help shake off the sinus stuff.
OR maby it was that i took time yesterday to play a game and watch a movie and laugh

anyways- May you too renew yourselves!

Anticipation

Galen has learned enough about our world to anticipate future events. Needless to say he was literally clawing at the door when we tried to put him down to sleep tonight. Ewan had anticipation too, but after 1/2 hour he fell asleep. Galen did not, he just kept getting antsier.

So finally I looked at Mike and realized the wisdom in opening the gifts Christmas Eve. Have an early dinner, open gifts and let them play for a few hours before bed time. That way the worst of the anticipation is over and everybody sleeps. So we let Galen out and brought him upstairs to open his stocking. He did and then calmed down alot. We got him to lay down, quietly even for a few minutes. Do you think he'll ever sleep tonight?

A memory given for Christmas

My father is an electronics wizard, and he made a business out of designing electronics for people and businesses.

One Sunday after Church my Dad received a call from a special Ed Teacher. She had a robotic toy dog that she wanted modified to help one of her special students. Dad invited her right over.

She showed us the dog and told us what she wanted done with it. She offered to pay him, and my Dad took it right down stairs and began to work on it. I felt slightly miffed at him. “Dad, its Sunday.” I said emphasizing Sunday in hope to help him remember not to work on the Lord’s Day.

But Dad modified the dog right there, and got it to do exactly what the teacher was hoping. She was delighted and asked how much it would be. Then Dad just smiled and told her he wouldn’t charge her for it.

My view of his behavior on this Sabbath took a 180 degree turn. He showed me through is example that to honor the Sabbath we must be willing to do as Christ would do on that day.

Merry Christmas Dad- thanks for teaching me through example what is right.

You know it is Chrsitmas time when...

when the children are hyper and you feel wiped out

Today we finally set up our tree. I have been promising the kids that we'd do it "tomarrow" all week. And we lost an ornament already, but I made it abundently clear that if any more orniments come bouncing down the stairway (and crashing on the floor, sending chards of glass/ceramnic everywhere) that I would take all the decorations down immedetly and would not take them out again until next Christmas.

So far we have not lost any more.

I was working on a beautiful 6 month collage of Clayton, (so absorbed in it that the thought of stopping to save didn't occure to me) when the dish washer instahlation people turned off the power to the kitchen. (where my compuer's cord is plugged in). I couldn't reclaim the file, and haven't the presence of mind to try to redo it today.

In case you haven't noticed I have just enough sinus issues to make me slow of thought and slightly in pain. I could take something for it, but I usually wait until the pain demands it.

Well, I figured out what I am going to give my Dad this Christmas, Maby I can even get around to it sometime soon :)

Have a good one

more ?

"Yoda baby"

& "my Boys"

more!

At around 11pm
I heard this little coice saying "help me, help me"

He was trying to be a bat and wanted to hang upside down to sleep.

continued

in case you are wondering we are going in computer file order

year review (actually just fall review) in photos

Smiley Baby- at your service

I finally did it

these are some of the rejects from our Christmas kids photo shoot today.

Those lucky realatives will recieve a set of the printed pics sometime soon :) (and so will my wall)

updated pinwheel date cookies

as my father requested, I have sucessfully updated the recipie:

Filling:
1 pound chopped dates
1/2 c apple juice concentrate
1/2 c rasions
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1 c water
boil to thicken

Dough:
cream:
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c butter
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups whole wheat flour

roll dough to 1/2 " thickness
spread filling on it
roll up like a jelly roll
chill several hours/overnight
slice to 1/2" cookies
bake 350, 10 min

manifeting a blog discussion

: thinking is not enough doing is what counts
Paul Hunt: sounds like the latest entry on the hug blog
me: however you must be careful with what you think-you do it and you become what you do
Paul Hunt: thom mentiond something like that
me: maby our blog ring is too small if we are all thinking the same things on the same days
Paul Hunt: and he concluded that all we have to do is think the world is a better place
Paul Hunt: i commented OK the world is better
me: cool- think the world a better place- as long as you get off your buts and act on it
Paul Hunt: The next day, Kate had her test
Paul Hunt: manifesting is getting faster
me: time does fly- maby our communication lines with the universe is getting clearer
Paul Hunt: that is a goal
me: you know I did think about getting new clothes washer and dryer the day Mom bought them for me
Paul Hunt: manifesting momma
me: I was very much suprised at how fast that fleeting wish came true
Paul Hunt: if your manifesting is getting faster, and mine are too
me: what are you manifesting?
Paul Hunt: then maybe the myans are right
me: ok what about the myans?
Paul Hunt: manifesting will get faster and faster until, on dec 21, 2012 it will be instant
me: is that why the world will end?
Paul Hunt: yup
me: let's hope we manifest somthing good
Paul Hunt: I REALLY am seeing it faster
me: I think we need to start PR camaign on that now
Paul Hunt: so I really do want to be positive
Paul Hunt: we should bounce this around our blogs
me: I think you're right
me: so often they come as fast as I can think them
Paul Hunt: manifestations?
me: yes, is thought becomming that dangerous and why?
me: maby powerful is a better word then dangerous
Paul Hunt: Just for a moment, assume it is
me: then it is
Paul Hunt: POWER!!!!!

me: I am thinking of the power of creating, destoying and building of bcomming and dreaming
Paul Hunt: is that a quote?
me: no- but you can quote me
Paul Hunt: 2006 was on someone's calandar for a major change
me: probably a time when some of us will recongnise some of this power
me: How will we change the world? With what thought?
Paul Hunt: certainly positive ones
me: yes, because the positive people are the ones who first see this
Paul Hunt: we have HOPE
me: then we will manifest everyone else to be posative
Paul Hunt: I can live with that, 1000 years of bliss
me: maby I should manifest time & energy for these cookies
Paul Hunt: we can do that by saying goodbye
me: too late- i'm n ot going to start them at 11
me: but Clay is manifesting diaper change, think he'll get it?
Paul Hunt: he is your offspring, he has the power
me: well that does help explain Galen
Paul Hunt: in what way?
me: It explains his abilities to do things like get out of locked rooms and into locked rooms and get things down from high places and all the other mysteries he has presented us with
Paul Hunt: born with it
me: yeah- and never learned not to use his powers as a normal child does
Paul Hunt: no one is perfect
me: is that the autism difference?
me: why does cuddiling a baby feel so good?
Paul Hunt: yeah, malfunction in the power inhibitor
Paul Hunt: baby manifesting touch
me: no wonder he doesn't like going to school
Paul Hunt: it must be inherited
me: well baby certainly likes touch
me: I think babies can communicate tellipathically. I have had several that I was sure could. Where I jsut know what they need, before they have to cry. Like often I would go check on a baby just as he was waking up- and then there would be no need to make noise to get my attention
Paul Hunt: We all have the wiring to do that, some of us overload it with other signals
me: yes, surround ourself with noise. That is one reason why tv or radio on for background noise drives me crazy There are more important things to pay attention to
Paul Hunt: Whatever you attend to, you become.(Warrior of Spirit Handbook) OK.... I gotta sleep now
me: goodnight

tossing your cookies

we learned we that phrase came from. Galen ate all the fudge yesterday morning (I had put it in the freezer so they wouldn't be eaten, but Galen often doesn't notice rules (voiced or unvoiced). Then we made about 80 dozen cookies yesterday. The cut out cookies that you actually need butter and sugar in. And We also made gingerbread men. So that by evening time Galen was so sugared up that he started tossing his cookies. All over my compter chair, on the floor and everywhere.

As parents we felt it was our job to help him figure out that he was sick because he ate all the fudge and then engorged himself on cookies while skipping dinner.

Today we were very happy to see him eating some real food instead of just cookies- but the fudge was all ready all gone. And today we frosted cookies with my cake decorating kit and Galen actually achieved some level of real decorating. Ewan was just concerned over seeing how much frosting he could put on every single cookie and Ian just wanted to eat them.

Galen also managed a good amount of control over the decorating bags and tips.

Well It is past my bedtime - again.

Christmas Miracle

I believe in Miracles. My God is a God of Miracles. And I have just witnessed a miracle take place.

My laundry room is out of dirty clothes! Absolutly incredable. It's not quite biblical proportions (but my laundry pile was) but it hasn't happened in several years. In fact I might even be able to take the sheets of my bed and dirrectly into the washer with out bypassing any waiting items.

If you doubt this is a miracle you haven't hung around my house. It's makes me excited for when the dishwasher is hooked up. Do you think that can produce miracles as well?

A special friend

A special friend came to visit me the other day.
I did not realize that she was a special friend, and she made herself at home. She colored and ate and sang and danced and snuggled with me, and shared with me and made me feel as if I was her special and trusted friend.

Feeling proud of my ability to connect with this little being I talked to my father about how well she took a liking to me. Then he told me that is how she responds to most people, making them all feel like special friends.

What a true gift she has.

Where is Christmas?

I was going to leave this as a note on my uncle's blog, but decided to share it a little broader:

I find the celebration of shopping and "finding the perfect gifts" and going crazy over decorating or any other item that can distract from the Christ at this time, just plain hard to handle.
Where do I find Christmas, not in the stores, but in the inner heart.

Christmas is the patience to read one more book to the child before betime, Chritmas is letting the other car pull ahead of you. Christmas is taking time to sing, to pray and to be together. Christmas is graditude in your heart for all the amazing things created in the world. For me Christmas lasts all year round.

but at least in January I can think about going back into a store again.

learning assumptions

One of the first things a homeschooler has to do is overcome the learning assumptions made in school. For example: Galen at school read a book a week and that week they studied the words and read the book everyday, then he was to bring it home and read it.

That method had the effect of being able to read the handed out books very well, but in Galen it also created the assumption that he could only read what the school sent home. I have been showing Galen that he can read everything. We have been reading boxes, packages, all sorts of books and everything else we find with text on it, and he is finding that he can, and that's it's not that hard (also that Mom can always help him break down a word).

In a few months I expect to have instilled enough confidence in his reading that he will sit down with just about anything and enjoy it for it's text.

Galen seems to instictivly know what the word is (when he actually looks at it) but often he second guesses himself. However, he has all the natural abilities for speed reading in place.

Once the world of text is open to him, I will no longer be able to walk him through something. He will read about it and end up teaching me!

learning is hard work

Today I learned all about how airplanes fly, adn the princiapls of it as seem by Newtonist, Berenelli's and Mathamatics, Then I learned how to get the Childern to practice thier writting, how to let the childern play with out me while I clean the basement. (yes mom, it 's all for you).
And we did fractions and reading and talked about naming a Cat Santa. What cat? That didn't matter it was a cute story we made up. And we discussed all the finer points about what sounds the letter A could represent. We discussed the failer of the people destined to hold high political offices and planned when to do cookies, fudge and rice crispie staw bale houses.

Of course we also did, Tao Qwondo, Grocery shopping and several meals. Ask the kids what they learned today and Galen told me "That the spiders can't hold thier breath under the water." Ewan, of course wants to make an elecomagnetic crane, but I do not have the supplies on hand. So if someone wishe to donate a wire and batteries then he will be a happy child.

To embark upon homeschooling your child seems much like embarking upon your own business. Same risks, same engery and time commitments, same way it colors the rest of your world. Only there is more as risk- but yet also more chance of sucess.

wild ride

We went 20 miles out on snowy country roads to pick up 1/8 of a cow. Which translates in to about 17 lbs of ground beef, 3 roasts, short ribs, & 8 packages of steak.

The ride out was snowy. In fact there was a car passing us on the county road that we later saw in the ditch. Personally, I think anybody trying to go 60 on a snowy (unsalted) road deserves going into the ditch. And then on the way back traffic was slowed to a standstill on 694 as snow accumulated on the free way. I suspect there was an accident.

but as always a Potter book on tape makes rides interesting to listen to. And so we are all home safe while more snow gathers on roads that often remain so snowless because of the traffic.

Prepare to be pulleyed

Galen has now learned about pulleys. And is having fun using one we made and attached to his bunkbed. He had to learn about physics specifically work, gravity, force, how to use gravity to work with you, friction and then getting the design right in the current setting. The design aspects will take more work, but I think he is on the upwards path. :)

Over the river and through the woods. . . to the libary we go.

Books on electronics, Asops fables, pulleys, physics, Christmas turtles, adn the videos that I've been missing this year (liek a Charley Brown Chrsitmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas) I wanted to share them with my kiddlets. And it worled very well to fill the space between droping Mike off and Dropping Galen off.

Galen deffinetly likes learning more when nobody is sitting him in a desk to learn it. He aced his math tests, adn is reading easily since I've taken him out of all day school. And no major suprize that he doesn't want to go back for the afternoon schooling.

And intersetingly. His teacher is saying that he won't make eye contact with them anymore. And he is hiding under the desk at school. But at home he is talking to us in sentences, making eye contact, going to sleep eaiser, getting dressed by himself (this morning he even did it with out being asked) and is doing his chores with out much fuss.

Could it be that he only gives positive attention to the adults that spend hours and hours a day with him, adn the rest don't count? (enless they are Grandparents).