Just Watch.

That's the kind of hope I can believe in.

Mixed Messages

Bobo, seeing me reading the latest issue of Fit Pregnancy, said: "Mom, you'll always be fit because you have to chase us around."

Toddzilla, while watching a huge truck pass by this morning, said (incredulously): "That truck is even bigger than you, Mom!" 

On a lighter note (and my brother accused me of not having a sense of humor!), we are officially on midwinter break around here. We've got a big week planned and everyone is very excited. Have a great weekend!

Tote Meme

When we lived in ND and decided to home school, we literally knew no one who was educating their children at home. When I told a friend we were thinking about it, she introduced me to Suzie. I remember going to her home to talk about it, and heading home with Gatto's huge tome, The Underground History of American Education. Wow, that book solidified our decision if anything ever did!

Anyway, long story short, Suzie is now blogging and tagged me for a tote meme.

My tote is really a diaper bag, but I could go on and on about how much I love this bag. It's huge, yes, but look at those pockets! I can bring a sippy cup, my own water bottle, a baby bottle if necessary and still have extra outside pockets for wipes, cell phone, whatever. It has a long strap that purposely fits over a double side by side stroller. Brilliant. Seriously, this bag has it all. It's made by Skip*Hop and it cost a pretty penny. Definitely worth it.

I rarely tag someone for a meme because I read the same 15 or so blogs everyday - hard to be original in my picks. But thanks for the tag, Suzie, and I look forward to following the happenings around your home.

Overheard, Volume 2

Elbow, at lunch: "Bobo! Toddzilla said the F word."

Me, in complete shock on the inside but attempting calm, cool, and collected on the outside: "Um, what's the F word?" 

(Praying now, please Lord, let it not be so!)

Elbow: "I can't say, it's too bad."

Great.

Me: "Well, I should know at least, so I don't use it."

Elbow: "Fine. It's 'Fairies aren't real.'"

Me, breathing again: "Oh, that is bad."

Overheard...

"I'm really concerned. Bobo's been reading her Bible a lot today." Elbow was obviously troubled by this development: she mentioned it both to the sweet woman who comes to play with the children on Monday afternoons (so I can get a few errands accomplished sans wee ones) and to all of us at dinner. 

Heard and Seen

With everyone buzzing about the Inauguration, it's hard not to join the chatter. I'm trying to be hopeful and stay out of the loop a little bit. So instead I'll just pass on a few things too good to miss.

Great Jon Stewart Clip. HT: Alice.

Beautiful words at Love2Learn.

And, of course, the ever insightful Jenn.

Books for Breakfast

Some of our best mornings have been when the girls are into good books and MUST READ over the breakfast hour. This buys me a little more time to empty the dishwasher, play with the boys, and get myself ready for the day. (In an ideal world, this would all be done before they get up because I would have set my alarm and had the morning to myself. But during pregnancy, that never happens.)

Today was one of those great, relaxed mornings. Believe me, after the day we had yesterday, we needed it.

Current reads: Bobo is loving Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls by Heather Williams. Elbow got through The Josefina Story Quilt.

Snippets on Saturday

My posting is light lately. We've basically been hunkered down enjoying lots of snow (by Ohio standards) and some pretty cold temps. We had a nice dinner date last night with another family; the girls experienced Wii for the first time. Happily for me, they didn't think it was any big shakes. 

Hubby's been wanting to read Harry Potter with the girls for some time. They started last week - now they're in the middle of the second book - and you wouldn't believe the struggle it is to read just ONE chapter before bed. Bobo keeps threatening to bring it up and read it to Elbow herself, but we insist this one's a family read-a-loud. My mild mannered, very flexible second daughter was actually in tears one night because we said it was time for bed. So I guess they're enjoying it. Hubby and I both read at least the first four books when we were in grad school - it was a nice diversion after long hours with Greek, Hebrew, and strange German theologians. I've never had a serious problem with the books (as many Christians do), but they are definitely darker and more gruesome than our standard fare of Laura Ingalls, American Girls, Narnia etc. I will say, however, that my daughters have loved all sorts of strange and sinister tales from the Greek Myths to Beowulf.

Hubby and I are doing Growing Kids God's Way with four other couples from church. I've got homework that's calling my name. Have a great weekend!

Not Much Here

Things are quiet around here lately; we haven't left the house en masse since Sunday. We've got a little covering of snow, so the children have been out quite a bit. Their new love is surf-sledding: sliding down the driveway while standing up. (This is the great thing about living in a climate where the snow melts soon after it comes. No one shovels. In Fargo, the minute Hubby got home, he'd be out shoveling, shoveling, shoveling. And snowblowing. And more shoveling. It was a point of pride to have a clear driveway. Which by the way, is impossible in North Dakota. Just sayin'. He doesn't even touch the shovels here!)

I'm trying to finish a little patch work knit blanket for the baby. It's made up of 4x4 inch knit squares. During the election season I knit a square or two a night, while watching Hannity and Colmes and O'Reilly.  After McCain lost, I was too depressed to watch any news, so my knitting went untouched. I'm now on to John and Kate plus 8 reruns and the occassional Duggar family show. Somehow I don't feel so tired after seeing their escapades.  

My new year's resolution was to get the scrapbooks caught up by the time baby comes. Not making tons of progress, but I'm waiting for some inspiration to kick in. Come on, already!

For the Love of Learning

I'm all for hands-on educational experiences, but I do draw the line at touching strange, squishy or slimy critters in the name of science. Fortunately for me, there are others who jump at the chance.

Today we hosted our science club. Look who joined in on the fun:

These big guys don't come cheap. Rather than cook him up for Hubby alone to enjoy (the rest of us are politely declining), we're bringing him as a house warming gift to a party tonight. The host happens to be Hubby's boss. We'll see what he thinks of it.

Two of the moms took over the shrimp dissection and the lobster diagramming.

Other "guests" included: 2 hermit crabs, one crayfish, and some tribolite fossils. Leave it to home schoolers to come bearing such live "props." We sent everyone home with a sea monkey (brine shrimp) kit.

I think God was on to something when he forbid the Israelites to partake of such bottom feeders. Did you know shrimp actually clean the teeth of other sea life?

Epiphany

Late afternoon inspiration thanks to Kim. 

The three big kids each painted and pasted, I did the cutting.

Back At It

Our second semester looks a lot like the first, the girls will continue their current studies with a few changes:

• We're about to finish the second volume of Story of the World. When that happens, we'll move right into volume three, which is the late Renaissance and Early Modern Times.

• Elbow finished the First McGuffey this morning, and will pick up with the Second tomorrow.

• Bobo is almost done with her second Classically Cursive copybook. When she finishes, she'll begin Writing Tales.

• Once we've mastered the Pater Noster (for some reason this particular prayer is taking us a long time to get memorized), we'll be done with Prima Latina. I think Bobo will begin Latin Christiana I and Elbow will get her own copy of Prima. She knows all the vocabulary and prayers already, but it will be her chance to do the workbook.

• Our science group is more than half way through Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. It's our week to host and we're on crustaceans. I need to buy a fresh lobster and some unpeeled shrimp for the children to sketch and diagram during our group time. (Hubby will surely want to cook the lobster after class, not sure how that will go over). We've got one very brave (and scientifically trained) mom in our group. She'll do some dissections with the shrimp. I don't go there. Last time she handled some fish with the children and there was an eyeball bouncing around our friend's kitchen floor.

• Toddzilla needs to sit down and work on forming letters, but he's all boy and not one bit interested. I'm not pushing at this point because he can recognize all letters (capital and lower case) and knows their sounds already. He learned this entirely from the Leapster Letter Factory cartridge. One day I'll write glowing praises of the Leapster and it's indestructibility, not to mention it's ability to teach early phonics and other fun stuff.
  

Morning at the Museum