Retail chains are pulling T-shirts and pajamas that have captions on them that say things like, "Boys Are Stupid -- Throw Rocks At Them," and "Boys Are Smelly -- Throw Garbage Cans At Them."
Three retail chains have dropped the merchandise, which features an array of girls' clothes and accessories, after a protest led by a fathers' rights activist who hosts a weekly radio show.

You have to wonder who had the brilliant idea to make these shirts in the first place. Please.

Normally I'm not really offended by the stupid tee shirts that are made. I didn't like the "homeskooled" t-shirts so I didn't buy one. This is different. You wouldn't write "African Americans (feel free to substitute any other group of people here) are stupid - throw rocks at them".

This one isn't funny either - it's just true!

My Saturday rant

Well parts of yesterday really sucked and parts went surprisingly well. I filed the paperwork to become guardian for my grandmother and the people at the courthouse were polite, professional and helpful. Because I had the paperwork filled out ahead of time, the whole process took less than 30 minutes. Now I just need to wait to hear from them for the hearing date. Just wait.

The rest of the day went downhill. I brought the paperwork to the police station and waited. After I spoke with the officer I decided to get a bite to eat and head home. While I was on the highway, my cell phone rang. Apparently the wrong person signed one of the papers I had filed. I needed to go back and get it fixed. Two hours later, I finally had the right paper with the right signature! Sheesh!

Shortly after that the police picked up my grandmother for evaluation. They were very nice and respectful and called an ambulance to transfer her so she wouldn't have to be handcuffed. I decided to wait until the hospital did their evaluation. The "therapist" who did the evaluation told me that I needed to tell my grandmother to stop fooling around and pulling her leg because she couldn't do the evaluation properly. I had to inform her that my grandmother was acting this way because of her mental illness. Sheesh!

After much discussion, they decided to admit my grandmother where I suggested. There should be a hearing some time Monday or Tuesday when I will have to testify why my grandmother should be held against her will. I'm not looking forward to it.

Here's the big problem. The mental health care system is broken. Although my grandmother was deemed "dangerous to herself or others" and is being held against her will, she can refuse to sign releases of consent to speak with either my father or me. This means that the mental health workers will begin treatment without the advice, consent or input of those who know her. They will only get input from my grandmother (not exactly the best source of information right now) or the mental health therapists who had been assigned to her case in the city where she lived (who have not seen her and not done their job or I wouldn't have had to do it for them). I won't have any input until after the guardianship hearing - which could take as long as a month. It's a very frustrating place to be. It feels like a black hole. I worked hard to get her where she can get the care she needs and now the people providing the care can't even speak to me. Sheesh! (again)

The silver lining

Today I spent more time on the phone with police officers and mental health care workers. I went to 4 different places in town before they could give me the proper paperwork that I needed for my grandmother. I filled out everything that can be filled out ahead of time. I found out today that it will cost $150 to file the guardianship paperwork. I'm not sure where I'm going to find the money. I'm thinking of asking my father to help out.

I know I'm doing the right thing and talked to some very helpful people today who also want to help my grandmother. I pray that the system works the way it should tomorrow. I know that my grandmother will be angry and hurt when the police show up to pick her up but I am hopeful that we can help her. It is so very, very sad to go to bed at night knowing that my grandmother is all alone and completely lost in delusions.

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Jeff is taking the day off tomorrow so I can go out of town to take care of my business. The boys are very excited at the rare opportunity of doing schoolwork with Dad. Jared is especially excited that his Dad will be doing a reading lesson with him. The boys have a 4H field trip tomorrow to the SPCA where we bought our cat. It is even more special because they'll get to share it with their father.

Today I stopped in a local yarn shop. I'm participating in a "Secret Cupid" exchange with a group of online friends. I needed to find something that I could finish in 10 days or so. I bought some beautiful yarn to make a scarf but found out I didn't have the right size needles to start it. If everything goes well tomorrow I'll stop at the yarn shop in my grandmother's city and buy some new needles. By tomorrow night I'll need to knit.

Oldest child syndrome

I have spent hours on the phone in the last 24 hours.

My 81 year old grandmother suddenly developed psychosis last summer and has gone downhill since then. She is refusing any treatment and will not allow mental health workers, visiting nurses or other care providers in the house. She is not taking care of herself properly. Last week, she assaulted a two year old girl in the apartment building where she lives.

Amazingly, no one will do anything. The mental health center has said that she's not their responsibility because she is refusing their services (ummm, she's psychotic). The police won't arrest her because she's 81 (what about the 2 year old girl she assaulted). The Division of Elderly services people just say they're gathering information. My father, well my father is an only child and is very, very, very self centered.

So, I've been gathering information and filling out paperwork. On Friday, I will drive to her town and file paperwork to become her guardian. I will also file an IEA (involuntary emergency admission) to have her admitted against her will to a psychiatric hospital.

I wish this didn't fall on me. I just don't understand how my father can sit by and see his mother decompensate. My father has a lot to lose financially if my grandmother is admitted to a nursing home and therefore he does nothing. My sister expresses her concern but does not actually feel any responsibility to do anything. I, however, feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to the woman who was always there for me my entire life. She's my grandmother and I love her very much. I know she'll be very, very angry with me on Friday but I'm saving her life. I still have hope that they might find out what caused this sudden psychosis and I might get my grandmother back. I miss her.

What an imagination

All of my boys have incredible imaginations. They spend huge amounts of time playing dress up, spies, hunters, animals (not at the same time as hunters), scientists, campers ... They crack me up. Their newest thing is to take all my wooden spoons and fill up the large sinks in the laundry room with water and make potions. Today they found a Stocks and Bond game I bought ages ago and the three of them sat at the table playing Stocks and Bonds (not according to the rules of the game but instead by their understanding of stocks trading).

Tonight, Jared asked me to tuck him in. When I came into the room he was very excited to show me the animals he had assembled to recreate Charlotte's Web. He has a large collection of Shleich animals that he loves. He had taken a goat (because he doesn't have sheep), a pig, a very large rubber rat (not Shleich), a cow, a horse and a spiderweb (I have no idea where he found web) and assembled them to look like the barn scenes from Charlotte's Web. I helped him to get out his Fisher Price barn and then he assembled them all around it. He told me that he can't wait until tomorrow so he can work on it more.

Because I'm a real sucker for this kind of stuff, I'll probably do some shopping later in the week to get him a lamb and a goose. I'm not buying 7 goslings! I'm also going to have to find something appropriate for Charlotte.

On being a Unitarian Universalist

The worst thing about being a UU is that sometimes our sermons are more like college lecture. My minister gave Part 2 of a 3 part sermon series today on "life in the Postmodern age" - or something like that. It's not that the subject wasn't interesting - it's just that it's less than inspiring or moving. I really don't enjoy lectures disguised as sermons.

One of the best things about being a UU is that the Greetings are enthusiastic. I remember growing up Catholic. We gently shook hands with the people in front of us and quietly said, "Peace be with you." Sometimes we even shook the hands of the people behind us. In my church we are encouraged to greet each other with "a handshake, a hug, a kiss, or some other appropriate form of affection." People hug, wave, kiss and shake hands all over the place. My kids run to find their friends to shake their hands - after saying, "Good morning" to the people near us. When it's all done you feel greeted.

Another great thing is the ability to participate in real democracy. Today we voted whether or not to ordain a member of our church who is finishing his program at Harvard Divinity school. I find it very exciting that we get to decide this and I was very glad that we voted to ordain him. The ordination will be in June - I can't wait.

A not so great thing about being a UU is that it's very easy to put your foot in your mouth. Today I was making small talk with the organist (we are in search of a new music director and currently have a part time organist). She was saying how chilly it had been sitting at the organ this morning (when wind temps were somewhere around -20 F). I explained that the wind comes in through the organ pipes and makes it very chilly in her position and suggested she play the piano instead. Then I went on to mention how much I dislike the organ. Ooops! I didn't really mean to say that - not to her at least. She handled me wonderfully. She said that she knew many people in the congregation did not care for the organ and asked me very specific questions about what I didn't like - got me to really clarify what I did not like about the organ. She was very gracious and I am grateful for that.

I've converted another one

Last night my best friend and I met for margaritas and nachos. We talked about the usual things - kids, husbands, money ... She mentioned the problems her oldest dd was having. L doesn't want to get up in the morning, says she is "sick" and can't go to school, comes home from school exhausted withe dark circles under her eyes ... I said, "Well, you know, it doesn't have to be this way."

She told me that another friend of hers had asked her why she doesn't just homeschool. K admitted that she had broached the subject of homeschooling with her dh and he was not opposed. K had been giving it some thought.

We talked about the laws in our state and I just stressed how much easier I find homeschooling than sending my kids off every day. How I do want to kill them some days but how we often have amazing moments. How wonderful it is to be able to teach your own child to read. How you get to be there to see the big "clicks" when they happen.

She reminded me that I told her when she sent L to school that someday she'd be coming to me asking me how to go about homeschooling. Even then, I knew it was just a matter of time. When we left last night she had decided that she will homeschool her dd's starting in the fall. She's excited but nervous. She said she's not going to mention it to her dh right away because otherwise he'll just think it's just another crazy idea I've planted in her head.

I'm so happy for her. She will be a wonderful homeschooling mom. She's kind, patient, and organized. She already knows a lot of people in her town who homeschool and is in playgroups with some of them. Plus she has ME.

It's not that I hate the public schools. It's just that I think home is a much better place to be.

Ewwww ...

Those of you who monitor site statistics - are you ever shocked and repulsed when you find out you've turned up in a yahoo or google search for people searching for things like "young boys pics in bed"? Now maybe I shouldn't have even written that here and maybe I'll need to delete this post later (please let me know what you think) but I don't know who else to talk to except my fellow bloggers.

This site has turned up in many different versions of google and yahoo searches like the one mentioned above. I realize that my silly blog about homeschooling my 3 boys is probably at the bottom of thousands of searches but I don't want to go and do the search to find out.

I took down the pics of my boys and now I'm not sure I want to put them back up. I'd really appreciate any comments to let me know what you think.

Yesterday was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

The boys are finally done with the flu - only runny noses and coughs persist. Yesterday was a day filled with wildness and aggressiveness. My patience was "small like a raisin" (to quote Dy quoting Sarah). The boys spent most of the day in their rooms. If it wasn't one thing it was another.

I was so glad when Jeff came home and I could hand the reins over to him. While he was upstairs getting the boys bathed and ready for bed, I decided to look over the Webelos book to see if I could come up with a good activity for the boys in Jeff's den. I decided they could work on their Showman Badge. I got busy picking out music and cd's and planning the meeting for Jeff. I got out my trusty copy of Rise Up Singing to pick out a few songs for them to sing.

Adam came into the room while I was going through the book picking out songs that I thought the boys might like and that Jeff could sing. We decided on Take Me Out to the Ball Game, This Land is Your Land and On Top of Spaghetti. We also considered and sang Puff the Magic Dragon (one of my all time favorites), Clementine, and Home on the Range. Adam said, "Couldn't we do this every day, Mom? Have a singing time." It was a great idea and one I think we'll try.

Later after I had gone upstairs to read, Jared came into my room and said, "Mom, can we read Charlotte's Web now. We need to find out who was talking to Wilbur - who wanted to be his friend." So we cuddled on my bed and Jared was introduced to Charlotte.

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One thing I've noticed about terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days is that the worse the boys behave the more I withdraw. Things go downhill quickly. I think what we really need is for me to get super involved on days like this. Pull out the games. Sing more songs. Dance in the kitchen. Let the boys help me bake cookies. Go for a walk. Pull them in instead of pushing them away.

This is going to take some work and patience "big like a watermelon" (to quote Dy again).

Forgiveness

One thing I am really quite good at is holding a grudge. I liked this quote I found today on forgiveness:

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass. ~George Herbert

Schoolroom

Joyce was asking about schoolrooms on her blog.
We moved to this house last May and one of the best parts of the house is we have a schoolroom. We live in a standard Colonial which means that as you walk in the door the stairs are directly in front of you, to the left is our living room, and to the right is what is probably supposed to be the dining room. The room is centrally located. The other doorway goes into the kitchen. There are no doors to the room.

We decided we are not dining room people and made this room our schoolroom. In this room we have the computer, the filing cabinet, two plastic storage thingys, a 4 foot tall bookcase, a card table, a square wooden table and folding chairs. On the walls we have a large World map, a bulletin board and a "thankfulness tree" (which I made for November and never took down).

All schoolwork, except for reading, happens in this room. The boys sit at the wooden table and do their seat work. On top of the table are 3 magazine holders which contain their workbooks. A pencil sharpener and pencil case are always on the table. The other table isn't used as often but is good for craft projects and puzzles.

The boys love to do their schoolwork in this room and never want to sit at the kitchen table like we used to do in our old house. It's very nice not to have to worry about putting things away for meals. My boys eat breakfast at different times and now they are not interfering with each other's schoolwork.

Joyce asked for pros and cons and I simply can't think of anything I don't like about our schoolroom.

Fun and games

If you're just scratching your head wondering how you could waste more time on the computer, check out Popcap Games I particularly like Zuma (if you get above 73,000 or so please let me know).

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We are trying to get back into the swing of things. The boys are all officially recovered now though they have nasty coughs and constantly runny noses. We even did work yesterday with Jeff home. Spelling will have to take place a little more often to get us farther along. Everything else just gets done a lesson at a time.

Yesterday, I introduced silent e to Jared and he caught on right away. I'm pretty happy with Simply Phonics which is much gentler than Alphaphonics (which I used with Adam) but I see some distinct advantages in later reading skills with Alphaphonics. I'll probably end up using a bit of both. I went through our Easy Readers last night to try to get them in some sort of order (they got all packed together for the move). I pulled out some of the easiest ones for Jared. Today he read Toad on the Road which is one of my favorite easy readers. It is much longer than the regular Animal Antics or Bob Books and Jared did very well. I think I'll let him stay with the Animal Antics (the 2nd set which I can't remember the name of right now) for awhile so he doesn't get discouraged.
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I keep thinking of Donna's Booja Bag. I'd like to knit something FUN and this might be it. I just need to get to the yarn store to buy the yarn.

A Short History of Nearly Everything

I finished reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown yesterday. Though it is not my usual kind of book I found it a quick read and really enjoyed it. I plan to read The DaVinci Code soon but started Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything last night.

I'm not sure what I expected the book to be like but it really pulled me in. Fascinating reading! I'll probably bore you all to tears sharing quotes from the book. What was really interesting was how much of the information from the beginning of the book was also in Angels and Demons.

I thought this quote was perfect for the homeschoolers among us. The author is discussing a science textbook he brought home from school after being enthralled with a picture of the inside of the Earth he saw in it.

"Above all, it didn't answer any of the questions that the illustration stirred up in a normal inquiring mind: How did we end up with a Sun in the middle of our planet? And if it is burning away down there, why isn't the ground under our feet hot to the touch? ... And how do you know this? How did you figure it out?
But the author was strangely silent on such details ... It was as if he wanted to keep the good stuff secret by making all of it soberly unfathomable. ...
There seemed to be a mystifying universal conspiracy among textbook authors to make certain the material they dealt with never strayed too near the realm of th emildly interesting and was always at least a long-distance phone call away from the frankly interesting."

What do you think?

Please let me know what you think.
Do you like the new colored background on this page or does a colored background make it more difficult to read?

I haven't figured out how to change the color of the top banner yet but I'm working on it. If anyone knows how ...

More flu

If my blog wasn't boring before it certainly is now.

Both Jeff and Eric are down with the flu. Adam is feeling much better but still has a fever. Jared is also feeling better - just a cough left.

I am trying to take care of myself but I'm simply not getting enough sleep because someone is up all night. I've been spraying Lysol on all the doorknobs and light fixtures and washing my hands all the time. So far, so good.

I let Adam go to the Pinewood Derby yesterday even though he was running a low grade fever. His car did pretty well but didn't win a trophy. He was a very good sport and had a great time. Jared's car was even faster than Adam's (I raced it for him) but he didn't win either.

Jeff better get well soon. He is not a good sick person and I simply do not have the energy to deal with him after taking care of sick kids for almost 2 weeks. I have a funny feeling he'll rally in time for the Patriots game today.

My poor boys

Jared was so sick today. Truly, awfully pitifully sick. At one point, I heard him crying in other room and I went in to see what was wrong. "I have to pee," he said, "and I can't walk." I had to carry him to the bathroom. Once there he was able to stand and walk back. I called the Dr. and they don't want to see the kids in the office. I know there's nothing they can do we just encourage them to drink fluids and rest.

Jeff came home early - he's got the flu, too.

I went out to register the cars for the Pinewood Derby tonight. Jared's car did great in the test runs and Adam's was slightly slower. I hope Adam is well enough tomorrow to go to the race - Jared will definitely have to stay home. I'm not feeling so swell myself but I simply can't get sick. I'm sure I'll feel much better tomorrow after some sleep.

The house has been so quiet with the boys sick. No fighting. No running around. No yelling or name calling or rough housing. Only poor little Eric searching for someone to play with.

For your enjoyment

Virtual Bubble Wrap

I am constantly amazed by the things you can find online.

Another one bites the dust

There are good sick people and bad sick people.

Adam is a good sick person. When he's sick he quietly sits on the couch and watches tv or he goes upstairs and takes a nap. When I suggest something like a warm bath or a change of clothes he does what I suggest without argument. He takes his medication without complaint. If I offer him something to drink or eat he accepts it graciously and then says, "Thanks, Mom, that was so good."

Jared is a bad sick person. He moans and groans and cries. He cries so much he makes himself vomit. He will never take a nap on his bed. He puts up a big struggle about taking medication. He acts needy and miserable all day and night.

Both Adam and Jared have the flu. Adam's temperature was down to 101.8 this morning and he says he feels much better. I am hopeful he will be able to go to his Cub Scout Pinewood Derby tomorrow to race his car. Jared's temp was also 101.8 but he started his flu later than Adam and I believe he's at the point where he's getting worse and not better.

I was up with Jared all night and I'm tired and cranky. *Yawn* It is -12 degress right now. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

I spent sometime this morning find a different Comments host and got that all set up. Hopefully, I will no longer have psychotic comments that only appear when they want to.

Baby, it's cold outside

Maybe those of you who live in warm climates think those of us who live in the North always complain about the cold. I like the winter. I like the snow and the cold temperatures. I just don't ever remember it being this cold for this long. Last night on the news I heard that this is the coldest weather we've had in 50 years. Yesterday the temps never rose about -1 F. If you go outside for even a minute your exposed skin begins to freeze. Today is supposed to be even colder - and I'm not even talking about the wind chill factor.

Adam appears to be down with the flu. Yesterday he complained of cold symptoms and I thought he was just trying to get out of doing his school work. When he slept for most of the day and didn't want anything to eat I realized he was really sick. This morning he has a temp of 104, he's all stuffed up, he says his head and throat hurt and he's already gone back to bed. I've put a call into the doctor but truthfully I can't see taking him outside in this weather to drive 45 minutes to the doctor. I felt like I should call anyway.

In other news, Dy was right. My comments are pulling a psychotic act. Here one minute - gone the next. Last time I looked they were gone. By the time this posts they might be back.

I am very grateful to be snug in my warm house today. I don't know how homeless people can make it through this. Even the wild animals are suffering. The deer keep coming down into our front yard. The mice keep breaking into the basement. The coyotes keep chasing the deer and keeping them inside the neighborhood so they can't find food. At least the sun is shining.

Testing ...

Dy tells me that my Comments section is psychotic. When I click on the Comments I don't have any problems. I've had lots of visitors in the last two days but no new comments.

Would a couple of loyal readers please either leave a comment to let me know comments are working or drop me a note on your blog to let me know you couldn't post?

Thanks a bunch.

I'm not a saint

I was sitting with some mothers last night at Adam's basketball practice. One of them turned to me and said, "You homeschool, right?" I replied that I did. "You're a saint!" she said.

It is so hard to make people understand that the people who homeschool aren't all that different from them. We don't inherently have more patience or intelligence. We are certainly not saints.

I always tell people that homeschooling is much easier than sending my kids off to school every day. I don't have to get them out of bed when they're still tired, make them eat when they're not hungry or make them sleep when they're not tired. I tell people that I get the best and the worst of my boys - I don't just get them at their worst at the end of a long school day when they're tired and I'd have to make them do their homework. I don't have to deal with teachers that I don't like or respect. I don't have to make my boys follow arbitrary rules.

Most people still tell me I'm crazy. A different mom said to me a couple of weeks ago, "You'll never know the joy of a Tuesday morning at the Mall." Sheesh! I guess I had never thought of that before. Maybe I'll enroll my kids tomorrow so I can get some quality shopping done.

Speaking of shopping ...
Adam has been asking me for a book on the history of weapons. He wants a book that follows along with our history studies so he can look at the weapons of the times we study.

I asked for suggestions on TWTM boards yesterday and someone suggested the DK Eyewitness book Arms & Armor. I checked the reviews at amazon and it sounded exactly like what Adam was looking for. I called around this morning and the boys and I made a road trip about 45 minutes away to Barnes & Noble to pick up the book. Adam was very pleased with the book and couldn't wait to share it with his friend when he got home from school (son of the mother who made the Mall comment, BTW).

After the bookstore the boys and I went to the Mall (on a Tuesday morning even). The boys were surprisingly well behaved. They got lunch at McDonald's with some gift certificates they were given for Christmas.

One of the true benefits of homeschooling is the ability to be able to be spontaneous - to take the day off to go book shopping.

Middle child syndrome

I'm an oldest child and I find that I relate very well with my oldest son. I understand him. I remember what it was like to be the oldest and I'm quick to take his side. I remember not wanting to be held up as an example all the time and not wanting to have my younger sister playing with me when my friends came over.

My husband is a youngest child. I'm not sure that he remembers much about being a small child but I find that he tends to be harder on Adam and he doesn't really understand where he's coming from.

All that being said, I have always had difficulty understanding my middle son. I just don't get him. He's the child I have the most difficulty connecting with. I've been struggling with this for years.

Last October, I thought I would see if Jared was ready to learn to read. We spent some time together on the couch doing reading lessons and I was surprised how quickly he caught on. He was so proud of himself and so happy when I remarked one day how smart he was. I realized then that he is struggling to get my undivided attention and that he really wants to please me.

Our reading lessons have been a great way to connect. I make sure that we spend this time alone - today he read to me while I folded laundry in my bedroom. We also started Explode the Code today and I made sure that his brothers left us alone.

The other night I realized that we've never read Jared a chapter book. Jeff reads to the little boys every night but he always reads them picture books. I asked Jared if he'd like to read Flat Stanley. We quickly finished the first book and started a second Stanley book. On Saturday night I went out with friends and I asked Jared on Sunday morning if Jeff had read some of the Stanley book to him. "That's our special book, Mom. Only you can read it to me."

Tonight when I walked in the door after Adam's basketball practice, Jared came bounding down the stairs to ask me if I would read him one chapter in the Stanley book. Though I really wanted him in bed, it only took me 10 minutes to read him the chapter and then he happily went off to bed.

*sigh* Sometimes it's so easy to make our kids happy.

Separate but not equal

We had a great service at church today. I am so grateful to be a member of such a loving, diverse, liberal community. The sermon today was about the subject of Marriage for Gay and Lesbian couples.

Below is an except from my church's website. For more information and more articles, check out Thoughts Toward Gay Marriage

Some Unitarian Universalist ministers have chosen recently not to sign marriage licenses of straight couples. We applaud their intention. We choose to approach the matter differently. Were we not to sign the marriage license of a straight couple, a justice of peace would need to be hired to witness and sign the license. We wonder whether the refusal to sign a straight license motivates straight couples to support the civil liberties of gays and lesbians. We also wonder about the ethics of our claiming higher moral ground while by default requiring others – in this case a Justice of the Peace -- to occupy a lower moral ground.

We do believe that educating every couple who marries makes a difference. Straight and gay couples who exchange vows at South Church learn that this faith community affirms gays and lesbians and believes that their love is just as deserving of blessing, support, and protection. We also believe that making the general public aware is essential. To that end we are designing a marriage license which gay couples we wed may complete. We will sign it as we do any other marriage license and mail it in to City Hall. We are honoring their union and every time we marry a gay and lesbian couple we ask City Hall to do the same.

I believe that if people could sit in my church, surrounded by many gay and lesbian couples with their children, they would see how right it is to afford these couples the same legal protections of marriage that every heterosexual couple has.

Books, books, books, books

I'm glad to see that my Weather Pixie added ear muff and mittens. It was making me cold just to look at her.

I would have loved to spend the day indoors today. Well, maybe not inside my house where all my boys were along with their friends, but inside somewhere quiet with a fire going. Alas, I spent the day running errands in the freezing cold. I had to pick up supplies for the Homeschool Resource Center which reopens on Thursday. I went to the Children's Orchard for their 50% off toys sale to buy stuff to sell on ebay. I went to Home Depot, Sears and another Home Depot to buy a new scroll saw for my husband's birthday (which isn't until February but it was nice for him to be able to use the scroll saw to cut out Pinewood Derby cars). I also went to Barnes & Noble because it is Educator Appreciation week which means you can get 25% off everything - not just homeschool related stuff.

I was so excited to be able to buy stuff at Barnes & Noble with my gift cards I received for Christmas. Gift cards to bookstores are just about the perfect gift for me. I don't usually buy myself books but my library is very tiny - so tiny as to make it completely useless to me. I'm very grateful to have received the gift cards and promised myself I would use at least half the money on books for ME. Really for me. Not just homeschool stuff that I say is for me.

Today I bought:
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson

I also got Adam some books:
So, You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Dunne
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Colville

I picked up even more books at the Children's Orchard and Goodwill:
The Angry Aztecs by Terry Deary
The Vicious Vikings by Terry Deary
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
The Arkadians by Lloyed Alexander
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

I finally picked up The Kingfisher Encyclopedia.

When I got home, I found that my package had finally arrived from Barnes&Noble.com so I had even more books:
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I'm very glad that Jeff and I gave each other bookshelves for Christmas. I now have plenty of books to keep me busy for a while. Gulliver's Travels is my serious book which I'm reading as suggested in The Well Educated Mind. That is, I'm reading it at scheduled times during the day when I can give it my full attention.

I still need books to read at night and for entertainment. I really like what Jill had to say on Kolbi's blog, "Try to read something light, along with something heavy. Have something to balance the deep reading. A little levity to counter what Foghorn Leghorn used to call those "long-haired book". Fun childrens' classics are good for this; it's a good way to preview your kids' reading material if you feel the need to do that."

Speaking of which - last night I finished reading The Dragonriders of Pern which Adam had put on his Christmas list because he saw it referenced in Eragon. I decided to read it because Adam is reading The Hobbit. I'm very glad I decided to read it first. I consider myself a liberal person and I'm not particularly sensitive about what my children are exposed to but this was not a children's book. I would rate it PG-13. While I was at Barnes & Noble today, I was talking with an employee in the children's section who was helping me pick out some books for Adam (he's been in a rut and really bored by most of what he's been reading). I was telling her what I thought about The Dragonriders of Pern and she said, "But that's not a children's book - it's in the teen section." I pointed out to her that it was in the children's section but with a very different cover than the book in the teen section. The book has been remarketed to children with a different cover but it hasn't been changed at all. Actually, the same thing was true for So, You Want to Be A Wizard. I had only seen the book in the children's section but when I couldn't find it today I asked for assistance and was lead to the teen section. Later, I found the same book but with a different cover in the children's section. Maybe I'm naive but I had no idea that this went on.

Exercise your brain

MFS at Mental Multivitamin reminds us, "Fogged memory and slowed wit are not the inevitable consequences of growing old. Exercise your brain ..."

I wanted to share with you all one way that I exercise my brain.
Set Game of the Day

It's cold

I know I said it yesterday but it bears repeating today - IT'S COLD! Really cold. It's noon time here and the temps finally hit 0. I like winter and really don't mind the cold but this is a different animal altogether.

It's so cold that we had to bake cookies. That was the only way to make the house feel warm. Honestly. Even doing laundry is a blessing today because it helps to warm the house.
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Success ...

This morning I taught Adam to make scrambled eggs (after checking to be sure we'd have enough eggs for cookies). I think he'll need one more walk through and then he'll be able to make himself eggs for breakfast.

Jared asked to do some mazes and dot-to-dots today. He's always liked doing them but finds them difficult because of his problems holding a pencil. He started doing mazes in one book and declared them too easy. We moved on to the Challenge Mazes and he was able to do those, too. The same thing happened with the dot-to-dots. His finger strength is clearly improving and he held his pencil with only two fingers on top (he usually has all 4 on top). Still not a great pencil grip but huge improvement. It's just amazing what taking a break can do.

I finally found a way to make SOTW work for us. Adam now reads the SOTW book independently. Then he narrates for me and I ask him any review questions that were not in the narration. Later he read more about the subject in the DP World History Encyclopedia. The next day he does map work or other paper stuff from SOTW Activity guide. I feel a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders because I have been wanting to do more history but just never get it done. This way works for us.

I started Gulliver's Travels yesterday afternoon and need to get to TWEM yahoo group to see if I can find a reading partner or if anyone else is currently reading Gulliver's Travels.

Pholph's Scrabble Generator My Scrabble© Score is: 23. What is your score? Get it here.

Misc. stuff

I finally finished the red mittens I've been knitting since November. I've made this pattern at least 30 times (though with different motifs like reindeer and snowflakes) and I'm tired of it. I don't like to have to sew seams and prefer to knit in the round. I'm not entirely thrilled with the way they turned out and Jared said they're not comfortable. I'm just glad they're done.


My plan is to finish the yellow socks I'm knitting for my friend Claudia. I only have a little of the foot and the toe left on one sock and they'll be complete. After that, I'm knitting for ME. I can watch tv guilt free if I'm knitting.

I'm just about finished the introduction to the novel section of TWEM. I should be able to start Gulliver's Travels tomorrow. I was happy to see that Susan recommended the same place that I found my novel notes.

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One cool thing about homeschooling is that my children have an abundance of free time. Adam has taken it upon himself to learn to cook a few things that he likes so that he can make himself lunch. So far he's mastered Ramen noodles, grilled cheese and quesadillas. It may not be gourmet cuisine but he can do it all on his own and it makes him happy. I told him I'd teach him how to make scrambled eggs next.

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Check out my Weather Pixie. She should be shivering. It is COLD. Really cold. Too cold to let the kids play outside. I don't even want to go get the mail. I am very, very grateful to be inside my warm, cozy house today. I had planned to bake cookies but I don't think it's fair to Jared for me to bake cookies when he can't eat them. He's fast asleep on the family room floor right now. He's only thrown up once today and he has a mild fever. I'm hoping he'll be better soon.

Here we go again

Eric was feeling better today so we all went to Borders where Adam plays Yu-Gi-O monthly with a group of homeschoolers. Eric and Jared had a great time running around with friends, Adam stayed busy for 3.5 hours dueling, and I was able to chat with a friend and visit with some other homeschool mothers.

Right in the middle of Law and Order I heard Jared crying upstairs. I ran to see what was the matter only to find that he was throwing up. It's always hardest when Jared's sick - he takes it personally and gets very upset when he throws up. I changed his bed, washed him up, put him back to bed with a bucket next to his bed and washed his bedding. Now I'm just waiting for him to throw up again.

I really thought we were done with this round of stomach bug. Sheesh!

Thank you notes

The boys finished writing their thank you notes today.


Adam needed some prodding but got into it once he started. Jared really surprised me! He has very poor fine motor skills and has a difficult time just holding a pencil. I got the fill in the blanks thank you notes for him (but not for Adam) and he did a great job. I wrote the word "Auntie" in the note above but he did the rest. When we were finished he asked if there was anyone else he could write a thank you note to.

First Quizilla of 2004

You are going to Marry orlando Bloom. He will
always treat you right and is very romantic. He
will do anything for you. He is very polite and
has deep brown eyes and is very good looking
(which is another plus!). He can make anythind
cheesy look really good (like sliding down
stairs on a shield shooting arrows or wearing
pointy ears for example). Congrats!!


Which male celebrity are you going to marry? (10 results that have pics!)
brought to you by Quizilla




I'm pretty happy with my future husband though I would have been equally happy with some of the other choices - like Johnny Depp or Viggo Mortensen.

Blogginess et al.

I finally went to my old blog at Upsaid and copied the code for my sidebar. Now I have a nice, new update sidebar here.

You probably noticed that the pictures of my boys are gone. For some reason, blogger was giving me problems with my sidebar yesterday and in order to fix the problem I took down the pictures of the boys. Maybe I'll put up a new picture instead (though I really do like those black and white photos I took of the boys).

Now that we have started schoolwork again I've been giving some thought to the things we use. I feel very grateful that I really like our choices right now. Simply Phonics and Simply Numbers have been great choices for Jared. That child knows more than I ever dreamed. It will be interesting to see how Eric learns. 3 boys - all so different.

I think we need to get serious about science. Adam has learned a lot on his own, through his reading and watching of various television shows. He amazes me with his knowledge. He'll be in 5th grade this fall, however, and I'd like to start doing something more structured. It is very hard to find a good secular science program for homeschoolers and I don't have the inclination, motivation or desire to do it myself. I'm open to all suggestions

History also takes a back seat. There is no good reason for this. We have SOTW and Adam likes it very much. It's just that after he does his bookwork in the morning (spelling, grammar, handwriting, math, geography) and his reading, he feels he's done for the day. It would be easy enough for me to coral him for some history but I have just been too lazy to do so. I need to change this. Today.

Adam and Jared are outside playing in the snow. It's so much better to have snow during the winter. If it's just cold outside the boys don't go out to play but if there's snow they can stay outside for a long time. Eric is taking a nap on my bed. He's still throwing up and looks miserable. He doesn't have a fever so I'm assuming it's just one of those 48 hour stomach bugs.

I spent a little time looking online for background information on Gulliver's Travels. I found free Barron's Booknotes here. I didn't want to read all the information about the novel (yet) but I did want to read about the author and his times before I read the book. I printed off some good information. The Well Educated Mind yahoo group seems to be pretty dead which disappoints me. I thought it would be a lively group. I'd really like to find an online literature group.

The boys return from the great outdoors and duty beckons ...

Too funny not to steal

I found this on Krista's blog and just had to try it.

Here's what Google has to say about me (contents edited for length and common decency):
beth is a goooood girl
beth is a trainee
beth is the best
beth is wonderful
beth is cute
beth is cool
beth is a demonic monster what does that make ben?
beth is bored
beth is *sold*
beth is away"
beth is going away
beth is known for her quick no
beth is the second letter of the hebrew alphabet and it means "house
beth is 12 years old and in the 7th grade
beth is so much faster than todd
beth is coming to town
beth is the path where the unlimited energy of kether comes within reach of the formative mind
beth is an outstanding and highly effective agent
beth is forced to wait while jack is involved in a daring cave rescue
beth is made from curly matted eggshell coloured mohair
beth is not her full name
beth is right
beth is anything but
beth is blonde and dressed in natty red
beth is barely keeping her head above water
beth is with children
beth is classically trained in piano
beth is constantly seeking ways to make a positive difference in the lives of others
beth is a spirited woman who lives intensely and often joyfully
beth is a strong defender
beth is extremely capable and independent
beth is short and fat
beth is a dame commandeur in the sovereign military order of the knights templar of jerusalem and is one of the few women so honored on their own merit
beth is one of the most extraordinary women i have ever met
beth is very knowledgeable and the energy of her heart can be felt with every answer
beth is not just a yac
beth is in a spaceship traveling at speed v = 0
beth is a prodigious talent
beth is a survivor; it will take more than a few knocks to conquer her spirit
beth is feeling the strain
beth is suffering some dang perfect karma
beth is crazy about chocolate
beth is good at solving problems that deal with people

Some of my favorites are in bold. What does Google have to say about you?

More 2004 thoughts

I have been alternately inspired and discouraged reading the blogs of Kolbi (and the visiting Jill in OK), Dy, and MFS and realizing just how inadequate my education has been. My goal for the year is to read more quality literature and, to that end, I have purchased and am reading TWEM. I need the guidance of the book. I read what Jill has been doing and it is exactly what Susan recommends in TWEM. I do not know how to analyze books on my own. It never occurred to me to keep a Reading Journal of my own.

I really liked what Jill had to say about reading less challenging books. I will continue to read young adult fiction along with adult fiction. Right now I am reading the Dragonriders of Pern which my son got for Christmas. I think he might actually wait a little while to read it. He is currently reading The Hobbit. I just finished Jane Eyre (which I did not know was on TWEM list).

My plan is to finish reading the introductory chapters of TWEM and start with Gulliver's Travels. I do not want to even attempt Don Quixote after so many tried and gave up and I have no desire to read Pilgrim's Progress. I'm hoping to begin Gulliver's Travels in a day or two but I really want to finish the chapters in TWEM leading up to the novel section.

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Yesterday I spent time getting our study/classroom back in working order. It had become overrun with holiday stuff. I put all the crafts back in the craft closet, threw out a ton of paper, took the Christmas table cloths off the tables, put toys back in the boys' rooms, put away the Christmas puzzles, cleared off the December calendar and got the January one ready, put all the books where they are supposed to be ... just got the room ready to work in again.

We will start back to work today. The neighborhood kids have returned to school and we will return to our schedule (or lack thereof). I look forward to the regularity of our normal pre-holiday lives.

Unfortunately, Eric was up half the night vomitting. Jeff and I took turns with him. No one got enough sleep. Eric is laying on a make shift sick bed in the living room - too sick to even watch tv. Poor baby.

All I wanted was for my kids to stay healthy through the holidays and I got my wish. Jared seems to be feeling better. Eric is sick but does not appear to have the flu (he doesn't have a fever). At least the holidays are done.

We got published ...

A few months ago my friend, Linda, suggested that we write an article about the Homeschool Resource Center that we had started. The truth of the matter is, Linda wrote the article. A couple of us contributed ideas and editing advice. The article, Perpetual Recess, is in this month's Home Education Magazine. They also published one of the photos I submitted, in which you can see both my oldest and youngest son, but the photos are not online (the photo is not really very good but I think they thought it went well with the article).

Here's an excerpt from the article. If you want to read the full article, please click the Home Education Magazine link above.

It's Perpetual Recess! - Linda Jordan
with Fran Chickering, Jeanne Fogg, Beth Nelson, Katy Wiggin and Rachel Williams

It's early afternoon on a beautiful fall Thursday at a Friends meeting house in southern New Hampshire. Outdoors, about ten children ages eight to fifteen are playing kickball, while a few parents bask in the sun on the front steps of the building, discussing math curricula. Three girls ages five to seven are running full tilt down the driveway (blocked off to traffic), screaming and giggling, wearing a conglomeration of apparel that suggests they've recently come from the dress-up corner. A few children and an adult or two are still engrossed in paper-making, the morning's optional craft activity, set up on a rock wall just outside the downstairs entrance. A group of young children is under a tree making something with sticks and rocks.

Friday Five

What one thing are you most looking forward to . . .

1. ...today? Baking cookies with the boys

2. ...over the next week? Life returning to normal

3. ...this year? Finishing painting the inside of the house

4. ...over the next five years? Watching the boys get older

5. ...for the rest of your life? Growing older with my great husband

First snow of 2004

It's beautiful outside. Big, fluffy flakes are falling. They probably won't amount to much (and Jeff won't get to use his brand new snowblower) but it makes the kids anxious to go outside to play.

Jeff and Adam are off to see ROTK. They won't be home until around dinner time. I promised the boys we would make gingerbread cookies today and Jared and Eric picked out two ghosts and a star from the can of new cookie cutters we received as a Christmas gift. So we'll have ghost and star gingerbread cookies later today.

Unfortunately, Jared seems to have come down with the stomach bug. He has diarrhea and says his tummy hurts. He makes a pitiful patient. I'm hoping he doesn't stay sick for too long and that he doesn't pass it on to each and every one of us. I've already washed my hands a dozed times this morning and I'm on my third load of wash.

2004

I hung up my new Gooseberry Patch calendar this morning but haven't written anything on it yet. I love the look of the uncluttered, uncommitted days. The best part of the last couple of weeks has been the freedom from our usual commitments. We haven't had Cub Scouts, 4-H, baseketball or our homeschool resource center. While the boys love all their activities, and they do not take up terrible amounts of time, I just don't like being committed to being places or doing things. It has been so nice not to have to do anything.

Tomorrow I'll take the calendar down and start filling in the dates that we have commitments. It will look full and busy. On Monday, we will return to our regularly scheduled lives. I look forward to the normalcy and regularity as much as I dread the commitments.

December was a nice month. I feel very lucky that none of us got sick (knock on wood). We had wonderful times making crafts, baking cookies, making fudge, baking cookies, reading the Christmas books from the Advent basket, opening the Lego advent calendars, and baking cookies.

Now it's January. Time to get our lives back on track.