Life Gets in the Way

We are in one of those times when Life gets in the way. I have several posts in my head and hope to get them out soon. Here is some of what we did for 10 days...

Looking for One but Found Another

Isn't homeschooling and life full of rabbit trails? I was trying to find a version of Go Tell It On the Mountain by Garth Brooks, one of my favorites, and found Belleau Woods. Belleau Woods is based on a true story from WW1, where the Germans and their enemies held a truce over the holidays and even shared celebratory time together. Then this made me think of a movie, Joyeux Noel, I watched last year... based on the same story. Huh

Marshmallow World

One of my ALL TIME favorite songs. My mom had this album when I was growing up and couldn't wait to play it each winter. Memories (sigh)




Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra- Marshmallow World

Christmas Time

As we are done with school for the semester and have 2 family Christmas parties done, I am all about feel good Christmas Music. I will be posting some new finds as well as old favorites! Whether you celebrate the season or not... best wished to you and yours from Boys+



Trans-Siberian Orchestra- Christmas Canon

Nerd Family Giveaway

The Nerd Family has reviewed the Clean 'n' Flip charts from Trigger Memory Systems and is giving them away! You can enter 3 ways. Check it out!

Finally Finished

My den is done!!! All my books are nestled all snug in their shelves.

Movies are behind the bulletin boards. Our Library loans are on the top shelf along with the glass kitty G bought me for Mother's Day "because I am allergic and cannot have a real cat."

Ta Dah Dah Dah! My new Ikea bookshelves. I love them. I actually have one more big one but measured wrong and it wouldn't fit properly. That's ok I found a space for it.

It's in the foyer and is housing Snowmen, photo albums, and cd/ dvd binders. After winter it will hold my Mexican Alebrije and Black Pottery collection.

I am feeling so much lighter! I have a table top full of final piles to pack to the basement, find homes for, or pitch. I have filled 6 bags of trash, at least 6 for charity and added some books to Paperbackswap. Ahhhhhh

OK...

This is the best quiz outcome EVER!

History in the Making

Oh my goodness. Tonight is an amazing History lesson in the making. I believe it will be one of those moments in time you will remember forever.

Have a Happy Week!!

This cutie is a real spider only found on four of the islands in Hawaii. What a great field trip that would be!

No, What's That?

I have forgotten how to say no therefore have only picture blogs lately. I put on my Facebook page that I am tired of being a leader and simply want to follow aimlessly for a while. LOL Besides all of the wonderful activities we are doing outside the house, we are still remodeling, I am President of local Charitable Org, I am helping start a coop. Is it May yet? The Coop will be over as will the remodel (I hope) and the Presidency. I hope to write some words soon! Miss you all. BTW, I'll take some cheese with my whine! LOL

Olive Oyl for President

The First One Close to Home

The step-brother of a High School Friend was killed in Iraq. I am so blessed that this is the first soldier I have remotely known. Godspeed Gary and Prayers for your Brothers in the force and Iraq. If you scroll over the pictures they have details. This gallery is from the Indianapolis paper.

Funeral service for Sgt. Gary Henry - More IndyStar Galleries

View this gallery at IndyStar: Funeral service for Sgt. Gary Henry

Parents Choice in Education

Oh how true. History is Elementary had this clip from the british show Yes,Prime Minister on her site. EHT says "How do I know the video speaks volumes? Well, I’ve sat in on meetings where I’ve heard some of the same comments. Say what you want to regarding the high level of poor parenting today, but parents are still the parents and should be able to make decisions regarding the education of their children." I've sat through many of those same meetings and conferences. This video is spot on! LOL

At It Again

Yes I changed again. I had to go to the other site to add and change everything. Too much trouble. So I did a little more searching and through the Blogger help boards found:
The Real Blogger Status - to edit into a 3 column
Dummies Guide to Googles Blogger Beta- how to widen the columns

So know I have 3 columns and easier editing again. I really liked my print in the background though. Oh well, when you are HTML illiterate you do what you can.

Piddling

I really wanted a new Blog look and previously just settled for the Dark Dot template. Well, I found this great site today and am really pleased with the look but it is in the old blogger format and is not as easy to make my sidebar content. So the posts are still here but the side links are gone. Please be patient. If someone knows how to create something like this but in "new" blogger for really cheap or free (since I do like to change) let me know. I was really excited but then got deflated.

I also joined Paperback Swap and received requests the next time I checked my computer! WOW!

Happy Birthday to G!

G is 6 today!!
I cannot believe it.
We surprised him with dinner with his cousins at Chuckie Cheese.

Triple 8 Challenge

Last week, Mother Crone wrote about a reading challenge called the Triple 8 Challenge.

Here are the Rules...

1. Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2008.

2. Choose 8 categories of your own that you would like to read 8 books EACH in.

3. You will be allowed 8 overlaps, for a total of 56 unique book titles.

4. You may overlap these 56 titles with any other challenge.

5. You may change your list or your categories at any time.

So as I do not take time to read for myself I am going to join this challenge to help motivate me. I definitely used the 8 overlaps (noted with a *). Here is my list....

Thomas Jefferson Education Book List

□ Little Britches- Ralph Moody

□ Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte

□ The Lonesome Gods- Louis L’Amour

□ Laddie – Gene Stratton- Porter

□ Les Miserable- Victor Hugo

□ The Chosen- Chaim Potok

□ The Abolition of Man – C.S. Lewis

□ Uncle Tom’s Cabin- Harriet Beecher Stowe

Christian Fiction

□ True Light- Terri Blackstock *

□ The Parting- Beverly Lewis

□ Levi’s Will – W. Dale Cramer

□ Shadowed- Jerry Jenkins

□ Silenced- Jerry Jenkins

□ The Bark of the Bog Owl- Jonathan Rogers*

□ Summer Hill Secrets Vol 1- Beverly Lewis

□ Summer Hill Secrets Vol 2- Beverly Lewis

Children’s Classics

□ Robin Hood - Pyle

□ The Jungle Book- Rudyard Kipling

□ Winnie the Pooh- A.A. Milne

□ The Book of Virtues- William J. Bennett

□ Complete Fairy Tales- Brother Grimm

□ Fairy Tales- Hans Christian Anderson

□ The Children’s Book of Heroes- William J. Bennett

□ The Children’s Book of America- William J. Bennett

Collecting Dust on My Bookshelf

□ The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver*

□ The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath*

□ To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee*

□ Eragon- Christopher Paolini

□ Eldest- Christopher Paolini

□ The Bears of Blue River- Charles Major

□ The Dante Club- Matthew Pearl

□ The Jane Austen Book Club- Karen Joy Fowler

More Dust

□ Where the Sidewalk Ends- Shel Silverstein

□ Falling Up- Shel Silverstein

□ Night – Elie Wiesel

□ The Bark of the Bog Owl- Jonathan Rogers*

□ The Complete Poetic Works of James Whitcome Riley

□ The Quiet American- Grahme Greene*

□ The Power and the Glory- Grahme Greene*

□ A Girl Named Zippy- Haven Kimmel

Narnia

□ The Magician's Nephew

□ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

□ The Horse and His Boy

□ Prince Caspian

□ The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader"

□ The Silver Chair

□ The Last Battle

□ The Narnia Trivia Book

Unread Books by Favorite Authors

□ Northanger Abby- Jane Austen

□ Persuasions- Jane Austen

□ Broker- John Grisham

□ Ya- Yas in Bloom- Rebecca Wells

□ The Quiet American- Grahme Greene*

□ The Power and the Glory- Grahme Greene*

□ True Light- Terri Blackstock*

□ Charlie & the Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl

1001 Books to Read Before You Die List

□ The Devil and Miss Prym – Paulo Coelho

□ The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver*

□ The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath*

□ To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee*

□ The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

□ Tarzan of the Apes – Edgar Rice Burroughs

□ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

□ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

Around the World in 180 Minutes

We had a fabulous time this weekend at the International Festival. This is the first time we have attended this event and it did not disappoint. We explored several counties as G filled out his mini passport. G's favorite was Taiwan. We visited this booth several times throughout the afternoon. It had drums to play, lions heads to wear and shadow puppets to dance. We also enjoyed building a marshmallow & toothpick Eiffel Tower, dancing, and window shopping. The International Festival was so great and brought our obsession with Amazing Race alive. OOh OOh, next year we can not only map the Amazing Race countries, which we are doing now, but make a point to visit those booths at the festival!

Aqua Dots Recall

One of G's favorite toys is being recalled, Aqua Dots.
Please click on the link if you have not read the reason for the recall or need to return some.
If you know anyone who has these please tell them about the recall because they may not have heard. We are on our second box and have a third that is waiting to be "earned". I was also going to ask for some for him for Christmas. Unlike his Easy Bake Oven which Hasbro wanted back even after they send us replacement parts this is not a recall that can be ignored.

Local Boys Making It Big!!

I went to High School with one of these guys and am so excited for their growing success! It has been a long time coming! They are touring with Toby Keith this year. WOW! Way to Go Brent & Flynnville Train!

If you love country music or know someone who does go get their album Sept 11, 2007. You won't be disappointed!