LIFE, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

1-1-11

2011-01-11T14:03:00.000-06:00

Yeah, well, I'm only 10 days behind schedule! My New Year's Resolution was to do another P365 Blog. Here's my Day 1 photo. This was taken by my beautiful daughter, Rachael, when she went to the local courthouse for a photography field trip during her Photography/Biology co-op.

Dining Room - After (or perhaps in progress!)

2010-08-30T21:36:00.001-05:00

Jeff installed a new chandelier in the dining room. Of course, we also painted & replaced the furniture since the "Before" pictures. I'm also contemplating some curtains. We don't really need them for privacy (our back yard is pretty private), but I think it needs something - if only for aesthetic purposes. I just hate to cover up our gorgeous view!

Dining Room - Before

2010-08-30T21:30:00.001-05:00

Progress!

2010-08-30T21:01:00.001-05:00

We've begun to make some progress in Rachael's room, but the best part of the renovation process is getting to spend hours of uninterrupted time with Jeff. Nick is ecstatic that he gets to play online for an extended period of time, Rachael hides out upstairs reading so that she doesn't have to work, & Jeff is in heaven getting to do all the physical labor that he's missed since becoming an engineer. It's a win-win for all involved! ;-D

Anyone know what kind of flower this is?

2010-04-29T22:39:00.001-05:00

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted...not the least of which is buying a new house! More on that later, but for now...anyone know what this flower is? I have has so many people ask me, but I haven't a clue!

More Misc.

2010-01-13T03:01:00.001-06:00

More pics I don't want to lose...

This is at Crane's Christmas party & Rachael's piano recital.

I'll be posting a lot more entries tomorrow. I need to get to bed!!!

More Florida pics

2010-01-13T02:57:00.002-06:00

Here are some pics that I forgot to post earlier when I was creating my Florida entry. Some of these I just don't want to lose in case of a computer crash, others I just find humorous (like the 'official Walt Disney World 100% UV Protection glasses' with no lenses!)

Halloween

2010-01-13T02:51:00.001-06:00

For the past several years, I've been taking the several kids trick or treating in Princeton the night before Halloween (which is part of the town's 'official' trick or treating times). Apparently, this is a tradition no one else in the area has ever heard of! I guess P'ton people just like candy, LOL! Anyway, this year, we took Gracie & Julia and got a great deal on a hotel. The kids had fun swimming and the next day, Heather, Mary, & Sophia joined us for a morning swim before checkout.

Lady & Sons restaurant

2010-01-13T02:43:00.000-06:00

Jeff's parents treated us all to dinner at the famous "Paula Deen's Lady & Sons" restaurant in Savannah. We had the buffet, and it was just as delicious as I had hoped it would be!

Bonaventure cemetery

2010-01-13T02:40:00.000-06:00

We didn't do a lot of sightseeing around Savannah, but we did manage to make it to Bonaventure cemetery where "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was filmed. Very cool, but creepy trees!

Brian & Tiawannia's

2010-01-13T02:37:00.000-06:00

On our way back from Florida, we stayed a couple of nights in Savannah, GA, with Jeff's brother, Brian, his wife, Tiawannia, & her kids Shay & Jujuan. Jeff's parents were there and had brought Alex with them. Alex had a blast with their German Shepherd, Max; while Nick couldn't get enough of Shay. I think he was glued to her side the whole time!

Atlantis Launch

2010-01-13T02:31:00.000-06:00

While in Florida, we were fortunate enough to get to see the space shuttle Atlantis launch. We watched from Space View Park...pretty cool!

Beach

2010-01-13T02:25:00.001-06:00

It was too cold to swim, but Nick enjoyed playing in the sand at the beach & Rachael loved her walk with Dad searching for shells.

Disney 2009

2010-01-13T02:17:00.001-06:00

Over Jeff's birthday (November), we did our obligatory once-in-a-childhood trip to visit the rat in Orlando. As if you couldn't tell, I am NOT a Disney person! As much as I am all in favor of capitalism, I think Disney is the biggest ripoff known to man! Anyway, the last time we went, Rachael was under two. Jeff thinks that every kid should have the memory of Disneyworld at least once during childhood. We had a wonderful time just being together as a family. In hindsight, we all agree that we would have had just as much fun just going to Universal like we did during our previous 2 trips to Florida. Neither of my kids were all that excited about the characters, and with the exception of the test track at Epcot, the rides weren't much to speak of. The kids did enjoy "It's a Small World", though. It was always my favorite, too! I really had high hopes for the different countries at Epcot, but was hugely disappointed. For some reason I thought they would really learn something about the different cultures. I didn't realize it was just another scam to sell more junk packaged in a Disney label! Like Jeff said, if I was looking for a learning experience, I should have gone to a museum, LOL!

2009 Christmas pictures

2010-01-13T01:59:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2009

2010-01-13T01:46:00.000-06:00

We had a really nice Christmas this year. We celebrated Christmas Eve at home as usual. Jeff made a HUGE breakfast followed by movies and chilling out at home. Christmas morning we headed to Jeff's parents' house for dinner. My parents joined us there which made the holiday especially nice to have everyone together! After dinner, we headed to my parents house and opened gifts with Jill & Paul who announced they were getting married!

Victory!

2010-01-13T01:39:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm still among the living. I know it's been forever since I've updated my blog, but I promise my entire 3 person viewing audience that I will be posting more often! I need to upload a bunch of pictures anyway so that I don't lose them to another computer crash.

Today was a great day! Rachael & Julia's Rose-Hulman bridge building project won the engineering competition. The bridge was just about the ugliest thing you ever saw, but it withstood 40 lbs. of force, which surpassed the old record by a full 28 lbs!

After riding my evening high with their win, I was enjoying my computer time alone after everyone else went to bed. Nick came downstairs and brought me a "romance story" that he had written. For those of you who need translation, it says... "Once upon a time... One day, the flowers bloomed and then it was romance. Then they got married. The End" Anyone who knows my struggles will realize what a HUGE feat this was for him! With Nick's cerebral palsy, teaching him writing has been the bane of my existence. He is an amazing reader, spells really well for a 5 year old, and is doing pretty well in math. Writing, on the other hand, has been the tear-filled subject every day. Yes, there are misspelled words, 'interesting' punctuation, backwards letters, etc. but he wrote this on his own, for my enjoyment. In my eyes, this is the SWEETEST story ever written!!!!

More creek pics

2009-07-21T16:21:00.001-05:00

Rachael's love of playing in the creek is directly proportional to Nick & Alex's hatred of the swampy water. They both lasted about 30 seconds until they were finished. Alex dozed in the grass while Nick played in the van. No nature lovers there!

Crawdad Hunting

2009-07-21T16:17:00.001-05:00

This afternoon, Darla, Diana, & I met at the creek near our church to let the kids play and hunt crawdads. Fortunately, I took the old van because by the time we left, Rachael was drenched!

Tea Party

2009-07-21T16:09:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Diana & I took the kids to the Chinese restaurant for lunch. With us having been on the run for the past few weeks, it seemed like we haven't had much time to talk. After lunch and a few errands, I invited Thomas, Ross, Gracie, Josh, & Julia over to the house. I hid out upstairs while I finished folding the laundry that has been sitting in our room for several weeks. After about an hour, I heard the fire alarm go off. As I ran to the stairs, Rachael yelled that it was just the oven, and that nothing was on fire. (Our oven is notorious for setting off the alarm.) When I came downstairs, she showed me what she had made. It seems the kids wanted to have a tea party, and wanted some dessert to go with their tea. I guess Rachael's hours of watching Food Network have paid off!

Bowling...again

2009-07-21T16:01:00.001-05:00

The last time we went bowling, Ross had baseball and couldn't join us. Since Diana had a quilting class to attend, I decided to take the kids back to Mr. Gatti's & bowling. Rachael won the 1st game, & miraculously, I won the 2nd!

Alex - 7 months

2009-07-10T01:30:00.001-05:00

A Date with King Tut

2009-07-09T23:22:00.001-05:00

We had a co-op field trip to the Children's Museum to see the King Tut exhibit this afternoon. It's the same exhibit that we saw a few years ago in Chicago, but it's amazing how much difference a few years makes. The last time, Nick was just a toddler, but it was the event that sparked his passion for all things Egyptian. This time, he asked questions, absorbing everything that he could. The last time Rachael meandered through the rooms, taking only a cursory look at each item. This time, she read every description, watched every animation, and studied all of the background information surrounding the items.

The kids loved that Jeff took off work to come with us. He misses out on a lot of our field trips, because most of them are scheduled during the workday. Another bonus for Rachael was that Claudia was able to join the group. We hadn't seen her for ages!

After the museum, Jeff & I took the kids back to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. Always a good meal!

County Fair - Day 2

2009-07-09T00:15:00.002-05:00

Rachael actually got a bit braver today, riding a few of the rides that she wouldn't have even considered yesterday. Then again, she is noticeably absent from the clown picture - yet another phobia that we'll have to work on!

County Fair - Day 1 (cont.)

2009-07-07T00:55:00.001-05:00

More pictures... for some reason I liked the 2nd picture. Nick looked so cute waiting patiently for his turn. ;-D

County Fair - Day 1

2009-07-07T00:53:00.001-05:00

We met Heather and her girls for a day at the fair. We bought all of the kids $20 wristbands which are good for 3 days of rides. Still expensive, but a much better deal than $1.50 per ride or an $18 one day band! Rachael, ever the chicken, didn't ride many of the rides, but she had fun nonetheless. Nick was a little upset because I didn't let him ride some of the larger rides (the ones that went upside down). I was afraid that, being so small, he might hurt himself. With the price of admission, rides, and food, we spent a small fortune, but it was nice being able to just hang out and have a fun day with friends.

Children's Museum - Egypt Exhibit

2009-07-07T00:47:00.001-05:00

After leaving the hotel, we took advantage of our Children's Museum membership by visiting for a little while. The kids & I have been there numerous times, but Jeff hasn't been there in years. Of course, we'll be heading back later this week for the King Tut tour, so I didn't want to get him too sick of it before next week!

Swimming on the 5th

2009-07-07T00:44:00.002-05:00

The kids enjoyed swimming in the hotel pool the next day. As irritated as I get with my kids bickering, it's always nice to see how sweet they are to each other when they need to depend on one another. Rachael was incredibly patient with Nick while swimming. He is somewhat afraid of the water, and with his CP, his fear is often displayed as total muscle rigidity - his entire body becomes as stiff as a board - not an easy condition to try to work with in the water! It all worked out, though. She was able to coax him into relaxing, and they had a great time.

4th of July - Hyatt Regency

2009-07-07T00:38:00.001-05:00

We went with a group of homeschool families to the local fireworks display, which happened to be on the 3rd of July (go figure!) On the afternoon of the 4th, we were trying to decide what to do that evening. Jeff asked me to look on Priceline to see if we could get a cheap room in Indy. We ended up staying at the Hyatt Regency in downtown for $45. We've stayed there before, and it's one of Rachael's favorites due to the waterfall elevator. Upon check-in, the gentleman asked us if we had a floor preference, so Jeff chose the highest available - the 19th. Most of these photos were taken from just outside our room looking down on the lobby below.

We ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner, and drove to a perfect spot to see the fireworks that were to be set off atop the Regions Bank building downtown. Unfortunately, due to the rain, the fireworks were cancelled...but not until half an hour AFTER they were supposed to have begun. Grrrrr...

Bowling

2009-07-07T00:20:00.001-05:00

I signed the kids (Thomas & Ross included) up for free bowling throughout the summer. We've only taken advantage of it once so far, but the kids enjoyed themselves. Rachael won, having scored two strikes in a row. Since Nick was there, they put the bumpers up in the lane. Of course, even with the bumpers, I still couldn't score over 100!

Winter Wonderland

2009-06-29T11:11:00.002-05:00

The seal on our freezer is somewhat inadequate. I have to be ever vigilant about making sure it's completely sealed. In the rush to get out of the house on Friday, I guess I didn't check it, because we came home to a Winter Wonderland inside our freezer! I'm hoping that since it was almost sealed that the electric bill won't be astronomical!

Of course, there is a silver lining to all of this. As any homeschool mom knows...if all else fails, turn it into a science project! What better way to study crystalline structure! ;-D

Going Home

2009-06-29T11:04:00.001-05:00

Alex usually sleeps with Rachael or Jeff & me. One of the perks of vacation for Nick is that he gets to sleep with Alex. Apparently, he did more cuddling than sleeping because he was out cold for the entire trip home!

Summers Family Reunion

2009-06-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, we attended the Summers family reunion. It's always a good time, but this year was disgustingly HOT!!!! I did, however, get some genealogical information that I had been seeking, and also got a great lead on someone who has already done extensive research into the Summers family lineage.

The first three pictures above are of my father-in-law and some of his siblings (there are a couple missing). The last picture is my sister-in-law, Tiawannia, with Nick.

Cool St. Louis Building

2009-06-29T10:53:00.001-05:00

On Friday, we headed to the St. Louis airport to pick up my brother-in-law, Brian, and his wife Tiawannia. While crossing the bridge into Missouri, I noticed this building that I hadn't ever noticed before. A very cool addition to the STL skyline!

VBS 2009

2009-06-29T10:49:00.002-05:00

Last week was VBS at our church. Rachael was too old this year, so she helped with the crafts while I worked on the website. Nick enjoyed seeing all of his AWANA friends again!

Birthday Celebration #3 (cont.)

2009-06-29T00:44:00.001-05:00

Birthday Celebration #3

2009-06-29T00:39:00.001-05:00

On Saturday the 20th, we headed down south and had the 'grandparent party.' The kids had so much fun riding the rides and playing the games! My parents got Nick a Wii Fit, my grandma got him a drill/screwdriver playset, and Jeff's parents gave him some money. I'll post some game pictures in the next posting...

Birthday celebration #2

2009-06-29T00:32:00.001-05:00

On the 19th, Nick's actual birthday, we bought a little cake and let him open the gifts from Jeff, Rachael, & me. Rachael got him a huge bouncy ball, and Jeff & I got him a plasma car. We had been loking for something for him to ride on, but with his CP, everything that required 'pedal power' was just too difficult. The plasma car is perfect because it requires only upper body strength/coordination.

Birthday celebration #1

2009-06-29T00:25:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, June 18th, Thomas & Ross took Nick out for his birthday. We went to the movies, Mr. Gatti's, and then to the mall where they bought him a Build-a-Bear. He had been wanting one for awhile, so he was thrilled! While at the mall, we also stopped by the pet store where all the kids were able to play with the animals.

Nick-isms

2009-06-11T01:05:00.005-05:00

No pictures today, but I wanted to post before I forget...

I received a phone call today from ITT Technical Institute. The man gave his name and asked for "Summers." I responded saying that I was Amy Summers. He then proceeded to tell me that he received an internet request for more information on their online degree program. I told him that I really wasn't interested. He said, "Well, I have your e-mail address as: 'Ross.' Does that mean anything to you?" As soon as he mentioned that I immediately knew the culprit...NICK!!!!! Apparently, he had filled out a form on Yahoo. As soon as I asked him about it, he laughed maniacally and exclaimed, "AHA! My plan worked. They CALLED you!!!!" (What the heck?!?!?!)

In the past few months, he's been ordering different things off our Tivo. He was ecstatic when we received our Oracea information in the mail. He proudly told me that it was for our red itchy skin called rosacea. (Nevermind that no one in our family actually HAS rosacea!) Fortunately, he doesn't have access to our debit card!

Then, this evening, as we were eating dinner, Rachael was telling us about one of her male friends who was upset because his mom sold his favorite barbie doll. Without missing a beat, Nick says, "That is wrong on SO many levels..."

Well, at least I can honestly say that life is NEVER boring in our household!

Lazy Days of Summer

2009-06-08T22:55:00.001-05:00

Julia is at camp this week, but we went over to her house today to meet her cousin, eight year old Isaiah, the newest member of our co-op. He moved here from Pennsylvania and will be staying with the family and homeschooling. They live on several acres complete with ducks, chickens, a stocked pond, and a horse pasture next door. The co-op kids enjoyed digging for worms in the compost pile, fishing, catching ducks, and petting the chickens. What a great day!

Ross & Nick

2009-06-08T22:38:00.001-05:00

While Thomas & Rachael were at camp, Nick & Ross hung out together nearly every day. We made a trip to the Children's Museum on one day & Mr. Gatti's on another. Diana also kept Nick overnight on Thursday so that Jeff & I could spend the night in Indianapolis for our 15 year anniversary. We had planned on heading down to my mom's house for a night, but she's still not feeling well after falling ill after we were down there the last time!

Camp

2009-06-08T22:31:00.001-05:00

Rachael & Thomas went to camp together this year. This was Rachael's 3rd year and Thomas's 1st. They both had an amazing time! It was actually cold on a few days - very different from the hot, hot weather of past years. They're already planning next year's camp!

Ronnie's Birthday

2009-06-08T22:21:00.001-05:00

I'm finally getting around to downloading the pictures I had stored on my camera. These were taken at my father-in-law's 68th birthday. Happy Birthday, Ronnie!

Vincennes Rendezvous

2009-05-24T00:46:00.001-05:00

Since it was on our way home, we planned to take Thomas, Gracie, & Julia with us to the Vincennes Rendezvous on Saturday. It had been ages since we'd seen Heather and family, so we made arrangements to meet them there. We all watched the battle reenactments and fife & drum performances, then the kids were free to browse the encampment in search of souvenirs while Heather & I tried to find a shady spot to catch up. I was really proud of how well the kids all stayed together and showed a great deal of responsibility. As soon as I called Rachael's cell phone, they promptly answered and responded to everything that I requested of them.

After we left, we all went to a local steak house for dinner. The food was reasonably priced and delicious!

As I dropped each child off at their respective home, the kids were so gracious in expressing their appreciation of the trip. They all had such a good time...what a tiring, but wonderful trip!

Catfish or Piranha?

2009-05-24T00:32:00.001-05:00

Our co-op planned a trip to Holiday World (a nearby theme park) on Friday. We couldn't leave Alex in the hot car or at home, and the people who would normally watch him were with us, so we needed my parents to dog-sit. Since Julia's parents weren't going to Holiday World, we picked her up along the way on Thursday evening. On Friday morning, I awoke to knocking on my door. The girls had caught a catfish, but were afraid to touch it in fear that it would bite them. They had heard that catfish have teeth and feared for their lives! Fortunately for them, Jeff went out and saved the day!

Holiday World was a blast, but it was HOT!!!! After a long day at the park, we took Gracie, Thomas, & Julia with us to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant, then to walk along the Riverfront at night. The kids enjoyed searching for shells and throwing rocks and chunks of dried mud back into the river. Then, we headed back to my parents' house for the night...

Williamsburg Planning & Chickens!

2009-05-24T00:14:00.001-05:00

We met at Deanna's house on Tuesday to plan our next co-op vacation. In the middle of our planning, Sam walks in the room as Isabel yells, "CHICKEN!" Yes, we're definitely a homeschooling co-op! Who else has their meeting interrupted by the arrival of a (live!) chicken entering the kitchen?!?

Every so often, our co-op goes on a mini-vacation together. The kids enjoy hanging out in the hotel pool and spending time with their friends; and the parents get a little R&R while packing in some great educational activities. This September, we're gearing up for our largest group vacation yet. 6 families, 6 days, and over 700 miles by car... we're going to Williamsburg!!!

Horseback Riding

2009-05-23T23:15:00.001-05:00

Last Monday, Diana & I took several of the co-op kids horseback riding. The plan was for us to be able to sit and talk, but since there weren't enough adults for as many kids as we had, Diana had to ride while I stayed with Nick. Unfortunately, Freckles (the miniature pony that Nick usually rides) was being uncooperative, so Nick wasn't able to ride at all...

AWANA Awards Night II

2009-05-18T02:05:00.001-05:00

Rachael also received a reward, but unfortunately, her group was on the other side of the church and I wasn't able to get her picture.

After the awards were presented, we all met in the FLC for an ice cream social. Throughout the year, the kids had earned points by completing their assignments. These points ultimately turned into votes. They had the opportunity to vote for one of their adult leaders to receive a pie in the face. (Talk about incentive!) There were several ties, but my favorite was watching Thomas blast Andy (his dad). After all was said and done, there weren't too many of the leaders who escaped pie-free!

2009-05-18T01:49:00.004-05:00

Tonight was AWANA Awards night. Here's a video of Nick singing the Cubbies song...

Congratulations Josh!

2009-05-18T01:29:00.001-05:00

Josh was baptized today, on his mom's (Darla's) 37th birthday. Congratulations Josh!!!!

Alex - 5 months

2009-05-16T22:59:00.001-05:00

He's finally starting to get a snout and not just the face of a dog that has been hit in the head with a frying pan one too many times!

Our New Ride

2009-05-16T22:56:00.001-05:00

Buying a new car is not something that I enjoy. Unlike Jeff, I always feel like having to change vehicles is just a necessary evil when the old one ceases to be reliable. In the past 2-3 months, we've 'invested' over $1k in repairs on our existing vehicles. My 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager is the most reliable of the two. It 'only' has about 145k miles (but no air conditioner!) Jeff's 2003 Taurus has over 198k miles thanks to his 3 hour daily trips to work when we were still living in Princeton. Much to my dismay, we REALLY needed a new vehicle. After looking in the newspaper & Craig's List, and going to several dealerships, we finally found this van at a Toyota dealer. Remarkably, it met all of my criteria: good condition, low miles, a clear CarFax report, and most importantly, CHEAP! Well, it wasn't actually as cheap as I would have liked, but we did get $2k off of the asking price and $1k under the estimated value online. It really was too good to pass up. It has all of the bells & whistles...leather, heated seats, alloy wheels, etc. Of course, when you keep vehicles until their demise, (like we do!), it just means more gadgets to break! Anyway, we decided to proceed with our original plan to drive our current vehicles until they absolutely will NOT drive anymore, and keep the 'new' vehicle for our longer trips and for backup, hopefully extending its life as long as possible. I must say, though, it sure is nice having at least one reliable vehicle again!

End of Year Party III

2009-05-07T20:31:00.001-05:00

End of Year Party II

2009-05-07T20:28:00.001-05:00

Here's the firefighter gear!

End of Year Party I

2009-05-07T20:24:00.001-05:00

Today was our co-op's "End of Year" party. We all met at the Durnil's house. The kids had a massive water fight (of course, when one of the dads is a firefighter, his kid has the advantage when he brings his own personal water hose... pictures to follow!) The Crawford's also brought a pinata. Lots of food, outdoor toys, and FUN!

More pics from the Academic Fair

2009-05-07T20:11:00.001-05:00

Academic Fair I

2009-05-07T20:09:00.001-05:00

Monday night was our HEARTH Academic Fair. It's a yearly event where the local homeschool community can get together to demonstrate what they've learned throughout the past year. Nick did a display with magnets and Rachael did a display on food contamination. She pulled information from the FDA website which detailed the contamination levels of several common foods. Her board (which I forgot to photograph!) had a graph indicating the average number of insect parts, rodent hairs, and mammalian excrement by weight in different foods. It was rather disgusting!

Frozen Evaporator Coils

2009-05-07T19:44:00.001-05:00

We weren't getting any cold airflow the other night so Jeff went outside to investigate the problem. Um...I guess that could be a problem!!!

They've Bloomed!

2009-05-07T19:41:00.001-05:00

The flowers that Jeff bought me have gotten prettier every day. They've finally fully bloomed. Beautiful!

I Love My Husband!

2009-04-30T12:15:00.001-05:00

Can I just say that I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-04-26T23:22:00.002-05:00

Today was my mom's 63rd birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!!!! See you on Mother's Day!

Polyphemus Moth

2009-04-26T23:11:00.002-05:00

Ronnie (Jeff's dad) found his outdoor cat playing with this injured moth. It was HUGE! (Unfortunately, these pictures don't accurately reflect its size.) Since he was coming up today for a visit, he thought Rachael would enjoy seeing it and trying to identify it. She took these pictures and started researching. From the information she retrieved, our best guess is that it's a Polyphemus moth.

(Polyphemus Moth - Antheraea polyphemus Order: Lepidoptera / Superfamily: Bombycoidea / Family: Saturniidae - Giant silkmoths / Subfamily: Saturniinae / Tribe: Saturniini)

Yard Sales & Hannah Montana

2009-04-26T23:01:00.001-05:00

Since Jeff was working again yesterday, Rachael, Nick, & I got up bright & early (well, early for us, anyway!) and headed out to several yard sales with Darla & Gracie. After lunch at King Gyros, Darla had to run to Josh's baseball game, so I picked up Thomas & took all the kids to see the Hannah Montana movie. It was actually better than I thought it would be. When we pulled up to the theater, there were several fire trucks in the parking lot and all of the patrons were standing in the parking lot. After several minutes, they let us in. I never did find out what caused all of the commotion...

Afternoon in the Park

2009-04-26T22:41:00.001-05:00

After schoolwork & before piano lessons on Friday, we met some of our homeschool friends at the park. Rachael brought her new kite for its maiden voyage and took a hike through the woods with her friends. Nick spent his time swinging, playing with the multitude of caterpillars he found crawling around, and finding those elusive THREE-leaf clovers. (He was beside himself with joy that he found a WHOLE PATCH of those rare finds! LOL!) What a beautiful day to spend exploring the Great Outdoors!

A Day Off

2009-04-23T23:45:00.002-05:00

Typically, Rachael has her geography co-op on Thursdays, but it was canceled this week. It was so beautiful outside, that we took the day off. Rachael is currently reading 'The Bridge to Terabithia' and hasn't been able to put it down, so I just let her read all morning. Around 2pm, Darla & Diana came over and brought the kids. Josh, Gage, Ross & Nick had fun running around pretending to shoot/stab/slice each other up (or whatever it is that boys that age do!) Thomas, Rachael, & Gracie painted some wooden bird houses that my mom had sent home. Then around 7:30pm, Lori brought Sara, Joe, & Jesse over while she and Curt went to a Dave Ramsey talk at their church. The kids had so much fun! We are used to having older kids over all the time, but Nick rarely gets the chance to have the younger kids stay over. He & Sara were particularly fun to watch. They're only a month apart in age, and have been in co-op together since they were babies. It's fun watching them grow up together!

Surprise Party / Thanks Mom!!!

2009-04-19T23:01:00.001-05:00

I didn't get home until late Saturday evening, but Jeff had let the kids stay up and had bought cake & ice cream to celebrate my birthday! Rachael even convinced him to let her put all 35 candles on the cake (can you say FIRE HAZARD?!?!?!)

I'm so thankful for such an amazing husband & two awesome kids!

Also, here's Rachael's new haircut. My mom took her to the mall to get it cut. It took two hours to complete and probably cost WAY more money than I would have spent, but THANKS MOM!!!!! It looks really cute! (My mom also watched my kids while I went to the convention, which meant that Jeff & I even got a couple of nights to ourselves before I left! WOOHOO!!!!)

Cincinnati Homeschool Convention

2009-04-19T22:54:00.001-05:00

It just so happened that my 35th birthday fell on the same weekend as the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention. This has been our co-op's annual "Mom's Weekend" for the past few years. They all took me out to dinner on Friday, which was a GREAT time! I was also able to hear my 3 favorite speakers: Jay Wile, John Stonestreet, & Susan Wise Bauer all in one weekend! I always learn so much and get so much encouragement every year. It's exactly what I need when spring fever hits!

Happy 62nd Birthday!

2009-04-19T22:48:00.002-05:00

Happy 66th Birthday!

2009-04-14T00:38:00.001-05:00

We went to Stoll's Amish Buffet for an early dinner, followed by cake and ice cream back at the house. We managed to snap a 4-generation photo in the process!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T00:31:00.001-05:00

Here's Nick searching for an elusive egg and Rachael conducting the annual slaughtering of the lamb cake!

Sticks

2009-04-14T00:25:00.001-05:00

After a night of food, crafts, and fun at Darla's house, we had to get up bright and early for church. Rachael is on the "sticks" team, and they were performing during Resurrection Sunday (aka Easter). All of the kids did an amazing job!

Passover Seder

2009-04-14T00:21:00.001-05:00

Darla, Diana, & I organized a Passover Seder for the kids. While none of us are Jewish, we all hold a special place in our hearts for God's chosen people. It's amazing how much of the Old Testament points directly to the saving grace of Christ. We discussed each of these items as we proceeded through our Seder. The kids had a lot of fun tasting the different foods and listening to the Hebrew blessings & music on cd. They liked a lot of the upbeat music so much that they even requested that I blast it when we were all driving around in the van. I'm fairly certain that the people around us thought we were absolutely crazy! Six kids signing, dancing, & clapping their loudest to Hebrew songs that they couldn't translate if their lives depended on it!

The Science of Taste

2009-04-14T00:08:00.002-05:00

During this class, the kids learned about the different areas of the tongue registering different tastes (ie: sweet, bitter, salty, etc.) and about the role that smell plays in your sense of taste...

Rachael the GIANT!!!

2009-04-14T00:04:00.001-05:00

At Gracie's 11th birthday party, Darla snapped this picture of the girls displaying their decorated mini cakes. The photo also highlights the fact that my daughter is a GIANT!!!!

Ross & Josh

2009-04-14T00:02:00.001-05:00

It was "Crazy Hair Night" at AWANAs recently. Rachael wore her wig, but refused to be photographed. Ross & Josh were more than happy to have their pictures taken!

Thomas

2009-04-13T23:57:00.001-05:00

No particular reason for posting this, I just really think it's a good picture of Thomas!

Children's Museum Field Trip

2009-04-13T23:55:00.001-05:00

Darla gave me this picture from their recent field trip to the Children's Museum...

Co-op Science - The Next Generation

2009-04-13T23:52:00.003-05:00

Since Rachael started the co-op writing class, I decided to put Nick in the science class. This is the first 'real' co-op class (as opposed to preschool or play time) for the next generation of our co-op kids. I can't believe that Nick is old enough to start classes! It seems like only yesterday that Rachael started her first co-op science class. I have so many wonderful memories of those first co-op years. I still remember the first time we met and began planning classes and am in awe of how close our kids have grown over the years.

On this particular day, the kids watched a video about sound waves and pitch, and made their own Pan flutes out of drinking straws...

Alex - 4 months

2009-04-13T23:42:00.001-05:00

It's about time I start blogging again. It's been crazy trying to keep up with school work, house work, church, & co-op!

Pictures Found

2009-03-30T12:28:00.001-05:00

I just found these pictures on my camera's internal memory. They are from when Mary & Sophia spent a couple of days with us and we took all 6 kids (including Thomas & Ross) to Mr. Gatti's in Bedford and to the movies. Fun times!!!

Spring Showers Bring...

2009-03-29T10:38:00.001-05:00

WORMS!!!!!

We awoke to a sidewalk and driveway full of them. Nick has always had an affinity for worms. Sadly, he couldn't quite convince his dad to let him bring them inside...

Princeton Tigers - State Champs!

2009-03-29T10:21:00.005-05:00

State Finals

(click the picture above to view all of the photos)

Even though I'm not a huge sports fan, I must say that last night's State Championship game was awesome! In a double overtime win, the Tigers pulled off an undefeated year. Both teams played well and the sportsmanship was excellent. Both sides seemed very gracious, which is sometimes not always the case in high school sports.

Falls of the Ohio (part III)

2009-03-25T01:17:00.001-05:00

The dog was absolutely filthy after this. He had to get a bath as soon as we got home. In the 2nd photo, Nick is posing with 'Tina' & 'Cheryl'...yep, he named the rocks he had found!

Falls of the Ohio (part II)

2009-03-25T01:14:00.001-05:00

It was all about the fossils. Rachael could have spent ALL DAY here!

Falls of the Ohio

2009-03-25T01:07:00.002-05:00

On our way home, I decided to stop by the Falls of the Ohio State Park. I read about it several years ago, but had never been there. With my rock-hound children (especially Rachael), I knew they'd love it. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to see the Interpretive Center, but the kids enjoyed looking at the fossils and watching the water, and I enjoyed the gorgeous scenery & glorious weather. We had Alex with us, too, so he had fun getting some exercise after such a long drive.

I really wanted to explore the old Clarksville site, too, but it was getting dark and I knew that everything would be closed anyway. One of my favorite books of all-time, From Sea to Shining Sea by James Alexander Thom, is centered around the Clark family and much of the story takes place in the Clarksville/Falls area. Our next Shriners appt. is in August. If it isn't too hot, maybe we'll make it an overnight trip and spend some time in the Clarksville area...

Spring Has Sprung

2009-03-25T00:29:00.001-05:00

The daffodils were in full bloom. They were among the many signs of spring that we saw along the way to Lexington today. The first photo, a pine cone, was picked up by Rachael at Shriners Hospital. I thought it made a pretty cool looking picture. Can you say "Fibonacci sequence?" Random chaos in nature? I think not...

Back to Shriners

2009-03-25T00:20:00.002-05:00

Today was another trip to Lexington to Shriners Hospital. Nick had a 3 month check-up after receiving his new braces. This was Rachael's first time to Lexington. It's always worked out that she happened to be staying with friends whenever we had to go.

I actually remembered to bring my camera to get a picture with Nick & "Dr. T." Dr. Tylkowski is the Chief of Staff at Shriners and also Nick's Orthopedic Surgeon. I can't say enough good things about Dr. T and Shriners in general. Anyone who knows Nick, knows how much he can talk (and talk, and talk....) Whenever I try to shush him as he's talking about something that has absolutely nothing to do with the situation, Dr. T. always laughs and encourages him. He always makes sure that all our questions are answered and concerns are addressed - even telling us to call him anytime with issues that may arise. Everyone there is friendly and helpful. I've never met a rude person there - in any capacity - from the janitors to the receptionists to the doctors. I wish all medical facilities were this wonderful!

Ain't He Purdy????

2009-03-24T23:46:00.002-05:00

We bought Rachael a wig for "Crazy Hair" night at AWANA. Ironically, it matches Jeff's hair color. Yes, he must really love her because he agreed to try it on...but only in the garage. ...must make him feel more manly... ;-D

TOTUS

2009-03-20T13:48:00.000-05:00

Given the POTUS's reliance on the TOTUS, it's only fair that he has his own blog as well...

http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/

HILARIOUS!!!!!!!

Alex & the Kids

2009-03-18T16:55:00.001-05:00

More pictures taken at IU of Rachael, Nick, & Alex... The 3rd one cracks me up! Alex's tongue really IS that long!

Nick

2009-03-18T16:49:00.001-05:00

Rachael

2009-03-18T16:47:00.001-05:00

Spring is in the Air!

2009-03-18T16:43:00.001-05:00

We met Jeff for lunch this afternoon, then took a stroll around the IU campus and the downtown area. The flowers were blooming and the trees were budding...

McCormick's Creek (cont.)

2009-03-18T15:50:00.002-05:00

While the older kids were hiking down to the cave, Nick & Esther had fun on their shortened hike and playing on the playground.

McCormick's Creek Picnic

2009-03-18T15:47:00.001-05:00

After we finished school yesterday afternoon, we met a group of our homeschool friends for a picnic at McCormick's Creek. The kids ate lunch, played kickball and enjoyed the beautiful day. After lunch, the older kids hiked down to Wolf Cave while the younger ones took a shorter walk through the woods and then played on the playground equipment (photos to follow). We took Alex along. He's never had so much exercise in one day! He went on the long hike and then on several walks around the park. Thomas, Ross, & Gracie came home with us. We also stopped by the vet to get Alex's 3rd set of shots (and got chewed out for having him neutered too early...oops!) After we got home, the older kids worked on a routine that they're creating for our co-op talent show coming up in May. After Jeff got home, we took all of the kids out to the Chinese buffet for supper, then Diana picked them up around 10:00pm. It was a fun, but exhausting day!

Power Ranger Unleashed!

2009-03-18T15:31:00.001-05:00

Nick yelled downstairs the other night that he had "Unleashed the Red Power Ranger." When we went upstairs at bedtime, we figured out what he meant. This is how we found him asleep on his bedroom floor...

More Co-op Photos

2009-03-18T15:28:00.001-05:00

These are some photos I took during last week's art co-op. The kids were working on a still life, practicing shading and highlighting. They also worked on blending and painting skies with oil paints.

Last Cake Class

2009-02-25T22:42:00.001-06:00

This evening marked our last cake decorating class for this session. There are 3 more sessions we can take, but that will have to wait until school is out. As much as we enjoyed it, it was entirely too time consuming considering our busy schedules. Maybe during the summer... (although, with the move, we'll be finishing up a lot of schoolwork this summer!) Darla & I are sick of making cakes!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a close-up of Rachael's cake before I dropped it. (oops!) I'm going to e-mail the instructor and see if she can e-mail me a copy of the one she took. The one with the pinkish roses is mine. After the class, I took the girls (Gracie & Rachael) out for a celebratory dinner at the Olive Garden. Rachael is spending the night at Gracie's, and then they're heading up to the Children's Museum again tomorrow. We didn't get to see a lot of the exhibits last time. Diana & the boys (Thomas & Ross) are coming over tomorrow afternoon to work on Sunday School curriculum. Nick will have fun having the boys all to himself!

Art Class

2009-02-25T22:31:00.000-06:00

Today in art class, the kids practiced using 3 dimensional figures to create buildings, and shading to create simple trees.

(FYI... I took the last picture because I was standing behind Rachael and was amazed at how long her hair is getting!)