This is my last post on this topic since it's the end of the month. Tomorrow, I'll go back to being extravagant and wasteful! (sarcasm)
I live in military housing. Currently at this post, we do not pay for our electricity. It's free! There is talk, and some posts have begun the process, of implementing a system whereby our electrical consumption would be monitored, a baseline would be established, and those who exceeded the baseline would have to pay for their excesses (those who went under the baseline would get a cash reward as well). This sounds reasonable, but change is never welcomed by the masses, and the protests (including legal ones) have been slowing the changeover.
This is my first experience ever with military housing. Two years ago, I lived in a house I owned in the real world. I had gas heat. I had no central air (just two window units). I paid for electricity, gas, water, and sewer. I dressed lightly (and still sweated) in the summer, and dressed warmly (and still shivered) in the winter. We turned off lights. We used blankets. We went to other people's houses on really hot days!
I must confess that this past summer (and the summer before), I reveled in the cool of my air conditioned house, and I didn't care how much energy it took to keep it at a reasonably refreshing temperature. Why should I? It's free!
Well, that's not entirely true. I did try to be responsible. If I wasn't going to be home for a few hours, I would turn the A/C off (or set it at a higher temp). I would try to open the windows, especially in the spring and fall when the night temps dipped low enough to cool the house. Frequently, I have lain in bed at night with my windows wide open to the sound of the crickets...and the sound of all my neighbors' A/C units kicking on.
One warm day a few weeks ago, I had a nice breeze coming in the open windows, and I heard my neighbor's A/C unit kick on. It was the middle of the day. The temperature was around 70 degrees. There was nobody home next door (between work and school).
It really ticks me off. And it's why I'm in full support of the whole baseline electrical consumption thing. There is no other way to get people to conserve energy (short of a gun to the head!). Even I, who don't like to waste energy (it's been ingrained in me from my youth to turn off lights, close the door (we're not heating the backyard, you know!), and pay attention to how I use electricity), can easily get lazy about it. I forget to turn the heat down before going to bed...I'm only going to be gone for an hour, so there's no point in checking the whole house to see if all the lights are off...oh, the kids accidentally turned that outside light on; I'll get it next time I'm in the garage.
According to most people, I should be in opposition to this plan. I stay at home. I homeschool. I have a big family. We use a lot of electricity.
I think we'll be fine. I don't expect to get any money back. But it might be fun trying!
These new houses have programmable thermostats. I had one of those in my last house, and they're great. I couldn't figure this one out, though, so for months, it's been unused. Last night, I was at a neighbor's house, and I saw the directions to her thermostat still tucked behind it on the wall (ours came like that too, but I loaned them out to someone else and never got them back - and then they moved away!). I borrowed it, and finally was able to program my thermostat! Hooray!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Reduce, reuse and recycle (Part Six)
Three or four years ago, I was visiting my parents at their home in Ohio. I went for a walk through the back alleys that cut between the rural town's houses and gave access to backyards and detached garages. And there I beheld a sight that I am convinced could only be seen in Ohio: freshly laundered and hanging on the clothesline to dry were about a dozen zip-lock sandwich bags.
Even my own mother, frugal diva that she is, doesn't do that! First off, my mom doesn't buy the zip-lock bags because they cost too much. She buys the generic brand fold-over sandwich bags. Sometimes she buys gallon size freezer bags that are zip-lock (generic brand always), and she might re-use a bag that held a dry food like bread for the same item. But I've never seen her wash and dry ziplock bags. That is true dedication to the reduce and reuse mantra!
I do buy ziplock sandwich bags, but they are not often used for sandwiches. My kids don't pack a daily lunch for school, and when we as a family pack a lunch for a day trip, I tend to use snap-lid reusable containers. So, this month I looked at exactly what I did with those sandwich bags.
The number one use I made for them was to store half an onion or half a tomato that was leftover after I made a salad or some other recipe. Easy enough to eliminate that usage, I have switched to using a snap-lid container for that need.
The second most common use for the sandwich bags was an on-the-go snack holder for the littler children. Snap-lids are not as effective, since Petey can't open them and if he could, like Jenny, the spilled and wasted Cheerios or whatever would completely negate any benefit to using a container in the first place. The foldover bags won't keep Cheerios from going stale and aren't as easy to manipulate (for a baby). I'll keep using these bags for that purpose, but I'll be a bit more judicious in when it's necessary.
And the third biggest use for ziplock sandwich bags? As storage for game pieces: Pop-Up Pirate daggers, Chutes and Ladders playing pieces, Sorry men and the deck of cards. Fortunately, one bag lasts a long time for this use.
This line of thinking extends to other disposable kitchen storage things like plastic wrap and aluminum foil. I've read in several places that using clear plastic wrap is the best way to store food in the fridge so that you can easily see what you have and use it before it gets old. But if you're storing food for a family of seven, this suggestion is completely impractical because plastic wrap renders most containers unstackable and every blessed corner of my fridge is usually filled. Snap-lid containers work much better and you can see well enough into them to distinguish leftover stew from leftover chicken.
Aluminum foil, though...aluminum foil is sturdy and washable too. Perhaps I'll get a clothesline and hang my washed foil out to dry...
Even my own mother, frugal diva that she is, doesn't do that! First off, my mom doesn't buy the zip-lock bags because they cost too much. She buys the generic brand fold-over sandwich bags. Sometimes she buys gallon size freezer bags that are zip-lock (generic brand always), and she might re-use a bag that held a dry food like bread for the same item. But I've never seen her wash and dry ziplock bags. That is true dedication to the reduce and reuse mantra!
I do buy ziplock sandwich bags, but they are not often used for sandwiches. My kids don't pack a daily lunch for school, and when we as a family pack a lunch for a day trip, I tend to use snap-lid reusable containers. So, this month I looked at exactly what I did with those sandwich bags.
The number one use I made for them was to store half an onion or half a tomato that was leftover after I made a salad or some other recipe. Easy enough to eliminate that usage, I have switched to using a snap-lid container for that need.
The second most common use for the sandwich bags was an on-the-go snack holder for the littler children. Snap-lids are not as effective, since Petey can't open them and if he could, like Jenny, the spilled and wasted Cheerios or whatever would completely negate any benefit to using a container in the first place. The foldover bags won't keep Cheerios from going stale and aren't as easy to manipulate (for a baby). I'll keep using these bags for that purpose, but I'll be a bit more judicious in when it's necessary.
And the third biggest use for ziplock sandwich bags? As storage for game pieces: Pop-Up Pirate daggers, Chutes and Ladders playing pieces, Sorry men and the deck of cards. Fortunately, one bag lasts a long time for this use.
This line of thinking extends to other disposable kitchen storage things like plastic wrap and aluminum foil. I've read in several places that using clear plastic wrap is the best way to store food in the fridge so that you can easily see what you have and use it before it gets old. But if you're storing food for a family of seven, this suggestion is completely impractical because plastic wrap renders most containers unstackable and every blessed corner of my fridge is usually filled. Snap-lid containers work much better and you can see well enough into them to distinguish leftover stew from leftover chicken.
Aluminum foil, though...aluminum foil is sturdy and washable too. Perhaps I'll get a clothesline and hang my washed foil out to dry...
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Halloween Party fun
We went to Halloween party last night.
I was Medusa. Medusa had pink, green and blue snakes in her hair, because those were the only colors Athena had available.
Bill was Perseus. Dig those flip flops.
The hostess was a Twister board. Her son was Pooh.
The man in the picture is another guest dressed as Smee (his son was Captain Hook, daughter was Tinker Bell, and wife was Wendy).
This picture of the girls was taken the other week for our neighborhood party. They dressed the same last night, but I didn't have time to do their hair.
Here is one of Jenny last night. I really thought the purple socks were a great touch.
For food, I took a big bowl of baby carrots and orange pepper slices and some veggie dip. My sister suggested a cheese ball made to look like a jack o lantern. We used the stem from one of the bell peppers on top, and Bill used American cheese to cut out eyes, nose and a mouth. Cute.
I was Medusa. Medusa had pink, green and blue snakes in her hair, because those were the only colors Athena had available.
Bill was Perseus. Dig those flip flops.
The hostess was a Twister board. Her son was Pooh.The man in the picture is another guest dressed as Smee (his son was Captain Hook, daughter was Tinker Bell, and wife was Wendy).
This picture of the girls was taken the other week for our neighborhood party. They dressed the same last night, but I didn't have time to do their hair.
Here is one of Jenny last night. I really thought the purple socks were a great touch.For food, I took a big bowl of baby carrots and orange pepper slices and some veggie dip. My sister suggested a cheese ball made to look like a jack o lantern. We used the stem from one of the bell peppers on top, and Bill used American cheese to cut out eyes, nose and a mouth. Cute.
My hero
That spider I washed down the shower drain last week was back this morning. This time, he was in the sink, and boy, did he look mad. Thank goodness my knight was right there ready to rise from his slumber to defend his whimpering damsel.
Thank goodness I am free to be a whimpering damsel when I want to be.
Thank goodness I am free to be a whimpering damsel when I want to be.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Reduce, reuse and recycle (Part Five)
Just yesterday, we got a delivery of new clothes for Jenny. Hanna Anderson? Lands End? One of Angoraknitter's handmade beauties? Oh, goodness no. I wish...
These are mostly summer clothing that is too big for her now, but will likely fit her next summer. Was I scouring eBay for great deals? Shopping online clearance racks for end-of-season sales? Nope.
A neighbor of mine has just finished her fall clothing swap out, and is weeding out the clothing her youngest daughter won't fit into next year. It was hard for her to part with some of the dresses especially, since they were worn by all three of her girls. She gave them to me, because she likes my girls and it makes her feel good to think that they would be wearing these dresses. Most of these clothes are really nice, and I'm happy that people like her are so generous with me. It really keeps my kids' clothing budget way down. Now I just need to find someone to give ME hand-me-downs...
There is a thrift store here on post. They only have one Saturday a month that they open, and it's always packed. Another neighbor of mine says she goes regularly during the week, though, to check out the new arrivals. I will have to ask her to look for things for me, especially if I lose any more weight.
In August, when I did my own kids' clothing swap, I asked for advice on how many outfits a (potty-trained) kid needed. I had scoffed at my husband's suggestion of 6 outfits because I thought it was too few. My friend, Rachel (the one who remembered her camera for the field trips), recently told me she only keeps FOUR outfits for her kids. She said the transition was tough, and other items creep in (via gifts or whatever), but she says laundry is a breeze and she can always find her kids' soccer socks.
It's a sure-win formula:
Reduce the number of outfits we own.
Recycle and Reuse clothing worn by other children (within my own family and sharing and receiving from others).
These are mostly summer clothing that is too big for her now, but will likely fit her next summer. Was I scouring eBay for great deals? Shopping online clearance racks for end-of-season sales? Nope.
A neighbor of mine has just finished her fall clothing swap out, and is weeding out the clothing her youngest daughter won't fit into next year. It was hard for her to part with some of the dresses especially, since they were worn by all three of her girls. She gave them to me, because she likes my girls and it makes her feel good to think that they would be wearing these dresses. Most of these clothes are really nice, and I'm happy that people like her are so generous with me. It really keeps my kids' clothing budget way down. Now I just need to find someone to give ME hand-me-downs...
There is a thrift store here on post. They only have one Saturday a month that they open, and it's always packed. Another neighbor of mine says she goes regularly during the week, though, to check out the new arrivals. I will have to ask her to look for things for me, especially if I lose any more weight.
In August, when I did my own kids' clothing swap, I asked for advice on how many outfits a (potty-trained) kid needed. I had scoffed at my husband's suggestion of 6 outfits because I thought it was too few. My friend, Rachel (the one who remembered her camera for the field trips), recently told me she only keeps FOUR outfits for her kids. She said the transition was tough, and other items creep in (via gifts or whatever), but she says laundry is a breeze and she can always find her kids' soccer socks.
It's a sure-win formula:
Reduce the number of outfits we own.
Recycle and Reuse clothing worn by other children (within my own family and sharing and receiving from others).
Recipe ideas, anyone?
Tomorrow night I'm going to a Halloween party. If I get lucky at the Dollar Store and find some plastic toy snakes, then I will be Medusa, and Bill will be Perseus. Nice, huh? Otherwise, I'll just be some plain ordinary Greco-Roman noble woman, and Bill will just be some plain ordinary Greco-Roman soldier. It amuses me that my soldier is going as a soldier.
We are instructed to bring a "spooky" dish. Any ideas? I don't want to work too hard for this. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being store-bought chips and salsa and 5 being homemade apple pie with a lattice top crust, I'd prefer to keep things under a 3.
We are instructed to bring a "spooky" dish. Any ideas? I don't want to work too hard for this. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being store-bought chips and salsa and 5 being homemade apple pie with a lattice top crust, I'd prefer to keep things under a 3.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The Daily Rant
We are a demented society. I don't understand it, and I don't have any idea how to stop it, and it makes me retch to be a part of it. But I think it's false to pretend that it's all those people and not us people. We're all in this together, folks. For better or for worse, we are who we are and it's not a pretty sight.
Surfing the web last night, I found this site with quotes from Southerners in the 1800s regarding slavery.
Henry Wise, Congressman (and future governor) from Virginia: "The principle of slavery is a leveling principle; it is friendly to equality. Break down slavery and you would with the same blow break down the great democratic principle of equality among men."
Such a quote leaves me speechless. How can one respond to that logic, or lack thereof? Slavery is friendly to equality? Uh....
John C. Calhoun, Senator from South Carolina: "The defense of human liberty against the aggressions of despotic power have been always the most efficient in States where domestic slavery was to prevail."
I guess following the principle of "it takes one to know one," mini-despots are perfectly suited to defend against big despots?
James H. Hammond, Congressman from South Carolina: "Sir, I do firmly believe that domestic slavery, regulated as ours is, produces the highest toned, the purest, best organization of society that has ever existed on the face of the earth."
Yes, sir, this IS the life - toiling away for someone else's profit, being treated like cattle, having marital and parental bonds completely disregarded...does it get any better?
Richmond Enquirer, 1856: "Democratic liberty exists solely because we have slaves . . . freedom is not possible without slavery."
Atlanta Confederacy, 1860: "We regard every man in our midst an enemy to the institutions of the South, who does not boldly declare that he believes African slavery to be a social, moral, and political blessing."
Methodist Rev. John T. Wightman, preaching at Yorkville, South Carolina: "The triumphs of Christianity rest this very hour upon slavery; and slavery depends on the triumphs of the South . . . This war is the servant of slavery." [The Glory of God, the defense of the South (1861), cited in Eugene Genovese's Consuming Fire (1998).]
I'm pretty sure that the New Testament doesn't have a chapter on the virtues of owning slaves. If I'm wrong on that, please let me know.
Lawrence Keitt, Congressman from South Carolina, in a speech to the House on January 25, 1860: "African slavery is the corner-stone of the industrial, social, and political fabric of the South; and whatever wars against it, wars against her very existence. Strike down the institution of African slavery and you reduce the South to depopulation and barbarism."
Ah, yes, the fear tactics. Life will be horrible without slavery. Everyday common (white) folk will suffer, suffer, without slavery. And, after all, these negroes aren't really people we're talking about, they're just slaves:
Alexander Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy, referring to the Confederate government: "Its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery . . . is his natural and normal condition." [Augusta, Georgia, Daily Constitutionalist, March 30, 1861.]
Sick, isn't it? How did we as a society tolerate that? First off, my southern friends, I'm not pointing fingers at you and saying your forefathers were evil. There was support and apathy (and if you are apathetic to human suffering you may as well be in support of human suffering) on both sides of the Mason-Dixon. There were abolitionists on both sides on that line too, so I'm not listening to arguments that we didn't know any better. We chose, as a society, to tolerate the dehumanization of a particular group of people until we could tolerate it no more, and then we fought a war to give those people that stolen 3/8 of their dignity. {States' right, schmates' right...don't even start with me.}
The situation of the Jews in Nazi Germany was no different. They were less than human and thus it was OK to do medical experiments on them, take away all their rights, and slaughter them.
And today, we have unborn babies. Yesterday, I received in the mail a request for a donation to NARAL. I think Concerned Women for America is mad at me for repeatedly refusing to send them money, so they sold my name and address to the other side...
...the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man...
Our personal freedoms are in jeopardy if we can't abort fetuses.
...freedom is not possible without slavery...
The government can't tell me what to do with my body.
The defence of human liberty against the aggressions of despotic power have been always the most efficient in States where domestic slavery was to prevail.
Slavery, genocide, abortion...what is the difference? If we end abortion, who will be our next victim? If we don't end abortion, will killing children be enough for our apparent blood-lust?
Surfing the web last night, I found this site with quotes from Southerners in the 1800s regarding slavery.
Henry Wise, Congressman (and future governor) from Virginia: "The principle of slavery is a leveling principle; it is friendly to equality. Break down slavery and you would with the same blow break down the great democratic principle of equality among men."
Such a quote leaves me speechless. How can one respond to that logic, or lack thereof? Slavery is friendly to equality? Uh....
John C. Calhoun, Senator from South Carolina: "The defense of human liberty against the aggressions of despotic power have been always the most efficient in States where domestic slavery was to prevail."
I guess following the principle of "it takes one to know one," mini-despots are perfectly suited to defend against big despots?
James H. Hammond, Congressman from South Carolina: "Sir, I do firmly believe that domestic slavery, regulated as ours is, produces the highest toned, the purest, best organization of society that has ever existed on the face of the earth."
Yes, sir, this IS the life - toiling away for someone else's profit, being treated like cattle, having marital and parental bonds completely disregarded...does it get any better?
Richmond Enquirer, 1856: "Democratic liberty exists solely because we have slaves . . . freedom is not possible without slavery."
Atlanta Confederacy, 1860: "We regard every man in our midst an enemy to the institutions of the South, who does not boldly declare that he believes African slavery to be a social, moral, and political blessing."
Methodist Rev. John T. Wightman, preaching at Yorkville, South Carolina: "The triumphs of Christianity rest this very hour upon slavery; and slavery depends on the triumphs of the South . . . This war is the servant of slavery." [The Glory of God, the defense of the South (1861), cited in Eugene Genovese's Consuming Fire (1998).]
I'm pretty sure that the New Testament doesn't have a chapter on the virtues of owning slaves. If I'm wrong on that, please let me know.
Lawrence Keitt, Congressman from South Carolina, in a speech to the House on January 25, 1860: "African slavery is the corner-stone of the industrial, social, and political fabric of the South; and whatever wars against it, wars against her very existence. Strike down the institution of African slavery and you reduce the South to depopulation and barbarism."
Ah, yes, the fear tactics. Life will be horrible without slavery. Everyday common (white) folk will suffer, suffer, without slavery. And, after all, these negroes aren't really people we're talking about, they're just slaves:
Alexander Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy, referring to the Confederate government: "Its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery . . . is his natural and normal condition." [Augusta, Georgia, Daily Constitutionalist, March 30, 1861.]
Sick, isn't it? How did we as a society tolerate that? First off, my southern friends, I'm not pointing fingers at you and saying your forefathers were evil. There was support and apathy (and if you are apathetic to human suffering you may as well be in support of human suffering) on both sides of the Mason-Dixon. There were abolitionists on both sides on that line too, so I'm not listening to arguments that we didn't know any better. We chose, as a society, to tolerate the dehumanization of a particular group of people until we could tolerate it no more, and then we fought a war to give those people that stolen 3/8 of their dignity. {States' right, schmates' right...don't even start with me.}
The situation of the Jews in Nazi Germany was no different. They were less than human and thus it was OK to do medical experiments on them, take away all their rights, and slaughter them.
And today, we have unborn babies. Yesterday, I received in the mail a request for a donation to NARAL. I think Concerned Women for America is mad at me for repeatedly refusing to send them money, so they sold my name and address to the other side...
Dear Michelle,They're not human, they're not equal to living, breathing humans.
If you have ever known a woman who has faced an unintended pregnancy (I have, many times), you know the deep and fundamental importance of freedom of choice and the right to privacy (actually, when my best friend told me she was pregnant at the age of 14, abortion was not the first thought that entered my mind and neither was it when my 19 year old sister told me the same news...silly me, we could have reduced the world population by 2).
Personal and private childbearing decisions belong to a woman and whomever she chooses to consult...no one else should interfere; especially not politicians. It's her life, her body, her choice.
{snip}
Quite simply, anti-choice forces are now poised to directly undermine the legal foundation of a woman's right to choose...if you and I fail to act today, what little freedom of choice still exists could be taken away.
...the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man...
Our personal freedoms are in jeopardy if we can't abort fetuses.
...freedom is not possible without slavery...
The government can't tell me what to do with my body.
The defence of human liberty against the aggressions of despotic power have been always the most efficient in States where domestic slavery was to prevail.
Slavery, genocide, abortion...what is the difference? If we end abortion, who will be our next victim? If we don't end abortion, will killing children be enough for our apparent blood-lust?
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
via email
Yesterday, I spent my lunch hour, as usual, eating at my computer trying to answer emails and taking care of (expletive deleted) volunteer work. My friend, another homeschool mom who lives a few streets away from me, was apparently doing the same thing. We had a brief e-conversation.
Me: Man, do I want to take a nap.
Friend: I'm with ya on the nap thing. Is it wrong to lock myself in my room and take one? Ha ha. Hmm, I heard a sneeze, maybe the kids need some benadryl? Ha ha.
Yeah, ha ha. Hmmmmm.....
Me: Man, do I want to take a nap.
Friend: I'm with ya on the nap thing. Is it wrong to lock myself in my room and take one? Ha ha. Hmm, I heard a sneeze, maybe the kids need some benadryl? Ha ha.
Yeah, ha ha. Hmmmmm.....
To Clarify
I should have mentioned this, but all the fantastic pictures in my field trip post were taken by my friend, Rachel, mom to the other children in the photos.
I left my camera at home because it's not attached to my body like my brain, which often doesn't seem to be attached to my body.
I left my camera at home because it's not attached to my body like my brain, which often doesn't seem to be attached to my body.
What is there to like about Halloween?
Not much for a mom, in my opinion.
No, this isn't some rant about wallowing in pagan traditions, going to hell in a handbasket, blah blah blah. Please. As Sister Mary Martha says, "give the child your broom and a pointy hat and let her have fun gathering and eating candy. Tomorrow she'll be at Mass. For a child, that is enough." And if Sister Mary Martha thinks it's ok to dress up in even scary costumes and extort candy from the neighbors then it must be ok.
But for weeks, this is what Halloween gives me:
#1 The Costume Headache
Pete was easy. No Yoda costume to be found in Target, so I fell back on the reliable dragon costumes I made for the boys when they were little. My wise mother's heart knows he will likely refuse to wear it and likely refuse to even go trick-or-treating, so I'm happy I didn't waste money on Yoda.
Jenny was easy. After a bit of waffling, she decided on a being a witch. They had really cute pumpkin witch costumes at Target, so DONE!
Fritz was easy. He wanted to be Obi Wan. He found an Anakin outfit and understands that one Jedi outfit is as good as another, so DONE!
The other two....grrrrr...
Billy changed his mind by the hour at home. At the store, he found a Power Ranger costume and picked it. Then, at home, decided he wanted to be Anakin and dress like Fritz. Oh, but he didn't want me to return his Power Ranger costume, he wanted ANOTHER costume. The answer is, of course, no, but I grow weary reminding him of this. He is most persistant, and I am grateful that I only have about 12 to 16 years left in enforcing rules over him. The Grand Canyon is proof that even the most solid ground can be eroded over time. I should be able to hold on for another decade and a half...but barely.
And Katie....Katie wanted to be Princess Lei, but Target didn't happen to have Princess Lei costumes. I told her it was ok, that we could easily MAKE a Princess Lei costume, but she gave me that look of shock and horror as though I were depriving her by not buying her a costume from a store. And she didn't want to go home empty handed. She decided to be a pumpkin witch, too. She and Jenny look similar, but not identical. They are really cute, but...
...the costume purchases came at the expense of listening to mom (me) rant about "...when I was a kid, we didn't BUY costumes, we MADE them..."
And I've resolved that next year, they start getting a bit more creative and making their own. Ghosts, gypsys, hobos...I might be willing to spring for face paint and let them be clowns. But NO MORE store-bought costumes, and having mom slave for weeks for a home-made alternative isn't acceptable either.
I'm sure I'll just have a bigger headache next year.
#2 The Candy Dilemma
First of all, how much candy to buy? There are hundreds of children living in my neighborhood. I need to buy enough for them, but not risk having an excessive amount leftover. Last year, I raided the kids baskets after they returned to supplement my supply. And then there are the teenagers, with no costumes, who come looking for a handout.
Who ever thought that giving out candy to kids in huge quantities was a good idea? Well, kids, for one...but anyone else? I'm not a candy-Nazi. I'm generous at Easter and Christmas and I don't mind some for Halloween. But candy is not a normal component of our daily (or even weekly) diet (with the exception of chocolate chip rewards for using the potty if you are under the age of 3 1/2). Five kids easily bring home 5 pounds of chocolate. That's a year's worth of candy for everyone here. And if the stuff wasn't all wrapped in orange and black, I'd seriously consider hiding half of it until Christmas time.
Usually, my husband takes about a third to his office. Another third goes straight into the garbage (sour flavoring is not popular here, and neither is cinnamon or gummy-anything). And then I let the kids binge on the rest, throw up for a day, and we're over it. (I'm just kidding.)
And for the teenagers, this year, at the suggestion of a neighbor, I bought plain #2 pencils. Uncostumed teens, unless accompanying a younger sibling, will get one of those. Yeah, I'm a mean lady.
And finally...
#3 Nightmares
Ever since the decorations began to go up, sleep troubles began. One recent morning, two kids woke up extra early crying from bad dreams. Katie is sobbing herself to sleep every night because she's scared...and she's getting Jenny all riled up too. And the conversations we've been having about vampires and werewolves and ghosts...I'm getting tired of discussing fiction versus reality time and time again.
Halloween is a lot of fun for kids between the ages of about ten and twelve...and for older kids with the mentality of a ten to twelve year old, including some adults (no names mentioned here...but...let's just say that some members of this household are really in touch with their inner child, and it's not me). I used to love haunted houses and haunted hayrides. I'm sure when my kids are older, I may find them amusing once again. Having your pants scared off every once in a while is fun, I know...if you're an adult.
But when you're a kid...it just makes for a nightmare for your mom.
No, this isn't some rant about wallowing in pagan traditions, going to hell in a handbasket, blah blah blah. Please. As Sister Mary Martha says, "give the child your broom and a pointy hat and let her have fun gathering and eating candy. Tomorrow she'll be at Mass. For a child, that is enough." And if Sister Mary Martha thinks it's ok to dress up in even scary costumes and extort candy from the neighbors then it must be ok.
But for weeks, this is what Halloween gives me:
#1 The Costume Headache
Pete was easy. No Yoda costume to be found in Target, so I fell back on the reliable dragon costumes I made for the boys when they were little. My wise mother's heart knows he will likely refuse to wear it and likely refuse to even go trick-or-treating, so I'm happy I didn't waste money on Yoda.
Jenny was easy. After a bit of waffling, she decided on a being a witch. They had really cute pumpkin witch costumes at Target, so DONE!
Fritz was easy. He wanted to be Obi Wan. He found an Anakin outfit and understands that one Jedi outfit is as good as another, so DONE!
The other two....grrrrr...
Billy changed his mind by the hour at home. At the store, he found a Power Ranger costume and picked it. Then, at home, decided he wanted to be Anakin and dress like Fritz. Oh, but he didn't want me to return his Power Ranger costume, he wanted ANOTHER costume. The answer is, of course, no, but I grow weary reminding him of this. He is most persistant, and I am grateful that I only have about 12 to 16 years left in enforcing rules over him. The Grand Canyon is proof that even the most solid ground can be eroded over time. I should be able to hold on for another decade and a half...but barely.
And Katie....Katie wanted to be Princess Lei, but Target didn't happen to have Princess Lei costumes. I told her it was ok, that we could easily MAKE a Princess Lei costume, but she gave me that look of shock and horror as though I were depriving her by not buying her a costume from a store. And she didn't want to go home empty handed. She decided to be a pumpkin witch, too. She and Jenny look similar, but not identical. They are really cute, but...
...the costume purchases came at the expense of listening to mom (me) rant about "...when I was a kid, we didn't BUY costumes, we MADE them..."
And I've resolved that next year, they start getting a bit more creative and making their own. Ghosts, gypsys, hobos...I might be willing to spring for face paint and let them be clowns. But NO MORE store-bought costumes, and having mom slave for weeks for a home-made alternative isn't acceptable either.
I'm sure I'll just have a bigger headache next year.
#2 The Candy Dilemma
First of all, how much candy to buy? There are hundreds of children living in my neighborhood. I need to buy enough for them, but not risk having an excessive amount leftover. Last year, I raided the kids baskets after they returned to supplement my supply. And then there are the teenagers, with no costumes, who come looking for a handout.
Who ever thought that giving out candy to kids in huge quantities was a good idea? Well, kids, for one...but anyone else? I'm not a candy-Nazi. I'm generous at Easter and Christmas and I don't mind some for Halloween. But candy is not a normal component of our daily (or even weekly) diet (with the exception of chocolate chip rewards for using the potty if you are under the age of 3 1/2). Five kids easily bring home 5 pounds of chocolate. That's a year's worth of candy for everyone here. And if the stuff wasn't all wrapped in orange and black, I'd seriously consider hiding half of it until Christmas time.
Usually, my husband takes about a third to his office. Another third goes straight into the garbage (sour flavoring is not popular here, and neither is cinnamon or gummy-anything). And then I let the kids binge on the rest, throw up for a day, and we're over it. (I'm just kidding.)
And for the teenagers, this year, at the suggestion of a neighbor, I bought plain #2 pencils. Uncostumed teens, unless accompanying a younger sibling, will get one of those. Yeah, I'm a mean lady.
And finally...
#3 Nightmares
Ever since the decorations began to go up, sleep troubles began. One recent morning, two kids woke up extra early crying from bad dreams. Katie is sobbing herself to sleep every night because she's scared...and she's getting Jenny all riled up too. And the conversations we've been having about vampires and werewolves and ghosts...I'm getting tired of discussing fiction versus reality time and time again.
Halloween is a lot of fun for kids between the ages of about ten and twelve...and for older kids with the mentality of a ten to twelve year old, including some adults (no names mentioned here...but...let's just say that some members of this household are really in touch with their inner child, and it's not me). I used to love haunted houses and haunted hayrides. I'm sure when my kids are older, I may find them amusing once again. Having your pants scared off every once in a while is fun, I know...if you're an adult.
But when you're a kid...it just makes for a nightmare for your mom.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Field Trips
Last week: fire station (always a big hit with kids).
Yesterday: Cox Farm.
Does seeing baby pigs really count as educational?
It was freezing, but Jenny stripped off two layers. She was miserable, but she was miserable before taking off her sweater and long sleeved shirt anyway.
We'll count this as "socialization" I guess.
Or perhaps phys-ed?...they did have to run up hills or climb a staircase for the slides.
Definitely cooper-ative play. Katie and her friend Maria were each too scared to go down the big spiral slide together, so their older brothers gallantly stepped forward to ride with them. Very sweet.
Biology class? (learning about the jaws of large sea creatures)?
Hay rides are a good lesson in how people used to travel before cars. Also, in how hay protects you from the wind and keeps you much warmer than you might have thought possible.
We were supposed to be meeting with a Catholic homeschool group. We got there and found one other mom. It was freezing and standing around was making everyone cranky, so my friend and I took off for the hayride.
Later, as we sat in the warm car and ate lunch, we saw the other mother again. She apologized that we hadn't caught up with the group. It turns out we "missed" praying the rosary and the Angelus...in the freezing cold...with half a gazillion little children who were hungry for lunch and/or staring longingly at the slides. Well, actually, those saintly children were probably not doing that, but mine would have been.
I'm such a bad Catholic mom that I was elated that we missed the rosary. The Angelus would have been fine, but the rosary? in the wind and cold? No matter how good of a mom you may think you are...no matter how well you may feel you are raising your children in the faith...there will always be other families with mild-speaking moms and rosary-praying children to show you just how much more you could be doing.
Yesterday: Cox Farm.
Does seeing baby pigs really count as educational?
It was freezing, but Jenny stripped off two layers. She was miserable, but she was miserable before taking off her sweater and long sleeved shirt anyway.
We'll count this as "socialization" I guess.
Or perhaps phys-ed?...they did have to run up hills or climb a staircase for the slides.
Definitely cooper-ative play. Katie and her friend Maria were each too scared to go down the big spiral slide together, so their older brothers gallantly stepped forward to ride with them. Very sweet.
Biology class? (learning about the jaws of large sea creatures)?
Hay rides are a good lesson in how people used to travel before cars. Also, in how hay protects you from the wind and keeps you much warmer than you might have thought possible.We were supposed to be meeting with a Catholic homeschool group. We got there and found one other mom. It was freezing and standing around was making everyone cranky, so my friend and I took off for the hayride.
Later, as we sat in the warm car and ate lunch, we saw the other mother again. She apologized that we hadn't caught up with the group. It turns out we "missed" praying the rosary and the Angelus...in the freezing cold...with half a gazillion little children who were hungry for lunch and/or staring longingly at the slides. Well, actually, those saintly children were probably not doing that, but mine would have been.
I'm such a bad Catholic mom that I was elated that we missed the rosary. The Angelus would have been fine, but the rosary? in the wind and cold? No matter how good of a mom you may think you are...no matter how well you may feel you are raising your children in the faith...there will always be other families with mild-speaking moms and rosary-praying children to show you just how much more you could be doing.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Post-traumatic stress
The summer of 1991, I was 20 and halfway through college where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and also completed the requirements for a minor in German. The head of the German Department at my school got me a job at an engineering firm in Germany. It was supposed to be a joint German/engineering internship, but the Head of the Engineering Department would not approve it. The reason: me and my big mouth.
I was a student in this professor's Thermodynamics class. Thermodynamics has absolutely nothing to do with civil engineering, but it was a required course for all engineering students. This professor was consistently making me late for...a German class, and I, in front of the entire class, obnoxiously complained about it! Not too bright. It also didn't help that I struggled in this class, and I think earned a D+. In my defense, I had no intention of being a rocket scientist, and I aced all but one of my civil engineering classes, so I'm really not too stupid. I just couldn't calculate how much torque an engine operating at a certain speed with a certain power and at a certain temperature might produce. I also didn't really care.
Anyway, my bad attitude and apparent lack of brain power prevented me from an engineering internship. So, I worked in the sales department. Interestingly enough, I had a career in sales and engineering after college.
In Germany, I lived on the first floor of a home. The owners lived upstairs and they rented the first level - two bedrooms, a bath and kitchen - to international employees of the firm. My roommate was a guy from Brazil. We got along great, although his German was so much better than mine that I don't know how we managed to communicate.
At first, everything about my little home was fine. But then, a few weeks in, I was taking a shower and out of the drain popped two big, furry spiders. I really don't like spiders, especially not the furry kind with huge bodies, long legs and snapping fangs - I swear they were chomping and looking for blood. Okay, I can't be certain about the chomping fangs; I am near-sighted and generally don't take a shower with my glasses on. Spiders, even huge, black, killer spiders, appear as moving, black dots. My near-sightedness makes me feel extra-vulnerable, since I can't tell how aggressive that spider really is. Is he trying to run from me, or is he gauging the best angle of attack? I can't tell, so I assume the worst.
Fortunately, Mr. Brazil was not scared of spiders and happily dispatched them every time they appeared - which was often. I'm just happy that this blubbering and babbling American girl was able to provide him with some amusement.
Now why am I remembering these horrid creatures? This morning, as I was about to step into my shower, I saw a darting black dot. Since neither Mr. Brazil nor my personal knight in shining armor was available, the defense of the home was all on me. I fetched my glasses so I could do battle properly, and washed the thing down the drain with only a few stifled squeals of fright (the kids were sleeping still, I couldn't be too loud). And then I did what any sensible person would do - I closed the drain and showered in ever-deepening water. Those things can cling and crawl even in flooded drains, you know!
I was a student in this professor's Thermodynamics class. Thermodynamics has absolutely nothing to do with civil engineering, but it was a required course for all engineering students. This professor was consistently making me late for...a German class, and I, in front of the entire class, obnoxiously complained about it! Not too bright. It also didn't help that I struggled in this class, and I think earned a D+. In my defense, I had no intention of being a rocket scientist, and I aced all but one of my civil engineering classes, so I'm really not too stupid. I just couldn't calculate how much torque an engine operating at a certain speed with a certain power and at a certain temperature might produce. I also didn't really care.
Anyway, my bad attitude and apparent lack of brain power prevented me from an engineering internship. So, I worked in the sales department. Interestingly enough, I had a career in sales and engineering after college.
In Germany, I lived on the first floor of a home. The owners lived upstairs and they rented the first level - two bedrooms, a bath and kitchen - to international employees of the firm. My roommate was a guy from Brazil. We got along great, although his German was so much better than mine that I don't know how we managed to communicate.
At first, everything about my little home was fine. But then, a few weeks in, I was taking a shower and out of the drain popped two big, furry spiders. I really don't like spiders, especially not the furry kind with huge bodies, long legs and snapping fangs - I swear they were chomping and looking for blood. Okay, I can't be certain about the chomping fangs; I am near-sighted and generally don't take a shower with my glasses on. Spiders, even huge, black, killer spiders, appear as moving, black dots. My near-sightedness makes me feel extra-vulnerable, since I can't tell how aggressive that spider really is. Is he trying to run from me, or is he gauging the best angle of attack? I can't tell, so I assume the worst.
Fortunately, Mr. Brazil was not scared of spiders and happily dispatched them every time they appeared - which was often. I'm just happy that this blubbering and babbling American girl was able to provide him with some amusement.
Now why am I remembering these horrid creatures? This morning, as I was about to step into my shower, I saw a darting black dot. Since neither Mr. Brazil nor my personal knight in shining armor was available, the defense of the home was all on me. I fetched my glasses so I could do battle properly, and washed the thing down the drain with only a few stifled squeals of fright (the kids were sleeping still, I couldn't be too loud). And then I did what any sensible person would do - I closed the drain and showered in ever-deepening water. Those things can cling and crawl even in flooded drains, you know!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Neighborhood Chili Cook-Off Today
My entry: Cowboy Chili.
yum yum
If you decide to take a break after browning the beef and go outside to enjoy the nice weather, be sure to turn the burner off!
The baking soda did the trick on my pan - thanks!
yum yum
If you decide to take a break after browning the beef and go outside to enjoy the nice weather, be sure to turn the burner off!
The baking soda did the trick on my pan - thanks!
Friday, October 20, 2006
Day 31, Week 7
Wow. We've made it to Week 7.
Today was Monday, even though it was Friday. Good thing, too, because we're going on a field trip on the real Monday. So, Tuesday will be Tuesday, and my three days of grace I built into the start of the school year will be all gone. That's okay, though. I was getting myself confused as to what day of the week it really was, and that's not usually a good thing.
I'm amazed that with seven weeks in a row of taking my son to the doctor (a 3 to 4 hour door-to-door journey), we didn't actually get behind. It's probably good that it coincided with the beginning of the school year when things are moving slowly along. I'm sure Fritz would have spent many of the last Saturdays making up school work if he attended a traditional school. Now, we're down to only once a month, but with surgery looming in the not-too-distant future I may need a few more bonus days.
Since we're out of the classroom on Monday, Tuesday will be Day 32. I have a 32 week curriculum, which means by the close of business Tuesday we will be 20% done with the school year. And that is cause for celebration.
I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining about schooling my kids. I'm not. I love it. I also like running, and I ran a ten mile race. I trained for months (since I'm not a big runner). I worked hard. I got to the point a few times where I really didn't want to go for a run. But I did. And I accomplished my goal. And I'm very happy with my success. And I'm still running. That's homeschooling. There are days I don't really want to do it, but I've got a goal and I'm plugging along. See you past the finish line!
Today was Monday, even though it was Friday. Good thing, too, because we're going on a field trip on the real Monday. So, Tuesday will be Tuesday, and my three days of grace I built into the start of the school year will be all gone. That's okay, though. I was getting myself confused as to what day of the week it really was, and that's not usually a good thing.
I'm amazed that with seven weeks in a row of taking my son to the doctor (a 3 to 4 hour door-to-door journey), we didn't actually get behind. It's probably good that it coincided with the beginning of the school year when things are moving slowly along. I'm sure Fritz would have spent many of the last Saturdays making up school work if he attended a traditional school. Now, we're down to only once a month, but with surgery looming in the not-too-distant future I may need a few more bonus days.
Since we're out of the classroom on Monday, Tuesday will be Day 32. I have a 32 week curriculum, which means by the close of business Tuesday we will be 20% done with the school year. And that is cause for celebration.
I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining about schooling my kids. I'm not. I love it. I also like running, and I ran a ten mile race. I trained for months (since I'm not a big runner). I worked hard. I got to the point a few times where I really didn't want to go for a run. But I did. And I accomplished my goal. And I'm very happy with my success. And I'm still running. That's homeschooling. There are days I don't really want to do it, but I've got a goal and I'm plugging along. See you past the finish line!
Reduce, reuse and recycle (Part Four)
What NOT to do:
Use your breadmaker to make a double batch of pizza dough (4 1/2 cups of flour) and forget to add that really crucial ingredient: yeast.
Ugh.
Use your breadmaker to make a double batch of pizza dough (4 1/2 cups of flour) and forget to add that really crucial ingredient: yeast.
Ugh.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Mommy, It's a Renoir
This art appreciation tool for little kids is great. It's also known as Child-Sized Masterpieces.
Here our some of our masterpieces:
A Girl With a Watering Can (Renoir)
by Katie
George Washington on a White Charger (unknown)
by Katie
The Gulf Stream (Homer)
by Fritz
Here our some of our masterpieces:
A Girl With a Watering Can (Renoir)by Katie
George Washington on a White Charger (unknown)by Katie
The Gulf Stream (Homer)by Fritz
Stocking photos
Here are some photos of the stocking I made for my husband.
Since C.M.W. asked, if I had all of the materials and equipment assembled, if I had no obligations or interruptions (if I lived on Fantasy Island!!!), I could knock out one of these in about an hour. Keep in mind that I am using an existing pocket and labels and just cutting them off the BDU top and stitching them onto the stocking.When I mass produced them for deployed service members, I had two 9 year old girls (they were ten the following year) who did much of the cutting and stitching. Those stockings did not have fluffy trim or fancy pockets. Also, I don't usually use pins for something this simple, so that saves a ton of time.
If (when) I make them for my husband's office, I won't do one at a time. First, I'll cut the material, then I'll stitch pockets and/or velcro, then I will do the fluff, and lastly stitch the outside edge. This will cut down the per each time, because it just goes faster when you do the same thing over and over. Also, the stockings I make won't have pockets on both sides. I think it's possible that each stocking will take me much closer to 40 minutes to do (20 minutes for the stocking and trim and 20 minutes for the velcro/pockets).
And Bill promised to help! (In his oh-so-copious free time...)
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Yesterday, this beautiful face said she thought her sister was prettier because her sister had curly hair.Jenny's hair is really pretty, and when the humidity is right, will curl into ringlets like Goldilocks. If I braid it, the tips make a perfect swirl. I have resisted even a trim for her, just because I'm afraid that curl will go away.
Katie's hair is super thick and poker straight. It also grows very slowly, which we learned after her little friend cut it and we waited for seemingly forever for it to grow out again. But her hair isn't unattractive at all, and when combined with this face, she has no worries in the beauty department.
I told her she was gorgeous. Period.It just bothers me that such a young girl is already acutely aware of her looks and is ready to compare herself with others. She has already voiced concerns over being fat (she, like all my kids, is in the 25 percentile for weight and the 50 percentile for height), but I know just where she got that idea from - an unthinking neighbor told her a over a year ago that she had a big belly, because she was doing the typical kid thing and standing with an arched back and her abdomen pushed out. She might have had poor posture (she was four years old), but she has not an ounce of excess fat on her.
Self-esteem, body image...these are issues I thought I could avoid for a few more years. Apparently not.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Two quick updates
First of all, about the stockings:
I'm not sure about the velcro part, because I need a special color, special sizes. We found one place on line that only sold them in bulk - like 80 yards for $80. I'm going to call this one place today to see if they really are selling that material for $1.85 a yard, since Angoraknitter found a place at $8 per yard, and that is just a huge difference. Just the material and the fluff and the 550 cord (of which I'll be happy to use some of the gazillion yards we happen to own for some reason known only to Army guys) is really only about $1 or $2 per stocking.
I went on line and looked up handmade Christmas stockings. All were nice. Some were super nice. The price range for handmade stockings was $30 to $90. Machine-made novelty stockings were only $10 to $20 each. I need to keep reminding myself that these are handmade (by machine), not (bulk) machine-made.
I don't mind doing them for cheap to contribute to the overall Christmas spirit, but my husband knows that the main condition of a big discount would be that the price be kept a secret. My husband's office is a high-traffic, high-visibility one. And everyone passing through is top brass. I WILL make extra stockings, because there WILL be requests for purchase. I don't need his boss saying she got them for $20 when someone would happily fork over $35.
Hopefully this afternoon, I will dig out my husband's stocking and take a picture for you all to see. He has a few BDU tops that are waiting for the knife. I'm going to make them into stockings as well and sell them too. Perhaps my kids and I will do a unit study on running a business. So if you Army wives like this idea, but don't want to make one yourself, check here in November for pricing. I'm just not sure what postage to Germany is, Renee.
And the fire update. My house still smells like we're pack-a-dayers, but it is getting better. The firemen gave me the number to the Fire Prevention office, which was voice mail. I left my name and number. Maintenance came over with a spray can of smoke and tested every single detector and they all went off. Of course. They looked at me like I was an idiot. I insisted that every single room had smoke in it, and they said they didn't know what to tell me. My neighbor's alarms go off all the time, so maybe I'm imagining things. Perhaps my husband and children and I are all under some big delusional spell. Right. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Perhaps buy some cheap alarms and install them myself. I don't feel safe, but I do sympathize with the maintenance crew too. What can they do? The alarms claim to be working. I'm not interested in setting another fire in my house to prove my point.
I'm not sure about the velcro part, because I need a special color, special sizes. We found one place on line that only sold them in bulk - like 80 yards for $80. I'm going to call this one place today to see if they really are selling that material for $1.85 a yard, since Angoraknitter found a place at $8 per yard, and that is just a huge difference. Just the material and the fluff and the 550 cord (of which I'll be happy to use some of the gazillion yards we happen to own for some reason known only to Army guys) is really only about $1 or $2 per stocking.
I went on line and looked up handmade Christmas stockings. All were nice. Some were super nice. The price range for handmade stockings was $30 to $90. Machine-made novelty stockings were only $10 to $20 each. I need to keep reminding myself that these are handmade (by machine), not (bulk) machine-made.
I don't mind doing them for cheap to contribute to the overall Christmas spirit, but my husband knows that the main condition of a big discount would be that the price be kept a secret. My husband's office is a high-traffic, high-visibility one. And everyone passing through is top brass. I WILL make extra stockings, because there WILL be requests for purchase. I don't need his boss saying she got them for $20 when someone would happily fork over $35.
Hopefully this afternoon, I will dig out my husband's stocking and take a picture for you all to see. He has a few BDU tops that are waiting for the knife. I'm going to make them into stockings as well and sell them too. Perhaps my kids and I will do a unit study on running a business. So if you Army wives like this idea, but don't want to make one yourself, check here in November for pricing. I'm just not sure what postage to Germany is, Renee.
And the fire update. My house still smells like we're pack-a-dayers, but it is getting better. The firemen gave me the number to the Fire Prevention office, which was voice mail. I left my name and number. Maintenance came over with a spray can of smoke and tested every single detector and they all went off. Of course. They looked at me like I was an idiot. I insisted that every single room had smoke in it, and they said they didn't know what to tell me. My neighbor's alarms go off all the time, so maybe I'm imagining things. Perhaps my husband and children and I are all under some big delusional spell. Right. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Perhaps buy some cheap alarms and install them myself. I don't feel safe, but I do sympathize with the maintenance crew too. What can they do? The alarms claim to be working. I'm not interested in setting another fire in my house to prove my point.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
A Bleg
Five years ago I made about 80 Christmas stockings in a camouflage pattern, stuffed them (items donated by friends), and sent them off to some marines I knew who were in Afghanistan.
Four years ago, I sent over 100 to some National Guard soldiers in Bosnia.
Three years ago, I sent some, I'm not sure how many, but definitely less than 100, to Kosovo where my husband was.
The one I made for my husband was extra special, of course. I took a uniform shirt (BDU top for those of you in the know) and cut the stocking out of the back panel. I removed both chest pockets and his name label and the US ARMY label and stitched one pocket and label on one side and the other pocket and label on the other side. I used 550 cord (looks like an olive green round shoelace) for the loop for hanging, and the finishing touch was white fluffy trim around the top. It was (and still is) very high-speed.
A woman who worked with him in Kosovo liked it so much, she ordered some for herself. She provided the BDU tops, and I charged her $35 each.
My husband decorates his desk at work every Christmas with his stocking. It always gets tons of compliments. Soldiers don't think it's "nice" - they think it's great and want one too. My husband's boss saw it last year and decided she wants to order 33 to give to everybody in the office. They (the boss, my husband and somebody who is probably responsible for their Christmas decorating contest of which these stockings will play a central role) had a think-tank meeting yesterday morning and came up with a design. They want to use the ACU pattern (a new camouflage pattern, for those of you NOT in the know), 550 cord, white fluff, and then stitch on two pieces of velcro - one that is meant for the soldier's name tape and one that is 4" x 4" and can be used for a unit patch or rank or whatever.
Not including materials (the velcro is the most expensive supply), how much should I charge for the labor end of this? Or, put another way, if you or someone you knew were interested in a camouflage patterned stocking (stretch the imagination, you civilians), what do you think would be a fair market value? And how much should I discount that for my husband's boss who is buying them out of her own pocket? (Do you see the sticky situation my husband has caused me?)
Update: see the finished product here.
Four years ago, I sent over 100 to some National Guard soldiers in Bosnia.
Three years ago, I sent some, I'm not sure how many, but definitely less than 100, to Kosovo where my husband was.
The one I made for my husband was extra special, of course. I took a uniform shirt (BDU top for those of you in the know) and cut the stocking out of the back panel. I removed both chest pockets and his name label and the US ARMY label and stitched one pocket and label on one side and the other pocket and label on the other side. I used 550 cord (looks like an olive green round shoelace) for the loop for hanging, and the finishing touch was white fluffy trim around the top. It was (and still is) very high-speed.
A woman who worked with him in Kosovo liked it so much, she ordered some for herself. She provided the BDU tops, and I charged her $35 each.
My husband decorates his desk at work every Christmas with his stocking. It always gets tons of compliments. Soldiers don't think it's "nice" - they think it's great and want one too. My husband's boss saw it last year and decided she wants to order 33 to give to everybody in the office. They (the boss, my husband and somebody who is probably responsible for their Christmas decorating contest of which these stockings will play a central role) had a think-tank meeting yesterday morning and came up with a design. They want to use the ACU pattern (a new camouflage pattern, for those of you NOT in the know), 550 cord, white fluff, and then stitch on two pieces of velcro - one that is meant for the soldier's name tape and one that is 4" x 4" and can be used for a unit patch or rank or whatever.
Not including materials (the velcro is the most expensive supply), how much should I charge for the labor end of this? Or, put another way, if you or someone you knew were interested in a camouflage patterned stocking (stretch the imagination, you civilians), what do you think would be a fair market value? And how much should I discount that for my husband's boss who is buying them out of her own pocket? (Do you see the sticky situation my husband has caused me?)
Update: see the finished product here.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Charred remains of the day
There are some days...or entire weekends...that you just need to focus on the silver lining. Or really try to find the silver lining...
...for example, if you learn only after you plop an armload of books on the counter that the bookstore you are in is not having an educator's discount (and then later realize that it wasn't that big bookstore chain beginning with a B it was the other big bookstore chain beginning with a B - all too confusing for somebody who usually shops at the big online bookstore chain beginning with an A), you can at least be happy that you have that portion of your Christmas shopping done. I suppose I could have walked out without buying the books, but that would have meant an entire hour of my life wasted.
Thank goodness, they didn't have any of the books or CDs my husband has on his wish list. Big bookstore A will definitely continue to profit from this household.
And the other good thing about this whole experience is that it served to remind me why I usually disregard any email that requires me to act within a certain period of time or one that requires me to leave my house. This one required both, and I should have known better.
Now finding the silver lining to situation two was a bit more difficult, but I think I've managed. When you and your entire family (even the dog) go to the park for a half hour and you leave the burner on under a pan where you are browning cubed beef for chili and you return to a house entirely filled with smoke, it may be tempting to think that there isn't one good thing about it.
As you and your husband go through the house opening every window and door and turning on the A/C, the bathroom exhaust fans, and all the ceiling fans to help facilitate air movement, you may berate yourself for being a complete idiot or you may realize that not one of your smoke detectors is going off and be shocked and horrified as you see how filled with smoke the bedrooms are and realize how your entire family would probably have died of smoke inhalation had you done such a bone-headed thing at bedtime.
And as you test your smoke detectors and hear them do their obligatory beep that lies about how ready they are to detect that stuff that is filling your house, you could get really angry at the private company that just built this military housing and installed what is obviously a defective smoke detection system, or you could be very happy that your family is already scheduled for a field trip to the firehouse on Tuesday where you will be able to discuss with the fire department this extremely dangerous situation and possibly have them intervene on your behalf and on the behalf of the hundreds of families here who live in these new houses with interconnected smoke detectors that don't work.
If you ask the kids, the silver lining is going out to dinner at a sit down restaurant. They behaved well. Proof that there is a God, and He is good.
If anybody has any ideas for saving my pot and getting the smell of smoke out of my house, I'm all ears.
...for example, if you learn only after you plop an armload of books on the counter that the bookstore you are in is not having an educator's discount (and then later realize that it wasn't that big bookstore chain beginning with a B it was the other big bookstore chain beginning with a B - all too confusing for somebody who usually shops at the big online bookstore chain beginning with an A), you can at least be happy that you have that portion of your Christmas shopping done. I suppose I could have walked out without buying the books, but that would have meant an entire hour of my life wasted.
Thank goodness, they didn't have any of the books or CDs my husband has on his wish list. Big bookstore A will definitely continue to profit from this household.
And the other good thing about this whole experience is that it served to remind me why I usually disregard any email that requires me to act within a certain period of time or one that requires me to leave my house. This one required both, and I should have known better.
Now finding the silver lining to situation two was a bit more difficult, but I think I've managed. When you and your entire family (even the dog) go to the park for a half hour and you leave the burner on under a pan where you are browning cubed beef for chili and you return to a house entirely filled with smoke, it may be tempting to think that there isn't one good thing about it.
As you and your husband go through the house opening every window and door and turning on the A/C, the bathroom exhaust fans, and all the ceiling fans to help facilitate air movement, you may berate yourself for being a complete idiot or you may realize that not one of your smoke detectors is going off and be shocked and horrified as you see how filled with smoke the bedrooms are and realize how your entire family would probably have died of smoke inhalation had you done such a bone-headed thing at bedtime.
And as you test your smoke detectors and hear them do their obligatory beep that lies about how ready they are to detect that stuff that is filling your house, you could get really angry at the private company that just built this military housing and installed what is obviously a defective smoke detection system, or you could be very happy that your family is already scheduled for a field trip to the firehouse on Tuesday where you will be able to discuss with the fire department this extremely dangerous situation and possibly have them intervene on your behalf and on the behalf of the hundreds of families here who live in these new houses with interconnected smoke detectors that don't work.
If you ask the kids, the silver lining is going out to dinner at a sit down restaurant. They behaved well. Proof that there is a God, and He is good.
If anybody has any ideas for saving my pot and getting the smell of smoke out of my house, I'm all ears.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Hunter and hunted
I'm no animal expert, but I understand that one animal becomes afraid and other animals sense this and react according to their natures: those at the bottom of the food chain start considering hiding or running and those at the top of the food chain begin calculating the statistical probability of having steak tartare for lunch. One zebra does not say to another, "Holy smokes! Lion at two o'clock! Run for the hills!" They just know.
I've long suspected that mothers exude vibes too, and their children sense them clearly. Fear is a pretty strong emotion, but so too, apparently is the joy a woman feels at the prospect of a few minutes sans children. Whether mom wants to run to the grocery store for a few items, or go out after the kids' bedtime to a friend's house, or simply leave the children under the doting supervision of their father while she weeds the garden, children will sense this attempt to temporarily shrug her maternal duties and will mercilously track her down.
How often have I made plans to depart for a meeting or fun activity as soon as the kids are asleep, only to have a nursing infant decide that he or she would suddenly become high-maintenance and refuse to settle down? How many times have I left sleeping children to go to the grocery store and one or more have awakened and refused to go back to sleep until mom returns? As countless as the stars, it seems...
Yesterday morning, I peeked into the den aka office aka spare bedroom aka throne room (seat of power at the computer) and saw Jenny and Peter happily amused with some toy while Fritz and his dad looked at something online. I stood in the hallway out of sight of the little ones. I used RSL to tell my husband that I was going to take a shower (woo hoo! ten minutes of peace and quiet!!). I dashed off, but by the time I got to the staircase 15 feet away, I heard my husband calling to Petey. I looked over the half wall to see my baby in hot pursuit, but momentarily distracted by his dad.
I took the stairs two at a time and went to my bedroom. I closed the door, but didn't lock it because somebody might need to come in. I went into the bathroom. I closed the door, but didn't lock it because somebody might need to come in. Thank goodness, the bathroom door is sticky and the kids can't open it. Pete had been sufficiently called off scent, but Jenny took up the chase. As I was washing my hair, I could hear her knocking at the door saying, "Mommy, I need you!" Like a dog at the narrow opening to a fox's den, she remained for five minutes impatiently demanding entry. Her stalking attracted Pete once again to the site of his quarry, and he joined her in the baying of the hounds until their father arrived a minute later to chase them off.
So, five minutes of peace and quiet. It was enough.
I've long suspected that mothers exude vibes too, and their children sense them clearly. Fear is a pretty strong emotion, but so too, apparently is the joy a woman feels at the prospect of a few minutes sans children. Whether mom wants to run to the grocery store for a few items, or go out after the kids' bedtime to a friend's house, or simply leave the children under the doting supervision of their father while she weeds the garden, children will sense this attempt to temporarily shrug her maternal duties and will mercilously track her down.
How often have I made plans to depart for a meeting or fun activity as soon as the kids are asleep, only to have a nursing infant decide that he or she would suddenly become high-maintenance and refuse to settle down? How many times have I left sleeping children to go to the grocery store and one or more have awakened and refused to go back to sleep until mom returns? As countless as the stars, it seems...
Yesterday morning, I peeked into the den aka office aka spare bedroom aka throne room (seat of power at the computer) and saw Jenny and Peter happily amused with some toy while Fritz and his dad looked at something online. I stood in the hallway out of sight of the little ones. I used RSL to tell my husband that I was going to take a shower (woo hoo! ten minutes of peace and quiet!!). I dashed off, but by the time I got to the staircase 15 feet away, I heard my husband calling to Petey. I looked over the half wall to see my baby in hot pursuit, but momentarily distracted by his dad.
I took the stairs two at a time and went to my bedroom. I closed the door, but didn't lock it because somebody might need to come in. I went into the bathroom. I closed the door, but didn't lock it because somebody might need to come in. Thank goodness, the bathroom door is sticky and the kids can't open it. Pete had been sufficiently called off scent, but Jenny took up the chase. As I was washing my hair, I could hear her knocking at the door saying, "Mommy, I need you!" Like a dog at the narrow opening to a fox's den, she remained for five minutes impatiently demanding entry. Her stalking attracted Pete once again to the site of his quarry, and he joined her in the baying of the hounds until their father arrived a minute later to chase them off.
So, five minutes of peace and quiet. It was enough.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Truth and Orthodoxy and Rod Dreher
Eric Scheske writes about Rod Dreher's confession that he has left the Roman Catholic Church for the Orthodox Church. His (Rod's) posting is very long, and makes me profoundly sad.
My first question as I read his explanation was what about Truth? I am not at all saying that Orthodox Christians do not have the Truth; I believe that they do. I know that there are a few Orthodox ladies who read my blog, and I'm not at all interested in offending you. In fact, Mimi, I've been thinking about how St. Michael's feast day for you does not coincide with his feast day for me, and I pray that our Churches can get it together and come to an agreement on these basic things.
One thing that the RC Church rejects (should reject) is the cult of personality whereby we hop from church to church trying to find one that suits us. We don't like the music here or the homilies there. What really matters is the Eucharist. It is a matter of faith that a priest, properly ordained, who recites the appropriate Eucharistic prayers is able, through the power of God, to transform bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, even if he himself doesn't believe it, and even if he himself is a despicable child molester.
I'm not saying that the music or the homilies or the private life of the priest don't matter at all. Oh, they do. But we need to recognize these issues and problems as separate and distinct from doctrinal issues and issues of Truth. Rod recognizes the Truth of the Eucharist, which is why he went Orthodox instead of, say, Lutheran. But Rod addresses this thorn of following Truth (as opposed to that warm fuzzy feeling) this way:
He set about to prove that Orthodoxy was true, not to prove that the doctrine of papal infallibility was true. Well, these thoughts are not mutually exclusive! Orthodoxy is Truth, so proving that doesn't prove in the least that the Pope is wrong. It is only through being unable to prove that papal infallibility is true, that we can recognize that it is false. Does that make sense? If an employer thinks an employee is stealing, he can quickly doubt every word, every action and see deceit where none is. If an employer seeks to prove that an employee is not stealing, not by turning a blind eye to questionable behavior, but by truly investigating him with the intent to explain why money and items are missing, an employee's dishonesty may make that attempt impossible.
You can not prove as true things which are false, but you can "prove" (inspire doubt) as false things which are true.
Rod then follows this line of reasoning about papal infallibility with how the Orthodox Church gives him that warm fuzzy feeling. This reduces his whole motive for converting to how the Church makes him feel, not what is Truth, which is the same thing as hopping around looking for a priest who delivers a homily that says what you want it to say.
Perhaps the most telling passage, though, for me is this one:
He is meaning to say that he is humbled by the tiny stature of his new-found religion as opposed to the pride he felt at belonging to the RC Church. Unfortunately, where he professes humility, I see someone who revels in being elite. The Few, the Proud...the Orthodox? God did not intend to save only the Jews...even the dogs eat scraps from the master's table. Truth is not meant to be restricted to only special groups.
I suppose my perspective is different than Rod's. The Orthodox Church is not the faith of my fathers. As much Truth as may be found there, I would not leave the Truth revealed through the Roman Catholic Church. But neither Rod nor his wife are cradle Catholics. They converted to Roman Catholicism and converting to Orthodoxy, as difficult as that may have been for them, is not a rejection of their parents' and grandparents' religion.
It just saddens me that, once again, a high-profile Catholic is publicly rejecting the Church. It's a nasty business. The problems with the Church are neither unique to this denomination nor unique to this era of history. Walking away from the Church is never the answer. Then we just end up with the Nativity of Christ being celebrated on two different days of the year.
My first question as I read his explanation was what about Truth? I am not at all saying that Orthodox Christians do not have the Truth; I believe that they do. I know that there are a few Orthodox ladies who read my blog, and I'm not at all interested in offending you. In fact, Mimi, I've been thinking about how St. Michael's feast day for you does not coincide with his feast day for me, and I pray that our Churches can get it together and come to an agreement on these basic things.
One thing that the RC Church rejects (should reject) is the cult of personality whereby we hop from church to church trying to find one that suits us. We don't like the music here or the homilies there. What really matters is the Eucharist. It is a matter of faith that a priest, properly ordained, who recites the appropriate Eucharistic prayers is able, through the power of God, to transform bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, even if he himself doesn't believe it, and even if he himself is a despicable child molester.
I'm not saying that the music or the homilies or the private life of the priest don't matter at all. Oh, they do. But we need to recognize these issues and problems as separate and distinct from doctrinal issues and issues of Truth. Rod recognizes the Truth of the Eucharist, which is why he went Orthodox instead of, say, Lutheran. But Rod addresses this thorn of following Truth (as opposed to that warm fuzzy feeling) this way:
I had to admit that I had never seriously considered the case for Orthodoxy. Now I had to do that. And it was difficult poring through the arguments about papal primacy. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that I came to seriously doubt Rome's claims. Reading the accounts of the First Vatican Council, and how they arrived at the dogma of papal infallibility, was a shock to me: I realized that I simply couldn't believe the doctrine. And if that falls, it all falls. Of course I immediately set upon myself, doubting my thinking because doubting my motives. You're just trying to talk yourself into something, I thought. And truth to tell, there was a lot of that, I'm sure.
He set about to prove that Orthodoxy was true, not to prove that the doctrine of papal infallibility was true. Well, these thoughts are not mutually exclusive! Orthodoxy is Truth, so proving that doesn't prove in the least that the Pope is wrong. It is only through being unable to prove that papal infallibility is true, that we can recognize that it is false. Does that make sense? If an employer thinks an employee is stealing, he can quickly doubt every word, every action and see deceit where none is. If an employer seeks to prove that an employee is not stealing, not by turning a blind eye to questionable behavior, but by truly investigating him with the intent to explain why money and items are missing, an employee's dishonesty may make that attempt impossible.
You can not prove as true things which are false, but you can "prove" (inspire doubt) as false things which are true.
Rod then follows this line of reasoning about papal infallibility with how the Orthodox Church gives him that warm fuzzy feeling. This reduces his whole motive for converting to how the Church makes him feel, not what is Truth, which is the same thing as hopping around looking for a priest who delivers a homily that says what you want it to say.
Perhaps the most telling passage, though, for me is this one:
A few weeks back, I mentioned to Julie on the way to St. Seraphim's one morning, "I'm now part of a small church that nobody's heard of, with zero cultural influence in America, and in a tiny parish that's materially poor. I think that's just where I need to be."
He is meaning to say that he is humbled by the tiny stature of his new-found religion as opposed to the pride he felt at belonging to the RC Church. Unfortunately, where he professes humility, I see someone who revels in being elite. The Few, the Proud...the Orthodox? God did not intend to save only the Jews...even the dogs eat scraps from the master's table. Truth is not meant to be restricted to only special groups.
I suppose my perspective is different than Rod's. The Orthodox Church is not the faith of my fathers. As much Truth as may be found there, I would not leave the Truth revealed through the Roman Catholic Church. But neither Rod nor his wife are cradle Catholics. They converted to Roman Catholicism and converting to Orthodoxy, as difficult as that may have been for them, is not a rejection of their parents' and grandparents' religion.
It just saddens me that, once again, a high-profile Catholic is publicly rejecting the Church. It's a nasty business. The problems with the Church are neither unique to this denomination nor unique to this era of history. Walking away from the Church is never the answer. Then we just end up with the Nativity of Christ being celebrated on two different days of the year.
Reduce, reuse and recycle (Part Three)
Early in our marriage, Bill and I realized that we simply could not afford to waste money on frivolous gifts for each other when there were things we truly wanted or needed and could barely afford. It would be silly for me to buy him a Cheesehead, when he really needed another dress shirt for work. I got little joy out of a beautiful knick knack when I really wanted a non-stick skillet for my eggs (fried over easy).
Growing up and even now, my mother complains about how my dad shops for her for Christmas. He wants a list. He takes her list, hits the bank for cash, and then goes to the mall and goes down the list getting her everything on it. She hates that. I can see her point to some degree. Most women I know foolishly expect our men to read our minds and just "know us." It is just so romantic to have our sweetheart find a perfect gift and surprise us with it.
But most men I know are like my dad. They don't want the pressure of finding the perfect gift. They don't enjoy or have the time to spend hours in the mall scouring the clearance rack for a great deal. And since most women, when shopping for themselves, make several trips back and forth to the dressing room, critically eying the length of the skirt or the tightness of the hips or the plunge of the neckline, and discarding half the selected items, it is small wonder that any man who has witness that scene would ever have the confidence to pick out something and expect his wife to be happy with it.
I have tried to defend my dad to my mom and tell her that his shopping for her in that manner is an act of love. Here she has told him her heart's desire and there he goes to fulfill it. What more could (should) any woman want?
Fortunately for my husband, I am much more pragmatic. For our recent anniversary, I bought myself a Bissel carpet cleaner and then thanked him for his generosity. Usually, though, I tell him what I want and let him buy it. The year he was in Kosovo, he bought me a blender/food processor. He actually bragged to his buddies that his wife requested a blender for the occasion. And I was happy. I let him shop (online) for it, and he spent a good deal of time researching features and reading reviews to make sure he got me a really good one. He picked one that was far superior to any I may have considered myself. Now that's love.
So, this month, I am looking at how I spend our money and am trying to begin shopping for Christmas with an eye on how I may be wasting money. I think the system my husband and I have, where we each write a long list of things we'd like including size and color if appropriate (we mark catalogs), and then we set a budget, and then we are free to shop off the other's person's list within the budget, is a nice blend of getting things you'd like but still having a surprise. And in recent years when money has been less tight, we've each felt a bit freer to get one or two things that are not on the list but we think the other would like.
But I have not been quite as spend-thrifty when it comes to the kids. Stocking-stuffers are my big downfall where I know I spend too much money on little things that they don't care too much about. I want those stockings to be full, but I don't want them full of candy, so I fill them with stuff. Maybe this year, I'll fill them with nuts and buy a nutcracker (a real one) and introduce my children to the inexpensive and time-consuming pastime of working for your snack.
Also, I need to move fast and think hard about some deals that are too good to miss. We always buy books for Christmas time. I received this email a few days ago:
I'd like to hear from you. What goes in those Christmas stockings? Do you and your husband have a good system for buying gifts for each other, or is Christmas a big disappointment for you both? And who has started shopping already?
Also, I'm looking for some good ideas for the kids to make for each other and others. I've thought about the boys picking out cookie recipes (we have a great book with pictures) and baking them to send to grandparents and to our deployed friends and to wrap and give to each other. I've thought that even my 3 year old can dip pretzels in chocolate for a yummy present. Any other ideas?
Growing up and even now, my mother complains about how my dad shops for her for Christmas. He wants a list. He takes her list, hits the bank for cash, and then goes to the mall and goes down the list getting her everything on it. She hates that. I can see her point to some degree. Most women I know foolishly expect our men to read our minds and just "know us." It is just so romantic to have our sweetheart find a perfect gift and surprise us with it.
But most men I know are like my dad. They don't want the pressure of finding the perfect gift. They don't enjoy or have the time to spend hours in the mall scouring the clearance rack for a great deal. And since most women, when shopping for themselves, make several trips back and forth to the dressing room, critically eying the length of the skirt or the tightness of the hips or the plunge of the neckline, and discarding half the selected items, it is small wonder that any man who has witness that scene would ever have the confidence to pick out something and expect his wife to be happy with it.
I have tried to defend my dad to my mom and tell her that his shopping for her in that manner is an act of love. Here she has told him her heart's desire and there he goes to fulfill it. What more could (should) any woman want?
Fortunately for my husband, I am much more pragmatic. For our recent anniversary, I bought myself a Bissel carpet cleaner and then thanked him for his generosity. Usually, though, I tell him what I want and let him buy it. The year he was in Kosovo, he bought me a blender/food processor. He actually bragged to his buddies that his wife requested a blender for the occasion. And I was happy. I let him shop (online) for it, and he spent a good deal of time researching features and reading reviews to make sure he got me a really good one. He picked one that was far superior to any I may have considered myself. Now that's love.
So, this month, I am looking at how I spend our money and am trying to begin shopping for Christmas with an eye on how I may be wasting money. I think the system my husband and I have, where we each write a long list of things we'd like including size and color if appropriate (we mark catalogs), and then we set a budget, and then we are free to shop off the other's person's list within the budget, is a nice blend of getting things you'd like but still having a surprise. And in recent years when money has been less tight, we've each felt a bit freer to get one or two things that are not on the list but we think the other would like.
But I have not been quite as spend-thrifty when it comes to the kids. Stocking-stuffers are my big downfall where I know I spend too much money on little things that they don't care too much about. I want those stockings to be full, but I don't want them full of candy, so I fill them with stuff. Maybe this year, I'll fill them with nuts and buy a nutcracker (a real one) and introduce my children to the inexpensive and time-consuming pastime of working for your snack.
Also, I need to move fast and think hard about some deals that are too good to miss. We always buy books for Christmas time. I received this email a few days ago:
Borders Books will honor educators during "Educator Savings Days,"Thursday-Tuesday, October 12-17. During this time, educators will receive a 25 percent discount on books, music and gift items, and a 20 percent discount on DVDs. (Normal exceptions apply.) The discounts are available for items purchased for personal as well as professional use. Current and retired teachers, librarians, school employees, principals, homeschoolers, instructors, trainers, and other educators are eligible.If I do an hour of hard thinking, I should be able to come up with a shopping list for my nearest and dearest, including nephew and nieces. A 25% discount is hard to beat, and since I know I will be buying books anyway, I think it would be a waste of money to wait another month to shop.
I'd like to hear from you. What goes in those Christmas stockings? Do you and your husband have a good system for buying gifts for each other, or is Christmas a big disappointment for you both? And who has started shopping already?
Also, I'm looking for some good ideas for the kids to make for each other and others. I've thought about the boys picking out cookie recipes (we have a great book with pictures) and baking them to send to grandparents and to our deployed friends and to wrap and give to each other. I've thought that even my 3 year old can dip pretzels in chocolate for a yummy present. Any other ideas?
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Dream home
One of the styles of architecture that I like least is the ubiquitous colonial style, like the house in which I currently live. I say this to people all the time and many respond with a surprised look and the question, "Well, what kind do you like?" As if there were no other.
Tudor is the first word that springs to mind.
Victorian?
Bungalow - Cottage?
Recently, my husband has been browsing the Orvis log homes pages. I don't know why. Not only can we not afford one of these homes, we don't happen to own any land upon which to build it (except for that little lot in Suburbia, New Jersey which already has a cute and suitably sized Cape Cod home on it), and he doesn't happen to be employed in a capacity where he can just live anywhere and then hop in his private plane to get to the office or retire to his home-office and peck away at the keyboard all day for pay. And we're not independently wealthy either. Woe is me.
If you're not familiar with Orvis, they are high-end outdoorsy stuff. L.L. Bean times two or three. Beaners go hunting...Orvisers go on safari. Seriously. A man can dream.
I have to admit, though, looking at the plans for these log homes and seeing the front elevation sketches has me dreaming too. I asked for one for my 50th birthday. That gives us 15 years to win the lottery.
We especially like the Rogue with 5 big bedrooms and 6 baths and plenty of space for all of us. The kids have already planned who would sleep where.
So, after 4 months of snorkeling on my wallpaper, I've switched to the log cabin in the woods. Plenty of room for guests in this fantasy. Don't forget to pack your fishing gear - there must be trout in that stream around back.
Tudor is the first word that springs to mind.
Victorian?
Bungalow - Cottage?
Recently, my husband has been browsing the Orvis log homes pages. I don't know why. Not only can we not afford one of these homes, we don't happen to own any land upon which to build it (except for that little lot in Suburbia, New Jersey which already has a cute and suitably sized Cape Cod home on it), and he doesn't happen to be employed in a capacity where he can just live anywhere and then hop in his private plane to get to the office or retire to his home-office and peck away at the keyboard all day for pay. And we're not independently wealthy either. Woe is me.
If you're not familiar with Orvis, they are high-end outdoorsy stuff. L.L. Bean times two or three. Beaners go hunting...Orvisers go on safari. Seriously. A man can dream.
I have to admit, though, looking at the plans for these log homes and seeing the front elevation sketches has me dreaming too. I asked for one for my 50th birthday. That gives us 15 years to win the lottery.
We especially like the Rogue with 5 big bedrooms and 6 baths and plenty of space for all of us. The kids have already planned who would sleep where.So, after 4 months of snorkeling on my wallpaper, I've switched to the log cabin in the woods. Plenty of room for guests in this fantasy. Don't forget to pack your fishing gear - there must be trout in that stream around back.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Milk: it does a body good
Many many thanks to Jennie C for sending me over to Amazon to read reviews of milk such as this one:
On the nose this milk is exceptionally elegant. Dominant floral notes (mint and white flowers) mingle with hints of fresh fruit (citrus fruits, fresh almonds). As it undergoes aeration, riper notes of vanilla and nougat come to the fore, giving a pleasant roundness to the milk. At this stage a typical whole milk characteristic, crisp elegance, clearly prevails over aromatic strength.
In the mouth, the milk, especially in the gallon size, reveals its
true personality. Fruity notes (white peaches, grapefruit and bergamot) dominate an energetic attack on the palate, which is prolonged by the structure and roundedness of the milk. The balance, a combination of freshness and vigour, is ideal. With a finish that is extremely persistent and clean, mineral notes add force to this noble cow juice.
Some of these just may make me snort milk out my nose.
Memo II
To: all family members ages 5 and up
From: The Lady of the House and the Laundry Mistress
re: Mandatory Laundry Seminar this Saturday
The Laundry Mistress will be conducting the Semi-Annual Laundry Seminar this Saturday beginning at 1300 hours. Attendance is mandatory for all family members over the age of 5.
The seminar schedule will be as follows:
1300 - 1305 How Clothes Are Cleaned - The Laundry Mistress will walk attendees through the laundry process from dirty to clean. This will include a tour of the laundry room and general instructions on how the washer and dryer operate.
1305 - 1310 Hands On! Laundry Recepticles - Attendees will locate all the proper laundry recepticles in the house and search for dirty laundry not in the proper place.
1310 - 1315 A Week in the Life of Your Favorite Shirt - Why does it seem to take a whole week for your favorite shirt to be cleaned? The Laundry Mistress will point out common pitfalls in the laundry process from dirty clothes being shoved under the bed to folded laundry not being put away in a timely fashion. This portion of the seminar will also consider the impact of wearing two or three different outfits every day and how all that extra laundry can clog the whole process.
1315 - 1325 Hands On! Right Side Out - Yes! Socks, pants and shirts can be removed from the body without being turned inside out! This most important portion of the seminar will include a discussion of how stains and stinks can best be removed from soiled clothing if the clothes are washed right side out. Attendees will have a chance to practice clothing removal techniques that will minimize the amount that clothing is turned inside out and will practice turning clothes right side out if those techniques fail. PLEASE NOTE: once this seminar is completed, all family members over the age of 5 will be required to turn clothing right side out before placing it in the laundry recepticles. The Laundry Mistress may reject inside out clothing from the cleaning process or may return cleaned items folded inside out.
1325 - 1330 Q&A - To conclude the seminar, the Laundry Mistress will answer questions and offer additional help for anyone interested.
Please note the day and time of this seminar on your calendars. Being absent or late to this seminar is punishable by up to three hours of laundry duty service.
From: The Lady of the House and the Laundry Mistress
re: Mandatory Laundry Seminar this Saturday
The Laundry Mistress will be conducting the Semi-Annual Laundry Seminar this Saturday beginning at 1300 hours. Attendance is mandatory for all family members over the age of 5.
The seminar schedule will be as follows:
1300 - 1305 How Clothes Are Cleaned - The Laundry Mistress will walk attendees through the laundry process from dirty to clean. This will include a tour of the laundry room and general instructions on how the washer and dryer operate.
1305 - 1310 Hands On! Laundry Recepticles - Attendees will locate all the proper laundry recepticles in the house and search for dirty laundry not in the proper place.
1310 - 1315 A Week in the Life of Your Favorite Shirt - Why does it seem to take a whole week for your favorite shirt to be cleaned? The Laundry Mistress will point out common pitfalls in the laundry process from dirty clothes being shoved under the bed to folded laundry not being put away in a timely fashion. This portion of the seminar will also consider the impact of wearing two or three different outfits every day and how all that extra laundry can clog the whole process.
1315 - 1325 Hands On! Right Side Out - Yes! Socks, pants and shirts can be removed from the body without being turned inside out! This most important portion of the seminar will include a discussion of how stains and stinks can best be removed from soiled clothing if the clothes are washed right side out. Attendees will have a chance to practice clothing removal techniques that will minimize the amount that clothing is turned inside out and will practice turning clothes right side out if those techniques fail. PLEASE NOTE: once this seminar is completed, all family members over the age of 5 will be required to turn clothing right side out before placing it in the laundry recepticles. The Laundry Mistress may reject inside out clothing from the cleaning process or may return cleaned items folded inside out.
1325 - 1330 Q&A - To conclude the seminar, the Laundry Mistress will answer questions and offer additional help for anyone interested.
Please note the day and time of this seminar on your calendars. Being absent or late to this seminar is punishable by up to three hours of laundry duty service.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
It's 6 am...
...and by his own free choice, my 8 year old is watching Singing in the Rain.
But would he take tap classes if I asked him? No way.
But would he take tap classes if I asked him? No way.
Another goal completed
Despite having completed ten miles the other day, I still consider myself a non-runner. My body seems to agree, and I am stiff and sore. Yesterday morning, I took Greta for a walk. She kept pulling the lead, wondering why I was going so slowly. This morning, I took her for a very slow jog. The first half mile was pretty pitiful, but finally the muscles loosened up and I managed to go the 1.6 miles necessary to just complete my second PT goal for the year: to run 250 miles.
When I established the goal of 250 miles, running one full mile was quite a feat for me. I thought if I ran one to two miles three to five times per week, that would be really good. Since I had already decided to run the Army Ten Miler, I knew that I would likely run some longer distances at some point, but that was too far away to really think about.
A friend of mine was really surprised to learn that I had run the race (her reaction to this fact really convinced me that I am truly a non-runner...I mean runners are thin! runners have that lean hard body that I covet! runners run everywhere all the time! runners exude runner-aura!). This friend had taken her kids to do all the kid-stuff at the Ten Miler while her husband ran. That was one thing I thought was great: seeing nursing moms with little babies on the train headed to the race...and DAD was wearing jeans and MOM was wearing running clothes, and seeing other whole families going together. It was really nice. I was happy my kids were still in bed, but it was nice to see others doing it nonetheless.
This friend seemed to think running this race was an unachievable goal for her, but since I had done it (I, the non-runner with a non-runner-aura) maybe she could do it too. She asked me how. I told her that the first hurdle was one full mile. Our neighborhood happens to be 1.06 miles in circumference. I told her to set one lap around as her goal and to do the whole distance even if she had to walk most of it. Run 3 houses, walk 3 houses, run 3 houses, walk 3 houses......run 6 houses, walk 3 houses......run 8 houses, walk 2 houses......after she manages to run the whole thing, go for 1 1/2 laps, then 2.
It really is easy. Sure it is! Granted, I have another friend who has been trying this for months, and she can't get up to 2 miles. Every person is different, and I can't promise results. This same friend who can't run two miles can do 50 pushups and I can't do 4, despite trying for months to increase my upper body strength. That lamentation will be spelled out in another post about PT goal number three, which sadly seems to me to be unattainable.
I do encourage anybody who thinks they may want to run to try it. 5k races and fun runs abound, and that is only a bit over 3 miles (not 2 - thank you, Bill, for pointing out my glaring error from early this morning). I think training for this Ten Miler motivated me to get up early to do my morning runs when I overwise would have preferred to sleep another hour. I recommend going online and searching for races in your area that are several months away and aiming to compete. I intend to find another (much shorter) race to enter in a few months to keep me going out. Two goals down. I don't want to be like several women I know who have not run at all since their big races last fall!
When I established the goal of 250 miles, running one full mile was quite a feat for me. I thought if I ran one to two miles three to five times per week, that would be really good. Since I had already decided to run the Army Ten Miler, I knew that I would likely run some longer distances at some point, but that was too far away to really think about.
A friend of mine was really surprised to learn that I had run the race (her reaction to this fact really convinced me that I am truly a non-runner...I mean runners are thin! runners have that lean hard body that I covet! runners run everywhere all the time! runners exude runner-aura!). This friend had taken her kids to do all the kid-stuff at the Ten Miler while her husband ran. That was one thing I thought was great: seeing nursing moms with little babies on the train headed to the race...and DAD was wearing jeans and MOM was wearing running clothes, and seeing other whole families going together. It was really nice. I was happy my kids were still in bed, but it was nice to see others doing it nonetheless.
This friend seemed to think running this race was an unachievable goal for her, but since I had done it (I, the non-runner with a non-runner-aura) maybe she could do it too. She asked me how. I told her that the first hurdle was one full mile. Our neighborhood happens to be 1.06 miles in circumference. I told her to set one lap around as her goal and to do the whole distance even if she had to walk most of it. Run 3 houses, walk 3 houses, run 3 houses, walk 3 houses......run 6 houses, walk 3 houses......run 8 houses, walk 2 houses......after she manages to run the whole thing, go for 1 1/2 laps, then 2.
It really is easy. Sure it is! Granted, I have another friend who has been trying this for months, and she can't get up to 2 miles. Every person is different, and I can't promise results. This same friend who can't run two miles can do 50 pushups and I can't do 4, despite trying for months to increase my upper body strength. That lamentation will be spelled out in another post about PT goal number three, which sadly seems to me to be unattainable.
I do encourage anybody who thinks they may want to run to try it. 5k races and fun runs abound, and that is only a bit over 3 miles (not 2 - thank you, Bill, for pointing out my glaring error from early this morning). I think training for this Ten Miler motivated me to get up early to do my morning runs when I overwise would have preferred to sleep another hour. I recommend going online and searching for races in your area that are several months away and aiming to compete. I intend to find another (much shorter) race to enter in a few months to keep me going out. Two goals down. I don't want to be like several women I know who have not run at all since their big races last fall!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Overheard...
...at the Cub Scout den meeting...
Den Leader: Has anybody ever been on a boat?
Tiger Scout: I have!
Den Leader: That's great! What kind of boat was it?
Tiger Scout: A big ol' money pit.
Den Leader: Has anybody ever been on a boat?
Tiger Scout: I have!
Den Leader: That's great! What kind of boat was it?
Tiger Scout: A big ol' money pit.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Army Ten Miler - one goal completed
Well, I did it. I ran all ten miles. Around 4 1/2 miles I was getting tired, but once I hit the half-way mark at 5 miles, my spirits boosted for a bit. Then came mile 7, and my split times started to creep upward. My fastest mile (mile 3) was 10 minutes exactly, but that last mile was 11:11. Later, Bill said he just wanted to get behind me and push. I kept waving for him to go on without me, but the knight in shining armor refused to leave the side of his beloved.
Our final time was 1 hour and 44 minutes, which puts us just under a 10 1/2 minute mile pace, which is what I had been doing on my longer runs. So I'm pleased. And tired.
I have three PT goals this year, and that was one of them. I'll talk about the other two later this week, as I should accomplish the second one in a few days.
Our final time was 1 hour and 44 minutes, which puts us just under a 10 1/2 minute mile pace, which is what I had been doing on my longer runs. So I'm pleased. And tired.
I have three PT goals this year, and that was one of them. I'll talk about the other two later this week, as I should accomplish the second one in a few days.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
carnival time!!
It's not merely a Homeschool Carnival...
It's not merely a Catholic Carnival...
...it's a Catholic Homeschool Carnival!
Check it out!
It's not merely a Catholic Carnival...
...it's a Catholic Homeschool Carnival!
Check it out!
big day tomorrow
If you've been paying any attention at all to the ticker at the top of my blog, you'll know that the Army Ten Miler is TOMORROW.
I have never run in a race before (a real race).
I have never run ten miles before.
I have never run with my husband before.
This should be fun!
We're having lasagne tonight. That's a real treat because pasta is a banned substance for my husband, and I avoid tempting him by simply not making pasta dishes (pasta, bread, potatoes and stuff like that send his triglyceride levels through the roof...like to the 6 or 7 hundred range...very very bad). I love pasta and miss eating it (but my hips don't miss it a bit!). One night of carbo-loading is okay for us both.
My lovely sister-in-law has graciously agreed to come to our house tonight, spend the night, and babysit the kids tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a solid 6 hours of time out of the house with no kids but with the charming company of my dear husband.
My goal is to finish the race in one hour and 40 minutes (that's a ten minute mile pace). Most of my shorts runs fall in that range, but the long runs are usually 10 1/2 minutes per mile. I'm hoping that the energy of the other 23,999 runners will carry me along.
Bill's goal is to not hold me back! Poor guy did a 25k ruck march on Thursday to earn a gold German Army Proficiency Badge that he can wear on his uniform. He's still hurting a bit from that hike which he accomplished in 3 3/4 hours. The timing between that event and the Ten Miler could have been better.
And speaking of bad timing...I think that the penultimate sacrifice someone can make is possessing 4 free tickets to a Toby Keith concert and giving them all away! Okay, perhaps it's a bit lower down the list than that, but still, I am very unhappy that the concert is the same day as the Ten Miler. There is no way I will have the energy to attend an evening concert after running that distance. I know I will be sore and exhausted. So, even though I picked up the free tickets at the USO office, I have given them away to other country music fans. Maybe next time...
..so, wish me luck for a good race tomorrow!
I have never run in a race before (a real race).
I have never run ten miles before.
I have never run with my husband before.
This should be fun!
We're having lasagne tonight. That's a real treat because pasta is a banned substance for my husband, and I avoid tempting him by simply not making pasta dishes (pasta, bread, potatoes and stuff like that send his triglyceride levels through the roof...like to the 6 or 7 hundred range...very very bad). I love pasta and miss eating it (but my hips don't miss it a bit!). One night of carbo-loading is okay for us both.
My lovely sister-in-law has graciously agreed to come to our house tonight, spend the night, and babysit the kids tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a solid 6 hours of time out of the house with no kids but with the charming company of my dear husband.
My goal is to finish the race in one hour and 40 minutes (that's a ten minute mile pace). Most of my shorts runs fall in that range, but the long runs are usually 10 1/2 minutes per mile. I'm hoping that the energy of the other 23,999 runners will carry me along.
Bill's goal is to not hold me back! Poor guy did a 25k ruck march on Thursday to earn a gold German Army Proficiency Badge that he can wear on his uniform. He's still hurting a bit from that hike which he accomplished in 3 3/4 hours. The timing between that event and the Ten Miler could have been better.
And speaking of bad timing...I think that the penultimate sacrifice someone can make is possessing 4 free tickets to a Toby Keith concert and giving them all away! Okay, perhaps it's a bit lower down the list than that, but still, I am very unhappy that the concert is the same day as the Ten Miler. There is no way I will have the energy to attend an evening concert after running that distance. I know I will be sore and exhausted. So, even though I picked up the free tickets at the USO office, I have given them away to other country music fans. Maybe next time...
..so, wish me luck for a good race tomorrow!
Friday, October 06, 2006
On the radio...
Toby Keith's You Ain't Much Fun
Katie: Why did he quit drinking, Mommy?
Me: Because his wife was getting mad at him.
Katie: Why is he upset?
Me: Because his wife is making him work now.
Explaining song lyrics to children is so tedious I try to avoid it as much as possible. Next on the radio...
Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire
Katie: What's a ring of fire?
silence
Katie: I think it's a bunch of rings and there's a fire...
Billy: It's a circle, Katie, and it's on fire.
brief silence
Katie: I think he must know stop, drop and roll, so he'll be okay.
Yes, let's remember that advice, dear, when you begin dating. Things getting a bit too passionate? Just stop, drop, and roll. You may have some grass stains, and possibly a dent in that chastity belt your father has picked out for you, but you'll be okay.
Katie: Why did he quit drinking, Mommy?
Me: Because his wife was getting mad at him.
Katie: Why is he upset?
Me: Because his wife is making him work now.
Explaining song lyrics to children is so tedious I try to avoid it as much as possible. Next on the radio...
Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire
Katie: What's a ring of fire?
silence
Katie: I think it's a bunch of rings and there's a fire...
Billy: It's a circle, Katie, and it's on fire.
brief silence
Katie: I think he must know stop, drop and roll, so he'll be okay.
Yes, let's remember that advice, dear, when you begin dating. Things getting a bit too passionate? Just stop, drop, and roll. You may have some grass stains, and possibly a dent in that chastity belt your father has picked out for you, but you'll be okay.
Lesson A9
The phonics program I use is Little Angel Readers. I love it. It's sweet, it's Catholic, but not Catholic-only (the stories for the kids to read include Aesop's Fables and ones like the Little Red Hen as well as stories about families going to church and doing little acts of kindness), and it has worked for two of my kids thus far.
The first eight lessons are about recognizing the sounds made by eight different consonants: S, T, P, H, D, M, C and N. Lesson 9 (of Reader A) introduces the vowel A and begins blending the sounds together to make words.
When Fritz was in kindergarten, we stayed on Lesson A9 for an eternity. He just didn't get it. I would drop it for a week and do other things, then come back and try again. Even after he began to blend it all together, it remained a struggle for him for quite some time. We went on and added other consonants and other vowels and began reading stories, but it was only recently that he's become more at ease with reading. And he is still not wholly comfortable, especially if there are lots of big words he thinks he's never seen before. He is easily frustrated, and I am easily frustrated by his frustration. But we're getting there.
Last year, I used the same program with Billy and planned to be at Lesson A9 for a while. But Billy figured it out right away and we spent little additional time on that lesson than any of the previous ones. What a blessed relief. Billy is now in Reader B and has learned that vowels make long sounds too. He's doing great!
Yesterday was Katie's turn for Lesson A9. Although I crossed my fingers and wished for this lesson to progress like it had with Billy, I know my daughter. Even though she loves to do schoolwork and I have to work hard to keep her busy, I expected that she would be more like Fritz. Sure enough, she can identify the sounds made by the letters C and T and she learned A, but could not blend them together to sound out the word CAT. We went through about a third of the page. She would identify the individual sounds made by the letters, and then turn her bright expectant eyes to me and listen to me repeat what she said, but maybe a bit faster and then again, a bit faster, and then she would get very excited as she would say the word we were sounding out. It was really cute to see her eyes light up and watch how thrilled she was to witness the sounding out of real words.
But I can tell that the little light bulb is not going off in her head. And I sigh a heavy sigh. Truth be told, I just want it to be easy. I want my kids to know how to read, and how to read well. I want my kids to enjoy reading. I would love to be able to say, "Ah, look here at my 6 year old reading chapter books and my 3rd grader selecting novels off the junior adult section at the library." But more than that, I just want the whole reading thing to click with little to no trouble at all. I don't want to have to actually work for success.
But this is not to be the case, apparently.
In all fairness to Katie, she only turned 5 in August. Fritz was also just over 5 years old when I tried this with him. Billy was at least 5 years and 7 months when he got to Lesson A9, since his birthday is in February. So, today, I will show her a few more words on that page and see if it makes any more sense to her. If not, then we will just drop it for a month and learn about other consonants.
It is very frustrating. But if she's not ready, she's simply not ready.
The first eight lessons are about recognizing the sounds made by eight different consonants: S, T, P, H, D, M, C and N. Lesson 9 (of Reader A) introduces the vowel A and begins blending the sounds together to make words.
When Fritz was in kindergarten, we stayed on Lesson A9 for an eternity. He just didn't get it. I would drop it for a week and do other things, then come back and try again. Even after he began to blend it all together, it remained a struggle for him for quite some time. We went on and added other consonants and other vowels and began reading stories, but it was only recently that he's become more at ease with reading. And he is still not wholly comfortable, especially if there are lots of big words he thinks he's never seen before. He is easily frustrated, and I am easily frustrated by his frustration. But we're getting there.
Last year, I used the same program with Billy and planned to be at Lesson A9 for a while. But Billy figured it out right away and we spent little additional time on that lesson than any of the previous ones. What a blessed relief. Billy is now in Reader B and has learned that vowels make long sounds too. He's doing great!
Yesterday was Katie's turn for Lesson A9. Although I crossed my fingers and wished for this lesson to progress like it had with Billy, I know my daughter. Even though she loves to do schoolwork and I have to work hard to keep her busy, I expected that she would be more like Fritz. Sure enough, she can identify the sounds made by the letters C and T and she learned A, but could not blend them together to sound out the word CAT. We went through about a third of the page. She would identify the individual sounds made by the letters, and then turn her bright expectant eyes to me and listen to me repeat what she said, but maybe a bit faster and then again, a bit faster, and then she would get very excited as she would say the word we were sounding out. It was really cute to see her eyes light up and watch how thrilled she was to witness the sounding out of real words.
But I can tell that the little light bulb is not going off in her head. And I sigh a heavy sigh. Truth be told, I just want it to be easy. I want my kids to know how to read, and how to read well. I want my kids to enjoy reading. I would love to be able to say, "Ah, look here at my 6 year old reading chapter books and my 3rd grader selecting novels off the junior adult section at the library." But more than that, I just want the whole reading thing to click with little to no trouble at all. I don't want to have to actually work for success.
But this is not to be the case, apparently.
In all fairness to Katie, she only turned 5 in August. Fritz was also just over 5 years old when I tried this with him. Billy was at least 5 years and 7 months when he got to Lesson A9, since his birthday is in February. So, today, I will show her a few more words on that page and see if it makes any more sense to her. If not, then we will just drop it for a month and learn about other consonants.
It is very frustrating. But if she's not ready, she's simply not ready.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Reduce, reuse and recycle (Part Two)
I don't intend to make this a daily thing, but it's what is on my mind right now.
Yesterday I looked at a few ways I do things.
Number One: laundry. In August, SFO Mom talked about using less laundry detergent. I'll admit that I am somewhat lazy about measuring the amount I use. I do recognize that the scoop is bigger than even the large-load amount (and recognize that this is done intentionally to get us to use that powder faster than necessary, making us buy more), and so I will, at a minimum, make sure I use no more than the recommended amount and begin experimenting with using less, since my washer is pretty new and should be able to do the job efficiently.
Also, I ran out of those dryer sheets that prevent static cling, and keep forgetting to put them on my shopping list. For a few weeks now, I've been doing laundry without any, and I haven't really missed them too much. Perhaps once the colder, dryer weather kicks in, I may need to restock, but for now, I'll live without them.
Number Two: doing dishes. Here's another area where I've developed a bad habit. I am very grateful for my dish washer, which is filled to the brim at least once per day. I avoid doing small loads, and will sometimes wait for the next day's breakfast dishes if one day produces one and a half loads. Of course, there are always one or two dishes that can't go in the dish washer, and they get washed by hand. My habit is that I will squirt out a small amount of dish soap on a scrubby and wash the few items. That's fine for one or two things. But if I actually have a sink-full of things I intend to wash by hand, I will waste quite a bit of soap doing it that way. So, I will work on a new habit wherein I make nice soapy water and wash the dishes the right way.
Yesterday I looked at a few ways I do things.
Number One: laundry. In August, SFO Mom talked about using less laundry detergent. I'll admit that I am somewhat lazy about measuring the amount I use. I do recognize that the scoop is bigger than even the large-load amount (and recognize that this is done intentionally to get us to use that powder faster than necessary, making us buy more), and so I will, at a minimum, make sure I use no more than the recommended amount and begin experimenting with using less, since my washer is pretty new and should be able to do the job efficiently.
Also, I ran out of those dryer sheets that prevent static cling, and keep forgetting to put them on my shopping list. For a few weeks now, I've been doing laundry without any, and I haven't really missed them too much. Perhaps once the colder, dryer weather kicks in, I may need to restock, but for now, I'll live without them.
Number Two: doing dishes. Here's another area where I've developed a bad habit. I am very grateful for my dish washer, which is filled to the brim at least once per day. I avoid doing small loads, and will sometimes wait for the next day's breakfast dishes if one day produces one and a half loads. Of course, there are always one or two dishes that can't go in the dish washer, and they get washed by hand. My habit is that I will squirt out a small amount of dish soap on a scrubby and wash the few items. That's fine for one or two things. But if I actually have a sink-full of things I intend to wash by hand, I will waste quite a bit of soap doing it that way. So, I will work on a new habit wherein I make nice soapy water and wash the dishes the right way.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Reduce, reuse and recycle (Part One)
This month's resolution is to look at how I spend my money (and my time and resources) and see how I'm being wasteful. I'm not necessarily trying to make my life harder; I'm trying to consider if the little (or big) luxuries are worth it.
I'm also trying to be extra thankful for those luxuries. We all take our standard of living (whatever level that may be) for granted. I use disposable diapers. I consider their usage to be a significant benefit to me by sparing me loads of laundry and hours of labor (washing, drying, folding). I'm not going to give up disposable diapers, but I will recognize that they are a luxury. If I were truly poor (third-world country poor), I would not use disposable diapers.
Now, I need to consider brand. I buy Luvs. They are cheaper than Huggies and Pampers, but not as cheap as generic. I used to buy generic at one grocery store chain, because they were just like Huggies. I don't live near that chain anymore and haven't tried the commissary's cheaper brand yet. Mental note: buy cheap diapers the next time I'm at the store. I have to at least try them and see if they'll suffice.
Another luxury I use often is paper towels. Paper towels are one of the many alternatives I reach for in dealing with the multiple spills that occur hourly around here. Honestly, I reach for paper towels first more often than not. I'm going to try to rewire my brain to automatically reach for a cloth towel first. I do laundry every day anyway. I don't see a few extra towels in the load as significantly affecting my day.
I'm also trying to be extra thankful for those luxuries. We all take our standard of living (whatever level that may be) for granted. I use disposable diapers. I consider their usage to be a significant benefit to me by sparing me loads of laundry and hours of labor (washing, drying, folding). I'm not going to give up disposable diapers, but I will recognize that they are a luxury. If I were truly poor (third-world country poor), I would not use disposable diapers.
Now, I need to consider brand. I buy Luvs. They are cheaper than Huggies and Pampers, but not as cheap as generic. I used to buy generic at one grocery store chain, because they were just like Huggies. I don't live near that chain anymore and haven't tried the commissary's cheaper brand yet. Mental note: buy cheap diapers the next time I'm at the store. I have to at least try them and see if they'll suffice.
Another luxury I use often is paper towels. Paper towels are one of the many alternatives I reach for in dealing with the multiple spills that occur hourly around here. Honestly, I reach for paper towels first more often than not. I'm going to try to rewire my brain to automatically reach for a cloth towel first. I do laundry every day anyway. I don't see a few extra towels in the load as significantly affecting my day.
It's not his fault...
...it's the fault of the Catholic Church.
I mean, how can you survive being raised Catholic without serious repercussions, right?
Verdict: not guilty by reason of being Catholic! He was abused as a teen, which made him gay? and made him an alcoholic? and made him a pederest? No proof is needed. All you have to do is say you are Catholic, and all bad behavior is exonerated.
I mean, how can you survive being raised Catholic without serious repercussions, right?
Former Rep. Mark Foley, under investigation for sending lurid Internet messages to young male Capitol Hill pages, issued a series of revelations from rehab, including a claim that he had been sexually abused as a teen.
Attorney David Roth, speaking on Foley's behalf at a Florida news conference Tuesday, said Foley was molested between ages 13 and 15 by a clergyman. He declined to identify the clergyman or the church, but Foley is Roman Catholic.
Verdict: not guilty by reason of being Catholic! He was abused as a teen, which made him gay? and made him an alcoholic? and made him a pederest? No proof is needed. All you have to do is say you are Catholic, and all bad behavior is exonerated.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
I'm all over that
I received this email today:
The Virginia General Assembly has designated the week of October 15 – 22, 2006 READ ALOUD to a CHILD WEEK in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Reading aloud is one of the most effective techniques that parents can use to positively impact their children’s success in school and in life.
http://www.readaloudva.org/raweek/2006/2006raw.pdf
CHEEEEE - ECK!
The Virginia General Assembly has designated the week of October 15 – 22, 2006 READ ALOUD to a CHILD WEEK in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Reading aloud is one of the most effective techniques that parents can use to positively impact their children’s success in school and in life.
http://www.readaloudva.org/raweek/2006/2006raw.pdf
CHEEEEE - ECK!
A pleasant afternoon
Last week we managed to only miss one day of school in preparing for the Oktoberfest. In all honesty, had there been no Oktoberfest, there probably still wouldn't have been school, since Bill had Friday off and we might have done something together.
So today is Thursday. If Tuesday being Thursday confuses you, realize that it confuses me even more! Two school years ago, I numbered all the days in the curriculum because I would get really upset if we did Tuesday's work on Wednesday. So, instead of today being Thursday of Week 4, it is Day 19. The curriculum still lists it as Thursday, and Friday, regardless of what day of the week it falls, is still a very light work day which I eagerly anticipate tomorrow.
Yesterday was a pretty good school day. We stopped everything in the late morning to go to the library. Everyone behaved themselves, and Katie, much to her delight, got her own library card. And the fine for the really late Signing Time video rental was only 90 cents. Thanks to Nutmeg for cluing me in to those videos. The kids love them...but the one week library rental kills me.
We came home and had lunch, the baby took his nap, and the boys and I finished their schoolwork (Katie having been done for hours). They worked hard and got it done without too much of a fight. Then the boys went outside to play in the backyard under a big blue sky with puffy clouds and the warm sun. Katie asked me to read her a book. I set the timer for 15 minutes and told her when it went off I would. She joined her brothers for play instead of throwing a fit, as per usual when anyone asks her to defer her desires for longer than half a second. Jenny amused herself with the puzzles while I worked on cleaning the kitchen and the rest of the house. When the timer went off, I called Katie in and read to the two girls. Then they both joined their brothers in the yard where they played for the next two hours.
The phone didn't ring. The doorbell didn't chime. The TV was off. The kids played happily together, for the most part. I had to step in once or twice to calm a dispute. I was aware that they were misbehaving, but since they were cooperating in their mischief, I let it go.
At one point, Fritz suggested that they all pretend they were drunk. I don't know where they get this. I was unaware of any drunkenness at our Oktoberfest, I swear it. There is a cooler in the yard that we used for soda, juice and water. The kids were helping themselves to the leftover soda, which is normally not consumed by those under 30 in this house, and pretended it was beer. For the record, Bill would never permit canned beer on our premises. He is just that much of a beer snob.
After Pete woke up, I took him outside and realized that there was soda all over the swings and bees were beginning to gather around. I feigned righteous indignation and commanded Fritz get the hose and clean the swingset. I removed Pete to the house for safety, and then ignored the shenanigans that I knew would occur on a pleasant day when an 8 year old is given permission to wield the ultimate water gun. Ten minutes later, they were all soaked and shivering, and I reminded Fritz that he was supposed to wash the swingset before I went for towels.
With the water supply dried up, I allowed Pete to return to the yard and all the kids continued to enjoy their free time. Billy and Katie were playing some pretend game and I heard Billy say, "We're not married." To this, Katie responded, "We're just friends, right?" Again, I do not know where they get this.
In the meantime, I made a huge dent in the chaos that is the reminder of our bash. Pete, who really can't be taken any where any more, is proving that he also can not be left any where any more. He pushes the kitchen chairs around and helps himself to whatever he wants. I had been feeding him fruit salad. He wanted more. I wasn't in the room. He climbed up and got the big Tupperware container off the counter and took it outside. I am amazed that he didn't spill any of it. I found him in the yard reaching in and grabbing fistfuls of blueberries. He had added a few blades of grass, but the salad was unharmed.
By 5 pm, the kids had started to get a bit argumentative, and I had to remind myself to be thankful for the hours of happy play and to not get upset with a few minutes of bickering. Would that all afternoons be passed so nicely.
So today is Thursday. If Tuesday being Thursday confuses you, realize that it confuses me even more! Two school years ago, I numbered all the days in the curriculum because I would get really upset if we did Tuesday's work on Wednesday. So, instead of today being Thursday of Week 4, it is Day 19. The curriculum still lists it as Thursday, and Friday, regardless of what day of the week it falls, is still a very light work day which I eagerly anticipate tomorrow.
Yesterday was a pretty good school day. We stopped everything in the late morning to go to the library. Everyone behaved themselves, and Katie, much to her delight, got her own library card. And the fine for the really late Signing Time video rental was only 90 cents. Thanks to Nutmeg for cluing me in to those videos. The kids love them...but the one week library rental kills me.
We came home and had lunch, the baby took his nap, and the boys and I finished their schoolwork (Katie having been done for hours). They worked hard and got it done without too much of a fight. Then the boys went outside to play in the backyard under a big blue sky with puffy clouds and the warm sun. Katie asked me to read her a book. I set the timer for 15 minutes and told her when it went off I would. She joined her brothers for play instead of throwing a fit, as per usual when anyone asks her to defer her desires for longer than half a second. Jenny amused herself with the puzzles while I worked on cleaning the kitchen and the rest of the house. When the timer went off, I called Katie in and read to the two girls. Then they both joined their brothers in the yard where they played for the next two hours.
The phone didn't ring. The doorbell didn't chime. The TV was off. The kids played happily together, for the most part. I had to step in once or twice to calm a dispute. I was aware that they were misbehaving, but since they were cooperating in their mischief, I let it go.
At one point, Fritz suggested that they all pretend they were drunk. I don't know where they get this. I was unaware of any drunkenness at our Oktoberfest, I swear it. There is a cooler in the yard that we used for soda, juice and water. The kids were helping themselves to the leftover soda, which is normally not consumed by those under 30 in this house, and pretended it was beer. For the record, Bill would never permit canned beer on our premises. He is just that much of a beer snob.
After Pete woke up, I took him outside and realized that there was soda all over the swings and bees were beginning to gather around. I feigned righteous indignation and commanded Fritz get the hose and clean the swingset. I removed Pete to the house for safety, and then ignored the shenanigans that I knew would occur on a pleasant day when an 8 year old is given permission to wield the ultimate water gun. Ten minutes later, they were all soaked and shivering, and I reminded Fritz that he was supposed to wash the swingset before I went for towels.
With the water supply dried up, I allowed Pete to return to the yard and all the kids continued to enjoy their free time. Billy and Katie were playing some pretend game and I heard Billy say, "We're not married." To this, Katie responded, "We're just friends, right?" Again, I do not know where they get this.
In the meantime, I made a huge dent in the chaos that is the reminder of our bash. Pete, who really can't be taken any where any more, is proving that he also can not be left any where any more. He pushes the kitchen chairs around and helps himself to whatever he wants. I had been feeding him fruit salad. He wanted more. I wasn't in the room. He climbed up and got the big Tupperware container off the counter and took it outside. I am amazed that he didn't spill any of it. I found him in the yard reaching in and grabbing fistfuls of blueberries. He had added a few blades of grass, but the salad was unharmed.
By 5 pm, the kids had started to get a bit argumentative, and I had to remind myself to be thankful for the hours of happy play and to not get upset with a few minutes of bickering. Would that all afternoons be passed so nicely.
Monday, October 02, 2006
New Month's Resolution for October
This month, I am going to look closely at how I spend my money. I've been mulling the Thirty Days of Nothing project that Mary over at Owlhaven just finished. I read a bit of her progress over the month and think it's a wonderful idea - to fast from consummerism for a month, to eat simpler meals, to avoid waste.
Of course, it didn't take me very long in contemplating my own life to come up with a half dozen things that I spend money on that I don't really need: premium coffee is top on my list. There's nothing wrong with buying premium coffee, if you can afford it (which I can) and if it makes a significant difference to you (oh, yes, it really does). But I suspect that there are a number of things I buy or do automatically that do not significantly affect my life. This month, I am going to look hard at where my money goes and see if there are changes that need to be made. I think, in this spirit, I will also make up Christmas shopping lists!
What's a new month's resolution? I've done this in July, August and September already. What's your new month's resolution?
Of course, it didn't take me very long in contemplating my own life to come up with a half dozen things that I spend money on that I don't really need: premium coffee is top on my list. There's nothing wrong with buying premium coffee, if you can afford it (which I can) and if it makes a significant difference to you (oh, yes, it really does). But I suspect that there are a number of things I buy or do automatically that do not significantly affect my life. This month, I am going to look hard at where my money goes and see if there are changes that need to be made. I think, in this spirit, I will also make up Christmas shopping lists!
What's a new month's resolution? I've done this in July, August and September already. What's your new month's resolution?
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Oktoberfest III
Our house:
The boys in their lederhosen.
Katie in her dirndl.
The beer hall (our garage). 
There weren't any pictures that truly captured the "kinder-geist" - the large number of children running up and down the alleyway, thronging over the swingset and brandishing light sabres. We had over 60 kids here - most of them between the ages of 3 and 10.
The guests and some decorations.
Jenny, who needed to go to bed much earlier, finally curls up in a chair and falls asleep.
Margaret and Bill in his lederhosen.
Me in my dirndl.
The boys in their lederhosen.
Katie in her dirndl.
The beer hall (our garage). 
There weren't any pictures that truly captured the "kinder-geist" - the large number of children running up and down the alleyway, thronging over the swingset and brandishing light sabres. We had over 60 kids here - most of them between the ages of 3 and 10.
The guests and some decorations.
Jenny, who needed to go to bed much earlier, finally curls up in a chair and falls asleep.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)