Rock on!

I love rocks (as I mentioned in my X post). Princess loves rocks, too. She is always collecting rocks she finds on the street and tries to collect rocks she finds in landscaping. It hit me the other day...hey, we're unschoolers. Get off your bum and do something with this!

I logged on to the local library website and started requesting books (I love the library!). A lot of books. Books about rocks and how they are formed, books with experiments involving rocks, books about collecting rocks, storybooks about rocks, books about rocks in caves, books about ancient art carved into rocks and DVDs about rocks.

I've got a nice stack of books that I've sorted through. We started looking at photos of rocks and we read a story about rocks.

I pulled out some of my rocks (crystals) and jewelry with rocks in them, like amethyst, amber, quartz and more. I've got a lot more packed away that I need to find. Princess was so excited as we examined all the different rocks.

Princess asked to wear two of the pendants to which I promptly replied "yes!". She looked at me with her big brown eyes and asked, "Did you save this to give to me one day?" I told her I did because everything I save is to give to her one day. It was such a joy to see the look on her face.

We also have a rock museum here in town! We can't wait to schedule a field trip there...maybe during Spring break from Village Home. We're planning to go rock hunting as well! Ooh! A rock tumbler! I need to look into buying one of those as well! Can you tell that I am so excited to explore this with Princess?!!

The Optometrist-Chiropractor Conspiracy

I have developed a new theory. Eye doctors are in cahoots with chiropractors. Sounds weird at first glance, huh? Believe me, it’s true. You see, I am the new owner of a pair of progressive lens sunglasses. Sounds pretty nifty, right? It is not. Trust me.


Notice in the picture that your distance vision is at the top of the lens. Intermediate vision (like to see a computer screen or things at that distance) is in the middle, but not across the whole lens, just in the center – this is important. Finally, near vision is at the bottom of the lens, again, not across the whole lens, just in the center.

The result of having these areas of vision in eyeglasses is that I have turned into a bobble-head doll driving down a bumpy road. I have to move my head all around to find the part of the lens I need to look out to see what I am trying to see. The technician in the eye doctor’s office told me to “point your nose at what I want to look at”. Really? Are you serious?

In order to see distance while driving I have to drop my head down to look out the top portion of the lens. And heaven forbid I have to use my side view mirrors. Keep in mind they are lower, so I have to look down to be able to access the correct area of vision (intermediate) to see in my side view mirrors. Not only that, I have to completely turn my head because the way the lenses are designed I have no peripheral vision.

They insist I try them for two weeks and if I still don’t like them they will switch the lenses out for bifocals. I have placed the glasses in the lovely case they came in and there they will sit until the two week trial period is up. As for all the trial and error with these glasses, they have left me with a big pain in the neck. I guess it’s time to call the chiropractor.

Home Sweet Home

I had something very different in mind for today’s post and then it happened. As I lay in bed late last night, I put my book down and grabbed the TV remote. I was in the mood for a little giggle and I have episodes of Friends always at the ready on my Tivo box. At the moment I pushed the power button everything turned off. Pretty powerful remote, huh?

At first we thought we lost power throughout the house. But when I got out of bed I noticed that I had forgotten to turn off the hall light. Hmmm….so we lost power in the bedroom and the other bedroom. I know this because I lost my internet connection and that’s where all that fancy computer stuff is.

My poor husband, after getting to bed way too late two nights in a row, finds himself out in the garage checking the breakers. Nothing was tripped. After investigating (saying he knows a thing or two about electrical is a colossal understatement) he has determined that something has burned out somewhere in the walls. At least I think that’s what he said. I, on the other hand, know nothing about electrical.

That’s what we get for moving into an old house that has been poorly maintained. Here I sit with extension cords running all over the house to keep things powered up so Princess and I can stay cozy in bed. Did I mention the lack of insulation and drafty windows?

Wardrobe Wednesday

I really like this jumper (do they still call them that nowadays?). And I usually pair it with a really cute pair of tights. On Sunday, Princess decided to pair it with these pants. It matches, right? After all they both have pink and brown.

Redecorating - It’s all about the pink!

I decided to pretty up my blog yesterday. As I searched through all the choices, I tried to find something to complement the lovely lavender color scheme I had goin’ on. There was nothing! Then I started thinking that it is really all about the pink.

Princess loves pink and I sort of caught it from her. I’ve got a pink phone and LK bought me this fabulous mini-laptop and it’s pink, too! And as I sat searching for the perfect pretty, I was wearing a pink shirt. So yes, it really is all about the pink. I hope you like the look!

Charlie Brown

As a kid I loved watching Charlie Brown holiday specials and anything Charlie Brown that appeared on TV. There was one thing I never did understand. Why was it that when the grown-ups talked it sounded like "wah-wah-wah-wah"? I didn't get it! Until now...

A few months ago it hit me. When I talk, that is exactly what Princess hears! That's what her friends hear, too! My husband and I have taken to talking that way at times. Princess listens to that more than when we speak English. She thinks it's so funny. Go figure.

Family Gained, Family Lost

Family Gained
A few weeks ago I rearranged my schedule to allow for more family time. With LK working two jobs and me my part time job we haven't had a regular day together as a family in a lohohohong time. I moved clients to weekday evenings and cleared my Sundays.

Today is the first full Sunday together. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast together and have plans to go to a movie, do some jeans shopping for LK and maybe a few errands. At the moment, as I blog, Princess and LK are playing...you guessed it...Disney Princess Wii! It's so wonderful to be able to spend time together no matter what we're doing.

I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband and daughter. Every day I am grateful to have them in my life. My husband supports me always, in everything I do and with all my decisions. He is my rock, my strength and my partner through everything. He is always there for me.

Family Lost
This is an extremely shortened version of what transpired. My father and I have had a dysfunctional relationship always. After the Disneyworld trip, that was less than a stellar experience, I decided it was time to attempt a healthy relationship.

There have been a few emails back and forth ,which Freckle and HerbiFaery have read and been an amazing support to me. They have helped me to understand how my father is treating me and helped me to find ways to try to make the relationship healthier.

In my most recent email, I told my father the things that needed to change in order for our relationship to have a chance at being healthy. He responded yesterday. His response? He was furious. And he ended our relationship. Yes, you read that right. He ended our relationship.

I feel very sad about that. I don't understand how anything I said would have him willing to never see his granddaughter. The things I said were stated with the utmost respect and with the desire to built a strong and healthy relationship. Now it's done.

My daughter has lost the only grandparents she ever had, as crappy as they were, at least she had grandparents. I don't understand his being so unwilling to work on this.

So today is a day of family gained and family lost. I'm trying really hard to focus on the family gained. We're heading out soon to enjoy the beautiful day together. I wish you all a happy Sunday!

Road Trip!

By now you all know that I tend to forget things. Well, no surprise, it happened again. I buy my chicken from a local farmer here in Oregon. The chickens are raised outdoors in the open air, free to roam and do the things that chickens do. Once a month the farmer makes the 90 minute drive to various points around the Portland area where we can pick up our orders. The last drop was Tuesday...and I forgot.

I could have waited until next month, but I need the chicken and I thought it would be a fun field trip for Princess and me. We found that a lot of the sheep were pregnant (although I don't think they call it that) and learned that not all sheep need to be sheared. Some sheep just shed. Who knew?! We met some cows, chickens, ducks and saw some pigs off in the distance exploring the woods (a.k.a. digging in the mud). We really enjoyed our first visit to the farm.

I took my camera but guess what?! I totally forgot to take pictures of Princess with the animals and exploring the farm. I did remember as we were leaving, so I have the photo above.

We were invited to come back in the Spring and bring some friends and a picnic lunch. There should be a lot of baby animals born in Spring. Freckle? HerbiFaery? Are you up for a field trip? How about you Rooster X?

When I Was a Wild Child

For those of you who read Such Lovely Freckles post about being a flirt, you know that I said that I would share something from my wild past. I wish I had as good a memory as Freckle. Her Blast From the Past post was so detailed. Mine will be less so, but who knows...maybe as I start to write it will come back to me.

I was never a big drinker because back then I didn't like the taste. Now the other stuff, well... Freckle may never have tried any drugs, me, well I’ve done quite a bit. Oh, the stories I could tell you. Which reminds me of one that I actually remember!

My stepbrother was having a party at his dad's apartment. The apartment was practically empty because they were moving out. Perfect place for a party, right? I was dancing and having a blast when I noticed a friend pretend to pop a Quaalude. I saw him spit it out. I walked over, told him I saw and he offered it to me. I took it.

Later that night I decided to leave the party with a friend for some extra-curricular activity. I made the very stupid decision to drive. Leaving the complex, I was driving down a fairly narrow road with cars parked on both sides. In my Quaalude stupor, it looked as if the cars were moving in and out. I just couldn't make the steering wheel turn. BANG!! I hit a parked car.

We got out of there fast and headed back to my house for said extra-curricular activity. When we were done we decided to go back to the party. Unfortunately the way the car hit caused the metal from the car to scrape the tire and eventually it sliced it.

As my friend was changing the tire, well trying to...he was putting it on backwards, a police officer stopped to see what we were doing. He asked what happened. We told him we hit a tree. His response? A tree with brown paint, like the car that got hit in the apartment complex? Oops! Busted! Then he asks my friend if he'd been drinking. My friend said he hadn't been. The officer looked at him and said "really". My friend responds with "okay, I won't lie to you". The officer says "you just did". Oh crap! We are so busted!

I got a ticket for reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. The officer had no idea that I had taken anything because by that point I was totally straight.

My father knew a big wig in the police department and had the reckless driving charge dropped. When I went to court for the other charge I walked in to see a friend from high school who was working (co-op) for the judge. I got off with a warning. This may not be a story to share with the kids. There doesn't seem to be a moral, but I really did learn my lesson. I never drove while on Quaalude again. Wait? Isn't there a better moral? Hmmm....what could that be?

I Hate Spelling Mistakes

especially when I make them! At the end of the day yesterday, I noticed that I spelled breaking (as in breaking the rules on Wardrobe Wednesday) braking. Ugh! And it was like that all day! You'll be glad to know that I fixed it as soon as I noticed. Yes, I suppose I am still a little anal. *sigh*

Wardrobe Wednesday

Okay, so I'm breaking the rules a little. This isn't a fashion blunder or one of my daughter's interesting fashion statements. Princess had her first eye exam and got her first pair of glasses. We think she just looks so darn cute! To be clear, they are Disney Princess Sleeping Beauty glasses. It's all about the pink!

And check out the butterflies and bling!

I promise to have something more appropriate next week.

Top Ten List

Yes, it's time for something a little less serious, ladies and gentlemen...


Why Xena is My Hero:

1. She is loyal to the end.
2. She always stands up for those in need.
3. She is strong both physically and emotionally and works to become stronger.
4. She made the decision to turn her life around and did.
5. She is the epitome of the powerful woman.
6. She makes the hard choices and does what’s best for her family/friends, even if it’s sometimes hard for her.
7. She’s a leader, not a follower.
8. She can totally pull off that outfit.
9. She never has a bad hair day.
10. She totally kicks ass!

Yes, I have to say, Xena ROCKS!

Wishing you all a spectacular day. =)

Edit: I just thought of #11! This post allows me to scroll down to my blog roll and not look at my armipits! Yay!

I want to go home!

Once upon a time I owned my own home. I bought it on my own before I even met my husband. We met, we fell in love, we married and then the company we worked for was taken over in a hostile takeover. It was ugly. We lost our jobs.

The job market in Portland wasn't good. We made the spontaneous decision to move to Georgia. Lizard King (LK) has family there, my family is in Florida and we both have some family in Pennsylvania. We thought it would be nice to be closer.

At the time LK was traveling for a living to manufacturing facilities, installing software, etc. He had contacts who wanted him to consult/contract for them and most of the facilities were in the southeast.

We put my little townhouse up for sale, moved to Georgia where houses were so affordable and had a 2500 sq. ft. house built on a half acre for the bargain price of $156,000. I had gotten a huge severance which covered our move and allowed us to put down 25% on the house and we took a 15 year mortgage. Everything was great!

But then, the consulting gig fell apart. Then we couldn't find jobs. Finally, LK found work. Unfortunately he was making 25% of what he made before. Yes, that's a 75% cut in pay. I was making nothing. Then with my 1% chance the "experts" gave me of getting pregnant, I was pregnant. We were shocked and ecstatic. I continued to look for work until it was obvious that I was pregnant, then I stopped.

Oh, here's a key piece of information. LK had hired "the best attorney in Jacksonville" (his ex-wife -Needy Evie - lives there) who was recommended by two different people, to represent him in his divorce. That turned out to be a BIG FAT LIE. He got totally screwed in the divorce agreement.

His attorney allowed him to sign a non-modifiable agreement. That means that when he went from making six figures down to thirty something thousand dollars, he was still responsible for paying thousands of dollars a month in ALIMONY to his ex-wife. The kids are all grown, in their twenties. It's NOT child support.

Okay, so where was I. Ah yes, living in Georgia making crap money and oh, by the way, we hated living there. There are a lot of people who love it, but it just wasn't for us. We realized how much we missed Portland. LK tried to find a job before we moved back, but people were hiring only within the Portland area. We decided to sell the house and move back without a job.

We used the proceeds from the sale of the house to pay for our move, to continue to pay the alimony and to live on until LK found work. It wasn't long before the money was gone. Since the move back we have been renting.

LK works two jobs. One job that requires more brain power and one that requires less brain power, but is very physical. He has been working two jobs for more than 5 years now. He is exhausted. Completely.

I work part time to supplement our income. We do live pretty well, everything considered. I wonder sometimes if I should just get a full time job, and we have discussed this. But we are agreed that isn't really an option. And after all, we are finally getting down to the wire.

We have only 17 more months of alimony left. Once it is done, we need to get our credit cards paid off. They have come in handy when things have gotten really tight. We also need to save a down payment in order to buy a house.

We really want a home of our own, not just a house to live in, but a home. I am ready to have a place that Princess can grow up. I'm tired of moving from rental to rental. I finally realized that no matter how many rentals we move to, it never feels like home.

Well, thanks for listening to my pity party. Who knows, maybe something will happen and we'll find a way to pay Needy Evie off sooner. As Princess says all the time...you never know!

Words He Never Thought He'd Hear

I'm doing some knitting. Princess was playing Wii for a while on her own, but then wanted her Daddy to join her. They played Wii Ski for quite a while. Then she wanted to play Disney Princess Wii. And yes, she wanted Daddy to play with her. In this game you get to "make your own princess". My daughter turns to her Daddy (my macho husband, with tattoos up and down his arms) and says, "Daddy, are you ready to pick your dress?" Yes, these are words a dad never expects to hear.

Happy Valentine's Day

This is the perfect day to remember the people I love.

My daughter, who is truly the light of my life. I never knew it was possible to love someone so instantly and so much. I wanted a daughter more than anything and I am so very grateful to have her in my life.

My husband, who is without a doubt the love of my life. He is my soul mate. He is my best friend. I never knew that I was capable of having the kind of relationship we have. We are partners, completely.

My dearest friends, Freckle and HerbiFaery. I have waited a long time for friends like them. They are there for me when I need them. They stand by me, support me and are truthful and honest with me. And they let me be there for them as well. Their children are amazing, too. And they are my daughter's dearest friends.

Princess, Lizard King, Freckle and HerbiFaery (and your offspring)...I love you all!

And to my dear readers and fellow bloggers Happy Valentine's Day! with love.

Hair of the Blog Finale!

I want to thank Rachel for hosting this very sophisticated competition. She is truly the epitome of style and grace. I look forward with great anticipation to next year's event.

All that said, I am glad that this contest is coming to an end for the simple reason that I am growing quite tired of looking at my armpits every time I open my blog.

I would have Freckle take the photos again, but Rachel has me on a deadline here. My camera is not very good, but I believe that there is enough hair now that it is able to focus...sort of. I actually got my husband to take these. Is he a trooper or what?!

So...what d'ya think? Impressive, right? I am certainly the most impressive candidate. You know I am. Don't you?! Yes, of course you do. And that is exactly why you should go to Rachel's blog and vote for ME! Shady Lady. Did I mention that there are prizes? I'm very good at sharing. So remember, vote for me! Shady Lady. Yes, go to Rachel's blog and cast your vote for Shady Lady. Got it? Shady Lady...ME!

Our Journey to Unschooling

There has been some interest in homschooling & unschooling. I thought I would share our journey with you.

When Princess was 3 we made the decision to put her in preschool so that I would be able to work more. I'm a self-employed massage therapist so I can set my own hours. She started with three mornings, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This was hard for her, but she handled it pretty well. Since she seemed to be doing well I decided to extend my work day and her school day.

By the end of the first week I called my husband crying. I missed my Princess so much and I hated being away from her that long. My husband, being the supportive man he is, instantly suggested I cut back my hours. What a relief!

As time went by, my husband and I saw our daughter fading away. Our happy little girl who always had a smile on her face was becoming a very somber and reserved child. It was heartbreaking.

We were in bed one night discussing what to do because it was so painfully obvious that what we were doing was not working. We didn't want to put her in public school, and private school wasn't an option for many reasons. Besides, how would either of those options be any better?! I turned to my husband and said, "What about homeschooling?" His response? "That will work!"

After that it was a whirlwind of rearranging things. At last everything was settled and Princess and I were home together. I read a lot of books on homeschooling. I read books on unschooling. I found Yahoo groups, both local and nationwide. And I found Village Home, my community...our community.

Unschooling spoke to me, although I didn't really understand how it worked for young children. How can you unschool reading and basic math. Well, I needn't have worried. My daughter is showing me how.

Many people worry that they don't have the patience for this. My husband will tell you that I have no patience. It is something I am working on. This is so worth it. I love the time I have with my daughter and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Wardrobe Wednesday

And now for my first edition of Wardrobe Wednesday! Thanks to Kelly over at Heathen Family Revival for creating this entertaining way of celebrating Wednesday.

I was wondering what I would post for my first ever 'WW' photo and then it happened.

Yesterday morning Princess decided she wanted to be a dog named Rosie. Not just a dog, but a princess dog. After all, it is all about princesses. She decided that two barks was yes and one bark was no. I was to call her Rosie the rest of the day.

Princess went to the closet to choose her dog princess wardrobe for the day. Naturally the attire must be pink. She selected the shirt that you see.

Normally she would wear this with pink pants, but her pink pants were in the laundry. I suggested black pants because they look very nice with this particular shirt. If you could have seen the look! "Mommy those don't look like princess pants. They're black. They're prince pants. I can't wear those."

What you see is the outfit she chose and she loved the combination.

That Long? Really?

I am totally amazed at how many emails I receive each day promising that if I take ‘X’ that I will be able to please my woman. No more erectile dysfunction for me! Sweet!

I was listening to the radio the other day. I’ve been listening a lot to the liberal/left station and decided to check out the other side. I switched to the conservative station and the first thing I hear is a commercial telling me that if I take ‘X’ I can maintain an erection for 45, 60 or 90 minutes. (Maybe that's the problem with the Republicans?)

You and I know that no matter what I take I’m not getting any kind of erection, but here’s my real question. What woman wants to go for 45, 60 or 90 minutes?!?! I mean seriously! Who has that kind of time? And even if you do, do you really want to do that for that long? How the heck are you going to walk the next day?!

I’d really like to know if there is a woman out there looking for this. Do tell! As for me, I’ll just say "no thank you".

Skip Counting, The Unschooling Way

We are unschoolers, which means that we don't follow a curriculum. It means that we let learning happen as it naturally does. Letting it happen allows learning to be fun all the time. This basically means that we go about our life, everyday. If you look at the big picture, learning happens all the time. You can't not learn.

I've thought of going the traditional route for fleeting moments here and there. For my husband, this is his last bit of rebellion. He can't wear his hair down to his ass anymore. There are other things that I won't mention that he can't do anymore either. It's not the path for everyone, but for us it works well.

A while back, someone recommended the game Monopoly Jr. I found the Disney Princess Edition which for Princess is undoubtedly the best choice. The original version is no longer being manufactured, but I found a used game on eBay. This was going to be a Hanukkah present, but we were stuck in the house for two weeks during the crazy snow storms of 2008 (yes, that's just this last December). We needed something new to do, so I pulled out this game.

As we were playing, it was easy to notice the math that was involved. Addition, plain and simple, or so I thought. You see, to start the game you get a bunch of castles, twelve for a two-player game or ten for a three or four-player game. Princess counted out her own castles and I counted mine. Since it was easier, I simply counted the castles out by twos. She saw me doing that and wanted to do it as well. We did it once or twice and went on to play the game.

The next time we played she showed Daddy how she could count by twos. I thought to myself, "This is awesome! Unschooling at work."

Last week in our math activity class at Village Home the kids played with pairs. Yes, we do classes. Princess chooses the classes she wants to do and was so excited because this week we didn't have to rush out and miss the last minute of class. Anyway, I think this brought back what we had done before.

A few days ago she started skip counting by twos again, but this time she went all the way to one hundred! I think I've got a pretty smart kid, but I also think that this way of life we have chosen is working for us. Yes, we think that unschooling rocks.

Hair of the Blog Part III

Warning: Any men out there (Are you there Rooster X?) and those faint of heart, might want to skip this post.

Well readers here it is. Time for my HOTB update. Thanks to Freckle I've got a photo to share. My husband says I should throw in the towel, but I think my armpits are way more impressive than the legs I've seen. They are even more impressive than the eyebrows that have been submitted...don't you think? Look here.

He said that if I had been able to enter my thighs I would easily blow away the competition. But since the vertigo, I haven't been able to shave there. Of course the vertigo is now gone and well...I still haven't shaved there.

At our first photo shoot Freckle laughed at my pitiful armpits. I said "Oh really?! Want to see something impressive." I showed her my beautifully adorned thighs. Her comment? "Did you ever think of waxing that?" See? Impressive, right?!

Alas, all I have submitted for this utterly silly competition are my pitiful armpits. Here they are (well the left one anyway, the right photo was too blurry) for your viewing pleasure.

It's Not Really a Political Discussion

I don’t usually do political discussion, especially in my blog, because I don’t feel that I am well versed in this area. I tend to be pretty positive and I am a firm believer in the Law of Attraction. Take that as you will.

Eight years ago, in my humble opinion (lest anyone disagree) this country was in pretty darn good shape. Enter George W. Needless to say, again in my humble opinion, this country is in pretty darn lousy shape. It took 8 years to get here.

Those who thought President Obama was going to come in and work miracles and turn things around instantly is at least mildly delusional. I do believe that things will vastly improve during his first term. I believe he has the brains, the ability and the people around him to accomplish this…and then some.

The Republicans seem much more interested in having him fail so he won't win another term than giving him a chance to actually do some good for the country and its people. From LoA standpoint, heck from a people standpoint, we all need to join together and and focus on things getting better. The negative focus has no place here.

I like that he is setting salary caps for the big boys (or girls) at the beneficiaries of the bailout. What I question is the oversight of the extravagances beyond salaries. Extravagances like jets and "parties" to exotic place with $400 a night stays. All this after laying off thousands. I mean seriously, this takes brass ones!

There is so much more to say, but I honestly don't feel equipped to do so. If you want a real political discussion with someone who can speak very intelligently on the subject, please, go visit Skyewriter. Start with this post and continue with the rest. Read her posts informing us of exactly what is going on. Skyewriter is amazing and I bow down to her. She does something I am simply not equipped to do and I thank her.

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For those of you looking for a very important Hair of the Blog Part III update, it appears that you will have to wait until tomorrow. I need to get a hold of Freckle and her camera or see if my husband can change some settings and get my camera to do a better job (once he gets home from work). So...until tomorrow.

X

After reading Rachel’s post at Reservation For Six where she was tagged for a Scattergories-esque game, I was intrigued. Rachel had to come up with 10 things she loves starting with the letter T. She got a good many comments and others who were willing to participate in the game as long as she didn’t assign the letters X, Y or Z. Well, I like a challenge and she said we only had to come up with a minimum of 2 (even though the rules say 10) and I thought…well, I can do that! So here is my list of things I love that start with X.

Xena – my number one X. I love Xena, Warrior Princess. I’ve watched every episode at least once. The theme song is the main ring on my phone. Xena is my hero.

Xylophone – when my daughter was a baby she had a dog xylophone. I loved playing it and would play her songs on it. It always bugged me that it was too short and didn’t have a full scale on it. But yes, I do love xylophones.

Xanadu – Now come on. Who didn’t love this movie? I am an 80s girl. And guess what I just found out?! Xanadu is now a Broadway show! I so have to see this!

Xerox – anyone who knows me well knows that I love everything office supply. Staples is my favorite store. I was so excited to get my own flatbed copy machine, a used hand-me-down, but still way cool…and everyone knows that back in the day all copiers were called Xerox machines. ; )

X-men – I love action movies. Love, love, love. It’s not an X, but Terminator and Terminator 2 are my number one favorite action movies. X-men is definitely in my top 10.

Xenolith – I love rocks…any kind of rock, anything about rocks. I collect rocks, admire rocks, love the energy of rocks. A xenolith is a fragment of rock embedded in another kind of rock. I mean, how cool is that?!

x-ray – don’t like having them, but LOVE looking at them. I just think they are so darn cool. Looking inside the body like that. Yup! Way cool!

x-rated – yes, I have had an x-rated thought or two in my lifetime and yes, I love them. ; )

xanthan gum – one of the ingredients that makes gluten free baked goods bearable. So yes, I love xanthan gum.

Okay, so I don’t have 10, but hey, 9 is pretty darn awesome, right?

Peter Pan?

I had a completely different idea in mind for today's post, then my daughter broke down in tears last night.

We had just finished our nightly routine of brushing and flossing before going to sleep. Princess steps down from the step-stool we keep in the bathroom and looks up at me with big brown eyes filled with tears. She starts to cry and say that she doesn't want to grow up, that she wants to be a kid forever.

I had no idea where this was coming from. I tried explaining that she had a very long time before she was a grown up...at least 13 years. "That's too short!" she wailed. Oh my, she was so upset. She told me that being a kid is more fun and she just doesn't want to be a grown up.

She asked if there was anything she can do to stop growing and stay a kid. I had thoughts of Neverland in my head, but didn't think she would get the reference and she was definitely not in the mood for a joke.

I tried to explain that being a kid is in your mind and that even if you get bigger you can still be a kid inside. This wasn't good enough.

I asked her if something happened that made her so upset about this. She said yes, that the Toothless Fairy was almost a grown up. I assured her that the Toothless Fairy still had a good ten years before she was a grown up. (This going with the assumption that we all become grown ups at 18, but I needed something to work with.)

We got in bed and she started to settle in to sleep (we co-sleep). I was reading for a while when Princess started asking more questions. She was really upset about this. I assured her that it was going to be a long time before she was a grown up and she proceeded to go through every age from the age of 8 on up to 20 when I said that 20 is sort of a grown up, but not really.

Finally she was somehow satisfied with our discussion and she fell asleep.

I must say I am thrilled to have a kid who likes being a kid. Me? I couldn't wait to be a grown up, but then childhood for me wasn't all that much fun. I am happy that I am giving my child the kind of childhood that makes her want to be a kid for a long, long time. I think I must be doing something right.

Hi, my name is Shady Lady and I am a TV addict.

...a recovering TV addict, mind you. Before I had a child I would turn the TV on the moment I woke up in the morning and watch while I got ready for work. I got home from work, turned the TV on and it remained on until I woke up at some point during the night and turned it off.

After Princess came, I continued to watch and probably watched more. What else is a TV addict to do during middle of the night feedings, right? As she got older I limited my TV time to after she fell asleep. TiVo makes that easy. I was proud of myself because I watched so much less TV - only 2, 3 or 4 hours a day.

I’m not sure what happened, but when we got back from Florida I started going to sleep about 15-30 minutes after Princess fell asleep. I have been using this time to read. I remembered how much I love to read!

I just finished The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. Great book! I recommend the book. I also recommend the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, my favorite author. After reading her I had a hard time finding books that held my attention. She is an amazing writer.

The way she describes a scene and characters, for me her books are like no other. Her characters, specifically Jamie….sigh… Fortunately, I found my own Jamie. My Jamie even has red hair like the Jamie in the book. If you are looking for a book with a little bit of everything you must read the Outlander series.

There are six books out now with three more planned. (They must be read in order. Email me if you need help with the order.) It was supposed to be a double trilogy, but Gabaldon found that she couldn’t finish the story and needed to add three more. Yay! I’ve decided that I really need a Kindle to be able to read her books though. They stopped putting them out in traditional paperback and the trade paperbacks and hard covers are just to dang heavy! Still, I love them!

I am about half way through the latest book with the 7th book due out September 29th. With my new found love of reading I am looking for some good books while I wait for the next Outlander book (An Echo in the Bone). I have a wide range of interests and I’m open to fiction or non-fiction if it’s a good read. Please share your favorites, your top recommendations, your must reads with me. I love a good read and look forward to your recommendations.

4 dads, 4 moms, 7 kids and 1 football game

Is it old news to post about the Superbowl now? If it is, oh well! Yesterday was a very busy day. I didn’t even get to do my Wii Fit workout. : ( I had so much fun at our Steelers Superbowl Party I just had to post. I even have photographic evidence thanks to Freckle.

It was a great game. My husband loved that he got to actually enjoy watching the Steelers in the Superbowl and not be wrong about virtually everything that came out of his mouth (like the last Steelers Superbowl with my dad).

Pittsburgh's own, Iron City Beer, was present.


The kids had a blast and played for 7 hours straight. And they say homeschooled kids lack socialization. I say p’sha!


The moms, well, we sat around the dining room table drinking wine, eating a bit, talking a lot and Freckle and I…well we knitted…and knitted…and knitted and oh yes, we knitted.


I kept an eye on the score of the game and the time remaining. And for the last two minutes of a very good and a very close game everyone was on their feet. Shouting at the TV and cheering as the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Superbowl.

It was their 6th Superbowl win (the only team ever to win 6 Superbowls). And I say again – GO STEELERS!! And in the end, I had a very happy husband. : )

And thank you to our friends for joining us for such a fun day.

Photo tag!

I've been tagged again, but this one is kinda cool! It got me "digging" through old photos.

I was tagged by Aliceson at Feet of the Table. She has a fun blog that I discovered through the "Hair of the Blog" contest. Check her out!

The rules:

1. Go to the 4th picture folder on your computer.

2. Post the 4th picture in that folder.

3. Explain the picture

4. Tag 4 more blogger

Now, I have this nifty little new, pink, little laptop that I don't have any photos saved to, so I went out to Winkflash.com and went to the fourth photo in the fourth folder there and found this one.

This is Princess at about two months old, dressed in her Thanksgiving-wear. Oh my gosh! I can't believe how little she was. I'm sure all you moms get it. It's just so strange looking at this little baby and then looking to my right at the big girl next to me.

And now I will tag:

Such Lovely Freckles

The New Unschooler

Ex Vita Scientia

Red Molly