The Weekend is Here Already!

Handsome is taking a math test. Teacher is only allowed to give instructions for the test and then he must complete it on his own. He usually does quite well with these. But he is overjoyed to have discovered today is Friday! Yesterday was a short school day since we follow the same schedule as the public school here. That short day threw him off a bit on where we were in the week. Most non-school days are MOndays!

Girlfriend is having a bit of a clingy day. I don't mind when it is test day, since I can't be immensely involved in the test. Handsome, though, may not realize he has two more tests today! And a science review! A reading test, a spelling test...but then he will earn lots of beans towards a nice prize!

We decided to go for the house we looked at. It is going to start off as a rental...with us as tenants until we get ahead a bit, and the property regains a little value. So, we are headed for a new house, new community and new neighbors! There are things that are inconvenient, and things that are much better, and things that are exciting, about this move! But it is all happening in a few weeks! Yikes! I started packing up the current house and am hoping to bring along fond memories of family gatherings there! Lots of pictures of fun times...egg hunts, luaus, camp-outs, swimming parties...and hoping to create new fond memories of things yet to be discovered.

Well, tomorrow morning, my daughter and I are having a yard sale here at this current house...hopefully, we can get enough stuff out of the way and enough money aside to make the move easier. I have some concerns about what my current neighbors will think of this move. Only two of the original neighbors are still there, but we are fairly good friends to one of them. He has helped us out a lot. Perhaps he can help find a buyer for this place. I know he was disappointed that one other neighbor left abruptly and never told him he was selling and moving on.

Oh well...the weekend is here...already!

Swinging Right Along!

Yesterday we ventured out to the Science Center for a homeschooling class on pendulums. Handsome loves to swing things around, so he found the class quite interesting. We discovered some of our hypothesis were correct, and some were not. The variables of length of string, weight of bob, and size of arc, were rather fasinating to consider. Watching the teacher challenge a powling ball suspended in a net produced various responses. She found that if someone started the ball in a pendulum swing, without pushing, she could start with her face nearly smashed against the ball and still would not get hit by the back swing, as long as she did not move forward, even slightly. Some students wanted to try it, but were forbidden, for obvious reasons.

Girlfriend was not quite so interested. It is a curiousity why the potty seats at home seem to be too cold to sit but only momentarily, and yet the public ones are satisfactory enough to take a long time sitting! Perhaps it was more the undivided attention they afforded her. Perhaps next time, I shall bring more snacks and less drink!

Driving home brought my attention to the variety of people roaming the streets of downtown. We came a little different way than usual. I don't know if it was the route, or the nice weather, but there were many pedestrians to observe. A middle-aged lady in casual dress sauntered down the sidewalk, followed closely by a younger man who appeared to be trying to talk to her. Her rapid pace seemed to be diswaying any such communication. A toothless man who appeared to be homeless, smiled and waved as we stopped at the red light. He was attempting to be animated, it seemed, to delight the children. They turned away, not sure how to respond. I nodded and smiled back, knowing I was safely inside the car, should he have improper motives. It seemed more likely that he was just a lonely man who once liked children...perhaps even had a family himself.

A young man dressed in a business suit rushed down the street with his cell phone to his ear. A group of teenagers, most likely college students from the downtown campus, herded themselves across the street, daring the light to change not in their favor. They all seemed oblivous to the world of cars around them.

As I merged onto the freeway, the variety of attitudes became even more apparent. Some pushed their way into lanes, others hesistantly merged with blinkers flashing. Some honked to be let in; others drove steadily ahead not looking to the right or left, apparently hoping that by ignoring the other drivers, someone would let them end...before their lane ended!

We arrived home safe and sound in spite of all the vehicles. We continued briefly to talk about pendulums and swinging washers on strings. Then we journeyed out again with Grandpa and Jomo and TDH to see a house we may try to buy...

What a total contrast it was to take the southern route across the farm fields and undeveloped land! The dirt fields, the green fields, the military jets flying overhead from the base nearby... all of these brought a sense of peace. I think I like living in this area! To be close to city life with tall buildings and interesting people, and also farmland and larger properties, and knowing that we are protected by the greatest military in the world! What a place to swing!

The Things We Catch!

Soon after I started this job, a few years ago, Hunky was tossing a nerf football to me. I caught it most of the time and sent it back to him. Apparently, my hurling technique was not refined enough for a three-year old! He commented "Grandma, you do a lot of things good...but throwing a football is not one of them!" Such wisdom from such young lips! I caught the football that day...and I caught what he was saying...and I do try to stick with those things I do "good".

Catching a frisbee is a challenge. But try throwing and catching a boomer-rang! I must admit, that most of the time, the boomerrang won! And the only thing I caught was the sound of laughter from Handsome's lips, while he was shaking his head at his clumsy grandma!

We spent an afternoon chasing butterflies as well. Butterflies that we had hatched! Yes, we watched them go from caterpillars to cocoons to butterflies. When we became concerned as to our ability to care for them properly in the habitat, we decided to set them free. We did catch them again for a brief time, but convinced them to enjoy the freedom of the entire yard. That was quite an experience!

Another afternoon found us catching other bugs and insects. We captured a bee which we put in the freezer and then revived. We caught a fly that we drowned in the sink and then revived with salt! All these were part of science experiments!

Yes, working with children gives ample opportunity to catch something. Most of the time the "somethings" are interesting or fun or enlightening. But sometimes children give you other things to catch...like colds! I caught one of those from Girlfriend this week! So hopefully, much like the football, I will drop it quickly!

Some Days

I guess it is true in everyone's life that some days are better than others and some days are worse than others. This week has not been a stellar week, starting with world news, clear up to personal challenges.

Girlfriend had a cold. Colds don't make pretty princesses live happily ever after! Fortunately, they are "once upon a time!" In other words, they are here for just a time. And I suppose princesses deserve special treatment and pampering during such times! Therefore, the fairy grandmother must hone her patience and comforting skills, and pray this cold rides off into the sunset quickly!

As for Handsome, well, he has been off to the Science Center to learn about Robots. And then checking out a kit with which to make arches and bridges without mortar or nails! Pretty clever!

Hunky is getting back into the swing of things in Kindergarten. Jomo is rising to the challenge of fourth grade and TDH is exploring high school full scale! And Mr. Boo! I forgot to mentiono that on his visit here during Christmas, he made an announcement via a tee shirt, that he is going to be a big brother! The little one is due in July!

I will mention that each has had their challenges this week, as have I, but we still have plenty to smile about. We are family! We are well and happy and safe!

And we will pray for those across the ocean whose week has been shaken, literally, by earthquake! God help each of us to count our daily blessings and not take our lives or families for granted!

A Trip to the Amusement park!

Over the Christmas break, I took TDH and Jomo to Castles and Coasters, which is an amusement park here in Phoenix. I shall publish pictures of that great day as soon as I get them downloaded off of my camera! Perhaps today...perhaps not!

Anyway, though I was tired and fighting the fatigue and pain of fibromyalgia, I had a terrific day. I played a game of miniature golf with Jomo...and we shall not reveal the score card here. TDH was the scorekeeper and he got plenty of laughs!

I declined to partake of the rides, mostly due to the cost. But I was actually glad that was a factor, since they did not appeal to me that day. TDH rode what they call "Desert Storm", a roller coaster that does at least three total flips! He rode it TWICE! Jomo joined him on the smaller one, whose name I cannot currently recall. They only tackled that one once. But they did enjoy two trips on the ride that goes backwards and forwards while its track manages rocking and rolling. The bumper cars were a hit as their second time around turned into many. The line had depleted by the end of their second round, so the attendant let them keep going. Good thing there were benches close by for Grandma!

And the swinging boat! Jomo only handled that once, but TDH got at least two rounds! Made my stomach turn just to watch! The speedway was crowded and took quite awhile to get to their turns. TDH is quite a good driver, even though he got slowed down due to an amateur girl swerving and slowing the line. Passing her was risky and TDH was afraid he would make her spin out, so he laid of the pedal to the metal! Jomo was not tall enough to be a driver, although I am sure he would have done better than the girl! He was a great passenger for TDH though! They had a great time. It was good to see them enjoying each other so much!

We spent nearly 4 hours there and exhausted all of us. But the memories we made will never fade. I was thrilled to have a day to spend with them. Handsome, Hunky, and Girlfriend were off in CA exploring Lego Land! They, too, had a wonderful time. They called me in the evening to report how cold the ocean was, and how big the slide was at Legoland, along with a lot of other details. Hunky gave me a full report of the day, down to the discovery of s crab, and shells.

Being a grandma is a very good thing. The smiles of the children and their hugs and excited reports, are worth all it took to get to grandmothering. So, for those of you who are younger, and on occasion feel frustrated with the little charges you are currently raising, be of good cheer! Some day YOU will get to be the GRANDMA!

The Man in the Moon

Handsome and I have been studying the moon this week. We did at least one experiment from the kit we checked out from the Science Museum each day. It was fun and a good way to start back to school. Science is the first subject of the day.

To add a little humor to the event and get a bit of reaction...I shared with Handsome this poem I wrote years ago...just for fun!

THERE'S A MAN IN THE MOON!

I think there is a man in the moon;
Or else the moon, itself, is a man!
Because of the many faces it shows
As across the sky it does span!

Sometimes it shows us part of a face;
Twinkly eyes with a turned up nose;
Other times, bravely facing us all,
A full bald head it seems to expose!

Sometimes it appears to be hiding;
Other times, gives a flirtatious wink.
Sometimes it is shy, sometimes a tease!
Moody, like a man, I think!

It loves to keep us guessing,
with the clouds, plays hide and seek;
Sometimes a sliver, sometimes full-faced
From the pillows of clouds it will peek!

There's a moon with male personality,
As he floats with his head in the air.
Yes, there's a man in the moon, quite likely...
I know there's no WOMAN up there!

by charlotte howard-saben 1990

Because You Asked

Several of you have asked to see pictures of Mr. Boo's quilt. And some have inquired about Girlfriends dollhouse that I made her for Christmas. I am attempting here to share them with you. I think Boo's quilt pix came out okay, but I forgot to turn the dollhouse! Oh well!~ Happy head-turning! PS-click on the pix and it will enlarge and you can see details. PSS-the dollhouse was not finished when the pix was taken!

Through the Eyes of a Child

Can you look in the mirror and say to yourself that you are pretty, or handsome, as the case may be? I found several years ago that it is not that easy. Oh, sometimes I could think it, but trying to say it aloud was a difficult task. I also tried to face myself in the mirror and say some good things about me. I thought I had a healthy self-image, but the challenge of the task made me rethink how I looked at myself.

I am taking lessons from Girlfriend. She looks in the mirror and giggles and smiles. Then I say something like "Look at that pretty, pretty Princess!" which creates even more giggles. Sometimes she turns away, but that is all part of the game. She knows that will make me say she is a pretty, pretty, Princess all the more!

The other day as I was combing her hair, I asked her how she would like me to fix it. There have been times when she preferred two pigtails to one, or a ponytail on the side instead of the back, etc. On this day she looked up at me and said, "Pretty!"

I responded, "You just want your hair done pretty?" She nodded adamantly. Once finished, she looked in the mirror for approval. "Pretty, Pretty!" she said.

I grew up in a home where my mother thought it a sin, apparently, to think highly of oneself. She not only did not make any attempts to tell me I was pretty, but she pooh-poohed anyone else who did. She feared pride more than anything. I realize now, that she had no idea of what pride is, nor how God intended us to use it.

He is proud of us. He made us just as we are! I think He gets the same types of feelings for us that I get as a grandma, when Girlfriend giggles and calls herself a pretty princess! I feel great!

I have, since my childhood, learned to think highly of myself. Even the Bible does not say not to think highly of yourself...it says not to think MORE highly than you ought to! And if you read the rest of it, you will find that you ought to think pretty highly of yourself. You are made in God's image. You are thought highly of by Him! You are seated in heavenly places! Wow! We girls ARE princesses, daughters of the King of Kings!

Regardless of how you feel about God or religion, you have good reason to be proud of yourself. I know pride has been the downfall of many people, men and women alike. And pride has brought about lies and pain. But, I wonder if those people built up all that false pride because down deep they really did not like themselves?

I think pride is a lot less fearful thing than self-abasement. A realistic approach to oneself takes courage. Admitting our faults can sometimes be easier than admitting our strengths. Perhaps it is because the power of our strengths scares us and places responsibilities and accountability on us. I know some people who readily admit their strengths and try to hide their weaknesses. But, often, later in life, they discover they really did not know themselves as well as they thought they did.

Take a look in the mirror. Who do you see? I hope you see a great person who can love themselves and others as themselves. I hope you see someone who can address both weaknesses and strengths without flinching. Acknowledging weaknesses means we are growing. (Personally, I have never had a garden without a few weed problems!)

I hope you find a person in the mirror who can acknowledge their beauty. You are beautiful! Enjoy life!

Ah, the memories!

I decided to look back over the more memorable, unwritten moments of 2009. There are some things I want to forget, and others I wish to remember. Some are worth sharing for the lessons learned or the laughter gained. So, I shall share a "moment" of my creative Girlfriend!

It was a day when Handsome was taking a test. I needed Girlfriend to be occupied with things other than interruptions or needing attention for a while. So, I set up her water/sand table in an unusual place...the family room, complete with a tablecloth beneath. I knew that if the usual set up occurred (the bathroom shower) that it would only be a short time before she would come looking for us. So, we went about our normal routine for such a day. She chose to have sand that day, and sat contentedly playing with it like an angel.

It was after lunch, I believe, when I realized Girlfriend was not in sight and I went upstairs to check on her. There she was! Not at the sand table, but rather at the sink in the bathroom, with a pan of sand...rather a pail of sand that she was "washing". The entire sink was full of sand, backing up the running water which was very close to running over. Oh no!

Play sand is particularly fine-grained. That does not mean that it is easy to rescue from a drain! Especially one that is packed and the sand is wet. I scooped and scooped and made little progress.

Fortunately, Daddy was home and so was a wet-vac! Yes, It did the trick without damage, except to lose some of the sand! I learned a lesson that day. Two year olds are creative people and when their usual routine is changed, they will find a way to make it extra interesting!

The table will stay in the shower and primarily be a water play table! I think the whole house will like that better!

Happy New Year

This will be a better year. Last year was the year of good intentions. My desire is that THIS year will be the year of good ACTIONS! I have laid aside the idea that making resolutions will assist in bringing this about. All that ends up happening is that the resolutions haunt me and add to my guilty feelings. However, without goals, nothing will be accomplished.

Therefore, I am making some goals today. One of those is that I will write daily. I have three blogs. I will write something on one of those daily. Therefore, at least two times per week there should be some news on each of them. Knowing myself as I do, however, I realize that this is probably too lofty a goal. I am leaving it as my goal and promising myself and my friends that I will do my best to accomplish this goal. I should have at LEAST ONE item on each blog weekly. If I achieve this, I will consider myself successful.

I am writing at least weekly for our church as well. I write the curriculum for our kids church, along with puppet skits, etc. so that really is partly why I have been so lax in attending these blogs. And I also write quite a bit for my homeschooler. Teaching him some of the weirdness of the English language often works better by writing my own stories that fit the subjects. He is much more interested in reading about topics that peek his interest, and finding those at the library takes a lot of time. Not only that, but finding interesting topics that also fit the English rules of the week, can be a daunting task! This probably sounds like another excuse, and perhaps it is...

The point is, I shall truly attempt to do better at keeping up with the blogs. The request I have from you, my friends, is to encourage me, by making comments from time to time, or at least letting me know that you are reading them. Sometimes, I am tempted to make the blogs more like a journal or diary, which, I guess, is okay. However, daily, thoughts go through my mind that may well be of interest to my readers. So, if I know I have readers, I will be more motivated to get my thoughts onto the blogs. THANK YOU!

I love to write. I love to share. I love my friends. Happy New Year!

ps- this is the only time that all my blogs will say the same thing! THAT I promise!