The Race Is ON!

Yesterday, our landlord stopped by... they haven't done a "walk thru" for over a year. Although that wasn't the purpose of her visit, it was to tell us that the people who own our property are doing an appraisal of all of their properties. So that means a walk thru in and around. (Picture of Jaden & Julia (sporting Sierra SJ's sunglasses)at home. Notice Jaden's missing tooth on the bottom - his first lost tooth!)

Which means, of course, that i'm going to be a cleaning the next couple of days. The appraiser is coming on Monday. I'm sure all will go well.. issue being my laundry room is heaped with clothes, the kids' bedrooms are in serious need of a scrubdown and I need to shampoo the living room carpet. Well, at least we have a carpet cleaner. Mom came over and is helping in the efforts. She'll be back tomorrow as well. I forget how good she is at cleaning! She's like superwoman!

The bathroom and the kid's rooms are basically done. I guess tomorrow I will do my bedroom, finish up the laundry and do the kitchen. Rod has his own list. A definite honey-do list, which is more like a must-do list. Move some stuff to the attic, take a couch to the dump, a loveseat to goodwill, fix a knob on a kitchen drawer and look at hinges... that sort of thing. Tonight, he got out the air compressor/nail gun combo he got for Christmas - and well, let's just say, it's been fun to see him enjoy his tools!

I'm not looking forward to all of the work, but I really do love the clean house results. And I can say that I feel quite blessed that they gave us a few days notice vs. 24 hours that they have in the past!

Rod didn't help much today in the efforts, because he had previous plans with old family friends to cut/chop wood. The snow plan in December used up all of our existing wood, so we needed more. Since there are many dead trees on friends' properties, it looks like we may not have to pay for wood. One more of God's amazing blessings in our life over that last few months.

On a college note... I was really hoping that during this year that Rod would be able to take a website building class. Almost anyone can build a website, I was hoping he could get the credentials from taking a class. I looked over his plans for this year, hoping to see if he could fit the class in. Since he's going to have to finish his ATA on our buck (last 2 quarters) his required to take classes will switch around, so next quarter he should be able to take it! Yay!

He will end up with a Certificate in Adobe and a Certificate in Graphic Design. And to get the Cert. in Graphic Design he'll have to take a digital photography class. So- good news- when we get our tax return, looks like we are going to *have* (grin) purchase a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera, so that he can take the class. An upgrade. Ahhh that just sounds nice!

On a personal note- Yesterday, Rod found out that Jay T. had a USB keyboard. Rod told Jay that we'd love to have it (I've been wanting one for ages). I also have a large separate monitor (to work on things like the newsletter), I can close up my laptop, move it OFF my desk WHICH gives me MORE room! Something that I have needed on my desk for quite some time! Woohoo! Now I just need the cord-guy to come and visit my desk! I think my cords look somewhat like spider webs - which fit in quite nicely with all the rest!

Freezing to Flooding

This weather is just nuts. Just over a week ago, we couldn't get out of our houses because of the snow. Now many are stuck because flooding is causing them to be landlocked. It would be funny if it could be. This is a picture taken from edgewater park. Look at the raindrops! It looks like snow!! Not that you can really see the water with the flash highlighting the foreground - I was too comfortable in my warm car to get out in it and take a real picture of the river.

We got out of the house tonight - went to McDonalds and let the kids play in the playland. Rod played DS. I proofed an article for Heidi SJ. Just a day in the life. It was nice to get out of the house though.
Afterwards, we drove down to edgewater park to check out the water level on the dike by the reventment. It's just so cool to see when it gets that high. I literally can't think too much about all of the flooding because it tends to upset me so.

Instead of blogging I probably really should be getting things done. I really don't think that the snow was good for me last month. I didn't get the newsletter done on time, I'm behind on my reviews and i've got a "todo" list that's a mile long! Calgon take me away! Oh, that's what Rod and I did last weekend - we got away. I guess I can't hope for that to happen again too soon :)

The January newsletter I finished today. Once Polli proofs it, I'll go over to EBC to print it. Maybe I'll have Rod & Josiah go. The last month or two Rod's gone over and done it for me. It seems to take some of the work out of doing the newsletter. Polli had asked me in the beginning if I wanted someone else to copy it... but to hand it off monthly for 35 copies, just seems like it could be more work than it's worth. Most of the newsletters go out by pdf via email/link to email on the website. That saves our co-op lots of postage every year.

I just really felt in a funk when doing it this month. Couldn't get in the mood. Last month I wrote a cover article for this month, which I think I accidently deleted. So I had remembered that I had written some stuff out a month or so ago in a notebook - so I type that out. It's an article on homeschooling on a shoestring.
Things people can do to enrich their homeschooling without spending much money. It stems from our lifestyle right now.

With that being done, tomorrow i'll get back to work on the reviews!

Finally Finished - Millennium Sampler

This is a stitching project that I began & basically finished in 2000. I bought this beautiful project, called the Millennium Sampler by Shepherds Bush. It's absolutely beautiful. Issue being that all the stitching is one over one - which is fine for everything in my book but the actual stitching of words. So, I finished all the delicate stitching in the year 2000, and thought I'd finish the writing "one" day.

Well, when all that snow fell a few weeks ago, I got a HUGE stitching bug. It had been so long since I've stitched, that I've forgotten where ALL of my stitching projects are. I don't know if my stitching stash is as big as my quilting stash - but I've got at least 10 unfinished samplers in my possession.

When Rod and I "went away" for our weekend last week, I grabbed a few to put in my "to do" bag. Out of all the things that I did, I Started a brand new project! What was I thinking? Instead of finish something, I began something new. It's called Rise & Shine and it's completely cross stitch (which I basically never do). I like specialty stitching, not cross stitching. Anyway, simple weekend and basic stitching. On our weekend, I got less than half of it done.

Feeling like I should have done something (sometimes basic guilt is good) to finish one that I've almost gotten done, I pulled out my Millennium Sampler a day or so after we got home. It's taken me a few tv shows/movies to finish, but I did FIVE line of text, one over one... and it's FINISHED. I wanna sing & dance. It's been on the books for over 8 years!

Now........ I just need to get Rod to use his framing equipment to frame it :)

Insight Tech Ed Review

Advanced Complete-A-Sketch is a technical sketching program made by Insight Tech Ed. It is a program that introduces students to technical sketching/drafting step by step. It's an easy to use, easy to follow program.

My son, Josiah (right), age 10 absolutely LOVED this program! Using a ruler, pencil, french curves and a circle template, Josiah worked on the variety of projects that are included on the CD.

He would sit down and do pages at a time with NO prompting from me. This alone made me love this program! He has completely finished all of the worksheets that are at his skill level on his own at his own pace. Each technical sketch is a bit harder than the one before, so the degree of difficulty grows incrementally.

Josiah learned some very practical things: how to focus on a project, how to be specific, how to use a ruler to draw lines, how to use french curves, and how to put together a paper model.

Technical Sketching thorough Insight Tech Ed is something that I will use will all of my children to enrich their schooling. This is a subject that isn't traditionally taught in homeschooling, but it should be! I would definitely recommend Advanced Complete-A-Sketch to mothers of boys and to mothers of struggling homeschoolers.

While not all homeschoolers at age 10 are great readers, this is something that is tangible that struggling kids can do. The emphasis isn’t on reading, but on drawing with lines and curves. When they are done with the sketch, they see it and can see a job well done! It’s a self confidence builder.

On a technical note: Projects are easy to print as PDFs. You only need the free downloadable Adobe reader to print from the CD. The link to Adobe reader is available on the Insight Tech Ed website.

What’s on the CD? There are plenty of technical sketching worksheets and 3D Models to build.

What's the goal for the student? To have the student learn technical sketching by completing a variety of technical sketches.

Who’s it for? It’s for ages 10 an up.

How much does it cost? It’s a terrific price of $28.00.

Is there any extra expense? Ink an an investment of $10-$15 in tools, such as French curves and a circle template.

Does InSight Tech Ed have other subjects? They have a variety of subjects including: Accounting, Drafting, Graphic Design and Technical Sketching (Orthographic, Isometric, Perspective, Advanced and Professional).

To see Samples click here and visit their website.

First weekend of 2009

Welcome to 2009!
At Christmas time, Rod was talking with a friend who asked us how we are doing. Rod said things are great, but Zindra and I could really use some alone time. I guess a few days later Rod & our friend made arrangements to stay at a friends house shortly after the new year for a couple of nights. Rod surprised me with it... and needless to say I was SO incredibly excited about it.

Rod's been home, unemployed, going to school, for about 6 months. We've had some good times, some stressful times, yet no alone times. I had been craving a quite house, cooking for 2, watching movies, and snuggling on a couch without distractions.

I love our kids... Next to Rod, they are the best thing I've ever done. Yet, when you have somewhere like a grandparents house where they can go, and you don't have to worry or even think of them... it's nice to take advantage of it occasionally.

Pre-unemployment, Rod used to get business trips through Verizon, that we turned into vacations. Once a year, or once every other year we would go to some extravagent place. Florida is one of my favorite places of all time because of the fantastic memories that I have from there. Since he hasn't been at Verizon, we haven't been able to travel.

This weekend we were able to take our trip to Alger for some "alone" time.

Leaving and coming home is usually stressful. Trying to get all of our quackers in a row so that we can go... is usually a bit of work. It was worth it though.

Friday we thought we'd get out of the house early to take a test for the Census, but missed the test b'c we didn't have the right start time. Then Rod called to find out about unemployment extention (something he has to do before the Workforce unemployment will kick in, supposedly for the remainder of his school time) which turned out to be incredibly stressful. Finally we were able to leave.

We had to borrow our friends truck because the roads in Alger are like ours were a couple of weeks ago, still partly covered with snow. The house is up & down quite a few different hills & we didn't think we should do it without chains...

We went to Bellingham, thinking that I could go to the stitching store there. Apparently, it's been closed. So we went to the scrapbooking store instead. Bought a cute little project to do for my mom for Mother's Day. Yes, I'm always thinking ahead! Then we went to the local store and bought groceries for a few meals.

We hung out, watched movies, I stitched, ate and really did as little as possible. We got dinner Saturday night from Alger Bar & Grille. I took my laptop, but you'd be proud, I did nothing on it for the whole trip!

We watched a couple of movies that i've wanted to see, but had no desire to rent (ie: The Mummy, The Mummy 2), watched The Dark Knight, so that we could be caught up culturally, and watched one that I wouldn't have laid a hand on normally, but thought it was quite funny (ie: John Tucker Must Die).

And then coming home, I was in such a great mood, only to have my emotional feet swept out from underneath me by a family member grumbling about something. So I spent the afternoon, feeling unappreciated. I just couldn't get my feet under me. Finally I took a nap and woke up feeling somewhat refreshed and able to cope. A good nap usually does that!

Rod and I hung out after the kids went to bed, not wanting "our" weekend to end. Love you Rod!