I met P-dub!!!

Good friends are like bras...close to your heart and there for support.  That's who Susan is.  She is a friend that you can call up and pick up with right where you left off.  She was a friend of my husband's before we met and then we became friends.  She graciously allowed me to live with her when I moved to a city where I knew nothing and nobody.  She introduced me to some of the best shopping and food places in the city.  And ~10 years later...because we both have the same strange obsession (and no that's not sweater sets)....she got both of us VIP tickets to be one of the first in line to see P-dub at her book signing. 

P-dub was so funny, warm and friendly that night.  I know she must see a zillion fans and she is truthfully probably SICK of people.  But she treated us with warmth and friendliness.  AND that night I (like the idiot I am) learned what spanks are and I do believe I'm gonna have to get me some.  And Susan also introduced me to the coolest stuff ( Mercy and Knock Knock) at the bookstore.  Believe I'll have to invest in some of these too that is right after I buy my spanks.  I have my priorities...

I hope you have good friends like I have in Susan and I hope you can find a way to let them know they're special to you.  Thanks, Susan!  Now, stop talking Ging.

Happy Easter

Let me start by saying I have never been much into dying Easter Eggs with my girls.  I just don't get the whole dying of an egg only to have the shell ripped off then eaten.  I know you'll argue, "But they're decorative."  Isn't that what they make plastic ones for?  And you can use them over and over and over again.  Ahhh...plasticization.  Usually I shirk at it but not when it comes to eggs.  However, this year I broke down and dyed a few eggs...with a twist, though.  I dyed the insides and made deviled eggs.  They were a pain but turned out pretty good. 

First, boil your eggs.  I used Sandy's directions over at Reluctant Entertainer and believe me, she knows what she's talking about in the boiling-of-eggs department. 

Next, peel all of the eggs and cut them in half.  Pop out the yolks in a bowl to make your filling.

Then you need to prepare a hot/warm water bath with your choice of food coloring.  I did a batch of red, added some blue and got some purplish (wanna be's).  Then I did a batch of blue and then added yellow to make some green ones.  After you let them sit for 5 or 10 minutes, take them out and let them dry on a paper towel.  Mix up your filling (I used mayo, mustard, salt, sugar and sweet pickle juice) and you're done.

 Now aren't these little peeps so cute you could just eat them?  Well, I did.  One too many.  My sister made these.  I keep trying to convince her to do a guest post on my blog but she won't.

I hope you had a lovely Easter day and best of all were able to spend it with those you love.

The Homeschool Channel

I love AFA.  I listen to AFR ALL of the time on the radio in my car, now.  They now have launched a new internet site, The Homeschool Channel, and eventually you will be able to plug into your tv.  Can you say bye-bye cable, tv.

We are pretty discerning about to what and whom we give donations.  We believe in and as a result give to AFA.

Peregrina's Poem

I just happened to visit Peregrina.  I don't read her blog regularly but every time I go there I find myself lingering, soaking up her words of wisdom.  It looks to me like she has stopped posting for a while.  I'm not quite sure what that is about.  I sure wish she'd publish a book because I'd snap that up in a second.  Anyway, this little poem just struck me tonight.  I think we'll use this one for our next dictation exercise and even memorize.

Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me;
Let me praise a little more;
Let me be, when I am weary,
Just a little bit more cheery;
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am striving for.

Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver;
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be;
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker;
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me.

~ Author Unknown

Tim's take on things

I just couldn't help myself....

God Bless You Chick-Fil-A

Ellen McHenry - You're my Hero

Actually I think I have 2 heros this morning and no zero is not one of them.  Do you think I have been spending a little too much time around kids since the lyrics to Multiplication Rock have worked their way into a blog post?

The first hero is Sheri over at What's in the Box.  She is a workboxing maniac!  Man, she makes me tired just reading her posts.  But she really does have some great ideas.  I was reading some of her older posts and she mentioned a brain hat.  Well, I have recently fallen in love with a new writing program, Stack the Deck (I'm beginning to feel like one very underpaid - as in no pay - infomercial for all of these links).  Herb Hrebic talks about our brain saying he believes the brain is the best computer of all and he even puts a brain hat on to illustrate.  What kid wouldn't feel smarter and motivated to answer questions by just putting on a brain hat?  Maybe it is just me but I think it is nothing short of genius.  That's using your noggin (no pun intended...ok there was a very bad pun and it was intended).  Go to about the 4 minute mark of Mr. Hrebic's video if you don't want to watch it all (although I highly recommend watching it all) to see him talking about it. I have been rolling around in my brain, "where could I find a brain hat?" - and if you know anything about me at all, you know "I don't want to pay a lot for this muffler".  Aaaaannnnyyyyywaaaay... this all is going somewhere, trust me, and it leads to another one of of my new heros which is is Ellen McHenry (btw, Mr. Hrebic also needs mention on that "hero list").  Ellen's site is filled with free downloads and she also has curriculum for sale.  We are using Adventures in My Father's World this year and we have just briefly covered atoms and molecules, etc.   Even as an engineer, I always despised chemistry - as in hated, loathed, detested the subject.  When Ms. Priss was born I made up songs for her to learn to spell her name and put as many things to tunes as possible.  I have ALWAYS joked that we were going to have to sing and dance the periodic table of elements to help her and Lil' Bit learn them.  Guess what?  Ellen McHenry has already done that for me complete with a fairy tale about the periodic table.  Just go peruse her site.  You won't be disappointed.

Tata for now!