tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4767246951375228562024-02-18T19:59:24.641-08:00Lovin', Livin', and Learnin'Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-57616787852250470222012-02-20T13:16:00.000-08:002012-02-20T13:16:19.107-08:00A Monday7am: Kids awake asking me in loud whispers if they can go into the living room. And is it a free day for the Wii (NO).<br />
<br />
7:30am: Reese returns to the bedroom to inform me she is hungry. <br />
<br />
8:00am I finally drag myself out of bed to make breakfast (cream of wheat). Kids eat and disappear to play. They are being nice to each other. I eat breakfast while checking email and facebook.<br />
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9:00am Kids want to watch a show. They asked nicely, so okay.<br />
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9:45am I manage to get in the shower.<br />
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10:00am Eli decides to take a bath. Reese heads to the schoolroom to work on her Bible work. Math lesson with Reese. She is currently working on a review of the first chapter of Singapore Math 2a. We played a place value math game. Eli gets out of the bathtub. Math lesson with Eli. Read "Jack and the Beanstalk" for a second time. Listened to Reese read some poetry. Eli says he is hungry.<br />
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11:40am Went to kitchen to fix Eli a snack and realized it's almost lunch time. Prepare mini pizzas with leftover dough.<br />
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12:30 pm My pizza is done so I sit down. Try to convince Eli to eat some of his food. Reese is done and off playing. Eli leaves to see what she's doing. Art projects in the form of little books are happening. Eli writes a book about his hair, it's very funny. <br />
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1:00pm Kids and I go out to return some library books and hit the post office. Realize in transit that the PO is closed because it is Presidents' Day. Darn. Kids want to go to the natural grocery store, and we sit outside Starbucks for a little while. Books are back at the library so it wasn't a total loss.<br />
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2:00pm We return home and I announce that cleaning must occur. Kids work on their bedroom while I goof off on the computer and drink my coffee.<br />
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2:45pm Room clean, clothes put away, living area decently picked up. <br />
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3:00pm Wii time! Reese decides to read one of her American Girl books. TV turned on and it is discovered that Clifford is on PBS. <br />
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This part of the afternoon is our free time, so I'm thinking I'll do some sewing. Kids are allowed to play Wii. I ponder what to make for dinner. <br />
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Tomorrow I might gently encourage more schoolwork, or not. I've been thinking a lot lately about the value of play and how to balance academic work with original organic things that come from just goofing around. Would Eli have written his little book if I'd pressed him to "do his boxes?" I don't know. Would Reese pick up a book on her own if I pressured her to do more and more schoolwork? I don't know that either. <br />
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I'm also looking at curriculum for next year (or whenever we finish our work for this year). I really still want to do Ambleside Online because I LOVE it. Reese and I would never have read a lot of the literature we've read this year without it. I checked out the AO curriculum through 12th grade and I really do love it. I know I would learn a thing or two as well if we keep up with AO. However, I realized that Eli may not be ready for the rigerousness of AO Year 1 next fall. I'd like to take another year and get him reading. But I'd also like to add to his schoolwork, maybe in history or geography. I can take pieces of AO Year 1. And I also realized that at some point, I'll be working with two different years in AO, and I think that might make me crazy. <br />
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I also love the curriculum laid out on the Simply Charlotte Mason website. What I'm considering is using their history/geography modules so Reese and Eli can learn those things together, which would free me up to do less planning and separate lessons. I'm still considering. Both curriculums would provide a more than awesome education, so I think it might come down to what I like better. We shall see.<br />
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Well, I'm going to have my "free time" now. :) Happy Monday!Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-21761361061691723262012-02-17T09:24:00.000-08:002012-02-17T09:24:01.578-08:00Saying Goodbye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJLQhZyladDNBPSx2SqxsbrautNp0r-QFijpIx3nxe2RwsZj_j7pOSBUPneTAXs195E0_9VF1HIUTt-neCeAqdU_XZXoRpddoAE0TnUC6b67jyFne0zv_8u4xzPSR1SalES31NMc9z5ka/s1600/2002-05-15+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJLQhZyladDNBPSx2SqxsbrautNp0r-QFijpIx3nxe2RwsZj_j7pOSBUPneTAXs195E0_9VF1HIUTt-neCeAqdU_XZXoRpddoAE0TnUC6b67jyFne0zv_8u4xzPSR1SalES31NMc9z5ka/s320/2002-05-15+(8).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My Vinnie, the monkey tailed cat, Oliver's bizarro twin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6eUC1qVVdoKJVljM-eDeaYt3m4vk3Kr3y_ca2rcz4fHBwk0ehBrRzpax3QDUTIhvqchEBcTIqIdShcvz-CNG6_O5zMDHDLFgh8F8kIUZW09sXCtaZeZ80QfxgRat3UTPd0U8icrcWLmB/s1600/2010-04-04+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6eUC1qVVdoKJVljM-eDeaYt3m4vk3Kr3y_ca2rcz4fHBwk0ehBrRzpax3QDUTIhvqchEBcTIqIdShcvz-CNG6_O5zMDHDLFgh8F8kIUZW09sXCtaZeZ80QfxgRat3UTPd0U8icrcWLmB/s320/2010-04-04+(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As patient as he could be with the kids.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JVCKuyL1p3gpOZjt9tSXZ052qntOWoVXcq5lvGAO3E-gDGWXN4A5wDGArVemqKn6M4hmXKKfWOI2wy_Ewacwx4_BDbFaXBk4Vo0tay21f-NoX_DWA8fHn8zFW8bw78wg7YikPXjlcQau/s1600/2010-03-15+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JVCKuyL1p3gpOZjt9tSXZ052qntOWoVXcq5lvGAO3E-gDGWXN4A5wDGArVemqKn6M4hmXKKfWOI2wy_Ewacwx4_BDbFaXBk4Vo0tay21f-NoX_DWA8fHn8zFW8bw78wg7YikPXjlcQau/s320/2010-03-15+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Part of life is saying goodbye. Vinnie lived a good life, he was a good cat. I'll miss the heck out of him. Goodbye, Vinnie Kittie. I hope I see you again someday, Big Kitty.Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-15821976102125011602012-02-15T06:05:00.000-08:002012-02-15T06:05:42.046-08:00What Homeschooling Looked like Yesterday...After waking up and convincing everyone that breakfast was a good idea, Reese and Eli took turns on their little black computer. They like to look at toys on Amazon and dream, haha. I worked on the kitchen which needed a LOT of help. Reese found her copy of Beezus and Ramona and did some reading.<br />
<br />
At around 9:30, we decided to turn on PBS kids (no spongebob during "school"). I snuck into the shower, had a meeting with the principal, then suddenly realized it was almost 10:30am. Kids dressed, grocery list, and out the door.<br />
<br />
Reese and Eli weighed vegetables and fruits for me at the store. Eli learned about apologizing when he ran his cart into someone else's cart. Much negotiation about snacks and treats. Explanations about why mom is NOT buying macaroni and cheese for a while. Pop number quiz at the bulk bins.<br />
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Back at our apartment, the kids remind me to get the mail. I guess it's been a few days. Magazines galore! We all sit down with Highlights Magazines and read together. Those Timbertoes!<br />
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Time to pick up the house and vacuum! Kids pitch in, job sort of gets done. Mom only threatens to get out a garbage bag once or twice. <br />
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Kids are restless and picking at each other. Time for a nature walk. Bread scraps are gathered. Eli hollers the entire way to the lake. Oh well, fresh air is good for everyone. The flock of coots cheers everyone up and bread is scattered. Will the coots jump and beg for bread? Of course! Pictures taken by all of us, prompting a chat about zooming. Much running and laughter.<br />
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Moods are better on the way home, and 3pm has arrived. The school day has officially ended, time for Wii. <br />
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Did we crack an official school book? Nah. Did we all learn a lot anyway? Definitely. And tomorrow is another day.Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-21237631113375094412012-02-07T08:24:00.001-08:002012-02-07T08:24:14.781-08:00A new weekI both like and dislike Mondays.<br />
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Dislike because usually it's catch up day from busy weekends. As in, the house hasn't really been cleaned much in a few days. Today I did some laundry and managed to keep the kitchen looking decent. The living room...well, it needs the help of a vacuum. I'm putting it off until tomorrow.<br />
<br />
I do like moving on to a new week in Ambleside Online. Just to give you an idea of how our weeks go, here's our schedule for Week 18:<br />
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<br />
<strong>The Bible</strong> -- We try to remember to start the day with a verse or a story.<br />
<strong>An Island Story: chapter 11 "The Story of How the Giant's Dance was Brought to Britain</strong>" --we listen to this on CD<br />
<strong>Fifty Famous Stories Retold</strong>: "Sir Philip Sidney" (1586) and "The Ungrateful Soldier"<br />
<strike>Burgess's Bird Book: choose one chapter based on geographic region and season</strike>. -- learning about Cambodia<br />
<strong>Aesop's Fables</strong>: "The Lion, the Bear and the Fox" (pg. 37 in the Milo Winter version) and "The Hares and the Frogs" (pg. 39 in the Milo Winter version)<br />
<strike>Trial and Triumph: chapter 5 "Ambrose Bishop of Milan" (339-397 AD)</strike> We don't do this...too scary<strike>.</strike><br />
<strong>A.A. Milne: a poem a day</strong> (Reese reads either to herself or aloud to me)<br />
<strong>Blue Fairy Book</strong>: "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp" (A wicked Magician and his wicked Brother are killed) OR <i>"Why the Sea is Salt" (a greedy man tells his brother to go the Dead; a ship sinks and all perish)</i><br />
<strong>Paddle to the Sea: chapter 14</strong> -- This is our geography, and sometimes science, all about the Great Lakes.<br />
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The readings and lessons are spread throughout the week, usually 1 or 2 a day. In addition, every day Reese does a math lesson. We alternate between grammar and spelling. Reese often chooses to paint or draw during her free time. Eli works on various letter and number activities. Today he wanted to work in his kindergarten math book, so we did some together. We read the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.<br />
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The kids spent about half an hour writing valentines, and played legos. We also went on a fabric hunting adventure with a friend.<br />
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It's just about 4pm. Schoolwork is done. Any moment someone is going to ask about the Wii. I'll probably do some sewing, and in a bit I'll work on dinner (stir fry). <br />
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It feels like it was a busy day, and it looks like that on paper. Sometimes I struggle with the proof. The house being clean certainly isn't it, haha. However, the kids seem happy and are definitely learning.Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-63031398581325165322012-02-04T06:43:00.000-08:002012-02-04T06:43:34.666-08:00Our FridayHomeschooling to me is a mixture of experiences. Some experiences come from books, some come from living life. Friday we decided to do some living and went to a homeschool group function at Pizza Hut. I'm pretty sure I smiled the whole time. Seeing a bunch of kids all hanging out, coloring, laughing, eating pizza, treating each other nicely...it's just awesome. And the moms were nice too. So after about four months here in Dallas, I think we have our homeschool group. I hope they know what they're getting into, haha.<br />
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I also took the time to direct some clean up of the house. I sometimes feel like we should have a cleaner home because we're in it all the time. However, if I spent all my time cleaning, homeschooling would go right out the window. So we try to balance the cleaning with the learning.<br />
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Then Eric took us out for dinner at a sushi restaurant. Eli, the expert of dumplings, approved of the restaurant. The sushi was great (veg rolls for me, if you were curious how a vegan eats sushi), and it was a lot of fun. After that, a trip to a store for some vacation clothes and shoes.<br />
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I like busy days like Friday. Good times.Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-15994388326377679082012-02-02T09:39:00.000-08:002012-02-02T09:39:02.669-08:00Bringing it back?I'm considering getting this blog going again. It would be a place to keep track of the things we do. In the spirit of it, here's today's list:<br />
<br />
Math lesson for Reese<br />
read several Cambodian folk tales (funny)<br />
Reese read aloud from AA Milne<br />
language lesson for Reese<br />
Reese looked up her Bible verse for the day<br />
Eli watched the Alphabet movie<br />
lots of legos<br />
Reese worked with watercolors<br />
Read half of Aladdin from The Blue Fairy Book<br />
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We're in week 17 of Ambleside Online, Year 1 for Reese. Eli is, well, he's Eli and very much does his own thing.Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-36916226281834365302011-01-12T08:05:00.000-08:002011-01-12T08:17:21.807-08:00Some pictures...Well, we've been getting back into a routine of sorts, which keeps getting interrupted by silly things like ct scans and blood draws. Boooooooo. I went back and forth about starting a schedule, but in the end I knew it wouldn't work out for me. Instead, I decided to go with a list of things that need to be done for homeschooling. So far, so good! I created a pocket chart for Reese and Eli, and it's easy to see what we've accomplished and what still needs doing each day. I'm gearing us up to start Ambleside Online Year 1 this fall.<br /><br />And of course, sewing has happened. I made this cute little dress for Reese. It's a tester pattern, and I think it's great! She does, too.<br /><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561333026089250674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxaMV5zeqmDkYK2Qawh9uaOlfaXR1LTDPeU1Kg_ni_kKST8O-D91In93VlFsXtLrta3RMX_EkHg78Oc1JsAscj5ns09pPHoe6itBNgelGM_dDc8XzkGyx-rCuBnGG8ELTbMhN-WZR6LRP/s320/DSCN2317.JPG" /><br />And I have to show off this scarf that a friend gifted me for Chrismtas. She made it, isn't it the best?? The weather here has been chilly enough to use it, too.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561331971667525154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0g5c2lXB-oWoDlLv1tF3uLI10o_WZwGTF6hn7oJ6U555FSuz9X_vNv8YrZqnFiqWKfi7mFjW5tsWuMBnfSaVHVv6WN04p0h4mV1qsbtuCczilcI9gebZiWNgaQNCqOaSCt_ae42D50Rx/s320/2010-12-13+%25282%2529.JPG" />Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-83032413286303322922011-01-08T04:45:00.001-08:002011-01-08T04:50:29.361-08:00One of those morningsYou know, the morning where the kids are awake way too early. And they're very screechy and loud. And I had to stop my yoga three times to stop them from being so screechy. And I spilled water all over myself while cleaning up the kitchen (not to mention that I had to clean the kitchen up in the first place...I try to have it clean every night). Ugh.<br /><br />Not terrible stuff, but in the morning? Before I've had some coffee? Ugh.<br /><br />It's mornings like these that I know, way deep down, that the best way to fix it is to change something in myself. Talking calmly instead of yelling. Taking some deep breaths. An inner mantra about having a good day. The best way to change the world is to change yourself, you know?<br /><br />Things seem to have settled down. I'm relaxing with some coffee and a smoothie before I need to get ready for the day. Hopefully it's nice outside today so I can get the kids (mine and a friend's) outside.<br /><br />So here's to positive thinking and a good day!Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-18621722788031951172011-01-05T05:55:00.000-08:002011-01-05T06:05:23.950-08:00The New Year! And some homeschool ramblings.Okay, so I'm a few days late, but Happy New Year!<br /><br />I have been busy for several reasons.<br /><br />We were lucky enough to have Eric at home until the 3rd. We spent time hanging out and playing and trying to get things done around the house. One of the things Eric and I did was trade off so we could each see a movie. He went to see Tron. I finally, FINALLY got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. I must say, I think it's mean to split the movie up like that, but I suppose it lends to more details. I'd go see it again in a second, and probably will try to see it again before part 2 in July.<br /><br />Another reason I've been busy is due to a slight restructuring to our homeschooling. Nothing too drastic, I wanted to add in some of the components of the new curriculum we'll be following starting this fall. I thought it would be best to start out with some small changes rather than try to do everything all at once. At first I wanted to jump right into Ambleside Online this month, but we're going to continue and finish our year (with a few things added) and start new in September. That will give me time to gather books, do some reading about Charlotte Mason, and complete a short study course about Charlotte Mason.<br /><br />In the mean time, we're going to work through the kindergarten books on the Ambleside Online list. I want to finish the social studies topics that are listed in the GA state standards. For science, we have one more chapter in the Usborne Science book, and got the next volume for Christmas to work on. Our homeschool group is gearing back up again, and our calendar is full of activities and gatherings.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm excited! I think the Ambleside curriculum will be really great for our family. I'll post more about the books we're reading and things we're doing as they happen.<br /><br />Another something something to look forward to: I got a new cookbook for Christmas called 500 Vegan Recipes. Awwww yeah. I suspect there will be more food pics in our future too.<br /><br />I hope your 2011 got off to a good start too!Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-69751559161122908342010-12-28T17:15:00.000-08:002010-12-28T18:19:51.581-08:00Key West PicturesKey West Picture time!!! We took about 1900 pictures during our vacation, so of course this is only a small sampling. It's hard to choose which pics to post because there are so many great shots.<br /><div><br /><br /><div> One of my favorite places, Gatorland!!! <br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555918858436145586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKCsJ4yMO8kvJlNKB-yO8yejc5c_P-SLSmALnMmmUWq3YGHDfo4zly-nR9Gf7xr9_qWunHbkQnLaBCSuNR7mpIuyoK-gIGZi3PE8TqgvpOaJOT6qRgwhbocdY62m_OxHnVeFrdCaugV0x/s320/2010-12-19+Gatorland+Day+%252820%2529.JPG" /><br /><div> It was pretty cold that day, and kind of rainy. We didn't stay as long as we would have on a nicer day, but it was still a good time. It's one of my favorite touristy places, so I'm sure we'll go back someday. There's a gator in that pen, but I guess you can't really see it. Sorry.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555918270697170946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2m88N2lPDwo2m8pAj-VYWEmEPq06Z0QeCxcgxkEnAcB_RytFaiX2hJtema0B6nvplVuUoy-xr9BE1YXV4XdOrYchzMS4nkeab12xGaeL78JUw2kpXRDHtDz3n2urTirn_09Wdd8GwAq7/s320/2010-12-19+Gatorland+Day+%252852%2529.JPG" /><br /><br /><div> I took this picture from the car. The scenery is so beautiful, I think it would be hard to take a bad picture.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555918267725948274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZMu8A6L-Tqui0oMzJRSJ2pHLPe4v8hl2n2xuZQvdbar-adhF4g8BHFC3MRVUT-zDftLpEuly-8eaGVGk2glIYcGV1B4ZgtjwZp4Rwl-zxpq5-1IlaCLdwxkOrbZRnn65byjGTzTPeu3i/s320/2010-12-20+2-Drive+to+Key+West+%252835%2529.JPG" /><br /><br />Pelicans!!!! That was one of the best things about the Keys, so many pelicans. <br /><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555918263815897986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9teWVyMBUbZRGt8gP05zExalk-LRQ6gxAzNGLMKnOqGuD1MXpQCpync0tuHMfOnj6aMVaJZ3UwCI8ZrjZdr6ZQrKgCEH7thOKCap93b3CX_QIhtAHceX20s6RzQ2KyVccwLy_lHS3ezI/s320/2010-12-21+Day+1+Key+West+and+Fort+Taylor++%252818%2529.JPG" />On Reese's birthday, she wanted to go to the Butterfly House. So we did. If a butterfly lands on you, it's good luck. Eli got one, and so did I. Nothing wrong with a little luck, huh?<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555915710966870162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-WPcG7qqWP1qdz49bH7aPJb6D8C6BTVlFjJj3y9BwOIi9Yg5LTeRoVrtTfqIExaSg41v_a9Z5fsYN7CL-R3u2jX7AvNgekTN0eGsIJGMiVlDmqzKJYM_qJN5DA8r_DPXLW8jUi98ddWk/s320/2010-12-22+Key+West+Butterfly+house+%252898%2529.JPG" /><br /><br /><div> I wanted to go see Ernest Hemmingway's house both because he's a famous author and because his house is home to about 50 cats. Reese wanted to go with me. There were cats everywhere, sleeping in bushes, wandering the grounds, eating out of the many catfood bowls. We found these guys on a bed in the master bedroom. Yes, the cats can sleep on the antique furniture. They can do whatever they want.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555915709200559762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7odK9zWxMfoBpZ0ULXBs277QZVhj6MJrSzxGpmBvZUJmR5-3_Rp0NtpW-88JYYNxPtxbffhdOV5SPSX3KbcQsBxFzmbviq2r4yGaS87ZXamB40HVJQKL2Osy0qCT6ykdZ7nLqD2HH8DRb/s320/2010-12-22+Key+West+Butterfly+house+%2528201%2529.JPG" /><br />Me and my babies. That day we were hanging out near Mallory Square with the plan to stay until sunset. I can't remember if we did that day or not.<br /><br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555915702788749250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCPOUJ1fkuuo69JOWafcftY68L88vcs2gxm7C8UVze-LSQ6t36rAMUVJYYL_67x88A1W9fcRGcg9OvEKHW26JfIXdfaSVnEdWChYechNNTD3yjuWuFPFXQ0ME0RpkCsx_k5DQpJM2ymC1/s320/2010-12-23+Bottomless+boat+and+such+%252868%2529.JPG" /><br /><br />The day we did hang out on Mallory Square for the sunset, we got to see the Catman, Dominique, and his cat show for cat people. Yes, that cat jumped through the hoops of fire. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me, and I'm glad we got to see it.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555915699476402706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02W3U35jPH3vojsPvpqWaI-ru5TqTP2NiLMlEzRNPzrq5Y1YSMc5L_iYHuct7ArLWbBL9O16iPXYDTXUr5gUfQ9Qodq3wnd4q1Irw4ow8IiKsOSVXGDy_qPXcpTDJtVZhOSR67R_ub9xc/s320/2010-12-24+1-Laundry+Day+%2528189%2529.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div>One of the days we went to the Key West Aquarium. They have several sea turtles, and lots of other sea creatures. We got to watch the sea turtles and sharks being fed. Good times.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QlKn5WFidJe7APq-EN7qE5De7yV7wqHtL1kPOgOpITTfBKVt-onvNpt4bzvZUspRxlVMT2BALCR9a-0cw0MXEBFR-JY0kir1J2zVkwQpGi_D89v2uU52oNaKoqDRuQTxx8-EpSgJS36N/s1600/2010-12-25+Christmas+Day+Key+West+%252887%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555913192551404322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QlKn5WFidJe7APq-EN7qE5De7yV7wqHtL1kPOgOpITTfBKVt-onvNpt4bzvZUspRxlVMT2BALCR9a-0cw0MXEBFR-JY0kir1J2zVkwQpGi_D89v2uU52oNaKoqDRuQTxx8-EpSgJS36N/s320/2010-12-25+Christmas+Day+Key+West+%252887%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Christmas Picture with Christmas clothes on the beach! Yes, I made my children put on their nice clothes and made everyone go to the beach for pictures.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNXf0KG5KNAWE2qZxXyI23WFCX31RlFMb5d5t6wYKDIttYEu3GkSbtldBzVPgG_TYash2mJknfLNeDrJQaDDw7ODkWitdtH1nItMlXy9xz8QVvuUZRkd48-36vSnhHJ1FUKObWDXy6hhz/s1600/2010-12-25+Christmas+Day+Key+West+%2528362%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555913185771376978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNXf0KG5KNAWE2qZxXyI23WFCX31RlFMb5d5t6wYKDIttYEu3GkSbtldBzVPgG_TYash2mJknfLNeDrJQaDDw7ODkWitdtH1nItMlXy9xz8QVvuUZRkd48-36vSnhHJ1FUKObWDXy6hhz/s320/2010-12-25+Christmas+Day+Key+West+%2528362%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>On the way home, we stopped at this beach to have some lunch and wander. It was windy and chilly. <br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555913182469002130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN26KUFbGfSx6s0YSOEMAVusdQrk7pjTjf3s-vd5UqkSDtGnbrQhgfKPV5s7Jto1XdZeOhXB-JCG1LAHKSoI5LwHZtCF7eRrQIhhlPAmffIBLph4BrwgkQzcfj0f-EDoEfoFJXM62Ltnsz/s320/2010-12-26+Going+Home+%252847%2529.JPG" /><br /><br />So yeah, parts of our vacation. I'd definitely go to the Keys again. There is just so much to see and do, and it's very kid friendly. I think I'd like to go in the summer when it's warm and do some snorkeling.</div><div> </div><div>I'm glad to be home though. :)<br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-85242420799101594922010-12-28T04:58:00.000-08:002010-12-28T05:02:08.782-08:00And...vacation is over.Yes, we're back from our trip to the Florida Keys. I'll post pics as soon as I know where exactly they are, and if they have been uploaded or not to this computer. Eric is the photo guru.<br /><br />Anyway, it was awesome good fun, being on vacation. We saw so many things. My favorites included Gatorland, the glass bottom boat ride, and the Key West Aquarium. I liked the Hemmingway House too, with all the cats. And the Catman on Mallory Square at sunset.<br /><br />But it's awesome to be home too, although the house is trashed right now, littered with vacation bags and Christmas items. I have a feeling I'll be working on it for the next few days.<br /><br />I'm also working on our homeschooling plan for the next handful of months. I'll talk more about it when I get my act together.<br /><br />Hope everyone had a great Christmas!Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-15628588270206382592010-12-18T05:10:00.000-08:002010-12-18T05:11:51.932-08:00And...we're off!!!It's vacation time, baby, it's vacation time!<br /><br />We're off to the Florida Keys, with a stop in Orlando to visit Gatorland. Whoooohooooooo!!!!!<br /><br />I'm not sure how much posting there will be until we get back, so everyone have a fantastic Christmas!!!!Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-53480419169008223652010-12-12T17:46:00.001-08:002010-12-12T17:55:18.803-08:00Cupcakes!Aren't these pretty?<br /><br /><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549978547881820530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj492yQzPeK-v8hqsXlqr066VjF13jQAw7g-QGM3cvJeJdAHzECqzwmxYd4qp1a2Xqd9w51bytjcqTsSjOKjoAlpEMlY7HvwMkhXJnuSxOINk9kzLHHtuV2VaoNYFf8Wjg4BuBaBZSTs_t7/s320/DSCN0154.JPG" />They're vegan too.<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549978542372849202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJobhQMZvXBOilYEh99FSJ0ptYuaz2j3DpYqqLya_D_pXSZZ4C7lNwyu8Omcno-MQEwWNIhoXI-IuBJfOoe-OWBtT2Wo5LOHSyky6HAk-cGEQmz8lYI_H5b2rf-MOJL9DP3Z1qMYidCqfR/s320/DSCN0155.JPG" /></div></div><br /><p> </p><p>These are Reese's birthday cupcakes. We'll be taking them to share with our homeschool friends tomorrow. Reese is very excited, of course.</p><p>And because we'll be on vacation during Reese's real birthday, she got to open some gifts already, including the gift from Eric and me. She got...A SEWING MACHINE!!!!!!! I'm probably way more excited about it than she is, haha. I think she's pretty happy though. It's nothing fancy, just an old singer, but a good starter machine for a 6 year old.</p><p>Six years old. That's crazy. I've learned so much since I found out I was pregnant with my Reese. I hope to learn a whole lot more in years to come as well.</p>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-28683509482907135952010-12-09T04:56:00.000-08:002010-12-09T05:13:10.104-08:00Busy, Busy!Cleaning the house: I can tell we're not outside as much because the house is trashed every day. I suppose folding the laundry would help too. <br /><br />Making the cookies: We already did this, but we're going to have to make more. Christmas cookies are just too darn tasty. I don't mind...It's a good project for the kids despite the mess. I've always enjoyed making cookies around this time of year. I remember the good old days (aka before kids) when I'd make half a dozen different kinds of cookies. Ah well. It's fun to do the sugar cookies.<br /><br />Getting gifts ready to be mailed: Ugh. The post office is a zoo. Reese and I were there yesterday and the line was almost out the door. Tis the season! I think we will be able to ship two large flat rate boxes, one to my parents and one to Eric's parents with all the gifts. That will help streamline things. I'm excited about the gifties though! <br /><br />Homeschooling: What?? I'm supposed to be educating these kids as well as picking up after them?? Haha, just kidding. In math we've been hitting the math facts pretty hard, lots of games and some paper/pencil practice. I'd forgotten how boring math facts can be, so we're trying to keep it fun but also emphasizing that it's something Reese needs to learn. Eli had definitely improved with counting and we're working on number recognition. I decided that since we're going to school year round, it's not imperative to rush through the basics of math. <br /><br />Reese is reading up a storm, which is really fun. I'm so glad that reading is coming easily to her. And I'm also glad the library has so many easy reader books. She's pretty much done with her phonics program, aside from maybe doing some review. We'll continue to work on word families. <br /><br />One of the things I've been pondering is what to do from here. There are so many options, ranging from buying a curriculum to just going it alone. I found a curriculum online that I'm super impressed with called Ambleside Online. It's challenging reading, classical reading, and goes through high school. It's the first reading curriculum that I've been really excited about. Now that Reese has a handle on the basics of reading, I think we might try to start Ambleside this winter, probably in January. One of the things I've been busy doing is making a book list, seeing what we can get from the library and what we can find online and what we'll need to purchase. Yay curriculum!<br /><br />So yeah, we're freaking busy. It's great though, we're seeing friends and still exploring this part of the world. I miss Appleton (and the people who go with it), but I'm so glad we landed here in Georgia.Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-8160020316097102842010-12-06T15:56:00.000-08:002010-12-06T16:44:09.348-08:00Christmas Cookies!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN13bt_mIBS39Qv1RS4C99mhRih5ayY21qeKCG2QAHI72M_WE9N1s3IJ0X2pdlBwhWr_etdZJDg1K5euLyOsmIY0GmYLOSBLZUrRSGPj47XcisgJs_PEdgRsK6qJzjpxoza6FDeReO9ZP4/s1600/2010-12-05+%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547732828400207170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN13bt_mIBS39Qv1RS4C99mhRih5ayY21qeKCG2QAHI72M_WE9N1s3IJ0X2pdlBwhWr_etdZJDg1K5euLyOsmIY0GmYLOSBLZUrRSGPj47XcisgJs_PEdgRsK6qJzjpxoza6FDeReO9ZP4/s320/2010-12-05+%25283%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Oh yeah. Frosting homemade sugar cookies. Good times. And even more fun with kids who can help. Also completed this weekend were a bunch of dipped pretzels and some ginger cookies. I don't think the ginger cookies will make it until Christmas though, they're just too good. If I have time before we leave, I'll bake another batch.</div><div> </div><div>Over the weekend we also visited with Santa. Our apartment community held a Christmas party with cookie decorating and Santa. The kids had a good time, shared their lists with Santa, and played with some friends.</div><div> </div><div>I'm getting Christmas sewing done, slowly. Tonight I worked on a skirt for Reese until the ruffles made me too crazy. I'll try again tomorrow. Mostly I need to deal with wrapping and shipping gifts now. Tis the season!</div>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-14856161331823983372010-12-02T18:36:00.000-08:002010-12-02T18:43:13.360-08:00Well, look at this!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Bi3bk3j5Ep0PPNUGS8gJJ2WR9RzgXPWKgNjRafSfaKpWP-qfk8JL-btGwD-U7-BZrp9u0hk0nJw3OaH2qab4Jz-Q_-rd4dKZWrYx9sI-RusBDD7J-i2eSrqVJaizo-IoUurHN7NS1drv/s1600/nano_10_winner_120x90-1.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 120px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 90px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546279444440002770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Bi3bk3j5Ep0PPNUGS8gJJ2WR9RzgXPWKgNjRafSfaKpWP-qfk8JL-btGwD-U7-BZrp9u0hk0nJw3OaH2qab4Jz-Q_-rd4dKZWrYx9sI-RusBDD7J-i2eSrqVJaizo-IoUurHN7NS1drv/s320/nano_10_winner_120x90-1.png" /></a><br /><div> </div><div>That's right, I'm a winner! Actually, everyone who submits their 50,000 word novel on the NaNoWriMo site is considered a winner. But I did it! Novel written, 50,000+ words (about 300 plus, if you wanted to know), in 28 days. Most days it wasn't too awful. I enjoy writing. Some days, like the days when I had to write 3,000 words because I skipped a day, those were tough. Sometimes the plot didn't move, or it seemed boring, and I just had to keep in mind that NaNoWriMo is about quantity, not quality.</div><div> </div><div>I hope I can get some other people to write with me next year. I hope I have a story idea for next year. I'm glad I signed up for NaNoWriMo, I'm glad I stuck with it. It helped me get out of my junk writing funk, at least for a month.</div><div> </div><div>Many people have asked if I'll be sharing the novel I wrote. It's not very good, people. Really. It's lame. I'm not sure that I like the characters all that much. There's a LOT wrong with it. It's been a really long time since I did much character development or even any fiction writing. So I guess I'm still deciding about the sharing part. Maybe someday. Maybe never.</div><div> </div><div>Now that NaNoWriMo is done, and I've taken a few days to NOT write much of anything, I think I'll be back to blogging regularly again. </div>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-86183023070521109352010-11-27T05:59:00.000-08:002010-11-27T06:13:25.916-08:00It's a bit chilly in my computer area, which is in our "sunroom." I suppose a temperature of 34 combined with windows that are not at all insulated will do that. It was a lot warmer yesterday morning at this time, about 64, and I know this because I was awake before sunrise to go out Black Friday shopping.<br /><br />I only went to Joann's, but if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it right. To me, this means setting an alarm for 4:30am, getting up, throwing some clothes on, and arriving at Joann's at 5am. I wasn't first, there was another woman sitting around outside, but at one point she left, so that made me first in line. Whoohooo! I've never been first in line outside Joann's before. The hour wait was kind of lame. It rained for a little while, but I was under a huge overhang. I sat outside the door and goofed off on my phone. People started arriving at about 5:30am and the line grew. Some people grabbed carts from outside, which was a pretty good idea. I didn't. There are carts right inside the door, so I decided to go for those.<br /><br />There was a little chitchat. Some of the people in line had been up all night shopping at Toys R Us or Target. It made me glad we decided on a trip for our Christmas gift instead of having to fight the crowds to buy stuff. No one had any really good stories.<br /><br />Anyway, the manager opened the doors at 6am. We all rushed in, claimed our free pair of scissors (free to the first 100 customers), and scattered through the store. I went right for the flannel, passing by the cutting table to grab a ticket. There wasn't anything specific that I wanted, my plan was 16 yards split into 4 girly prints and 4-5 boyish prints. I grabbed bolts that looked good, more than I needed, and took a minute after that to decide for sure what I would have cut. It only took me about ten minutes. By that time, the cutting table lady had started, but was somewhat delayed by her computer system not working.<br /><br />I had the second number, but I ended up trading with a man who had the third number. He only had one bolt and I totally would have traded numbers with him anyway, but when he started hassling the cutting table lady I gave him my number to shut him up. He was upset that he was in line before me but didn't get his number until after I took mine. Not worth listening to him complain. The cutting table lady was grateful.<br /><br />There was a huge line at the register, but I suppose on Black Friday you're bound to wait for something. I got stuck next to one of those CD displays for a few minutes, that was fun, until I figured out how to turn it down. After checking out, I went home and walked in the door just in time to have Eli and Reese wake up and start hollering about how hungry they were.<br /><br />After kids had food, I took a look at my fabric score. The receipt claimed that I saved $73 by shopping the Black Friday Sale. Sounds good to me! I'm set for pants for the kids and birthday gifts for the year.<br /><br />Anybody out there in blogger land have a good Black Friday story?Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-45581907984019083222010-11-26T04:50:00.000-08:002010-11-26T05:33:35.421-08:00Thanksgiving is Freaking Awesome!That's right, I said it. Are you ready for some pictures?<br /><br /><div>Here's some maple oatmeal scones. It was a last minute recipe. They got a little dark, I think, but people said they were tasty.<br /><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543846731049466018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaI2row1iefXLmiRRsWvioZ2iPUm5O_M5HQAkn_R4LEmxIJ6-lxfGzfifRH_6hl3kvqXzVcXvZTPXGhAmHksf9QeTtEohGcbPHUxcPdbDKDu3Vp803KQMK9pOsoPfRO1F3BDNJEHX5Pa-/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252812%2529.JPG" /><br /><br />Sorry this pic is sideways. :( It's an editing fail. But you can see the sweet potato casserole that my friend Becky brought (it was delicious). There's also some vegan jello, cranberry sauce, and vegan glorified rice. <br /><div><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543846706848560402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rgmqp9k7i-4Q1JyqmzX32Y6SMRFdnQ2UrsSmleRfVQrxSQSZzwHC3gB3ePg_DD3H9NZqWqZU4j4BNjXNoc8r6fFdJGalH226nFmSX_aFxfUnN5ZHuAd8Ap_WK9Yxu8cHCepqBWEFayse/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252818%2529.JPG" /><br /><div><div>Here's me shaping some chickpea cutlets. I don't know why this picture is here, but I'm not moving pictures around today.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsgw9a9RXYR7nhFyg-CWpdaa3KOjO-TLDSeOiuSl2R9N9s6hFp_QoZ5ys3vdpPWNQwmb2zf7eEePJLTVlaPfPX9LOPOGQRxx1ez95z_kk9wTzLUBKASlwy-Gb4KdRHv8jQm1-x03j65Ah/s1600/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252813%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543842693300022386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsgw9a9RXYR7nhFyg-CWpdaa3KOjO-TLDSeOiuSl2R9N9s6hFp_QoZ5ys3vdpPWNQwmb2zf7eEePJLTVlaPfPX9LOPOGQRxx1ez95z_kk9wTzLUBKASlwy-Gb4KdRHv8jQm1-x03j65Ah/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252813%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A plate of vegan Thanksgiving deliciousness! Green bean casserole, potatoes, gravy, chickpea cutlet, and cranberries.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScth9p07G-7YjOmIngpIpiWS55oc08tIGeKURUjLXqiN31uwvGbceZ_1afKkQGAZQhKyQuprYDxjh5waA4rNty68CcvIfN2lTvyOE6_y5cf718hk6XgN_nlGj2JwBg1KOmn3LmqMtUcHz/s1600/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252819%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543842682796641634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScth9p07G-7YjOmIngpIpiWS55oc08tIGeKURUjLXqiN31uwvGbceZ_1afKkQGAZQhKyQuprYDxjh5waA4rNty68CcvIfN2lTvyOE6_y5cf718hk6XgN_nlGj2JwBg1KOmn3LmqMtUcHz/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252819%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />I think the green bean casserole was my favorite. Or maybe the stuffing? Mmmmmm.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_QracUp0SPdwiGYpHOa62B2Dz2c5OT_gA6nEb0yeElTYFeGauEsVRsWddnxDonDugj7yO9Zxb2mCJvHyURFb-nT0A7QYnbR93cxY_TQwzQS19kyYMs9vBBJMKtx28Rrcx2YYH5NPNgOU/s1600/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252820%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543841695449912738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_QracUp0SPdwiGYpHOa62B2Dz2c5OT_gA6nEb0yeElTYFeGauEsVRsWddnxDonDugj7yO9Zxb2mCJvHyURFb-nT0A7QYnbR93cxY_TQwzQS19kyYMs9vBBJMKtx28Rrcx2YYH5NPNgOU/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252820%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Chickpea cutlets, stuffing in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, and mushroom gravy.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1LcKDeJ3WGfJ5Ks8D3cvQqmrRWUQmrUrglU5sq8THuT0irPm_f80RTghLDtt3VKX1A53SWRiMdLUD-co1Q_VDr3rgG-lIZNT8bj2FcS7HO8KpnbG0yTMHsBb6xSoW9InqdObYdln6Eiu/s1600/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252821%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543841687028045666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1LcKDeJ3WGfJ5Ks8D3cvQqmrRWUQmrUrglU5sq8THuT0irPm_f80RTghLDtt3VKX1A53SWRiMdLUD-co1Q_VDr3rgG-lIZNT8bj2FcS7HO8KpnbG0yTMHsBb6xSoW9InqdObYdln6Eiu/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252821%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A picture of the cold salads. The glorified rice is a recipe I found in Vegan Lunchbox Around the World. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3NM8kGeYT5RI7h_btHELQlwvsg6xj1t239jacVkE4dJbTzJbFseg8x6x_bc96j9tNsH6_VdEjzpUoPN2bJ8fnyKIw3ustYQDr_3_O9AvlBOvji6YQQdguCpgOaQKMVD2XujPCHvA6k5Y/s1600/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252822%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543841685027960578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3NM8kGeYT5RI7h_btHELQlwvsg6xj1t239jacVkE4dJbTzJbFseg8x6x_bc96j9tNsH6_VdEjzpUoPN2bJ8fnyKIw3ustYQDr_3_O9AvlBOvji6YQQdguCpgOaQKMVD2XujPCHvA6k5Y/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252822%2529.JPG" /></a><br />The kid table, and Reese and Eli eating pumpkin pie.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisvBCOEXUiXTRD_WK3SQu1FrhYGhSGg1UyP7F5rVxm3sjB8MKFRVRaYOeeJZUKprn-Kqcq0eeWuYWz7369xgjGsEnirsIZlK0hXme7SCXJElx-T3203OHzIh-4e6OkHK4zefGNZZ0GQRm/s1600/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252825%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543841677786298754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisvBCOEXUiXTRD_WK3SQu1FrhYGhSGg1UyP7F5rVxm3sjB8MKFRVRaYOeeJZUKprn-Kqcq0eeWuYWz7369xgjGsEnirsIZlK0hXme7SCXJElx-T3203OHzIh-4e6OkHK4zefGNZZ0GQRm/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252825%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I tried to make some vegan whipped topping, but it was kind of a fail. It still tasted pretty okay. The pumpkin pie was good too, nice and smooth.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxOxXilwJWzSztAJ5uqp8ZPdUC_4kzlh4BHzk4zpJJrpzbAAZnhQJvFp2e_3OsHaCAIsfpnwCCBgmbJWY4Yi1mK_yhQHaYwlUZ0JccPzCOlAw8JhryMasZBYZlGfgHjNf0Hx4z7WtdKp0/s1600/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252826%2529.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543841635760387842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxOxXilwJWzSztAJ5uqp8ZPdUC_4kzlh4BHzk4zpJJrpzbAAZnhQJvFp2e_3OsHaCAIsfpnwCCBgmbJWY4Yi1mK_yhQHaYwlUZ0JccPzCOlAw8JhryMasZBYZlGfgHjNf0Hx4z7WtdKp0/s320/2010-11-25+Thanksgiving+funs+%252826%2529.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />We had a very nice afternoon. Lots of food, great friends. I had a lot of fun cooking a big meal, I don't do it often enough. Yay, Vegan Thanksgiving!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-36104878115068223342010-11-18T04:38:00.000-08:002010-11-18T04:48:16.737-08:00Day In PicturesSo periodically I do this thing on one of my messageboards called Day in Pictures. Yes, it is what it sounds like, you take pics of your day. So on Tuesday, I took these pictures.<br /><br />Reese, busily doing her math.<br /><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540869600199343074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrOT2RKim75jMyGFXbMrFRfE0u5gB2ABFJpbhhpuxBTqQ9o_IdXzE8OIN68pZG2B7Q4EhGFvGOErOYuklNv7k6CU60GbAEcpmldlBNOMT06YeiLPvYJDXiH2ocsS2tgY5lVJSUxv_66no/s320/2010-11-16+Reese+and+Eli+%252846%2529.JPG" /><br />We tried to play a math game, a variation on War with subtraction, but it was lame and we quit.<br /><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540869588997468482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOOtfhBakiwHAsR0s7bU4YUkUlyLv9Uj2N8H1wUJgxpLAeNP8dQI56o_QacTP04uKRNoGwXVNa2OAaQvO9w5mWcI1md9wE3MS0aoaFVD2mNY5tLBW37lcS4YyKErSPoFNk3Mu_MmMaEv5/s320/2010-11-16+Reese+and+Eli+%252847%2529.JPG" />We went for a walk, too. Reese brought her bunny in a sling, and Eli wouldn't show his face for any of the pictures. <br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540869579665979394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cI3qwOr74k7lhuvqGDrdXDHP1nY8qRjbWoUP7RU2N8aW3ey2LjgH2AdbLL10uWyVy1RtfomZkJYZuyYK3Bu9coJG3JwFSOR1TMMH43OkUvYDqqTEtT5sfT_xKDC5Hh5Us1bEkHp_O3lv/s320/2010-11-16+Reese+and+Eli+%252854%2529.JPG" /></div><br /><p> </p><p>Not much going on. Still writing novel. It still sucks (haha). Kids still learning. Dinners being cooked. Sewing accomplished. These things are the reason I'm not blogging as often. Do you miss me? ;)</p>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-90297431415989732532010-11-15T16:43:00.000-08:002010-11-15T16:58:56.931-08:00Oh shoot.Did you think I forgot you? I didn't. This NaNoWriMo thing is exhausting. And I really must sew. I thought I had so long because Christmas isn't until December 25th, right? Well then I remembered that I not only have to MAIL THINGS but we're going on vacation and leaving before Christmas. Whoops! I'll get things done, it just means that I can't lollygag around (don't you love that word, lollygag?).<br /><br />And how can I get things done around here when my family is doing silly things to distract me???<br /><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539943279614279714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTx-JZJtyQmu4Fn5DIlbc07_B5pfg6QioF5X8f3t0ki446pDkKWSta-_oV6MR2QyQbHcK31LmpqQDutxyocjGh4cxwkgXDWB2LdfQDaCd7WLFrsVK7e4GH2doabUiFEQ01gOtCuSnjE0i/s320/DSC06681.JPG" /><br />On the homeschooling front, we learned about Thanksgiving. Books were read, crafts done, and we all had fun. Here's Reese's Thankful Tree and her turkey:<br /><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539943275505654466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDVrVHnraIM_f7UCcHBzgWwaIfe5rFGl8cjs-s_qHh8pnRCc0JTxPJIuWaV2FCPOj1llR3O1my6ng4hzem2iAKFXJFljoC4QnzUJcUZeYxVaEWh7V7WU91iSdc9_MnE2LvAZ-27V0lude/s320/DSC06672.JPG" /><br />And here's Eli's Thankful Tree and turkey.<br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539943269771377938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4IbsS9xfqGaZsnNfOgI75EOv-a4Du1X-2BNthFyAVZCaqVpMnkyVK0ih4RAQtCNr3-WYaQlL8yBv6BYghfvIzUwZyGMd9lYZjKqsA21pOWSn9ulWRtmFiKvV4mHdKPUlWB2BYUQEHthp/s320/DSC06671.JPG" /></div></div><br /><p> </p><p>Let's see. Nothing else fantastic enough to write about, and House is coming on any minute. So. I'll try to be back more regularly. :)</p>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-28992736717925431312010-11-07T12:46:00.000-08:002010-11-07T13:01:22.839-08:00I've been busy sewing stuff. That is what I like to do. This fun pile of stuff is for my secret santa person on a cloth diapering message board. I know, I don't cloth diaper anyone anymore, but the people there are awesome, and we talk about much more than cloth diapering.<br /><div> <br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536913356223655090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBX4hhZl5dqRxz4bg9pgJZhpDWjJ-1vLc3UfFI9G-ForKilOJzPiuQ36EiBT7uafaLenkONFN1lmgAj65TdE9asgseCHxfX230BwdPx9Lh-XGI7BWnWbnajp4uEk4OqZiOmQLajrGDo5hF/s320/DSC06670.JPG" /><br />Here's some of the stuff laid out nicely. My person wished for placemats and cloth pad liners. My friend Denelle dyed the bamboo velour, which tops the pads. It's awesome. I included a travel kleenex holder because they are fun. And I also threw in some sewing goodies, like Diva tags. There's some tea in the package too. I'll be shipping early this week. Yay!!!<br /><div><div> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536913347223349330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSJJdUzbphaXcikafSJv7fbWOMmJ6PwHE1Z_-vLo3y8__yoqu4vDnV4VZUbKiEiCy9dTFA5iMnXceSk7uyI3M83-C6nkFXGSB8qM8xRQg-4sJdUNEMcaSrN2_0o0KXg6fS2mv16DGllnR/s320/DSC06667.JPG" /><br />The kids and I went for a walk (well, we walk just about every day) the other day. Eli started doing this thing where he makes his hands into binoculars when you ask him to smile nice. I suppose it's better than seeing the back of his head all the time. That's the pool closest to our house. It's still open, but man, that water looks cold. <br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536913322305080898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUdvocy0PqnKw1rqSamib-Z7MhlACV9rAQkYsucvQgbs__Kzb-fqGfjHlEu9g0G5_9peL5M1ov5NfKByJcqhrACRtyx4ZTVaNf5W329l_sbbaWEtIsca9WIH6B22WnH3Y-qN20xVDGpd2/s320/DSC06651.JPG" /></div><div>Let's see, what else has been going on? I've been sewing, mostly Christmas gifts. I'm also 10,000 words into my novel. That's right, I am 1/5 of the way through! Impressive, huh? And there's the usual homeschooling and hanging out with the family.</div><div> </div><div>I am loving the "fall" weather here. Today it was 60 degrees and sunny. We're a good chunk into November and I'm not feeling the seasonal blahs like I have in the past. I miss my friends and family, but I do think this was a good move for us. </div><div> </div><div>Well, time to think about dinner! I'm hoping I can talk Eric and the kids into eating chips and salsa or nachos or something. What do you like to have for dinner on weekends?<br /></div><div></div></div></div>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-8541557686474344052010-11-04T06:50:00.000-07:002010-11-04T07:42:31.517-07:00Are you scared by this mess? Me too. Gah. This is what I get for suggesting that instead of Mom writing down everything the kids think they want for Christmas, they cut pictures out and paste them on a piece of paper. I have to admit, it keeps them busy. But the mess...sigh.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535692216445680866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ufACtPMiAEaBQgJmLGznUgHzNAeaVYrd3d0Gfe3PU6cYp26L0AJ14jYrXOKLHLhZSaW-PbI8QNOh84IJKdBq2aQ8GsUjRHXcpVnI0BARRHpNfsRR14I78s7moV7s86gopk9bXT5O1cts/s320/DSC06648.JPG" />Oh well. I'm busy in the kitchen. These are the last three pie pumpkins in Georgia. All right, I don't know that for sure. However, when I went to Marvin's Market, all the pumpkins are gone.<br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535692212257079538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIn7Jar1ebAEsxkk-ojejWNi0zXOG1D6qFTAGqt5Kk6LTxaDTtbAJOOWccMLdhwblKvyIuIrtwUstxluWTWdH8_M5tIY6_gCANibLNE1Qr16YM4ro5QCT0krsuRN-c04K_RXRgg56UrteA/s320/DSC06647.JPG" /><br /><br />So these three are it, I think. I cut them in half, scooped the seeds, and baked for about 45 minutes. The last batch of pumpkin I baked I turned into pie filling. We used that for smoothies and pumpkin waffles and pumpkin muffins. Mmmmmmm. <br /><br />I suppose we still have squash even if the pumpkins are done for the year. I bought a spaghetti squash the other day, and I have a butternut squash to use up as well.<br /><br />Do you like squash? What do you do with it?Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-54554783462108045572010-10-31T16:56:00.000-07:002010-10-31T17:17:33.558-07:00How about some Halloween pics? We had trick or treating on Saturday evening. Here's my favorite pumpkin:<br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534364563386967314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvfz3owsIr4-mPoFPpmKZyjV7FNpFGypNdVUbwvTd5E3y8DoEB0YPbgg6Prkkxnlq-jzZd4nw72kOGpjrgWdh1EVwgZvz4PYU-oZvLI7MCM3hEnh8GeDBd_upNPEylGEemVwy9LLm_hSI/s320/2010-10-30+Halloween+(16).JPG" /><br />Reese and Eli trying to figure out if someone was home at this place: </div><div></div><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534364560530456306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWQRwX4fjd5gZ9-ymFN_owU1G8eg0omZ80p6q-eKP-sqI8pXcBilvgiVcya4mE1FKnA1UGLC7KkN-zi5lyveNR0ki234_LRiYiyyOd-n9ISnGyEgTOfDaNXLkYcBayMUp5jDodNsAiJ0l/s320/2010-10-30+Halloween+(15).JPG" /></div><div></div><div>Reese is Little Red Riding Hood and Eli is a vampire. They picked their costumes out of a Joann's ad flyer, which I thought was kind of funny.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534364556366752370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOR4Jbse8m77vOCygxPfaV28Baic-wHSWshLfYoNvcZLWuV8hvFjFtv7C9uo-4YiSeG1pBEjg8K07IyUjnUoR06zZSc03jizbKBDlZdHhNqjy2SZvIF5q-82iHhrkNBe-974CDMhEVJb9U/s320/2010-10-30+Halloween+(2).JPG" /><br /><div>I think the kids had a good time. We went trick or treating with some friends in their neighborhood. Lots of candy was acquired and eaten last night, and then today during the game.</div><div></div><div>And what did we eat on this last day of Vegetarian Awareness Month? Risotto with mushrooms, red peppers, and sundried tomatoes. It was delicious. I know I talked a little bit about posting heavy on the food pics during the month of November as well for Vegan MoFo (Vegan Month of Food), but I think I need a break from food blogging. If I come across something extra yummy or something worth sharing (like vegan Thanksgiving), I'll definitely tell you all about it. I decided this because I signed up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo...don't you love the cutesy nicknames???) which you can learn more about <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">HERE</a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>It's been a long time since I wrote anything that wasn't a blog entry or some crappy junky fanfiction (that I will NOT share, so don't ask...seriously, soooooooo embarassing). I haven't totally decided what I'm going to write, but my first line is going to be: <em>There are no vampires in this story</em>. That's funny, right? Or only funny to me? I don't know. We'll see what happens. The purpose of NaNoWriMo isn't to necessarily write something <em>good</em>, it's to write <em>something</em>. Believe you me, I can manage to write something. 50,000 words in November, yeah!!!!!</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>So in November I'll be writing like a crazy person, planning an awesome Vegan Thanksgiving (and perhaps rounding up local friends to share it?? Local friends? Vegan Thanksgiving? Sounds aweosmely fun, right????), and healing my knees from a failed attempt at Couch to 5K. And I'll leave that last thing for another blog.</div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Got some November goals to share?</div></div></div>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-83093321876464265012010-10-28T14:30:00.000-07:002010-10-28T14:39:07.577-07:00Vegan Omelettes? Yes!I think if you backed me into a corner and said you would torture kittens unless I told you my favorite cookbook, I'd have to pick Vegan Brunch. I love a freakton of vegan cookbooks, but there's just something magical about brunch foods. Of course when I went vegan, I chose to no longer eat my brunch staple, eggs. Color me thrilled when Vegan Brunch came out with a recipe for tofu omelettes. I think it's pretty much the best recipe ever invented. These delicious tofu omelettes were accompianied by banana flapjacks, also from Vegan Brunch. I meant to take a picture before I started eating, but man, I forgot and had half my food shoveled into my mouth before I remembered. Sorry about that.. <div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533213506705517090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ba1WurSCQQtB3cGHL9GF6P6BC0pr1IpP1xrS9NcziO81kVFGUeMwwURAVoa9ZAIvrsqqxwx_nbCjXcJTe605YZlgEKg2cqS_uGY7YZkXWb6LyYC0DlQoKdNVOelUEA77Jjj3sJhTJIco/s320/DSC06623.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div>And here's a random, fun picture of the kids. We went on a walk this morning to mail some stuff and to take pictures of trees for a homeschool project. This is what you get when you ask the children to smile nice:</div><div> </div><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533213499924733026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8cAI1gkfv12_PSuLTVhNWjq-3iU64pcqC8R0vmJG88h3IPiP_X2iO8CY2wBWaaY0Ua6DQVked78IYuVu_lc8m27Ei71yqMb5iErLEfRtI7m0KDyT2knQ9y-n8-X0U-d-w_iZtSugpUP4/s320/DSC06602.JPG" /></p><p>After getting business taken care of, we headed to the Sand Playground. It rained this morning, so the sand was nice and packy. Great for sand castles! </p>Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-476724695137522856.post-60013150455038543492010-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:002010-10-25T18:01:49.145-07:00I feel like I haven't been blogging my food nearly enough. Or my kids nearly enough. Or our adventures nearly enough. Part of the reason is that we're pretty much repeating recipes, and some of the places we've gone in the past few weeks we've been to before. The other part of the reason is that I'm dealing with a stressful time right now. I don't talk about it a lot here because I don't want it to be the focus of my life anymore, but for those of you who don't know, I was diagnosed and treated for rectal cancer last year. I have a blog about that if you're interested <a href="http://www.imsorryforcursing.blogspot.com">I'm Sorry for Cursing</a><br /><br />Anyway, I had my first post treatment ct scan last week and am waiting for results, which I will get this Wednesday. Following in Single Dad Laughing's footsteps, I feel like I need to be real about this. So I've been preoccupied and not very creative, just trying to get through the days. Prognosis is very good, so of course I shouldn't be worried, but I am. <br /><br />I didn't think this all would affect me as much as it has. I thought it would be no big deal, but it is. <br /><br />I hope to be back to my posty self (complete with pictures of foooooooooooood and kids and life) soon. Maybe I'll try for blogging all our dinners in November, complete with a fabulous vegan Thanksgiving. That sounds like good times, doesn't it?Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08883274937911345060noreply@blogger.com0