Friday 8/30/08 showing the house, two scooters and seed pods...

The family that was going to see our house didn't show up. They had an emergency and didn't have our number to call us. They have re-scheduled to see our house next week. The kids were so helpful last night in getting the house ready for a showing.
Beth has been trying to ride two scooters at the same time. Her balance is good. When she gets them moving she can stay on and steer. The problem is that when she needs more speed, she doesn't like to take one foot off. Beth is still perfecting this skill.
Maggie found some seed pods on the hasta plants. I didn't know that hasta's had seeds. I thought that they only produced flowers.

Thursday 8/28/08 evening adventures...

Today started out normal enough. Everyone got up for school. School went well. When we came home, we needed to have dinner, pick up William at college at 7:00, do homework, and play. There were messages on the machine. Someone wanted to wee the house in a half hour. Oh...also, Maggie had a project to do. A poster with information and pictures which she needed the Internet for. We had dinner, it had been made last night so we heated it up, picked up the house and vacuumed it quickly and went to the library. Beth and I read magazines while Maggie looked up information. We left there and picked up William and went back to the library. The family might still have been at our house. Maggie did the written part of her report and William, Beth and I read.Then we went home. I have not heard yet if they liked the house.

Wednesday 8/27/08 radio...

It was hot last weekend. It hasn't rained here for about two weeks.Everyone's grass is turning brown. We try to stay in the shade as much as possible. The girls had their bikes and scooters out. One of the kids across the street now, sometimes, brings out a radio. Sometimes they listen to the music that I grew up with. I don't think that they realize that it is from way back when. If I don't sing out loud, they don't realize that I know the words, and they leave the music on.

Tuesday 8/26/08 college and junior high...

William is enjoying college. He doesn't say much, but he looks happy. Yesterday when I picked him up after class, he got in the car and said in a cheery voice''Hi'', It was so full of..I had a great day..or, class went well...or, I made a friend...It was a happy, full, Hello. I waited for more. William looked out the window. He is a young man of few words.
The girls have started junior high. The school didn't have enough locks for their lockers, so they have brought all of their school supplies back home. They are hoping to have lockers in a few days.

Monday 8/25/08 school starts...

The girls started Junior High today.
We had everyone's clothes all laid out, and their snacks in their lunch bags, and their sandwiches made and in the freezer...but Beth had left her shoes at someones house from the weekend(she took her tennis shoes and her flip-flops, and only came back with the flip-flops). We didn't realize that the other shoes were missing until it was time to leave in the morning. We checked all of the shoes in the house for a pair that came close to her size. Maggie had a pair of high tops, Beth was able to wrap the laces around her ankles to keep them on. She said that the shoes fit pretty well. Her shoes were brought back after school.
We take a picture(or two) of the kids on the first and last day of school. When they are older I am going to put them all into a picture frame to see in pictures how they grew.
School went well. Maggie is used to changing classes from last year. It was all new to Beth. The day did go well. We got school supplies tonight.

Monday 8/25/08 birthday/Christmas list, gluing Popsicle sticks...

Last week at dinner I asked the kids to tell me the things that they wanted for their birthday's. They have birthday's late in the year. I can use the list for Christmas presents too. If the list can be made early enough, then all of the shopping can be done before the weather turns cold. I don't like to shop when it is cold out. They started out slow..."I don't know what I want''...''I only want three things''...but they soon got the hang of it. I like to have a decently long list so that there is a better chance that I will be able to find some of the things when the shopping begins. The kids rank the items when we are done so that I know what they would like to have the most.
Yesterday the girls decided to glue some of their Popsicle sticks together. Maggie has started building a house out of a cardboard box. The Popsicle sticks are going to be a shed for the yard. She is deciding if there will be one shed or two. Beth has a previous art project of colored stones glued to a piece of cardboard. She is gluing the the stones on that have fallen off. William isn't interested in gluing Popsicle sticks together any more.

Saturday 8/23/08 getting ready for school...

The girls start school on Monday. They are very excited. We assembled their clothes for next week. This year they are wearing uniforms, so this is much easier...there are fewer decisions. They get all of their clothes lay ed out for the week. They put their pants down first and put the other clothes on top of them. When the pants are folded up it makes a nice neat packet of clothes. I keep the packets in my room and we get one packet out each day. Also, we make our sandwiches for the week and put them in the freezer. Most things can be frozen, like peanut butter and jelly and bologna and cheese. The only things that I know that can't be frozen are tomatoes and lettis and mayonnaise. The sandwiches are still OK on Friday. I also prepack the snacks into sandwich bags. The kids can choose what they want each night and put them into their lunch bags, and I put the sandwiches in in the morning. This frees up our evenings for homework and play.
If I have a chance I will plan the dinners for the week. We are almost ready to go outside and play.

Friday 8/22/08 William starts college...

William signed up for college last weekend. He is going full time at the Community College, and has finished his application to the college that he wants to go away to. William is a quiet, steady person. He never states the obvious, like that the weather is nice, because he says that people can look outside and see that for themselves. After we signed him up for classes, when we got home, he said ''I'm going to college'' in an excited voice. The happiness kept getting larger. He said that he was pleased, and on Sunday William told me that he was starting college the next day. After school on Monday, we waited for him to tell us how it went. Nothing. No information. We're girls, we like information and talking. William didn't say anything. So...I asked how it went. He said ''Fine.'' We spent a year on this, toured around five colleges and fretted about William and it is ''Fine.''. He has said that he has found the library and seen a friend from high school. William looks very happy. He was ready for college.
We had the sprinkler on today. Maggie likes to ride her bike through it and Beth likes to stand in it.

Thursday 8/21/08 no chicken pox, Maggie's birthday plans, sports...

The child across the street does not have chicken pox!!! I am very happy. The doctor said that she was having an allergic reaction to something. It would be difficult to have the kids pulled out of school even before school had started.
Maggie's birthday is coming up. She wants Transformers and/or a harmonica (with directions). I need to get them this weekend so that I am ready. We can get the cake and ice cream later, but I like to have the presents ahead.
When school starts I want to put the kids into a sport. They were in basketball last year and they really enjoyed it. I think that it would be a great sport for this year too.
Beth has been drawing on the sidewalk. She has a few pictures. She likes to write all of the names of her friends and then color around them.

Wednesday 8/20/08 chicken pox???...

One of the neighbor kids across the street has something that looks like chicken pox. Her mom came over and showed it to me. She said that most of her kids, including this one, had already had chicken pox. Can people get it twice?My kids had it years ago. Can they get it again? It was very uncomfortable for them, they itched a lot. When they find out what it is, they will come back and tell us.

Tuesday 8/19/08 bike riding with the folding bike, alarm clocks...

We went bike riding last weekend. The folding bike was good and not so good. It was so nice to not have to put four bikes on a three bike bike rack. But, the folding bike has easy close levers to hold the handle bars and seat in place after the rider adjusts them to the correct height...the levers slip. The handlebars weren't so bad because not much weight is put on them, but if I bumped them when I got off of the bike, they turned and were not at the correct angle to the tires. The seat also kept lowering. I am going to contact the company and see if they have a solution. It was so nice to be able to put the bike into the trunk and not to have to wrestle with the bike rack, that we will find a way to make this work.
My alarm clock still reads that it is January, but on the up side, the clock does say Saturday.

Monday 8/18/08 cooler weather, planting garlic, orange moons and atomic clocks...

It was cooler last night. Soon we will need to get the blankets out of storage. I am not ready for Fall yet. The kids are having so much fun bike riding and wearing sandals and doing all of the summer activities. I miss the flowers when winter comes. This year we will have some mums that bloom in the fall, and some snowdrops that bloom in January or February, right through the snow.
If we are still in the house when the ground is about to freeze, we are going to plant garlic. It grows over the winter...or maybe it just sits there and grows in the spring. In the spring the green shoots come up out of the planted garlic and when they die and turn yellow, the garlic is done.
I went outside tonight, the moon was out and it was orange. I don't know if I have ever seen an orange moon before. I was outside with my new atomic clock. I have one atomic clock...an atomic clock sends a signal to the national clock somewhere in the west and brings back the correct time. The clock is always set correctly, even during time changes (as long as the batteries are good)...but I needed a second clock in case I didn't hear the first one. I am not sure that it is healthy to have the clocks waves going out by my head every night every two minutes. I hope that it doesn't cause brain damage...but I am guessing that it is OK and have purchased a second clock. The second one hasn't sent out a signal yet. We have had it for about two weeks. I set the time, and thought that it would set the date. It hasn't. The directions said that if the clock didn't send out a signal, take it outside at night, that is when it would get the best reception, and leave the clock outside for two minutes. The clock and I were outside for four minutes. The date still says January. I did feel silly on the front porch with my clock...but the moon was pretty. I don't really need the date on this clock, my other clock has the date...so...I am not going to set it. I may set the clock outside another night.

Monday 8/18/08 reading, essay's, weather and showing the house...

Maggie likes to stay up at night and read. Sometimes she reads two books at a time...one book one day and one book the next. Beth finished a book this summer.
William has been working on his essay. He hopes to have it done soon.
The weather is starting to turn cooler each morning. I like the summer.
Someone came to look at the house last week. We haven't heard yet what they thought about it.

Saturday 8/16/08 grass seed and sprinklers...

We planted more grass seed last week in the front yard where the tree was taken down. Some grass had sprouted from the last planting. If someone is two houses down from ours, that area looks like it has grass. But...when someone is right by it, there are a lot of bare spots. We have put more grass seed in and bought a sprinkler. This is the first time that we have ever watered the yard. It has not rained for at least two weeks. We watered two days straight. Then it started raining again, about every other day. I have put the sprinkler away.

Friday 8/15/08 goals and ponytailes...

On Friday's I like to look back at my week and see if I accomplished any...or all...of that weeks goals. Even if my goal was to play one week, I like to look back and see if I did it.I like to make goals for the weekend too. Then I can check on Monday and see if they were done. It is important to me to see that I am always making progress.
Beth had her hair in two ponytails today. Then later she changed to one. When the girls were young they used to have me do their hair...now they like to do their own hair. Kids grow up so fast.

Thursday 8/14/08 college classes and junior high...

William worked on his college application last Friday. He filled in all of the rest of the questions. At the end there was an essay. On Saturday we went to the library for him to get some books for the paper. He is so close to being finished with this step.
William needs to call the Community College and set up a meeting to get signed up for classes, I don't know when classes start.
Maggie has been counting down the days until school starts. She is very excited. Beth is a little concerned. Beth starts junior high this year and will be switching classes. I have talked to her and explained that everything will be OK. I think that after the first day, Beth will be OK.

Wednesday 8/13/08 showing the house...

The Realtor called tonight, the house is being shown tomorrow. I have a good feeling about this showing. We may sell the house at the same time that William starts college. We did a quick clean-up around the house. We vacuumed and pulled weeds outside. I will be glad when we have moved and we can begin to settle in to the new house.

Tuesday 8/12/08 bikes...

Maggie's bike was done last Friday. When we picked it they said that my bike was put together, but it needed a tune-up.All of the bolts were loose and it needed adjusted before it was safe to ride. They scheduled to start the tune-up on Wednesday and be done Saturday. I did want the bike back, but we rested last weekend and can ride next weekend.I will be glad when we can get it back and ride again.
I went to Goodwill to get two large towels to sew together to make a bag for the bike. This is to keep the bike from getting scratched in the trunk. There weren't any large towels, so I got a lap blanket instead. I can fold it in half and sew up the sides to make a protective bag.

Monday 8/11/08 bird feeders and solar ovens...

We put a bird feeder in the backyard last week. It is the kind that holds a block of suet. We are hoping that if we had some birds in the yard they would eat the mosquitoes.
The birds can eat a block of suet in three days. Oh my...The mosquitoes are gone, but they are gone on the whole street. So, is this the end of the season for mosquitoes? I don't think that one bird feeder could clear a whole street.
We are going to make a solar oven. We have some plywood in the garage for the base. Today I got a large inner tube...the size that you would go inner tubing with...it goes on the plywood. We still need a black pan with a black lid to go in the center and a piece of Plexiglases to go on top. The directions said to use glass on top, but I think that this would be too dangerous with the kids.
The sunlight goes through the Plexiglases and gets trapped between it and the inner tube and the plywood. The black pan absorbs the heat and cooks the food. We may put a few large rocks on top to hold the Plexiglases on. I hope that it works.

Monday 8/11/08 the new bike...

The folding bike arrived Thursday. We were all so happy. It came in good condition. We opened the box and all of us tried to put it together. We couldn't do it. The handlebars didn't fit in their spot, the seat would go up, but wouldn't stay in place, the chain was off and it looked twisted to us and...I think that we did get the pedals on OK. At first we thought that there was a problem with the bike, maybe we got the one in a million bad one...but as the problems continued, I thought that maybe we just needed help to assemble it. Maybe some of the problems just need one adjustment that we just don't know how to do or what to look for.
We were taking Maggie's bike in to get the flat tire fixed...so we took the new bike in too. The guys looked at the bike like they could fix it without a problem.They said that it could be picked up on Friday. I hoped that everything works out and we can use it this last weekend.

Saturday 8/9/08 College, watermelon and styling hair...

William was accepted to the Community College!!!!!!! We need to finish the application for the other college. We also need to set up an appointment with an advisor at the Comm. College so that William can choose classes.
We took the watermelon outside for the kids to eat. Some of the neighborhood kids were out so they came over too. We did eat on the lawn this time.
The girls had their dolls head with all of the hair that they can style outside today. They styled the dolls hair and each others hair also. The doll has had about four hair styles so far.

Friday 8/8/08 ice cream, praying maniis, and school clothes...

One of the neighbors took her kids and mine to the store for ice cream cones. They came back with chocolate, vanilla, sprinkles, and some candy toppings.
We saw a praying mantis today. I haven't seen one of those since I was in grade school.
We have bought some school clothes for the kids. The girl's school has a uniform policy. The stores are just starting to put the uniforms out. We got the clothes a little big. I hope that they will still fit when school starts.

Thursday 8/7/08 postcards...

The kids love to get mail. Every time the mail is brought in they ask ''Is there any mail for me?'' They are always so excited. The kids don't send out any letters so they don't get any letters back. For a while I was having them send out postcards to their cousins. Some of their cousins started writing back to them. I liked the post cards for the kids better than having them write a letter because there was less space for them to fill up. Also the constant practice was good for their hand writing. They knew that someone would be trying to read it...it wasn't just for their journal...which made a difference to them. When summer started we quit writing. Beth is writing to a cousin tonight. We can mail it tomorrow.

Wednesday 8/6/08 bike riding...

We went for a bike ride last weekend. The bikes were loaded very easily onto the bike rack. William and I put the bikes onto the rack, and Maggie and Beth bring us the bikes. We went for a ride after dinner Saturday. We usually go on morning rides. In the morning we have more time. We don't feel like we need to race back to the car before it gets dark.
The back tire on Maggie's bike went flat. We will need to get it fixed right away so that we can ride again next weekend. But...if my folding bike shows up, then Maggie can ride my bike.
We have only been riding on this trail a few times. I wonder when the kids will get bored with it. The next time that we go to the bike shop we need to ask where there are more trails to ride on.There are bike areas on the sides of some of the roads, but I don't think that this would be safe for the kids.

Tuesday 8/5/08 watermelon...

We now have two watermelons for the kids to eat. I will cut them up into a big bowl and take them outside so that my kids and the neighborhood kids can eat them. We did that one other day this summer and it was so much fun. We had watermelon juice all over. Last time everyone ate on the front porch...this time we may have everyone eat out in the grass. Then all of the juice can land out there.

Monday 8/4/08 College and the library...

William is going to print the applications for the colleges. He has decided to start at the community college until he hears back from his first choice college.
He would love to start with programming classes, but he realizes that he must start with the basic math and English classes first.
Today William went to the library and returned a few books and check out a few movies. He is enjoying summer.

Monday 8/4/08 recycling...

We have started recycling, and have been having fun with it.When we empty something in the kitchen, we check the list to be if it can be recycled. We started with two recycling containers, but we ended up needing three. Now we are also only taking out one garbage can each week, instead of two cans.
We need to get the kids school clothes. There is about a month before school starts. If we wait too long, there won't be anything available in their sizes.

Saturday 8/2/08 the house next door...

The house next door to ours is for rent. There is a family coming to look at it. We met them this last week. They were nice. I hope that this family rents the house. I have been praying for nice neighbors...and if the ''for rent'' sign comes down, it will make our ''for sale'' sign look better. The family that is looking at the house has two boys. I think that they are both in grade school. My kids will be thrilled to have more friends.

Friday 8/1/08 a college is chosen!!! playing outside...

William has chosen a college!!!!!!! We are not sure yet if he can get in this fall. After he finds out, he may decide to go to another school, like the local community college, until he can get into his first choice. I am so relieved that William has made a choice, now he can apply and start working on financial aid. William looked pleased that he had made a decision.
When we went out to play yesterday some of the neighborhood kids were out. It always makes it more fun when other kids are out. Beth likes her scooter. The neighbor girls prefer bikes and Maggie likes to run.

Thursday 7/31/08 Crickets...

We need to go to the pet store and get more crickets for the frogs to eat. We have three frogs.I think that one is a tree frog and two are red-bellied frogs...but we got them so long ago that I am not sure. We feed the crickets grass or carrot shavings. So...yes...that does mean that we are feeding the food.

Wednesday 7/30/08 sock dolls...

The girls have quit making sock dolls since we went to the library. They must like these books.
The last time that I did some packing for us to move, I packed the sock doll stuffing and the bag of button eyes and some other extra sock doll pieces. I thought that the girls were done with that hobby for a while and that we would move right away...so then the items could be unpacked quickly at the next house. But...the girls weren't done sewing and this house hasn't sold. The good news is that stuffing and buttons are cheap and readily available. They can be found at many stores close by.

Tuesday 7/29/08 dinner and math...

Beth has been helping me to cook dinner each night. She is old enough to stir things, measure and to open cans. She is now tall enough to get the plates out of the cupboard. Maggie would rather read.
The girls have been doing some math homework review over the summer to get ready for next year. I need to get some flash cards or a math card game to use too. A card game would be great. The kids like fun learning.

Monday 7/28/08 Folding bike...

I bought a folding bike. After our last bike ride, when all of the bikes were on the bike rack, I looked down to where the bike rack sits on the plastic bumper. The bumper was sagging. Four bike is too much weight for the bumper. When we first got the bike rack, Beth's bike was small enough to fit into the trunk. Now her bike is bigger and must go on the bike rack too. I hope to have the bike by next weekend. It is the right size, so the kids can take turns riding it too.

Monday 7/28/08 the neighbor's garden...

One of our neighbors moved out two years ago. A different neighbor cuts the first neighbor's grass each week...just so that the house doesn't look abandoned. One day I noticed that the weeds at that house were four feet tall. The kids and I went over to pull the weeds. The garden looks nice now. We had never gone over before to see what was planted in the front of that house. It will be nice someday to have neighbors there.
Since our house hasn't sold the girls will go back to the school that they were at last year.

Saturday 7/26/08 bike riding...

We went bike riding today!!! It didn't rain!!! The bikes went on the bike rack so easily and the mosquitoes weren't out!!! We take water with us and frozen juice pouches for the ride home. I would like to get a basket for my bike, but the basket would need to be removable...I don't think that we could get my bike on the rack with a basket on it.
The seat on Maggie's bike is fixed now and my bike tires stayed pumped up. Beth practiced different tricks. She can ride with her feet off of the pedals and with one hand...but she doesn't do both tricks at the same time. William likes to find someone who is riding fast and try to catch them.

Friday 7/25/08 bike riding and Christmas shopping...

Well, it is Friday!!!!! We have a new plan for the weekend. We are going to go bike riding tomorrow morning after breakfast...unless it rains. Beth wants to go outside and play with her friends, and Maggie and William both have their books in hand.
It is about 153 days until Christmas...I am hoping to get most of my shopping done this weekend. I don't like to shop when it is cold out.Also, if I get it done now...then I can concentrate on playing with the kids, spending time with them, making cookies etc., instead of wondering if I have everything done.

Thursday 7/24/08 hobbies...

Mulberry season is almost over. The kids are eating the last of the berries. Mulberry season is one of their favorite times of the year.
We are trying to find all of the kids a hobby. They each need something that they enjoy when their friends aren't around. We have tried books, needlepoint, crochet, making sock dolls, transforming t-shirts, model car building, building with hammers and saws, bead necklaces, sewing, painting...William likes to read, Maggie likes all of the hobbies, her current favorites are sock dolls and reading, and Beth likes all of the hobbies especially if someone is doing the hobby with her.

Wednesday 7/23/08 books and bike riding...

We went to the library this week. Beth's book had come in, and Maggie needed more books. Maggie got four books...Maggie needed four books. She loves to read. Beth likes to read now. It is a relief that she doesn't dread picking up a book.
We are going to try to go for a bike ride this weekend. I hope that it doesn't rain while we are riding. We haven't been able to ride since we got Maggie's bike and my bike fixed...but we do spend a lot of time putting the bikes on the rack...and taking them off again.

Tuesday 7/22/08 grass seed...

We had a large tree in our front yard. It was taken down last year and the stump was ground up. A few weeks ago we put compost over the mulch (ground up bark) and added grass seed. The grass seed didn't grow very well. Our neighbors came over the other day and said that for about a dollar-fifty per bag we could get some dirt for the grass seed to grow on. So...we got some dirt and put more grass seed on it. Now we are keeping it watered. I hope that the grass grows, I would really like to go onto another project.

Monday 7/21/08 colleges and bike riding...

We toured a college last Saturday. I think that this is our last tour. After it was over I asked William what he thought. He said that it was not the college for him. I asked if he had made a choice from the other colleges, he said no, not yet. He can take classes on-line at the community college until he is ready to choose.
We tried to go bike riding Saturday. As soon as we got to the bike trail and got our bikes off of the rack, it started to rain. We waited a few minutes for the rain to slow down and we put our bikes on the rack and we went home.

Monday 7/21/08 last weekend...

We had a lot planned to do this weekend. Saturday morning we went to a college tour. Then in the afternoon we went for a bike ride, but it rained so we came back. Sunday we had church and then the kids wanted to go to the Art Museum to do crafts.
I think that this may be the last college that we tour. William is almost ready to pick a college

Saturday 7/19/08 solar power...

William took a few of the library books on solar power back to the library. These books were on changing a whole house to solar or they were too technical for us. We still need to get on websites to see what we need to do.
The kids want to build a solar oven. We started one a few years ago, but we didn't finish it. It was one that needed two boxes...it needed other supplies but it was so long ago that I don't remember what they were.

Friday 7/18/08 the butterfly bush...

Our butterfly bush is starting to grow. It is a late starter. We have a lot of plants that start early and flower right away. These flowers are completely gone before our butterfly bush even sprouts. It has purple flowers and a nice fragrance. A lot of our other flowers don't have a scent, so we are always glad when the butterfly bush flowers.
Maggie likes to go around the yard and pull off all of the dead flowers. She has been having a lot of fun with that these past few days. Beth would rather find a friend.

Thursday 7/17/08 fruit...

Our neighbors have a pear tree and grape vines. They told us that we can go over any time and get the fruit. We checked on the pear tree yesterday. There is a lot of fruit, but it is not ripe. I wonder if we will move before it is ready to pick.
We haven't gone to the Art Museum in a long time. I would like to go back again. We like to go on Friday nights. They have an area where the kids can do a craft and sometimes there is a group playing music. We don't know a lot about art, but we do enjoy looking at the pictures.

Wednesday 7/16/08 public television, reading...

We like to watch some of the shows on Public Television (PBS). I need to call PBS and see where I can get a listing of there programs. We like "Nova" and "Wired Science" and a few others. We keep missing them because we can't figure out when they are on.
I have finished reading my book. I am going to start reading some of Shakespeare's comedies next. I would love to read Shakespeare and have tried before...but it always ended up that the old English isn't easy to read and I don't stay with it. But...since I have packed all of my other books and this book will be my only choice, I have a better chance of finishing it.
We went to the library to get the girls some books from their summer reading list. Maggie found two books and Beth found one. Beth is also having one sent from another library branch to our library. When the book gets here, the library has a computer call and leave a message that the book is in. Beth thinks that it will be fun to hear the computer talk.

Tuesday 7/15/08 bike riding...

We went for a bike ride last weekend. We got all four of the bikes onto the bike rack, took our helmets and waters and went to the bike shop to get our tires pumped up and purchase a new tire pump. At the bike shop...we had to take the bikes off of the bike rack. I was already tired. The bike seat on Maggie's bike kept tilting back, so we had it adjusted. It started to sprinkle. The kids looked so upset about the rain. I told them not to worry, that it may not be raining on the bike trail. Then we put the bikes back on the rack and went to the trail. We took the bikes off of the bike rack...by this point a folding bike was looking really good...if only I could find one for twenty dollars (then we could put all of the bikes into the trunk). William rode off down the trail...he is old enough to go alone. The girls and I had ridden for about twenty feet when it started pouring. We went back to the place where our car was parked and waited for it to stop.
The ride went well. The seat on Maggie's bike kept tilting back and my back tire went flat during the ride. Other than that it was fun. We didn't need to stop to rest as much as we did last year...we are all getting stronger. I will take Maggie's bike in soon to get the seat fixed. I am hoping to fix my flat tire here at home. We can't fix Maggie's bike, we are not strong enough.

Saturday 7/12/08 books, solar power and bike rides...

The girls wanted to go to the library. In their summer homework books there is a list of recommended reading for their grade. They both copied down their list of books so that they can look for the books. I am glad that they are interested in reading.
We looked at the solar books last night. It is more complicated that just buying a solar panel...but I still think that we may be able to do this. The books list a lot of web sites that tell about solar power. We are going to go to these to ask some questions. We think that we need a solar panel and a converter, but we don't know where to buy the converter or how much it will cost. William says that we need to be sure that we don't end up with more electricity than the toaster needs.
We are going to go on our first bike ride today. Our tire pump quit working and so we need to go to the bike shop and get our tires filled and get a new pump. I hope that all of the tires are ok...if they say that one tire needs repaired and they need to keep the bike, then we can't go on the bike ride. Everyone was able to find their bike helmet, and all of them still fit. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to find them since we have been packing to move. I hope that it all works out.

Thursday 7/10/08 sock dolls and solar power...

The girls started their sock dolls. This doll is shorter than the last two, so the arms and legs are smaller. The girls sewed one arm and decided that they looked too small and that the directions must be wrong. I have explained that it is a shorter doll and the arms and legs will be smaller. The girls have decided to make bigger arms, I thought that they should try the arms that they have sewn and see how they look...I think that the girls are going to make bigger ones.
William went to the library yesterday to get us some information on solar power. In the stores here we can buy a solar panel, but we need more information on what else we need and how to hook it up. William came home with five books on solar power and a book for him to read. We are hoping to look at the books tomorrow. I don't want to switch this house over to solar and then move...I just want us to get some information and see how much it will cost, how we can use it, and what we can gain.

Wednesday 7/9/08 C++ and sock dolls...

We took William's computer tower to the computer store to have them load the C++ disks. They said that William had already loaded the C++ properly. It doesn't work because the program that is being entered needs adjusted. All of the pieces are now in William's computer.
William had wanted to take more college classes on-line. I suggested that taking the next C++ class might be good. The more time that he spends in the program the better chance that he has to figure out what needs to be done to get his computer to work.
The girls have started making their next sock doll. We have cut out the pieces from two socks. The pieces are so small that the girls keep all of the pieces in Ziploc bags. They may start sewing tomorrow.

Tuesday 7/8/08 programming and sock dolls...

William wants to program using C++ on the computer in his room. We did get the C++ program into his computer. He has a C++ book to guide him through. The new problem is that the book comes with a disk and when he writes programs the computer can't figure out the path to the disk to make the program run. We need to have someone look at this for us.
Maggie and Beth are ready to sew more sock dolls. I got them more socks and buttons for eyes. They will probably start sewing this week. This will be their third doll.

Monday 7/7/08 the play area...

We have a play area in our backyard. It's not a big one, but it's big enough for the kids in our neighborhood. It is one that is sort of like a fort, made of wood. with a flat area on top for the kids to stand on. The flat part is where the top of the slide is connected.
When we moved here, the play area is what sold my kids on moving. There is a baby swing and a rope ladder. The mulberry bush grows over the play set, so all of the kids can stand on the top part and eat the berries. The kids play and talk up there. This is the place where so many of my kids neighborhood memories came from.

Saturday 7/5/08 playing outside, Buckeyes and solar power...

We went outside to play today. The girls played catch while sitting in the chairs. Then they ran up and down the street, sort of racing, sort of playing tag.
The kids talked about making Buckeyes...the desert with peanut butter surrounded by chocolate. I told them that I had wanted us to make them last Christmas, but didn't have a recipe. I should find one on the Internet so that we can make them.
We are going to try to find more out about solar power next week. I found a store in town that sells solar panels. They weren't too expensive. William said that he would go to the library to get us information on how to use them. We are all very excited about this project.

Friday 7/4/08 watermelon...

Happy 4th of July!!! I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. We stayed home. Since we were out late last night and may be out late tomorrow, we stayed home today. We did some house cleaning, and then went outside so the kids could play with their friends. We had a watermelon that we cut up and took outside for everyone to enjoy. After the kids were done, I took buckets of water and washed off the porch, Some of the kids could eat a whole slice and not spill a drop...and others couldn't. That's OK...that's why we ate it outside.

Thursday 7/3/08 Fireworks...

We went and saw some fireworks today. It was great, a very well rounded evening. The place that we went to had a spot for William to read on our blanket...free rides for the kids...a band...clowns making balloon toys and hats...food at a reasonable price...and probably other things too. William takes his book and reads and we bring him food now and then. The girls ride the rides. The rides are only for grade school kids. Then the girls and I walk around. At dark they have the fireworks. We think that it is so cool how they put the show to music.

Wednesday 7/2/08 playing outside?...

We went out to play yesterday. The girls like to play catch with the soccer ball. I think that they choose the soccer ball over the basketball because they may want to kick the ball to each other.
After a while they decided that they were tired, but they still wanted to play. They got the chairs off of the front porch and sat in them, and continued to toss the ball back and forth to each other. I asked them if this still qualified as exercise, they just giggled.

Tuesday 7/1/08 picking berries...

The kids were out in the backyard with the neighbors. They were up in the play set, eating the mulberries. Everyone was getting along, Every now and then their voices could be heard..then one of the kids would say ''ouch'', then the happy conversation would resume...then a different child would say ''ouch''. This kept going for a few minutes. I finally realized that when a mulberry would fall out of the tree and fall on one of them, they would say ''ouch''.

Monday 6/30/08 Bike riding...

We need to take our bikes into the bike shop. Our bike pump stopped working last year and we all have flat tires. On Maggie's bike the seat is tilted back and none of us are strong enough to fix it.
Last year we took our bikes to a trail to ride. William rides ahead, and comes back every now and then to let us know that he is OK. Maggie and Beth ride with me. We take bottles of water with us. I remember on one ride the girls spotted a frog by the side of the trail. They jumped off of their bikes to catch it, the girls ran one way, the frog went another, the bikes fell over, and the water bottles bounced onto the ground. When the girls decided that they couldn't catch the frog, they retrieved their bikes and we rode off. A few miles later we realized that we had lost the water bottles

Monday 6/30/08 berries...

We have a mulberry tree that hangs over our back yard. Our backyard is full of berries. The kids love to climb up on the play area and eat the berries. A lot of berries are too high for the kids to reach, so this year the kids have taken yarn and tied the branches together so that they can reach more berries. It is startling to go up to the tree and see the brightly colored yarn in the branches.

Sunday 6/29/08 computer programs and homework...

We finally have William's computer hooked up in his room. The computer program C++ is on the computer...we think it is on the computer correctly. He tried to run a program from his class, but the program was written so that it had to go to other, previously written pieces of program...and those other programs aren't there because the class is over. We need to have William write a program from his C++ book, that doesn't need any other lines of programming except for what he puts in now. Then we can see if it is set up.
Maggie and Beth have decided to start their summer homework. They were sitting on the couch with their books deciding where to start last week. In all of the past years, I have kept the books and given one page of homework each day. The page has homework on both sides. I have them do half of one side each day. I only want the homework to help them to get back into school easier, not to have them do homework all day. We don't finish the whole book in the summer, but that doesn't bother me.

Saturday 6/28/08 food on car trips...

When we take a day trip we take bagels and cream cheese, cold pizza, orange slices and frozen juice boxes. The juice boxes are frozen on the trip there, but on the way home, they have melted. We keep everything in a cooler in the trunk while we are out of the car...the food is chilly, but not frozen when we go home.
When I was young, we always had bologna and mustard sandwiches on each trip. To this day, when I eat a bologna and mustard sandwich, I think of our family vacations.

Friday 6/27/08 see you tomorrow...

See you tomorrow (or write to you tomorrow).

Friday 6/27/08 School tour tomorrow...

Tomorrow we are going to take a tour of a college. This college has not sent us a letter with directions or an e-mail or anything. I called the school today to confirm and to see where we should start the tour. This is the first school that didn't send anything.

Friday 6/27/08 rain tonight?...

I think that it will rain tonight.

Friday 6/27/08 Dinner...

We have finished dinner.

Friday 6/27/08 It's Friday...

It's Friday!!!

Wednesday 6/25/08

I will try to write again tomorrow.

Wednesday 6/25/08 visiting a college...

We are going to visit a college this weekend. I am excited. We haven't visited one in a while. Now we are looking at medium large colleges.

Wednesday 6/25/08 rain...

I like the rain...as long as it's not destructive. I like to watch it come down, and clean the roads and the grass. It is like having all things new and clean again...no matter how dirty something is...like if it is the end of winter and all of the dirt from the snow had been every where...one good rain can wash it all away.

Wednesday 6/25/08 after dinner...

We have had dinner. This is my time with the kids. It's not rushed, and we can talk and read and relax.

Wednesday 6/25/08 it is raining...

It is raining.

Tuesday 6/24/08 interest in the house...

We were outside playing today and a man drove by and asked the price of my house. When I told him, he said ok and drove away. It was exciting to have someone show some interest, but it would have been nice if he had showed more interest...like wanting to know the number of bedrooms or bathrooms. I want us to move before school starts.

Tuesday 6/24/08 the kids...

This is our first full day with the kids back from their dad's. Today went well. We played outside, cut the grass and talked a lot.

Monday 6/23/08 tomorrow...

Tomorrow we will be going outside to play.

Monday 6/23/08 The kids are back home...

The kids are back home. I have really missed them. We all told about what we had done in the last week, and settled back into being together again. I love my kids, I am so excited that they are back!!!

Sunday 6/22/08 lunches are done...

The lunches are done.

Sunday 6/22/08 Lunches...

I am going to make the lunches now.

Sunday 6/22/08 Lunches...

I need to make the lunches now.

Sunday 6/22/08 house...

I hope that someone comes to see the house next week.

Sunday 6/22/08 weekend update...

The laundry is done, the clothes are matched. I still need to make lunches for next week. I will wait until the news is over.

Sunday 6/22/08 rain...

It is dinner time. The rain has stopped and the sun is trying to come back out. The weatherman is saying that it it going to rain all next week.

Sunday 6/22/08 weekend...

It has been a good weekend, I feel very rested.

Sunday 6/22/08 laundry etc...

OK, I am so much fun, I am now folding laundry...the dish washer is going...and after the laundry is put away the outfits can be matched. I will feel so relaxed when this is done. If I can plan out the meals for the week, my family will be set for smooth sailing.

Sunday 6/22/08 playing on Sundays...

I Like Sundays. After church, we play. Sometimes we play in the neighborhood, sometimes we go somewhere. It is nice to know, and look forward to all week, that day off.

Sunday 6/22/08 housework...

I need to do one load of laundry and one load of dishes. I should get my clothes ready for next week. It always makes the week go easier if I have my clothes already together.

Sunday 6/22/08 movies...

I hope to finish watching the movies tomorrow.

Sunday 6/22/08 movies...

I rented three movies to watch this weekend.

Saturday 6/21/08 going to the movies...

I went to see a movie. "Get Smart" was good. I laughed out loud many times.

Saturday 6/21/08 C++...

I was going to rest today. Rent some movies from the library, and if I had any energy, start to paint the ceiling above the stairs going to the basement. I have spent the day trying to get Microsoft's C++ onto William's computer. He wants to see if he can program on his computer upstairs. He can program on mine, but he really cares about seeing if he can program on his own computer. I have given up and have taken the tower to the computer store for them to load the program. I hope that they can get it to work.

Saturday 6/21/08 Summer has started...

I have been gone a while. After the last blog we moved my computer to another room. Whenever we move it, the Internet will not come back up. William took his ACT tests, he says that they went well. Now he wants to take the SATs. They are not being given until October, but I signed him up. Maggie is still waiting to start her summer homework. She has figured how many days it will take her so that she finishes just before school starts. She doesn't want to start too soon. Beth's best friend has gone on vacation for two weeks. We have been spending a lot of time together to get Beth to think about other things while her friend is gone.

Tuesday 6/10/08 I have two books to read...

I have two books to read. Usually I have a lot. We go to the used book store and buy books. The kids usually get two or three books each, and I get one or two. The difference is that the kids read their books, and I usually don't. I have piles of books that I would love to read, but haven't gotten to yet. Sometimes I will start a book, and after one page, will loose interest. I keep the book and say that I may come back to it. Last month I packed my room...and all of my books. Then we went to the book store. I got two books...one by F Scott Fitzgerald and one with three comedies by Shakespeare. I started with the F. Scott Fitzgerald book. The beginning wasn't really what I was looking for, but I thought that reading a Shakespeare book would take more concentration and work...or the last choice was to not have a book at all. I decided to keep reading the current book. The book has gotten better. Or maybe it was good all along and I had just gotten used to jumping around.

Tuesday 6/10/08 rain and more water...

The ground is wet outside from the rain today. The dehumidifier is running because there is a lot of moisture in the air. But...since the ground is wet, there is no place to water that needs water. So...I water anyway, I hate to pour the water down the drain.

Tuesday 6/10/08 school today...

The girls had school today. They go to school until the end of the week. I think that they are making up for snow days.

Monday 6/9/08 It rained today...

It rained a lot today. It was only for a short period of time, but the rain was heavy.
I run the dehumidifier in the basement and use that water to water the plants. I will need to dump the bucket of water out. I already have the watering can full from yesterday.

Sunday 6/8/08 flowers...

We planted flowers in the planters in the front yard. They are purple and white. The purple ones went around the outside and the white ones are in the middle. They looked ok the first day, they had flowers on them and were standing up. Now, about three days later, the plants are ok, but the flowers on them have died and they aren't standing up straight any more. I have been watering them each day, and they have had some plant food today. Also, it has rained a few times since they were planted. I am hoping that by next week, they will have settled in and will start to form more flowers.

Sunday 6/8/08 ACT test...

We need to get the study books for William for the ACT test from the library. He takes the test next week.

Sunday 6/8/08 Maggie's Christmas list.

Maggie has made out her Christmas list. It is quite long, about twenty items. She doesn't talk about Christmas a lot, she just wants to be sure that she gets her wants out to everyone who might shop early.

Sunday 6/8/08 painting...

It rained for about ten minutes today. This week I need to paint the ceiling in the hallway going to the basement.

Sunday 6/8/08 Beth's doll...

Beth and I were talking about some of her favorite toys. She had had a doll that she was attached to years ago. The doll was about a foot long and it had a cloth body and a plastic face, hands and feet. At night Beth remembers singing the doll to sleep. She said that she sang to the doll even though when the doll laid down its eyes closed so it was already asleep, but Beth said that she would sing to it anyway.

Saturday 6/7/08 tomorrow...

The weather is hot tonight.
Tomorrow is graduation Sunday at Church, then William's graduation party.
Next weekend is the ACT test.
etc.
etc.
etc.

Saturday 6/7/08 William has graduated from high school...

Graduation was great. William smiled a lot. He let everyone take his picture. After the ceremony William went around to a lot of the graduates and talked to them. He was still smiling.
When we were done, I was going to take the highway home. He asked if I could drive home the way that he normally goes. I drove slowly so that he could see everything for one last trip from high school.
Maggie had a good time at the graduation. After it was done, she went around and congratulated the graduates. I think that she knew many of them because the high school and the junior high are close together. Beth is in grade school. She is one more area away from the senior high. She didn't see a lot of people that she knew. I let her borrow one of my cameras and she took a lot of pictures.
I made it through at least ten minutes of the ceremony before I started to cry.