Monday 10/13/08 small pans ans apple festival...

We have been looking for a small black pan with a black lid to finish up our solar oven. We haven't been able to find one. All of the ones that I am seeing have long handles.
We went to an apple festival this weekend. It was so much fun to go somewhere new. They had old tractors, made apple cider (the tractors didn't make the cider, people did), and had re-enactments with Civil War soldiers. There were a lot of booths showing old skills, like candle making, tatting (it sort of looks like lace), bow and arrow making, etc. We were only there for a few hours, but we were all pretty tired when it was done. We liked the demonstrations the best. There is a general store in town that we did not get to see, and we wanted to rent a canoe, but they were closing when we got there. We need to go back to this town again soon and see these things.

Saturday 10/11/08 Halloween planning...

We bought Halloween costumes for the girls today. Maggie didn't know what she wanted to be and Beth wanted to be a witch. They like to get costumes that can be warn over their winter jackets. Also, I don't allow any masks that could cover their eyes or any scary costumes. We are a PG rated, Walt Disney family. Maggie found a black cape, a wig and a really big purple hat. She is a funky witch. Beth found the same cape and a wig, but she didn't want the same costume as Maggie. Beth ended up deciding that because Maggie had a hat, their costumes are different. Neither of them wanted any more pieces for their costume, since the jacket would probably cover it up.
We also bought pumpkins. We got one for William too. He probably won't carve it, but we like William to know that we are still thinking about him.

Friday 10/10/08 this weekend...

We have not found the third frog yet...OK we didn't look. He is probably in the container. If he got out, he hasn't come out into the open yet. We can look tomorrow. We don't need to go to the library tomorrow. Instead, we should take Maggie's bike in to get fixed, and we need to get Halloween costumes and pumpkins. The weather is going to be so nice, I hope to play outside a lot this weekend.

Thursday 10/9/08 frogs...

The lid to the frog's container was left open last night. We have one frog that jumps around a lot in the night and it got out. He (she?) was found on the kitchen floor. William put him back into his container. He hopped right into the water container. Tonight Maggie checked the cage to make sure that the other frogs were still there. She found a second frog, but not the third. He (she?) may be in the cage, but hiding...we don't know. We haven't found it around the house. I hope that the third frog is OK.

Wednesday 10/8/08 day off and Halloween...

William had the day off from school so he went to the library to do homework. The weather has turned nice again, so it was a pleasant walk.
We need to get the Halloween decorations out. It is getting late, and soon it will be too late. We need to get the girls Halloween costumes too. We should get them this weekend. We can get the candy too and put it into the freezer.

Tuesday 10/7/08 school and cold weather...

Maggie didn't feel good at school today, so I picked her up early. She is feeling better now, and will go back to school tomorrow.
The weather is still cold...to us...not to our neighbors, who are still wearing shorts. It is going to get warmer tomorrow, then we can go back to our spring jackets.

Monday 10/6/08 fixing glasses, new assignments and bike tires

Maggie and Beth both needed their glasses fixed. Maggie's nose pieces had both fallen off, and Beth's nose pieces were both bent. We went in today to get their glasses adjusted. It is nice now to see the girls with their glasses sitting in the correct spot on their noses. After we were done we had about an hour before we could pick up William, so we went to a park with a playground. It was a playground that had a large climbing area. Sort of a combination slide, with walkways and a fireman's pole and ladders etc. The girls had fun. They played tag a lot. We did go to the swings too.
Next we picked up William and went home. He said that he may not need the Forbes magazine article for his class any more. The class may be going onto another project.
This evening we went for a bike ride. Maggie went around a corner too fast and fell off of the bike. She is OK. The back tire on the bike isn't round anymore. The bike wobbles now. We will need to get a new bike tire.

Monday 10/06/08 crickets and rose cuttings...

We got more crickets on Saturday. This is a noisy group. They sing all night. When they stop singing in the morning, the birds outside are singing. I love hearing their songs. Our yellow mums by the front stairs have come in beautifully.
A few weeks ago, we took cuttings from my grandmothers rose bush and planted them. One has sprouted, and the rest are still alive...still green. I did a few things differently this time. After they were planted, they were given plant food. They were planted in an area that gets some sun and some shade, and they are watered with water that is not straight from the faucet. I heard that that water is too cold, and needs to set in the cup for a while to get to the temperature outside before it is given to the plants. Then the water isn't such a shock. I did water them every day for about the first three days, then I got busy with other things and they are now watered about once a week. It has rained some. I am so happy that one has sprouted.

Sunday 10/5/08 SAT test and errands...

I'm sorry, I tried to post last night, but was just too tired. William took the SAT test yesterday. He may need it for scholarships. While he was taking it the girls and I did some errands. We went to the library so that Maggie could get more books. She now has four books. She started reading one yesterday, and she seemed pretty interested in it. Beth also ended up with four books. Beth was only looking for one book, but it took Maggie a while to decide on her books and to have me OK them, so Beth spent a lot of time standing by the books with nothing to do. So she looked at books and chose some more. Also...we have now moved to the teen section in the library. They think that these books are so interesting.
When we were done with the library, we started looking for winter jackets. Some of the stores didn't have the jackets out yet, but they were having great sales on summer clothes. The rest of the stores had a few jackets out, but they didn't have attached hoods. We didn't get jackets yesterday. Then we bought some crickets for the frogs to eat, and went and picked up William. He said that the test had gone well.

Friday 10/03/08 Spanish, watches and memory...

Beth is teaching us Spanish. She really likes her Spanish class. It is amazing how many words that she can remember. She tells us the word and we repeat it. She looks so pleased that she is able to teach other people.
Maggie has a new watch. She is now our time teller. Sometimes she gives us the time once a day, sometimes every twenty seconds. Maggie gets really excited when the minutes change and she can give us a new time.
William has gotten a book on memory, how to remember more. One of his professors at school has told the class that someone has memorized a lot of the numbers in pi. So William wants to improve his memory too.

Thursday 10/2/08 cold weather and books...

It was chilly today. We were glad that our winter jackets still fit. The weather should get warmer next week. I will be glad to have warm weather again. The mums in our front yard are blooming. It is so nice to see the yellow flowers. It makes me feel warmer to look at them. OK...I'm a sissy. I like warm weather...70 deg. or 80 deg. is nice. It has been 50 or 60 deg. and I am cold.
Maggie has four books to read. She says that only one is interesting, but she is almost finished with it. When it is done, she will read the boring books. Maggie can't wait until Saturday when we can go to the library to get her more books.

Wednesday 10/1/08 dictionary and Halloween...

We bought a dictionary tonight. We know that we have one (or two), but we can't find it (or them). Maybe it has been packed. The one that we got is a combination dictionary and thesaurus. The kids have a lot of homework this year that they need it for.
We need to put up the Halloween decorations this week. William has decided to not go trick-or-treating this year. Maggie wants to go, but doesn't know what she wants to be. Beth wants to be a witch. She just wants a hat...one big enough to go over a winter hat, so that she can wear it if it gets cold. When the kids were little we used to make their costumes. We used wrapping paper, and tape, and boxes, and aluminum foil. Their favorite was to be a present. We cut a hole in the top of the box for their head, and holes for their arms. Then we would wrap the box in wrapping paper. It was so cute. If you do this , get a box that isn't too big or too small. If a big box is used, and the child trips and falls over, they can't get up. If the box is too small, then it is difficult to get the box on over their winter jacket.

Tuesday 9/30/08 dry-erase boards and winter jackets...

Beth needed a dry-erase board for math class at school. We picked one up tonight. She thinks that they are going to use them to cut down on their paper usage. It kind of reminds me of when the pioneer kids had their personal size chalk boards.
We tried on our jackets tonight. It is going to get cold tomorrow. We have gone out to find new jackets, but the kids need jackets with hoods that are attached, not snapped on or zippered on. We have not been able to find jackets that they like yet. In the middle of winter, when it is really cold, the kids can put up their hood, over their hat, and have that extra layer of warmth. Plus, if the hood is attached, then it won't get lost. It is a bother to find a jacket with an attached hood, but we are always glad that we did.

Monday 9/29/08 playing board games after ice cream...

After dinner tonight the kids were joking around and wanted to know if they could have desert. We don't usually (or ever) have desert. There is nothing wrong with having desert. I just can't remember to buy it or make it. I knew that we had some ice cream left they they didn't know about...so I said yes. They were so surprised. We had some Rockey Road and some Mint Chocolate Chip, and four kinds of toppings and peanuts. There wasn't much ice cream, but enough to make us happy. We ate and passed around the toppings, and had a great time. Just before we started dinner, it started to rain. We decided to play board games this evening. This wasn't the best choice after ice cream, but it was fun. We played a few games of "Guess Who?" and then played "Blockus". The ice cream was in full force by the time that we got to "Blockus". (It is a fun game even if we haven't eaten ice cream.) The girls kept making their pieces into designs, Maggie likes to make flowers and Beth likes to make squares. We found one piece that looked like an antelope. We did manage to finish one game. It was a riot. Now and then it is fun to do something different.

Monday 9/29/08 driving...

On the way home on Saturday I asked William if he was ready to learn to drive. He said ''Yes.'' and was smiling. I am not ready for him to take the car, but I would like William to be able to drive. When we got to our driveway we pulled in and switched places in the car. William adjusted the seat and we discussed which pedal is the brake and which is the gas. He practiced going forward about two feet and stopping the car. William did this a few times up to the garage door. He needs to get a learners permit. Are the rules for getting a license any different since he will be nineteen next month? I would love to teach him how to drive a stick shift car. It is nice to know how to drive both kinds of car. The problem is that I have a automatic car.

Saturday 9/27/08 window shopping...

The girls went to the amusement park today, so William and I got to spend the day together. It is always fun to see what interests my kids.
We dropped the girls off at the church and then went to the library so that William could get a magazine article for his class. Next we went home for lunch. After lunch, we went to the mall to see the graphics on a new type of computer game, I think that it is called Blue Ray. The picture is computer generated, but it almost looks like live people, not cartoons. It is almost scary how close it is to real life. William also wanted to go to the bookstore on the other side of the mall. As we walked over to the other store, we stopped at a few stores along the way that sold electronic things, like robots and glasses that have television screens in them so that people can watch a DVD on them. Next we went to the bookstore. We looked at books for a while and then William bought a book. After we left the mall we went to the computer store to look at computer games. Last we got William a haircut. It was an exciting day.

Saturday 9/26/08 tempered glass and high school friends...

We picked up the tempered glass today. I called the company and they said that they understood about us getting lost. They gave me more complete directions. The glass is a rectangle, and bigger than we had planned on, but that is OK. If we get a bigger inner tube, this glass will fit nicely. Right now the glass is in the dining room. We still need a black pan with a black lid, and to cut the plywood piece. The plywood that we have is much too large.
William came home today and said that he has run into another person from his high school. This graduating class was only about fifteen people. He has three of them at the Community College with him. He likes seeing familiar faces.

Thursday 9/25/08 tempered glass and long tests...

I called the rest of the local companies today to get the price of a piece of tempered glass for our solar oven. The last company that I called had a piece of glass that they were throwing away and they said that we could have it for free...the other companies were charging between 36 and 65 dollars. The lady said that we could pick it up today. She gave me brief directions. I didn't get the address from the phone book, or look it up on the Internet. It was in an area where we had lived and I thought that I could find it from the directions. The girls and I drove across town and couldn't find it. I called, but they had their answering machine on. I hope that they don't get rid of it, I can call them and pick it up tomorrow.
After looking for the glass company, the girls and I went to pick up William. He didn't come out at the normal time. We waited a half hour and went into where he usually sits to see if he was there. He wasn't. We waited another fifteen minutes. No William. Is he hurt, and he didn't have any ID on him to have me called? Is he in the library? I thought about a lot of things. Finally we went to the security building. They said that no one had gotten hurt that day or had been taken to the hospital. I said that we hadn't seen William, were going home to see if there were any messages, and would be right back. At home there were no messages. We were ready to go back to the college when William called and said that he had had a test that had taken him a long time to do. I was so relieved. We went back to get him.

Wednesday 9/24/08 future field trips...

In the local paper I found a list of places to take field trips with the kids. They had some ideas that I hadn't thought of, like petting zoos, and orchards to see cider being made, and factories, to see dolls or toys (or anything) being made, working farms, historical societies...the list went on and on. The web sites were also listed so I can get the hours and the times that they are open. It sounds fun...but with the library on Saturday mornings, and a bike ride in the afternoon...Church Sunday morning and playing in the afternoon, where do we fit it in? I will go on some websites and see what is offered, we will try to fit it in somewhere. We like going to new places.

Tuesday 9/23/08 Spanish homework and holiday decorations...

Beth had homework tonight. She had to write five sentences in Spanish. The problem was that all her class has learned so far are numbers, letters and food. We went on the Internet to get a few more words.
Our neighbor brought home another pumpkin to add to their Halloween / Thanksgiving decorations. It is a cute display. We have a witch that we put up for Halloween. It is one of the ones that looks like she ran into a wall. We usually put it up at the beginning of October. The kids all help to bring her out of the basement.

Monday 9/22/08 Kids and winter...

I have started washing the blankets so that they will be ready when it gets cold. They must be taken to the laundromat, they are too big for my machine.
I made a list Saturday morning of the things that need done before winter gets here...like trying on winter jackets...and then I managed not to do anything on the list. I did get some of the weekend jobs done...like making lunches...maybe next week I can look at the list again.
Beth got a lot of hair clips this weekend. She needs to practice using them before she wears them to school. So...Beth is putting them into her dolls hair.
Maggie is almost finished with her two new books. We may need to go back to the library in the next few days. She has decided to get longer books. Maybe it would be better for Maggie to get three longer books.
The leaves have started to turn colors. Since the big tree in our front yard is gone, we won't have many leaves to rake this year.

Monday 9/22/08 decorations...

One of my neighbors has put out their Halloween / Thanksgiving decorations. It is very festive, but it always makes me cold to look at it. They have a bale of hay and scarecrows and pumpkins. When their decorations go up I start to notice that the weather is getting colder.
Beth likes to take our tape measure around and measure all of the furniture. Then she goes around and tells everyone the measurements of all of the furniture.
Maggie is still playing with her Magnetix that she got for her birthday. Maybe she will get more at Christmas so that she can make larger items.
William has been doing a lot of homework lately. He looks very happy.

Saturday 9/20/08 Mums and candy choices...

The mums have started to flower. They are always so pretty. The hastas and the butterfly bush have almost finished blooming, so the mums are a welcome sight. We had a lot of rain last week, the grass is a lot greener.
Maggie has homework. She must ask twenty-five people what their favorite kind of candy bar is from the five choices. I think that some of the choices are: Hershey's, Reese's, and Crunch. I don't remember the other choices. Maggie must not be able to ask the kids at school, because she is asking the kids in the neighborhood.

Friday 9/19/08 weekend and playing tag...

We got all of our weekend jobs done today, now we can play all weekend. Tomorrow we need to go to the library so that William can get an article from Forbes magazine for school, and so that Maggie can take out two more books. If it works out, we can go for a bike ride too. Beth is having a sleep over at the neighbor's house, so we won't know until tomorrow how tired she will be.
The girls played tag tonight with each other until one of them made the flowers in the front yard it.

Thursday 9/18/08 solar ovens and school...

We have called two places to get prices for the glass for the solar oven. We thought that plexiglass would be better, because it wouldn't break as easily, but I don't think that it will let in enough sunlight. We are going to try tempered glass. It looks like the lead time is a week wherever we go, we just need to get a few more prices.
The trip to the amusement park was moved out two weeks. The girls are excited. So far the kids all like school.

Wednesday 9/17/08 my car, weekend jobs...

My car was in the shop for the last few days. We borrowed my mom's car. Now that we are back in my car, the kids are missing the other car. They miss the power windows, and the power locks...is it because the doors need to be locked by the driver and the kids then have one less responsibility? I am glad to have my car back, it is very comfortable.
I can't seem to do my weekend jobs (like matching outfits) on the weekend...I like to play with the kids...so now I am doing the jobs on Wednesday. It is working out so much better. I have been exercising for five to ten minutes a day. It has made a difference.

Tuesday 9/16/08 crickets and Scientific Theory...

We got more crickets yesterday for our frogs. We have gotten used to hearing their cricket noise, and seeing the crickets running around the container. The girls were wondering if the last batch of crickets have left any messages in the container that says ''The frogs will eat you, stay away from the frogs!!!''
Maggie is studying Scientific Theory and variables. She has a test tomorrow. Beth has decided that she is a dependent variable, she depends on her parents, and brother and sister, and relatives, etc.

Monday 9/15/08 homework and solar ovens...

William and Maggie had homework tonight. William has a lot of homework and Maggie had a little. I think that William was doing Accounting...he was in his room so I didn't see the book...and Maggie needed to look up the definitions to her vocabulary words. Beth didn't have any homework.
I started to call around to find tempered glass for our solar oven. We decided that Plexiglas wouldn't let in enough sunlight, and we didn't want regular glass, so I am calling around to see if tempered glass will be more unbreakable, but let the light in.We measured the inner tube. If we get a glass that is about three feet square, it will be more than big enough.We still need to cut the plywood...we have a large piece of plywood in the garage...and get a black pan.

Monday 9/15/08 neighbors, pastimes..

There is a new neighbor moving into the house next to us. I thought that he was moving in last Friday, but it doesn't look like he has. We share a driveway with that house. It will be nice to have the lights on again.
Maggie is still playing with her birthday presents. She likes the Konnects the best. She likes to make a rope, and see how long it will get before it is too heavy for the magnets. Beth is writing words for new songs. She wants to be a singer right now. She has a notebook that she writes them in.

Saturday 9/13/08 amusements and libraries..

The girls were going to the amusement park today. This morning they packed their lunches in paper bags. Beth wanted her hair up, to keep her growing bangs out of her eyes. So we did two french braids on top. Maggie likes her hair down. They put on suntan lotion. But...it was raining. It had rained last night. We live a few hours from the amusement park, so we didn't want to guess that the park was closed. William came with us to drop off the girls. He needed to go to the library. When we got to our church, they said that the trip was cancelled. The forecast was for rain all day. They would reschedule the trip. Everyone took it well. The girls wanted to know if they could eat their lunches now. We all went to the library. While William found his books, the girls read Garfield books and I read a magazine. It did stop raining this afternoon.

Friday 9/12/08 amusement park and bike rides...

The girls are going to the amusement park tomorrow with the youth group from Church. William doesn't want to go. The girls are so excited. We picked out their outfits tonight. They will pack lunches in the morning. Beth is growing her bangs out. She doesn't want to wear a head band and have to hold it on every ride, so we will braid her hair. Maggie usually likes her hair down. Maybe she will change her mind tomorrow.
While they are gone, I was going to have William and I go for a bike ride, but he needs to go back to the library to get a magazine and some books for his classes. If it doesn't take too long, then we can still go for a ride.

Thursday 9/11/08 birthday...

Maggie had her birthday party. Her grandma, my mom, came over. We had apple pie and ice cream...two of my kids don't like cake, so they choose pie. We have a six foot board that we measure everyone's height on at their birthday. We like to see how much they have grown. Maggie is as tall at thirteen as William was at fourteen. If someone grows taller than the board, we can put their added inches on the bottom of the board.
It is chillier out tonight. There is a slight breeze. The wind chimes on the front porch are playing slow, soft music and the flags are rippling in the wind.

Wednesday 9/10/08 dolls and houses...

Beth has been changing her dolls outfit every day. Sometimes she plays with her other toys, for now she is into her dolls. The outfit from today is put into the dirty clothes and a new outfit is put on. Her doll is carried around a lot. But...when Beth gets to a room to play, the doll is set on a couch or somewhere comfortable while Beth plays with something else.
Beth has decided to make a house out of cereal boxes. Tonight she cut the cereal boxes up to make the walls and started to tape them together. She wants the house to be about a foot tall. This house must not be for the favorite doll, because the doll is also about a foot tall.

Tuesday 9/9/08 rosses, school, birthdays and dollies...

The rose clippings that we planted are still alive. They are still green. We only remember to water them every other day.
William is getting more talkative about school. Every now and then he tells me about something that he learned in class. He seems very comfortable with the new schedule and classes.He has now started to look for financial aid for next term.
Maggie is very excited about her birthday. I am not sure if she is happier about the presents or about finally being a teen. I think that she is board telling every one that she is a ''tween''.
Beth is making out her Christmas list. She really wants a doll like her favorite doll. But she says that it would be nice if the new one is a little bit bigger than the old one. I guess that the new one will be older than the current one...the old one can stay the baby forever.

Monday 9/8/08 growing up...

Life goes on each day. The normal occurrences happen. We laugh together, we have dinner, we read at night, we fold clothes and play with friends. Then one day we look up and everyone is older. They have all moved into the next group. They are ready and capable. William needed an e-mail address to sign up for scholarships. Maggie turns thirteen this week, and Beth is done with Junior Church (when the grade school kids leave the service at church and go and do a craft or hear a Bible story for kids) she will stay with us during the whole service now. There aren't any tiny kids in my house any more. There are nice things about having older kids, there are no more bottles and everyone sleeps all night. I am glad that the kids are growing up, but I do miss having little ones, who need to hold my hand, and want to be at home. It is a joy to see the kids test their abilities and do well. I will need another hobby to fill up more of my free time.

Monday 9/8/08 projects...

We need to finish some of our projects. OK...I need to get the items so that we can finish some of our projects. First we need to finish our solar oven. We have the plywood and the inner tube. We need the Plexiglas (which we are substituting for the glass) and a black pan. The inner tube goes on the plywood and the Plexiglas goes on top, holding the heat inside the center of the inner tube, and the black pan absorbs the heat. We have found a store to get the Plexiglas from, and most stores sell black pans. Our second project is the solar panel. We got stuck on the converter. It is the part that goes in between the solar panel and the radio. It converts the energy from the sun to electricity. We need to find a small, cheap one. Boaters and RVers use solar panels, so a good place to look would be boating and RV stores. It will be good to get these first two projects done, so that we can go onto something else.

Saturday 9/6/08 folding bike and rooting roses...

I have decided to return my folding bike. There are too many things wrong with it.I will buy another one from the local bike shop. When we had four bikes on the bike rack, it was too much weight on the plastic bumper. With a folding bike, one bike can go in the trunk. We love to ride our bikes, we will need to make something work so that we can continue riding.
We took some cuttings from my Great grand-mother's rose bush last weekend and planted them. I would love to have a few more of this rose bush planted around the yard. Also, if/when we move, if we only have one of this plant and it dies, well...we would have none. But if we moved a few bushes, there is a better chance that one will live. My Great grand-fathers rose bush has rooted almost every time that we have planted a cutting.

Friday 9/5/08 weeds and toys...

We have more weeds in our yard than we have grass. I don't want to use weed killer because it might be harmful to the kids. I pull the weeds, I rake the weeds, the weeds are still taking over. The weeds in this yard are green, so they look like grass. I need to go to the home improvement store and see if there are any non-toxic solutions to this problem.
We went to the store today to get William a new backpack. We ended up in the toy department. There were Legos and robots and dolls and Rubik cubes...We had a great time. William and Maggie like the building toys and Beth likes the dolls and dress-up toys. I am ready to Christmas shop now.

Thursday 9/4/08 exercising...

I need to exercise more. I decided to start with five minutes a day, just after the girls go to bed...don't laugh, it is more exercise than I am used to getting. This is a quiet time, after the family things are done, but before I start my evening cleaning, etc. It has worked well, except that I do have a TV by my exercise machine and I always end up starting right when the commercials are on. I do feel better now that I am exercising. Maybe soon I will change to ten minutes a day.

Wednesday 9/3/08 school lockers and homework...

The girls have been in school for over a week. They now have lockers and are more used to their schedules. Beth wanted a locker so that she could tape her schedule to it. Then she would know which books she needed and when each class was.
The girls do have homework this year. Last year the Junior High and High School had study hall during the last class and could get their homework done. If they had a question, there was a teacher there that could help them. This year they don't have any study halls.

Tuesday 9/2/08 moving the pine tree...

We have a pine tree planted in the back yard that we take with us every time that we move. William received it on Arbor Day from his grade school. We planted it in the yard. Soon after this we decided to move. We were outside trying to figure out which plants to take with us. William looked at his pine tree and I asked him if he wanted to take it with us. He said yes. I know that pine trees aren't usually moved, but it was still so new, so I figured that if we moved it once, at this early stage, it would be OK. We took it to the next house, and when we moved here, we dug it up again. I am guessing that we have cut the tap root so it has stayed small, about three feet tall. It is very healthy.

Monday 9/1/08 holiday goal list...

I had a goal for my free time over the Labor Day weekend. I was going to write some thoughts down for future blogs. It was a nice goal and very simple. It didn't work. On Friday night I started a list of things to do over the weekend so that we wouldn't forget anything. Writing was on the list, as well as things like...play, match outfits, make sandwiches, etc. and really big goals that I want to do like clean out my closet. We did do the necessary ones, like match the outfits and make lunches, but then we started to play and do other things that were never on the list. We did weed the backyard and fill the bird feeder. I need my list, it helps me stay directed, but sometimes I don't finish it. Maybe next weekend I can look at this list again...or maybe I will make a new one.

Monday 9/1/08 birthday presents...

Beth and her friend across the street exchanged birthday gifts last weekend. Their birthday's aren't for a couple of months, but they had their gifts for each other so they exchanged early. Beth gave posters and pictures of movie stars from a magazine and she received a statue of a bird, over a nest. The nest is open on top so that items can be put on it...the nest looks like a gourd with holes in it for the bird to go in to make a nest. I think that it is ceramic. Beth wanted help to decide what to put in the nest...not a necklace or a toy, but something that says ''I'm older now''. I suggested marbles, to look like eggs. She said no, she wanted something that said that she was growing up. We decided on a list of things that Beth wants to do when she gets older: future goals, like driving and going out with friends. This idea made her happy.

Saturday 8/30/08 frogs, matching clothes, liking college...

The girls cleaned out the frogs container yesterday. They put the three frogs in a different container and took another container outside to put the crickets in. They also found some baby crickets in the container.
Today we matched up uniforms for next week. Both of the girls are missing one uniform. We know that the clothes are in the house. It is very frustrating to misplace the uniforms. Some families loose one sock in the dryer, we loose whole outfits somewhere in the house.
William has said that he likes college and wants to continue on with it...instead of finishing this term and getting a job. So now he will start the financial aid search. He does look so content when he comes out of school.

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''.