Lisa's Logbook - January 20

In our home education last week... My oldest has decided to go to a local comic con coming up in May and is making a Master Chief (Halo) suit out of foam and hot glue and paint. I'll put up some more pictures later but here is one. My younger son (age 13) also decided to make a costume, inspired by his brother, yet a bit daunted by the difference in their abilities. This is the 13yo's first project like this and the 18yo has made several things of this nature before. NOTE: This was not part of their "curriculum" per se; they both had all their regular lessons to do.

What's working for us: having my 3 older kids enroll  in the writing classes I am teaching. During the fall semester, they did not join in the classes. But this time I wanted my 13yo and 15yo to practice their basic essay writing skills and I definitely wanted my 18yo to take my Advanced Essay Writing Techniques workshop since he will be off to college in the fall. You can read more about my writing classes by clicking the links in the sidebar.

One place we visited: I took my younger two children (ages 10 and 13) to the circus on Friday morning. We also took along one of my daughter's friends as a birthday gift for her friend. Fun!

We're reading:

Uncle Tom's Cabin - my high schoolers are reading for their American Lit class

A Wrinkle in Time - my 7th grader is reading this

Pilgrim's Progress, simplified - my 5th grader

Pride and Prejudice - a re-read for both me and Emily for book club

The Freedom Writer's Diary - reading with my sisters and mom to discuss at Sister Weekend

...then just stay fat by Shannon Sorrels - a Kindle freebie I am reading

Walking with Bilbo - a devotional I am reading

I'm grateful for:  Forgiveness. Yep. 

My favorite thing this week: getting together with my friends to watch a movie and chat. So relaxing! Oh wait, did you want to know about my favorite homeschooling stuff?

Favorite Resource this Week: The blue colored overlay you see Suzy using in the pic at right does help my 18yo read better. He has found some success using the blue overlay; he tried some other colors but they weren't as helpful. Suzy hasn't found them to be as useful as David does but we are still experimenting with colors. You can buy expensive colored overlays designed to treat scotopic sensitivity syndrome (aka Irlen syndrome), but I made do with colored transparencies from the office supply store (I think I bought some single sheets at a local store, but it's been so long that I cannot recall where now) or amazon - here's one choice. 

Helpful homeschooling advice to share… Insist they do things they don't want to do. They'll be stronger for it and may even thank you later. (Or at least admit that the experience was beneficial.)

Questions I have: How does one know if one has attained that ideal balance between laziness and industriousness? LOL

A photo to share… That's Monkey-Toed Suzy up there demonstrating one of her unorthodox reading poses. Hey, whatever gets her reading is fine with me. The pic was from October.

I am inspired by… my friend Jennifer who completed a half-marathon today - at Disneyland! You rock, Jen!

Coming up this week: Ice Skating at a local rink, Open gym at a local gymnastics studio, and a kids retreat for my youngest! Fun times!

Lisa's Logbook - January 11

In our home education this week, we started in on an ambitiously planned January schedule. 

What's working for us: Making the kids earn their screen time by doing physical activity.

Places we went and people we saw: DOCTORS - I visited the doctor's office three times this week. Once with my husband (check-up), once with 3 of my kids (well child and immunizations - yes, we do those), and once ALL BY MYSELF (the ever-so-enjoyable annual PAP smear and physical). Three different doctors, all in the same building, on three consecutive days. Bob also had a cardiologist appointment that he went to without me.

We're reading:

• Uncle Tom's Cabin (my 12th and 10th graders, for their American Lit class)
• Les Miserables (me and my 10th grader, for our book club)
• My Side of the Mountain (my 7th grader)
• Pilgrim's Progress, simplified (my 5th grader)
• Walking with Bilbo devotional (me)

I'm grateful for: my 5th grader rising to the challenge of a difficult reading book. She is doing well! My hope was that she would find that she is more capable than she (or I) thought she was. And it's true!

My favorite thing this week: challenging my children to find opportunities to pray throughout each day using ideas like THESE from Barbara Bartocci.  Here's one that I hope we all learn: The count-to-60, stop-a-fight prayer. Ever burst out in anger and regretted your words later? Next time, count to 60 this way: one-for God, two-for-God…

Favorite Resource this Week: The Body Book: : Easy-to-Make Hands-on Models That Teach by Donald M. Silver

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share: I am not sure how helpful this is and it is rather humbling to think along these lines, but when I was a brand new homeschool mom (and formerly employed teacher) with a kindergartener, a preschooler, and a baby, I knew more about "the right way" to homeschool than I know now as the mom of a senior, a sophomore, a seventh grader, and a fifth grader. Crazy, eh?

A link to share…  A sad cautionary tale on the Love, Light, Laughter & Chocolate blog. 

Coming up next week: A visit to the circus with my two youngest children; my oldest has an orthodontist visit

Lisa's Logbook - December 2

One place we visited: Suzy and I went to Port Huron today to see The Nutcracker. A friend of ours danced in the production. We had a lovely time attending with some good friends - lunch beforehand and ice cream (or coffee) afterwards. 

We are reading: David and Emily will be reading a couple O. Henry short stories for American Lit and then getting a head-start on Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Emily will be picking up an abridged version of Les Miserables to read for book club. I am now 1/3 done with the UNabridged Les Miserables; that is a HUMONGOUS book! James and Suzy both need new books and I haven't chosen them yet! Emily and I also are both reading The Hobbit in the next couple weeks to get ready for our book club going to see the movie together!

I'm grateful for: my Android phone I got for my birthday - love it! I can stay in touch so much easier now. And my kids can use it too for fun and educational apps. Very very pleased. (It's the HTC One V from Virgin mobile.)

Red Belt Promotion - PKSA Karate

My favorite thing this week: Getting promoted to red belt in karate! Halfway to black belt now....

Favorite Resource this Week: the boxes of Christmas stuff! Lots of crafty odds and ends in there that the kids are excited about.

Homeschooling advice to share: Don't do too much too soon with your younger kids. Let them discover the joy of learning.

A challenge we face: Getting everyone up and ready in the morning takes a lot of energy from me. Still! Wouldn't you think that kids this age could manage to get up on their own and get ready?

A link to share: Ditch Your Office Chair for a New ‘Standing Desk’ (We sit too much, meaning we as Americans, or maybe just first world civilization.)

I am inspired by: reading great literature

A homeschool debate we are living: Do I let the teens sleep in? And that usually means letting the elementary schooler sleep in too....

Coming up this week: Christmas School! Stay tuned! Also a Christmas party with our homeschool group, featuring rollerskating and cookies!

Lisa's Logbook - November 24

What's working for us: I love starting the day with Bible lessons. We sing and pray and read the Word together. If you want to know more about how we do it, check this blog post. 

One place we visited: my friend's temporary rental house. She and her family were displaced from their home due to water damage back in September. The place they are staying is lovely and very pleasant. We had book club there Saturday night and Sunday we gathered for a write-in. 

We are reading: David and Emily have begun reading Walden by Thoreau. James is still working on The Hobbit and Suzy is reading a book about Arabian Nights. Emily will be picking up an abridged version of Les Miserables to read for book club and David will finish The Slumber of Christianity. I am now 1/5 done with the UNabridged Les Miserables and I like it!

I'm grateful for: friends that keep me sane

My favorite thing this week: Seeing my kids working so hard on their novels!

Favorite Resource this Week: Well, this was a light week for us and I let the kids sleep in. So, beds are a great resource. LOL

Homeschooling advice to share: Have your children do a LOT of writing - fiction, non-fiction, letters, lists, all kinds of writing. SO important! 

A link to share: My middle school composition class is learning to summarize fiction. Here's a helpful link for you to use with your children: Steps to Writing a Story Summary

I am inspired by: writing! The more I write, the happier I am!

Coming up next week: James will be 13. Suzy and I will be watching a performance of the Nutcracker and a friend of our family is dancing in the production. We have co-op which is always a fun day for us.

Lisa's Logbook - November 19

In our home education this last week...

What's working for us: A non-workbook-oriented approach to literature. I've tried a few of the more popular language arts curriculum but none of them fit my goals very well. So mainly I have my students read real literature (instead of lit textbooks) and write about them or discuss them with me. The writing could be journal entries, essays, or answers to comprehension questions (rarely). 

One place we visited: Lone Wolf Paintball in Metamora - David and James celebrated their birthdays (a bit early) at the oldest paintball field in Michigan on Saturday. They had a WONDERFUL time.

We were reading: Our reading is pretty much the same as last week. David continues with Ted Dekker's Slumber of Christianity and Emily continues her Jane Austen biography. They are both almost done with their American Literature reading - James Fenimore Cooper's Homeward Bound. James has begun The Hobbit, apparently the first time he's read it! Suzy is reading a selection of easy readers and doing better and better all the time. Les Miserables is my audiobook of the moment and I am just over 1/10 done yet. As far as print material, I am skimming through a ton of magazines.

I'm grateful for: David's second attempt at the ACT yielded an additional point on his score, hopefully increasing his eligibility for merit-based financial aid. He does not plan to retake the test a third time.

My favorite thing [last] week: Staying home for a whole day on Tuesday. That doesn't happen often! OK, and the free massage I had on Wednesday was a close second.

Favorite Resource this Week: Teaching Textbooks has been working really well for us this year, mainly due to the automated grading. Grading math is one thing that I was grateful to eliminate from my daily schedule. The instructional lectures on CD seem to work well for my kids, especially my senior who is doing Pre-Calculus. My struggling math learner has a harder time with this more independent method, so her dad works with her one-on-one most days. For the younger kids, the math 'worksheets' are on the computer. Pre-Calculus is not structured that way, so my senior does his math in a notebook and self-checks his work.

Homeschooling advice to share: Find other people to work with you to enrich your child's education. Especially as they move into their high school years, make them accountable to other people. Provide opportunities for other instructors to work with your children so that they get used to different teaching style and varying levels of expectation regarding performance. For us, our homeschool co-op provides many chances for my kids to work with different adults. Our karate class is another good example of this environment. As a writing instructor, my classes for homeschool students are increasingly designed to teach students study skills in addition to the writing skills parents expect.

Questions I have: I am wondering if All About Spelling will work for my struggling learner whom I suspect is dyslexic. Anyone have input?

A link to share: Here's a printable Bible reading chart that David is using this year. I set him the goal to read through the whole Bible during his senior year. 

I am inspired by: One of the karate masters addressing our class after our belt testing. He told us we had a strong test and encouraged us to keep progressing in martial arts.

Coming up next [this] week: Thanksgiving! Lots of writing! Hopefully some social time. And maybe even Black Friday shopping....

Join the Weekly Wrap-up HERE. 

Weekly Wrap-Up - Lisa's Logbook Revised

Thought I'd try a new meme format. I was getting bored with the old one. As you may have already noticed, I haven't posted it in quite a while.

In our home education this week... the focus was National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo! The goal is to write a novel (50,000 words) in a month (November). All the kids are participating for the 3rd time, except David who has one additional year under his belt. As of Friday, their word counts were David - 8300, Emily - 11,000, James - 5060, and Suzy - 516. James and Suzy are participating in the Young Writer's Program, so we set custom goals for them. I am at 7200, thus both my teens are ahead of me for once! Yes, I have been busy, but I've also been procrastinating! (Case in point: this blog entry. Ahem.)

What's working for us: the monthly lesson plan sheets we have been using for years now. I've included an old picture of these. If there is interest, I can write more about how I put those together each month.

One place we visited:
Great Harvest Bread Company - a small franchised bakery that uses whole grains and has a great business philosophy - check them out! Our group sampled the tasty bread, viewed the oven, mixer, grain grinder, and work areas, then got hands-on making dog biscuits. My two youngest kids attended and they enjoyed it a lot!

I'm reading: The Letters of Jane Austen in preparation for my book club. And I'm actually reading it! I just finished my listening to Drums of Autumn, the 4th book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (my 3rd time reading that book). I'm also listening to Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Wow, it's long!

What the kids are reading: David is reading The Slumber of Christianity by Ted Dekker. Emily is reading a biography of Jane Austen. David and Emily are both reading Homeward Bound by James Fenimore Cooper; this is for their American Lit class at co-op. James just finished 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 

My favorite thing this week: SCONES from Great Harvest Bread Company! A close second was participating in our karate testing and (hopefully) doing well!

Favorite Resource this Week: a free Android app for my phone that lets the kids practice their US Geography. U.S. Map Puzzle 

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share… Take the ACT early in your junior year. (...or the SAT, as the case may be. Here in Michigan, it's almost always the ACT.)

Questions I have:
How do I distill everything I still want David to learn into his last six months of homeschooling? He is in the home stretch and I am panicking!

A quote to share…
“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?“ – Henry David Thoreau

I am inspired by… National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) - I think more, I get creative (well, as creative as a left-brained practical person can get), I consider the future, I find like-minded friends, and I see my children writing and liking it!

I'm grateful for: Quiet time alone in the morning - it took a lot of years to achieve!

Coming up next week: working on memorizing the NE region of the US, Co-op on Friday, and I get a FREE massage!

Note: if you're not a homeschooler or if you just want my reports on daily life at the Wagner house, please ask for the link to my personal blog.

Lisa's Logbook - September 2

Challenges: 
1 - balancing the soccer schedule - two boys on different travel teams this fall + Suzy's games are all local
2- Gotta make some decisions about church

Successes:
1 - Finished four weeks of Body for Life - doing pretty well! Lost 7 lbs so far
2 - MET RICHARD ARMITAGE!!!
3 - waterproofed the camper and got it cleaned out

Projects: 
1 - Lesson plans - almost done
2 - Making sure everything is ready for co-op to begin
3 - Writing lesson plans and promotional materials for the writing classes
4 - Redoing the chore lists

From the Library: wanted some movies for the weekend but library was closed for the holiday weekend :-(
Rollicking: The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Wow, the audio book is great!
Netflix: more MI-5 - now it's Rupert Penry-Jones. :-)
On my Kindle: several Regency romances 

Rupert Penry-Jones as MI-5's Adam Carter

Tasty:  Heath bar - considering having one tomorrow on my Free Day
What's New: bought a recliner second-hand. Not sure I like it though.
Obsession: still pretty much MI-5 :-) I watch 2 episodes almost every night.
Disappointment: We were not allowed pictures with Richard Armitage. :-(
Serendipity: Was given tickets to the Renaissance Festival! YAY! We will go September 14.

Fun Times: water park with friends on Friday
Anticipating: the first day of lessons for my firstborn's senior year, the first soccer games of the season (I LOVE watching the kids play soccer); also REALLY looking forward to my "free day" (Labor Day) in which I can eat whatever I want!
Fitness: I've completed all but 1 of the Body-for-Life workouts which alternates a weight training day (either upper or lower body) with a cardio day. One day off per week. The weight training is making a difference and I've been doing running for my cardio and I am doing great with that!

Lisa's Logbook - August 27

Current Mood: tired
Outside: 69 and dusky
Wearing: pink tee, white and pink plaid shorts
Tunes: Toto and more tunes of David's choosing, like Black Veil Brides, Abney Park, Saviour Machine, etc...
Kids Are: 1 is showering, 1 is probably dozing, 1 is packing, and who knows what the other is doing 
Hubby Is: getting the van and camper ready
Something New: bought some new pants - 2 pair of jeans, 1 brown lounge pants, 1 pair dark brown. Also joined the Star Teacher club at Office Depot and got a goodie bag and some yummy breakfast today!
Something Yummy:  I have a couple HEATH BARS in hiding.
Blessings: homeschool camping week!
Reading:  Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. Also reading A Praying Life by Paul Miller (which is EXCELLENT. As soon as I finish it, I'm going to start over!). Listening to Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Going to start The Three Musketeers.
Watching:  Friday Night Lights (almost finished with season 3! LOL), Limitless
Considering: how to get out of my soccer commitment sooner! lol
Working On: lesson plans
Accomplishments:  Got the van packed and camper ready the NIGHT BEFORE CAMPING!
Looking Forward to: karate testing with 2000 other people, camping week!
Pic: Lake Huron - Suzy and a friend

Lisa's Logbook - August 21

Current Mood: calm and cool

Outside: sunny and 72
Wearing: pink tee, white and pink plaid shorts

Tunes: nothing new really

Kids Are: 1 reading a book, the other 3 have vanished

Hubby Is: reading the newspaper
Something New: We have a new ALTERNATOR! Woo-hoo! I also have new running shoes!

Something Yummy: Suzy made delicious brownies. And I made a yummy crunchy coleslaw salad.

Blessings: my book club!

Reading: The Passion of Mary-Margaret (recommended by my mom!). Also reading A Praying Life by Paul Miller. Listening to Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, and soon will listen to Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.

Watching:  Friday Night Lights (finished season 2! LOL), Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (theatrical edition), the new Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender (liked it!), and at book club we watched True Grit (both versions - the John Wayne and the Jeff Bridges)
Considering: Bible Memory and hymns for the upcoming school year

Working On: learning my karate terminology and self-defense moves, also working on lesson plans and getting ready for camp week!

Accomplishments: logged 6 miles today (please note I did NOT say "ran" 6 miles. Not sure I can call THAT running, but I surely slogged through every yard of 6 miles.)

Looking Forward to: going to Lake Huron, our karate testing, camping week!

Pic: 

Lisa's Logbook - August 14

Current Mood: sweaty

Outside: overcast and 70
Wearing: black yoga capris, blue striped tank (running clothes)
Tunes: right now the radio is playing some gospel quartet music (Bob picked that)
Kids Are: 1 doing dishes, 1 painting the landing walls, 1 on computer, 1 bored
Hubby Is: reading the newspaper ads
Something New: I can't think of a single "new" thing!

Something Yummy: Creamsicles
Blessings: having someone else to handle the soccer uniform order

Reading: Current audiobook is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Also reading A Praying Life by Paul Miller.
Watching:  Friday Night Lights (finished season 1 and now I'm HOOKED with a capital H), Soul Surfer (loved it!), Unknown (could have skipped this one)
Considering: lessons for the upcoming year, also considering the specifics of the writing class I'm teaching this year
Working On: my to-do list - some real doozies on there!

Accomplishments: sewed curtains for David's room and the landing, ran 5 miles again today, made some progress on the literature class I am co-teaching this coming year.

Looking Forward to: Girls night, book club
Pic: 

Lisa's Logbook August 7 & 8

Started this yesterday but didn't finish. So you get partly today's answers and partly yesterday's - just to be confusing! lol

Current Mood: Cheerful and tired
Outside: dark, 70, raining
Wearing: Black tank, pink pj pants
Tunes: David made a CD of some of his stuff for us to listen to in the car.
Kids Are: 1 is in my bed, 1 is in his bed, 1 is on the computer, 1 is on X-box Live
Hubby Is: in bed reading the Bible
A Giggle: Laughed at a commercial - here it is. (I don't usually watch TV with commercials, so when I do, they're all new to me!)

Something New: Bought a set of double-12 dominos so the kids can play Chicken Foot. Also bought Farkle.
Something Yummy:  Fudge is tasty! Had some at Golden Corral.
Blessings: Got to spend a sunny afternoon at Lake Michigan
Reading: Current audiobook is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Finished my other book and haven't picked out a new one yet.
Watching:  Friday Night Lights, Psych (finished season 5), The Adjustment Bureau, Who is Simon Miller?
Considering: Camping at a Lake Michigan campground next year. Also thinking exactly when I will teach the writing classes that have been requested this fall.
Working On: finishing up some soccer details and co-op details.
Accomplishments: Ran 5 miles twice (combination of jogging and walking), gave my mom a perm
Looking Forward to: Seeing a movie, scrapbooking, finishing my digital scrapbook and ordering it.
Pic: The kids with my parents. 

Lisa's Logbook - July 31

Current Mood: Cautiously relaxed
Outside: 87 and Sunny.
Wearing: black shorts, hot pink tank top, bare feet
Tunes: David played some of "his" music for me. Hmmm....
Kids Are: 1 is at a friend's house, 1 is scrubbing rust off her bike wheels, 1 is upstairs, 1 is bored
Hubby Is: helping the rust-scrubbing child
A Giggle: lots of laughs in The Tempest, which I saw with my book club at a park in Royal Oak last night
Something New: school supplies! LOVE buying those!
Something Yummy: Chicken chimichangas at Grand Azteca! Delicioso!
Blessings: Having someone to take over the uniform ordering process!
Reading: The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner (no relation); Current audiobook is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Watching:  Friday Night Lights, Source Code, A Shine of Rainbows

Considering: when the heck I am going to do lessons for the upcoming year!
Working On: printing out soccer rosters in preparation for coach meetings this week and also raising my Zuma Blitz score
Accomplishments: organizing the book club trip to Shakespeare in the Park, also got through co-op registration! Printed out all 37 soccer team rosters! Ran 2 miles without stopping at all!
Looking Forward to: swimming with friends twice this week, going away with the family over the weekend
Pics: Karate Tournament

Lisa's Logbook - July 24

Current Mood: a little unsettled
Outside: 81 and Sunny. Another hot week ahead, but not quite as hot as LAST week.
Wearing: khaki capris, red tank top, bare feet
Tunes: Daft Punk, also put some new tunes on my MP3 player
Kids Are: 1 is at a friend's house, 1 has a headache, 2 are upstairs
Hubby Is: looking at ads online
A Giggle: Lots of funny lines in Captain America! I laughed a lot - in the right way!
Something New: Got my hair cut chin-length. I love it. The family is not as appreciative. :-(
Something Yummy: Heath bar.... yummmmmmmmmy.....
Blessings:  Being able to read is a huge blessing!
Reading: The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen & The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner (no relation); Current audiobook is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Watching:  Friday Night Lights, some of Matrix: Reloaded, Captain America
Considering: a trip to Lake Michigan or maybe camping. We have one free weekend in August and we're making some plans.
Working On: getting the soccer rosters completed, also finishing my digital scrapbook; going through my scrapping stuff to sell most of it.
Accomplishments: 10K training Week 5 (including a 4 mile run, the longest I've done so far!)
Looking Forward to: Shakespeare in the Park, seeing friends at registration
Pics: Once again, I have no pix to share. Sorry!

Lisa's Logbook - July 10

Current Mood: relaxed
Outside: Kinda hot! Sunny and about 90
Wearing: Navy shorts, sapphire blue v-neck tee, bare feet
Tunes:my 80's CD's
Kids Are: Tired but happy! They loved camping! 3 are unpacking and doing chores. 1 is at her grandparents.
Hubby Is: getting ready to take a nap and describing the pain in his elbow
A Giggle: James tells me corny jokes like - When is a door not a door? When it's ajar. lol
Something New: Bought some plastic squirt guns that were junky. :-( Should have held out for the better ones at the other store.
Something Yummy: Grand Traverse Bay Cherry Fudge ice cream (Amaretto flavored ice cream, cherry pieces and thick fudge swirls.)
Blessings: Being able to get together with family and have the cousins play together so well!
Reading: Ann Patchett's State of Wonder and Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving--and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity by Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell (on the Kindle)
Watching: Northanger Abbey, The Prestige, The Matrix, Friday Night Lights, Life on Mars (finished the series)
Considering: camping trips that fit into our busy summer schedule
Working On: creating soccer teams, co-op registration preparation, scrapbooking, getting everyone where they need to be
Accomplishments: not going crazy?

Looking Forward to: getting together with friends, used book sale this week, getting back into my 10K training (missed a week.....)
Pics:

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

Lisa's Logbook - June 26

Current Mood:  A tad annoyed
Outside: Sunny and 74
Wearing: brown capris, brown top, brown sandals
Tunes: 80's tunes
Kids Are: Suzy (and her bad attitude) is cleaning up the kitchen, David is on facebook, James is drinking lemonade he bought from the kids across the street, and Emily is doing something for her dad
Hubby Is: laying down
A Giggle: I always laugh out loud when reading Evanovich! Also I saw more ugly faery tattoos - these were a pair on a lady's shoulder blades. She was wearing a wife beater and the ugly anime-style faeries were staring at me as I left the grocery store.
Something New: I bought a new eyeshadow kit. It has 6 different compartments. SMOKY EYES......
Something Yummy:  the grape salad I had at Alex's open house and recreated for book club last night.
Blessings: Bob and David worked on the van and it's running good now.
Reading: Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich and Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving--and Not Lose Your Family, Job, or Sanity by Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell (on the Kindle)
Watching: Lord of the Rings: Two Towers in the theater, Life on Mars, IT Crowd (finished the Netflix eps), Psych Season 5
Considering: a trip to the Detroit Zoo

Working On: making a coach list for the soccer meeting tomorrow night, slowly sorting through things, getting the camper all set for our trip
Accomplishments: Completed week 2 of 10K training. Cleaned out the bottom cupboard of the hutch. Finished both Anne of Green Gables AND The Tempest.

Looking Forward to: LOTR: ROTK in theater!, going to the zoo, camping, kids that don't whine
Pic: Book club movie time!