Lisa's Logbook - September 26

Outside: Overcast and 50. Not even going to hit 60 today.

Sounds: fuzzy mellow Christian music (Bob's choice)

Home: Switched out my summer clothes for my winter ones. Donated a couple boxes of books to the library.

Projects: fundraising and costumes for Regency Ball class trip

Pondering: running a 10K on Thanksgiving Day (or weekend) but the only ones I can find are in Detroit and Ann Arbor. Isn't there a small one somewhere? I may have to settle for a 5K. (I could run it twice! LOL) If I commit to a 10K, then I have to train for that.

Teaching: Going to add in a few subjects I forgot earlier - a health book for James, PSAT prep for David, etc... The Livemocha Spanish seems to be going well.

Gratitude: that the 5K here in town yesterday went so well. The race was well-organized and I saw lots of people I know.

Recipes: been making a lot of Hamburger Helper, but there was one recipe from the 70 meals book that went over well here - Caesar chicken wraps. Yum!

Duds: Jeans, pink tee (but thinking I need a sweatshirt), socks and wet hair

Reads: going to start either Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (have to have it half-read for book club in 3 weeks) or a new Anna Quindlen book. Also listening to Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. And I have The Exile, which is Gabaldon's new graphic novel. I dipped into that a little but I'm going to wait a bit before reading it.

Vids: Danny Deckchair (a quirky Australian rom-com - Liked it!), Hoarders (I love being horrified by those houses!), and I think there was something else....

Hopes: that we can find a good car for Bob for the money we have

Love: COTTON CANDY!

Plans: Working 4-5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, my birthday (lunch out), gymnastics for the 3 youngest, movie day with my Austentatious teens

Pic: Saw a couple of Chevelles at the car show yesterday (at the Fall Festival). If you don't recall, that's TJ's car from my first novel. His is black, but I'd pick the blue one.

Lisa's Logbook - September 19

Outside: 63 and cloudy

Sounds: David explaining Halo Reach to James

Home: bought some lawn patch grass seed to fill in the spot where the pool was and also where some of our sidewalk tiles were before Bob redid the sidewalk. I want to do some painting, but since I HATE painting and have almost no free time, that probably won't happen.

Projects: Same old, same old.

Pondering: which church to visit next Sunday

Teaching: starting our full schedule this week. If I can get all the lesson sheets done today.

Gratitude: I am thankful today (and every day) for forgiveness of my sins.

Recipes: Tried two new recipes from the cookbook and did not really like either one. That's not a good beginning.

Duds: black skirt, printed twin set, bare feet (already stripped off the pantyhose and heels)

Reads: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and Dragonfly in Amber (on audio) by Diana Gabaldon

Vids: Me and Orson Welles (very good!), Stage Beauty (really good, but rated R so be prepared), Easy A (TERRIBLE), some of Pee Wee's Big Adventure (lol!), a couple episodes of Hoarders Season 1 (O.M.G.)

Hopes: that the homeschool gymnastics class we have found will be a good experience

Love: Scrapbooking weekend! Longing to do one! Planning one for January....

Plans: Working 4-5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, Co-op, running a 5K

Pic: My camping buddies and me! It was fun, guys!

Lisa's Logbook - September 12

Outside: Sunny and 73

Sounds: the boys playing How to Train Your Dragon on the Xbox

Home: Went through winter clothes and took out most of the summer clothes - for the kids, that is.

Projects: fundraising - for soccer, for Washington DC trip, for Regency Ball class trip

Pondering: whether or not I will like the new Outlander graphic novel - The Exile. I've never ever gotten into comic books or graphic novels of any sort.

Teaching: First day of lessons is Monday. We are doing 4-day weeks this year.

Gratitude: that the first day of homeschool co-op went well. My Austen class seems like it will be fun!

Recipes: Humongous ice cream sundaes the first day of lessons!

Duds: Jeans, blue tee, socks and slip on shoes

Reads: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Vids: Little Dorrit

Hopes: that my soccer registrar duties will calm down a LOT now that the season has started.

Love: sitting in the sun reading

Plans: Working 4-5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, Park Day, Must RUN this week

Pic: The kids took these pix. I think Emily took the ones of James and James must have taken the ones of Suzy. I sadly did not take any of Emily, but I will eventually!

Lisa's Logbook - September 5

Outside: Sunny but chilly - only 59 right now!

Sounds: David tapping keys, Bob calling to Emily to find out if she's dressed

Home: Gonna clean up the yard today!

Projects: Yardwork, Lesson plans and getting the computers set up for lessons, planning my Austentatious class.

Pondering: whether or not I should re-read (re-listen to) the ending of Little Dorrit to prepare for book club

Teaching: We start formal lessons on Sept 13, but this week we will get into our routine. Post later this week about that.

Gratitude: thankful that I did NOT land that library job. Though it would have been a great position, this is not the right time for me to work full time.

Recipes: starting this week with 70 Meals, 1 Trip to the Store

Duds: freezing in a navy tee, jeans, and socks. Need a sweatshirt!

Reads: Northanger Abbey (audio) by Jane Austen and Tutankamun: The Book of Shadows by Nick Drake.

Vids: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and half of Two Towers (always love it!), The Bad Mother's Handbook (badly executed), oh yeah.... and a new Colin Firth movie that I wouldn't really recommend to the general viewer..... so .... yeah....

Hopes: to start my exercise routine back in earnest this week. So, yeah, ask me how that's going when you see me, k???? I am running a 5K on Sept 25, which is 20 days away! I need to get myself back in training!

Love: the discount grocery stores!!! I do not CARE if the food is past-date, y'all.

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, 1st day of Co-op, book club! (sounds easy, doesn't it? It's DECEPTIVELY complex in its simplicity!)

Pic: My kids with their Texas-bound buddies.....

Lisa's Logbook - August 29

Oh wow, look. I never finished this post! Sorry, people! Posting it today (Sept 5) as-is!

Outside: 86 and humid (at 9pm)

Sounds: the TV is on in the other room. I hear footsteps.

Home:

Projects: Planning the "70 meals, one trip to the store" trip to the store

Pondering:

Teaching: MATH

Gratitude:

Recipes:

Duds: navy shorts, blue striped tank top

Reads: Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

Vids: I Am David, Sweet Land

Hopes:

Love: my new phone!

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Soccer practices (all), Soccer games for David, farewell picnic for friends

Pic:

Co-op Class Choices

Homeschool Co-op begins in less than two weeks! Here are the classes my kids are taking this year. (14 bi-weekly sessions Sept-April)

David, age 15 - Script Ninjas (learning to write Visual Basic Scripting, a computer language), American Revolution (history class, with a 'class trip' to Washington DC in the spring), Financial Peace for Teens (yes, Dave Ramsey), Dodgeball (just what it sounds like....)

Emily, age 13 - Chill Out (hanging out with other teens), Steppin' In'To Glory (worship dance), Austentatious (the Jane Austen class I am teaching - reading all the novels and watching film adaptations), Beautiful You (manners, grooming, Bible study)

James, age 10 - Art Masterpieces (an awesome art class), Chronicles of Professor Kaleidoscope (a history/science class taught by my inimitable and irrepressible friend Michele), Physical Education for ages 10+, Treasure Island Adventure (reading the book Treasure Island and doing related projects)

Suzanne, age 8 - Shout it Out (Cheerleading & PomPom), Kids Concoctions (creating cool concoctions and learning science), Suitcase Adventures (Also taught by Michele - when she's teaching, my kids are there!), Travelling Thru Time (a history class)

If you want to see the entire schedule, go HERE, and for class descriptions, click HERE.

We love co-op. And honestly? At this point, it's probably the only thing keeping me homeschooling.

Lisa's Logbook - August 22

Outside: Cloudy and 68

Sounds: Nothing but the fan in the window

Home: Every surface is covered with stuff for camping.

Projects: Getting ready for Camp is a big enough project for me

Pondering: how in the world I would continue to homeschool if I got the job I'm interviewing for on Friday

Teaching: working on a sample lesson plan for my interview

Gratitude: Thankful we didn't get kicked out of the movie theater last night! We are kinda loud! LOL

Recipes: Made a pear crisp yesterday since a neighbor gifted us with a bushel basket of pears

Duds: grey AYSO tee, jean capris, bare feet, wet hair

Reads: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Vids: Inception (loved it!), Eat Pray Love (yawwwwn - way too long), The Importance of Being Earnest (one of my repeat favs - can watch any day and looooove it!)

Hopes: that I can still enjoy Camp Week even though I have to work

Love: GELATO!!!!!!

Plans: Camp Week, but still working M-F (I reduced my hours slightly), Soccer practice (D; the rest are not going this week), Interview F, D's 1st soccer game

Pic: My Rollicking Readers (minus a few important ones!)
I'm back row, far left, in case you don't know me in person.

Lisa's Logbook - August 15

Outside: 84, humid, and rumbles of thunder in the distance (this was in the afternoon)

Sounds: James and Emily discussing some toys, radio playing in the background, and always the hum of fans!!

Home: David built me another computer - a desktop for the kids to use for lessons.

Projects: no current projects other than planning for camping and working on lessons

Pondering: everything, really

Teaching: Need to choose some literature selections, but other than that, I've decided on most all of the curriculum we will be using. Time to put together some plans.

Gratitude: a pleasant friendly service at a friend's church this morning

Recipes: This fell by the wayside this past week - too HOT to cook.

Duds: jean shorts, pink and white tank top, bare feet

Reads: Still have What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America by Linda Baumgarten (SO interesting!!!) and also reading Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer (OK, since I started this post, I finished Beachcombers and am now reading the new Anne Lamott novel - Imperfect Birds.)

Vids: the last few episodes of Eli Stone (pouting that it was canceled and there were only 2 seasons), Bridget Jones' Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, The Proposal (movie night with my peeps!)

Hopes: wishing for more family time building relationships

Love: seeing bats flying in the twilight (knowing they are eating mosquitos!)

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Soccer practices (D,E,J), two Beach Days (one at Lake Huron), Book Club

Pic: James got serious about roasting his huge marshmallow.

Lisa's Logbook - August 8

Outside: 82 and dusk

Sounds: "Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!" (James)

Home: Seems that we need a replacement for Bob's vehicle.

Projects: Time to start thinking seriously about lesson planning. And maybe actually doing some of it.

Pondering: How can it possibly be August 8th???

Teaching: Searching for a good and affordable computer-based spelling program.

Gratitude: Got to hold a very cute baby today!

Recipes: Have a new cookbook called - 70 Meals, One Trip to the Store

Duds: mauve scoop neck tee, navy stretch capris (new), bare feet, slight sunburn on my nose

Reads: Still have What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America by Linda Baumgarten and also reading The Book Thief by Marcus Zuszak

Vids: a couple episodes of MI-5 (meh.....), 4 episodes of Little Dorrit (love!), Happy Accidents (Netflix Instant - weird), Believe in Me (about 1960's girls basketball - pretty good)

Hopes: that I will know whether or not I should apply for this library job I heard about (FT)

Love: the Great Lakes!

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Soccer Conditioning (E,J,S), Soccer practices (D), a bunch of meetings and other stuff.....

Pic: Em's haircut

Lisa's Logbook - August 1

Outside: 75 and partly sunny. Supposed to be HOT this week

Sounds: Fans, Alice in Wonderland playing in the background

Home: Last week's Cleaning Week was a success. Bob also removed the (broken) swingset and fixed the backyard fence.

Projects: Time to start thinking about curriculum and fall learning. I guess so, anyway.

Pondering: the Outlander musical and wondering if it would be any good....

Teaching: thinking about Bible memory systems - got one you like?

Gratitude: thankful we have a variety and an abundance of food

Recipes: Bob made chocolate chip cookies from a bagged mix and they were DIVINE! I have a cake baking.... in the slow cooker!

Duds: pink tee, jean capris, tan flip flops, touched-up roots

Reads: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (I am about 1/2 through Part Two) & Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (also for book club). Skimming through What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America by Linda Baumgarten

Vids: Dear John (with only half my attention), a little of The Office (boring) and a little of Beowulf and Grendel (only watch if you are a Gerard Butler fan or if you love Beowulf so much you need to see everything ever made about it) & When in Rome (which was pretty good). Oh yeah, and the first episode of MI-5.

Hopes: Still believing in our Miracle.

Love: this week it's HEATH bars. Mmmm.....

Plans: Working 4 hours M-F, Soccer Conditioning (E,J,S), Beach Day, Voting Tuesday, David's 1st soccer practice, maybe getting together with friends, giving everyone here a haircut

Pic: Dear Mom I ded (did) the porck (porch). (I think this is the longest thing Suzy has ever written without being MADE to write.)