Lisa's Logbook - June 27

Outside: Raining and thundering faintly, mid-70's

Sounds: Bob clipping his nails (ew), David and James playing video games, the fan, and someone (Suzy?) doing something at the table

Home: the pool is set up, but we have yet to use it

Projects: getting ready for camping

Pondering: the need to spend more time in prayer for my children

Teaching: buying David a Teaching Textbooks Geometry used - this is instead of the Switched-On Schoolhouse I planned to buy. We'll see how it goes.....

Gratitude: my contract is renewed through the end of the summer

Recipes: Going to make a roast in the slow cooker tomorrow; need some good camping recipes for the slow cooker

Duds: light blue tank top, black lycra shorts, sweat, bare feet (just got done running and stripped off my shoes and socks first thing)

Reads: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (downloaded the audiobook free from Librivox) and looking at Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst

Vids: Eli Stone Season 2, Invictus, Mansfield Park, Emma

Hopes: that I can pick up 5 extra hours this week

Love: running when it's sprinkling

Plans: Working 4 hours M-F, Lessons 4 days, Swim lessons for J&S, soccer conditioning for J,E, & S, a doctor appointment for myself, trying to get in 4 workouts this week, and a camping trip to plan

Pic:

Lisa's Logbook - June 20

Outside: Sunny and about 70. Supposed to be 81 today. PERFECT

Sounds: the other laptop making its loud fan noise, birds chirping, the kids out on the porch

Home: Getting ready to set up the pool for the first time in several years.

Projects: Same ones - soccer teams & uniforms, compiling co-op proposals, updating the computers so they both are at optimal usage for my job.

Pondering: the challenges of parenting and working

Teaching: swim lessons this week for the little ones and adding house painting to our curriculum. Only the best schools teach home repair, you know.

Gratitude: living in a small town

Recipes: Made a raspberry/blueberry trifle and pesto linguine for book club. Both turned out well, and I even got requests for the trifle recipe.

Duds: white top, red capris, ready for church

Reads: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (trying to read it for book club), taking the time intentionally to read Jeffrey Deaver's The Burning Wire, and also have Read it and Eat out from the library (a book about book clubs that I will skim through for ideas)

Vids: Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief (enjoyed this even though it was quite a departure from the book), Leap Year (liked it), Terminator: Salvation (confusing, but interesting - probably I should have paid better attention), and Sherlock Holmes (re-watched at book club).

Hopes: that Bob can find a full time job that he likes, can do, and pays well

Love: clothes for a quarter (yard sales!)

Plans: Working 4 hours M-F, SOF Meeting, Lessons 4 days, Swim lessons for J&S, Beach Day, soccer conditioning, trying to get in 4 workouts this week, and a wedding to go to

Pic: My dad and my kids, last Sunday

Lisa's Logbook - June 13

The thing my husband was eating was a mini (baby?) octopus. (This was pictured in my previous blog entry.) Ewwwww.... He liked it, though.

Outside: Dark but still around 70 degrees

Sounds: a window fan, slight noises from upstairs, the clock ticking = pretty quiet here (good since it is nearly midnight!)

Home: Bob put in a new outdoor spigot. Ours has been broken since before his accident, I think. EIGHT YEARS AGO. I think he also worked this weekend on putting Dri-Lok in the basement.

Projects: Moving on to creating soccer teams and ordering uniforms. Also working on co-op schedule.

Pondering: What should we do for our anniversary?

Teaching: The kids are learning a Michigan tree and a Michigan bird every week this summer - their choices.

Gratitude: Thankful for a wonderful weekend visiting my family.

Recipes: Papa John's pizza - yum! Oh, and my mom made some potato salad that was absolutely delish! And Janet made some lasagna.... and a coffee cake... mmmm...

Duds: green/brown plaid shorts, brown shirt, bare feet

Reads: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (for book club)

Vids: Amelia (sorry - it left me cold), Precious (raw, but really powerful), went to the theater to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid (loved it - very funny!)

Hopes: that my dad's condition improves rapidly this week so that he can return home

Love: BOOKSTORES - went to two big bookstores this weekend. Could get lost in them. I mean, totally lost. For hours.

Plans: Working 4 hours M-F, Soccer Meeting, Lessons 4 days, the kids have two youth events, our anniversary is Friday, book club is Saturday

Pic:
Our engagement picture. (B/W because it was for the newspaper, not because COLOR photography had not been invented yet. -wry smile-)

Lisa's Logbook - June 6

Outside: Damp and 63

Sounds: Arguing (over the dishes) - ain't that niiiiiice?

Home: The new sidewalk is done. Bought a gallon of white paint to update interior trim. Bob planted two flats of annuals - one of pink impatiens in front, one of blue ageratum in back.

Projects: Entering soccer registrations; working on co-op schedule with the new coordinator

Pondering: shyness and its impact on relationships

Teaching: paid for a subscription to online Explode the Code for Suzy. (Thanks to Jennifer for cluing me in!) Used Homeschool Buyers Co-op to get a deal.

Gratitude: thankful that my foot is feeling so much better

Recipes: S'mores? Tonight over a fire? Probably not - too rainy

Duds: jeans, long sleeved magenta tee, my new socks, hair blown straight, makeup on

Reads: almost done with Echo in the Bone audio (and it's overdue); finishing a book about friendship by Emilie Barnes (that I started a couple years ago).

Vids: Tooth Fairy (pretty good), Evelyn (Pierce Brosnan as an Irish father whose kids were taken away by Church and State), Killers (leaving now to watch it with friends - BACK now: don't bother with it); I think I watched something else too this week, but now I cannot recall.

Hopes: that we can watch some of World Cup soccer - James has requested to watch it.

Love: having a little extra money to buy things like a new shower curtain and flats of plants. It's been several years since we have had that luxury.

Plans: Working 4 hours M-F, Homeschool Meeting, Beach Day, Lessons 4 days, finishing the soccer registrations

Pic: Can you see what's on that fork?

War Between the States

A Civil War Encampment was held in a nearby city on Friday. I took the three oldest kids; Suzy did not attend. We went with a group of homeschoolers, but most of the attendees were public schooled students. What a wonderful experience! The weather was great; we were first in the day, and everyone was well-behaved.


A slideshow is above, but if you want to see all 115 of my photos, click HERE.

Lisa's Logbook - May 30

Outside: 89 and sunny today (81 right now)

Sounds: the window fan (NOT doing the A/C)

Home: Trying to make things nice and neat since I am hosting a party next weekend

Projects: Entering soccer registrations; Bob is doing car repairs and finally finishing that sidewalk project.

Pondering: my top ten love stories list (books)

Teaching: The trial summer learning week went fairly well, so we will continue in that vein. Maybe I can post a little about it later.

Gratitude: Nice weather!

Recipes: S'mores? Tonight over a fire?

Duds: green plaid shorts, black stretchy tee, bare feet

Reads: going to start The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for book club, about 3/4 through Echo in the Bone audio (and it's overdue); skimming through lots of magazines

Vids: It's Complicated (rather dull), Little Women (Winona Ryder version), Management (LOVE this movie!), Swimming Upstream (about an Australian competitive swimmer with a dysfunctional family)

Hopes: that my van's A/C can be repaired. Bob replaced a belt that broke again within days, so I am not exceedingly hopeful. However it worked however briefly, so at least we know it's possible.

Love: days with no expectations

Plans: Working 4 hours T-F, field trip to Caseville, a Tomboy Tools party here, a meeting

Pic: This sign always cracks me up.

Animal Sanctuary Field Trip

Wonderful day!

Just look at that sky - sapphire blue and puffy white clouds. Sun was beating down hot and warm.

An hour's tour through the animal sanctuary acquainted our group with lions, tigers, and bears - oh my! Plus tortoises, buffalo, lemurs, macaques, and more. For all the photos, click HERE.

Suzy's Soccer

James's Soccer

Lisa's Logbook - May 23

Outside: Going to be in the 80's today and sunny! All week, this is the forecast!

Sounds: my stomach growling

Home: Finally putting away winter coats and such

Projects: Entering 250 soccer registrations; Bob is fixing a couple things on my van (hopefully the A/C!)

Pondering: Eight years and 4 days ago, my youngest child was born. Eight years ago today a wall fell on my husband. Both events were life-changing.

Teaching: Decided that I don't have the sort of self-motivated independent learners that some home educating families seem to have. Therefore, we are back to the checklists and mom-directed learning. This week is my dry run for summer learning. Summer weather means attention deficit. This summer is their last chance. If they don't buckle down and work hard during the summer learning program (which will last through June and some of July & August), they will have to be in traditional school in the fall. No one seems to believe I will do it, but I MUST work or we cannot make ends meet. If they can't accomplish lessons and (especially) chores with a minimum of mom-input, then they are not going to be able to remain at home.

Gratitude: thankful for the promise of Heaven

Recipes: made some taco meat yesterday - that's about as good as it gets 'round here.

Duds: khaki shorts, my brown NaNo tee, brown flip-flops, hair in pony

Reads: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for book club, about 2/3 through Echo in the Bone audio (and it's overdue again); skimming through lots of magazines

Vids: Eli Stone TV series on DVD (finished Season 1), The Spy Next Door (only had moments of enjoyability; otherwise predictable and violent) - wow, I think that's all!

Hopes: that I survive the teenage years.....

Love: my new smiley face coffee mug

Plans: Teaching Spanish (this is the last week PERIOD), Working 4-5 hours M-F, J soccer, field trip, Bob's birthday!, an open house, and book club!

Pic: James making a goal on a penalty kick. (An opposing player had touched the ball with his hand while standing RIGHT in front of the goal.)