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 18

Current Mood:  Calm but still rather tired
Outside: Sunny, hot, and humid. This is going to be a VERY hot week.
Wearing: brown capris, brown & white tank top, bare feet
Tunes: audiobooks
Kids Are: 1 is sanding our dining room chairs, 2 are outside playing (I think) and 1 spent the night at a friend's recuperating from tactics camp
Hubby Is: at work until 5
A Giggle: running across bubble wrap trying to be as silent as a ninja. Not succeeding. lol
Something New: tried digital scrapbooking and I LOVE IT!!!!
Something Yummy: Maryann's cooking is always tasty!
Blessings: Good friends! And new friends!
Reading: 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:  Friday Night Lights, The Lincoln Lawyer, National Treasure, The Wedding Date, 17 Again, Australia, Family Man, and more I can't think of now..... (Scrapping weekends are movie-watching weekends, and we always repeat our old favs. We only watch the good parts. lol)
Considering: a trip to Lake Michigan
Working On: a digital album for 2010 (from mixbook.com) & getting the soccer rosters ready to release, putting new music on my MP3 player to run by
Accomplishments: 10K training Week 4b, edited and uploaded all 2010 photos I plan to use, chose my kids' co-op classes
Looking Forward to: seeing Captain America! Karate picnic this weekend.
Pics: I don't have a pic and I am procrastinating posting, so I better just click Publish!

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 - July 4th

Current Mood:  pleased
Outside: PERFECT! Sunny and 78
Wearing: Navy shorts, light blue v-neck tee, bare feet
Tunes: nothing special

Kids Are: Tired but happy! They loved camping!
Hubby Is: Happier than I can remember about a camping trip.
A Giggle: Singing nutty campfire songs, including one where we put our shirts over our heads. So silly....

Something New: Camped at a new campground this past weekend. Wonderful! I towed the trailer! Not so scary.

Something Yummy:  Had a great watermelon today!

Blessings: Being able to work through problems with friends and STILL BE FRIENDS afterwards!

Reading: the new Anne Perry novel about Thomas Pitt and 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: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in the theater, Psych Season 5. Nothing else.

Considering: a trip to Lake Michigan

Working On: creating soccer teams, planning my half of the Brit Lit+ class

Accomplishments: Completed week 3 of 10K training. Towed the trailer myself! First time ever!

Looking Forward to: Fireworks, Cousin Camp

Pic:

Leaping Lemurs! A trip to the zoo....

Three of the kids and I headed out today to the Detroit Zoo with the promise of a lovely temperate sunny day. Everyone else in Metro Detroit apparently had the same idea! I've never seen the zoo parking lot overflowing with so many vehicles. The zoo itself was busy but not too overcrowded. We wandered about looking at everything and taking pictures. We haven't been in a long while. Suzy didn't even remember the place!

My favorite were the leaping lemurs - both ring-tailed and ruffed. They were fighting - so cute! We were also impressed with the meerkats, crocodiles, peacocks, prairie dogs, and polar bear.

Check the slideshow for some pictures.

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!

Mapping the World by Heart

One of the things I am going to do with the kids this summer is Mapping the World by Heart. I've been reading about this curriculum for years, and a discount buy on Homeschool Buyer's Co-op induced me to purchase it for this summer. Our co-op was planning to do this as a class, but the course didn't make the cut after member voting.

Here's an introductory video to the curriculum.


In case you don't have the patience to sit through the video, the goal of the program is to teach kids to draw detailed maps by heart. Suzy is a bit young for the program, as it is designed for grades 5-12, but she could do it again when she's older if need be.

So, check back at the end of summer for our completed maps. I've offered to pay the kids for their maps in order to make the geography time more palatable. Until then, here are a couple samples of maps done by middle school students (more samples HERE):

Lisa's Logbook - June 19

Current Mood:  Cheerful, but Achy
Outside: Sunny and 76
Wearing: brown capris, brown and white tank top, brown sandals
Tunes: 80's tunes and some country
Kids Are: 3 are watching a DVD, David is upstairs doing something (probably working on a computer)
Hubby Is: reading the paper
A Giggle: What do clouds wear for pants? Thunderwear!
Something New: changed up my meme. Also got a haircut
Something Yummy: Minute Maid frozen lemonade cups (100 calories and 4-packs were on sale for $1!)
Blessings: Such GORGEOUS weather this week! Given some lovely furniture!
Reading: The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendie McClure; listening to Anne of Green Gables
Watching: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring in the theater, Life on Mars, IT Crowd
Considering: upcoming books for book club
Working On: getting books ready for a book sale
Accomplishments: Finished entering almost 300 soccer registration forms. Completed week 1 of 10K training. 23 years of marriage.
Looking Forward to: LOTR:TT in theater!, Book Club

Pic: a pic of my hair cut, though all you can really tell is the length. I actually was hoping for it to be a bit shorter, but I can do that next time.

Suzy's Mini-golf Party

Suzy's 9th birthday party at a local mini-golf center. I didn't upload photos of the guests, but if you want to see all the photos, email me for the link.