Wonderful Wednesday

(Know WHY it's wonderful? I'm over 1/2 way through our second school week!) ::snort::

Quote of the Day: As we came out of Sam's Zander said, "What's that smell?" and Nolan answered, "Probably dead bugs!" as we crunched our way across the cricket strewn parking lot. I don't remember this many bugs everywhere the past two years.

The day began rough. The older boys went to the base early to work out with Michael. I had no one to watch the little ones. I didn't make it to Curves and it was too late for me to do a video at home by the time I remembered that option. I don't think well in the a.m. I don't even have coffee to perk me up. Liz - would m/m's work, I wonder???? I needed to move it to make it to the airport in time to say goodbye to one of our chaplains who deployed this a.m.

I forgot I went to Sam's club after the airport. Good thing we took this photo. Yeah - I TELL you I blog for family and friends...but really it's so that I can REMEMBER what I've done in a day!

Stacia loves her cheese.

I had the Turbo Three with me. The other four had worked on school. Jared and Arielle had made an Egyptian garden. I love the little parrot.I had plans to make a salt dough map today (really I did), but I knew the week was spinning out of control.

I decided that today, I needed to follow my own sage wisdom. I did FIRST THINGS FIRST. First on my list were: call in produce co-op order and pay bills. I interrupted paying bills to come post a summary of the day. I'm done with the bills but working on that new budget thing....before I spend the $ left after paying the bills. ::snort::

No, I didn't make it to school...but the little ones have been playing Egypt. They also did their "book work". The older ones got done. I DID have a talk with the two older young men - I reminded them that *I* had said our goal was to organize and get the FIRST week done by the end of THIS week....so.....They are stressing to finish week 2 and I'm thinking the stress is NOT needed. It's a short week....I started the last week of August so we could have a gentle start....but they seem to like thrills....usually I wait until the MONDAY AFTER LABOR DAY!!!! Really, there is no need for all this pressure.

OK - what was I talking about. Oh - yeah - we didn't do couch school today, we didn't make pyramids or a salt dough map....but we DID get the produce order called in and we DID get bills paid....and I DID make dinner....so really I got the main things done.

We are going camping! Yippee and ugh....in other words my first thing first list is going to be impossible tomorrow. ::snort:: Michael and the older boys are bringing "The Caboose" home.

"Used - Good Condition"

Help me think this through. In my mind "good condition" for a used book means - some visible wear, maybe a dent or ding or two on the cover, yellowed pages, some smudges or stray marks.....but not Sharpie marks all over, water damaged pages, lots of dents on cover, liberal marking in the text, loose binding with pages about to fall out.....

I would think the above would be "fair" or "poor".

What do you all expect? I was going to say I should NEVER buy used again, but then I got my TOG stuff from Robin and it's lovely AND she only charged 50% of new - whereas this other charged 70% of new.....

BTW - when I commented on the condition of the book I was told that it had worked fine for her family for a year and she never considered that it wasn't in "good shape". OK - when my books look like this they get marked WAY down or go on a free table...or we keep using them. I wouldn't have minded buying it if I KNEW that was the condition I was getting......

The irony is that I recently sold something used. I'd loaned it out and hadn't checked it before selling it (bad move ::snort::) - evidently IT was in shocking condition - so I know this can happen.....but I'm wondering am I simply expecting TOO MUCH for USED? I mean it IS silly, say on PBS, to expect NEW when it is used.....but on the other hand - or maybe a foot by now - it irritates me to pay a price that is 70% of new and find that it is in BAD shape. I would have gladly paid 80% and bought it NEW from ROCK SOLID or RAINBOW or AMAZON - I DO have several more children to use this book.....

What do you all think......BTW I decided to keep the book because the son who is using it this year is NOTORIOUS for being rough on books....::snort::

ARGH - Spending Alert

Since determining to actually COOK for my family again, I keep thinking of all our favorite crock pot recipes. The freezer and the crock pot: "a busy mom's best friend".

My crock pot finally broke after 23+ years of use. It broke months ago and I've been contemplating what I want to replace it with. There are many more options now. I thought I'd swing by Walmart and buy a new one. However, I read Emily's blog and remembered how much I LOVE our nesco roaster. I have the 18 qt one. I can use it as an oven with oven temps, or a slow cooker....maybe I should get one of these instead.

The problem now is WHAT SIZE and they aren't sold HERE in town...I had a menu planned around my crock pot before I realized I don't have a crock pot. LOL

The 18 qt is great for big crowds, holidays, bulk cooking, days when my oven breaks.... but I need a smaller one for "normal" days too. The Rival 6 qt was getting a bit tight for dinners...but then again our family seems to be in a shrinking mode. I think the 12 qt may be to big. What do you think?

Early Morning Thoughts


I find myself with a bit of extra blog time. Mike and the older two boys went to base to work out. I would typically be at Curves by now....but the little ones woke up and all the big ones are gone. I'll get a later start.


I realized sometime yesterday that our older two students forgot the message I gave them two weeks ago. I wanted the first week of work to be spread over two weeks. That helps with the "short week syndrome" caused by labor day, and gives time for slow books to arrive. They seem to have missed this message. I'm sure part of our stress is the shock of going from 0 - 150 mph, so to speak, in one short day. ::snort::

As for Jamin's zeal to learn all he'll ever need to know this year, (so that he can write next year),we shall see when we get into a routine if the 10 credits he now has (cut from about 18) are workable. I know that our TOG credits are FULL credits and really could be honors credits, maybe that is why 10 seem full to me. It really takes more work to earn that TOG credit than it does to work through a text book. ::snort:: Seriously, Jamin counts minutes on all his subjects and timewise the TOG credits are all worth at least 2 and some 3. LOL We'll see how this schedule works when we have a normal full week, with all our activities factored in.

I realized this morning, that I've not cooked since we started school. That has to stop. We are schooling ALL day - right up until 7 or 8 p.m. LOL

I've gained 10 lbs since Michael has been home. I am honestly not sure why. I still work out. I don't think I'm pigging out....but I have been skipping meals or days of eating again and then bingeing....so I'll go back to the "plan". LOL

Stacia's been running around all morning saying "I like toast, I like toast" - not quite as cute as "I like Daddy".....but she's putting words together. Of course, now the parrot is saying, "I like toast" as well. LOL