Dishpan Dribble

Still here

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:29:00 +0000

I'm still figuring out this blog and my next step. I think about it almost every day! I don't want you all to think I have abandoned you. I'm just trying to find a solution. I'm getting closer!

Listen to me singing as a teenager

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:30:00 +0000

My cousin has been busy putting my mother's photos together. She had made slide shows of her photos and now he is bringing them to the digital age by putting them together on utube. I am sharing one of these videos here. The singing in this is actually me and two of my sisters when we were teenagers. I am singing the melody. Enjoy. This is the only place on the world wide web where my voice can be heard...how odd that it comes to you all as the voice of a child in the 70's. How can You say There is No God? Oh goodness, that link leads to Twilight is Stealing. That is still me and my sisters singing and moms photos though. It's just a different song. I can't figure out how to change the wording without messing up the link.

The future of this blog is in your hands

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:26:00 +0000

I miss blogging here. I have thought and thought about this blog. In some ways I feel like I have outgrown it. I know I have outgrown the header. It really needs to be changed. But the blog itself remains in limbo. After blogging for 9 years I feel like I have said all there is to say and that any subject I write on is totally redundant.

Google sends a hoard of people here every day without me writing anything new. But I miss my blogging buddies. A few of you follow me on facebook. That brings up another thing. Years ago it was unthinkable to just put all your information out on the Internet. I made up these nicknames for the family as a security, of sorts. Now they are no longer needed. Tink has her own facebook page with her real name, of course.

The entire world knows my real name. Not only do they know my name, they know where I live. I am a tutor for several companies along with my own business. As a result google maps pinpoint me all the time. The need for pen names just isn't there anymore.

So what does one do with an outdated website? I plan on burning the entire thing to a CD so I have a diary of all the years past. My children's history is all on here; the cute things they said and did, the family vacations, and everything!

I've thought of closing it down and opening up a blog that is me today, but then that doesn't make any sense because I have my homeschool blog which is definitely what I'm all about with my business and homeschooling my own kids, but I don't even post there very often. I do post one liners on facebook almost daily, but that isn't the same as blogging. I have never linked this blog to facebook because I'm still hesitant to let all my real life friends know about it. There's just so much on here and I don't think a lot of my facebook friends need to know that much about me!

So here's the question I am throwing out to my readers. If I began blogging again, what sort of posts do you want to see? What subjects interest you the most? Should I blog in an article type format or keep the daily diary style. This blog is actually a combination of both. Or maybe it's time for me to hang up my blogging hat? If I opened another blog, what are the chances that you would follow me? Maybe I should make that question a poll on the sidebar. Let me know what you all think?

Tink writes a speech

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:04:00 +0000

Many of you have followed me here at the Dishpan for years. You have wept with me and rejoiced with me over the trials and triumphs of schooling Tink. Today marks a milestone. Tink has written her first speech. It is to be presented to the state today. For those of you who may be new here, Tink is 14 and in the 7th grade. She has a processing disorder that makes everything she does a struggle. I began homescooling her in the fourth grade. Samples of her writing through the years can be found under the label, Tink, in my sidebar.

Here is the speech, exactly as she wrote it.

I love volley ball because it is a very fun sport! there are so many differnent pasishins like right back,left back,right front,left front, middle back,middle front and setter! you can spike pass or set! there has to be at least six peope on a team no more or less! There are many rules like if when you go to serve if you pass the red line the other time gets the ball! You can only hit the ball on your side 3 times! You can not hit the ball twice in a row! If you hit the net or just touch the net the other team gets the ball! This is the way the coachs want it to go pass,set, and hit! It looks better when you do it like that! You cant have any jeraly so if you want to do volleyball and you just got your ears pirced you will have to take them out!

A all day tournament is very long it just goes on and on! You have a little stop where you and your time can spend your time when your not refing or playing. You have to ref at least 2 a day. There are many jobs for refing. There is down ref, you need two flagers (they see if the ball is in or out), one to keep the book, someone to keep score,and a larao traker ( they wacth the girls with opposite out fit as the rest of the girs because they can only play back row) It is really fun! If you lose you go down and no one wants that,but if you win you go up and that means you are one step closer to being number one. volley ball is mentale, but I love the sport with all my heart!

Haven't been Here Much

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:01:00 +0000

I know Im not seen in this neck of the homestead much but I've been a little more active over on my homeschool blog. If you want to know a bit more about what is going on here you can catch updates at Blueberry House, my homeschool blog. I do want to post more often here but it seems like it doesnt happen.

School and Diet Woes

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:14:00 +0000

Here I sit. All day I have taught school. I have tutored four kids besides homeschooling my own. I am tired. I was looking forward to an evening of relaxation. Instead I am sitting here beside my son at the dining room table; pushing, pulling, probing, cajoling, refocusing, threatening, helping, teaching, sighing. Whatever it takes to pull him through his Reading Lesson, that is what I'm doing.

This teaching never ends. I love it, but it consumes my days and every now and again I get a wee bit tired. I want a cup of coffee. I want chocolate, but the chocolate is out. I am struggling incredibly on my diet. I know the big reason is stress, but I put my finger on another thing today. I just signed up for Weight Watchers a couple of weeks ago and I'm discouraged that I can't stick with it.

The reason, as determined by me today, is that I don't really understand the points in the new system. I have to find time to feed everything into the point counter on the website just to see how many points I have. I just don't have the time to do that, so I'm frustrated and just eat anything.

Actually, I don't really eat "just anything". Today I had a lean cuisine for lunch and a chicken salad for dinner, but in between I had a chocolate heart, a handful of trail mix, and a cookie. I just need to stay on plan. Ugh. So frustrating!

Well, we have plugged through Reading, now it's on to Math. It is now 7 pm. I need a break. Before I take one though, I want to tell you this tidbit about my sons Mennonite curriculum. He was working on choosing Key Words to look things up. They said in his book that Noah Webster made the dictionary but it wasn't until later that the encyclopedia's were published.

It then goes on to tell the kids about the wealth of information found in an encyclopedia. Then the student must pick out key words in sentences and write down the volume that they would use to get the info they need. There is no mention of the Internet because this curriculum is going out to Mennonite people who are not allowed to have computers.

The Bob Jones curriculum has entire units on how to use the encyclopedia and I usually skip it. I just see no need to go into all that with 7 computers in our house.

Time for Language Arts.
Oh for a hot bath and an ice cold diet coke!

Dear God

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:32:00 +0000

I feel so overwhelmed when it comes to raising these kids. How can I prepare for them for adulthood when I feel like Im in over my head? The wind is blowing in great gusts around the house. I feel like standing in the cold night and letting the wind blow through me; blowing away the stress and this heaviness I feel.

How easy it is to think of children in the "today" and forget that I am raising kids for "tomorrow"! Help me tune into their hearts needs. Give me wisdom to know what to say and when to say it. Peter is needing some tender guidance right now and frankly, dear God, I feel a bit overwhelmed with raising a boy.

Tink is turning into a little lady who likes to stay up at night and tell me everything that I had wanted to know at ten in the morning but not now at this late hour. She is such a dear, but, oh what a challenge she is as she tests the waters of her teenage years.

I worry about the world the kids will grow up in. I worry that I can prepare them enough to handle the world that will be theirs 20 or 30 years from now. I ask myself if I am preparing them enough on the spiritual front. As a homeschool mom do I put more emphasis on reading their history then I do on reading the Bible? Am I as worried about their spiritual welfare as I am their academics?

Am I the only mom out there who's last waking thoughts at night are those of how to better prepare her children for their future? Am I the only mom that lies awake rehearsing the day and going over and over the things I can do differently the next day? Am I the only one lying awake, praying and crying out to God to keep my children in the palm of His hand and worried about the evil outside my door?

Where is the sweet comfort of the Holy Spirit when I need it in the wee hours of the night? Are you there, God?
Prayer from a weary mother to heavens door.

Splattered News

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 06:16:00 +0000

All day volleyball tournament tomorrow...so tired...!!!

Cannot recommend the movie Gnome and Juliet; it's terrible...

Spent the evening at the mall buying a formal prom style dress for Tinks varsity volleyball banquet. Two weeks, and she will be done playing for the season with The Eagles!

Tink has tons of homework to do and I have no idea when she's going to get it done. I have tons of work to do and I have no idea when I will get done. Peter has nothing to do but play Nerf guns with his friends. Sure wish he could do part of me and Tinks work.

Well I have to get to bed. Im fighting a headache all day and I am just exhausted!

Homesteading, Homeliving, Homeschooling

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:18:00 +0000

I received an email from my girlfriend in Kazakhstan .and she really wants an update of what has been going on in my life. So this is for Rachel, my friend, and for all of you out there in blogland who have been so faithful in reading all these years.

Things here at the homestead are at a standstill. The garden is wrapped in winters ugliness. Seriously! It is dead and squishy. This morning it was covered with a white frost as was all of the outdoors. I'm planning on a garden this spring but I haven't bought one seed or even given it a thought. So that's about all I have on the homesteading aspect of this blog.

Lets see, now we move on to homeliving; after all, this blog is all about homeliving, homesteading, and homeschooling. So on the homeliving front, of course there is much going on! I have been so busy and so swamped with homeschooling and tutor students that I have no had to hire my housekeeper on a weekly basis instead of bi-weekly. I have begun to homeschool my granddaughter and in exchange for schooling Jane, Wendy is doing a bunch of my office work; some of the lesson planning, filing and grading.

My husbands sister died on Monday from cancer of the esophagus. We are thrilled that Mr. Darling got to go down there and sit by her bedside for three days before she passed on. He plans on coming home tonight. We are all very excited!

We have been kept incredibly busy with Tinks volleyball. I actually had to cut all extra classes for Tink to accommodate the volley ball schedule. The Christian Academy ends its season this month with a three day tournament in Eastern Oregon. They are going to have a banquet at the Red Lion up there and the team is so excited! I'm excited because it means I get to go buy a formal prom style dress for Tink! I love seeing my girls all dressed to the nines! Tink and I plan on going shopping for the dress this weekend. I'll post pics here for you all to see afterward.

Speaking of pics, if I continue to blog I'll have to buy more pic space with blogger. Yuck. But then what is a blog without pics? 'Twould be rather like a night without a moon or a sea without water...well you get the idea.

Really I have to admit that it was probably a very good thing to quit blogging for awhile because I would have bored you to death with volleyball and homeschool. That seems to be all that is going on because both are so hugely time consuming there is no room for anything else!

I can tell you that Peter turned 10 years old last week. I can't believe my youngest is ten. Thankfully Wendy is having a baby so that will keep the young ones in my life. Well it looks like classes are over here at the charter school so I better run. I have one hour to get home and get ready for my three evening students. That definitely calls for a pot of coffee!!

I'll do it; just give me a bit

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:33:00 +0000

Some people, who shall remain nameless, are after me to resume blogging. Hang in there. Im planning to begin posting again. Look for an update before the weekend is over.

Surprise!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Okay, there are a few updates that just have to be given; things that cant be overlooked. We are excited to announce that we will be grandparents again in the fall. Yes, that's right. Wendy and Edward are going to have another baby! I am just over the moon with excitement! Lord willing we will have another baby with us before the winter holidays! God is so good! I am just incredibly thrilled!

I want to give a shout out here to Enjoying Country Living. Thank you for reading my blog. It appears like Mrs. Enjoying is reading it like a book. I, in turn, have loved her comments on old posts that I had about forgotten I'd written. Wow! I use to write some real stuff on here! Amazing! Welcome to the Dishpan Enjoying. You are most welcome to spend all day here if you would like!

In other news, my tutoring business is expanding and swelling to the point that I can no longer do one on one tutoring. I have had to double students into the same hour to get them all in. I have a dream that by fall of 2012 I will have my own little Blueberry House Tutoring set up in it's own little building and operating full time as a Tutoring Service with other tutors under me.

Tink is playing volleyball for two schools and one Club. We are at the height of the volleyball season right now. In a single week you will find me spending entire days in bus travel to games and entire days on bleachers watching games or entire days at tournaments, attending to Tinks every wish while she plays game after game. Do you want more water? You shall have it? Do you need ice for your knee? Here it is. You would like a pillow pet to take with you on the bus trips? Well then you shall have one. Yes, riding on buses can entail leaving at 4:45 am and returning at midnight that night. It's an incredibly busy season topped with Peters basketball season smack in the middle!

But life goes on and God is blessing. Mr. Darling and I both have steady work with overtime. We are all healthy and we are all fed and warm. Really is there any thing more that one could want in today's uncertain times? Love, warmth, happiness, food and security; all of these are blessings that are bestowed on us daily. I am grateful for them all.

Maybe

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:26:00 +0000

I'm itching to open this back up. I have a feeling I will scratch that itch in the near future!

Peace On Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:18:00 +0000

Goodbye and blessings to you all

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:52:00 +0000

Okay everyone, I really need to put this blog on hold for the unforeseeable future. I just don't have time to update it anymore. I feel sad about it but there is nothing I can do about it right now. I have 12 students all with different lessons to plan for every subject. Tink is in two volley ball leagues which means that she has practices 5 times a week on top of games and tournaments. Peter is in basketball practice three times a week so you can see how busy our evenings are. Besides that both kids have violin, viola, and piano lessons to attend. I just can't do this blog with so much going on.

Thanks to all I have written in the past google keeps my visitors up to about 125.....way down from what it used to be but still getting hits which amazes me.

This weekend we are going to Seattle for a not-so-happy reunion. My husbands sister has cancer and is flying up from AZ. The doctors are measuring her life span in weeks now. All her nieces and nephews are coming in too. Pray for her and all of us this weekend if you think of me.

I will be bringing the train home Sunday just in time to get Tink to a club volley ball practice in another city. Then Monday and Tuesday, the 6th and 7th of December she will be traveling with another team about an hour south of here for two days of tournaments.

The Christmas rush has hit and we are swamped with parties, church activities, music recitals, shopping, baking, etc.

I do plan on reconnecting with you all at some point. This isn't goodbye for good.....just for a while. Have a wonderful Christmas with friends and family and don't forget the One that came to earth as a baby that we might live. May there be peace on earth and on our homes this Christmas season.

Dishing on the Dribble

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 03:01:00 +0000

It is cold here with a light skiff of snow on the ground. We are on Thanksgiving break from the charter school. The kids are still doing their homeschool work and I am still tutoring up until tomorrow. Tomorrow I have just one child coming for an hour of tutoring and then it's on to the Thanksgiving baking. Thanksgiving is going to be at my brothers house this year so I don't have to do the entire meal. I'm baking 2 pumpkin pies, a mixed berry pie, and an apple pie. I'm also bringing the yams and some homemade snacks.

The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday so of course, I have to go shopping! I didn't want to rush through the weekend to put the tree up for Christmas on Saturday because I have a lot of school work to do. So today I had Tink help me set the big 9 foot tree up and tonight it is all lit and decorated and ready to go! This is the earliest I have ever put it up but it will make the weekend so much easier now that the tree is done.

Tink tried out for club volleyball and made the team so now that means we are busy running back and forth to practices and games for two different leagues. She is also still playing on the Christian Academy team. Peter is taking basketball again so our evenings are full. Both kids have an orchestra recital coming up next week. It overlaps on a night of vollleyball practice for Tink which is a bummer but we have decided the orchestra recital must come first because it was scheduled before the practice and she had given her word on it.

Next weekend we are going to Seattle for an early Christmas. My husbands sister is going to be there and she has been given around four weeks to live. The cancer of the esophagus has finally taken it's toll. It makes it a rather hard time for us and the usual Christmas cheer will be missing in the gathering next weekend. I just feel so sad for her.

I promised the kids we would pop popcorn and play games tonight so I better go. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and don't forget to thank God for all of your blessings this harvest season!

Amazing Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 14:09:00 +0000

Im still here. I have been incredibly busy! This weekend I have sat through 4 days of conferences amounting to about 11 different meetings. Im exhausted but recharged. One day of those conferences was a teaching conference. I loved it! But now I must get back to work. Everything fell behind in those four days. Catch up will not be fun!

The Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:54:00 +0000

It's a lovely Saturday morning. I'm feeling very happy because the last of my apples have been harvested! I have 50 quarts of apple sauce canned and 14 quarts of apples sliced and frozen. I still have some cleanup to do on the deck, in the orchard, and in the flowerbeds. My strawberry beds need winterized. But most of the outside work is done and I am so glad! Last week we finished stacking the last of the four cords of wood needed for winter. Night time temps are near freezing now.

Indoors we have finished drywalling and texturing and painting an area in the living room that has been waiting to be finished for about 4 years now! My husband is working on the master bathroom and after that it will be buying new carpet for the bedrooms and buying all new trim for the downstairs. These are winter projects that may or may not get done this year. I'm hoping that they do but it seems like my husband moves more slowly every year! I guess we're getting old!

I can tell just how old we are when I listen to Peter. He just thinks the world is coming to an end if he doesn't get to do something for Halloween. I don't care if we don't do a thing for this day. I have never been big on Halloween. We let the kids trick or treat in the neighborhood and then go to the church harvest party but I really wouldn't care if we eliminated all activities for that day. I've lived through 49 Halloweens and now I must continually remind myself that Peter has only had 8 Halloweens and the day is so full of promise for him; all chucked full of candy and games!

He doesn't want to be anything simple and fun anymore. The Indian costume of last year is scorned this year. Now he wants to be scary. Dad bought him a skull set in black fabric that he can wear with black clothes. Now he is happy. Mama would have never bought him that but since Daddy took him shopping that is what he got.

Tink doesn't mention Halloween much. She has no desire to go trick or treating; deeming herself way too old for such nonsense. She is, however, excited to take Tiger Lily door to door. Tiger Lily will be three years old in November! It's hard to believe! Anyway, Tink is dressing up with an old mask we have had for years. It's a football with a face. She is going to combine that with her Oregon Ducks T shirt and call it good. We'll all be going over to Edward and Wendy's for the evening.

Our church is showing the Charlie Brown pumpkin movie and doing games but the kids are bored with the games and they have seen Charlie Brown so many times, including just last night! Tink wants to find out if the youth are doing anything for Harvest Days and if they are she may join them before the evening is over.

My weekend will be much different than the kids. I'm grading papers and making lesson plans as usual. I also have to get a few things for an upcoming ladies conference. I have a new student on Monday! It's none other than my dear granddaughter! Yes, I'm going to be homeschooling her. We are both excited! This morning Wendy is coming over to show me where she is at in her books.

I better get going. I had forgotten that until I typed it! Yikes. I need to get a shower and get things done around here!

How do you Juggle Your Teenager's Schedule?

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:23:00 +0000

Tink is leaving in a bit to go to a haunted house with three of her friends. The three of them are all 13 years old. Mr Darling said he would take them but he positively did not want to go through the house with them. It was then that I got the idea to call the 17 year old son of one of my long time girlfriends. He readily agreed to go along as a bodyguard. I was thrilled. He has a black belt in Tao Kwon Do and teaches Martial Arts. It's a sweet thing for him to do. It's nice to know that not all big boys are afraid to be seen with giggly girls barely out of their tween years. So with my husband as chauffeur and my friend's son as protection I am feeling very good about the kids going!

Tink is going to have to rein in her social life when volley ball season begins. It seems I have to say no all the time to her. She gets so many invitations to so many things that it all gets in the way of her spending quality time at her school work. She thinks I'm mean but hopefully she will thank me some day. I'm letting her go tonight because her homework is done. I've said no to two sleepovers this week and one movie invitation. I've said yes to roller skating, sleeping over with a friend on Friday night and letting a friend visit school with her. Now I am saying yes to the haunted house. I do believe that is enough yeses!

This coming week I will face more hair brained ideas by her and her little friends and once again I will have to decide when to be the bad guy and when to allow things. Teenage years are fun years but, oh the parental guidance that is involved! Sometimes I just quail at the thought of taking another child through those years!

We have signed Tink up for volley ball try outs and she is scared. She is usually so confident when it comes to the sport but these tryouts in a neighboring town have her feeling apprehensive. I don't think she will have any trouble

Tink is the first one on the left
but I suppose it would be a little nail biting to have to try out with a bunch of kids and judges you have never seen before. If she makes the team she will be busier than ever. She is hoping to juggle the Christian Academy team with the new team. Time will tell if this will be feasible.

If she has to drop the one or the other it will be a tough call. The Christian Academy is the team with all her church friends. The girls from her youth group play on that team. The other one she knows nobody but we will have to pay $500 to have her on it! If she has to choose it might fall on the team we spent the most money for!

So lets chat! How do you juggle your teenagers social activities with school work and family time? Do you see value in time spent with friends? Do you allow them to do things at 13 or do you think that is too young to be doing so much away from home? Lets hear your thoughts? How is this all juggled at your house?

Peter's View

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 02:47:00 +0000

Peter: Mom if you gave me rewards for doing my school work I would do it faster.
Me: Son you should do your work without rewards. It builds character and makes you a more disciplined boy.
Peter: That sounds just awful and horrifying to me!

There are days you wonder if anything is getting through to them!

Optimism lives on

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 06:10:00 +0000

Guess I was a little optimistic in the post below! It's 11pm and I'm still up getting the lessons planned, the kitchen cleaned and the car packed for tomorrows homeschooling and tutoring at the Academy. I will blog soon though! No, really I will!

Back in the Groove

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:44:00 +0000

I think I'm getting back into this blogging thing. I can feel the urge again. It feels good to want to blog! I will be updating this tomorrow. In the meantime if you want to know what's going on in my life you can catch up with me on my homeschool blog Blueberry House. I have some new pics of Peter up over there.

Life Without Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:42:00 +0000

I really, really want to read a book! I miss reading for pleasure. The four ladies I go out to dinner with once a month have talked of starting a book club. I felt a familiar thrill go down my spine as I anticipated being part of a book club again. Its been about 8 years since I've done that. It would be so fun to discuss a book with adults rather than with kids who want to be anywhere besides right there discussing a book!

I immediately agreed how fun it would be and started to make plans with the ladies. I walked away from the table and one of the ladies came up to me and said, "Have you thought of this realistically? Have you thought about it that you and I homeschool and the other three don't? Not only do they not homeschool their kids are gone all day and none of them have jobs! I don't see anyway that we would be able to keep up with their schedule."

She was right. I don't have time for a book club. That makes me sad.

The Trouble With Trolls

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:27:00 +0000

Okay, I got another troll comment. Here's the thing people. I can handle people disagreeing with me. I have people in real life that absolutely cant stand me. I also have people in real life that love me to death. I have more really close friends than anybody I know of. I know what is liked to be hated but you know what? I admire those who don't like me and say so. I cant stand the cowardly guts of the people who hate me in blogland and duck in and out to make sure I am aware they are there. I have published some awful comments here on my blog because the person dared to say what they felt and then signed their name. I like those people whether they like me or not. Something has to be said for the person who knows their own mind and is not afraid to stand up.

But the lily livered, gutless wonders who come here and leave comments and then don't sign their names, they are another story. So the troll thinks all I do is complain. Well at least I stay on my page and don't go whining around on other peoples blogs. Get off my blog if you don't like it! Mercy, is it so hard to stop reading here? Just go. Nobody makes you read the Dishpan Dribble. There are thousands of blogs out there. Go read them and enjoy yourself.

The troll says she would follow me if she had a blog but her reasons would not be what I would think. I say to the troll, "No you wouldn't follow me if you had a blog because then you would have to show your ugly eyes above the slime and you are too gutless to do that!"

I find it bone tickling that even though I have barely been able to keep this blog open the trolls have stayed. That is funny! It shows that once again they have no life of their own. Oh well, at least some people are fascinated by my life!

Lets see how many of you have trolls? What do you do about them? Why do trolls hang out at some blogs and others have blogged a long time and not had to deal with them? Should I set a trap and catch this thing? Actually it's more than one! I have several of them. One of the biggest trolls I've had and the longest lasting troll lives in New York. Thats all the way across the US! Oh please troll, get yourself a life!

A Last Minute Bus Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:40:00 +0000

I have a lot to do today. My mother is getting a feeding tube on Monday. She lives about 6 hours from here. I have decided to hop the Greyhound bus and go up there to be with her a few days. That is not as simple as it sounds. Because I just decided this I have a ton of things to do. The kids and Mr Darling are staying here.

Tink will continue her classes at the charter school. My son in law has broken his collar bone in a sand dune accident on the quad so he is home for the next several weeks. If it wouldn't be for that little tidbit I would not be able to go for four days. Edward has said he will take Tink to her classes and keep Peter with him through the day. That makes this all possible. He is a great son in law!

Today I have to get the family laundry done and the house clean. I also have to help Tink write a research paper that is due in her Writing class on Monday morning. I have to get a hold of the Peter's teachers and let them know he wont be in class. He will only be missing PE and Orchestra there so its just easier to keep him with Edward.

The next order of business is to notify all the tutoring students. That will be harder to do. There's one little guy I tutor this Monday and I have no idea how to get a hold of him! He was added last minute and I haven't got his paper work filled out. I am going to have to go through some long round about channels to find his mother and let her know! That one concerns me.

When I decide to take a mini vacation or when I get sick it's amazing how much stuff I find loaded into my calendar. I return Wednesday evening and right away Thursday the tutoring and classes and doctors appointments start adding up.

Peter is going to a doctor to find out once and for all whats up with stomach. He has been having the worst pain and diarrhea! The other day someone poked him in the stomach and he doubled over crying with pain. It shouldn't have hurt him that badly. The doctor has hinted that he might have a hernia so I think its time to find out whats going on.

I have a doctors appointment for myself too. I want to figure out why my legs and ankles and knees are swelling so much! This is just awful. Is my circulation that bad? Am I retaining water for some reason? I don't know but I feel like the elephant man by the end of the day.

Well I better get to moving here. It's been so long since we've all been home for a Saturday morning breakfast so I want to be sure to make our traditional weekend breakfast this morning even though I have a ton of things to do to get ready to leave.

Our Saturday morning breakfast here at the homestead:
Sausage or bacon
egg omelets
hashbrowns
toast
coffee
juice

Another note:
If any of you are interested in what the kids are doing this year for homeschool and outside classes you can find an updated list in the sidebar on my homeschool blog Blueberry House.

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noreply@blogger.com (Mrs. Darling) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 04:18:00 +0000

So disgruntled tonight! I am just so incredibly tired of taking care of the kids 6 days a week! My husband leaves the house at 5 am and returns at 8 or 8:30 pm. There are times I just need a break and tonight is one of them! I don't mean I need "me" time. I mean I need someone else to solve the problems; someone else to take over the kids homework, to oversee the music lessons, to juggle housekeepers and landscaping guys, tutoring kids and teachers, doctors appointments and business calls....I just need a tiny little break for a tiny little afternoon. That's all.

EDIT: (Just lost a follower. Guess they didnt want to hear me complain.)