Hey! Hi! Hello!

Remember me?  I’m still around.  Just had a hard time finding my way back here from the far away land of Online School-ooool-oool-ool.  (<–lame attempt at an echo)

That’s where I’m writing from today!

It’s nice here.  It was sorta hard to find our way around at first.  But, we’re getting the hang of it.

At first, being here in the land of Online School-ooool-oool-ool took up most of my time.  And in the beginning, figuring out the customs here was a learning experience.

Though we were having fun, it took an awful lot of time and energy and paper and ink.  But, as we became more comfortable, we started to find ways to have the fun, learn the lessons and still have time to do other things.  That last part has made it extra nice.

Here’s a little of what we’ve learned so far: (<–if a colon wasn’t required here, forgive me.  We haven’t gotten to that lesson yet!)

• The obscene amounts of ink and paper I was using aren’t actually necessary.   The materials are mostly already here in printed form once I figured out where to look.
• Helpful tour guides(teachers) and locals(friends who were already dwelling in the land of  Online School-ooool-oool-ool) make the place much more inviting.
• Mitochondria, osmosis, diffusion, cell walls and cytoplasm are just as boring as they always were.  But, I know more about them than I ever have in my life.  And more importantly, so does Adam.
• Some people learn better in the morning.(Adam and Mack) And some, or rather,  the one(Sam) is more ready to learn in the afternoon.  And that’s okay, because the land of Online School-ooool-oool-ool is flexible like that.
• Crab cakes and pasta with Gail’s special pesto sauce are preferred over school cafeteria food,  hands down.
• Sometimes, you just can’t sit still.  And when you can’t, you can have a light saber battle while going over your spelling words.  And you can still score 100% on the test.  Lightsabers are considered lucky here in the land of Online School-ooool-oool-ool.
• You can totally spend your day in a bathing suit or pajamas here.  No shirts, no shoes, no problem.  Except for me, the learning coach, I frown on going topless.  I wear a shirt.   Every.  Single.  Day.  Without fail.  ‘Cause, I’m cool like that.  (And everyone, everywhere thanks me for it!)
• Being able to say, “I’ve had enough.  They’ve had enough.  Let’s take a break and do something else.  We’ll come back to it after awhile.”  is smiled upon here!
• Lots of options, materials and ways to teach an objective are there and finding the one(s) that best works for your child is a gift.
• I still really am crazy about the other folks traveling on this trip to the land of Online School-ooool-oool-ool.  And they seem to still like me.  And each other.  No one has been voted off of the island as of yet!

So far, it’s great.  I’m glad we’re here.  And it’s getting easier.  And way less time consuming.  And we have no plans of returning!

Though, I will, hopefully be able to squeeze in more time in the blogosphere now that I’m getting the hang of navigating the land of Online School-ooool-oool-ool!

For now though, the weather’s beautiful! Wish you were here!

I’m waiting to log on for our first day of online school.  I have a little case of the first day of school jitters.

At least I know I like the people in my class this year!

Wish me luck!

My mom’s mom was a tiny little lady.  My mom was 5’1/2″ tall and she was taller than my grandmother.

The best I can remember, she was a sweet, quiet, hard working little lady.  She was always smiling and hugging.

My dad once pulled in her yard and she was standing on a crate and was helping change a fan belt.  He said all you could see was her feet sticking out.  She had to be nearly 80 at the time.

My memories are pretty spotty.  I saw her every other Saturday when my mom went to visit her.  We’d take her to the grocery store and out to lunch and to Kmart.

She died a couple of months before my mom.

And I wish I remembered her better.

Because, when I look at the life that she lived, I think she must have been pretty amazing.

Just to remain standing would have made her amazing.  Much less smiling and hugging.

My grandfather owned a small sawmill.  And every morning my grandmother got up and made breakfast for his entire crew.  That’s a lot of biscuits.

Not to mention her crew.  She had seven children.

One of them she lost to some sort of fever when he was very young.

Two of her older children were left with pretty severe brain damage from this same fever.

They were always referred to as “retarded” after that.  And in that day and age, making fun and ostracizing people with handicaps was pretty commonplace.  I can’t imagine how that hurt as a mother.

 Her “retarded” daughter was one of my favorite people when I was a kid.

And I really hate that word.

One of her sons was killed in World War II.

And another was killed in a horrendous car accident as an adult leaving three small kids behind.

Her husband also passed away.  Leaving her to take care of the two special needs adult children and herself.

I always looked at her as this meek little lady.  And now, I wish I’d known what I was seeing.

A brave, brave woman.

A hero.

I wish I’d realized what a pillar of strength she was.

And what she’d been through.  Until I grew up and had my own family, I don’t think I ever really considered her.  I’m ashamed to say.

And I wish I’d learned more from her.

I wish I’d recognized her quiet strength.

Next time, I feel like complaining, I need to remind myself of her.

I think I’ll find her picture and frame it.

It’ll serve as a reminder that I don’t know hard.

But, I do come from strong stuff.

And that even when you know hard, you can smile anyway.

Do you know people like that?

Amazing people that you didn’t realize were amazing?   If they’re still around, take the time to get to know them.  I wish I would have!

Today I’m linking up with the oh so funny Poppy of Funny or Snot fame.

Adam, the Vintage Idiot,  was rifling around in some of my old albums.  Stored in the same place was a school newspaper.  From 1989.  My senior year.

I’m not sure I even read it in 1989.  So, I paged through it and ended up finding it hysterical.  Lots of inappropriate New Years Resolutions.  Some pretty bad grammar.  But, one article really jumped out at me.

Smokers Are People Too

Apparently there was much buzz about the relocation of the smoking area.  Mind you, this smoking area wasn’t a place for the teachers to have a Marlboro after a particularly rowdy economics class.  Nah, I think they were probably still smoking in the teacher’s lounge at that time.

Nope, this was for the students.  The high school students.  Because, you know,  it would be cruel and unusual to make kids spend a whole day at school without burning one.

In the article, the principal said that it needed to be relocated because of visibility and neatness. “Trash cans and cigarette butts on front campus present a negative view for visitors.”

Okay, I’m thinking that a gang of teenagers standing around in a haze of smoke would have more  been off putting than the trash cans and cigarette butts to the visitors.

But what do I know?  It was a different time.  I can hardly remember 1989.

I’m very old now.

And if smoking was allowed, that meant a bunch of 14 year olds were running around the school with lighters too?  Craziness!

Though the place never burned down, so, again, what do I know?

I wish I weren’t facing technical difficulties, because I’d love to scan the photo that accompanied the article.  It was a bunch of kids standing around in Members Only jackets and tight jeans smoking.  “Seniors Chill in the Smoking Area,” was the caption beneath.  I know their parents were proud that they’d made the paper.

I can’t help but wonder if you had to have a permission slip signed from your parents or not.

Very odd, this eighties living.  Makes me think, WTF?

I’m just thankful that they didn’t have a drinking area.

I’d have never graduated!

Kidding. Maybe.

Click on that link above and see others pose the burning question, WTF?

Y’all have a good Wednesday!

So, school starts in about two weeks.  And usually, this would incite the blues around here.

But, we’re actually looking forward to it this year.

Normally, we all have this sense of urgency and dread.

Urgently trying to rush around squeezing every last drop of goodness out of our summer.

And the never ending schedules and being tethered to home cause us much dread.  We experience a tightening of the noose kind of feeling.

For my spontaneous little family, it’s like doing nine months of hard time.

The ratio of days we look forward to-to days we dread seem way out of balance.

But, we’ve decided to step off of the hamster wheel.  We’re very bad at keeping it going anyway.  And we certainly don’t enjoy it. And, seriously, who said it mattered in the first place?

I’ve enrolled the fellows in online school this year. It’s still public school.  We just won’t be so encumbered.

I must say, I’ve got no problems with their schools.  They’ve had wonderful teachers.  I’ve loved and trusted them all.

There are wonderful kids there.  This has nothing to do with me sheltering them from the unwashed masses.

But, I’m just comfortable enough to think that learning can take place somewhere else.  And for us, it may be a good solution.

I’m not doing this to narrow their world view, I’m hoping to expand it.

We’re planning on doing a lot of traveling this year.   And to me, there’s so much to be learned from being on the road.

Our plans are still kind of loose.  And that is just how I like it.  The hard schedules are the thing I liked least about school.

And so, we’re giving it a go.  And if it doesn’t work, there’s a great school with wonderful teachers that I’ll send them back to, quick as lightning.

My husband and I have their best interests at heart above all else.   And so, instead of complaining and living with a lifestyle that we really detest, we’re hoping this shows them that it’s okay to make changes.

So, the first lesson from this adventure, I hope, is if you’re not satisfied, you have options. Being discontent and harping on it all the time is just weird.  Complaining for complaining’s sake is just….annoying.  Especially if you aren’t willing to do what it takes to change things up.

It’s okay to do things differently.

And just because it’s the norm, doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Maybe that’ll be lesson number two.

I’ll let you know how it goes!

****Just wanted to give some credit where it’s due.  For over a year, I’ve followed Lori’s Lolz as she writes about educational options.  She and her family online school using the K12 curriculum that we’ll be using.  At the end of last summer, I felt a little tug and pull to give it a try.  But, didn’t have any problems at our regular schools and so I thought I couldn’t justify it.  This year, I realized that we didn’t have to have a problem to want another option.   Something doesn’t have to be wrong for it not to be right.

It took me long enough to figure that out!  I’ve got high hopes that this will be the option that works for us.

*****Oh, and the kids are thrilled!  They were very much a part of this decision.  They, like their Mama, are a freedom loving crowd and are hoping this will be a good fit.  We shall see.

Be sure and follow along!  It should be interesting!

I may be a little obsessed with Pinterest.  I knew better than to even get sucked in, but I couldn’t help it.  There’s so much goodness, right there in one place.

I found this project there and it was so much fun that I had to share. It’s been so hot here that we’ve been trapped in the house for days.  So, a lot of crafting has been happening. And this one was a hit.  And it’s easy.  And you probably have the stuff in your pantry.

Homemade puff paint

Here’s the recipe.

1 tblsp self rising flour

1 tblsp salt

a few drops of food coloring

water-enough to make a paste

And that’s all.  We made maybe half a dozen colors and shared them.

Paint on thick paper, we used drawing paper.  Construction paper was a little too flimsy.  You could also use cardboard or posterboard, but you’d have to cut it into smaller pieces so that it would fit into the microwave.

After your masterpiece is done, pop it into the microwave for 20-30 seconds and poof.  Or rather, puff.

And the paint on the table was a big nothing to clean up.  I put down wax paper, but it really wasn’t necessary.  The clean up was very easy.

And now….drumroll please!

The Puffy Art Gallery

That’s all there is to it.

Today, we’re making homemade bouncy balls.  And if the heat doesn’t break, we’re going to build our own rocket so that we can travel to a cooler planet!

Okay friends, go forth and puff!

I’ve not appreciated summer very much this week.  It’s been really hot.  Not really fit for man nor beast.  But, I remembered this post and needed the reminder. I thought I’d rerun it today.

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“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” John Lubbock

People are always in such a hurry.  There are items on lists waiting to be scratched off.  There are things to do, people to see, bills to pay, errands to run, laundry to fold, dishes to wash, dinners to cook, diapers to change, calls to return, emails to compose, lawns to mow, practices to attend, carpools to drive, assignments to complete.

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But, summer is here.

Slow down.

Let the grass grow.

Order take out.

Blow off practice.

Enjoy a sunset or sunrise.

Realize that the laundry and the dishes and the errands aren’t going anywhere.

In fact, throw that list away.

It’s summertime.  And it doesn’t come around but once a year.  Enjoy it.

Swim, play in the sprinkler, grill, catch lightning bugs, pick flowers and tomatoes and berries, look for arrowheads or seashells, sit on porches laughing and visiting, shell beans or shuck corn while you’re sitting there, listen to your favorite music over a cold drink with friends, stretch out in a hammock and take a nap, do cannonballs, blow bubbles.  Spend time in rocking chairs and porch swings.

Enjoy.

The phone won’t stop ringing, but you can turn it off.

The world won’t fall apart if all the laundry isn’t put away(trust me on this one).

Taking a walk isn’t a bad way to spend an evening.

Turn the TV off.

Summer is here and you want to remember the sweetness of it, don’t you?

Slow down.

Eat a Popsicle, churn some ice cream.

Boil some shrimp.

Enjoy every second of it.

It won’t last forever!

This is the season for laziness, the season for adventure. My favorite time of year.  And friends, I don’t want you to miss a second of it!

I want to share some housekeeping tips today.

Stop laughing.

I’m serious.

Mopping Tutorial

Specifically written for the imperfectionist housekeeper

Step 1

Round up a kid or two.

Step 2

Have kids put on mix matched socks.

Step 3

Add vinegar to a little water in the tub.  Next, take poor quality photos of kids making these faces while standing in vinegar and water in mismatched socks.

**Note: Step 3 is really the key to the whole thing, make sure your camera battery is charged.

Step 4

Slide baby slide.

Step 5

Acting like a robot can be beneficial.

Step 6

Dirt stands no chance against a six year old throwing gang signs.

If you want to go all “roller derby” I won’t be mad at you.

Step 7

Toss the socks in the washing machine and hope they find their mates.  And enjoy a floor that’s cleaned to your very low expectations.

Next week- The kids do the dishes.  Involving a trash can and roller skates!  Be sure and tune in for more imperfectionist housekeeping tips!

I left the beach yesterday for three weeks.  During that time, I’ve got renters coming in and had to get ready. Between that process and coming home, I learned a few things about myself and the world.  And since I’m not one to keep anything to myself, I’m going to share.

• The level of cleanliness that I can live with would offend someone renting our house.
• Sam is a hoarder.
• I really should look in the back of the refrigerator more often.
• Soy sauce stains concrete.
• Clothes hangers are not strong enough to unlock car doors.
• My telephone isn’t very important to me. {After a summer of hardly charging it, I left it at the beach and didn’t even notice. The renters let Wayne know.}
• Putting everything in the refrigerator into a cooler, but not immediately running to the store to get ice may not be a big deal.  But, locking it in a car in SC during the month of July is probably a mistake.
• Coming home isn’t my favorite thing. {I already knew this, but coming home confirmed it}
• Renewing your AAA when the notice comes should be a priority.
• Next time I’m missing spoons, I’ll know to look under Sam’s bed.
• Having a good, kind and responsible neighbor who renews her AAA when the notice comes is a real benefit.
• Families(not toddlers) who raise their voices and get in stews over things like missing volleyballs would not be fun to vacation with.  Especially when the voice are being raised on Day 1 of the vacation, not after a full week of vacationing with the extended family.
• Bacon grease left in a pan with the air conditioner in a house turned off smells very much like what I’d imagine a colostomy bag on a dead, people food eating campground opossum if left in a hot car for a week would smell like.  It does not make coming home from the beach easier.
• Having a husband who owns up to and gets rid of said bacon grease does make coming home a little more bearable.
• A scatterbrained, somewhat irresponsible lifestyle breeds flexibility.  People who regularly lock keys in cars don’t expect to know where the volleyball is in the first place, therefore, no one gets their feelings hurt when it’s missing.
• One way or another, sometimes you have to leave the beach.  Even having your eight year old lock the keys in the car doesn’t do anything but postpone the inevitable.

So, there it is!  What I learned from the cleaning and the packing and the unpacking and the locking and the unlocking!

Have a great Monday!  What are you learning this summer?

The little boys had surf camp one day this week with Village Surf Shoppe in Garden City, SC.

This post is really just to show off how cute my kids are.

Sam catching a wave at surf camp.

I’m the King of the World

The Mack man catching a wave!

Mack will ride all day.  He’s thinking it’s time to get his own board.  I’m thinking I agree with him.

This is my six year old, Sam attempting to do a little shredding.

Cue the music, Wipe Out….

Mack unveils his Water Bending Super Powers!

And not to be upstaged, here’s a couple of Adam.

I’ve got about a bajillion pictures that I haven’t even had time to look at yet.  Maybe I’ll find some cute ones to share soon.

And yesterday, we spent the most amazing day at Huntington Beach State Park.  The boys and I hiked every trail, went surf seining and did our fair share of wildlife watching.    Pictures and stories soon!

Happy Friday everyone!