Homeschool Day at the Zoo, and the Rest of Life Too

Last week we took advantage of homeschool day at the zoo. It was fun to take a break from our normal routine and spend some time outdoors!

I missed doing a special post I was thinking about for 10-10-10. As usual, I'm behind. Maybe I'll have my act more together by 11-11-11. :-) Anyway, here's my top ten list for things happening on and around 10-10, since my last post oh so long ago!

1. Potty training is a success! I keep waiting for it to be hard, but she is going GREAT! Ah, the benefits of procrastinating. She was old enough to just decide on her own to do it!

2. Because potty training is so successful, we have a new Tinkerbell dolly. She is very fancy, with pom poms on her shoes and wings that sparkle. Fairy fondness abounds around here.

3. I had dinner last night with my girlfriends from high school. During dinner, a cricket fell from the ceiling and landed on Nancy Bell's sweater. My skin is still crawling.

4. Emma had a play date with Marci's nephew, Christopher. He is darling, and my number one choice to become Mr. Emma. Ha!

The boys played with Christopher's big brother, Brian, and the three of them made up karate moves.

5. Mindy is sick and had to go to the vet yesterday. Yesterday, when approximately 4,239 things were happening simultaneously. Make that 4,240 because the dog was pooping all over my bathroom, which definitely counts as a thing that was happening. Turns out, she has a bacterial infection and the vet asked if I would cook for her.

Sure, why not.

My family has eaten cold cereal and take out for three days, but I made chicken and rice for the dog with a delicate digestive tract. And complained the WHOLE time.

6. The Revelation Bible study (the one I didn't want to do) is blowing me away and I can hardly wait to plop in my seat every week to hear the next video. Beth Moore both uplifts and challenges me, and this current series is blessing my socks off. (And inspiring me to at least feel guilty for wanting to sell the dog for a quarter.)

7. I bought a chrysanthemum for my front porch. October can't decide if it's going to be hot or cold. I love to decorate for fall and can't wait any longer. It was in the 70's the day I bought it, but it has suffered through some 90 degree days, sweltering away next to my pumpkins. Southerners are funny this time of year. We dress in warm clothes and scatter scarecrows as if willing the weather to change.

8. Leo, for one, is thankful the fall decorating has begun.

9. The kids and I just finished reading Just David, and I cried. It is written by the same woman who wrote Pollyanna, and is a touching portrait of love and beauty. I'm still plugging away with the Mitford series too. I've slowed down quite a bit because I don't have much free time for reading, but I'm so in love with these characters and this town!

10. Corn Salad. It's to die for. Make you some. Gobble it up with a burger off the grill. So good!

Corn Salad

Two cans whole kernel corn (Can use yellow or white or one of each)

1 red pepper chopped very fine (can substitute pimento)

1 medium red onion, chopped

8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese

1/2 cup Ranch dressing

1 1/2 cup crunched up chili-cheese flavored Fritos (I like the plain ones better. Add these just before serving so they don't go mushy.)

Back In the Saddle, and Playing Our Cards

I love taking a vacation from homeschool.

I hate taking a vacation from homeschool.

I love returning to structure and routine.

I hate returning to structure and routine.

I love writing in contradictions.

There is something so enticing about a clean slate and a fresh start, but a "new" anything always seems to come with a set of self imposed standards. I think the hard part about transitioning from Christmas break is that there is really no transition at all. We go from living in the lap of social luxury to being fully accountable and adhering to expectations of productivity. Part of me can hardly wait to start scratching things off of a formal "to do" list. The other part of me can't remember where I left the math books. Can anyone relate?

Ever notice that there are two hurdles to successfully navigating life? The first one involves days when I don't feel like I have enough of a plan. The second involves days where I have a detailed plan, but real life doesn't let me follow it. Today would be a stellar example of the latter. Emma didn't feel good, we forgot everything we ever knew about ancient history, the laptop stopped working so we had to share the desktop, blah...blah...blah. THEN we cheated on the thrifty three and went to Sonic for happy hour, and suddenly things seemed rosy and bright again. I tell you, Sonic ice is no small miracle.

So, we're back in the homeschooling saddle, and although there may have been a slight hitch in the giddy up, we're off like a herd of turtles.

Today I thought I'd show a few games we got for Christmas. Both of these were new to us, and we're really enjoying them! The first one is by the makers of Sequence and is called Kings In the Corner. It is a variation on Solitaire, which makes it a shoe in for me. (I love that classic!)

The second is a card game called Duo. I love it because it is the perfect mix of luck and skill. It is an awesome game to play with kids because it sharpens patterning and sequencing strategies. You can play one hand very quickly, or get addicted and play several rounds to complete a whole game.

We're always on the look out for new games. I'll pass the word that these two get thumbs up, and I'm all ears if anyone else wants to comment about their favorites!