Snippets of Craziness Around Here

Random snippets of life around here...

Wait, what was that? WHAT?

That's right, my friends - the Christmas tree is put AWAY. As in, it's in the box, tied up, and stuffed somewhere in the garage.

And it isn't even Mother's Day yet! What's wrong with this picture?

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Speaking of Christmas, have you all met my latest pet?

Bought for me by two persons who were strictly instructed not to get me a Christmas present. But I love it (and them) anyway.

So far, I've used my new 7-quart beauty to cook applesauce, chili, and....

... thank-you notes. 

Really.

We've had a cold going through our house, meaning that the 8yo's Christmas thank-you cards (which he is writing by himself this year - miracles do happen) are most likely coated with cold germs. (What a way to say thank you!)

In racking my brains to figure out how to sanitize a thank-you note (Google was NO help - I tried), I thought of the crockpot. It was worth a try! So all of our thank-you notes are being thoroughly baked before being mailed.

It may or may not work, but at least it's creative. You've got to admit that.

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In the realm of new acquisitions, here is our newest family member:

We've had it for two weeks now, and are now able to travel about as a family again!

Believe it or not, we already feel a bit... squished. Seriously. In a minivan. In other words, we shouldn't get too attached, because it's only going to be in the family for a couple of years (most likely).

But it's fun anyway, even if it's just an intermediate step! We're very grateful for our new set o' wheels.

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We are now two weeks into the new school term. We celebrated our return to academia by coming down with a miserable cold - all of us, and all within 72 hours of each other. Wow, what a bug! Normally we have only two to three of us caught by each bug that passes through, but this took us all down thoroughly.

In happier news, I am thrilled to report that the 8yo read his first full-length book! Thus far he has stuck with picture books (albeit very long and wordy ones), but a few weeks back he dove head first into "The Chronicles of Narnia." This was very encouraging!

Thomas trains, toddler picture books, and biographies of Adolf Hitler (currently studying World War II).
The beauties of multi-level homeschooling!

I am working full-steam-ahead on planning curriculum choices for next year, which is really quite a job. I hope to order curriculum in March, so time is of the essence! (Especially if I change my mind on everything after purchasing, as I did last year.)


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A few weeks ago, I noticed our son skulking about the house, muttering darkly about "fighting the evil Republicans."

Hmm, what?

It turns out that he was playing Star Wars, assuming that anyone working for "The Republic," i.e. Darth Vader, was a Republican.

Ah, politics!


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Last week, our church was vandalized by person or persons unknown. Oddly enough, our Bible memory verse for the week was "Thou shalt not steal," so it worked in nicely to a conversation about personal property and the Lord's commands regarding respecting others' things.

Here's how the conversation ended:

The 8yo: Mommy, did the thief use a crowbar?

Me: Yes, probably.

*Pause*

The 8yo: Mommy, do I have enough money to buy myself a crowbar ?

Nice, child. Nice.

It turns out that he only wanted a crowbar in order to go "fight the bad guys."

Phew.

Because otherwise, it's a bit early to start on a life of crime.


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We were two weeks late in going to see it, but they still had it up! Our local Tumbleweed Tree (because that's the closest thing to a healthy pine tree you're going to find around here!):

The dark blotch in front is the 8yo. 

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And finally... They're back! And there are more of them than ever!

Yes! Clothing boxes!

Our house is ready to explode with BOY clothing boxes, and now I have a nice stack of GIRL clothing boxes (they've already multiplied since this picture was taken).

However, I expect we'll find room for them... somewhere. Perhaps we could strap them on top of the roof or stuff them up the chimney, or some other practical spot.

But she's worth it!

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Ending with a slightly over-dressed toddler! This is cowboy gear, Star Wars and Winnie-the-Pooh - all mixed together (and assembled by himself!).

Have a wonderful week, dear friends!