35 going on 21

June 1st is my birthday.

I'm 35.
I can't believe it. My brain is about 21 (blogthings confirmed my suspicions) so this whole turning 35 does not compute.

It's just funny - it didn't seem that long ago that 35 seemed old. Not old as in OLD - but in that you'd have accomplished much and done what you wanted to do....I still have much I want to accomplish and much I want to do.

It just seems funny that I can honestly say that I am 35.

My mom likes this picture -- So I thought I'd share.

Zoo Tycoon

I'm feeling a bit like I'm playing a game on Zoo Tycoon. The only thing missing is the little blurbs telling me when the animals are unhappy or can't find food.

Mini-Me asked if she could save her money and buy a hamster. Without referring with the Professor, I said yes. I mean, if she was willing to save her money, why not?

Our friend, and pet whisperer, offered us a cage they were using. Mini-Me was excited. So she kept saving money. Scraping the coins off the dryer or the van or the floor whenever she could.

Then on Memorial Day, Poppy (my dad) handed her $5 to help her pay for the hamster. She was beside her self with joy. Even coming to me after my parents left, with tears in her eyes, to ask how she could let Poppy know how grateful she was.

My heart grew 3 sizes that day. I was so proud. And would have taken her to get the hamster RIGHT THEN but we hadn't picked up the cage yet.

Long story short --

Introducing Whiskers
or Sir Whiskers as we like to call him.

He is a Roborovski Dwarf Hamster.
And he's about the size of a mouse.
He reminds me of Morris the Mouse in a pop up book we have.
Mini-Me didn't like the name Morris.
Or Dash. This little guy is speedy. We put him here in a carry box so that we could clean out his palatial cage and he kept going in circles. (if you're following the edges of a square box, is it still considered a circle??)

We tried offering him some peace carrots.
He'd get really close and back away. Mini-Me would say "I feel his whiskers" or "I feel his claws".

We got the palace cleaned and put together and inserted the rodent..er..Sir Whiskers into his new home. Mini-me sat and watched him for a long time.

Of course, Maggie the cat, would love nothing better than to meet Sir Whiskers, too. She's currently carefully treading on the counter atop where Whiskers home sits. I think she's thinking "Canned food" - but I don't know. She's keeping mum about it.

That's the other thing I wish - I wish that, like Zoo Tycoon, there were happy faces to tell me when the animals were happy. I can't tell if Sir Whiskers is happy or not. He's spent most of his first few days in the upper chamber of his palace, pushing all the aspen chips down the tube. He couldn't get to his food or water, so I'd go clean out the tube or chase him down it. He must have something against the bedding we have - he's currently living under the ramp that leads to the exercise wheel. He's pushed all the bedding aside so he's sleeping on the plastic cage bottom.

Pretty much, he's built a bunker.
Wonder what he'll do when it's time to change out his bedding.
If this were zoo tycoon, I'd know.

Though, I already know with Maggie the Cat. She's thinking, just get everyone out of here and I'll be happy. Or maybe, she's asking herself if she can get the top off the hamster cage... I mean, Palace. Maybe some things are better left unknown.

Roar of the Subway

I think it's safe to come out now. The roar of the Subway was getting a bit much. I don't think I've seen homeschoolers in such an uproar in a very long time.

In case you hadn't heard Subway had a contest. Which lead to such a roar that I had to shake my head in wonderment. Subway has finally issued a formal apology - yet, for some blogger moms that I've stumbled upon it's not enough.

THE BEST response I've read to the hub-bub has been here. And I found her through a homeschool loop. I think the up roar started in a homeschool loop. Gotta be careful the stuff that gets posted on a loop.

I really don't understand why homeschoolers got crazy about this. How many people were going to actually enter the contest?? I wasn't.

I realize that the phraseology was a bit exclusionary and they should have said "no groups smaller than 20 members".

But sheesh!! what an uproar.

Maybe my shock comes in my background. I was homeschooled in the dark ages.

Well, it was dark for us. We were about the only homeschoolers around in the '80's where I grew up in Oklahoma. We finally found enough people to form a smallish group - but there was nothing when we started. I remember my mom starting us with OLD school books before we finally hit our stride with Christian Liberty Satellite School and then Abeka through Highschool.

THERE WERE NO CONTESTS THAT WELCOMED HOMESCHOOLERS. AT ALL.
Talk about excluded.
Now there are soooooo many that instead of throwing a fit about the one that says "no homeschoolers" -- go sign up for the contests that don't care!!

I read many things about the Scholastic book giveaway. That a homeschooler would be most happy to win second prize. 'kay. See?? I don't get this part.

I must need to go investigate Scholastic again.
In my memory - they were distrusted by homeschoolers because they were anti-Christian and pro-humanistic. Not to mention pro-school. I'm guessing they've changed ... which would be good.

I agree that homeschoolers should be civic minded...but not against a sandwich company.
One blogger mom ranted about the contest with the same vehemence that she ranted about the apparent autonomy of a Child Protective Service and their abuse of power.

I do not see them as the same evil.

Subway can't take away my children.

Why did we get in such an uproar over a sandwich contest?? Think of the homeschoolers in Germany that have their children taken away. If we want to get upset about being excluded in the word as homeschoolers - what about my tax dollars being spent on a public school system of which I want nothing to do with??

This had no effect on my right to vote, free speech, right to carry a gun, the right to go about as I darn well want. It has no effect on whether or not my hubby can make money to support us. It did not change the Oklahoma laws that don't require me to have a teaching license to teach my own children. I can still attend church the way I want to. I can still worship God in the way I want to.

I was not threatened at all by the Subway exclusion and think that, well, Frankly, the subway uproar has been silly.

My energies could be used elsewhere and eating at Subway may just be one of them.

Updates from the Depth of the Laundry Pile

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. I wish I could say that it was because we were finishing up with school - but we weren't and we aren't. We shall be schoolin' over the summer.

Here are a few things that have kept me busy.

Shaggy:
We honestly were beginning to be concerned that we'd made a mistake in adopting him. We ended up taking him to the vet the second day we had him because he wouldn't open one eye. The vet was very nice and gave him eye drops to numb the pain. Gave me eye drops to take home. I could actually see the nick on his cornea. It was creepy.

The eye not-withstanding, he was mopey. Seriously. I would look at him and just feel sad. He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't play. He WOULD tell us when he had to go outside and let us know when he wanted back in.

The funny part was when visitors came by he would come alive. He would bounce all over them. He would wag his tail and bark and just be HAPPY. Then the visitors would go away and he was mopey again.

I should have taken a picture of him in his mopey state because that, thank God, has all changed. Nearly two weeks of him living with us and he is a different dog. He's happy and bouncy and occasionally he barks. He even wants to make friends with Her Highness, Maggie-the-cat. She is not interested.

The Professor put in a pet door in the wall so that Shaggy could go in and out at will. It has been fantastic. It's great to see Shaggy up and dog-like. A depressed dog is just a very sad thing.

School Work and Kids:
I've been trying to keep on top of things with school work and kids. It doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging. Right now, I'm ignoring the piles of laundry in order to change my blog entry. We're in a very tough season. The littles are growing mentally and testing every boundary I know of and some I didn't.

We're still behind in school work but plodding along. We are finishing up with MFW and studying about the states. We're looking forward to learning about cultures and countries next year. We haven't been doing the science that goes with it. I'm considering doing something extra - like a unit study - sometime this summer on the weather and the body. It should be interesting. I envision a giant mobile hanging from the ceiling fan in each kids' room filled with weather symbols.

G is reading more and more and he gets excited about it. I even have a plan for working more on his phonics. Each work sheet has practice on it that is also covered in the lesson plan. If I eliminate some of the lessony part and teach off of the worksheet he gets practice. AND he gets one-on-one mommy time. Which he absolutely loves. I can't wait to test it out again.

Me:
I'm not quite so comfy in my denims and I'm counting the calories until I am. :-) So far so good. Today is day 2. I've also been revisiting the Chronicles of Narnia. I really really liked the Dawn Treader (the 3rd book to feature the Pevensies and the follow up to Prince Caspian). We saw the movie Prince Caspian. It's a great follow up to the movie - but it's not the book. *L* The actor that played Miraz was EXCELLENT! And I totally loved the Aslan References they threw in the movie, since they weren't following the book.

I've been a bit bloggy-blah. Not sure what to blog about because it's not been ground breaking news or earthshaking funny. When you're spending all your energy on other stuff, though, bloggy-stuff should naturally fall to the way-side.

I was a bit shocked to realize that it is soon to be June. (it's big because my b-day is on the 1st - that's another post for another time.) I lightly lamented to The Professor (lightly because I only lightly meant it) that time was passing me by too fast and I wasn't going to learn the guitar or get anything written down. He was so sweet - and he meant it fully - that I was focusing on teaching the kids and that was the most important part of my job right now.

AWWWWWWWWWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Melt my heart, why don't ya?


Conclusion:
When you're doing what you're supposed to be doing - the rest of the "stuff" just kind of doesn't seem important.

A Memoir summary?

Classic Mama and Cristina both had the same thought...to tag me and see what my 6-word memoir would say. I had to think on this one.

Really hard.

There are so many words available to use. How in the world can I write a memoir in just 6 words?? Especially when I'm easily amused.

As of yesterday I'd managed to get it down to 7 selective words. do I really have to stick with just 6??

Here are the rules: (Who made up these rules, anyway?)

Write your own six-word memoir. Okay. Done.
Post it on your blog (Oh, that's the whole point, isn't it?) and include a visual demonstration if you'd like. (Ooo - my memoir is going to be illustrated?)
Link to the person who tagged you. (done. Go see what they wrote - they're really good.)
Tag 5 more people and link to them...then go and leave them comments asking them to play.
I'm terrible at the tagging part - because by the time I get to answering my tags, all my blogger buds have already (expertly) answered theirs. ...

I hereby - officially tag: -GottaGrowWithIt (Love her blog title and her wit) and Melanie at Countin' it all Joy (because she'd be good at this).
I know - it's only 2.
I can count.
Really.
It was random.

Without anymore rules here's my 6 word (minus 1) Memoir --

Laughing with God, constantly singing.

My visual image:

It cuts out all the learning and the "she was born in ..." - but there ya go.
Now, what would yours say?

And introducing...

We weren't sure when we would get our new dog. It could take up to 2 weeks. So I was waiting. The kids were waiting. Just not very patiently. About 3:30 yesterday, the pet rescue people called to tell me that we could have our new dog! Our application had been approved. We would need to call the groomers to make arrangements to pick him up. Okay. No problem.

We called, the groomer/boarder was not open. the kids deflated immediately. I left a message, planning to go over first thing in the morning. She called back at 4. If we could make it to the vet to pick up heart worm medicine, we could then come by and pick up Shaggy.

so we grabbed the leash and scurried off. We picked up some Revolution from the vet.
We went to the groomers and claimed our prize.

He's a 17 month old shih-tzu.

I've learned that I have much to learn about a) this breed and b) dogs in general.
I thought I knew what I was doing.
But I don't.
Drats.

I'm very grateful for friends that do.

He had a very busy day.
He ran and ran and ran yesterday evening.
He ran between fences - running from one neighbor dog to another.
He ran with children. He ran from children.
He ran to children.
He sat in my lap.
He looked, with curiosity, at Maggie the cat.
Maggie was not impressed.
At. All.
He ran so much yesterday, that today he just wants to be left alone.

This is what happens when you have too much fun:
I feel the same way, sometimes.
*LOL*
They just don't make carriers big enough for both of us.

Maybe I could clean out the closet.

Guess...

What we're going to get?

We're not sure Maggie the cat will approve, so we haven't told her.
We rather assume she'll figure it out.
Eventually.

Another fishy day...

G-man has been saving his money to buy a fish tank. The day arrived. I bought some rocks to go in the bottom of it - and we set it up and got it ready for a fishy inhabitant.

Today, we bought Yoda. He's black and green or blue depending on the light. He's longer than Gonzo - and content to just kind of float around the tank. G-man is thrilled.

In our light, he looks more green than blue - and I'm seriously considering changing the fake plant to a green one.

I liked this next picture - the mirror image is rather cool.

I tried to get a picture of him face-to-face, but he refused. I rather enjoy watching him swim around lazily. I could get used to being a fishy family.