Colourful Threads

Barbara over at Fuel tagged me, asking me to describe seven things people might not know about me.

1) I had major closed heart surgery when I was three years old. I have a 14 inch scar on my chest. I spent a week in the hospital, in which my parents could only see me during visiting hours. Today, this surgery is corrected on an out-patient basis and the scar, found at the base of the leg, is less than 1/2 inch.

2) I had stage 2 hypothermia hiking in the Alps in Switzerland on a wet, windy day. I have never been warm since. On the plus side, I got to spend some time in a small chalet with an elderly couple who made the best fresh cheese I have ever had.

3) I have read Anne of Green Gables more times than I can count. I clung to the idea that people loved Anne even though she was flighty and quick tempered. There was hope for me.

4) I have a phone phobia. I had a bad experience with some creepy caller in my young teens and I’ve never really liked calling people, or answering a ringing phone. I have to work myself up to do it. So now you all know why it is that I don’t call!

5) I gave the valedictory address at my Grade 9 graduation. I cried through the whole thing. I’m glad that video cameras were not readily available back then…

6) I love teaching and public speaking. I love being in front of people and sharing my passions. I recently read a study that said people were more afraid of public speaking than dying. Not me. I’d rather face a large restless audience than spiders, dirty diapers, and even death.

7) I cut hair – my own, my husband’s, my children’s. I think I do a pretty good job. I started cutting MrPages hair in the early years of our marriage to help shave off extra money in the budget. I can use the electric clippers like any good army Sargent now. I needed a little more convincing about doing children’s hair, though. One trip to the Hair-Do Zoo for ten minutes of snipping minus $50 dollars convinced me that I could cut four small children’s hair just as well. After that, the leap to my own curls seemed only natural. Oh and that bald spot there? I’m not sure where that came from….

I’m glad it’s only seven things. This was much harder than I thought and has taken me over a week to write but it was sort of fun.

Page1 reminded me that I’m supposed to tag someone else. So if you read this and want to join the game, leave the info or links in the comment section!

Related posts:

1. On My Own

(This is a continuation of a list started by Page1 here.)

I am Thankful For…

26. Love
27. The McInnes’
28. Wind
29. The smell that the outside has after it rains
30. Pancakes with syrup and strawberries
31. Angel food cake and whipped cream
32. Hazel and Clover (our pet rats)
33. Truffles (our pet rabbit)
34. Swimming
35. Birds
36. Root beer floats with vanilla ice cream
37. Those Christmas lights that look like gumdrops
38. Pencils and paper (so that I can draw and write)
39. Apples to Apples
40. MagnaDoodles

Related posts:

1. 1000 Ways I am Thankful (5)
2. 1000 Ways I am Thankful (4)
3. 1000 Ways I am Thankful (3)
4. 1000 Ways I am Thankful

I bent down to kiss Page4 a sweet goodnight. He put his pudgy little hands on my cheeks and pulled me down for a kiss. Then he whispered, “I washed my hands in hot water.”

“Oh,” I innocently replied.

“I got poop on them,” he said rather matter-of-factly.

“Did you use soap?” I cringed.

“Was I supposed to?” he asked.

I’m off to soak my face in disinfectant now…

(Man, I really need to think about some more intellectual posts!)

Related posts:

1. Overheard at My House
2. Overheard at my House
3. Overheard at Our House
4. Overheard at my House – On the Road…

MrsPages was out doing errands and brought hot dogs home as a treat.

Our oldest is only 11. We demolished 24 hotdogs and the kids were asking for more.

I feel a great disturbance in the budget… it’s as if thousands of dollars in groceries cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced…

Related posts:

1. Advertising Apology
2. WonderfulPages

I looked out of the kitchen window today and noticed something hanging over the back fence – kind of dark, with newspaper stuck to it, and little bits of fur waving in the wind.

“What is that?”

“The rabbit,” my oldest stated so non-chalantly. “It died behind the shed. A crow just dragged it up onto the fence. I guess he’s looking for a snack.”

Alrighty then.

Related posts:

1. We Made National News
2. Overheard at My House
3. Overheard at my House
4. Overheard at my House – On the Road…

Page1 (11 years old): We have three seasons here. Winter, mosquitoes and construction. Sometimes they overlap.

Page3 (7 years old, while watching the a video about clowns): It’s almost comical…

Page4 (almost 6): My new sandals slapping on the pavement makes me think of that song about Like a Rock.

Page2 (9 years old, in response to a question about what kind of eggs she would like for breakfast): Chicken eggs?

LittlestPage (2 last week): Knock, Knock. (followed by hysterical laughter)

I love being a parent.

Related posts:

1. Overheard at My House
2. Overheard at Our House
3. Overheard at My House – Lil Mister’s Jokes
4. Overheard at my House – On the Road…

I read Getting Things Done a few years ago and loved it. It was the first organization book I read that seemed to make practical sense for a stay-at-home, home schooling mother to five. Maybe because the book is written to help CEO’s of major world corporations. Apparently CEO’s of major world corporations have a million things flying at them at once, and they need to deal with all of them and still get things done. Sounds like most homeschooling moms of many.

So this summer we are using a Getting Things Done approach to learning. We brainstormed a list of projects we want to accomplish this summer. These include some of the following:

Study local history
Learn to write a letter
Plant a garden
Do some woodworking
Learn about Canadian geography
Learn soap carving
Learn about hospitals
etc.

The next thing to do is determine what the end product of each project will look like. For example, we will have learned to write a letter, if we are able to actually write and send a letter to someone. The end outcome for soap carving would be a finished figure. The garden project would be a success if we were able to eat something we grew. Basically we decide now, when our project will end, by determining what it will look like at the conclusion.

Next is to decide on a Next Action for each project. This is a single doable step to further our project. For letter writing, we determined that we need supplies – note paper, envelopes and stamps. We added that to our errand list. For our garden we need a plot of land that gets a fair amount of sunshine. We will need to go out into yard and mark out our plot. For wood working and soap carving, we ordered some books from the library. For our geography project we decided to “travel” across the country from coast to coast. We’re going to keep a log and start in B.C. So we need a binder with paper for the log, and books about B.C.

When all these actions are complete, we will visit our project list again and decide on what the next doable step is toward completing the project.

My children are excited about the summer, and so am I. I’m also excited about the fact that I’m teaching them how to manage numerous projects at once so one day they can be CEO’s of major world corporations, or homeschooling mothers and fathers to many!

Related posts:

1. Hard News to Share
2. The Homeschool Slough
3. Do as I Do…

My youngest was playing in the sandbox. She emptied her shoe onto the kitchen floor. I stood in it. I hate the way sand sticks to bare feet.

Then I stood in a lump of peanut butter, hiding under the table.

I hate the feel of sandy peanut butter on bare feet even more.

Related posts:

1. WonderfulPages
2. 1000 Ways I am Thankful (4)
3. Glorified Peanut Butter
4. Mixing Peanut Butter in the Jar

I went shopping today. Shopping in the mall. For clothes that haven’t been worn by someone else and then donated to the second hand store. I honestly can’t remember the last time I went shopping at the mall – five, maybe seven years ago. Seriously.

A sweet friend gave me a gift certificate for the mall. It was the only way to get me to go shopping with her. This same friend wants to be a Personal Shopping Consultant in her eighth career. MrPages was excited for me, and relieved for himself. He knew this might be a difficult assignment.

I am the world’s pickiest clothing shopper. Somehow shopping at the Goodwill isn’t so bad. Paying a buck for a shirt that isn’t perfect, or that I may tire of in a few months isn’t very stressful. But if I’m going to pay $25 for a shirt – it better fit perfectly, be a colour that looks outstanding on me, and be able to survive the rigors of the laundry war zone in our home. Oh and I’m going to wear it until it disintegrates in the wash. Which should take at least ten years.

I’m also not as young as I used to be. My hair has a strangely silver glow. And my body has borne five children. I will not wear polyester that clings. No way, no how, not ever. Apparently I am in a minority. Clingy polyester is “in”.

My Personal Shopping Consultant rose to the challenge though. We came home with a lovely pencil skirt and peasant-type cotton blouse from Northern Reflections. Not only are they fashionable and look good, but they were on clearance!

I also had some success at Ricki’s. In fact Ricki’s made this slightly outta shape woman feel good. Most of their sizing seemed for real people. I actually fit into size 12 shirts! And even a size 8 skirt! I didn’t really like the skirt, but I almost bought it just ’cause it’s a size 8. I don’t think I even wore a size 8 before I had kids!

So all in all, not a bad experience. I may even think about doing it again…

Related posts:

1. Refashion Reformations
2. I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends

I thought I might add my two cents worth to MrPages blog about Useful Computer Utilities – All Things Audio.

As a homeschooling momma I love Media Monkey and Audacity! (I haven’t used the Multi Track program yet, but I can see lots of potential!)

Our CD collection began to dwindle quickly as little hands began growing and using the CD player. The strangest damage would occur to what I once thought of as highly durable items.

Me: How did the silver on this CD get scraped off like this?

Them: ???

We began to copy all our CD’s onto the computer and pack away the originals in child proof containers. Then we would use Windows Media Player to listen to music. It’s a temperamental little program though, and the LittlePages kept having problems.

Me: Who changed my background? Where is the Start bar? Why is my computer hung?

Them: ???

So MrPages set me up with Media Monkey and it was love at first use. Now I load it up, put it in Party Mode and the Little Pages can listen to whatever music choices they desire, including their French and Latin CD’s. (Which we sporadically pretend to be learning…) (That’s another blog…)

The best part? No damage to any of our CD’s or the computer!

My children love the freedom of picking tunes from a myriad of CD’s and I love the security.

Audacity is just plain fun to use! We have a microphone that plugs into our computer (MrPages can give details about that, if anyone is interested) and then we use Audacity to record my childrens’ narrations. They don’t need my immediate presence, and they improve their oration as well as their narration because they get to hear exactly what they sound like!

The best part? You can use audacity to make yourself sound like Alvin & The Chipmunks!!

Related posts:

1. The Year in Review: Best Finds
2. Overheard at My House
3. Proud Parents
4. 1000 Ways I am Thankful (4)

The robins have decided to skip using the nesting box outside our bedroom window this year (I forgot to clean it out until last week) but there is good news to counterbalance that:

We have 4 eggs in the sparrow box in the front yard!

There are chickadees going in and out of the other box, but I checked last week and it was still completely empty. I’ll keep you posted.

Anyone who has seen the pages on previous years knows that I love this stuff. Here are pictures of a robin hatching from an egg from a few years back. It was miraculous timing that I happened to stick the camera up there to see what was going on.

Related posts:

1. Some Christmas Bird Magnets
2. Looking at My Ugly Kitchen with New Eyes
3. Basement Beautification – Day 6
4. Time Out