"Self-discipline is a form of freedom. Freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from the expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness and fear—and doubt. - H.A. Dorfman, The Mental ABCs of Pitching
DD did much better yesterday at school... I'm finding that she's NOT a self-starter and isn't self-motivated at all (which is frustrating for me, since I'm self-motivated to the extreme). She is thriving on having me micromanage every second of her day, while it's making me a little crazy. I want to be able to say, "Here's what you need to accomplish today -- go do it." and not "For the next fifteen minutes, I want you to work on XX and then next, pick up XX and read for ten minutes." Just goes to prove that our kids aren't mini-me's.
In any case, I got very little done yesterday outside of hovering over DD...
I ran to our local Tractor Supply Company yesterday to grab a couple things. They let us bring the dog inside (they have dog cookies at checkout ... Dakota doesn't understand why we have to shop before we get cookies. I always have to drag her past the clerk because otherwise, she runs in and plops down in a sit, drooling) and currently they carry live chicks and bunnies. Dakota is mostly puzzled by the chicks -- they're being kept in big, metal horse troughs and she peers at them. She LOVES the bunnies though and oddly enough, they seem to love her back. Yesterday, she stuck her nose through the wire cage and two of the bunnies hopped over and touched noses with her. There was no drama, no barking or fussing, just a little doggie / bunny bonding. It was very cute.
I wish DH would let me have chickens. And bunnies. And maybe a goat. *sigh*
You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. ~Clay P. Bedford
Melissa mentioned being jealous of all our snow. Melissa, I'd ship it off to you if I could. There's a guy down the road who stuck a sign in one of his drifts that says: FREE SNOW. :-)
LONG day yesterday ... DD and I didn't agree on a few things about school, like what it means to actually be "done" (yes, that means that your quiz AND your homework is finished) and how many times I should give her hints during a poem she was supposed to have memorized before we decided that it wasn't really memorized after all. There was much fussing and stomping of feet and "but, mom-ing".
Usually it's much easier, but our routine has been messed with this week with DH on jury duty (which means he's home a LOT more -- he leaves later and gets home earlier) and Wednesday with all the snow and DH home. I think it was Weds that really did it this time. Drama, drama, drama.
I'm in the midst of changing all my bank accounts to a new bank. Our old one started imposing fees on pretty much everything starting January 1st without any way to waive them (except having massive amounts of money with them ... uh, yeah, I'm going to keep my millions - ha - with you a 1 1/2% interest. Are rich people really that stupid?). It's SUCH a pain, though. With automatic deposits and payments set up and having to switch those and just all the other crap that comes with it. Thankfully, I've been able to do almost everything either online or via phone, so it's saved me many, many hours of running around.
Yesterday, I did not get any writing done, BUT -- and this was huge for me! -- I had an epiphany about the story and how to get through this painful part and on to the end. I swear, that moment at night when I'm laying in bed all half-asleep and dozy is the absolute BEST time for brainstorming. I think my brain is looser and more willing to think outside the box then. I wish I could simulate that during the day... I suppose I could do what Samuel Taylor Coleridge did when writing "Kubla Khan" (the poem was composed one night after he experienced an opium influenced dream), but I'll probably pass on that.
I have high hopes for writing today, provided DD keeps the drama to a minimum.
"Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." — Calvin Coolidge
Today is primary day in New Hampshire (and six other states + D.C.): -- if you live here: go vote. If you aren't sure when the primaries are held in your state, go here for information.
Just a friendly reminder to exercise your civic duty :-)
DD did better yesterday with school. She's still behind, but her attitude improved some, so I can deal with the rest. It's the "Maybe I'll get hit by a car so I don't have to do my homework." thing that was making me crazy.
We'll see how today goes. Since we have to go vote, I'm also going to run to the post office, dump and library -- and that will cut in to her school day. I'll have her bring some work with her in the car, though, so it should help.
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I've gotten behind on writing the past few days. Didn't write a word F/S/S -- but did manage about 500 words this morning. I need to do twice that for a few days to catch up to my goal. I have been "moodling" it though, and have scene ideas for the next several scenes, so writing (when I do it) should be fairly smooth.
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Still camera shopping and am determined to buy something in the next few weeks. For those of you who take pictures -- remind me again what kind of camera you have and what you do and don't like about it. Maybe mention what you'd buy in a perfect world.
What I want is a simple, "point and shoot" camera (with a fairly high pixel resolution) that takes good close-ups. While I won't say price is no object, I am willing to pay a little more for a higher quality item.
Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off. ~Author Unknown
Since I post daily, when I don't post I get emails from folks... "Are you okay?" So, today I'm posting to let you know I'm okay.
DD is really REALLY struggling with school. Her attitude is poor, her emotions are all over the place, and today I will be spending as a mom and teacher and not much else. And, on that note, I'm going to go be a mom and make breakfast for her. THEN, I'll be her teacher and discuss why she's behind on her homework already.
A child educated only at school is an uneducated child. ~George Santayana
Oh, the drama!
My DD is really struggling with school this year (already). She's being asked to do more, to work harder, to spend a little more time. It's junior high -- that's the way it is, and it's not going to get any easier (... let me tell you about college, little girl...)
But yesterday was FULL of drama. You see, my DH has Fridays off. He works almost 50 miles away, so his commute is horrendous (never mind the miles, he also hits pretty major traffic, so spends anywhere from an hour to three hours one way on the road). His boss has opted to let him work four day work weeks (LONG days ... I pretty much don't see him M - Th) to help with the burn-out.
Last year, we took Fridays off of school. It's just hard to do school with DH home because he seems to think that because HE is off work, we are, too. This year, we're doing every other Friday because her Tuesdays are going to be pretty much shot (she has an art class and a standing "play date" with a friend) -- she'll be able to do about half her day's work, so Friday will be her day to catch up.
Yesterday, she seemed to think that since I was doing fun chores (cooking, mostly) or taking walks with the neighbor and her dog, that SHE should be able to, too. DH was home, and it adds an odd dynamic where our routine is hard to keep to (he also asks me to do odd errands, etc., and DD always wants to go -- and is distraught if she has to stay home).
Drama, drama, drama.
Yesterday, if I'd heard "I HATE SCHOOL." one more time, I was going to lose my mind.
So, for those of you (not YOU, you.... cuz I know the "you" who read regularly don't think this) who think homeschooling is easy, think again.
OH -- and to the employee at the post office who, when we were discussing all the numerous school vacations public school has, turned to my daughter and said, "Yeah, but you have EVERY day off." -- let me see you deal with motivating your child to work every single day. Because, instead of having "every day off", she has nearly every day ON.
:::::breathes deep::::::
I have a feeling this is going to be a VERY long school year.
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. ~Henry Brooks Adams
It's that time again ... the time when kids go back to school, and the time when -- if I take DD to run errands with me, she's asked, "Shouldn't you be in school?"
Seriously?
I told her I was going to make her a BIG RED BUTTON to wear that says:
I'M HOMESCHOOLED!!!
It's just not that uncommon anymore. Millions of kids are homeschooled in the United States. It's not weird, it's not illegal, it's not bad for kids. Homeschooled kids have friends, have brains (and better... know how to use them). They can speak intelligently, have many outside interests, and are quite well-rounded.
Yes, I get frustrated. Yes I get tired of idiots like Joy Behar saying stuff like this:
And so, I found this video that I loved... it is exactly what I would say had I thought to make a video on the subject.
In any case, yesterday's school day went well. DD didn't hate her day, which was good, and she woke up in a pretty darn good mood today.
Today, though, we have to run errands. Lots of them. Post office, library, UPS, grocery story and gas station. I have to fill up all the vehicles AND our gas cans because Earl is headed our way... they aren't sure where/if it's going to hit here, but if it does the winds where I am will be pretty brutal. We just want to be prepared in case we lose power (oh the joy).
You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. ~Clay P. Bedford
I was editing something yesterday for another person, and she'd started three consecutive sentences with the H/H's names: John and Martha walked over to the store. John and Martha bought ice cream....
I laughingly told a friend I was online with at the time that this person needed to watch Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla (one of my absolute favorite Schoolhouse Rock vids). So without further ado, allow me to share.
Oh, Schoolhouse Rock how I love you...
Speaking of school, Brandy commented yesterday that she's required to teach 180 days after I mentioned that we have 170 days. Let me clarify: I have to TEACH 170 days of lessons, but I'm required to have 180 days of school. The other ten days are for things like field trips and activities (just like in public school).
I'm still in shock that DD is in junior high.
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I was reading a book that I hope stays as good as it is right now throughout. It's fun and interesting and different (No, I'm not saying the title because it might end up sucking... if it stays consistent, I'll share when I finish). Anyway, it really inspired me to write again. I've had a rough week or two in writing where I'll open my file, put my hands on the keyboard and have nothing to say. A couple times I've tried to force words out, but it's been just awful.
But, after reading a bit on this book last night, I lay in bed and my mind came up with a TON of neat things to add, change and write about in one of my stories... nothing to do with the book I was reading, mind you, it just really put me in the mood to write again.
Authors -- does that happen to you?
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Your Brain is Organized
You like a lot of structure in your life, and you're good at getting things in order.
You have a good eye for details, and you are excellent at following difficult directions.
You are a natural planner, and you always feel a bit lost if you don't have a plan drawn up.
You like to have a routine and stick to it. Chaos stresses you out.
We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher
I'm so proud of my daughter. She's really found her niche working with dogs, especially in agility, but outside it, too. We have one member of our advanced class who is fostering a Jack Russel mix pound puppy who is sweet as can be but has few manners. She's been bringing the dog into class with her, but can't watch her and participate. It's the class in which I run Dakota, so DD takes the foster and has been working with her, teaching her basic obedience (sit, down, stay, leave it, off) and has been walking her to help her with manners on leash.
She also runs other dogs pretty regularly. We've had instances several times when owners have been out of town, but boarded their dogs where we run agility. And, they've asked if their dogs can be pulled and have DD run them on class night. She has been so lucky to work with different dogs of all sizes and temperaments and I think it will really serve her well. I suspect she's going to want to work with dogs as an ongoing thing... we'll see. Kids change.
Here's a video of her running a dog, Candy. She's one of the dogs of out-of-towners and DD ran her both classes. It's VERY poor quality (taken with my cell because MY CAMERA IS BROKEN).
DD really keeps her cool with dogs -- you'll see when Candy runs off course for a second, DD doesn't panic, just stops and calls her. She's calm and confident. I really think it's helped her self-esteem to see that she can do things this well.
This fall, we're going to attend some real agility competitions and see how they work, and then I might start competing for real, now that the AKC allows mutts to participate (I'd have to register Dakota with them, but that's no biggie).
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In other news, we got the schoolroom organized yesterday, and I put together all my teacher materials. It's going to be a challenging year for both of us. I still need to divide our 170 days into weeks and set up a schedule allowing for the time off that DH takes in November and then time off around Christmas. We don't want to school until the end of June again. That was no fun.
School starts next week. Oh. Boy.
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You Are a Cat
You are agile and mysterious. You have you own way of navigating the world.
You enjoy exploring new ideas and places, but you also like to be able to retreat quickly.
You are a bit standoffish and aloof, but you aren't shy. In fact, you are brave and courageous.
Always resourceful and fearless, you can handle any situation. You are a survivor.
And the case of butterflies so rich it looks as if all summer settled there and died. ~ Philip Larkin, "Autumn"
First off, I have to say our "rain storm" was a bit of a bust. It poured all around us, especially south (lucky Boston), but we got little more than a dribble. There's a slight chance of some thunderstorms today, but for the most part there's not more rain in the forecast for nearly two weeks.
We're dying here. Literally.
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Pillar Place was pretty crazy yesterday.
In Pillar Place: Monarch -- we had THIRTEEN eggs hatch. Yes, you saw right: THIRTEEN. Things are going to be REALLY busy in a week or so, keeping up with the hungry pillars. We watched three of them actually hatch (all the while wishing for a magnifying glass). It's pretty amazing. Check out this video:
This photo (borrowed from this blog post on raising monarchs -- which has some incredible pictures, if you're interested) shows just how tiny the eggs are:
In other Monarch news, Xi is hanging from his roof in a "J" and should be making his chrysalis very soon. Our first baby is growing up! It was so fast. We found him as a little bitty pillar only ten days ago, and he's already becoming a butterfly. It's amazing how quickly they grow.
In Pillar Place: Swallowtail, we got a bit of a surprise last night! I went to check on Xi because he'd been on his roof, and I glanced at the swallowtail box and -- there were two butterflies inside! The pupae had never turned black, so it was completely unexpected, and they'd probably been there all day. It wasn't as though we could release them anyway, due to the general cool, overcast and damp day, but I felt a little bad about them being cooped up all day anyway.
So, that's the last of our swallowtails. And, incredibly, it's the first season we've EVER had without any casualties. No pillars dying, no butterflies hatching with disabilities. How wonderful!
So, hopefully it'll clear up and be sunny in a few hours so we can release these two. Do you suppose they'll send a postcard?
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One more day of DH's vacation and then we're back to normal here at the homestead. Actually, it's been remarkably calm and relatively stress-free for a change, so I haven't minded the disruption in routine.
We've gotten all of DD's curriculum in the mail, and are awaiting the delivery of the DVDs. She's agreed that we should start early, doing only a day or two a week in August, just to get back into the swing of things slowly.
She's taking a typing course this year, so that's exciting for her. She's always amazed at the fact I can type without looking at the keyboard, lol. I told her that I learned to type on a circa-1900s manual typewriter (remember that typewriter, Mom?) and in high school "upgraded" to an IBM Selectric. I remember days and days of learning how to type on carbon paper, and ... remember White Out? Ah.... the days of no computers. PCs weren't commonly available until I was a junior in high school, and even then it was ones like the Commodore 64 (with 64 megabytes of memory -- which was HUGE then). Ahhh... the memories.
So, my DD is in junior high this coming school year. Seventh grade. How did that happen??
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I've recently discovered that there are blog posts not showing up in my Google Reader. If I haven't visited you recently, that's probably what happened. I'm trying to go through my list on reader one-by-one to get to folks who've posted and I've missed, but it's remarkably time consuming. I haven't forgotten or ignored you. It's just a technology fail. Sorry!!
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You Should Move To a Better Neighborhood
You really don't have the personality for moving. You only move if you should.
You tend to worry about what might go wrong, so moving should be a clear upgrade for you.
You would might rest easier if you were in a safer part of town closer to more services.
Consider upgrading neighborhoods or home if you can. A homebody like you should have nice home to live in.
HAHAHAHAHAHA.... neighborhoods don't get much safer than mine. This cracks me up. And I *love* moving. Love it. I get itchy if I don't move every few years (so, yeah, I'm REALLY itchy now).
It needs to say, "You should move out west so you can be closer to family and friends who matter, and so you wouldn't have to deal with Japanese beetles and deer flies any longer."
•If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.
•If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.
•If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
•If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
It was one of 'those' days yesterday -- you know, the kind where Murphy (and his lousy law) come to visit. Two days ago, I got an email from my curriculum carrier, notifying me that I needed to have the DVDs back to them by 7/5 or get charged an additional fee. I had NO idea there was a deadline, so hadn't been worried. We had it planned so she'd be done by the Fourth of July.
In a panic, we set to work. DD had six days of school left. She did school Sunday. Yesterday, she woke up and did school ALL DAY LONG -- from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. I have to mail them out today by 5 p.m. for them to get there on time. She has two and a half more days of school left. I'm thinking we're not going to make it.
I spilled on my kitchen floor no less than four times -- the last of which was the dog's food, which I spilled all over me, the dishwasher and the floor, and scared the dog so badly she didn't want to come back in and ... yanno... EAT IT off the floor (which was remarkably clean, since I'd already mopped it THREE TIMES).
The clothes I was wearing were the only clean summer clothes I had. I was in the middle of laundry, and EVERYTHING was in there. So, I put on some old, torn up sweats (it was 90 degrees out with high humidity and we don't have A/C) and cleaned the kitchen again.
I can't dry my bottoms in the dryer or they won't fit (add "need to diet" to my list of things to do), so I have to hang them out and pray they're dry by this morning or I'm going to be either running around naked or wearing winter clothes in the heat. I don't like either option.
I won't continue, because it's just too depressing ... but suffice it to say, Murphy overstayed his welcome and he'd better be gone today.
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There was some good news. In Pillar Place, we hatched another butterfly. Iota was already up and about by the time I checked on her at 6:30 in the morning. Unfortunately, it was hazy and damp, so we couldn't release her until noon, by which time she was READY TO GO. So, I only got one picture of her because the moment she smelled freedom, she was off!
Here is Iota:
And last year I planted day lily bulbs (they're pest resistant -- both deer and bug... my kind of plant!). They're a lovely color, and DD took some pix:
And today, it's sunny, not quite as hot and humidity is down a little. I'm so ready for no humidity. I'm tired of my head looking like a used steel wool pad.
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Your Vision is Personal
More than anything else, you'd like to understand yourself better and find your purpose.
It's minds like yours that have produced the most insightful novels and mind blowing movies.
You have always been deep and philosophical. You find it difficult to take anything lightly.
You feel most alive at the quietest moments. There's something thrilling about being alone with your thoughts.
A man builds a fine house; and now he has a master, and a task for life: he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I've been trying to read "How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew" by Erin Bried, but have discovered that either I'm far more self-sufficient than most (please tell me you all know how to make pancakes from scratch and roast a chicken?) or she's putting an awful lot of filler in the book. Of course, at the beginning of the book she states that one of the reasons she's opted to write the book is because she bought Swiss Chard from the store to use in a pie instead of rhubarb ... so maybe the fact that I know how to sew a button onto my clothes or how to iron a shirt is unusual.
Yes, there are some things in the book that I didn't know, but for the most part it's all repeat information for me. Darn.
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As expected in Pillar Place, Alpha went on walkabout yesterday. Last evening he was clinging to the side of the box, not moving, which would probably indicate that he was ready to purge and really get serious about becoming a butterfly.
DD found one more pillar to add to the group, so now we have Nu. She really REALLY wants to have one named Xi, so she's diligently hunting for more, despite the fact we really don't have the room for them... and don't get me started about monarchs (although for those, I use individual Gladware containers with air holes poked in them, so can stack them for space).
Butterfly wrangling ain't for the faint of heart. But for those who want to do it, there are lots of sites telling your how like this one: Glorious-Butterfly.com
The most fascinating thing I've seen on these "raise a pillar" sites are how to find swallowtail EGGS. Not as easy as monarch eggs ... but I think we'll give it a try.
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Yesterday flew by so fast it barely felt like it even happened. Two of my "helpers" at the LASR/WC/Aurora site - my reviews editor and my admin asst - were both gone to the Lori Foster gathering over the weekend, and the editor was flying home yesterday, so I've been doing triple duty the past few days. Between that, and trying to get school wrapped up for DD (she still has a couple more weeks, much to her dismay) things were absolutely crazy.
In the "good news" column, though, we got DD's assessment test results back and she was in the 95th percentile with all of her ratings in the "above average" range. YAY.
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You Are Having an Awesome Day
You feel grounded and stable in your life. There is not a lot of change going on.
You are a peaceful person. You have the ability to deal with life's problems as they unfold.
You are prioritizing your individuality right now. You have your own stuff to work on.
Deep down you crave comfort. You want what's familiar and guaranteed to sooth you.
Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and for the soul. ~Linda Solegato
Yesterday was hot and sticky again -- I swear, I feel like I went to sleep and woke up in July. But, by late afternoon, the wind kicked up and blew all that funky weather outta here!
Today, it's more like normal, cool this morning and none of that nasty humidity.
I love summer except it tempts me to be out in it and makes it VERY very difficult to concentrate on those things indoors that need to be done. We planted peas this weekend, and I sprinkled some thyme seeds in my herb garden. My rosemary doesn't appear to be coming back, and it's supposed to, so I'm not happy.
I think I'm going to buy my "soft" plants this week: tomatoes, squash (only two of my summer squash seed came up and I want one butternut for Dakota's dog food), cucumbers (only four of my cuc seeds came up) and I'm thinking about peppers, though they never do well for me.
We saw a tiger swallowtail yesterday, so you know what that means... okay, for those of you new to the blog, it means that the overwintering butterfly pupae are hatching, including the black swallowtail. And here at his house, we host a butterfly ranch every year for black swallowtail babies and monarch babies. So, it's time to start checking out my rue for pillars!
Pillar Place 2010 will be open for business shortly.
DD is distraught because we've counted how many days she has left of school, and she's going to go into June a little. She really wanted to be done by May, but we just aren't able to do school efficiently when DH is home, and since he took of most of November, we got a little behind. Worse, he's planning on taking off next week. The problem is, when he's on vacation, he schedules tasks that I have to help him with (like laying hardwood, etc) because he doesn't realize that just because HE is on vacation doesn't mean DD and I are on vacation (being home every day does not equal vacation).
Should be interesting...
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Your Height Says You're Daring
You are a true adventurer, and you live for the thrill.
You have a lot of charisma, and you're good at convincing people to join you in your schemes.
You are open to the world, and you make connections easily. You have lots of friends.
You are likely to have many life paths to choose from. There are many possibilities open to you.
"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired." — Robert Strauss
Today is my 2000th post. Who knew I had so much to say? 2000... it boggles the mind. My first blog post went up on July 10, 2005.
Two. Thousand. Five.
I'm trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I've been doing this for nearly five years. Time really does fly, because it feels nowhere near that long. Amazing.
Anyway... moving on...
Yesterday was not a stellar day -- it wasn't awful, just not fab. One of my reviewers at LASR/WC had her computer fried by a virus that's been hitting us intermittently at the Yahoo group we use. It's a nasty one, the same one that fried my mom's computer. The worst thing about it is that it looks like a pop up box for your virus scan, but if you click it? Be prepared for the blue screen of death. FYI, my mom picked hers up at a major news site, and my SIL got one at another different, major site, so it's not restricted to Yahoo.
Here's the scoop: if you're out on the net and a gray box pops up and says that it's detected a virus and you need to click for a scan -- DON'T. Don't even click the "X" to close the box. Don't do ANYTHING. What I do is close my laptop, pull the plug and the battery and then put them all back and reboot ... and then run a virus scan from my own software. I have one reviewer who, when she gets that pop-up, closes IE (or Firefox... can't remember which she uses) and then shuts her computer down, reboots and runs a scan.
The big thing is this: DO NOT CLICK ON THE BOX IN ANY WAY.
/end service announcement
The other not-so-stellar moment was when I hopped into my car/SUV/whatever-it-is, affectionately known as The Pea, turned the key and heard: rurururururur... click, click, click...
*sigh*
Thankfully, the click-clicking means the starter is okay. And DH came home and declared the battery dead. And I'm grateful that it happened at home and not 50 miles from home, and that we have a third vehicle (the truck he uses to haul his boat), so I was able to run errands (even though I really don't like to drive the truck... it's so BIG). But, even so... we just got the blasted vehicle. I wasn't happy to have that happen.
The dog that bit Dakota at our last agility competition arrived at our agility class last night with a big shaved spot on his rump and shaved forelegs. When I asked what happened, I was told that he'd gotten bitten. I probably didn't endear myself to the owner when I said, "Ah, he took on someone who fought back this time, huh?"
I just get really frustrated, though. For whatever reason, his dog acts as though Dakota has a target on her. He hasn't hurt her again, but whenever he's off leash, he runs for her and takes her down, and then will stand over her and if she moves in the least will go for her again. She's the only dog I've ever met who is 100% submissive -- even Bailey, who was a sweetheart, had a little bit of a spine. Dakota doesn't have so much as one alpha gene in her body. Our class is full of alpha dogs, and she doesn't always know what to do with them, but this dog is the only one who forces her to submit to him completely. She knows what to do to keep herself safe... she rolls over on her back and holds totally still, and that seems to satisfy him, but ARGH.
And then, DD had math questions again (why is it always math? Why doesn't she have language questions???) and I was, once again, stymied. As always, it was something I could figure out myself, but not the way THEY wanted her to figure it out. Took me a good 45 minutes to understand how to do it the way they wanted it done (it's finding percentage increase/decrease) and I was about to tear my hair out. We got it, though, but MAN ... every time this happens I'm reminded how different things are now than they were when I was in school.
So that was my day... how was yours? Anything good, fun or interesting you'd like to share?
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You Are a Pen
You are a very precise and detail oriented person. You don't make many mistakes.
You're the type who can risk writing in pen. You like making things permanent.
You are decisive and focused. You know what you want, and you go after it.
You like to be in control, and you don't really care for change. You like to count on yourself.
"In times like these it is good to remember that there have always been times like these." — Paul Harvey
So, yesterday was a a day that perfectly illustrated how NOT to use time efficiently.
First, I was up nice and early, went to upload the LASR/WC pages and had my problem with images not loading. So, I futzed and I putzed and I messed -- for THREE hours -- and then discovered it wasn't something I could fix anyway because it had to do with how the graphics were created.
Scratch working on my editing for my JaNoWriMo project in the morning.
Then, all day long, DD would NOT sit and do school for more than about ten minutes at a time. It was "MOM" this and "MOM" that and "Can you find my science book?" (this search took more than an hour) and "I don't WANT to do my report on Clara Barton, can I do it on the universe?" (the answer was "no" because it's supposed to be a research report and she is an astronomy freak, so wouldn't have to research much of anything ... we compromised, and she's doing it on the person who discovered pulsars), and "How do I find 7% of $2450?" (which she knew, but .... )
I hate vacations sometimes, because getting back into the groove is so hard.
Hopefully today will be better. So far, so good -- the LASR/WC pages went up without a hitch!
How was your first Monday of 2010?
=======================
Your Snow Test Says You're Independent
You feel like something good will happen to you in the next few days.
You have an amazingly strong work ethic. You are likely to be very successful in life.
You are an independent, individualistic person. You thrive when you're doing your own thing.
Your biggest worry in your life is your health. You tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac.
When it comes time to relax, you have difficulty relaxing. You are a bit high strung.
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. ~Chinese Proverb
I was going through DD's schoolwork yesterday -- I only grade her stuff weekly, because I'm a lazy slug -- and discovered that I didn't have enough math worksheets to grade. Ooh...someone hadn't been doing her homework and she was so busted, lol. So she spent yesterday working on math AND she lost TV privileges for this entire week. She's not a happy DD.
However, we just finished our first quarter and her grades are fantastic. Mostly A's and a couple B's -- ironically she's doing best in Math, and that's what she complains most about!
I have to say that I really do admire teachers. I do NOT enjoy grading papers at all, in any way. And as I sat there yesterday doing only one child's papers and scowling the entire time, my admiration grew for the folks who do this on a daily basis for 20 - 30 (or more!) kids -- you all deserve a special pat on the back.
I spent yesterday cleaning. My poor house was in desperate need. I've been good at the basic stuff: sweeping, mopping, dusting, etc. But the "deep" stuff? Scrubbing the bathrooms, wiping down all the cupboards in the kitchen, cleaning the fridge -- that had been left long enough. I didn't get everything done I wanted to because I had laundry and baking to do, too. But I got enough that I didn't get the shakes every time I looked around. I hate a dirty house. I don't mind clutter, but dirt makes me crazy.
Today I'm hoping to get back into some semblance of routine. DH is still home, but I'm going to give it a go. I swear, next November, I'm going to run away from home for the month! *G*
Happy Monday!
======================
You Are Bubblegum Flavored Toothpaste
You are impulsive about most things in life, and you can't say no to fun! You are always in search of a new adventure.
You try to lighten up every task and bring a little zing to your day. You like whimsical little treats, like bubblegum
Like everyone else, you have your struggles and problems in life. Unlike everyone else, you don't let the difficulty of life get you down.
The world may be a harsh place, but knowing that you can bring sunshine into other people's lives keeps you going.
Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart. ~Erma Bombeck
Thanks for being patient with me yesterday... I'd gotten buried in LASR/WC/Aurora work. What's that? Aurora? Yep... we're adding another site to "The Long and the Short of It" brand -- a YA/Middle Grade site! WOOT! It launches 1/1/10 (and, how did it get to be almost 2010??), and we have all kinds of promo stuff going on: free ads, interviews, etc. So, if you or anyone you know writes YA/Middle Grade stuff email me for deets at lasreviews AT gmail DOT com -- k?
In any case, things got a little crazy the last couple of days and I just couldn't do even one more thing.
Hopefully today will be better.
======================
DD and I both were craving something sweet yesterday. We haven't had any dessert-type food in the house for over a week. No cookies, cakes, fudge... so I decided to make No-Bake Oatmeal Fudge until I realized we also had next to no sugar.
What to do?
I had DD make Peanut Butter Candy instead! It's easy and it's actually quite healthy, as sweets go. It's 100% natural with no refined ingredients. And it's yummy. So, I thought I'd share.
Peanut Butter Candy
1 cup Peanut Butter 1 cup Honey 1 1/2 c instant (dry) milk powder
Mix together and roll into balls. Put into fridge to harden. Eat!
=================
I had the best experience with our curriculum provider yesterday. We opted to do the DVD curriculum with Abeka Books this year. It's pricey, and I agonized over the choice... but then DD had a question about how to solve a math story problem. And here's what I've been coming up against in her math this year: I can get the right answer to the problems, but I can't always solve it the way THEY want it solved. This one was no different and I was completely stymied.
THEN I remembered that they offered live teacher support with the purchase, only I couldn't remember how to contact them. So I dug around on the Abeka site, and found an email link that looked right.
I emailed them with the exact question and problem and left my phone number... then told DD to go work on something else while we waited for a response.
Only, she didn't get more than about four steps from the table before the phone rang and it was THEM. A teacher was on the line and talked to DD, walking her through what she needed to do and answering all her questions.
Unbelievably fantastic. I've been so down about customer service lately, it was just incredible to have my faith in people and businesses restored. And the fact is, that one thing is worth all the extra cost of the program.
===================
I've made two writing decisions this week.
One: I'm shelving "Return to Stiller Creek". I still like the story, love the characters and am not completely giving up on them, but I just don't feel comfortable enough with the crime-solving details to rework and submit this. I'm letting it sit in my subconscious and letting my brain work through some other options for the story.
Two: I've started working on "Drive Me Crazy" (the sequel to "Kitchen Matches") again. I've had a dozen potential scenes pop into my head this week and they are funny (at least I think they are, lol) and some of them surprised me. And, on that note, I'm going to sign off and write before anyone wakes up.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
I hate that on the one day I can sleep in all week, I never can. Why is that?
DH went to a huge Toyota 4-Wheeling thing yesterday. Yes, in the rain. He had a great time, but one of his friends (who lives in New Jersey) broke the drive shaft in his truck, and then upon returning to the campsite, discovered his tent had collapsed and his site was a big puddle.
DH called and asked if I minded if his friend stayed in our spare bedroom overnight, and then they'd go back up tomorrow and see about fixing the drive shaft. I didn't mind, but he'd called fairly late (it was after 8 o'clock), so I had to tidy the room and make it ready.
Then, when I went to bed, the neighbor's dog was barking. And barking. And barking. It sounded like our neighbors who have TWO dogs, and typically they never bark alone and they are LOUD. This was only one. So I laid there and wondered if maybe they'd gone away for the weekend and someone let ONE of the dogs out and it wanted back in. And, should I go check... or not. By this time it was after ten o'clock and I was somewhere between irritated and really worried.
Then it stopped.
And now I wonder what happened.
Dakota is pacing the house this morning. She KNOWS there is someone here she doesn't know. She sniffed his shoes for about ten minutes and she's been tracking him, nose down, all through the house. She keeps going upstairs and standing in front of the spare bedroom door. Sure as shooting, as soon as he appears, she's going to bark at him. Dork.
I spent MY day yesterday determined to clean out my "to do" boxes at LASR/WC and Goddess Fish. I worked and worked and worked. And I had everything nearly done (except two more book videos I need to make) and then WHAMM-O, a publisher sent in 17 new review requests and another sent in 7.
It was like they KNEW my inbox was empty.
LOL...
Today? Well, we had planned on working on the wood pile. DH would split and DD and I would move and stack. But now with DH's friend's problems I don't know what we'll be doing.
Thank heavens tomorrow is Monday. Hurray for Monday!!
OH... DD's store is online, but I haven't put any stock into it yet. As soon as I do, I'll post the link. I took all the pictures yesterday, but didn't have a chance to get them online.
And, the person who suggested this store name has earned themselves a free book thong made by DD -- I'll announce that person when I unveil the store. *G*
I told her last night that I was going to take half of whatever came in and put it away for her to buy supplies... that I wasn't going to be buying her supplies anymore. I was just an initial investor. From here on out, it's all up to her. She wasn't thrilled, but needs to realize that she doesn't get something from nothing.
I really think this store is going to be a great life lesson, on top of being fun for her. Someone asked me once what my homeschooling schedule was. I replied that I never stopped. Everywhere I go, and everything we do offers chances to teach.
======================
You Are Warm Apple Cider
You love to feel warm and full. You love all the small comforts that come with fall.
Unlike most people, you are as active in fall as you are in the summer. You just make sure and keep warm.
For you, fall is the perfect time of year to visit cafes or go for long walks. The season makes you feel energized.
You love the bustle of everyone being back from the summer vacation and back to work.
It's such a pleasure to write down splendid words - almost as though one were inventing them. ~Rupert Hart-Davis
I've been awful at responding to folks lately, but this morning I feel a bit more on an even keel again. I'll be able to start stalking ... er... visiting your blogs again, I think and I also wanted to answer some questions and respond to some comments that were asked over the past few days.
This story is actually finished, so do I really want to change an integral plot point and then have to completely rewrite the entire thing?
Uh, are you going to send it out in its current state? If not ...
**sigh**
Charity and I have a bit of a history where she calls me on something and then challenges me and I grumble and then listen to her. Because, folks, she's an awesome writer.
So, yeah, C you're right as always. *G* It's just that unlike SOME very strange folks (**cough** YOU **cough**), I hate editing. But when it needs doing, it needs doing. Bother.
*
Ceri commented:
Have a friend looking over one of them to see if she can see where I can cut 30K to make it Harlequin length.
And then there's NaNoWriMo (oops, sorry).
Cut THIRTY-THOUSAND WORDS? Holy smokes... good luck with that.
And, you don't live so far away I can't come and smack you for the NaNoWriMo thing. Just saying.
How do you keep up with everything? I couldn't even begin to remember all the things you are involved in.
I don't know how you do all that you do, but I would be tired and looking for a 48-hour day.
I'm a HUGE multi-tasker and I seldom sit still. I don't find relaxing, well, relaxing. Taking time off is stressful for me. But, I would really like a 48-hour day.
Cleo Coyle also writes the ghost mystery series I've been reading, just under the name Alice Kimberly. :)
Woo Hoo! That's great, because I really enjoy her voice. Adding her to my list of things to read... eventually.
*
Groovy said:
Hope your school year is AWESOME! What curriculum are you going to use?
We're using Abeka's DVD curriculum. It's fantastic -- sort of cheating, IMHO, but I get the best of both worlds: she'd being taught by a trained teacher AND I get to keep my finger on the pulse of her schooling and stay involved. I even enjoy watching the classes, and will sit in with her now and then.
========================
In other news, I got DD enrolled in the art class for this semester. She's excited. So am I. I think she's really going to enjoy it.
The Y still doesn't have its fall schedule online, so that may be a bust for us. And, I've called and left messages for the leader of the 4H group we wanted to join, but haven't gotten a call back yet. If I don't hear this week, I'm going to call the headquarters again and ask for their help.
AND... the part for my washer came in yesterday. I have a repair appointment for this Saturday. I hope it works, because I do NOT like not having a washer in the house. My SIL has graciously opened her laundry room to us, and though I am very thankful, it's just not the same.
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Your Defense Mechanism is Humor
When life gets you down, you just have to laugh. And that's a very healthy reaction.
It's not that you don't take your problems seriously. You do. You just don't let them control you.
You are able to make the best of things, even when things look very, very bleak.
Some people may consider your sense of humor to be dark, but it has served you well!
Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate. ~Barnett R. Brickner
A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time. ~Anne Taylor Fleming
So, I have a writing friend who has a short romance story nearly completed that involves a married couple as a H/H. They're childhood sweethearts, married for nearly a decade and now on the verge of divorce. The wife has moved out and filed, because she has cause to believe her husband was cheating. The story is about how they overcome the trust issues and learn to love each other again.
Her first choice of romance publisher (the one she's contracted with on another story) doesn't contract stories with married couples as the protagonists. They don't feel that a married H/H is "romance". Romance should be (loosely):
Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl back.
And with married couples you don't have the "boy meets girl" component.
While I agree that much of the fun of a romance is seeing how they meet and slowly fall in love, I wonder if watching a couple remember why they fell in love to begin with isn't just as romantic? OTOH, married couples aren't something you see often in romance novels (aside from Eve and Roarke ... but their books are more suspense than typical romance), so maybe this publisher has a point.
I'm on the fence. What think you?
=====================
DD loves her new curriculum. She loves the format, and is enjoying school. On Tuesday, after breakfast I was going to take the dog for a walk, and couldn't find DD. Then I heard singing ("My Country, 'tis of Thee") and discovered she'd headed up to the school room and started school without being asked!
I hope it keeps up. Having her excited about school is awesome.
I haven't been able to get in touch with either 4H leader that I wanted. I've called and left messages, but haven't gotten a call back. **sigh** I'll try again today, and then if I don't hear back, I'm calling their "headquarters" and ask what else I should do.
We're enrolling in art lessons today. I hope she enjoys them. And, we'll be heading to the library to pick up our volunteer forms and do that (and, yes, I'm volunteering with her ... might as well, since I'll be there anyway).
When she's older, we'll probably start volunteering at the nearby animal shelter instead. We tried that a couple of years ago, and they let her be with me, but she couldn't DO anything so it was no fun. She has to be thirteen, so we'll hit them up again in a few years.
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ~Elwyn Brooks White
School went well yesterday -- DD really enjoyed the new curriculum and set up. It's going to take some getting used to for me, though, as it takes pretty much all day to do and we've been terribly spoiled the past few years with having lots of time during the day to do other things.
Today on my list of things to do: I just discovered that a local 4-H club does dog agility! So, I'm going to contact them and find out if I can get DD involved. I'm also trying to find a sewing class for both of us to go to. Our local Y doesn't have their fall schedule up yet, so not sure what I'm going to do for phys. ed. yet. I am enrolling her in homeschool art classes at the local art museum. And, we're going to both volunteer one day a week at the library.
Whew.
I'm tired already.
==========================
Because I know you've been unable to sleep over worrying about Dakota and her digestive problems... I thought I'd let you know that she responded to treatment very nicely. A special thanks to Anne-Katherine who reminded me about using pumpkin -- it was one of those things I knew, but had forgotten.
We're in the midst of transitioning Dakota off her "bland" diet and back onto regular food. I'm keeping the slippery elm and probiotics up while we do so and so far, she's doing fine. I hope this will be the end of it. It's a good thing she's so cute, because she is VERY high maintenance.
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In other news, I received a call from Sears yesterday -- the part for my washer? Is out of stock and they don't have an estimated date when it WILL be in stock. But, hey, they'll touch base with me every 48 hours to keep me updated until they figure out when it will be in stock.
It's lovely that they're so concerned, but their phone calls do get my laundry clean. I am NOT a happy camper.
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