May Christmas Bring...

Ciara, Grandpa, and Julia 2007

...smiles and cheerinous,
sausages and assorted cheeses,
health and continued freedom,
lights and all that shiny stuff,
sugary and spicy delights,
glowing candlelights and warm hugs,
kind words and graciousness
peaceful melodies and jingling bells,
fuzzy socks and foiled wrapped Reeses bells,
But most of all faith, hope and Christ!

Take the Time...

...and turn it up loudly so the family will gather 'round!!

Sweet Sixteen

So yes, Curtis is 50 (see Dec 5th bloggentry*)! But that is not much to brag about considering...I mean...ya know...Elche is turning 16** on Christmas Day! She's an amazing creature! I think I will start her going on FACEBOOK!

*bloggentry=blog entry, but rhymes with conventry. If that is not already a coined blog term, then I go down in history as the coiner of it, no tags back Stephen.

**Not her actual birthday. I found her at the pound one day in May and the pound lady told me she was about 5 month old. So we are fairly smart and took birth date matters into our own hands. We counted back 5 months, which was not extremely difficult if you have a calendar, found a date near it that would stand out and called it her unofficial birthday. We also are amazing creatures--thank you very much.

Golden Years Ahead!

At 50 years of age, Curtis Wayne Stapp can kick it. Althought Curtis has always been a late starter (on his mission at 22, first child at 30) nonetheless, he never ceases to amaze. With Curtis there are no timelines or limits. He picked up a real nice guitar this year and took a class at the college. With this he has brought some loyal fans to tears (his Dad) and put some to sleep (Samuel). He has been struggling with his reading of the Book of Mormon this year because he chose to read it in Catalan (wow and it's still true!). Ask him about his genealogy work, his acting career, or his beloved work at the Woodland Opera House and you will understand how Golden Curtis really is!!!


Below is a lovely picture of the geriatric during his 50th Birthday Surprise*! Just Golden!!


*Birthday Surprise--We kidnapped Curtis and took him to a beach house for 4 days. I luv u!

Music to My Ears

Many a evening Julia comes out to the living area ready to perform her latest hit song. She has become quite proficient on her beloved guitar. She prefers the guitar to T.V., books, cell phoning, and sometimes eating. She has pulled in the boys for duets on some of her favorites. Alex is a perfect Joe Jonas to her Demi Lavato. Sometimes when I am outdoors and the windows are open I can hear her in full voice up and down the block. Although she has kept us up rockin' some nights, in our eyes it is the price of stardom. What will it be like next Fall without these free live concerts? The neighborhood will never be the same!

Yo Dad Update

To see daily "Yo Dad Vocab" see Jensen Family News!

About Yo Dad Vocab

I have a really awesome dad. He has been caring for my mother for quite a few years. She is now in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease. He has unselfishly given up his life for her.

There have been a few times when I have called his place to check up on them and there has been no answer. Then he doesn't return the call either. After a day or so I get a little worried. What to do? Send my in-laws over (who live about 3 miles from their home) to check on the happenings. So this has happened twice. Both times my in-laws have found them safe and sound.


We have a new plan--now I get an email every day from dad. Since both of us love words and word games Dad send along a vocab word and a little poem to go along with it. This has been going on for months and months. It is usually the first chuckle of the day. Enjoy!

Yo Dad Vocab

Today's word is cooee (to cry out shrilly)

There was a young mallard named Louie
Who cooeed as he swam around a buoy.
He swallowed a large fish,
For most an elegant dish,
But to Louie it was too gooey and chewy.

Define it and Use it In a Sentence!

Today's word is chimb (the rim of a casket)

This may sound grim,
But a comedian named Jim
Died with a silly grin.
So his wife on a whim
Decided to bury him
With his lower left limb
Hanging over the chimb.
Though the church was dim
All saw his nails needed a trim.

(vocab by yo dad)

Have a Very Faux Christmas?

I visited Costco today. Saw a nice set of candles in the Christmas area. I love candles, but I like fire more than candles. Luckily, you can have fire and candles at the same time. Anyway back to Costco candles. They looked like candles, all creamy and waxy and they smelled like candles, all vanilla-y. I took a closer look. A villainous light bulb had taken over the wicks place. The wax was-was, well it wasn't wax and I'm not sure what the material really was, but it definitely wasn't wax. Ack! A cord! The candle was not real!!!! It was a faux candle. WHaaah? Who wants a fake candle? Where is the fire, the burning fire to warm and flicker? Is there a faux flicker too?

OK, I'm am just sick and tired of all this plasticky stuff people use at Christmas time. The tree for instance. I know the tree can be very expensive, but I would rather have a real tree than the foil wrapped presents lying under it! Sorry!

Wait...hmm..I do have some faux holly garland, but after seeing the candle today, I am going to turn a new leaf and go totally real this Christmas. I will sell my garland on craigslist. The picture will look real nice, when the buyer comes over to get it he/she won't even care that it is plastic, for I don't believe anybody has ever seen real live (or recently living) garland.

What's up with the plastic snowman. Do you guys know it isn't real. Just go up to it. It is not real. It's actually slightly warm around the tummy area.

Along the same line here, I believe the reason people do not appreciate the fruit cake anymore is because they don't make it themselves. It's not real. You may or may not know this but the stuff you buy at the store contains faux fruits (yes, plastics and woodchips are added). That is why they are so hard. Faux fruitcake! We should create a new law mandating the disclosure of these phony ingredients on every label.

As soon as my oranges are ripe I am going to pick one and poke some cloves through their tasty skins and let the smell wreak havoc on my home! None of these fabricated smells, but really orangy and stuff!

Vote No on Faux Christmas!

Stapp Tradition of Tolerance

To any friends and neighbors who may be offended by our support of Prop 8!

Although our values can never bend, we will always try to love and not judge you! Please love us and tolerate our religious views to protect traditional marriage. We feel the demise of Prop 8 will be an attact on our right to practice our faith of marriage between a man and a women.

Last Few Hours of the Spending Freeze!

Day 9
All is well today. Not a penny spent. Didn't even drive.

Day 10
Took Julia's car into Sacramento. I have only 20 miles left on the van. No milk and everyone is hoping for a bowl of cereal tomorrow. Ate a fresh peach at my Dad's place. It was marvelous.

All in all, and each one of us agreed last night, the Stapp family is very blessed! We have been able to utilize our creativity and stored resource. But most of all we have learned gratitude for all our bounteous blessing. The 10 day spending freeze will hopefully start us on a new path to simpler living! You ought to try it.

Spending Freeze Continued

Day 7
Tuesday started off with a bit of a crisis. I sent Curtis out the door with a gourmet lunch around 6:40 am. Ten minutes later he was back in a bit of a quandary. He misplaced his bus pass. As you may or may not know, Curtis has taken the bus into the city for the past 15+ years and saves $ with the monthly pass. No pass-a-roosy! We looked here, we looked there and and then we looked everywhere. I reluctantly handed him a $20 that was on circulation vacation. He informed me that the Yolo Bus only takes exact change!!! Even better, let's use the cash in the boy's bank! Luckily, they don't read blogs.

Opened a can of fruit punch from the LDS cannery today. Samuel did not like the smell, but thought it tasted pretty good. Nutritional value; 100% vitamin C, 45% vitamin A. Hmmm...packaged in 1999. Bet I need to cut nutrient numbers in half. Possibly toxic. I'm stealing from and poisoning my children!!!! Nothing like a challenge to cloud better judgment.

Day 8
Tender Mercies!! Dug deep and located 4 Eggo waffles, a bag of frozen Rhodes dough that had defrosted, transformed into a dough glob, then refrozen, a Weight Watcher creamy rigatoni with broccoli & chicken, three Angus beef hamburger patties, and three 3 oz. salmon steaks. Curtis scouted out the calcium rich LDS cannery hot chocolate last night.

Other items in the Maytag Refidgerator/Freezer include; selection of cheeses, 14 eggs, one loaf of bread, 2 lbs butter, a few oranges, ice, a variety of meats, peas, turkey meatball makings, mixed veggies with freezer-burn, frozen plums and leftover chocolate frosting, see day 3 (I'm planning a Friday night surprise dessert).

1/8th tank of gas left in my car. See hypermiling.

Confession. I took Sarah to Costco today. I told her I I had a ton of hand-me-downs to give her. There was the food court. Maybe I could trade her for a frozen yogurt. BINGO!

Click here to see what Samuel and I made with the frozen Rhodes bread ball (without the milk)! I can smell them now!

Almost a Week

A few temptations today, but Curtis helped me get through.

Day 5 (Sunday)
We were able to survive this day quite well. We ran out of milk. The garden is manna from heaven!

Day 6
I was in Davis today. I took Julia's car since I was low on gasoline. Before I left I called Curtis to confess that I was feeling the temptation too frequent In-N-Out during my wait for the boys during their writing class. He talked me through the temptation. I sat in the car with my popcorn lunch, listened to the radio, and read the Wall Street Journal. I had a great time. By the time I made it home, I was worried about the bank failures and the rest of the economy, so I started looking over my year supply. Hmmm...maybe I should be out spending more money at Winco!! Got my bill for Rachel's wisdom teeth today. Almost $900! And that is with insurance.

Ending Day 4

Well I feel pretty good about the spending freeze, especially going into fast Sunday.

Day 3
This day went well. It was a Friday and people were getting a little uptight about the lack of ice-cream, but Curtis made a cake with homemade chocolate frosting. I also made 6 loaves of pumpkin bread to feed a mass of boys that invaded the premisis (saving two for visiting teaching).

Day 4 (today)
Curtis slipped out and purchased gasoline at Costco for Julia's car. Ten bucks doesn't go very far, even in a small town. It would be really easy to just throw in the towel, but I give him credit. He took all the kids into Costco and had lunch without buying a single item. Here is what they ate (all in sample sizes); ravioli, kielbasa, salmon with lemon pepper, ice-cream with chocolate sauce, peanut butter sandwiches, cashews, mixed nuts, cranberry juice, Hawaiian rice bowl, chicken pot pie and hoodia diet juice. They came home stuffed to the rafters.

Today Curtis moaned, "Just because I can't spend any money doesn't mean I have to start begging." I think that was after I told him to go ask the neighbors if we could siphon a bit of gasoline from their car. I have a quarter tank left in the van and a half gallon of milk.

Day 3--Spending Freeze

We're on day 3 of the Stapp Family spending freeze. No spending money (at all). This is a total buying haltation. Wondering how long the gasoline and milk will hold out.

Day 1

We survived the first day, but there was a tense moment. I told Julia about the plan the night before. She mentioned she was out of gasoline. "Better go get some now, because tomorrow nada." Next morning, no gas. For the first time ever Julia dug into her own wallet, pulled out a $10 and purchased her own gasoline!

Day 2

We survived day two! But here is the situation. I needed three glow sticks for the Arrow of Light Ceremony I was performing at the church. The scouter expects this as part of his advancement and somebody has misplaced the closet key. I guess I will have to purchase these. I know I will get reimbursed, so maybe it won't count. Just in the nick of time the assistant scoutmaster offers to send his dad to the store. Saved. On to day 3 (today)

Dethroned!

Changed the password on my computer to take control of the lives of my beautiful children here in Woodland. You know-- set some time limits, make sure responsiblities were getting done, mainly just utilizing my parental powers. Had no idea what a pain it would be. Changed the password, then spent all day trying to get the internet to work again, on the phone all night with someone (not a local) assisting me with the arduous task.

Well a few days went by. All controls were in place. Kids were mad. My plan was going beautifully. Young family members were more dutiful and I was getting loads of respect. I was the Queen of Compuland!

Not more than a week later, I am doing my duty by attending a church meeting and return home to...to...uh...what is going on here? Why are a computer and two laptops on at the same time? Are you subjects all linked to the World Wide Web? Wha...Wha...is going on here Curtis? A what? A wireless what? Access point? No password needed? How...how...how...Howard (What's up Doc).

I've lost my title, am trying to be ok with the situation, and his plan is going beautifully.

Iluvcurtis!

Mawage

"Mawage. Mawage is what brings us together today." Princess Bride

I love marriage. It is a great social organization that I feel blessed to be a part. I suppose that is why I continue to be part of this marriage. I happen to also love Curtis, so that helps me in my couplehood.

Some may not understand how important it is to keep marriage between a man and a woman to the believer. It is more than just a stubborness to hold to old traditions. I personally love change and progression. But for the majority of committed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marriage is considered a sacred covenant between a man, a woman, and God.

Since I believe that Adam and Eve truly lived on this earth, it might be easier to understand my views. Eve and Adam lived together at the same point in time on earth. The beginning. They were purposefully put together and became part of a union sanctioned by God Himself. They brought kids into the world. Some where a pain in the neck. Marriage and parenthood were not and are not easy, but it is part of the plan.

I don't believe "traditional marriage" began with earth's first couple. Eternal marriage between a man and a woman is an everlasting principle.

So when you see my "Vote For Prop 8" bumper sticker driving around town remember, I am fighting for eternal families. I know you and I can be together with our families forever. What a wonderful blessing!

For more information:
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e1fa5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=1aba862384d20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=true

A Great Joy!

I am most happy reading. Today I scanned the Wall Street Journal, read Jacob 5-6 (Book of Mormon), looked over the online headlines, a few stories in the Reader's Digest, the end of the book "A Man Named Dave" by Pelzer and the beginning of a Cushman (one of my all time favorite teen novelist) called "The Loud Silence of Francine Green". This does not include all the reading I did shopping at Winco, online school planning, and checking my email. I am so blessed to know how to do read!!! What a gift. I want to thank the California public school system for this wonderful skill! Some may think I did not get anything else done. But I actually spent most of my day working outdoors. Someone asked me once how I have time to read so much. My answer, "I don't enjoy watching T.V." If you read this blog, maybe you could leave a list of your reading habits for the day. I would love to hear the details. ~Happy Reading

Tom Sawyer--The Musical August 15-Sept 14

Sid Sawyer will be as annoying as every while going head-to-head with Tom. Don't ask me how difficult it was to part and place Alex's hairs just so. Thank goodness for Dippety-doo and bobby pins. Pay back for for being so annoying!

PS. Curtis will also be singing, dancing and starring as the local teacher!

Tickets are $20 Adults, $18 Seniors 60+, $10 Children 17- with discounts for Balcony ($10 and $5 for kids) and groups of 10+. Call 530-666-9617

Dancing Queen, waterfights and late night edible castles!

Girl's Camp Ritchie 2008!

Theme: Wonders of the World

The following is a documentary on the habits of teen girls (and a few old women) in the back woods of California. This is a one week observation of the rare species and behaviors.

Rachel brings the house down singing "I am Harry Potter"

Julia sings "Almost Love" to a full crowd!

Shaving cream fights!

Campfire fun!

Guess who the Adult Councelor of this pack is?

Territorial water balloon fights.

Dancing Queens (Caryn, Carol, and Sandy)

More "I am Harry Potter"

Happy camper!

Thriller Dance (yes they learned the whole dance during free time)!!

Late night mattress surfing (a youth staff priveledge).

Cooks prepare edible late-night castle (without the broccoli center tonight).

Girl Meets Book--July 2008

I have been reviewing cool books for over two years now. I thought it was time to add them to my blog too!

The Orange Girl
by Jostein Gaarder

read my review

Not without Mom

Julia went to a fast-food restaurant today. This particular on-the-fly-eatery, let's call it M*, is not her favorite (In-N-Out), but someone treated her so she went and she ate. She ordered food off the menu like any normal luncher would. But for some unknown reason, she could not seem to get the main menu item down. Gravity was on her side, but it just was not falling. She managed to down about half and gave up. Next she walked around and did some deep breathing exercises. She was on the edge of truly defying gravity. I heard the whole story tonight as she recounted the scene to Rachel, "I just couldn't throw up without Mom there!" Made me feel so good I think!

*

Full Belly Farms

In May, our group was blessed to get a spot overnight at Full Bellly Farms. We drove into the Capay Valley amazed at the beauty and production of the glorious organic farm. We ate, worked, slept and played on the farm. It was the most amazing experience for me this year!!!

hay rides around the farm

gathering eggs for breakfast

samuel loves the farm animals

making butter while singing and dancing

harvesting flowers for drying

yarro for flower drying

we drank fresh milk for breakfast and saved the cream for the strawberries

Samuel would make a great farmer

feeding chickens using the feed on foot method

refreshing swim in Cache Creek

harvesting potatoes for dinner

Hypermiling

I have become a bit of a hypermiler for the past few months. Not up to 100 mpg, like the more serious and somewhat dangerous hypermilers, but I have improved my mpg. Here are the hypermiling tips out there on the www--don't use your breaks (especially when turning), use your gas pedal only when necessary and very lightly, avoid stopping at all, empty out your car of excess weight (went to Weight Watchers for this), turn off the AC, close the windows (aerodynamicy). It's actually kind of fun. I brought my mpg up about 5mpg. So with a 20 gallon tank, that means I can go 100 more miles than before. Unless, somebody drives my car and disturbs the mpg. "Hey, I've been working so hard, fellow drivers have been honking and staring me down on the road and now my MPG work is ruined, ruined I say!"

Or get this one, someone takes the car and parks it for 12 hours with the keys locked in the car with the motor running all day!!!! THAt'S 0 MPG!!! NADA! I'M speaking Spanish HERE and WE just filled the car up with gas LAST NIGHT!!!!! There is joy in every somthing or other when there's love at home. Ahh, I feel much better. Thanks for listening.

Choco, Popco & Tomato

Having had the flu here for a few days and coming back to my appetite, I thought I would post a delicious blog of essentials.

Chocolate In my past, any chocolaty temptation was a go. Now, unless I am really desperate, it has to be dark all the way. Although quite popular among some consumer's, Milk leaves a sugary, pasty after-taste. While Dark leaves you marveling in a long-lasting, bitter-sweet and lovely sensation. You really only need one to two quality choc-chips (I'm particular about brands) every half hour to feel like you been to the all-day-choco-rama! Caution: Out of control choco-chipping can be habit forming. Keep a year supply just in case.

Popcorn, which I happen to be eating right now. Everybody who knows me, can tell you about my popcorn and my machine. The machine is a relic, 1979-80?, JCPenney, two toned, electric, hot-air popper. The machine was owed by my brother at BYU and handed down to me in 1982. It has never failed me and has popped over 30 billion kernels. What? You don't have a kernelometer? I wish I had a car as faithful as my p-machine. Oh well, now for the p-corn commentary. I know most of you love your p-corn oozing with butter and salt. Some of you are even risky enough to try other flavors. I found one that I've been stuck on for years. This recipe is very simple, yet cannot be made by most people (except Rebekah). Curtis does not attempt it. It takes white kernels, popped in the old machine (I cannot lend this out), drizzled olive oil (this is the hard part, for the drizzle must be precise), granulated garlic (I went through a 26oz bottle of this in 6-8 months), and coarse sea salts (from Spain). I have made many friends, but no lovers (Curtis can't smell it anymore) making and eating garlic popcorn. This popcorn goes well with Canasta and Nertz!

Tomato There is no veg...fruit..veg? whatever as wonderful as the tomato. As I peak out my window over my computer, I can see the tomatoes have reddened since I started this entry. A sign that I should quit, but do read about the tomato. It is growing out there in every form and size. It will be a juicy tangy snack, lovely roasted salsa and to-die-for pasta sauce (ours are salmonella free), sandwiches, salads....Do you not agree, ketchup lovers, that the tomato is incomparably the fruit? veg..um fruit of aah and wonder?

You may leave your food opinions. Off to pick a tomato!

The last blog Worked!

I received my copy of the Yolo County Yellow Pages! For those who live in Yolo County you will know that the previous email (last paragraph) worked! I also received an apologetic email from the Woodland Opera House director for forgetting to leaving some minor details out of her public announcement in front of a full house. So once again--you all have the most wonderful children in the world (can't wait to see what happens tomorrow).

Bragging Rights

For those of you who are expecting a Stapp photo, there will not be one attached to this blog, for reasons which will soon be made clear.

You may think you have bragging rights. So go ahead--brag your guts out. I do this on occasion because my kids are so darn spectacular. Whoops, I shouldn't have said it. I guess we all have the right, but the humbling consequence is usually well deserved. Please indulge me and read on.

There is a certain phenomenon, and from here on out I will label it the "Nose Against Dirt" (NAD). I will demonstrate this by personal experience. By the way, this is only one example of this occurance which I have endured.

Lately I have been bragging about Samuel, my wonderful (wait a minute, I think I'll take that wonderful back)...um, my son. Well, so Curtis signed a release form for Samuel to be featured on this years Yolo County Yellow Pages phone directory. Of course, a perfect opportunity for bragging rights. "Hey you over there, my BOY SAMUEL IS GOING TO LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE, well at least while you're searching for a plumber at midnight!!" "Dude, come this May you are going to get the coolest book left on your porch wrapped in celaphane. BE ON THE LOOKOUT!"

So tonight, yes this very night, I'm sitting in the Woodland Opera House, the very place that provides material for 75%-85% of my bravado. I hear the details of the Yolo Yellow Pages cover during the Spring Dance Recital in front of hundreds of yellow page users. My Samuel has been pushed aside for some other theatrical star! My head jets back and forth, my mouth wide open, "Whaaa?" People to whom I have bragged are seated around glaring at me, "Whaaaa?" I am guessing the parent signature was not a done deal.

NAD--ddefinition--strong and surprise attack from behind where the victim does not have time or wherewith all to react, therefor perpetrator is able to land victim on ground with nose against dirt.

I think I have blogged about this before. Maybe last year when I was braggedy brag bragging!

So here's to all your kids. I think they are better than mine! They are so accomplished and wonderful and famous! WOW-Whee! I wish my kids had their talents, intellect, physical strength, and spirituality. I guess I will have to settle with mediocrity.

(I wonder what the consequence will be of adding that last paragraph. I'll let you know!)

You're really Smooth Samuel!

What happens when your mom serves you a super-dee-duper thick blueberry-stawberry smoothy? Sometimes it's so good and it gets stuck at the bottom of the cup and you have to jolt it out. Then sometimes when you do that it drops out a little faster than expected! Then.....

Point Reyes

In March we took the most wonderful trip to Point Reyes with 15 kids and 9 parents. We spent two nights at the hostel and hiked somewhere around 16-18 miles. The weather was perfect. We had six nature/history teachers, two wonderful dinner coordinators, and a few tag alongs. I was the self proclaimed "boss" of the event. I brought some crafts and organized the night-time program, which included solo night hikes (no flashlights). In the hostel bunkhouse there is a boys and girls dorm. The kids had a great time harrassing each other! Paul Erickson was awesome at teaching astronomy! Basically we ate well, learned much, and played hard.

Come on! Let the Flowers Bloom!

Julia is getting ready for the ACT. Time to see where the homeschoolers on Fremont Street failed. Can't the college just come over here and scout her out like an athlete. How come athletes get a special viewing. I thought that it was a place of higher learning! I doubt the ACT can assess her true height of learning. Looking at the ACT prep, all the great subject she learned are not covered on the test. And of course, she was never timed while she disected that pig fetus!

I guess failure is only in the eye of the ACT board!

We have succeeded by the standards of famed authored Louisa May Alcott

"I never went to school except to my father or such governesses as from time to time came into the family. . . . so we had lessons each morning in the study. And very happy hours they were to us, for my father taught in the wise way which unfolds what lies in the child's nature as a flower blooms, rather than crammed it, like a Strasburg goose, with more than it could digest."

Oozing

We have a cabinet for board games. We enjoy playing board games. At times the games, or the people who play the games, get out of control. The dice do not get put away properly. The offender thinks, "Hmm, I'll just leave them here on the edge of the cabinet." "Wow, I found a domino. No sense putting myself out by finding its proper home. I will leave it here inside near the domino box." On and on.....This is when the oozing begins. The cabinet is perfectly shut, but there is $500 Monopoly bill hanging out the side. When you open up out flings a Sorry plastic dilly-bopper thingy and an egg timer. The board game cabinet does not have a Monopoloy on oozing. Certain children, in fact all four of mine, let the towels ooze on occasion. Grab a towel let the rest ooze. DVDs ooze. Tools ooze. Shoes ooze. The most flagrant, and I am sure you will agree, is the oozing of clothing. Believe it not, my computer was oozing. I finally cleaned it up and now I can blog...is my brain oozing? OK, I'll go to bed.

Merry-Go-Round Break

the temple

a quiet place to step down

off the constant turn

of human life

poet want to be

Queen Elizabeth is Back

Queen Elizabeth is back from her vacation. We are not sure exactly where she spent the last month or two, but she returned a few nights ago when Alex flicked his blankets off his bed from the top bunk. Tarantulas like warm climate vacation spots. A boys bed is a prime location.

Washing Ice-Cream

Have you ever washed ice-cream? I have. You scoop it out and it flies across the room! Aaaah, plop. It is too extremely yummy (and depending on the brand, too expensive) to feed the deluctible cold creamy ball to the garbage disposal. What do you do? I start washing my ice-cream real fast! You don't want the whole thing to melt away, but you don't want any dog hair in it either. It's a real balance.

Pondering the Prophet

I wonder. I just wonder if...hmmm, if maybe President Hinkley is embracing the likes of Nephi, the Prophet Joseph, Noah, Alma, Samuel the Lamanite...

How to Homeschool?

You there! Caryn, hey, what is it all about?

When I tell people we homeschool (homeschoolers have made the word a compound word), most think we have set up a school at our house with desks, text books in every subject, lunch period at noon, worksheets, lectures on every subject from Mom. I suppose that may have been my expectation.

Educational tradition is ingrained into my very soul. How can this child learn without tests, spelling books, and state mandated standards guiding each move? But the fact is-what was I thinking, the kids (at least mine) would have none of it.

Truth is....truth is, we kind of wing it over here. Just today I was talking to my friend/teacher, Natalie. I suggested, "Hey teacher-friend, wouldn't it be fun to concentrate on the the wars (i.e. Civil, Revolutionary, I, II, etc) next year." She says to me, "Yes parent-friend, I've got tons of novels, ideas, movies, etc we can use."

This year I thought it would be really cool to learn about the great artists. Every week we concentrate on an artist. The boys have seen more pictures of naked ladies this year than necessary, but that just goes to show you what happens when you wing it.

Winging sometimes causes insecurity. Sometimes I think, what the heck, nobody is learning a darn here. Slackers! Then one of my children says something extraordinary (usually not in front of anybody else, of course) like, "You know if you took all the planets and put them in a big ball, setting the big ball in the same orbit as the earth, the Sun's gravitational pull would...and I then turn to myself (feigning direct attention on the child) and think, "You've done the right thing Caryn. You deserve some recognition. You're top dog dude!"

Confession: After five years of homeschooling we traditionally use the math text book, to the chagrin of one particular child who prefers to ponder on his scientific and outer space enquiries and theories.

Christmas Vacation Photo Journal

Unlimited Super Smashing

Endless Eating

Grandparent Gift Making

Cute Baby Jesus Clapping (with Donkey)

Wool Sweater Washing (it was a really nice sweater Curtis)

Grandpa's Grand Decorating

Cousin Cuddling

Gracious giving!!!!

Harris' hanging.

Van vacationing!

Ocean treasure hunting.

Men cabin cooking!

Water cascading.

Cute Kid climbing!

Misty waves basking (ok, these aren't rhyming anymore)

Pastry BBQing?? (When electricty goes out never fear, Curtis cooked pie, cinnamon rolls and pizza on the outdoor grill!)