Backstory

So guys, I'm beat. This homeschooling Public School Alternative Learning Experience Program thing is really rewarding, but man, it's so much work! I've been uncharacteristically excited about the beginning of a new year with E, but with the recent State Legislation changes to our program I feel like I've learned and done more work that E ever will this year, and we haven't even started classes yet! Our first real day will be this Monday and we've got a lot of great stuff lined up and some really exciting changes too. For starters, the Hall family and ours have formed a co-op! I'll be handling Visual Art Appreciation and World Geography over here, and my good friend Jen will be working with the gals on Ocean Studies, and Life Skills and we'll trade World History back and forth each month. E and Kaela are such good friends and Jen and I get along famously.

E will also be logging a few hours at our Homeschool Resource Center each week with: Pottery, Spanish, Problem Solving (math), Plants and Earth, Exploring Cultures Through Literature, and her YMCA gym & swim! Whew! Add all that to the basics I'll also be covering with her individually: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic and we've got ourselves one heck of a schedule. Not to mention the 2 classes I singed N up for this Fall...so all of this to say, I may be a bit absent for a while...until I can catch my breath. D's out on the road again, we're planning for E's 7th (can you believe it) birthday, and the garden is just now starting to slow down. I even had an anniversary a few days back, and couldn't stop to give a little shout out about our 12 years! Thanks for all the e-mail's and calls; "we are here, we are here, WE ARE HERE!" (Horton hears a Who)

I'll be back soon, can't stay away too long!

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Here is a little something to chew on...Happy Anniversary D.

2003

8/14/2011 *and apparently I'm a terrible speller and forget to use the built-in spell-check...bear with me everyone...

Fall Puyallup Fair 2011

So we went to the big one today with Mabel, Stephen and Rochelle. Lots and lots of rides took up the bulk of time, but I think looking into the future, E will always remember when she lost her 3rd tooth eating cotton candy.

Twirling Gals

Mabel, and N just behind

C'mon, how cute is this?!

cars

You'd think we'd be sick of 'em, but no, N looked at the chicks with their mama for a long time

Mabel's face became progressively frightened each time the roller coaster went around until she was shreaking...poor thing.

goats

E rang the bell and took home a blow up dolphin

Immediately after her tooth fell out

Stephen was content to snack and watch the big kids

Swings

Train

and Train

Sweet Tooth

E was begging and begging for cotton candy at The Puyallup Fair this afternoon. The minute I relent, her loose tooth falls out of her head on the first bite!

I asked her if her head felt lighter after loosing that big tooth, and she said in an exasperated tone "Mom, a tooth only weighs like, a millimeter of a pound."

Better Than Dirt

Tonight we went out for an after dinner walk and happened along a lovely little patch of blackberries. Happily, N had brought his dump truck along in the jogger with him so we had a large 'container' to fill with ripe berries!

1/2 Dozen

I think at this point my mom has more shots of her grandbabies than she does of my sister, brother and me. She never misses and opportunity to line 'em all up and have them beam toward the camera's...tho come to think of it, maybe it's just a ploy to see her grown 30-something children act like complete idiots behind the camera to fulfill her never ending requests for this tiny generation to "SMILE!"

First Sewing Lesson

I got E a sewing machine for Christmas last year and it kinda landed on the back burner, what with starting home schooling and all. It's so cute, and very functional for a first timer. Well, we've all done a bit of growing this summer and she was definitely ready to take on this challenge. I loved teaching her all about her machine, and the important steps in running it and she is an eager leaner. She paid very close attention and really respects this machine. Her first project was a pillow for a stuffed animal and she did great! I'm looking forward to teaching her a few more things over the next year, and D and I are really excited that this could be another creative outlet for her!

Flip

We had family photo's this week, and got to peek at the proofs online. After scrolling though a ton I realized that my son was flipping off the photographer...magnified it so you can see.

Taxi!

Really excited about a new tomato variety I tried this year, big bright & yellow like it's name sake.