Cindy's Life as She Knows It

Today Dakota and I had fun with the second chapter of Little House in the Big Woods.  For Chapter One we made a log cabin out of popsicle sticks that turned out really well. Today we read about what the family did on a typical winter's day and we went over alot of new vocabulary.  After we read and took our quiz we sang Buffalo Gals and Pop Goes the Weasel, clapping and stomping and pretending to play the fiddle (glad the curtains were closed!) Then we got out a carton of heavy cream and poured some (less than half of a baby food glass jar) and sealed the lid tightly.  Then we shook it!  And shook it!  And shook it!  For ten minutes.  About minute 5 we decided to add a drop of yellow food color to make it look like real butter.  This was fine, but it was REALLY yellow!  It had gotten very thick at that point.  After about 10 continuous minutes of shaking we stopped and, lo and behold, we had butter!  We added a shake of salt for taste and then put it on our bread.  Dakota, Mr. Pick

Today I had another one of those "mom to an adult" moments when things are going badly for your adult child and you just wish with all your heart that they were little again and you could kiss away the hurt and the whole world would be better.  My three adult children are 26, 24 and 18.  They are wonderful, caring, responsible people and I am very proud of them.  I miss their baby days and the days I spent with them under my wing, but I enjoy the friendship I have with them now and I know it's the best part of what is yet to be.  When something goes wrong in their lives, whether it is a sick child, a lost job, a bad move, a broken heart or anything that makes them sad, my heart hurts right along with them.  I offer advice and I know that I have "been there and done that", but I also know that my advice isn't worth very much until they have "been there and done that" themselves.  I can tell them that "there is always tomorrow" and that &qu

So yesterday we didn't leave the room for the most part because of the snowy, cold weather.  This morning we got up early and while it was still cold (wind chill 3 degrees!) it was sunny and bright.  We were told that the street our hotel is on goes straight into Boston so we drove that way, stopping at Boston College so the boys could walk around and see the stadium and then stopping again outside of Fenway Park so we could show Brian David's friend Trey and Dakota the outside, at least.  I love Boston and I am kind of disappointed that we didn't get to do more here, but I suppose that is to be expected this time of year.  The area is gorgeous in the snow, though, and the architecture is exquisite.  When we got back to the room the guys got dressed in their Ravens gear and headed off to Foxboro.  I was worried because the stadium ended up being much farther away than I was told, but they got there quickly and all was well.  I ordered some soup and wings put on the pre-ga

Yesterday we packed up early and headed out to New England for a weekend getaway and for the guys to go to the Ravens playoff game.  We had myself and the hubby up front in the truck (my car is still in the shop) and my sons and a teenage friend in the back.  We were packed in tight, cramming a few things inside with us because the rest of the stuff had to go out in the back of the truck and be exposed to the wind and cold under the tarp).  We made a breakfast stop in Joppatowne at DD and then had a good stretch up through Delaware.  Just before we hit NY we inadvertantly missed a turn.  We were a bit concerned when we were welcomed to Pennsylvania, but thought that was just part of the detour around New York that my husband's friend had mapped for us.  Forty five minutes later, however, we realized something wasn't right when we were still heading west and were in Bethlehem, PA.  We stopped for some pizza so we could regroup and the couple who owned the place were very kind an

This weekend has been a good one as far as seeing my kids goes.  It's different now, with the girls living on their own, and you can't just take it for granted that you will see them every day or even each week.  Saturday I got to go shopping and to Panera for lunch with Keri.  I haven't seen her in over a week and it was nice to have the time to chat and catch up with her over wonderful fuji apple salad and some french onion soup.  Saturday night Kris and her husband and daughter came over to watch the Denver/New England football game with us.  We had orange and blue balloons and streamers and were excited to see Tim Tebow take on Tom Brady in the playoffs.  Unfortunately it was a blow out by half time and they went home and we went to bed, but not before enjoying time together and getting to play with our grandbaby for awhile.  Sunday was the Ravens playoff game and the two Brians got to go to the game and Dakota and I went over my brother in law's to watch.  It's

Today was Purple Friday here in Baltimore.  Our Ravens are the Division Champions and are playing a big game here on Sunday.  Constellation Energy, my husband's parent company for his job, was one of 18 stops on the Baltimore Ravens pep rally tour.  We let Brian David get out of school at 12:45 and took Natalie home early to her daddy and the four of us headed downtown to enjoy the festivities.  The pep rally wasn't really on a grand scale, but Dakota sure had fun.  The boys were the only kids there, and of course, Brian David isn't really a kid.  They got in on the dancing and people were fawning all over cute little Dakota.  He was given a purple clapper, a blow up #1 finger, beads and even a very cool Ravens head hat from a guy way up high in the bucket truck.  He got his picture taken with Poe, the Ravens mascot and both boys got their picture taken with a very pretty cheerleader.  Afterwards we walked through the harbor and had an early dinner together at Hooters

My granddaughter may be little, but she has all the control!  Tuesday she had a meltdown day.  She seemed to have had some sort of nightmare or something that had her terrified of being anywhere but clinging frantically to the front of me.  She wouldn't sleep and she wouldn't let me put her down without screaming hysterically until I picked her up again.  If I put her on her blanket on the floor to play with her toys and sat with her she would claw her way to my lap and up the front of my shirt and press her cheek to mine, sobbing the entire time.  It was alternately pathetic and enraging.  I barely made it through those ten hours with all my sanity and she was the same way with her mom that night, but yesterday, Wednesday, she was her sweet, pleasant self for the most part.  She played, "read" her books and ate well.  She slept in her crib for two hours in the morning and in her swing for an hour in the afternoon and entertained us during dinner with her coos and gam

We have been having unseasonably warm temperatures all winter, but today was cold, only around 30 degrees, and we had snow flurries tonight.  I had to take my son and granddaughter to the bank, the library and Walmart, but we were home by 11:15.  I wasn't cold then, running around out in it, but for the rest of the day, in my house, I have been freezing!!  My nose, toes and fingers all feel like I have been outside all day.  Dakota and I picked out books at the library and when we got home I made lunch while he put in the video we got on Thomas Jefferson.  I was pleasantly surprised that it was exactly the right age level for him and it encompassed earlier history lessons and then told specifically what Thomas Jefferson's role was in history.  It was called Getting To Know the U.S. Presidents:  Thomas Jefferson.  I hope there are more of them so we can learn about some of the other presidents this way.  Afterward, we watched a Magic School Bus and then got into our paperwork.

This weekend has been busier than I would like.  Koda had wrestling Friday night and his dad took him while I cleaned up and then we all went to Brian David's 9pm basketball game.  I love watching that boy play basketball.  He isn't a great shooter and he doesn't dribble well, but defensively he is a beast and he plays with incredible intensity.  He always has and it's always fun to watch.  Saturday morning I was up and out by 7:30.  I picked up some paint from a fellow freecycler then hit the grocery stores.  Things are so expensive and I had few coupons since most of mine had expired at the end of the year.  I got alot, but spent alot and that stresses me out.  When I got home the guys took our dog Raven to the vet.  She has a skin infection, but the vet hit them up for Frontline, two shots, a well visit fee, some kind of wipes and two medications.  $185!!  Ridiculous! It was 65 degrees today so the windows were open and the screens in.  It was beautiful, but winter

Tuesday we got back to our homeschooling routine.  The day went well and we enjoyed playing math war and the states/capitals game in addition to our regular work.  We started new units in Science (Animal Classification and Life Cycles) and reviewed the American Revolution one last time before moving forward in History.  In Health we began Character Building activities.  Wednesday was a bust after a car break down and repairmen in the house all day for the furnace and cable, but I am looking forward to another great day on Thursday.

2012 really started off with a bang....not just the fireworks kind.  Before noon on New Year's Day we had a fire outside in our trash cans.  It was pretty scary and intense and burned up our Comcast connection wires for internet and cable.  We cleaned up and kept our schedule for that day, having lunch at my moms and a Ravens football party at my brother in laws.  Monday, however, we were home all day and we were completely unplugged...no internet and not tv.  It actually turned out to be a really terrific day!  We watched two movies together, played Scattegories, chatted, laughed and read.  It made me realize how much we are "plugged in" and, while I love my tv and computer, a tech free day may be in order a few times a year to allow us to refocus on each other.

Today was the first day of 2012.  It started out pretty peaceful until a lady came pounding on our door.  When I opened it she screamed "fire!" and when I looked outside our five trashcans and a stack of four older tires that had come off our car were on fire...really on fire!  My husband had cleaned out the back yard this morning, including the fire pit from last night and obviously it was still smoldering.  It was very scary, but luckily the worst damage was Dakota's lingering fear and the black soot that is all over the back yard and that our dogs are dragging across the kitchen floor.  Thank God no one was hurt, but that was sure not a nice way to start the new year.  At two o'clock I took the two boys to my mothers for lunch.  We walked into the basement to my eighty year old mother and stepfather and four of their eighty year old friends (and one 60 year old "youngster").  Without my even having to ask, my boys were polite and friendly and my eightee

Last night we welcomed in the new year with a family game night.  We had Kris and Natalie and Diane and MomMom over with the four of us.  2011 was definitely the year of entertaining for us!  Our home has become the place to gather to have fun and that is a wonderful thing!  Our evening started at around 6 with Dakota and some friends dancing and playing XBOX and Aunt Diane and MomMom arriving.  Brian David was singing in his room and my husband decided he needed to go outside and burn our entire Christmas tree in the fire pit.  This took him about 3 hours.....   Diane, MomMom, Koda and I played Words with Friends on our Kindles and chatted and ate.  Kris and Natalie came about 8 and the gaming began.  For some reason my friendly, in a great mood for the past week or more husband decided to be a.....well...how to put it nicely.....a pompous poop.  He wouldn't play games with all of us and then decided to put me down and "be on Dakota's side" when he got out of cont