After-Shave

Did you know that you can make aftershave?  Since one of our boys reacts to scents that are not from natural sources, I made aftershave for the boys.  Seriously!  I did!

adapted from a recipe on Recipegoldmine.com

Herb Garden Splash

2 cups white vinegar (you can use witch hazel or rubbing alcohol)
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon savory
1 whole bottle of whole allspice
2 whole bay leaves


Combine all ingredients and store in a sterilized glass jar for 1 week. Shake occasionally to mix contents. Strain and pour into a tightly capped bottle.

This smells a lot like Old Spice. Don't let the vinegar-y scent fool you---when that part evaporates, the spice smell will linger. I let it sit in a quart-sized canning jar for 2 weeks. It gets a dark color, just like "real" aftershave. 

What to put it in once it's made?  I bought some cheap aftershave from Wal-Mart, making sure I got glass containers.  I emptied out the cheap stuff and washed the bottles.  Once the aftershave was made, I used a meat flavor-injector similar to this one but without the needle attached.  It was very easy to suck up the aftershave from the canning jar where it steeped and "shoot" it into the glass aftershave bottles.  I added the boys' initials to the bottles and covered the paper with clear packing tape.

Chinese New Year

I guess I should feel a bit guilty for not getting to these Chinese New Year crafts earlier in the month, but nah--I don't feel guilty.  We are busy!

Today Luci and I put together these lanterns

and this good-luck money envelope (in her hands).  Which she promptly told me to "fill up with some money, Mama!"

Luci begged me to take her photo with her lanterns.  Messy hair and all.  If she's anything like the other two kids we've got around here, she will someday choose to run when the camera is out.  So I obliged her.  Messy hair and all.

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The crafts came from Celebrating Chinese New Year, an activity book.

Luci's Valentine for Her Daddy

One Week....

Last Saturday we went to Athens' Families with Children from China (FCC) Chinese New Year Party.  We met Lily Mei!  I've been following her mother's blog and met on FaceBook.  Finally we got to meet in person.

There were quite a few Chinese children!  At least forty in this photo.  Two hundred people were at the dinner.

Even though Luci had never met any of these children before, she held true to form and made herself the front and center of the photo shoot.

Friday was homeschool skate day at the ice rink.  It's nearly one-and-a-half hours away, so we don't get to go often.  It's always a treat to get to skate.  Luci was being pushed encouraged by JT to skate without her walker.

Luci with her walker.

JT finally got the walker away from Luci and got her to skate a little bit.  Unfortunately, there were only ten minutes left of the 2 1/2 hour skate time.

And for this Saturday, we had another Chinese New Year party with our local FCC group.  I had a nice time (thanks to John for ambushing me with the camera).

Luci with Kate.  Both girls are from the Guizhou Province.  Kate is the only girl we've met besides our adoption-travel group who is from Guizhou.  The girls are from different parts of the province, though.

Quite a different group than the Athens FCC!  I love how Luci is holding her feet.  So glad her shoes are not expensive; the scuff marks don't hurt my wallet.

Alexander showing off his chopstick skills!  So cute, Alexander.

Luci and Kalyn!  They got a little too rambunctious towards the end.

London Bridge has Jack all locked up.

And...
this guy was TEXTING as he drove!!!  Scary man.

Surviving Homeschooling with a Retiree

John has so much more time to spend with the children.  Most of the time, the kids like that.  One "for instance" is Luci--she loves playing outside, and she can get John to go out almost every time she asks.  He even does really fun stuff while out there, like building a snow-fort just for Luci. 

He's taken over our Chemistry class, doing labs with the kids.  I'm blaming the mess in my kitchen on this particular lab study.  I can't remember what principle they were studying this day, but it was certainly intriguing to Bryan.

And what Daddy (and big brother) don't like doing the taste test when Luci makes donuts with her The Science Chef book?  The Science Chef is sort of like Alton Brown cooking, geared towards kids.  (I just noticed that there is a The Science Chef Travels Around the World book, too--I'll have to get that one next.)  As you can see, Luci's donuts got five thumbs up.

Most of the time, it is just lovely that John's home so much.  The other days, he has jobs to do in town, and I think he's glad for the escape from the monkey house. 

John has taken over Bryan's math lessons, which means I get a break from the "I hate school" attitude.  I think it's really an "I hate anything that's not related to sleeping, eating or video-games" attitude.  I don't care what it's called, I'm just glad I get a break from it. 

John also gets a front-row seat for all the scrapping the boys do.  One of my favorite things to say is, "Go tell your father."  Then he gets to deal with World War VII or whatever World War our house is up to at the time.

And, as pictured above, John has taken on our Chemistry class.  I am grateful for that because I am not fond of the mess it can be.   I'm the one who studied a little bit of chemistry in college.  John's learning-as-he-goes and doing a fine job at it, too!

It's so nice to share the good and the bad with John.  He has always been pretty much hands-off with our schooling, but now he's jumping in with both feet.  He loves to keep busy!  I've heard some mock-horror stories of what retirement is like for the wife...but so far, I like it.

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Just had to share this one...today we did get snow--about an inch and a half.  Just enough to use the saucer-sleds we got in January.  I forced encouraged Bryan to go outside and endure enjoy the fresh air for thirty minutes this morning.  He is in this photo--can you find him?  He slid down the hill that's next to Luci's treehouse and just stayed there...lying on the ground...for most of his required thirty minutes.  He's next to that light-green saucer in the bottom right of the photo, knee up and head on the down-hill side.  He was fine; he was not hurt there; he was just thinking he was smarter than I by not doing anything while he was outdoors.  I didn't care.  As long as his face saw the sun.

Luci's comment

We've prayed, and done the spoon thing.  So now we have just enough snow in the yard to sled on in the morning!  Yay!

As the snow came down after supper, Luci stood at the living room window, looking out on the back yard.  John and I were still at the table, talking.  We heard the sweetest thing from Luci.  She didn't know we could hear her.

"Thank you, Lord!"

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That snowflake is from here.  It looks like an interesting site!

Friday Morning

It happened again.  The Superintendent of our school system felt the need to call us at 5:22 a.m. to let us know that school will be delayed until 10:30 this morning.  H-E-L-L-O-ooooo!  We are homeschoolers and don't care.  I also don't care to be called at 5:22 a.m.!  Did I mention it was early??!!  There is sleet in the area--at our house, it's just rain.  But never mind, the Super says it's URGENT that we homeschoolers know, too.

Since John didn't get up until 7-something, I did not feel guilty at all when Luci took him over after breakfast (a breakfast that I cooked hot and fresh, by the way) and dragged him hither-and-yon (well, as hither-and-yon as you can get and still be inside the house). 

Here they are having a "Cinderella Art-Off," which means they are both drawing Cinderella, and Luci is the one who judges who did the better job.  She always wins the contests.  As if there were any doubt.

Yes, it's cold in this house.  At least Luci's dressed! 

Speed Limit Enforcement

I've always wondered how they could "enforce" your speed by aircraft. They could certainly measure it, but not slow you down.

Until Now.

She's still got something...

Last week Luci came down with the stomach virus that's been going around here.  I think we were the last home to get it, from all the Facebook status updates.  Since then, she's spread it to Daddy, JT and me (but I didn't actually throw up--not that I'm complaining!!). 

I think she's still got something.  Only one day since she was struck with the ickies has she begged to go play outside.  Yesterday she fell sound asleep at 5:30 pm and tonight, the same--here she is in her chair at supper.

Asleep before 9 pm is rare for her! 

Poor baby.

Language Arts

The instructions were to write a two-hundred word essay about "your dad."  Bryan's essay came up short on length.  Here's the last paragraph:

Crap, not 200 words. Um, um, um, um, um, um, um, I, I. “Nth” is the only word without a vowel. Dad is awesome, cool, drives a truck. More words, correct grammar are required. Needs more cowbell, turn it up to eleven. Memes are annoying. Seven more words, now four, two, one.

Yes, I handed it back for correction.

Again!

No, not snow again.  I wish. (Although Luci did have fourteen--14!--spoons under her pillow last night, we are snow-free today.)

I got summoned again for jury duty!  US District Court.  This is the fourth time I've gotten a summons for jury duty since moving to Alabama.  In all that time, John's only been summoned once.

Sure, I have USA in the middle of my name, but it does not mean I want to prove my allegiance to my country by participating in the court system!

This time, they did list valid requests for excuses...being the caretaker of a child under the age of ten (thank you Luci!), and actively teaching are both valid. 

The last time I was summoned, John was overseas and I had shingles (September 2009). 

Encouraging the Snowfall...

We have heard some pretty strange traditions folks around here have to "make it snow." 

Something about flushing icicles was one of the oddest.  Around here, there are very few icicles so we can't do that--it's just not usually cold enough for icicles to form before it snows.  So we have to resort to other means.

Luci's Sunday School teacher told us one method...besides prayer, I mean...it involves spoons and pajamas. 

Here's what you do:

The night before you want it to snow, put on your pajamas inside out.  Then, put a spoon under your pillow and go to sleep.

It worked!  Thursday night Luci and I camped out in the living room (those sleep issues again! she still needs company), wore our pajamas inside out, and put a spoon under each of our pillows. 

We got 3/4 of an inch of snow...enough to delay school opening for 2 hours.  Yes, we live far enough South that even a tiny bit of snow just about shuts things down.  Here are Luci's pink cheeks after playing outdoors.

 Well.  Guess what is predicted for this coming week?  Perhaps another HUGE snowfall!  Depending on where the low pressure system tracks, we will have anywhere from 2 inches to TEN inches of snow! 

Guess what I found Luci putting under her pillow?  If one baby spoon gives you 3/4 inch, then this ought to bring on the heavy stuff!

Daily Bible Reading....Or, Daily Bible Luci-isms

We are reading through The One Year Bible.  I've read it through several times with the boys; now it's Luci' turn to hear God's Word all the way through.  I have this version on my Kindle.  It is so handy!  I love it.

Luci bounces around while I read; I don't mind too much, as long as she does not make noise and as long as she listens.  I have proof that she is listening--these Luci-isms!

You all know about Merv, mentioned here. 

Do you know about these?

Reading on January 3, we got to Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. 

Luci:  Ha ha!  Japheth is a funny name.  And I like Ham.  We eat Ham a lot here!

This one, though, takes the cake.  January 8th  brought this verse:

Abraham is trying to save Lot's city and says to the Lord, "Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes."

Luci:  Butt Dust!  He had Butt Dust!

And the rest of that night's reading was nearly impossible with my laughter and her squeals.

Mom said I haven't blogged in a while, so...

This is for her.

We've just been busy doing schoolwork (can't you hear the boys groaning?), even during the snow days.  The local county schools had the whole week off, plus Martin Luther King, Jr, Day off, too!  Our back roads remained icy in many places, so buses couldn't run.   Since homeschoolers don't have to worry about buses, the kids had schoolwork Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Monday.   We ALL played on Monday and Tuesday!  Even me.  Luci and JT played a lot the rest of the week, too.  But we also managed schoolwork so we aren't behind at all. 

On Monday, we watched The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, starring Cicely Tyson, courtesy of Netflix.  That was in addition to regular schoolwork.  I remember watching the show on TV in 1973.  Powerful story, and it is even more moving after living here in the South for the past two decades.  We've seen some people in real life espouse the hatred, and we know some who are like Miss Jane.  The boys learned a lot from the movie.  They actually paid attention, even though it was not Sci-Fi or a shoot-'em-up movie.

Luci and JT are learning that having the last pile of snow in the yard is a point of pride in the neighborhood.  Since our snow usually melts by nightfall, this past week was one of wonders.  Our snow was nice and fluffy all the way until Friday.  It melted and all but disappeared over the weekend, and all that is left in our front yard is our snowman.  JT was fun to watch as he diligently added to the snowman and then moved him to a shadier spot early Monday morning (this Monday!  The snowman was still visible that long! Seven days--it must be a Biblical snow.).

The kids in our house are looking forward to more snow on Thursday night.  So far, "slight accumulations" are all that are expected.  But all five of us are hoping for LOTS! of! SNOW!


.

Also for Mom--here I am after losing 46 lbs.

sn*w

 John built this!  The fort has 3 windows, too.  Really good job, John!  He's using an infrared scan (a Christmas present) to measure the temperature of the snow blocks.  (hint:  it's below freezing)

 Luci used this fort for throwing snowballs at mommy.  Hmmph!

Snow Day!

Nine inches of snow, measured on our deck. Unreal, wonderful snow!

The neighbor's dogs "helped" JT sled down the hill.

There's an angel in there somewhere...

The road less traveled...seems like my whole life I've chosen the more unusual path...

Our house.  I love our home.

Wish his eyes were open!  Otherwise, I love this shot.

I was there, too.  John insisted I get in some photos.  Nice of him to let it look as if I helped with the snow girl.  Nope.  I stayed inside until it was done.  I'm smart that way.

Bryan worked at building a snow fort.  Luci called it an Ee-Gloo.

And this little booger had too much fun chasing me with snowballs!

I know you were wondering....

This is Merv.

I couldn't find this Nativity set in time for the holidays...I hid it last January, trying to get Luci to let me put it away.  I just found it, 12 days after Christmas!  And inside the box were some other characters.  Luci set out the scene.  I asked, "Which one is Merv?"

And she pointed.  So now you know.

I cannot make this stuff up.

Today Luci had me stumped.

She wanted to know,

What did Merv bring to baby Jesus?

Took me a while, but she was thinking of Myrrh....

Chinese New Year Children's Song

Happy New Year!

Here is Luci doing her Princess Leia impersonation with her ear protection.

New Bed!

We traded Luci's double bed for this twin-sized bed that was in our basement.  It is part of a set of bunk beds.  JT has the other bed in his room.  Luci never did stay in her room by herself.  She only would stay in the double bed with me on the floor--believe me, the floor was much more comfortable than that bed, especially when shared with a girl who sleeps like a monkey/starfish!

That double bed also took up precious floor space.  The kids have their own rooms (a necessity of survival for the boys once they hit ages 10 and 14) and of course, Luci had to be in a room without a boy in it...so, each has their own room.  Luci's room is the smallest of the three, and there was barely enough space to turn around in there with the bigger bed.  Now she can turn around.  Ha ha.  And there is more room for Mommy to camp out on the floor.   Ha ha ha.

Luci's thrilled with her new bedding...I do hope that she will want to sleep in the bed and actually use the pink stuff!  Of course I wanted to take a picture, so she climbed in and pretended to sleep, even though I requested she open her eyes and smile.  

As I was leaving her in her room this afternoon, I started singing a silly song and Luci laughed, thinking I was so clever.  I told John, "Luci still thinks I'm cool!  As soon as she stops thinking that, we have to get another kid."

John just rolled his eyes.

Blizzard in Time-Lapse: 40 seconds long

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

From Mike Black Photography