Goings on and such...

It's not that I don't have anything to say.  Really.  It's just that... something happens between my brain and my fingers when I sit down to blog sometimes.  Typically when I blog, I am in the recliner in the living room with my laptop on my lap.  And, amidst the general noise of television, video games, and chatter of the husband and kids, my thoughts end up out in the wild blue yonder instead of on my blog. 

Occasionally, I will have an assignment to blog over at The Homeschool Post and I will make myself sit down and concentrate to get a post written.  But for my own blog, I think I tend to be plain lazy.

Now.  That being said - let's move on and I'll update you on what's been going on here at chaos central. 

Just after my last entry, we had a big birthday celebration in our family.  My firstborn child reached the milestone of age 13.  Here he is, opening his new iPod, which he never dreamed he would actually get.  You can see the surprise on his face, and the "gotcha" look on his sister's face as he realizes what he's holding.  (It was hidden in a Yahtzee game box, by the way, so it was really pretty funny to watch his reaction!)

A few days later, we headed off to see family in Ohio for Thanksgiving.  With our house being for sale, this meant that we had to have it in spotless condition before we left on vacation.  That was an experience - trying to get a family of five packed and out the door and leave behind a clean house!  However, we managed to pull it off and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving vacation with family and friends.  We were pretty tired and ready to get home after a week away.  Here's M on the long (11 hour) drive home...

Since we've been home, we've been mostly unpacking, doing laundry, cleaning, and trying to catch up on some rest.  We haven't done school this week because, well, it just works better if we start back up on a Monday and not in the middle of a week.  Soooo.... next week we'll be back up and at 'em with our school work.  (Can you hear the groans from the children? Haha.)

The Homeschool Post

I posted over at The Homeschool Post today, if you want to go check it out!  :)

Out My Window - November 2009

I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing this:

We have had such beautiful weather so far this month, and I have urged my children to take advantage of it every day while they can.  We are so blessed to have a great back yard and a sturdy porch that is perfect for sunny afternoon picnics.  But, before long, Jack Frost will be knocking on our door and back porch picnics will have to wait until spring. 

What's the view like from your window today?

"Z" is for "Zzzzzz"

What is it about sleeping children that makes mamas want to take their picture? 

I think it has something to do with how serene and angelic they look.  It's like, however terribly they have behaved all day, to view them sleeping peacefully just erases all the wrongs.

I wonder if God ever watches His children while they are sleeping?

Come join the fun in the A B See photo meme at The Homeschool Post!

"Y" is for "Yum"!

"Y" is for "Yum"!

One afternoon, several weeks ago now, my two sweet boys decided they needed something sweet to eat.  The older is almost 13, and knows his way around the kitchen quite well, so I am pretty comfortable with letting him loose in there.  So, the two brothers decided to whip up some cake mix cookies.

Now, if you have never made cake mix cookies, let me tell you - they are so easy!  Just take any boxed cake mix, mix in 2 eggs and a 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, plop 'em on a cookie sheet like you would any other kind of cookie dough, and bake at 350* for about 10 minutes.  So easy, which makes these perfect for last minute, super quick desserts and snacks.

This particular afternoon, either my boys were craving chocolate, or they knew that their Mama was.  They not only picked a chocolate cake mix to make cookies from, but then they topped the cookies with chocolate icing, and again with chocolate chips!  That is some serious chocolate! 

And they were so~~~~o YUMMY!

Puddle Jumper

After my last entry, showcasing a sunny autumn afternoon, the rain returned to our area forcing us back indoors.  Rainy days have become all too common around here this fall, and little ones quickly tire of being confined to the house. 

Today, E. was able to fly through his lessons, finishing much more quickly than his big brother and big sister.  He was tired of being "shushed", so as not to disturb them in their studies, and I finally told him to go grab his boots.  He was surprised because, I do not typically allow the children to play outside in the rain.  But, the temperatures were warm enough and the rain was just light enough with no threat of lightning bolting out of the blue, that I was okay with letting him get out and just splash a little bit.  So, with a tattered umbrella in hand and rubber boots on his feet, off he went to explore. 

I sat on my lawn chair in the shelter of the garage, just to where I could see him romp through the rain.  I randomly snapped pictures with my half-broken camera, and really doubted that I would get any shots worth saving.  I was pleased, however, when I uploaded the photos, to find that there were quite a few keepers to be found.  The ones that particularly caught my eye were the ones taken mid-jump, making it look as if he's walking on air, or perhaps, being carried away by the umbrella on the wind, like Mary Poppins. 

I think I learned a valuable lesson today:  Sometimes it's okay to play in the rain.  And next time, maybe I'll just join him.

Enjoying the Autumn Sunshine

Earlier this week we had some gorgeous weather. School work took a backseat for a few hours while we went outdoors to soak up some sunshine. Here are my two youngest children, along with my fur-child, "Samson". Hopefully we will have many more of these sunny afternoons before the cold, winter weather hits!