On the Tube

 So, what are you watching on Netflix?  We aren't a big tv watching family but maybe once a week or so I let the kids watch a couple of hours of Netflix and a couple of times a week we watch something as a family.  II wasn't watching much of anything until I broke my leg but right now I'm following a few shows.  Ollie and I usually have a series we're watching together.  Some weeks we make it through a few episodes, some weeks none.  So, here's what we're watching....
Breaking Bad--Ollie and I watched all three seasons of this.  It's not at all family friendly...it's about a happily married chemistry teacher who gets diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and starts cooking meth in order to pay his bills and provide for his family.  It all goes downhill from there...it's an intense drama and we loved it!  Although I did dream all night one night that I was cooking meth and couldn't find a way to get rid of it...

 I watched all of Season 1 on Netflix and watched Season 2 on PBS.org.  Awesome series!!  Totally different from Breaking Bad and aside from the first episode and one scene in the 3rd or 4th episode I would say it's family friendly.  I can't wait for Season 3!

 We've started watching "Heavy" as a family and everybody loves it.  Each episode follows 2 obese people as they set out to change their lives and lose weight.  It's totally fascinating to see just how big some of these people are and to see the progress they make or don't make.  I am dieting (doing Weight Watchers) and watching this show totally motivates me.  I have so much less to lose and that's encouraging.  :0)  Even when I'm starving. 

 "Mortified" is a show that only the kids watch although I watched the first couple of episodes with Grace.  It's a show that is filmed in Australia and it's about a 10 year old girl with a unique family that regularly mortifies her.  They are always embarrassing her.  It's a cute show. 

 "Raising Hope" just might be my all time favorite show ever.  I watched all of Season 1 on Netflix and now I'm watching Season 2 on Hulu Plus.  I had to sign up for a month just so I could see this show.  I'm also watching it on Fox on Tuesdays at 9:30.  This show totally makes me LOL.  I cannot recommend it highly enough.  Not so much for the whole family though.  There is a lot of adult humor. 

 I was really into "Scrubs" for a few weeks once I finished "Raising Hope" and hadn't gotten Hulu Plus yet and hadn't discovered "Downton Abbey."  It's cute and pretty funny.  Not LOL funny but entertaining. 

I started watching "Switched at Birth" with the girls but they've continued without me.  This one has an interesting premise.  Two girls were accidentally switched at birth and it wasn't discovered until they were in their teens.  One comes from a rich family and the other is being raised by a single mom who is a hairdresser.  That's all I'm tellin' ya!

What's your family watching?

Random, Random, Oh So Random

 Above is a picture of Joe and Walker in their rocker dude costumes for the upcoming show next weekend.  It's an 80s Follies show and it's going to be great!  This pic may make it to the paper...if any of you locals get the paper and see the article, please save me a copy!  Joe's wig is hilarious...reminds me of Bill and Ted.  Speaking of Joe...he's going to be 9...on Monday.  I can't believe it!  We aren't doing a party this year for the first time ever.  We are taking the year off for birthday parties.  It's such a relief.  I should've done this all along.  :0)  Monday night we'll have birthday dinner though and hopefully his presents will be here.  I ordered them yesterday.  We got him the book, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" as one of his gifts.  He is absolutely loving Shel Silverstein's silly poems and has memorized two of them.  He hasn't made much if any progress in his reading of Old Yeller but insists that he's going to read it.  He doesn't want me to read it to him b/c (in his own words), he wants the accomplishment of having read a famous book himself.  Okay then...I wonder how many times the library will let us renew it...speaking of Joe and reading.  He has quit arguing about reading for 5 minutes a day.  I quit trying to get him into various chapter books and he is making his way through our huge collection of picture books and seems to be enjoying himself. 

 I included the above pic of Grace just because.  I took it in the car with my new iPhone last Saturday.  I can't believe it's already been a week since I posted last.  This must have been the fastest week ever.  We were busy every day with school, physical therapy, PE, book club, President's Day, and theatre.  I am tired, I am probably doing too much but oh well.  I haven't watched one episode of Raising Hope nor have I finished watching the season finale of Downton Abbey.   I would watch it now but the kids are watching Netflix and I don't think the network can play two things at once although I may try it after this blog post.  I have a good book to read any way.  It's called Matched and is very Giver-ish...futuristic highly organized society with a teen realizing its flaws and trying to rebel. 

And, one more picture--Joe playing with rolls of duct tape and his Star Wars guys while I read in the morning.  This is what he does just about every morning while I read for an hour or so.  Today though he had a near meltdown b/c he couldn't find one of his green clones.  He knows every single guy he has. 
That's all I've got.
Peace out my peeps.

This and That

• I just got a new iPhone.  I have waited for a long time to enter the world of the smartphone.  I'm pretty excited.  It may take me forever to figure it all out but so far I know how to text and how to make a call.  I've downloaded Words With Friends but haven't actually set up an account.  I'll get to it.  I have all day and all evening....no plans at all!
• I signed up for Hulu Plus so that I can watch Season 2 of the best show ever, "Raising Hope."  I get a week free before I have to pay $7.99 for the month.  I think I'll try to watch all of it before my week is up, we'll see how that goes though.  My life is back to being pretty busy even if I can't walk.  Tomorrow night is the season finale of "Downton Abbey," the 2nd best show ever.  I'll have to watch it online on Monday though because the kids and are going to a play tomorrow night and won't be home by nine.  Lots of tv to watch this week which is very unusual for this momma.
• I started Physical Therapy last week and am already making noticeable progress.  My biggest goals are straightening my leg (it's surprisingly difficult and painful), and strength.  I am now "walk-crutching," placing some weight on my pumpkin leg with every step.  That is getting much less painful and I feel like I've gained a lot of strength back already.  I move slower than ever now.  I was getting pretty fast on my crutches but "walk-crutching" is slow going.  I am hoping and praying that I will be ready to walk for reals by March 15, my next Ortho appt.  
• I am 40 and spent the last 3 months leading a very sedentary life.  I wasn't able to completely stop eating nor have I been able to have much if any control over my meals and consequently I have gotten fat(ter).  I bought myself a couple of pairs of shorts and jeans in a size bigger than I usually wear, I went to Goodwill so as not to spend too much money since I hope to be back in my normal clothes soon.  I am ready now though to tackle this...I am working on a grocery list to stock the kitchen with healthy snacks and food and cutting portions significantly and cutting back on sugar and carbs.  Hopefully, I will be able to lose weight even without exercising since my ability to exercise is severely limited right now. 
• We are moving right along with school and I feel good about our days and our progress.  Enough said.
• I haven't been reading much (shocker) but did finish another Sandra Dallas book.  This one was called Whiter than Snow and was a good one.  It was set in a mining town in Colorado (as most of her books are) and it was about an avalanche that killed some of the children in town.  The avalanche and deaths aren't a big part of the book though, instead she tells the life story of each family affected by the avalanche--what brought them to the mining town.  Now, I'm reading a young adult book that Julie recommended--Umbrella Summer and although I just started it I'm enjoying it.  Hannah loved it.  I need to read Number the Stars before Wednesday for mother-daughter book club.  I also have a young adult dystopian novel, Matched, on my stack of books as well as another Sandra Dallas book (New Mercies) and another one that was recommended on another blog called Case Histories.  My next book club book is Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand and I've heard great things about it.  I'm waiting for it to come in at the library.  Of course, between my new iPhone and Hulu Plus and "Downton Abbey," I won't be flying through any of these books!
• I think that's about all I've got...

Pictures from Animal Kingdom Lodge

 Hannah and Grace on our balcony and below a view of the Savannah from our balcony.  It's hard to see but there are lots of animals out there--zebras, giraffes, ostriches, and more.

 On our first night we ate dinner at the Boma, an African buffet.  The food was amazing and Joe got a birthday cupcake. 

 On Saturday we spent the day hanging around the lodge.  In the morning the kids did a few of the activities offered by the lodge.  In the picture above they are learning about flamingoes and how they eat.  After this the kids participated in an Animal Tracking activity.  For each of these activities the kids earn beads.  After the morning activities, the kids toured around the lodge, checked out animals, went to the gift shop, etc.  Then we had lunch and after that crashed in our rooms for a couple of hours watching endless Disney channel shows.  Then, Joe went swimming with Billy's supervision and the girls and Harriet and Ollie got to tour the kitchen of the Boma.  Then it was time for another activity, Music of the Savanna (see pic below) and then on to the campfire to roast some pre-dinner marshmallows. 

 After the marshmallows we all went back to the rooms to get ready for our night out at the Polynesian Luau but before heading there, we stopped at the big campfire and listened to a tale from Africa. 

 The Luau was pretty amazing, great food and great entertainment. 

 It's hard to see him but Joe is up on stage doing a birthday hula dance.  :0)

Grace Sings "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

Joe Rockin' at Chick-fil-a

Hannah Sings Material Girl

Sunday Evening Post

Hello, how is you?  Is you good?  'Cause I wants to know.  (That's how Glozell starts most of her youtube videos)  I'm doing pretty well.  We spent the weekend at Animal Kingdom Lodge with  celebrating Joe's birthday.  He had a ball!  We al did but he really embraced the fact that we were celebrating his birthday.  We got there Friday afternoon and checked everything out and later had dinner at the Boma (amazingly good African buffet).  Saturday we spent the day doing all of the different activities and things they offer at the hotel.  They have different programs and when the kids participate they earn beads.  Harriet, Ollie, and the girls also did a kitchen tour of the Boma and even got to sample a bunch of food.  Joe swam during that time even though it was freezing!  I spent much of Saturday chillaxin' in the hotel room reading.  I'm reading a book about Catholic Unschooling.  I am continually drawn to unschooling for Joe but then chicken out.  I'm so scared he'll just play video games all day and never learn anything.  Anyway, our rooms had little balconies that looked out over a savannah with zebras, giraffes, and other animals so it wasn't bad hanging out in there.  Last night we went to the Polynesian for the Luau.  I had wanted to do that for a long time and it did not disappoint.  It was awesome!  This morning we just ate breakfast, hung out for a bit with Amanda and Landon (they had taken Joel to work and stopped in to see the animals), packed up and checked out.  It was a good weekend and nice to get out of the house.  Even if it was exhausting and I didn't sleep well and couldn't take a shower.  :0) 

Anybody doing anything special for Valentine's Day?  We usually just make a special dinner and dessert and maybe exchange cards but that's about it.  I don't know what we'll do this year.  I think someone's bringing us dinner and I may get the kids to help me make a fun dessert.  I found something on Pinterest--Valentine jello layered thingy.  I feel like the next two days are crazy busy and I'm wondering how we can do it all.  Reminds me of life before I broke my leg.  Tomorrow I have Physical Therapy in the morning at 9 and it should take about an hour and a half.  Kiddos are going to H and B's while I'm there.  We will probably get home at 11 at the absolute earliest and Hannah has to leave for Science at 1 and from there goes straight to theatre.    I need her to do school and she has to learn 2 verses of Material Girl before then.  She's singing it at Chick-fil-a tomorrow night with.  Right now she only knows one verse and hasn't practiced with music at all and she's at youth group until at least 8:30.  She's happy Amanda asked her to sing it but is also totally stressed about it.  I will take the kids to theatre and stay b/c we have to leave at 5:30 to make it to Chick-fil-a by 6.  By the time we get home it will be 7:30 or 8.  Then Tuesday we have to get the house ready for the housekeepers that will come around 1 and do school and it's Valentine's Day so I'd like to make that dessert...I haven't had this  much going on in a long time.  Oh yeah, and somewhere in there I need to go to Target to get the stuff for the dessert.  I thought about going tonight but I'm too chicken to crutch my way in a parking lot at night. It's actually nice to be busy again but I'll be glad Tuesday evening when all of this is done.  

In less than an hour the next episode of "Downton Abbey" is on!  Woohoo, I can't wait.  It's such a great series.  I think I may check out Masterpiece Theatre's "Sherlock Holmes" next.  I've heard it's really good too and I love the Sherlock Holmes stories.  

Tomorrow is the day I get to start putting 50% weight on my poor pumpkin leg.  I have tested it a little today, just putting a little pressure and....it hurts!  I'm glad that I'll be going to physical therapy tomorrow.  I can practice there with supervision and ask questions and all that stuff.  I'm slowly realizing that this recovery may likely be even longer than I thought.  I should get the all clear to walk on March 14 but in all likelihood, my "walking" will still be with the aid of a crutch, cane, or walker.  Based on how it felt to put a little pressure on it, I am going to need some rehab and time, lots of it.  With that said, I am thankful for how far I've come and for every bit of progress that I am making even if it is in small increments.  

Well, I need to go fold some laundry...have a good week and Happy Valentine's Day!

Smh

For those of you who aren't all hip hop with the texting lingo..."Smh" means, "shaking my head."  That's how I felt today schooling Joe.  I have shared ad nauseum here on this blog of my trials and triumphs as I homeschool Joe.  He is brilliant, sweet, thoughtful, stubborn beyond belief, and easily antogonized.  I've been officially schooling him for 4 years now and I am still rather clueless as to how he will respond when I try to add something new to his school day.  As you remember, our unit study on the Periodic Table was a huge bust.  I haven't even mentioned it to him again.  We are just doing what we had been doing and he's good with that.  So, today as I presented a new assignment I really wasn't sure what kind of response I would get.  I recently got the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends at the library and thought Joe might enjoy the whimsical poems.  I decided to issue a "challenge" to all of the kids.  I secretly told Joe first (maybe it was the word "challenge" or maybe it was letting him in on the secret) and he was on it like white on rice.  Here's the challenge--choose a poem and write it out very neatly on white paper and illustrate it.  Then memorize the poem and prepare to recite the poem for myself and Ollie as well as Harriet and Billy.  He got so into this challenge that after reading a dozen or so poems he chose the one he wanted to learn and started memorizing it.  Then he went and wrote it out, made the illustration, and recited it for me.  All of that took him about an hour and he seemed to love every minute of it.  It was a good day of school all around for Joe and I am thankful for it.  I love that kid.  Even though he regularly makes me smh. 

Sunday Evening Post...Daybook Style

Outside my window...it's dusk and the air feels heavy, like it wants to rain but I don't think it will.

On my mind...a list, of all the things I need to do.  My little area is a big mess.  I have all of my scrapbook stuff out and have about an hour's worth of scrapbooking that I need to do in order to be caught up (one of my goals during my time of convalescence).  I also have some school planning to do and a children's ministry schedule to make and I can't seem to get motivated to do any of it.  I should be happy to have stuff to do after so long of not really having anything pressing to do.  I'll start after this blog post.

Not on my tv....the Superbowl.  We aren't football fans here, not even for the Superbowl.  Instead, Ollie and Joe are playing a game online with Uncle Gabi who is back in Chicago.  Hannah is reading and complaining that she doesn't feel good.  Grace isn't home but should be back soon.

Also on my mind...all the apps I want when I get an iPhone.  I'm hoping to get one in a few weeks.  I've never had a "Smartphone" so this could be fun.  I want to get Instagram (I already have it but can't do much with it on my iPod), Facetime, Words With Friends, and can't wait for the built in video camera and other camera.

I'm reading...The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.  It's a super fat book (about 4 or 5 inches thick) and it has gotten mixed reviews.  I started it last night and so far I like it.  Believe it or not, I have been pretty much unable to read for the last 4 or 5 days.  I try to start a book and am bored right away.  I don't know if it's just that I haven't got a good book or if I'm just sick of reading.  Maybe this book will turn that around though. 

From the schoolroom....more of the same and a few new things for Hannah.  One of them is a typing program--sort of an old-fashioned one where she has her fingers on the keys and I call out what she is supposed to type.  First she'll learn the home row.  She'll also be doing some Internet Scavenger Hunts and learning to use various reference materials like a Thesaurus. 

A few plans for the rest of the week...doctor tomorrow!  This is a big appt., if all is healing well I'll be released to drive and put 50% weight on my leg which means I can stand on both feet.  I'm hoping to resume my role of taxi driver for the kids.  We'll also be doing lots and lots of school and then spending the weekend at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney.  Can't wait for our little mini vacay!  I love having something to look forward to. 

Keeping it Real

Remember that unit on the Periodic Table I was so excited about?  Remember how I said it was right up Joe's alley?  Well, it bombed.  Bombed big time!  He was frustrated within minutes and questioning everything I read.  He flat out refuses to believe that everything in the world is made up of just combinations of 109 elements.  What about his Harry Potter wand?  What about wheat? And on and on.  I think I was being too ambitious thinking he would get into this.  Oh well.  I can save the book for a later date and in the meantime the placemat can be just that--a placemat. 

7 Quick Takes

1.  So, for the first time in 3 months we are back to "normal" life.  As normal as life is going to get with me still laid up.  I broke my leg on November 16, right at the beginning of a busy time with theatre.  For the next two weeks the kids had lots of rehearsals and performances and I did my best to make all of them while adjusting to having a broken leg.  Thanksgiving was also right in the middle of that.  Then, the holiday season was upon us, my mom came, I had surgery, kids had a show, my mom left, and Ollie was off of work for the next 2 and a half weeks and we celebrated Christmas.  We rang in the New Year with the arrival of some of our Chicago family and they stayed the whole month of January and just left this afternoon.  Tomorrow is day one of getting back to normalcy around here.  I'm not sure I'm ready for it since I'm not completely healed but ready or not here it comes.  I am so much better than I was a month ago and I'm hopeful that after my doctor's appt. on Monday I'll be cleared to put 50% weight on my bum leg and drive.  I can't wait to drive again.  Just wishing we had a drive thru Starbucks around here.  But, then again, it's probably better that we don't.

2.  As we move into this next phase, I am highly motivated to make up for lost time with school.  We have a good month and a half before Ollie's (and our) Spring Break.  As my friend Leisa says, I'll be riding my kids like Seabiscuit these next 6 weeks or so.  Actually, we haven't lost that much time with school, I've kept up with all of our main subjects but there are some new things I have wanted/needed to add and do more of.  I am excited about starting a study of the Periodic Table with Joe.  This is right up his alley.  I bought him a Periodic Table placemat and a book written at his level all about the elements.  I also found a lapbook on HomeschoolShare and the library had the book it's based on.  I know almost nothing about the Periodic Table so I'm looking forward to learning myself.  I am also going to be having the girls writing.  A lot.  We bought into IEW this year with a friend and have hardly done any of it.  So, we'll be doing a lesson just about every day to make up for lost time. 

3.  I read a book today.  It was one of Hannah's Sonlight books and was a fast read (obviously).  Bonanza Girl, it was a great story.  Hannah loved it and I see why.  If you're looking for a good, quick read I highly recommend it.  I have been reading a lot, so much that I'm actually kind of getting tired of it.  I've read at least 14 books since the beginning of the year.  You would think that I would be thrilled but I guess too much of anything gets old.  I loved the book that I had mentioned here before--Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children.  It was kind of a weird story and sometimes it was a stretch to make the story fit the vintage photographs sprinkled throughout but I love quirky stories like that so I enjoyed it.  I've read two Andy Andrews books and enjoyed them both.  He has an interesting style. 

4.  Instead of reading the last few days I have been watching back to back episodes of "Downton Abbey" on Netflix.  It's a show set in the early 1900s in England and the story lines follow the wealthy people as well as their servants.  I was really getting into it tonight and finished Season 1 only to find out that Season 2 isn't available through the watch instantly feature.  Now I have to wait for the DVDs!  Same thing happened with my other favorite, "Raising Hope," except that they don't even have the next season on DVD either.  Thankfully there are still lots of episodes of "Scrubs" that I haven't seen.

5.  Tomorrow night is Friends and Family Night at theatre.  That's where they open the final dress rehearsal to friends and family to see the show for free.  Not the kids' show--the mainstage show.  Julie and I usually make and sell concessions for this show as a fundraiser for the kids' theatre.  Since Julie is out of town I am doing the baking this time.  Well, Hannah and Grace actually...under my supervision.  Hannah successfully made two pans of lemon bars today and Grace will make some brownies tomorrow.  It feels good to do something normal, even though I'm not actually doing the baking...I did do the cutting and bagging though and I'll be doing the selling. 

6.  I'm going to Chick-fil-a tomorrow for free breakfast. 

7.  Hannah has a new obsession--doing hair.  Every couple of weeks she changes her obsession and this week it's hair.  Youtube is a fabulous place to learn all sorts of stuff.  A few weeks ago Hannah was using Youtube to teach herself headstands and backbends and other acrobatic stunts.  Then, it was duct tape crafts and now it's hairstyles.  She has mastered the 5 strand braid, the fishtail braid, and is getting better and better at french braiding.  So far she has mostly used her American Girl doll to practice but is dying to do something fabulous to mine.  I'll let her...just not tonight.  Actually, I can't wait to wash my hair tomorrow and try out another wet hair style.  I loved my twisties last time but I want to go for one of the braided looks this time. 

Joe and Sophie