I've been absent, I know. I'm sorry...

...but i had to interrupt this bloggy hiatus for Kacie's "singing". Because I love it. 

 

she's got a real future.

Unplugged.

We unplugged everything.

The announcement went well:

{We're re-doing our living room, hence the naked-ness of the room.

Just so you're not wondering why we're living in a bare brown box.}

It's an experiment. A Social Study on Exploration. Conan and I noticed things felt off with our kids; they were too connected with technology and not enough with each other. They were missing things as they really are. Their actions and interactions had one end result...screens. Creativity was lacking and authentic leisure was obsolete. So we unplugged.

Back to literature, music, arts, sports, imagination, developing skills and talents...exploring.

Once they get the work done, they can choose to explore whatever they want, as long as it's safe, affordable, and within the confines of gospel teachings. We will help them explore whatever they want. Explore a good story, history, a person. Explore drawing, glue, clay, woodwork. Explore the ocean, space, Africa. Explore our neighborhood, the dirt, the dishwasher, cooking, golf, instruments, massage therapy...Whatever! They seemed pretty excited once we presented it that way.

We asked them each what their hypothesis's on the experiment are...mostly they said they were going to die. But slowly they've started to talk about being better friends, having quieter moments, and more fun. Sigh.

Conan and I are hoping that by disconnecting they will re-connect with what's real and important. With each other, with us, with themselves, and most importantly with their Father in Heaven. That life saving relationship comes in the still moments when they can think, feel and listen. we need more of those.

So far so good. It's only been two days with just a couple minor meltdowns from Mickey Mouse detox, but we've already noticed a difference.

In the last two days we've gone to the gym, made green chips, made playdough, went to the park, played with playdough, made more playdough, cleaned up the playdough, made cookies, played Blockus, vacuumed dried playdough, explored the woods, made plans to build a dog house (for the dog we don't have), had piano lessons, dance parties; and they've played ninja, who can throw the ball against the wall the hardest, super hero doctors, and I think there was some cowboy mermaids in there too.

Homemade Playdough:

It's now memorized.

2 cups flour

2 cups water

1 cup salt

2 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp cream of tartar

Stir in a big pot over low heat for around 10 minutes, until it pulls away from sides of pan and isn't sticky anymore. Let it cool and add food coloring. If it's sticky when you take it out of the pan, nuke it for 20 seconds and the moisture will absorb.

I've scoured homeschool websites and kid's crafts ideas to keep the little kids busy, but I'd love suggestions and ideas, if you've got any. It's a new way of thinking and planning and executing for me, not just the kids. It's kind of exhausting, but the way it should be.

Kacie says, "Mom, is the compooter plugged up?"

"Yes, honey, it's unplugged."

"Is the Wii plugged up?"

"Yes, sweetheart, so is the Wii."

"Is the music plugged up?"

"No, we can listen to all the music we want."

"Okay. Let's dance to Super Mario."

Life is good.

for conan.

Hey sweetheart, watch this video and tell me what you don't see.

yup, that's right.

no drips.

I fixed it.

{I love you, too.}

Charlie.

My boys are all about Go Go's these days. I love them too, so we encourage this.

You can submit Go Go videos on the website, which the boys have gotten super excited about.

So, taking cue from Lori's stop motion Sundays, we give you: Charlie.

the Great Canadian Andy Dance

I know, I haven't blogged.

I'm still trying to edit and sort my 836 pictures and videos from our trip, and get used to making school lunches again. ugh.

So in the mean time, here's Andy and his sweet moves at the Great Canadian Barn Dance in Hill Springs, Alberta.

be inspired.

happy end of summer.

everything I know i learned from the Huxtables.

We watch the Cosby Show every day after school and this episode came on yesterday.

I cried a little.

to my kids.

I love them.

she crochets.

Hogwarts Day 2. Classes.

Slytherin won the House Cup because meanie Snape was entirely unfair with the point system. Giving Slytherin 50 points for Kacie going in the potty. Hardly fair. Hooray for Kacie, but hardly fair.



Defense Against the Dark Arts {mentos in coke}:


Divination with Professor Trelawny. Mirror of Worromot.
{My sister Corrie is an exceptionally hilarious person. She is so so great.}

sick. sick. and Hogwarts.

Thanks guys, for all your get well wishes.

Here's the scoop: I got sick with the flu a couple weeks ago. REALLY sick; high fever, achey, you know. The flu. After the expected 3-5 days of fever and chills, I was still sick and couldn't breath very well so I went to the ER (it was a Saturday) and they told me 6 days isn't very long to have a temp and if it's the flu they can't give me anything anyways, and if it's an infection they don't want to overmedicate me with un-necessary anti-biotics and it'll probably last another week or so and she's sorry she just can't make it go away. She listened to my lungs, said I sounded good, and sent me home with a prescription for cough syrup.

Big. Fat. Bummer.

So I went through the week, still sick, thinking I just needed to muscle through it and it'll go away, but the more I tried to push through, the sicker I got. So I went in to my doctor and they did an xray and sent me to the hospital with agressive bilateral pneumonia. I spent 3 days there getting oxygen and drugs, and came home last night.

Here's the biggest bummer of them all...

I missed Hogwarts.

*sniff sniff.*

Conan drove the kids to my sisters house in Nashville so they wouldn't miss out on the Wizard Festivities, and left them there in the care of my parents for the Hogwarts weekend, while I ate cupcakes and pomegranites in a sticky hospital bed. I was so so sad to miss it all, but thankful my kids were still able to go. And thankful for cupcakes and oxygen.

My sister did such a phenomenal job with the party. I'm talking amazing. As soon as they get all their photos downloaded and sorted, I will share FOR SURE. She is so wonderful. My kids truly felt like wizards.

As for me, the doctor said if I stay still and rested I should feel better in a couple weeks. My mom and dad are here to help and I feel much better than I did last week...the fever is gone and it's just the breathing I have to catch up with now. So I'm good.

Thanks for your thoughts.


Here's the family portrait Cassy and Seth had hanging in the halls of Hogwarts during the party {playing on their tv}. So genius. I love them.

mr. flatts teaches us the tootsie roll.

practice makes perfect.

cousins and triathalons.

The cousins came in this weekend for the dad's triathalon in Alcoa. Conan has done 2 now. He's good. I love races; I cried twice. Okay three times. Once while we were walking to the transition area to see if we could catch Conan starting the run and we passed two little boys sitting on the curb holding a big "We Love You Daddy" sign. I got a bit choked up it was so sweet. And then a couple times at the finish line. The best was Conan of course, but I got really ferklempt watching 3 boys waiting on the grass for their mom, and all of them jumped up when they saw her and ran like crazy with her to the finish line. It was so darn cool I even had a real tear that time.

Anyways, my husband is awesome. He finished really well this time; and we're off to Gulf Shores in the Fall for another. I'm a little worried about him swimming in the ocean, though. Sharks, you know. And screeching eels.

waiting for the results...

summer fun tip: go in the rain.

We went to the downtown fountains this morning...in the rain. It was by far the wettest fun we've ever had. The only thing better than playing in the rain is playing in giant fountains in the rain. AND...the whole park was ours and ours alone.

Once the sun came out the yellow bus pulled up; this is when we explored the amphitheater, put our feet in the river, and debated if we should go up the sunsphere or not. We opted not, due to stroller constraints and wandering toddlers. Next time.





And this is quite possibly the coolest thing in K-ville.

I know I was meant to live in a musical. I just know it.

I saw this on Nat's blog and I can't stop thinking about it. I want to teach my kids a dance so we can break it out at the zoo. To the Back Street Boys.



Chills.

create.

I had to put this here, so I could scroll down some random day, and remember, again.



I have a keen ambition to create something everyday. I often interpret that into selfish, material terms. But my passion for creation stems far beyond an ability to sew a straight seam.

The ModPodge and pompom makers go back in the closet, and my showpiece for the day becomes the pb&j...

when I remember.

To create memories. confidence. laughter. trust. gratitude. courage. interest. ambition.
To take something broken, and fix it.
To mold these miracles...into our masterpiece.

lame.

We went to see Monsters vs. Aliens 3D. My recommendation; don't.

Lame. No disrespect to Reese Witherspoon, I like her; but lame.

AndyHam rocked out during the previews. And the credits (in the aisle with a little more enthusiam) but I didn't get the camera out in time for that show. He was funnier than the movie.



The kids all wanted popcorn, and I said no. That stuff will kill 'em young, and cost us their college tuition. So I said no. Joey whined and whimpered and pouted for popcorn. He was mad the whole time. And I still said no. Then half way through the movie, right when the Golden Gate is crumbling, Joey turns to me and whispers, "Dad gets me popcorn."

Ouch.

The kids all had raving reviews for dad when we got home. I told him it was lame, and he asked the kids if they ate a lot of popcorn.


silence. heads turning. eyes glaring, piercing my very soul.

"No."

Dani took responsibility, as the oldest, to let dad know that mom wouldn't buy popcorn.

"It'll kill 'em, Conan."
"But it's the movies. You have to get popcorn at the movies."


He's right. I'm lame.


no I'm not.

I'd like to buy the world a Fit...

'nuf said.

better than Christmas.

I cleaned so hard I moved the couches. Do you guys do that every time? Me, not so much.

Little did I know the festival of new discoveries this would unleash or I would've done it long ago.

Not only did the repositioned stinky sectional suddenly gain a whole new respect in its new temporary placement, but we're talking City of Lost Toys people! Better than Christmas, says Andy. And indeed it was. They jumped and squealed and cheered with every new inch of exposed carpet. It was like revealing a goody bag of sweet memories; over and over.

Andy found MarioPinball, his "motht favwitetht lotht thing...evoh!!", and a random green stretchy bracelet that suddenly had special meaning.

Joey found books, cars, the red connect four piece that has been haunting his empty space on the grid, darts, pokemons, and nasty half eaten snack bags galore. They're not allowed to have food in the bonus room; and there it was in its sneaky glory.

I am happy to have found 4 lost hair accessories. A good bleaching of these ouchless babies and I'm back to ponytails. Woohoo!

And finally, the one we're all real thrilled about....
The BurpMaster 2000.

Take it away Kacie.



Fabulous.

40 Winks Til Christmas. and whales.

It was hot and stinky. Kacie was climbing on my face, and Dani was discussing with Emelia who was the most popular in the 4th grade. Both trying to beat eachother's best Napolean Dynamite impersonation. Funny...for the first 20 minutes. Gosh.

The eager parents and their oversized camera bags seemed to fit nicely in the water closet sized gymnasium of our Elementary School. Everyone had a place...in the aisle or against a wall. Or on the floor. If you were prompt and efficient in being 1 hour early, you got a seat.

Then the hush of chaos as our comfy little Tetris grid was rocked by a stream of cute little 1st and 2nd graders in festive pajamas filling the bleachers. Parents stood, cameras flashed, cuties waved with grins bigger than my headache. Understood. Everyone wants to see their kid. And in the chlosterphobic nightmare, go ahead, stand for a minute.

I made good eye contact with Jake, blew a kiss and kept my place, being careful not to raise my camera too high and block the view of the sea of raging parental pride behind me.

Did I mention it was hot?

Jake had the introduction. I couldn't see him, so I did indeed raise my camera a few inches past the point of no respect to perhaps get a shot of his adorable animation as I listened to the voice of my sweet boy. I had to do what I had to do to get the video for daddy, who was coaching Andy's basketball team.

As Jake returned to his place, 5th spot 3 rows down, I put the camera away and listened, because I couldn't see anything, and I'd get annoyed at the parent who was letting their kid stand on the chair right in front of the 5th spot 3 rows down if I tried. To see.

So I listened, and spent quality time hushing the Napolean's and peeling Kacie off my face...and watching the lady a row in front of me, stand. The whole time. In a chair seat.

There was drama.

A few parents asked her out loud to sit down. Repeatedly. Some nicely, some not. Most parents just grumbled obsenities as she ignored every request. Some moved, clogging other crowded corners. She responded at one point by turning around and informing the congregation that if they wanted to see they could stand up, too.

And she stood.
She was widely unliked.

I was a little disturbed.

So as I heard the program, I watched her. And wondered what her story was.

I think she grew up in a normal home. According to whatever normal you choose. She had kids early (she didn't look very old), thus giving up her dream of saving whales so she could be home to raise her young family. I didn't see a dad, so I think he works nights. Missing his youngest's first Christmas program, and sad about it. I can respect that.

And maybe her son has had some behavior, or health problems. And she's really proud of him for wearing the red pj's instead of the black ones. And they spent all afternoon making his Santa hat together. And she just couldn't hold back the tears as she tried to mentally document the evening for her over-worked and absent husband, so they could reinact the good parts when he's home on Christmas Eve. And maybe she chose to stand in a chair seat instead of against the wall because she was desperate for her other children to stay and support their younger brother and not sneak off for a soda. Or a smoke. So she locked them in the middle section, and stood, praying that others would understand. But we didn't.

The real story {whatever it is} may not justifiy the action, but it isn't my job to judge that. I'm no author of justice. I can just write a story. Or invite her to lunch.

So whales are what I chose for her, as I watched her stand.

And listened to my Jakey.



He's the moral of the story.

so sad and strongbad.

I can't find anymore 100Grand's in the ashes of what we would call Halloween stash.

My batter bowl shattered at the hands of the hated tile floor. A while ago, but I still cry about it. It wasn't her time.


My to do list. Makes me puke AND cry.


Oh, little 'brudder. Heart of a champion.