My Secret Garden Rock Band

I would have a picture for you , but it’s cold and miserable outside. Plus there are no leafy green beauties yet. I just planted my peas and carrots yesterday. How’s that for keeping to a schedule? It took me three weeks to get it done. The next set of plantings should go much better as the soil is all prepped now. Beans are going in next week according to my chart even though smart gardener says to wait until June 3.

I still haven’t transplanted my tomatoes and peppers. They are so unhappy with me right now. Their older leaves are getting all discoloured because there isn’t enough nutrients for the whole plant. I really should get on that. What’s holding me back? The fact that I haven’t got any dirt soil for transplanting. I could go out and take some from my boxes since I’m sure I have enough now that they’re done (except its rain/ snowing right now). I also am not sure what I am going to do with them once they are in the larger containers. I just don’t have the counter or windowsill space. I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

In other news:

The boys all took part in a ward talent show. The Mad Hatter played the piano, Tweedle E played a duet on the piano, and then the Tweedles kept the party going with “Eye of the Tiger” Rock Band style. I am ashamed to admit I never caught it on camera, but close your eyes and picture a 4 year old kicking it off on the drums with a stick count, a 10 year old singing, and a 12 year old kinda wailing on the guitar. Yeah my babies made me proud. I would have done a “light show” behind them but the switches were all different than previous stages I have been on. They look more like a breaker and I was afraid I would cut the power to something. But there was a screen set up behind them so everyone see what they were playing. It was pretty awesome. Oh and for my talent… I made a pie and ate food. Cause that’s what I do.

The Good Earth

A few weeks ago we rented a tiller of the roto kind. It was a mantis and it was crazy. That thing has a mind of it’s own and if you are not careful it will run away with yours.

We got got said tiller to continue the battle against the dandelions. Every year we go at it and every year they ultimately win. But not this year! We are also preparing the soil for our garden.

I’m following my smart gardener plan as close as possible, weather permitting. Today Tweedle 3 and I filled the bed that was supposed to be filled last year. Hey I do what I can, and last year I was sick… and a little tired.

Yesterday I watched this Back to Eden video an Evangelical look at gardening. It’s a bit churchy and great if you like that sort of thing and I do (sometimes), but that may be just me. I think I may have had a couple of ah ha experiences. Anyway churchiness aside, it still had good information about mulches and what I think people call passive tilling.

By the end of the week we should have our peas and carrots in. I’m so excited and can’t wait to taste the fruits of our labours.

Home Schooling Update Lets talk successes- Math

So in my 8 month career as a homeschooling mom I have discovered I am super confident in Math. I can teach it. It’s logical and there is always only one answer (university math aside). I really feel that Tweedle E has gotten more out of his math this year than any other year and even though he hates it with the heat of 1000 burning suns, he is pretty good at it.

We have been using Saxon Math. I like it because it explains things really well and there is a lot of opportunity to practice what you have learned. I also like the basic facts drills which I strongly believe there is not enough emphasis put on in public school. What Tweedle E hates about Saxon is it is dreadfully long, tedious, and dry. First you do a 100 basic facts sheet, read a 2-3 page lesson (in all fairness goes quite quick, but can be overwhelming for him) then 2-8 practice questions from that lesson, then 30 mixed questions from current and previous lessons. It makes math a battlefield where there is no love. Sorry Pat Benatar.

I have taken to some modifications in the lesson because he was shortcutting and skipping just to get through it and that was leading to mistakes. So every other day we do the 100 basic facts then we do all the lesson practice and alternate evens and odds in the mixed practice. He doesn’t feel as overwhelmed. Because of that he has less mistakes because there is less shortcutting or skipping. Yay!

Sometimes we brake up the drills with XtraMath. All my boys like it. Its easy to see a bit colourful and has a bit of competition (main male motivator) built in, and it’s fast. Best of all it’s on the computer and they graph their progress so mom can visually see how awesome her kids are doing.

After the first placement test in addition facts Tweedles D and E had a score in the 60s and 30s now in three months of sketchy practice they have both increased 30 points at least. Tweedle 3 has even tried and just through repetition he now knows his “0″s addition facts and a few of his “1″s.

Just two more months to go, because in Canada we like to torture everyone by making school last until well into summer… ahem… and I am feeling confident in that Tweedle E is on track or grade level with his math.

P.S. If we do Homeschooling again next year, we will be looking for another curriculum that has the clarity of saxon but is a little more fun. And yes math can be fun.

What to post, what to post?

Oh friends I have so much to talk about but little time to write.

I could tell you about the ant invasion that has taken place and my attempts to kill them. I have tried picking them off one by one, but then they got to be to many. I have used ant traps but they avoid them. I am resorting to Chemical attacks of the strangest kind.  Currently the chemical of choice Lysol tub and tile mildew cleaner.  I kill about 20 every hour. At first I thought leaving the carcasses would send them a message but quickly learned they care nothing for their dead. I also think Tweedle 3 is granting them asylum in his room somewhere. Yeah I could tell you about that.

or

I could tell you about the abominable spring break of flu and disappoint smattered with a visit to the zoo. I could tell you about how starting Monday Tweedle E was in the throws of vomit and how he pleaded for me to help him and sadly he had no hair for me to hold back so all I could do was rub his back and clean his bucket. I could tell you how Tweedle D came down with it 3 days later and finally sunday night I got it. I could tell you how this flu is a fast working crampy flu that is harder on adults than on the youngens, but that might be too much information.

Then there is the story of how we are studying (and by we I mean my 12 year old) the reproductive system of plants and all of the awesome puns and jokes we are coming up with. Unfortunately,  this method has a high probability to confuse him. Egg-zactly or…. wait for it … ovule-zactly. Ba dump bum ching. Thanks folks I’ll be here all week.

It must be so hard to be my kids.

Buying a New Vacuum Sucks

(Picture from Legal Juice)

I want the best my money can buy. I also want a really good deal. Somehow spending 5 ben franklins (or 5 robert borders for my Canadian friends) or more on something that I don’t enjoy doing seems wrong. But then again we all go to the dentist right?

I have been told by many Dyson is the way to go, but then I read the polarized reviews and threads. It leaves me questioning.

I have been to stores and had myself narrowed down to a Shark Navigator, but then reading reviews on dealing with the company if something goes wrong got me worried.

I spoke with a cleaning lady and she recommended a miele but then I check the price and yowza. Some are as much as a vacation in Hawaii. Ok I may exaggerate a bit.

I have had others say that I should just buy a crappy vacuum every year, because even crappy vacuums are GREAT for the first while, but my environmental side seems to have a problem with such a disposable way of living.

After spending the last 2 + hours reading up, I feel as if I am not any further ahead. I wish I could use a roomba but then my floor would have to be free of stuff my children leave there. Not to mention the shoes and bags Mr. Wonderful leaves sitting around. Actually maybe it would force them to pick stuff up. Hmmm.

I should just buy something and get it over with. It’s not like my floor is getting any cleaner.

If you have any last pitches for a particular vacuum make them now or forever hold your peace (or is it piece internet doesn’t seem to know and I can make an argument for both). State the brand, model and how long you have had it. Thanks

Ally, Ally, Quite Contrally

Gardening is kind of exciting for me. It’s like I have my own little laboratory in my back yard. Every year it’s a experiment.

This year year I am trying to do it a little smarter. I also plan to take it to the “next level”.  I am getting a tiller this year and taking out the dandelion forrest. Next I’m laying down some landscape fabric and then I’m going to build another box. That will give me 66 sq feet of gardening space. Oh yeah and I’ll be bringing in soil AGAIN.

This year I am also following a plan I made on www.smartgardener.com. This is an american site but I altered growing season and chose a town similar in altitude. If it works the way I think it will, next year it will develop a crop rotated plan.

In my research I also found this schedule for planting in our area. It’s interesting to see. I never plant my beans that late, but that’s because my Grandfather said get all of your seeds in the garden by May 6th. My peas always come up right away but it takes forever for my beans. I’m going to plant my beans later this year and see what happens. See it’s an experiment.

I’m also going to add to my arsenal a soil test kit. Possibly two and see what I am really working with. Knowledge is power and I look forward to a bumper crop this year. *Finger’s crossed*

Oops I did it again.

Why do I do this to myself? The children go to bed late and then there I am sitting in front of the computer or watching TV all in the name of winding down. I don’t often do this. Most of the time I am begging the tweedles to go to bed and as soon as their little selves are all tucked in, I fall desperately into my own bed where I stay until morning.

But last night was different. Tweedle E was sick and I was giving him comfort, as all mothers should, through out the evening. When he finally fell asleep I was kinda wired. It was only 10:00. I was sure I could manage to stay up a little while longer and still get enough sleep to feel rested the next day. As always (with a computer) I got sucked in and what felt like 30 min. in computer time was actually 2 hours!

Just so you know I was looking up important stuff like the family tree fan chart and the cool hyperlink to family search when you click on a name. Cool stuff that is.

I also discovered that I spent my weekend engaged in the entertainment of the Hemsworth family. On Thursday I rented (yes there are still places where you can physically rent a movie) Thor, only to discover on Friday, that it was on NETFLIX. I truly hate that when it happens. Anyway. In the past I had absolutely no interest in see in Thor, but the Avengers movie is coming up and I thought I had better get some background, plus I have boys. So yay. On Saturday I watched the Hunger Games. The funny thing is I did not know that Gale and Thor were related. I KNOW my inner teenager is finding this hard to believe, but there it is.

So I spent some time relieving scenes that I liked in both movies and then it got me thinking about my old crush from way back when so I checked him out. Then I looked for episodes from the show I first saw him on, when the crush developed. I did find part of the song he sang on youtube but the “part” cuts off right in the middle of the scene. It turns out I have a thing for singers/ musicians and younger men born in september. I think that’s how I got Mr. Wonderful.

14

I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. – Rita Rudner

Hahaha, but seriously folks, I do love being married. It’s hard but it’s good.

I love that I have someone in my life who can stand with me, who has my back when we are up against the world.

I like that I have a hard time going to sleep in he isn’t home. I don’t love that but I think it says something.

I love that he has literally seen me at my worst and still wants to be around.

I love that we consult each other on big decisions.

I love that he wants to hold my hand when we are out.

I love that he still thinks I look good.

I love that he puts on his armour everyday and goes to battle dragons so that I can stay home with the kids.

I love that he is honest and honourable.

I love that he will deal with the rodents for me.

I love that he shovels the snow in the morning before he goes to work.

and I love that he  can be vulnerable (it’s rare) and cry in front of me.

He may not be perfect but he is close to it.

The End.

Thoughts

Sometimes I wonder what I would do if one of my three beautiful son came out to me and told me they were Gay. They haven’t given me any inclination that they are, its just something I have thought about.

For those of you who don’t know I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a mormon) and recently they have been under the microscope for various political reasons. Nothing big just prop 8 and a presidential election. Because of these incidences and others (I had a member friend come out to me a few years ago) I have become more aware of heart breaking stories of Gay members who have suffered and taken their lives because their desires are in conflict with what they have been taught. It is so sad. So very sad.

Today, my cousin Kevin Kloosterman, posted another obituary. It honestly breaks my heart.

As I look at my boys, I remember what it was like to hold them for the first time. I remember how frightened I was that I would be responsible for another human being. I worried that I might break them.

As I hold them now we talk of the future and what it will be like. We talk about what it takes to be a good dad, what they will do for a career, missions, and their roll in the gospel. I have hopes and dreams for them. I want them to be happy. I want them to find love. I want for them to know they are loved. I want them to know that God loves them.

So as I read these stories I wonder. I wonder what I would do. I’ve actually thought about it for years and I think I know what I would do. First of all it takes great courage to admit something that might disappoint your parents, so I would hug him. I would tell him I loved him. We might cry, because it will be hard. His future would be hard. I would cry later in my room for the loss of a future that I had hoped for him. I would ask questions, and try to understand. There is so much I don’t know about these things.

Next I would like to think I would support him in as many ways as I can. I would love him and then I would hope that would be enough.

STILL

In my mind I am still, like 22 ok. I honestly don’t think I have changed that much. I still shop at the same stores for clothing. When I wear make up and do my hair (which currently is in serious need of an intervention) I think I look great. I don’t think that I look…wait for it… almost 40. Gasp.

But then In the matter of a week I was brought to the brutal reality that I am NOT 22 anymore. Not once but twice. Yesterday, was my running class. It takes place at a university. What is the average age of a student attending university? Lets say 22. Well there I was in the locker room smack dab between two twenty year olds and yes, I did look old. I used to think the difference between me now and me then was a good nights rest, but it is so much more than that. Ladies never catch yourself in the mirror between two twenty year olds and especially in the locker room. Just saying.

My second (which is actually my first) incident took place when I went to pick up some face cream at my local drug store. I use Normaderm by Vichy because I have problem skin. Anyway, I have noticed some forehead wrinkles and some eye wrinkles and have been kind of obsessed with them. My skin care line has just come out with a new moisturizer for problem skin and wrinkles. I totally bought it but not until after I read the “advert” wrapped around the box. It said. “for women who STILL have imperfections and are getting wrinkles” The word “still” floated off the paper and sat there taunting me as if I was the only woman in the world who was STILL getting pimples at my age and couldn’t seem to get it right. Couldn’t they have just said, “for women who have difficulty with imperfections and wrinkles.”?

Right now as my stiffened body gets stiffer and the mobility of my arms gets less and less (due to the 80+ pushups I did last night) I am painfully aware that I am not 22 and all the injections and plastic surgery in the world cannot change that. I still don’t feel my age but I do feel older.