Ramens Will Burn if...

you forget to add water.



Though the acrid smoke has past the smell lingers. Think...burnt popcorn smell. My dear oldest, son, Aaron, is sustained by Ramen noodles. I think he would wither and die were it not for these little wavy dried bits of carbohydrates. Oh, and let us not forgot the load of sodium. His current favorites are Chili, Chicken and Roast Chicken. When he is feeling a bit wild he mixes them together. Yes, he can take a walk on the wild side. So, why you may or may not ask, did he burn said wavy treasure? I'm sure it had nothing to do with staying up until the wee hours of the morning to play the computer and watch Dr. Who. He was a bit distracted getting ready to go mow the neighbor's grass. He wanted to grab a quick small meal, so he grabbed the Ramens like he does most every day, placed them in a bowl and popped them in the microwave. He ran to the bathroom. I had my back turned trying to put 2 boxes of frozen pizza into our freezor. After a few seconds I jokingly called out, "Aaron what are you burning?" The smell was getting worse by the second. I turned to look at the microwave and saw billowing smoke. I grabbed the door and looked at the smoldering ramen noodles sans water. I grabbed the bowl and stuck it in the sink and turned on the water. AHHH! More smoke!

I sit here with the windows open, the air conditioner off, and the door open praying the mosquitos are too confused by the burnt carbon to find my legs and arms.

Aaron opted for a bowl of Breyer's chocolate ice cream with Hershey's syrup to hold him over while he mows the grass. One must always have back up plans if you should, per chance, burn your first choice.

::::::::::::::A Just For Fun Layout::::::::


<sub>Just having some fun with the love birds.


Credits: Kate Hadfield: Love Birds, Diner Doodles, Vehicle Doodles
Jacque Larsen/Kate Hadfield Cleaning Doodles, Tea Party, Celebrate, Tooth Fairy Doodles
Jenna Desai: Doodled Border
Alpha: Darcy Baldwin's Spotty Alpha
Catrine's Chalked Alpha and Explore Solids
Font: Cheapskate Outline, Calvin and Hobbes</sub>

:::::::::::::Family Swim:::::::::::

We finally got to go to family swim time at our local pool. The kids tired themselves out and drank abit of chlorine. Rachel would like to warn against embibing chlorine. She said it made her stomach hurt.

During our last 20 minutes at the pool I was playing with Eve in a smaller circular pool inside the lazy river set up. I was on the other side of the circle and she said, "Come and get me!" So, I went underwater to grab her and she surprised me by swimming past me to the other side. She and I found this to be quite a fun game. She got so much more confidence to use her swimming skills and stick her face in and swim across. She was so proud to play and be able to swim. I am so proud of her, too!

:::::::::::::Walking::::::::::

I did my 5 mile walk and it was another situation where it took 2 miles for my foot to feel okay. Surprisingly, my foot hasn't hurt as much after the fact as it has in the past couple of weeks. Maybe my foot is getting better, or I have permanent nerve damage? Hmmm? I'm going to check the store for those Ace Bandage thingies and look for one for arch support.

There are a couple of new regular walkers at the park that smile when I pass. I call them "The Double Mint Twins". They appear to be in their early twenties, shaved heads and about 6 feet tall.

:::::::::::::Family Reading:::::

The kids and I got a kick out of last night's chapter of Tales From the Hood. Puck has an allergy that is so too funny. The Ferryport Landing librarian is great and the razzing Puck gives him is hilarious, too!

:::::::::::::Today:::::::::::

I'm taking Aaron to the store to spend a few of his hard earned dollars, I have a Yearbook meeting and the guys are leaving for a rock climbing trip/camp out.

Take care! I hope y'all have a great weekend!

Another Day, Another Copay...

:::::::::::::::Medical Update::::::::::

Eve has a middle ear infection and sinus infection on the right side. She was thrilled to hear she would be taking the same kind of medicine as Noah. Crazy kids!
Eve and I saw a nurse practioner instead of her primary care because he was booked up. He did walk by as we were leaving and we told him that Eve wanted to be just like her big brother, except we didn't find any eraser in the left ear. He laughed.

Michael told Noah he was an amoxicillan sommelier because he stood there appearing to discern the bouquet and color of his 2 tsp dose. Noah finished up his last dose this morning. Fortunately he stood up well to the news.

::::::::::::::Fresh:::::::::::::::::

This is a layout from Dawn Inskip's newest kit. The colors are a perfect for Spring and the elements are super fun.




Here are links to a few of her sites:

http://www.ndisb.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2296

http://digistore.treasurestoscrap.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1151

http://shop.scrapscandistyle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1381

The font: Font: DJB Another Mandy by Darcy Baldwin
http://www.thedigichick.com/shop/product.php?productid=17769


::::::::::::::::::::::Book Review:::::::::::

Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton



I just finished reading this one to the kids. My paperback version is actually the 1971 printing. I edited the swear words as I read. The kids were mostly interested in the baby that is found in the story. They were also curious about how the Andromeda Strain worked and how viruses spread. The animal experimentation caused them a lot of concern. The book had them nervous, but interested. This is a book for older kids due to the nature of death, which is a scary subject for most of them.

::::::::::::::::::::::Our Next Family Reading Book::::::::

The Ordinary Princess



This book was recommended by my friend, Kim. She has impeccable taste in books. Michael groaned to find out that we were reading "another princess story", but he is persevering and I'm sure he will end up liking the book.

:::::::::::::::::::Girl Scout Cookies:::::::

have swept through the house like wildfire. The boxes we ordered have been eaten. Rachel made a secondary goal of selling 275 boxes, so THANK YOU to all who supported her...and sorry for any caloric intake that decided to take up residence in your hips!

Later, gators! :)

Princess Stories and Science Fiction

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was a wonderful tale from beginning to end. After the boys overcame the..."WHAT?! ANOTHER PRINCESS STORY!!"...syndrome they were sucked into the story of Crown Princess Ani. This book has several intense scenes, so a light and fluffy princess story it isn't. The characters are interesting and the imagery is amazing. Ani's character has many layers and she is extremely uncertain of her self through most of the book. She meets a young woman who believes in Ani more than Ani believes in herself. The relationship Ani has with animals is strange, but comforting for her and disturbing to those who find out about this ability. Shannon Hale's stories grab you quickly and take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and after a long ride she lets you catch your breath.

Overall, if you are looking for a great story this is one. If you want a light and happy princess story...skip it. Rachel and I, especially, are more and more becoming fans of Shannon Hale's work. She wins more props from us with each book. I give this book 10 out of 10 Princess Crowns...with little emeralds.

::::::::::::::::::::::The Next Family Book:::::::

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. Science fiction at it's really cool and kinda creepy best.

::::::::::::::::::::::Loose Teeth:::::::::::

Rachel lost one of her molars today. She came home from a friend's house and said, "Dad, I need you to pull my tooth." 30 seconds later she had a molar in her hand, a rag in her mouth and a big grin.

Aaron lost one of his molars this week too. He had Michael pull it, as well. The dentist wanted to charge $500.00 to pull the tooth in November. I said that the price was too high and I would see if it would come out on its own. Aaron decided that the tooth was bugging him enough to want to finally get it out. He used the Power Bar and Starburst method. He chewed those tough items on the side with the loose tooth and was able to get it ready to pull. He was so excited that we didn't have to pay the big bucks and that he wouldn't be getting any Valium and Nitrous Oxide this time. He gets anxiety about the anxiety medicine. So good thing.

::::::::::::::::::::Birthdays::::::::::

It was fun to hang out with my mom for her birthday. She wanted some barbeque, so I took her to lunch at The Hickory House. Michael came along as another birthday celebrant. The evening was capped off by a spaghetti dinner fund raiser at my mom's ward. The young women did a great job serving and there was a dance at the end. Michael and I had a good time cutting up and dancing together.

::::::::::::::::::::Merit Badge:::::::

Aaron and 3 other scouts were able to achieve their Chemisty Merit Badge for Scouts during a day long class at Georgia Tech University. He had a great time learning and was proud to be able to answer some questions because he had recently read about what they were asking in some books on electricity he was researching.

Well, I'm off to read! Smiles!

Send In The Clowns

Text: This was my first attempt at creating a clown after my Wilton decorating class. The recipe had some changes and the consistency was too soft, but the end result was okay.

_{Credits: Lorie Davidson's : Sparky freebie
Kate Hadfield's: Doodle alpha
Darcy Baldwin's: DJB KIRA at The Digichick
Catrine: Pauline Alpha}

::::::::::::::::::Family Reading Time:::::::


The boys were a bit annoyed with me for going from one princess book to another, but I believe the new book has earned their interest. Aaron was disappointed that I had to stop reading due to the lateness of the hour last night. The story is well crafted and the characters and imagery are superb.

::::::::::::::::Valentine's Day is Coming Soon:::::


Shabby Miss Jenn made some really cool quick pages for the Shutterfly blog. Here is a sample:


::::::::::::::::Personal Reading:::::::::

New book for me:
This is a book recommended by my friend, Kim, and she has excellent taste in books!

Smiles...I'm off to Girl Scouts with Rachel!

So, Whattya Been Doin'?

,...just curious.

The tree is still not decorated...how lame is that!!! The kids are rotating who is sick and I've been busy painting downstairs, so maybe tonight???!!!


::::::::::::::::::::Perfect Attendance:::::::

is what Rachel had until a fever, headache and sore throat sidelined her, yesterday. She felt crumby today, but she went anyway. She is, usually, my healthy kid. Noah who is my croupy kid still has perfect attendance, surprisingly.

:::::::::::::::Swimming Update:::::::::


The kids' have their last swim lesson with Laura tonight. She has been an amazing instructor. Eve went from only floating on her back with some help from Michael to feeling like a little mermaid swimming under her own volition. YEAH! We need to get Noah into a SCUBA program because he wants to spend all his time underwater.

:::::::::::::::::::::Family Reading::::::::::

The kids are clamoring for me to not stop reading the newest Sisters Grimm book Magic And Other Misdemeanors. It was a near riot last night when I stopped reading at the end of chapter 8. The kids would stop me intermittently while I was reading to postulate who might be the Master of the Scarlet Hand and who was stealing the magic items.

:::::::::::::::::::::Hockey::::::::::::

My stepdad is taking Aaron and Rachel to see a Gladiator's hockey game tomorrow. They all like hockey, so they, hopefully, will have a blast.

:::::::::::::::::::::Lunch with A Friend:::

I was able to grab lunch with my friend Phyllis on Monday. She is so fun and we got to talk and eat, which are a couple of my personal favorite hobbies. We stopped in at a restaurant that other friends have raved about called Los Hermanos. We munched on chips, salsa, jalapeno cheese dip and chicken enchiladas. I threw in some tasty Mexican rice.

:::::::::::::::::::::A Sweet Invitation::::::::

Shabby Miss Jenn who I was a guest creative team member for November has asked me back as a guest for January. I thought that was super sweet of her!

:::::::::::::::::::::Gave Up The Ghost:::::::::

My dear smoothie maker has joined the appliance graveyard! It did, however, go out with a last hurrah by making me a delicious drink of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bananas, blueberry yogurt, frozen vanilla yogurt and milk. Luckily, there are always a large supply of smoothie makers around.

For now, I MUST GO PAINT!

Smiles!

Frustrated Artist and The Lone Dissenter

:::::::::::::::Frustrated Artist:::::::::

This is a layout of another one of my beautiful nieces, Kyra. One of the relaxing activities for our family reunion was to color. Kyra threw me a pout when her colored pencil was worn to a nub and she had a lot more to shade with that color.



_{Darcy Baldwin: DJB SUSANR at The Digichick
Jenna Desai: Whimsical Doodle
Scarletheels Media: Graphtastic, Painty Alpha
Kim de Smet: Newspaper border
Two Sisters Designs: Punch Label date
Tia Bennett: Joined At The Hip
Meredith Fenwick: Circle brush
Emily Merritt: Meshy Brush Add-on
Sausan Designs: Doodle Frame
Kate hadfield: Doodle Tape, Heavy Duty Staples
Font: Trashed}


:::::::::::::::::::::::::Interesting Test::::::::
I saw this test on Jessica Sprague's blog

Jung Typology Test

Here is how I scored:

Your Type is
INFJ
Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judging
Strength of the preferences %
44 50 25 44


INFJ type description by D.Keirsey
INFJ type description by J. Butt and M.M. Heiss
http://typelogic.com/infj.html

INFJ Career Choices Jung Career Indicator?
INFJ Lifestyle Preferences




Qualitative analysis of your type formula

You are:
moderately expressed introvert

moderately expressed intuitive personality

moderately expressed feeling personality

moderately expressed judging personality

Protrait of the Counselor

The Portait of the Counselor (INFJ)

The Counselor Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in reaching their goals, and enterprising and attentive in their interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of ethical values, and come easily to decisions. The small number of this type (little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since Counselors have an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions. Although Counsleors tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality; they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues and people.

Counselors can be hard to get to know. They have an unusually rich inner life, but they are reserved and tend not to share their reactions except with those they trust. With their loved ones, certainly, Counselors are not reluctant to express their feelings, their face lighting up with the positive emotions, but darkening like a thunderhead with the negative. Indeed, because of their strong ability to take into themselves the feelings of others, Counselors can be hurt rather easily by those around them, which, perhaps, is one reason why they tend to be private people, mutely withdrawing from human contact. At the same time, friends who have known a Counselor for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that they are inconsistent; Counselors value their integrity a great deal, but they have intricately woven, mysterious personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.

Counselors have strong empathic abilities and can become aware of another's emotions or intentions -- good or evil -- even before that person is conscious of them. This "mind-reading" can take the form of feeling the hidden distress or illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for other types to comprehend. Even Counselors can seldom tell how they came to penetrate others' feelings so keenly. Furthermore, the Counselor is most likely of all the types to demonstrate an ability to understand psychic phenomena and to have visions of human events, past, present, or future. What is known as ESP may well be exceptional intuitive ability-in both its forms, projection and introjection. Such supernormal intuition is found frequently in the Counselor, and can extend to people, things, and often events, taking the form of visions, episodes of foreknowledge, premonitions, auditory and visual images of things to come, as well as uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance.

Mohandas Gandhi, Sidney Poitier, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Goodall, Emily Bronte, Sir Alec Guiness, Carl Jung, Mary Baker Eddy, Queen Noor are examples of the Counselor Idealist (INFJ).

Full descriptions of the Counselor and the Idealists are in People Patterns or Please Understand Me II

::::::::::::::::::New Family Reading Book:::::::::::

George's Secret Key To The Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking



The story is perfect for Noah. It has a young boy who owns a pig and the book talks about black holes and other science stuff.

::::::::::::::::::::::Holiday Un-Spirits::::::

this is a new drink that looked tasty for those holiday festivities
I have a 2 liter bottle ready for sampling, so I'll let you know the family verdict on this new drink.

:::::::::::::::::::::::Christmas Gift From Shutterfly::::

Shutterfly and Jen Wilson Designs have teamed up to allow for a free elements and paper pack worth $6.00.

Here is the link to there freebies here

:::::::::::::::::::::College For Kids::::::::

Rachel went through her book ceremony for College for Kids at Mercer University. We really enjoy her stories.


:::::::::::::::::::::Links To The Library Internet Dispute::::

Michael was listed as "The Lone Dissenter" in a news article on the issue. That had quite a ring to it.

Check out Michael's blog for the 411 on the Gwinnett County Library Board meeting.

:::::::::::::::::::::Teacher Conference and Braces Removal:::::::

I will post photos of a de-braced Rachel tomorrow! I won't, however, burden you with photos of the teacher conferences! :)

:::::::::::::::::::::Cherie Call::::::::

I am really enjoying her acoustic style. One of my favorite songs by her is "No"

and "One Good Woman"

"No Ordinary Girl"

Smiles, y'all!

Catching Some Shut-Eye...

not me! It's just the name of the layout I did for our reunion.

::::::::::::A Layout From the Family Reunion::::

My nephew, Elliott, with his Aunty Teashy.



_{Darcy Baldwin: DJB For ANNIE/ DJB MICHAEL / DJB KARENscript at The Digichick
Jenna Desai: Whimsical heart doodles
Gina Miller: Canvas Of Colors
Lisa Whitney: Chalked Full of Color
Kate Hadfield: Newspaper Doodles
Catrine: Chalked Alpha
Holly McCaig: Doodle Frame
Emily Merritt: Bubble Wrap Brush
Natalie Braxton: Cardboard Cut-Out
Christina Renee: Punch label alpha}
My recent downloads from Spiral Frog :

India Aire: Video
The Little things

Billie Holiday: As Time Goes By
Embraceable You
On The Sunny Side of The Street
I'll Be Seeing You
I've Got a Man Crazy Bout Me (He's Funny That Way)

Spike Jones: Entire Christmas Album

Blues Traveler But Anyway

Cher: Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves

Ringo Star: Octopus' Garden


::::::::::::::::::::::Emotions Revealed:::::



This book was a fascinating read! The use of memorable news photos, study photos and personal accounts made this a very approachable work of psychology. Dr. Ekman was able to explain the many emotions that we experience in a practical, as well as, a clinical way. He also used words from other languages since some emotions didn't have a descriptive enough English word. He explained how surprise is the briefiest of all emotions and that startle is different from surprise. He showed how the eyes really help you determine a genuinely happy smile from one only done with the mouth. There is so much amazing information in this book! Two thumbs up!

My next book is by Paul Ekman, as well. Why Kids Lie

::::::::::::::::Aurora County All-Stars:::::::


We just finished this book on Thursday night. The kids were a bit luke warm on this one. I think that our kids don't get into sports stories, so there is a bit of a bias about the story. The thread binding the story was part of the poem "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman. The author never loses the thread and the story is tied up nicely at the end. The concept of how we are all connected and valuable is such a wonderful message. I recommend the book even if you have non-sports fans like my kids.


::::::::::::::::School Reading::::::::

Aaron has chosen for his next reading assignment for school to read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. We read it as a family a couple of years ago, so I wonder what new insight he will glean this time around.

::::::::::::::::Spelunking::::::::::::

Michael, Aaron and a couple of friends from Church have gone caving today. They are planning to get back to the waterfall in the back of the cave. Since Aaron has no body fat Michael made sure Aaron had plenty of synthetic clothes to keep him from soaking up the cold water. He was joking that he looked like Mickey Mouse because his leggings were black, his long sleeve shirt was white and his shorts over the top were red. We all laughed about that one.

::::::::::::::::Indexing:::::::::::::::

I worked on marriage certificates from Barbour and Jackson counties in West Virginia, then I was sent a 1900 Census. I am having a bit of trouble with certain letters. Argh! The census I'm working on is from Merrimack, New Hampshire. The information is really interesting. This is a great program if you are interested in being altruistic with your down time. :)

Smile!

Coal In Your Stocking?

Text: Aaron, Noah and Rachel failed to read the sign "Please Keep Off Coal" outside the Blacksmith's building at Colonial Williamsburg. They were very curious what it was, so we informed them it was what they deserved in their stockings every Christmas. The children were incredulous! They began defending their behavior. I, on the other hand, made a mental note, about the location of this stocking stuffer emporium.

_{Darcy Baldwin: DJB LIZ at The Digichick
Bren Boone: Luscious Solids
Michelle Coleman: Handstamped Alpha, Glitter Stockings
Jenn Patrick: Backward Staples
Kate Hadfield: Doodled Alpha, Heavy Duty Staples
Tiff Brady and Kate Hadfield: Wordy Bits Date
Weeds and Wildflowers: Layered Alpha
Natalie Braxton: Cutouts II, Really Big Bows
Katie Pertiet: Vintage Curled Frame 4
Nancy Comelab: Vintage Frames
Meredith Fenwick: Caution Stamp
Font: Jane Austen}

::::::::::::::::::What Do you Do When There Is A Teacher Work Day?::::

Well, I scheduled check-ups for Aaron and Rachel. Rachel asked that I cancel the appointment and reschedule for a time during school, so I could check her out. I told her no. When we were called into the back office the nurse informed Aaron that he would be getting the meningitis vaccine. Aaron suffers...and we along with him...from anxiety. He started to cry. He was able to calm down for a bit while the other regular check up stuff was happening. The doctor asked about the kids diets. I told him Rachel was a pretty diverse eater, and that Aaron accidently eats vegetables every once in a while. Aaron was in 40th percentile in height and 20th in weight. Rachel was 14th in height and 38th in weight. She was scheduled for a chicken pox booster, but the vaccine availibility was too low and she was healthy, so they skipped her shot. As Napolean Dynamite would declare..."LUCKY!"
Aaron, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He came to get me when the nurse was ready for the shot. He tensed up and cried. I told him to squeeze my hand, instead he clawed the cr@p out of my right forearm. Note to self...wear Kevlar long sleeve shirt when going to doctor appointments with Aaron. He flinched and grabbed for his upper arm and made the nurse drop the syringe to the ground after giving Aaron a nice scratch across his arm. Aaron apologized profusely while shaking. The nurse came back with a new syringe and prepped the other arm. This time I took hold of Aaron's hands and the nurse quickly gave the shot. Aaron was surprised that it happened so quickly and he was fine. Like...every other time. ARGH!


***WARNING...Not A Fluff Light-Hearted Entry::::

Michael has been asked to speak at the next meeting library board meeting. He is apprehensive because he dislikes confrontation, but he ,with a bit encouragment, decided that supporting The Bill of Rights would override his apprehension. The issue before the board is the libraries internet policy.
There is a pernicious problem in the world in regards to pornography and their are many who would like to censor what people view at the public library. I know from talking it over with Michael that he feels like people will see him as supporting those who make evil choices. In actuality, he is supporting their right to choose between good and evil. If we force or compel people against their will to make the choices we want we are no better than regimes throughout the world and throughout history that we have fled or fought to find a place for freedom. That very freedom is being chipped away in small ways here and there and I don't think it is of any small consequence that he has an opportunity to speak up for those freedoms that are penned in our Constitution.

::::::::::::::::Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program:::::

Just because I saw it on the shelf at the library and wanted to read it. I grabbed The Twits by Roald Dahl.
The book was a short read and the kids were eager to hear the story. At one point I think I had 3 kids laying around me to see the illustrations. The story was bizarre, but the moral of how you look and your attitude can determine how people perceive you was great.

We then went back to our regular reading book. Rachel says she doesn't get the book, yet. She doesn't particularly like the story, but we are only on the 6th chapter, so I told her to stick it out with me. I like the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

:::::::::::::::::::Costume Ideas::::::::

Rachel: A Lollipop...I will have to find a set of white sweats for the "stick" part and Michael will come up with something clever for the candy bit.

Noah: Ben 10...he just needs a t-shirt designed like the cartoon.

Aaron: The Black Knight...Michael is sewing a black tunic and Stephen made the chain mail last year, so he is pretty much covered.

Eve: I'm not sure about her. I'm trying to talk her out of being a fairy...just tired of that idea.

Check ya later!

So, What is The Tooth Fairy Exchange Rate?

This was a question that was left out of the many financial queries Noah had a couple of weeks ago when he lost his first tooth. I just got around to creating a layout about this rite of passage:



_{Darcy Baldwin: font called DJB AMANDAG at The Digichick
Kate Hadfield: Big Staple, Doodle Alpha, journal tape, glitter tape
Tiff Brady and Kate Hadfield: Wordy Bits
Jenn Patrick: Backward Staples
Natalie Braxton: Boy Buttons
Katie Pertiet: frame
Emily Merritt: Messy Brush Add-on, word toppers
Bren Boone: Luscious Solids
Font: CK Good Point/ Trashed
Weeds and Wildflowers: "smile" from Gina's blog freebie (modified)
Ashley Olsen: Thought Bubble
Meredith Fenwick: Naked Stamp
Catrine: Journal arrow
Rachael Young: Stamp Stamp Alpha}


Noah was crunching some crazy numbers trying to figure out how wealthy he would be if he lost all of his teeth at once. This isn't a Noah only thing. I've heard other kids ask the same question.
I was in a half sleep pondering things like...do you think shark mothers leave her egg casings and swim off because she knows that her brood will loose teeth constantly throughout their lives and she doesn't want to be debt to some "Loan Shark" for the Tooth Fairy money? I did preface that sentence with the admission that I was in a kind of twilight sleep:)


::::::::::::::::::::Music Practice:::::::

For Family Home Evening I had the kids practice the songs for our Church's children's program. They swayed like the old classic Coke Christmas commercial. I wanted to give them candles...but hey, my kids and hand held fire...not a great idea. Rachel was the best at remembering the words, Noah was the best at turning sideways and grabbing Rachel and knocking her on the couch, and Eve was best at turning to face her sprawled, half-singing siblings and trying to lead the music. We went through the entire list of songs and were able to massacre them all. Noah was the classic mumble mumble, then sing the chorus clearly and loud kid. I get to lead all of the kids at Church this Sunday in a practice for next week.

For some reason I remember fondly and with a bit of silliness the classis Kumbaya. This simple song was one I sang along with at the Baptist Summer camp my Stepmom sent us to as kids one year.

::::::::::::::::::::::In The Womb::::::



The kids watched this with Michael and thought it was pretty cool.

:::::::::::::::::::Cave of The Dark Wind


Another wild romp with The Lost Boys and their friends Shining Pearl and Little Scallop! The kids were always eager for me to keep reading. They loved the tale of pirate treasure and the children exploring the lava tubes. If your family likes adventure tales this one will fit the bill.

:::::::::::::::::::The Aurora County All-Stars::

This is our new book for tonight.

::::::::::::::::::Swimming:::::::::

Aaron are going to try and get in a swim for physical education today after he finishes his math lesson. I just wish the pool was a salt pool and not chlorine.

Smiles!

Life is But A Dream...

Text says: Row, Row, Row your... nasty piece of discarded filthy styrofoam gently on the lake!



The styrofoam was so gross, but all the kids old enough to be good swimmers were on this thing. YUCK!



_{Font: Stickybet Alpha and DJB Michael by Darcy Baldwin at The Digichick,
additional font: Adler
Meredith Fenwick: This Way brush
Kate Hadfield: Paper Swirls, Doodle Tape and Journal Tape, Music Notes Doodle, and Doodle Alpha
Jenn Patrick: Backward Staples
Gina Miller: Canvas of Color
Michelle Coleman: Hand Stamped Alpha
Christina Renee: Punched Alpha
Weeds and Wildflowers: brown doodles}

:::::::::::::::::::::Book Review::::::::::



Everyone in our family enjoyed Tuck Everlasting. Natalie Babbitt's ability to put you in the landscape of the scene is such a gift. The visuals she creates are amazing. She presents the Tuck family who are very sympathetic characters who have accidently tasted of an eternal spring and have different ways of dealing with the outcome. The Tucks lives become intertwined with a young girl, Winnie Foster, who happens upon the spring. The story moves swiftly and you willingly go with the current. Two of my favorite characters are Pa Tuck and the brown toad. Pa Tuck explains his feelings about life to Winnie in an effort to explain their family situation and why she should avoid the spring, "Not, now. Your time's not now. But dying's part of the wheel, right there next to being born. You can't pick out the pieces you like and leave the rest. Being part of the whole thing, that's the blessing."
This book was a wonderful read. I recommend this as a book that is both great to read and will spark a discussion on what death is and what it would be like to live forever.


:::::::::::::::::::Impressions of Eve:::::::

I was toweling off after a shower a couple of days ago and Eve popped through the door and asked, "What do I need to do to my hair to make me a hottie?" I, incredulously, respond, "What are you talking about?" She made some kind of arm movements like she was piling hair on top of her head and just left the room. The interesting thing is the only person in the house we call a "hottie" is Michael and Eve was definitely talking about a girl. So weird!

...

This morning across the breakfast table I was looking at Eve's eyes. She has big pupils like I do, so I told her, "I bet you will need glasses by the time you're in second grade." She looked at me and said, "But people will call me weird."

me: "Well, Aaron and Rachel wear glasses and no one says anything."

Eve: "Aaron is home schooled, so there is no one around to tell him anything."

me: "What about Rachel?"

Eve: "They just don't say it to her."

...I believe my children have formed some definite opinions on a few issues a bit to my surprise!

::::::::::::::::Product Prop of the Day::::::::

Bar mop towels from Target. Michael was showing the sister missionaries how well our new bar towels wipe away finger smears on the black granite surface. They were quite impressed. I thought he was about to turn into Billy Mays from the Oxy Clean commercials because he was so animated. For those of you who want a nice thirsty great cleaning towel for cheap here is the info.:

Room Essentials 3 pk microfiber bar mop towels (lint free, super absorbent, 16in x 19in) I think we forked over $3.99, but I'm really can't remember.
***Warning: I have already warned Michael that he isn't allowed to sing that awful song "Kokomo" when he is wiping down the counter...and that goes for anyone else so inclined to wipe down my counters. Thank you for your cooperation!


:::::::::::::::::Cave of the Dark Wind:::::::::


Aaron requested this new adventure, so I'm game!

is our new family reading book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

::::::::::::::::::::Poison Ivy in Absentia? :::

I have a spot of poison Ivy right under my left knee cap. The boys went camping a couple of weeks ago and brought back more then their laundry for me! Sometimes sharing isn't a good thing...DISCUSS!

It really isn't that bad it is just a series of 3 icky bumps. I'm just trying to get a bit of sympathy. Michael told me where to find sympathy in the dictionary. It is the same place his father told him the word would be located. Such a colorful family. (He didn't really tell me this time, but he has told me on past occasions. I just banked the information for future reference).

:::::::::::::::::The Heating and Air Person::::

is supposed to drop by our abode, today. It appears that a lot of condensation is coming off of the unit in the garage and leaving a generous amount of water on the carpet in the den. Thankfully, my parents gave us their old dehumidifer a few years ago, so it is keeping the damage to a minimum. The representative who sets up appointments didn't seem to think saturated carpet was a big deal, so she offered to have someone check it sometime next week. I told her no, that really wasn't the best idea. I suppose she hears lots of these stories every day and is a bit numb. I could splash some water on her senses from the bucket in my dehumidifer or squeegy it from the carpet, but that wouldn't be the nice thing to do...so I blog.


:::::::::::::::Addendum to Goofy Stuff About Me:::::::::

I had a lovely friend remind me to list that I tried to cook bacon on a plastic curling iron as a kid. Now there was a good reason for this. I was not allowed to use the stove and I was a latch key kid, so I tried to follow the rules in my moment of hunger. Two problems with my cooking method: 1. the plastic curling iron never got hot enough and 2. you can't disguise the fact you cooked bacon on your mom's curling iron because no matter how much you scrub the brown bacon grease never really comes completely out.

***An addendum to my addendum: My mom replaced the plastic curling iron with a metal one, which I promptly used to try and give extra curls to my Miss Piggy hand puppet. Did you know that acrylic doll hair melts? I didn't. My mom was none to happy...AGAIN!

Another thing: I would try to give all my dolls fabulous hair cuts. I knew that the hair wouldn't grow back, but I always held out hope. So, does that make me an optimist or a nut case...DISCUSS!

:::::::::::::Aaron has to take an assessment and we have a science experiment to do with yeast, so later, gators!

Smiles!

Happy Birthday, Eveybug!

_{First Day Jitters by Kate Hadfield and Ashley Olsen Party Favors, Birthday Candle and Moodles by Mo Jackson Boy Birthday Doodles by Kate Hadfield Font: DJB Doodle E Doo, DJB Connorbuck, DJB GINAE by Darcy Baldwin at The Digichick}

Today my mom, Michael and I are going to drop by Eve's class to drop off dougnut holes and apple juice to celebrate her birthday. We kept joking with Evey that we wanted to get our last minute 4 year-old hugs and kisses. She obliged with tight squeezes and Eskimo and cheek kisses! Yesterday afternoon I asked Eve what she wanted for breakfast and she responded cheerfully, "Chicken soup with carrots. Dad will make it!" I thought that quite an interesting food choice for breakfast. We didn't have any chicken on hand so Michael made her a beef stew with lots of carrots for dinner. She seemed to think that was cool enough. ::::::::::::::::::::Happy Birthday, also::::::::: to Carol! She inspires me all of the time and her wit is extraordinary! I hope you have a fantastic birthday, you deserve it!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::New Family Reading Book::::::::: We are in the middle of Gulliver's Travels, but the giants have done some rather risque things with Gulliver so we are putting that book on a back burner. We have moved on to Tuck Everlasting. The writing style and imagery is apparent and amazing from the first few paragraphs. The kids seemed to enjoy the first two chapters we read last night.

::::::::::::::::::::::Double Header::::::: Noah, very excitedly, asked if he could be the first one to read to us. I said sure and he picked There's a Wocket in My Pocket, then he read Mercer Meyer's What a Bad Dream. He did a great job and Rachel was there as a little mother hen correcting any mistakes.


::::::::::::::::::::::TF Apprentice::::::: The Tooth Fairy Apprentice worked ALL DAY on wiggling her loose tooth out of the socket and, VOILA, by 11:00pm was successful! Rachel was finally able to go to sleep and so were we.

::::::::::::::::::::::Blog On::::::::::::: My SIL, Melissa, has started her own blog and it is hilarious! Check out the Hardin Hive if you get the chance. Her kids all have distinct personalities and it is funny to read about her day.

::::::::::::::::::Interesting Product of the Day:::
Charlie's Soap
I read about this on My Scrapbook Art and this will be the next laundry detergent I will try. It is safe for septic systems and it seems to remove everything under the sun and doesn't cause allergies, so it seems like a great purchase. We will see.

Maid of the Mist

_{Cluster Frames by Nancy Comelab
Font: DJB Michael by Darcy Baldwin at The Digichick
Tape by Kate Hadfield
Boy Buttons by Natalie Braxton
Grungy Alpha by Birgit
Doodle Alpha and Layered Alpha by Weeds and Wildflowers
Backward Staples by Jenn Patrick}



::::::::::::I Saw This:::::

quiz on Janna's blog and felt compelled to take it.

Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?

You are Deb and you could drink whole milk if you wanted.
Take this quiz!








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| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

::::::::::::::::::::::::::Guitar Lessons?::::

Aaron is interested in taking guitar lessons so I am checking out a place a couple of miles away. He has a friend taking lessons from the same facility. If he decides to follow through with the lessons he might try to learn bass because he always picks out those parts in the songs he likes.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::German Lessons:::::

Aaron and I went over lesson one again before going on to lesson to on the Pimsleur cds. I stopped by the School Box store to see if they had any language workbooks, but they had nothing for any language. I will have to peruse Amazon.com, I guess. If anyone has any workbook suggestions I would appreciate a link. Thanks!

While at the School Box I picked up a lesson book for To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I hope to have this book for discussion with Aaron and Michael said he wanted it to be one of our family reading books.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::Speaking of Family Reading Books:::::

The way Gulliver saved the palace from burning down was so bizarre. The kids were laughing when Gulliver urinated on the fire. Surprisingly enough, the empress refused to ever return to that part of the palace.

Gulliver also learns about the fickle nature of political leaders after he saves Lilliput from invasion by sea. The Emperor is thrilled and bestows Gulliver with the highest title of "Nardac", but quickly becomes angred with Gulliver for trying to help broker peace. The Emperor wanted to make the other country a province overseen by a viceroy a making them a slave population for Lilliput. The Emperor would also command which side of the egg to crack. Gulliver said they were a noble people and should maintain their sovereignty. The Emperor's greed quickly negated the fact that Gulliver had saved his country. The opinion didn't improve after Gulliver's unique fire quenching abilities, either!

:::::::::::::::::::::::The Lucifer Effect::::::::

The study was designed to observe prisoner behavior under conditions were they felt powerless. What was surprising to the researchers was the rapid metamorphosis of those role playing the guards. The struggle for being the alpha male among the guards led to increased abuse towards the prisoners. The night shift, which was supposed to be the less active turned out to be the most active and abusive. The researchers decided to send in an informer, which back fired quickly when the informer identified and sided with the prisoners.

Still reading...will let you know more later.

Another Day Another Doctor?

No, not really. Just got a call from one though.

::::::::::::::Just Recieved a Phone Call:::::::

Rachel has strep throat. The rapid strep had shown negative, but one should never give up on the microscopic world. She said she was in a little pain this morning, but she felt well enough for school. Since she is on amoxicillan we don't need to do anything different. I just need to give her current toothbrush a heave ho.

::::::::::::::Homeschool::::::::

We have started back to school and Aaron finished his placement tests for Georgia Virtual School. He will be doing a hybrid of schooling at this point. No one has contacted us about official placement, yet. We have started back to our own lessons. Aaron wants to learn German, so after math we started on our first lesson using Pimsleur. We are also watching a movie about Germany.

Yesterday we watched a really cool video on the science of magic hosted by Harry Anderson.
They define the difference between a magician and a charlatan. The movie shows how some of the illusions are created and the psychology behind why humans are so easily duped. The Science of Magic also features Criss Angel and Lance Burton.


:::::::::::::::Gulliver's Travels:::::

In our family reading time we read about the people of Lilliput who were preparing for war. They were asking Gulliver for his assistance in their impending war. They explained that their disagreement came from one verse that stated, "That all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end." The character explaining this to Gulliver says, "...and which is the convienient end, seems, in my humble opinion, to be left to every man's conscience, or at least in the power of the chief magistrate to determine." He also explains how many people have died in the disagreement over which end of the egg is the "convenient end". We discussed with our kids the comparison with how disagreements about which scripture to follow has caused bloodshed throughout human history while people, conveniently, forget the part about loving their neighbors. How quickly we turn to anger in our disputes. I know I work on not getting my ire up when I'm offended.

Later!

Some Fun and Shabby Comments

My husband saw this comic strip and thought of me:



A little background on this as it relates to being funny to us. When I was a kid my mother would introduce me to people and they would then begin calling me Vicky. My mother would politely correct them that that was not my name. This scenario has been repeated all of my life. My husband, Michael, is a "Michael", so when folks call and ask for Mike I just laugh and tell him that someone we don't know is calling. Once someone who purported to know us well introduced us from the pulpit as "Mike and Vicky". We cringed. Names are important, or else we wouldn't use them and name and classify everything. I try not to be pushy about it, though. Rachel will usually tell people for me. She will say, "My mom likes to be called Victoria."

So, if I have been getting your name wrong let me know...after my little diatribe. ;)


::::::::::::::::::Jim Dale of Harry Potter fame::::::::

I love Jim Dale's voice and he was hilarious on Wait! Wait!. Got to the section called "Not My Job". You get such tidbits as where he got the voice for Dobby.


:::::::::::::::::::::Date Night?::::::

Michael and I are hoping to go on a date night and see The Bourne Ultimatim. We enjoyed the previous two films.

::::::::::::A Shabby Invitation...never looked so good:::::::

Once my dsl was repaired and I opened my email this invitation was waiting for me:


I'm excited to be able to play with her great designs in a few months.
I get to sport this little thing as part of the November Guest C.T.



:::::::::::::::Shopping with my Girly!:::::::






::::::::::::::Book Review::::::::
The Sisters Grimm: Once Upon a Crime


Another action packed story from Michael Buckley that kept the kids pleading to, "read ONE MORE CHAPTER! PLEASE!" The action takes place in NYC where the rag tag group led by Granny Grimm go to take the injured Puck. The king of Fairie, Oberon, is murdered and the Grimms, along with ex-sheriff Hamstead (one of the 3 little pigs) and Mr. Canis (The Big Bad Wolf) try to track down the killer. There is even a love interest for Mr. Hamstead. There is also the pungent cocoon that follows Sabrina around that creates a lot of laughs. The Wizard of Oz also plays quite a prominent role as a friend of Veronica Grimm, the girls' mother. Everyone is surprised to find out some information about Veronica that makes Sabrina rethink an important decision. This is a wonderful continuation of the series and we look forward, excitedly, to book 5 that will be coming out in December.

Non Sequitur
Just thought this was funny in light of the whole fairy tale genre book review.



:::::::::::::Aunt Teashy:::::::


This is one of my SIL's with our twin nieces.


Text: When Corinna and Dakotta saw Aunt Teashy they set off running and she scooped them up into her open arms.


_{Midnight in the Garden kit by Kay Miller
Word Art by Bethany Mott
Doodle Journal art, Pipecleaner flowers, doodled photo corner (Color Me Funky combo with Gina Miller) by Kate Hadfield
Doodle Frame by Holly McCaig
Black frame, scalloped border and white tab from Springtime in Paris by Michelle Godin
Doodle Alpha by Weeds and Wildflowers
Proof frame (modified) by Christina Renee
Block Alpha by Natalie Braxton
Font: DJB MANDY by Darcy Baldwin at The Digichick}

::::::::::::::::Next Family Reading Book::::::

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift


Have a happy weekend!

Smiles!

Take Joy in Small Wonders:

_{Background Papers: Write it Down from Little Dreamer Designs and 9th Avenue by Iron Orchid Designs,
Felt Buttons: Big Boy Buttons by Natalie Braxton
Staples: Backward Staples by Jenn Patrick
Vintage Frames: Katie Pertiet/ Jessica Bolton
Tape: Kate Hatfield
Date Stamp: Amber Clegg
Punch Alpha: The Powers Sisters
Cardboard flowers: Little Lauren Lalas by Amanda Rockwell
Doodle flowers and Metal Flowers: Kate Hadfield
Primary Rubberbands: Kate Hadfield
Black Journal Paper: Dear Diary by Erica Hite
flourish doodle: Reverie Add-on by Weeds and Wildflowers
Fastener: Collectibles 1 by Sausan Designs
Wordy Bits Alpha: Kate Hadfield and Tiff Brady
Torn and Curled Paper Edges: Jen Caputo
Fonts: DB Michael by Darcy at the Digichick, Hello Sark, Taylor Makenzie}

::::::::::::::::::Current Reading List::::::

The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zimbardo

The Sisters Grimm book 4 by Michael Buckley

I'm on the last three pages of my book by William Wilberforce and will try to give a review in a couple of days.

::::::::::::::::::All Quiet on the EASTERN Front::::

Michael and I took Rachel, Noah and Eve to spend the night at my stepmom, Alice's house. My dad and Alice just got back from a mission trip to Montana. Alice said Glacier Park was amazing. Rachel will also get to play with her cousin Haley. The girls are the same age and love to be giggly together.

Aaron is at a sleepover at his friend Jacob's house. I pick up up at 5 tonight so he can go to Scouts.

Hmmmm...what to do with myself...READ or clean...Oh, what a quandry ;)! Reading wins, so until later lovely people!

Smiles!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity, Jig:

We have arrived home...again! We were a bit soggier and a lot sandier, but none the worse for wear. I, however, did break Rachel's glasses on Friday night and she had to go through Saturday and Sunday a bit blurry. Michael is taking her glasses by Sear's Optical today to see if they can be repaired. I took a slew of photos and some video at one point had filled up my 1 gig card and my batteries had run out. I borrowed my sister-in-law, Laura's, Nikon D40 and played around for a hundred, or so photos. My sister-in-law, Lettitia, had a bunch of fun crafts for the kids to do: puppets, design your own frisbee, bracelet making, and foam photo frames. The children put on a puppet show with their creations on Saturday. My brother-in-law, Reuben, helped the everyone tye dye shirts (onesies for the baby boys). My BIL, Stephen, did a quick tutorial with Reuben on creating spirals, then started helping anyone who wanted that pattern, too.
The weather over the 3 days was mild a sunny. We did have spotty showers, but nothing heavy until time to break camp. Michael and I had our campsite cleared and stowed right after breakfast. Stephen had his family do the same because he had a flight to catch for work. After we were done with our stuff Michael and I helped out by babysitting the cute nieces and nephews. I got to hold the newest addition to the family, baby Elliott. I walked him around in the baby sling, then let him sit in my lap looking at all of the activity until he fell fast asleep for 3 hours. Michael played with Spencer who was absolutely sweet and watching the other kids play in the sand. He never slept and never fussed. Michael, at the same time, held Corinna. She had recieved a bite to the arm by her twin sister, Dakotta, and needed some TLC. Michael held her and she fell asleep for a couple of hours. There was only one tent still set up when the heaviest rains came, so everyone took refuge for about an hour under the tarp in our common family area that was set up on the first day. During a lull the last of the tent was put away. The rain picked up again, but we got the main tarp down and made sure the campsite was clean. On the way out I saw a penny (heads up...good stuff) and at a campsite that wasn't ours, or any one's for that matter, there was a plastic knife on the ground and right next to the knife was a dime. Boy howdy, I was eleven cents richer!

The family reunion was held at Duckett's Mill on a little peninsula jutting out into Lake Lanier. Their was a lot of shore line exposed due to low water levels. The kids spent their time picking up the shells of the fresh water clams and digging in the Georgia red clay. All of the kids loved swimming, even Eve who had to be rescued TWICE! The first time Eve had trouble in the water Michael was on the shore watching the kids. Eve was even wearing a life preserver that had a little bit of bouyancy, but not much. I guess since the shore has a staggered plateau effect she must have stepped down to deep, or a wave hit her. I heard her crying out for daddy. I know the sound of distress in her voice, so I took off running to the shore from our tent. By the time I got to the ridge overlooking the shore Michael was coming up the path with Evey. She had swallowed some water and was scared, but other wise she was okay. Michael was drenched and he was wearing his blackberry phone. I suppose today he will tell work that baptizing his phone was an unfortunate consequence for saving his daughter. Now to the next time.
Eve was brave and excited to return to the water with all of her cousins the next afternoon. My sister-in-law, Shelene, was watching her kids, so I went down to life guard mine. I had been using my SIL's camera at the the time, so I jokingly said, "I better take this off encase I have to go save Eve." I put the camera away and went to a rock on the edge of the shoreline. I think it had been about 15 minutes when Eve gurgled, "Mom" as loudly as she could. I ran in a grabbed her up out of the water. She cried for a bit, and said she was pushed by a girl in a blue swimsuit, but wanted to go back in. My niece, Kyra, grabbed my shoes out of the water. (Did you know that Croc flip flops float?) Eve insisted she would stay in the water right at the shore line and she would be fine. So I perched on the rock and they all played until dinner time.

Rachel and her cousins Afton and Rebecca slept in a tent set up next to ours on Friday night and then Afton said that it was her turn on the air mattress in her parent's tent so she wasn't sleeping over another night. So, on Saturday night Rachel and Rebecca's voices were the last thing I heard as I drifted off to sleep.

I forgot to tell you how I managed to break Rachel's glasses. The shower facilities at Duckett's Mill have much to be desired. There were no benches on the shower that had the best water pressure and was big enough for the girls to shower together. I also made Aaron shower in the other side (much to his dismay...but hey...there were curtains!). Aaron's side had a shower that would hold a host of Lilliputians, but was entirely inadequate for shower supplies and a change of clean clothes. So with no good place to leave the glasses Aaron and Rachel gave me theirs and I put them in my pocket. I bent over slightly to wash Eve's and I felt a bend. I pulled the glasses out and Rachel's created an L shape. I was so mad! I felt really bad, too because I was projecting how I would feel if I had to go around for days having things blurry. Rachel was really sweet about it. She accepted my apology for breaking her glasses and had a great, yet blurry time.

I will finish uploading photos to the family website when Michael gets home from work. I have a few hundred and I can only upload 4 at a time. I think I've uploaded about 30, so far. FUN!

:::::::::::::::::Book Review:::::::

On Saturday night we finished reading Escape From The Carnivale. The kids and I enjoyed the story. Noah was, especially, eager to read each new chapter. The imagery in the book is written so vividly that it helps you visualize the scenes very well. The book has a mixture of magical creatures, a far away island setting and pirates, so it is great for all ages and genders. The theme of a little girl and her friends getting into trouble because they have delibrately disobeyed is one that everyone can identify with at some point in their lives. How they get out of a terrible fix is a great story. There is also a fun twist in the chapter right before the end of the book. This story is an enjoyable read. If you get the opportunity check it out!

::::::::::::::::New Family Reading Book:::::::


The Sisters Grimm: Once Upon a Crime. We have already plunged into the first chapter and the story line is moving at its normally quick pace. The kids all groaned when I stopped reading. This one looks to be another great installment!

:::::::::::::::::::Salute to the States:::::::::



_{Background: Alexander by Janel Kretschman,
Journaling Bits and Music Doodles: Kate Hadfield,
Font: DB Michael, Jane Austen,
Painted Alpha: Rachel Young,
Vintage Frame and Cluster Frame: Nancy Comelab,
Alpha: Christina Renee}

Voices From Our Past:

This one is a layout of Noah using the audio tour to learn about the history of Ellis Island. He was able to hear interviews of some of the immigrants. I also mention in the layout his newest nervous tick, which is shifting his lower jaw. His first nervous tick is called a blepharospasm, which is a nervous eye tick. He developed that one last Summer. It shows up in periods of stress. Much of his stress has to do with arguing with Aaron. Unfortunately, they do bucket loads of disagreeing. ARGH! The lower jaw thing started near the end of school. The photos were funny to me because I caught him at several stages...punching in the audio code...noticing I was taking his photograph...smiling coyily...finally, giving me the goofy crossed eyes. I also included another art piece by Phillip Ratner.


:::::::::::::I Was Tagged::::::::::::::

by Kristen! She is so thoughtful to have included me in her group of 5 Rockin' ladies!



Thanks, again!



::::::::New family reading book:
Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Adventure by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

Here is a book review from Kidsread.com



:::::::::::::It was brought to my attention::::::

that I forgot to Simpsonize 3 of our dear family members, so I have corrected my oversight:


***WARNING: SERIOUS SUBJECT MATTER BELOW:

The next book on my personal reading list is The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo. I read an article about the book in an issue of Discover magazine while I was waiting for Rachel to get her braces adjusted at the orthodonist. (Just click on the word Discover for a direct link to the article). Philip Zimbardo conducted prison experiments using college students at Stanford University. From the excerpt I read his experiment had to be called off early because of the abuses by the students who were in the guard group. Highly disturbing was the finding that when the students were able to shield their eyes with mirrored glasses and given a uniform that did not individually identify them they began to feel they had unlimited power and no accountability. The outcome from this experiment was a warning to everyone to be on guard and realize that each of us has a capacity to do evil and if we recognize and admit that part of us that we can be on guard for falling into the trap of making evil choses.

I look forward to reading this book. I always remember the maxim: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.