Test for Smart People.....I have determined that you qualify.
My dad send me this, and as much as his many forwarded messages frustrate me, this one made me laugh.
The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and will tell you whether you are qualified to be a professional. Scroll down for each answer. The questions are NOT that difficult. But don't scroll down UNTIL you have answered the question!
1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
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The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.
2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
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Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator? Wrong Answer. Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.
3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend.... except one. Which animal does not attend?
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Correct Answer: The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there. This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.
4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and you do not have a boat. How do you manage it?
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Correct Answer: You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.
According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. Anderson Consulting says this conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.
Send this out to frustrate all of your smart friends
Friday, September 29, 2006
COOL (or should I say HOT?) GIFT IDEA!
Dad has been having lots of trouble with swelling so I went online and looked up homemade heating pads and found two really neat ideas with the directions and link below. These are microwave heatable heating pads. I think they would make perfect christmas gifts or baby shower gifts.
Pit Pads: Filled with CHERRY PITS!
Square (9x9) excellent for shoulders, back, llegs, arms, hands and feet
Rectangle (6x17) excellent for wrapping around the nexk, ankles, knees and wrists
They sell the already made pads for $16.95 each at their website, but you can buy a 40 lb bag of PIT STUFF for $29.95 (enough to make about 20 bags). http://www.cherrypitstore.com/index.html. Seems like it would only take a couple of minutes to whip them up and they even give you the dimensions! Even a challenged sewer like myself should be able to figure that one out!
Rice bags: similiar idea, just filled with long grain white rice. http://www.quilt.com/MiscQuilting/RiceBags.html The lady at the health food store told me you can also just make these by using a tube sock and tying it off at the top! You can also add dried lavender, rosemary or whole spices (not ground) to add an aroma to your bag if you desire.
All you need is 100% cotton fabric and whatever filler (pits, rice) you chose. To make them "cute" you make a little pillow case to put them in. I plan to make one for my dad today to see how it works. Gonna work on a prototype (some directions recommend sewing a channel in the middle to help them keep their shape).
Heat between 90 seconds and 2 minutes, releases a warm, moist heat.
Dad has been having lots of trouble with swelling so I went online and looked up homemade heating pads and found two really neat ideas with the directions and link below. These are microwave heatable heating pads. I think they would make perfect christmas gifts or baby shower gifts.
Pit Pads: Filled with CHERRY PITS!
Square (9x9) excellent for shoulders, back, llegs, arms, hands and feet
Rectangle (6x17) excellent for wrapping around the nexk, ankles, knees and wrists
They sell the already made pads for $16.95 each at their website, but you can buy a 40 lb bag of PIT STUFF for $29.95 (enough to make about 20 bags). http://www.cherrypitstore.com/index.html. Seems like it would only take a couple of minutes to whip them up and they even give you the dimensions! Even a challenged sewer like myself should be able to figure that one out!
Rice bags: similiar idea, just filled with long grain white rice. http://www.quilt.com/MiscQuilting/RiceBags.html The lady at the health food store told me you can also just make these by using a tube sock and tying it off at the top! You can also add dried lavender, rosemary or whole spices (not ground) to add an aroma to your bag if you desire.
All you need is 100% cotton fabric and whatever filler (pits, rice) you chose. To make them "cute" you make a little pillow case to put them in. I plan to make one for my dad today to see how it works. Gonna work on a prototype (some directions recommend sewing a channel in the middle to help them keep their shape).
Heat between 90 seconds and 2 minutes, releases a warm, moist heat.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Birds of Prey Park Program
A mom in one of the homeschooling groups we are members of set up a park program on Birds of Prey. It is unusual for me to be the one attending a program and not the one setting it up. John, the naturalist at the park, even commented on how unusual it was! The woman who set up the program said that program was for children in grades 1-6 so since Em had girlscouts, it was just the 3 middle boys....Grant, Jacob and Cade. Of course their friend Chris joined us!
The program was great and they actually had 4 birds of prey for us to interact with....a redtailed hawk, 2 screech owls and a great horned owl. Not that being in the same room with 4 birds did much for my allergies!
Grant posed a question that John didn't know the answer to so we came home and looked it up on the internet.
The question: How fast does the great horned owl fly?
The answer: Up to 40 MPH
Here is the great link we used to find the answer:
http://www.naturenode.com/rebop/owl_great_horned.html
The boys were thrilled that after the program we stayed and played in the park for about an hour (we had to leave by 12:15 PM to go and pick up my dad). It was WEIRD that other than Deanne and Chris, none of the other families that attended the program stayed to play in the park. It was an absolutely beautiful, cool day. So sad that even the homeschooled kids don't get a change to enjoy the beautiful weather!
A mom in one of the homeschooling groups we are members of set up a park program on Birds of Prey. It is unusual for me to be the one attending a program and not the one setting it up. John, the naturalist at the park, even commented on how unusual it was! The woman who set up the program said that program was for children in grades 1-6 so since Em had girlscouts, it was just the 3 middle boys....Grant, Jacob and Cade. Of course their friend Chris joined us!
The program was great and they actually had 4 birds of prey for us to interact with....a redtailed hawk, 2 screech owls and a great horned owl. Not that being in the same room with 4 birds did much for my allergies!
Grant posed a question that John didn't know the answer to so we came home and looked it up on the internet.
The question: How fast does the great horned owl fly?
The answer: Up to 40 MPH
Here is the great link we used to find the answer:
http://www.naturenode.com/rebop/owl_great_horned.html
The boys were thrilled that after the program we stayed and played in the park for about an hour (we had to leave by 12:15 PM to go and pick up my dad). It was WEIRD that other than Deanne and Chris, none of the other families that attended the program stayed to play in the park. It was an absolutely beautiful, cool day. So sad that even the homeschooled kids don't get a change to enjoy the beautiful weather!
We survived!
Today from 3 PM to 4 PM Brett drove for the first time! Hard to believe that the child I gave birth to not even 16 years ago now only needs me to be his co-pilot. The lesson went really well and he managed to keep the minivan where it belonged at all times. We made a loop around our neighboring streets, many of which I had never ventured down before. I will admit that driving down the same 10 streets over and over again for an hour is a bit tedious, but with each "lap" I could see his confidence building!
Poor kid has had his temps since May and just now finally got behind the wheel. First the van needed brakes, then he started feeling sick and didn't want to go anywhere, then he spent the better part of August in the hospital and then his little brother broke the rearview mirror off. I finally managed to get it glued back on yesterday.
Hopefully this is just the first of many UNEVENTFUL driving lessons!
Today from 3 PM to 4 PM Brett drove for the first time! Hard to believe that the child I gave birth to not even 16 years ago now only needs me to be his co-pilot. The lesson went really well and he managed to keep the minivan where it belonged at all times. We made a loop around our neighboring streets, many of which I had never ventured down before. I will admit that driving down the same 10 streets over and over again for an hour is a bit tedious, but with each "lap" I could see his confidence building!
Poor kid has had his temps since May and just now finally got behind the wheel. First the van needed brakes, then he started feeling sick and didn't want to go anywhere, then he spent the better part of August in the hospital and then his little brother broke the rearview mirror off. I finally managed to get it glued back on yesterday.
Hopefully this is just the first of many UNEVENTFUL driving lessons!
What our week looks like:
Another often posed question, and here is a sampling of one possible answer. Of course I didn't throw the 3 loads of laundry a day onto the schedule, maybe it would get done if I did! Right now, Will is the only one without anything on the schedule, so hopefully it doesn't get too much more hectic in years to come.
Monday:
Homeschool Co-op 9 AM to 12:30 for Em and Grant, until 3 PM for Brett
Open Gym (noon to 2 PM)
Dance for Em and Hannah (4:15-8:15 PM)
Football for Cade and Jacob (6-8 PM)
Tuesday:
Cat Scan for Brett (8 AM)
Girlscouts for Em (10-11:30 AM)
Park Program for Grant, Jacob, Cade and Sophie (10-11:30 AM)
Chemistry for Brett (11:30 AM-1:30 PM)
Get my dad from dialysis (12:30 PM)
Emily dance (6:15-7:15 PM)
Football for Cade, Jacob and Grant (6-8 PM)
Wednesday:
Granny's Garden (Em, Grant, Jacob, Cade, Sophie) 9-11 AM
Sewing for Em and Hannah 12-2 PM
Dance Sophie 4:15-5:15 Hannah 4:15 -6:15 PM
Religious ed class for Em, Grant and Jacob 7-8:15 PM
Thursday:
Dance for Em and Hannah 9 AM to 4 PM (they teach)
Get my dad from dialysis and take him to chemo (12:30-4 PM)
Football for Cade, Jacob and Grant (6-8)
Mom time (Crop at local church with my friend! 5 PM to 10 PM)
Friday:
Tour Cincinnati waterworks (9 AM)
Hannah babysit (10 AM-4 PM)
Em dance (3:15-7:15)
Sophie dance (6:15 -7:15)
Youth Football night at the Highschool- Cade, Jacob, Grant 7 PM
Saturday:
Grant football practice 9:30 AM -11 AM
Em and Hannah dance 10 AM-3:30 PM
Cade football game 12:30 PM
Jacob football game 3:00 PM
Mandatory Parent meeting for Nutcracker 2-3 PM
Teen bonfire with homeschool group 5 PM -11 PM
Sunday:
Church 8 AM
Sophie and Cade Sunday School 9:30 AM
Hannah and Em teach Sunday School 9:30 AM
Hannah and Em volunteer at Petsmart with animal shelter 12 PM-5 PM
Grant football game 12:30 PM
Another often posed question, and here is a sampling of one possible answer. Of course I didn't throw the 3 loads of laundry a day onto the schedule, maybe it would get done if I did! Right now, Will is the only one without anything on the schedule, so hopefully it doesn't get too much more hectic in years to come.
Monday:
Homeschool Co-op 9 AM to 12:30 for Em and Grant, until 3 PM for Brett
Open Gym (noon to 2 PM)
Dance for Em and Hannah (4:15-8:15 PM)
Football for Cade and Jacob (6-8 PM)
Tuesday:
Cat Scan for Brett (8 AM)
Girlscouts for Em (10-11:30 AM)
Park Program for Grant, Jacob, Cade and Sophie (10-11:30 AM)
Chemistry for Brett (11:30 AM-1:30 PM)
Get my dad from dialysis (12:30 PM)
Emily dance (6:15-7:15 PM)
Football for Cade, Jacob and Grant (6-8 PM)
Wednesday:
Granny's Garden (Em, Grant, Jacob, Cade, Sophie) 9-11 AM
Sewing for Em and Hannah 12-2 PM
Dance Sophie 4:15-5:15 Hannah 4:15 -6:15 PM
Religious ed class for Em, Grant and Jacob 7-8:15 PM
Thursday:
Dance for Em and Hannah 9 AM to 4 PM (they teach)
Get my dad from dialysis and take him to chemo (12:30-4 PM)
Football for Cade, Jacob and Grant (6-8)
Mom time (Crop at local church with my friend! 5 PM to 10 PM)
Friday:
Tour Cincinnati waterworks (9 AM)
Hannah babysit (10 AM-4 PM)
Em dance (3:15-7:15)
Sophie dance (6:15 -7:15)
Youth Football night at the Highschool- Cade, Jacob, Grant 7 PM
Saturday:
Grant football practice 9:30 AM -11 AM
Em and Hannah dance 10 AM-3:30 PM
Cade football game 12:30 PM
Jacob football game 3:00 PM
Mandatory Parent meeting for Nutcracker 2-3 PM
Teen bonfire with homeschool group 5 PM -11 PM
Sunday:
Church 8 AM
Sophie and Cade Sunday School 9:30 AM
Hannah and Em teach Sunday School 9:30 AM
Hannah and Em volunteer at Petsmart with animal shelter 12 PM-5 PM
Grant football game 12:30 PM
A fellow homeschooling mom posed a question to me in an email and I thought I would share the answer here.
How do you deal with family/friends who make you feel as if you constantly need to defend homeschooling?
My answer:
In a way, I guess we are really fortunate that my husband's family (including my MIL who passed away last month) has never questioned our choices. Occassionally they ask questions, but never anything like "what are you teaching" more like "they have a homeschool prom, that is so cool". I remember when we told his mom we would homeschool she said "oh, you will be good at that, you always read to those kids when they were young". She never passed any judgement on our decision (at least not to me or my husband or kids...she really wasn't the kind of woman to talk about you behind your back, if she had something to say, she said it).
My mom, on the other hand, tends to question more and is very critical of the fact that we won't send the kids back to school. She asks constantly if they are "going back to school" this year or if I have signed them up for classes. Then in the next sentence she tell me to go back to college and get my teaching degree/certificate and go and teach other kids because I am wasting my talents. I have never lied to her about our homeschooling, but I am also not straightforward with her either. She once asked how they know each year that they are where they should be and I said "mom, I either have to have them take a standardized test or have their work looked over by a certified teacher" so she now asks each spring if they passed to the next grade and I say "yes"...I never bother to add that the assessor I use doesn't ever look at their work and that he merely sits down with a group of parents and discusses our year with us. I suppose her fears may be calmed some as Brett goes off to college (in the next 2 to 3 years) or maybe not. When she asks if he will be ready, I often just answer "mom, they offer remedial courses at every college in this country. Obviously that means the kids coming out of highschool often aren't ready for college". She ususally shuts up.
My brother thinks I am smart to homeschool as he is a vice cop and thinks I am protecting the kids from the evils of school. He sees so many juvenile delinquints that he things I am smart to know where my kids are all the time and who they are with. He never expresses concern over what they are learning, but then again, he hated school and knows you only learn about things you have passion for.
I won't lie to you and say I never how doubts or fears. But the kids are happy, I am happy and for now that is enough! Annika is still so young and they have such a short time to be carefree!
In her next email she asks " do you sit every day with your kids and do school"?
My answer:
No, we do not sit down and do any formal schooling every day. Brett (16), Em (12) and Grant (10) take classes at a co-op on Mondays and I was thinking I may sit with Jacob (8), Cade (6) and Sophie (4) for about an hour on Monday and do something that resembles "academics" but then again maybe I won't. Emily, Grant, Jacob, Cade and Sophie all take a religion class at our church once a week (1 1/2 hours). Other than that, things are pretty unstructured here, but it appears to be working (we have used the same approach for 6 years). I see huge leaps in their cognitive development at times I least expect it. Grant (10) really struggled with reading and I honestly started to think I might need to get him a tutor and then I noticed that he really was reading, just not books....he could read and make food in the microwave, read the guide on TV to determine which sports team was playing, read to play computer games, read sports stats in the newspaper. Of course, one advantage of having a large family, as the older group grows, I can gauge the things that I did wrong (or should have worked more on) and implement it with the younger kids.
Since you are looking for some help in organizing things for your daughter, here are a couple web resources I have liked. Use them as you wish, my kids always have.....
My kids love this website:
http://www.starfall.com/
And this one has lots of printables and other forms:
http://www.donnayoung.org/ we liked her handwriting sheets. Sophie LOVES handwriting pages, the boys hate them, so have never done any.
And Jan Brett has a great site that you can use in conjunction with her wonderful children's books.... http://www.janbrett.com/ I personally love her coloring pages and crafts.
I think confidence does come with experience. Hopefully your family will come around some with time.
How do you deal with family/friends who make you feel as if you constantly need to defend homeschooling?
My answer:
In a way, I guess we are really fortunate that my husband's family (including my MIL who passed away last month) has never questioned our choices. Occassionally they ask questions, but never anything like "what are you teaching" more like "they have a homeschool prom, that is so cool". I remember when we told his mom we would homeschool she said "oh, you will be good at that, you always read to those kids when they were young". She never passed any judgement on our decision (at least not to me or my husband or kids...she really wasn't the kind of woman to talk about you behind your back, if she had something to say, she said it).
My mom, on the other hand, tends to question more and is very critical of the fact that we won't send the kids back to school. She asks constantly if they are "going back to school" this year or if I have signed them up for classes. Then in the next sentence she tell me to go back to college and get my teaching degree/certificate and go and teach other kids because I am wasting my talents. I have never lied to her about our homeschooling, but I am also not straightforward with her either. She once asked how they know each year that they are where they should be and I said "mom, I either have to have them take a standardized test or have their work looked over by a certified teacher" so she now asks each spring if they passed to the next grade and I say "yes"...I never bother to add that the assessor I use doesn't ever look at their work and that he merely sits down with a group of parents and discusses our year with us. I suppose her fears may be calmed some as Brett goes off to college (in the next 2 to 3 years) or maybe not. When she asks if he will be ready, I often just answer "mom, they offer remedial courses at every college in this country. Obviously that means the kids coming out of highschool often aren't ready for college". She ususally shuts up.
My brother thinks I am smart to homeschool as he is a vice cop and thinks I am protecting the kids from the evils of school. He sees so many juvenile delinquints that he things I am smart to know where my kids are all the time and who they are with. He never expresses concern over what they are learning, but then again, he hated school and knows you only learn about things you have passion for.
I won't lie to you and say I never how doubts or fears. But the kids are happy, I am happy and for now that is enough! Annika is still so young and they have such a short time to be carefree!
In her next email she asks " do you sit every day with your kids and do school"?
My answer:
No, we do not sit down and do any formal schooling every day. Brett (16), Em (12) and Grant (10) take classes at a co-op on Mondays and I was thinking I may sit with Jacob (8), Cade (6) and Sophie (4) for about an hour on Monday and do something that resembles "academics" but then again maybe I won't. Emily, Grant, Jacob, Cade and Sophie all take a religion class at our church once a week (1 1/2 hours). Other than that, things are pretty unstructured here, but it appears to be working (we have used the same approach for 6 years). I see huge leaps in their cognitive development at times I least expect it. Grant (10) really struggled with reading and I honestly started to think I might need to get him a tutor and then I noticed that he really was reading, just not books....he could read and make food in the microwave, read the guide on TV to determine which sports team was playing, read to play computer games, read sports stats in the newspaper. Of course, one advantage of having a large family, as the older group grows, I can gauge the things that I did wrong (or should have worked more on) and implement it with the younger kids.
Since you are looking for some help in organizing things for your daughter, here are a couple web resources I have liked. Use them as you wish, my kids always have.....
My kids love this website:
http://www.starfall.com/
And this one has lots of printables and other forms:
http://www.donnayoung.org/ we liked her handwriting sheets. Sophie LOVES handwriting pages, the boys hate them, so have never done any.
And Jan Brett has a great site that you can use in conjunction with her wonderful children's books.... http://www.janbrett.com/ I personally love her coloring pages and crafts.
I think confidence does come with experience. Hopefully your family will come around some with time.
Monday, September 18, 2006
She made it!!!
Emily auditioned yesterday for the Cincinnati Ballet's The Nutcracker. They posted the results TODAY on their website (talk about a quick turn around)! She has been cast as a SOLDIER WITH RIFLE! Different role from last year, but still part of the battle scene. The parent meeting is this Saturday and hopefully we will find out which cast she is part of and which performances she will be part of. Especially good to know so we can buy tickets to see the school matinee which is only $10 a ticket versus the usually $30+ a ticket!
I am so ecstatic for her! It is such a big deal for her to be able to dance with a professional ballet company even if it is only for a couple of months. She dreams of someday being part of a ballet company.
She received a compliment a few weeks ago from one of the most talented dancers at our studio. This young lady told Emily that she thought she was one of the most beautiful dancers she had ever seen. Such a huge compliment coming from this young lady. Emily has been on cloud nine ever since!
Emily auditioned yesterday for the Cincinnati Ballet's The Nutcracker. They posted the results TODAY on their website (talk about a quick turn around)! She has been cast as a SOLDIER WITH RIFLE! Different role from last year, but still part of the battle scene. The parent meeting is this Saturday and hopefully we will find out which cast she is part of and which performances she will be part of. Especially good to know so we can buy tickets to see the school matinee which is only $10 a ticket versus the usually $30+ a ticket!
I am so ecstatic for her! It is such a big deal for her to be able to dance with a professional ballet company even if it is only for a couple of months. She dreams of someday being part of a ballet company.
She received a compliment a few weeks ago from one of the most talented dancers at our studio. This young lady told Emily that she thought she was one of the most beautiful dancers she had ever seen. Such a huge compliment coming from this young lady. Emily has been on cloud nine ever since!
Recipe submissions needed
http://pancancookbook.homestead.com/index.html and click on submit recipes. A friend of mine is creating a cookbook to help offset a family members medical costs as he fights pancreatic cancer. As we watch the bill for our own son's recent hospitalization flood in, I can only hope that her efforts bring some relief to the family with their financial burden.
I plan to submit a couple of my fav0rite recipes. I hope you will take the time to do the same. And if you are someone who loves cookbooks, she is selling them for only $10, not a bad deal at all!
http://pancancookbook.homestead.com/index.html and click on submit recipes. A friend of mine is creating a cookbook to help offset a family members medical costs as he fights pancreatic cancer. As we watch the bill for our own son's recent hospitalization flood in, I can only hope that her efforts bring some relief to the family with their financial burden.
I plan to submit a couple of my fav0rite recipes. I hope you will take the time to do the same. And if you are someone who loves cookbooks, she is selling them for only $10, not a bad deal at all!
Friday, September 15, 2006
What: Reds Hall of Fame and Stadium tour plus "Build a Baseball Team" extra inning program
When: Friday, September 15, 2006 9 AM ARRIVE BY 8: 50 AM!
Cost: $6 for children, $7 for adults children under 3 are free
Organizer: Laura Riesenberg
Of course I got out of the house late. Miss Sophie needed a jacket and there wasn't one to be found anywhere. She finally ended up with a rain jacket, but it put us 15 minutes behind schedule. Not to fret...we made it to the Hall of Fame by 8:55 AM!
What an absolutely AWESOME time. The extra inning program was absolutely engaging and involved using math skills to build a team and stick to your budget. Each group was given an actual MLB team's budget (ajdusted for the fact that they were only buying 9 players and not the full roster a team would carry). The great thing was that none of the kids realized that they were sitting through a 90 minute lesson in math! The amazing thing was that the team with the lowest budget ended up with the best team (a little luck was involved, but I don't want to ruin that for anyone else who attends the program).
Following the program we toured the Hall of Fame. It is great, so hands on and engaging. We ate lunch and then were given a tour of Great American Ballpark. Will was EXTREMELY fussy as we went on the tour
and it just killed my back to carry him (I really need to bring a sling with me on outing like this as he is still small enough to sling but too heavy to just carry outright). It is so neat to see the places in the ballpark that you don't get to see on a regular visit.
The Reds season is almost over, but one of the moms is hoping to get a deal of tickets so we can attend the last day game of the season.
Here are the details:
Schedule: 9 AM- 10:45 AM "Build a Baseball Team Program"
10:45 AM-12:15 PM Tour of Hall of Fame
12:15 PM -12:45 PM Lunch (pack your own picnic lunch)
12:45 PM-1:30 PM Return to Hall of Fame
1:30 PM -2:45 PM Stadium tour
The Red's Hall of Fame and Museum is a Palace for the Fans! With the formation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, professional baseball and America's passion for the sport were born, and grew, right here in Cincinnati. Now, for the first time, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum offers fans of the Reds, and of baseball, the first comprehensive look into the sport's heralded past. Nowhere else are fans able to see as complete of a collection of artifacts from the first professional baseball team and its rich history in the major leagues. And nowhere outside of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., are baseball fans treated to such an amazing visual history of the World Series and Opening Day. The Reds Hall of Fame, which opened to the public Sept. 25, 2004, is just west of Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Reds, along Cincinnati's riverfront. The facility features more than 16,000 square feet of exhibit s
Our tour will begin with our EXTRA INNING PROGRAM:
Build a Baseball Team Geared towards 3rd - 8th grade (all ages welcome to participate!)We need your help! In this math-focused program, you must work with your fellow students to create the next championship baseball team. Using budgets and statistics from Major League Baseball, compare players' strengths, weaknesses and salaries to assemble a nine-man team. Then, present your team in a "press conference" and use math to figure out whose team is the best! Who would have thought the economics and mathematics of baseball could be this much fun?! 90 minutes in length
DIRECTIONS TO THE REDS HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is located on the west side of Great American Ball Park along Main Street.
From I-75 southbound: -Take the Second Street exit on the left toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.
From U.S. Highway 50 eastbound:-Take the Second Street exit on the right toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.From I-71/I-75 northbound:-Take the Second Street exit on your right after crossing the Brent Spence Bridge.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.
From I-71 southbound:-Take the Third Street exit on the left toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street.-Turn LEFT onto Second Street.From U.S. Highway 50 westbound (Columbia Parkway):-Take the Sixth Street exit on the right.-Turn LEFT onto Sycamore Street.-Turn RIGHT onto Third Street.-Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street.-Turn LEFT onto Second Street.
From I-471 northbound:-Take the Third Street exit on your right after crossing the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. -Take Third Street to Walnut Street. -Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street. -Turn LEFT onto Second Street.
PARKING FOR THE REDS HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUMThe parking garage underneath Great American Ball Park can be accessed from the Pete Rose Way entrance (at the corner of Pete Rose Way and Broadway) or the Mehring Way entrance (facing the Ohio River). Once inside the garage, follow the signs for the Hall of Fame and Museum to access the elevator and stairwell that leads to the Hall of Fame entrance. Parking is $4 per vehicle. Nearby parking is also available on Third Street (parking meters).
When: Friday, September 15, 2006 9 AM ARRIVE BY 8: 50 AM!
Cost: $6 for children, $7 for adults children under 3 are free
Organizer: Laura Riesenberg
Of course I got out of the house late. Miss Sophie needed a jacket and there wasn't one to be found anywhere. She finally ended up with a rain jacket, but it put us 15 minutes behind schedule. Not to fret...we made it to the Hall of Fame by 8:55 AM!
What an absolutely AWESOME time. The extra inning program was absolutely engaging and involved using math skills to build a team and stick to your budget. Each group was given an actual MLB team's budget (ajdusted for the fact that they were only buying 9 players and not the full roster a team would carry). The great thing was that none of the kids realized that they were sitting through a 90 minute lesson in math! The amazing thing was that the team with the lowest budget ended up with the best team (a little luck was involved, but I don't want to ruin that for anyone else who attends the program).
Following the program we toured the Hall of Fame. It is great, so hands on and engaging. We ate lunch and then were given a tour of Great American Ballpark. Will was EXTREMELY fussy as we went on the tour
and it just killed my back to carry him (I really need to bring a sling with me on outing like this as he is still small enough to sling but too heavy to just carry outright). It is so neat to see the places in the ballpark that you don't get to see on a regular visit.
The Reds season is almost over, but one of the moms is hoping to get a deal of tickets so we can attend the last day game of the season.
Here are the details:
Schedule: 9 AM- 10:45 AM "Build a Baseball Team Program"
10:45 AM-12:15 PM Tour of Hall of Fame
12:15 PM -12:45 PM Lunch (pack your own picnic lunch)
12:45 PM-1:30 PM Return to Hall of Fame
1:30 PM -2:45 PM Stadium tour
The Red's Hall of Fame and Museum is a Palace for the Fans! With the formation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, professional baseball and America's passion for the sport were born, and grew, right here in Cincinnati. Now, for the first time, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum offers fans of the Reds, and of baseball, the first comprehensive look into the sport's heralded past. Nowhere else are fans able to see as complete of a collection of artifacts from the first professional baseball team and its rich history in the major leagues. And nowhere outside of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., are baseball fans treated to such an amazing visual history of the World Series and Opening Day. The Reds Hall of Fame, which opened to the public Sept. 25, 2004, is just west of Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Reds, along Cincinnati's riverfront. The facility features more than 16,000 square feet of exhibit s
Our tour will begin with our EXTRA INNING PROGRAM:
Build a Baseball Team Geared towards 3rd - 8th grade (all ages welcome to participate!)We need your help! In this math-focused program, you must work with your fellow students to create the next championship baseball team. Using budgets and statistics from Major League Baseball, compare players' strengths, weaknesses and salaries to assemble a nine-man team. Then, present your team in a "press conference" and use math to figure out whose team is the best! Who would have thought the economics and mathematics of baseball could be this much fun?! 90 minutes in length
DIRECTIONS TO THE REDS HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is located on the west side of Great American Ball Park along Main Street.
From I-75 southbound: -Take the Second Street exit on the left toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.
From U.S. Highway 50 eastbound:-Take the Second Street exit on the right toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.From I-71/I-75 northbound:-Take the Second Street exit on your right after crossing the Brent Spence Bridge.-Stay on Second Street heading EAST, and the ballpark will be on your right.
From I-71 southbound:-Take the Third Street exit on the left toward DOWNTOWN/RIVERFRONT.-Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street.-Turn LEFT onto Second Street.From U.S. Highway 50 westbound (Columbia Parkway):-Take the Sixth Street exit on the right.-Turn LEFT onto Sycamore Street.-Turn RIGHT onto Third Street.-Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street.-Turn LEFT onto Second Street.
From I-471 northbound:-Take the Third Street exit on your right after crossing the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. -Take Third Street to Walnut Street. -Turn LEFT onto Walnut Street. -Turn LEFT onto Second Street.
PARKING FOR THE REDS HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUMThe parking garage underneath Great American Ball Park can be accessed from the Pete Rose Way entrance (at the corner of Pete Rose Way and Broadway) or the Mehring Way entrance (facing the Ohio River). Once inside the garage, follow the signs for the Hall of Fame and Museum to access the elevator and stairwell that leads to the Hall of Fame entrance. Parking is $4 per vehicle. Nearby parking is also available on Third Street (parking meters).
Saturday, September 02, 2006
THE YEAR 1906
I got this off of one of the email lists I am on and I think this will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! The year is 1906. What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906 ************************************
Average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more
heavily populated than California.
With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year,
and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month,and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
I got this off of one of the email lists I am on and I think this will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! The year is 1906. What a difference a century makes!
Here are some of the U.S. statistics for the Year 1906 ************************************
Average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more
heavily populated than California.
With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year,
and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month,and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
October topic: Unschooling Math: If you’re like me and went to public school, you grew up being taught math from a text book. Now, as an unschooling parent, how do you live math when you’ve been conditioned to think of math in school terms. How do you go from one to the other?
Teaching math has never been an issue in our house. Outside of my oldest son, none of the children have ever used a math text or taken a math course.
Sports have been my best friend for the boys to actively engage in calculating. Whether it is how many strikes make an out, how many outs end an inning, how many field goals you need to outscore one touchdown, how a strike out will change someone's batting average, or how many seconds are left in a game, sports just naturally lead to math awareness. When coupled with my children's very competitive nature, math awareness quickly becomes math ability and accurarcy. Bragging rights goes to the child with the highest batting average, highest winning percentage, best free throw percentage and you can only boast if you can figure it out.
Teaching math has never been an issue in our house. Outside of my oldest son, none of the children have ever used a math text or taken a math course.
Sports have been my best friend for the boys to actively engage in calculating. Whether it is how many strikes make an out, how many outs end an inning, how many field goals you need to outscore one touchdown, how a strike out will change someone's batting average, or how many seconds are left in a game, sports just naturally lead to math awareness. When coupled with my children's very competitive nature, math awareness quickly becomes math ability and accurarcy. Bragging rights goes to the child with the highest batting average, highest winning percentage, best free throw percentage and you can only boast if you can figure it out.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
VACATION AT LONG'S RETREAT LATHAM, OHIO:
Sunday, August 27, the adventure begins:
We waited until after Grant's football game to head out on our trip. We left Cincinnati shortly after 3 PM and after a short delay at Toys R Us (I was looking for a toy for Will but couldn't find it) we were on our way. The drive out to Long's Retreat was fairly uneventful. 50 miles out Rt. 32, make a left onto 41, go another 11 miles, hang a right on 124.....4 miles later you pull into Long's Retreat on the left. The cabin we rented was cute and clean and the kids were eager to explore. Because storms had blown through, the power was off in the park, but the sun was shining so we took in the beach and the splash area and came back and grilled out hamburgers, hotdogs, brats and metts.
It is strange, but neither mine or Deanne's cell phones seem to work. No signal, we both have different services and can't believe neither of us get coverage....no big deal, right? Why would we need a phone?????
The bed was HORRIBLY hard and also tended to squeak when you moved on it. I think I only slept a couple of hours total....too bad, because I really would have handled Monday better with a few more hours of shut eye.......
Monday, August 28:
I came out into the kitchen shortly before 7 AM. Brett, Hannah and Sarah were sleeping in the living room. I heard Brett, he tends to get nauseated at times and makes this raspy, gagging noise. I yelled in to him to take a deep breath. About 5 minutes later I hear a loud thud (like something falling) and Hannah SCREAMING......by the time I take the 10 steps to the living room, Brett is convulsing on the floor. I scream for Deanne and Sarah and I try to flip Brett over (not easy when dealing with an almost 200 lb teenager) as he had landed head first on the floor. Hannah RUNS out the door and tries to see if anyone in the nearby cabin has a radio or phone that works....no such luck.....Deanne takes off for the front office (which is closed and not scheduled to open until 8 AM) but fortunately the owner is pulling up at the same time she gets there. The is no such thing as 911 in this neck of the woods....she it told it will take 35 to 45 minutes for the lifesquad to get to us. I have NEVER been so scared in all my life. Brett was retracting horrible the whole time and I wasn't sure he was getting oxygen...all I could think was that my baby was going to die and there was nothing I could do to make it better. The seizure lasted somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes...I thought to send Sarah into the kitchen once Brett had stopped convulsing because I remembered from the hospital knowing the time/length was critical. He spent another few minutes unresponsive to verbal commands, but would moan and push my hand off his face. About ten minutes later he was talking to me, annoyed with my questions, but answering them. By the time the paramedics finally arrived, he was actually in the bathroom putting on clean clothes and going to the bathroom. The paramedics assessed him and say he is stable but that they can transport him to Pike County Hospital, but that there is no neurologist on staff. Upon further questioning, I learn they will actually have to call and "wake up" the doctor so he can meet us there. Scary thought! I opt to contact Children's and see what they think. Over the next 90 minutes, I confer with a neurosurgical resident, a neurologist and 3 different nurses and they agree that calling in a seizure med to the closest pharmacy, which is 30 miles away. We are given the critical care direct number (for the paramedics to call if they have to come back) and are told that if he seizes again to get him stablized and to come directly to Children's hospital (about 75 miles away). And, yes, I did take a picture of the ambulance for the scrapbook.....16 plus years of parenting, and my first ambulance call!
So Brett and I head to the pharmacy in Hillsboro. The directions are simple, go the 4 miles back down 124 and hang a right onto 41, follow it 20 miles into the center of town, turn right and the pharmacy will be on your left about 3 blocks up the road. During the drive, Brett and I came up with our own set of directions........go the 4 miles back down 124, hang a right onto 41...you will pass a dead skunk in the road, hold your breath...then you will pass American Flyers Gymnastics, in an old run down barn on your left hand side....when you see the dead cow lying on its side in the pasture, slow down to go into the hairpin turn...you will now see a sign for slow farm machinery, which will impede your speed. The horse and buggy sign will make you laugh and thank God that the buggy doesn't pull off the dirt road in front of you. When you finally see a painted sign for KFC, you will know you are getting close!
Luckily there are 2 pharmacies in Hillsboro, because the first one didn't have both meds we needed.....thankfully Jay had just deposited money into the checking account, because the almost $700 the meds set me back wasn't something I had on hand!
Oh, I forgot to mention...when Deanne drove down to call for help, her van died...so while I was off dealing with Brett, her van had to be towed the 45 minutes to the Toyota dealership in Portsmouth! Stranded in the middle of NOWHERE!
It rained...the kids played in the lake despite the rain and had a blast! It cleared up later in the afternoon.
Brett rested and hung out.
We had homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner and made s'mores for dessert! One of the stray kittens that hung out around the cabin singed its tail in the fire. Stupid cat!
The boys played wiffle ball in the yard.
We took the kids up to do the go carts and they had a BLAST!
I passed out with exhaustion around 10 PM! Prayed Tuesday would be a better day!
Tuesday, August 29:
Tuesday started out smoothly! Thank God, I don't think I could have handled any more drama!
We decided to spend the day hanging out....playing on the playground, going to the beach, playing putt-putt, doing the slides. Only bad thing was that Grant got stung by a bee!
The kids played on the playground across from the cabin.
Deanne and I both did laundry...we hadn't counted on it raining and the clothes being soaked, so we both needed to wash clothes so the boys had clean and dry things to wear! The laundry was clean but it was so funny....there were 5 washers and 3 of them had things written/scratched onto them......ALL THIS MACHINE DOES IS SPIN, WATER RUNS OUT THE BOTTOM OF MACHINE, THIS MACHINE DOESN'T FILL UP....luckily we only needed 2 machines!
We had chicken lasagna, garlic bread and salad for dinner! We made s'mores again.....have to love marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers!
Wednesday, August 30:
We decided to take in Serpent Mound (the world's largest earthenworks) since it was mentioned in the "KIDS LOVE OHIO" book. We piled everyone into my passenger van and headed out. I had mapquested the directions before we went to Long's Retreat and tossed them in the car to follow......We decided that the directions should have come with disclaimers......
*Start out going SOUTHWEST on OH-124 (OK, this part is fine....)
*Turn LEFT onto OH-41 (again, this is OK)
*Turn RIGHT onto DUTCH THOMAS RD (now this is where it gets tricky...first it should mention that Dutch Thomas will sneak up on you and that the only other car of the road will be right on your bumper, forcing you to turn around in a small parking lot.....second it should mention that Dutch Thomas MIGHT be impassable for a large 15 passenger van and that you will need to pray that NOTHING comes the other way while you follow this road for 1/2 mile).
*Turn RIGHT onto PURCELL RD (#1 since when does mapquest take you on a GRAVEL ROAD...which, um, isn't even GRAVEL because all the gravel apparently washed out during the recent rains, leaving only a dirt rut to drive in and is barely wide enough for any vehicle and #2 BEWARE OF FLOCKS OF WILD TURKEY CROSSING THE ROAD and #3 for added thrill, reach hand out window and sharp bend in road, as the cattle are grazing so close to the road you can touch them)
*Turn RIGHT onto OH-73. End at 3850 State Route 73.
Once we got to Serpent Mound, we though we would be in store for a grand adventure, but there was a rinky dink museum, 2 extremely unfriendly employees and a paved trail around the earthenworks. The mound was cool in appearance, but not something I would ever bother to visit again!
We left Serpent Mound, retraced our path and headed back to Long's. We ate lunch and then headed to the beach. Sophie swam all the way out to the pier (with her life jacket on, of course) and actually JUMPED off the diving board into the 15 foot deep lake! She had an absolute ball!
Will got stung by a bee on his hand while at the beach...I wish I could figure out a way to keep the kids from getting stung!
At 3 PM, Deanne and I headed to Portsmouth to pick up her van. It took about 2 hours total, but it was WONDERFUL to see her van running again (we were worried about having to pack everyone into one van to get home and then having to drive over 2 hours to come and pick up her van). I was so tired driving back to Long's that I had to crack up the radio and jam to the static ridden songs on the radio...thankfully, I found a rock station after 2 Christian stations or I may have ended up in a ditch!
We had tacos for dinner and then took the kids down to the go-carts! After the go-carts, we explored the property off the side of the lake. The kids then picked out a treat from the camp store and we headed back to the cabin.
We hung out...the boys played baseball in the yard and the rest of us watched TV! We started packing up the van and settled in for our last night of our mini vacation!
Thursday, August 31:
Woke the kids at 7:10 AM and quickly finished packing up the van...by 7:30 AM we were on the road! Managed to get Emily to the dance studio by 9:15 AM for her ballet solo practice! Exhausted but full of fun, fond memories the boys, Sophie and I headed home....by 10 AM the van was unpacked and the first load of laundry tossed in the washer......by 11:30 AM I was off to pick up the girls from dance and to get my dad from dialysis and take him to chemo......no rest for the weary!
Poor Chris got stung on the back twice as we were packing up to leave. When I talked to Deanne it turns out the stinger was stuck in one of the stings all the way home. We have to figure out something to do about those bees! Hopefully they won't be as bad next time.
We plan to go again next year! Maybe even plan it as a "not back to school" retreat for our homeschool group. The prices were GREAT and the place was desserted, we had everything to ourselves...it would be such great fun to have more of our friends join us!
Sunday, August 27, the adventure begins:
We waited until after Grant's football game to head out on our trip. We left Cincinnati shortly after 3 PM and after a short delay at Toys R Us (I was looking for a toy for Will but couldn't find it) we were on our way. The drive out to Long's Retreat was fairly uneventful. 50 miles out Rt. 32, make a left onto 41, go another 11 miles, hang a right on 124.....4 miles later you pull into Long's Retreat on the left. The cabin we rented was cute and clean and the kids were eager to explore. Because storms had blown through, the power was off in the park, but the sun was shining so we took in the beach and the splash area and came back and grilled out hamburgers, hotdogs, brats and metts.
It is strange, but neither mine or Deanne's cell phones seem to work. No signal, we both have different services and can't believe neither of us get coverage....no big deal, right? Why would we need a phone?????
The bed was HORRIBLY hard and also tended to squeak when you moved on it. I think I only slept a couple of hours total....too bad, because I really would have handled Monday better with a few more hours of shut eye.......
Monday, August 28:
I came out into the kitchen shortly before 7 AM. Brett, Hannah and Sarah were sleeping in the living room. I heard Brett, he tends to get nauseated at times and makes this raspy, gagging noise. I yelled in to him to take a deep breath. About 5 minutes later I hear a loud thud (like something falling) and Hannah SCREAMING......by the time I take the 10 steps to the living room, Brett is convulsing on the floor. I scream for Deanne and Sarah and I try to flip Brett over (not easy when dealing with an almost 200 lb teenager) as he had landed head first on the floor. Hannah RUNS out the door and tries to see if anyone in the nearby cabin has a radio or phone that works....no such luck.....Deanne takes off for the front office (which is closed and not scheduled to open until 8 AM) but fortunately the owner is pulling up at the same time she gets there. The is no such thing as 911 in this neck of the woods....she it told it will take 35 to 45 minutes for the lifesquad to get to us. I have NEVER been so scared in all my life. Brett was retracting horrible the whole time and I wasn't sure he was getting oxygen...all I could think was that my baby was going to die and there was nothing I could do to make it better. The seizure lasted somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes...I thought to send Sarah into the kitchen once Brett had stopped convulsing because I remembered from the hospital knowing the time/length was critical. He spent another few minutes unresponsive to verbal commands, but would moan and push my hand off his face. About ten minutes later he was talking to me, annoyed with my questions, but answering them. By the time the paramedics finally arrived, he was actually in the bathroom putting on clean clothes and going to the bathroom. The paramedics assessed him and say he is stable but that they can transport him to Pike County Hospital, but that there is no neurologist on staff. Upon further questioning, I learn they will actually have to call and "wake up" the doctor so he can meet us there. Scary thought! I opt to contact Children's and see what they think. Over the next 90 minutes, I confer with a neurosurgical resident, a neurologist and 3 different nurses and they agree that calling in a seizure med to the closest pharmacy, which is 30 miles away. We are given the critical care direct number (for the paramedics to call if they have to come back) and are told that if he seizes again to get him stablized and to come directly to Children's hospital (about 75 miles away). And, yes, I did take a picture of the ambulance for the scrapbook.....16 plus years of parenting, and my first ambulance call!
So Brett and I head to the pharmacy in Hillsboro. The directions are simple, go the 4 miles back down 124 and hang a right onto 41, follow it 20 miles into the center of town, turn right and the pharmacy will be on your left about 3 blocks up the road. During the drive, Brett and I came up with our own set of directions........go the 4 miles back down 124, hang a right onto 41...you will pass a dead skunk in the road, hold your breath...then you will pass American Flyers Gymnastics, in an old run down barn on your left hand side....when you see the dead cow lying on its side in the pasture, slow down to go into the hairpin turn...you will now see a sign for slow farm machinery, which will impede your speed. The horse and buggy sign will make you laugh and thank God that the buggy doesn't pull off the dirt road in front of you. When you finally see a painted sign for KFC, you will know you are getting close!
Luckily there are 2 pharmacies in Hillsboro, because the first one didn't have both meds we needed.....thankfully Jay had just deposited money into the checking account, because the almost $700 the meds set me back wasn't something I had on hand!
Oh, I forgot to mention...when Deanne drove down to call for help, her van died...so while I was off dealing with Brett, her van had to be towed the 45 minutes to the Toyota dealership in Portsmouth! Stranded in the middle of NOWHERE!
It rained...the kids played in the lake despite the rain and had a blast! It cleared up later in the afternoon.
Brett rested and hung out.
We had homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner and made s'mores for dessert! One of the stray kittens that hung out around the cabin singed its tail in the fire. Stupid cat!
The boys played wiffle ball in the yard.
We took the kids up to do the go carts and they had a BLAST!
I passed out with exhaustion around 10 PM! Prayed Tuesday would be a better day!
Tuesday, August 29:
Tuesday started out smoothly! Thank God, I don't think I could have handled any more drama!
We decided to spend the day hanging out....playing on the playground, going to the beach, playing putt-putt, doing the slides. Only bad thing was that Grant got stung by a bee!
The kids played on the playground across from the cabin.
Deanne and I both did laundry...we hadn't counted on it raining and the clothes being soaked, so we both needed to wash clothes so the boys had clean and dry things to wear! The laundry was clean but it was so funny....there were 5 washers and 3 of them had things written/scratched onto them......ALL THIS MACHINE DOES IS SPIN, WATER RUNS OUT THE BOTTOM OF MACHINE, THIS MACHINE DOESN'T FILL UP....luckily we only needed 2 machines!
We had chicken lasagna, garlic bread and salad for dinner! We made s'mores again.....have to love marshmallow, chocolate and graham crackers!
Wednesday, August 30:
We decided to take in Serpent Mound (the world's largest earthenworks) since it was mentioned in the "KIDS LOVE OHIO" book. We piled everyone into my passenger van and headed out. I had mapquested the directions before we went to Long's Retreat and tossed them in the car to follow......We decided that the directions should have come with disclaimers......
*Start out going SOUTHWEST on OH-124 (OK, this part is fine....)
*Turn LEFT onto OH-41 (again, this is OK)
*Turn RIGHT onto DUTCH THOMAS RD (now this is where it gets tricky...first it should mention that Dutch Thomas will sneak up on you and that the only other car of the road will be right on your bumper, forcing you to turn around in a small parking lot.....second it should mention that Dutch Thomas MIGHT be impassable for a large 15 passenger van and that you will need to pray that NOTHING comes the other way while you follow this road for 1/2 mile).
*Turn RIGHT onto PURCELL RD (#1 since when does mapquest take you on a GRAVEL ROAD...which, um, isn't even GRAVEL because all the gravel apparently washed out during the recent rains, leaving only a dirt rut to drive in and is barely wide enough for any vehicle and #2 BEWARE OF FLOCKS OF WILD TURKEY CROSSING THE ROAD and #3 for added thrill, reach hand out window and sharp bend in road, as the cattle are grazing so close to the road you can touch them)
*Turn RIGHT onto OH-73. End at 3850 State Route 73.
Once we got to Serpent Mound, we though we would be in store for a grand adventure, but there was a rinky dink museum, 2 extremely unfriendly employees and a paved trail around the earthenworks. The mound was cool in appearance, but not something I would ever bother to visit again!
We left Serpent Mound, retraced our path and headed back to Long's. We ate lunch and then headed to the beach. Sophie swam all the way out to the pier (with her life jacket on, of course) and actually JUMPED off the diving board into the 15 foot deep lake! She had an absolute ball!
Will got stung by a bee on his hand while at the beach...I wish I could figure out a way to keep the kids from getting stung!
At 3 PM, Deanne and I headed to Portsmouth to pick up her van. It took about 2 hours total, but it was WONDERFUL to see her van running again (we were worried about having to pack everyone into one van to get home and then having to drive over 2 hours to come and pick up her van). I was so tired driving back to Long's that I had to crack up the radio and jam to the static ridden songs on the radio...thankfully, I found a rock station after 2 Christian stations or I may have ended up in a ditch!
We had tacos for dinner and then took the kids down to the go-carts! After the go-carts, we explored the property off the side of the lake. The kids then picked out a treat from the camp store and we headed back to the cabin.
We hung out...the boys played baseball in the yard and the rest of us watched TV! We started packing up the van and settled in for our last night of our mini vacation!
Thursday, August 31:
Woke the kids at 7:10 AM and quickly finished packing up the van...by 7:30 AM we were on the road! Managed to get Emily to the dance studio by 9:15 AM for her ballet solo practice! Exhausted but full of fun, fond memories the boys, Sophie and I headed home....by 10 AM the van was unpacked and the first load of laundry tossed in the washer......by 11:30 AM I was off to pick up the girls from dance and to get my dad from dialysis and take him to chemo......no rest for the weary!
Poor Chris got stung on the back twice as we were packing up to leave. When I talked to Deanne it turns out the stinger was stuck in one of the stings all the way home. We have to figure out something to do about those bees! Hopefully they won't be as bad next time.
We plan to go again next year! Maybe even plan it as a "not back to school" retreat for our homeschool group. The prices were GREAT and the place was desserted, we had everything to ourselves...it would be such great fun to have more of our friends join us!
We are back!
We are back from our grand adventure, and oh what an adventure it was! I can't wait until I have time to sit down and type up everything that happened....to whet your appetite and to peak your curiosity, here is a link to the photo album...
http://photo.walgreens.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=9478935/a=9924176/t_=9924176
And a link to the place we stayed: http://www.longsretreat.com/
We are back from our grand adventure, and oh what an adventure it was! I can't wait until I have time to sit down and type up everything that happened....to whet your appetite and to peak your curiosity, here is a link to the photo album...
http://photo.walgreens.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=9478935/a=9924176/t_=9924176
And a link to the place we stayed: http://www.longsretreat.com/
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Off on retreat.....
The kids and I and our friends are heading away for a few days....we will return on Thursday, hopefully rested and rejuvenated...or at least full of exciting stories of our grand adventures......just what will 2 moms and 10 kids manage to do with themselves? Tune in late this week to find out!
The kids and I and our friends are heading away for a few days....we will return on Thursday, hopefully rested and rejuvenated...or at least full of exciting stories of our grand adventures......just what will 2 moms and 10 kids manage to do with themselves? Tune in late this week to find out!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
What Type of Homeschooler Are You?
http://quizilla.com/users/guiltfree/quizzes/What%20Type%20of%20Homeschooler%20Are%20You
Have to love a quiz that gets it right...some of the questions are rather funny...and um, my dining room table is clean, because I cleaned it before I sat down on the computer and moved the 4 boxes of vintage pictures we "inherited" from my mother-in-law, the pile of mail, remanents of last night's dinner, the crayons, magnets, video of my in-laws wedding and bottle of cleaner....
My results: Salvador Dali Melting clocks are not a problem in your reality. You are an unschooler. You will tolerate a textbook, but only as a last resort. Mud is your friend. You prefer hands-on everything. If your school had an anthem, it would be Dont Worry, Be Happy.
2706 other people got this result!This quiz has been taken 29843 times.
http://quizilla.com/users/guiltfree/quizzes/What%20Type%20of%20Homeschooler%20Are%20You
Have to love a quiz that gets it right...some of the questions are rather funny...and um, my dining room table is clean, because I cleaned it before I sat down on the computer and moved the 4 boxes of vintage pictures we "inherited" from my mother-in-law, the pile of mail, remanents of last night's dinner, the crayons, magnets, video of my in-laws wedding and bottle of cleaner....
My results: Salvador Dali Melting clocks are not a problem in your reality. You are an unschooler. You will tolerate a textbook, but only as a last resort. Mud is your friend. You prefer hands-on everything. If your school had an anthem, it would be Dont Worry, Be Happy.
2706 other people got this result!This quiz has been taken 29843 times.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Overdue update!
Brett had his shunt reinternalized last Monday. They released him from the hospital late Wednesday night. We have a follow up appointment tomorrow! Things seem to be going well, he is slowly building his energy and even went and played golf yesterday afternoon with his Dad and brothers....not even a week after having brain surgery!
Jay's mom passed away last Sunday (Aug 13) and her funeral was Friday. They delayed the funeral until Friday so that Brett would be home. His grandmother had wanted him to read the same reading at her funeral that he read 5 years ago at his grandfather's funeral. The service was absolutely beautiful.
Jay's sisters were going to pitch all the old family photos, so I took them. Emily and I have had so much fun looking through them and finding old newspaper clippings Mary (my MIL) saved. It will be great for the genealogy project that Emily is working on. I am thinking I might frame some of them and hang them up...Emily is going to make a scrapbook with a lot of them.
My dad is having a rough time with his chemo...he has broken out in a rash all over his torso and is also only producing about 2 tbsp of urine each day...haven't heard exactly what the means, but I suspect it isn't good! If you could remember him in your prayers, it would be appreciated!
Emily conned me into letting her foster a puppy from the animal rescue organization that she and Hannah volunteer with. He is an absolute cutie, but one forgets how much work a puppy is! He is only 9 weeks old and already a WHOOPING 20 lbs......he is supposedly a lab/boxer mix. but given the size of the boy's paws I have to wonder if there might not be mastif in him. Louie is very protective of him and it is so cute to watch them interact with each other. We take him back next Saturday and hopefully he will be adopted!
To add to our excitement, Sophie (4) swallowed a penny, so we are on poop patrol, waiting for her to pass it!
Thinking I will have good news to post in the near future...after all things have to get better right?
Brett had his shunt reinternalized last Monday. They released him from the hospital late Wednesday night. We have a follow up appointment tomorrow! Things seem to be going well, he is slowly building his energy and even went and played golf yesterday afternoon with his Dad and brothers....not even a week after having brain surgery!
Jay's mom passed away last Sunday (Aug 13) and her funeral was Friday. They delayed the funeral until Friday so that Brett would be home. His grandmother had wanted him to read the same reading at her funeral that he read 5 years ago at his grandfather's funeral. The service was absolutely beautiful.
Jay's sisters were going to pitch all the old family photos, so I took them. Emily and I have had so much fun looking through them and finding old newspaper clippings Mary (my MIL) saved. It will be great for the genealogy project that Emily is working on. I am thinking I might frame some of them and hang them up...Emily is going to make a scrapbook with a lot of them.
My dad is having a rough time with his chemo...he has broken out in a rash all over his torso and is also only producing about 2 tbsp of urine each day...haven't heard exactly what the means, but I suspect it isn't good! If you could remember him in your prayers, it would be appreciated!
Emily conned me into letting her foster a puppy from the animal rescue organization that she and Hannah volunteer with. He is an absolute cutie, but one forgets how much work a puppy is! He is only 9 weeks old and already a WHOOPING 20 lbs......he is supposedly a lab/boxer mix. but given the size of the boy's paws I have to wonder if there might not be mastif in him. Louie is very protective of him and it is so cute to watch them interact with each other. We take him back next Saturday and hopefully he will be adopted!
To add to our excitement, Sophie (4) swallowed a penny, so we are on poop patrol, waiting for her to pass it!
Thinking I will have good news to post in the near future...after all things have to get better right?
Friday, August 11, 2006
Someone shoot me....
The next time I ask a stupid question like "what else can go wrong?".
We woke up this morning to water FLOWING into the basement...apparently there was a hole right near where the line came into the house! Luckily we caught it before it flooded the basement and we were fortunate enough to have a drain within about 3 feet of the leak....so about 12 hours without water and the headache of waiting on a plumber when there were so many other things to attend to!
Would someone else like to volunteer to be God's comic relief for a while? I could sure use the break!
The next time I ask a stupid question like "what else can go wrong?".
We woke up this morning to water FLOWING into the basement...apparently there was a hole right near where the line came into the house! Luckily we caught it before it flooded the basement and we were fortunate enough to have a drain within about 3 feet of the leak....so about 12 hours without water and the headache of waiting on a plumber when there were so many other things to attend to!
Would someone else like to volunteer to be God's comic relief for a while? I could sure use the break!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Dare I ask, what else can go wrong?
It has been one of those month's so far....and we are only on day what??? 10 I think......I will be so happy to never see a repeat of August 2006...
So far this month:
1) Brett is sitting in the hospital with his spinal fluid draining into a bag next to his head. He is having surgery again next Monday. He has been there since August 1st and will be there through next week....
2) Jay's mom (my MIL) is in the hospital dying. They don't expect her to make it another week. She has been battling non Hodgkins Lymphomia for the past 7 or so years and her body has finally given out. She is in organ failure.
3) The chemo is making dad very sick and he is losing weight. All his counts are low. But his spirits are good!
4) I have picked up some kind of sinus/throat/chest/head ache thing. It's it enough that I have to deal with my kid sick in the hospital, my MIL at death's door and tranporting my dad to dialysis and chemo.....apparently NOT.....I have to be sick too!
5) Today at the dance studio the acro instructor that Emily loves QUIT! Emily is hysterical calls me on the cell phone when I am out getting my dad from dialysis and just sobs into the phone. I couldn't even be here to comfort her. It will probably mean that she won't have an acro team to compete with this year. Like it isn't enough that her brother is in the hospital, her grandma is dying, and her grandpa is sick...she has to lose the one thing that gives her solace from all the rotten crap that is going on right now.
I know better than to wallow in self pity. I know it could be worse. My son will leave the hospital, while others we pass each day in the hallway, will not. My mother in law has lived a wonderful, full, long life (her 83rd birthday is next week) and has raised 10 great kids, has 31 grandkids, 2 grand daughter-in-laws and 4 great grandkids. Dad is still with us, over a year after his diagnosis with multiple myeloma and kidney failure. Losing acro will mean Emily can focus more energy on ballet.....but for right this minute I want to just feel sorry for myself, to scream from the rooftops "WHY????".
OK...done SCREAMING!
Have I mentioned how RICH our lives are? With Brett being sick we have seen the best in so many of our friends, and even strangers. I realize that there are so many people that care about us. We have been blessed to have families bring us dinner each night, cards and gifts come into the hospital daily to lift Brett's spirits, our dearest friends have kept assorted children and made sure that they feel safe and loved during this trying time.
It has been one of those month's so far....and we are only on day what??? 10 I think......I will be so happy to never see a repeat of August 2006...
So far this month:
1) Brett is sitting in the hospital with his spinal fluid draining into a bag next to his head. He is having surgery again next Monday. He has been there since August 1st and will be there through next week....
2) Jay's mom (my MIL) is in the hospital dying. They don't expect her to make it another week. She has been battling non Hodgkins Lymphomia for the past 7 or so years and her body has finally given out. She is in organ failure.
3) The chemo is making dad very sick and he is losing weight. All his counts are low. But his spirits are good!
4) I have picked up some kind of sinus/throat/chest/head ache thing. It's it enough that I have to deal with my kid sick in the hospital, my MIL at death's door and tranporting my dad to dialysis and chemo.....apparently NOT.....I have to be sick too!
5) Today at the dance studio the acro instructor that Emily loves QUIT! Emily is hysterical calls me on the cell phone when I am out getting my dad from dialysis and just sobs into the phone. I couldn't even be here to comfort her. It will probably mean that she won't have an acro team to compete with this year. Like it isn't enough that her brother is in the hospital, her grandma is dying, and her grandpa is sick...she has to lose the one thing that gives her solace from all the rotten crap that is going on right now.
I know better than to wallow in self pity. I know it could be worse. My son will leave the hospital, while others we pass each day in the hallway, will not. My mother in law has lived a wonderful, full, long life (her 83rd birthday is next week) and has raised 10 great kids, has 31 grandkids, 2 grand daughter-in-laws and 4 great grandkids. Dad is still with us, over a year after his diagnosis with multiple myeloma and kidney failure. Losing acro will mean Emily can focus more energy on ballet.....but for right this minute I want to just feel sorry for myself, to scream from the rooftops "WHY????".
OK...done SCREAMING!
Have I mentioned how RICH our lives are? With Brett being sick we have seen the best in so many of our friends, and even strangers. I realize that there are so many people that care about us. We have been blessed to have families bring us dinner each night, cards and gifts come into the hospital daily to lift Brett's spirits, our dearest friends have kept assorted children and made sure that they feel safe and loved during this trying time.
Monday, August 07, 2006
SURGERY!
Monday, August 7, 2006 11 AM: We will be heading to the OR as soon as they has space ready for us. They did an ultrasound this morning and the pseudocyst has gotten larger over the weekend. They is also slightly more fluid in the ventricles. So we are heading to the OR. The plan is to externalize the shunt (where it will drain into a bag outside the body), get the cyst to reasorb, treat him with antibiotics and then go in and replace the shunt.
Monday, August 7, 2006 3PM: Brett is out of surgery. Amazingly, he is already saying that his abdomenial pain is down to a six (it was an eight prior to surgery), now how much of that is that the anesthesia is still in his system and how much of it is real pain relief is still left to be seen. Now we get to play the waiting game. The shunt is draining externally so he is pretty much stuck in the hospital bed for the next week (he can get up for about 30-45 minutes at a time and then needs to be in bed for awhile so the fluid doesn't build up in his head. Once they are certain the infection has cleared, they will go in and replace the shunt (we suspect next Monday). Continued prayers are appreciated.
Monday, August 7, 2006 11 AM: We will be heading to the OR as soon as they has space ready for us. They did an ultrasound this morning and the pseudocyst has gotten larger over the weekend. They is also slightly more fluid in the ventricles. So we are heading to the OR. The plan is to externalize the shunt (where it will drain into a bag outside the body), get the cyst to reasorb, treat him with antibiotics and then go in and replace the shunt.
Monday, August 7, 2006 3PM: Brett is out of surgery. Amazingly, he is already saying that his abdomenial pain is down to a six (it was an eight prior to surgery), now how much of that is that the anesthesia is still in his system and how much of it is real pain relief is still left to be seen. Now we get to play the waiting game. The shunt is draining externally so he is pretty much stuck in the hospital bed for the next week (he can get up for about 30-45 minutes at a time and then needs to be in bed for awhile so the fluid doesn't build up in his head. Once they are certain the infection has cleared, they will go in and replace the shunt (we suspect next Monday). Continued prayers are appreciated.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
The Prayer for Protection
A fellow homeschooling mom send this my way. I found it very comforting and plan to print it off and take it to Brett at the hospital. This is what she said:
This is a prayer that our congregation says at the end of every church service each week. It's called The Prayer for Protection. I find it to be very comforting, especially in times of stress. It may resonate with you also, and help to reassure you or Brett during these challenging days.Here it is:
The Light of God surrounds us.
The Love of God enfolds us.
The Power of God protects us.
The Presence of God watches over us.
Wherever we are, God is and all is well.
A fellow homeschooling mom send this my way. I found it very comforting and plan to print it off and take it to Brett at the hospital. This is what she said:
This is a prayer that our congregation says at the end of every church service each week. It's called The Prayer for Protection. I find it to be very comforting, especially in times of stress. It may resonate with you also, and help to reassure you or Brett during these challenging days.Here it is:
The Light of God surrounds us.
The Love of God enfolds us.
The Power of God protects us.
The Presence of God watches over us.
Wherever we are, God is and all is well.
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