Ghost Feet

I saw this craft in a magazine once and we've been doing it every year since.  We just trace each child's foot, give it arms or wings or whatever they would be, and decorate it a bit.  I love to see how much each of them has grown over the years. 

As the kids get older, they want the Halloween decorations to be scarier and creepier.  This is one cute tradition at our house that I am going to hang on to as long as I can.  Some day, I may have to sneak into their rooms at night and trace their feet while they sleep, but I will.

I've seen a similar idea done at Christmas but the foot is turned into a reindeer head with hands traced for antlers.

Edit:  Here's a photo of some of them flying up the stairs.  If you look closely, you'll see that the kids are trying their best to 'evil' them up nowadays.

Hoarders

Hoarders is a documentary series on A&E about people and their inability to give or throw things away.  Many times they are also compulsive shoppers.  New episodes air on Monday nights at 10 EST.  

Do not call me on Monday night.  

I absolutely love this show.  I love crazy people and the people on this show are CRAZY.  Why would anyone keep trash from six years ago?  How many horse figurines does a "collector" really need?  I understand that they get to a point where they don't smell the odor, but shouldn't the sight of cat feces on the kitchen counter bother them?  Crazy.  The show is really very sad.  Many times the people are facing bankruptcy, city fines, jail time, or eviction.  If they have children or pets living in the house, they often live in fear of CPS and animal control.

The show does two things for me.  First, it assures me that my house is 'normal' messy.  Second, it prompts me to clean.  I will often scoop cat litter or scrub a toilet during the commercial breaks.

The kids usually watch the show with me and I've noticed a change in their attitudes when it comes to cleaning their rooms.  They like to see the carpet.  They are more willing to donate things.  Thank you Hoarders.

Do not call me on Monday night. 

Gourds

I took the kids to the most awesome farm Tuesday.  There were so many fun activities for children and the pumpkin selection was great.  We spent a lot of time looking through them but the kids finally decided to get gourds.  We've seen the little decorative gourds in the grocery every October but these were so much cooler.

Apparently, the kids really like them.  Each one was given a name.  Get ready for this.  The creativity will knock your socks off.  Gordon, Jordon, and Gourd.  Yep.  They play with them at the kitchen table.  Seriously weird.

I know I will still have to buy pumpkins for carving this month but I'm glad we got gourds.  I like them.

Businesses that Recognize Homeschools

I had previously written about "free days" at the museums in the city but I've since learned that some of these museums have free days all year long for homeschooling families.  The Science and Industry Museum tells you right on their website that homeschooled kids and their parents are admitted free of charge Monday through Friday.  Another mom told me that the Field Museum is also free to us, but I have not yet verified these things personally. 

I think more businesses are starting to recognize the legitimacy of homeschool now.  By law, a homeschool is considered a private school.  Most companies that offer a discount to public/private school teachers will also offer it to those of us that homeschool.  The store policies vary.  Some take you at your word.  Others want some kind of proof.  In Indiana, I kept a printout of an email I received from the state showing that we were indeed homeschoolers. 

There are websites we can use to order or print out our own ID cards.  I haven't done this but maybe I will.  If I do, I think I will use the goofiest pictures of my kids I can find.

My MacBook

I love my MacBook.  It's now several years old which means it may as well be 10 years old in the world of technology but I still love it.  I had another Mac before this one that lasted 8 or 9 years.  I think the final two years of that computer's life were spent listening to my husband nag me that it was time for a new one.  One thing that helped convince me in the end was the discount Apple gives to teachers (including homeschoolers) when purchasing one of their computers.  It wasn't a huge savings but it helped.

When I bought this one, I remember walking out of the mall with a bit of the obnoxious pride Mac users seem to have.  "Yeah, I'm cool.  I use a Mac."  At home, I was thrilled to find stickers in the box.  I couldn't wait to slap that Apple sticker on my car so every loser at the intersection could see how hip I was.  "Okay, I drive a minivan but I'm still better than you."

It wasn't long after that when I was approached in a grocery parking lot by a nasty looking guy driving a nastier looking van from 1978.  "You have a Mac?"  Uncomfortable conversation followed and it  turned out, I was just as cool as this guy who has always used Mac, has several at home (probably in his mom's basement), and would never use anything else.  Mac users unite.  Gross.

Lately, I think the sticker has lost its meaning anyway.  The sticker used to mean you had an Apple computer.  Now, it just means you have a cell phone.

Hugs

Homemade Halloween Costumes

Over the years, I've purchased plenty of Halloween costumes but some of my favorites have been the ones I've made.  They don't always look better or cost less but they are a creative challenge.


The first year I made costumes was the year Daniel wanted to be Peter Pan.  I was unable to find one in the store so I decided to make it.  I used fleece because it's easy to work with and because I thought it would keep him warmer on Halloween night than the flimsy store kind anyway.  As luck would have it, that year was one of the warmest Halloweens.  Poor kid threw up that evening.  It might of just been the candy but I don't think the hot flashes he was having helped.












The "bird watcher" costume was thrown together at the last minute the year we went to a party with a "no masks allowed" rule.  I forget what other costume he had for that year but I wasn't about to buy another one just for a party.  I don't think the other kids understood the outfit but he was a real hit with the adults.






By far, my favorite was the doctor/nurse/patient year.  These were super easy and cheap.  I found scrubs at Goodwill for each of the kids.  Daniel was big enough to fit into a woman's small.  Grace just needed a skirt so I made one from a white nurses top.  For Ruby, I found patterned scrubs that reminded me of a hospital gown and sewed that just enough so it wouldn't fall off of her.  I found a few accessories at the party store and a few we already had at the house.  The costumes don't look like much but everyone they passed on the street loved them.  Sadly, one person thought we'd put make-up on Ruby to make her look sickly.  No, she was just that pale and happened to have a bruised eye.

This year they want to be bacon, eggs, and toast.  I don't know how I'm going to pull that together.

Dress Up

Charlie

I know.  I know.  Maybe I should re-title this "Photos of Charlie."  Even though living with him makes me crazy, there are some things I like about the dog. 

He was such a cute puppy. 

He has grown into a very handsome dog.

He is very good with the kids...

most of the time.

He loves to play.  Tickle-Me-Elmo was one of his favorites...

until he tickled too much.

Sometimes he just makes me laugh...

 

a lot.

Not Picking Up

My three children are wonderful.  I really only have two complaints:  their volume and their stuff.

There's not much I can do about their volume besides send them outside to play.  Sometimes they will disappear upstairs and then their volume is much better.  When that happens, however, I am bound to pay for it later via their stuff.

I feel like I am constantly picking up after them or hounding them to pick up after themselves.  Either way, it is wearing me out.  Here is my latest bright idea:

I put this box in the upstairs hall about a week ago.  They all came running when they heard me throwing things into it.  I could see the panic on their faces and hear it in their voices,  "What are you doing?  That's not fair!"

Here's the deal:  I will not nag them about picking up.  I will throw anything out of place into the box.  They have plenty of time to remove items from it and put them away nicely.  Each Saturday, I will take what's still in the box to be donated.

So far, this arrangement is working for us.  We are all much happier without my nagging.  The kids are doing a much better job of picking up their stuff so not much is being put into the box.  They have even found some things they want to donate.  Less stuff!

School Uniforms

I went back-to-school clothes shopping for my kids yesterday.  Considering they are homeschooled, I could have just bought them all new pajamas but we do actually leave the house most days so they needed real clothes.

Shopping for Ruby was easy.  She is four and everything in her department is still cute and affordable.  I really had to exercise a lot of self control or I could have spent the entire budget on her.  With all the hand-me-downs from her older sister, she needed the least.

Grace is almost nine and the choices in her department are starting to scare me.  Some of it is okay but a lot of it is trying to turn her into a little Hannah Montana.  Or is it just Miley Cyrus now?  Either way, I don't want Grace looking like that.  Oh, and the skinny jeans.  Really?  At nine?  I don't think so.  Even the pajamas have started to look a bit too adult. 

Then there's Daniel.  Daniel is eleven but I've had a problem shopping for him since the age of three.  That's when all the cute baby boy stuff was replaced by punk clothes.  Now his choices in jeans are either nerdy or trashy.  Nerdy is what we called "new" jeans when I was a kid.  Trashy is what those new jeans used to look like when they were worn out and ready for the trash.  Great choices.  Great choices that seem to get more and more expensive the older he gets. 

I felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. My kids already risk being nerdy just by being homeschooled.  I enjoy the fact that they're missing a lot of the trendy crap other kids their ages do but I don't want them to be completely weird.  I needed to find a happy medium and not go broke.

In many of the stores, I kept seeing a school uniform section.  It kept drawing me over.  How easy would that be?  Three color choices: white, navy, khaki.  Three bottom choices: shorts, skirts, pants.  Three top choices: short sleeve, long sleeve, sweater.  Clothes that look like they fit.  Clothes that make children look like children.  No glitter.  No graphics.  No fringe.  No rips.  Done.

I am sure that parents still need to buy other clothing for their uniformed kids.  Those kids probably get home from school and can't change into regular clothes fast enough.  Taking non-school times into account, I would still have to find decent clothing for my kids and I suppose that means there would not be any savings.

I really considered the idea anyway.  I like the look of school uniforms.  Could I let them "express" themselves on the weekends and wear a uniform Monday through Friday?  Of course, that might be a problem for church.  Ah, they're too old for it now anyway.  I might have been able to pull this off if I had thought of it years ago but now they'd just know that I'd lost my mind.  It was a fun thought while it lasted. 

It took all day and too many stores to name but I managed to sift through the junk and buy reasonably priced, age-appropriate, non-punk, non-whorish wardrobes for all three children. Today we buy shoes.

Day of Dislike: Re-entering the State of Illinois

At the Indianapolis 500, there is a tradition of Jim Nabors singing a song, "(Back Home Again in) Indiana."  He has done it almost every year since 1972.  The song itself has been a part of the race since 1942.  It is not the official song of Indiana but possibly the best known song referring to the Hoosier state.

I lived the first 36 years of my life in Indiana and any time we traveled, we would break out into song as we crossed the state border on our way home.  I've even hummed it quietly aboard planes as we landed.  Vacations are fun but nothing beats that feeling of getting back home.  Having a song to sing makes it even better.

We live in Illinois now and while it's a fine state and not that much different than Indiana, I don't get that wonderful feeling when we cross the border on the way home.  I'm sure the problem is that I grew up in Indiana.  It will always be "home."  Maybe if Jim Nabors would sing something about Illinois for the next 30 years, I would start to feel at home here. 

Click here to listen to the song.

Straws

Day of Dislike: Intersection Solicitors

There is something very unsettling about a person approaching my car when I am sitting at an intersection.  I have purposely missed my turn and stayed in a center lane to lessen the chance of them coming to my window.  I have picked up my cell phone and had fake conversations so I can look too busy to notice them walking my way.  I know this is horribly immature.  An adult would respectfully decline their offer to take my donation and wish them a good day.  Perhaps even a "God bless" for standing out in dangerous traffic in inclement weather to support their cause.

Usually the intersection solicitors are there to collect donations for perfectly wonderful causes.  They come around toting buckets with pictures of terminally ill children on the side.  Evidently, this type of fund raising is very productive because they just keep doing it.  Really, I'm not a cold-hearted cheapskate.  I would gladly donate the change in my car to save a life but there's something about doing it this way that makes me very uncomfortable.

To further cement my discomfort, I was stopped at a red light back in February when a man approached.  I had seen him and his buddies my first time through the intersection that day.  The primaries were a week away and they were out there campaigning for somebody.  Here's what some of their signage looked like...

Anyway, the guy began to rant about how Obama was running our country into the ground.  How he was creating a socialist government with his "Nazi Healthcare."  I did my best to look like I was listening and kept glancing back to see if the light had turned green.  At first it was shocking, then amusing how angry this man was.  Then he asked for a donation to support so&so who was running for whatever seat so he could go to D.C. and battle the evil Obama.

My response, "Seriously?  I love Obama.  I think he's great."  I think I could see the blood pulsating through the veins in his face.  He walked away from my car at that point but I wanted to add, "I think a socialist government is the only answer for this country."  No, I don't really believe it but that remark would have sent his blood pressure soaring even higher.

Luckily, the light turned green and I drove home.  That's when I looked up the candidate and realized just what a wacko group supports him.  It made for an interesting read.  Needless to say, he did not do so well in the primary.  I'm saving my car coins for Juvenile Diabetes (when they catch me), not political crazies.

Free T-Shirts... I mean, Volunteering

In an attempt to meet people and get out into our new community, we have volunteered at a couple of charity walks this summer.  Also, there's a group we've joined to care for cats until they are adopted into a new home.  Last week, we volunteered at our church's VBS.  I think it teaches a good lesson to the kids.  Sometimes we do things for other people, animals and strangers even, without expecting anything in return.

Being new around here, I used a website (Volunteer Match) to find volunteer opportunities.  I just put in my zip code and a list of 375 activities came up.  I then narrowed the list by distance and age appropriateness.  There is usually a short form to fill out and then someone from that group contacts me.  So far, we've had nothing but positive experiences.

Almost each time we've volunteered, we have been given t-shirts to wear for the event so that others will recognize us if they need assistance.  I suppose it's also good advertising if we wear them around town afterward.  They even provide shirts for each of the kids.

So, maybe not expecting anything in return is not entirely true.  I expect to get a good feeling knowing that we've helped out.  I expect to use the event as a lesson while raising our children.  I expect a free t-shirt!

Breaking the Mom Rules

I say "no" a lot.  Sometimes I say it as a question, "Are you kidding me?"  Sometimes I throw in a bit of sarcasm, "Yeah, sure."  I'm not sure who gets tired of hearing it sooner, me or the kids.  Either way, sometimes I just like to shock them by saying, "yes."  "Yes, go ahead.  Why not?  Let's break the Mom Rules and do it."  

This doesn't happen too often which makes it a real treat for the kids.  Cookies for breakfast?  Okay.  Cereal for dinner?  Okay.  You want to wear a green St. Patricks day shirt with your purple tutu to church in August?  Okay.  

The picture below is from one of my favorite break-the-rules moments.  My aunt had mailed a fabulous telescope to my son and the huge box was full of packing peanuts.  Of course, kids love these things.  Packing peanuts are the cousin to bubble wrap.  

Usually, if I suspect a package has peanuts, I won't even open it inside the house.  Something crazy came over me this particular day and I poured them out and let the kids run, jump, and roll in them.  It was probably a week before I stopped finding stray peanuts.  Just look at the joy on my daughter's face.  It was worth the mess.  I like breaking the Mom Rules.  Sometimes.

Mold-A-Rama

On a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo, one of my kids spotted a "Mold-A-Rama" machine.  I am usually quick to turn down requests for useless junk but something about the machine intrigued me.  For only $2 and thirty seconds, we could take home a green gorilla made of stinky plastic.  I don't understand why but there is something about it that I just love.  


Most, if not all, of the Mold-A-Rama machines you find today were originally made between 1960 and 1965.  The man who invented it did so out of necessity.  In the early '50s, he wanted to replace a piece of a nativity set but stores did not sell individual figurines.  Not wanting to buy an entire set, he set out to make his own.


The first machine was installed at the Seattle World's Fair in 1962 and produced a wax replica of the Space Needle for twenty-five cents.  A few changes have occurred since then.  The wax would eventually be replaced with a more durable plastic (polyethylene).  Air is now blown into the figure making it hollow as opposed to solid.  Obviously, the price has gone up.  


The fun has never changed.  Even at my age, it's fun to watch the inner workings of a machine produce a toy so fast.  Then there's the heat.  The plastic melts at 225 degrees and even though a coolant is used to bring that temperature down before being dispensed, it is definitely hot to hold for the first few minutes.  There's a fun in that somehow.


From what I've read, the molds get changed from time to time.  The Lincoln Park Zoo had a yellow lion until earlier this year but they replaced it with the green gorilla.  That might explain why when I checked eBay, some people will pay a lot more than a few dollars for certain figurines.  


Yesterday at the Field Museum, we located the Mold-A-Rama machines on the bottom floor.  There were four of them: red t-rex, blue triceratops, green apatosaurus, and orange stegosaurus.  Oh, how I wanted all four but that would just be crazy.  We voted on the stegosaurus and it now sits next to the gorilla. They are displayed on the mantle like two priceless vases.  "Go, go and get us more friends."  I know that's what they'd say if they could.  Don't worry, I'm already planning a trip to the Science and Industry Museum.  I hear they have a space robot.

Homemade Cakes

They don't look as perfect as store bought cakes but I love the challenge of making a cake.  Some of them have turned out really well.  Some of them not. 

My Kitchen Light

I don't know who chose the chandelier in my kitchen.  I bet it was not the builder.  I never would have chosen it.  What's with all the glass balls?  Do I change them out with ornaments at Christmas?  If I give it a spin, will disco music start playing somewhere in the background?  Dusting this thing will be fun.


We've been in this house now for a month and each time I look at the light fixture, I pause.  Hmm... Do I like it or not?  I suppose the answer does not matter since we won't be replacing it but I have decided to like it.  I've made a conscious decision to just like the dang thing.  Here's my reasoning:


Our neighborhood is nice but like so many others, it is a land of beige boxes.  I've seen worse but it really is a boring street.  Inside the house, the carpet is tan, the walls are neutral, the woodwork is white, and the window treatments are uninteresting.  In my life, I own a lot of khaki, wear very little makeup, and keep my hair in a ponytail most days.  My children have traditional names spelled the traditional ways.  I always come to a complete stop and try not to exceed the speed limit.  Boring.  Boring.  Boring.


I'm not really complaining.  Most of these are choices I have made or have agreed to live with.  I wasn't always boring.  In our first house, I painted one of the bathrooms orange.  The paint chip was called "papaya" and I loved it.  I even painted the ceiling that color.  Ten years and three kids later, I've learned to make beige choices.  Beige is safe.  Orange is crazy.


I'm going to let this one light fixture be my reminder that sometimes I need to dare to make unexpected choices.  It's not papaya but it's something and I like it.

Next Blog

When you are done here, look up top and click "Next Blog."  I just spent a good half an hour going from blog to blog.  It's like I traveled around the globe and took a peek into the homes of total strangers.  I saw their children, read about their lives, learned a few things, and admired their blog designs (mine is so obviously in its infancy right now).


I read about the evolution of "next blog" somewhere.  Relevant blogs are linked into blog neighborhoods.  Perhaps because this one is so random in its topics, my blog has some very eclectic neighbors.

Free Days

When we lived in Indianapolis, there were only so many places to go with the kids.  It made sense to buy memberships each year to the Children's Museum and the zoo.  As long as we planned to go more than twice in the year to each, we saved money.  They offered community days in which admission was either free or discounted but those days were usually so crowded that the experience wasn't as good. 


Now that we live in Chicago, there are so many attractions available, it would be hard to pick only a couple to join as members. Then there's parking. I did not realize at the time what a benefit free parking in Indy was. Up here, parking is equivalent to another adult ticket each time we go.

What I have learned is that each week I can find at least one spot to take the kids for free. Maybe because community days are so frequent, they don't seem too crowded. On only one occasion, was this a problem. We went to the Shedd Aquarium and the building was at capacity. We stood (in 40 degree weather) in a very long line waiting to get in. Once inside, the place was so full that it really wasn't worth it. I doubt we would have stood in that line as long as we did had I not just paid $17 to park after driving for 30 minutes. I have not ruled out going to the aquarium again on a free day. Many of the local schools were out for spring break that week and perhaps that contributed to the crowd.

So, we still pay for parking but that wouldn't change if we became members to that particular attraction anyway. Also, some places limit which areas of the building are included with the free admission but if we really want to see more, we can typically pay a small price to see it all. So far, we haven't done this because everything we see is new to us. Maybe we'll opt for the "extra admission" on the fourth or fifth visits.

I feel I must confess that going on free days makes me more likely to visit the gift shops. It's like eating a candy bar while drinking a diet soda.

The Shop-Vac

Sometimes a stain is bad enough that you'd just as soon burn down the house than deal with it. I woke up one morning and came downstairs to this. 

Poor dog didn't feel well in the middle of the night.

I didn't want to go near that horrible carpet with my hands and I didn't want it getting into my beloved carpet cleaner. I'm not sure how the shop-vac came to mind but I'm glad it did. I had never used it before that day, definitely not inside the house. I figured it was worth trying. I poured hot water and sucked up all of the mess. The carpet underneath was slightly discolored but the wonderful Folex took care of that.

Actually, the process took all day. Lots of rinse and repeat. Did I mention that the house was on the market at the time? Luckily, we had no showings scheduled for that day.

Silly dog started sleeping in the laundry room that night.

Charlie the Unicorn

Either you will laugh hysterically at this or you will think, "Never going to get those six minutes back." My kids actually found Charlie and showed it to me one day. I thought I was going to pee my pants. There are several youtube videos you can watch. Just click on this link.

"Candy Mountain" - " Charlie the Unicorn" Coffee Mug

To, Too, Two

Let's start with the title of the blog. I tried repeatedly to come up with a name for the blog that was available. It seems that I must be the last person on earth to create a blog. All the ideas I had were already taken. Then I threw in the word "too" and it worked. That figures. Huge pet peeve of mine.

Why is it so difficult for people to learn the difference between "to" and "too?" Most everyone can use "two" properly but it's as if the word "too" is nonexistent. One extra letter. Learned in elementary school. Middle school at the latest. How did these people graduate high school and go on to higher education? The rest of the course would come to a screeching halt while I retaught basic grammar if I were a professor at that level and received a paper with a sentence like, "Tom Joad was respected by his family and the workers, to."

One day last week, my eight-year-old daughter wrote me a silly note and used the word "too" properly. I was so thrilled. Eight years old. I think she's brilliant and above average but not necessarily a child-genius. Actually, I was so proud I took a picture of the paper and posted it to my facebook account. My friends probably thought it was lame of me but secretly I was hoping they might learn from it.

Speaking of facebook, I know I make plenty of errors in spelling and grammar. We all do. We type too fast, our fingers hit the wrong keys, whatever. It does not take long to figure out which "friends" make typos and which ones slept through fourth grade.

Really, I'm setting myself up for attack for even blogging about this. I'm guessing I've made several mistakes in this post alone. I am a terrible speller. My punctuation is usually good but I have to make a conscious effort to slow down on the commas. I know I don't always stick with one verb tense throughout a writing. I was not an English major.

All I'm getting at is it's not that hard to use "to, too, two" correctly. Very simple. No weird exceptions to the rule. Just in case you are one of the kids that had the flu when the lesson was taught, here is how you use the three words...


To, Too, or Two?


To is a preposition which begins a prepositional phrase or an infinitive.
Too is an adverb meaning "excessively" or "also."
Two is a number.


Examples:

• We went to the farmers market. (prepositional phrase)
• We like to eat locally grown produce. (infinitive)
• We bought too many cucumbers. (meaning "excessively")
• We bought asparagus, too. (meaning "also")
• We bought two types of tomatoes. (number)

So... I like it when people use "too" when appropriate.  That's all.  Don't get me started on "your/you're" or "there/their/they're."  We'll save those for another day.

Suggestions and Corrections

Click "Post a Comment" below to send me a suggestion or to point out my mistakes.  I make them and I don't like them.