Windows Live Writer

This will be a short post. Two in one day, I don’t want to overwhelm my few followers.

I just had to brag on this cool new program I found on my mini lappy I got for my birthday in September. Windows Live Writer. It is like a word processing program but specifically designed to work with most blogger programs. Basically you set up each blog you write on, and then when you desire to update your blog you can choose which blog you want to upload to. No more logging in and out of gmail if you run more than one blog using different email addresses like I do. I have my personal blogs, my business blogs, and a few others I write for. And there are cool editing tools like inserting photos, albums, tables, maps and videos easily using the handy tools in the sidebar.

So far it works great with blogger blogs. I have two others that are with a different blog platform that I still need to test but I have high hopes that it will work. 

So that is why I have been a more prolific blogger as of late.

Oh, I almost forgot. I have been using way more pictures now too as I discovered the memory card from my digital camera fits into the built in card reader on my lappy. (Lappy is what I call my netbook). So now adding pictures is easier than ever too. Thanks to Windows Live Writer.

The Shirt

We have this shirt that has been worn by all of my children (who fit it) so far. It is almost ready to be passed down to Cassie.

Here is Eric modeling it for us.

It has a nice little hoody at the back that is great for keeping the sun off the back of the neck when hiking. This is why this shirt has always been the hiking shirt. Kevin first wore it hiking through the woods of BC. Then it was passed down to Adam, who first wore the shirt here on Guam. Stephanie took her turn wearing it, and still on occasion puts it on. It still fits her. That is Eric’s goal too. That when the time comes for him to pass the shirt down to Cassie, that he’ll still be able to wear it from time to time. It’s just that kind of shirt.

I told Cassie that when she out grew it I would turn it into a teddy bear or something. Cut it up and use the parts for some kind of stuffed toy to be passed down the line. But then we all agreed that no, this shirt needed to be passed down to grandkids, and our goal is to see how many kids can wear it before it falls into rags. then turn it into a teddy bear!

I have no doubt all my children will agree. The shirt is THAT special to them all.

A Christmas Sneak Peak

Today I’m going to step off of the educational track and blog about a hobby of mine instead. Several years ago I started to get into stamping and making my own cards. Eventually I decided to become a Stampin’ Up demonstrator in order to get discounts on stamps and supplies. And maybe, just maybe I’d be able to make a bit of money on the side. Well, I haven’t been able to make much money yet, but I am having fun.

Because Christmas if fast approaching I have been working on Christmas cards. I decided to try a technique called One Sheet Wonder. It is where you take one sheet of designer paper and create as many cards as you can out of it. I found a template and managed to create 15 cards out of one 12” x 12” sheet of designer paper.

Following are some of my favorite creations.

Ug is Enuff!

I have raised a very proper daughter. So proper I’m thinking she should have been born sometime during the 17th century or something. After all this is my 15 year old who prefers to listen to French operas and read Jane Austin than the Jonas Brothers and Twilight.

Her latest peeve is the way her younger brother pronounces the word “ugh”. I had no idea there was a proper way to say such a word. Apparently it is not to be pronounced “ug” (hard “g” sound), but a more softer “g” because of the “h” after it. How to describe this sound? Like something a French person would say maybe? “uggghhhh”. Kind of like the sound a cat makes when it’s barfing.  Hard to explain without audio.

This is a big distraction for her. She really just cannot tolerate it when one of her siblings says “UG!” I have broken up two arguments in the past week over this particular word. I had no idea it caused her such distress when we abuse the English language.

But this is also the daughter after my own heart when it comes to proper writing. She refuses to resort to “chat speak” when writing a note or an email. The closest she gets to abbreviating words is the occasional LOL or ROFLOL. So I really can’t complain.

As I write this blog post she is entertaining her siblings with youtube videos of “Le Petit Prince”, the musical. In French, of course. She says it’s to follow up after reading them  Antoine De Saint-Exupery’’s The Little Prince.

Nerd Boy & Technology Girl

Today’s post has two special guest bloggers – My kids, Eric and Cassie. Cassie started it by dressing up as Technology girl.

So as dictated to me by my “technology girl” (and with some helping probing questions…)

technology girl: she love technology. Like ipods. and computers and video games. Her favorite game is Super Mario 3. Her favorite color is blue. She drinks iced tea while texting on her cell phone. she always talks in a loud voice because of her headphones.

Then of course, Eric needed to get in on the scene. So Nerd boy was created.

(Written entirely with no editing by Eric, age 9)

nerd boy : a nerd of course he loves all nintendo games except for the bad ones.he’s constantly on the computer trying to get the unfinished game:super mario galaxy 2  well he’s drinking Pepsi and  cuddling kittens.he loves animes .and hates it that game companies takes parts out of games like some really epic parts he finds on the internet even if it’s not possible to put it in the game. he really likes the comic book calvin and hobbes.oh and his favorite nes game is super mario bros 3 or Kirby's adventure  and his name is “chrono”familiar? yep nerd boy is SUPER EPIC AND HIS NAME ON A FORUM IS LOLLAZERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

(End guest post)

Together we have Nerd boy and Technology Girl. Perhaps the next super heroes for the homeschooling world?

Mommy Money and Daddy Dollars

There are benefits to cleaning your children's room for them. For instance, you know that it is clean, versus it just looking clean. And you get a chance to do inventory on just what is stored in that bedroom! I am still looking forward to that day when the kids are old enough to do a good enough job on their own. It still may be a few more years away for me.

Eric and Cassie share a bedroom, but they rarely actually use it. Because in the past what happens is they totally destroy it by throwing their clothes, stuffed animals, toys, etc. all over the place so that eventually I just close the door and put up a "do not disturb, danger zone" sign. Well, maybe not a real sign, but it definitely becomes an "enter at your own risk" zone.

About two months ago I did a thorough cleaning of their room and got things organized for them. That cleaning lasted about a week before it was once again a "do not cross the yellow safety line" area. Mostly this was a result of our cats. We had a cat, Nobby, who broke his hip and consequently had to be kept inside for 6 weeks to heal. And that necessitated having a litter box. I do not like cat litter boxes. Once you allow a cat to do his duty in the house, then it become s a habit that is hard to break once you get rid of the litter box. We believe that there is enough dirt in the great outdoors that we don't have to have box in the house for this duty. Anyway, we had to have the box. Well, unfortunately it is hard to explain to the other 11 cats in the house that this box is just for Nobby to use. As a result, it was becoming filled way too fast. And someone had the brilliant idea of putting the litter box in the little kids' room! Big mistake. Because this room is already the disaster zone it wasn't long before the litter box became the entire bedroom. I know you are all shaking your heads at me know as I confess at just how lousy a housekeeper I am. But I do work outside the home 6 days a week and to spend my one day of rest cleaning....it just doesn't happen.

Finally though something has to give. My husband and I have no privacy as the kids end up sleeping in our room half the time, or on the living room couches as their room is just "too stinky mom! " The conclusion was for me to take a day off work and clean their room. So that is what happened on Friday.

It's now been two days and they are doing a pretty good job of keeping it clean. To help them out they came up with a system that they think will motivate them.

Cassie brought me a baggie full of monopoly money and said, "Should we call this Mommy Money or Daddy dollars?" Their idea is that when they do a good deed or a job for me or dad, that they will be rewarded with money from this bag that they can collect and trade in for real money to buy things they want. Good idea (and not entirely original as they got the idea from Diary of a Whimpy Kid).

Now the challenge will be for me and my hubby to implement the idea. It is easy for the kids to come up with plans of action to help motivate them, but it is harder for me to follow through. If they can keep their room reasonably clean, maybe I can dole out the cash. It will remain to be seen.