Not Observant Silliness

If you go to the kitchen take a look at the Aluminum foil box and the plastic/Saran Wrap box. Did you know there was a little tab that you can push in on the end to prevent the rolls from jumping out of the box??

Things you learn on homeschooling websites - when you're planning to shut down your computer but must look at one more thing.

Stinging Nettle - Canyon Climbers Conclusion (for us)

The joys of hiking with a toddler, which is almost as good as hiking with a dog, invariably the child will get into something or other on each hike. I've taken to toting a few bandaids and QuickClean wipes in my fanny pack when we are hiking, just because we can't hike without S getting a cut a scrape or something. This time we ventured down into Cloudland Canyon in NW GA, where we saw a beautiful water fall, too many steps to count, and a 2nd waterfall that wasn't nearly as nice as the first.

Before the hike began little S was running to catch up to daddy, tripped and scrapped her knee and wrist. But if that wasn't bad enough, at the end of the hike on the way back up the myriad of steps she insisted on getting on my back (our form of transporting her when she is tired) she missed me and fell backward into a bush of unknown description at the time. I didn't think much about it until she was up on my back and complaining and rubbing the dickens out of her arm. We couldn't stay where we were because we were surrounded by the stuff and we were ready to leave anyway so I hiked her up on my back.... climbed up a bunch of steps and when she was still rubbing them I asked dh to take a quick peek. He said he didn't see anything, but I knew there had to be something so at the next platform, I set her down and found this. \/ (pic below) Now I'm no naturalist, but my first guess was Stinging Nettles.

She didn't seem to get it too bad, but it was enough to make her uncomfortable. I had for some really stupid reason an alcohol prep pad in my fanny pack. so I used it to quickly dab the spots and she seemed good with that. She carried the pad up the hill and kept dabbing them. By the time we got to the top they were gone. I've asked her a few times how her arm feels and she hasn't complained at all. Thank goodness. I think M was more scarred by whole incident than S was as M has added Nettles, to the list of things to fear.... like Poison Ivy, Black Widow Spiders, and scorpions!

And with that little mishap... we completed the 4 State parks and are sending in for our OfficialCanyon Climbers Club T-shirt.

More on the Subway Issue

If the letter that one mom received back from Scholastic reads right, the situation is as I figured and the reason they EXCLUDED Home Schools is because of the $5,000 Athletic Equipment for the Winning Child's school.

The thing is they could have put a request asking a Homeschooled child to donate it to any place where they take classes, or the local school or even a local charity that was in need.

It doesn't make it any better though... to blatantly exclude "Home Schools" is no different than putting a sign in the window saying "Blacks need not apply." Or "Irish Need not apply." The apology was nice enough but it doesn't make me feel any better.

Disappointment in SUBWAY and SCHOLASTIC

So the latest buzz on the homeschool groups is how SUBWAY is snubbing homeschoolers.
Subway and Scholastic books are running a story writing contest. Details of which you can find

http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/kids/contest.aspx


Our communities are filled with homeschooled kids. Sadly, they have chosen to exclude our children from this contest! While I don't jump on the bandwagon of Boycotting, this is an outright shot at our children for the choice that isn't their own!

Disclaimer:
Contest is open only to legal US residents, over the age of 18 with children in either elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.

I have sent my note to them already telling them how I feel. I'm beyond disappointed, M is very disappointed as well. As of today we will not be frequenting our local SUBWAY.... and frankly I think I may have to pull my purchases away from Scholastic books too!

Got Myself some Wheels

Those of you that know me, know that I've had RollerBlades for years, and before my cars, my method of transportation was bicycle. Well after almost 15 yrs without a bicycle, I finally got me a bike today! :) Will post pics when I get her cleaned up! :)

YAY! Now to just get fit! :)

Post Pneumonia - Tzietze Syndrome

So the fun begins, you mention to the PA (nurse) that since the onset of the this bout of pneumonia you've had this wicked chest pain, that starts at the sternum and on one side runs all the way round your back to the middle, and that on the other side it is localized to the sternum and runs about an inch to the right, and they think OMG she's having heart attack in the office! he he!

I told them it was related to the pneumonia, but the nurse insisted on an in office EKG. Protocal - Fine. They were worried the BP is high (uh ya) and then embarked on the whole - well you need a complete physical so we can get ya fixed up right - yada yada yada more on that later! The EKG Freaked M out and S just hid under the exam table. Kids, LOL! S would have been find if M hadn't said anything freaky!

The old ticker is tocking properly, so no worries there. (You can't get rid of me that easily!) ... yes I probably have swollen cartilage from the hacking, for which she could recommend a strongish anti-inflammatory, but I turned that down, it doesn't sit well with the Crohns' part of the anatomy, ya know! I told her I was happy with just the diagnosis and knowing that if push came to shove and I hurt bad tomorrow I could take some advil or ibuprofin, in the smallest possible amount with a hunk of food! (pretty picture isn't it!)

So then we got on to the well you need a full physical with a walk on the treadmill so that we can get a baseline on everything and get you in tip top shape. This is probably the push that I've needed get moving on the weightloss front, as I know it will bring everything down if I could just loose that 10 % (and then some!) The only problem as I see it is my cholesterol will be quite high as I've just finished nursing the youngest and based on the info that I've research that will throw the cholesterol levels off. I've told the Mr. that I will do said physical but only if he does his too... not the same day but I get to schedule both of them! No point in me living forever if he isn't here too is there?! So off we ride into the sunset in our matching gowns ready for an upcoming the physical! (scary picture that! LOL!)

Oz and the Wicked Witch

It was somewhat of a coincidence that I started reading The Wizard of Oz to the girls around the same time I started reading Wicked. It was fascinating to read them simultaneously as you could pick out the paralells between them as I think the author of Wicked intended ! Let me just say that Mr. Maguire spins a good yarn based on some of the original characters in the original story!

I'd get into discussing it but I don't want to spoil it for others, so I will have to suffice it by saying that the character development was good, and I like the way the story is spun the other way. It kind of lead credence to the way the movie presented Oz, to really be a terrible man.

Anyway good book if you haven't read it, though it takes a while to slog through the beginning parts it was worth taking it out from the library 3 times! LOL!

And, of course, every little girl must have a pair of sparkly red shoes, my kids just happen to be on the 2nd and 4th pair! LOL! The question is are the shoes really enchanted??!

Breathing is Highly Overrated!

Its been 3 weeks.

Hack Hack.

I have pneumonia again.

I sound like I have smoker's cough.... unfortunately I've never smoked!

Gotta love spring!

Earth Hour the Revisit.... HAPPY MOTHER's DAY

A nice long luxurious week at the beach.
A nice long drive home. (of course I got some knitting done! - but no reading!)

Home for a day, still wheezing and hacking... will visit the doc on Tuesday or Wednesday I think. My chest hurts today - so I guess I'm in for another round of drugs :(

We went for a breezy walk this afternoon with wind gust between 15-30 mph. Arrived home at 4:30 to find the power off. When I hit the garage door button half a dozen times and it didn't open, then dh tried... 'twas my first thought. 6.5 hours NO Electricity.

I could understand if the whole neighborhood was out... or if the power outages were spotty in the neighbourhood. But it wasn't. I could understand if there were downed lines... nearby. Well maybe I couldn't because our lines are underground. I could understand if it wasn't an exact replication of the April 2 outage. Just our 2 streets. DH was okay at first but as the night got long and the crabbies set in.... the girls got fractious, dh got grumpier, he loves to talk about feedback loops, well this became one. A call at 5:30, 6:30, 8:30 and then 10:25. The lights came on a few minutes after that last call. Like all they had to do was flip a switch.

Now I know that is not what it took and that someone had to physically drive and that the lights were off in many places around the city... but still 6.5 hours???

A well, at least I know how to entertain myself when I need to... the trick is finding a way to entertain the rest of the family as well.

A Post Full of Sand

So dh brought his laptop and pathetic me has to type on my blog while away! LOL! Actually it was my excuse to get my dh away from the darn thing.

As the little one gets older, travelling with her gets easier and easier. Our first time down with her 7 hrs in the car was a struggle, but this time around she did so much better. When we arrived both the girls were ready to hit the beach, but the adult in dh and I required that we pick up food for dinner and breakfast lunch and dinner. When we got back we hit the beach.

Again as they both age, they get better about accepting the beach! LOL! The first time around M wouldn't even stick her finger in the sand, while S wouldn't put her big toe in. Next time around M was significantly older, and had no qualms about the surf, while little S was petrified if the water touched her. This time around, the girls remind me of the little sandpipers skirting the edge of the water looking for a decent catch.

S is in love with the big shells, while M is in love with the pretty shells.

We managed to acquire an umbrella today. Hopefully it mean the I can hang out on the beach a little longer.

As of now, I think I've also managed to stave off a bout of pneumonia. I got sick Monday before we left, after a lovely visit to the Botanical gardens (mental note, avoid Botanical gardens in the height of pollen season - idiot) today I'm hacking but a whole lot less than I was yesterday. It can only get better from her.

L and N. This trip to the beach has yielded much better weather than the visit we all took together. It is supposed to be 80 degrees all week. The girls have a mild burn in spite of suncream. I can't look at the hot tub without giggling over our conversations down there. Found out they have a Sauna here too.

Anyway.... dh has failed to build a sandcastle yet. And pathetic me, I haven't taken any pics yet, despite M's delight in taking pictures of everything including the toilet... and S's love of the floors!