Chicken Noodle Soup

November was a good month... for the dentist. My family had no less than nine dental appointments. I think the hygienists are ready to adopt my 3yo charmer and the boys have quite a collection of sticky animal things from the treasure box. But, why nine? Because a few us had some cavities.

Adam had two cavities and Ryan had one. They were filled with minimal fuss and sealants applied to prevent future cavities.

I also had a cavity. It was in my last remaining wisdom tooth. The dentist (who I love) told me that b/c the tooth was in the very back with no bottom tooth to match, we should just remove the tooth. It would be easier than filling it. Or so he thought.

First he stuck me with a giant needle. Then he stuck some carpenter's tools in my mouth. Matthew even asked if it was a screwdriver. He started moving my tooth back and forth. I couldn't feel it but I could hear it. The creaking and groaning was just creepy. Then I heard the POP. I knew it wasn't good and it wasn't. My root broke off in my gum. I'm not sure how much longer I lay there while he and his assistant dug around in my gum, suctioning my blood, and shaving my bone. It felt like hours. I couldn't actually feel what they were doing but I could feel the pressure on the rest of my teeth and my poor cheek was stretched w-a-y out. I had to send Matthew out with Adam to the toy room b/c he was starting to freak out... so was I but I couldn't go to the toy room.

Finally, that tiny little root was out and my gum sewed up. I had to stop and get my prescriptions filled on the way home. By the time we made it home, the kids had a late lunch and Matthew was down for his nap, the anesthesia was wearing off. I popped some pills and crawled into my bed and did not leave it until the following morning. I even used my cell phone to call Jeff in the family room so he could bring me more pills.

And that is why I ate nothing but chicken noodle soup for two days... and today I just branched out and ate some baked potato smashed with butter and sour cream. I'm hoping to lose more than just the weight of that tooth. :D

Weekly Wrap-Up

It's been a crazy, yet productive week.

Adam and Ryan started A Beka Science on Monday. We should have started it long ago but I think it's a half year course so we'll be fine. I'm having them work together from the 7th grade book. Rye's only in 5th but he's a smart cookie and it'll be easier for all of us if we do it together. We read the first section and tried an experiment to illustrate the scientific method. The idea was to see how water got inside seeds. So we used nail polish to paint over the little holes in one group of beans. Then we soaked them in water and soaked an unpainted group in water. I totally copied this experiment straight from the book. But when we checked our beans the next day, the nail polish had peeled off and was floating on top of the water. Science experiments are so-o-o-o not my thing!

Tuesday was the crazy day. Jeff took Adam to the dentist in the morning while the rest of went to co-op early. The fire department brought their engines and the smokehouse to the church where we do our co-op. They did a great presentation on fire safety. The kids were asking so many questions, we ended up running into co-op time. But that's okay. Jeff dropped Adam off in time for co-op classes. Following co-op, we went roller skating. That's a monthly thing and the older boys love it. Ryan won the limbo competition again. He hasn't lost one yet.

Thursday was mine and Ryan's turn to go to the dentist. Ryan got his first filling ever. Don't tell anyone, but the big tough football player almost shed a tear or two when that needle went into his gums. And later, *I* did shed some tears of my own. But that deserves a post of its own. And due to those tears and the pain that caused them, we cancelled school for the rest of the day. Matthew and I took a nap and the rest of them watched a movie.

Friday was full morning and I got the laundry caught up. But by the afternoon, I was wiped out so I took my drugs and enjoyed another nap with my baby.

That baby is now bugging me to go play Little People so I'm going to do that instead of trying to find fire truck pictures to add to this post. You've all seen fire trucks before, right?

Visit Kris' blog for more Weekly Wrap-Up.

It's Over

Fall is finally upon us. While the calendar has been saying fall for some time, the weather has been holding onto summer. That is, until this past week. I'm not complaining. Fall sports are a lot more enjoyable on a sunny day. The play-offs went well this year... for me. Both Adam and Ryan's teams lost in the first round so we are done with practices and games just in time for the cooler weather.

Neglected Education

Adam tried a McChicken sandwich for the first time tonight. Jeff asked him how he liked it. His answer? "It was pretty good. What's that white sauce?"

Um... most of the world calls it MAYONNAISE! I can't believe my 12 year old didn't know that. How embarrassing. I'm sure they teach that at public school. It's right there on the tray with the chicken patties and tater tots.

Although, in his defense, this is a Miracle Whip house.

It's the Circus

So we went to the circus last night. It was Ringling Brothers but not the three ring version. It was called Boom-A-Ring and they had just one ring. Personally, I thought that was better... less chaos and a great view of every act. They even had a meet and greet before the show. The kids could walk the low wire (as opposed to the high wire), swing on a trapeze, help with some acts, and get autographs.

Then we found our seats and the show began. The boys were amazed at the acrobatic acts and Matthew loved the elephants. They all loved when one elephant pooped right there in the ring. Though it's saying a lot that the elephant poop was not the highlight of their evening. They're overly impressed with disgusting stuff.

Since the tickets were free, I was ready to indulge in some overpriced cotton candy and popcorn. I expected it to be high. I just had no idea how high. I seriously thought the guy was joking when he told me how much it cost. I told him I didn't want cotton candy that badly. What's your spending limit for spun sugar?

I did break down and buy some overpriced pop and popcorn and I still owe Matthew some cotton candy next time we're at Wal-Mart.

What a Week

Jeff was home from work on Monday for Columbus Day. We still managed to do a full day of school and then we headed to the park for a walk in the woods. Well, Evan, Matthew and I walked in the woods. Jeff, Adam, and Ryan played football. Adam had his last regular season soccer game that evening. Play-offs start next week and I'm sure that'll be the end for us. They haven't won a game all season!

Tuesday was Evan and Ryan's turn to visit the dentist. They're the last two and it's a good thing. I don't want to pay for any more fillings! Evan's teeth were fine and he's hopeful he might lose one soon. Being seven years old with all his baby teeth still intact is very stressful for him. LOL Ryan has a cavity that has to be filled next week when I go back in to have my cavity-laden wisdom tooth removed. He also got a lecture and teeth brushing lesson from the hygienist. According to him, he didn't know he was supposed to brush the back of the teeth. Ewww.

Wednesday we got to stay home until time for church. I'm sure we did something fun and exciting but I can't remember exactly what it was.

Thursday we stayed home again. We did all our bookwork and played outside. Adam and I studied for his upcoming history test on ancient Egypt and Israel. He's always griping that he already knows this stuff - and he does know a lot of it, thanks to Bible studies and Mystery of History - but he sure didn't act like it was easy when I was quizzing him. We'll see how he does on the test which we're pushing back until next week. Friday was reserved for a trip to the corn maze.

Friday, we took the day off for a field trip. We finished early so I though the boys might be able to do a few subjects. They quickly vetoed that idea and we just sat around watching tv and waiting for ball practices to start. Not a bad way to end the week!

To see how other homeschoolers spent their week, visit Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

a "Maze" ing

The weather cooled off just in time for our field trip to The Corn Maize. It definitely felt like fall today. We started the day with a wagon ride from the parking lot. Matthew loved that "fun and bumpy" tractor. Actually, he loves all tractors.

Then we trekked through acres....

... and acres of corn. They gave us clues to help find the right way. We were singing (Old McDonald) and dancing (Bunny Hop) to find the clues on our card.We finished with a picnic lunch and making smores over the campfire.

Columbus Day

Why yes, we do celebrate Columbus Day. Did we take the day off? Well, not exactly. We took the day off from our regularly scheduled Language assignment... and added a different assignment.

It started with a brainstorming session and ended with these:


An Italian man named Christopher Columbus sailed the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in 1492. The voyage was financed by Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Victoria. Christopher Columbus hoped to circle the world and find a shorter route to Asia but landed in The West Indies instead.


Christopher Columbus was Italian. He hoped to circle the world and find a shorter route to Asia. He gained support for his journey from Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Victoria. In 1492, he set sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Instead of finding a shorter route to Asia, he found The West Indies and America.

It Was Ugly

It was ugly... the game, not the kid. Rye's team lost 44-14 and those two touchdowns were scored in the last three minutes. I think the opposing team finally put in their 2nd string.. or the cheerleaders... or something. It was very hard to watch.

While I was suffering through that game, Jeff had Adam at his soccer game. They lost horribly too. The score was 3-0, which isn't quite as bad as 44-14 but it's a lot worse than it sounds. Soccer isn't a high scoring sport, ya know.

As for Evan, he's decided, "Soccer is stupid." I shouldn't have let him quit. But it makes one less game on Saturday and one less practice every week so there you have it. I obviously value my time and gasoline more than I value my child's character development.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Even though I've dropped bunches of outside activities from our schedule, it still doesn't seem like we got much done this week. We did finish all our bookwork on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but it just doesn't feel like enough. Should a 2nd grader be able to finish all his assignments in an hour? Should a 5th grader be able to finish in a couple hours (or less)? I won't mention the 7th grader who drags everything out.

Tuesday was spent at co-op. Now that the semester has started, things have really quieted down on the administration side. Where I used to be running around the evening before co-op pulling my lesson plan together, now I just shuffle teachers to cover absences and put together a list of announcements. I should have volunteered to run this thing years ago! LOL Although actually, it can get kind of boring with no class to teach. This week I helped in the nursery and cured any baby fever that may have been starting.

Thursday was a full day trip to the dentist. Okay, it didn't actually take the whole day but we didn't do much when we got home. It's so hard to get into school mode when we've been out running around.

I vow to do something more interesting this coming week. Our calendar is clear, with the exception of evening sports practices, so we should be able to add something blog worthy!

Hopefully there'll be some more interesting Weekly Wrap-Ups over at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Hmm, according to my spellcheck, "there'll" and "unsocialized" are not words. I knew I'd made up my own contraction, but I never suspected Kris of being a word-maker-upper (I made that one up too).

Chef Adam

While we were at the library the other day, Adam checked out a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It's called Step-By-Step Kids Cook Book. Original title, huh? And the recipes are just as original. But that's okay. They're recipes that are easy to make and common enough that my kids will actually eat them. Adam made "Easy Chocolate Cake" from scratch! I myself have never made cake from scratch. There's a few more steps than using a cake mix but measuring is good for a budding chef. The cake turned out moist though more dense than a cake mix cake. But I admit the old baking soda and baking powder may have contributed to that denseness. Next up? No-cook-noodles Lasagna

This book is so cheap on Amazon that I may even purchase a copy when it's time for this one to go back to the library.

I Wanna Win

Have you ever seen a boy more in need of a new bed than this one? I've got multiple pictures of him sleeping in that car seat and my ears are still ringing from the fit he threw when I made him lay in his bed for nap today. Maybe a nice new bed will entice to sleep in more appropriate places? That's where 5 Minutes for Mom comes in. They're having a contest in which they'll be giving me this Summer Breeze Youth Bedroom Set. That is, of course, if we win. :D

Free Circus Tickets!

What is wrong with me? I used to be so responsible and reliable. But I did it again today. I knew Matthew and I had dentist appointments. I was filling out the paperwork when I looked at the calendar to check the date. It was 11:10 and we were supposed to be there at 11:00am. Ughh. I called and they graciously said we could still come. So we all hurried into clothes and then into the van.

Matthew did great for his first ever trip to the dentist. He charmed everyone and just loves his new Tigger toothbrush. I have a tiny cavity in my last remaining wisdom tooth. Good-bye tooth!

Here's where the day gets much, much better. A radio station was broadcasting from the parking lot so we stopped to spin their prize wheel on the way out. The boys all got can cozies with free pop to put in them. We also all got free lunch and toothbrushes. I made all the boys enter the drawing for free circus tickets. They drew while we were finishing our sandwiches and we won!!! Four free tickets to the circus! Thank you Magic 97.9! Even though you play too much Madonna, we'll enjoy your gift! I've even got two certificates for free tickets that I requested when Evan and Matthew were babies. So none of us will have to pay for tickets and we can spend our money on cotton candy and popcorn. :)

If your baby is under one year old, you can request a free circus ticket certificate, no expiration date. Just visit Ringling Brothers.

Matthew, Matthew, MATTHEW

Just say that title in your best Jan Brady whine.

Actually, all four boys and I were at the Pumpkin Festival this past weekend. But you get to enjoy pictures of Matthew. Most of the pictures were of him. Not only is he the cutest, but if I took my eyes off of him long enough to snap a picture of anyone else, he was GONE. I actually lost him a couple times.

Matthew with the pumpkin that he decorated. I helped. Adam actually won first place with his pumpkin but the picture wasn't as cute as this one.

Matthew eating roasted corn on the cob bigger than his face.
Matthew sitting on a tractor, his favorite part of the day.

Matthew making a candle. He's wearing Adam's first place pumpkin decorating medal.

Matthew with a dried turkey foot. Ewww.

Lookee....

Look who just got his very first library card!

And just in time, too! Unbeknownst to me, I have $20 worth of fines on my card. I'm not denying the fines. I'm sure they're mine. I just didn't have any money with me to pay them. So Evan put my Julie Garwood novels on his card. Velociraptors and historical romance on his brand new card, he's quite the eclectic reader, isn't he.

Uncle!

Our busy schedule is killing me. I've known for a long time that we need to cut back but there's just so much fun and educational stuff to do! We could be gone every day of the week if we did everything on my calendar... and that's just homeschool stuff. I'm not including sports. If there are any "unsocialized" homeschoolers around here, it's because of choice, not lack of opportunity!
But I just added up our gasoline spending for September. It's high... very high... higher than our house payment!! We spent $577 on gasoline in September. That's a problem b/c our gasoline budget is only $300/month. Something's got to give and I've decided it's going to be music. Isn't that the first place the public schools cut? LOL

It seems like a bad choice to keep football and cut band, or keep soccer and cut piano. But football is closer than band. And soccer is closer than piano. AND they actually enjoy football and soccer and put forth effort. They're not musical prodigies and they've gone as far as they want to go with the music lessons. Not only am I saving money but I'll also be saving time by not driving to lessons twice a week and energy by not having to force them to practice, though I do hope they'll keep their skills up so they rejoin later if the urge strikes them (or me). I'm not sure why I feel the need to justify my choices but there they are.