It's Raining

It's raining.... and I don't care!! There will be no more huddling under umbrellas to watch soccer this season. Soccer is officially over. Evan and Adam's teams were both undefeated - not so much b/c my kids are super stars (though they are), but because they had good teams and good coaches. Ryan's team didn't do too badly either. They won more than they lost. :)

Yesterday, we spent the morning at the sprayground getting wet and the afternoon in the house hiding from the rain. Crazy, I know. We managed to do some science, spelling, language, and math during those rainy hours. Today we've done science, history, spelling, and math. Rain is a homeschooler's friend. LOL

Matthew can ride a bike!! He just turned three - really, it was two weeks ago! He started riding a tricycle at a neighbor's house and was pedaling better than Evan! So we got out the little bike (with training wheels) and he's riding it like he's been riding for years. None of my other kids ever mastered pedaling so easily! I remember exhaustive lessons where I constantly reminded them to push with their feet and steer at the same time. It never occurred to me to teach my 3yo yet and now I don't have to! :)

He's Hooked

The guys around this house have never understood how I can sit for hours reading a book... or stay up to the wee hours of the morning b/c I can't put it down. But, I've done it now! Ryan is totally hooked on reading. Yay! He started reading Holes the other day and hasn't been able to put it down. He's been interested in books before but this one is different. He's hooked. Now, to clear my library fines so I can get the sequel. :)

Graduation

My niece is graduating from our local high school this year. I just received a beautiful graduation announcement. It's very pretty but doesn't say much for our education system. I know the kids didn't actually write the thing, but did they read it? Here's an example...

Our years of learning and living

have created for each of us

strong friendships, good memories

and unique individualities.

Okay, but did those years of learning and living actually create any knowledge? If all they got out of those twelve years were friendships, memories, and individualities, I can graduate my kids right now!

We the class of 2008

Cabell Midland High School

request your presence...

Um, I think you're missing a preposition in there and where are the commas to set off the appositive? Clearly, someone could have benefitted from another English course.

Gotta Love Spring

Oh, the rain! It's wet. And it's cold. It's very, very cold... not at all like spring should be. I could totally handle the cold, wet, rain if only I could stay in my cozy house. But we had two soccer games last night. No thunder.... no lightning... so, we play.

I'd like to tell you a bit about the games but all I remember is huddling under my umbrella trying to stay warm. Occasionally, I would peek out to make certain my soccer short clad children hadn't expired from hypothermia. I heard mumblings that both teams won but I could hardly hear through my chattering teeth.

We have another game and practice tonight. So far, the rain has stopped but it's still way too cold to be May.

Ick

Bodily Fluid - The Fun Never Ends

Adam's piano teacher lives out a long and winding road. I guess it's the road that makes Evan have to pee every single time we're there! I always keep the kids in the yard or van during Adam's lesson so they don't destroy Miss Leah's house. But I always end up taking Evan in to use the bathroom.

Yesterday was no different. Evan was running around the yard when he suddenly had a bathroom emergency. He was physically holding himself while we rushed to the bathroom. Evan went down the hall to the bathroom and I remained in the foyer and waited... and waited... and waited. I finally headed down the hall to see what trouble Evan was causing.

I found him sitting in the bathroom floor, naked from the waist down! WHAT???? He almost made it. But as he pulled his pants down, the pee started coming out and a bit of it got on the inside of his pants and underwear. No big deal except he was drying himself with Miss Leah's nice hand towels!

Arrrrggg! I did not want to tell her there was pee on her towels but I couldn't just leave them there for the whole family to use. Luckily, she thought it was hilarious. She raised two girls and she just has no idea how much fun my life is. LOL

Ewwww

When I decided to clean this morning, I had no idea just how much cleaning I would do. Contrary to what one person, who caught me emailing... a lot, may think, there was a lot of cleaning done this morning. Here's the story...

Evan (6), he of the sensitive nose, was whining about poop. He was really upset, rolling around, holding his nose, telling me I need to go check Matthew b/c he must have pooped his pants. I told him it wasn't Matthew b/c he wasn't even in the room and his poop doesn't stink THAT badly. I suggested they start looking for dog poop b/c I was starting to smell it too. Then Dash walked in the room licking his lips and I thought, "At least he cleaned it up." LOL

But the smell was just getting stronger. I went to check on Matthew and found him with no pants and poop smeared all down his legs. Ick - but still doesn't explain the HORRIFIC smell. I put him in the tub and washed him. I found a poop stain on his bedroom floor that I cleaned. But I still couldn't find the actual poop. I kept picturing the dog licking his lips.

Finally the kid was clean and the floor was clean but the smell remained. I asked Matthew where his poopy pants were. He had been wearing his BRAND NEW fire truck pajamas that he loves. He said he put them in the washer but I could hear the washer running from the load of laundry I put in there this morning. I fervently hoped he hadn't put his poopy pants in with my almost clean laundry. Later, I wished that's what he would have done.

I rushed to the laundry room and the sound of the running dryer filled me with dread. He'd put his brand new, poop covered pants into the dryer AND TURNED IT ON. Warm poop may be the most sickening smell ever. The pants may never come clean... and neither may the dryer. There was poop on every single inch of the dryer drum. I cleaned and scrubbed and disinfected. It looks clean but it still smells like warm poop.

:)

The weather was beautiful for our year-end picnic yesterday. It started out chilly but the kids didn't care. It did eventually warm up and everyone had a blast playing at the park and eating hot dogs. But we're back to cold and overcast today. I even had to light the fireplace this morning.

People were selling used curriculum at the picnic yesterday. I got the complete set of A Beka 7th grade History and Science. Yay! I only paid $8 for both. I also picked up A Beka 8th grade History for $5. I'm giving it to a friend for next year and she'll give it back the following year when Adam is in 8th grade. :) AND, I got every level of Writing Strands for $20. I think I paid $13 just for Level 3 this year.

The boys are enjoying a Godzilla marathon courtesy of Netflix. I'm going ot spend the morning cleaning and then we'll do school while Matthew naps this afternoon. That worked well on Monday so we're going to try it again.