Rain in October

That isn't such an uncommon thing. It's fall and it rains and by the end of the month - in some places - that rain turns to snow. BTW, it hasn't snowed here yet but I wouldn't be surprised to have it by Halloween...remember trick or treating in the UP wearing snow pants and parkas?

Anyway, rain in October here brings about stir crazy kids in a tiny apartment! It's been raining here all week and I've been encouraging the kids to read in their free - a.k.a. "I'm bored" - time but lets face it, how many 3rd graders want to read for hours a day? So I say sure, turn on the TV, check out the cartoons and if they are appropriate for you guys go ahead and watch...bad idea. How many parents enjoy the commercials on cartoon channels this time of the year? Every last one it seems is one toy or another and every other one - depending on if the toy is for a boy or a girl or occasionally for either - I hear, "I want that for Christmas mom!" or "Mom, look quick, that's what I want!" or one of their favorites, "I WANT THAT!" The worst part about it is that there isn't anyplace else for me to be if the kids are watching TV. I could clean but other than that I don't have a whole lot of excuse to spend in my bedroom and there's just no place to even sit in the kitchen. I like rain but come on! My kids only want to play outside and I can't let them!

So after so much of, "I want that!" commercials, I turned the TV off and told them to go and play in their rooms. They played pretty good until about the time I was making supper - like I have nothing better to do while I am making supper - to start trouble. I guess Luke had the bright idea to play catch in his bedroom because I wouldn't let him "go outside and play baseball in the park" in the rain. I don't know how but Jozie ended up getting her head in the way of the baseball and almost ended up with a black eye! Why do kids think that just as long as they have the physical ability to do something they can do it anywhere and anytime they want? Shouldn't it go without saying that you don't throw a hard ball around your bedroom where there are windows and walls that can be broken or dented?

I tell ya...some peoples kids!

I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow!

A New Job

Today I finished my application for a new job. Since Bob is going to school full time and can only work a limited number of hours a week, that means it's up to me to "get a haircut and get a real job!" Ha, ha, ha... Anyway, it's for an internet based company called Live*Ops. You basically train to become an agent and then they send you a script and a phone call from someone who has called about a product - I won't be doing any calling - and then you get paid by the minute for the time you are on the phone. If you sell something, great, sometimes the clients give bonuses if you do but if you don't it's not a big deal either, the point is just to keep the customer on the phone as long as you can so you can get paid for your time that you work. You choose your hours - when and how often you work.

I must confess that I'm not thrilled with the prospect of phone sales but this is the only work from home job that I actually know someone who does it and it works for them. It's not a scam or a pyramid scheme, it's simply a job. :P What I'd really like to do is start an ebay store to sell my used homeschool curriculum (which isn't much right now) and also some extra stuff that my FIL has stored in his house. He said he would give me a percentage of whatever I can sell. I'm just a little bit lost on how to get the whole thing started and worried that I would end up spending more in shipping and such than it's worth.

A lot of people make money working from home - why can't I? But who knows what is legit and what isn't? Obviously stuffing envelops is out of the question and medical billing - from what I understand you have to have experience and education to do that. Does anybody know what would really work? And what really wont?

Keeping Busy Doing Nothing

I haven't had much to post about lately but I thought I would let you all know we didn't fall off the edge of the earth (though we DO live close to it!). I have been busy with a couple of knitting projects that are NOT washcloths - after about 20 of those I figure I should broaden my knitting horizons! I have started a baby blanket and made a baby gift to send to a friend. I will admit, I did make one more washcloth (and I have 2 more to do for specific people) but it had some cable stitches in it and it was fun to do something with a design on it rather than just a plain knitted one.

I have also been busy catching up with my friends on OTH. I finished season 3 the other day and plan on starting season 4 soon.

The kids are finding multiplication fun (for the time being) and a nice change from add and subtract in math. They are also excited to be able to write their names in cursive but can definitely use some practice there! They have discovered the books on Luke's bookshelf that have been there for quite some time and are the same ones that we had in IN. They are hungry for pizza and BookIt! is a great motivator! I have also told them that if they want to watch TV, they will read first. They weren't thrilled about that at first but this afternoon I was upstairs only to come down and find them reading to each other! I was excited! They were even helping each other when they got to words that they struggled with. Did I say I was thrilled? :) Jozie keeps asking me to work on Science but despite my best efforts to find a wonderfully comprehensive science program I ended up with one that they like but it only has one lesson a week. :P I'm thinking we will probably accelerate it and do it 2 times a week then move on to something else new. I will admit that I was hesitant to send it back because the kids liked it from the moment I opened the box but the next time I wont hesitate - even if the kids like it...it doesn't always mean that it will be the best.

Well, I just heard the weather man on the news forecast snow for tomorrow so I'm going to bed. I'm not ready for it and if it does come I plan on pulling the covers over my head and staying there until it's gone! See you in the spring! OK, it was a nice thought for the moment it came into my head. Not to practical though...maybe someday!

What's On My TV?

So recently I have become a One Tree Hill addict. I started watching it in Indiana with my 'Lil Sis' and now I want to know what comes next. I'm not really sure why, who really cares about high school drama? Maybe it reminds me of what high school could have been like if I had been involved in that kind of thing...maybe I feel like I missed out? Is this really what high school is like now? Even in the popular crowd I don't remember this much drama when I was there! It makes me glad I homeschool that's for sure!

At any rate, I was looking online for the episodes that I have missed (I'm somewhere around the end of season 2, there are 2 more seasons after that and from what I understand, season 5 is starting soon!) and I found a quiz to see which One Tree Hill character you are the most like. I would have to say it is pretty accurate except for the part that Hailey left her husband to go on tour with a musician that had a thing for her...I'd never even consider it.

Just a fun little quiz that I thought I should explain before you all ask, "Why do you really care which One Tree Hill character you are?"

It's All About the Glory?

For lunch today Luke was pretty hungry so he decided to go for 2 frozen burritos. He was waiting for them and watching the microwave when it stopped so I told him to turn them over and put them in for another minute and 15 seconds. He did and stood and watched it again and said, "Mom, aren't microwaves the best counter backwards? Well, second best because God is the best. HE knows all the numbers in the world and he never gets confused and sometimes the microwaves get confused and blow up, right Mamma?!" Just about then he remembered his burritos and said, taking a big whiff, "Aahh, doesn't that smell glorious mom?!"

Check It Out...

If you wanna know how things are going on the college front check out the 38 Year Old Freshmen - he's eager for some adoring fans! :)

For My Home-ec. Teacher

I have a home-ec teacher - a.k.a. my sil - who doesn't know what the Magic Loop Method is so I am going to post a few links here, here, and here, and the booklet from Knit Picks for her to check it out for me and explain a few things that I can't figure out. :) Like how do you actually join the stitches in the round to make it one continuous loop! I never claimed to be the smartest one in the bunch! I even watched to video from Knitting Help.com for double pointed needles and I STILL can't figure out how they get the end stitches together! Help!

Knots

This morning I told the kids they weren't going to be watching cartoons before school. For some reason I let them do that the last couple of weeks and it hasn't been working out for the good. I told them we would read one of our history books instead about traveling west in a covered wagon and neither of them were happy about that. Jozie threw herself into a chair in a huff, decidedly against any such foolishness and Luke sat on the stairs trying to avoid listening. But after a page or so Jozie was on the floor on her belly listening to me and looking at the pictures and answering my questions - the cartoons soon forgotten! Then shortly after she came over to me, Luke brought a knot book that was on the steps and pretended to look at that as I read. They were both disappointed when I stopped and said it was start school!

Jozie took a little longer with her math than Luke did (she usually does) so while she was still working he found a rope and started to make knots he found in the book. He was VERY impressed with himself and even LET ME TAKE A PICTURE of him when he lashed 2 of my knitting needles together! He couldn't find 2 sticks outside so those were acceptable.

"That's pretty impressive Royal Ranger work, huh mom!"

I'm sure we will have to leave the knitting needles as they are so he can bring them to Royal Rangers with him on Wednesday night to show to his commander.

Jozie couldn't be outdone so she got out her knitting and started working on that again and sat there humming as she worked. She counted her stitches and she now has 16 (I think she is supposed to have 9 or 10)...at least it's not in knots! Looks like I have some unknitting to do now!