New Blogs and Giveaways!

Today is the day my first post will be up at the new Homeschool Share blog! (If the text link doesn't take you there, try the button in the sidebar. I'm scheduling this early since the kids and I will be having a fun day today!)

Since this week marks four years since I started blogging here and the first week of blogging for Homeschool Share and Metro Family Magazine, I have two giveaways for you.

If you would like to win a copy of Draw Write Now (Book 1) or Wonderplay, Too!, please leave a comment by 10 pm (central time) Monday, November 21. Let me know which book you would like to win (you can be in both drawings, but can only win once) and please make sure I have a way to contact you!

And speaking of giveaways, have you entered the current giveaway at Homeschool Share? I really wish I could win, but since I can't, I hope you do!

Adventures in Homeschooling with MetroFamily Magazine

In addition to blogging for Homeschool Share (where my first post should be up on Friday), I'm now blogging for MetroFamily Magazine! I will be one of their homeschool bloggers for the Adventures in Homeschooling section. Why take on another (non-paying, like all of my jobs!) writing job? Well, my friend, the fabulous Mari, happens to be the editor, and I hate to turn her down. And really, it's a great opportunity to give non-homeschooling families a glimpse of what we do every day--or at least a sanitized version of it with pictures taken after I've cleared the photo area of clutter. I'm also hoping that all parents can find some fun things to do with their kids, no matter where they go to school. Posts should be up weekly, so I hope you'll check it out!

Versatile Blogger Award

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Phyllis was recently kind enough to pass the Versatile Blogger Award on to me. Honestly, I have been trying to cut back on my blog reading, so I can't give you 15 new blogs to check out. You should definitely check out All Things Beautiful, though--by Phyllis--because she has so many great ideas!

Seven Things About Me--This might be hard to come up with something new!

1. If I were ever a crazy woman, I'd change my name to Phyllis and dye my hair red. I don't know what's for dinner tonight, but I do have a plan for my evil alter-ego. (Though I have not met the real Phyllis, I am pretty sure she has never run someone down like Y&R Phyllis has.)
2. My classes for my first semester of college were planned around The Young and the Restless.
3. I am absurdly excited that my library will be getting key chain cards soon!
4. My car has 151,000+ miles on it.
5. I haven't flown in over 10 years.
6. We watched Spy Kids three times this weekend.
7. Jack doesn't know it, but I'm going to the bookstore while he's in geography class today.

Happy Monday!

Fun Friday: 11/11/11

This Friday was pretty low-key. Nothing cosmic happened at 11:11, though I was holding out hope that at that moment my house would suddenly be clean or Alice would suddenly be potty-trained.

The kids discovered curler fingers.

Jay had the day off, so while he and Jack worked and played Animal Crossing, Alice and I went to Target--which was an excuse to get her in the car so she would fall asleep.

This evening we went out to dinner.

The kids were both out before we got home, so it should be an early morning tomorrow!

Veterans Day

"War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more than his personal safety; is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. "

- John Stuart Mill

Heaven and Hell

As I was watching Castle Monday night, Jay told me I should take a picture of the screen. Because not only were we under thunderstorm, tornado, and flood watches and warnings....

...we'd also just had another earthquake. He says we live in hell, and after two earthquakes and such strong winds that I keep thinking we're having another earthquake--and then, of course, getting on Facebook to see if it was, in fact, another earthquake--I'm making fun of him less and less when he gripes about the weather.

Thankfully, though, when the ground isn't shaking and the sky isn't pouring, life is good. Jack looked almost angelic doing his work today. (I would tell you that the mess in the school room is from the earthquakes, but that would be a flat out lie.)

When I was cleaning the bathroom, the kids were so quiet I came in to check on them. For possibly the first time ever, Jack was playing his DS and Alice was not screaming to play with it and he was not screaming back about her never being allowed in his room again. I even mopped the bathroom floor. I love you, Atlantis Squarepantis.

The Giraffe That Walked To Paris

We recently finished up The Giraffe That Walked To Paris. This book is out of print, but there are some similar books on the same topic if you can't get your hands on it.

Most of Jack's notebook items came from Homeschool Share.

I found this map which was great for charting the giraffe's trip across the Mediterranean Sea!

This was one of the books covering the same story that we read. The facts were the same, but we decided we liked the way The Giraffe That Walked To Paris told the story better because there was more detail.

A few books from the library

To wrap up our week, we went to see the giraffes at the zoo. We just happened to arrive at their area at the time the keeper talk was starting--totally not planned! We got to see them get their treats and we talked to the zookeeper a bit.

We were close!

Here you can see the difference between male (left) and female (right) ossicones.

These giraffes are new to our zoo as of this summer. Unfortunately, two giraffes died recently--one from the cold and one from problems during travel, which was an interesting tie-in to the giraffe's travel in the book.