Thursday, September 27, 2012

Flying With Papa G

A couple (few maybe...)  weeks ago Papa G. rented a plane and took Jake flying.  My dad is a pilot...well technically he was a pilot-he is retired, but he can still fly so he is still a pilot.  They had a blast and Jake even got to fly the plane.  I had Jake take the camera with him and he took a ton of pictures from inside the plane way up. I was hoping for a picture of the two of them or each other inside the cockpit but guys don't think like that so I will take what I can get.  :) 

At the airport they landed at and had lunch they saw this.  Someone that runs the airport made a CD and put this picture on the front:
Guess who, at the time, owned and was flying that plane in an airshow...My dad!  We used to spend our summer vacations camping and following my dad to his airshows.  He sold his plane when we went to college...That makes me feel bad every time I think about it...I didn't do so great in college-I had a little too much fun to find time to actually study and good to class.

Thanks Papa G. for taking Jake on a fun filled day that he will never forget!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A field trip, science lesson, recess, and gym all in one...

This is why I love homeschooling (this was a few weeks ago when it was still HOT) and this is all in our backyard...



I like to carry a stick and swing it up high in front of my face because there are always tons of spider webs across the trail.
Turkey...

2 dogs...
Person...
Tiny, little, deer...
Here it is again...see how tiny it is?  (I think it is the little baby deer that the dogs scared to death one time...Did I post about that?  I will have to go back and check...)
Bigger deer...running maybe?
Raccoon...
(how cute are raccoon prints?)
Jake found a stick that would make prints that looked like a completely different print..that we didn't get picture's of for some reason...
Crazy, running fools. :)

Sweaty head...
Crazy dogs...

That love Jake...
Dirty dog...
Exoskeleton...
Leaf print...
Refreshing spray...
(That isn't a crime scene.  Papa Harmon was trying to grow grass)
Notice Penny in the background.  She doesn't like this game like Sadie does. :)
Yep, it was that hot...
And this was all before breakfast.
I love homeschooling. :)


Brain Declutter: A quick post...

*I can't find  my camera...I know it is here some where but I am not sure where that some where is.
I may have to resort to using Jake's camera (Aaron's old work camera that doesn't take the greatest pictures...at all) until I locate mine.  I am missing memories here people!!!  Like taking a picture of Jake on Sunday-his last Primary Program!  Erin took a picture of him on her fancy phone to catch a memory for me.

*I am officially in a store!  I brought some of my distressed pieces to a cute little shop in a town near here that is known for it's cute little shops.  This is the best little shop of all the little shops in town and they are very picky about what they will consign.  When they saw my stuff they took it all and asked me not to take my stuff to other shops in the town just bring it to them because they loved it so much. :)  That made me happy!  And they told me about a antique/artisan show that their town is having and told me I should come and do it-SO I AM!  I have a ton of painting to do because it is on Oct. 20th!!!  I am going to post today on my distressing blog about the shop and some new pieces I am working on. 

*I am a fan of Lois Lowry.  Have you read any of her books?  I am on the 3rd book in a trilogy that starts with The Giver.  I liked the 2nd book, Gathering Blue even better than the 1st.  I am almost done with Messenger and can't wait to see how it is going to end.  There is also a 4th book...what does that make it a quadogy?...Seriously...I guess that is when you just call it a series. :)  It comes out on October 2nd and I will absolutely have to read it immediately.  That is just how it works with me and a series I really like.

Have a great day! 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The good, the bad, and the ugly...and even uglier.

The Good:  I lost 8.4 pounds in 9 days.  I signed up for Weight Watchers.  :)  But I am probably going to have to stop going already because of "the bad" and "the ugly".

The Bad:  I went to get our prescriptions today (Aaron's insurance for his new job kicked in) and found out that we have to pay for them (100%-not a co-pay) until we reach our deductible...which is $6000.  If you are wondering if I put too many 0's that is six thousand dollars.  The inhaler I use to control my asthma costs $250.  Jake's asthma/allergy pill costs $110.  Those are the only ones I got today.  His inhaler costs $130ish-luckily he has some of his other left so we can wait for the next paycheck for that one.  Awesome. (If you are wondering if we can afford it the answer is NO.  Who could?! That is almost $500 a month!!!!)  Oh, I forgot I did pay $4 for the medicine I take for my PSOC.  The one medicine that I could stop taking because it doesn't help me breath or anything really important....that is the one that is $4. :)

The Ugly: They faces I was making in the car, in the parking lot of Target...while people were walking by, as I was bawling my eyes out.  I am sure it was not pretty.

And even uglier: finding out why my inhaler costs so much money.  It turns out, according to an insurance agent (...I talked to while trying to find different insurance...assuming we can even drop Aaron's work insurance...which we probably can't), that was offering me insurance that isn't major medical (Jake and I will have to pay LOTS of $$ for private insurance since we have a preexisting condition) we can get our medicine for free with them.  Does that sound too good to be true to you, because it does to me.  They will send us forms that we can then fill out and send to the people that make the medicine.  All we have to do is tell them we don't have insurance and we can get it for free!  I asked them if it would be lying since we would if we got insurance from them and they told me no.  They said "No it is a loophole.  You have insurance that doesn't cover it so it is like you don't have insurance".  Huh?....Nope that is lying to get something for free.  And that my friends is why people like me have to pay $250-to make up for all the people that cheat the system and get it for free.

Welcome to the new norm in America.  I heard on the news that Obama is trying to bypass the Congress to let people on welfare get more money for doing things like running their own errands, cleaning their house, and writing in a journal.  Come again?!  I do those things because I am an adult and that is what I am supposed to do.  I don't want the government to pay me for it and I would really love it if they stopped paying people to be slackers.  I said it.  Mitt said it too and I am so glad he did.  I am sad that more people aren't happy he did.  People need to wake up and start worrying a little more about what is happening to our country and less about if talking about it is politically correct.


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Brain Declutter: I know, I know...I can't make up my mind.

*I am back.  I may only blog once a week (or once a month...or once a day.  Basically when I feel like it!).  I will only blog family stuff...what we are up to, pictures, life, journal/scrapbook stuff.  I will not be allowing comments because I am doing this for me (and friends and family that want to keep in touch with our little family and were bummed that I went private because they had a hard time getting here).  I am not going to stress about it.  I am going to go back to enjoying blogging.

*Don't judge me because I make quick decisions when I am having my period because I am all sad, weepy, paranoid, grumpy...etc.  There I sad it.  I make decisions that I usually go back on while hormonal. So sue me.

*I love Classical Conversations.  That is the homeschooling curriculum we are using this year.  I LOVE Foundations.  I like Essentials.  They are both amazing!  I only like Essentials right now because it is reminding me that I am not all that smart...I like to write.  I like to write things the way I would say it.  Essentials is reminding me that that is not how it is supposed to be done.  It really is a great program and we Jake learning a lot.  I like to think I am "remembering" the things we are learning about but I am not so sure I ever knew it...

*Do you ever watch the news and wonder how the reporter knows what to say or ask so quickly to the people they are interviewing?  I watch the news a fair amount.  For some reason even if they are talking about things I know a lot about I still feel like they think so quickly!  I am jealous.

*We are moving into the rental house in a week and a half.  I can't wait to have my stuff back...

*Jake is 11.  I posted the picture from his b-day with no words whatsoever to go with it.  I am at a loss for words.  How can he possibly be 11?  How can he be doing his last Primary Program this coming Sunday?  Why does he want to stay at home (or sit in the car) rather than go into the grocery store with me?  Why do I enjoy it when I have time to myself but at the same time freak out that I should be spending time with Jake before he is old enough to realize that there are cooler people than me to hang out with?....

*I will most likely not ever edit my posts so don't be surprised if they make no sense whatsoever.  I don't edit my journal (when I actually write in it...), so why would I edit my blog that is basically my journal?

*I am sleeping better most of the time...2 nights ago not so much and I am tired.  We had C.C. (abbreviation for Classical Conversations so know that I have documented that I may never type it out all the way again) today and we had to get there early so that Jake could help with the "fish bowl".  That is when the kiddos all show that they have memorized their facts so they recite them-this time to Jake and 2 of his buddies in his class.  He is in the "masters class".  It is the 4-6th graders.  Going to the co-op once a week (from 9:15-3.  Opening assembly is from 9:15-9:30, 9:30-12: Foundations, 12-1: lunch and recess, 1-3: Essentials) has made me wonder how in the world we ever did school all day, 5 days a week. :)

*We went and saw Madagascar 3 @ the $1.50 theater and it was good, but not as funny as the others.  I guess this really will be the last one...It is kind of sad-like when you finish a book series....but not quite as emotional.  Nothing like when I read (and years later saw) the last Harry Potter movie. *sigh*.  The last movie I saw in the theater was Obama 2016 (or whatever that movies title really is)...Did I post about this already?  If not: GO SEE IT! It will frighten you beyond words.  It will make you want to go and empty your bank account to buy canned goods and ammunition.  Everyone in America should see it before they go and vote on Nov. 6th.  If I have: ditto to what I just typed.  It is worth repeating.

*There are so many different activities for homeschoolers here in SC that I am having a hard time picking and choosing.  We have a whole bunch of field trips coming up and C.C. is lucky enough to have a dad that wanted to start a running club.  Jake is having fun with it and has plans to drop his time running a mile by 2 minutes in the next month.  I am looking into a book club that is run by a mom with a degree in literature (she is the friend of a mom in C.C.)  I need to check out the books they are reading but I have really been wanting to get him into a book club!  I am pretty excited to get more info. about it.  Homeschooling rocks. :)

*I am tired and I am going to bed.  Night. :)

Friday, September 14, 2012