Golden Acorn Homeschool

Today was not my favorite day, let’s just leave it at that.

1. I am glad that today is nearly over.

2. I am glad I did not murder my children today (I was tempted).

3. I am very grateful for good friends who are opening their homes and closets to give me stuff.  I feel very loved.

4. I am grateful for the idea of the Advent Conspiracy and focusing on something besides consumerism.

5. Today is the first day of Advent.  I am grateful that Jesus came, in the humblest of circumstances,  for me.  Nothing else matters!

Whew!  I feel SO much better now.  I would love to see more gratitude posts from readers.  What are you grateful for?

So, the kids and I were so enamored with skating, that I stopped by Kmart on the way home from our Black Friday exploits and bought a pair of rollerblades (which were cheaper than an hour long session of ice skating!).  I wanted regular skates, but none of the stores seem to carry them in adult sizes.  Well, Kmart and Target don’t, anyway.  I still don’t like rollerblades, but they will do for now.

Anyway, we made a date to go rollerskating all together this afternoon.  First, we went to the top level of the Target parking garage.  No one ever parks there, and it seemed like the perfect place to have a little skate fest.  Wrong.  Although it was empty and essentially debris-free, they were very lazy in the way they poured the concrete and it was just too rough.  We skated for about 45 minutes before deciding to try a different location.

So, we headed to Rockville High School.  The parking lot was empty and since it’s fairly new construction, it was really smooth.  However, there is a big sign hanging on the building that says no skating is allowed, and we were there all of 10 minutes before a police cruiser pulled in.  *sigh*

Our third attempt was the black top behind Cole’s old elementary school.  It was nice and smooth (other than some dangerous wood chips), so we ended up skating there for about an hour.  The girls got tired, but they just took off their skates and played on the playground.  We all agreed that skating would be a regular weekend activity.  It was so nice to spend the day out of the house and being active.  The kids were also very confident on their skates after ice skating on Friday.  :-)

I think next weekend, in addition to some skating, we will head down for a hike at Great Falls park.  It’s another “must see” place on my DC list.

No, I did not go shopping on Black Friday, and I never do.  This means you won’t be hearing about my amazing deals.  LOL!

I do have a lot of time to fill with NOT thinking about my husband who has started his new job 2000+ miles away.  (He totally loves it, by the way.)

Yesterday, I just knew we had to get out of the house, so I looked up events and activities in the area and decided on a tree lighting ceremony down at the National Harbour.  It’s one place we have never been, and there were fireworks and an ice skating rink.  The Gaylord Hotel is A-MAZING!  I have never seen anything like it, so the trip was worth it for that alone.

We went ice skating (of course) and ended up having a fantastic time!  It was the first time any of us had been ice skating.  I used to be an avid roller skater back in the day (which means about 18 years ago, of course), but I was surprised that I was able to skate without falling on my butt.  The kids also did really well, and in spite of many falls, they continued to get right back up and keep going.  I was a proud mama!

Zoey was really brave.  She stayed pretty close to the wall, but she was definitely going for it on her own and wouldn’t even hold my hand.  She decided to strike a pose for me here.

Sydni always tries for a model pose…LOL!  She fell more than anyone, but continued to get up over and over and over again.  By the time our session was up, she was going around the circle with the experienced skaters and doing so well!

Cole skated about half a lap before he decided to try and skate with the big dogs.  He fell a lot too, but he was doing fantastic by half-way through the session.  My kids rock!

After skating we went down for the tree lighting ceremony, but it was so windy we ended up seeking hot chocolate at Mayorga Coffee.

TWENTY minutes later, we had hot beverages and walked back down by the marina again.

I would say this is a new Black Friday tradition, but we will have to find something similar in Las Vegas for next year.  Woo hoo!

Wow, I really haven’t blogged all week.  The days have slipped by in a haze of painting, cleaning, a little packing, and getting ready to say goodbye.

Lonnie left this afternoon for Vegas and I don’t anticipate seeing him again until late January, at the earliest.  I didn’t realize until I was driving away from the airport how much I depend on him, for SO many things.  I mean I know that I do depend on him, but my heart finally caught up with my brain as we drove up 495.

But I’m ok.

I’m ok because there is someone else who I depend on, and He can see me through anything.  He has been there with me for every faltering step of the mess that is my life.  He was there when I was angry, and when I was headed in the opposite direction, running as fast as I could.  He was patiently waiting.  He always has been.  He always will be.

Lord, You are good and Your mercy endureth forever.  I worship You for who You are!

This week I have many things to feel grateful for, how about you?

1. Another week with my husband.  He leaves for Las Vegas next week and I won’t see him again for 70-90 days.  I am going to cherish every day of this week!

2. Good friends.  We had a really amazing going away party for Lonnie on Friday.  The people who came and spent time with us are so dear to my heart.  What an outpouring of love!

3. Paint!  I just put some paint samples on the wall and they look amazing.  I love the fresh, clean feeling a coat of paint can give a room.

4. Good books – enough said!

5. Diversity.  Where we live in the DC metro area is very diverse.  I have enjoyed living here so much for that reason and many more. I will miss it!

I have a confession to make: Today I feel a little like Joan Crawford, a.k.a. “Mommie Dearest.”

No, I didn’t beat any of my kids with wire hangars and I didn’t even scream at them (today, LOL!).  But I did make my girls stay in their room this morning until it was cleaned up.  No breakfast, no juice, nothing.  The only thing they could do was use the bathroom.

It sounds harsh to my own ears, but this is a LONG brewing battle between the girls and me.  We have run the gamut of disciplinary actions and methods.  They have lost toys, lost privileges, had their room stripped to beds & dressers only, been spanked, been separated while cleaning, and the list will go on and on and on.

On Monday, I was hosting book club and the girls had managed to clean their room up pretty early in the day.  They also kept it pretty clean on Tuesday.  Last night I went in to say goodnight to them and found a nightmare – they had trashed it in a matter of hours.  I was furious, and completely battle-weary.  I am tired of yelling, scolding, begging, & pleading with them to keep it cleaned up.  I threw down the ultimatum before bed: either clean the room up, or don’t bother coming down stairs in the morning.

I should also add that they have bins, buckets, drawers, & shelves for everything in their possession.  And, after the last time I took all their stuff away temporarily, I only gave back 1/2 of it and donated the rest.  There really is no excuse.

They woke up this morning around 9:00 and crept downstairs.  I think they must have thought I was kidding; surely mommy wouldn’t be so cruel as to deny food?  Wrong!

I sent them back upstairs.  I heard a lot of noise that sounded like cleaning, but I had my doubts, and I was right. They were playing.  This was at 10:34.  I made it very clear that they would not get anything beyond a cup of tap water from the bathroom sink until they got serious.  I think I finally managed to get the message into their hard little heads.  By 11:00, the room was clean enough to warrant breakfast.

When they are sufficiently motivated, they can (and do) clean up the worst messes in 15-30 minutes.  They’ve done it before.  So I ask you, am I just dealing with two of the most stubborn little girls on the planet, or am I a candidate for the lead role in a remake of “Mommie Dearest”?

This post got delayed and delayed while I dawdled getting the photos downloaded to my beloved lap top.  Still, I keep wondering how in the world it’s possible that my baby girl is five??  *sniffs*

I am officially the mother of three “big” kids as I was reminded by a friend the other day.  Thanks, Beth!  :-P

I look at all of my munchkins and I wonder where the time has gone, and if I am doing a good enough job.  Does every parent wonder about that?

Anyway, Miss Zoey had her party on Saturday, October 24th.  It was raining, so all my plans for outdoor party activities were shot.  There were FIFTEEN loud and hyper kids in my house for 90 or so minutes.  I was really happy when it was over.  ;-)

It was a Halloween Costume Birthday Party.  :-)

She requested that her cake match her invitations.  Mommy was on the job!

The whole gang!

Here, she is wondering why we gave her “diapers” for her birthday…too funny!

Ahhh!  It’s for the Baby Alive doll!

Monday the 26th was her actual birthday, and we celebrated all day.  First with donuts, then a short trip to Chuck-E-Cheese, and finally a family dinner at Clyde’s Tower Oaks Lodge.

Don’t they look EXCITED?!?!

It was all a good time, but I am always SO happy that the birthday festivities are officially over.  WHEW!

This is a conversation I had with Cole this morning, mid-mathematics.

Cole: School feels different this year.  Like, it’s much better.

Me: Really?  And why do you suppose that is?

Cole: Um, because I like doing it more?

Me: Ok.  So, are you saying you have a better attitude about doing what you need to do?

Cole: Yeah, I think that’s it.  I have a better attitude, and I like it now.  It goes by faster when you like it.

It’s amazing what a good attitude can get you.  *gasp*  ENJOYMENT!

I know I haven’t blogged much lately, but that’s because I have been busy planning for, enjoying, and recovering from a romantic weekend away with my husband.  We took the kids to spend the weekend with good friends (thanks Leah and Scott!) and Lonnie and I escaped to historic, beautiful Annapolis.  It’s not terribly far from our home, but we have never been there, and it was gorgeous.

We stayed in a hotel with a pool and a hot tub, AND free breakfast each morning (not just continental either, but a hot breakfast!), and it was simply heavenly.  We have never gone away alone before.  We catch an odd movie here and there, or dinner maybe, but we have never been gone overnight.  It was exactly what we needed, and now I am convinced we need to do it at least once a year, but I would like to try for more often than that!

Lonnie, smiling and relaxed at dinner Friday night.

I am also feeling relaxed and happy.  We dined at Cantler’s Riverside Inn and it was very romantic and very tasty.

The main focus of our dinner – Maryland blue crab.  It was my first time eating a crab like this, and not part of a prepared dish.  I felt a little sorry for the poor guy, but he was VERY yummy.

This was one of the views from the restaurant.  I never wanted to leave!

We decided to go out for a night on the town.  We were a little excited, you think?  ;-)

We did some sightseeing the next day.  This is Main Street.  It’s really beautiful.  And the shopping!  Saturday was perfect!

Views from the Main Street harbor.  I want a boat now…

The dome from the Naval Academy Chapel.  I really wanted to go inside (I hear it’s gorgeous!) but there were too many weddings!

Here are some officers practicing the sword thingy they do when the couple walks out.  We waited and waited for them, but eventually had to go.  I guess it was a long wedding??

We had an wonderful time, and it was amazing how much we were able to reconnect.  I don’t mean that we are distant in some way, we have a strong marriage, but it was different to be just husband and wife for the weekend.  It was almost like having a glimpse of the future when the kids will be off living their own lives.  I am not ready for that yet, of course.  Obviously since we ended up coming home early on Sunday, going to church and picking up the kids.  I missed them so much!

But, I also miss the mini-vacation.  I think I might be addicted to this vacation thing.  I won’t lie…not having to cook was the second best part.  I’ll let you decide what my favorite part might have been!  ;-)

On Friday we attended a FANTASTIC class at the National Zoo in Washington DC.  It was arranged by a wonderful mom in our homeschool co-op and we are very glad she did!

The class was held in a room that was divided into four areas: The Small Mammal House, The Commissary, The Keeper’s Office, and The Animal Hospital.  We divided our co-op into four groups and took turns rotating through each station while practicing various zoo jobs.  I had a blast, and I know the kids did too!

We identified some animals in the Small Mammal House, collected some scat to send to the hospital, and even caught a Golden Lion Tamarin!

In the Commissary, we created meals for the animals, and then loaded them up on the delivery van.  Of course, we cleaned up when we were done!

In the Keeper Office, we fed meal worms and crickets, made important phone calls, and learned to use the transponder to identify animals.  Among other things…

Finally, in the Animal Hospital we learned to care of sick and injured animals.  We were very worried about the corn snake and had to examine his x-ray to determine if he had been eating properly.  We discovered a rat!  Good job corn snake!

This is open to the public on weekends, and if you live in the DC area, I highly suggest you go and try it out.  Ms. K, our zoo teacher for the experience, recommends a rainy day since the zoo tends to be empty.  I plan to get back down there and spend more time in “How Do You Zoo?” very soon.  What else can you do on a rainy spring day?