An Early Taste of Winter and Other Blabber...

So we had an Arctic Front blow in yesterday and it's been snowing ever since. It's not coming down hard, so it has only accumulated about 4 inches since yesterday around 6pm. Even though I am still feeling very much under the weather, I think we may either snuggle and watch a marathon of LotR while munching on fresh baked cookies, or I may actually venture the 2 miles down the road for the kids to swim at the Rec Center. Since it's only 15 degrees outside as of current, I may opt for the first idea.

We managed the Yule tree up without incident this past weekend and it's a beauty. We watched March of the Penguins and the hubby and I had a few Pomegranate Cocktails. It was nice to see the kids putting the ornaments on without an altercation.. :)

Not the most detailed picture. The cats are loving it even though it's fake, and I put together a bottle of spray to try and keep them off of it. So far, so good. Pine, Sandalwood, and Cedar. Yes, an odd mix, but it actually smells real good. The cats hate it! Huzzah. Sweet victory is miinnnnneeee....

Book Site for Kids

International Children's Digital Library

http://www.childrenslibrary.org/

I haven't been through the site thoroughly, but it seems interesting enough to grab a cup of coffee and sit in front of for an hour.

Graphic Novels

Ever heard of ToyoPop? Graphic Novels? Well I never had until Pixie started to read them... Yeah, they are books from Japan (she is fascinated with any Japanese culture and has even been teaching her to speak the language). The books are actually backwards -- Let me explain:

The book cover is where we usually have the "back"cover. It goes backwards. Pages and all. You also read them right to left rather than left to right. Very interesting. There are several series and at this moment she is reading "Kodocha".

"Japanamation" is really adorable. It keeps her reading in a very veracious manner and that's a good thing. I found that I was trying to push my type of genre on her (science fiction/ fantasy/ medieval etc) and while she likes it fantasy, it wasn't something that would hold her attention book-after-book. She did read the Circle of Three series (all 15 books) which is written by a Wiccan lady, and our library has the entire set. The Japanese books, being graphic novels, do go rather fast and she's going through one book a day. At least she's not sitting in front of the tv.

For the books to be authentic the back is stamped "100% Manga" and the cover and pages are reversed.

Warning: The Vent of an Overwhelmed Mom

What a week. What a darn, ridiculous, and expensive week! And today's only Wednesday.

Well, yesterday I had to take my car in for an entire new brake job, including a master cylinder. We were going to get another car this month, but it looks like it wont be until next year. I cant believe we put $520 into a car with 220,000 miles on it... but the little thing really has been the best car ever! We bought it for $700 seven years ago with 118,000 miles on it, and the only thing I have ever had to have done is the alternator. So hear this:

The mechanic gave me a ride home while they kept my car. I forgot to take my house key off the ring! I thought, No biggie" since I could go through the garage and into my bedroom. The Husband LOCKED THE DOOR! Never before has it been locked, but he did so a few days ago. So the only window NOT locked was the one over the kitchen sink... yep, measures roughly 20 inches across while fully open. I imagine my arse is bigger than that. I climb in, and staring back at me is the trash can that the dog decided to get into... dragged all the way into the living room. Oh, but let us back up. I dropped the kids off at the rec center to swim so they didn't have to deal with the boring brake job. I went into the Safeway to grab them some breakfast to break a $100 bill so I could get them into the pool. This chump is behind us (a Pepsi employee) who is taking inventory of the cooler. He drops a bottle of pop which EXPLODES 4 inches behind my feet, and went all the way up to my butt, in my shoes, and on my hands. The SOB didn't even apologize. I said a few, not-so-choice words in front of the kids and left. That was fun.. bathing in Pepsi at 8 in the morning, being told how much it would be to fix my car, climbing through a window meant for "Barbie", cleaning up trash and feeling like crap the whole time. What a day! Not!

I have come down with a cold, probably due to my hardcore running around. I have a low-grade fever and a swollen throat. The aches don't help -- that's for sure. I have to get Pixie's new Team Dress this afternoon from the seamstress about an hour away for another $550. Then I have to get her to a final rehearsal at 7pm tonight (another hour away!) in which I won't be in bed until after 11pm tonight, and finally get her to the airport at 8am in the morning.

*******ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH******

Ok, there's my scream for the day.

Sunday I am hosting a Croning Ceremony for some friends, and I seriously have put to much on my plate this week.

I know its supposed to be a homeschooling blog, but I seriously needed to vent. Thanks...

New Pagan Forum

A dear friend in my local PaganCommunity, started this forum after the demise of pagans.org -- She humbled me by asking if I would help Co-Moderate it.. Of course I said yes, and now i'm in charge of several sections of the online community, including Pagan Parenting. It's still new and i'm building the sections slowly. The activity is rising fast, and the questions are provocative. I have thought more about some of the posts in recent days and it's actually refreshing.

Check it out! It really is a warm and inviting bunch of people. Tons of info, articles, chants, questions, etc.


http://www.paganscircles.org/smf/index.php

Did I Mention I'm Tired??

Sorry for the lack of posting! I'm just so exhausted. Pix had class tonight, and to top it off i'm having to cart my mother around due to her car being vandalized by her insane neighbor. The only thing is, she lives 15 miles away. Long story, but it's really getting to be a pain in the arse.



Saturday i'll be in Colorado Springs for the day, taking Dedication with my coven, so dad has to deal with Pix getting to class. Huzzah! And I don't feel one bit guilty. LOL



I just realized this blog is NOT turning into the homeschooling journal I intended. I may have to change the title of it, and just make it personal... family related. Who knows. Maybe it's the exhaustion talking. Off to bed before I say more... Oh, and one final pic of embarrassment for my kiddos. Enjoy.

This was taken the morning after we arrived in Washington D.C. -- We didn't get into our room until well after midnight, and with the time change from Mountain -- we were all screwed up! This is a tradition from every vacation. I take a pic of them snoring after a total collapse. Yeah... they'll thank me when they're older. NOT!

Pixie's Competition Yesterday

We have been so busy with Pixie's dance classes and preparation to go to Portland. She leaves the morning of the 16th with her teacher and other advanced students to compete at the Western Regional.. This one is the BIG ONE of the year in the US. Sadly I won't be going along. Can't afford too, but she will be in good hands. Luckily they video tape the Drama portion, so I won't totally miss out.

So yesterday she competed at the Colorado Fall Feis in Loveland. There were some 800 competitors total. In her age group she did 6 dances -- which had roughly 30 competing in each dance. She placed in 4 out of 6!!! She walked away with:

1st / Hard 2 Hand Reel

2nd / Single Jig

3rd / Reel

3rd / Light Jig

The 2 she didn't place in were the Slip Jig, and the Hornpipe (hard shoe set). She knew when she messed up in both, but recovered so well that her father and I did NOT catch it. Oh well.. the judges did though.

They wouldn't allow us to take pics during comp, so we took a few before hand. Here are her posses.








Afterwards, we took her out to dinner to celebrate her sweet victory. :) Here she looking extremely tired, but happily wearing her metals.

She was tickled pink with herself, as she should be. It was a good day. It sparked a fire under her butt, and even made Loki want to return to class. She's going to be taking on an extra class.. so Monday and Thursday will revolve around a drive to Lakewood. I can't wait till we move to Golden, then i'll only be10 minutes from the class. Right now, i'm about 35.

So there's a little update on my busy life.