One of These Things Is Not Like The Other...

The littles have found all the "workbooks" mixed in with the coloring books and have spontaneously started working on completing them. They're interested in numbers and letters now, so the workbooks have come onto their radar.

The other day, Dmitri was doing a "matching" game in one of them. On one side of the page, there was a picture of a bucket - the kind with the handle a little kid takes to the beach. On the other side were two pictures: an inflatable swim ring and a chicken.

"Bucket..." Dmitri said thoughtfully, frowning. "Goes with..."

I glanced over and saw the pictures he was considering: inflatable swim ring or chicken?

"Bucket goes with chicken!" He smiled proudly as he circled the hen.

I couldn't help but laugh.

I think we need to stop eating out at KFC. :D

Time To Blog

I've been doing this whole Blog 365 insanity for two days and I'm already regretting it... And Michael wonders why I don't make New Year's resolutions?! Ha.

Every day for 365 days? What was I thinking?

I woke up this morning to the chaos of kids and husband getting ready to go back for the first day of school and work after the holiday with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I knew, of course, they were going back today. Their backpacks were ready, their snowsuits and boots by the door. But gloves, apparently, had been lost, unbeknownst to me, and Daddy was storming around grousing about the Bermuda Triangle that is our house. The kids were repeating over and over, "I don't know!" to Daddy's constant, "Where did you put them!?" question.

Our foot of snow is supposed to melt over the next few days. My guess is we will find them then, somewhere in the yard. For now, they wore mismatched gloves of the knit variety - the ones Michael hates and claims are useless. But at least they're better than nothing.

The house was quiet once the littles were gone and Michael had left for his second-to-last day of work before he starts the new job. The only company I have now during the day is Sophie the Cocker Spaniel since we found new forever-homes for the big dog and the two cats, because of my allergies (and I can already feel the difference.)

Michael has been talking more and more about moving up north, which would mean homeschooling again, most likely. I wouldn't mind. We spent all vacation working on our reading and our counting (backwards and by 2's and 5's especially, and adding things like peanut butter crackers and celery sticks) and they're moving forward by leaps and bounds.

I knew I was going to miss them when they went back to school, but the house seems eerily empty to me during the day today. Just me and Sophie, wandering around, looking for things to do. Somehow I just don't think families were ever meant to be split up like this. I'm feeling that particularly, today, looking out at the fat blanket of snow where my children should be playing.

Guess it means I'll have lots of time to blog.

Learning Curve

I'm still trying to reserve judgment about sending the littles to public school.

They're definitely learning a lot.

"Mom, what does 'o-p-e-n' spell?"

"Open."

"What does 'n-e-p-o' spell?"

I raised my eyebrows in Michael's direction and smiled. He's famous for saying things backwards, just for fun. Apparently, it's genetic.

"Nepo."

Dmitri laughed. "That's not a word."

"That's true. It's 'open' spelled backwards."

"What does g-o-r-m-e-t spell?"

(this one was rather impressive - the letters were cursive!)


"Um, it's supposed to spell gourmet...but they spelled it wrong."

Michael interjected, "No, they didn't."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I know how to spell gourmet."

"You haven't heard of the Gormet olive? It's a special kind of olive from Sicely."

"Are you pulling my leg again?" I blinked at him. He loves doing that. "Is this like the time you told me that Art Garfunkle does art?"

"He does! Look it up on the Internet!"

"Can I look up 'Gormet Olives' too?"

"No one's stopping you."

"Mom, what does 'b-a-b-y' spell?"

"Baby."

"Are you and dad going to make another baby?"

"We could."

"Can I watch?"

"Um... no."

"How come?"

"It's kind of like Santa Claus. You know how he can't come until after you're asleep?"

Michael grinned, squeezed my knee and whispered: "And neither can Daddy."

"Mom, what does 'd-r-u-g-s' spell?"

"Drugs."

"Drugs! Those are bad for you!"

"They sell the good kind. The ones that help people get better."

"Oh. Okay."

Yep, they're sure learning a lot...