Conversations From the Back Seat

 

The boys and I went to town this morning to buy groceries for the upcoming holiday.  Out of the blue, this was our conversation.

Deniska:  Mom, can you take people out of the nursing home for a day?

Mama:  Yes, Deniska, you can if they are able to leave.

Deniska:  Well, Mom, when Nikolai and I get older we are going to have a cookout on the 4th of July and we will check you out of the nursing home for the day! 

Mama:  That's nice of you Deniska.  What about Papa?  Are you going to check him out too?

Deniska:  No, he will probably be dead by then.  Don't you think?!

Monday Menu - a day late!!

 

I love this picture - that's how I feel this morning.  When I was growing up, my mom planned the meals around what my dad like.  I tend to do the same with my husband.  As long as he is happy, I am happy.  My children, as a result, are not picky eaters.  If we have something that they don't care for, they will eat a smaller portion but they never rarely complain.  I am not a mom that caters to every single person for a meal. I am way too busy for that sort of thing!  *grins*

Monday - Red Rice and Beans (late lunch, light dinner)

Tuesday -  Spaghetti

Wednesday - Crockpot Southwestern Chicken Nachos, cantaloupe

Thursday - 7-layered Taco Salad

Friday - Salmon patties, turnip greens, macaroni & cheese

Saturday - Roast, rice, vegetable casserole

Sunday - BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, rolls, green beans, cantaloupe

I Am Loving My New Computer

 

I finally broke down, at my husband's insistence, and bought a new computer.  It is very fast and I think I will like it very much.  I just need the time to play!

Linking to:

This week's menu

 

This week's menu is rather blah, maybe because I am feeling blah due tot he weather.  It is just so, so hot.  I don't do well in hot weather.  

Monday - Honey Lemon baked Chicken, green beans, wild rice

Tuesday - Sandwiches

Wednesday -Dirty Rice, cantaloupe

Thursday - Hubby's birthday (we might eat out to celebrate!)

Friday - Egg Salad Sandwiches, cantaloupe

Saturday -Salsa Chicken, black beans, rice, tortillas

Sunday - Leftovers

Maybe I will be more creative later on....

Remembering My Dad on Father's Day

I had the best father in the whole world.  This picture was made with one of my older brothers.  Wasn't my daddy handsome?  By the way, we all learned to crank and drive that tractor.  I wasn't allowed to drive it by myself but I spent lots of time on that tractor with my daddy.  He died in 1991 and there is not a day that goes by that I don't talk to him or remember something that he told me.  I still feel like he is with me every day.  I wish everyone could have had such a wonderful father!  Happy Father's Day to all men who make a difference in the life of a child.  And, thank you to my husband who is a wonderful father as well!

Porch in Progress

 First a picture of Nicholas and Sam who like to supervise every thing going on outside.  They sit on the back of the couch and look outside.  Aren't they sweet?!

This is Agatha, who is our feral kitty.  She will let Deniska pet her but not anybody else much.  She had 4 kittens but I think she has lost them all in the woods except for one orange tabby kitten. 

I snapped this picture of her and the orange kitten through the woods.  Deniska insisted that I take a picture of her and the kitten to share with all of you!

Here's the porch all cleaned off.  I moved the big pots down and added 2 smaller plants.  I am still not sure and will welcome any suggestions!  Thanks to everyone who left suggestions yesterday.  Bear in mind that we still have to pull weeds where the crimson madevilla and plant it.  I will get mulch this weekend - I hope!

Suggestions? Please!

This is my porch, my tiny, teeny porch.  I very hastily took a picture this afternoon to show you what we have done so far.  I do realize the water can, fertilizer, and electrical cord all need to be put up. 

This is the close up of the flower that we bought to put on the chair.  I think my chair needs a new coat of paint this summer.

 This is a close of the wreath on the door.  I reworked an old wreath. 

The boys and I put together this pot today.  I think it will be pretty once the plants gets established and starts to grow more. 

 

So, suggestions?  It just doesn't look pulled together to me for some reason.  I think it needs more, less, something!  What do you think?

Summer Reading 2011

 

The boys and I started their summer reading program today.  We are going to tomorrow to the local library and officially sign up for the program.  The boys were allowed to pick their books and the school provided each of them a copy.  One World, Many Stories is the theme of this year's summer reading program.

N selected The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick.  He and I are listening to this on tape as he follows along in the book.  I stop and ask him questions as we go to make sure he is understanding what we are reading.  My goal this summer for N is just to get him to enjoy reading.  His choice of books is not what I would have selected and we will see how he likes this book.

Grade 5–8 Master storyteller Rodman Philbrick takes readers on a colorful journey as young Homer Figg sets off to follow his brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been illegally sold to the Union Army. It is up to Homer to find him and save him. Along the way, he encounters strange but real people of that era: two tricksters who steal his money, a snake-oil salesman, a hot-air balloonist, and finally, the Maine regiment who saved Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg and won the war for the Union.

D selected Tango, The Tale of an Island Dog by Eileen Baha. D loves to read and this book is sad, sad, sad!  We are just in chapter 8 and the poor little dog has been ripped away from this mother, fell overboard and almost drowned, and ended up on an island. 

Grade 4-6–A pampered pooch from Manhattan falls overboard while sailing with his owners and is washed ashore on Prince Edward Island. Discovered by Augusta Smith, a fisherman's widow, the little Yorkie reluctantly adapts to the island ways although he yearns to return home. Along with Miss Gustie, he gathers an odd assortment of friends from an elderly fox to a 12-year-old runaway. When conniving and vicious feral cats set a trap for him, his tenacity and his new friends' loyalty prevail and ultimately he realizes that he wants to stay where he is. The anthropomorphized characters are well crafted, from the wise and weary fox to the lonely and picked-on three-legged cat who desperately wants to belong but is repeatedly betrayed by the other felines. The human characters are empathetic and interesting as well. McKenna, the young runaway, wants her independence but also is looking for a place to call home. The themes of loyalty, courage, and belonging are effectively woven throughout the exciting plot twists of this animal fantasy.

And, finally - my book!

I read  Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass.  I read it all yesterday - I just could NOT put it down!
Grade 5–9—The lives of three young people intersect and transform against the backdrop of a total solar eclipse. Homeschooled Ally has grown up at the remote Moon Shadow Campground, which her family runs. An eclipse, which can be viewed only from this site, is approaching, and ahead of it come Bree, an aspiring model obsessed with popularity, and Jack, a reclusive artist and avid sci-fi reader. Ally's sheltered world is about to open up as she discovers that her parents plan to cede management of the campground to Bree's parents after the event. Neither Ally nor Bree is excited about the prospect, but as the teens interact they come to terms with the changes they face. Meanwhile, introverted Jack finds himself making friends and becoming a leader. As they go their separate ways, all three approach the future with a new found balance between their internal and their external lives. The characters are well drawn and likable. Even the seemingly shallow Bree reveals hidden layers as the story progresses. The campground setting affords the youngsters independence, allowing them to interact freely and make their own choices. The astronomical details are fascinating and lyrically incorporated into the narrative. 

We will spend at least an hour a day reading.  We should be able to read lots of books this summer.  To me, that is what summer vacation is all about - happy days filled with reading!