My Guy Ki

Here are Some Ki Rituals:

He HAS TO get his morning good-bye kiss from Brian before Brian leaves for work. Brian leaving out the door will wake him up and he will RUN outside to catch him if he doesn't remember the kiss Brian gave him while sleeping. If he wakes up after Brian has left he will ask me if Dad gave him a kiss. But usually a kiss from daddy will wake him up enough that he remembers. Of course he is often awake when Brian leaves.
Ki always has to say say something like " Do the best you can and come home soon."
Ki is 14.5
I love that he still loves his hugs and kisses from us.

Ki needs to get his hug before bed and often can't remember so ends up getting 2 or 3. Or maybe he does remember and this is his way of getting more... Hmmmmm?
He asks me almost nightly "So, how was your day?" waits for me to answer (which requires examples of why it was a good day, etc) then tells me about his day. Often throughout the day he will mention when something happened to make it a good day. "Wow, this is a really good day! I just got all the answers on this page correct." or "This is a good day! I got to have chocolate with my lunch!" Which is a far cry from when he was 4-7 and every day he was near tears proclaiming it was the worst day of his life ever!
When Brian gets home he gets a hug and kiss and asks Brian "So, how was your day?" (with answers, explanations, conversation.)
Also, before bed he almost always asks me "tomorrow's plans"Even though I try to write them on the board.Tonight he asked me :"So, what do we have planned tomorrow?" [I love how he says "SO, ______ ]Me: "Hmm, tomorrow... Word Roots, Some Chemistry Research online, reading Hour, Connor is making dinner and I am going to Bible Study."
I love how he listens too intently then gives me a nod and word of approval.Then he asked "Did I ever tell you about Supernovas? That is what I researched for science the other day?"

Then he told me about them and we had to look up Neutron Stars- he thought they were neat and wanted me to see the picture on Wikepedia.
Ki isn't much for playing computer games.He prefers watching Netflix during his computer time.
He helps out in church. He is a group leader in the kids class. (I think 3-6th graders)
He always wants to be an evil goblin when he at at Amtgard (LARP) and is hopes to have a unibrow when he grows up, because all evil scientists have a unibrow.




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Random Friday

Supposedly, Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 30

random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. I was tagged.

So, here goes:

1. I do NOT like coffee at all! Bleck.
2. Well, not regular coffee-pot coffee; I DO, however, like a good Espresso Latte w/ extra flavor syrup.
3. I do not like to paint my nails nor do I have a desire to have painted nails; fingers or toes.
4. My toesnails are sporting an awesome trichromatic sunset scene, thanks to my husband.
5. My Teddy Bear is in the room. He's almost 39.
6. Speaking of toes... I am wearing a toering. I bought it with a good friend of mine, maybe 5 yrs ago? It WAS a Mood Ring, that changed colors. But after years of wearing (and I suspect all the showers) all the time, it turned to black, then the plastic "mood indicator" came off, and now it isa silver band.
7. I have permanent indents on the sides of my toe. If they ever find my skeleton (post-mortem ) & have it invistigated by an awesome forensric anthropologist, she might find indents on my phalanges.
8. The week after Lisa and I bought our matching toeriings, I lost mine. So I went back to the store & bought a new one. I guess the old, worn, toe ring I am wearing is an imposter?
9. Fatigue has left me. For today anyway. I woke up early and made muffins with streusel topping. I hope to be productive until the next round of fatigue.
10. My cat died last year.
11. I think my pastor looks like a Pachycephalasaurus.
12. Pachycephalasaurus is one of my favorite dinosaurs.
13. Yes, it really was part of the reason I chose my current church. Because my pastor looks like a dinosaur.
14. I have 7 'notices' on Facebook this Morning.
15. I am reading a book called; "Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the dog)
16. A few years ago I read Doomsday Book, then I read the 'next' book. The name of which is "To say nothing of the dog.", in which the book from #15 was mentioned. I really enjoyed the Doomsday Book author, so I decided to get "Three men in a boat". Apperantly, it is not easy to get three men in a boat; to say nothing of a dog.
17. I finally found my missing Catam Tiles the other day! I tink we have enough tiles to play 2 different games of Catan.
18. Connor woke up around 6 to play Xbox. His brothers are still asleep. We have never had a gaming system in the house before last Sunday. We went from 'NO Gaming System' to 'Hours of Halo' overnight. My ears are still reeling.
19. I'm not sure if 'reeling' is the word I want.
20. Hopefully I will have a greenhouse when we move back to Ohio.
21. The boys' cat is allergic to fleas.
22. Brian took the van to work. (his car is broken)
23. #21 + #22 = I will be riding my bike to the vet to get the cat's flea drops today.
24. I play games. Not the kind with your mind. Board games. (board games is a good option when one is bored). Cards Games. Looney Lab Games. I demo them at Gaming conventions.
25. I am growing tomatoes, spinach, strawberries, jalepenos, and sunflowers out back.
26. I will miss my keylime tree when we move.
27. I have learned to like Avocadoes. They taste somuch better fresh than the ones I had tasted in Ohio, which were probably shipped in from Mexico.
28. I am not tagging anyone here. (I only tagged on facebook. lucky YOU!)
29. The cat brought in a dead rat and deposited it in the boys' room. Now, we wannt to look up the time rates for rigor in different animals
30. I have a thing about misspelled homophones, much the chagrin of my offspring.

"hey, what's down there?...Hello! Anyone?"

Lettuce on the Table

Last night I had a dream with a little deer, a fawn. It was in our yard and trotted over to me. It was red (real animal fur red, not fake Plastic red) and had a black muzzle. It had found a grapefruit to eat but didn't like it. It asked for some lettuce. Thankfully we had some left over from yesterday's BLTs (that was the real life part that inspired the dream) See, we really did have BLTs last night. And though I made sure the tomatoes and salad were out away, I didn't get to the lettuce. It was on the table when I woke up this morning.
And being a lazy summer day, it is still kinda morning. So nothing noteworthy has really happened today. Except finding the lettuce the deer never ate.
The following is a jumbled account of my yesterday.
The story starts in the middle of the night, which I assume was very early Wednesday morning. Instead of waking up for the start of day I was waking up for a Migraine. What an awful interruption to sleep. The waking up is proceeded by dreams of pain and tears. Night time migraines are not my friend.
So, I medicate and go back to bed. I'm not even positive I was fully awake. Thankfully I was cognitive enough to only take 2 Aleve.
So later I do wake up for the day. Still headachey, groggy, and now a bit numb. I decide to have a quiet day full of reading and nothing. This meant I was NOT going to bike to Trader Joes like I had planned. I had planned on having Ki and Gavin bike with me, so they could get the foods they needed for their meals. Instead I drew a map, made a short list, gave them money, and sent them sans me.ya. That went over well. not really.
I will copy a few posts from facebook- I was posting with a friend about the episode.

K&G just left with a grocery list & money, on their bikes- to Trader Joes K is making dinner tonight & G is making dinner Friday. I told them to make sure they write what they need on the list and they can each get a snack & if they found anything we need/use often, they can get it. (of course it has to fit into the $ I gave them & the baskets on the bike)
[her response]
Ki came back b/c Gavin went 'the wrong way, with the money'- so he wanted money so he could get to the store himself. G came to the house looking for K, they argued about which street to cross. G gets something stuck in his mind and assumes everyone knows exactly what he is thinking. Ki is very literal and by the book and sometimes has trouble with the concept of doing thing a little differently to get the the same end result. I think they are fine now. Gavin didn't think 1 of the streets was safe to cross so took off further to get too a cross light. (Ki was stuck on the concept of . "but mom said THIS street")
[more with the responding]
G came back AGAIN, said K did not wait after crossing the street and he didn't know how to get to the store (K had the mad). I drew the map TWICE with him watching, talked about many times and it is basically just 2 different streets! Take street A to street B- bike down street B till you get there! Is it really that hard??
Poor Gavin. He is SO "Slow on the Uptake" and has little common sense. (yet is so very smart, in the brainy-way)- but Ki sometimes has very little patience for Gavin. (but it does get old, having to explain things 4 and 5 times to a 17 yr old who still just stares like a deer caught in the headlights)
[responsdingness]
Ki just called, he must have borrowed a phone. He told me Gavin didn't go the right way, AGAIN. and didn't show up at the store with him. I told him G came home, got another map (of the 2 streets to get there)and will be there shortly.
*****
HUGE POSITIVE = Ki remembered my phone number w/ area code!
They met up, shopped, and came home - separate ways. They figured out their own ways and were fine that is was not the same way as the other.

~*~*~*~ I had more to say, but this has gone on long enough ~*~*~*~~*~*~*~ Someone must take a stand & make it end. ~*~*~*~
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almost-random

I always think of interesting things to blog about while I am out and about living life and being busy. At least I think they'd be interesting. It doesn't really matter because I always forget them when I get home and am ready to blog. So, I will just be random and see what comes out of my brain as I sit here with headphones inserted into my ears, playing Soul Music, trying to drown out the noise of 4 men boys males playing XBOX.

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The boys played on the Xbox this morning. About 2 hours. The Morning Media and Games policy at this abode states:"A child may play on the computer/Xbox until 9AM (8 on 'normal school days) starting no earlier than 6AM (for Noise Control and The Sanity of the Mother Unit). Any Morning Housework is to be done by 9AM, too (8 on school days)."

So they can decide of they want to do their work first, then play till 9/8 or of they want to play till 8:30/7:30 and then do their morning jobs.

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I just listened to a song called; "Thunder Chicken".

Yes, you read that correctly.

If I needed a name for a game character or persona, I think I might go by Thunder Chicken.

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Some days I get tired of doing what I know I should do to be a healthier me. It can be a lot of work & planning. I talked to my acupuncturist about it today. I need to go back to have a Posted-In-Plain-Sight Morning Chore List and Evening Chore List. I always forget tings like taking vitamins or adding extra protein to my breakfast. Running out of frozen berries... or bananas... temps me to grab "whatever" for breakfast, instead my Protein Shake. Nothing hits the spot in the morning like the berry-banana-protein-shakes.

I got more Olive Leaf Extract. I had run out. It does help take the edge of my fatigue issues.

My Goal (given by the doctor) is to just do Olive Leaf & protein shakes (or adequate other stuff) CONSISTENTLY for 2 weeks.

"Consistently" is my weakness

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I forgot what I was writing about up there...(because 'focus' is another weakness)

So the boys got 2 hours on Xbox this morning, diid their jobs, their (very small amount of) school, some physical activity, cleaned up from lunch, etc. So they asked for more time on the Xbox. It ended up being almost 2 more hours. I thought of letting Brian know the amount they played today and suggest he do something different with them this evening. (he likes to spend some time doing things with them after dinner).
Well, he stopped at Best Buy on the way home and picked up a 4th Controller- so he could play WITH them, instead of taking turns. How could I say anything against that? Life is short. Father-Son time too precious. Let them Play Xbox!

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My Lazy Day

I had such high hopes to get through this Chemistry CD-Rom. I must admit to you that basically can not stand curriculum or a spelled out list of "do these 32 steps in order".
So using a CD-Rom 'textbook' is so NOT up my alley.
I really want to get through chemistry course so I can add it to the High School Transcript. I just get so bored. I do add extra experiments ans stuff, which helps. some.

Today's Lesson from Chemistry "textbook" was about elements. I had listed some extras in my notebook. A YouTube Song (Meet the Elements, by They Might Be Giants, because one can never have too much They Might Be Giants in one's life)

A Decomp reaction of changing Sodium Bicarbonate into Washing Soda. Click Here . and HERE.

Another experiment found online.

And printing out some worksheets on the Periodic Table of Elements. I planned on just some basic questions like:
"List the gases"
"What does Pb stand for?"
"What is the atomic weight of Calcium?"
I have had zero desire to teach using the CD-Rom. So I printed out 5 pages of questions about elements and the periodic table for the boys. It required research Beyond just looking at the Table. They will do that in lieu of the Teaching Disc. (which is Apologia, which I LIKE, but need to go the "do it ourselves/independent way" sometimes. Sometimes I just read the lesson myself, them find fun things to teach it to the boys. But I decided it's time they get a little practice taking notes.... seeing they are in high school now with college looming around the corners, but there is only so much 'curriculum/text' I can handle.

SO, instead of teaching today, I printed worksheets for the boys. And they will do the sodium bicarbonate thing without me. We already listened to the song. Multiple Times.

Lazy Homeschooling on my part. Yeah Me.

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I used the water sprinklers today. I usually opt NOT to,because I always forget to turn them off in time. I didn't do too badly with it today. I asked Ki to turn them off for me when I realized it was past time to stop the water flowing in the yard.

I joined Goodreads.com and spent time updating my Book List. Then I read a new book. And fell asleep.

The dinner plan today is LASAGNA with turkey meat .
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Almonds, Chocolate, and Bacon

Ki made chocolates for Brian for Father's Day. He melted chocolate chips in a 'double boiler' in the microwave, dark chocolate. He added almonds and sea salt and used the candy mold he got from Grammy. It makes little squares. about 1" x 2" I guess.
I made scrambles eggs in 3 parts, for breakfast, for Brian, Gavin, and Connor . The batch with onions/peppers cooked IN to them, the batch with onions added at the end, the batch with nothing added. [b/c she likes to spoil her men]

Looks like it might be thick orange juice, all frothy and cold......


.... but it is eggs, all scrambled and ready to cook.


That picture is gross and awesome at the same time!
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I forgot to bring my camera to church to get a picture of the painted window that matches my toenails. I made earring, bracelet, & necklace to pick up the oranges ins my blue dress, to coordinate with my toenails. Margie would be so proud of me.


I made other things, too. A set in Purple, and in Green, and in Pink. I remember my dad making jewelry when I was little. We'd go to festivals and fairs and he'd sell them. I have a few pieces he made. I remember him polishing stones in the rock tumbler and falling asleep to that sound some nights.



I may need to find a friend for the pink set. which is more pink than the picture shows. The flash whited it out some.
Brian requested BLTs for dinner. Hence the BACON part of the title. But all we have is Turkey Bacon and he & the boys opted against stopping at the store for pig bacon. I think we actually have about 6 slices, so Brian will get that.
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HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!Brian is enjoying some game time on the computer. He got the TV fixed yesterday. We had been without a television since Christmas. That is when broke. The day my boys finally got a Gaming System. We have never had a gaming system, no gameboys or anything. They got Xbox & Kinnect for Christmas, turned the TV on to hook it up, and It went blank; dead in the water. It was kind of funny actually; the TV dying the very day we finally get a gaming system to play.
The boys got the Xbox hooked up and are playing a car racing game.
I am about to scream and scratch my skin off and my eyeballs out. I do NOT think I can handle the sound. at. all.


Computer, TV, Bacon, Gaming.... a boy can't ask for much more than that, even a boy in his 40s.

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THOUGHTS for THURSDAY

[I think...] The Time Traveler's Wife was not enjoyable. way too much "Chick-Flick" (and too much kissing). not enough Sci-fi (or good sci-fi)
[I think...] I did enjoy spending snuggly time with Brian while watching said unenjoyable movie. Brian painted sunsets on my toenails the other night. I thought I'd be nice and get a movie he'd like. Brian likes those romance flicks, sometimes. We both like Sci-Fi. I would rather gouge out my eyes than watch a Chick-Flick. This one- the sci-fi bit was a dorky disguise to get people to watch a Chick-Flick. So, I guess the book was the same. Chick-Lit with a cheap Sci-Fi overlay.
[I think...] my boys will appreciate it if I write a dinner menu for next week, so it's not all "get your own food when you are hungry, because I don't have anything in mind to make for dinner".
[I think...] I prefer a Word-for-Word translation of the Bible, as opposed to a Thought-for-Thought. How can people today decide they know what the writers where really thinking?
[I think...] crackers are good for tummy aches, but I'm not sure why. I have been getting random stomach aches lately. usually after I eat.
[I think...] I need to cut dairy out of my diet - completely.
[I think...] It is not for us to Make Our Kids have a Love for Reading. We shouldn't make them want to be a doctor because we are/wanted to be. We shouldn't make them love dinosaurs because we do. Why should it be any different with reading. A Love For ______ should come from the individual; their personal thoughts, abilities, desires. No where else do hear about parents working to make their kids love something like that (well, not usually).
-- I love to read, so I do read. To my kids, to myself, I have books and teach my kids to read and how to find books about what they like, I share my love by taking them to the library and exposing them to books and literature. But whether or not they LOVE to read is up to them. I love God, but do not want to make my boys love God. I want to share with them my love for God and hope they decide to love Him as I do. I just don't get how we are to MAKE our kids love things. They will love things of their own choices; which we can influence of course.
[I think...] my boys are making a big mess, right now, cooking dinner. I am glad they are doing the cooking though. They decided to cook ALL of the spaghetti, the strainer was too small, the LARGEST bowl was too small. Noodles are hanging from drawer and counter and strewn across the floor.

[I think...] I need to clean the cupboard in the bathroom.
[I think...] more people need to comment on my blog.[I think...] maybe I should write more interesting blog entries.

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SHELLS & FLAG BURNING

Today, I took the boys to Shell Beach. It's about their favorite beach. There really isn't much sand or waves. But there are rocks and caves and tide pools... and... sometimes an octopus. But not today.
Their Friend Tyler came. Bringing friends with us on outings is a bit different at these ages. Tyler is a college freshman.
They swam in the seaweed all the way out to the Seagull rock. Where all the seagulls roost.
It was a long trek through cold and murky waters. very cold. and seaweed-y.
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we celebrated Flag day by burning our American Flag. It seemed wrong, but all the places I read about said that is the way to dispose of an American Flag that is no longer in good enough shape to be flying/hung. Hopefully we did it correctly.**********************************************
We got back into our Chemistry Lessons- yesterday. I forgot to buy lye. I need lye for out experiment. Maybe I can buy some lye tomorrow.
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You have cat litter on your lips

conversation with husband went something like this:
He is cleaning off his desk area
HIM: I assume you still want this lipstick (he found while cleaning and is opening to look at it)
ME: not if it's covered in cat litter
HIM: EEEWW. Why is there cat litter on this?!
ME: I didn't say there was cat little on it.. I said IF. I don't know what is on it.
HIM: Then what is this stuff all over it? (bringing it to me)
ME: Oh, that's superglue from when we were fuming for fingerprints.
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Tomorrow the boys and I delve back into our Chemistry Lessons. And maybe some Latin.
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Our pastor is preaching on the greatness of sex this summer.
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Coupon Update:

Good News: Saving 50% on Probiotic Drinks. Bad News: 50% is $13- meaning the normal amount is $26 (then add tax). . . ouch.

and the two extra coupons that were SAVE $1 each- for a total savings of $15

Hey, it's not much I guess (considering the whole amount with vitamin purchase and our 'healthy cookie treat'- but without Normal Sunday Paper Coupons-I have to take what I can get.
SO, if anyone wants to get coupons for a non-dairy, non-soy, vegan Probiotics Drink (little 2 oz shots)Let me email a referal to you so we both get coupons.
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Now that I have had my bike ride and bought my healthy foods,it is time to drive to Starbucks and redeem my FREE DRINK coupon!


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My 31 Days to Clean page and the 61 Days of Couponing Page have both been updated.
Brian & Connor are still out of state. I miss them.
Gavin & Ki helped out at church today. We stayed both services so they could help at the BBQ and Kids Classes. I helped out in the nursery 2nd Service. There ended up only being1 kid and the other lady held him because he cried himself to sleep.
Nothing astounding to write today. Remember to check out my challenge pages if you are interested.


Gavin got a haircut.

Church Music??

I should be cleaning the windows downstairs. I went downstairs to clean. I even went to play some music to keep me from wandering too far mentaly which leads to physical wandering... and, look, I am already distracted by something shiny and no longer downstairs, but in my bedroom typing this.
I could have typed it from the downstairs computer, but I'd have to find my blog, then sign in. On my laptop, I am already signed in and my blog is a link from mt homepage.
See, I was looking for some music to play when I was suddenly hit with a story to tell you.
I was on the PC downstairs and opened up a new window for YouTube. KKi's account was signed in already, so I checked to see if he had any playlists.
He did.Weird Al playlistAvatar (cartoon) ListThen I saw Church Music.
Awww, how sweet! My little boy made a playlist for Church Music! It made my heart smile.
I opened it and started reading through his songs.Some DC Talk SongsSome Worship Music SongsBon Jovi- Livin' on a PrayerHillsong HosanaMusic
back upWhat was that last one? Before that?That made my mouth smile. and laugh.
And I just had to come share that with you.Bon Jovi is Church Music to a 14 yr old who thinks they are singing about relying on God and praying.

OK.I can go back to cleaning now. But not to that song. I use to like it when it first came out. Then it was played on the radio over and over and over and over day after day when it first came out. I still can't listen to it.

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Playing Catch Up

We've been home since Monday night.
Game Weekend in LA was fun. (*pictures in previous post)
Julianna- those are little plastic pyramids in that last picture- part of the games I run at Gaming Conventions.[LOONEY PYRAMIDS]
Here's a quick overview:We were gone may 12-May 20th: San Francisco then Amtgard Camp.
We were home May20th-23rd. I caught up on laundry, cleaned a bit in the house, and mostly recovered from a respiratory thing I caught on the trip.
We left early May 24th and returned home late on May 27th.
I have been running errands.
Today, Connor and Brian left for Omaha. They will be back in a week.
I am now, FINALLY, ready to get moving on my 31 Days to Clean and on my 61 Days of Coupons. You can follow along on their Pages.
There has been a TEEN HOMESCHOOL group formed. Once homeschool kids reach about 13 or 14, they become a very rare breed. We stopped going to homeschool functions because they were all trips geared towards 5-10 yr olds. It'll be nice having some older kids for the boys to hang with. Today we are meeting at the skate park. My boys are still older than most I think, but not buy much. Today the list of kids planned to come are Gavin-17, D-15, Ki-14, A-12, S-11. (I forget Scarlett's actual age, I think it is 11)
Leave me a note. I am bored and am already missing Connor & Brian.


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Wordless Wednesday