I have not blogged much about what has been going on with us so I'll do a catch-up.
I've been trying REALLY hard to keep the house clean. On Thursday I had a lot done. Bathrooms cleaned, all the laundry done and put away. Kitchen picked up, swept, mopped, dishes done. House dusted. Beds made. Living room and kids room clean. All I needed to do was vacuum but as I started on the living room the belt broke. Okay, I can manage that. I take it apart, to make sure that was really the problem and it is. There is a HUGE amount of hair wrapped around the brush-turning-thing so I get an exact-o knife and cut if all off. The next day I go to Walmart. Buy what doesn't look like the right one, looks too small, but only one that is close. Get home. It is the wrong one. I meant to bring the broken belt with me but left it on the counter-top by mistake.
Saturday we go to the Gene Autry Museum to see some friends perform in a program with sponsors like Music LA, Disney and some cultural groups. The performance is of children that took Native American dance and music classes. They were 10 week classes and this performance was the final day. Afterwards we explored the Gene Autry Museum. We have been there once before but it was a docent-led tour so we did not get to see the whole thing at our leisure. A neighborhood kid, Brice, came with us as well. I forgot my camera at home so I didn't get to take any pictures at all.
We got home and some friends with their eight kids stopped by that we saw at the Gene Autry Museum. They were suppose to bring pizza and hang out but they had some money problems so that didn't happen. So, I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for all the kids, including Brice and my kids. I put out some grapes and a veggie platter too. I went through 3 loaves of bread and more then 1/2 of a 64 oz container of peanut butter!
After they hung out, played for a few hours, etc, I had them all leave because D & K had to get up early Sunday to go somewhere with their dad.
Is it no wonder that after 11 kids being here for a few hours that my house is a disaster, again?
Today my dad stopped by and he helped the kids and do some gardening. We pruned back the rosemary and lavender bushes. We FILLED the yard can all the way full and filled 1/2 of the regular trash can too. Dumped some top soil in the long planter next to our wall (the city made the neighbor but it in or bring the wall height down lower).
I got both bathrooms cleaned, again, D & K's rooms cleaned (those took a LONG TIME) and my room cleaned. Dishes were done this am but need to be done again from meals today and I cleaned out the fridge some. But, at least, the floors are empty and I can walk around again.
In the eve Little D was bored but was grounded from the computer and tv so I told him to go plant some seeds (he asked about a week ago if he could use that planter for his own garden). This didn't pop into his head and he was so excited he ran up and hugged me! (that feels nice!)!!!
I got the bag of seeds out that I have and let him pick through them.
He decided on pumpkin, cucumber, red broom corn (used to make brooms or more for looks then to eat) and some sunflowers (giant and mammoth varieties). I also gave him a package of marigolds to spread between the plants. Bugs hate the smell of marigolds so this is a natural bug repellent.
I read him the directions and explained them and gave him a small shovel and let him have at it.
Baby K wanted to plant too so I gave her a variety of bulbs to pick through and let her plant them in the front planter. She took one of each bag and 'forgot' that I told her one bulb per hole so it will be interesting to see how crowded they are when they come up. She had about 6 bags of bulbs and planted all of them in an area of about 2x3 feet! LOL! I have more so I am going to plant more in the next day or so across the rest of the planter (it is about 12 feet long). I also have 4-5 packages of wild flowers that I am going to plant in the front planter, that is on the grass area. The window to the garage is above it and I don't really see the planter much but it does face the street and all there is in there now is a rose bush on each side and a lot of grass mixed with California poppies growing in the middle.
Last week the Snow Fairies (a girl's group baby K is in at West Valley Park Day) had a decorate a cake day. All the girls decorated their own cakes with loads of frosting, sprinkles, candy edibles, etc. They had fun doing it and even more fun eating them!
On the 16Th we went to the Reagan Library for President's Day. It was raining and got crowded quick (we parked fairly close but still 10 minutes after it started and the parking lot was full). We took the shuttle to the entrance and did some of the crafts and activities. Little D enjoyed listening to an Abraham Lincoln impersonator talk about his life growing up, being a president, slavery, etc. Baby K did some crafts, making a colonial hat and a star-penny necklace. We played a game of Presidential Bingo and I WON! WHOO HOOO! I am not one to win at games too often and the game had just begun so it was a nice surprise. I was able to pick one prize out of a whole table of items. I picked out A Different Drummer. My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan by Michael K. Deaver. It is an unabridged set on cd and read by the author. It is still sealed in plastic so, the money-earning person I am, I am going to sell it on eBay! :-)
I have been reading some great books for bedtime stories with Little D and Baby K too. I am on Chapter 27 of Inkheart with Little D. He did have a night terror about it about a week ago (woke up screaming about the book and they are going to get him and to close the book). When I told him about it the next day he thought it was funny and remembered none of it- as night terrors usually go. Baby K and I are on book 3 of the Ruby Red Slippers series. I have 4 books in the series. Books 2,3,and 4 I found on Paperback Swap. I just found out there is at least 2 more so I am going to search for them. They are books, about two girls, Hope and Annie, that homeschool and have a dad that travels for business and they (and their mom) often go with him. The girls solve mysteries in each book too. Baby K is enjoying them and it is neat to read about other children that homeschool in a chapter book.
On Friday Baby K also finished her entire 1st grade math book. I asked her lead teacher at Somis for the next one and we need to go down and pick it up! So, she is now starting 2nd grade math. Until I get the new book I am looking at the beginning of Little D's book (he has 6 more chapters left) to see what to do and either giving her pages I have done or pages I created on www.edhelper.com
Tomorrow Baby K has an appointment with the pediatric cardiologist to check on her to see how things have been going with her fainting. It has been okay the last few months. At the last Bottle Village day she got over heated and felt like fainting but that is the first time since the hot days of summer had ended.
Friday we are going Whale Watching with Island Packers. It is a 3-hour excursion and should be a blast! (I got more hugs for this one). It is a group discount with a homeschool group we are in and is only $17 per person. A supplemental curriculum was sent as an attachment email that is 2 pages of ideas and links too. Little D and Baby K have been begging me to go whale watching for about two years now so this will be an exciting trip. My mom and step-dad are going with us too!
I hope to have lots of great photos of that to post! I have other photos too that I will try to post soon!
:-)
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