End of July Update

Can you believe it is time to wrap up July? Here are some brief thoughts, pics that didn't get posted, and updates on various items mentioned earlier this month.

While Kat and Miss Munchkin were here two weekends ago, we visited the beach. I did not think to check for beach advisories before we left, so we were rather disappointed to discover one when we got there. That meant no swimming. It was hot and sticky and there was no breeze and it was not much fun if you couldn't get into the water. Miss Munchkin played some with her sand and shovel and chased some birds, but we did not stay very long. Next time Grandma will remember to check online for advisories.

I keep telling her Mommy that she needs a haircut!

Penny Update - I took Penny back to the vet on the 23rd for a follow-up. She was doing better and then she wasn't, so the vet decided to do an x-ray to see if she had any kidney stones. Good news: no stones. (Bad news: wasted money on an x-ray!) The vet decided that she likely has a leakage problem that is fairly common with spayed females of her age and size. So she is now on a twice-daily dose of something to prevent bladder leakage. It does seem to be working, which is good news for my carpets! Now to retrieve my rug cleaner when I go back to Alabama next month.

We had a lot of rain yesterday, maybe close to two inches. The pond in the apartment complex is much higher this morning and Mr. Alligator is having fun cruising around. He seems to be enjoying the higher water level. And I notice this morning that the bird that has been fishing around the pond the last week was now staying out of the water, just fishing from the stone bank. Maybe Mr. Bird is more concerned about Mr. Alligator now that Mr. Alligator is getting around the pond more quickly? I don't know what the bird is, maybe a heron or egret. I will try to get a pic tomorrow.

The boys signed up for Kenpo Karate last week. Now they just need to get into a routine again, hopefully one that will not involve me doing all the driving! With David as a driver now, it would seem like I should be able to stay at home when they go.

I have been working on updating my Alabama Church School listings the past several days. Each summer I contact every church school listed (and many, many that are not listed) in my attempt to have the most up-to-date listing of church schools online for Alabama homeschoolers. It is a lot of work, but necessary. There are just so many lists online that are not up-to-date, with inaccurate URL's, e-mail addresses that no longer work, and church schools mentioned that no longer exist.

David's Freshman English class ends next week. It appears that he is doing well in it, perhaps even a B average. That would be great, compared to how he did last year at Evansville. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

And I think that is it for the updates! Tomorrow is August 1st. That is my Grammy's birthday, or would have been if she were still alive. I should make molasses cookies in her memory; she always made the most delicious molasses cookies! I wonder if I have her recipe with me or if it is packed away back in Alabama?

CTCL - Colleges That Change Lives

They are making the rounds again, those Colleges That Change Lives guys. I received an e-mail today announcing their fall tour schedule.

If you have a child planning college in the near (or not so near) future, you need to read the book that this tour is based upon and you really should make plans to attend one of their information sessions / college fairs. What book, you ask? Colleges That Change Lives, 40 Schools you should know bout even if you're not a straight-A student, by Loren Pope. Pope's book has been very informative and useful the last several years as our children have considered and/or planned for college. Read my review of Colleges That Change Lives and you will begin to understand why I like this book so much.

I do suggest that you and your college-planning child read the book before attending an information session. Most of the forty colleges will have a table and at least one representative at the college fair, oftentimes more than one representative. If you have not read the book, you really won't know which college table to visit and what questions to ask. So finish that Harry Potter book and grab a copy of Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives!

Blame it on …

Molly over at Dark Oak Woman. She is continually posting these things on her blog and of course I can't resist them!

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Harry Potter Mania

I know, I know. All the non-HP fans around the world are tired of hearing about Harry Potter mania. I'm sorry. I tried not writing about it, truly I did. But since we are all immersed here in HP, I couldn't seem to come up with anything else to write about.

Charles and I have been rereading the series in preparation of Year 7 coming out. I just began Year 5 yesterday and Charles is on Year 3. Both of us are determined to finish the series all the way through. We did that the when Year 6 came out and that is what we are doing again this time around.

Kat was visiting over the weekend (along with Miss Muchkin) and she became so caught up in our conversations about the previous books that she began to read the series. She had read the first three or four, but none after 2003. So she started Year 1 and took Year 2 home with her.

David, on the other hand, just dove in Saturday afternoon when our copy of Year 7 arrived and began reading. He finished Year 7 yesterday afternoon and now walks around with the smile of a superior being that knows how the series ends. And the frustration of not being able to talk to anyone about it!

It is amazing how many books this HP series has sold! The first twenty-four hours of its release it sold 5,000 books per minute! Per minute!!! Can you imagine? A book! A children's book at that! It is simply amazing.

I would love to be reading the series right now, but as a responsible adult, I am doing adult things instead. I have taken my morning walk, balanced my checkbook, answered a couple of e-mails, and repotted several plants this morning. Instead of 10 African violets, I know have 15. I ran out of potting soil or I probably would have turned 10 into 18 or so, since I still have two plants which need repotting. Potting, Potter, hmmm… I do believe I have HP on the brain, a disease for which there is an easy cure. It's lunchtime … I do believe it is permissible for a responsible adult to read during lunch! Cheerio!

Bears!

Some bear sightings over at Adventures with Miss Munchkin. Oh, did I say sightings? I meant signings!

Our Morning Walk

I have never been a morning person. You would think that after forty-eight years of practice, the whole morning thing would be easier, but it's not. I really do not have anything against morning per se, it just would be so much more enjoyable if it would come later in the day! We could begin the day with afternoon (or even midday) and maybe then I would wake up with energy and the ability to speak in more than monosyllables. My husband says that will never happen, the waking up with energy and speaking coherently part. At least he has slowly learned not to ask me questions in the morning or tell me anything important and expect me to remember the conversations. Instead, he waits an hour or so and then e-mails me from work.

In the past, mornings have meant that I get up while Bill shaved, made my way to the kitchen, cooked his egg, packed whatever food he was taking with him that day, and gave him a kiss as he headed out the door to work. And then I would lock the door, turn the kitchen light back off and crawl back in to bed. I might just lay there, listening to the news, dozing off and on for half an hour or so and then get back up and head for the shower. Or I might have actually fallen back to sleep for an hour and then woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go. That extra hour of sleep always seemed to help bring coherent thought to my brain.

That was the routine most mornings, until we moved here to Tallahassee. Here we live in an apartment and cannot just open the door and let our dog go out to the yard. Instead, the dog needs walking in the morning. Ugh. Even though a boy walked her just a few hours earlier, she seems to think she needs a walk at 7 a.m. And since I don't really want to clean up any dog messes inside, it's up to me to walk her. So, I do all the same routine, except now when Bill goes out the door, Penny (the dog) and I go with him, walk him to his car, and then continue on our morning constitutional.

Now if Penny could just get her business done in the first five minutes, I could easily find my way back into bed. But no, that does not seem possible. Instead, we walk and we walk some more, all while she sniffs here and there. I am never quite sure if she is still sniffing the armadillo she tried to chase the night before, or sniffing where other dogs have been, or just trying to find THE spot that suits her to get her business done. But by the time she finds that spot, I am noticing the freshness of the air, the blueness of the sky, the flower I didn't see yesterday. In short, I am waking up. Oh no!

This week, since the vet said that Penny needs to lose at least ten pounds (and we won't talk about how many I need to lose), I have been taking Penny on a longer walk in the mornings. Instead of turning around and heading back to the apartment when she is done with her business, we continue on our walk. We head down to the pond to see if the alligator (or is it a crocodile) is visible in the water. We walk up the steps by the pond, admiring the blooms on the crepe myrtle. We walk around by the pool to see if anyone is there this early in the morning (not usually). And eventually, after about twenty minutes or so, we make our way back home. Penny is ready for her breakfast and I am ready to begin my day. It is really quite pleasant, our morning walk, if only it didn't come so early in the day!

The pond and one of the buildings in our apartment complex.

One of the weeping willows around the pond.

Part of the pathway around the pond. There are always cobwebs across the stairs in the mornings when I go up them!

The fountain comes on about 7:45 a.m. and is on till very late in the evening. It's very lit up at night and makes for a very peaceful and relaxing walk.

Mr. Alligator. Charles had told me there was one in the pond, but I had not seen him until my early morning walks this week. The pond area is fenced in, so he should not pose a danger to anyone.

A close-up of the crepe myrtle near the steps coming from the pond area.

One of the very large trees that grow between our building and the main road. This is the view from the stairs next to our door.

Signing Update

Miss Munchkin continues with her signing adventure. A new post today at Adventures With Miss Munchkin. You think she might be telling Mommy it's time for another visit with Grandma?

Another Chat Success

About three weeks ago, maybe four, someone on chat mentioned that they had used the Signing Times program with their toddler with good success. At the time my daughter was experiencing some difficulties with Miss Munchkin's temper and I thought that might be due, in part, to Miss Munchkin's inability to make her needs known. So I checked out the Signing Time website and ordered the Baby Signing Time gift set and had it shipped to my daughter. It seems they are a big success! Check out Adventures With Miss Munchkin, July 15th post, for Kat & Miss Munchkin's experience with them.

And a big thank you to the chat member (sorry, I don’t remember who it was) who mentioned the Signing Times DVDs.

St. George Island

I think we celebrated our anniversary a week late. Yesterday we drove down the coast to Eastpointe and met a work acquaintance of Bill's for lunch at That Place on 98. It was a delicious lunch. We had Peel & Eat Shrimp for an appetizer. Bill had Oysters Rockefeller and a salad and I ordered a cup of Gumbo and their Greek Salad. Tallahassee and the coast here seems to have quite a Greek influence in it's food and the Greek Salad was scrumptious. I need to try the Greek peppers. They look like Jalapeno peppers, which are too hot for me. I didn't try them yesterday, but I will next time I order a Greek Salad. And while I'm not a big fan of oysters, the Oysters Rockefeller was very good.

After our lunch, Bill's acquaintance headed back to Pensacola and we went on to St. George Island to walk off all that food. It was a nice day, not too hot and a very strong breeze, strong enough that you needed to walk down where the sand was wet. The dry sand hurts when the wind whips it against your bare legs! Here's some pictures of the beach at St. George Island State Park.

Homeschool Chat on Friday the 13th

Chat was a lot of fun today, even if it was a Friday the 13th! We had a couple of new visitors and some visitors that have not been to chat in quite a while. Our Texas members seemed glad that it was not raining, while the Alabama members were equally as glad that it was raining! And I think our resident Londoner was saying that they had had more rain than usual. We even had a homeschooler from the Netherlands join us this morning. We spent a bit talking about how Amsterdam is laid out in a circle and what homeschooling is like for an Amsterdam teen. We truly had an International Homeschool Chat this morning!

The topic of the day ended up being books. Crystal wanted to know what books we had found to be essential over the years for our homeschool library. She asked for books we could not live without, books that we loved and/or books that had great pictures. Since this was Crystal's topic, we geared it towards the age of her children, twelve and under, but I think we slipped a few in that would be for older children too. And a few webpages and other resources were brought up also. Here are the recommends that were mentioned today:

Fiction

• Anything by Tamora Pierce
• The Book That Jack Wrote by Jon Scieszka
• Cheaper By The Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.
• The Wrinkle in Time series by Madeline L'Engle
• Bryan Jacques Redwall books
• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• My Father's Dragon (& its sequels) by Ruth Stiles Gannett
• The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt
• Wolf Story by William McCleery and Warren Chappell
• My Side of the Mountain and others by Jean Craighead George
• Books by Elizabeth George Speare
• Hatchett and others by Gary Paulsen
• Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles
• Books by Beverly Cleary
• The Secret of Nimh
• The Borrowers
• Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris

Non-Fiction

• Eyewitness Books
• World Book Encyclopedia

Math

• Anything by Theoni Pappas
• Anything by Marilyn Burns
• How Math Works by Carol Volderman
• Reader's Digest How Math Works"
• Math On Call, A Mathematics Handbook ISBN: 0-669-45770-1

Science

• The Way Things Work by David McCauley
• Growing Up With Science Encyclopedia
• Reader's Digest How Science Works
• Reader's Digest How The Universe Works

History

• Timeline from Sonlight
• Timeline stickers
• Joy Hakim's History of US series

Economics

• The Richard Maybury series

English

• Words on the Vine by Claudia Vurnakes

Poetry

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Classics

• Treasure Island
• Peter Pan
• Swiss Family Robinson
• Tales from Arabian Nights
• Uncle Remus
• Aesop's Fables
• Don Quixote
• Grimm's Fairy Tales
• The Three Musketeers
• The Hobbit by Tolkein
• C.S. Lewis's Narnia series
• Misty of Chincoteague by Margeurite Henry
• Charlotte's Web
• Shakespeare

Other Resources

• Sonlight'sReading Lists
• Chinaberry's catalog
• Comic Book Creator
• GameMaker's Apprentice software
• Storybook Weaver software
• The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

And finally, this blog was mentioned for it's July 12th post of veggie art: Altogether too happy

Visit Two

The boys visited The American Karate Studios. They had a quick private lesson to learn a couple of forms and then joined in on the evening Adults class. This dojo has a much different style than the one they visited Wednesday evening. Again, some things are similar to what they are used to doing at their old dojo and other things are very different. If they were to join, it would be the same as the other, they would need to begin at white belt and would work their way up the ranks as quickly as they were able to catch on. The cost of each place is about the same. I have not heard a final verdict yet, but I think the boys are leaning towards going with the first dojo they visited.

Visit One

Last night the boys joined in on an hour class at the Kenpo Karate & Kickboxing Center. They were assessing whether they wanted to join there and, at the same time, the instructor was assessing their skills and style. The style of karate seems very similar to what they are used to, but not exactly the same. Charles tells me that there is no such thing as a standard karate, that every dojo has it's own style. If they decide to join there, they will have to begin at white belt level, even though they both have black belts already. But Master Ingle (the owner) said that, based upon the skills he saw, they would move up through the ranks very quickly. They rank based upon accomplishment of skills and not based upon any time frame.

I was pleased that both boys said they should still try the second dojo we checked out, even though they were favorably impressed with this first place. It's been nice to listen to them explain what they are looking for and the plusses and minuses of each place we have visited. We have left the choice up to them, as they are the ones with the experience and knowledge upon which to base a choice. Tonight we will visit the second place and then the boys will make their choice.

I am still figuring out the traffic patterns here in Tallahassee and how to judge how long it will take to get somewhere. So much depends upon whether it is rush hour and how many red lights you hit. Tallahassee has the longest stoplights I have ever experienced. You can sit several minutes if you pull up to a light just as it is turning red. Tuesday when we went to first check out the two dojos, it only took us about 25 minutes to get to the first one. Last night it took 45 minutes, which meant that we were just a bit late. Part of that was because it was later in the afternoon and we got caught in rush hour traffic. And part was due to the fact that I took what appeared to be a more direct route, which was obviously a mistake. The side streets would have gotten us there much faster. I am still trying to decide how much time to give for getting to this second place tonight. It is further away, but there are fewer side street options.

On another note, Penny is feeling better. She is more energetic when she goes outside and less smelly inside. This morning we took a very long walk, going around the whole complex once. We usually take that walk in the evening, but I am trying to up her exercise level (and mine!). By 7:15, when we began our walk, it was already 78 degrees and 80% humidity. We have gone several days now without any rain, so this weekend's forecast of 60% chance of rain sounds good. Of course, that means thunderstorms, not just a general rain. Supposedly July is the wettest month of the year here, but like most of the southeast, we are still in a drought situation. So any rain sounds good!

Cosmic Joke?

Bill's last day of employment at his previous employer was May 15th. We finally received the COBRA package today, July 11th. The very same day we received our new health insurance cards and plan information from his new employer. Good timing, eh? I guess we don't need to worry about the COBRA coverage after all! Now I can spend more time figuring out how to deal with the 401k funds! Will the paperwork that goes along with a move and job change never end? Tomorrow David and I have appointments to get our new Florida driver's license. Yup, that is what I said, appointments. Made online! I wonder if that will speed up the process any at the office? I'll report back tomorrow on that.

Doggie Spa

I had to find a new vet Monday. Penny (our dog) had an obvious kidney/bladder infection that needed attention. There is a veterinary just down the street from us, the Animal Hospital & Pet Resort of Southwood, formerly the Seminole Animal Health Clinic. After reading some reviews online, I decided to try them out. They were very nice and thorough. I do not think Penny has received that much attention from a vet in her whole life (she's ten years old). I know she has never had her temperature taken before! Penny did very well, though, only being reduced to a quivering mass of jelly a couple of times.

I was more than a bit shocked at the total bill. Our old country vet back home spoiled me, I guess, in not charging for every little thing he could think of. But then, he did not usually do much more than look Penny over and pronounce her a dog, so I guess I shouldn't complain about the amount of care she received. She is feeling much better already, so the money was well spent. And we go back in two weeks for a follow-up. I wonder how much that will cost?

What I found greatly amusing was the "Pet Resort" aspect. I brought home a paper detailing what was included in the price of a "Resort Stay" for your pet (you can see some of the features on their website). Bill and I found it hilarious. It's good to know that the pet will have a TV and DVD in their suite, in addition to a "Complimentary Bath" and "Daily Maid Service." But maybe I shouldn't laugh too much. Already we have discovered that having an indoor dog that needs walking every few hours curtails how long we can be gone from home. Should we all want to leave for an overnight trip, we will likely have to take advantage of that lovely Pet Resort right down the street!

Anniversary Update

So, did we do anything special for our anniversary? Yes and no. We got Chinese take-out for supper, not the cheap buffet places, but take-out from an expensive, sit-down restaurant, the Ming-Tree Chinese Restaurant on East Lafayette Street. That was where we went to eat our very first night in our apartment here. David likes it because they have lamb dishes. Spicy lamb dishes! Anyway, we brought our take-out home and watched the Daytona 400. What an ending to that race! Bill's brother was supposed to have been in the grandstands watching and it certainly would have been a good one to see live! But it was equally as nice watching it at home sitting next to my hubby of twenty-eight years.

Site Feed Working Now!

I finally got my site feed setting correct, so you can now subscribe to my site. Just scroll down and you will see
"Subscribe to Posts [Atom]"
on the right hand side, below the Archives section. Click on that and you can use your favorite reader to keep up-to-date with the LeapingFromTheBox Blog. I use Google Reader, but there are many other reader services available.

Twenty-eight Years!

Hard to believe that twenty-eight years ago today we were in the midst of our wedding celebrations. It was a day much like today, blue sky, fluffy white clouds, although not quite as hot, thank goodness! It was a perfect July New York summer day. I wish I had a picture to post of our wedding day, but they are all still packed away.

How are we celebrating today, you ask? Well, so far we have watched a race (the rain-delayed Busch race) and walked the dog a couple of times, Bill has worked on a computer and I have done several loads of laundry … it's an exciting life we lead! And since the Daytona race events begin around 5 p.m., I doubt we will even go out to dinner today. Maybe we will do something more exciting tomorrow, if Bill gets done with the computer he's working on!

Fourth of July

I meant this to go up on the 5th. Oh well, better late than never.

Here's the way to celebrate July 4th. Spend a couple of hours at the beach with your children and grandchild, walking, wading and swimming. Pick up some steamed crab legs, shrimp cocktail and cheesecake on the way home. Eat supper. And then enjoy your granddaughter's delight as she experiences her first firework. Priceless!