I've been tagged!

My Whedon-loving cyber friend Lori over at http:/// tagged me with this meme. I've done one similar to this before, but as there are A LOT of quirky things about me, I could possibly do this every single day and not run out of material ;D

Here are the rules:
1) Link to the person who tagged me.
2) Mention the rules.
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself.
4) Tag six other blogger´s by linking to them.
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

1. My hubby says that I'm part monkey because if I can pick something up off the floor with my toes instead of having to bend over and pick it up with my hands, I will.

2. When I'm stressed, I tend to not "talk" to anybody, on the phone, on-line, or otherwise (unless they live in my house ;) Whenever I drop off the internet for a few days, it's because I'm stressed (probably because of my mother ;P

3. I need alone time. Don't get me wrong, I love being with my family and friends, but in order for me to work at my optimum level, I need time by myself to recharge. At least once a week I try to get out of the house and go browse the thrift stores, take in a movie, or grab a book and head out for lunch someplace that *I* get waited on ;D

4. I love, love, love British TV shows. Robin Hood, Dr. Who, Vicar of Dibley (no, no, no, no, no, yes - Emma will get it ;), Fawlty Towers, Fry and Laurie, Jeeves and Wooster - I could go on and on!

5. I have a bunch of homeschooling articles that I've written lying around in notebooks all over the house. Usually, the urge to write will hit as I'm drifting off to sleep, and nearly the whole thing will pop into my head at once. Then I have to jump out of bed, grab a pen and paper, and write it down before I forget it. My family thinks it's nuts that I write these things and don't do anything with them, but I'm just too chicken to send them in to any magazines. Maybe someday.

6. Before moving back to Oregon last year, I gave hubby the option of chucking it all, selling everything we owned, and moving to Africa. He thought I was nuts, but truth be told, if he'd have said yes we'd be there right now :D

OK, this is the part where I'm supposed to tag 6 people, but instead I'm going to leave it up to you guys. If you want to play along, leave me a comment and let me know!

Happy Early Birthday Gift to Me!

So, this year for our birthday my mom sent hubby and I a little cash. We did what anyone would do with a sudden influx of moolah...


...we bought an island.



No, not that kind of island (silly people ;)

This kind:

When we bought this house I was tickled that the kitchen was about twice the size of our last one. What I had failed to notice while being blinded by the massive amounts of natural light, vaulted ceiling and plant shelves was that, while being quite large, it was lacking in counter space and cupboards. Not a good thing for a family that does lots of cooking!

So for the past year I have been stalking Craigslist looking for an island that: 1. Was in our price range (i.e. cheap!), 2. fit in the space we had for it, 3. had a large enough surface to actually work on, and 4. had enough cupboard and shelf space to fit all that I needed it to fit.

Yesterday I finally found what I was looking for. I can't help myself, I run my hand over it every time I walk in the kitchen ;D Believe it or not, this thing holds my Kitchenaid mixer, crock pot, waffle iron, blender, a case of Mountain Dew (always on hand lest I be faced with a caffeine-free hubby), bread machine, case of water, and my cast iron cookware. And I haven't even put anything in the drawers yet!>

Wordless Wednesday

(OK, nearly WW)

This is why I rarely let my guys help me with laundry :D

Fish Orgy

That's right, I said FISH ORGY!

When we drained the pond last fall, all of the fish had to be caught. Seemed like an easy thing at the time, until we realized just how many fish there were! It took Mike 2 days to nab them all. We split them between 2 big, blue Rubbermaid totes - each with its own aerator. Well, between the shock and several raccoon raids which left our deck looking like Jonestown: The Morning After, only 9 survived.

When we put them back in the newly re-lined pond last month, they swam around in small circles for awhile. They finally ventured out, then hid behind the flagstones in the pond. We thought they were a bit traumatized by their new, big digs but APPARENTLY they were getting busy at, well, gettin' busy.

I went out to the pond and noticed these tiny little things in the water. I was trying to figure out if they were some kind of larvae (not uncommon in a pond) when I noticed some slightly larger things in the water. Looked an awful lot like little fish. And as if to verify my suspicion, an even bigger one swam by me.

That's right: not one, not two, but THREE batches of baby fish have been born since we put the fish back in the pond! The range anywhere in size from a 1/2 inch to 1.5 inches long. I'm sure you're thinking "Awwww! How cute!"

Did I mention that there's well over 100 new little fishies in the pond?? NOW we're on the same page.

Anybody want any fish?? They're free :D

My Little Boy is Growing Up. Sniff.

Well, it happened. Today my little boy lost his last baby tooth. Like the universe is trying to put an exclamation point on the fact that he will officially be a teenager in a couple of weeks. At this point my guys are used to my becoming all blubbery whenever another milestone passes. They have a great bit of fun teasing me about it, too. I can't help it, I tell you!

Now excuse me while I go pinch his cheeks and hug him until he runs screaming for his room ;D

YAR!

This month for book group the kids picked the theme of "Pirates", due in large part to the fact that local pirate band Captain Bogg and Salty were going to be playing at the library on the same day as book group. Most of the kids became fans after seeing the band perform as part of the local children's theatre production "Ghosts of Treasure Island" (an adaptation of Treasure Island).

One of the boys, Caleb, had a birthday coming up so his mom arranged with the band ahead of time for them to dedicate a song to him. Caleb's dad was there, too, and was put in charge of photography. About 5 minutes before it was set to start, he informed his wife that the batteries were dead. She was not happy! Especially since they had apparently had a conversation about the camera batteries before they left home, and he had assured her that they were fine. I snapped a few photos of the performance before handing my batteries over to Jeff. We didn't want the poor guy losing his life so close to his son's birthday ;D



Apparently they were afraid the kids would riot.



All the kids in book group had front row seats.


After the "gig" (and after I got my batteries back :) I snapped this shot of Cody getting Capt. Bogg's autograph.



He ended up getting all of the guys pirates to autograph his CD.


Happy, happy kids!

After that, we headed over to the park for book group, lunch and play time. Jarren enlisted Cody to help do a skit showcasing his book selection.



And for your viewing and listening pleasure, here's the video for our favorite Capt. Bogg and Salty song, Pieces of 8ight. (I actually think it sounds 10x better live, but I didn't bring my video camera, so this is what you get ;).

The Messy Truth About Homeschooling

This weeks Friday Freebie over at Makita's place http://4twinklingstars.blogspot.com/ is about homeschool messes.


I have a dream! A dream in which I don't have to navigate around piles of cd-roms and video game discs, comic books, library books and more piled on the floor in an attempt to get to the couch. A dream where I'm not (again!) returning to a sink full of dirty dishes because we have (again!) grabbed a bite before running out the door, leaving no time to clean up. A dream where I'm not constantly tripping over a huge pile of military paraphernalia on the floor (complete with an inactive grenade) from Cody's latest attempt to thwart the evil hordes that seem to constantly try and invade our backyard.

My house used to be clean. No, really! And it used to stay that way all day. Quit laughing! During Cody's short-lived incarceration time in public school we were a one car family. Most days Mike took the car to work, and so I spent my days playing Suzy Homemaker, cooking from scratch and keeping the place clean. That year was the cleanest our house has ever been.

Then we started homeschooling.

I've heard rumors of homeschooling families that live in neat-as-a-pin homes, with children who arise at the crack of down, shower, do all the chores, and are hitting the books by 8:00 a.m.

We're going on our 7th year of homeschooling and I have yet to meet one of these families. And to be frank, I don't think I want to.

I realized very early on that we could have a creative learning environment, or I could drive us all nuts in an attempt to live in a home that was ready for a magazine photo shoot. And to be honest, I would much rather spend my time with Cody playing a board game, going for a walk, going on a field trip, or reading together than living in a spotless house. That's not to say that I don't dream about a perfectly arranged home, or holler at my guys when we reach a point that the house needs to be shoveled out. The one thing about homeschooling - papers and books seem to multiply like bunnies!

We have 6 years left in our homeschool journey. So for now, the Lego creations stay. The 50+ library books stay. The science projects in the kitchen stay. The notebooks full of Cody's writings and drawings stay.

The day will come when Cody leaves home and my house is clean again.

And I'll miss the messes.

Wordless Wednesday

My Favorite Part of Summer

You'd think living in Oregon that my favorite part of summer would be the sunshine and lack of rain. Nope.

It's the berries and the cherries. I could live off them. Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, huckleberries, and cherries. Yummm! I can't get enough of them. I've even been know to eat them until I have an upset stomach, only to wait it out and eat some more.

Since Cody and I were out and about today we stopped off at one of the local produce stands to grab some of the bounty.

Delicious raspberries

did I mention they were HUGE raspberries?

.

Mt. Hood strawberries

and my absolutely, positively favorite type of cherry - Rainier.

So for today, this'll be me ;D

If only...

MSN has an article on what a stay-at-home mom would make, were she actually compensated for all of the jobs that she did.

I asked hubby to guess what the figure was. His guess: $35,000 a year.

The actual total: $138, 095 a year.

I need a raise.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/RaiseKids/ThePriceOfAMom.aspx

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

So I open the paper this morning and start perusing the articles. There's the usual political mish-mash, local chatter about bicyclists vs. motorists (it's a Portland thing ;), and the failing economy. But there's something else as well. Something wonderful....



This photo of everybody's favorite Captain Tight Pants (aka Nathan Fillion) who is starring in Joss Whedon's upcoming web event, "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog". There's also a lovely little article to go with it. I shouldn't really be surprised that it's in the paper. Portland is, after all, home to the Browncoats who started Can't Stop the Serenity (http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com/ ), the yearly charity screening of Joss Whedon's movie Serenity, and home of Dark Horse Comics, who publish Joss's comics.




Pop Talk: Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible,"
by Kristi Turnquist, The Oregonian
Friday July 11, 2008, 3:05 PM
Mutant Enemy Productions

Nathan Fillion in "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog."

Clearly, no expense was spared in the costuming department. JOSSTASTIC!

The man, the myth, the legend that is Joss Whedon -- the large-foreheaded overlord who gave us "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Firefly," "Serenity," the Dark Horse "Buffy" comics and, sheesh, what else do I need to list? -- has singlehandedly saved us from summertime entertainment doldrums. His latest project? The Webalicious "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." What's that? So glad you asked. It's a one-week-only Internet miniseries event! The musical tale of a mad scientist (Neil Patrick Harris) and his superhero adversary (Nathan Fillion) will stream in three chapters, July 15, 17 and 19. And the whole shebang will stay on the site though midnight, July 20. But what is this madness? Let Joss tell it (courtesy of the "Master Plan" section on the site): frustrated during the writers' strike, Whedon "decided to do something very ambitious, very exciting, very mid-life-crisisy. Aided only by everyone I had worked with, was related to or had ever met, I single-handedly created this unique little epic. A supervillain musical, of which, as we all know, there are far too few." Very true. But will Dr. Horrible then disappear into the ether? "No, Dr. Horrible will live on. We intend to make it available for download soon after it's published. This would be for a nominal fee, which we're hoping people will embrace instead of getting all piratey. We have big dreams, people, and one of them is paying our crew." Portlanders, we know you love you some Joss, so check it out.

Wordless Wednesday

A Movie Meme (and some sci-fi geekyness!)

We are HUGE (big, ginormous!) movie buffs here. So when I stumbled upon this meme over at http://www.mamapj.com/ I couldn't resist. So if you're game, play along and leave me a comment so that I can stop by and check out your list :D

Here's how to play:
Copy and paste this list. If you’ve seen the movie, put the title in bold type.

Put asterisks next to the movies you’ve seen and liked.

Pretty simple, huh?

The following list comes from the current double issue of Entertainment Weekly in which they list the 100 best movies of the last 25 years (aka The New Classics).


1. Pulp Fiction 1994
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy 2001-03 *
3. Titanic 1997 (I'm one of the few people who *hated* this movie)
4. Blue Velvet 1986
5. Toy Story 1995 *
6. Saving Private Ryan 1998 *
7. Hannah and Her Sisters 1986
8. The Silence of the Lambs 1991*
9. Die Hard 1988*
10. Moulin Rouge 2001
11. This Is Spinal Tap 1984
12. The Matrix 1999
13. GoodFellas 1990
14. Crumb 1995
15. Edward Scissorhands 1990
16. Boogie Nights 1997
17. Jerry Maguire 1996
18. Do the Right Thing 1989
19. Casino Royale 2006 *
20. The Lion King 1994*
21. Schindler’s List 1993
22. Rushmore 1998
23. Memento 2001 *
24. A Room With a View 1986
25. Shrek 2001*
26. Hoop Dreams 1994
27. Aliens 1986*
28. Wings of Desire 1988
29. The Bourne Supremacy 2004*
30. When Harry Met Sally… 1989*
31. Brokeback Mountain 2005
32. Fight Club 1999*
33. The Breakfast Club 1985*
34. Fargo 1996*
35. The Incredibles 2004 *
36. Spider-Man 2 2004
37. Pretty Woman 1990 *
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004
39. The Sixth Sense 1999 *
40. Speed 1994*
41. Dazed and Confused 1993
42. Clueless 1995*
43. Gladiator 2000 *
44. The Player 1992 *
45. Rain Man 1988
46. Children of Men 2006 *
47. Men in Black 1997 *
48. Scarface 1983
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2000
50. The Piano 1993
51. There Will Be Blood 2007
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad 1988
53. The Truman Show 1998 *
54. Fatal Attraction 1987*
55. Risky Business 1983
56. The Lives of Others 2006
57. There’s Something About Mary 1998 (another one that I absolutely hated)
58. Ghostbusters 1984 *
59. L.A. Confidential 1997 * (one of my top 10 all-time favorite movies)
60. Scream 1996*
61. Beverly Hills Cop 1984*
62. sex, lies and videotape 1989
63. Big 1988*
64. No Country For Old Men 2007
65. Dirty Dancing 1987
66. Natural Born Killers 1994
67. Donnie Brasco 1997
68. Witness 1985*
69. All About My Mother 1999
70. Broadcast News 1987 *
71. Unforgiven 1992 *
72. Thelma & Louise 1991*
73. Office Space 1999*
74. Drugstore Cowboy 1989
75. Out of Africa 1985*
76. The Departed 2006 *
77. Sid and Nancy 1986
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991 *
79. Waiting for Guffman 1996
80. Michael Clayton 2007 *
81. Moonstruck 1987
82. Lost in Translation 2003
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn 1987 *
84. Sideways 2004*
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin 2005
86. Y Tu Mamá También 2002
87. Swingers 1996
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery 1997
89. Breaking the Waves 1996
90. Napoleon Dynamite 2004
91. Back to the Future 1985*
92. Menace II Society 1993
93. Ed Wood 1994
94. Full Metal Jacket 1987 *
95. In the Mood for Love 2001
96. Far From Heaven 2002
97. Glory 1989
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley 1999
99. The Blair Witch Project 1999
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut 1999



60/100 - I guess that's what I get for having tastes that don't fall under the "new classic" guidelines :P

Having said that, I'm so geeking out about the new X-Files movie coming out on July 25!


And having said that, the new season of Stargate-Atlantis starts this Friday, and the new season of Eureka starts July 29, and Stargate-Continuum is released on July 29. Sci-Fi Geeks rejoice! ;D

4th of July and Explicit Baked Goods

Typically we stay at home for the 4th. We're not big on large crowds so going to a fireworks show with several thousand of our closest strangers isn't our idea of a good time. A buddy of hubby's invited us over this year for their annual shindig. Apparently he and his dad are known for their 4th of July blowouts. To give you an idea - he spent $850 on fireworks! And since you can get illegal ones just accross the river, that's what most of them were. I have to say - it was an awesome show! Oh sure, we had fireworks litter raining down on us, we had to occasionaly stop to let the smoke clear (so we could see the next batch), and we had a couple that went awry. But it was great fun and I didn't even have to clean up afterwards ;D



Now on to the 4-0 bash! A couple of weeks back I asked hubby what kind of cake he'd like for his 40th birthday party. I foolishly assumed he'd answer with one of the standards - chocolate, yellow, etc. Um, nope. Barely had I finished my question when the response sprang from his lips. "I want a boobie cake!" Um, OK. Don't know how to make one of those, but that's alright. I can figure it out. A friend had loaned me a half-round cake pan for Cody's planned cake this year (the Death Star), so I figured it would work perfectly for the boobs. I called my friend Jana (who went to culinary school) for advice. How exactly, I asked, does one make flesh colored frosting??

For the next couple of weeks, Jana and I had a ball thinking of ways to do this cake. "Should we make it a realistic cake, with saggy boobs? Since the view will obviously be of someone lying down, should the boobs sit off to the sides?" Hubby quickly intervened with the command "I want them pert and perky!" So then, of course, we talked of hollowing out the boobs and inserting Snowballs (you know, for implants!) Alas, hubby said no to that as well. Ruined all our fun!

This was the finished product:

Not too bad, if I do say so myself! We briefly entertained the notion of selling these to men for their mid-life crisis parties, but that would just be too much work!


Isn't that a happy face!




Oops! Caught red handed!

Friday Freebie: What I Learned from Homeschooling in 13 Words or Less!

Head on over to Makita's place at Twinkling Stars Family School to check out the challenge: http://4twinklingstars.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-weekly-feature-friday-freebie.html

We've been homeschooling for nearly 7 years now, so trying to write "What I learned from homeschooling in 13 words or less" was a challenge. And since I am a total Sci-Fi geek, my mind went to the Stargate SG-1 episode where the team has to send a short message back in time to themselves in order to prevent the end of the human race. OK, so this isn't *quite* that dramatic, but it got me thinking: If I could go back in time, what message would I give to my new homeschooling self? So here goes.

Relax. Have fun. Play games. Facilitate, don't "teach". Learning comes naturally.

Whew, and with 2 words to spare!

A little plug for a homeschooling friend...

Makita over at Twinkling Stars Family School has started a new Friday challenge for homeschoolers. This week's challenge is to share the best lesson you've learned about homeschooling in 13 words or less. The prize is a $5 gift certificate to your favorite teacher store.

Here's a link to her original post: http://4twinklingstars.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-weekly-feature-friday-freebie.html

Now if I can only limit my entry to 13 words... ;D