Truffula Trees

Level 3 Testing Day

2012-02-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday (Feb. 4th), Rowan was tested on her level 3 gymnastics skills. Testing takes about 3 hours. Each girl has to complete her bar, beam, floor & vault routines along with conditioning & flexibility tests. Level 3 is when the standing back handspring is tested, as well.

Daddy made a good breakfast.

Mommy did her hair.

Ready!

Of course, our little superstar passed! Next step is Level 4 testing. If she passes, she will begin competing in August!

She passed!

Surveys & Such

2012-02-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

I've been doing surveys & product testing for a while now. These were two separate product tests I received on the same day. Wave was pretty amused that both items were labeled H & toilet paper H said, "USE SECOND"! : D

Kiwi Crate

2012-02-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love the gift subscription Matt & Janet gave my kids to Kiwi Crate. It's been great fun and great learning all at once.

So far, we've received the space themed crate & the ocean themed crate. Each crate comes with EVERY supply needed to finish the projects in it. They even sent scissors & tape!

We spent 2 days painting and putting together a solar system mobile.
It's an artistic rendering of the solar system that now hangs proudly in the kitchen next to our realistic model.

The kids made rockets.

Blast off!

Misfire!

Lydia's Fancy Rocket

Rowan's Pink Rocket

Rocket Jalopy

I'll post pictures from the ocean crate soon!

How We Homeschool

2012-02-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Rowan using my Kindle Fire for math.

Lydia doing her math on the floor.

We've settled into a pretty laid back routine lately. Our only classes are gymnastics (4 days a week) and dance (once a week). We do schoolwork for a couple of hours each morning. It's a nice life...

Christmas Eve

2012-02-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Watsons bowled on Christmas Eve.

Catching Up...

2012-01-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

A whole month gone of 2012, sigh... Time to play catch up. Let me back up a bit.

Did anyone ever post the giant cake I made with my friend Nancy for Thanksgiving?

More soon...

So This Was Christmas...

2011-12-26T15:18:00.000-08:00

Bothered

2011-12-11T14:21:00.001-08:00

This is what it would look like if I, an Ewok or Chewbacca wore a strappy, high heeled boot.
I don't think that's the look most ladies are going for.
So why do I see the ad for these boots on every web site?
They are hideous.
I hate them and they are stalking me.

Season's End

2011-11-20T17:59:00.001-08:00

Grump.

Today was the 2011 NorCal Level 4 State Championships. As you can see from the photo, Lydia was not happy with her performance.

Happy Little Lumberjack

Luckily, her Lumberjack's Breakfast cheered her up pretty quickly!

She really didn't do so badly, my Lydia is just hard on herself. She got medals for every event. You can see the scores in the chart I made up below. (I had to make my own. I wasn't happy with the score tracker sites out there.)

Medal Wall!

I think Lydia had a great first season. She placed in 35 out of 40 possible events.

Two of those medals were 1st place, one was 2nd and seven were 3rd place.

Lydia also holds the title of "Zone 4 Vault Champion".

We are super proud of her and can't wait for her Level 5 season!

Silly Kid

Goofball!

Date	Meet	Level	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	A.A.

08/13/11	Meet At Mavericks	4	8.525 (13)	8.325 (7)	8.875 (3)	8.425 (6T)	35.150 (7)
08/20/11	2011 NAWGJ Judges Cup	4	8.900 (3)	8.025 (7T)	8.225 (8)	8.550 (8)	33.700 (7)
09/10/11	2011 River City Classic	4	9.175 (9T)	8.675 (4)	8.600 (4)	8.275 (12)	34.725 (4T)
09/17/11	Candyland Classic	4	9.275 (2)	8.725 (3)	8.625 (3)	8.625 (6)	35.300 (3T)
10/08/11	Tumble in the Jungle	4	8.700 (11T)	8.675 (6)	9.150 (3)	8.750 (11)	35.275 (6)
10/15/11	2011 Circus Parade	4	9.500 (1)	8.975 (3)	8.875 (4)	8.825 (6T)	36.175 (4)
10/30/11	Zone 4 Championships	4	9.525 (1)	8.300 (12)	8.750 (8)	9.275 (4)	35.850 (7)
11/20/11	NorCal State Championships	4	9.000 (8T)	8.925 (7)	8.975 (8T)	8.900 (8T)	35.800 (9)

~Personal Bests~		4	9.525 (1)	8.975 (3)	9.150 (3)	9.275 (4)	36.175 (3T*)


							*Highest place does not coincide with highest score.

Rowan Lost A Tooth!

2011-11-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

Rowan is very happy to have lost her first tooth today! She's been dying to lose one for years.

I remember her as a tiny, little 3 year old saying, "Look, Mom, my tooth is wiggly!" as she shook her entire jaw at me.

This tooth started wiggling for real on the morning of Halloween. She played with it so much that day I was sure it would be out by nightfall. It hung on for 10 more days despite the constant attention from it's owner. This morning, Rowan decided she'd had enough and pulled it all on her own!

Although she tells me she doesn't believe in the tooth fairy, Rowan will still be putting her first tooth in the lovely box she got from her friends Eva and Irenie for her birthday.

Update! Rowan's best friend, Ciara, pulled her loose tooth on the same morning as Rowan did. They really do do everything together!

Rowan's Tutorial

2011-10-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Rowan teaches you how to make a toy. Daddy says she's our future Martha Stewart.

Tumble in the Jungle 2011

2011-10-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

Lydia had her first late meet on Saturday. It started at 5pm in Larkspur.

Until now, all her meets have started early in the morning. It was quite a change for all of us!

Lydia was not happy with her performance. She expects to earn medals for every event. This time, she placed in 3 out of 5.

I think she did a fine job. Although she didn't place on floor, she did earn her highest score to date! She also received her highest score on beam (9.15), which earned 3rd place.

In addition to 3rd on beam, she placed 6th on bars & 6th all-around. That puts her up to 21 medals for 5 meets!

All the gymnasts received a cool leo as their gift. Lydia is modeling it in the picture Daddy took with a Droid app.

As always, you can check out the full scores by following the link. ---->

Updated Scores!

2011-09-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

Lydia had her 4th meet today. Check out her scores!

Pre-meet photo by Rowan. :)

-------------------------------------->

Desmond's Bath

2011-08-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

While the girls & I were cleaning, Desmond decided he wanted a bath. Instead of asking for help, my self-sufficient little boy just helped himself!

Dinnertime

2011-08-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Judges Cup Meet Results

2011-08-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Lydia's 2nd meet was today. This one was local, but it was still an early day. Wave took this picture of Des sleeping during awards. It was really loud, so you know he was a tired boy!

Lydia had another successful meet! This meet was much bigger than last weekend, so awards were given up to 8th place.

Lydia earned a trip to the podium for every event!

Here's the summary...

3rd place on VAULT (A great improvement from last week when she got last place.)
7th place on BARS
8th place on BEAM & FLOOR
7th place ALL-AROUND

Once again, her team took first place! Yay, Byers!

If you'd like to support Lydia at her next meet, it's September 10th at 8am at Byers Elk Grove.

Meet At Mavericks - August 14, 2011

2011-08-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

As most of you have heard, Lydia's first gymnastics meet was this past weekend. It turned out to be a great first experience for her (and me!). Use the link to view the pictures and videos we all took throughout the trip. 2011 Meet at Mavericks

On Saturday, Grandma Susie came to Sacramento and we all piled into her car for the trip to our hotel in South San Francisco. After a long trip due to the heavy traffic, the kids played in the pool & hot tub with their Daddy. We followed that up with snacks and drinks at the hotel happy hour. Wave and I picked up some fast food for Grandma & the kids then went out for sushi by ourselves.

Sunday morning, we were up at 6am. Lydia's hair still takes me a while to put up properly. We were out of the hotel at 7am. The trip to Moss Beach took about 1/2 an hour. Breakfast muffins & orange juice were a pretty good on-the-go meal.

It was chilly in Moss Beach. My favorite, foggy-type weather.

The meet started at 8am. Byers competed on beam first. Amazingly, Byers girls earned the 1st, 2nd & 3rd best scores in Lydia's division and they held for the rest of the meet!

We are so proud of Lydia for her 3rd place score on beam! Beam is the event that she has shed the most tears over in practice. Parts of the routine were really hard for her to master and a fall caused her a lot of anxiety over the dismount. 3rd place at her first meet is a great accomplishment!

Along with 3rd place on beam, Lydia tied for 6th on floor. She ended up with 7th place all around. Her all around score qualifies her to compete in the Level 4 State Championship on November 19th or 20th! Byers took home 1st place as a team. Here are the full results for her division.

Lydia Performs

2011-07-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

Lydia performed at the Byers Olympics on July 17th. Lydia is in the middle, her best friend, Zoe, is on the left and Sylvana is on the right.

Lydia will begin competing with the Level 4 team August 14th. We are very proud and excited!

Here's a link to her competition schedule. I'm sure she'd love to have some support at meets.

Check out my YouTube channel for videos of Rowan's performances at the Byers Olympics.

Right Now...

2011-05-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

A compilation CD is playing on the stereo. The girls are off chasing lizards. Wave is on the couch. Des & I are enjoying the deck. Aaaaah....

jen.
-- Sent from my Palm Pre

The Best Salad Ever

2011-05-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

I ♥ you, arugula.

I had the best salad ever today. I can't stop thinking about it. It was so, so good.

Today we had brunch at a little place in Davis called Ciocolat. Some other people ordered some other things, but I ordered a salad. A spinach & arugula salad to be exact.

Spinach & arugula are two of my favorite things. I eat spinach several times a week. Arugula is more of a luxury. It's not available all the time or in every grocery store. I get it when I can.

But I digress... Back to the salad. Mmmm...

Picture a good sized plateful of the aforementioned leaves, cubed mozzarella, shaved parmesan, hearts of palm, a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper. It was so good, I ate it without the dressing. I also ate it without thinking to take a picture. You'll have to enjoy the arugula field instead.

Thanks for lunch, Mom. Good find!

7:54 am

2011-05-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

So far this morning...

Bunnies escaped from their backyard cage.
Desmond pooped on the floor.
Captured rabbits. Got scratched.
Desmond pooped on the floor again.
Smoke detector went off.
I'm out of coffee.

It had better get better...

I ♥ Books

2011-05-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

I love books. I L-O-V-E books. I ♥♥♥♥ books. I won't go so far as to say I luv books, though. That's just wrong.

Lydia had an assignment recently to estimate the number of books in her house. (Incidentally, completing that assignment earned 5 free books!) She did this by counting the number of books on a few shelves and getting an average number. Since all our shelves aren't the same size, she used a tape measure for the length. Working together, we came up with this equation. 23 inches = 25 books. It took some time, but she came up with 1250 as her answer.

Since then, I've been looking around and realizing that we missed some books. There are books on tables, in tables, under tables and in baskets. There are books ALL OVER Lydia's floor and under her pillows. I have stacks of books in my room. Rowan & Desmond sleep with books in their beds.

Still, it's not enough. I need more books. I can't enter the library (which we do at least once per week) without perusing the sale shelf. Most of my coins go into the mouth of that hungry, metal box.

I've recently discovered PaperBackSwap. It's a site where members can list books they are willing to part with. If someone else wants one of your books, they'll request it. You then send the book to them. You can even buy and print out postage right from the site. For each book you mail out, you get to choose a book from someone else's list. You earn bonus books for listing your first 10 books for trade and for signing up new members. (Use that link up there to help me get more books! :)

I'm actually a pretty picky reader, so most of the books I want are not available on PaperBackSwap. They do have a lot of books that Lydia wants, though. She's been reading an average of 2 books per day, so I need all the help I can get to keep her in books!

My new source for my books is Borders.com. They have an amazing selection of used books at truly amazing prices. With the $10 gift cards Matt send Desmond & I for our birthdays, I was able to get 14 books! Yes, really. Fourteen books for $20. I'm a Borders Rewards Plus member, so I don't have to pay shipping ever. (That's really worth it, by the way. It's $20 per year. You get $10 back in Borders Bucks to spend + free shipping + and extra 10% off a lot of things in the store.)

Another book site I like is The Book Depository. They have a good selection and shipping is always free. They also have a really cool map that shows what people around the world are buying.

It is so exciting to me that, at this very moment, 16 books are speeding their way to us through the mail. (I got 2 yesterday.) Even more exciting, I spent hardly any money on those books!

Yay, books!

Benches by Rowan

2011-04-22T16:58:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday!

For Papa

2011-04-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Lydia was excited to show Papa her round-off back handspring, so she and Rowan made this video of each other (and Desmond).

Check It Out!

2011-04-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've added a couple new videos.

My YouTube Channel

Porthos Paints

2011-04-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Do you think this is what the Easter Bunny looks like when he's done dyeing eggs?

Porthos ate part of a picture Rowan had just painted and ended up blue from his nose to his tail.

Our bunnies live in the same room as our art supplies. It's a constant battle to keep it all cleaned up and out of reach. These naughty little rabbits eat everything they can get their paws on; books, crayons, pencils, paints & paper. Nothing is safe!

Good thing they're cute...

DQ

2011-04-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Signature pose.

Signature style.

Desmond has been picking out his own outfits. They usually include Rowan's red shoes. What do you think of this one?

Old Shipwreck Surfaced At Ocean Beach

2011-03-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

Old shipwreck surfaced at Ocean Beach | Photos | KGO

This is so cool! Wish we were still there to see it in person.

When Arlene Gives You Lemons...

2011-03-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

...make lemonade!

When Nancy Gives You A Cookie Recipe...

...Definitely, Make Cookies!

We made these pretty, 3 ingredient cookies the same day as the lemonade. Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

1 C Peanut Butter

1 C Sugar

1 egg

(These measurements are for all-natural peanut butter. You may want to reduce the amount of sugar if your peanut butter is sweetened.)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can probably slightly butter and place powdered sugar on the bottom of the cookie sheet. Or butter and a tiny bit of flour. You just don't want the pan to be greasy.

Toss the ingredients into a bowl.

Mix till well combined.

Take about 1 Tablespoon of the dough and roll into a ball.

Place on cookie sheet.

You can leave as balls and bake or you can take a fork and flatten.

Continue this until you fill the cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-13 minutes.

Let cool slightly.

Eat!

Variation: If you leave as balls, once baked, you can press a Hershey's Kiss into the center. This will flatten the cookie.

Thanks, friends! :)

My Gymnasts

2011-03-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

They passed!!!

I am so proud of these two.

Rowan passed the Level 2 Junior Olympics gymnastics test! She did a great job on all her routines and conditioning. She'll be moving up to Hot Shots in the next month or so where she'll work out 6 hours a week.

Rowan has been a natural gymnast since her first parent-participation class at 18 months. A few months before her 3rd birthday, she moved up to Kinder classes and she was asked to join the Super Kids when she was still 3. This past December, she passed Level One. Lydia is already teaching her the Level Three routines!

My sparkly 5 year old is on track to compete next year!

Lydia passed Level 4 testing. This is the big one! She'll begin working out with the team in the next month and start competing in August. She is very excited that she'll be spending at least 9 hours a week in classes!

Lydia's gymnastics journey has been a whirlwind! In October, she was asked to join the Hot Shots. This meant a move from a 1 hour a week recreational class to 6 hours a week team training. In December, she passed Level One and was allowed to skip Level 2. She passed the Level 3 test in February and now Level 4.

I knew my girls would make it to the team, but I never thought we'd be moving so quickly! It is really exciting to watch them work hard and do so well at something they love.

Hail, Yes!

2011-03-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

I am the Lorax. And so are you.

2011-03-21T14:41:00.001-07:00

Greetings Jennifer,

Remember that little Dr. Seuss character who speaks for the trees? Well, today's his day--and all of ours--it's World Forest Day!

To thank you for being a true forest (and ForestEthics) fan, we've compiled a list of the top five reasons to raise a glass for the trees. The recap is below, but don't stop there--read more from our executive director Todd Paglia.

Top Five Reasons to Hug Your Inner Tree Geek:
1. Forests are good for our health. Did you know forests provide more than half of our medications? From digoxin for the heart, to taxol for cancer, forests literally save our lives.

2. Forests create the air we breathe. It's that basic high-school biology thing: in goes the carbon dioxide, out comes pure, fresh oxygen. So go ahead, take a deep breath, and say, "Thanks, forests!"

3. Forests give us water. Yup, it comes out of the tap for most of us, but the truth is far more fascinating: forests help purify and store nearly two-thirds of the US water supply.

4. Forests are home to countless species. That includes those of us with opposable thumbs. 80% of terrestrial biodiversity on earth call forests home. And for all of us who enjoy, you know, breathing, or drinking water, we've got forests to thank.

5. Forests have been battling climate change for a very long time. For thousands of years, forests have played a crucial role in absorbing and storing whatever carbon is emitted into the atmosphere. We need their help more than ever.

Thanks, forests!

Want to spread the forest love? Here are some quick and easy things to do:

Take our quick survey and tell us why forests matter to you.
Share Todd's blog post on Facebook, and tell your friends about forests. On Twitter? Click here, and be sure to include @forestethics
Take a hike! No really, go say hello your local forest.
Visit our action center and get to work.

For the forests,
Kristi

Kristi Chester Vance
Deputy Director

IT'S WORLD FOREST DAY

Want to join in the celebration?

T ake our quick survey and share why forests are important to you.
Read our Executive Director Todd Paglia's top five reasons to hug your inner tree geek.

Fighting

2011-03-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

The Baughs are fighters. We don't let people walk on us, we are not content with the status quo, we don't accept our fate. If you know us, you know that. It can make life difficult sometimes, but it's just who we are.

I remember my mom going to the principal's office to dispute some rule or decision when I was in junior high. I can't remember the problem or the outcome, but I have a vivid image in my mind of my mom storming into his office and making sure her opinion was known.

My dad fights for what he thinks is right everyday in his position as a Shasta County Supervisor. He was even featured in a PBS program about stopping hate crimes in his area.

My brother has had countless fights with his employer & his union. My sister, very recently, fought with her childrens' school over homework policies.

If you've read my blog for a while, you know of my fight with Borders, you know I write letters to politicians telling them why I won't vote for them. I have issues with Starbucks, junk mail, plastic bags and waste. I sometimes feel like I am always fighting.

Recently my fight is with South Sutter; the charter school I have been so enamored with for the past two years.

About a week and a half ago, I was informed by our E.S. that the golf clubs we purchased with school funding (from an approved vendor) in August were going to be confiscated by the school. The reason given was that they never should have been purchased for the girls' use. Someone in the South Sutter office made a mistake that wasn't caught for 6 months. To remedy the mistake, the clubs must be returned and put in a closet to ensure no child might use them.

I made phone calls and wrote emails, but was unable to change anyone's mind before they were taken last Friday. It was either give them up, or have all our school funding frozen. After surrendering the clubs, I was informed that the portion of the girls' funding used to purchase the clubs would not be returned to them. I've asked repeatedly, but no one will give me a reason for that.

On Tuesday, my E.S. called to tell me that I had been accused by the school's office of stealing the clubs I had returned. They are insisting that both Lydia & Rowan had sets with 5 clubs each and a bag. In reality, Lydia had 5 clubs and a bag, and Rowan had 3 clubs with a bag. Apparently, they don't keep receipts. They have refused to answer my emails about their accusation or issue me a receipt for the clubs.

So far, I've sent about 20 emails and received only one response. The one response promised to forward my email to someone who would address my concerns. They haven't.

I've contacted South Sutter, the corporation that owns South Sutter and the district that licenses South Sutter. My next step is to make phone calls and attend the next school council meeting. I will contact all these people again as well as every person on this chart who is in any way involved with education.

My children and I followed all the proper procedures for obtaining the golf clubs. We used an approved vendor who only sells golf equipment. The school approved our request, submitted payment and delivered the clubs to us. Six months later, they decided we couldn't use our funding for golf clubs and took them back. They refuse to accept responsibility and return the funding. They've accused me of theft. They've ignored all my emails. That's not a fight I can back down from.

Unless policies are changed and I receive some concrete answers, there is no way I will be able to trust South Sutter to be involved with the education of my children. I now believe that anything provided with school funding might be suddenly taken away. Classes may be cancelled, books may burned, science kits or instruments may be confiscated. What really matters to South Sutter and IEM is the bottom line.

Bed Handsprings

2011-03-02T16:34:00.001-08:00

Desmond Poops!

2011-02-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Desmond just pooped in the potty for the first time! He's been peeing in the potty (when he feels like it) since right after Christmas, but hadn't been able to poo sitting down.

With the offer of a treat, he produced this massive beauty effortlessly!

I am proud! My boy is not even 22 months old yet! I think he just might beat his sisters to the finish line of potty training.

Still reading? Good! Then you weren't too scandalized, squeamish or startled by my topic today. I'm not going to apologize, you knew who's blog you were reading!

Have a great day!

Desmond Does His Own Makeup

2011-02-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

Bunny Hypnotism

2011-01-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

Lydia and Rowan have discovered they possess the power to hypnotize the bunnies!

Happy Dinner Friend

2011-01-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

Wave poured balsamic vinegar and olive oil for our dinner bread, and look who showed up! Our totally unplanned on friend made our spaghetti dinner extra fun!

Bunny Play Time

2011-01-16T16:36:00.000-08:00

The kits have been getting a lot of play time outside of the cage. They seem to enjoy exploring, but soon curl up in a warm spot for a nice nap.

We've been experimenting with names. The girls originally gave them names that match their colors. Blackie, Brownie, Chinchilla & Pinkie. I prefer Athos, Porthos, Aramis & d'Artagnan. The girls like my names for the bunnies, but have trouble remembering which name belongs to each bunny!

Here's a name guide for you.

Black Kit = Blackie or d'Artagnan

Brown Kit = Brownie or Athos

Gray Kit = Chinchilla or Porthos

Black & White Kit = Pinkie or Aramis

Do you notice I'm not asking if you want one any more?

What A Difference A Week Makes!

2011-01-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Our kits seem to have doubled their size overnight. I took these pictures yesterday. That's just one week after the pictures on my last post!

The bunnies have each taken on their own distinctive look. One is white with black spots. (Wave says it looks like a cow.) It looks the most like Jake. The brown bunny has the floppiest ears. Lydia calls the grey bunny Chinchilla. I think the black baby has the sweetest face.

They haven't opened their eyes yet, I've read that happens around day 10. They do move, though! They have to be held securely, or they are liable to hop & crawl away! (That's what the white one is trying to do in the picture.)

So, do you want one, yet? ;)

...And Multiply, And Multiply....

2011-01-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, darling little Rowan decided to let both bunnies out of their cages at the same time. She ran screaming to me as soon as Jake "attacked Applecore on her back". She later told me they had gotten married. Sigh. It's hard to be mad at such a cutie.

Applecore started nesting yesterday morning. I assumed she was just a bit nutty. They usually don't nest until hours before they deliver. When she started pulling out her own fur to make the nest, I gave her nesting materials.

The kids & I left the house in the early afternoon to run errands and go to gymnastics. When we got home, we noticed that Jake was not acting like his usual, sweet self. Instead of coming to us for pets, he was following Applecore through their cage wall and "getting married" to his stuffed pig repeatedly. I (again, wrongly) assumed he was just excited by the contact they'd had a few days before.

After dinner, I started cleaning the rabbits' cages. That's when I noticed movement. Under the pile of hay, bedding and fur in the corner of Applecore's cage, something I could not see was moving.

I was a tiny bit afraid a mouse had gotten into the house, but the truth seemed pretty obvious. Applecore had had babies!

I called my friendly, local, rabbit expert, Loana to find out what to do. She told me to check on the babies and that Applecore wouldn't care if I touched them.

When I felt around in the nest, I found four plump, wriggly little babies!

Since a rabbit's gestation period is around 30 days, Rowan could not be to blame for this litter. Unfortunately, though, she's not completely off the hook. My veterinarian friend, Arlene, tells me that a rabbit can become pregnant while pregnant (poor thing)! That means we may see another litter in about 3 weeks.

If so, it will be the last! Jake has an appointment with Dr. Arlene on the 14th to make sure he won't be instigating any more offspring.

Anyone want a bunny?

Happy Holidays from the Kids

2010-12-12T15:14:00.001-08:00

A Merry Watson Christmas

2010-12-12T13:34:00.001-08:00

Rabbitat

2010-12-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

Front View

Side View

Our new bunnies are now living in style! Their spacious new rabbitat (rabbit + habitat;) is a multi-level condo fit for a four-legged king or queen. We built the entire thing in the space of just a few hours and for about $60. Jake & Apple are separated by the wall in the middle, but can nuzzle and clean each other through the wire. We still have some fine tuning to do, but we think the bunnies are much happier in their new home.

Here's the site I got the idea from, BinkyBunny.com.

Applecore on the top floor.

Jake on his 2nd level.

The End of an Era

2010-12-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, fine. There was no era to end. I'm just feeling a little sad because my jukebox just left home. After 12 years of carting the darn thing around, I decided it was time to give it up. A nice DJ who promised to take good care of it bought it and drove it back to the Bay Area just minutes ago. So long (sniff)! I hope you get more play time than I was able to give you!

They Do Multiply!

2010-11-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

Say hello to Jake Boom Watson. He was added today to our rabbit family. We are very excited!

Introducing Applecore

2010-11-22T22:42:00.000-08:00

Lounging in her cage...

Five and a half weeks ago, I captured a rabbit in our front yard! I noticed it sitting in the bushes while loading the van for a long day out. Not knowing what the heck to do with the bunny, I put it in a grocery bag and it went with us for the day. We went to the orthodontist, the dance store, Trader Joe's and gymnastics before bringing our furry new friend home.

She (I think.)(Thanks for showing me how to check, Maura.) now lives happily in our kitchen. Early "free range bunny" experiments failed due to excessive peeing on my couches, but Apple doesn't seem to mind the confinement too much. She is well fed and often visited. All in all, we like the bunny!

Meet Applecore Zip Watson...

Halloween!

2010-10-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, the kids got a package in the mail from "Janet and Matt Baugh". (Have they eloped?!?:)

Inside were masks and socks. Both caused great excitement! The girls have been on a knee sock kick lately (how'd you know?). Molly has even been borrowing mine for her jazz classes.

As you can see from the picture, Des LOVES the masks! He is going to be Frankenstein's Monster for Halloween.

Lydia & Rowan are going to wear their cat and devil masks to the Halloween party at gymnastics. They'll be perfect with a leotard for a functional costume. Wave plans to wear Molly's pumpkin mask and paint the rest of his head orange to match! I'll make sure to get pictures of that!

Thanks Janet & Matt! You always send the nicest little treats!

More Pretty Pictures From Molly

2010-10-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

The girls had fun today curling their hair and putting on makeup. Molly took pictures when they were done. It's so nice to see them enjoying each other's company. Makes Mommy proud!

The personalities sure shine through in these pics.

My beautiful little cynic.

Happy girl, what a smile!

Pretty sisters. (Good job, Molly, thanks!)

Wave's Wish List

2010-10-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

Wave was really excited about this story. He loves maps and would really like to own this one!

For my readers in Redding, look for your town in the story. Maybe some of you have political clout and can help the deal finally go through! ;)

'Paradise' found: 70-ton elephant at S.F. Port

Rowan's Stand-Up Debut

2010-09-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

The day before her 5th birthday, Rowan participated in the Enchanted Valley's Annual Untalent Show. Needless to say, she was a hit!

The quality on the video is pretty poor, so turn up your volume! I've added annotations hoping that will help.

Coincidence

2010-09-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Since we moved to Sacramento 2+ years ago, I've been running into a lot of coincidences connected to my childrens' names. My kids don't have the most common names, so it's been surprising each time. These aren't just singular coincidences, either.

First, there was the homeschooling mom named Molly with the daughter named Lydia who had the same midwives as me.

There was a family we'd see at all the childrens' functions at the library. Turns out they are homeschoolers. They know a lot of the same people we do. They have a daughter named Lydia.

One day at the dance studio I noticed a woman reading the exact same book I was. You know I don't read anything current. This was the 1972 Wallace Stegner book Angle of Repose. I later found out she has a daughter named Molly. Molly is in all of Rowan's dance classes.

Last week a woman approached me at the dance studio and asked, "Did you say her name was Rowan and his is Desmond?" I, of course, said, "Yes". She went on to tell me that her maiden name was Desmond and her brother has a son named Rowan. Yup, Rowan Desmond!

I wonder what the odds of all these coincidences happening are? Anybody out there smart enough to figure it out for me?

Hello, White House...

2010-09-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today we called the White House. I didn't think anyone would answer, I just thought it'd be cool to see what the answering machine said.

I put the phone on speaker and dialed.

Guess what? Someone answered!

(Not President Obama, himself, as my photo would mislead you to believe... Just a secretary, or operator, or the like.)

When the woman's voice said, "Hello, White House", I was pretty stunned. I hadn't prepared to say anything! I almost hung up, but instead stammered, "Uh, how's the weather there today?" (I know, so lame.) In a bit of an irritated voice she replied, "I don't know, I haven't been outside in 5 hours." I thanked her and hung up.

Molly wouldn't believe us that we had called, so she hit redial on my phone.
"Hello, White House."
"Is this really the White House?"
"Yes."
"How hard is it to get to talk to the President?"
"You would have to go through his scheduling office for that."
"Okay, when is the President's birthday?"
"You can go to the website and find all that information in his bio."
"Okay, bye."

I wonder how many idiotic phone calls like ours they get per day? If you'd like to be one, just dial (202) 456-1414. Say "hi" for me!

Japanese Company Turns Diapers Into Energy Source

2010-09-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Slashdot Idle Story | Japanese Company Turns Diapers Into Energy Source

A great idea! Thanks for the story, Matt.

Taco Wednesday

2010-09-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

A recent veg plate of purple onion & cabbage,
green tomato and black olive.

That's right, Taco Wednesday...

Taco Thursday has reigned in our home for at least 8 years, but our hectic schedule just won't allow it anymore.

The tradition started when we decided to combine our favorite meal with our favorite television show, Survivor. As luck would have it, the schedulers at CBS were aware of our late night dance classes on Thursdays and moved our show to Wednesday as well! Thanks, CBS!

Survivor Nicaragua airs tonight, enjoy!

The Day Gwen Stefani & I Got Married

2010-09-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Not to each other, of course...

While that is, for now, legal in California, (yay!) it wasn't back in 2002.

(I wouldn't marry Gwen Stefani anyway. Her asinine song lyrics irk me to no end. I imagine her conversations are full of whining remembrances of old boyfriends.)

But, I digress...

On September 14, 2002 I married Wave, Gwen married Gavin. They married in London, we married in the Enchanted Valley. Both brides were an hour late to the ceremony, oops. I can't speak for Gwen, but for me, it was a nice day full of friends and family.

We've (that's Wave & I, not Gwen & I) had our ups & downs since then. Two more beautiful children. Loss of loved ones. A couple moves. New jobs, no jobs. Countless days of happiness & fun. Countless fights & misunderstandings. We are only human.

I guess the important thing is that we keep trying. We keep going. We do our best to make each day a little better.

Eight years now and on to 9. I, for one, am excited to see what comes next.

Fun With Walmart & Safeway

2010-09-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

Share Tar Sands Truck Slogans and Create Your Own!

My personal favorite!

Okay, so some of these are funny, some are pretty dumb. The point? There is a price to be paid for the low, low prices. You personally may not have to pay it, but someone out there does.

We all have to make our own decisions regarding how we live on this planet. My boycott of Walmart stands. Safeway, on the other hand, I occasionally patronize.

The difference, for me, is the necessity of the products they sell. My family needs groceries. We don't need the junk Walmart sells and there is no way I'd purchase food there (blech!)

Gingko Biloba

2010-09-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite trees. The name is fun to say and it is so pretty! This is a female tree. The males do not bear seeds.

Check out the Wikipedia entry, (Ginkgo Biloba) it features a beautiful picture of the ginkgo's leaves.

Gingo Biloba by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This leaf from a tree in the East,

Has been given to my garden.

It reveals a certain secret,

Which pleases me and thoughtful people.

Is it a living being,

Which has separated in itself?

Or are these two, who chose

To be recognized as one?

Answering this kind of question,

Haven't I found the proper meaning,

Don't you feel in my songs,

That I'm one and double?

Happy Birthday, Rowan!

2010-09-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Everybody's best friend, super little athlete, happy-go-lucky, smart-as-a-tack, this kid rocks!

Happy birthday, baby!

Lucky Birthday Omens

2010-09-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

On the eve of Rowan's birthday, her Daddy cracked these eggs into her cupcake mix. Five yolks (from 3 eggs) for our soon to be 5 year old. That has to be lucky!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Mmmmmm...

2010-09-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

If you know me even a little, you know I like pizza. This branch of the Watson tree has been making pizza nearly every Friday for 7 or 8 years. This beauty was mushroom, spinach and havarti. It was good!

Little Sapling

2010-09-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

Little Sapling Toys for my little sapling. Des received these cars and hills as a gift from his Granddad. He loves to drive them, I love that they are eco friendly and beautiful!

Little Sapling Toys plants a tree for every toy sold!

Catching Up

2010-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

In looking through Picasa (the photo management program I use) I found several pictures I took for blogs that I never got to. It seems a shame to forget them, so over the next few days I'll give you the truncated versions of the blogs that never were.

To start (from over a year ago)...

I Love Cloth Diapers

I have been very lucky in regards to my supply of cloth diapers! I spent $80 on some used diapers right before Desmond was born. The rest have been given to me by friends. Super generous friends! My favorite are the Mother-ease. They are easy to use, don't leak, and will fit until Desmond is done with diapers.

I Just Got 6 Bingos!

2010-08-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

I am totally amazed, myself! I think my highest number of bingos in one game was 3 before now.

A Scrabble bingo is the use of all 7 tiles on the rack at one time. Fifty extra points are awarded when a player is able to do this.

I took this screenshot after the scores reset, but I think it was something like 598 to 280. (You can see I had to learn how to take a screenshot first!)

My bingo words were...
DOMINOES
CABBAGE
CROWNING
GUILTIER
BEMUSING
UNTITLED

Yay, me! :)

P.S. In case you were wondering, my other words were

FRAZIL

OPAL

FOP

DELLY

AGER

SERF

Anyone wanna play? ;)

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

2010-08-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Our busy class schedule is about to start, and we'll need our lunches on the go. I've been thinking about these rolls for a while. My idea was to use bread dough, fill roll sized portions with sandwich fillings, then bake. PB&J seemed easiest so I started my experiment there.

I used a basic white bread, freshly ground peanut butter and homemade apricot jam. I am happy to say the mini sandwiches are a success! They are going to be so easy to grab for a tasty, easy meal, yay!

First Day Of Golf

2010-08-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

Lydia & Rowan had their first golf lesson today. They were super excited to wear their new golf outfits and use their golf clubs somewhere other than at home. They both did a great job and had a lot of fun!

Rowan says, "I hit a golf ball really far!"

Actually, they both seemed a bit timid about whacking the ball. Maybe that's because of all the times we've told them not to swing their clubs in the house!

Another Reason To Love Burt's Bees

2010-08-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

As of April 2010, Burt's Bees has ELIMINATED landfill waste from their facilities. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G ! Read more about how they did it here. What's New - Burt's Bees

In Case Your Methods Of Enraging Monkeys Are Not Advanced Enough...

2010-08-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Monkeys hate flying squirrels, report monkey-annoyance experts - CSMonitor.com

(Thanks, Blake!)

Lydia's Moth by Molly

2010-07-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Lydia saved the moth from the pool. Molly took the amazing photos.

Impressionists At The De Young

2010-07-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

Lydia gets a smooch.

I have been dying to see the Impressionist exhibit currently going on at the de Young Museum in S.F. Happily, Wave and Doug wanted to see it too.

We all piled into the van on a Friday morning and made the drive. Doug told us some of the history of the Enchanted Valley as we drove along scenic 280, making the trip even nicer than usual.

We fortified ourselves at a favorite restaurant of ours, Darla's, then walked through Golden Gate Park to the museum. It was really nice to be back in the city.

A peck on the head for Rowan.

I had not yet been to the de Young since it was rebuilt, and it was a delight. We saw only a tiny fraction of the museum in our 4 hours there. The Birth of Impressionism exhibit was amazing, I'll definitely go back to see it again before it closes.

My Favorite Outfit

2010-07-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Lydia used to be quite the trend setter with her outfits. I was happy to see her revisit her old style.

And of course, my Rowan can't bear to stay out of a picture!

Laundry Day

2010-07-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

18 lovely days in the mountains. 1 ho-hum trip to the laundromat.

We're Baaaaack...!

2010-07-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

;) Loana was the winner of the "Where's Watson?" picture contest! Loana's Big Win Her prize is that I've stolen her blog title!

It seemed a fitting title as we are back. It was a quiet, lovely trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains. David and Doug spent much of the time golfing, Molly wandered around E.V. working with Gene and hunting for other teens. The rest of us spent most of our time next to the pool.
We did manage to drag ourselves away once or twice. I'll post more about our trip over the next few days. Stay tuned!

An Enchanted Fourth

2010-07-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Watson clan spent the 4th of July enjoying traditional Enchanted Valley activities. First, the children paraded around the parking lot & pool areas.

Where's Watson? (Find 4 of us in this photo.)

Desmond enjoyed repeatedly petting all
the dogs. He was too distracted to march with the other kids.

Molly watched from the sidelines with a friend.

Lydia, Rowan & David played in the annual wiffle ball game. After one turn in the outfield and one at-bat, Lydia decided the game was not for her. We are proud of her for trying something new on her own, though!

Rowan was the surprise star of the day. She hit the ball both times she got to bat (without the tee!) and made it to first base. Unfortunately, Daddy was up after her and hit a pop fly for the 3rd out.

The Trouble With Making The Bed

2010-06-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Really, Target!?

2010-06-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

Target's new grocery section is a big disappointment right off the bat. Individually wrapped potatoes, really? They were also selling a box of mixed fresh fruit covered in Toy Story ads. Isn't anything safe from commercials?

Farmers Market - $39

2010-06-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

Lettuce
Spinach
Cabbage
Oranges
Lemon
Lime
Peaches
Nectarines
Apples (Pink Lady & Fuji)
Strawberries
Blackberries
Cucumbers
Eggs
Broccoli
Green Beans
Cherries
Tomatoes

I forgot to buy onions!!

Congratulations! You earned a bill credit.

2010-06-08T09:20:00.001-07:00

I'm not quite sure how we managed to cut back 20% from the 20% we cut back last year, but, YAY!!



	Congratulations Jennifer. You earned a 20% credit on your PG&E bill!
		Thank you for participating in Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) Winter Gas Savings Program. By conserving your gas use this winter, you and other qualified customers saved money while helping reduce greenhouse gas emission.Make sure you look for your spring bill to see how much you've saved. PG&E offers year-round solutions to help you save money, energy and the environment. For more information on these programs including SmartMeter™ technology, visit www.pge.com/summersavings.


pge.com \| privacy \| disclosure

Day At the Beach 6.01.10 - Pictures by Molly

2010-06-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

2010-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

2010-06-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

2010-06-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

Lydia Loves to Read!

2010-05-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

Lydia started reading about two years ago. It still excites me that I taught someone to read! (Although she didn't learn until she was good & ready.) Now she is an avid reader. She just broke all her previous records by reading 30 books in 18 days! Yay, Lydia!

Here's the list of books...

Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook

Magic Tree House #2 - The Knight at Dawn

Magic Tree House #6 - Afternoon on the Amazon

Magic Tree House #7 - Sunset of the Sabertooth

Magic Tree House #8 - Midnight on the Moon

Magic Tree House #9 - Dolphins at Daybreak

Magic Tree House #11 - Lions at Lunchtime

Magic Tree House #16 - Hour of the Olympics

Magic Tree House #20 - Dingoes at Dinnertime

Magic Tree House #24 - Earthquake in the Early Morning
Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren

Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday

Cinderellis & the Glass Hill

For Biddle's Sake

The Fairy's Mistake

Junie B., First Grader - One Man Band

Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl

Junie B., First Grader - Aloha-ha-ha

Junie B., First Grader (at last!)

Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy

Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal

Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket

Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine

Magic Tree House #3 - Mummies in the Morning

Magic Tree House #13 - Vacation Under the Volcano

Magic Tree House #19 - Tigers at Twilight

Magic Tree House #17 - Tonight on the Titanic

Magic Tree House #12 - Polar Bears Past Bedtime

Magic Tree House #21 - Civil War on Sunday

Magic Tree House #22 - Revolutionary War on Wednesday

Defeat (An Over-dramatization in One Act)

2010-05-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

Scene - A darkened stage. A single spotlight comes on to show a woman standing alone. The scenery far to the rear of the lighted area conveys the impression of a confessional but on a larger scale. When 'the boy' is mentioned, the woman gestures and a smaller spotlight shows a toddler in bed to the right.

The woman speaks loudly and clearly but does not make eye contact with her audience.

"My quest to right the transgressions of my disposable diaper using years has met with a small defeat in the form of a rashy bum. After only one night back in a cloth diaper, his poor little behind was once again a raw, red mess. My head hanging low, I made the long walk of shame down the diaper aisle of a store I'd rather not mention. The boy now sleeps soundly, swaddled in plastic & polymers, his tushy free from painful sores."

Both spotlights go out at once and the stage is dark again.

(Don't get your hopes up Mom, they're only for nighttime. ;)

My Fight With Borders - Update!

2010-05-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

This morning I called general manager Doug Thompson again. This time he was there.

I explained the events of Wednesday to him. He told me that the manager involved had already told him of the incident. Realizing that he was not familiar with homeschool laws, he looked them up.

As a result, Borders in Elk Grove has decided to be more lenient towards homeschoolers than they previously have been.

I received a very nice apology and a promise that my replacement educator's discount card is on its way to me in the mail.

I was completely ecstatic! (I actually danced around the house singing, "I win, I win, I win!" for a while.) I don't always get results when I start these battles, so it was nice to have confirmation that all my emotional outbursts are not wasted. Fighting for the things I believe in, no matter how small, is a part of me I just can't turn off.

Yay, me! ;)

My Fight With Borders

2010-05-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, I recently lost my purse. Most of the things in it were very easy to replace. A few calls to bank and credit card companies and my new cards were rushed right to me. As of this Wednesday, I only needed replacement Borders cards (their rewards card and educator's discount card) and a driver's license.

Easy, right? Thanks to Borders, it wasn't.

Wednesday afternoon I went to Borders to do some gift and school shopping. After about an hour I had 12 items piled in my stroller. At the cash register I explained my plight to the cashier, fully expecting to fill out some paperwork and receive new cards. To my surprise, I was told I would have to call an 800 number to replace my rewards card as well as come up with proof of being a homeschooler. I would be eligible for no discounts and my purchases would not be credited toward my rewards. The cashier was completely uninterested in helping me any further.

If you know me, you know I expect to be treated a certain way when I am spending money. If I do not receive the treatment I expect I take my money elsewhere. (I haven't been in a Subway since they refused to give 3 year old Molly milk with her kid's meal instead of soda.) Consequently, I left my intended purchases at the register and left.

I quickly decided to go back into the store and speak to a manager. I just couldn't believe that a long time customer would be treated this way. Surely the manager would realize that a discounted sale was better than no sale at all?

I was wrong again. After a long wait, a manager finally came to speak to me. I restated my problem including that I had no proof of homeschooling my children. He explained to me that as a homeschool parent the state provides me with curriculum and has to monitor me and make sure my children are "...up to par...". He also informed me that IF I were a homeschooler the state would issue me proof of that. Surprisingly still calm at this point, I asked him how familiar he was with home schooling in California. His answer, "Not very".

Thinking I could educate this man regarding the legal ways to homeschool in CA (It is possible to join a group with an i.d. card, I had one from San Francisco in my lost purse. The state does not issue homeschoolers i.d. cards.), I began explaining the various methods. I was wasting my breath. The manager repeated to me that I had to have proof. I asked him if the receipts with my name & address that I had filled out with each purchase over the last 5 years were proof. He said, " You expect me to search through thousands of receipts to find those? We box those up and send them to corporate." (Too bad there isn't a convenient way to store, sort and transmit large amounts of information in these dark ages.) I lost my temper when he said, "If you can't understand that you have to have proof, then I can't help you." I assured him I would spread the word of their unfriendly treatment and left the store again.

After getting home and doing some research I came across this on the Borders web site.

Homeschoolers in states without certification should contact a manager at the store for instructions on how to document your status as a homeschooler.

Apparently the Borders Corporation better understands that there is more than one way to homeschool.

I obtained the name and phone number of the local general manager and placed my call to him early this morning. His day off. I'll be calling back tomorrow.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/borders-books-and-music-elk-grove?rpp=40&sort_by=rating_asc

I ♥ Jamie Oliver

2010-05-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I love the mission he is on to improve the quality of food served in schools.

Wave and I watched every episode of Food Revolution and were amazed at what we saw. Not having children in the public school system made it a little less disturbing for us, but it was still very shocking.

I was most appalled at the flavored milks being offered for lunch. As a parent, I would be extremely angered if a school official were encouraging my child to drink sugar milk.

If you believe it is time to change the way children are taught to eat in this country, take a moment to sign the petition. http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition If you don't care, at least take a second to look at the map. I find it fascinating to see the states that have higher numbers of folks who are behind this cause.

Can't Get Enough Of Me?

2010-05-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

Well, here's more!
http://thethingilearnedtoday.blogspot.com/

MomGyver

2010-04-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Molly wanted to go shopping for her birthday today. We left the house about 1:30. I had my shopping bags, my purse, my coffee, water bottles for each of us, a leotard for Rowan to change into later and supplies to do her hair. I did not have the baby bag.

Unfortunately, I didn't notice this until Desmond pooped. Across town. At 4:30. No where near a store that sells diapers.

I really didn't want to drive to a store and buy disposables. We have been using them at night to keep Des from getting a rash, but I am hoping we don't have to buy more than the one package.

I had also been in 6 stores by this point in the day, and couldn't stand the thought of loading everyone in the car, driving, unloading & loading up again. I still had to feed 5 children and drop off Molly & Savannah before going to the gym.

My other options raced through my head...

Leave him in the stinky diaper. - No, his skin is way too sensitive.
Let him go diaperless. - No way! We won't be home for at least 3 hours.
Find something in the car to use as a diaper. - It's just been cleaned out and only the things we need are in it.
Buy something to use as a cloth diaper. - That's it!

I scanned the shopping center and decided to try World Market. As soon as I entered the kitchen section I came across flour sack dish towels. They'd definitely work & I'd love to have them, but I didn't want to pay $10. I perused the cloth napkins, but they usually have to be washed before they have any absorbency. Then I spied a microfiber dishtowel. It claims to "hold 7 times it's weight in water". It's also on sale. 50% off $5.99. Yay!

Molly helped me change Desmond with the wipes I keep in the van. We reused the diaper cover he had on and one of her plastic shopping bags for the dirty diaper. Then we were on our way...

I have to say, I am totally proud of myself. I handled the situation without compromising my principles with needless driving and buying of disposable products. I would rather have not bought anything at all, but at least that dishtowel will be used for years to come in our home. Yay, me!

Anyone else have a MomGyver story to share?

24 Hours of H E Double Hockey Sticks

2010-04-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning Rowan started throwing up. It didn't seem like such a big deal. She would puke then play. Puke then eat. Puke then bounce around the house in her normal, happy way.

Thursday, she was fine. We went to gymnastics, ate tacos (try to forget about the tacos while you read the rest of this) and watched Survivor just like usual.

Here's where the 24 hours start and where Rowan gets her new nickname from Daddy, Typhoid Rowan. (Beware, I'm gonna say puke a lot.)

Around 11:30 pm, Desmond started puking. In his bed. In his sleep. Wave and I cleaned him up and changed the bed. Des went right back to sleep.

In 15 minutes we went through the same routine. Ugh.

This time Desmond wouldn't go back to sleep so easily. Lydia was still awake, so she came into my room and played with him a little. After a bit, he fell asleep in my bed...and woke up puking.

We changed our bed. I laid down extra blankets under Des just in case. Then Lydia started puking!

Des moved off the blankets and puked some more. Lydia went to bed and puked all over her bed and Rowan's (Yay, bunk beds!).

I'll spare you all the details and cut to a couple of sheet changings later. I have Lydia and Desmond in my bed. Wave is sleeping in his office. I have left the light on because I am tired of turning it back on every 15 minutes or so. It is 6am and I really haven't slept yet.

Then it hits ME! I run to the toilet and... you know. Then Lydia wakes up. Have I said, "ugh"? How about a double ugh for the puke traffic jam. Lydia pukes on the floor, I puke in the sink. I cover the mess with a towel and leave it for the morning.

By this point, I guess my body had had enough. I slept for 2 whole hours.

When I woke up, I felt like I'd been beaten thoroughly AND sleep deprived. My only hope was that Wave could take the day off of work. Unfortunately, he had also succumbed to the virus.

Most of Friday is a blur to me. I know I was hot and achy. I know I spent most of it on the couch. I know I was too weak to lift Desmond. I know I couldn't eat or drink. Lydia and Wave were pretty much in the same state. Desmond was feeling much better, but not quite 100%.

Luckily Molly was here to save the day. For all the trouble that girl gives me, she really shines when it comes to helping out when I am sick. She took care of us all all day long. She did it all without being told to or complaining. She stripped beds, did laundry, changed diapers, brought us water and medicine, gave baths & cleaned. I don't know what we would have done without her! I feel so grateful to her for her loving, caring attitude towards her family.

Poor Molly saved the day, but was not spared for her kindness. Around 9 or 10pm, just as Wave and I were starting to feel better, she fell prey to the vile sickness. By that time I felt okay enough to help her out some and take over with Desmond.

This morning, everyone except Molly felt normal. Lydia even felt well enough for gymnastics. Molly seems to be doing alright, she asked for donut holes and hot Cheetos first thing this morning, but couldn't eat them after Wave bought them for her. I wouldn't have even asked at that point yesterday!

By this time tomorrow, I'm sure we will all be back to normal. The house needs major bleaching and ants took full advantage of our lowered defenses. The piles of laundry need to be folded and put away. I am just glad to feel well enough to take care of it all!

(Just in case you didn't get enough...puke, puke, puke, puke, puke.)

One Year of Desmond

2010-04-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is one today. He is such a nice, easy going little man so far. I really, really love him!
Thanks to all of you who sent gifts & cards or came to see Des today!

My History With Birds

2010-04-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

As a child, I liked birds. We had 2 cockatiels for a long time. One even whistled when it heard the words "pretty boy".

I rescued a parakeet or two who had careened into windows and injured themselves while playing the roles of free-birds in Dad's fair displays. They survived reasonably well as pets.

My memories with birds turn dark with the doves. My family kept a large cage of them on the porch outside the house. To me, it seems we had them forever. Really, I don't know how long they were there. At some point, the doves started to mate too closely and quite a few deformed chicks hatched. These chicks fell prey to the many cats we had and were caught right through the cage and dragged out. Maybe my subsequent run-ins with birds are some sort of karma.

Around the age of 12, I spent all my birthday money ($100!) to buy a cage for a dying dove. I kept it in my room, but it died very quickly. I dragged the cage around throughout my teens and early twenties. I really couldn't tell you how many birdie souls were lost in it.

My troubles with wild birds started about 15 1/2 years ago. I woke up one morning to find a juvenile heron perched on a curtain rod in Molly's bedroom. I was alone and had no idea what to do about it. After many fruitless phone calls, a neighbor finally threw a blanket over it and took it outside.

Exactly one week later, I awoke to find a scrub jay in my house.

Around that time, I saw a turkey attack a man. (He totally deserved it, don't tease a turkey.) It jumped up on his chest and started beating it's wings in his face.

Several years later at the San Francisco Zoo, a low flying duck grazed my head as it flew away from a misbehaving child.

There was the time in Golden Gate Park when I screamed my head off at a flock of pigeons flying in my general direction.

A year or so later, I called the police on a mocking bird. I thought it was a house alarm.

A couple of months ago a large bird slammed into my windshield while I was driving. It hit hard enough to make feathers stick. I think it was a hawk.

About a month ago a Masked Lovebird flew around our backyard for a while. It was in no way terrifying, but why us?

Saturday night, Wave found this thing perched on a chair in our back yard. It really freaked me out at first. My initial, totally irrational, thought was that it was a snake coiled up on the back of the chair.

When my eyes adjusted to the dark, it became obvious it was some sort of bird. But what kind of bird? My mind when first to the more distasteful types of birds common to this area. Juvenile Turkey Vulture? Baby Turkey? Could it belong to the neighbors?

I was terrified of what it might do if it were startled! Wave didn't want to walk past it the second time. We let him in through the front door

Actually, it did nothing. It sat and sat and sat. Then it tried to fly and couldn't. We put the cat inside so they wouldn't hurt each other. It managed to fly/climb onto the fence where it sat and sat and sat some more. It was still there when I went to bed.

I looked at a million pictures on the internet trying to figure out what kind of bird it was. I couldn't find a thing that looked like this. Any ornithologists out there?

I am to the point now where I can be near birds without screaming hysterically. I can appreciate birds from afar, but I keep a close eye on pigeons (not trustworthy!). I'd even like to have chickens someday.

I wonder if this much unintentional bird interaction is normal, though? Do you have crazy bird stories?

Learning To Sew

2010-04-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to teach myself to sew. It has been a long and frustrating battle!

I am threading challenged in the most severe way. Reading the manual was no help to me. Wave finally had to thread the darn thing for me!

After many fits & unladylike words, I can finally thread the machine by myself. Des is modeling the things I made today.

The diaper cover is made of micro fleece given to me by a lady Freecycler. It, unfortunately, has already failed its purpose. It didn't hold in the wetness like the other homemade micro fleece cover I have. Sewing friends, should I add another layer? Is the material only water resistant on one side? Help!

The baby legs are made from a pair of socks I picked up for 98 cents at Target. I just cut the extra fabric from the heel, sewed it back up, cut out the toes and hemmed the now open end. I am super proud of myself for thinking to use a zig zag heel to make the opening stretchy! So far (15 minutes!) the leg warmers are successful. Only time will tell!

3 Minutes, 24 Seconds of a Watson Friday

2010-03-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Molly the Barn Owl

2010-03-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Live TV : Ustream

Loana posted this link to our Elk Grove home school group. It's so cool, I had to share!

Here's some more info from the site...

This is a live feed of a wild female barn owl named Molly. The owl box is located 15 feet off the ground. Expecting owlets mid March. The male(McGee) has a white chest and face. He usually shows up after dark but has spent an entire day with the female.

And one last note from me...

One egg has hatched! His name is Max.

Fun With Words

2010-03-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

I like words. I like playing with words. I like thinking about words. I like knowing how to properly use and spell words. I like learning new words. I like kicking your butt at Scrabble.

But I digress...

I just came across this dictionary while explaining to Molly the definition of "cut a rug" and proving I hadn't made it up. http://onlineslangdictionary.com/

We had the most fun with this feature. http://onlineslangdictionary.com/random-word/ You can vote on your usage (or lack of usage) of random words.

Just a warning, this is SLANG. There is quite a bit of naughty stuff in there!

I read a book a couple a months ago in which one character asked another what her favorite word was. It took me a while to think of my favorite word, but as soon as I stopped thinking about it, it popped right into my head.

Lave. I'll let you look it up. It sounds sinister and sexy to me, but has such a clean meaning. ;)

What is your favorite word?

From Lydia

2010-03-08T16:27:00.000-08:00

Spell silk.

What do cows drink?

Did you say milk?

You're wrong!

Cows drink WATER!!

Rowan's Performance

2010-02-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csjtELJnsw4

Molly's Photography

2010-02-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

I really love the photos Molly takes of her siblings.

She does a great job capturing their personalities.

The Fish Amendment

2010-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

One of my children (who shall remain nameless) is a bit needy. She/he asks me multiple times per day how she/he looks. She/he asks me multiple times per day if I like her/his hair, clothes, makeup, shoes, fingernail polish, shoelaces, socks, smile, self portraits, etc., etc, etc, etc, etc... Yes, I appreciate that my child talks to me, but just don't have the energy & I never have the right answer!!

A negative response gets me in trouble.
Suggestions for change get me in trouble.
A positive response leads to more questions. The follow-up questions always get me in trouble

I have resorted to taking the fish amendment. Let me demonstrate.

"Mom, do you like this shirt?"
"Shark"

"Mom, does my hair look as good as it did the day we had french fries for dinner and I forgot to put salt on them?"
"Giant Kelp Fish"

"Mom, does my toenail polish match my socks?
"Squid"

"Mom, which of these 700 pictures I just took of myself do you like the best?"
"Ocean Sunfish"

I have learned that my response doesn't really matter. It's attention that is being asked for, not an honest opinion. It's not perfect, but it works. You can't argue with a fish.