Vegetable Garden

It was a nice morning and we moved a bit of school outside and so while daddy was reading. I got my camera and took some pictures of the garden.

Lots of good vitamins here. We have about 10 plants so we will have plenty for the kids to enjoy.



A few green tomatoes getting ready to get bigger and turn red. Yummy.



A radish poking up. 

Last year we planted a cherry tree and an apple tree. The apple tree didn't make it. Last year there were a few cherries and most of them went to the birds. This year we have more and we are trying to keep the birds away so we can enjoy them.

Miss K, Miss K how does your garden grow?

We planted some flowers the other night. Miss K was a help. She did dig a hold and then it is was "my turn" to water the plants. Hopefully she will not pick the flowers.

We also have some vegetables in the backyard -- tomatoes, beets, carrots, red onions, radishes, cilantro, broccoli, and peppers. J picked the first radishes the other day and we had them in the salad.

"Hi chickens"

It sounds so innocent unless you realize that it involves Miss K and then you know that you need to be quick and ready. This afternoon we were enjoying a picnic with our homeschool co-op. It was a nice orchard with a big playground and on the edge of the playground were some cages with chickens, turkeys, and a peacock. I knew to stay in the playground area and just watch her. She walked over to look at the chickens then she slipped through the 6 inches between the cage and the gate. I went over to bring her back and there she was opening the hook and eye closure on the chicken area. She said, "hi chickens."

I did some fast thinking. I can't run all the way around. No one else was around to help. I couldn't really walk away because I was able to hold the cage door shut from my side of the gate. I then told Miss K to put the hook back. She tried and said "too big". I told her to try again and yeah she did it. She put the hook back in. Then I realized that the chain around the gate was not locked but just wrapped around so I upwrapped it and told her to come back in. She did. The chickens stayed in there cage and never knew how close to freedom they were.

Life with Miss K keeps you on your toes.

Signs of the Times

I have 3 sisters-in-law and they are all wonderful just had to add that in case they actually do read my blog. Anyway it used to be that when we would be at my parents for an evening together we girls would run to the local department store to shop. If my cousins, were in town we would have to go. It is just one of those things we do. We usually bring everything in and show my mom and the winner is the one who I don't remember how we figured that.

So last night we were together just 2 of my 3 sisters-in-law and my one sister-in-law said that Goodwill was having a sale and they were open until 8:00. So we headed there. I found a bunch of denim jumpers for Miss K and a few other fun finds.

It was a fun evening and cheaper than going to the local department store.

I spy

a fun action packed placemat. Okay, the action is a calm but the fun is there. I am not sure where I got the idea. I probably saw something online but I decided to just make my own. I had fun finding the fabric and I cut the sizes based on the fabric.

I did something fun and added some ribbon on the side so that it could be rolled. I envision taking this out to restaurants and so it can easily be rolled up and put in a bag.

This particular one is a boy theme. I want to make a girl theme. I have fabric so if you want one or two just let me know and I will give you a good deal.

Daily Life

Nothing very exciting happening on My side of the world. Sometimes it seems that since I have a blog I should have something exciting happening everyday but in daily life that just doesn't happen.

We have been wrapping up our school year. We are getting close to the end. I have portfolio almost finished. We had our evaluation last night. I have ordered all of the things for J for next year. Continue Saxon 3 and then on to 5/4, Shurley grammar, Explode the Code, Apologia Botany, and my last minute switch for history to Winter Promise. I thought I knew what I was doing and was getting ready to order and I just was not impressed with Core 2 so looked around a bit and decided on Winter Promise American Story. Now I am excited. I am ready for August. I am working through all the things that need to be done for homeschooling Miss K next year.

Our oven died. Dinner has been the crock-pot or grill. It was fine until I went to make hamburger buns yesterday and then realized I couldn't bake them. I guess we will just have to buy some.

We have had some work done on the house and now I am cleaning up and putting things back together.

I have been working on my to do list this week and am getting things done. Nothing very exciting but a number of things crossed off.

That is about happening in my side of the world.

Dinner becomes part of school

One of the advantages of homeschooling is I know exactly what J is studying. That is fun because then outside of school time I can reinforce the learning. That happened last week and I didn't really even plan it. We did plan Yanni's which is our favorite Greek restaurant in Seattle. It is only open for dinner and so we kept an evening free so we could go there. I think it was the first time J had Greek food. He noticed the columns and some of the other Greek pictures because we have been studying the Greeks.

We had some yummy food.

Miss K would just reach across the table and grab a piece of pita. That girl loves bread.

If you are looking for a good Greek restaurant in Seattle I do recommend Yanni's.

Right now we are studying flight. Maybe I can serve nothing for dinner as that is what they do on the airplanes -- nope, I don't think that will work.

She knows where she is going.

Miss K has a sense of direction and observes what is going on around here. I have thought that for some time. I remember when we lived in HKG. We would ride the bus and normally went to the train station and if we were not going to the train station I would have to tell her because she would want to get off there. She can find her way home but we learned how much she does understand. On Sunday after a 8 days of staying in a new house in a new city she went in the car with daddy to get gas. Daddy missed a turn to come home as GPS was already packed to come home and Miss K was there to tell him "no, daddy, turn". She might not always have the words to say but she does know what is going on.

I don't really think she wants to go to space. This past airplane trip became the trip that she decided she doesn't like flying. I guess after flying all over the place for 5 years she decided enough of that flying. Don't tell her we are going on a plane next month.

Sketch Tuesday

J likes to draw and it is something I encourage because it gives him something to do and fill the time and some days I need that. I like the Draw, Write Now books and he has used some of those. Recently we discovered Sketch Tuesday and so I told him this afternoon that the topic for this week was "Leaving on a Jet Plane". I think he was able to do that topic easily as we have just spent time studying aviation. I think he did a good job on his drawing even though he was a bit jet lagged.

I think the control tower is something that he discovered this trip and so it was neat to see the way he included it in the drawing.

"Flowers" Happy Mother's Day

Yesterday afternoon a little girl knocked on the back door holding  this bunch of needles and said, "flowers". The bunch was actually bigger but I made her wait for the camera and she dropped some along the way waiting. I do have to say it was very cute and sweet. We left the flowers in the back yard.

Mother's Day - I am thankful for my mother and her example. I love my kids and love being their mom. I spent Mother's Day night with both of them sleeping or trying to sleep on me as we took the red eye home.

Thank you J & K for the special mother's day.

The rained stopped

and so we decided to go ahead and go up the Space Needle. That was the big thing on J's list of things he wanted to do in Seattle. Now before you think that I am such a wonderful teacher teaching him all about this he learned about it from one of the Little Einstein's where June loses her balloons and they go to the Space Needle and almost pop on the needle.



We got to the top and Miss K said, "down". She said the same thing when the plane took off. While Daddy and J walked around outside Miss K and I went in and found a snack and sat. Chips always make everything better. She then decided that it was fun up there. She went out and turned around giving me her best smile so I could take her picture.



One more look at the city. Well, it wasn't night and it wasn't July and I think it was colder.



It was July 7 years ago at the top of the Space Needle that my husband proposed.

Do you want to see me? There I am. I got a new camera for mother's day a bit early. We are traveling this summer and I needed a new camera.

Field Trip

One of the fun things about homeschooling is the fun field trips you get to have. Some just happen like the day we had doctor appointments, waiting, and a trip to Costco to which J says "that was a field trip". Sure we can call it a field trip. Today was a bit unplanned but fun. The Pacific Science Center. It was raining (I know that is just about every day here) and so we decided to go there. The kids had fun.



There was a nice salt water tide area where the kids could put their hands in and touch things.



It reminded me of the morning years ago that I spent with my friend, Ruth, and her family on the beach during low tide and we were able to see all kinds of sea creatures that you normally don't see.



I think she is dancing with the planets. J and mama went to see the 3-D Hubble telescope movie but we figured Miss K would not enjoy it. She was with daddy and found the tots area and was happy as could be.



It was a fun time and when we came out it stopped raining. Yeah! Now if we could get some warmer weather I would be much happier. It is cold here.