So awhile back I decided to set GMC and Daddy on cleaning the potty every week, since GMC was the one 'missing', I figured it was his fault, and Daddy would be more believable as 'you can to aim better'.

It seemed to work, after a couple weeks I saw less on my floor, and the bathroom smelled nicer.

Then things started to slide, I did the bathrooms myself, and the one GMC uses is terrible.

So we are back to him cleaning it, only since I am around every day, he has cleaned it nearly every day this week.

I hope it gets it soon, but in the meantime I set a candle to burning in there to help with the ambient aroma... Tell me how long does it take a boy to learn to aim?

Today we shall spend a small fortune.

1. new filter so we can turn on furnace.. didn't know this but when the third kid came to visit us in the night I decided 59 was to cold, was informed by husband filter really has to be changed first..oh... so the remainder of the morning was spent snuggled up with kids.. Not a bad thing except I don't sleep well with squirmy JC..should have got UE, once asleep he doesn't move.

2. Christmas present for the two older ones, will be paid for by gma, but we are in charge of retrieval.

3. shoe boxes for "operation Christmas child". I love helping the kids pick out gifts for others.

4. socks for GMC, he pays for them though, his habit of sticking his pencil between the toes and sock is what ruins them

5. hopefully some Christmas baskets for food presents, forgot to stock up last year.

6. more glow in the dark paint for Gs costume..had no idea how much paint one skeleton would take!

7. any Christmas gifts we can find.. wish I was done like BA, but only about half way.

While writing an email regarding my teaching habits for a new homeschooler, I realized how little of my day is traditional, yet at the same time, how academically advanced my kids are.

Either my kids are genetic mutants, or the rest of my day is more important than the schooling (my personal theory, though of course they are smart)

I typed up a few of our habits, and came to dinner, I often get a helper or two, sometimes I incorporate a lesson, fractions or counting, or simply following directions. Others I just see what they know to do. Life skills, the day is full of them when you don't have to much paperwork to do.

Then there is the fact that ALL games we play have an element of learning in them, from Brain quest (all educational questions) to Zingo (like uno, only you match an instrument, complete a puzzle, spell a word, or add up to 11) To simple dice games, or even memory, we learn while we play. Computer games and the new leapster of course are learning games as well.

Of course dinner conversations factor in to the learning, from a question and answer session to talking of politics or sports (we simplify them a bit after our adult rant) Even a 'review' (fancy academic word for talk about) of a recent movie or book. We are always learning and using our knowledge.

I guess if they were behind academically I would feel more obligated to sit them down for longer ..... but thankfully they are well ahead for their age, and show no signs of slowing down.

Even a halloween costume was a reason to learn. GMC wants to be a skeleton, not only did we have to figure out how to make a costume, we had to figure out what bones to show, and there is a brief lesson in anatomy.

But I don't want to come off like I am constantly looking for a learning oportunity, JC wants to be a flower fairy princess, can't really see what is educational about that though we did make her a tutu, just not the most important skill in the world. I didn't make her study up on faery mythology or anything, we just let her have fun.

But at the same time, learning to make a tutu is building brain connections, and the more you build the easier it is...which is far more useful for ancient me, than young kids who make them regardless.

Kids are like sponges, they will learn, we just get to help choose what they learn.

Well it turns out Juliette Low had tea, and little girls think tea parties are nifty. So tonight in honor of 'founders day' (October 31st for GS) we will be having a tea party.

Any idea how to get a roomful of 5 and 6 year olds not to break teacups?

Well we survived at any rate.

I totally forgot to let the kids play musical flowers, but we did the crafts and I have a huge 'scroll' they all decorated with 'quills'.

J did end up with a balloon from one guest and they each got a card, but other than that the no gifts rule was followed.

The cake received rave reviews so I think we shall let her do it for the next party as well. Certainly was less stressful to not have to bake or decorate one myself. Not that I am off the cake baking hook I need to make one for J's birthday still so she can take cupcakes to sunday school and Daisys.

Now I have until April to plan a Werewolf party...

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that man is created equal"...but only Mom can nurse, so I stay he goes.

The Renaissance festival is in town and kids are free today, so we decided to go, but today El has a cold, and UE needs to nap to prepare for his party tomorrow, so the older ones went with daddy while I stay here.

Suppose it is cheaper not to have to feed the three of us out, and pay for my ticket and all.

And I could use some time alone, don't get much these days. with both the younger two napping, I have a very quiet house.

Err, excuse me, but A. My kids don't Need anything, I can provide for them just fine. And B. He needs a financial education far more than yet another trinket!

I really can not stand the mentality that asking a child to save is tantamount to torture. Really, you have got to be kidding me. I don't even require 50%! (not that I see anything wrong with 50%)

For every dollar that comes in about 20% is savings, 10%ish is charity, and for the older two some is dues for scouts, the rest is theirs to spend. With the possible exception of two short term loans I made for a dollar or two for J, and to replace an item for G (he broke it, he paid to replace it) I do not see any reason why they need anything!

Other than a financial education, can they honestly not see how important it is? Especially in light of the hassle credit has gotten so many into which is all over the news today.

Sure I understand if you give the gift of money you want a person to enjoy it, not sock it away and ignore it, but if you wanted them to play with it, you should have asked mom or dad for an idea of a toy.....

While I don't have quite as many ideas as relatives wanting to buy I have a few, first and foremost his favorite gift would be an afternoon cooking with you. Yes I typed that right, he would LOVE to cook with someone, preferably someone who lets him make a bigger mess than mommy.

If you can't give him two hours of your time, then how about you not complain when those of us in charge of his education use that money as another learning experience?

So while hunting up the keys to pack the car while my husband was in the shower I found evidence that he was cheating on me.

I took it to him while he was good and stuck listening to me in the shower and all, hard to avoid me in that state in such a small room.

In general I have a smart husband, he knows I am in his pockets all the time he aught to be smart enough not to leave things lying in there.

But there it was a folded piece of paper right where I found the keys. I knew at a glance it was bad, instincts? wifely intuition?

I couldn't believe I thought I knew him so well, how could this happen. We have been married 8 and half years, been through two elections already, and now this comes up.

We had talked of everything from honesty and education to politics and lies, what had I missed?

I unfolded the paper and read with dread... the name of one of the big two candidates.

Truth is he was handed a bumper sticker while out selling popcorn and too polite to risk a popcorn sale so said 'thanks' and moved on.

Now most here know I am a Libertarian, but in general I keep my politics to myself, I learned long ago that getting involved is a sure route to annoying folk, so please don't tell me which name you support it is all the same to me.

But I sure had a good laugh spinning the same story to my husband before showing him just what the 'evidence' was. (he said I was weird)

While searching for a pattern to make a Tutu, I stopped at several family magazine websites in addition to my google-ing.

I couldn't do one thing on the family fun magazine site! The add kept coming down from the corner covering up the search box I was trying to type in.

Note to web owners, don't make your ads so annoying you lose your visitors.

I made 'pretty biscuits' last night, my kids devoured them and my FIL loved them.

I kinda used the one from [http://www.savingadvice.com/forums/recipes/41586-anyone-have-good-biscuit-base-recipe.html?highlight=cookies]the forums[/url]

but I used whole wheat non self rising flour.

regardless they didn't rise, but they sure did melt in the mouth.

granola was from http://threebeansalad.savingadvice.com/

and I am cold, so I baked lunch rather than nuking it.... still no heat on but kitchen is warmer.

I can't recall which blog posted a granola recipe last week or the one before. But I tried it Saturday and loved it!

More sweet than healthy it was delicious, Messy but good.

I took the crunchy crumbs and put them in a bowl with milk. So good! Tasted like what the granola cereals are trying to do, only no cardboard taste.

My kids ate a third of it at one sitting, I didn't mean to let them eat it all, but they did it so fast and I didn't start them with a limit, fortunately there were three of them, so I guess it wasn't that much.

I also forgot the fruit, and used molasses instead of maple sugar.

I just saw a commercial for layaway. With credit being so easy most folk just buy now pay later, but with layaway, shop now pay as you go, pick up and play later makes much more sense to me.

Plus there is that free storage. I wouldn't mind lay a way just so all the Christmas stuff had a place to live between now and Christmas!

Every year we visit a smallish pumpkin patch near our house.

This year we got a free hay ride, nothing extraordinary, but JC and UE's first experience (ok so JC was on one at 10ish months, but that really doesn't count and El was there this time, but again, doesn't count)

Plus we bought some honey, I have read some tentative research suggesting eating honey from local bees is good for allergies, not sure if it works, but it wont hurt. I like supporting local bees anyway.

So the price for 4 smallish pumpkins and one carving pumpkin, and a hay ride, a maze, and a thing of honey?

It is always set your own....seriously.

We said $25 because that's how much cash we had. Truth is looking at their suggested pricing, we would have owed about that, but we have in the past suggested a price and been told it was to high...to which we always reply then we will get another pumpkin!

I think it is an awesome concept, they have our sales every year because of the set your own. I love supporting a local farm, and I love the experience and fun of spending an entire morning outside finding the pumpkins.

We are listening to an old Encyclopaedia Brown story.

Not only does encyclopedia have a booming detective business his friends have jobs. One is a lawn mower business.

Another story has the 10 year olds going camping, on their own.

This is shortly after reading the boxcar children. Where a 5 year old, 10 year old, a 12 year old and a 14 year old, make a home for themselves in a boxcar.

Were kids back in the day more capable, or just the ones in books?

It has been a week of gifts!

'new' to the house clothes for every kid, a;; from two friends. add that to the bag last week and little JC is loving the fun.

It doesn't matter to her that another girl wore the items, what matters is the fun newness of them. (new meaning not ever worn by JC)

I have to admit I get a kick out of going through bags of hand me downs too!

I would need a fabric that doesn't fray so that the patch doesn't have to have the perfect satin finish.

so I thought of felt, but I am not sure I can use iron on transfers on felt.

But then would the felt stretch to much? would it rip when I sewed it on?

do T shirts fray at the cut edges? I know I can iron on to them, and I have a few with holes I could use...though one is black, can you iron on to black?

Since the GS doesn't have a official camp patch for the camp we were at, and Daisies do not have much todo beyond petals I thought Iw oudl try to make a patch for them.

I found instructions:
http://www.childfun.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&s...

But I still need a photo to use, and the transfer paper. I think I can use an old shirt or something for the cloth to put it on. It wont have the perfect embroidered edge that patches usually come with, but I hope it will be ok.

So this year I am not making the kids cake. We have a pastry chef for a friend, and she is very good.
So while debating how to make a phoenix, along with all the other hassles in life, I just decided to let her make it. After all being the wonderful friend she is, she made the awesome dragon in minutes while I was stressing over other birthday 'stuff', so why not let her have advance notice!

In other news there is an opportunity to buy tickets to the nutcracker through Girl Scouts for only9$... not a big ballet company, but still it is for a 5 year old, I think it would be cool.

For the most part since we are rather frugal and low spenders (cause we are low earners) this whole stock woe is really not effecting us much, oh sure we do have a retirement fund, but since we have eons before retirement and didn't really knwo what it was before the hassle, we can't miss it.

The one thing that prolly aught to worry me is that my husband works in retail, computers but computers for retail. if the economy starts to really suck, and folks really do stop buying 14 bazziliion pairs of shoes, he might have a job problem.

But then again if you were going to cut jobs I would think the lowest paid guy would be last. And he really is the lowest paid guy.

My compost doesn't make near enough dirt to fill in the cracks that this desert has. So I wondered over to the empty lot next door wondering if cutting down the bushes or weeds there would be worth it, and I discovered a pile of grass clippings! Apparently someone in the nearby houses dumps their lawnmower bag right next door!

I dug up a few layers moved it over to my yard to fill in some spots, now it may not really turn into good dirt seeing as how I just dumped and ignored it, but at least for the next while all the rain will wash away crass clippings, not dirt. might keep the erosion down a bit longer.

What I really need is a tree or two, some trees formed on their own down the hill, and are doing rather well, though I have doubts about the two within a foot of each other, they are all taller than my younger son (3ish feet) but, the two close ones are dry and leaves already turning brown.

Unfortunately I cannot grow a thing, all my attempts fail, except the lilies, which while they don't prosper they are at least still alive. So it makes no sense for me to go buy a tree, I just have to hope one gets itself planted and grows enough to be noticeable before I mow it down.

While I will ask total strangers if they want to buy popcorn, I wont ask this one gal. See she is a bit tight with money, regardless of why, she knows us well enough to feel obliged to say yes. While I do want my son to hear no, I wont risk hearing a yes from someone who has no money to buy.