My New Favorite Author

I am loving Melanie Benjamin! She has written two novels that I am in love with. Alice I Have Been and Mrs. Tom Thumb. Alice I Have Been is the story about Alice In Wonderland after she tumbled down the rabbit hole, the story of the real girl Lewis Carroll was inspired by. Mrs. Tom Thumb is the story of the mid-18th century entertainment Miss Lavinia Warren and her husband Tom Thumb. These books are both historical and fiction. I love them!

Science Center

Every September, the science center admission is only $2 per person. Quite a discount. Yesterday the littles and I took advantage of it. It was strange not having Molly with us, with her in school, she can't go on our field trips anymore :( Saturday I'm taking her to the very cool American Visionary Art Museum. I got two free tickets for that off of the Smithsonians Free Museum Day promotion.

Sophia : Pueblo House

Lake Elkhorn playground after church

American Story Pueblo Houses!

New Church

We went to a new church on Sunday and loved it! The kids loved the classes for them, and Molly and I really enjoyed the service. It is beautiful and peaceful. I feel so good about it, I can't tell you how much. I think this is a new chapter in our lives. Molly starts her class next Sunday evening. Bonus: it's right across the street from a park with a lake, do I hear picnic time?
It's a Unitarian church, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia.

American Story

for history this year, Sophia and Ben are using Winterpromise's American Story 1. This program is alot of fun with lots of reading and fun projects. Today we finished up our Plains Indian teepees.

New Kitty

Did we need another pet? No, we already have a bunny named Hagrid, a beautiful ragdoll cat named Annie, a doggie named Poochie, who is on her last leg literally, numerous fish and nine hens. Annie most definitely did not feel that we needed another pet in the house. However, my little Sophia has been begging for a kitten all her own. Friends of ours just happenned to have a momma cat who just recently gave birth to five adorable kittens, one of which was an oarnge tabby, just the kind Sophia wanted. She named the little fellow DJ. Annie is begrudgingly allowing him to stay.

Nose Piercing!

So I took Molly to the mall a couple of weeks ago to get her 2nd ear piercing, after a couple of years of putting her off abt it. Instead of satisfying her need for holes shot into her body, it seemed to have started us down a veeerrry slippery slope. I took Sophia and Benny on a hike last Sunday, and as I was unloading our muddy gear from the back orf the Tahoe, Molly and two girlfriends popped out at me with guess what??? Nose piercings! Molly's was only half in, and she a bit belatedly, but not completely, asked for "permission". I was really hesitant at first, I always thought of nose piercings as well disgusting if you must know, but I decided to ok it. I mean, it is her body, it really isn't that big of a deal in the scheme of things. It's not that permanent, its a tiny tiny tiny hole that will close up, or be hardly noticeable if you don't wear anything in it. I've always let Molly dye her hair whatever color suits her mood, so this isn't so different.
I did admire their bravery. I mean sticking a needle in your nose takes guts and determination. Think of how badly they wanted this. They did sterilize everything, thank you very much. Any way, no infections yet. One of the girls is grounded, the other girls mom just said she was glad it wasn't a tat, and Molly's mom, well, I think it's kinda cute.

Back to School...for Real This Tme

So Molly, my 14 year old, started school at Liberty High last week. I can't believe it. I have a kid in school. I have a kid in school, I have a kid in school!!! You must understand how totally weird this is for me, after all these years of not being a part of the public, or private for that matter education system, I am now part of a school. A government school, no less. WTF??? How did this happen? Isn't it funny how things change? Things we were so sure of at one time go up in a puff of smoke. Oh well, if you don't change, you die, right? Or something like that. She is loving school. I mean loving it. Loves the teachers, the kids, the classes, the clubs. She's joined four clubs. Drama, Debate, Dance and Gay/Lesbian support/rights group. She's trying out for A Christmas Carol next week and starting piano, and ballet too if I have the $. Ballet sucks bc you have to pay for the whole year at once. yeah, that's realistic. Oh she even likes riding the bus. My head is reeling. Re-thinking and re-adjusting.