one I can hear the babies stirring the dog water with spoons. I’m pretty sure they have put all the food from his bowl into the water. I could get up and freak out. On the other hand, I can hear where they are. So if I freak out they will just go do something worse, probably. two Emily asked how we deal with whining and I’ve been wandering around the last two days thinking about what we do. Clearly,... Read more
It was vouchsafed to me yesterday that I had mentioned only to a few people that we found the owner of the white dog–just a few minutes after I snapped this picture in fact. The night before our first day of school–because I can feel that the devil, or someone, doesn’t really want me to do school every day, including yesterday and possibly today and even some days last week–we took the dogs for a little walk and on our... Read more
So what are we doing this year, for school?Some of you asked, perhaps foolishly, but maybe you know best.Hmmm….well….. For poetry Elphine and Alouicious will be memorizing a couple of Tennyson poems–“The Eagle” and “The Flower in the Crannied Wall” even though I think its been identified as one of the worst poems ever written (where did I read that?)–and working through the new Roman Roads Media Grammar of Poetry, the first three lessons of which have been fun and... Read more
The children swimming in that beautiful lake. So we’ve been back to school for two weeks. The weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth has been within bound and reason. It’s hard for everyone to switch over from waking up and playing to waking up and whining about having to work. Phew. Me chief of all. Add to the insanity that I decided I ought to wake up half an hour earlier this year and you have a less than placid... Read more
So starts a ghastly song made up by the children last year. It goes on And I’m still in pre-schoolAnd I want my Mommmyyyy.But my Mommy’s at workAnd she gave me cheese pizzaAnd I want my ice-cream. All sung to the tune of ‘Happy Birthday’. They sing it loudly all year. Fortunately for me, I haven’t heard it once today, even though it is my birthday, because Five, read FIVE, whole Kennedy children are up swimming themselves silly at a... Read more
one It is gray and pouring rain. It feels like we’re about to have winter already. Seriously considering taking up a seasonal affective disorder because, well, it seems to be there for the taking. two We’re starting school next week anyway. Let it rain because the children will have LOTS to do. Think its going to be a little shock for their poor tender selves. Can hear the agonized whining already, just because they’ve had to make their beds and... Read more
Lately we’ve been exclusively eating frittata on Saturday evenings. Eighteen or so eggs, a dollop of full fat cream, chives or sauteed onion or something, a golden mound of some kind of cheese, sometimes some sausage, all whipped together and plunked into a pan and into the oven at 350 for a while–until its golden and puffy and a knife comes out clean. And a massive loaf of bread sliced up and lathered with butter. And a big salad. Doesn’t... Read more
As many of you know, we live right next to our place of work, Church of the Good Shepherd (COGS). Matt once did a little video of his 30 second “commute” with much smug hilarity. On Sunday mornings we get all dressed up and trip lightly up our little walk to the back door of the church. Of course, when I say we, I mean Matt and all the children. It takes me a teensy bit longer to get there... Read more
We’re having a week “off” watching the Olympics and squabbling with each other. For my second day “off” I’m going to do laundry and write up my Individualized Home Instruction Plans (IHIP) for each child and then think about burying myself under a rock or something. Can you believe that I have every single book, apparently, that I’ll need for the year ordered, arrived and shelved by child by subject in the school room…and my desk is clean? I can’t... Read more
Now we are six.Romulus turned six yesterday. His hair is all shaggy and wild and he’s been running around for days amending a long, but compared to his sister, uncomplicated list of things he longs for: Knights, a Pokemon 50 pack, cars, cars, cars, a Batman mask. He wanted a “rainbow” cake with that part inside. So, as far as I could figure out, he meant Funfetti, that vile sugary “cake” like substance that is so ubiquitous in childhood. A... Read more
Preventing Grace
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In