Archives: Family Life

7 Quick Takes Friday: Sink or Swim

7 Quick Things about how I pushed the kids out of the nest this week, homeschool-wise. 1. My main concern has always been less about the grade they get, and more about making them do the work, no matter how many times it takes, until they get it right. I quiz them over and over until they prove they know it, send papers back until every mistake is fixed. 2. Unfortunately, this has led to a certain laziness. They knew that if they just guessed, or even left answers blank, they'd get a...

XKCD and OBs

I just had to share this XKCD comic with you all today. It's very appropriate since I've been devouring the birth blogs lately: I think I need a "birth" category on my blog...

7 Quick Takes Friday

1. On Saturday my best friend, Gretchen, and her husband, John, were visiting from Alaska and had a party at Gretchen's parents' house. It was small -- only four adults (and two kids) other than me -- but lots of fun! We played a trivia game called Wits & Wagers, which was made all the more fun by the fact that we didn't have the instructions. My project365 photo for Saturday was Gretchen and John: 2. Gretchen was asking me about the kids and school, and asked if we've gotten...

7 Quick Takes Friday: What'll I Think Of Next?

1. I totally forgot to do this meme today until my alarm went off to remind me to sign the Mr. Linky at midnight. I have absolutely no idea what I'll write about. Hrmmm.... 2. We're watching Dollhouse. Joss Whedon is freaky. Of course, that's freaky in a way I love, like Firefly. Dollhouse is becoming absolutely fascinating now that I can't figure out who is a bad guy and who is good. 3. Mark let me take a photo of him for my Project365 today. It's a pretty awesome shot of two...

7 Quick Takes Friday: The Non-Specific Titles Edition

1. I dislike non-specific titles for blog posts. When I look back through my archives, I don't want to see a dozen posts all named after a meme, all titled the exact same thing. But the nature of this 7 Quick Takes Friday meme makes it hard for me to figure out a good title -- on which of the 7 should I base it? Oh well, I am sure I will figure it out. 2. Yesterday when I got on my laptop for my daily computer time, one of the very first things I did was check to see if any of the...

How Project365 is making me better

I posted this as a reply in one of my Flickr Project365 groups: I mentioned this in another thread, but I find that I function best and am happiest when I stick to routines and doing things every day. I have a little book where I write out my daily routine -- doing the same chores in the same order every day -- and I check it off as I go. The problem is that I *really* suck at that. I manage for a few weeks, start slipping, give up, get depressed. Last time I did Project365 I lasted 69...

7 Quick Takes Friday

1. 7 Quick Takes Friday is a meme hosted at Conversion Diary, which I found via Julie. To play, you post -- get this -- 7 quick takes on Friday. I found out about it late in the day last Friday, and planned to start this week so I could post earlier, but I forgot. Oh well, better late than never, right? 2. It's absolutely amazing how I can have a hundred little bloggy ideas in my head all week -- and they all disappear as soon as I sit down to try and write 7 little blurbs. 3. I have...

Did I mention that during my big photo...

Did I mention that during my big photo organization project, I found a CD of my original, unedited wedding photos?? What luck! The first time I edited them, I did not know what I was doing and pretty much ruined them. I've regretted it ever since! Now if the originals from Seamus' birth would magically appear, that'd...

Which is more rude: not giving people my address...

Which is more rude: not giving people my address so they can send me a Christmas card, or giving it knowing I won't send one...

Just left Mass for great-aunt's funeral. Mass...

Just left Mass for great-aunt's funeral. Mass was beautiful. Christ the Redeemer is a gorgeous church...

I am making Seamus write down his memory verse...

I am making Seamus write down his memory verse before he takes his Bible quiz, even though it's stupid and pointless, and won't help him remember, and there's no reason to do...

My phone is broken. Any time I am not using it,...

My phone is broken. Any time I am not using it, it turns off, despite being fully charged. I *can* make outgoing calls. Feel free to leave me a voicemail, text me, send me a message on Facebook, email me, or ping me on GTalk, just don't expect an immediate response since I am not sitting at the computer and my phone is not alerting me to new...

"I say we make like a bread truck and haul...

"I say we make like a bread truck and haul buns!" -- Space...

Traded all three girls to Mary for James tonight....

Traded all three girls to Mary for James tonight. Sweet...

Whenever I see a small church I can't help but...

Whenever I see a small church I can't help but think how perfect it'd be as a house for us. Lots of rooms & bathrooms, & a big kitchen! Need a church van...

Did I say I was going to *rest* while the kids...

Did I say I was going to *rest* while the kids were at the movie? Does it count if I don't sit down until about ten minutes before I expect them back?? I just kept seeing "one more thing" I wanted to clean before I got on the computer... And oddly enough, it seemed like everything that needed cleaning was within about three feet of the floor. Why on earth would that be?...

Whew. Everyone is finally better, I finally got...

Whew. Everyone is finally better, I finally got the house back in order, and today I get to rest while my mom takes the kids to a movie. Today should be...

Remember when I said the worst was over?

Remember when I said the worst was over? I was so wrong. Sinead got sick Thursday night, then Aoghdan got sick again, then Mark and I spent all day Friday sick. I am praying we are better in time for...

Nobody has thrown up in over 12 hours!

Nobody has thrown up in over 12 hours! A couple of the kids are still tired and not ready to jump and shout, but the worst is over!...

Looks like a virus hit us. Seamus was sick a few...

Looks like a virus hit us. Seamus was sick a few days ago, just for a few hours. Now everyone else but Sinead, Anna, and I are down. Hopefully we'll get better as fast as...