Okay, so I checked out Blogging for Dummies from the library last week because everyone I know, it seems, has his or her own blog. And I thought, "Why shouldn't I jump on this bandwagon?!" Well, I learned that I know absolutely NOTHING about the finer points of blogging; but then, how hard is it to sign up for a Google account and pick out a template? So, voila! Here I am, a published author!
Seriously, I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while simply as a way of keeping up with friends and family--it seems like there's always some amusing anecdote or cute/funny photo to share (of course, now that I'm actually online I'm sure the well will dry up!). But due to my busy days, those anecdotes tend to be forgotten and the pictures remain in my camera until the moment has long since passed.
A little background (I include this in case I am ever brave enough to make this blog's existence known to friends with whom I haven't corresponded in quite some time):
I'm married to my preacher husband, Randy (fifteen years this June and seriously, where has the time gone???) and we have four beautiful, wonderful, funny, smart, gifted kids (hey, this is MY blog and I can brag as much as I want!). We are a homeschooling family and the mere fact that we have been able to fulfill this desire for five years now is a tremendous blessing to me. Unfortunately, I am one of those people known affectionately in homeschooling circles as a "Box-Checker." That means I have a very clear vision of what I want each day to look like (well, who doesn't, really?) but I'm not comfortable until all the boxes are checked off. In my defense, I have striven to overcome this tendency and have loosened up a lot over the past five years, but deep down I still feel a deeper sense of satisfaction when I can look at my lesson plans and realize that every thing on the agenda for that day was accomplished.
Okay, back to my funny, fabulous kids . . . . Once upon a time I created a signature line in my e-mail program that labeled my kids as a "budding architect" (Tyler), "an artist who just wants to be happy" (Darcy--there's a story there), "a hopeful ballerina" (Peyton, always the girly-girl) and "a likely construction worker" (Sawyer--and when is there NOT a story there?!).
From the time Tyler was two years old, my mom said, "That kid is going to be an architect."
He's one of those kids who can visualize what he wants to build and, presto! It's done. He is a Lego purist--he went off on a Bionicle tangent for a little while but has now abandoned them in favor of working with the originals. (Fortunately for us, Sawyer likes Bionicles so they have not been abandoned altogether!) Tyler is amazingly creative and talented not just at building objects but also at drawing (don't worry, Darcy's not jealous). I often say he takes after his Uncle Clark!
Darcy has a wide range of interests but she definitely takes after me in that #1 she loves to scrapbook (that's primo scrapbooking paper in the photo below) and #2 she is always reading at least three books at once. She reads any and everything she can get her hands on. In fact, this whole family is a book-loving family, and we NEVER have enough space on our bookshelves! She went through a brief phase where she thought she'd like to be a vet (I would give anything if I
could remember how she used to pronounce "veterinarian" when she was little, but it escapes me) but that seems to have been a passing fancy. Now she is determined to be an artist. Which brings me to my story. . . . One evening when Randy was in Cincinnati at school, I loaded up the kids and we headed to our brand-new Michael's craft store. Understandably, the kids were in awe looking around at all of the craft items. They were particularly struck by all of the items marketed directly at kids and they immediately began digging in their wallets to see if they had enough allowance money to buy anything. (Actually, Tyler didn't need to check--when he is not generously offering to buy popcorn for everyone at the movies, he is hoarding his money and always knows down to the nickel how much is in his wallet.) As the kids browsed through the options, Tyler saw an art kit that he thought would be perfect for Darcy, and he told her so. Her response was rather lackluster and not what Tyler had hoped for so he said, "Darcy, how are you ever going to be a famous artist if you don't practice?" To which she replied, "I don't care about being famous; I just want to be happy." You go, girl! Personally, I think Darcy should be a writer. She is hilarious! Every time I see one of her notebooks lying around, I can't help but snoop a little and see what new little gem she's come up with.
I think I'll end this post here and pick up with the other half of my "fabulous four" in my next entry. For now, I am "Mom, Interrupted." (Okay, I'll stop saying that.)
Seriously, I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while simply as a way of keeping up with friends and family--it seems like there's always some amusing anecdote or cute/funny photo to share (of course, now that I'm actually online I'm sure the well will dry up!). But due to my busy days, those anecdotes tend to be forgotten and the pictures remain in my camera until the moment has long since passed.
A little background (I include this in case I am ever brave enough to make this blog's existence known to friends with whom I haven't corresponded in quite some time):
I'm married to my preacher husband, Randy (fifteen years this June and seriously, where has the time gone???) and we have four beautiful, wonderful, funny, smart, gifted kids (hey, this is MY blog and I can brag as much as I want!). We are a homeschooling family and the mere fact that we have been able to fulfill this desire for five years now is a tremendous blessing to me. Unfortunately, I am one of those people known affectionately in homeschooling circles as a "Box-Checker." That means I have a very clear vision of what I want each day to look like (well, who doesn't, really?) but I'm not comfortable until all the boxes are checked off. In my defense, I have striven to overcome this tendency and have loosened up a lot over the past five years, but deep down I still feel a deeper sense of satisfaction when I can look at my lesson plans and realize that every thing on the agenda for that day was accomplished.
Okay, back to my funny, fabulous kids . . . . Once upon a time I created a signature line in my e-mail program that labeled my kids as a "budding architect" (Tyler), "an artist who just wants to be happy" (Darcy--there's a story there), "a hopeful ballerina" (Peyton, always the girly-girl) and "a likely construction worker" (Sawyer--and when is there NOT a story there?!).
From the time Tyler was two years old, my mom said, "That kid is going to be an architect."
He's one of those kids who can visualize what he wants to build and, presto! It's done. He is a Lego purist--he went off on a Bionicle tangent for a little while but has now abandoned them in favor of working with the originals. (Fortunately for us, Sawyer likes Bionicles so they have not been abandoned altogether!) Tyler is amazingly creative and talented not just at building objects but also at drawing (don't worry, Darcy's not jealous). I often say he takes after his Uncle Clark!Darcy has a wide range of interests but she definitely takes after me in that #1 she loves to scrapbook (that's primo scrapbooking paper in the photo below) and #2 she is always reading at least three books at once. She reads any and everything she can get her hands on. In fact, this whole family is a book-loving family, and we NEVER have enough space on our bookshelves! She went through a brief phase where she thought she'd like to be a vet (I would give anything if I
could remember how she used to pronounce "veterinarian" when she was little, but it escapes me) but that seems to have been a passing fancy. Now she is determined to be an artist. Which brings me to my story. . . . One evening when Randy was in Cincinnati at school, I loaded up the kids and we headed to our brand-new Michael's craft store. Understandably, the kids were in awe looking around at all of the craft items. They were particularly struck by all of the items marketed directly at kids and they immediately began digging in their wallets to see if they had enough allowance money to buy anything. (Actually, Tyler didn't need to check--when he is not generously offering to buy popcorn for everyone at the movies, he is hoarding his money and always knows down to the nickel how much is in his wallet.) As the kids browsed through the options, Tyler saw an art kit that he thought would be perfect for Darcy, and he told her so. Her response was rather lackluster and not what Tyler had hoped for so he said, "Darcy, how are you ever going to be a famous artist if you don't practice?" To which she replied, "I don't care about being famous; I just want to be happy." You go, girl! Personally, I think Darcy should be a writer. She is hilarious! Every time I see one of her notebooks lying around, I can't help but snoop a little and see what new little gem she's come up with.I think I'll end this post here and pick up with the other half of my "fabulous four" in my next entry. For now, I am "Mom, Interrupted." (Okay, I'll stop saying that.)
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