I've made myself a new To Do list, because I couldn't remember what I was wanting to accomplish from before Christmas. Immediately I felt stressed out, even though nothing on the list was a big emergency. It's twisted.
I've decided I am addicted to accomplishment.
Update: I found this post in my "drafts". Have no idea what else I'd planned to say, or why I saved it there.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
No News
My life hasn't contained anything blog worthy!
Life has been pretty slow. That's been nice.
We started keeping a regular homeschool schedule again last week. That's been a little tougher. Scheduling "homeschool" time has been the best way to make sure we find time to read aloud together. But, after more than a month of doing other things, no one is as excited about reading aloud as they are about playing the GameCube. Everyone says they want to read, but then they're all too busy. It doesn't help that with Tamzin out of school we go to bed much later, get up much later, and don't get around to reading until mid afternoon. By then everyone wants to be off doing their own thing.
We finished Great Expectations (finally). They all liked it, but I think it was too long. We're reading a short one called Pandora of Athens now.
Tamzin refuses to let me read to her at all, unless it's a stall to avoid bedtime. Even then, she will sometimes opt for a few minutes on her Gameboy over time with me.
We were all sick last week. The ailment varied depending by family member, but included sore throats, coughs, fever, and lots of stuffy runny noses. I stayed pretty busy fetching and carrying and catering to sick ones, so they would know I was taking them seriously. Often I am not so nurturing, being sidetracked with other things. So I'm proud of that. Mostly we're better now. A little stuffiness here and there, but subsiding every day.
I've been inputting recipes into Publisher in my spare time. I guess that's my big accomplishment for the week. Now I just need to start cooking!
Life has been pretty slow. That's been nice.
We started keeping a regular homeschool schedule again last week. That's been a little tougher. Scheduling "homeschool" time has been the best way to make sure we find time to read aloud together. But, after more than a month of doing other things, no one is as excited about reading aloud as they are about playing the GameCube. Everyone says they want to read, but then they're all too busy. It doesn't help that with Tamzin out of school we go to bed much later, get up much later, and don't get around to reading until mid afternoon. By then everyone wants to be off doing their own thing.
We finished Great Expectations (finally). They all liked it, but I think it was too long. We're reading a short one called Pandora of Athens now.
Tamzin refuses to let me read to her at all, unless it's a stall to avoid bedtime. Even then, she will sometimes opt for a few minutes on her Gameboy over time with me.
We were all sick last week. The ailment varied depending by family member, but included sore throats, coughs, fever, and lots of stuffy runny noses. I stayed pretty busy fetching and carrying and catering to sick ones, so they would know I was taking them seriously. Often I am not so nurturing, being sidetracked with other things. So I'm proud of that. Mostly we're better now. A little stuffiness here and there, but subsiding every day.
I've been inputting recipes into Publisher in my spare time. I guess that's my big accomplishment for the week. Now I just need to start cooking!
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
GameCube Addiction
I'm obsessed with Animal Crossing. I've played it every day since the day after Christmas. I have to force myself to stop so the kids can take a turn.
I'm lucky Clint is so laid back. He's been very supportive of my current trend toward being completely useless and unproductive.
I'm lucky Clint is so laid back. He's been very supportive of my current trend toward being completely useless and unproductive.
Happy New Year
We're back from our trip to the cabin. It was very relaxing. I got to spend 5 days doing anything I wanted. I'm still reeling from the freedom of it all.
There was only a dusting of snow when we arrived, but they next day it snowed continuously, and so there was plenty for sledding and snowboarding (on Gillian's new snowboard!). We had to wait another day before there was enough snow for snowmobiling, but we did get in several rides, including one on New Year's Day.
We toasted in the New Year with Martinelli's Spakling Cider. There have been four bottle of it sitting in the pantry up there for as long as I've been going up there. We finally opened one up when we were there last New Year's, so we figured we'd continue the tradition this year. It was still good, and the girls like drinking out of wine glasses, and toasting.
There was only a dusting of snow when we arrived, but they next day it snowed continuously, and so there was plenty for sledding and snowboarding (on Gillian's new snowboard!). We had to wait another day before there was enough snow for snowmobiling, but we did get in several rides, including one on New Year's Day.
We toasted in the New Year with Martinelli's Spakling Cider. There have been four bottle of it sitting in the pantry up there for as long as I've been going up there. We finally opened one up when we were there last New Year's, so we figured we'd continue the tradition this year. It was still good, and the girls like drinking out of wine glasses, and toasting.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Vacationing
I've been loving the last few days. The presence of the new Game Cube has kept Clint and the girls so busy that I've felt free to do whatever I want to do.
This included;
Playing Animal Crossing until Noon in my nightgown
Writing a letter to my good friend in California
Not cooking
Not cleaning (OK, I've done the dishes, taken out the trash, and made my bed, but that's only because I wanted to!)
Blogging
Hauling and stacking wood(it felt great to be outside)
Typing recipes into Publisher (the start of a project that could take some time)
I'm loving taking a vacation in my own house. It's something I NEVER feel like I can do. Maybe that's why I'm reluctant to go to the cabin. I know it will be great there, but I will have to decide in advance what stuff I feel like doing, and then I will have to bring it with me. There will be no phone, computer or satelite. Usually the absence of those things is what I love about the cabin but this time I feel like I will miss them.
Clint will get very grumpy if I keep resisting. He's been terrific this holiday. I took a 2 1/2 hour nap on Christmas Day, and he cooked dinner. I could say "Sure, we'll go to the cabin when you get everything ready". But I'm vacationing, and he's out working in 30 degree weather. I should be willing to help get our family to a place where we can all do something we like.
After all, with no phone, computer or satelite, I could finally get somewhere on Pride and Prejudice, and when the kids are sleeping I can play Animal Crossing. I could even scrapbook, if I have the energy to pack it all up to bring.
This included;
Playing Animal Crossing until Noon in my nightgown
Writing a letter to my good friend in California
Not cooking
Not cleaning (OK, I've done the dishes, taken out the trash, and made my bed, but that's only because I wanted to!)
Blogging
Hauling and stacking wood(it felt great to be outside)
Typing recipes into Publisher (the start of a project that could take some time)
I'm loving taking a vacation in my own house. It's something I NEVER feel like I can do. Maybe that's why I'm reluctant to go to the cabin. I know it will be great there, but I will have to decide in advance what stuff I feel like doing, and then I will have to bring it with me. There will be no phone, computer or satelite. Usually the absence of those things is what I love about the cabin but this time I feel like I will miss them.
Clint will get very grumpy if I keep resisting. He's been terrific this holiday. I took a 2 1/2 hour nap on Christmas Day, and he cooked dinner. I could say "Sure, we'll go to the cabin when you get everything ready". But I'm vacationing, and he's out working in 30 degree weather. I should be willing to help get our family to a place where we can all do something we like.
After all, with no phone, computer or satelite, I could finally get somewhere on Pride and Prejudice, and when the kids are sleeping I can play Animal Crossing. I could even scrapbook, if I have the energy to pack it all up to bring.
Gaming
I thnk I'm just not a big gaming person. Clint and the kids love the Mario Kart racing game. I think it's fun for about 10 minutes. Then I get bored with not being able to stay on the road. My driving sucks.
Rhiannon loves the Game Cube. She is far less into Gameboy Advance than Shelby or Gillian, so it's been interesting to see her so into the Game Cube. I've realized it's because it's social. She plays it as an interaction with several other people, instead of solo like a Gameboy. It makes perfect sense, because she does prefer interacting with others to solo pursuits most of the time.
Rhiannon wanted me to try Mario Party 5, because she knew Kart didn't do much for me. She got a little impatient with me, because I have no interest in playing if it will make the other kids unhappy because they can't play. And EVERYONE wants to play. It's been on pretty much all the time, except when I strongly suggest they take a break.
We sat down last night to play. Shelby graciously sat out so I could play with the other three girls. I liked it much better than the racing game. It reminds me of a 3D Candyland. You move around on spaces like a game board and play lots of mini games that are just a riot. The hardest part is that Tamzin is pretty much never the winner, and she cries about it. I keep trying to deemphasize the winning part, but the other girls get excited to see their skill improving, so they talk a fair amount about how they are doing in comparison to the others. Even Gillian cried last night, after spending much of the game in the lead, she had some unlucky breaks and lost almost everything. It really sucked. Obviously, winning is less about skill and more about chance, but how to help them see that? I can tell them, but it doesn't mean they will accept it.
The other game I tried and liked is Animal Crossing. Unfortunately, only one player at a time can play. Gillian taught me how to play yesterday morning while the others were sleeping. They all woke up and tried to get me to try Party, but I was obsessed with figuring out how to sell my peaches and shells to the storekeeper on Animal Crossing, and told them it was only fair that I get a turn on the Game Cube they'd all been on pretty much non stop!
After they went to bed last night, I played Animal Crossing again while Clint dozed on the couch. But all the Animals went to bed and shut me out of their houses, so I still haven't figured out how to sell my peaches and shells.
Rhiannon loves the Game Cube. She is far less into Gameboy Advance than Shelby or Gillian, so it's been interesting to see her so into the Game Cube. I've realized it's because it's social. She plays it as an interaction with several other people, instead of solo like a Gameboy. It makes perfect sense, because she does prefer interacting with others to solo pursuits most of the time.
Rhiannon wanted me to try Mario Party 5, because she knew Kart didn't do much for me. She got a little impatient with me, because I have no interest in playing if it will make the other kids unhappy because they can't play. And EVERYONE wants to play. It's been on pretty much all the time, except when I strongly suggest they take a break.
We sat down last night to play. Shelby graciously sat out so I could play with the other three girls. I liked it much better than the racing game. It reminds me of a 3D Candyland. You move around on spaces like a game board and play lots of mini games that are just a riot. The hardest part is that Tamzin is pretty much never the winner, and she cries about it. I keep trying to deemphasize the winning part, but the other girls get excited to see their skill improving, so they talk a fair amount about how they are doing in comparison to the others. Even Gillian cried last night, after spending much of the game in the lead, she had some unlucky breaks and lost almost everything. It really sucked. Obviously, winning is less about skill and more about chance, but how to help them see that? I can tell them, but it doesn't mean they will accept it.
The other game I tried and liked is Animal Crossing. Unfortunately, only one player at a time can play. Gillian taught me how to play yesterday morning while the others were sleeping. They all woke up and tried to get me to try Party, but I was obsessed with figuring out how to sell my peaches and shells to the storekeeper on Animal Crossing, and told them it was only fair that I get a turn on the Game Cube they'd all been on pretty much non stop!
After they went to bed last night, I played Animal Crossing again while Clint dozed on the couch. But all the Animals went to bed and shut me out of their houses, so I still haven't figured out how to sell my peaches and shells.
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