Random Notes from the Backseat

Paper towel update: I never would have believed it, but we've had a really quite painless transition to life without paper towels! Who'd have figured? Here we are three weeks without a single roll in the house, and we've barely even noticed.

As suggested, we keep a stack of rags handy on the counter for cleaning up, with a few bigger dishtowels on hand for big spills. We haven't gotten a rag bin yet for dirty rags, but it hasn't seemed to have been a big deal to just pitch the dirty ones in the laundry area when they pile up every afternoon. The biggest adjustment has been the preparation of sandwiches at lunchtime. We always made our lunches to eat at the table on paper towels. We found an easy, cheap substitute are the inexpensive paper napkins you can buy by the hundred. Since we only use them at lunchtime, and not for wiping, they're lasting us a long time. It's been a change that makes sense for us. And cents.

On the homeschool front: Everyone is settling in nicely. I think I'm the only one having trouble adjusting to our new routine. I've gotten used to the boys never being home, but now the girls are leaving me for spans of time, and it seems very unnatural. Michelle (13) is gone all day Fridays at the homeschool cooperative in town, and both she and Theresa (10) stay in town all day on Tuesdays to attend French and piano lessons. They take their school books and spend the day at my mom's house, who lives a street away from the sweet lady we know from Church who teaches the girls French and piano. So, we have small numbers those two days. Only four children on Tuesdays, and only five on Fridays. It's just weird. I'm always looking around with the vague idea that someone is missing. (I guess that's because they are....)

How we're schooling this year: 1) Year-long unit studies in Geography, traveling the globe, each month in a different country ~ starting with the British Isles. 2) Nature journals and writing journals, as always. 3) Special attention to the Liturgical year, with two or three pointed studies on the Lives of the Saints each week, in addition to the Baltimore Catechism. 4) Consumable workbooks in spelling and grammar, and the littlest girls' math. 5) Saxon for the two oldest girls' math. 6)Two science units ~ nature for the first half of the year, and human biology for the second half. 7) In History, we're continuing last year's study on Victoriana, and will be studying political science as the election unfolds. 8) Home ec ~ sewing and baking, when the spirit takes us.

On the things-that-crack-me- up front: William (2) has taken to referring to himself in third person. As in: "Uh Oh! Look what Yuyum did!" And: "Yuyum poopy. Smell him." I think it must be about time to work on potty training this guy...

And the Big Kids: We never hear from Jon (17) because his phone charger is in the big duffle bag he left at home, which also has half his school clothes and his new shoes in it. He doesn't care about the clothes or shoes, of course, only the charger. We're sending it all with the next Pony Express heading to Omaha. Can't afford to mail it; it must weigh about as much Jon. I can't believe he forgot to take that bag with him!


We get to hear from our Paul (20) in college on the other side of the mountains quite often, thanks especially, to his wonderful girlfriend, Nicole. We got a series of text messages from them, the night of Sarah Palin's speech. Here they are verbatim:

"Are you watching Palin?!"

"She's pretty freakin sweet!"

"She's an awesome speaker."

"She seems totally legit."

"She's Great!"

.........and

"WOO HOO!"

Kevin (19), on the other hand, texts every few days, bless him, asking "How's it going?" He usually doesn't have a whole lot to tell me about how he's doing, though, other than, "Nothing much. Pretty much the same." Unless there is a sporting event he needs to emote about, such as the text I got this morning, that only said: "GO BRONCOS!" He knew his mom would understand.



On the Lisa front: I'm going on my third week without decent or reliable sleep and suffering from it. So, here are my apologies and excuses to anyone out there who's noticed I'm not on my game.

The dull stuff (you can skip this part if you want): My thyroid and adrenal glands are basically nonfunctioning, which has led to a whole series of other problems, one of which is insomnia. I'm working hard to heal the problems naturopathically, but the lack of sleep creates a vicious circle; I can't sleep because I can't get better, and I can't get better because I can't sleep. And, let me tell you, sleep is not only vitally important to our physical health, but, um, let me just say I'm feeling practically brain dead right now.

I will continue to blog, though maybe sporadically at times. Blogging, though it can be mentally stimulating, is also something that's just relaxing to me. Poking around in (you)tube looking for funny videos, downloading pictures, or checking in on blog buddies are things I can do in my sleep (and have!) No responsibilities, no time limits, no stress (if I choose the right places to visit, anyway). If you see a series of goofy posts, empty of any real thought or meaning (and possibly full of typos), you can count on its all having been written in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. If I haven't returned your e-mail, or kept up with the kind comments in my combox, it's because I haven't been able to get enough brain cells awake to do anything that requires thought. I apologize. I hope to be getting better about everything soon! Thank you for your patience and understanding!

(Is it a coincidence, you suppose, that my latest insomnia phase coincides with our giving up paper towels? Hmmmm.....)

And on a completely unrelated note:

My 44th birthday is on Thursday (Yeah, Sept. 11th...), but my husband has to be out of town, so he took me out this past Sunday. (He's such a keeper!) My sweet sis, Nina (Who is also a keeper!), babysat so we could have the chance to toodle around in the mountains a bit. First, we went to beautiful Golden, CO and...

Here are the bronze statutes outside...

the restaurant where we had lunch which...
overlooks Clear Creek, which...
flows past the famous Coors Brewery which...
does not brew the beer we ordered with our lunch...

We both had: And, though it was locally politically incorrect, it was very good!