January 18, 2008

• Happy Birthday, Mom!

  Today is my mom's birthday.  Rissy, Annamarie, and I called and left our special birthday song message on her answering machine.  I doubt she'll understand all of the words.  The von Trapps we are not!  I sure hope she gets her card on time.  I am not so hopeful about her theater gift card arriving today!  Just so she doesn't think we forgot about her . . .  !

  It's a really cold day - AGAIN. The wind isn't as bad as it was yesterday, but it's still chilling weather.  No end to the chilly temps for the rest of the 7 day forecast and maybe more precipitation Monday or Tuesday.  All we had this week was a dusting of snow that the wind blew away.

  I'm making taco salads for dinner.  I was supposed to make them last night, but it was just so cold that spicy barbecued chicken legs, macaroni and cheese, black eyed peas, green beans and dinner rolls sounded like an appropriate cold weather meal and a better choice.  Jesse is the one out in the cold today and he likes taco salads, regardless of the weather.  Jesse has taken Luci to her appointment this afternoon and Rissy went with him to "keep him company" (more like, "to get out of the house for a while")!

  I'm so sick of watching movies.  We watched one last night that Stephanie had recommended, "Stardust."  I wasn't impressed: it was just "okay" - but, we did watch it until the end.   Jesse and James went to the rental place again today to return our movie stash and brought home more!  I think the movies are more for James, than Jesse.  In fact, I think in our entire ten years of marriage, Jesse hasn't watched this many movies!

  I'm glad "American Idol" is back on television.  And, we enjoyed watching "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader" last night.  I was disgusted with "American Idol's" winner two years ago, but watched it again last season.  I was a little downcast at the choice of finalists last year and doubted, again, I would get hooked this year.  I think, due to nothing else to do during the winter months, Fox will nab me again this year.  I'm such a sucker!

  I had a thrilling moment this morning.  During school, I needed to kill some time to allow Annamarie to finish an assignment.  I asked Rissy to pick a new book and had her read it to me.  She read, without faltering, all but two words - basket and daisy.  We've barely touched on reading and phonics and she amazed me with the ease she had when reading.  While Annmarie and I were gone yesterday, Jesse told Rissy to take out an activity workbook and do something in it.  When I came home, she showed me a completed page of about 25 (or more) addition problems.  All with neatly written answers and 100% accuracy.  I was sure Jesse had helped her, but she had done it on her own. 

  We finally started on the other school books I'd been wanting to teach.  The older girls are learning about America and the different states and whether they are mountainous, flat, etc.  They will also get a bit of world geography, mainly the continents and their names.

  I'm going to start a fire to take the nip out of the air in here.  We are keeping our thermostat lower than usual, and evenings and mornings sometimes feel a bit cool.  I'm not sure that the heating bill has shown it's worth turning down the temperature, but we're doing it anyway!  I'm off to start a fire!

  Happy Birthday, Mom!

  • 5:46 pm
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