Ignore this thread!

[Wheres Toto]

7 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

So will they. 

That's why I don't ever do marshmallow shooters.  That and I'd be finding marshmallows everywhere for a long time.

I have one of those pump things that pressurizes a bottle.  We put mini marshmallows in it and I had some teenagers who spent an entire class hour pumping it, past the point where it got very difficult.  It was cool to see the smooshed marshmallows.   At the end of class, we removed the lid and there was a huge bang and smooshed marshmallows went flying everywhere.   I was finding little bits of marshmallow all over my classroom for months.  

I did an experiment in Anatomy where they had to put a face on marshmallows and then do cuts to show the different anatomical directions and draw them in their lab notebooks.  I had a couple kids who then made "taffy" out of the marshmallows.   One basically had mushed marshmallow gloves covering their hands.  Which meant it then got on his lab notebook, the outside of my garbage can, the sink handles, etc.  Sticky, sticky, sticky. 

[Wheres Toto]

9 minutes ago, Slache said:

I have a high school reunion in 3 years and while I didn't love high school we're using the excuse to go see our friends in Oregon. What do you guys think of this? There's nothing on the way up, but on the way down is Crater Lake, Redwood Park, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and White Sands.

Looks fun.  My dream trip is to go out West and explore a bunch of the National Parks.  I want to see the Redwoods, and Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon, and Tetons, etc. 

[Wheres Toto]

Morning.  Happy Thursday.

Meeting dd for walk and yoga this morning, then emptying some big stuff out of my car into my upstairs storage space, then going home and making sure the kids are awake, do some work at home, have lunch, head back to the science center for more cleaning, take mom for one more trip to aunt's with stuff.

I may have to call mom and do the trip to aunt's earlier.  I'm supposed to go over at 3:30pm, load and get up there but it's in the direction with the worst rush hour traffic and that would have us heading up there right at 5pm.   

[Jean in Newcastle]

20 minutes ago, Wheres Toto said:

That's why I don't ever do marshmallow shooters.  That and I'd be finding marshmallows everywhere for a long time.

I have one of those pump things that pressurizes a bottle.  We put mini marshmallows in it and I had some teenagers who spent an entire class hour pumping it, past the point where it got very difficult.  It was cool to see the smooshed marshmallows.   At the end of class, we removed the lid and there was a huge bang and smooshed marshmallows went flying everywhere.   I was finding little bits of marshmallow all over my classroom for months.  

I did an experiment in Anatomy where they had to put a face on marshmallows and then do cuts to show the different anatomical directions and draw them in their lab notebooks.  I had a couple kids who then made "taffy" out of the marshmallows.   One basically had mushed marshmallow gloves covering their hands.  Which meant it then got on his lab notebook, the outside of my garbage can, the sink handles, etc.  Sticky, sticky, sticky. 

I have done mini marshmallows before. These kids must be unimaginative but I had no issues. I will give five mini marshmallows to each. They will be responsible for picking them up after shooting them. It’s right before a bbq dinner so if they eat them it’s no biggie. 

[KrissiK]

Good Morning!!!

COFFEE!!~D

Friday Eve!!

Oldest DD is getting her wisdom teeth out this morning. That will be lots of fun. 
 

Slashie, your trip looks like fun. Personally, I would skip San Francisco, unless you were just going to drive through it. I’m not sure what the traditional tourist traps are like (Ghiradelli Square, Pier 39j, but it has developed quite a reputation for rampant homelessness, needles and feces on the sidewalks, even in the nicer areas. Do some research.  I would drive down to Santa Cruz, hit the beach drive up through the redwoods in Felton and go on the logging train, see Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and hunt for banana slugs.  Then cross the Valley and hit the train museum in Sacramento and maybe Sutter’s Mill on your way up to Lake Tahoe. If you actually stop in Tahoe City, Front Street Station Pizza has the best pizza ever. We have it at least twice in the week we are there.

[Servant4Christ]

29 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Good Morning!!!

COFFEE!!~D

Friday Eve!!

Oldest DD is getting her wisdom teeth out this morning. That will be lots of fun. 
 

Slashie, your trip looks like fun. Personally, I would skip San Francisco, unless you were just going to drive through it. I’m not sure what the traditional tourist traps are like (Ghiradelli Square, Pier 39j, but it has developed quite a reputation for rampant homelessness, needles and feces on the sidewalks, even in the nicer areas. Do some research.  I would drive down to Santa Cruz, hit the beach drive up through the redwoods in Felton and go on the logging train, see Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and hunt for banana slugs.  Then cross the Valley and hit the train museum in Sacramento and maybe Sutter’s Mill on your way up to Lake Tahoe. If you actually stop in Tahoe City, Front Street Station Pizza has the best pizza ever. We have it at least twice in the week we are there.

Krissi, you really would be an excellent travel agent!

Redwood forest is amazing. Reminds me of how small I am compared to some of God's most amazing creations. I feel this way about the ocean, too. As for San Francisco: The only thing really fun for me in there was driving over the Golden Gate Bridge a half dozen times before continuing to travel on through. I'd never seen a bridge that you could literally SEE through! 🤣

[Servant4Christ]

As for marshmallows: I've become a marshmallow snob thanks to Ikslo. It's my homemade maple marshmallows or bust and far too precious to be shooting at the masses!

Edited August 5, 2021 by Servant4Christ

[Junie]

Good Morning!

Happy Thursday!

Doing lots of school this morning!!

[Slache]

My dad lives in San Francisco. We're hitting his house late, sleeping, the next day is Alcatraz, grandma's old neighborhood, then my old place of work for dinner (famous biker joint) and the next day we take my dad to Tahoe and Yosemite for like 4 days. 

Krissi, I will get out a map and my itinerary and look at what you said. Thank you!

[Slache]

I should tell my dad. 

He's seriously been bugging me about Yosemite for years though. Lake Tahoe is because I like Lake Tahoe. I went on the senior trip to Lake Tahoe when I was a freshman in San Francisco (Mountain View), and there wasn't a senior trip when I was a senior in Portland (Tigard), which is just further evidence that California is better than Oregon.

[Servant4Christ]

I quit coffee

BooHooyah

Edited August 5, 2021 by Servant4Christ

[Slache]

2 minutes ago, Servant4Christ said:

I quit coffee

[Servant4Christ]

I got sick with a summer cold and the congestion in my throat/nose was bad enough that coffee was just not happening. By the time I was better enough to drink it again, I'd already powered through the caffeine withdrawal headaches so I decided not to go back when I'm pretty sure coffee was the source of about 90% of my daily sugar and dairy intake. I'll still have a cup from time to time with friends, but not every day if I can restrain myself.

[Slache]

1 hour ago, KrissiK said:

Slashie, your trip looks like fun. Personally, I would skip San Francisco, unless you were just going to drive through it. I’m not sure what the traditional tourist traps are like (Ghiradelli Square, Pier 39j, but it has developed quite a reputation for rampant homelessness, needles and feces on the sidewalks, even in the nicer areas. Do some research.  I would drive down to Santa Cruz, hit the beach drive up through the redwoods in Felton and go on the logging train, see Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and hunt for banana slugs.  Then cross the Valley and hit the train museum in Sacramento and maybe Sutter’s Mill on your way up to Lake Tahoe. If you actually stop in Tahoe City, Front Street Station Pizza has the best pizza ever. We have it at least twice in the week we are there.

I had a day in San Francisco but you're right, we should do Santa Cruz.

I've been to the train museum! It's 10 minutes out of the way, so we're totes going. Talk me into the mill.

How long would you budget for this "drive up through the redwoods in Felton and go on the logging train, see Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and hunt for banana slugs."? It sounds like a whole day and I don't have one.

I'm putting the pizza place in the itinerary.

[Junie]

When we took dd10 and dd13 to Stanford a few years ago for a medical study, we spent one day in San Francisco.  We let the girls look at the fliers for different venues to see where they wanted to go.

We ended up going to see the bridge, spent a few minutes on a beach just so that we could say we saw the Pacific (the weather was windy and cold on the day we were there), and we spent most of the day in Golden Gate Park.  We saw some gardens, went to the California Academy of Sciences (the girls LOVED the penguins; I liked the butterflies and the aquarium), and rode the carrousel.

It was a really nice day. :)

[Slache]

3 minutes ago, Junie said:

When we took dd10 and dd13 to Stanford a few years ago for a medical study, we spent one day in San Francisco.  We let the girls look at the fliers for different venues to see where they wanted to go.

We ended up going to see the bridge, spent a few minutes on a beach just so that we could say we saw the Pacific (the weather was windy and cold on the day we were there), and we spent most of the day in Golden Gate Park.  We saw some gardens, went to the California Academy of Sciences (the girls LOVED the penguins; I liked the butterflies and the aquarium), and rode the carrousel.

It was a really nice day. 🙂

I used to go there all the time. You'd be hard pressed to find a museum in the area I haven't been to. My mom was a single mom so my grandparents took me a lot and that's what my maternal grandparents did. They even took me to The San Diego Zoo and far places like that. Unfortunately it was all before I was 8 so I don't remember a lot of it.

I do love San Francisco and glad you had a good time. The Pacific is mean. I love her, but it's a toxic relationship.

[Wheres Toto]

I have to leave in about 10 minutes to go load up a last load to bring to my aunts for my mom.  I don't wanna.  I'm soooo tired.  I was up early to workout, cleaned, vacuumed and arranged shelves and drawer sets in my storage space, including putting together some really obnoxious metal wire shelf units and a weird snap together cube thing.  I'm tired.   And mom is definitely not finished packing and cleaning because she asked me to bring big garbage bags, which means either garbage/cleaning or packing things that she wants to put in bags.  Either way, she's not done.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have the body of a badger.  And maybe its scrappy personality too. 

Edited August 6, 2021 by Jean in Newcastle
killed a kitten

[Slache]

34 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I have the body of a badger.  And maybe it's scrappy personality too. 

You should shave.

[Jean in Newcastle]

25 minutes ago, Slache said:

You should shave.

I have German blood.  I had a doctor tell me that it's normal for people of my ancestry.  😉 

[Jean in Newcastle]

There are badgers in Germany.  Who knew? 

Today's Google rabbit trail. . .

[Servant4Christ]

Ed Po:

Would one of you who know me PLEASE jump over to my thread in K-8 and tell me what to do?! I can't decide! I NEED to decide. I cannot make up my mind. Reading for Oldest (5th grade): CLE, R&S, or Novel Ties for Golden Goblet, Bronze Bow, Single Shard, and Adam of the Road? 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Servant4Christ

[Junie]

1 hour ago, Servant4Christ said:

Ed Po:

Would one of you who know me PLEASE jump over to my thread in K-8 and tell me what to do?! I can't decide! I NEED to decide. I cannot make up my mind. Reading for Oldest (5th grade): CLE, R&S, or Novel Ties for Golden Goblet, Bronze Bow, Single Shard, and Adam of the Road? 

Well, I've never done a reading curriculum -- I just throw lots of books at my kids -- but The Bronze Bow is one of my favorites.  (I actually haven't read the others...)

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 hour ago, Servant4Christ said:

Ed Po:

Would one of you who know me PLEASE jump over to my thread in K-8 and tell me what to do?! I can't decide! I NEED to decide. I cannot make up my mind. Reading for Oldest (5th grade): CLE, R&S, or Novel Ties for Golden Goblet, Bronze Bow, Single Shard, and Adam of the Road? 

I vote Novel Ties. But that’s because I know what I would like. You might not. 😉. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I finally got my first craft to work (a paper plate “race track “ that moves a magnet car around. 
 

I decided to have them shoot ping pong balls instead of marshmallows for the second craft. Maybe. This all depends on if I can get my prototype to work. 

[Slache]

Apparently we need to make reservations at The Grand Canyon etc. up to 13 months in advance and my reunion won't be planned that far in advance so we're talking about skipping my reunion and just doing the trip. 

Did I post the maps? Imma post the maps. I know y'all are just dying for more info on this.

[Slache]

2 hours ago, Servant4Christ said:

Ed Po:

Would one of you who know me PLEASE jump over to my thread in K-8 and tell me what to do?! I can't decide! I NEED to decide. I cannot make up my mind. Reading for Oldest (5th grade): CLE, R&S, or Novel Ties for Golden Goblet, Bronze Bow, Single Shard, and Adam of the Road? 

CLE. Stop trying to fix what isn't broken.

If I was in your shoes I would look at Abeka and BFB. I have not used either, but that's what I would look at.

Y'all, what's that curriculum that uses whole books with a yellow guide? I wanted to do that and I think it meets this need.

Eta: Total Language Plus

Edited August 6, 2021 by Slache

[Servant4Christ]

Slachie, CLE reading worked great but the ever increasing amount of conscientious objection in the stories was what made us discontinue and move to just reading lots of good books for a year. That is my only reservation with going back to it.

Abeka is a no.

I do not know what BFB is. 

Total Language Plus! That looks promising! I knew I could count on you to come up with something amazing for me to investigate! Thanks!

I wonder why no likes R&S over CLE for reading? It looks simpler in structure, much like comparing both of their english and math programs.

[Slache]

38 minutes ago, Servant4Christ said:

Slachie, CLE reading worked great but the ever increasing amount of conscientious objection in the stories was what made us discontinue and move to just reading lots of good books for a year. That is my only reservation with going back to it.

Abeka is a no.

I do not know what BFB is. 

Total Language Plus! That looks promising! I knew I could count on you to come up with something amazing for me to investigate! Thanks!

I wonder why no likes R&S over CLE for reading? It looks simpler in structure, much like comparing both of their english and math programs.

https://www.bfbooks.com/Teaching-Character-Intermediate-Reading-Pack?sc=18&category=3202

[Slache]

Why would a woman have 2 headstones with 2 different names?

[KrissiK]

14 hours ago, Slache said:

I should tell my dad. 

He's seriously been bugging me about Yosemite for years though. Lake Tahoe is because I like Lake Tahoe. I went on the senior trip to Lake Tahoe when I was a freshman in San Francisco (Mountain View), and there wasn't a senior trip when I was a senior in Portland (Tigard), which is just further evidence that California is better than Oregon.

Yosemite….. if you must see it because #yosemite, then do so. Just be prepared for crowds and crowds. Dumb people stopping in the middle of the street to take the perfect shot of El Capitan.

[Slache]

2 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Yosemite….. if you must see it because #yosemite, then do so. Just be prepared for crowds and crowds. Dumb people stopping in the middle of the street to take the perfect shot of El Capitan.

We must. I don't care but Matt's really excited. 

[Junie]

1 hour ago, Slache said:

Why would a woman have 2 headstones with 2 different names?

If she had one headstone made for her husband and herself and then she remarried and was buried with her next husband.

My dad has two headstones (one with wife #2 and one with wife #3), but his name didn't change.

(I had no part in any of the planning.)

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 hour ago, Junie said:

If she had one headstone made for her husband and herself and then she remarried and was buried with her next husband.

My dad has two headstones (one with wife #2 and one with wife #3), but his name didn't change.

(I had no part in any of the planning.)

That's better than my answer:  "She had two heads". 

[Wheres Toto]

Morning.  Today is Friday, I think. 

Dd and I are working on moving stuff from the science center upstairs to my storage space and cleaning.   Hopefully we'll be able to get a lot of the classroom space done today and I can use the weekend to empty my storage unit.   Otherwise I'll have to extend my lease there.  Right now it stops Sunday.

[KrissiK]

15 hours ago, Servant4Christ said:

Ed Po:

Would one of you who know me PLEASE jump over to my thread in K-8 and tell me what to do?! I can't decide! I NEED to decide. I cannot make up my mind. Reading for Oldest (5th grade): CLE, R&S, or Novel Ties for Golden Goblet, Bronze Bow, Single Shard, and Adam of the Road? 

 

13 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I vote Novel Ties. But that’s because I know what I would like. You might not. 😉. 

I have used Novel Ties for the past several years and really like it. I like it because I can pick the books and the girls get some really quality literature in there. I have used CLE and I think their teaching is solid,  you have to use their readers. This year we are starting out with The Secret Garden with Novel Ties.

[KrissiK]

Good Morning!!!

COFfEE!!~D

Friday!!!

Hot!!L☀️☀️🔥🔥☀️☀️🔥🔥☀️☀️ I have about had it with summer.

Work today. Lots of training videos. The ones put it by school are ok. At least they are pertinent to my job. Then we have this Safe Schools Training that is mandatory for every public school teacher (I think) and it is so boring it makes you want to claw your eyes out. 

[Junie]

Good Morning!

Happy Friday!

Not much going on today (I hope).  I don't think I have to leave the house, but I do have a zoom Bible study this evening.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Good morning. I hope that I can function today. I realized at 5 am after a horrible night that I hadn’t taken my bedtime meds. Took them then which did help me sleep but now the animals need me to get up.

[Critterfixer]

Morning. I think. It's just been a very, very weird week. I'm kind of glad it's about over and I can start the next one.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Today I am a Zombie Badger. 

[Junie]

Why is cooking dinner so exhausting? 😞

[Another Lynn]

16 minutes ago, Junie said:

Why is cooking dinner so exhausting? 😞

Truth!

But we went out for our anniversary (Sunday) so I didn’t have to cook. And, unrelated, I got the shingles vaccine today, so my arm is sore.  

[Wheres Toto]

22 minutes ago, Junie said:

Why is cooking dinner so exhausting? 😞

Seriously.  It stinks.   I usually don't have to deal with it but dh is away at his moms.   I don't like any part of it and deciding what to make is almost the worst part.   I thought I had a plan in mind, got home and realized I didn't have any of the stuff I needed to make that meal.  Then I tried a plan b and didn't have what I needed there either.  So for the second day in a row, the kids are on their own and can have whatever they want to make themselves.  And tomorrow I have to find time to go shopping.  ugh.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I did my once a year AFSA shopping trip for camp. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

31 minutes ago, Another Lynn said:

Truth!

But we went out for our anniversary (Sunday) so I didn’t have to cook. And, unrelated, I got the shingles vaccine today, so my arm is sore.  

My shingles vaccine was much worse than getting my Covid vaccine. Keep moving that arm!  

[Slache]

1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

My shingles vaccine was much worse than getting my Covid vaccine. Keep moving that arm!  

My personal favorite is tetanus. Sore for days. 

Baby birthday:

[Renai]

On 7/31/2021 at 6:36 PM, Jean in Newcastle said:

Did you know that Michael's senior discount is 55 and older?  I don't know if I should be excited or offended. 

Exfended?

 

On 8/5/2021 at 4:25 AM, Slache said:

I have a high school reunion in 3 years and while I didn't love high school we're using the excuse to go see our friends in Oregon. What do you guys think of this? There's nothing on the way up, but on the way down is Crater Lake, Redwood Park, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and White Sands.

I was about to be offended, but I saw your other post with the map and the word "Santa Fe." So, I'm okay now.

 

On 8/5/2021 at 4:35 AM, Wheres Toto said:

Looks fun.  My dream trip is to go out West and explore a bunch of the National Parks.  I want to see the Redwoods, and Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon, and Tetons, etc. 

Santa Fe National Park., White Sands, and not national but Tent Rocks. All close, so swing by here. 

 

On 8/5/2021 at 1:07 PM, Jean in Newcastle said:

I have German blood.  I had a doctor tell me that it's normal for people of my ancestry.  😉 

I've heard those rumors are true...Living in Germany, my eyes believe the rumors.

 

22 hours ago, Servant4Christ said:

 

I wonder why no likes R&S over CLE for reading? It looks simpler in structure, much like comparing both of their english and math programs.

I like R&S over CLE. Grant it, I did the Spanish R&S reading and the English CLE. My oldest got bogged down with CLE. So, the few times I decide to get a reading curriculum (like this year), I get R&S.

[Renai]

@Slache  Although all your kids look alike, I think the baby favors Mary more.

Edited August 7, 2021 by Renai

[Slache]

3 minutes ago, Renai said:

Santa Fe National Park., White Sands, and not national but Tent Rocks. All close, so swing by here. 

My Santa Fe to do list is dinner with you, Folk Art Museum and Liquid Glass Museum. We're doing White Sands on our way to Grand Canyon. Do we have to go to Santa Fe National Park?

1 minute ago, Renai said:

@Slache  Although all your kids look alike, I think the baby favors Mary more.

He was identical to Alex for the first 6 months, then shifted. The big boys are the same but John's tall and thin and Alex is short and thick.