August in Review

First of all, this was the month I was going to begin learning how to be the prudent wife.  I'm a late bloomer, okay?  One of the great things about homeschooling is that EVERYONE is learning, right?  And we never stop.  So even though I just turned forty-something years old, it's not too late for me.  I started the choystercash couponing class.  Week One had to do with freebies from Rite-Aid.  We don't have a local Rite-Aid, so I got the week off.  This is Week Two.  This week's deals are Walgreens deals, $50 worth of free stuff.  I am still looking at the list and trying to get through the brain fog.  You do have to pay for this stuff, but you get money back to use on later purchases.   I can see that I am going to have to be real wise (and brainy) about how to shop Walgreens if I do this.  Will I actually save money, or will I just spend more on stuff we don't normally buy?  I'll let you know what happens.  Come on, someone join me on this class so we can compare notes!

Okay, August.  We started school.  The first day was horrid, but things are now much improved, almost wonderful.  Here we are actually studying, well, three-fourths are studying.  The remaining fourth is playing...













Some dear friends in Minnesota sent us this stuff in a box.  My husband ran when he saw it, but the girls thought it was great!  We are eagerly anticipating a visit from the PlainJane family, and we are brushing up on our Minnesotan: "You betcha", "hot dish", and "Do you want to come with?" 

I have been gaining a small interest in lentils, beans, and unusual grains for their nutritional value.  As we are not big cooked lentil fans, I tried spouting some.  Lentil sprouts are supposed to be REALLY good for you (translation -- probably bad-tasting).  Surprise!  They taste good!  Kind of like a cross between bean sprouts and snow peas.  We girls all enjoyed snacking on them.  (Dad didn't -- he preferred his hidden M&M's.) You don't need a sprouter.  Just soak about 1/2 cup of lentils overnight in plenty of water.  In the morning, rinse very well and pour the lentils into a colander lined with a clean dishtowel.  Cover with the overlapping part of the towel, then run water over the whole thing.  Set the colander in a bowl to catch the drips.  Do this again each evening and morning for two or three days.  When your lentils have sprouted, rinse them well, drain, and refrigerate in a zip-lock bag.  They are a great snack or addition to a green salad.  And when you are tired of snacking on them, you can have your little kids plant some.   They come up super fast.

Elisabeth has been spending much time at Build-a-Bearville, and desired a real Build-a-Bear so bad it hurt.   We are lucky enough NOT to have a Build-a-Bear store nearby ($!$!$!), but since we were going to go to California for my birthday last week, I did a bit of research and found a store reasonably close to my parents' home.  Betsy spent her own money on a very cute bunny and the special code that will allow her to spend even more time at Build-a-Bearville.    She is now a Junior Cyberguide and "owns" a beautiful home in Build-a-Bearville.

From there we went to Balboa Island for a fun day by the ocean.  I got a pair of Crocs sandals -- what a relief to my poor diabetic feet -- in a neat little clothing and accessories store called "Fresh Produce".  What a funny name for a clothing store!  Then I got home and looked up Crocs on eBay...   LOL!  Oh well, next time I'll get them online.  But my feet were thanking me all that day.  Wouldn't you know Crocs is going out of business?

From there we rode the little ferry to the Fun Zone,

where my folks treated the girls, but especially Emily, to a ferris wheel ride:

And the carousel:

 

Then we had lunch at Ruby's on the pier and met this guy:

One evening we took a walk along Alamitos Bay

And found these,

and watched the sun set (you didn't know the ocean runs downhill, did you? lol!):

And the girls did some more artsy stuff at Grammy's:

I had a wonderful birthday with people who love me! I'm sure there's more, but this post is long enough already.

And here is my project for September: