What's New

For the sake of a handful of faithful friends in the blogosphere who regularly check up on me, I'm writing this rather random post.  I'd love to unplug the computer (all three of them) and go back to living in the dark ages BM (Before Microsoft), but you know how it is.  I'm not alone there, right?  It's just hard to do. 

Here's what's new at diamondsintherough, in ten paragraphs or less:

1. In a desperate moment of grabbing for something, anything, to have Alison do for history, I pulled an old A Beka World History and Cultures book out of the bookshelf.  She loves it(!), and now, all things Sumerian.  I am shocked.  But why should I be?  She is also interested in the Fifth Postulate and mathematical theory, such as proving that

 .99999999999999999999999999999999 = 1. 

Or rather, that it does NOT equal 1.   And, Alison thinks physical science is just fascinating.  I am so happy to have one child who finds her school work interesting, even if it is true that she would like to just skip the rest of it and get married.   Lucky for me, she is not old enough for that.

2.  Amy is probably the number one fan of the new DIY Dish.  So far there is one episode. Within fifteen minutes of watching it, Amy created her own official DIY Dish Double Layer Cake Pin Cushion.  Because, of course, pin cushions are all the rage.  (I didn't know.)  Go here to see a picture of it.  She later added a big flower to the top.  Next project, a wedding cake pin cushion, because somewhere around here we have a bunch of little white satin roses that are just waiting to be used on something like this.  Maybe she should save it for her sister!

3.  Speaking of cake, I am back to trying to lose a few pounds, and here is my favorite lunch:

That's Dannon's Lite and Fit vanilla yogurt, with homemade fat-free granola.  Probably the granola reverses the effect of eating a yogurt starvation diet, but I like it.  I'm one of those people who thinks chocolate chips should be a "free" item on the standard American Diabetes Association food list.  The last time I tried to diet, I did really well until I added chocolate chip cookies to my allowable foods.   I just hate it how losing weight takes so much work and self-denial.  Both run completely contrary to my carnal nature!

4.  Elisabeth is tooting along on her clarinet, hoping a friend will join her for a duet in our annual homeschoolers' fine arts recital next month.   She has whizzed ahead in math, to the point where I am not sure what to do with her.  Repetition is necessary, but if she is ready for pre-algebra, I sure can't make her do regular old arithmetic for the next two years...  And (this really makes me happy), Betsy has suddenly found an interest in sewing.  She whipped together several bags with handles, then immediately price-tagged them for the day when we will set her entrepreneurial spirit loose and let her open a store.

5.  Emily got glasses.  Cute little round purple ones that make her look really brainy. That persistent child guilt-tripped me into letting her start sewing on the machine -- what, am I crazy???  She's only six, and I can't afford to get a new sewing machine if she breaks it.  We compromised.  She is not allowed to use the pedal, but she may turn the doohickey wheel that makes the needle go up and down.  She also has made three bags, one with help, and two by herself.  She just won't take "no" "when you are older" for an answer!

6.  The other day I went into this little upholstery place looking for a nice remnant to make some little cosmetic bags and jewelry bags out of, for hostess gifts for our summer vacation.  Only $10 later I came out with enough fabric to make dozens of them -- from obsolete upholstery sample books!  The lady only charged me $1 each for them, because she wants to get rid of them.  I was happy to help her, and I took two of them. (The other $8 I spent on yardage.)  I have been experimenting with different little zipper bags and such, so fun.  My mom even hired me to make a jewelry bag for her friend's birthday.  I got so excited (this is big -- I don't get excited about many things) that I even signed up for a new gmail account and made up some little business cards to put in my bags!   You just might even see me open up an Etsy shop.  Maybe.

7.  My in-laws visited for a week, and we sent them on their way with a bad cold.  I just hate that.  We are almost never sick, except when company comes.  Elisabeth got a sore throat while they were with us, which turned into a full-fledged cold before P&D left us. They aren't back in Virginia yet; they are in Phoenix, my father-in-law in bed, probably wishing they had never stopped here.  But we did have a  really good time! 

8. Alison must learn the entire Accolay concerto before her next violin lesson.  That means I will have the privilege of hearing her play longer each day.

9. For the hundredth time, I wrote out a chore chart.  We are three days into it and doing pretty well.  We weren't quite as diligent today as we were the past couple days, but at least the house still feels restful and not embarrassing.  Each girl has a "zone" to take care of before we begin our Ladies' Coffee Hour and school.  I have been very remiss about LCH.  All it takes to discourage me is to have one child whine, "This is boooooring!!!"  So, again, for the past several weeks months, I have just skipped it and put up with the guilt.  I had to ask the girls' forgiveness for letting discouragement keep me from the most important part of the day, and we started over.  This morning my DH took me on a hot date to Walgreens to get some passport photos made, right when we girls would have had our devos.... so we haven't had LCH yet today.  It seems like whatever doesn't get done before lunch time doesn't get done at all.  And no, we don't have plans to travel out of the country.  I wish!

10. My computer is threatening to die.  If it does, I will not be replacing it, just mooching off the two others here who have computers. Even though I ran a virus scan, it keeps shutting down or freezing up or restarting whenever we watch videos online.  Well, I can live without those.  And my speakers are dead.  But without videos, I don't need those, either.  So if my little hard-headed hard drive will just keep chugging along we'll be okay.  It might even be a blessing to have a dead computer.   (I'll try to remember to thank God when it happens, and not cry, lol.)