You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2008.
One of my goals for myself is to learn to take Northern Lights pictures this winter….
It’s a cold winter night and it’s gonna get colder…. So far watched the thermometer go from 18 to 9 with in just a few hours. We have a nice roaring fire, great music playing and just had chili for dinner. I LOVE nights like this……
Hiking in Arizona is very cool. I was a little freaked out about seeing tarantulas or snakes on our hike and so glad to not see any of those critters! I think I am more scared of those than moose and bears in Alaska! I was thankful it was 70 degrees and not 90! Jeremy has done this Maiden Pools hike twice before in temps of 90. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it that hot. As it was I gulped down 2 bottles of water. It was a 7mile hike and took us a little over 3 hours. 
Love all the cool cactus in Arizona…
They are everywhere!!
Isn’t that gorgeous???
One of the Maiden Pools I guess. More like Maiden Puddle. Guess it must be fuller at other times of the year. Still it was a very cool hike!
Actually I have been back for a few days….got in around 2 am Thursday morning. This morning I finally feel like I have adjusted back to AK time. It was a nice trip and we got some planning and goal setting done for ourselves. It was cooler than I wanted in Tuscon staying around 70 and getting pretty cool at night. Still 70’s is nice compared to 10! When we left on Wed in Phoenix it was actually in the 80’s. I still have to download pictures. I took a lot of scenery pictures when we took a hike one afternoon so I’ll have to post those later….
Flying really sucks now. It’s expensive for one thing but now it is even more expensive. The last 2 trips we have had we have been charged to check in luggage at $15 a bag and charged $2 for a soda on the plane. The airlines just keep taking away more and more things. Pretty soon you’ll be charged a rental fee of the seat you sit in. Seriously. On our flight home which ended up being a 6 hour straight flight we learned that the airline no longer offers movies. 6 hours without a movie. I asked the stewardess why there wasn’t a movie on such a long flight and she said they took out all the screens & equipment to make the planes lighter and more fuel efficient. Later she came by and asked if she could give someone the pillow sitting next to me and I said, “Sure for $2.00!” I don’t get why she didn’t find that funny. It was a pleasure to get rid of that pillow with black hair clinging it to it anyway.
Yesterday the boys & Jeremy took off for a winter camping trip. So Haley & I have the house to ourselves for a few days. It’s another vacation!!! Last night Haley & I made cookies, pita pizzas and watched what we wanted to on TV all night long! We’re taking it easy allllll weekend. I’ve had a cold on and off for last week so it’s a great weekend to do that. Today we are going to go to a movie…looks like it will be Madagascar 2 or High School Musical 3 since Haley is deciding! It’s been over a year since I have gone to a movie! Every time there is a new movie that I want to take the kids to they get invited to it with their friends first. Of course they want to go with their friends and not mom. I like watching movies at home more anyway……
Jeremy & I are taking off in a few hours for Tucson….can’t wait to have a few days of warm weather!! It’s a business trip but we are planning to go on a hike one day and have some fun at the pool. I’m lugging my camera bag with my good camera so hopefully it’ll be worth it and I can get some great Arizona pictures! 🙂 TTFN
The kids are doing their usual creative things like building rockets, lego robots, painting with acrylic paints, learning new songs on the guitar…. and of course reading and lessons.
This year we switched homeschooling programs and the kids take a few classes at a charter school. They have all had fun with their classes and it is a good transition since next year we are thinking of school. This will be a huge change for our family but it will be an exciting one.
Last week I got a call from a teacher with the correspondence school who wanted to see Tanner to see about math tutoring. Math isn’t a weakness for Tanner and I have never been worried about him with Math. His state testing score last year was a few points below proficient which surprised me since he had been doing very well on his Math last year. On his state testing day last year I had dropped him off with his bike so afterwards he could bike with his best friend to the swimming pool. That just might of been a result of a lower test score if he hurried to finish his test. But you never know…. So when the teacher called I told him fine we’d meet with him. I told him if there was something could use we’d appreciate any outside help for improvements. After all I want the best education for my kids.
So Tanner meets with him and then the teacher wants to speak with me privately. Automatically I am thinking oh boy here we go…I have been a failure…he is really behind…etc. All the overly criticizing thoughts homeschool moms get from time to time. Well the teacher told me that Tanner does not need a tutor at all. If anything he needs more stimulation in math and so he would like to work with him on pre algebra which is a grade level ahead. That was a very nice surprise! Also it was very cool to hear the teacher comment to me on what a bright kid my son is!
My concerns for Tanner are for writing, spelling & reading. Which doesn’t seem to be a concern for the teacher at all. I think I have higher standards or maybe just worry to much.
Anyways…I am worrying a little less now. It’s nice to have some reassurance and positive feedback that things are going good. I also feel confident the kids will transition nicely into school if that is what we end up doing next year.
Hunter gets a spruce hen or grouse practically every week lately. Tanner shot a spruce hen the other day too but I didn’t get a picture. When Hunter came back home with these two he said, “Sorry mom I only got 2 today!”
Calf moose walking by our house a little after 8am.
Mama moose peeking in our window….checking us out and Ginger checking her out!
Little blurry with the reflection off my previously very clean windows. Just Monday had all my windows professionally cleaned…now getting broken in again with kid finger prints, dog nose prints and moose licks.
Far North Inspirations 
