Cold…dark…long days

All three have been tough lately. 

We have had days of -2o or colder.  That’s just too cold to do anything outside.   It’s hard on everyone.  No one wants to go outside.  No one wants to go anywhere.  The dogs don’t even want to go outside and they will usually last approximately 2.2 minutes.  Not that I have timed them or anything.  We’re burning through a ton of wood in our outside wood furnace and our fireplace inside. Tons and tons of wood.  And any paper or cardboard product.  Why fill a landfill or recycle when you can heat your house?   It is always very nice to have a nice toasty fire though!

Tomorrow we will get back into some of our routines.  We’ll start back up on homeschooling and start  getting our samples ready  for the first semester.   Music lessons start this week again and then next week the kids other classes. 

We’ve had a pretty good week.  The kids have been having fun playing Rock Band and playing with neighbor kids.  There have been sleepovers, football games, hockey games,  movies watched and games of mancala. 

Last month I discovered facebook and have had fun with that.  I’m finding old friends and family and it’s a great way to catch up and keep in touch.   Right now I am loving facebook and that’s where I am spending most of my time on the internet these days.  

 I am reading Eat, Pray, Love for the 4th or 5th time.  I can’t remember really how many times I have read it… but I just love the book.  I’m almost done with it so I’ll need to find a new book fast!  

I have been experimenting with my camera and trying to figure out all the different settings.  It’s a Nikon D4o…if anyone knows of a great book or website on digital photography I would love to check it out!   I have my camera ready to go on the tripod for the perfect alpine glow or moose visitor that might wander on our property.   

On Friday I had my first soccer practice and it ended up being pretty fun.  When it was time to go to it…. I really didn’t want to go.  I was feeling like the biggest dork and soooo out of my comfort zone.  But I had fun when I got there…even with not knowing much about soccer…even with passing the ball to the wrong person…even with missing the ball instead of kicking it… It still was a ton of fun because I laughed at myself and had fun!  I did kick the ball, pass the ball and figured a few things out …..I still have a lot to learn and am just a” little” bit worried about this week’s game!

So… that’s the latest news….my goal is to keep these long, cold dark days full of inspiring, fun, motivating things for us all to do…and when it warms up sledding, skiing, icefishing and snowmachining….January will surely whiz by then!

It’s another cold morning.  Woke up to almost 18 below.  Boys did a winter campout last night so I have been very worried about them.  Especially since Jeremy didn’t go on this trip.    Last night when we went to bed it was 8 below and I couldn’t help it not to worry.  I think Jeremy was a bit concerned too but was trying to not show it so I didn’t freak out anymore! 

As I write this he is on his way to pick them up.  I’ll feel so much better once they are back home!!!

We had a very nice Christmas.  Christmas Eve morning started out as a train wreck for me though!  I hadn’t had plans to go anywhere Christmas Eve but Jeremy needed me to pick up a few things he forgot  since he was working and Haley’s package with her doll I wanted never arrived ….so…. I was hoping it would be at the post office.  Since the post office told me they opened at 11 am I went early at 10:45  just so I wouldn’t have to wait in a long line.  I got to the post office and I discovered it was packed since it actually opened at 10am and not 11am like the lady told me.   I waited 1/2 hour in line only to find out the package still wasn’t here.  That was very frustrating especially since I had ordered her doll on December 10th.

So after that I went to the store to pick up the things for Jeremy and when I wrote a check the cashier asked to see my license and commented it was expiring in a couple days which was my B-day the day after Christmas.   I had one more stop to make and that was dog bones for Ripley and Ginger or should I say the kids who realized on Christmas Eve morning that they wanted to give the dogs bones.  And even though Santa was bringing bones all ready I couldn’t explain that one to Haley and told the kids I would stop for bones.  But back to my license…  before I ran into the store for the bones I called the DMV to see if they would be open on my b-day and found out they would be closed but I still had time on Christmas Eve to run and renew my license since they were opened to 4pm.  So…. I get off my cell phone, get out of the truck and lock it and suddenly realized I locked my keys in the truck.   Because I had to set them down on the seat next to me when I made my call to the DMV.   Not just my keys but the EXTRA set of keys.   I asked a guy if he could help me and he said with the type of truck we have we would need a tow truck.  So I called a tow truck and a half hour later was unlocked.  I got the dog bones and then was debating if I should go to the DMV or try to renew it after the Holidays.  For some reason my gut was telling me to just renew it so I did and I was very glad I did.  If I would have waited I learned I would have had to retake the written test again!   ugh!  Which I’m not sure if I would have  passed… Scary thought for drivers on the road with me!!  It has been a lonnnng time since I have taken the drivers test….

After allllll that it was so good to be home for Christmas Eve, Christmas and my Birthday! 

Christmas Eve my Dad and niece Kylie were out and on Christmas day my Dad and other niece Jazmyne came out.   The cousins all had fun playing and we had nice new snow and perfect weather for getting outside and playing on the snowmachines.  Kids also played inside on Rock Band.  Big kids and Little kids!  We all have been having fun with Rock Band!!!   It’s perfect for our kids…Tanner loves drums…Hunter loves guitar and Haley loves to sing.  They have all been having a blast playing it together.

The next week or so we will have some quiet, chilling out days….much needed and feels good to have a much slower, relaxed pace for awhile.

I plan to get a few things done that I have been wanting to get done.  Organizing more…getting some pictures in albums and frames…doing some mosaics…learning how to use my camera better….I also want to get back into my routine of exercising and taking yoga classes again.   I just am feeling the need to do things that I really have been yearning to do but have been putting off….I’m trying to listen to my inner voice and follow….

Northern Lights

One of my goals for myself is to learn to take Northern Lights pictures this winter….

Great winter night

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……

Maiden Pools Hike

 

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!

I’m Back!

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……

Packed bags…ready to go…

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

This week in homeschooling….

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!”

Curls!