The sorting hat says that I belong in Gryffindor!
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those with brave deeds to their name."
Students of Gryffindor are typically brave, daring, and chivalrous.
Take the most scientific Harry Potter
Quiz ever created.
Barack Obama inspires me to no end. I just watched this video and it brought tears to my eyes. I hope you enjoy it as well. I first saw it at the Latinos for Obama site.
This video has so inspired me that I will share with you my history.
I was born and raised in the South Bronx in the 80's where it was not a safe time. My mother is a single mom who worked day and night in sweatshops in NYC to put warm homemade meals on the table for my sister and I every night, while still sending money "home" for her younger siblings and my grandmother. She scrimped every penny she could to send us to private schools because the education system was and is so broken. My future was different because of her commitment and sacrifice. I am a stay at home mom, currently living in the suburbs, owner of my own home, married to the man of my dreams, father of my children. We have been fortunate to travel the world and share our journey with our 3 children. I have always home schooled my children not because of my religious convictions but because I can offer them more than our school system can. It is a truly broken system that needs mending desperately. I worry what the world thinks of the US. We are all citizens of Earth. Our politics matter to so many more than just Americans. I worry that the decisions of the current administration and the decisions of those Congressmen and Congresswomen who supported and continue to support them, have led us down a path of hatredness. A path so riddle with conceit and pride, that the world shakes its head in disappoint and disbelief at our audacity. I can no longer stand by and just watch this happen. Barack has inspired, has awaken a deep desire in me for something better. I wholeheartedly believe that something better is inside us all. It doesn't matter if we believe in universal healthcare, cutting taxes, increasing taxes, getting out of Iraq, staying another hundred years. What matters at this time, in my opinion, is someone uplifting, someone inspiring, someone with sound judgement, someone with integrity, someone ready to make the difficult decisions before us, someone ready to sacrifice, someone ready to put the needs of others ahead of the needs of big corporations, someone commited to a united America. That person for me can only be Barack Obama.
My 9 year old just asked me a very important question. He asked,
I have not done one in a while. I like this one. I think it pegged me just about right.
| Your Personality is Very Rare (ENTP) |
 Your personality type is optimistic, curious, enthusiastic, and open. Only about 4% of all people have your personality, including 3% of all women and 5% of all men. You are Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving. |
My oldest had a birthday yesterday! My baby is now 12 years old! I have no idea where the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday was the 3rd day at the hospital of the horrible contractions and no progress birth that was my daughters. I still remember the look on my midwife's face as I was pushing and she saw all the hair that baby had. She still even more hair now and all the 12 year old charm of being the old girl in a family of boys! Below is my little homage of her 12 years with us. We have laughed, cried, and screamed at time but she is my heart and soul. What I would do without my rock, I can not even begin to imagine.
He is not the most romantic guy out there, but he sure knows what makes me smile. I sure do love him.
Since today is our anniversary, I will write ten things I love about my sweetie!
His eyes and those lush eyelashes!
His tiny, tiny ears!
His big, sexy biceps!
His silly, nervous smirk!
His not very funny jokes!
His brain......He is a very intelligent guy!
His childishness!!!!
His kisses!
His love for his children!
And the No. 1 thing I love about Papa Peep is.......
Happy Anniversary Darling!
They had called for snow yesterday but we got a beautiful sunny day so I thought the snow would not come. As I was going to sleep it started, but I awoke to this scene this morning.
(Note: The slideshow that should go here is in the post above because photobucket is determined to make me crazy and not work like it should.)
(Note 2: I think there is something wrong with blogger as I tried a new photo service website and it gave me a hard time also. I think I have it resolved above, but I still can't put it here where it belongs. Bummer)
Last week Wednesday we went to the zoo on a very beautiful but still chilly day (at least no rain, right??)
But this time it was not that embarrassing tag website 
Unfortunately I am not quite this far in the book, so I have no idea what is going on but now I look forward to getting there. I know I have not been asked but I am really enjoying this book; more so that I thought.
I remember being a little girl and always wanting to hold my grandmother's hand. I love how they are wrinkled. I love their softness. I love how delicate they are. I love how they smell. I love how they feel in my hand. I love watching them knit or crochet. I love how they pat me on the head. I love how they counsel me. I love how they prepare such delicious food. In a few weeks, I will feel those hands embrace me. In a few weeks, I will be able to hold them again.
Monday night it snowed here. While the peeps did play in it that night, it was not until Tuesday morning that all the fun was really to be had. Everything froze over night and it was just slick enough for cardboard boxes (like we don't have enough of those about) and some cooped up peeps to really enjoy. We witnessed several trucks try to skid their way up our little hill while the peeps tried to skid down. I continually had to tell Baby Peep to STOP eating the snow while trying to get Middle Peep not to be so risky. Oldest Peep, as usual, first cautious quietly observing and then the last to be dragged back inside.
I have actually waited a whole week to post this as we went to the Science Museum last Wednesday. I hope you all enjoy it!
So I could not think of anything today. I have been scanning my brain all morning to come up with something clever. Then I thought about what is art to me? What does art evoke in me? I thought about art being something pleasing to the senses, something that evokes an emotion from me, something someone created with their hands.
I thought I would end the week with Baby Peep since he has been prevalent of late. I know it is only Thursday but tomorrow is Fine Art Friday which means I need to find something for that.
He is a very funny child to work with. He can sometimes be so cooperative. He can be so NOT cooperative if his mood strikes. I have not figured out what triggers him. He is motivated simply by himself. He could have had a nice dinner, gone to bed early with a story to boot and will wake in the foulest of moods. For a while I thought it was the gluten messing with him. Sometimes I still suspect it. Even though we are careful with what he eats, it is impossible, in this country, to eliminate it completely. We depend on wheat for everything. That rant for another time.....
Today was a very pleasant day. He sought me out for school. This is rare but happening more often. (There is hope.) His reading is still behind what we consider appropriate but the strides he is making can not be measured in reading levels. He no longer runs from the room when I pull out Phonics Pathways.
I have considered getting something else but middle peep used something different to learn to read and he is a terrible speller. Oldest peep used PP and she is a great speller. It could be middle peep was destined to be a bad speller (Papa Peep can't spell himself out of a paper bag) but I see understanding in baby peep that middle peep doesn't have yet. I attribute it to Phonics Pathways. I am not taking any chances this time.
He doesn't enjoy reading, but he now tolerates lessons and reading practice. He enjoys First Language Lessons. He likes the memorization and the narration bits now. He especially likes it when I put them on the blog for others to see. You know, now that I think about it, he is an attention seeker. I will have to ponder more on that later...
So today he did school on the floor of my bedroom. I had to run back and forth between schoolroom and my bedroom to check on him. We cuddled on my bed for History. Yesterday I received Junior History Book 1 and 2 and he couldn't wait to start it. I hope to write up a review later today.
Then we worked on Math. He is really starting to remember the math facts but more importantly he is understanding the relationship numbers have with each other. The Right Start abacus has played a huge role in that. I am not using the manual right now because he was not enjoying it and it was taking too much of my time for one lesson. We now use the abacus with Singapore Math. I explain with the abacus the point I am trying to make and he "sees" it right away.
Next was Explode the Code which he loves. He groans about reading the sentences but he has gotten so much better because of them. I see the grumbling as habit because he gets most of them easily now.
Afterwards, he practiced his reading and this is where it got funny. Watch him read and then work on some spelling words.
