It's not Christmas anymore!?!?! I need to take down my lights.
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Showing posts from 2004
Favorite Bible Study Resources
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The Unbound Bible
StudyLight (left column, halfway down)
Bible.org
Bible.com (dozens of translations)
Bible Study Tools at Crosswalk.com
DiscipleLand Bible Curriculum for ages 2-12
Explorer's Bible Study - While these studies are available for purchase, you can also follow along with them week by week for free. You can print them in PDF format for all age groups.
Thy Word Creations (Effortless Bible Memorization)
The Scripture Memory Connection (wonderful and free Bible memorization software)
I had my kids rate me on this test....
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June Cleaver: You are June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver. You might not wear pearls while you do your housework, but you probably like the idea of being a traditional type of mom who bakes special treats for your kids when they come home from school and who sits down to dinner with them at night. You think of thoughtful ways to show your kids you care like making elaborate Halloween costumes or whipping up chicken noodle soup for sore throats and you work hard to stay involved in their lives. Of course, you teach your children right from wrong and always hold them to strict standards, though you may prefer that someone else in the household do the actual disciplining. That's just because you are so devoted to your little ones, you can't stand the thought of missing out on any time with them behind angry doors or pouting faces. Which TV Mom are you? brought to you by Quizilla
Another entertainment item via Mrs Bramble
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1. Egg nog - yum or yuck? Used to love it, this year it was YUCK (???) 2. Stay up until midnight on New Years? Like every night. 3. Prefer white or colored lights? White outside, colored inside. 4. Favorite holiday song. I like most of them. 5. What is your tackiest holiday decoration? I 27 Fling Boogie all things tacky. 6. Do your kids have too much and you wonder just WHY you are getting more?? No. We keep toys to a minimum in favor of imagination. This years gifts are one toy and one book each. 7. If you celebrate Christmas, when does your tree go up and come down? Tree goes up mid-December and down on Twelth Night 8. Christmas again - open presents on Christmas eve, morning, or other? Morning 9. Favorite holiday tradition? Bundling up and going for a walk on Christmas Eve (night) with the family looking at lights... and coming home to hot cocoa and Christmas music. 10. What do YOU want for Christmas? I'm ashamed to admit this, but I want the Sims 2 (you know, it&
Life is a vapor
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After writing my last post we learned that a dear friend and colleague of my husband lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly. Thanksgiving he was there, the next morning she found he had gone in the night. The only hint of anything wrong was that he had not felt like eating much Thanksgiving dinner. They think perhaps he had a viral infection. Please remember Christina and her children in your prayers. People, life on earth is short, but our soul is eternal. Please, please know where your soul will spend eternity.
Life as a Vapor
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"Come now, you who say,
"Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:13, 14 NAS)
For Thou didst form my inward parts;
Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to Thee,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Thy works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from Thee,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Thy book they were all written,
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)
Why are we here?
I simply can't believe that this amazing, complex universe with all it's inhabitants happened by chance.... ther
The Soul Longs for God
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Our souls were created to love the Lord. When we are not doing this, there is an emptiness that our soul is seeking to fill.
Our life will seem to be missing something very important... and no matter how hard we try we won't be able to fill in that vacant spot. Our soul is yearning; aching, climbing... trying to fly towards God... and we confuse that restlessness for other things.
We have longings we question. We have remorse or a sadness and we think if we just do something different, or find the right hobby or gift, that something will click and that brokenness will be fixed.
But what we really need... what we really yearn for... what we really desire... what we really hope for... what we long for... what we fear... is the Lord!
We don't have to fix the emptiness ourselves. We only have to let go and let God.
Let our souls soar toward Christ, and He will fill that empty space and every need. He completes us!
God created our soul and our sou
Don't Forget Your Flashlight!
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All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. (Timothy 3:16,17 - NLT) Today I was reading these verses and wondering... why sometimes someone is a Christian and then one day they wake up and reject the Truth? I wondered how can they leave their First Love? When one has tasted of Christ and known His goodness... how sweet He is... how can they possibly then deny Him? Does not our very being long for Him? Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! (Psalm 34:8 - NLT) At first I thought... perhaps He was never their First Love, and they never really knew Him. But then I had another thought. "When do I ever doubt Him?" When I have not spent time with Him in a while! When do we doubt our husbands
"The Rabbit and the Grapevine"
by The Princess, age 4
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"You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss". Your romance is Casablanca. A classic story of love in trying times, chock full of both cynicism and hope. You obviously believe in true love, but you're also constantly aware of practicality and societal expectations. That's not always fun, but at least it's realistic. Try not to let the Nazis get you down too much. What Romance Movie Best Represents Your Love Life? brought to you by Quizilla
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I've never been fond of light goldenrod yellow -- but this description fits me to a tee you are light goldenrod yellow #FAFAD2 Your dominant hues are red and green, so you're definately not afraid to get in and stir things up. You have no time for most people's concerns, you'd rather analyze with your head than be held back by some random "gut feeling". Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working. Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything. the spacefem.com html color quiz
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I'm terza rima , and I talk and smile. Where others lock their rhymes and thoughts away I let mine out, and chatter all the while. I'm rarely on my own - a wasted day Is any day that's spent without a friend, With nothing much to do or hear or say. I like to be with people, and depend On company for being entertained; Which seems a good solution, in the end. What Poetry Form Are You?
Finally giving you something new to read...
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...though it's not much. ;o) We are having a wonderful time with my mother-in-law visiting from the Netherlands. Every week a little site-seeing, a little shopping, but not too much. ;o) Today we went to my women's Bible Study group, where we have started our first week of The 40 Days of Purpose . Some of you know, already, that I do not stand 100% behind the Purpose Driven movement... especially when it comes to applying MegaChurch tactics to MiniChurches of 150 or less... but I think there are many good things in the 40 Day study. If anything, I do love sharing with this group of women I have known for a while and it's different sharing things with dear & familiar faces... where we have already shared many laughs and sorrows together... than sharing in a group of strangers. Our home school also had a week off for Herfst Vakantie (or Fall Break), so I have had a nice week off from lesson planning and grading, and the girls have had lots of free time. Rembrandt ha
Reads of Interest....
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Phil Wade has an update about the new Narnia movie at Brandywine Books Robert Williams compares the Presidential Candidates over at Dead Man Blogging ... Just a bit humorous if you're pro-Bush... best to just avoid if you're not. Carolyn at Guilt-Free Homeschooling reminds us that "parent" is a verb. Get caught up in the fun of GeoCaching with Karen and her seven little ones.
Update on my daughter's recipe...
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I found out she didn't use canola oil, but sprayed the non-stick pan with cooking spray (okay, it was Pam, can we name namebrands in BlogLand?)... then she fried the non-coconut side first, and the coconut side last... that way when it was done she could scoop up coconut flakes that had fallen off and put them back on the tortilla.
My daughter, the Chef
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Rembrandt made up something really yummy. I'm not sure exactly how she made it, I'll have double check with her when she's awake tomorrow morning... but... She drizzled a flour tortilla with a bit of honey, sprinkled it lightly with shredded coconut, and fried it, coconut side down, in a bit of canola oil (probably about a Tbsp, maybe a bit less) ... just when the coconut began to brown lightly, she flipped them and fried the other side. The honey kept the coconut in place during frying. They tasted deliciously like a coconut baklava. Teenagers are so much fun to have around!
The carpet arrives tomorrow! And other good things...
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What did I do to deserve such great kids? Last night after my dad's 62nd birthday party, Rembrandt went and cleaned grandma's kitchen and did all of the dishes, shooing everyone else out of the kitchen! This morning she is upstairs getting a bedroom ready for her other grandma, all of her own volition... cleaning out the closet, washing windows, dusting, vacuuming... and SteamVac-ing the carpet in that room! She blesses her two grandmas without any prodding from me. I feel so incredibly blessed to be her mother. The downstairs carpet will arrive tomorrow... Wait... What's that? I hear very loud music upstairs... whose kids are those??? Oh whew, it was only temporary. I guess they were checking to see if the CD player still worked.. ;o) Okay, I'm off to... wait... I haven't told you about my latest find at Motivated Moms! They offer a home management solution for the right-brained mom. If you click on order you can download their 2002 eBook for free... I lo
Goings on in BlogLand....
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Zelie has not written anything lately. After almost a daily dose of "something to think about" last week, she has left us high and dry. Of course, she is freshly pregnant, and probably a wee bit queasy when faced with a monitor, not to mention probably needing naps by now... but I do miss her posts. When I have a moment and a cup of coffee, I'm thankful there is this cozy spot on the web. I love to sit down at Pamela Spurling's virtual kitchen table and glean from her thoughts. If you don't subscribe to her "welcome home" newsletter , I highly recommend it. The last one was very convicting and eye-opening for me.... and very inspiring... as her newletters always are!
Verses for home schools..
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" May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distil as the dew, as the gentle rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb. " - Deuteronomy 32:2 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart. ~Psalm 32:8-11 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.&quo
Very busy day...
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...celebrating my dad's birthday today, so I'll update more later.
Answering two quick questions from Denice....
The countdown thing is from BlogTricks and you can set it to count down to any number of events up to ten events. The free version includes the little ads. ;o) My thumbnail picture thingy is also from BlogTricks and it's easy to customize it to include more or less pictures; to show random pictures each visit, or the same pictures each time; and to designate how many columns of pictures to show. You can also set picture size.
The referring web thing shows you where people clicked to your site from if they clicked on a link on another web-site. It's available from TrueFresco
Heather
EyeWitness to History - history through the eyes of those who lived it
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Link of the Day
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The Electronic Text Center - University of Virginia Library is an incredible resource containing tens of thousands of SGML and XML-encoded electronic texts and images combined with a library service that offers hardware and software suitable for the creation and analysis of text. Some of my favorite gems located here are the Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745-1799
Link of the Day
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A Charlotte Mason Education Who is Charlotte Mason? Why Use Her Methods? This link includes information about the Charlotte Mason Method (overview, narration, nature study, language arts, habits, and application) as well as tips on how to apply it to Daily Life (scheduling, tips, field trips, coping). There are also book recommendations and other resources. Enjoy!
Blog of the Day
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Would you lie on a test because you know it's what your professor wants to read? The Dawn Treader brings up Professor Problems Is our purpose in life to succeed any which way we can? Or to please God? Do we continue to please God, even though it may mean sacrificing a grade? Or does God even care, as long as it turns out favorably for us? Just how humanistic is Christianity getting? (These questions kept me awake last night. ;o)
w.bloggar
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I'm trying the w.bloggar software on for size, and so far, I really like it! It allows me to strike through things. I have no idea why I want to strike through things, but I think the idea I couldn't strike through things before made me want to strike through things. AND I can underline!!! It's also easier to insert images! Pretty neat, huh?
Back To School After a Laze About Weekend
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Last night I ordered Where
Brook and River Meet from CadronCreek for Barrett. She loves "old-fashioned" stories and poetry, so I think it will be a really good fit for her. Until it arrives, we will be using SOS. I found I own a lot of the required books... but I have already packed them. ;oP Lazy me went and spent $3 at Ebay for another copy of the 1987 Bantam paperback copy of Anne of Green Gables, rather than open up ten of the possible moving boxes it's packed in. I'm hoping I did not already pack The Hidden Art of Homemaking (Schaeffer) and The Way Home (Pride)... I have two copies of The Way Home... so it's possible I left one unpacked.
Rembrandt is still doing LIFEPACS 9th grade, though she has asked to switch back to Apologia for science, and Singapore for math. I did already pack those, but they may not be in a box that is sealed, so I'll check through the three boxes that are open later today.
The Rose is thoroughly enjoying all of the
Wipe Out
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This morning we went to the beach to watch my #3 nephew (son of sister #1) and brother-in-law (husband of sister #2) get baptized! Steadfast had left for work around 5 am (Cloud Factory Outage still in progress) but he was able to leave work for a while to witness the events at 9:30 am. It's now 8:30 pm and he's still at work...
After the baptisms, I came home and took a nap... I just woke up.... This seems to be my pattern after a miscarriage... The first day I'm fine & courageous... the second day I shed one or two drops of tears in moments I have my guard down, but I'm still stalwart... the third day I completely melt down and make an emotional mess on boards all over the internet... and the fourth day I sleep.... and the fifth day I'm usually back to my "normal" level of sanity...
Thank goodness for teen daughters who are willing and able to take charge of the household for a day. I still feel wiped out, but I know tomorrow will bring fre
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For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.
Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
Psalm 139:13-16
Michael Spencer: A Contrarian Manifesto for the Church Growth Debate
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Our excitement of the week
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Our dog, Ginger, has been restless the last four nights. She never barks, unless there is a darn good reason. Last night after 9 pm we had a knock at our door... it was the neighbor west of us letting us know that his son (13) had been on their trampoline and he saw a mountain lion crouched on our hill, watching him. We brought Ginger and the PigWeet in, but left the barn cats to their own defense (hiding!). Rembrandt then said she had seen a big cat down the road that had the coloring of a mountain lion, but was about the size of a bob-cat.... and she thought perhaps it was a young mountain lion, though the young ones are usually spotted, like a bob-cat, rather than the solid color she reported.
The neighbors to the east also had the flood lights on in their yard last night, which they *never* do, so I suspect they've sighted something too. I'll have to check tomorrow. The game department will send out a tracker... until we get the all clear, the little ones will not be pla
Mielke's Fiber Arts, LLC - Your complete fiber arts source
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New Carpet!
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I ordered carpet today. They will come measure two bedrooms and the living room on Monday, and then the carpet will be delivered a week later. When the rooms are done, I will post before and after pics. We always buy new carpet when we are moving but at least I will be able to enjoy it for a little while.
Sadness
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Steadfast and I celebrated our anniversary with an early dinner at Applebee's, then a movie (The Village), then shopping for carpet... After coffee and pie at Marie Callendar's we went to Grandma's House to pick up the kidlets. Steadfast went straight to bed, due to the fact that he has to get up at 3 am to be at The Cloud Factory to start his annual Work-Fourteen-Days-Without-Any-Sleep-Thingy. The rest of us went to tuck in animals for bed... and we discovered a dead PigWeet... er... PennyGig... er... GuineaPig.... Barrett's beloved 4 month old MoonShine had passed away. :(
I re-did my anniversary ticker
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... I went to DaisyPath and re-entered my anniversary date, and created a new ticker, than I edited my previous post with the new ticker code... but it's still showing today is my anniversary! In truth, we were married September 1st, 1989 and are celebrating 15 years tomorrow with dinner and a movie. We were going to go away for a couple of nights to a hotel up the coast, but The Cloud Factory rescheduled their Outage from last month to begin September 1st instead and Steadfast is needed on the job front. Grandma called to ask if she gets to have my girls for our anniversary, so Steadfast and I will be out * without kids *!
I'm off to Vons to buy..
Butter
Orange Juice
Chocolada Horchata
Tortillas
Lactaid
Eggs
Coffee Filters
Cheese
and Milk!
I think we need bread too. We could do with our own dairy! All of these dairy addicts here who can't even tolerate dairy...
When will I learn??
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Last week I noticed The Rose's hair was thinning. I worried what could be wrong? Likely some vitamin or mineral defiency, but which one?? She eats so well. This weekend I noticed The Princess' long curly locks appeared shorter, but it's hard to tell with curls. I tried to make a pony tail and realized they were barely long enough. The Princess had thinning hair too! What contagious ailment was striking my babies???
Then I noticed The Princess had very short bangs... she never had bangs before... then I realized The Rose has been carrying around a pair of purple safety scissors in her pink purse... Then I vacuumed under the sofa cushions and found lots of blonde and brunette locks stowed there...
Four Year Olds!!!! Having had two previous Four Year Olds play beauty parlor... having had several friends who's Four Year Olds have played hair stylist... having once taught a bevy of Pre-K students in my B.C. (Before Children) days... a class that regularly had a
Changing Nicknames
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I've decided to give my family shorter nicknames, to make them quicker to type. :)
She Who Was Promised, our Dutch-born artist, will become Rembrandt
She Who Is Blessed, our Poetess, will be Barrett
I haven't figured out the rest... The Rose wants to be Princess... The Princess herself is often called Sweetpea... and She Who Triumphs is called Peanut in real life, though I have always disliked Peanut as a nickname... yet, with her it fits, and is endearing.
Zelie, thanks for your kind note.
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We went to the park yesterday and The Rose got to play with her Patrick. Afterwards they came to our house, because I had some books and collectible dolls for Patrick's Mama to take with her and list on Ebay. When they left, Patrick would not say good-bye to The Rose, though he did give a wave and a "Bye" to The Princess. Patrick was really just wanting to *go home* and did not want the fuss of good-byes... but The Rose was tickled pink. The reason being, when she does not want to leave her friends, she will not say good-bye... so she think's Patrick's refusal to tell her good-bye was evidence he didn't want to leave her. :)
Today I have been washing walls in the empty classroom/office which is to become the master bedroom. Hopefully we can get it painted this weekend, and then start work on the walls of the playroom, which is to become the bedchamber of She Who Triumphs. I picked Sherwin Williams "Springtime" for our master bedroom, and "Day
So Sorry
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About the lack of posts...
Sunday night She Who Was Promised had a severe asthma attack and we were transported by ambulance to the ER, where we spent the night without sleep. We spent Monday recovering, and Tuesday was spent doing things we didn't do Monday.
Today I spent packing boxes and working in the yard. I should have prepped the walls of our bedroom for painting, but there is so much stuff in the dining room that needs to either be packed, stored, or gotten rid of... I just cannot bear it any longer. She Who Is Blessed and I also cleared out and packed up much of the playroom together.
Tomorrow we will go to the park, and *then* prep the walls for painting....
The Rose's Latest Plans
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The Rose (4): There is a little bee in our garden. When we were at the campground and Papa and I went walking across the meadow, we saw lots of bees.
Mama (38): That was a pretty meadow wasn't it? With lots of wildflowers and green grass.
The Rose: Yes, I want a pretty garden when Patrick and I get married and have babies in our house with blue and yellow hearts on it. We can have a garden with green grass, no stickers. We can grow corn, and tomatoes... And sunflowers. No roses. Roses have stickers that stick the babies.
Our lawn is sunburned and burdened with stickers... at this time we can boast of no flowers, with the exception of roses. Do you suppose she wishes to wed simply to flee our unsightly garden? :)
I'm having a hard time not being pregnant
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The last two times I had a 16 month old, I was seven months pregnant.
Some of you know we started trying for another baby 14 months ago... I like having them close... I like even numbers so that everyone has a playfellow...
Now, here I am, 14 months later on cycle day 10... She Who Was Promised (14) has been stoutly indicating that we could do with another baby, because She Who Triumphs (1) is not so willing to cuddle as much as she once was. The Rose (4) has been hinting we need another baby, because she likes babies. She misses sitting on my lap and having a baby kick her from inside my belly. My husband maintains that we need to "fix" the fact I'm not pregnant yet. Am I broken? I sure feel broken. In the past 14 cycles there were two miscarriage, and three other instances that Fertility Friend said my chances for pregnancy were excellent. Five great chances... and I'm not pregnant. I feel really broken.
A pregnancy and TTC board I post on has had several p
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She Who Triumphs amused herself with Hello Kitty's Cutie World on my laptop tonight. It was the first moment in time that I permitted her to utilize it (no qualms, it's underwritten to the hilt) and she was so delighted. She did not know what to do, but she took pleasure in gazing at the rose-colored display and the endearing kitty while clasping the mouse.
The Princess damaged no more than two possessions today. She decapitated The Rose's beloved ballerina Barbie and unraveled about 60 rows of a wool cushion I am... er... was... knitting. Otherwise, she has been simply charming.
The Rose is still planning to walk down the aisle with Patrick. She said they are going to get married when they are five and they will both be five in ninty-sixty-four hours. She said Patrick made a heart with their names in it, because he loves her. In point of fact, Patrick can't seem to commit The Rose's given name to memory... but that may change once they are married. In any cas
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I watched Amish in the City tonight as it premiered... I cannot believe how uncouth the English were. Though, it is very comparable to how The Youth Group treats my girls, merely because they are educated at home. They are the resulting product of public schools, trapped in their minuscule boxes, expecting all humanity should likewise fit in the self-same diminutive package.
The show began with a gay boy droning on about how he wished people would just accept gay people for who they are... then the cameras revealed him whining and running away from a bedroom because he had to share it with those Amish (No Way!)... Later on he began talking of how the Amish attire *had* to go, and that the Plain folk were in calamitous need of makeovers. Accept people for who they are? How true. Practice what you preach, boy-o.