Guk!

When Sweet-Pea was younger, she used to say 'Guk' for 'yuk'...anything that grossed her out. Well, when we were carving pumpkins this week she was saying it again. Actually we all were saying it. The pumpkins we got this year were REALLY stringy, more so than usual, and they had a very thick wall which made carving them very difficult. Is there a way to tell what they're like inside from the outside?? We just looked for ones that had a nice shape.

Anyhow...despite the gross feeling of the pumpkin guts, we had a great time!

"Eew, guk!"


Sweet-Pea thought she was on a cooking show!


MAJOR guk! Notice the gloves...he couldn't take the slimy feeling any longer so he grabbed a pair of rubber gloves.


Painting her masterpiece


The inside of my pumpkin.


Sweet-Pea's pumpkin before & after:


She chose not to carve hers since the designs she wanted were WAY too difficult for even a professional to carve!! She's a trip!

Lionel's pumpkin before & after:




Mommy's pumpkin before & after:

Fierce competition!

We love to play games in our family...and we love competition (provided it's healthy and no one gets hurt! ha ha) Well, Sweet-Pea has gotten much better at playing games now. The old Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cheerio, Snakes & Ladders, and Princess checkers have been laid to rest.

...moment of silence please...

Sweet-Pea now enjoys playing Clue, Uno, Sequence and other more 'grown up' games. She also has gotten a bit more competitive. Almost too competitive!

The other night she and I were playing Uno, the spin version - very fun if you've never played it. Well, check her out...she thought she was just 'all that'!!! Well OK, she was...she beat me BIG TIME, but she didn't have to flaunt it...did she?

Looking at her cards....


Scheming her next move...with a Draw 4 card! Ugh!!


Feelin' satisfied!


Gettin' ready to lay to yell Uno after putting down a card...


I changed the color on her and wouldn't you know, SHE WON anyhow!?!


Can you see how happy she was? See that competitive side of her?? She's a trip! I suppose if I have to lose to someone, I'm glad it's her!!!

Last night we started playing the American Girl Treasures Game...we are half way done and she's already winning, figures! It's a fun game to play on a dreary day like we're having today though...rainy and cold. After the game is done maybe we'll light a fire in the fireplace and watch a good old fashioned movie!

Thou shalt NOT covet

OK, so that title is a bit harsh for this post...but then again...wait 'til you see these photos!

We went looking at houses the other day and we stumbled upon this new development we didn't know was in our area. They were having an open house so we said "why not" and went in. WOW...this house is totally me. Totally my style of decorating...if I had that kind of money of course. We were able to walk around the house as if it were our own. The agent was down in the office in the garage area. With every step you could hear both Edward and I going "ooh" and "aah".

These kind of homes in our area are totally not within reach on a one income homeschooling family's budget, but it sure was fun to take a look and salivate a while. After walking out the front door, reality slapped us in the face and we drove off...but I have to admit it was fun to dream!

Check out the photos...and please don't tell me if you own and live in a house as nice, or I may have to come move in with you!

The house is...almost 5000 sq. feet! I didn't get a good front view of the house we toured, but this one was right across the street and looked almost identical...well, maybe a bit smaller!


The entrance...


This room just screams 'music room' to me!


We used to have a grand piano...I can picture right in the center of this room. All that's missing is a fireplace!


The family room...such a cozy room, don't you think?


The sun room, just off the breakfast area.


The kitchen! The one thing I do have that this house has is granite, and it's the exact same as ours! It's gorgeous - it's called tan brown.




The dining room overlooking the HUGE deck and back yard.


The master bedroom is on the left...


I was so tempted to just dive onto that bed...it looked so cozy!


This master bath lacked only one thing...a jacuzzi tub. You'd think for all that money they could at least add bubbles to the tub!!


I know Lionel would claim this room, especially since there are chrome car photos on the wall!


Just add a touch of pink (and a chandelier) and Sweet-Pea would be thrilled to sleep in this room!


This side of the room was so sweet looking!


The guest room school room


The upstairs bathroom - very pretty!


So, there you have it...the house we will not be buying! Gorgeous isn't it? Feel free to stop by any time and visit...just be sure to tell the real owners that 'Elinor' says 'hi'! ha ha

Wordly Wise 9 list - lesson 4

adage: an old saying that has come to be accepted as true; a proverb

camaraderie: good will and warm feelings among friends

contend: v: to struggle with; to maintain or assert; n: a conflict or struggle; a point made in an argument

extraneous: not necessary; irrelevant

hubbub: noisy confusion; uproar

meander: to follow a winding course; to wander aimlessly

odoriferous: having or giving off a smell

paraphernalia: personal belongings; equipment associated with a particular activity

punctilious: careful of an attentive to details, especially ones relating to good manners and behavior

recuperate: to regain health or strength

regale: to entertain or delight

sedentary: doing or requiring a lot of sitting

Spartan: marked by simplicity and lack of luxury

temporal: relating to the everyday world as opposed to that which is spiritual or eternal

wry: turned or bent to one side in distaste or humor; amusing in a quiet but sharp way

What is it with boys and Legos?

Lionel has been at it again! He's 13 but he never ever tires of playing with Legos! He must have enough of them to fill a small truck...seriously. When he was younger he'd ask for those big sports sets. He'd put them together and use them for a few months, then the pieces would slowly be taken apart and added to the bins of Legos in his room. He had the soccer field, the basketball court and a gazillion train and other vehicle sets! I compare the floor of his bedroom to a mine field, but instead of bombs there are sharp edged Legos everywhere!

For whatever reason, Lionel is into aircraft, specifically WW II aircraft! We have an awesome avaiation museum not too far from our home which houses several planes from that era. He's anxious to get back there and see them again!! He'd probably fly in them if he had the chance. Anyhow...the Legos were put away for a while, but lately he's taken them out again. He has been building aircraft after aircraft. There is an entire fleet of planes from all over the world in his bedroom...the US Air Force, Navy, Army, the R.A.F. (England) and Japan. Whenever he gets the chance, he builds another plane to add to his collection.

Here are some of his creations. Just remember that he's building them out of square/rectangle bricks, so they're not exact by any stretch of the imagination, but some aspects are pretty close. Either way, he's being creative and is learning quite a bit in the process and that makes me one proud mama!!

US Air Force
P-38
Lightning


Royal Air Force
Bell P-39
Airacobra



US Army
P-40
Warhawk


US Navy
F-4U
Corsair
(His FAVORITE!)


Royal Air Force
P-51
Mustang

Here he is with one of his planes...notice the shirt...same as the plane he's holding.

I'm so glad Lionel is passionate about something that makes him happy, yet is educational at the same time! It can't get better than that!!! Both of his grandfathers have inspired him too. My Dad was in the Air National Guard plus he worked for Sikorsky Aircraft for over 45 years! Helicopters were his life!! My father-in-law was in the Army and was in the Korean War, so there are lots of great stories to pass on.

Since he's so fascinated, I found a bunch of websites for Lionel pertaining to the war and aviation. There are some awesome photos on these sites, so go take a look when you get the chance.

• WWII Wikipedia
• Timeline with photos
• WWII films
• USS Arizona
• Planes & Pilots of WWII
• Fighter aircraft pictures
• American aircraft of WWII
• P-38 Association
  

Have fun!