Pieces of Us

Maddy Again: Made Another Video!!

Its kinda fun to know your mom's passwords so you can spam/support your videos on her blog...

Me and some of my friends met up yester day and filmed another music video!

I dont believe i told you the story line for the videos so i'll type up a summary here. (Sadly, I didnt make any of this up.)

Hetaoni Summary (It's originally an RPG video series on youtube, currently unfinished)

So the nations of the world (personifications of each country, just go along with it and pretend you understand) decide to go to this "haunted" mansion and check it out. They are locked in and the whole story is about them trying to get out and escape from the aliens that are attacking them. (People call them Steve) One of the countries, Italy, keeps going back in time and trying to save them  but keeps failing and trying again etc. 

Okay now it is time for...

*Fanfare*

THE VIDEO! XD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhySUbJLYho&feature=g-u-u

Please tell me what you think!

Maddy Spam!

Maddy and Gabby have been doing random filming with her friends and a few days ago Maddy tested out a free trial (Sony Vegas OH YEAH) and made a little CMV (cosplay music video)

Me (Maddy, obviously) would love love LOVE it if you could check it out and give us feedback, maybe even like and share our vids. ;) Thanks!

(Gabby only comes in near the end and maddy is the blonde with the striped shirt. :P)

 

In Which- Maddy Takes over And Blogs For Once

Hello people! I would post this on my own blog- but i deleted it because i hardly ever blog. I'm doing it today because mom hasn't blogged since APRIL. And it's almost JUNE.

(Thetruereasonisthatiwasboredofclickingonthelinktohereanditbeingnothinginterestingornew)

So I'll give you a re-cap of what things have been happening here.

• The play 'Guides' went well. (I don't think Mom posted about this yet...)
• Me and Gabby sang karaoke at the May Festival and our picture was in the newspaper. (Yes, that is us with blue and yellow hair. XD)
• I haz a drawing tablet! (FINALLY. XD)
• uhh (trying to think of more)
• A.J. turned 11! (I still think he's ten. LOL)
• Mom turned.. 28?? (I forget her age. LOLZ)

That's all I can think of so far... (there's more but I forget about it.)

SPAM START

Me and some friends are working on a video project, and we would like some peeps to support us! You don't have to do anything except like our videos (and maybe even subscribe) and give us thumbs up! So far we only have 2 trailers-filmed and edited by me-and I'm writing the script. My wig head Steve (he has alien eyes haha!) is starring in it as Steve the Alien. (So basically he's being himself) Here's the trailer (i'm the blonde)-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl75IYwMAGw&feature=g-u-u

SPAM END

 

And I found a site where I can post my art! 8D So far I've posted about... 35 drawings?? Something like that. Me and Mom are working on a project that has to do with my art but we're not telling you what it is. (Hehehe.) Here's the link- http://ravenwingsfly.deviantart.com/

 

So that's about it, other than random stuff that I've been doing. (Messing around with my microphone, accents, drawings, listening to the Delicious Tomato Song and such) So I hope you have a quick random update of what we're doing. (Sorta...)

~Pasta! 

             Maddy

(P.S. It's okay if you think I'm weird. I think so too. ;) )

Someday

Someday I will blog again...oh...someday!

Vacation all I ever wanted, Vacation time to get away.

It's been awhile since we packed up the whole clan and hit the road for a avacation other than camping- which every mom knows is not a vacation at ALL for moms, it's just all the work of home but in a tent.  I got on the phone with a hotel in Pismo and wrangled a great deal on a suite so we could spend three days enjoying Pismo, Morro Bay and San Simeon.

The kids were ecstatic. Ginny was bouncing off the wall for days, that girl loves a trip! 

We headed up to Pismo on a Sunday afternoon, it was cool and a teeny bit drizzly but we didn't care as we rolled along playing the alphabet roadsign game.  Finally we arrived in Pismo and checked out our suite.

The suite was two rooms so the kids had two beds and some floor space.

The bathtub was nice and cozy too. Or else these girls are just weird.  Probably that.

Everyone had fun playing on the giant chessboard,mini putt putt course and pingpong tables at the hotel.

We walked around Pismo and ate delicious fish and chips and clam chowder at the famous Splash Cafe. Then we went to see The Lorax. It had been so long since the whole family went to a movie.

The next morning we headed up to Morro Bay for an Electric Boat ride on the bay.

Directly after our boat ride which was complete with otters and seals so close you could almost touch them, we drove up to beautiful San Simeon and visited Hearst Castle.

Tired but happy we drove back down to Pismo and rested for a few minutes before dinner at McLintock's,our favorite steak restaurant.  Jess and AJ were brave and let waiters pour water on their heads blindfolded. They got slightly wet!

Everyone was so tuckered out!

In the morning the time had come to go back home to real life. But first some time on the beach because the morning was glorious and warm.

Jillian thought she got the best of the ocean and shouted, 'I beat you OCEAN!"  just as she fell splat into the waves.

After hosing her off in the hotel shower we packed up and drove down to the quaint city of Solvang.

 

Jilly wanted to drink out of the dog water fountain.  Don't ask!

 

Lastly we stopped for fabulous giant hamburgers and then we were home!

 

 

 

Happy Teeth

Going to the dentist is no small task in this family. I usually schedule all the kids at the same time and we take over the entire place. This trip was Jillian's first time at the dentist.  All my kids have shown some dentist fear their first time, the boys more than the girls. Caleb still gets nervous in the chair.

Jillian however took it all in stride the way that she always does.  She had a blast and soaked up all the attention. I think it's funny that the pediatric dentist that we go to is so fun the kids beg to go back. Even Caleb was a pro this time.  And the best part of all...no cavities across the board!

We are back from a fun mini vacation to Pismo Beach. Pictures to follow.We packed a ton of fun into three short days.

Say what?

By the time I finish this blog post Jillian will be 4 years old. I scooped her up tonight and whimpered when I hugged her."This is my last hug when you are 3." I said. A little bit later I heard her sobbing into her pillow."Why are you crying?" I asked her."I don't want to turn 4!" she cried. "Why not?" I asked."Because I don't want you to cry over me!" I do not know how it got to be 4 years since I had a newborn in the house. How did she go from this:

 

To this:



Look how far she has come over the last 4 years...

What's going on around here anyway?

    Remember that show Full House?  We loved that show, such great 80's cliche and stereotypes.  The big hair, Jesse Katsapolous and Dave Coulier..Cut...it..Out! I feel like I live in the Full House house.  Or I wish I did, their house was much bigger and all those stairs!  Not to mention it was in San Francisco!

Really though, I think we actually have more people in our house than there was on Full House.  And I love it.  I love it despite the amount of loud the happy produces. Let's compare.  In the Tanner household there was Danny, Uncle Jesse, Joey, DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle.  That's 6.  But later came Aunt Becky and the twins.  So that's nine. Yep, we're tied with Full House and in half the space.

So analyzing that model that makes Jess our "Joey". That totally fits.  Joey was a close friend who became like family, he had to live in the alcove -remember that whole episode where they moved him into the basement but he felt all isolated and wanted to move back into the alcove?  He also talked in funny voices and made everyone laugh.  Jess lives in our living room which is only slightly more spacious than an alcove.  She is a friend who definitely became family and she also talks in funny voices and makes us laugh.

I think we have Full House beat when it comes to animals. They only had that Golden Retriever.  I think his name was Comet. We have Gus and Ivan.  Plus the cats Benny and Gus and also the rabbit Reepicheep.  Very soon we will also have Kemo joining us (another dog). 

So in the midst of all of this we manage to keep on schooling, acting, scouting and all that fun sort of stuff. Right now I am in the midst of redecorating my room.  It's been about 9 years since I got to do that and I am having fun redoing my space.  Once my room is finished the only room needing a pick me up will be the boys room.

And now on to the individualized blogs...

Blogapalooza

OK, I am home alone.  All the kids are off doing other things.  Mike is camping with AJ, Maddy and Gabby are off to Chinatown with a friend, the littles are at their grandparents and Jess is at work.  So I have no excuses but to sit here and blog, blog, blog.

But I am looking around at the absolute shambles of my house and I SHOULD be sanding the ceiling-hold for that blog later.  I could be cleaning up for Jilly's 4th birthday party- hold for that blog later.  I could be napping- no blog about that! 

So hold on, here I go...

Glorious

Gabby has a new look and she loves it.  Look how happy she is with her new hair.

Starting out with the bleach on.

 

The color is called Infra-Red by Manic Panic.

Oh Perspective!

Conversations are always funny in this house.  Anyone who reads this blog knows that the kids that run around this place are very funny indeed.  But this recent conversation did not include a kid at all and still I chuckle.

I was in my room on Valentine's morning and Jess offered to bring me some coffee. This is what ensued.

Jess(calling from kitchen):  "How much creamer do I put in?"

Me: "Late 80's Michael Jackson. You know like not as light as 90's MJ but not Jackson 5 MJ either."

Jess: "Oh so more like Prince?"

Lisa:"Yes!!  Like Prince!"

I love living in this house. LOL

Science Fair!

    This was the first year that my kids participated in the TCPS Science Fair. We spent months making plans, experimenting and making the displays. Gabby chose to do her project on the Effects of a Substabce on Blood Sugar Readings.  Maddy did Do Name Brand Foods taste the same as Store Brand Foods and AJ's project was Do Different Types of Firewood PRoduce Different Amounts of Heat.  Lack of experience on my part resulted in Maddy and Gabby not placing at all. I completely didn't realize they needed a lab notebook and so they did not have one.  This was very sad for them as they would have placed highly otherwise. AJ on the other hand won his age group and got a $25 Target Card. That boy was BEAMING. It was so adorable to see him in his little lab coat explaining his experiment to everyone that passed by.  He always had quite a crowd about him and his judge was super impressed by his kowledge.

 

Lot's to report soon!

The elder three kids just participated in their first science fair! They did a great job and AJ won his age category. We are so excited for him, he really knew his subject. I will post pictures and more later!

More fun and exciting things to post about later too.

The box

    We have never set out to be a non-tv watching family.  We have a couple of tv's and we watch movies and occasional tv shows.  It's not a priority but there are times when it's nice to sit and veg out. However, as time moves on a lot of us have without intention almost stopped watching any tv.  Maddy and Gabby are probably the two who watch the least and will go days without watching anything. What I noticed from this is an intense amount of creativity sparked in them. I've shared a lot of Maddy's recent work and Gabby is no slouch in the art area either.  Both girls are most often found in their room, listening to music and either sewing costumes or drawing.  I love how much they have learned about art, photography and design just by dedicating their free time to something other than tv.

Typical Day

I have had the request several times to lay out an average day in our homeschool/life. I can honestly say that with homeschooling there is NO typical day but I can outline about how our day works most of the time.  However, your day will vary depending on the ages and grades of the children in your home.

8:00am- Generally I get up. Sometimes this can stretch to 8:30.  I am not a morning person.

8-9am- Generally I do all my email checking or blogging or whatnot while I drink coffee.  My kids get their own breakfast.  They always have.  Even Jillian.  She likes her independence and will make peanut butter bread or waffles or cereal.

9:30- Usually we start work around 9:30.  However, I mean this is when I am available to work with them. Some of my kids are very self motivated to get their independent work done early and will set alars for 6 or 7. They will do their math assignment (lecture and lesson are on the computer) and generally spelling or cursive (for the middle kids).  Gabby will often do her history reading and notes. Maddy sleeps.

10:30-Around this time the kids will be finishing their independent work.  Sometimes they will need help or I will administer a spelling test or something of the sort.  After that I do grammar and writing lessons with Ginny and AJ. I also have Caleb sitting down working on his math, phonics and handwriting.  If Jess is here she usually works on reading or math with Caleb and Jilly while I am with the middles.

Noon- We have lunch.  Kids still make their own normally. Big kids help little kids.  Sometimes I make lunch,

12:30- A few days a week I do science with the kids.  This month there is a lot of science because we are preparing for science fair.  Other times the kids silent read. By 1:00 the younger ones are often done. Sometimes they are done by 11:00 but that is if they did some of their work at 6 or 7.

1:00pm- The elder girls are still working at this point.  Usually a writing assignment or on their history notes or health.  They are self motivated most of the time so I just check over their work and do oral quizzes for history, literature and bible.

Evening: Elder girls study for tests, sometimes get a jump on the next days work, write papers or just work on art.  We read (when I get my act together) aloud as a family around 7:30 or 8.

I probably missed some stuff because I am pulling this all off the top of my head.  As far as planning goes I plan all year.  I generally have some sort of idea what I am going to use for curriculum the next year but it will always change, sometimes even mid-year.  If we hate something we switch. I do big planning around February.  Budget is something that changes from family to family. In general I probably spend the most on math. About $400 for 5 students. But that is so I can use self graded computer programs.  It frees me up from having to watch all the lectures and relearn everything. Although I am kind of auditing College Algebra this year so I can brush up and be a better teacher for the girls. For the older girls we use a history/bible/literature program.  I probably spent about $450 on those types of programs this year.  Spelling/grammar/handwriting I spent about $300. Health was $60 but I bought it used.  I try to buy used as much as possible. Science I spent about $200. 

Here is a link to the post with all the curriculum we bought this year.

I like to keep my budget around $1500.  That is for 5 kids and of course doesn't always stick but I do my best.  Information overload is inevitable. But it's best to know what your goals are, what you think is most important for your child to learn and wht you'd rather them not learn.

 

That's about it!

Bloggity Blog I miss you!

I have been scarce.  I'm sure people keep popping by to see what we're up to only to be greeted by the same old post. I apologize.  Life gets in the way.

What's on the schedule for now...

• Disneyland.  We've been there a LOT lately. And going again in mid February.
• Science Fair- It's coming soon and we have lots of projects!
• New Play 'Guides'.  Both girls have parts and I am Assistant Director so that means BUSY BUSY.
• School as usual
• Piano as usual
• Baby Shower coming up for my new niece or nephew (I think nephew!)
• Niece or Nephew coming in a little over a month!
• Mom's birthday at my house on Friday.

I'm sure there is lots more but it's early and I am tired! All in all though, I love my life.  It's full of joy and love. I am blessed.

The Letter

   

    I walked into my room the other day to find a letter on my pillow.  I picked it up and looked at the colorful writing on the envelope.  My name artfully scrawled all over it. I was intrigued.  Who wouldn't be?

    The letter opened with a very typical, brown-nosing.

Dear ever-so- powerful and awesome mom,

     I knew this was going to be good and I wondered to myself what my two, clever, crafty teens were after. As I read down the letter I became increasingly impressed with the business-like manner in which the letter was written and the extreme attention to detail the two of them had gone to in order to hopefully be granted their request.  Below is a picture of the letter followed by a transcription.

 

Dear ever so powerful and awesome mom,

We (Maddy and Gabby) have been thinking a lot about summer lately; even though it is around five months away we end up talking about it. We were quite disappointed when you said we would not be able to go to camp this year, but we understand your decision and respect it. Maddy and I have found something else to go to- which is fun but less cost than a camp. It is called the Anime Expo in Los Angeles, June 26-July 3rd (or 2nd).

Katelyn and her mom told us about it and have agreed to drive us there if we go.  We hope to go 2 days, for it is what Mrs. Fiers was planning. It does cost money but Maddy and I are paying for our own tickets. We will be there most of the day so Maddy and I will pack our Bento Boxes for lunch.

I will be carrying my cellphone so as to be able to keep in touch with you. If you decide to let us go, one of the days you are there you can use these FREE LA ZOO tickets, so you can be in the area. You can have fun with one of the little kids while being close to us at the same time.

Mrs. Fiers will be with us the whole time. I will be texting you my blood sugars and anything else I need to tell you throughout the day. We each would be buying a two day ticket, so you wouldn't have to pay anything, including food and drinks.  We are paying for everything. 

We have looked into this a lot, and are very excited. We've put a lot of research into this to make sure everything would be in order. We really hope that you let us go and we love you very, very much!

XXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOO

Maddy and Gabby

                                                                                                     INFO

                                                                                                    Price: $50-65

                                                                                                    Zoo Tickets: Good for two people

                                                                                                    Times: Yet to be determined

                                                                                                    Website: http://www.anime-expo.org

                                                                                                    Location: L.A Convention Center

 

 

    How could anyone say no to all that planning and research.  It looks like they have done their job well.  I have two very excited girls who will be going to A-Ex and maybe meeting some of their Cosplay idols.  I don't even really know what that means but I do know that it will further their artictic talents. I'm so proud of my girls. 

 

The Post with all the Pictures

    This is the post where I suck you in to life around our house over the past month. I take so many pictures with my trusty phone and then forget to share them.  So take a glimpse into the more random parts of our lives.

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Morning Science Experiments: Jillian says, "Wear your safety goggles!"

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This is what my teenagers look like when they go shopping around town. Honk and wave if you see them.

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This is what the littlest sister looks like when she is trying to be just like her big sisters.

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This  is what a typical rowdy playtime looks like at our house. DOGPILE!

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This is what Jillian looked like on Christmas Eve just as guests started to arrive for our celebration.

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These are the ingredients I used to make all my Christmas goodies!

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This is the fireplace heater I got for Christmas.  It resides in my room where I can blog and be nice and toasty.

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This is the beautiful Gabriella in her shirt from Secret Santa.  Her Secret Santa was Genevieve.

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This is the fabulous Madeline in her Christmas coat and scarf/hood combination.

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This is the stack of games the kids got for Christmas this year.  Lots of fun for all!

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This is a house that Caleb built with his new Lego set from Jessica.

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These are the matching shirts that Maddy and Gabby bought at Aeropostale for $5.  Don't they look adorable?

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This is how Jilly fell asleep the other night.

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This is Jillian's hair after her first haircut.  Her hair was waist length but scraggly on the ends.  I miss her natural shaping but she needed the cut.

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This is how I have been braiding Ginny's hair.  It's a little dark but hopefully you can see the curved french braids.

Some Christmas Highlights

Since I never did post any Christmas pics.  Here are some highlights.  There is also a video floating around of the Christmas Eve Variety Show. 

Gabby with her Miku doll.

Maddy with her Rin doll.

Ginny got some earrings from Santa.

Jilly is excited to get some Olivia underwear!

AJ with some sort of multi-purpose eating utensil of which I have no knowledge about.

Caleb's favorite gift was a little camera from mom. :)

Our two handsome boys in their new clothes. Don't they look so happy?

Our gorgeous teens.  Also looking happy!

 

We can't all look happy.  But the shirt is so cute.

Maddy makes her "What's in this package?" face.

Ginny approves of her new jacket and bears a striking resemblance to Richard Nixon. Yikes.

Nothing much cuter than a little one ripping open a Christmas package. :)