Old Fashion Mom

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Saturday 8/31/13 new blog

I have started a new blog. it is www.oldfashionmom.com I am so glad to have people who like my blog and want to share our adventures. Please follow us to our new blog.

August 2013 Bible verse: "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." Acts 20:24

Saturday 8/31/13 written Sunday 8/25/13 race track...

We went to the race track last night. We had just watched the movie "Seabiscuit". In this movie the jockeys are on the horses with saddles. At the race track by us the horses pull carts and the jockeys are in the carts. Cart is probably not the correct word. It took my kids awhile to get over the fact that the jockeys were in carts. We had just finished getting the kids school supplies, so we were late. They had already run two races. We sat outside at first. It was warmer that when William and I went. All of the picnic tables were taken so we stood at the railing. After a few races we went inside. We went over to where we could see the horses in the stalls and watched them for a while. Then we went upstairs for a while to watch. The front wall is all glass to watch the racing through. They also have TVs. We could see the names of the horses. We chose which horse we liked and talked about which horse had the coolest name. After a while the kids wanted to go back outside. We saw the last two races outside. Then we took Beth's friend home. It was a long day but we had fun.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Friday 8/30/13 written Sunday 8/25/13 ice skating...

We went ice skating yesterday. We haven't gone in a long time. William went with us. That was nice. He is older and doesn't go many places with us any more. We also took one of Beth's friends. We had a full car. When we got there, there were only about five other people going in. As time went on more people showed up. Open skate is for an hour and fifty minutes. After skating in a circle for that long with the same people it becomes like a neighborhood. We begin to know which people are there as families or groups, which little kids can skate so fast around everyone. We become like a new neighborhood. There together in a small area, but all too new to have spoken and introduced ourselves. We exist together, but separate for a while...then open skate is over. We can't say goodbye to them, we don't know them...we all go back to our own lives. The next time that we go it will be a different neighborhood.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Thursday 8/29/13 written Saturday 8/24/13 art museum and chop sticks...

Last night we went to the Art Museum. I really thought that it closed at ten. We were there for a half hour before it closed. We wanted to go to the glass blowing area, but we didn't make it over there. We saw a lot of the museum and took a lot of pictures.When we got back into the car Maggie said that she can't use the Art Museum as a cultural event because we have been there before. She could use the glass blowing because she hasn't turned it in as an event before. Maggie and I need to be sure that we are going to places that she can turn in. We had fun, but we really need to accomplish this goal. Tomorrow we are going to the horse races.

We haven't been to the art museum in a while. I didn't realize how much I missed it until we walked into the first gallery. We don't know anything about art. But it is fun to go and see all of the pictures and statues. When the kids were little we used to go every Friday. The museum is free and they had a lot going on on Fridays. There was a kid table where the kids could do crafts. Many times there was a play, and musical groups were there. Sometimes they were groups from high schools and sometimes it was more like an orchestra. They also had tours. I didn't take the kids on the tours, they were too young and would have been board. If I ever went alone I would go on the tour and then tell the kids the information the next time that we were there. We liked the plays the best. I didn't realize how much the museum filled me up until we walked in. I took a lot of pictures.

Outside of our libraries, there are a lot of free local papers. They have lists of what is happening in the area. I picked up a copy of all of them yesterday. They have a lot of choices for cultural events and volunteering. We need to get this done soon. Maggie has been in school for a week and the homework will be starting up soon.

Last week we ate dinner with chop sticks. We don't do this very often. It is fun now and then. We try to do this on nights when we are having stickey food, like something with cream soup on it. Stickey foods are easier for new chop stick users to pick up.

When the kids were little I had a list of skills that kids needed to learn . Eating with chop sticks was on the list. I used it as a guide in teaching my kids skills. I can't find my list and I can't find it on the internet. If anyone sees it on the internet, please let me know the link. I would love to go back and see if we have missed anything.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Wednesday 8/28/13 cats and school events...

We have two cats. Last year I was combing our cat Mandy and telling her how pretty she looked. She must have understood me. She started carrying the comb around in her mouth. She started taking all of the combs and putting them in her bed. Lately we have had to cut a few snarls out of her hair with the scissors. Now the scissors have disappeared. We wonder if she took them so that we won't cut her hair any more.

Maggie needs to go to some cultural events for school. It is a requirement. She also needs a certain number of volunteer hours each year. The theory behind the volunteering and cultural events is that in life, just like in school, people are busy. They should still make time to go to local events and to volunteer. During Maggie's first year at this school we did a few events and forgot about them. They never made onto the calendar. Before Christmas the kids got a reminder that half of their hours and events were due in a week. What a mess. Maggie had a lot of homework and didn't have time for this. We could find events, but there were no volunteer hours. Most places don't need help in the winter. It was a struggle. Now we write due dates on the calender and try to get everything done before the homework starts.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Tuesday 8/27/13 written Saturday 8/24/13 school...

Beth starts school next week. She has gotten her school supplies together and has chosen an outfit. At her school the freshmen start school a few days before the other kids. Then they can meet each other and get used to the school. When the full student body comes in they have a week long project to do before classes start on the second week. The kids are put into groups. Each group has a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. They need to build a working robot, set up a web page and do posters. The kids can get to know each other before classes start. This can be fun and frustrating. It depends on if all of the people in their group are willing to help.

Beth is not sure yet if she will need any more school supplies than she already has, so when we go shopping today she doesn't want anything. We can go next week to fill in the gaps.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Monday 8/26/13 written Saturday 8/24/13 youth group and mission trip...

The youth group at church kicked off their new year so the first week the parents came to hear about the plans for the year. They talked about the topic for the next year, introduced some of the parents who go to the youth group. I guess they would be called advisers. There are some retreats coming up too. Next summer there are two mission trips. The girls went last year and really enjoyed it. They did a Bible study in the morning and went to play grounds in the afternoon to play with the local kids. The girls talked a lot when they got home about how the kids in this area for whatever reason don't have a lot of adult interaction. The kids needed a lot of hugs and liked to be right next to the mission team. It made a big impression on the girls. We have started selling candy bars to pay for the trip. I am glad that the kids have a heart for missions.