Changes Coming

My older daughter, who is the main reason I became protective of our privacy, has been urging me to give up on the fake blog names. She uses her real name on HER blog, and she wants me to link to her in hopes of attracting more readers. I discussed it with her [...]

Tuesday

The furnace is fixed. Hooray! There was a long period when Matt and I lived without heat, because we couldn’t afford it (it was either heating fuel or food). We’d huddle in one room with a space heater, putting on coats when we needed to go to the bathroom. But since then, let me tell [...]

First Born Meme

I lifted this from my friend Lisa at Mother Mayhem
My first child was named Joseph. He died at around 5 months of pregnancy, but I still think of him as my “first born.” My first born living child is “Marie.” I’ve had 6 pregnancies and 3 living children altogether.
1. Was your first pregnancy planned? Nope. [...]

Our Owl Babies Unit — Question for You All

I just posted a page on the Owl Babies Unit Missy and I did.
Does anyone have recommendations on good picture books about birds for a 5-year-old?

Great Backyard Bird Count Starts Friday

I’ve been having fun exploring The Great Backyard Bird Count site. There is even a place where you can type in your zip code and get a checklist of the usual suspects in your area.
Here is a great post on bird watching and critical thinking (thanks, Tammy!)
Happy birding!

Wednesday Morning

Shhh! All the stars in the cosmos must be aligned. My two littles (ages 10 & 5) are upstairs playing with Hotwheels together. No one is yelling, screaming, whining or fighting. Or if they are, they’re not doing it loud enough so I can hear.  Such bliss!
I tweaked my blog template again, and I’m changing [...]

Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup

This article this is something to ponder, especially for families on the autism spectrum:
MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) — Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest [...]

Hooked!

My buddy Piseco honored me with some blog love.

The rules for this award say to …
-List 6 things that make you happy and
-List 5 bloggers whose blogs you are hooked on.
Six Things That Make Me Happy:
1. Blog comments. I get excited whenever I see that I have a comment in moderation. Yes, I’m [...]

Happy Inauguration Day!

Every time a new president is inaugurated here in the U.S., regardless of whether I was happy with the outcome of the election (which this time, happily I was), I am filled with gratitude. We’re watching something we take for granted, but which citizens of many countries will never experience. The peaceful transfer of power. [...]

Inauguration Stuff for Students

Before I forget, I want to tell you about The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids! I haven’t looked at it closely, but it looks interesting.
Plan your own “Kids’ Inauguration Celebration” and combine great learning with great fun! The NCBLA offers
a presidential inauguration activity guide for parents, teachers, librarians, and community leaders [...]