Homeschool Convention

Last weekend, I went to my first ever homeschool convention.  I can't believe it has taken me nine years since I started homeschooling, to go to one!  It was awesome!  Just being around so many homeschoolers was a great encouragement.  The workshops, with speakers on various topics, were informative, encouraging, funny...  I found some great deals in the used book area.  I got the A Beka Biology set for my high schooler for $12!!  It is about $150 new!  Walking through the vendors was fun and I spent a little more than I had planned, but I pretty much stayed on my list :)  It was very crowded, and  a little difficult maneuvering my small wheeled suitcase around, which  was very helpful in holding all of the books I bought!

What really struck me, was that I had never been with so many homeschoolers before.  And I don't think I  had ever heard speakers talk strictly about homeschooling.  They talked about the trials and joys of homeschooling, and were very encouraging and made me laugh and cry.  If you can ever get to just one homeschool convention, do it! 

 

World's Best Potato Salad

Sorry Mom!  :)  I was at my friend L's house last week.  I was watching her make potato salad for her family's camping trip.  When she was done, she offered me a small bowl.  It was sooo good!  For the next several days, I kept thinking about it, practically tasting it. I needed that recipe!!!  So she emailed it to me, and I made it yesterday.  It was a huge bowl of potato salad! DB loved it, too.  We had a little as a midnight snack.  As we were going to bed, he said, "I can't get over that potato salad!" :)   So I thought I'd better share it here.  Sorry, no picture.  You'll just have to make it yourself to see it :)

8-10 red potatoes (medium) or 5-6 russets
Medium onion chopped small  (I used a couple of green onions)
6 hard cooked eggs chopped
6 big dill pickles chopped  (yes, 6! the secret ingredient!)
4-5 stalks celery chopped, small
Squirt around the bowl of mustard J ( approx. 1 Tblsp.)
½ cup mayonnaise or more to make it nice and moist. (I needed more than 1/2 cup)
Salt to taste – start with 2 tsp.  (L used the kind you pick up with your fingers)
Pepper – 1 tsp.
 
Cover potatoes with water and heat to boil.  Cook for approxx. 20 minutes or until soft, but not mushy all the way through.  Pull out and cool on paper towels.  Peel russets, but don’t have to peel red potatoes.  Cube in bowl.  Add all other chopped ingredients, mix in mayo and mustard well.  Add salt and pepper.

Italics mine.

Happy 4th of July!!

Today, our beloved country is 233 years old!  Such a very young country, but with so much history!  I was telling my kids last night that I remember when we celebrated the Bicentennial way back in 1976.  I was in 8th grade.  I don't remember much except the special quarters with the patriotic symbols on the back.  Can anyone remember what that was without looking? :)  So then we started talking about the Tricentennial.  One of my dear, smart children  asked when that will be, but we won't talk about that :)  They were figuring out how old they will be, and realized that they could possibly be around to celebrate it!!!  (If the Lord hasn't come by then, of course). My oldest will be 81, then 79 (almost 80), 78, 76, & 74. Makes me shudder thinking about them that old!!

Ok, with that, here is our favorite patriotic picture, taken in Sept 2001, about one week after 9/11, while were camping in Mt. Shasta. The giant flag belonged to the campers across from us. 

 

My camera

is broken :(  We were in the kitchen making zucchini fries.  I took a picture of the giant zucchini we were about to butcher.  I layed the camera on the table to show my daughter how to cut it.  I heard a thump and turned around. My camera was on the floor!  Apparently, I had set it on the recipe book we were using and someone, who shall remain nameless, decided to look at the book.  "Someone" didn't see the camera on it and it went flying off the book and table. I tried to turn it on right away, but nothing happened!  I called Costco yesterday and he tried to help me reset it, but that didn't work.  So I am waiting on a call back from Nikon and will probably have to send it in for repairs, which may or may not be covered.  They said it is about a 2 week turnaround.  So, I won't be taking many pictures for awhile.  My daughter has a camera, so I might borrow hers if I need to.  But I do have lots of catching up to do with the pictures I have in my computer.  Here is one of the last pics I took:

 Oh, and the zucchini fries were pretty good.  Next time, I'll use flavored bread crumbs instead of plain.

Missing Teeth

Well, my youngest one has lost her two front teeth.  I just love how cute they look without those two teeth.  Hopefully, they will grow in nice and straight!

Two very loose teeth:

One gone!  It came out at the park:

A couple of days later, the other one came out:

And here is one of the rose petal necklace we made.  Notice how her tongue is sticking out of her teeth when she smiles? I used to do that :)

Fruitful Garden!

Our garden is growing abundantly!  There is so much growth, we are having a hard time reaching the yummy veggies.  But we have been enjoying zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, cucumbers, and finally, a few tomatoes!  Soon, we should have lots & lots of tomatoes as well as various kinds of peppers.  Here are some pics:

Cherry tomatoes:

What we've been doing

I have so much to write about, and pics to post.  I will be doing that soon, after I get rested from a week of VBS!

I am just going to list what we've been doing lately.

We went to Yosemite for a week.

Had our last day of school for the year.

We are hamster-sitting for friends.

We are harvesting our growing garden.

We had VBS for a week.  Two of my kids won little stuffed animals for reciting The Lord's Prayer in front of everyone.

Someone lost her two front teeth.

Someone has grown within an inch of me.

It is hot now.

We are getting  ready for someone to start high school (home schooled, still!)

We joined the library's summer reading program.

We have 6 weeks left of summer vacation. (we will take more time off in the cooler months)

I need a  nap.