Monday Hangings...

Good Morning!!  How is everyone this not so bright Monday morning??  We are all doing good over here at the Conn Casa...Arlee is working on her chores, I believe Liam is helping her.  Frost is working on school work {he was actually at the table working on Math when I got up this morning!!  I was quite HAPPY!!} And, last but certainly not least, Zach is sitting on the couch playing with Cleo {our cat}.  He opened the blinds so she could enjoy looking outside.

Since it's Monday...there is always LOTS to do around here...we have to get caught up from the weekend.  We have been trying very very hard to keep up on our housework during the week...but I give us the weekend off from doing it...and by Monday...OH MY!!

We were pretty productive over the weekend....GO US!!  LOL!  Danny fixed our kitchen faucet...it had been dripping for the whole week...and it was driving us all BATTY!!  Thankfully, when he went in to check it all out...something or other was just really loose, and all he had to do was tighten it up...and TA DA, it is fixed now!!  Thank goodness!!  Love the quick, easy, FREE fixes for sure!!

We also hung up some things this weekend, too...

Here are a couple GORGEOUS shelves my FIL made for us!!  I can't wait to find stuff to put on them!!

It was driving us nuts that we didn't have a place to hang our keys!!  So we ran up town one day last week to get a shelf for it!  Then yesterday, Hubby hung a picture over the shelf, and I add the two candle thingys to it.

Finally got to hang up my plaque that I got at the 5th Anniversary picnic for my homeschool group!!  I love it SOOOO much!!  The families & kids signed their names on the back!   To the left of this is my area where my coffee pot is, and all our mugs, and coffee stuff!! 

These pics we hung last week...I've had these stored away in my closet FOREVER!!!  The date on them are 2010!!  It is wonderful to have the perfect spot to hang them!!   So excited to have these on display now!


Daniel & his friend got Frosty's new computer up and running!  Frost is stoked about being able to use it now!  It is some sup'ped up computer that will be awesome for running all his games...or something like that!  He saved up for it...and bought, and found, and collected everything he needed for it!  Aaaaand, right now...he's doing his school work on it!!

Trying something a little new with our homeschooling this week.  After reading this blog:

www.amongstlovelythings.com/spiral-notebooks/


It's a pretty simple concept about using spiral notebooks as check lists for the kids.  I got 3 notebooks over the weekend...wrote up Frosty's...and he's been working thru it today.  He's 1/2 way thru his list already today!!  So...so far so good!  :)   You know...for Day 1!   Hoping to make up Frosty's & Zachary's tonight.   Baby steps!  :)

Okay...well, I am to the bottom of my coffee cup...so I guess it's time to jump in and help out with chores around here!   Wishing everyone a great day!! 

Monday Musings...

Gosh...it is ALREADY Monday...again!  How time flies!!  Time to start a brand new week!  I love...really love...getting to write in my blog.  I've always enjoyed writing.  When I was young...one of my "when I grow up" goals was to become a writer.  And....although I did not hit THAT goal...I did my others {to be a wife...to be a mom...etc.}...so it's all good.  I'm grateful for this opportunity that technology has given to us!  An outlet for me...and so many countless others...to write down our thoughts & musings...to share our experiences with others...and to give a place to work out {even just a little}our creative muscles!

Now...to only be able to find more time to be able to blog more often!  I have read my own fair share of this same sentiment from other bloggers.  I totally get it!!  It is sometimes so hard to really fit in sitting and creating an entry that might possibly be somewhat maybe interesting to someone else.  I really bow down to those who are able to do this on a daily basis! I need to find out what their trick is!! 

For today...I have another Monday Musing kinda post.  These are so great for Mondays because you just have to write a little blurb that goes along with the prompt...add a few pics...aaaaand, your good!  So here ya go...here is about my Monday...and just some other random thoughts....



Outside my window...  I was beginning to think...oh, there won't be anything much different outside my window today.  It will just be more pictures of the same trees I posted last week.  But...instead...Cooper decided to pose for me, I guess.  Standing on that septic thingy...looking like he is royalty...is our amazing Black Lab...Cooper!  He owns the place...well, the outside yard that is...Cleo, our black cat, she owns the inside of the house!

 

 I am thinking...  BILLS today.  UGH!!!  I haven't really sat down to do our bills since we moved in!!  Whoops!!  My bad!  So now I have some catching up to do!  ~  Didn't really do much on the mudroom last week like I was suppose to...so that is STILL on my plate for this week!  ~  Schooly-stuff...how to fit in all we would like to do, need to do...in between all the other happenings of our week!!  Sometimes I get this fleeting moment's thought of "cut something"...even Danny has suggested it...but I'm not sure where I could do that!  We love CoOp...Zach & Arlee love Drama Club...Arlee loves her writing club & volunteer work...Frost loves his job & earning his own money...Arlee has been REALLY enjoying a couple of her friends coming over to play music together.   I've been TRYING to be better about my time on facebook lately...but I have filled up that time with READING!!  Which is something I have been wanting more time to do!  So that has been wonderful!  Still trying to figure it all out!  It is an ongoing process!

From the learning rooms... This passed week didn't go as well as the week before, I am sad to report.  But...that happens.  Got my fingers crossed that this week will go better!  There was still learning going on...there always is...but just not much "book work" done...which, again, it happens.  They learn so much from just the everyday things we do.

From the kitchen... Tonight is PIZZA!!  Still trying to decide if I want to make homemade...or go pick some up...either from a pizza place, or the store.  Trying to gauge what kind of energy I will have later on today!

Quote for the week...

 

I am reading...  Still reading....Dark Witch by Nora Roberts...I'm kinda a slow reader, I guess.    :)

I am hoping...  to get closer to getting all of our stuff out of the old house this week!!

I am creating...  A day to learn about Harry Houdini for CoOp!!  I love learning about Houdini...we'll be watching that made for tv movie about his life...well, starting it this week!  It's a 2-parter...so maybe 1st part this week...2nd part next week??  Still pulling all the details together!

I am hearing... Zach & Liam talking about YuGiOh!  Zach has been watching the show on Netflix...and has rediscovered the card game himself.  They played a game of it last night before bed.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Our usual...CoOp on Tuesday...Theater Club & maybe some skating on Wednesday...Frost has work, Arlee has Creative Writing Group & Volunteer, a Teen Hangout at the library on Thursday, doing some college planning with friends on Friday.  It's a "light" week!!

Here is a picture I wanted to share with you.. 

Since we were talking about Coop earlier...here's another picture of our cool doggie!!  :)

Have a great week!  Thanks for dropping by!  I've reached the end of my entry for today...and the bottom of my coffee cup...so I guess now it's time to jump right into what all needs done around here to get caught up from the weekend!  That is usually what we have to use our Mondays for!

Lucky Year #13!!

I'm so excited about this upcoming year!  This will be Danny & my 13th year of marriage!!  Lucky Year #13!!  I have already marked all my calendar's "29th's" {and one 28th}...we were married June 29th...so we will have a special date night on EACH 29th throughout the year!  We did that a couple years ago...and really enjoyed it!  Started to last year...but got distracted by life happenings...going to do our very very best to make sure THAT doesn't happen again!!

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Today we have our High School Co Op...which I am "teaching" {I use that term loosely...I do HOPE I'm doing an OK job.} a creative writing "class" {another word I am using loosely}.  I am following the info over on SmallWorld blog on WordSmithery...a name which I have "borrowed" for my class!   Here's the link if you'd like to take a look...

WordSmithery 

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On our way home from Co Op today...was REALLY thinking about picking up some pizza for dinner...opted against it...trying to be good about spending...knew I had some burgers & fries in the freezer...got home...started our burgers in my electric skillet...they started to heat up...then *poof*...my electric skillet died.  :/   Ugh.   Won't heat up....won't turn on.  Should have just picked up pizza.

Have my burgers is TWO frying pans on the stove instead...cooking away.  Fries will be going in the oven here in a minute.   I'm STARVED and can't wait to eat...it is all smelling SO good!! 

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Inspiration for today...well...for the year to come...

Monday Musings...

Outside my window...  well, out my back door actually.  About 36 degrees outside this rainy January morning...with some beautiful fog mixing with our big trees.  It was quite beautiful...and peaceful.

I am thinking...  about the cleaning/organizing/putting away that has to be done today.  Found out yesterday that our windows out in our mudroom {which has NO heat}froze when the temps were low...and with the warmer weather that came in, thawed out...so now we have puddles where our stuff was being stored.  {It's ALWAYS something, right!?!} Danny has declared that emptying our mudroom is TOP PRIORITY this week.

From the learning rooms... I am so proud of us!!  Last week was our 1st week doing our new "normal".  We are trying to create a new "groove" to go with our new house.  We were able to do Math most days last week...I think we only missed like 1 day!!  To me...for us...that is AWESOME!!  We also did a little reading, picked up some educational videos from the library, Frost went to work {total learning experience in and of itself!}, Arlee did her creative writing club & volunteering at the library.  I've put a TON of books away in our "library"...and picked up a bunch "new to us" books from a fellow homeschooling family who will be moving soon! 

We've been using a site called Xtra Math...EVERYONE starts off at the same point...it's for learning THE BASICS more quickly...fluently.  Here is the link if anyone else would like to check it out.   Best part??  It is FREE!!  :) 

www.xtramath.org/



I am thankful for... Hands down...for our new home!!  :)  Here is a pic that I took back in the fall when we were here for our Home Inspection.  It's kinda funny...our house is sorta like the TARDIS...it looks small when you are looking at it from the road...but it's definitely BIGGER ON THE INSIDE!!  :) 

We gained about 700 square feet moving here...the lay out is so much better!!  It has been GREAT!!  We are LOVING it!!  So excited...so blessed....so THANKFUL to my Hubby for such a beautiful home for our family!!

From the kitchen... Tonight is going to be some Sloppy Joe's....from a can...which probably won't be as good as the homemade Sloppy Joe recipe that Frost made last week!!  OoooOooooOoooH...those were YUMMY!!  Will definitely have to have him make THOSE again!!

Quote for the week....

I am reading... A book that was recommended by a friend of mine...which I am really enjoying!!  Dark Witch by Nora Roberts.

I am hoping...  to get our new couch this coming weekend!!!  FINGERS CROSSED!!!

I am creating...  Ummmmmmm....well.....let's see....nothing really.  :/   I need to change that!!  Need to get back to my knitting!!

I am hearing... Liam watching Kratt Brothers dvd he picked up at the library this week!  :)

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Our usual...CoOp on Tuesday...Frost has a dr's appt, Theater Club, and Movie Club at the library on Wednesday...Frost has work, Arlee has Creative Writing Group & Volunteer, another Movie Club at a different Library, and Liam is visiting a friend on Thursday...and a Tween/Teen Lunch get together on Friday!!

Here is a picture I wanted to share with you.. Actually, a few of them!  To show what happens when you are trying to feed your lizard...

Insert Creative, Catching, Imaginative Title Here...

There was some excitement outside our family room window!  Cleo was on it!!  She was watching...making sure nothing got TOO out of hand!  

Not sure if you can really see in these pictures, but we were visited by this big flock of birds this morning...

 OOOooo...I swear those are my mini blinds...we do NOT have bars on our windows!!  LOL!

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Yesterday we visited with some friends...some of them did a cool science experiment...Liam was REALLY excited about it!!  As you can see below...

 And here is Arlee's pretty purple one...

Then afterward...it's always nice to spend time with your brother...

Not sure if you could tell...but they are BOTH playing on tablets!!  LOL!  You know...spending QUALITY time together!  {can you hear my sarcasm??}

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As I'm sure many of you already know....WE HAVE MOVED!!!  We're all SO excited about our new home!!  We are looking forward to making MANY new memories here!  I was without my computer the whole time we were moving...so I didn't get to post much about it, and really, didn't take many pictures either...but I'm HOPING to make up for that NOW!! 

I did snap this one...this is Danny unlocking our front door for the FIRST TIME...

He looks pretty excited...right!?!? 

Dreaming of Nice Park Day Weather!!

I believe I saw my coffee giving me this same look this morning!!  Up at 8:50am...had to get Frost up to get ready for work.  When we walked out to the van this morning....HOLY COW...it was COLD OUT THERE!!!  Brrrrr!!  Today I drove by our new favorite park...favorite because it is less than 1 minute away from our new house...it was covered in frost and a small dusting of snow!!  I have told a couple of friends just this passed week about this park...it did NOT have the same allure driving by this morning!! 

I did take pictures of it back in the fall...

I can not wait until it warms back up again and we are able to go play there!!  I'm HOPING...fingers are crossed...I will find the motivation to take regular walks there.  Might help me lose some extra pound'age that I've been meaning to take off!!  I'm also HOPING...lots of homeschooling get togethers!!  Arlee is looking forward to riding her bike to the park to take advantage of their bike trail...it's not huge, but it's nice.

I'm going to get off of here for tonight...and go dream about warm weather...and park days!!