This is an ad… but rest assured – I’m not trying to sell you Mentos.
I’ve had a giggle every time I’ve watched it, so thought I’d share 🙂
Kids and Connecting
The Cat Is Unimpressed…
…and don’t they show it so well! 😉
I haven’t been well lately, with one thing and another. Lately, my back has been very painful, to the point where I could barely walk, and certainly not upright. This has meant that I haven’t been using my outside folding chair.
For some reason, the neighbourhood cats love our place – we have about 4 or 5 traipsing around from time to time. One of them decided to appropriate my chair, as it obviously didn’t belong to anyone else…
Yesterday, I went to sit outside. The cat was on the chair, so I explained nicely that I would like it back and asked the cat to move.
Cats aren’t good at relinquishing “their” property.
Eventually I had to remove the cat, and it was not impressed.
Fast forward to yesterday evening, when I took my cup of tea outside. Cat was back… but not sitting on my chair. Just sitting beside it. Looking at me. With disdain.
I still enjoyed my tea.
Hear The Bells
Here’s a carol I don’t really know well – I came across it recently in a reading. It’s based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in a time of war and loss.
This world, right now, is not a peaceful world – even though some of us live in relative peace. There’s always turmoil if you look.
Isaiah wrote about a hope of peace, in a time of turmoil…
The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
    light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
    you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence!
    Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
    sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
    all their whips and cudgels and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
    as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
    along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
    a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
    the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over
    the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
    Strong God,
Eternal Father,
    Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
    and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
    over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
    and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
    beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
    will do all this.
(Isaiah 9:2-7)
That’s the Hope we celebrate at Christmas.
We may still be waiting to see the final outcome of that Hope…
but we can still remember –
The Prince of Peace has come!
A Different Kind Of Reaction
I’ve just started studying chemistry (again…)
The last time it was a bit dry and boring, at least to start. Chemistry is quite interesting, although I still feel I don’t quite “get” it. This time around, the study guide seems to be coming from a different perspective, even though it’s covering the same ground.
…and here’s the first clip I’ve had to watch for my first lesson.
I might even be looking forward to this! 🙂
Read When You Want To
The title has a bit of a dual meaning… on the one hand, today I sent in the last of my assessments for this round of subjects and am still waiting for my next lot, so I have some time to just read. Whenever I want to.
On the other hand, I’ve been meaning to post about a 24 hour, pay what you choose bookstore we checked out a couple of months ago. It’s called the Logical Unsanity Bookshed, and it’s in Bardon (check out the link in the name for the address)
I had a great time looking round and, yes, buying books…
There are suggested prices inside the books, but you can pay what you feel they’re worth – just try to keep it reasonable! There’s an honour box towards the back to put the money. We also took some of our books in to offset the cost.
Looking from the back to the front – the books are in various boxes and shelves, and you might feel a bit dusty after going through them all…
The front – there’s a bit of a mixture of books there. The rest of the place is organised into categories.
Here’s the explanation that greets you as you go in…
Go and have a look. You know you want to!
My Little Published Author
A couple of days ago, we all went to the homeschool group’s Christmas Fair, where the kids (and parents) make things to sell. We went to the last one (the Winter Fair) and the boys enjoyed it, so we decided to plan a bit better for this one…
My Little Bean has spent a large part of this term writing a book. He’s very interested in finance, so he researched and wrote “Cash in Hand – Basics on Making Money for Kids”, which he sold for $3.00 each. Here he is in front of his stall –
He also sold cars and bits and pieces, and walked up and down from time to time with his basket of books or my basket of biscuits, selling from stall to stall. He was also hired by Biggest Boy (for 40c) to take his basket of Lego around for sale. 🙂
He sold some books (yay!) but has some left – if anyone wants one, just let me know!
Biggest Boy sold bags of Lego, hot wheels tracks, and set up containers of Lego minifigure parts so that the kids could pay their money, then take a piece from each container to build their own minifigure – very popular…
We found out last time that Lego is a popular toy, and he was selling the bits even before he finished setting up. Here’s his table –
They had a good day, and built on their knowledge of business principles from last time.
Waiting for more customers… 🙂
We didn’t have to take much home, although we bought a few things. And somehow we managed to win the top tier of a decorated wedding cake, by guessing the closest weight of the whole cake. It’s in the freezer now…
Dancing (As Though No-one Is Watching)
I haven’t been able to do floor exercises (or a range of other exercises…) for a while – too hard to do without working shoulders. This has been a bit annoying, and I’ve let things go. I think, though, that I could just exercise the Mr Bean way – dance.
I’d use a different soundtrack and choreography. Probably.
It’s about just using what’s available and enjoying the moment…
Here’s another “dancing” inspiration…
When Disney Sings…
Are you tired of studying?
Is your day spinning out of control?
Feel like dropping everything and taking an impromptu holiday?
Take a break!
