Brief Updates from my Facebook

Oct. 5: My parents told my kids that I used to race snails when I was little. Josiah looked very quizzically at me and then said, "I guess you won a lot, Mom!" I didn't understand at first, but then realized he thought I was racing against the snails and was always faster. We laughed so hard...

Oct. 4: Kids flew their first kite today, and my parents went punting with us for the first time. I'm so thankful for sunshine, even though it's getting chilly.

Oct. 2: Steve comes home tomorrow!!!! We survived 4 weeks apart.

Oct. 1: I'm dreading moving house in two weeks...

Sept. 30: I love having a mom who can sew (mended and hemmed a pile of kids' clothes today) and a dad who does computers (we've saved all our queries for him!)

Sept. 28: I sang with the City of Oxford Choir tonight -- gorgeous music, lovely voices. If I can work out a reduced fee, I'll be so happy to join them for the year!

Sept. 26: I am SO happy with Naomi's choir (Oxford Youth Choir). She's only 7, but learning about enunciation, reading music, posture, listening, tonal accuracy ... and having a great time, as well! Her two teachers are amazing, and I'm so grateful she has this opportunity.

Sept. 25: I'm having fun, catching up with my parents in person! (lovely, too, to have some extra help with the kids and dishes)

Sept. 22: I love watching and listening to my kids demonstrate what they're learning by incorporating it into their play. Today we discussed "Great Plains Native Americans," made some paper tee-pees, and the kids immediately went off and used their Lego people to re-enact what they learned!

Sept. 21: I think the book "Watching the English" by Kate Fox should be required reading for all foreigners living in England, and strongly encouraged reading for all English!

Sept. 21: I am SO excited to see my mom and dad on Thursday for the first time in 1 and 2 years respectively. They're visiting from Nigeria for 2 1/2 weeks. They'll be amazed at how the kids have grown!!

Sept. 21: My early-bird son makes me smile. Josiah came running to me as I lay in bed this morning saying, "Mom! Mom! I saw the sunrise!!" and later "Mom! There's a hot air balloon right outside our house!" Now if only the rest of us could wake up as alive and cheerful as he.

Sept. 20: Anybody want three kids for real cheap? Free? Mine are on offer for a *limited time only*!! Don't miss out on this amazing bargain!

Sept. 19: I just got some great tips and encouragement for helping my boys from Steve's cousin, Judy, who is a speech & language therapist. Now to put it all into practice!

Sept. 19: Naomi said this was the "best day of her life -- except for her birthday" because we went to an old park that had been updated with some new equipment as well as painted. N liked the zip line and the bird's nest swing the best. The park's transformation was truly amazing!

Sept. 19: We're halfway through our month without Steve. All four of us (at home) are still alive and speaking to each other. This is a good thing.

Sept. 18: I *loved* attending our church's first film club of the year. Knowing "Slumdog Millionaire" would be inappropriate for my kids, I brought along my laptop and some kid dvds, set them up with blankets and pillows in the back room, and we all had a good time. What a movie -- thought-provoking, heart-breaking, sweet ... good conversations afterward.

Sept. 17: We had quite the interesting day yesterday, between losing my toddler in downtown for a scary ten minutes and having a toilet disaster with one of my older kids (who shall remain anonymous). Could have been worse, though. Everything turned out okay in the end.

Sept. 16: Home-educating is quite unusual and unknown here in the UK, so I'm looking forward to a fun publicity and solidarity HE event today: bubble-blowing on Cornmarket Street. After an hour there, complete with media coverage and interviews, we'll walk to the Natural History Museum together and picnic (and I'll face-paint!)