A Bunch of Burts

I have read several posts lately on a subject I can totally relate to.

Ants.

I hate intensely dislike them. I never thought much about them before, but we are innundated with them, in several varieties.

Although they are used as a symbol of industry and hard work in Scripture, I feel they are clear evidence of the Fall. I mean really, there is something wrong that they can emerge from a microwave unharmed. Chicken is cooked, butter melted and the bowl used is piping hot, but the ants, no harm done. They crawl out and go about thier business of invading my home. Creepy.

Maybe I need to have some more of these around, keep them out of the house.
(Beware, semi-gross picture coming up)

Notice the little leg bones poking out. These ants mean business. Exhibit #1 why I do not want to share my house with them.

By the time I was able to get this posted, I checked on this unsuspecting gecko again. Picked completely clean.

We have tried all sorts of things to get the ants out of our house. Unforuntately, they live in our walls, behind the tiles and in the cement. I think they are here to stay. But I do not have to like their company.

My friend Kathy just sent me a most exciting link!

The City of Ember is being made into a movie!

We read this book several years ago and foisted it upon several of our friends claiming it was one of the best read-alouds we had found in a long while. We liked the second book, The People of Sparks, just as well. (disclaimer: We did not care much for the third book and supposed prequel The Prophet of Yonwood –FYI)

Can I say again that we loved the first book?

It is slated to come out in October this year. Yay! We will be back in Chiang Mai at that point and may have a chance of catching it in the theatres. We are eagerly waiting. If you have NOT read it yet, you MUST before the movie comes out.

On my friend Kathy’s blog, she has a list she found of all sorts of books that are being made into movies. I did not know many of the titles, (and just from some of those titles I am glad I am not familiar with them,) but did see The Giver listed among them.

The Giver by Lois Lowry, another one Leah and I highly recommend. Maybe we can make that one our next evening read-aloud since Leah and I are the only ones who have read it in our family. Again, you really should read that one before even thinking of seeing the movie. Another we are excited about the possibity of seeing.

Taking the family to the movies in Chiang Mai is relatively cheap and so we have gone several times in the year and a half that we have lived here. But there are so few movies that we are even willing to take the kids to see. Nearly every Thai movie is some kind of ghost story with dead people coming back or horror-style movies. Or a movie completely laden with shall we say people being much too friendly with each other.
Umm, not appropriate.

I cannot speak for the spiritual condition of either Jeanne DePrau (The City of Ember), or Lois Lowry (The Giver), but their books were clean, entertaining and encouraged some good discussion at our house with some of the issues being talked about in the books.

Bring on the movies!

Ahh. Christmas Break. I just love those words. No homework, no need to worry if you did a math problem right. Yes, I wish it were Christmas Break everyday! Unfortunately it was not to be. I have to go to school so I can learn new things and be able to get a job when I grow up. It always comes down to that, doesn’t it? To be able to finish paying off college tuition, you have to get a job. To pay rent, get a job. To buy groceries, get a job…………the list just goes on and on.
Well, I got a little bit off track there. I really am here to tell you about our awesome trip to the northeast. It was great, 12 hour car trip there, and 12 hour car trip back. Fortunately, that was not all we did.J We actually spent a week at our friends the Sullivan’s (otherwise known as the ‘Sullys’) house. Many times I forgot that we had to come home to go back to (sniffle sniffle, blowing nose) school. You may ask what we did for a whole week at someone else’s house. Well, we basically did everything possible. Chelsea, the oldest Sully child who is my age, and I went on a bike ride almost everyday while romping around in the woods and building forts. Don’t worry, we did calm and relaxed things as well like listening to Odyssey, eating, and checking e-mail.

Me and Chelsea roasting marshmallows (a treat from the US!)

We had a Christmas party for all the NTM people that were working in the northeast. We all met at a restaurant in town. It was delicious! Until I made a fatal mistake. There was a plate of fried chicken on the table. The girls at my table were full so we took all the left over food to the adults. I saw that piece of chicken on that plate and I wanted it. So I debated with myself. Should I eat it, should I not? Finally, Mr. Eat It won and I quickly grabbed a piece of chicken and popped it into my mouth. I chomped down and realized my mistake. I felt like I was going to gag, so I calmly did not ask the adults any more questions and quickly handed them my plate. Then in the privacy of our own table, grabbed a handful of napkins and spit out what was in my mouth. I looked and saw what I guessed it was. A piece of deep fried squid. The tentacles were even still on it! I lost my appetite after that.

this is our Christmas lunch at church in LaoBada. Can you guess which food we brought? I will give you a hint, they have frosting and sprinkles.

Since we had about 2 weeks of break, we also visited our friends the Culletts and Lynches who live in a different town. We stayed there for 3 days. My friend Abby Cullett and I stayed over at Kristen Lynch’s (they are both older that me) house while my parents and siblings stayed at the Cullet’s house. They have 6 children and they all do school on the computer except the two youngest. That means a lot of computers. So whenever we weren’t doing anything all together, you could here shooting noises and such coming from upstairs. That is because my dad had been introduced to a game that they have. It is called Call of Duty. I’m telling you, it must be addictive because even Sam, who is only 3 years old, plays it, by himself! Our stay there was wonderful. We were there for New Years and boy, did we make some noise! In fact, we were the only ones doing it at all! Their neighbors were probably thinking, it’s those crazy foreigners again! What are they doing now???

Playing New Year’s games at the Culletts.

Well, I can definitely say that I had tons of fun over break and just want to say thank you to everybody who made that possible. That would include my parents and siblings, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, Chelsea, Amberly, Drew, Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Cullet, Rachel, Abby, Sarah, Lydia, Zach, Sam, Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, Kristen, and Christopher. THANK YOU!!!!!
I hope that you have enjoyed hearing from the marvelous guest blogger Leah Burt! Hopefully you will be hearing from me again soon!

WFMW faithful: I need your help.

We are going to be re-entering the world of homeschooling and I feel as though I have no idea how to do it.

We have homeschooled twice before, but only in the loosest sense of the word. To be completely honest, it was much more home than school.

The first time we were still in Bible School, Greg was a full-time student and working part-time. I was a part-time student, working part-time and trying to still keep and run the house in 300 square feet without my own bathroom, sink, or running water of anykind in my apartment.
Leah was only in the 2nd grade, Ema was just Preschool and Zach only 4, so let’s just say everyone caught up the next year.

Our second attempt was the year we were on deputation before leaving for the mission field.
Not the best arrangement for a steady schedule. We knew we were leaving, so of course found ourselves saying ‘yes’ to most invitations and we ‘fit in’ school with a couple of trips across the country, well to the Mid-West at least, and weekly commitments that seemed to grow as the year went on.

The kids have been in a wonderful international school here in Chaing Mai as we have been studying language. They would love to continue going, but it is, as I said, in Chiang Mai, and we intend to move out the the NE of Thailand at the beginning of 09. So, we begin our homeschool journey again for the upcoming school year.

It feels early to me to prepare for it, but I know many of you homeschooling moms are already planning and ordering your curriculum for the next year, and so apparently it is time!

I am asking if you would give me a peek into your day, to get a glimpse of what your schedule looks like.
What time do you start?
Do you have timed -out class periods?
Do you do one thing until it is done?
Where do you fit in chores?
How about projects, are they random or planned as part of your curriculum?
Where do you do school?

I am very curious as to what ‘works for you’.
We have no school room available, and one computer available for research ect.
My kids will be 8th, 6th, and 5th.

I would also be interested in your favorite programs/curriculums/books. ect… and why you like them.
We are starting from scratch here, so let it fly!

I so appreciate you pouring out your wisdom on me, Thanks!

P.S.
My oldest is interesting getting in on this blogging stuff.
She has written one about our Christmas break in the NE and is planning on posting it tonight after she chooses some pictures. She would be thrilled with some comments and feedback to encourage her to do more. Would you check back tommorrow?

Just before we left for our holiday adventure in the NE, Ema had her birthday too. We were able to find an afternoon for her to have her party in the midst of packing and preparing to leave.
Can you believe she is 11? Yikes!

She had a backwards theme for her party this year and it turned out to be lots of fun.

Of course, you eat cake first.

hmmm, there appears to be some sort of madman in the background. Better serve that cake quick and placate him!

And blow out your candles and then sing Happy Birthday, backwards, what else?. (That is not as easy as it sounds. )

We even came up with some backwards style games.

Silent Chairs : you sit when the music comes on

I am Who? : each child gets ‘tagged’ on the BACK with an animal and they must guess who they are by only asking yes or no questions. But here is the tricky part. The answers are backwards!
Yes= no and no=yes. Tricky and silly

Pencil in the bottle: This is a game of partners. The one with the pencil tied to a string around their waist is blindfolded, and they must try to dip down and get the pencil in the bottle by only using the verbal directions of their partner.
Of course the pencil is hanging down the BACK side.

You may be wondering why all the girls are dressed alike. They came home with Ema from school, and had all just had PE. Does make for some nice coordinated pictures though.

Happy Birthday Ema, we love you!

P.S.
We are always on the lookout for great and easy birthday ideas. Zach turns 10 in March, do you have any suggestions? As a girl myself, boys parties are always harder for me, and I could use some help.