Halloween

I try to stay away from the scary and morbid costumes, but this year Emma decided she wanted to be a witch, and Robbie wanted to be a wizard. So I got some fabric and made a couple of robes. Emma's has pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns on it. Robbie's has stars and shooting stars on his. They each got a hat, and Mike is making Emma an 'authentic' broom. Rob has a wand, too.

I have kind of outgrown the costume thing, and I will never own or wear a seasonal t-shirt. Usually, I grab my big cape with the hood and wear a black dress. Call me what you want. I want to go as Pippy Longstocking this year, but I don't have my striped tights anymore. I may make myself a couple of cat ears...

Whatever we do, we have to make sure to dress warm. Which was not really a big deal when I was growing up in Phoenix. Now that we live somewhere where it freezes at night in October, my daughter cannot be a fairy without wearing long sleeves and pants underneath her skirt, and usually gloves and a hat...

Since their costumes this year consist of robes and hats, they can wear whatever they want underneath, be warm, and still look like what they are supposed to.

I think I decided to go ahead and make those cat ears for myself. So I am off to make them...

In A Rut

I've been blocked lately. Life has gotten to be a bit too hectic, and I am in a rut. To make it worse, all those wonderful old stories I was going to post... Yeah, they're on the desktop computer that is dead.

I keep starting all these new posts, and then I get discouraged, distracted, or disinterested and they go away. I think I need a change. No, I know I need a change.

So, to start off that change, I am going to rearrange the furniture in the living room. Except I need Mike's help to move some of the big stuff. And he's working. I will get it done though. I wish I could rearrange my room too, but there's only one wall that our monstrous Cali King bed will fit on. Blast windows, doors, and closets. They take up too much wall space. And Mike will NEVER give up his big bed.Time to get out of this rut I am in.

Big changes coming soon to our house.

An Early Christmas Present

My newest book from booksneeze.com is a children's Bible. More specifically, an International Children's Bible. This version has computer graphic illustrations, a dictionary and index, and maps.

Now, I can't read the whole thing. Well, I could, it would just take me a while. So I decided to pick one of my favorite stories to read and to scan through the other pages. I chose to read Esther. This version of the Bible is written for children ages 6-12. It is very easy to read, easy to understand. The end notes at the bottom are not numbered, as not to confuse the kids, but they are labeled to find them easily.

The illustrations and maps are modern, with computer graphic images of famous people and events in the Bible. The maps are brightly colored, and simple enough for children to understand and read. I am going to give this Bible to my son for Christmas, so I can't show it to him, but I am sure he will enjoy it. I will definitely be recommending this Bible to other parents.

Dreams, Smart Chickens, and Hidden Nests

We've had a decrease in egg production lately, and decided to get rid of the older chickens. We kept the bantam hen, Oddball, and another hen, Wimpy from the old ones, and all of the younger ones.

Before we got rid of all the 'adults', I had a dream that they hadn't stopped laying, but they were hiding them from us to get baby chickens. In my dream, there was a kayak in the coop, (don't ask me why, I have weird dreams) and all the baby chicks were underneath it.

So anyway, I went to check on the remaining chickens this evening, and we couldn't find Oddball. Sometimes they worm their way under the coop, so I got Mike and his flashlight to see if she was under there. We found her, along with 21 eggs. At first we thought all the chickens had been laying under there, but we soon realized that they were all the same size and color, and smaller than the usual eggs we get. Oddball had been protecting her 'babies' by laying them under the coop.

My dream was right! Sort of. Very weird feeling. The bottom of the coop has been blocked off, so hopefully we won't have any more egg hunts.

Winning a HP Netbook

or at least trying to...

The financial aid department is conducting an essay contest for the students at my school. One essay from each campus will be picked, and that student will receive a new HP mini Netbook. I figured what the heck. Want to read my essay? It only took me about 30 minutes to write, so I'm not holding my breath or anything...

How the HP Netbook Mini

Will Help Advance My Studies at NPC

By Elizabeth Hudspeth

It is 6:30 a.m. I roll out of bed, get dressed and head for the kitchen. Breakfasts are made and devoured, lunches are made and packed. At 7:30 the kids and I head to the bus stop. Since it is two miles away, I make sure to leave with plenty of time to account for traffic or delays. Usually, though, we encounter no problems on the way. So I am stuck at the bus stop for at least 15 minutes with nothing to do but yell at the kids to stay out of the street, the mud, and the trees. After the bus collects them, I head out into the world.

We live out in White Mountain Lakes. It is very beautiful out there, however, getting into town is typically an all day event. When I have a class at the college, I plan any other errands that need to be run around my school schedule. Doctors appointments are made with my and the kids school schedules in mind. Girl Scouts events are planned when I know I will be in town. Grocery trips are well thought out and planned. With all this running around, it is inevitable that I will be waiting for something or someone for at least part of the day, just like I wait at the bus stop.

With my calculations, approximately an hour and 45 minutes of my time is wasted every day. During this time, I am away from home, away from a computer, and left with nothing to do. If I am lucky, the AIS lab at the White Mountain Campus might be open, allowing me some time with my school work. Other times, the computer lab at the public library may be open, but is usually full of other like-minded people trying to get some time in front of a computer. Having a laptop will allow me freedom to work on my classes wherever I am, whenever I am stuck with nothing to do, without having to worry about gaining access to a public computer.

All that freedom will allow more of my time to be spent at home with my family. Less of my time will be spent at the library or at school. Since I enrolled at Northland Pioneer College to get my Associates for Administrative Information Services, the majority of my classes are computer based labs. I also have had a few internet courses. Because of this, the majority of my homework is done on the computer. With a lap top, I could sit at the dining room table and work on my homework at the same time my children work on theirs.

I have been very blessed to have the opportunity to go back to school. I work very hard to show my friends and family how much this chance means to me. Without the Pell Grant I was given, without the support my teachers and the staff on campus have shown, and without the hope for the future that my kids have given me, I would not have made it this far. With the HP Netbook Mini, I hope to accomplish so much more.