Keep Your Head Above Water

Genevieve and I have been covering the Middle Ages in History. Yesterday's lesson covered how the monks hand copied books. We talked about how they had to get skins and them scrape them and tan the hides and them turn them into parchment. Sooo...as an extension, later that night I showed the girls how to make recycled paper. Ooooh my...and I thought the the paper mache pumpkins were messy!! Long story short, 3 hours later I had produced 3 whole sheets of paper. And **I** had not only a paper shredder, but a power blender! As I went about sifting the paper gunk, the girls and I talked about what it would be like to live in the Middle Ages. We talked about how none of us would probably be able to read or write. We talked about how we would probably be working on a farm and the girls would be doing chores all day rather than watching TV or playing on the computer. It was fun and entertaining...but I can tell you...you'd better be glad that those monks loved God so much! 'Cause if it was me in that scriptatorium, the Dark Ages would have been a whooooole lot longer!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again…I love GVA. I love the curriculum. I love the fact that Genevieve is able to work at an advanced pace. I love that we get to go on fun field trips together. But lately I've been struggling…

I've suspected for a long time now that Genevieve might have ADD. I know there is a lot of controversy about the subject, and honestly for a long time even **I** was a doubter about the prevalence of the diagnosis among children today. But trust me, when you have a kid with ADD, you know. Sitting still without moving is completely impossible and math is a downright chore. Then if you throw in siblings yelling or playing games or even sitting at the table…well, you get the picture (you should have seen her in the public school!!). With all this going on, the last two weeks have been really tough on me. I guess some of it is trying to get back into the swing of things from being back on vacation for a week, but Genevieve has seemed even more distractible that usual. Combine that with Benjamin getting increasing active in his attempts to instill chaos and destruction in the world, and you have a recipe for one very frustrated Momma.

So, like Sylvester Stallone in Rambo, my husband bravely waded in…bullets zinging over his head…and volunteered to do school with Genevieve yesterday while I took Benjamin and Autumn out to do some chores. While he has taken over a lesson or two, Ken has never done a full day with Genevieve. I could tell he was a little apprehensive, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the two of them had a very good day together! Ken even threw in an ad hoc lesson on winter solstice!

It was with a refreshed and rejuvenated heart and attitude that I returned to teaching today. Although we had a couple of frustrating bumps (in math and spelling of course!) this morning, I can honestly say that both Genevieve and I enjoyed school a whole lot more today…and it's all thanks to a brave Daddy who dared to "go where no man has gone before." ;)

I learned something important on our field trip to the zoo yesterday. NEVER, EVER, EVER feed the lorikeets during mating season! I've fed the lorikeets before and it's always been both a fun experience and a great photo op. This time, however, was slightly different. First mistake...I entered the enclosure with not one, but TWO cups of nectar. In hindsight, that was not a wise decision. Perhaps I should have suspected something was amiss when several lorikeets planted themselves on the screen door and began screetching wildly. (In retrospect, I believe it was the avian equivalent of "Fresh Meat" that they were bellowing out!) By the time I actually entered the enclosure the gig was up. In a scene remanesant of the classic horror flick "The Birds", I was immediately surrounded by the feathered menaces. i had been advised to cover the cups until I was ready to feed the birds. Yeah right!! You try covering up the cups when you have five birds on your hand pecking away, two more hoping around on your head, and one perched on your shoulder and screaming in your ear! I was all I could do to pass one of the cups off to Ken and pray that I would leave the enclosure with all of my digits intact!

After we split up the cups, the birds settled down a little and we were able to take several good pictures. We even managed to get Genevieve to hold one of the cups. Autumn, wisely, managed to con one of the attendants into holding the cup for her while she watched them eat. :) Somehow we all managed to get out with only a few wounds (one of the little buggers acutally drew blood on me!). Still...the next time we go to the zoo, I'm going to make sure I ask whether it's lorikeet mating season or not!!

Other than the lorikeet mishap, things went very smoothly on our field trip. The girls were both entertained, and managed to learn a couple of things and Benjamin actually had a pretty good time. All in all, we'll call it a sucess...even if I did have to go home with a Bandaid on my thumb. ;)

Well, it was pretty touch and go the last couple of days, but I think Benjamin is pulling through the pneumonia! Needless to say, I am soooo very grateful for modern medicine!! It's amazing to me that in as little as two days on antibiotics, the little guy goes from being held and moaning all day to his usual spreading mayhem around the house! Yes, yes...I studied Microbiology, so I'm very well aware of the workings of antibiotics. Still, it's a miracle to watch them in action! While his energy level is definitely picked up, he's still not eating like normal...so we'll be keeping a close eye on him tomorrow. Hopefully he'll be feeling up to the trip to the zoo that we've got planned for Tuesday. Otherwise, I suppose we'll be sticking indoors...maybe to EdVenture again. :)

It's been a rough day in the Clan. Benjamin was up last night with a high fever (103). Over the past couple of days he's developed a nasty little smoker's cough (and wheezing). So we took him to the Pediatrician's today and he diagnosed the little dude with pneumonia. Poor little man has been so miserable that he really hasn't eaten anything and has pretty much resigned himself to moaning all day long. I was able to give him a dose of antibiotic this evening, and although I know it's too early for it to start kicking in, Benjamin did seem to feel a little better before bed time. Hopefully his infection will respond fully to the antibiotics and we'll have our happy little man back in no time.

Okay, okay, I admit it...I was a big time doubter! But I have to say the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua was actually a pretty good kids movie!

Background...we had promised to take the family swimming on Sunday. Much to our chagrin, when we showed up at the gym (in our swimsuits of course!!) the gym was closed. The girls were devastated (particularly Autumn) and in an awkward moment of parental placation, we asked the girls what they would like to do to salvage the day. "Go to the movies!!" Genevieve bellows which of course was immediately seconded by Autumn.

Sooo...I breath an sigh of despair when Ken tells me that Beverly Hills Chihuahua is the **only** kids movie playing. Suck it up....it's only a kids movie....if you can suffer through hours of grueling martial arts training, then surely you can make through two hours of mental mush... So went the mental processing as I stepped into the theater.

I was immediately pleased to see Jamie Lee Curtis in the role of the spoiled Chihuahua's (Chloe) mother. "Alright", I thought "this might not be too bad!" (Side note...I'm a big fan of Jamie Lee as an actress. I haven't seen all her films, but I just really like her as an actress and as a person!) The film went on and the plot thickened, eventually landing poor little Chloe in a dog fighting club in Mexico City. **Danger!! Danger!!** Huge red flags went up as I remembered that the film as rated PG. Ack!! My poor children are going to be scared for life after seeing this poor little dog abused in a dog fight. Thankfully, the producer had enough taste to deal with the topic in a mostly non threatening manner and the girls didn't even blink at the scene. :)

I won't go through the story and ruin it for you. If you don't have children...well...you'll probably have no reason to have to sit through this movie. But, if you've got kids and are in a pinch for some entertainment, then I heartily suggest this movie. It's got enough lite hearted comedy to keep the kidos entertained, while offering a fairly decent story line and a few good jokes for the adults as well.

I know what you're thinking...and before you call Child Protective Services I assure you that it is not massive amounts of blood on Benjamin's face. Oh, no...rather, this is the site that we faced this morning as we were getting ready to go to the pumpkin farm. Seems that the boy found a container of Kool-aid unguarded and obligingly set to trying to devour it before his parents found him. Soooo...if you spot a pink mustache in any of the rest of the pictures, now you know why...

Anyway, after that little snaffoo, things went quite a bit smoother. We got down to Harmon's farm and were able to meet up with my old friend from Monsanto and her family. Everyone had a great time playing on the playground, even though it was a bit on the warm side. Then we headed out on the hay ride where Autumn dutifully protected me while we went through the "Haunted Forest". A couple of photo ops and then it was time to pick out their pumpkins. Sadly, the girls were a bit weary of their paparazzi mother so I don't have photos of their picks yet, but Benjamin was glad to show off his prize. All in all, it was a really great time and a terrific start to the fall season!

It's really my fault. The first winter that I moved to this lovely state I witnessed a curious event. Earlier that day it was predicted that there was a **small** chance of snow later that night. "Cool!" I thought...my first chance at a little of the white stuff. It wasn't until I stopped by the grocery store that night that I first had an inkling that there might be something wrong with the citizens of this state. You see, as I walked the aisles, I noticed that **every single** bottle of milk was off the shelves. Curious. But I thought little of it until I noticed the same trend with eggs and bread. Ok...that's weird! I didn't put it together then, but in the decade I have resided in this state, I have finally figured out the one thing about Georgians...give them the slightest **hint** that something bad will happen and they will panic. Without fail. (By the way...if for some very, very strange reason we happen to get snowed in, I ask you...how long can you survive on milk bread and eggs anyway?!!)

Flash forward to last week....
"Many Gulf Coast refineries shut down production as a precaution before Hurricane Ike and may remain shuttered for days, even if they were not damaged, because of power outages. That has left many Georgia gas stations with little or no gasoline to refill their pumps after frantic drivers tapped their supplies before the storm hit out of concern there would be a gas shortage." (emphasis added by me. Taken from "Officials subpoena records for some Ga. gas stations after gouging complaints." By Dorie Turner - Associated Press).

And now to present day...
"Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said Wednesday that there were shortages of gasoline in parts of metro Atlanta, and he called some of the panic “self-induced.”

“There is ample fuel in the city,” he said. “It’s not everywhere it needs to be, but we do not have a crisis in the sense that we don’t have fuel coming in.”" (Taken from "Perdue says gas panic is ‘self-induced’" By STACY SHELTON, JAMES SALZER)

The family and I had such a wonderful learning experience today! We were able to participate in GVA's Lunch and Learn at CiCi's pizza. What a fantastic time we had!! We started off with a tour of CiCi's preparation areas and kitchen. The Manager did a wonderful job of explaining how much dough they prepare (about 20 batches/hour which is roughly 120 pizzas/hour!!) and the steps it takes to get to the finished pizza. After the tour, we all had a wonderful lunch at the buffet and visited with other GVA families. Then we worked out the math worksheet that CiCi's provided us with. Finally, the piece de resistance...the girls got to make their **own pizza**!!! After ladling on the sauce, one of the employees gave them various bowls of ingredients and let the girls go to town. I can't describe to you how much fun Genevieve and Autumn had in putting the sausage and pepperoni on their pizza! Needles to say, it was a work of art! The employee took it to the kitchen and baked it for us and then we were able to box it up to take home. Sooo...after Tae Kwon Do tonight, the girls **proudly** announced to their Daddy that **they** had made a pizza for dinner! Pizza and rootbeer for dinner...could there be a better end to such a perfect day?!

By Benjamin Knotts

My mom is so mean!
She won't let me play in the toilet
or eat out of the garbage can!

My mom is so mean!
She doesn't let me pull on electrical cords
or climb on top of the kitchen table!

My mom is so mean!
She won't let me eat a whole bag of Oreos
and when she does let me eat one she washes my face afterward!

My mom is so mean!
She picks up all the cheerios off the floor
and won't let me grind them into the carpet and then eat them!

My mom is so mean!
And she has the nerve to say she loves me!

Just went outside to an unpleasant surprise...somehow, sometime the freezer door got left ajar. Grrr!!! Didn't need that additional little stresser today! Thankfully the meats were just beginning to thaw.

But, on the bright side, I am getting an excellent opportunity to practice charity. Just dropped of 2 packages of pork chops and a huge bag of chicken breasts to the neighbor. And it looks like the kids will get to eat Kids Cuisine for dinner tonight (their favorite!!) and that tomorrow night we'll be eating those steaks that I put away.

When I got past the anger and the annoyance of the whole thing, there's a powerful lesson I was reminded of. I not only have enough food to eat for today, but I've got so much of an abundance that I'm able to share with another family **and** fill our gullets for the rest of the week with high quality food. Now that's a sign that you're truly blessed!

Unlike the girls, Benjamin does not take well to teething. And guess what...this week he has been teething up a storm. To say he's been crabby would be an understatement! Soooo...in order to put a little humor back into the situation, I've included a couple of clips from the TV show "Family Guy". The first one accurately describes Benjamin and my relationship of late, and the second one I included just because it's funny. I apologize in advance for the crude word in the first clip as well as the commercials they stick onto the end of the clips.

I'm happy to announce that after a brief break (mostly to take care of the kids while I persued my black belt!) Ken has resumed his Tae Kwon Do training. And tonight he passed his green belt test with flying colors. Poor, poor Ken! If only he knew the torture that awaits him at the higher ranks....oh wait...that's right...he saw me go through it all! Hmmm...oh well, guess he's just a glutton for punishment! ;)

On a side note, I am also happy to report that all of the testing candidates from our Tae Kwon Do class in North Augusta passed their tests. As the Assistant Instructor, I cannot tell you how proud I am about everyones progress!

I am hoping to get a copy of the test so that I can include some footage of Ken's performace, but that may take some time.

Oi!!! These past couple of weeks have been very trying for me personally. Benjamin has entered the first part of his (I’m sure) lifelong boyhood quest to ensure chaos in the universe. We’re talking doing regular counter sweeps (hey…I’ll bet I can knock everything off the kitchen table with one swipe!!), shredding paper, and generally making more messes per second than I could possibly hope to keep up with, let alone try and clean up. Oh yes, and he’s also decided that climbing up on things is the way to go (and off course, that puts him in higher, cooler places to destroy!) I don’t remember how I survived this phase with the girls, though I know they both went through it. All I know is that right now it’s tough in the trenches. Add in two siblings vying for their own personal time (be it school or wanting to play cat) and I am starting to feel tapped out. Yep, definitely feeling a little stressed out right now (as Benjamin is clinging to my leg, whining while I type). Hmmmm…perhaps I’ll have to fit in a little tie dying this afternoon. ;) Either that, or it's time for a Redneck time out...

"Redneck time out."

I am very sorry for not posting the last few days, but a bug was working its way through Ken & my systems...

Anyway, wanted to let every one know about the fantastic school kick off for GVA. It was held at Ft. Discovery (a science museum in town) and the girls really had a fun time. After checking in and meeting up with Genevieve's old teacher, we headed over to a lecture on Gases & Flow. Benjamin didn't find the talk nearly as interesting as his sisters did, so he & I played with a few of the exhibits while the girls watched balloons exploding and liquid Nitrogen evaporating (interestingly, both of the girls thought the lecture was one of the funnest parts of the day!). We spent the rest of our field trip exploring all of the fun exhibits in the center(from static electricity to thermal imaging with some blue screen thrown in just for fun!) and chatting with other GVA families. All in all, it was a really great time!!

It was an interesting day here with the Clan. After finding out that the huge hickory tree in the neighbors yard needed to be cut down, I decided to make a teaching moment out of the event. After assuring the girls that the tree did indeed need to be cut down because it was sick, we went outside to watch the men. While the workmen seemed very entertained by the fact that they had an audience, the girls were even more entertained by their hard labor. We made note all the special equipment the men were using (don't try this at home kids!!) as well as the fact that they were using ropes to push and pull the branches where they wanted them to fall.

Once the tree was finally down, we were able to take a look at the stump and see just how bad off the tree had been. It was a fairly easy task to reinforce the idea that the tree had been very sick and if it had not been cut down then the rotten brown area would have spread and the tree would have fallen down (probably on our or our neighbor's house). We also took the time to count as many rings on the stump as we could. We estimate that the tree was somewhere around 50-75 years old. Heading back inside we had a very good lesson on forces (as well as the rest of Genevieve's school work).

After a little bit of down time we headed over to the swamp for the Cattail Club meeting. This month's meeting was a lot of fun. After talking about what kind of animals they might find out in the park, the kids and guides headed out into the park on a hunt for evidence. Armed with gloves, tweezers and a plastic baggie, the kiddos rounded up exciting "evidence" such as coyote scat, deer scat, some small animal bones and a few feathers. It was really fun watching the kids walking through the park searching for clues. Sadly I didn't bring a camera. It's fun seeing my little tree hugger child (Genevieve) out in the field doing her thing. It should be interesting to see whether Autumn turns out to be as environmentally friendly as her big sister!

I was looking through some old photos of the girls the other day and I was struck by how similar all of my children looked when they were babies. I know what you're thinking, and I am fairly certain that they are not clones of one another. So, I thought it would be fun to put up some pictures of the kids and see if you avid readers can tell them apart. The only prize is bragging rights that you can tell the clones apart. (wink)

Those of you who know me well know that I have had several obsessions in my life. From homemade soap to chain mail to a **very** brief stint with quilting, I find various ways to fill the precious little amount of free time that I have. But by far, I find my latest obsession to be the most fun!! I am not ashamed to admit that I LOVE TIE DYING!!

It all started with the fantastic matching shirts that Aunt Kelly has provided us with for years now (Aunt Kelly, you rock!!). So, this summer I bought a little kit and a few t-shirts and gave it a go. Oh MY GOODNESS!! For those of you who haven’t tried tie dying yet, I strongly recommend it as a fantastic form of therapy!! It’s amazing the different looks you can create by simply folding the cloth one way or the other. And the colors…Ooooo the pretty colors!! Simply put, I’m hooked. And the girls love it too (although, the other day Genevieve practically begged me for a white shirt…”I don’t have any white shirts anymore Mommy.”) Since we’re back in school, I don’t get to crank out the 2-3 shirts a night like I used to in the summer, but I still manage to do at least a couple a week.

I’m still learning (okay, so a lot of my first shirts ended up looking not so fantastic), but if I may say so myself, my latest shirts are almost professional quality. I made a few for the neighbor kids, and I am proud to say that they not only wore them to school, but had lots of people ask them where they got the cool shirts from (yes, yes…stroke that ego!!).

I’ve included a small slide show of some of my favorite shirts for your viewing pleasure. And, of course for those of you in my immediate family….you can probably guess what you’re getting for Christmas (wink).

Happy Labor day! I hope everyone had a great vacation! The Knotts Clan celebrated by visiting the EdVenture museum in Columbia. The girls had such a fun time, it was hard to believe we were in a educational musum. We started off by exploring the larger than life ''Eddie". The girls particularly liked his stomach (hey, what's not to like about huge stuffed food that you can jump and climb on?). Though they were a bit timid about them at first, they even learned to liKe climbing through the ventricles. Of course everyone had fun passg through Eddie's colon (it even makes digestive noises as you go down!).

There were plenty of exhibits to keep us (uhm... them, I mean them!) entertained. From the lifesize version of Operation, to the model milking cow, to the outdoor bubble creation area, we had enough to keep us busy for hours. I can’t think of a better way we could have spent our holiday, and we’re all looking forward to our next visit to EdVenture!

I know...it's too early to think about Christmas! But some of you readers out there actually **shop** for your presents this early!! (I know, it's shocking but it's true!)

Soooo...I've been polling the girls about what they might want for the joyous event. So far, this is what I've got. I will be sure to update this as I get more information, and I'll try to add pictures or hyperlinks as I can.

I just love K12's History lessons!! This week we were studying about the life of Julius Caesar (pictured in the chariot above with his fictitious assistant "Milo"). We've learned about how he rose to power (Genevieve really doesn't like him...she seems to agree with the Roman Senate that he had too much power!). Then we learned about how the Senate tried to put Caesar in an impossible situation by asking him to return to Rome without his army. We learned that Caesar decided to cross the Rubicon with his army, a decision that he couldn't take back. Today we learned about Caesar crushing some resistance in Asia Minor, and his famous comment on the battle "Veni, Vidi, Vici... I came, I saw, I conquered."

What I really love is how much Genevieve gets out of her lessons. Yesterday night she went into the living room to get her blanket. When she came back she was excited. "Mommy, guess what happened when I got my blanket?! First, I had to cross the Tiber River. Then I went through the Alps! I had to fight off a bunch of pirates on the Nile and then I finally crossed the Rubicon!" I couldn't help but smile. I mean, after all, how many 2nd graders know where the Tiber and Rubicon rivers are?!"

There are days when it is **really** rough to get through school, but it really helps me to know that Genevieve is getting so much out her lessons! Though I am very nervous about the prospect of teaching 2 kids at once in the near future, I'm also really excited! Seeing how much Genevieve loves K12 encourages me that Autumn will hopefully do just as well.

It's Friday again...a very special school day here at the Knotts household. We start out with a breakfast of cinnamon rolls to celebrate the fact that we finished all of our academic work for the week. Then after a few health lessons (usually videos) we head out for PE. This is the most anticipated part of the week, since PE is either a trip to Jumpin Beans (a warehouse with inflatable jump toys) or a trip to the YMCA pool. Then if we've got the time, we head over to the library to pick out new books for the week (if we run out of time, then we do it on Saturday). I guess now it makes a whole lot of sense why Genevieve really doesn't want to go back to Goshen. ;)

Yes, it's true...our little man has finally turned the big ONE!! It's amazing, really to think of how much the little guy has done in one year and how much is still left to come. From crawling to walking to feeding himself and saying simple words like "Mama, Dada, and Bubub" our little dude has kept both us and himself busy.

In typical toddler style, Benjamin started out his day by eating a quick breakfast and then spending the rest of the day either pulling things down off of the computer desk and bookshelves, or following me around and fussing at me that I wasn't holding him. Then he had a nice, entertaining lunch of macaroni and cheese (note to self...he can reach **all** of the surfaces on the computer desk now!!) followed very rapidly by a bath! After a little bit of time with his sisters and his Daddy, the little guy needed a little nap, so he crashed out.
Refreshed and revitalized, he was all set to learn about presents. Although a little hesitant at first, he quickly caught on that a) even though **every other time** he's tried to do it he's gotten in trouble, somehow **today** it's ok to rip paper...curious and b) the cool things hiding under the paper were for HIM! By the time he got to his last present, Bubbers was definitely in the swing of things!


After fully examining all of his presents, it was time for the cake. As you can see, he had absolutely NO problem understanding this element of the birthday party!! 15 minutes of pure chocolate tactile bliss was followed immediately by...oh yes, another bath (and of course, his new bath toys!! Another short period of anarchy which some people (most of whom have NO children!) call play time and then it was time to settle down to bed with his Glo-E bear.



Judging by the amount of giggles and laughs I heard today, I'd say Benjamin had a really fantastic birthday. He may even have had as much fun as we did watching him. :)

It’s that time again… Yes, this week marks two very important dates in the Knotts household. Wednesday is the beginning of the school year for Genevieve, and Friday is Benjamin’s birthday.

In a lot of ways, it’s really hard to believe that a) Benji Bubber has been a part of our life for a whole year and b) Genevieve and I managed to make it through an entire school year without either of us needing major psychological counseling (yet at least). What’s even more amazing to me is that Genevieve actually wanted to be home schooled again this year. And here I thought I hadn’t done such a good job last year. Of course, her CRCT scores from last year were a good reassurance that I hadn’t completely ruined the child. And needless to say, K12’s awesome curriculum is almost fool proof. Still, there were a lot of adjustments required from everyone last year, and I am hopeful that this year will go smoother. Genevieve is excited…excited about a new year of History (her favorite!)…excited about beginning Japanese (we’re adding that to our curriculum)…but NOT excited about Math and Spelling (phew….okay, so she **is** a normal kid after all)

To say that this past year with Benjamin has been breath taking would be an understatement!! The first year of birth is just so exciting with milestone after milestone. Oh yeah, you got the sleepless nights and the stinky diapers, but they are more than balanced out by the first smiles, first laughs, learning to crawl and then walk. Am I exhausted? You bet. Would I have given up this last year? Not on your life! What’s even cooler to me is to watch the girls interact with Benjamin. It is just so awesome how much they love him, even when he annoys the dickens out of them (“No Bubbers…no, no…not my Pokemon cards!”).

It’s amazing to me how much they love their little Bubber man…and how much he loves them! Even though there are times when I am absolutely and utterly exhausted and worn out, I’m really excited about this next year.

"In two on one sparring, you learn to make every move count. You become very efficient..." Benton Starks 6th Dan WTA.

You know, that is so true about life in general. Why is it that when we feel like we have all the time in the world we tend to flit it away? But when it really comes down to it...when you've got two people kicking and punching at you...or when you have more children than you than have hands, life becomes more efficient.