Merry Saturnalia!!!

Saturnas Caravaggio

Our Saturnalia tree is bedecked, beribboned, and gaily festooned with sun and star symbols in honor of this day. (Next, year, I have every intention of throwing a Merry Saturnalia Bowling Toga Party in honor of the Roman god, Saturn, but as one of my nearest and dearest friends is newly pregnant and spewing her guts out most of the day, I think we'll wait until she can join in without the threat of unexpected vomit. ;))

Spawn has been duly crowned the tiny Lord of Misrule for the season and Fat Nugga, crowned Lady of Misrule. Saturn help us all. ;) 

We haven't taken pictures of our tree yet because it won't be finished until the evening before the third feast day. (We celebrate Saturnalia, Yule, and Christmas...because 3 holidays are better than 1! =D) On Christmas Eve, Santa will send out PJ the Elf, his location scout, to get the lay of the land, and deliver pajamas to all the good girls and boys for them to sleep in after they get home from their big family dinner. When the coast is clear and everyone's tucked in for the night, Santa will arrive to deliver gifts, stuff stockings, put the star on top of the tree and, unbeknownst to Spawn, he'll also be setting up Spawn's Polar Express O-Guage Train Set that Poppy gave him last Christmas. =D I think I'm more excited than Spawn! =D 

I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures to share. In the mean time, have fun making merry and please chime in below in the comments to share your family's holiday plans and traditions!

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Happy 10/10/10!!!

Ordinarily, I would ignore celebrations like 9/02/10 Day, but I do love numbers and it made me a special kind of giddy when Spawn asked what today's date was and I got to say "Ten, ten, ten." =D

So... 

Happy 10/10/10 Day!

I took tons of great pictures this weekend from Spawn's two buddies' birthday parties. Of course, the camera flashed "Memory Car Full" just as birthday boy #2 started to open OUR gift. :p CS Dad has to cajole the camera to give those pix up, so I'll have them up in a few days. =D

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

First Day of School Questions

Technically, these are First Month of School Questions because Spawn and I have been sick with hayfever for so long, but it's still September, so it counts. ;)

This questionnaire is the same one I use every year to gauge the changes in Spawn's attitude and favorite things from year to year. Enjoy! I sure did! =D

1. What are you good at doing? I’m good at playing video games and building with Legos.

2. If you had ten dollars, how would you spend it? I would spend it on more Legos and a new video game from Lego Universe.

3. What are you afraid of? Bugs and heights, even pinching bugs.

4. Who is the best person to talk to when you’re upset? Mommy. Daddy, he scares...he scares the heck out of me. Especially when I’m sitting on the toilet, he scares me.

5. What is your favorite movie? Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and G-Force.

6. What is your favorite joke? Knock-knock! Who’s there? Banana! Banana who? Banana opens doors so you don’t have to!

7. Who would be a good president? Why? Me! Because I want to have kids eat chocolate forever! AND – even all sugary stuff! Except bananas and fruit, but not grapes!!!!! (Mommy, there should be 5 exclamations points! (Where?) After “grapes”!)

8. How do you show your family you love them? HUGS!

9. What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a Lego Designer! And the President of the Whole World!!! (Mommy, 3 exclamation points...or 4.)

10. What's your favorite book? Lego books!

11. How do you remember important things? I don’t.

12. Who is your best friend? Mommy! But not Daddy!

13. What is your favorite toy? Legos! And Wii!

14. What is your favorite kind of car? Red ones!

15. Which is your favorite shirt? My red Lego Batman shirt. Boom-boom-fi-uh-powuh!

16. Where is your favorite place to go on vacation? Knoebels!

17. What is your favorite color? Red!

18. Who is your favorite Disney character? Mater. Besides, I like him. There’s all these crazy Pixar shorts of him, like Monster truck kinds, Mater the Greater, Firetruck Mater, and his greatest adventure yet, the UFM. UFM stands for Unidentified Flying Mater.

19. What is your favorite pet’s name? Lola.

20. Who is your hero? Jack the Bumper King from Knoebels!!!!!!!!!!

These questions were actually asked on Sept. 30^th at 10:00 PM before bedtime because Spawn was sick the first few weeks of school with hayfever and chicken pox.

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Scholastic's October Book Club Sales! =D I swear - the best books all year are in this month's fliers!

As many of you may already know, we are not traditional homeschoolers. We use an amazing PA cyber charter school: PA Leadership Charter School.

Because we use a cyber, we enjoy many of the benefits of homeschooling as well as many of the benefits of public-schooling. Amongst which are the savings offered by buying in large numbers from Scholastic. Spawn's having a heck of a time narrowing down his choices to fit his $20 monthly book-buying budget, though. =D

The one book I'm absolutely certain I'll find on his list:

Phineas and Ferb #4: Thrill-o-rama!

The best part? I get to view the fliers for every grade level, so I can choose more challenging books for my advanced reader. I love to shop ahead for Christmas and Winter Solstice, too, to surprise Spawn.

I'll let you peek in the box when it arrives at the end of the month, too. ;) Check back often to see what Spawn finally chooses!

Do your kids have any favorite Halloween/October/autumn/Samhain books that you think we might enjoy? Please feel free to share your favorites in the comments!

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Sweet Blog!!!

I can't rightly recall if I've plugged this one before or not, but one of my BFF's (also known as Spawn's godmother), Bibi, has this sweet blog called 1001 Sweets.

Nobody bakes a Tarheel pie like Bibi! And she's finally back to bloggin'! Woo!

Note her boyfriend, Ian (pronounced EYE-in), thoroughly enjoying the pumpkin pie cheesecake that should be mine. ::grumble,grumble:: Is October not the month of my birth? Is October not nearly upon us? The moon is in Libra! The pie shall be mine!

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

What Spawn is Reading This Week (and where we've been!)...

So, during the first week of school - when I had all these wonderful plans for a return to blogging after a summer hiatus - Spawn and I came down horrendously ill with hayfever. Hayfever that developed into a raspy, phlegm-y, long-lasting cough that I STILL have 3 1/2 weeks later. >:( And for Spawn, it led to a weakened immune system just in time for him to come down with a mild case of chicken pox the Friday morning after the first day of school. AWESOME. O_o He's still not feeling like himself. 

Then, last week, I finally convinced Spawn is was time to let some things go and bless someone else with his beloved baby toys and toddler gear. So, CS Dad and I pulled apart the big Step 2 castle/fort jungle gym and I began loading it in the car to take to a friend's house while CS Dad and Spawn walked the dog. I dropped an entire wall of the jungle gym on my foot and broke my big toe. On the same foot I broke in April when I fell down the stairs. I know - I'm having a weird year. :p

So, we're working on target, on time, and Spawn is rocking the spelling lists each week! Woo!

Since he's doing so well on his lessons, I decided to treat both of us to one of the classics I bought for him (deeply discounted!) this summer at B&N. We're reading Peter Pan. And I'm LOVING it!!! =D I thought I'd read it before, but I was clearly mistaken because I'd have to have missed the entire description of Nana and why a dog minds the Darling children. =)

I'll let you know what Spawn thinks of it when we've read more and maybe we'll do a few Peter-type projects along the way. We'll see. =D

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Double-Wide Couchasaurus Rex

Spawn is really congested tonight and just can't seem to settle down into a normal sleep pattern without waking up gagging. My poor baby. :( CS Dad and I have done what we could to prop him up and make him comfortable enough to get through the night. And that's when it dawned on me...I owe it all to my couch.

We bought this couch a little less than 3 years ago:

It met my basic requirements. It was on sale, has a super-durable, machine-washable, denim slipcover, and removable backrest cushions.

Why would I want removable backrest cushions? ;) Because I enjoy cuddling with my guys on the couch and that's easier with a deeper seat! The nice thing about this particular couch is that when you remove the backrest cushions, you basically have a very comfortable space equal to the size of a twin bed to stretch out. The unfortunate thing about this couch is that, even though it's lighter than a sleeper sofa, it's still a beast and a half to move, to vaccuum around, and to rearrange when the mood strikes. Come to think of it, I'm not sure we've ever rearranged the furniture in this room since we got this couch.

Tonight, more than any other night, we needed it, though! Poor Spawn needs to sleep propped up and supervised since his hayfever is making him gag in his sleep. With double-wide, couchasaurus rex, I can stay right here next to him all night with my feet up on the ottoman and there's plenty of room for both of us to stretch out and get comfy together.

So, tonight is the night my double-wide, couchasaurus rex finally earned its keep. =D

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Snot Pretty

A friend once told me that motherhood was buckets of fun. I wish she had also informed me that those buckets were occasionally full of snot and vomit rather than fun. :p Spawn has horrible, phlegmy hayfever today. It' snot pretty. ;)

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Knoebels: Random Family Vacation Photos - Part 1

This little guy greeted us every day as we passed by the Lost Logger shop. I wanted to take him home with me, but we had NO room in the Explorer. :(

On our way out to the park, Spawn likes to wave to the kids on the train as they go by.

This might be the only time Spawn was in a mood to cooperate fully with picture-taking, so we took about a dozen of these shots. =D

Spawn LOST HIS EVER-LOVING MIND when we walked into the General Store and spotted this BUFFET of penny candy. =D

Spawn, covering his ears so he can hear his Cotton Candy Pop Rocks crackling inside his mouth.

Spawn's penny candy haul.

Spawn, watching a puppet show at The Lighthouse by The Wharf.

Spawn, at Phoenix Junction Steakhouse, ready to dig into his dinner. (Chicken, fries, Capri Sun, a banana, and animal crackers. I swear that bottomless pit has a hollow leg!)

CS Dad, digging into his Tuesday Night Steak Special. All for less than $8. :o

My dinner: cheese fries, deep-fried assorted veggies and ranch dip, and a bottle of water. You need not tell me how horrific-ly bad this meal was for me because it was delicious, so of course it was bad for me. :p

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Hiatus Ends Today!!!

I have tons of pictures from our summer break, but first and freshest in our minds is last week's official end of summer vacation. I've culled the best of the best from the thousands of photos we took for Knoebels' Picture Yourself Contest to share with you guys. It'll probably take several days to post the bulk of them, so grab a drink and make yourself comfortable. ;)

Also, keep an eye out for my "What's for Breakfast?" posts all month long as we celebrate September as National Breakfast Month. =D None of the three of us like the same thing, so you might get some ideas for unexpected breakfasts, too. CS Dad is a cereal man, Spawn likes light breakfasts like yogurt and fruit, and I prefer savory breakfasts, so I'll try to change it up so it's not a month of pictures of Spawn's toast and CS Dad's cereal. ;)

Spawn's going into 3rd grade. Can you believe it?! I have tons of fun crafts and recipes lined up for the next 6 months and Spawn and I can't wait to share them with you this school year! The school year begins for us in the middle of next week, but most of Spawn's friends are already back in school. We don't know what to do with ourselves. :/ So, we're starting off the school year crafts early with Spawn's summer-themed birthday party thank you cards tomorrow.

Here's a sneak peek at the fun Knoebels pics to come:

Stay tuned!

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Finally - A Few Roses!!!

It took nearly a full month longer than usual, but a few did finally bloom despite all the storms we've had lately.

I have no idea what kind of roses these are. We inherited them when we moved into this house 5 years ago and there's no rhyme or reason to when or if they bloom each spring. :p

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Failbook is Anti-Breastfeeding

Just in case it doesn't pass failooking's moderation standards, I stumbled across a post on their blog that blurs a breastfeeding pair and implies that breastfeeding pictures are obscene, so I replied:

Breastfeeding is not obscene - treating it like it is IS obscene. That's the reason women feel like they can't breastfeed their baby wherever and whenever their baby is hungry and the folks at failbook should be ashamed of themselves for implying there's anything obscene about breastfeeding or photos of breastfeeding babies.

I'm offended when I see a mother bottle-feeding her baby! ("I demand you blur all pictures of bottle-feeding babies!" - sounds pretty GD ridiculous, doesn't it?) Breasts are not sexual, so unless you're going to start blurring the teats on every cow and dog photo you come across, it's pretty ridiculous to blur out the image of a woman breastfeeding when bikini photos are plastered all over every beer ad on the planet. So, are the folks at failbook implying that using breasts to sell beer is less obscene than using them the way they're intended?

Breasts express milk - not beer. Grow up!

Chrissi, hardcore lactivist and former breastfeeding mom

The post that made me so irate: Failbook is Anti-Breastfeeding

UPDATE: This just appeared at the top of the comments on the post in question:

"EDIT: In response to the community’s reminder that breast-feeding in public is not a fail, we have replaced the picture in question. Happy Quit Facebook Day!"

WIN!!! =D

It's amazing the things you take for granted...

...when your feet are healthy and whole. (If you lack a love of shoes - read no further. ;))

In case you missed it - I broke my foot on April 18th after a nasty fall down more than half a flight of stairs. Not pretty. I lost a lot of skin off of my toes, broke my left foot, and sustained some severe nerve damage to my right leg as well. As a result, I've had to temporarily give up one of my greatest (and most secret) guilty pleasures...quirky heels. 

My best friend - who is my best friend for this and many other reasons - has this same affliction. Sadly, she's a size 5 1/2 and I'm a size 9 1/2, so we can't share our amazing shoes with each other. ::resigned sigh:: Her collection is much more eclectic than mine - mainly because more styles are available for her dainty, fairy feet than my Jolly Green Giant feet. :p My closet floor is a sea of red patent, black patent, and buttery brown leather heels, peeptoes, and slingbacks and a MASS of sandals, wedges, and espadrilles of all kinds. My husband asked me a few days ago if a lone sock he found loose in the dryer was mine and I stared blankly at him for a moment until it occurred to me that it couldn't be mine. I haven't worn socks in...I can't remember the last time I put socks on! I live in heels and sandals so much! 

Lately though, I've been reduced to clomping around in these things my husband bought me to use as slippers last Christmas. They're ugly and wearing them outside my home, ordinarily, WOULD NOT HAPPEN. Alas, I have no choice. I just can't cram my fat, swollen foot into anything except these, some forgiving sandals, and my aircast. Brace yourself - they're not pretty:

And when I go out and there are no walls or furniture to cling to, I still have to use the cane and wear Das Boot:

I will say this about the Croc Mammoths in Pink (mine have a pink plaid liner - unlike the ones in the picture) - they may be ugly, but they're the only shoe I can wear right now without screaming in pain - other than a very open-toed pair of Teva sandals called Keelies (in Brandy) that I wear when it's in the high-80's and 90's outside:

They may not look like much, but the cushioned sole conforms to your foot over time and fits like a glove. Love 'em!

Anyway, I was doing a little online-window-shopping today and mooning over all the adorable, quirky heels available this spring and summer that my feet will never touch. Please, just bare with me while I wallow in longing over these bad boys...

Let's start with possibly the funniest brand name heels I found - Promiscuous. =D I spotted the blue and purple peeptoes on Zappos and started to fall in love..Then I saw the black and white peeps and I sobbed:

The black and white ones will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine - even if I have to buy them and wait 6 months for my foot to go back to normal. At $71.88, it's going to take some fast talkin' to sneak that expense past CS Dad. ;)

Still mooning over heels on Zappos, I stumbled across these Gabriella Rocha's...

In Teal Patent:

In Orange Patent:

And in Cobalt Suede!!!:

If you're not singing "Blue Suede Shoes" or "Suspicious Minds" and curling your lip by now, I can't help you or relate to you. Sorry! At $53.10, these puppies are a steal!

Oh, and these Romantic Soles make me giddy!:

In Champagne:

And in Purple!:

These shoes from ModCloth speak for themselves:

Doodle Darling Wedge:

These wedges just scream for a breezy summer dress and a night out on the boardwalk in Wildwood, don't they?

Second That Notion Heel:

The Weaving Rainbow is another wedge that begs for a night out at the shore - in a cotton candy pink babydoll tank dress with pockets and sky blue capri-length leggings:

I don't know what I'd wear the Your Heart's Desire Heel with, but I'd buy them just in case I found the right thing - if they had them in my size ;):

The Miss June Heel is another one I'd snap up in a heartbeat if they had them in my size:

Some would say Rainbow Bright would be right at home in this Rainbow Road Wedge, but I think they're perfect - they'll go with anything! Little black dress, jeans and a white t-shirt, red overalls and a yellow t-shirt, The Wiggles' uniforms... =D:

I'd wear these with EVERYTHING - my pajamas even! - if I could get my hands on them. Alas, big fat Jolly Green Giant Feet strike again! Cheery Cherry Heels:

These speak to me - Zip Code Heel:

I can't think of a single thing I couldn't pair these and some jeans with - Blue Jean Wedge:

And then...I discovered the selection at PiperLime...and wept like a baby. I mean - look at these!!!:

L.A.M.B. Dawna in Zebra:

Belle by Sigerson Morrison in Dark Brown:

Dolce Vita Noah in Brown (::sob, sob, sobby, sob::):

And these were made by Nine West - Nine West?! Nine West Karoo in Black and White ($39.99?!?!):

Jessica Simpson knows her stuff when it comes to shoes. When I see these amazing tan leather slingbacks, I just want to crawl inside them, take a nap, and lay my head on that buttery, luscious caramel-colored leather:

More buttery brown leather shoes! LOVE these Kenneth Cole Passing Lane heels in Whiskey Brown:

Nothing buttery about these sickeningly sweet, candy-colored heels - Moschino Cheap & Chic Sandwich in Teal and Red (there is NOTHING cheap about these $310 shoes!):

How scrummy are these Coconuts Melrose espadrilles in Brown and Green?:

Or Brown and Orange if you prefer?:

Just a few more espadrilles, I swear!

Michael Antonio Harriet in Yellow (scrummy, yummy, buttery yellow leather!!!):

Bettye Muller Heirloom in Multi (Multi?! Really? That's the best they could do? How about Carnivale? Or Party? Or Everything I've Ever Wanted In A Shoe? - Okay, that may be too long or ostentatious for the name of a color. ;)):

Charles David Sailor in Black Canvas (again with the short-changing on the naming of the colors! It's a crime!) Speaking of crimes - it is one that I don't own these shoes already. :( ::sob, sob, sobby, sob::

Okay, I think I got it out of my system...for now. ;)

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom (and shoe junkie)