Just Another Rainy Day in PA - Project 365: Days 1 and 2

Even though we just decided today to begin this Project 365 adventure, we take photos nearly every day anyway, so I have photos from last night, too!

Walt's younger brother, Justin is home visiting this week. (He lives on Maui, Hawaii - the rat bastard. :p) We made the trek up the mountain to my mother-in-law's house for a stuffed shells and lasagna dinner after a quick stop at our local italian bakery for some smack-yo-mama-good bread to contribute to the lasagna and fatted calf feast. ;) Spawn hasn't seen Uncle Justin in about a year and a half and my nephew, Spawn's cousin, Tiny Shawn Spawn, son of Uncle Shawn (Walt's and Justin's youngest brother), was still in utero the last time Uncle Justin was in town.

Last night, Uncle Justin was hangin' with Spawn who showed him how his Leapster works while, (below) Tiny Shawn Spawn made a break for it. That's Cyber School Dad, Walt, laying on the floor in the background there...

Tiny Shawn Spawn chillin' at Grammy and Paw-paw's place.

Today, Cyber School Dad lent a hand with Spawn's Math and Science lessons because I woke up with NO VOICE! :o The first week up lessons in the new school year is always hard on my voice, but this was the first time I'd lost it altogther from talking so much!

Today's Science lesson was all about types of seeds, how they travel, and how they're reseeded. So, Spawn and CS Dad made some seed models out of paper, paper clips, staples, and tape and went outside to test them. CS Dad handed over the seed models and sent Spawn on his merry way uphill to test them out.

Spawn points out which ones flew the farthest - the lightest, smallest ones at the bottom of the hill!

The skies began to darken a bit as we finished up, so we gathered up all our seed models before the rains came.

It got dark so fast! We did make it inside just in time and the rains CAME DOWN! Yikes! We had some spelling and grammar to work on, but they hardly took any time at all. With lessons done, CS Dad still sleepy and not feeling himself and me with hardly any voice, we opted for a quiet afternoon. Really quiet. ;)

Cyber School Dog, Nugga, naps.

Cyber School Dad, Walt, naps.

This was all I saw of Spawn most of the afternoon - that's the top of his head you see above the back of the chair there.

Nugga woke up and was feelin' her oats (and not respecting my personal space whatsoever).

There you have it. Our first two days of Project 365! Keep an eye out for more updates - SOON!

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Bentos Make the News!

For anyone who missed it last week: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/dining/09bento.html?_r=1

The slide show linked to the article is fantastic - excellent inspiration for all of us bento moms!

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Project 365: We're Taking the Plunge Here at The Cyber School Mom Diaries!

That's right, we're taking on Project 365 as a family. We'll take everyday pictures of our extraordinary ordinary life every day for 1 year. Cyber School Dad, Cyber School Mom, and Cyber School Spawn - each of us will take pictures of our day - the highlights and the lowlights - and you'll get to see the best of the best and the worst of the worst every day. =D

If you decide to try Project 365 because you read about it here, please link back to this blog entry on The Cyber School Mom Diaries as well as the originator, where I got the lowdown on Project 365 from, Photojojo!

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Overheard from the Backseat: Boogers

On our way home from our Cub Scout den meeting tonight, the boy was ranting in the backseat about how we "got a old dog an' it came wif a name. Next time, we're gettin' a puppy bulldog as Lola's pet dog an' I'm naming it 'Boogers the Baby Bulldog'."

The ranting continued after we swung through a drive-through to pick up a quick - albeit late - dinner..."An' when I grow up to be a big boy like you an' Daddy, I'm gonna get married to a lady who's growed up, too, an' we're gonna have lots of babies an' I'm gonna name our baby "Boogers".

Oh. My. WORD. :o There are not words to express how flippin' funny this one-sided rant was coming from my 7 year old's mouth in the back seat of the car after we had forbidden him from playing with and tickling a fellow Cub Scout's baby brother after the den meeting when he was all grubby from running around in the churchyard...

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Stuff I'm Digging This Week: 9/15/09

1. Practical Magic – my OTHER favorite movie. =D (See my previous Stuff I’m Digging blog for more info on my other favorite movie. ;))

2. Broomstick, patchwork skirts – nothing makes me feel more girly or autumnal. Really!

3. The Kadin by Bertrice Small. Ms. Small can often deal harshly, even viciously with her female lead characters in her other books and series. Cyra Kadin/Janet Leslie lives a rather charmed life in comparison to Small’s other great and well-known heroines (Skye O’Malley and Catriona Leslie). Maybe because it was Bertrice’s first ever historical romance. . .Just one of many reasons why I love this one so much, I suppose. ;)

4. Woolrich’s Flannel Sheets and Comforters – we’ve had a set of the red flannel sheets and a denim, patchwork comforter for years and they’re the best, softest, most luxurious way to enjoy a mid-afternoon nap on a dreary early autumn day.

5. Add a mess of eclectic pillows to those sheets and comforter to make a little nest for naptime and sink right into to that plush deliciousness!

6. Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden – my favorite autumn-is-nearly-here book! We often read this book as part of DJ’s science curriculum at the beginning of the school year when the focus is on plants, their parts, and the life cycle.

7. Farmville – if you have a facebook page, there’s no way you’ve missed facebook’s newest way to kill an hour – Farmville by Zynga Games. Plant crops, harvest crops, earn coins, expand your farm, and start all over. So addictive! I have to give myself a time-out from Farmville and force myself to go write some days. ;)

8. Ball Mason Jars – I haven’t done any canning in years, but I’ve been hooked on stories of friends lately doing their canning and I have this desperate itch to just buy the jars and use them to store things in instead of all these awful plastic baggies and containers until I can plant and harvest my own can-able crops next year. ;)

9. Method Sea Minerals Hand Soap – this must have salt or epsom salt or something in it. My hands are so soft! The scent is a little odd, but after a day or two, I adjusted to having my hands smell like my husband’s neck after he shaves with Burma Shave Shaving Soap. ;)

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom