Two, and three.

When our little white dog jumped into my arms one sunny morning I thought he looked like a Toto. so we originally called him "Toto". Then Orclette called him "Frodo". So my mother-in-law, not wishing to hurt anyone's feelings, registered him at the vet's as "Froto" in an effort to compromise the two names. I have decided that I'm going with the Orclette's name-Froto sounds like he's fruity. Just can't do it. Frodo is not housebroken. The in-laws managed to keep him pooping and peeing outside but I don't think he knew that's where he was supposed to go. He really likes going in the bathroom. That's where everyone else is going, right? :) So we're starting over and treating him like a puppy. I found a housebreaking plan for older dogs/puppies that seems logical and I'm following that. Basically lots of crate time with frequent trips outdoors and lots of praise and treats. I've got some books on dog training an...

We have a LOT of plans for the backyard. Here are some pictures to show you what they are. The yellow circle shows you where we're gonna plant sunflowers. Despite it being in shade the last two hours of the day it is in pure sunlight the rest of the day. That red circle. That shows you our newest planter. Lots of partial shade flowers and a new coat of paint possibly. And finally the full view. The area along the wall in front of and behind the boat will have nice polished river stones eventually. The wooden "dock" itself is going to have a coat of whatchamacallit to help prevent any FURTHER weather damage. We are going to get some nice packing sand and sprinkle it over the brick walkway to fill in the gaps. If we are here for the full three years we plan to then we will add grass in the middle on the right side of the path and try to grow some kind of spreading fern on the left. Further updates as they come.

And because TJ got a new dog I'm sure.... I present Froto. Have you ever seen a more vile evil despicable cur? He has ruthlessly tricked his way into our household by deceiving my daughter and wife and besieging their affections. BAH I SAY BAH!

Derek Whim smiled and waved at Lee Johnson as he walked to his cubicle. Lee was a good man, if an odd little one. Some kind of foreigner, he was overly polite, short enough to have to look up to make eye contact with Derek , nerdy as the day was long and didn’t talk much. Still, Derek had been the outsider in too many small towns not to go out of his way to be friendly to wallflowers and quiet types. No reason for anyone ever to feel left out. He made a mental note to be sure and drop by Lee’s office before heading out; and added an addendum to wear his jacket. Lee liked to keep his window office cold like a freezer. Poor guy must hate it here in the south Derek thought not for the first time. Well, time to get started on the day’s work orders. … “Hey Lee, about to go home, just figured I’d see how your project was going.” Derek waited politely at the doorway to Lee’s office. That was another perk of Lee’s, he wanted people to be invited in before they entered. ...

Due to everyone falling sick at some point last week, I missed 2 days and Damm missed 3. So we're repeating the last week of month 1. I really, really didn't want to have to stop-we were almost to month 2-but it gives us more muscle building time. In other news, although still relevant to INSANITY, I am back at Barnes & Noble. Primarily zoning & shelving, i.e. maintenance and prettiness. Muscles I had forgotten were there are screaming at me. I had forgotten how physically taxing it could be working in a bookstore:) BUT all the squatting and bending over has improved my performance in INSANITY: previous knee bends I had difficulty with before are now easy. So yay for that. With me being away 3-4 days a week now it's a scramble to continue eating healthfully, but I think we're still doing ok. Being near the cafe does not help, however. Frappuccino, anyone? I did take measurements last Friday but because we're repeating this week, and because I am writing this...

On one of our recent posts the question was asked, "Why homeschooling?" Over the years I've had the opportunity to explain, defend, and promote homeschooling. So of course I had to give a long-winded response. After typing and submitting my comment, I re-read it and was surprised at how good it sounded for a one-draft explanation. And so I decided to share it with all of you who do not eagerly follow all the comments made on our blog:) We have chosen to homeschool because we believe it to be a superior choice for our family. Both of us were homeschooled and are turning in stellar performances in college, as are our siblings. Both of us were socialized with all age groups, not just our peers. In public/private schools kids typically interact with only their age group. Homeschooling allowed our parents to school us according to how we learned best-auditory, visual, or kinetic-and didn't force us into a mold. As to social interaction ... my brothers and I were very invol...