a minute more

Thank you everyone for the responses to my last post. The book was great and stayed with me for a while. I read yesterday, The Year of Magical Thinking, which was the book this month for book club. It was very sad.. a woman's account of the year after her husband's death. (Not so much uplifting stuff coming out of bookclub lately...) It was extremely well-written and I certainly "got it." The author's need to keep retelling her story. Her feelings that her husband would come back some how even though she knew he wouldn't. It was a good book, just not one I would have picked up on my own. I guess that is why book club is good for me. =)

I have started to read the new Jodi Picoult book that mom mentioned and I will tell you more when I finish it. It too is quite interesting. I, as you know by now, like books that make you think. I feel there is a philosophy student hidden somewhere in me.. perhaps not so hidden now that I get to blather on to you good people!

In other news... We had a good day at school. Every day now includes PE too as Santa brought a trampoline to the Karp house and now the kids can't wait to get outside. I still am a bit nervous about having it... but the kids are playing together and getting exercise and those are both really good things! You will notice in the picture above.. the static in Caleb's hair from rolling around on the trampoline.

We are progressing through our studies and everyone is doing well. I really think that I was trying to do too much and by limiting our subjects a little... we are being more successful (to me as I feel a sense of accomplishment instead of the constant feeling that we aren't doing enough) and that is a great thing! We are working on our books. Bekah is finished with her story and Katie is pretty close. Just need to get those boys going.

I have been baking pumpkins. I bought pumpkins for decorations in the fall. I had this great idea that I would then bake them and freeze the pumpkin to add to different dishes. After Halloween the pumpkins went on sale for something like 50 cents. So.. I bought a couple more. I had to haul them down to the classroom at Christmas (they were clashing with my decorations) and brought them back up when we took Christmas down. I am baking pumpkins and pumpkin bread. And I am eating baked pumpkin.. though the kids aren't so excited about that. They do love the pumpkin bread though. I still have SEVERAL more pumpkins to bake up. Note to self... a little pumpkin goes a LOOONNG WAY!

I will leave you with this little tidbit that Caleb has been sharing lately. It comes from Veggie Tales.. but I didn't know that the first time he told it and I was quite amazed.

Caleb: "Mom, you have to eschew chocolate. (Now ask me what's eschew.)"

Me: " Okay.. Caleb, what is eschew."

Caleb: " Not much, what's eschew with you!! (much laughing here) Actually it means to give up or avoid, Mom."

Pretty funny right?? I think so. Good Grief.
So.. let me know... "What's eschew with you?"