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[[deleted user]]

She took a road test with the driver's ed instructor and scored 98 out of 100. I think the only restriction on passengers, is the number of kids must equal the number of seat belts. Quite a few kids drive their friends to school functions, I suppose. I already have warned her about being distracted by other passengers. (I got into an accident that way myself, many years ago.)

[Kathy]

Christine, as a coffee lover (started to say addict, but love is more expressive of the relationship), I sure hope you get your coffee maker straightened out soon. I was talking to my mother-in-law the other day about our horrible ice storm of 2009, and we agreed that not being able to make coffee in the morning was definitely the worst part of it. LOL! Not freezing to death or no lights, but no morning coffee. I was able to get out after the first day and buy coffee at the gas station/quick mart, and I would take my mother-in-law some, too.

Jeannette, yay for your daughter's safe solo trip! I didn't know you could get a learner's permit that young. Wow! It's 16 in Kentucky for learner's permit and license. So, how old is your daughter now? 15?

Gundula, good luck on all your driving tests. I hate to say this, but I actually like parallel parking. I know that most people don't enjoy parallel parking at all. I think I like that it's something that my son tells me I do really well. It's so seldom I can impress my kids. LOL!

I am going to take it easy today and recuperate from the weekend with my granddaughter. I love having her here, but I do seem to get a bit tired. Nine year olds have an extraordinary amount of energy.

[[deleted user]]

My daughter is 16 and has a "graduated" license. You have to drive with an adult on a learner's permit if you are under 16. I think many of the laws in the US hearken back to the days when this country was more rural and kids were operating farm equipment at an early age.

I did my first Japanese lesson today! I sang the Japanese Alphabet song -- woohoo! My daughter is helping me. She says my Japanese characters are very nicely drawn. :)

[Manybooks]

Jeannette wrote: "My daughter is 16 and has a "graduated" license. You have to drive with an adult on a learner's permit if you are under 16. I think many of the laws in the US hearken back to the days when this c..."

I'd love to learn Japanese or Chinese. But, I think I would have a lot of trouble drawing the characters, I don't draw very well at all and even my printing and cursive writing is barely legible. Hope you enjoy your lessons!!

[Kathy]

Jeannette, I am so impressed by your endeavor to learn Japanese. So very cool! Oh, and I'm sure that a lot of rural driving laws are still in effect. And, even where they aren't, I know kids on farms learn to drive at a pretty early age, mostly out of necessity. I like the different grades of licenses. I'm not really sure what it is in KY now, but when my kids got theirs, they had to have a permit for 6 months and drive with an adult, then they could take their road test for their license. I think even then it was marked for a while (maybe until age 18) with a teen license marker.

[Joy]

Christine wrote: "Good Monday morning to everyone!! WooHoo, it's Monday! Booyah Monday! (Does that sound real enough? Do you all think that I really am excited that it's Monday? I'm practicing for Wednesday and the..."

That's cute Christine - WooHoo and Booyah it's Monday to you too!

[[deleted user]]

Jeannette wrote:I did my first Japanese lesson today! I sang the Japanese Alphabet song -- woohoo!

Yay! Good job, you get a sticker!

[Lee, Mod Mama]

Ahhh, don't get me started on the stickers.

[[deleted user]]

We never got stickers when I was in school. Thanks, Christine, I will treasure it! :)

[[deleted user]]

Okay, here I go....WooHoo! It's Tuesday morning! This is awesome! Good morning! Let's embrace Tuesday! (Okay, that was probably over the top. No child is going to buy that. Good thing I have this last morning to practice for the real thing.)

[Kathy]

Christine, I should have had my coffee before reading your post, am rectifying that mistake now.

[[deleted user]]

Good morning! I'm late but I had my eye checkup today and everything is blurry now. I tried bookswap this week and have one book to mail and one book on the way. This could be dangerous for me -- $4 books seem so easy to buy. :)

Have a fun Tuesday! Breathe Christine.....

[Kathy]

I have finally uploaded a couple of pictures of my girls to my profile pics. Izzy will be 1 this Friday and Journie is 9.

[[deleted user]]

Kathy wrote: "I have finally uploaded a couple of pictures of my girls to my profile pics. Izzy will be 1 this Friday and Journie is 9."

Very adorable!

[Lisa]

Kathy wrote: "I have finally uploaded a couple of pictures of my girls to my profile pics. Izzy will be 1 this Friday and Journie is 9."

Both are incredibly cute!

[[deleted user]]

I'm a nervous wreck. I'll never be able to pull off the "WooHoo Wednesday" thing if I am having a stroke. (For those who don't know, after years of homeschooling both of my kids are returning to school tomorrrow...I am wondering what I was thinking.)

[[deleted user]]

What you are thinking is that this is a good thing for those kids that you love so much! What you are thinking is that you will show no fear until they are safely in the school building! Eat a 1/2 dozen cupcakes for breakfast (or right now if you have to)!! You and they CAN DO THIS! Fake woohoo-ing is optional -- just don't cry! xoxoxo

[[deleted user]]

Thank you, Jeannette. As I read your message I was eating a chocolate nugget (at 5:30 in the morning). I didn't sleep more than an hour tops. However, I will do as you say and show no fear.

Emma got up in a good mood. She's getting ready. I'll get BJ up soon...his school starts an hour later than her's does.

[[deleted user]]

Good job, Christine! Let us know how the first day of school turns out. :)

[[deleted user]]

Well, Christine, are you napping or in the ER??? Hope everything went well for the kids (and you). hugs!!

[[deleted user]]

A belated good morning to everyone! I started my exercise program this morning. The weather is turning towards Fall and it was a bit chilly this morning. So, I took a brisk, 30 minute walk in the neighborhood. Then I stood chatting with a sixth-grader at the bus stop for 20 minutes. She was a toddler when we moved here!

Back in the house I did my Japanese lesson for today. geez! It is not a simple language, but I'm having fun!

Have a great day everyone! :)

Good luck tomorrow Gundula! What's up with you these days, Hayes??

[[deleted user]]

Guess who's celebrating his 80th birthday? It is hard to believe, isn't it?



My husband just sent me this picture! :D

[Kathy]

I'm just now able to check in and post today, just had a lot of errands to run. Thanks Lisa and Christine for your nice comments about my granddaughters. Christine, I hope your kids had a good day at school today. I know it was hardest on you. Let us know how everything went. Jeannette, wow on the Sean Connery pic. Have you seen the Saturday night live segments with Will Farrell playing Sean on Jeopardy? Pretty funny!

I will be keeping Izzy (the almost 1-yr.-old) tomorrow and am hoping I can keep up with her now that she is walking all over the place. The birthday part is this coming Saturday.

[[deleted user]]

Good morning to you all!
I am trying to adjust to this new routine, but so far nobody has been late to anything. :)
Emma had to go to this sports boosters thing last night (a school spirit thing at the football field) where they intorduced all of the sports teams. Anyway, we didn't get home until about 8:00, and then she had homework (for the first time in many years). She's overwhelmed, but she's doing it...she'll be okay.

BJ had a great first day yesterday. He told me that he has 7 new friends. :) This morning he was practicing holding his backpack the "middle school way", whatever that means. He definitely knew what he meant. Haha!

I miss having them at home and teaching. However, I am glad that thngs are going well so far.

[[deleted user]]

I am glad to hear this, Christine. I will miss the teaching, too. Lea just got offered admission to Iowa State, for Fall 2011. Things go way too fast!

[Lee, Mod Mama]

Christine, I hope your kids adjust well! :-)
I know you are sad.

[Lee, Mod Mama]

Jeannette, that's awesome news about Lea! Congratulations! Is that the school she wants to attend? Did she apply to many?

[[deleted user]]

Lee wrote: "Jeannette, that's awesome news about Lea! Congratulations! Is that the school she wants to attend? Did she apply to many?"

She wanted to stay close to home AND study Japanese. We found a small, private college she liked ($$$$). Iowa State is 10 minutes away, and I managed to find Japanese online at another university, and she finally met a great adviser at ISU. So, yes, she wants to go to ISU. She applied to one school. We got brochures from many more!

[Lee, Mod Mama]

That's fantastic! I'm amazed you know so far ahead where she will be next fall!

[[deleted user]]

Lee wrote: "That's fantastic! I'm amazed you know so far ahead where she will be next fall!"

I like the idea that she will be close to home -- before she goes off to study abroad. :)

[[deleted user]]

Jeannette wrote: "I am glad to hear this, Christine. I will miss the teaching, too. Lea just got offered admission to Iowa State, for Fall 2011. Things go way too fast!"

Congratulations to her!!

[Joy]

Jeannette - congrats to Lea! My younger sister graduated from Iowa State. My older sis and I graduated from the Univ. of Iowa. Many moons ago...:)

[[deleted user]]

Thanks everyone! :) It has been a few years since I was a senior in high school -- it's all rather vague.

[[deleted user]]

Gundula -- today was test day wasn't it? Did you do okay or did parallel parking get you?

[[deleted user]]

Yes, what happened with the test?

I think I missed a birthday today...was it you, Joy?? I have to go check.

[[deleted user]]

Ah!! I did miss you, Joy! Sorry! Happy late birthday!

[Manybooks]

Jeannette wrote: "Gundula -- today was test day wasn't it? Did you do okay or did parallel parking get you?"

The parking was fine, but I was too slow getting onto the freeway, so I'll have to do it again. Not a big deal, though, I've gotten farther than I ever thought I would.

Oh yeah, on the weekend, one of my uncles called from Europe (he lives in France) and tried to verbally teach me how to parallel park. I had to actually tell him to stop, he was not only confusing me, but he was telling me things that I think are legal in Europe, but illegal in North America. According to him, if I'm parallel parking, I am actually allowed to touch the bumper of the cars behind me and in front of me. I know that if I did that in Canada (and likely the USA, I would not only fail, but get a ticket), but maybe in Europe things are different (I know parking space is a real problem in many European cities).

[[deleted user]]

Keep going Gundula! Anything you achieve as an adult is really tremendous. My mother never learned to drive, because my father's first attempts scared her off permanently. And my one sister-in-law won't go on the freeway ever!

I don't know about how they park in France. That's why all the cars in Europe are on the small side. :)

[[deleted user]]

Good morning everyone! Today is garage sale day and the weather is fine! I sold $100 worth of books at the homeschool picnic last night -- my "Going-out-of-Business" sale. I was glad that so many of my books went to good homes.

Have a great day! :)

[[deleted user]]

Jeannette wrote: "Good morning everyone! Today is garage sale day and the weather is fine! I sold $100 worth of books at the homeschool picnic last night -- my "Going-out-of-Business" sale. I was glad that so man..."

Going-out-of-business sale, haha! That's cute! I have a gillion books, but I better wait to get rid of mine in case our plans change again.

Do you realize how many cupcakes you can get for $100?

[[deleted user]]

No, but I might try to find out! :P

We are taking the girl out to her favorite Thai restaurant tomorrow to celebrate her admission to Iowa State. My husband, el Cheapo, decided this all on his own! (The Thai place is very good, but pricey.)

[[deleted user]]

Yum! That sounds wonderful!

[[deleted user]]

fresh spring rolls in a cucumber sauce, pineapple fried rice and a glass of wine...... ah! (well, she doesn't get the wine.)

[[deleted user]]

You're making me hungry...cut that out! ;)

[[deleted user]]

bwaaahhhaha! *sigh* we aren't going until Saturday or Sunday anyway. Now I'm hungry.....

[Manybooks]

Jeannette wrote: "Keep going Gundula! Anything you achieve as an adult is really tremendous. My mother never learned to drive, because my father's first attempts scared her off permanently. And my one sister-in-l..."

Actually, the reason why it took me so long to learn to drive was because my father insisted on teaching me, and he was such a total jerk (and that's putting it mildly) as a teacher, I decided I was not going to lower myself, but also that I was probably useless at it. Don't ever let yourself or your child be taught by a family member, significant other etc. (my boyfriend basically told me to take lessons, that it would not be good for our relationship if he tried to teach me, and he was/is so right about that).

[[deleted user]]

Gundula,
Some of my worst memories are of my mother trying to teach me to (a) drive, (b) play tennis, and (c) snap. I'm not even kidding about the snapping thing. I had to learn for a school play when I was in first grade, and she got so mad at me because I couldn't do it. Sheesh!

[Manybooks]

Christine wrote: "Gundula,
Some of my worst memories are of my mother trying to teach me to (a) drive, (b) play tennis, and (c) snap. I'm not even kidding about the snapping thing. I had to learn for a school play..."

Your mother sounds like my father, no patience and ready to call someone a mean name, like "stupid" very easily. For me, words were/are always worse (or at least just as bad) than sticks and stones. That snapping story takes the cake, my father got mad because I couldn't learn how to whistle on demand and did not sit straight enough on a horse (so, I stopped riding, because, as we had our own horses, we bred horses, my parents were our riding instructors).

[[deleted user]]

Oh oh! I have another one! She would sit in the bleachers during my gymnastics class, and then she would flip out all the way home because of something I screwed up. She made me hate gymnastics (and tennis...and snapping).

[[deleted user]]

Gundula,
I still can't whistle! Haha!