School Shopping

Little Monkey is trying my patience today. So far the patience is winning, I think. No crazy antics, but lots of whining and fits. But they don't last, and I have won both of the major events.

Big Sister is trickier, since her disobedience is more 'reasonable'. Getting up from quiet time to ask me to read the directions on an activity page, for example. We are instituting a sound-free zone around here during quiet time. Also eye-contact free.

I made two batches of Mmmmmocha ice cream today. Maybe it's Mmmmmocha Ammmmmaretto. It has almond extract in it, anyway. VERY tasty. The first batch is still churning, the second is just going to freeze with lots of icy crystals in it. I decided I'll take my Mmmmocha icy if I must. Maybe it's "Iced Mmmmocha" flavor. Hmm...

Apparently Hubby made an omelet for breakfast today. My egg-white container was empty and there was a very eggy pan to wash. I know there were at least 2 batches worth of egg-whites there, which adds up to eighteen egg whites! At least! Plus as many eggs as he added to give it some 'regular' color. Breakfast of Champions! And he is, actually. He's lost over 40 lbs since February. I ran across a picture of him from winter, and I can't believe the difference. And he's really a very quiet, sober guy, so I have to post these pictures. Back when we had Sears do family portraits, the photographers were always surprised at how he would NOT smile. Catching such antics is a blessing. And yes, he's showing his 'good eye.'

Speaking of Mmmmocha ice cream, each batch takes 9 egg yolks, 9 cups of the heaviest cream around, 1/2 cup of honey and/or maple syrup, plus the cocoa, arrowroot powder, vanilla, almond extract, and coffee. I have made a lot of ice cream. If food becomes so scarce the world starts to starve, we're going to be the fattest people in the state, providing we still have electricity for the freezers.

Today is my beautiful sister-in-law's 23rd birthday! Twenty-three on the 23rd! Happy Golden Birthday, Amy!!!

I have almost finished shopping for homeschool stuff this year. It has been an adventure. I purchased this printer brand new for $55 less than retail. Well, $5 less than what Costco is advertising today, after a rebate. The printer prints both sides of a page, very quickly, very cheaply, and is important for printing out veritable books from things like this curriculum, which I bought second hand, but unused, for $72.50 less than retail. I bought the Teacher Edition of Saxon's Math 1 and 2 for about $33, shipped. They're used, but when each of them is regularly $60 + shipping, I'll take a creased cover. I found this lovely book (at least I assume it's lovely, it sounds like it is) for raising up daughters. Counting shipping, I saved over $22. And lastly, I bought the starter and completer sets of Math*U*See manipulatives and saved $18.49. That adds up to saving over $250 for things I've had on my list as very needed for this year. God bless ebay, and to the person trying to get that robinson curriculum for at least the second time, please don't hate me, I'm praying that you win an auction for it too. I still need to buy the student workbook things for the math, and I'd like to get some other small things, but the big spending is out of the way, and I think we came out way ahead. Especially since much of it can be used in upcoming school years, and with younger siblings.

Thank you, Lord!