What the hey?!.....

Having a wee bit of trouble with the homeschool blog :( boo hoo! I mean really, come on! Soooo.....there is a possibility we will be just blogging on the gigi and amy adventures blog from now on. I'm such a "clutter bug" in most things in my life.....I need to "simplify" anyway....not going to delete this blog, but it might be dormant for awhile!

Practically perfect penmanship!

Every day, Gracie enjoys practicing cursive in her cursive workbook. Opperative word here is "ENJOYS". Writing is something she must like....(I'm thankful)!

I advised G when we started that more than likely, down the road, the only thing she will write in cursive is her signature. I felt a bit sad saying this, for the hand-written word is becoming a thing of the past. We've attempted 2 times to start being penpals with other kiddos and the response has not been great. I'm guessing I need to get on a site for kiddo penpals....others seeking the same thing.....the joy of getting an envelope in the mail addressed to them! Not junk mail! An actual letter that someone took the time to write.......
The reason for G writing in RED PEN (erasable pen, btw) is because when she writes in the workbook in black, I really have a hard time telling which is which.
This, I feel, is a good problem.

Menchie's......you are toooooo sweet!

There is a fairly new area on the edge of Nashville that is starting to open some really wonderful establishments. One of them opened today....have you been to a Menchie's?
oh me. It's so delish. G got milk chocolate frozen yogurt with strawberries and milk chocolate chips. I got cake batter flavor fro yo and added some cheesecake bites. Then I got a wild hair (cause I roll that way) and tried MOCHI . YUM. It reminded me of a marshmellow flavor, very mild, with a bit of a gummy bear consistency. It's a Japanese confection made with rice.
Now I want to buy some Mochi.
Gee, thanks Menchie's........

On the drive to Menchie's (and a stop at Krogers to pick up meds as well as a return to Lowe's) G and I discussed the past year of homeschooling and talked about what we want to get out of 3rd grade which will start July 1st. We are going to the Nashville Home School curriculum fair in a couple of weeks and I FOR SURE feel better going into it this year. I have a better idea of what G is most receptive to and what holds her attention the best.
We will start out "summer break" when we leave for Disney with my family on May 21st. That gives G about 5 weeks off school totally.

This means we have less than a month left in 2nd grade. Year 1 will be under my belt. I'm thankful we started homeschooling in a grade that is a lot of review from the prior grade.
I really can't believe that we are almost finished. It has not all been a bed of roses, but we both feel like it's a good fit for us. I'm thanking God we are able to do this!

Spring Break fun

Today, a local eating establishment was being filmed for a future episode of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Foodnetwork.....
I am guessing it revolves around that spikey haired feller cause he didn't show until waaaayyyyy later than we had thought. Actually, we gave up and missed him. The girls got their Nanny to drive by again later and saw him thru the winder ;)

"Mama, can we........?"

".....Watch the Waltons when we are finished with school?!"

(although, she called them "The Wilsons" the first time)

"....print off the sign language alphabet ....I wanna learn it!"

".....get me an abacus? I like those things!"

I realize that my child is a little "different". I mean, she prefers fresh fruit to candy. She would rather HIDE the Easter Eggs for others instead of hunting them. She can hang out with a room full of women for 3 hours and paint pottery, all the while truly contributing to any and all conversations.........but I think this sort of different is cool. It isn't "pushed" upon her. She surely has her own sense of style, her own ideas, her own dreams. I don't know that I would call her "extra mature" or anything.....just different. That's cool with me. As long as she is being a good Christian example, as best she can, then I can't complain.....not.one.bit.

some of our top lessons learned while in NYC.....

that time spent with dear friends (this is G with Pastor Pete) in a different town is extra special memory making time.......
That GROM gelato in Greenwich Village is the most incredible sweet treat we've EVER had.....

That EVERYONE is wanting to make a buck (or two, or five) on each corner & they don't mind dressing up to do it...........

that riding the subway is a wonderful mode of transportation........

that you should NEVER get a pedicure right before going to a city where you do a ton of walking! Those rough spots on the feet are there to PROTECT and THICK (not those thin ones) SOCKS are a MUST!!!!!

It was wonderful, gnarly blisters and all......more photos (and learning experiences!) to come.....

Learning to Give.....

I wish I could say that I have taught our child to give to others......but I have to give God Almighty the credit....He is the one who gave her the EXTRA-giving heart! Please go to our other blog to see the story........she is a precious child. I know she will do many great things in her life....this is just the beginning........

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Me & my Daddy, Easter 1972, out back of my Granna & Pappy's house

Tomorrow, St. Patty's Day, is extra special 'cause it's my Daddy's birthday! The big 65! In this photo above, he was 27 years old......insane!!!
I love this photo....I have incredible memories of my grandparent's house on Paragon Mills Road in Nashville. Our property on Tampa Drive backed up to theirs so we could cut through and be there in 2 seconds. Can you see the metal steps on the far left of the photo? Well, every so often I drive by the house, clustered in the middle of a bunch of little "shacks" basically, and the last time I went, I knocked on the door and asked if I could walk around back, that it was my mother's childhood home. They let me (thank you) and when I saw those stairs, I burst into tears! Where Daddy and I are standing is now part of the yard. It's amazing how things change....and how time flies. Happy Birthday to Gracie's Poppa. You've are the greatest Daddy and Poppa the world has ever known! ;) (well, in MY world at least! ha ha)

a new "discovery" for G.....

The G girl has discovered poetry......she is really diggin' it.....

Especially the work of this odd lookin' dude....
Shel Silverstein!!!

We un-earthed my copy of "A Light in the Attic" that I purchased when I was in college and taking a children and adolescent lit course. Man, that was a fun class.....

We purchased a copy today of "Where the Sidewalk Ends".....

I've gotta find my copy of "The Giving Tree" and check out some of his other work.

He used to sort of scare me. I find him quite talented and brilliant now....

"problem" solvin'.....

G and her new "mini me" from the Barbie Basics collection.....

not really a "problem" to solve, but these sassy little shoes were just the plain slip on mule and really, really, really would NOT stay on her feet! We grabbed a roll of skinny black ribbon and voila! Perfecto! We decided they looked better this way anyway......
(she's gotta show off that red pedicure, ya know......)

We Love.......

The Film? The incredible Actor?.....Both!

LuLu's voice? Her songs? Her acting?.....all 3!

If you have not seen "To Sir With Love", please do. When I was about 15 years old I was enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon with my Mama. We were watching tv and happened to catch the beginning of this wonderful film. Some years later, I found it on VHS. I wore my copy out. I love the music, the accents, Lulu, the fab gear everyone wears.....most of all I love the message. Sidney Poitier?? My word, he is awesome.

So, we rented it on Netflix. Gigi trusts my judgement in stuff to watch.....I mean,afterall, I am the one who turned her on to Happy Days, Gidget, The Monkees, The Patty Duke Show, Laverne & Shirley, etc. etc. etc......

so the 3 of us sat down after dinner and watched it. The racial and social status issues during the 60's are a great lesson opportunity(and you know I took that bait, man!)
I sadly put the red envelope in the mail today......

I must find a copy on DVD.

Play it cool, Daddy-O......

As we prepare for our field trip to NYC, I've been hunting down my personal film archives for films set in NYC to watch in the afternoons (or on our creative Fridays) and today we watched West Side Story. Well.....almost all of it....**(see below)
Aside from incredible choreography and theatrics, there is a lot to be learned in this classic musical.....it's about cultural barriers/racial issues, the time period/history, sociology...you get it. We discussed these things throughout the film. Racial lines that society draws are thankfully less severe (at least in our corner of the world) but it's still there and we discuss it when a learning experience comes along......I saw this as a great opportunity, the issues between the white "Jets" and the Puerto Rican "Sharks"......

Tony and Maria's love story is tragic....and short lived. Boy, I love Natalie Wood. I believe I might need to find some non fiction books about her. What a gorgeous life ended too soon.....

**(Gracie started crying a little during the rumble when Riff and Bernardo were stabbed and killed.....then she straightened up. But when Chino killed Tony, she started bawling, picked up the remote and swiftly turned the movie off! Such a tender heart.....maybe just a *tad* too tender.........) I wanted to sing to her....."Play it cool, Gracie-O".....but bit my tongue.

We shall try it again....when she is a little older.....

stickin' like glue......

Rose has become G's shadow. She sleeps with her and supervises her school sessions on the computer by sitting on the back of G's chair (photos to come).....Rose will be 15 this summer (or is it 16?!) and since her sister Cosey passed away 2 years ago, she has really become a social butterfly-kitty!
School is going great......we have added a great supplemental program on the computer called "Time 4 Learning". She looooooooooves it! She easily spends an hour on English, Math, Science and Social Studies, so I set a timer to remind us to move on to the next task! I'm guessing this is because of the computer age kiddos way of learning......amazing. I can go in to the site under the parent's login and see her grades and where she is on lessons. Gotta love that! Her cursive is beautiful and she is learning the importance of writing to people. Rhythmic gymnastics is great.....no more tears when she doesn't do something perfect right away....her coach was bragging on that last night. I'm so proud of my smart, sweet, polite, precious girl!

Math, Social Studies, History & Bible in the kitchen!

the child grated a whole pound of mozzarella today!!!!

smilin' all the way......

while old Rose Marie enjoys a ramekin of sweet tea with sonic ice!

Today we have been in the kitchen a LARGE part of the day.....having a great time, too. We played my iPod on shuffle & heard some Elvis gospel, Beatles, Rosemary Clooney Christmas (yep. Christmas too!) and sang, danced and learned a few things........

1) we were cooking for Pa Pa and Ma Jo.....we wanted to help out (ever so slightly) with some lasagna, hanky panky sandwiches and cream cheese brownies. This was our "Bible", where we learn that God wants us to love and help each other. Ma Jo is always so wonderful about cooking meals for people, especially when they are down. When my sister Joy was on bed rest with the triplets early in her pregnancy, Ma Jo brought a meal to them EVERY week. I'll always be thankful for that gift. A comforting meal and throw away pans is a good thing when you are tired, both physically AND emotionally!

2) We were finishing up our NYC Social studies/History unit and the last activity was to create 2 recipes that are "native" to NYC. We decided on Coney Island sauce for hot dogs (which are Nathan's hot dogs from NY) and then for dessert we are going to try a recipe from NY dating back to the late 1800's/early 1900's called Chocolate Egg Cream. There are no eggs and no cream in this "sort of" milkshake. We shall see and give a report on how they both went after dinner tonight!
3) Of course, Math is ALL OVER cooking/baking......we were in the kitchen ALL DAY because we went through every single step, and I intentionally used sizes of measuring cups that were not called for so she could tell me how many cups would equal the measurement called for. For instance, one ingredient was for 3 cups. I used a 1/2 cup size & asked how many I needed to add to equal 3 cups. Within about 2 seconds....seriously....she said "SIX!". I think she got her math skills from her Poppa! ha ha! (certainly not from me!)
We started our school day a little early, took a break around the time we normally begin, finished up and then hit the kitchen......we are 2 tired girls, but 2 very happy girls.....God is good & we are thankful to have ingredients to cook with, a car to carry food to our family that we love, and the blessing of homeschooling that is possible because Daddy works so hard......

check out the penmanship.......

Gracie did this very quickly today, with a NON-erasable pen, even! The cursive is really coming along, wouldn't you say?! I'm impressed!

Our February so far.....

G and Miss Tiffy

(Miss Tiffy graduated with me from high school....we were both on the Castner Knott teen board for DLHS, and....well.....she is a professional model who has lived in Japan for about 15 years! Thru Facebook, we found each other again and she instantly connected with Gigi....we met her at the airport this month when she came home to take care of some things....she is a precious, beautiful woman who is so humble. She said that she and G "get each other" because they are both transplanted to different countries, being the major minority. I love Tiffy & of course, Gracie does too!)
Aragato, Miss Tiffy, for bringing me a kimono from Japan!

Another new thing in February: we are back in the gym! This time, G is taking rhythmic gymnastics, which is a combo of gymnastics and dance with hoops, ribbons, balls and ropes. It is beautiful and VERY HARD.....you not only control your own body, but you have to control the props too! G is going to be very good at this....right now she is just frustrated because she doesn't get it right the first time, every time. It is TIME to get over that.....she did very well on her 2nd lesson,no tears....until they had play time at the end in the pit.....a teenager jumped close and she did a canonball and smacked her knee into her little nose....up near the top, between the eyes! She was a trooper though and there is no swelling/bruising :)

Gracie and my Scentsy "favorites" that she stacked up!

I am now a Scentsy rep. If you have not heard of Scentsy, you need to try it out! These are the best sellers/favorites by sales (not necessarily my personal favorites)....there are over 80 different scents, and the wax is in a "bar" form with break apart "cubes". The cubes melt in beautiful warmers that are heated by a light bulb....no fire/danger, no soot. SAFE. You can mix cubes to make "Scentsy recipes"....like adding vanilla cubes to a cinnamon cube....etc. G is ready to play in the kitchen when I get more bars to play with......but I am not going to cut her loose in the "Scentsy kitchen".....it will be a project for BOTH of us! She is going to make herself a little Scentsy cookbook :)

G with Rose in her red kid's recliner that she got for Valentines Day & Chinese New Year

Rose loves G's chair....at least she gets on the back of it to "share" with the owner! ha ha! G has her little Nick "slime" laptop too....she has an email address and writes to her grandparents, cousins, aunts, me and Daddy. We are going to start in April with some online homeschool curriculum or "e-learning" to supplement our eclectic curriculum. She has worked on some sample lessons and LOVES it!

I have given up facebook for lent, so I am hoping to get in a better habit of blogging and when the 40 days are up, I am hoping to just get on facebook once or twice a week. I have neglected the blogs and I blame facebook! :)

We have an exciting month coming up.....New York City to celebrate my 40th! We are doing a whole homeschool unit in history/social studies on the big apple! Lots going on while we learn barefoot......and often in our pj's!

"Fresh Fashions by Gigi"

note the use of both vertical and horizontal stripes.....the blending of "old" and "new"....
the back view......

and a close up.....

Fresh, if you are new to our blogs, is the blanket that Gracie loves beyond belief.....we gave it to her the night we first had her in China. I took 2 blankets: "Fresh" (a carter's blanket), which is a waffle weave, the other was also carter's.....that John Lennon collection that was more of a jersey cotton t-shirt fabric. I didn't know fresh would be "special"......

Of course, it was well into their relationship that I decided we would need a "back up fresh".....of course, those were DISCONTINUED! Aunt Amy was at the right place, the right time and found one at a consignment sale......fresh then got a sister....."sister fresh"....

Look at the difference in them......so funny!

Gracie uses fresh for everything......a turban, a cape, you name it.....but most of all, a best buddy of comfort. Truly, it was the first thing that WAS ALL HER OWN. No wonder she loves it so!!!! It got the name "fresh" because when she was learning to talk, I would beg her to let me wash it and when it came out of the dryer I would say "oh, smell how fresh it is!!!!"

You know, I'm gonna be sad when Gracie retires the old gal.....

Fresh is awfully faithful :)

Julie, Julia and a bushel and a peck.....

Today after school, Gi and I watched "Julie & Julia".....oh, how we enjoyed this film! Gi has always loved to watch cooking on tv. I had no idea that Julie started a blog (which is something I love....although I've been bad about doing it lately, well,......in a long time....) I am so very much like Julie.....Julie Powell made comments throughout the movie that she never completed things....she needed small deadlines......not good at housekeeping....felt like she was "ADD" with said things above. I can relate.

Meryl Streep has to be my very favorite actress. My favorite actors are Jimmy Stewart and Tom Hanks. She is incredible & I always want to see her in any movie is appears in.......

In the film, the score/music is wonderful too....."A Bushel & a Peck" from Guys & Dolls is included toward the end. I have it in my head now, but that's a good thing! (you get to see it below):) After the movie, I asked Gracie to write and/or draw a photo to put in her "extras composition book". Below is what she drew. She said she wanted it black and white, it would look best that way.....I like what she wrote: cooking is important for people. I'm glad she got that out of the movie, cause it really is so very true.

Check out her cursive "Julie and Julia".....I love it!

I love you, a bushel and a peck!

A bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck!

A hug around the neck, and a barrel and a heap

A barrel and a heap, and I'm talkin' in my sleep.

About you. About you! About you! My heart is leapin'! I'm having trouble sleepin'!

'Cause I love you,

a bushel and a peck You bet your pretty neck I do!

Doodle, oodle, oodle. Doodle, oodle, oodle. Doodle oodle oodle oo.

I love you, a bushel and a peck A bushel and a peck, go and beats me all to heck!

Beats me all to heck how I'll ever tend the farm

Ever tend the farm when I want to keep my Arms - about you

- About you! About you!

The cows and chickens are goin' to the dickens!

'Cause I love you a bushel and a peck

You bet your pretty neck I do

- Doodle oodle oodle Doodle oodle oodle Doodle oodle oodle, oo!

Good-bye now!

*****Netflix can get their copy back of Julie & Julia, but you know that it is a "keeper" in the Bryan girls' library!*****

"Lovely Lady Liberty"......

".....with her book of recipes, and the finest one she's got.....

THE GREAT AMERICAN MELTING POT!"

(from School House Rock)

I've been saying for about the past 2 years that I wanted to go somewhere to celebrate my 40th in 2010. The birthday is at the end of this month.....we are waiting until mid March to go to NEW YORK CITY!!!!! Rhett and I went to cover the draft when the Titans got Vince Young, but we were "working" most of the time at the draft in Radio City Music Hall. This time, we are going for 3 nights and 4 days and taking Gracie with us!!!! I plan to nail down all the details in the next week or two, but you must know, we are going to make this a "learning trip" too! I have ordered a history unit on NYC and Gracie and I will be putting the notebook together and learning about some of the things we are going to see in the big apple! I'm so thankful that she enjoys learning new things as much as I do!
So far, we know we will go to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Ground Zero. We are going to see a broadway show and I believe our pick is "Mary Poppins" (so we must watch and read that between now and March as well!)

If anyone has suggestions/ideas/etc. , please let me know!
We will be NY experts before long.....

I'm looking forward to celebrating my big 4-0!

of card games & dictionaries.....

discovering a new game that was in G's stocking.....

I believe this will be a good learning tool for school.....how did Santa know that?

Looking in all of the children's dictionaries we have.....the gold-covered one was mine as a child....they are all different and the new game QUIDDLER, was what sparked this new interest......it's a small world building game and we LOVE it! Who says learning can't be fun?!!!!