Five Minutes For Mom is giving away a Dyson Slim vacuum!  Go check it out.

I’m not back yet.  You may, or may not have noticed that.  We seem to have a slight bug or something here.  When you add that to our roaring case of Spring Fever, our family just isn’t getting much of interest done these days.

I’m not really supposed to be here right now.  I’m supposed to be in the other room overseeing schoolwork (they are currently reading quietly), and getting a little housework done.  I guess the TEACHER is playing hooky at the computer!

 

Our days have been relatively quiet.  The children and I went thrift shopping over the weekend and found some great bargains.   We also attended the “Friends and Family” night at Sears on Sunday.  Eaglewood, Sneefert and Puddleglum all won things in the drawings.  That’s more than rare: it’s positively unheard of!  We just aren’t the sort of family that ever wins stuff.   Other than talking to my folks (whom I REALLY miss) and finishing another book or two from my ever-expanding list, there’s nothing to tell.  Our days are busy, yet unexciting.  Of course, I kind of like quiet days… 

What kind of poetry are you?

Thanks to Mama Squirrel and Headmistress Zookeeper!

I am the sonnet, never quickly thrilled; Not prone to overstated gushing praise Nor yet to seething rants and anger, filled With overstretched opinions to rephrase; But on the other hand, not fond of fools, And thus, not fond of people, on the whole; And holding to the sound and useful rules, Not those that seek unjustified control. I’m balanced, measured, sensible (at least, I think I am, and usually I’m right); And when more ostentatious types have ceased, I’m still around, and doing, still, alright. In short, I’m calm and rational and stable – Or, well, I am, as much as I am able.   (If you were not a Sonnet you would be Heroic Couplets.)

Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times.  It is not considered sufficient that the law should be just; it must also be philanthropic.  Nor is it sufficient that the law should guarantee to every citizen the free and inoffensive use of his faculties for physical, intellectual, and moral self-improvement.  Instead, it is demanded that the law should directly extend welfare, education and morality throughout the nation.


This is the seductive lure of socialism.  And I repeat again: These two uses of the law are in direct contradiction to each other.  We must choose between them.  A citizen cannot at the same time be free and not free.

 

In my personal opinion, the most interesting thing about this quote from Mr. Frederic Bastiat is that he wrote these words in 1850 shortly following the French Revolution!  He was speaking not of the USA today, but of the creeping influence of socialism in France.

HT to Mommy Brain (Thanks!).

1. Where/How did you meet? We met at church.  Both times.

2. How long have you known each other? We originally met when we were seventeen, so I guess we have known each other for about 20 years!

3. How long after you met did you start dating? We didn’t really start dating in a traditional sense.  Eaglewood’s brother and sis-in-law used to take us with them whenever they went out as free babysitting.   Eaglewood and I can both be a little reclusive.  I think they were trying to encourage us to be more social and to get out more.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged? I have NO idea.  It wasn’t very long, though.

5. How long was your engagement? About three or four months.

6. How long have you been married? 16 years.

7. What is your anniversary? September 14th (just one day after my parents’ anniversary!).

8. How many people came to your wedding reception? None.  We eloped on our lunch hour and didn’t have a reception.

9. What kind of cake did you serve? No cake.

10. Where was your wedding? In a neighboring town.

11. What did you serve for your meal? No meal.  We didn’t even have time to grab lunch!

12. How many people were in your wedding party? No one at all.

13. Are you still friends with them all? That WOULD be difficult, wouldn’t it?

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? No.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? Every moment that we were together.

16. Any funny moments? Eaglewood forgot his wallet.

17. Any big disasters? See above.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? Fort Worth, TX.

19. How long were you gone? Two days.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? Probably nothing.  We might have invited Eaglewood’s brother and sis-in-law, though.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? The right.

22. What size is your bed? Queen

23. Greatest strength as a couple? We laugh together a LOT.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple? I’m not sure.  This one seems to change fairly often.  Every time we work through some great challenge, another pops up!  I imagine it must be that way for a lot of people.

25. Who literally pays the bills? Eaglewood

26. What is your song? We’ve never really had one.  

27. What did you dance your first dance to? We didn’t have a dance.

28. Describe your wedding dress: Since we eloped, I just wore the one that I had worn to church on Easter.

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? None.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? No.

31. How old were you when you got married? 21.

I have absolutely nothing of interest to say these days.  I’m even starting to bore myself which actually isn’t terribly difficult since I am a little hyper.  However, for those who might actually be somewhat interested in the minutiae of our lives…

Puddleglum had a dandy sixth birthday.  He had a super-hero themed party and thoroughly enjoyed himself.  The cake, however, did not survive.  May it rest in pieces.

Eaglewood is away on a business trip today.  I don’t remember where he went; just that he will be back home in time for dinner.

Ditto and Pookie have been taking turns being sick this week.  I’m happy to report that what they are suffering from is just a really nasty case of allergies, and I am grateful for the fact that they never seem to be sick at the same time! 

I am once again making some headway into my reading list.  I’m trying to actually get most of the way through the current stack before I let myself add another book.  It probably won’t work out that way.  My family seems to have both a serious book addiction and an absolute talent for finding really cheap books!  Even my younger children have become nearly expert at finding hidden book treasures at book sales, used book stores, and garage sales, or wherever else we might be where someone is selling books!  On the plus side, our book addiction has helped to limit the children’s collective interest in things like television over the years!

New homeschooling catalogs have begun arriving in my mailbox.  Happily, this should continue until September!  Can you feel the excitement?

Even after all of these years together (and sometimes BECAUSE of them), Eaglewood is still my hero.

 

To a child born with a delightful sense of humor, an enormous heart, and incredible perseverance, “happy birthday”!  You have always been a joy to your father and I, and I am sure you always will be.  We love you Little Man.

Today is a particularly lovely day both inside and out, and my little family is planning on enjoying it to the fullest.  As a homeschooling family, we don’t exactly get bad weather days off… so, when Spring Fever hits us the hardest (and it is running rampant here today!), we take off “beautiful days”.   We’ll be back to blogging soon.  In the meantime, here are a few pictures from previous “beautiful days”!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot help but notice that I’m not the only blogger who has been missing in action more than present in mind and/or body these days.  Since we haven’t been feeling too well here at the Eaglewoods’ Nest, I cannot help but wonder if some of you have been under the weather, too?  Of course, Spring fever has also come early this year prodded ever onward by the earlier Daylight Savings Time.  This being Texas, hay fever, Spring fever’s less than loved companion, has also arrived early. :p

I don’t know what mild illness looks like at your house.  I suspect that things are a little different here, though.  Instead of chasing the children down with a thermometer, Ditto and I follow everyone else around saying “he doesn’t smell right to me… Does he smell okay to you?” and “Mommy, do I smell sick?”  Until recently, I had never really thought about just how weird that might sound to an outsider.  In my defense, our sense of smell tends to be more accurate than our thermometer use. :/  Maybe I am just thermometer challenged?  Who knows.  We also have that slightly watery and somewhat bug-eyed look that is so unique to allergy season.  Not only are we weird, we are also funny-looking!  Oh, yay! :p  At any rate, that my quick overview of where we have been and what we have been up to.  You might want to take this opportunity to make a run for it before I start talking about homeschooling again…

Please be keeping Eaglewood in your prayers tomorrow.  He is flying to California, but should be back soon.  Thanks a bunch!