Poems?!

We've started a "tea/literature time" after lunch every day. So, today we read poems out of The Kingfisher Book Of Children's Poetry. Here are some really inspiring ones:

The Night
By: AL-KHANSA

My eye cried and woke me.
The night was pain.



YOU
anonymous
You are like the hungry cat
that wants to have fish
He won't wet his claws

I'D RATHER
anonymous

I'd rather drink muddy water, sleep in a hollow log,
than stay in this town, treated like a dirty dog.

And now, here's my favorite. This one is classic.

THE DEATH OF ROMEO AND JULIET
anonymous
Romeo rode to the sepulchre, 'mong dead folks, bats, and creepers;
And swallowed down the burning dose-when Juliet oped her peepers.
"Are you alive? Or is't your ghost? Speak quick before I go."
"Alive!" she cried, "and kicking too; art thou my Romeo?"
"It is your Romeo, my faded little blossum;
O Juliet! is it possible that you were acting possum?"
"I was indeed; now let's go home; pa's spite will have abated;
What ails you, love, you stagger so; are you intoxicated?"
"No, no, my duck; I took some stuff that caused a little fit;"
He struggled hard to tell her all, but couldn't, so he quit.
In shorter time than't takes a lamb to wag his tail or jump,
Poor Romeo was stiff and pale as any whitewashed pump.
Then Juliet seized that awful knife, and in her bosom stuck it,
Let out a most terrific yell, fell down, and kicked the bucket.

Building 429!

Our family listens to K-Love. We didn't used to always listen to Christian music, but the little kids pick up things too easily and, there's a lot of junk out there, so we do now. It's kind of nice to listen to one station all the time. They are a little repetitive with their music selections, but that means that I know all the words and can sing with every song that comes on (which I like doing).
We heard about the Building 429 concert on K-Love about a month ago. The announcer said that it was in Cedarville (about 15min away), it was free, and K-Love listeners would be able to meet the band afterwards. Could it get any better? Well...........I guess it could have been someone like Third Day or the David Crowder Band, but it was free! So, we called up our 2nd set of siblings and arranged to meet at the concert on the 23rd of January.
That was yesterday. We picked up some friends from our homeschool group and drove to Cedarville. It was awesome! No..it was AWESOME! Building 429 is so much better live than they are on their cds. My favorite of their songs is 'Singing over Me'. Which..conveniently I can't put as the music for the blog, so here's a Youtube music video of it:



Actually, this is a horrible video. The sound stinks and you can't really see anything, but apparently people don't like this song as much, because I can't find it on esnips or anywhere else on youtube.

Well, after the concert we got in line to get their autographs. The only things we had for them to sign were K-Love bumper stickers and a few programs. I had left my program by my seat, so I went back to get it. As I was walking towards the doors to go back into the auditorium, the lead singer (Jason Roy) walked right in front of me. I'm not kidding..right in front of me! By the time I realized, he was past, and I didn't want to bug him, so I continued my mission. I think I'm just destined to walk by semi-famous people and not realize it until too late. I did something similar with Condoleezza Rice in Belgium. (but that's another story)
It turned out to not be all that exciting to have walked right past him..we actually talked to all 4 members of the band while they were signing our..uhh..stuff. You could tell that Aaron..something..(I can't remember his last name, and he's new to the band, so I can't find it online either) was new because he was super enthusiastic about everything, and he didn't seem to know all the songs.
The lead singer had a cold and he sounded exhausted (backstage), but he did really well on stage. You couldn't really tell he was sick.
Overall, they're a great band, and we're all glad we got to go see them!


P.S. The picture is sort of backwards somehow. That's how photo booth takes them. It's like a mirror. I promise Jesse didn't sign his name backwards. It really doesn't make a difference with the rest of the signatures though. ;-)

Such Sweet Siblings

Charlie ran up to me and said the following,

"We wrote you a message that says that the monster will be drownded and you are the monster!"

He then exited whilst emitting a fearsome war cry.

Here is the message that was delivered to me by a masked spiderman ninja (a.k.a. Jacinta) shortly after:

MOMOMJACC

I think they love me. In fact, I'm sure of it. :-/

Oh, and take a look at my mom's post from the other day. The post is hers, but the story is mine, and I'm too lazy to write it out at the moment. My excuse? Science homework that I probably won't end up doing anyway.

I rest my case

Mommy (standing in front of Charlie's closed bedroom door: It's ok, Charlie. You can come out now.

Charlie (leaning against the inside of his bedroom door): NO!!

Mommy: Jacinta, you aren't allowed to cut off Charlie's head when he comes out.

Jacinta (standing outside Charlie's bedroom door with a sword raised and an evil glint in her eye): I know that.

Strange Neighbor Children

Who the heck is dressing these kids?!

Yeeeehaww!!!

I don't have to go visit Aunt Sarah in Texas to see a rodeo (though I think we're going to visit her anyway). We had one live today.

Jumpin Jacinta rides the bucking bronco.

An excited spectator leaps from her seat! Note the knocked over piano bench.

Not even Bronco bustin Mei mei could handle this mean horse.

What's this?!?!?!? An unknown masked stranger has utterly defeated the wild vicious bronc!

Apparently it was all part of the show. The 'buckin bronco' appears to be perfectly gentle.

Or is it?

O-H-I-O

GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!

Jacinta moments

JM #1:
This morning Jacinta took her sweet old time getting dressed and downstairs for morning devotions. When we finally did get down, she arrived on the scene dressed in ripped jeans, a navy blue sweatshirt, and a Notre Dame hat on backwards. She jumped the last stair and landed pointing her cross-bow at us and giving what sounded like a battle cry.


JM #2:
Then, later, we were trying to shoot nerf guns at a bullseye on the whiteboard. She held her own, and got 41 points.

JM#3
Even later, she came panting in from outside and said, "It's freezin hot out there!"

JM#4
Last night (the 7th) Jacinta was sitting downstairs with us. I was desperately trying to finish my Science worksheet (due by 12am), but Jacinta talked me into playing Tic tac toe. I won the first game, and she drew out another set of lines. She looked at me seriously and said, "This time, try not to win."

So, I obediantly left open the space for her to get 3 in a row. She chose, instead, to block me. It was a cat's game. My mom said, "Choo choo, you could have won that game!"

Jacinta: I know that.

JM#5
This morning we were sitting down to a breakfast of pancakes and Jacinta sighed despairingly and said, "It would be fun if I could sleep at night without the dog howling."

I am SO not a morning person!

Let's begin at the beginning. I actually didn't go to sleep too late last night, well..11:30ish.. But I fell right to sleep and was rudely awakened at approximately 7:30am. Now, for those of you that know me well, that is pretty early. When I say rudely..I mean..covers being dragged from my back, the light being turned on (it's not quite the season for blind pulling up..being still dark outside), and THE SONG ringing in my ears. When I say the song..I mean THE song. The one that Daddy always sings when he's waking us up. The Good Morning Song. It goes something like: Good morning, good morning, Elena is a sleepy head, good morning, good morning, to you!!!!! I hate that song. Really, I do. Anyway, once I had dragged myself out of bed and somehow made it down the steps without falling over, I collapsed to my knees on the floor. (My dad doesn't allow sitting on the couch for morning prayers) I managed to say my 'Hail Mary' without croaking too much, but my plans for sneaking back into bed for another hour before my mom got up were shattered when Daddy spoke the fateful words, "Elena, I'd like you to get breakfast for everyone." I groaned out some type of response and crawled back up the stairs to my room. Keeping my eyes averted from my bed, I made it, cleaned up my room, and got dressed. Then I proceeded to break gingerbread poptarts in half and pull out cereal boxes. Breakfast revived me a little bit, and I was able to go upstairs and write the essay of the day, "My favorite part about Christmas 2007." I'm not posting it on here..it was a practice essay. Not one you post for other people to see. ;-) Anyway, the gingerbread poptart must have been just enough sugar to get me awake enough for the rest of the day, though I won't be fully awake until about 8pm tonight. ;-)

Dinner with the Flurries

The 2nd day of our stay in Boston was Sunday. We got up and went to church with the Flaherty's. Then we sat around (as pictured a few posts ago) for a while, and Valya and I played piano for them. (I LOVE playing for people that don't really play! They always think you're talented, even when you make a million mistakes.) Eventually we got ready to go to some other friends of ours.

I actually have met the Flurries before..and I remember it too. We went camping with them a long time ago. ( I think) So, we drove to their house, which is really nice, and re-met them. They have 3 daughters. I ended up hanging out with the middle one, Laura. She showed me around her house, and their big yard.

I DO remember what we had for dinner. (figures) Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, and Ice Cream Sundays for dessert. yum!

After dinner we hung around for a while, but the only picture we took there was of their family. We were all in the car when my dad remembered to take it.


Back row-left to right- Their dog, Laura, Mrs. F, Mr. F, two other daughters (isn't it horrible I can't remember their names, but I remember what we ate?) I'm going to take a wild guess at Kaitie and Caroline

Please Pray

Please pray for my best friend and her family. Her mom just had a miscarriage.


Fiat

You said that we would have a child
So I, with love, welcomed new life
and smiled with each wave and sea
of morning sickness,
caught up in this miracle-to-be.
"For You, Lord," I said,
and offered each tiny suffering
as a gift to Thee,
incomparable to the gift of life
You were giving to me.

And so I reeled, stunned and shaken,
at my baby's death.
I was forsaken.
Anger rose and built a case
against misinterpreted signs of Grace.

I was so wrong –
"Here is a child," You said,
or so I thought.
But my arms are empty, bereft.
There is nothing left of my trust when I listen for Your Voice.
How can I trust when I was so wrong?
How will I again be strong?

I quiet myself and turn to You,
O Ancient Beauty ever new...
I ask You, my truest and deepest Love,
for an answer, some comfort, a sign from above.
There is silence, and my tears...
tears of a mother's grieving love.

Then, in Your Kindness, Your encompassing Love,
You embrace me and speak:
the words from above
flow through an earthen vessel.
A man of God who listens to me,
and tells me I can --
I must -- dare trust,
for all is as it should be.
The mystery that is my child
is in Your Hands,
Your Sacred Heart.
The part I play is to surrender and be free.

When next I quiet myself to pray,
"My Grace is sufficient for you," You say,
"For My power is made perfect in weakness."
The words play again and again in my mind,
like a record left to skip...
they rip into the core of my grief
and leave me no choice but to drop to my knees
and offer You my child.

Oh, heal my heart, Lord, bitter and spent,
Be perfect in my weakness,
my Pearl of great price.
Though I offer it, Lord, imperfectly and poorly,
my life is Yours.
Let Your Grace suffice.

~Karen Edmisten

The Flaherty's

After we left the Webbs we went to yet another Graduation party in Boston. It was John Flaherty's.

The Flaherty's have been friends of my parents since before I was born. I don't remember them at all, because the last time we saw them I was about 2. I did know what they were going to look like (sort of..at least the kids) because they send us a Christmas card with a picture every year.

When we got there they were watching a video of Micheal (their youngest, 16 or 17) commentating on John's basketball game. There were a bunch of people that my parents knew that I didn't recognize, and we ate dinner, moved into our rooms, and I listened to my dad talk to Mr. and Mrs. Flaherty and their two daughters, about Notre Dame. Then I went to bed.

We stayed with them for the rest of our time in Boston, but we only ate dinner with just their family once. That was the last night of our stay in Boston.

They were really nice and welcomed us into their home.

Charlie and John






Nastia wearing Michael out

Us sitting and talking to the Flaherty's. Note my Algebra book on the table. Yes, I did do some work over the summer. (*snort* This was about the only place I did anything.)

The Webbs!! Day 1

I just remembered...duh! I should be posting about our trip this summer! And here I am doing "Random Post Days!" *snort*

Ok, so since it's been so long since I did any trip posting..here's a list of my summer vacation posts.
1. Goodbye BE! First stop: Aunt Kiki's! That's where the party's at!
2. Visiting Marnie
3. Visitor's at A. Kiki's
4. Virginia
5. Richmond
6. PA!
and now.. 7. The Webbs!

So, am I ever going to get to the Webbs? and who they are..and why we visited them???

Here we go, the Webbs are our old neighbors in Belgium. They lived next door before the Chapmans (Valya and Nastia's best friends' family). They have 3 boys, Brandon (19), Ryan (almost 17), and Sean (almost 15). you wouldn't think that because they have all boys, and we have only one boy, that we would become that great of friends, but we did. Of course, it took us 2 years to start hanging out and then they moved, but we did have a lot of fun the summer before they left.

We left Aunt Ali, Uncle Sean, and Sarah Marie's house in Pennsylvania and started our drive to Boston. I can remember what we had for dinner almost every night of the trip, but I can't remember how long that drive was. I just remember that I was stuck in the back seat for most of it, and I was freezing because my family insists on being hot in the car during the summer.

Anyways, I think I fell asleep on the drive. (I'm really good at sleeping in the car now!) When I woke up we were not far from Boston, and it was drizzling. As we got closer and closer to the Webbs home the houses became more and more quaint (I can NOT believe I used that word!) and old fashioned. They had character. I honestly don't remember the Webb's house at all. I remember the food though! What is WRONG with me?! I promise that I don't only think about food. Weird.

It was supposed to be a surprise that we were coming for Brandon's Graduation party, but the boys had found out anyway, so they all ran out to meet us when we got there. They were all pretty much the same, except that Brandon's hair wasn't bleached anymore, and they were all taller.

Here's a pic of their family with ours before they moved from Belgium.



So, we met some of their friends in Boston, and ate (here I go again!) lots of good food. (They had a mini chocolate fountain like the ones in Belgium!!!) They showed us around their new house, and we said hello to their cats. Then I played cards with Sean, and two of his friends until we left. It was cool seeing them all again.
The picture below is of our family and the Webbs in their living room in Boston, MA.


Left to Right- Back row-Mrs. Webb, Brandon, Ryan, Mr. Webb, My dad, Next row-Valya, My mom, Charlie, Me, Sean, Front Row- Nastia, Mariana, Jacinta

Ryan showing Charlie how to play the drums..and apparently, Nastia picking her nose. Lovely.

One of those blah blah posts

I felt like blogging today, but I really have no idea what to blog about..so I know that I'll end up doing what I always do on random post days. I'll post pictures...


A fire this summer in CA (Seen from my grandparent's window)


Charlie on a hike in PA


Our family with my mom's friend Maria and her family in CA this summer (It's Maria's b-day today!)