Girls Like Pink Fluffy Things and Unicorns

Boys like hard sticks and wrastlin'!

One thing that they don't tell you in child rearing classes is the unwritten rule among boys that fighting is cool. It's been high on my list to teach my children love for all. Love for your fellow human, love for animals, love simply makes the world go 'round. So 6 years ago when I found my oldest was biking a block away to wait for an older boy to get home from school so they could fight I was dumbfounded.

Wrastle. I think that's how Steve and his buddies referred to it. Wrestle, wrastle, whatever it's called boys just seem to have it in them to do it. It's the hunter gatherer, the fighter, defender. As young as kindergarten I remember the boys on the trampoline rolling around trying to pin the other one.

We actually left a home school play group over this. The boys would always pick up sticks and run around at the park defending someone or some cause, sword fighting one another, trees and anything that they felt needed a good smack. This behavior prompted a few of the other moms to ask me to please not have my boys play with sticks at the park anymore. Needless to say that was years ago and we now meet at the park with families that have boys a lot of boys.

So back to the fighting. I do not condone it. I say love one another, turn the other check, treat others as you wish to be treated. So a few weeks ago when Justin returned from a birthday party, what to my wandering eyes did I see? A black eye. Yep, he got in his first fight and pop he took one to the eye. Not a massive shiner by any means but a black eye nonetheless.
It's his left eye.


Fuzzy close-up. Each day he looked in the mirror, hoping it was still there. The importance of people noticing this new beauty mark was big for him


So while we're outside the dog and cat started messin' with one another and I had to snap a pic. We have 2 cats that like the dog and will play with him. They hide as he runs by, they chase him; he turns and chases them until they stop in some tall grass and hide waiting for his run by.

Here's Fluff with our cat Lolli a.k.a. Pooper Scooper (don't ask)


And of course our Frisbee dog. I also have to say that when this dog goes disc golfing with us he knows what frisbee is his and which is ours- good boy!


~Michelle

PS the boy Justin fought with is a friend of his since kindergarten. Justin asked him to stop throwing sticks at him, he didn't, Justin then went right after him on the attack. They are still buddies, "just a friendly fight" was the response I got.

Spring Break Con't

Day four is partway through. I thought I should get a jump start on chronicling Spring Break Sleepover 2008. I had plans this morning with some youth group girls at the beach, when I left my house the head count was 5, when I returned 3 hours later it was up to 7.

For a snack they ate 8 eggs.
They devoured a box of mac-n-cheese and 60 chicken nuggets.

Activity wise the younger three jumped on the trampoline in the rain, love Florida days like today, and when the rain stopped they jumped in the hose. The older boys have been shooting a new movie, the gag reel should be funny as they "set" is an actually living breathing house with me blurting into scenes with things like "don't use that towel". I'll be sure to post the movie when it's done.

The lego room has been transformed into a stage with seating for the concert Justin and his friend are putting on tonight. That would explain where all my dinning room chairs have gone. I need to get a Nanny Cam so I can record what goes around here while I'm gone- I'd bet money it's small tornadoes and hurricanes.

I already have items in the Lost and Found, oh yes with the amount of kids in and out of here every week, all things not ours go into the Lost and Found, before you leave... check the Lost and Found.

Well so far that's where we're at, I gotta run older boys home form a video shoot and my lunch is ready, I know I know, it's 4:30 and I'm eatting lunch!

Happy Spring Break!

2 Days Down

So we're a full 2 days into Spring Break 2008!

Last year we pledged to go to the beach every single day and we did! My dear friend Annie and her two boys joined us just about every day; even on the day it rained!

This year so far:

Monday we relaxed all morning before meeting friends at the park to RipStick, run around or just walk around and talk, it's like recess back in the day.

Tuesday we picked up a friend and visited the comic book store and christian book store so Justin could pick up his pre-bought all-new, Hawk Nelson CD labeled Hawk Nelson is My Friend. It came with some extras for pre-buying so he was psyched!

Today, well you'll have to wait.

I also thought you may want to see pictures of our Easter with my mom and fam. We'll celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter with Steve's family on April 27.

Justin, his flo-hawk or faux-hawk or whatever they're calling it, and Fluff, on the way to my mom's.

Fluff is only allowed on the porch! That's Justin RipStiking in the background with orange shirt.

My mom's farmhouse table.

I told you the pictures were pitiful.

Happy Spring!

~Michelle

Governor Declares Home Education Week March 30-April 6

Good news! Governor Charlie Crist has declared March 30-April 6 to be Home Education Week in Florida! This is the second year in a row that Governor Crist has issued a homeschool proclamation.

Governor Crist included in his declaration that:

“WHEREAS, over two decades of studies indicate most children who are home educated exhibit self-confidence, good citizenship, exceptional academic test scores, higher than average college attendance and success and many have proven devotion to their country by faithfully serving in the armed forces of the United States;” and

“WHEREAS, from the earliest days of our nation, there have been some prominent Americans who were home educated including George Washington, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Booker T. Washington, Helen Keller, and Sandra Day O’Connor.”

This year’s proclamation also recognized various assets of homeschooling, including strengthening the family, parental involvement, character development, and educational opportunities that are available.



Regina Hicks of Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA) and Kendall Hicks of the Christian Home Educators of the Sunshine State (CHESS) contacted the governor’s office to secure this proclamation, making some additions from last year.

We recommend all homeschoolers in Florida to widely distribute this proclamation and celebrate homeschooling during the designated week!

Happy Homeschooling fellow home educators!
~Michelle