My daughter is admittedly a vidiot.  She will watch TV all day if you let her.  Don't get me wrong, TV's got it's place in homeschool - the science channel, discovery, nat geo, animal planet,  and so on - just too much is a bad thing.

With her watching so much TV lately, she's not getting her homework finished.  I figured out a way that works for everyone, since the TV's not getting shut off with a toddler and vidiot parent around.  She does a page of her workbook during every commercial break.  This is especially effective if we're watching something of interest (like how the earth was made, or dinosaurs decoded or the like).  For some reason, what usually has taken her five hours in the past, takes only an hour or so.

Now if I could only unplug myself from the TV...

:D

Thank you, first off, for everyone's kind comments and encouragement about my brother's "wedding."  We attended the outdoor wedding in the chilly October rain.  Words can not begin to convey the pleasure of such an event unless one has lived in Michigan ;)

After being expressly told by my brother that no children were standing up in the wedding, you can imagine my surprise when his wife's 6 yr old brother walked down the aisle with a bridesmaid.  The little boy was in a TUX for crying out loud!  I felt like walking out!  After looking at Diana's crestfallen face, I should have!  If I had the day to take back, I would have walked out.  That's just ridiculous and mean spirited!

When I asked about Junior walking down the aisle, my mother tells me that, according to the story, Junior's real mom was in the hospital earlier for something (not, as it turns out, serious...) and they had no one to watch him.  And I was wrong, it wasn't a tux but a suit.  Either way I tend to think they planned to have Junior in the wedding regardless...

Even if the story is true, why couldn't they have either offered to have all 3 kids walk down the aisle?  OR, found a sitter (as they so often requested I do with my children)?  Why didn't Diana or I get offered an explanation from my brother either before or after the wedding, either?  Why did I have to go to someone else?

Can I disown my brother?  Please? :)

The kids and I attended the wedding, suffering through the October rain, hung out at my mom's for what seemed like forever - me smiling all the while, Diana and Brobee being cuter than ever, and went home and watched a family movie together.

Perhaps my hubby and I should renew our wedding vows, outside, in the rain, (no, SNOW!!!) with a kids-only reception, LOL, and require that my brothers fly in for that? Tee hee... I'm only half serious. ;)

Please comment with your opinions! I really would like to hear I'm not alone ;)

If the couple wants a child free reception, but wants children to attend the wedding, what should you do?

IMHO, the couple should include the kids in both parts of the event.  You wouldn't ask an adult to attend the wedding only.  In fact, most adults skip the wedding ceremony and head to the reception, right? Not saying that's the right way to go about attending a loved one's wedding, but it DOES happen!

IF you're keeping the kids out of the reception, they should be left off the invites for the wedding as well.  All or nothing.  Don't ask the kids to behave at a ceremony for a wedding, and then not reward them with some cake! - Again, my opinions!

If it were anyone but my own brother, I would skip the whole thing all together and pretend I don't have a brother. (well, that I have one brother fewer than I biologically have...)

SECONDLY, If someone's already been married at the courthouse, say, 10 months prior to the wedding by a minister, is THAT the anniversary, 10 months ago, or is the minister led ceremony the anniversary date? (PS, the couple in question is the one I'm railing on here - they were married 10 months ago!!!)

THIRDLY, IF your kids are not welcome at the reception, would you just bring them anyhow, find a sitter and go to the reception, or attend the wedding with the kids and skip the reception?

You have to keep in mind the other children the bride's concerned with are her second and third cousins' children, not her brother's or sister's since they have none.  These kids are niece and nephew of the groom, and there are no other kids that would come from his side.  They couldn't compromise and say 'only 2 kids per side'? Really?  How selfish are these people? Do I even need to ask?

Homeschool side: Diana's really into astronomy and physics, with a heavy interest in creation of the universe, and the planets.  She's asking wonderful questions, and we're studying all the new info about the planets (including the dwarf planet Pluto) and comparing atmospheres, pressure, gravity, and the likelyhood each planet in our system has of sustaining life, including human colonies!  SOO FUN!!

Brobee's been exploring his world. He remembers things overnight now - yesterday, DH said he could have candy tomorrow, so when he woke up this morning, he's been asking for candy!  He is so smart - and food motivated!

Halloween this year is a superhero theme for us.  Diana's supergirl, Brobee is batman, Tallulah is superdog, and Kay is  supercat (even though she's a dog and larger than Lullah... we're giving her Streaky's lightning bolts with color hairspray!)

I'm going to work through my issues and feelings, my hurt and anger... Maybe I'll catch the flu before Friday (wedding date!)... you think? ;)

So both my brothers are in town for the wedding.

I am not attending the rehearsal dinner, since I'm not involved.

I am not attending the reception, since the children are not invited.

I can and DID apologize to my brother about the emails, ditto for the wife.  I was mistaken in assuming that the kids weren't invited since their names weren't on the invitations.

Then again, ettiquette states that if they're not on the invite, they're not invited, ergo, I was justified in my assumption and associated anger that leached into the emails.

Oh, right, it's a homeschool blog... sorry!

Diana's doing well in 4th grade.  She's a reading wizard, we've finished the Bunnicula series (she just took it and ran with those books!!) and are working on the Phantom Stallion series as soon as we read the original Bambi (1940?s?).  She's learning to be more proficient in her math facts, and is already an expert in fractions, adding/subtracting like denominators.

The boy is 2 yrs old, speaks in 4 word sentences, can sing ABCs, and count to 10.  We're still working on colors (everything's red or blue right now! LOL)  He's amazing to us, and we're totally pleased with how much he's grown (even if Mommy wants to keep him wittle forever!)

So far, no nibbles on my afghan. :(

I'm not giving up hope.  I'm hoping someone out there is looking for an afghan and decides that my one of a kind item is worth the money.

Diana's doing well, but she misses me.  I'm working almost full time now to support the family during this time of crisis.  I'm away and sooo tired at the end of the day, it's amazing I can write a coherant sentence.

No school is happening now, since Voldemort doesn't do school.  However, with me working more, he's doing more housework, and actually mowed the front lawn (not the back) today.

He's working tomorrow for his uncle, which hopefully gives us some cash to get by on for a bit.  We can fend off the bill collectors and the landlord can be appeased... although we do owe him quite a bit.  I'm surprised we don't have a notice by now...

Not that a day's work would do all that, but it might get us enough gas to get to work for the next few weeks until I start getting paid for working more days.  It sucks that the paychecks do that odd-timing thing.  I'd rather get paid for the last week I worked, but I guess that's how much time they need to figure out how much they owe you.

I'm so tired, I'm getting unreadable.  Take care all, and take care of eachother during these dark economic times.  Help a neighbor, all that jazz.