Happy May Day!

*Disclaimer: The following paragraphs are best enjoyed whilst reading aloud in a deep, announcer-type voice.*

In celebration of the month of May, the last month of school, the month of warmth and sunshine, the month of blooming flowers and green trees, I have decided to hold a blog challenge here on

My Story, His Plan.

For this blog challenge, I have filled a fantastically vintage glass jar with little pieces of paper.  Thirty pieces of paper, to be completely mathematical and precise.  Each paper has a blog post subject. Every day throughout the month of May I plan to randomly remove a slip (while imitating Effie Trinket...Hunger Games, anyone?) and post accordingly. 

I am doing this partly because I think it will be fun, partly because I need to make blogging a regular habit, and partly because I have finals this month and like to keep things as interesting and as complicated as possible.   

Happy May Day!  And let's hope my time-management skills are ever in my favor!

-- RM

March Madness Recap!

For all of those basketball fans out there, I'm sorry to disappoint. This is not, in fact, a post about basketball (even though I DID come in second in our family pool.. I know, crazy, right?). 
This is my attempt to cover some of the super exciting stuff that happened during the month of March... through pictures, because I don't feel like writing a novel or attempting to condense into a short enough post.  Condensing hurts my brain.  It does not come naturally.

One of the most exciting things that happened in March was spring!

The temperature reached upper 50s, maybe even some lower 60s, multiple times last month!

This was cause for much celebration.

The warm weather meant we were able to walk around Lupburg in tanktops and flip-flops.

It meant haircuts on the backporch and swinging at the park.

 Awana game-time outside! 

And, on the rare occasion when we didn't/couldn't make it out into the great outdoors, Abi and Bear set up shop in the living room.  This shop was open for everyone and anyone to come and buy an assortment of items.  Some of which may have even been sneakily removed from your very own bedroom.

"If you want your hairbrush back, you're going to have to pay 15 euro cents. And we accept donations!"

We are full of creative ways to make money.

~ RM

Back to the Burg (and blogging)

There are multiple steps involved when preparing for a trip... Most people pack.  Sometimes they even figure out exactly where they're going, so that the 3 hour road trip doesn't become an episode of the Amazing Race gone wrong.  If it is an annual trip, some people like to sit down, flip through pictures and talk about all the fun they had last year.

  My fellow members of Crew 303 and I did all of the above this past month ... with a few additions.

The first weekend of March brought the second annual Venture Adventure Weekend for our crew. This year, the theme was Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail ... meaning we had to:

• watch the movie at least twice. 
• obtain coconut halves.
• make and/or buy medieval costumes.
• work on our English and French accents.
• steal my brother's sword. (with permission, but that doesn't sound near as exciting.)
• quote the movie until we could quote no more.
• learn the song "Brave Sir Robin" by heart ... because road trips are just so much more fun when there is singing involved.

...all before we left.  It was an exciting prep time, to say the least.  And my outraaaagious french accent has been much improved (heh ;P).

This year, my friend and I got the privilege of staying on the fourth floor of THE TOWER.  Which meant lots and lots and lots of stairs....We forgot something in our room once..never again...

The 'Caped Crusaders' participated in many exciting activities, including:

Posing for pictures. (Dramatic? Us? Nooo.)

Photobombing.. ;)

Geocaching! Or searching for the Holy Grail throughout the town of Rieneck and surrounding area. With the added excitement of dodging killer-tractors ...
Good times, good times.

Ropes course, anyone? I've come to the conclusion that I want a giant swing in my backyard.

Badly.

This time around, being the "experienced and adventurous" Venturers that we are, we decided it would be fun to ride the swing upside-down.

And we were right.

I still want one..

Then it was on to the 'tree of truth' 'baby stick' 'wobbly log of death', whatever you want to call it.  And, unlike last year, I was able to complete this activity!  Hurrah!   

Did I mention we like posing for pictures?

"...And that, my liege, is how we know the earth to be banana shaped."

-- RM

A Lettered List

  Creative title, no?  See, I was going to number this post and title it "Ten Things", but then I realized that my last post was numbered.  That would be two posts in a row with the same look.  We can't have that... So this post is going to be lettered.  Just to mix things up. 

The new title of this entry is now officially "A Lettered List".

(I know.  The creativity. It's mind-blowing ..)



A.  I am currently dying (yes. DYING) for spring to spring already.  Germany has not experienced even one 'real' snow this winter.  There has only a been light dusting here and there that either melts quickly or is completely trampled by siblings attempting to sled or build a snowman.  Oh that snowman ... he was a jolly, fat, short type, whose nose was about the size of his head.  I do believe that carrot is still out in the backyard, but unforunately ... Frosty the Fat is no more.

Anywho! Back to what I was typing earlier.. I am tired of the cold wetness and would love for some warmer, sunny, not-as-wet-ness to come along.  That would make this girl very happy.

B.  While I was browsing through an old SD card, I came across a few (okay, about 147) pictures that Bear took last winter.  He should be going professional any day now.  Here is a sneak-peek of the amazing photography skills that my family is just full of (prepare to be amazed):

I know!!  Astonishing!  Once you've recovered your socks, we can move on...

C. As of this moment, I am redesigning my bedroom.  Well ... it's more like 'designing my room' since there really wasn't a design in the first place.  My sister and I painted a couple of our walls yellow, and believe me, that was a huge improvement.  But, so far we haven't done any framing of pictures, painting of colorful scenes, or anything to really decorate our walls. 

This is, of course, excluding all the cards, pictures, rocket ships and such that I have hanging up under the loft...
Other than that our walls are completely bare.. But! I have come up with a near genius solution that I will post pictures of as soon as it's finished...

(CLIFF HANGER! Hanging from a cliff! And that's why he's called Cliff Hanger!) 

D. Ahem. If you can't already tell, I am writing this long after I should have gone to bed..

E. This song. On repeat and repeat and repeat. That is all I have to say.

G. Oh...and this one.. Thanks to a friend ;) My iTunes money is becoming non-existent..

H.  I have multiple projects going on at the moment ... there's my room for one, a couple paintings.. just for the heck of it, and I'm working on capes. Since my Venture Crew is awesome, we decided that we should add capes to our awesomeness ... simply because we can.

One down ... only four more to go.

I. Finals week was just last week and I am soveryveryvery happy that they're over and I'm back to 'normal' homework for now.  This week 'normal' homework consists of reading the Apocrypha, chemistry (bleh), trig., writing a hymn for a Knowing God assignment (which I'm kindof excited about) and creative writing in composition!  Woohoo!

J.  And there we go! (almost) Ten things .... LETTERED, 'cause I'm full of creative genius! :P

~ RM

Tips for Successful Procrastination

1. Facebook.
2. Tell yourself to write this blog post on Wednesday.  Don't get around to it till Saturday.
3. Type out the first three points, save in drafts, and resolve to finish it later .... someday.
4. Think of all the studying that you should be doing for finals.  All of a sudden writing a blog post doesn't seem like a bad idea.
5. Sit staring at the computer trying to think up another point, then remember that you have Facebook open in another tab.  .....
6. Come back in about an hour.
7. Remember some hilarious photo that you saw and wonder if you can incorporate it into a blog post. Try to find photo.
8. Spend another hour laughing at funny cat pictures.
9. Remember breakfast.  Exit cave to find food of some sort.
10. Come back.  Write tenth point.  Throw milestone party.  Check Facebook.

This is Belle's "Get back to work, you have finals coming up!" face.

Well. Here I am again.  Back to blogging.  For the umpteenth time.  We'll see if this works... ;)

~RM

I Am a No-Nonsense-Type Individual

   "Do you like homeschooling?  I mean, don't you have any friends?"

   The dental-hygienist seemed quite concerned for my social life as she handed me some fluoride and told me to swish.  I wanted to answer her question before beginning that rather awkward silence where I attempt to not swish too loudly and avoid making eye-contact by gazing at the ceiling, into the empty paper cup, out the window, at the clock shaped like a tooth ... anywhere, really. 
   May I take a moment to ask why in the world dentists feel compelled to interrogate you whilst shoving multiple sharp instruments into your mouth?
   I smiled and told her how much I LOVE being homeschooled and what I was doing over the weekend.  I had to restrain myself from answering with something along the lines of, "Oh, well you know, I know one or two people and get out of the house about twice every couple of months." But ... that would not have been very nice and she probably would have taken me seriously ....
 
   That afternoon I went to the gym with Isaac.  He was going to shoot some hoops while I used the aerobics room to dance. This is my 'get-back-in-shape-without-going-to-classes-because-I-have-still-not-been-able-to-find-a-school-that-fits-my-schedule/budget' plan, since my bedroom is just not working out and I am tired of feeling my muscles shrink back to their original size.  I had visited the gym the week before to ask if I could use the room and I got to see it.  It is HUGE (okay, not huge, but compared to my bedroom ...), full of natural light (which I love, much, much better than fluorescent lights), and the mirrors and barres are really nice.  Unfortunately, there was a class being held in the aerobics room when Isaac and I got there (a class that was not on the schedule, mind you ... ) so I decided to spend my hour and a half watching Isaac, taking pictures, and playing a game full of illegal defensive moves and traveling.

   After that, it was off to the bowling alley!  Which, because I am the easily distracted, forgetful person that I am, I have absolutely no pictures from. *sigh*  We were there to raise money for the Boy Scout troop and Venture Crew.  Honestly, it was the most fun that I've ever had while bowling .... Because, well, since we're being honest ...... I ..... amnotverygoodatbowling.  There.  I said it.  And I'm sure that you are very suprised.  Stunned, even.  But that is the sad, sad truth.  Fortunately, I was bowling with a bunch of people who like to make fun of me.  (You may be wondering why that is 'fortunate'... I will explain.  See, I am already so used to being made fun of, that one more embarrassing moment couldn't hurt? Right? Right.)  Yes.  That evening, full of high-fives, gross bowling-alley hotdogs, cold french fries, one... or two...or three sodas, strikes (or a lack-there-of on my part), exploding volcanos, Donald Duck and Micky Mouse arguments .... I could list many, many things that made that evening so much fun.  And, to top it off, we made money! Yay!

Then, after spending the night at my friend's house, we went to Hohenfel's homecoming football game.  Actually, two football games and a cross-country meet. 

We had a lot of fun.  Taking lots of photos.  Cheering till our voices were pretty much gone.  Eating junk food.  Sounding like a broken record player whilst singing along with the one snippet of a song that was played over and over and over again.  Laughing ... at nothing in particular. 

Oh.  We watched some football, too.

Yes.  I am a homeschooler.  I have friends (a few...).  I get out of the house (sometimes).  I have been told that I am fun to hang out with (when I come out of the corner and talk).  And I am straight-forward and completely serious (Completely sarcastic? Yeah, that's what I meant...).

~RM

Juggling: Socially Risky Behavior

 Slowly, but surely, I am getting back into the swing of things.  Each day has its schedule, although 'normal' cannot be used to describe my school week.  Or life in general.  What is normal?  There always seems to be a last second change.  A new event needing to be scheduled, things needing to be pushed around to make everything work.  But flexibility is one of the perks of being homeschooled.  And blogging is finally inching its way to the top of the priorities list. :)

Afternoons have, until just recently, consisted of walks to the park with Mom and the two little ones.  While Bear arranges his stick garden or guides Mom into his imaginary house (through the back door, because the front is locked, obviously), I spend our last warm outings differently.  Laying on my back in the grass, watching the blue sky, feeling the light breeze brush my face, ignoring the tingling feeling on my ankle telling me that some curious insect or another is striking out over the unknown and watching trees shed golden leaves.  If not for the leaves, I could have sworn that it was still late August. 

Summer has gone and fall has officially set in.  And I can't say that I am sad to see it go.  I have enjoyed the bright, sunny, warm days, yes, but there is something about fall that I have missed.  The bursts of color, brisk winds, and those cloudy days where the best thing to do is throw on sweats and a jacket, make some hot cocoa and sit back for an afternoon of online classes.

Bingo, Latin style.
(With edible, sugary, delicious playing pieces. Best kind of bingo if you ask me.)

I am enjoying school quite a bit this year.  The stress of the first year of highschool is gone and I have been able to relax after getting used to new online class times and homework due-dates.  And so, on top of online classes four afternoons of the week, and babysitting three mornings a week, there are those super important extra-curricular activities such as football games, helping out with Awana, afternoons spent bowling, and Venture Crew events to fit in as well. 

While I do not claim to have the art of juggling events mastered, I haven't dropped a ball (completely, anyways, there have been near misses) yet.  Hopefully I won't ever.  But that is highly unlikely.

~RM