Like Parent, Like Child.

Fact: I'm still writing on the theme of "Family" this month.
Warning: I'm still sappy because my son is away from home for the second week in a row.

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "An apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

For the first three years of our homeschool, I was sure I was the one who could prove the saying false.

I am a reader. My whole life, I have had a book stuck in my face (and sometimes now an e-book) when I have no responsibilities on my plate. Sometimes now, since I am a bonafide, official adult with responsibilities running out of my ears, I sneak away and take a break with a book.

Here I am as a "tween." (I'm not sure that term was coined back then).

(Photo courtesy of my Mama's 1970-something Polaroid camera).

Fresh from the bed first thing in the morning, I grabbed the book. You can see I'm almost finished with it. I was always almost finished with it.

I remember so many great things I learned from reading. When I ran out of books from my trip to the library, I read from my parent's bookshelf (The Bermuda Triangle - fascinating - and Helter Skelter - so not recommended for reading by your elementary school child. I couldn't sleep for weeks after that one).

So - back to the apple falling from the tree. I despaired because I could not interest my son in reading. Even when I took over his education, he still read only when forced and only for the exact time (20 minutes) required by his wonderful (ahem) teacher. I couldn't even get him to enjoy reading the comics. He declared he hated to read. I was depressed. Depressed, but determined.

Then suddenly one day, I found the miracle lineup of books. Robin Hood, Adam of the Road, and King Arthur. I thought I would fight him on reading these books, as some of them have some quite difficult-to-understand Old English words. Something about the swords and castles and knights, and merry men grabbed him. And he suddenly loved reading.

Next, I plugged him into the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. And a reader was born. I rejoiced. Perseverance does pay off.

Looky, looky at this:

He has kept it up all summer Now he's truly the apple of my eye. :)

Happy summer reading to you. I'm in the midst of three books at once. I'll give you the full details on those later.

Happy day!
TCB

It's Flyday!

Here's your Flyday photo of the week.

It's going to be a happy weekend here. A little conversation. A little chowing down. Have the same at your house.

Love,
TCB

Families Grow Up

My little boy....

has flown the coop for two weeks of camp.

When did he get too big to want to stay home with me all the time? (sniffle, sniffle)

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

The Boy Scouts are cruel to Mamas. Tell everyone I said so.

Hope your week is less lonely than mine.

At least there's this.....

....to keep me busy.

Happy day to you.

Love,
TCB

Flyday Fun

Every Friday (henceforth known as Flyday), I'll bring a silly photo to you, courtesy of something in our lives. Here's to the first Flyday photo session....

Side view....

Happy weekend!
TCB

Family and Freedom

I hope you all are enjoying time with your family and friends today, as I am. We are happy for the freedom to do so each day in our great USA. In the spirit of family and the freedom to be as crazy as we want to be, I bring you some photos of our country life. Crazy maybe, but there's never a time we are bored without the big city lights.

I won't explain any of these photos - that may just make them crazier.

Happy Independence Day!

Much love,
TCB

Summer Reunions

Did you think I had fallen into the river and floated 50 miles downstream? I know I haven't written in two weeks; I've been spending time with my peeps. (Sorry for the silly rhyme; I couldn't resist).

I've been doing the family thing. For a whole week, we traveled out of town to a family reunion with lots of cousins and such. My son lives for his week at Hickory Knob State Park in South Carolina. We sometimes still call it "Hicky Knob," his name for it when he was two years old.

Boy cousins run around everywhere - on foot, on bikes, in the lake, in the pool, and in the woods.

They drag unsuspecting victims who are slightly older - but still young at heart - into two-mile hikes when they would normally be sleeping in the lounge chair.

By the end of the week, they are exhausted.

But we all leave happy.

Enjoy the Independence Day holiday this week. It's a time to appreciate our country, and the friends and family that make it so special to be here in the USA.

All this month, I will be blogging about family-related issues. See you later this week.

Love,
TCB

Single Girl Supper

When the fellows in my house go out of town to have fun - fishing, watching a NASCAR race, camping, or some such "boy stuff" I'd rather leave to the two of them - I usually putter around all day, doing this and that. At the end of the day, we live far enough out that it's not convenient to run out and grab a dinner to go. Besides, I usually have dirt under my fingernails from digging in the garden all day. The guys turn up their noses, but it's my idea of fun.

So, back to supper. When I get hungry enough about sundown, I'll find a few leftovers or whip up something "girly" that no one else in the house would ever consider fit to be called supper.

Here's what happened the other weekend when they ran off to the racetrack.

Leftover quiche from the meal I made the same morning, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and leftover grilled shrimp from the previous night. If there was any testosterone in the house, I would have been run out for suggesting this was a proper supper.

It was just right for me.

Here's one version of my quiche, but you can use just about anything you have on hand. I believe this one was ham and Swiss cheese.

Sometimes it's great to live simply, eat simply, and save money.

Have a wonderful day.
Love,
TCB