Welcome Chase Biscuit!

After about two months of background checks, a home visit and waiting, we adopted our greyhound yesterday, Chase Biscuit. He is loving, affectionate, obedient and playful - an all-around great dog.

Pain, Chase Biscuit and Homeschool

So I've been MIA for a reason. Unfortunately, the last two weeks have been rather eventful. Chad traveled a bit, and while he was gone, got hit with some nastiness: a kidney infection and a kidney stone. I don't recommend either. I believe that I caught something in the ER, as well, and have only today recovered my voice and my strength. Apparently, I still have stones in my right kidney. I am awaiting an appointment with urology at Ft. Belvoir Hospital. I'm really hoping that they will approve the ultrasonic treatment (too bad the good Doctor (aka Doctor Who) couldn't just pull out his sonic screwdriver and zap 'em).

I haven't been able to teach Ingrid for an entire week... on Monday and Tuesday I was simply in too much pain. Wednesday through Friday I had no voice -- not even a whisper. It was rather pathetic.

A couple pieces of great news: our doggie adoption day has been set! We will be picking up our greyhound on November 5. Here is a picture of our dog. His race name is Chase Biscuit. We are contemplating whether or not we will re-name him. Chase is sort of growing on us.

Another good piece of news: Ingrid has started swimming with the home school swim team affiliated with the masters swim team which Chad swims, Fort Belvoir Swim Team. She is such a natural swimmer. She is the youngest and smallest on the team, and definitely NOT the slowest, and her endurance is astounding.

Chad was also able to take the girls on their very first camping trip two weeks ago over Columbus Day weekend. Our church had a father/child camp out south of here. For the first time since Ingrid was born, I was alone in my own home for a night. It was weird. And very quiet. VERY quiet.

Finally, Chad applied a couple of decals to our Subaru. A sweet greyhound profile, and a funny zombie one. Ha ha ha. I am hoping for a "Police Public Call Box" decal across the top soon :D

Wags & Whiskers

We visited the Wags & Whiskers dog show today and met some very nice greyhounds at an adoption booth. None of these dogs were available for adoption. This was just a time for the girls to actually stop and spend some time with the dogs. Our landlord has approved our request to have a greyhound. However, it remains to be seen whether or not we will be approved by the agency itself.






Posted from Steph's iPad

Explaining My Absence and Some Updates

Okay, I know I have been oddly uncommunicative lately.

Some of the reasons:

• Chad and I spent much of this summer apart - I in Washington state with my parents for the first half of the summer, and he in Arizona and Alabama for work. We are both back home again. He will be on the road again this fall.
• I am returning to homeschooling, and have been planning. And planning. And planning. Part of the problem was I could NOT find a homeschool planner for Mac. I found a web-based solution two weeks ago, and I love it: Scholaric. It is simple, robust and intuitive. Give it a try!
• I've started CrossFit. See previous post. I'm in pain.
• I've been a little obsessed with Doctor Who and have been on another board a bit too often... I'm a geek. What can I say?

I am hoping to keep this blog a little more up to date than I have been.

Updates:

• If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm homeschooling Ingrid for second grade, and from here on out, unless something radical changes. We'll start Monday.
• Ilsa starts kindergarten on Monday at a local church-run school. There are only nine children in her class, and it is half-day. We just do not see the need for full day kindergarten for her.
• We're trying to eat more "Paleo." Chad has tried to convince me it is the way to go, and I'm not 100% convinced. I know people really get great results with it, but I am BikeBookBREAD after all! And it isn't like I am making my bread with shortening and chemicals... I grind wheat, etc. We bought a juicer to help support the Paleo way of eating. That has been a lot of fun... and DELICIOUS!
• We survived Irene. Of course, I'm blogging this, aren't I?
• The rain here in Virginia has been UNREAL -- much worse than anything Irene spat at us.

Well I guess that's all for now.

Bunnies Broke Up

Chad secretly recorded Ilsa singing this extemporaneous song about bunnies breaking up. It is a bit long, but watch until the end. We can't stop laughing.

You may think me insane, but actually, I have come to my senses

I have joined CrossFit Old Town. Yep. Me + CrossFit. Don't know what CrossFit is? Watch:



Yep. I'm doing this. Well, not THIS much weight.

I'll keep you updated... after I can walk again. My quads are jelly, and my back is stiff as a board.

The Apple Store of Pizza-Dom

Found this pizza place in Pentagon Row mall. Naked pizza storefront is clean and inviting. The ingredients are all natural. The crust is 10 grain including prebiotic agave fibre and probiotics. We are sitting here waiting for our order and I am salivating!







Posted from Steph's iPad

SciFi awesomeness

Found at William Sonoma:




Posted from Steph's iPad

Riot Wheel (Re-Invention Of The) wheel.©

This is so Mad Max!

I wonder how it would hold in a hurricane. Looks stout.

Hurricane Irene...

We are now officially under a Tropical storm warning. Ugh.

We won't be hit with hurricane force winds, but our power will most likely go down tomorrow. Dominion Power Has told us to be prepared to be without power for days, not hours. We will be spending today prepping. Chad is off to find dry ice and prepare our Craig's List generator. I am off to buy supplies.

God protect us all.

Posted from Steph's iPad