Circus Girls!

Troy took the girls to the Bloomington Flying Circus workshop. Claire really got into it! She was great. Sophia "faced her fear" and flew. Troy did, too - 3 times - and couldn't get out of bed the next morning!

The single issue that matters most to me

This is the issue I care most about, and I am happy to read today on CNN this good news: Former President Bill Clinton is speaking out about his decision to change his personal stance on same-sex marriage.

In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, the former president said that while he still believes the issue should be left up to the states, he is no longer personally opposed to same-sex marriage as he once was.

"I was against the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage nation-wide, and I still think that the American people should be able to play this out in debates," Clinton said. "But me, Bill Clinton personally, I changed my position.

"I am no longer opposed to that," he added. "I think if people want to make commitments that last a lifetime, they ought to be able to do it." http://3.ly/be0

Amen

Cheese!

Troy took me to Borden, Indiana more than a decade ago to show me this giant cheese, and we got to stop in with the girls during our summer tour of Southern Indiaina.

One More from West Baden

We had fun in French Lick, Indiana!

I went there twenty years ago and explored the ruined place with my friend Andy. It was amazing to see it half a billion dollars later!

My Two Little Oompas

The girls were Ooompa-Loompas in Willy Wonka at Civic Theater.

Special Guest

It was so nice for us to have a guest...a very special guest! The Girls with Mrs. Nordi, their music teacher at Hickory Elementary.

Sophia's First Piano Recital

Sophia plays The Boat Dock. The girls will keep taking lessons until July and then pick back up in August. I love hearing them practice at home.

Recital 2009

Claire, age 9, playing The Gymnist.

Abe Lincoln Weekend

We stopped in Corydon along the way and toured the first state capitol. Two feet thick limestone walls! Then went to Abe Lincoln's Boyhood Home. LOVED it. What an easy trip. Three hours driving flew by. The girls and Troy are easy to travel with. Troy and I used to always get in the car and go and end up we would never know where until we got there. Now we can do that with Claire & Sophia.

My Life is Good

Blogging is still good

Twitter is kind of stupid. But I'm trying it. http://twitter.com/catrinkle

Really, though...but Lynda Ludlow is Twittering and a pastor who is cool.

my kindle

I am posting this from my Kindle. How cool is this...now I can do more than just read my 850 page A. Lincoln book on this thing. But it is all so slow...stay tuned. I signed up for Twitter and gmail today.

My favorite moment of non-family 2008

Happy 7th Birthday, Sophia!

You don't need to tell me; I reconginze (it's so obvious) that I am annoying and should be quiet!

(Okay, Claire's video is 17 minutes; I have to learn how to edit before I can post it.)

Sophia read her first chapter book!

Sophia checked Mercy Watson out on Thurday during her weekly library visit and finished it in the car on Saturday morning as we were driving to the Children's Museum to do rock climbing. All those weeks of working on our "hundreds" paid off. We ready for the 500th most common words now. Needless to say, after these past 5 weeks of working with Sophia, Mom is thrilled. A lot of hard work, time, and tears have lead to this moment!

Sophia, grade 1 Claire, grade 3

Claire's first recital

Notice the cast on her leg. The song is called Windchimes. Click here to hear it!

Liberating

It felt liberating to cancel all the catelogues I get in the mail. You can, too! Click on this cute icon. Registration is easy and so is deleting those catelogues!

Sophia the graduate

Claire gets her cast!

Claire broke her ankle playing soccer.

Claire gets her Bible for 3rd grade students at church

Sophia the Graduate

And she lost her tooth that morning!

Sophia the Reader

Listen to Sophia read "I Am Invited to a Party," by Mo Willems. And why she says sardines, I still don't know!

Jessica Lange at my house
with 150 Democrats. Yes,
in Hendricks County, Indiana!




Her speach was amazing. I loved how she articulated her history. That is the hallway behind her, lined with people, even going up the stairs!












Ruth Cox estimated there were 150 people minimum at my house. George from across the street said there were 50-60 cars in the neighborhood. People would drive up, drop passengers off, and then go find a place to park. That was amazing to see. George said 15 years ago, there were no Democrats in Hendricks County. There are now!












All I did was sign up to have a house party for Barack Obama. I thought it would be Deb and Haralds, Venetia and her husband, Dee and Jay if I could talk them into it. Maybe some people I didn't know, Democrats whom Barack's people found who would come. Then Ruth Cox called and said someone was coming who would change the dynamics of the event. A famous actress. Call me, she said on my answering machine. Jessica Lange, she told me over the phone a couple of hours later.

Go here, to 27:34 to see me being a goofhead! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf8N1Ucfb7E

I love this photo, partly because that is me in the background, in the red shirt, reaching out to my buddy Barack. I am right by my friend Deb Berzajs. We got profiled big time as we were walking into Lawrence North High School. Before I knew it, we were ushered into the library, part of the "elite" group who got to sit behind the podium. May 3, 2008: A date I will never forget!











I just love this photo. Barack came back up to our group on stage, after he had gone into the crowd after his speach. We watched him walk out of the auditorium, for just a brief moment, before he came back to us. We were thrilled.











I am in this picture, in my red shirt, but it is fine with me that only I can tell! Barack's speech was amazing, and I want a transcript so I can read those many lines that got us to our feet.

So I thought for a while that I would send money to Obama and vote for Hillary. But because Hillary pushed to count the Florida and Michigan vote, I decided that Barack is my guy. He is honest and she is not. My gosh, do I hate the fact that she is not honest and plays mean politics! If she didn't, she would be wonderful! But she does and he doesn't. And he wants parents to turn off their t.v. and read to their kids! And he doesn't say things and cast votes just to get votes. And who do I want to listen to for four years? After hearing Bush's voice for eight, this is importatant to me. I want Barack! So Rev. Wright, could ya just be quiet, please?

Claire sings during the second grade spring musical! She says she loves to perform on stage.

Sophia the Sheepherder!

Claire~Bear got to sing solos in her second grade spring musicals. She LOVES to perform!

Click here to watch Sophia the Sheperd Girl lead her flock during her school play in December!!

Spiderwick fever! We went to see the movie on President's Day...didn't know what to expect, and although the sound was too loud, we loved it, and went home and read the first of the five book series. Ugg..they are short books! We had to buy all five and Claire, of course, finished them in two days....Sophia is on book 3 now.

Okay, this is an old picture...from first grade...October 2006...but I don't want to lose it. This is Claire with author Lola M. Schaefer!

Claire the feminist. Yesterday, Claire mentioned that in olden days, men got paid more for the same work a woman did. For example, she might earn $3.58 for the job and the man would make $10.00. I asked her how she learned this and she replied, "from a book." She also asks, almost daily, who is leading in the Barak/Hillary contest. It is very important to her that Hillary win. After Barak's comment yesterday in Wisconson, that speaches/words are important..."I have a Dream..." "All men are created equal..." I think perhaps she is right....I wonder how many women heard the all men are created equal line and thought, "I'm voting for Hillary after all." As some African-American Congresswoman said recently, it is more important to vote for a women...the need is greater. I have thought about that and after the all men are created equal quote, if I had to vote today, it would be for Hillary (and Claire).

2/5/08 Listen to Sophia read her homework: Click Here

My new principal shared with the staff that he writes on a regular basis about his kids...thoughts about them, things they said, achievements and struggles. What a neat idea. Perhaps I can do better in 2008 writing on my blog as a way to remember some of the great moments.

Of course, our lives are very centered around books and reading. Thank goodness all those hours and hours and all that money have paid off. Claire likes to read...loves to read....on her own, and Sophia is a reading machine...much more interested in reading and struggling through decoding than Claire was. But what else is there for my kids? I can't sew, do crafts (abhor them and don't want to fake it), am so slow reading my recipies and checking them twice that I have a hard time including the girls in the kitchen. I apologize to them frequently for being stuck with me as their mom, and I mean that. But books are pretty good. They've served me well all these years. I get so excited to look for, choose, go to Barnes and Noble and buy a new book. And I got a Reader for Christmas from Troy so now I have a toy to play with. That's great since I have little need to do anything with technology at my current job, sad to say. And I did love 2.0 so but I couldn't do anything with it and all the hours of playing got me no where. So my Reader is fun and my little readers are amazing.

Santa was good to Claire. She asked for a bunch of science stuff, and that is just what she got, including a telescope! Claire talks about going to Purdue for university to study science. My friend Deb Berzajs is going to join us in a visit to Purdue this summer; Deb knows her way around, having sent two kids there recently.

Sophia gets her third guitar lesson from her Dad. He would rather play guitar than work on his biodiesal disaster these days. Or he has been working on the water heater these days. Don't even get him started on how much it cost. Then he had to fix a couple of toilets. Merry Christmas, bah humbug. What would we do without Troy!!

Merry Christmas, 2007!

Claire bought 2 of the 3 Magic Tree House books she doesn't own.

Sophia picked a Junie B. Jones, and then she read the first page in the car on the way home!

I love this picture. I have seen my girls 1,000 times like this on the floor with a book.

Thanks, Uncle Dave and Aunt Marily, for our best Christmas present! Gift cards to Barnes and Noble! This is our first shopping experience with our own gift cards!!

Thanks, Uncle Dave and Aunt Marily, for our best Christmas present! Gift cards to Barnes and Noble! This is our first shopping experience with our own gift cards!!

August 13, 2007

Sophia is in Mrs. Hess's class and she is ready for kindergarten!

Sophia's First Day of Kindergarten

Best Friends All Day, Every Day (Even When They Are Fighting!)


We love when Daddy plays with us!!

We visited Nona on our way to Holiday World. She told the girls stories about when she was a little girl while we were in The Cabin. The girls loved that!

Sophia and her Mom had a fun day together at Holiday World while Claire was hanging out with her Girl Scout Troup. Sophia spent the whole day in the water and playing. She is so easy to get along with!! The water area called "Crocodile Isle" was her favorite place.

Claire Practicing Piano

Sophia Measuring Pooh