tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78244570275945502712012-02-05T12:14:34.737-06:00stories of boys, books, and bicyclesKnights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.comBlogger1181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-77238121856100831942012-02-04T13:10:00.004-06:002012-02-04T13:18:40.759-06:00

Chilly weather brought on by overnight cold front. Mud brought on by overnight rain. Fun brought to you by the first annual Austin Color Run.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-79880551238739672652012-01-27T07:44:00.001-06:002012-01-27T07:46:38.206-06:00

{this moment} - "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." See Soulemama

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-42525143665325349222012-01-26T05:23:00.003-06:002012-01-26T05:33:12.864-06:00

Last night wonderfully colorful veggies to accompany my turkey burger. English peas, golden beets, and purple (!!!) cauliflower. Beautiful and yummy! If I'm not mistaken, beets and cauliflower are from Johnson's Backyard Garden, purchased at our wonderful local co-op, Wheatsville.And once the florets were trimmed off, the cauliflower looked like a creature from the deep. How cool is that?

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-6440772026866650702012-01-19T20:53:00.010-06:002012-01-19T21:27:18.027-06:00

No catchy title, no breaking news. Just a day well lived and enjoyed. Beautiful weather; beautiful art; good friends and good food; good work.Morning field trip to see Mirazozo by Architects of Air. It was simple and beautiful and moving and not stuffy art.Lunch with homeschool friends at Sandy's Hamburgers. Lovin' the $3.89 Thursday special.Quick dinner at home with jerk (thanks Lisa!)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-7018467173042445352012-01-14T13:12:00.008-06:002012-01-14T20:12:48.184-06:00

Both boys are trying out new sports with the New Year. After 5 years of our life being primarily dominated by mountain biking, Bike Monkey is taking a little break. Other sports have been explored along the way, like baseball, fencing and boxing, but by far biking has been the foremost sport for our family.Bike Monkey is playing basketball with a YMCA league. They seemed pleased to have a 14-

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-79736604082749503102012-01-03T12:14:00.004-06:002012-01-03T12:56:27.003-06:00

It's a slow start back to school for 2012. Charlie Brown's out taking advantage of two Christmas presents - his new Kindle (thanks Grandma!) and the portable basketball Santa brought his brother. It's a hard life Charlie Brown. Feeling thankful for sunny winter days.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-59957150224313073032011-12-31T22:47:00.002-06:002011-12-31T22:51:25.154-06:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-39962081707551375302011-11-14T07:47:00.003-06:002011-11-14T07:54:20.501-06:00

favorite breakfast, lazy day of reading, "Real Steel" in IMAX 3D with dad and brothers, sushi for dinner, nerf swords and a new weather clock for presents - nine might be all right

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-80679639365001538022011-08-31T07:32:00.018-05:002011-08-31T08:57:56.563-05:00

Where did the summer go? I foolishly thought that with both boys at camp this summer I would take time to faithfully blog our exploits and enjoy the abundant quiet time and write a lot in this space. But I unintentionally seem to have taken an almost Memorial Day to Labor Day break. And it's a good thing. We've been busy living life, if not exactly capturing it in film and pictures. I moved

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-67736919064317444832011-08-31T07:32:00.001-05:002011-08-31T07:32:09.827-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-53674756548268623632011-05-30T15:17:00.001-05:002011-05-30T15:19:20.148-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-61813920158153940092011-05-20T10:45:00.004-05:002011-05-20T10:49:19.996-05:00

{this moment} - "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." See Soulemama

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-56700844689654817062011-05-17T16:58:00.005-05:002011-05-17T17:14:29.254-05:00

Contrary to other plans we'd made for the weekend, we ended up camping at Buescher State Park Saturday night. It was a great chance to explore a park that we usually just pass through in a car or on bikes.Charlie Brown amused himself for at least half an hour with this activity. Balance, hang, drop. Repeat.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-74174584962146344022011-05-14T07:18:00.006-05:002011-05-14T07:41:17.839-05:00

The first summer in this house, four years ago now, I would never have taken a picture of this. It would have been insignificant - a potted plant set out to catch rain water. That summer we seemed to have deluge after deluge. Water ran in the street, and crawdads, literally, went swimming by. I was a cocky gardener, watching everything I planted grow and thrive. Not so the last couple of

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-76370115811331243242011-05-13T22:18:00.003-05:002011-05-13T22:21:26.444-05:00

Duh, mom, it's a rocket. (How rude of me to not immediately identify the transformation of the gouda cheese wax.)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-23980096523025646212011-05-12T12:46:00.000-05:002011-05-13T15:58:12.598-05:00

Good food.My favorite members of the male species.(One of my favorites is behind the camera. Have I mentioned that Bike Monkey is 13? Apparently it's against his creed to smile for photos. I should also explain that Charlie Brown brought in action figures to play with during brunch. That's what he's got wadded up in his shirt in the photos.Because, you know, brunch with the family for Mother's

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-47121015419990482452011-05-06T13:28:00.003-05:002011-05-06T13:33:35.440-05:00

sign of a true friend:someone who will call to tell you that the cupcake store has a buy 1 get 4 free deal for Mother's Day. (thanks, Aimee!)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-26758938546050701092011-05-06T10:51:00.010-05:002011-05-06T11:48:59.875-05:00

This adventure and blog post was inspired by the amazing Joe McDermott, and his classic song "Transportation Vacation."Bike Monkey escaped off to Sea World yesterday to celebrate a friend's birthday. Knowing that Charlie Brown would mope around all day and bemoan the unfairness of it all if we just stayed close to home, I decided we would go off on our own exploration. We've talked for awhile

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-25485461969887174152011-05-06T09:17:00.008-05:002011-05-06T09:52:49.702-05:00

(The Easter bunny made it, and I just got behind on the announcement...)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-29971847508856994482011-04-22T15:33:00.002-05:002011-04-22T15:38:57.859-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-60916476481092352002011-04-21T14:40:00.003-05:002011-04-21T15:06:42.571-05:00

Heading out to Sweet Berry Farms in the spring has been a family tradition for many years. We used to go to their Lexington location when it was open, but now head west to Marble Falls to pick. Last year was a more relaxed outing, with ice cream at the farm and pie at the Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls. This year was a more focused, down-to-business approach. We left home at first light to

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-68941018329410216822011-04-15T13:12:00.002-05:002011-04-15T13:23:49.708-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-24510016532966743162011-04-07T08:57:00.003-05:002011-04-07T09:08:05.616-05:00

Great campout this past weekend at the Double Lake Recreation Area. Many times the camping is the highlight of our biking life. The Big Ring Challenge put on by GHORBA always includes some fun events on the Saturday before the race, including bunny hop and limbo contests. Thanks to our friend Noelia, Bike Monkey's and Charlie Brown's exploits were captured in film this year.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-73681190923108602802011-03-22T09:22:00.002-05:002011-03-22T09:25:14.008-05:00

this looks like it would be fun for those of us who came of age in the eighties:Ferris Bueller Board Game

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-28820330128834235072011-03-21T09:33:00.005-05:002011-03-21T09:45:29.566-05:00

at the Paluxy River...and in our own backyard...

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-43524555182517797372011-03-12T09:33:00.003-06:002011-03-12T09:35:11.421-06:00

2.0 miles PM

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-27411063359728658412011-03-10T15:04:00.004-06:002011-03-10T15:11:00.852-06:00

3/4 mile AM

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-89326748770688224992011-03-10T15:01:00.002-06:002011-03-10T15:04:26.143-06:00

1.5 mile PM

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-52657628398271574652011-03-08T20:56:00.003-06:002011-03-08T21:10:16.500-06:00

Today we prepared for Lent to begin with a rousing Shrove Tuesday pancake supper at church and a king cake at home. (The plastic baby Jesus was nowhere to be found, as the baker at HEB told me they'd run out since the cakes have been so popular.) We'll be up and out the door early for the morning Ash Wednesday service.In readings, I'm leaning toward a slightly eclectic selection. I just

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-89877750510556647712011-03-08T17:16:00.002-06:002011-03-08T17:18:42.807-06:00

3/4 mile PM

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-76401839391292963872011-03-08T17:12:00.002-06:002011-03-08T17:16:31.339-06:00

3/4 mile AM

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-34787726438545368182011-03-06T07:17:00.002-06:002011-03-06T07:18:55.001-06:00

3/4 mile AM

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-91979110016280484802011-03-05T20:06:00.001-06:002011-03-05T20:08:45.755-06:00

1.5 miles (PM - w/good company)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-28452567020327138932011-03-04T07:33:00.003-06:002011-03-04T07:36:18.702-06:00

3/4 mile AM

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-53690170134407758392011-03-04T07:26:00.002-06:002011-03-04T07:32:54.256-06:00

4 miles (Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike-PM)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-2176553329015398722011-03-03T09:07:00.002-06:002011-03-04T07:26:33.599-06:00

3/4 mile (AM)@ 3 miles (PM)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-88645394561535328992011-03-01T08:51:00.002-06:002011-03-01T08:57:54.348-06:00

3/4 mile

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-75378829599352183822011-02-28T07:34:00.002-06:002011-03-01T06:22:53.598-06:00

3/4 mile (AM)2 1/4 mile (PM)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-63917919985461613902011-02-28T07:32:00.001-06:002011-02-28T07:34:43.919-06:00

3/4 mile

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-1841017673189101412011-02-26T16:42:00.003-06:002011-02-26T16:46:17.514-06:00

2 1/4 miles

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-54535484478931311572011-02-25T13:03:00.003-06:002011-02-25T13:05:39.735-06:00

1.5 miles (redwing blackbird)

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-14771223241993121662011-02-25T12:58:00.002-06:002011-02-25T13:02:41.622-06:00

3/4 mile

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-17711442757547425582011-02-23T08:28:00.005-06:002011-02-23T08:37:30.256-06:00

1.5 miles

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-78138162896252528012011-02-22T10:00:00.004-06:002011-02-23T08:38:36.953-06:00

3/4 mile

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-60517501008198198552011-02-21T20:18:00.005-06:002011-02-23T08:39:45.013-06:00

I know there are tons of great programs out there to motivate and encourage folks to get out and get moving every day. Ten thousand steps a day programs, Couch-to-5K, and lots of other great ideas. I'm feeling called to something simpler for me right now.Every fall I get motivated and re-energized by the weather and start going for walks and hikes and tell the boys, "I want to do this in all

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-77042993548414246442011-02-21T05:58:00.025-06:002011-02-21T12:22:23.981-06:00

Our Valentine's week was packed.We attended the Camacho Film Festival, a yearly event. Words defy the films. There's nothing quite like seeing your then 7-year-old dangled from the ceiling in a harness trying to grasp a golden toilet paper roll on a pedestal in a Charlie Chaplin-style silent movie. You'd really have to see the film to understand. And seeing all the films would either make you

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-4714628411686140122011-02-13T07:29:00.003-06:002011-02-13T07:39:54.034-06:00

I live in my testosterone dominant household, so while this article doesn't directly apply to my life, I found it thought-provoking. And my boys interact with girls, and may one day marry one or father one, and at the very least befriend and/or work with women, and so maybe it does apply to me, and I think the topics and conversations raised should be pondered by all. "Little Girls Gone Wild" in

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-79791750450346968012011-02-09T16:09:00.008-06:002011-02-09T16:27:59.372-06:00

Inspired by Elizabeth Foss's post and instructions, I made the Valentine Dots that I mentioned a few days ago. We're not white chocolate fans, and milk chocolate kisses were all I had on hand, so our dots don't have the variety Elizabeth's batch did.It was fun, and again, what's not to love about pretzels and chocolate. And thanks to my friend Susan, I got my first valentine card, with adorable

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-17362857507711890652011-02-09T11:21:00.003-06:002011-02-09T11:41:06.088-06:00

We're sitting by thisreading thisSeems like the perfect thing to be doing today.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-31081633083378359912011-02-05T12:07:00.004-06:002011-02-05T12:12:28.670-06:00

Who'd have thought we'd have snow two winters in a row? The boys made the most of it. Credit for the snowman goes to our next door neighbors.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-40464636167130901912011-02-04T09:04:00.005-06:002011-02-04T13:21:34.876-06:00

My camera had gone AWOL for a couple of weeks, but now that it's returned, I have every intention of getting back to regular posting. Summary post with accompanying photos coming soon. I've had my new to me and first ever laptop for about two months now, and it's either the best thing since sliced bread or destined to be my downfall and largely responsible for the borderline neglect of my

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-12133166624513532202011-01-07T09:15:00.002-06:002011-01-07T09:17:30.637-06:00

{this moment} - "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." See Soulemama

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-39864567656067019332011-01-07T08:48:00.003-06:002011-01-07T09:02:57.778-06:00

Sorry to hear of the passing of author Dick King-Smith. The boys have enjoyed many of his books, and I've found them especially appropriate for that transitional stage with a reader who is strong, but not quite ready for long, intimidating chapter books. A homeschooling friend of mine first suggested his books when Bike Monkey was about 7 or 8, and we've been enriched by his work.http://

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-25323804446565583642010-12-24T20:33:00.002-06:002010-12-24T20:36:10.727-06:00

from Forward day by daY" http://forwardmovement.org/Today-s-Meditation/friday, december 24 christmas evePsalm 96.* Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! Oh, the power and splendor of his sanctuary!God has come to people in various guises—in a dream to Joseph, as fire and smoke to Moses, as a voice to Elijah, as a heavenly vision to Isaiah, as a tornado to Job.But none of these

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-78781325477474814002010-12-17T19:35:00.002-06:002010-12-17T19:38:29.223-06:00

{this moment} - "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." See Soulemama

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-6910830846117418322010-12-11T12:37:00.003-06:002010-12-11T12:42:38.449-06:00

New folding clothesline (so as not to get in trouble with the HOA) + sunshine before the front = happiness

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-60943474037173636192010-12-10T07:17:00.003-06:002010-12-10T07:23:57.272-06:00

{this moment} - "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." See Soulemama

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-74105613002166360442010-12-03T07:37:00.004-06:002010-12-03T07:58:08.288-06:00

{this moment} - "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." See Soulemama

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-23448464416577336692010-11-28T11:08:00.001-06:002010-11-28T11:13:09.623-06:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-87147349276290383232010-11-24T07:15:00.008-06:002010-11-24T07:31:39.951-06:00

Hard to believe, but 13 yesterday. This child who made us wait for days, then came with a rush overnight. Our Buddha burrito boy, who in many ways cemented our family. He's wonderful, and continues to surprise, bless, challenge, amuse, and impress daily.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-44246620369607814722010-11-22T20:16:00.009-06:002010-11-22T20:36:13.907-06:00

Christmas 2002This photo at Tiny Muses reminded me of a Christmas photo from 8 years ago. Most of the time, it seems that my boys embody the best of friends/worst of enemies dynamic. It's nice to remember those tender moments between them. 2002 Christmas 2007

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-9078502008736400282010-11-22T19:44:00.002-06:002010-11-22T19:47:15.547-06:00

"I really love this book." states Charlie Brown today.Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret HodgesI'm so glad. I'm so glad to have our picture books loved on by yet another boy.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-75192253986149864592010-11-19T06:43:00.002-06:002010-11-19T06:50:29.076-06:00

{this moment} - "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." See SouleMama.com

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-11428642256715919372010-11-16T16:41:00.013-06:002010-11-16T19:09:42.181-06:00

It's always risky planning a November birthday party outside, but we lucked out, and other than feeling a tad bit brisk, Charlie Brown had a wonderful 8th birthday party at one of our local parks. It was definitely better than having it at the house, which the boys had originally proposed. (Eight-year-olds, armed with Nerf guns, inside -- did they think I was crazy??)I'm generally not great

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-30398878787196828802010-11-14T13:37:00.016-06:002010-11-14T14:22:26.875-06:00

Trying to catch up I've got my posts all out of order. But before the whirlwind that was October, we had the whirlwind that was September, which involved getting used to some new school scheduling routines and a little bit of travel as well, both in town and out.We had a wonderful visit from my oldest brother and sister-in-law. They're big hikers, and we managed to hit both McKinney Falls and

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-21098923356405146902010-11-14T12:04:00.003-06:002010-11-14T13:40:03.282-06:00

Octobers are traditionally busy months for our family. Last year we kept things a little under control by not getting caught up in the fall mountain bike racing season. This year, not having a toddler with us, (our foster daughter went home in June) we committed to participating in as many of the races as we could. It made for a wonderful, crazy fall!In October alone I traveled with the boys to 3

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-54471622005991981422010-10-15T12:40:00.001-05:002010-10-15T12:50:12.889-05:00

Sometimes it's the little moments, the stolen Norman Rockwell-type moments, that provide the best respite in the storm that is parenting. Yesterday afternoon I fulfilled a promise to our youngest to bake a recipe out of this cookbook: We made delicious chocolate chip cookies. Ever the polite considerate child, he declared the the 2nd best ever, so as not to offend mama and our regular recipe.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-52361571714925474912010-09-28T08:57:00.000-05:002010-09-28T09:19:06.545-05:00

In the last week or so, my almost thirteen-year-old has read the following:Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez APL J FIC ALVThe Last Treasure by Janet S. Anderson APL Y M AND (*Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee)The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes APL Y FIC HAW (Newberry Award)Operation Typhoon Shore by Joshua Mowll APL Y FIC MOWThe Second Mrs. Giaconda by E. L. Konigsburg APL Y FIC KON (

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-26852311438308613822010-09-19T17:41:00.000-05:002010-09-19T17:45:20.168-05:00

Last night we went to see this:http://www.austincivicorchestra.org/and then this morning got up in the dark to do this:http://www.casatravis.org/CASA5K.aspxEnjoyed them both so much. (The boys claimed to be bored at the concert, but I'm not buying it. I mean, who can be bored with James Bond themes and Star Wars, with a little Pink Panther thrown in to boot.)Made me want to a) by season tickets

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-50541865843767509762010-08-07T21:58:00.000-05:002010-09-15T11:49:55.564-05:00

(I'm only about 4 months behind on posting... It's tempting to just jump in with current goings-on, because I've been pleased with our homeschooling so far, and excited about books that I want to mention. But the summer held too many wonderful things not to record, so I'm going to try to simultaneously back track and talk about the summer and catch up with what's going on right now.)We went on

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-55913556765386022702010-06-09T18:02:00.000-05:002010-06-09T18:17:19.191-05:00

one of the first sunflowerscosmos and verbena beets, chard and basil

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-86789331276698968602010-05-14T20:48:00.001-05:002010-05-14T20:51:21.223-05:00

We're just pretending that it's summer already...

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-1242833990537161762010-05-09T21:09:00.000-05:002010-05-09T21:12:42.919-05:00

I feel in a real quandary about technology lately, and especially about the boys' exposure and use. I find this an interesting contribution to the conversation:Antisocial Networking

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-871859133724923792010-05-08T15:05:00.000-05:002010-05-08T15:11:24.359-05:00

A beautiful (locally grown and edible!) flower bouqet, and specially decorated flower pot! The weekend's off to a wonderful start.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-51892958787721385612010-03-10T21:08:00.000-06:002010-03-10T21:11:04.418-06:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-14613088648057570962010-03-09T08:47:00.000-06:002010-03-09T09:03:32.204-06:00

We had a great time last Saturday at Explore UT. We've never been to this event before, but with a little encouragement and good companionship, we really enjoyed ourselves. There was no way we even saw a fraction of all the interesting events.

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-80212329287156053592010-02-26T15:44:00.001-06:002010-02-26T15:57:01.253-06:00

I had technical difficulties. Technically my camera landed in my coat pocket. Technically I couldn't remember ever putting said camera in said pocket. And so over a month goes by without any new entries. Now, however, two days after convincing my loving spouse that I needed a new camera, old camera is located when a child bumps his head on it in the coat closet. Loving husband has generously told

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-71328264318736921852010-01-07T06:42:00.001-06:002010-02-26T15:43:59.537-06:00

"For Christianity is a fighting religion. It thinks God made the world -- that space and time, heat and cold, and all the colours and tastes, and all the animals and vegetables, are things that God 'made up out of His head' as a man makes up a story. But it also thinks that a great many things have gone wrong with the world that God made and that God insists, and insists very loudly, on our

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-73643408030431239142010-01-06T09:44:00.001-06:002010-01-06T09:46:08.462-06:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-45559613945724044122009-12-17T22:14:00.000-06:002009-12-17T22:23:44.392-06:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-66831580001396488252009-12-09T16:12:00.000-06:002009-12-09T16:17:31.591-06:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-27912511506245611972009-12-05T09:47:00.000-06:002009-12-05T09:50:28.612-06:00

brief snow flurries yesterday...head colds...first frost this morning

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-66052086226437044382009-12-03T10:32:00.000-06:002009-12-03T15:55:22.547-06:00

Well, I guess we were busy in November, and I completely failed to post anything here. November is always packed, with two birthdays, two weeks apart, followed very shortly by Thanksgiving. The birthday celebrations went well. Our family rule, suggested by a very wise friend a few years ago, is that a child only gets a party on an even number birthday year. With boys five years apart, and

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-21913082771648887682009-11-04T16:49:00.000-06:002009-11-04T17:02:31.854-06:00

a visit with our favorite caseworkera relatively peaceful and productive homeschooling morninga little sandbox playfree ice cream!!!some urban wildlifelots to be grateful for

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-34268595878881884952009-10-31T11:01:00.001-05:002009-10-31T11:06:05.813-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-17046947573820895472009-10-29T16:40:00.000-05:002009-10-29T16:42:49.468-05:00

Halloween and All Saints' Day

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-15216803488261006412009-10-26T14:11:00.001-05:002009-10-26T14:13:00.086-05:00

At least we get our money's worth out of Halloween costumes around here!

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-34431175555927839752009-10-22T20:46:00.000-05:002009-10-22T21:10:56.684-05:00

Some days we miss living in the country, a lot! So it's nice to have family who live in the woods to go visit. Last week with my folks we had lots of weather - deluge rains and then bright crisp sunshine days. Other than the fair, we just hunkered down in the woods, with the boys doing a lot of riding on the golf cart and tagging along behind their PawPaw. A little bit of target practice, one

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-6947269848419537302009-10-20T10:41:00.000-05:002009-10-20T10:48:00.577-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-61152461582119613402009-10-12T07:10:00.001-05:002009-10-12T07:11:41.888-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-6968001698009982362009-10-09T08:41:00.000-05:002009-10-09T08:44:48.745-05:00

Mama to young boy at 5:30 p.m., after a few emotional days:"So was today a horrible, no good, very bad day?""No mama, but the day's not over yet..."

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-49653712418485557142009-10-03T19:07:00.001-05:002009-10-03T19:13:57.489-05:00

The last couple of weeks I've been battling trying to get my computer to remember how to "talk" to my camera. Today they seem to finally be on speaking terms again.In the meantime, the long-awaited rain has made the zinnias in the backyard very happy, which makes me very happy as well!

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-73166329275775790592009-09-19T20:45:00.000-05:002009-09-19T21:05:23.281-05:00

One of the advantages of restricting technology in our home (my son would have me believe he's the ONLY almost-twelve-year-old he knows without a cell phone or an email account) is that my boys still get excited over things that other kids might not. Like the video games in the childcare at the gym. Or the new, exciting Playaways we've discovered at the library. We've gotten books on CD before,

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-12085150211616904532009-09-15T09:47:00.000-05:002009-09-19T21:05:54.675-05:00

We love cuisinaire rods!

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-90880998889945752642009-09-09T21:48:00.000-05:002009-09-09T21:52:11.266-05:00

Overhead at bedtime.Six-year-old to brother:"What was Apollo's Roman name?"

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-77445767351665330772009-09-06T21:20:00.001-05:002009-09-06T21:23:05.465-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-62063265979728711812009-09-02T20:18:00.000-05:002009-09-02T20:19:54.534-05:00

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-80470587284522867712009-09-01T13:48:00.000-05:002009-09-01T13:50:33.894-05:00

One of the many reasons I love my six-year-old:"MAN, it's a nice morning!"indeed it was...

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-89522145415632243652009-08-30T22:45:00.000-05:002009-08-30T23:09:51.846-05:00

We are going to be covering Ancient History this year at both a 1st grade and 5th grade level, so I've been looking for picture books of myths and legends to compliment the history readings, and found some beautiful ones at our library. So far we've found:The Trojan Horse retold and illustrated by Warwick HuttonHercules by Robert Burleigh illustrated by Raul Colon (we really like many of the

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824457027594550271.post-41842519316432712712009-08-30T17:33:00.000-05:002009-08-30T17:54:07.940-05:00

I realized that I haven't posted about books in a while, and have gotten sidetracked with summer travels, gardening and daily life. But I did originally intend to blog about books and homeschooling, as much for my own records as to share with the three or so other people who may occasionally see this blog. I've just added a sidebar entitled "Favorite Books for Youngish Boys". These are books

Knights' Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17069966749364463314noreply@blogger.com0