December 3

Today our family and our friends were invited to a birthday party for Glen R. thrown by his daughter and Willie's girlfriend, Kaylene.  I warned Kaylene that my family would be bringing the family and all the little friends imaginable and she was ok with that...needless to say the place got really rocking once everyone dug into this amazing tackle box, only to discover it was a delicious cake!

We then ripped like crazy on the Rock Band.  Glen has a super big TV and surround sound and the walls vibrate!  Everyone singing and playing the guitar, bass and drums.  It was a rocking wicked time that only got more intense when the guys took over the action with the AC/DC Rock Band disc.  By the time Maygen was done trying to raise the pitch of her voice to 'glass breaking' she was laughing so hard, I was laughing so hard...  awsome!

December 2

I have created a problem for myself with my schooling.  You see, I never actually applied to be accepted into the program.  Oh, I started to/  I got online and paid the money and I enrolled in every class I could take and it was all going great like gang busters.  Until I decided to enroll in my classes for this semester.  Low and behold I can not enroll for my graduate level classes without having applied to the program and so I can't sign up for the next round of classes. 

It has thrown me into a little funk.  I had a plan, and now my plan is being changed.  How could I shoot myself in the foot like that?  I have my suspicions, but won't go into it here.

Because of this I spent the day at the college sorting out this mess.  Transcripts and documentation and letters of recommendation.  Ug!  Two really great things did happen though.  One was that it was free lunch day for students.  The above picture shows the delicious hummus and romaine lettuce leaves wraps that I ate.  Unbelievably delicious.  Then when I was driving out, feeling overwhelmed by my situation and ridiculous, (a 43 year old woman who forgets to apply to her college, really?) I see this little crab with the FSM in the center.  Someone besides me on this campus knows about the FSM?  My mind went directly to the FSM.  Ah!  The FSM.  I love the FSM.   Federated States of Micronesia, sitting under a palm tree, watching that warm blue water swirl around the reef.  AH!  OK, I will survive this and many worse things. 

December 1

 My Advent this year is to photograph something and blog each day in December. 

Today marks the beginning of Advent with the opening of the Calendar.  This year Falcom is Lego Pirate and Marina is Play-mobile Dinosaur Scientist.

I haven't really thought this out clearly...because morning is when I can blog, I might have to have pictures which do not correspond with the exact day...OK, I'll think about it.

Anchorage, Anthem, and Robotics

This weekend Marina went to Anchorage with Vince while I stayed in Homer with Falcom so that he could sing The Anthem for the Homer Hockey team and then the next day go onto a robotics tournament in Soldotna.  Whew...I'm tired.

Marina had a super fun time with her dad.  Not only did they swim in the hotel pool, they went to Benihana and they went to Chucky Cheese. 

Falcom did a great job with the anthem.  He started an hour late and I was afraid he would be psyched out, but...he nailed it again.

The next night we were up late and up early for our trip to Soldtona to the Robotics tournament.  What a huge undertaking this team participated in.  They built a robot and programmed it.  They developed a solution to a food storage problem they saw.  The presented it to the judges.  The most remarkable part of this is that their team was by far the most diverse of all the teams.  Between having boys and girls, Old Believers, learning disabilities, the fact that this team was able to do as well as they did, blows my mind!  I am excited to participate in this again.  Maybe not with Falcom, but with Marina for sure.

Also, Falcom found out that he is on YouTube with his TedXHomer performance.  Watch it by clicking the link below!



Lastly, In the world of Greear Family Performing Artists, both Marina and Falcom have meaty roles in the school Christmas Musical.  Marina tried out for Santa and Falcom tried out for Child.  Marina got the role of Child and Falcom got the role of Santa.  He will have a solo song.  They were both a little annoyed that their roles got switched, but are glad they got roles!

OK, I've got to get back to work! 

Elementary Physics 1

I spend all my time in school.  It's not that I am trying to avoid being creative.  On the contrary, check out the movie I made of a science experiment I want to do with my girl scouts.

Getting Ready for Halloween

My preoccupation with school has caused me to not blog.  It has also caused me to not clean, but that is a different story.  Last night was the beginning of Halloween preparations at the house. Vince was here to lend his skill to the evening.  I was amazed: this is the first year the kids have been able to scoop the seeds from their own pumpkins.  Willie and Falcom designed and cut their own by themselves.  Marina probably could have done hers all alone, but, it's more fun to have dad help.

This will be Willie's last year of pumpkin carving with us.  Next year he will be away at school!   I had it in my mind but didn't want to bring it up and spoil the mood. Ah!  These beautiful children are growing up!

Another way I know that he is growing up is that this once completely shy and introverted person got up on stage this week and played in the English classes 'Hamlet'!  I was proud!  I couldn't believe it...  The kid I used to know could barely hold eye contact let alone get up on a stage and speak.  He is growing and I am so excited at how far he has come!

Vince's dad Tom comes tomorrow to stay with us for a while.  Should be a trip.  I think Vince failed to tell him that we have a dog now.  Oh my...

The following week my long time friend DT is coming to stay with us for a while.  I am glad he is.  He's got this brain aneurysm thing and well, this is a long story that hopefully I'll have time to write out later.  In the mean time... I'd better get back to the getting on with school. 

Regular Tuesday

Summer before last, our cousin in Ohio asked "What happened to your Regular Tuesdays with Irene?  Did you two have a falling out?". Irene and I had a great habit going on there for a while, coffee while the kids are in school. It was an ultimate klatch!

There was no falling out. She got busy. I got busy. I got really busy and now, she's moved!  She will never be the queen klatcher in Flagstaff the way she was here. That is obvious. But what about me?  What will I do to ratchet up my klatching?


School is cranking way up for me. I guess they do want me to do things to earn that 14 units they promised to give me. Because the classes are distance based there is little reason to come to town. It has been interesting to live under my self imposed austerity measures. It has been interesting to be really, really, really busy!

For entertainment this week I took Chester on a 4 wheeler ride in the autumn sun to the Kilcher Homestead where I klatched with Charlotte about her wonderful agricultural high tunnel and ducks!  It is hard to believe what some metal hoops and some advanced visquen can do to the farming output of our area.  Every now and then I get a flash of desire for my own high tunnel.  Then, I get past it.  Marina and I are now referring to our ducks as 'the people of the mud'.   Why are Charlotte's ducks not filthy the way mine are?  Hum...

It was a great visit for both Chester and I and it was great to be with such a wonderful long time friend again! Next week I will pick up Janet from her house and put her on the back of my wheeler for more Kilcher Road Klatching!


Miss you Irene!