It’s about time I switched. This is the first time I’m able to blog in WEEKS!! My laptop is always at 100% CPU usage, it’s driving me crazy. Something that used to take 10 minutes to do now takes me 3 hours.

This is our third Dell. Hubby’s on his third too…. but his is company-issued so any problems that he encounters he just has to take it in and they take care of it. I don’t have that kind of luxury and I’m tired of spending time and money on repairs.

So I’m making the switch. I figure better do it now before I’m old and crotchety and refuse or unable to learn new tricks.

_________________________

Some notes:

• We’re finally on our last week of the Africa Unit Study. Since I wasn’t able to blog the rest of the study I’ll just put everything into one document and post it sometime.
• I shopped for school supplies early this year! Which I never do since we shop for them year-round anyway. But this year we’ve got piles of (15-cent at Target and Meijer!) notebooks, and a new case of Ticonderoga pencils and gluesticks from Costco, and a new pack of washable markers.
• Aisa and I have been inducted into the Ranger’s Apprentice fan club here at home. We are ALL eagerly awaiting the 9th book in the series, Halt’s Peril, due out October 5th. I’m thinking of pre-ordering to surprise Paco, but he’ll probably see this post anyway. 😀 I’ve allowed Migi, who’s 11, to read the books up to Book 7, which to me is quite violent… but no further, at least for another year or so. I’m *so* tempted to order that book on Amazon that someone brought in to the US from Australia. But. I will be patient and set a good example.
• Paco has decided what to do with Kolbe. Going for honors but not Summa which isn’t flexible. Nice to see my curriculum still holds sway over him. I’ll try to post it sometime, perhaps after I get the Mac.
• Aisa’s paying for 1/4 of it since she wants it for Garage Band. I’d RME but I know she’ll make good use of it. Now if I could only find software that will transcribe music for me, so I can get all these songs off my head and onto paper.
• Our big ones are off to Santa Clara, CA for the YFL-SFL conference.
• Hubby’s best friend of 25 years (?) was here with his family last Tuesday. B got home that evening from a 10-day trip to Germany and Bogie and family showed up a couple of hours later. Soooo good to catch up with old friends. We really miss the brods out in NJ. Fun fun fun evening looking at old pics (Alex’s comment, that was you, Dad? You were so ugly!) No he wasn’t, but he was (and Bong too) way THIN in those days. LOL.
• Hubby brought home my much-coveted Greengate spoons from Koln, along with really cute clothing for the kids. I’m married to the sweetest guy ever.
• This week I am cooking from Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Spanish food tour cookbook simply titled “Spain”. Tonight it’s grilled fish with a garlicky vinaigrette. Sometime this week Caldo Gallego, with shelling beans I got at the farmer’s market. Gravel Knolls is the only one who’s got them! A mix of cannellini and some black and greenish beans whose names I forget.
• Nino, the little imp 🙂 , is having fun signing. I was getting a little worried there for a bit, but he’s catching on quite nicely, I think. Thank goodness I had a brother who didn’t talk ’til 2, and Migi didn’t talk much until this age either. But prayers for his tongue to be loosened more would certainly help. The not-talking seems to not affect his naughtiness and sense of humor though.
• I’m trying, again, to get back to once-a-month shopping. It’s been a while since I did this — let’s see how I do. Supposedly I’ll be saving time and money doing it this way. Don’t even remember how it turned out the last time. I’ll post a list of my monthly shopping list next time.
• I have *lots* of pictures to upload. But again, will have to wait until I have a working computer again. I’ll have my computer whiz brother convert the Dells into Linux so we can get a bit more mileage out of them.