I wanted to be a 4hundrenaire.

Today is a big day in the life of my blog. Yes, it's true. Home School Dad is 400 today. 400 posts that is. It has been a crazy ride to 400 but I have loved every mile. It hasn't always been easy. Writing 400 hip posts is the same as writing 20 squared ones.MATH JOKE ALERT



As I did prior to 300 posts I have been tweaking the look of the blog in preparation for 400 posts. I hope you enjoy the new look, I certainly do.

Starting tomorrow I am adding a new feature called HSD rewind. From time to time I will be reprinting (not just putting links to) older Home School Dad posts. These regurgitated posts may come up from time to time. BODILY FUNCTION JOKE ALERT.

Don't have much more to say for 400. I think I've got at least another 400 in me. Thanks again for being part and parcel of the program, and that's no joke. NO JOKE ALERT

Keith Time: Let's go fly a kite.

Pictures

This isn't no Wordless Wednesday post a day early or anything like that. Like many bloggers I let my pictures tell much of the story here. Their grammar and spelling are far better (or is that far butter) than mine.

Each year my wife and I give photo calendars to our parents featuring our children. The above pictures didn't quite make the cut. I hope you guys enjoy them.

Keith Time: The Write word at the right time.

Birthday Traditions

It's a certain Spider Droid's ninth birthday I thought I could celebrate it here by telling about a few family birthday traditions.

Technically Speaking

Spider Droid will wear out a phrase every few months. Back this Summer it was technically speaking. Every other sentence would start with technically For example "Technically Speaking Star Wars Episode I was really the 4th episode that came out." If he were here, he might tell you that technically speaking he has only had one birthday is and this is the 9 year anniversary of that birthday.

Almost Birthdays

A relatively new birthday tradition is the almost birthday. It's a pretty simple tradition that is celebrated the day before the actual non technically speaking birthday. Click here to see a video of the almost birthday song.

Birthday Party in Bed

A Roller Family staple is starting the birthday off with cupcakes, singing, and present opening first thing in the a.m. Breakfast is optional. This is done regardless of any other celebrations that may ensue.

The Chuck-E-Cheese Birthday.

The age of 4 is a special year. It is essentially the upperclassmen year of pre-school. When each of our children turned 4 they had a Chuck-E-Cheese Pizza Party. It is special because it was always their first friend party. Our Kids can still be kids but they have all now aged out of their 4 year old rite of passage.

Birdthday Immunity.

All our children were born during the school year. We usually take school off on the Children's birthdays. Sometimes we do a special field trip, sometimes we just stay at home. We Home school, we can roll that way. Technically speaking, we are not taking Spider Droid's birthday off because it is on Monday, our co-op day. However, tomorrow Amy is taking the day off and we are going on a family field trip to the aquarium. The birthday boy is even bringing along 2 friends.

Birthday Shopping.

My wife's Mom takes the kid's out on or near their birthday for a special time of Grandma bonding. They go out to eat and then she takes them shopping to the store of their choice where they can buy a present or two. She even allows them to pick out a little something for the sibs left behind.

The Birthday Pole.

A now multi-generational tradition takes place at my parents house each year. It started when I was a kid at my Grandpa's house. At the visit closest to our last birthday, my grandpa would measure us grandkids on a pole in his basement and then our name and age on a label maker and stick the label where he had marked our height. Being 1 of 29 grandchildren, this was always a special time between me and my grandpa. I am glad my Dad continues this for his grand kids.

Preventing Birthday Spoilers

Our kids get very excited about giving their brother and or sister(s) gifts. So much so that they often spill the beans long before said beans are unwrapped. We do our best tricks to keep that from happening. This year any time the beans were in dang er of spilling, Amy would redirect by saying: Lovely weather we're having.

These are just a few ways that we celebrate birthdays here. I'd love to her how you make family birthdays special. Happy Birthday son, we love you!

There will be a few changes to the ye-olde blog this month. The first one is that I am discontinuing the next time notices for the month. This month my youngest Brother would have turned 40. To honor him in these pages I will be linking to posts I have shared about him in the past. I call it . . . Keith Time.

Today's edition: A Bet I wish I lost.

Six Word Saturday: Video Edition

Six Word Saturday time again brought to you by the courtesy of http://www.showmyface.com/. My Six Words:

I think these videos are great.

Lin Manuel Miranda, the TonyAward winning lyricist recently got married. He invited me to his reception, so to speak, by posting some of it on you tube. My thanks to Why Homeschool? who ran it on their blog a few weeks ago. This is a wonderful video. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks also to Blogging 2 Learn who ran this you tube video on their blog recently. It was a shakesperean rendition of Who's on First. When I watched it on you tube I was directed tot he following who's on First with a home school twist . . .

I hope you liked the videos. Click here for more Six Word Saturday.

Next Time: The Age of Aquariums.

My name is Dave, and I approve this message.

It is just a few days before the midterm elections and even a guy like me who doesn't watch broadcast t.v. and only reads the Sunday paper periodically (It's a periodical, so it's okay.) can be overwhelmed with political messages. Between the print ads I receive in my mail, the phone calls, and radio ads I am besieged with election opinions. I received 8 pieces of mail today, 7 political ads and a circular for Bath and Body Works. If Plumeria were to run for office, I would consider voting for it.

Political advertising turn me off because they are so often negative. Their is also a general absence of talking about the positive things of your of your own candidacy. I received a letter today from a candidate who wanted to complain about the falsehoods and smear techniques his opponent was using against him. The thing is the letter did not really tell me anything good about the candidate or even defend him self against the purported slander. He did however take time to attack his opponent and ask me for money.

My son has even noticed all the negative campaigning. While listening an attack ad the Illinois Republican Senatorial Candidate was running against his democratic opponent. My son just commented, He should just say "My opponent is good, but I'm better."

Many of the mailers I receive comment on the misspending on of those in power. They also comment on the great economic problems in our country and specifically our. state. It got me to wondering how much less debt we would be in if there was a way to use all the money spent on political advertising could actually be used in running the country. Call me crazy.

Like many voters I have pet issues that are more important to me than others. Both candidates for my state representative have come and visited me at house this year and I have told them both that as a home schooling parent like that Illinois has very few requirement for Home Education. I have encouraged them that to keep me happy they should keep it that way. I am also pro-life, anti-abortion, anti-choice, whatever you want to call it. It bothers me that neither of the aforementioned candidates agree with me on that particular subject. That particular race
has no other candidates so I will have to choose on other criteria. This is unfortunate as the pro-life issue is usually the deal breaker with me.

In the Senate race my son was commenting on, neither the Republican or Democratic opponent are pro-life; I have decided to back the Libertarian candidate, who is. I received a phone call Saturday asking if I would be voting Republican in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate and House elections. I explained that I was backing the Republican in the governors race and the House race but explained why I was going Libertarian in the Senate race. The caller responded "that's too bad.". Being a total smart aleck I asked if it was too bad that was voting for 2 Republicans, or if it was too bad I was voting my conscience for Senator. She said that she knew the Republican candidate for Senator and I should vote for him. I reexplained my reasoning in not supporting a pro-choice candidate when there was a pro-life one on the ballot. Her response was that a vote for the Libertarian was really a vote for the Democrat. Our call ended soon after that. What I didn't tell her (not because I'm not a smart aleck, but only because I didn't think of it) was okay I'll vote for the Democrat then.

So those are some political thoughts that have been simmering over the past few weeks. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about religion.

Next Time: Who's Fiddling on the Roof First