The Power of a Name

June 24, 2009By Karen Barnett 3 Comments

My kids and I have been conducting a science project this summer. We bought a “Butterfly Bungalow” at Frogs and Pollywogs and sent away for our painted lady butterfly larvae. They sent us three caterpillars, sealed in their jar complete with their rapid-growth food. I remember looking dubiously at the three critters, so tiny and … Read More

Friday Book Pick — Waterfalls by Robin Jones Gunn

June 5, 2009By Karen Barnett 4 Comments

This week for my Friday Book Pick, I’m recommending Robin Jones Gunn‘s Waterfalls. It is book number six of the eight part Glenbrooke series. I have not read the others in the series, but I thoroughly loved Waterfalls. All of the Glenbrooke books take place in the fictional community of Glenbrooke, Oregon. Being an Oregonian … Read More

Shower Terror

June 1, 2009By Karen Barnett 4 Comments

Okay, I’ve never actually seen the movie Psycho, so all I know about it is that it has a terrifying shower scene. I had my own terrifying shower scene this morning. Want to hear the story? I’m sure it rivals the movie. 🙂 I had just stepped into the shower for a refreshing morning wake-up … Read More

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

May 27, 2009By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

A couple years ago, a friend of mine had her first baby and it brought back a flood of memories for me. Every child is exciting and special, but that first one brings such an incredible change. After my friend’s baby was born (mine were about 7 and 5) I was overcome with longings for … Read More

Color Confusion

May 26, 2009By Karen Barnett 1 Comment

Have you ever had your colors done? No, I’m talking about touching up your roots or choosing paint chips for your bedroom walls. In the 1980s, finding your “color season” was all the rage. These are the color palettes that are the most flattering to your skin, hair and eyes. After you identify these, you … Read More

May 25, 2009By Karen Barnett No Comments

In honor of Memorial Day… Here’s my daughter’s class reciting the Pledge of Allegience on our local Christian radio station:107.9 KHPE. Enjoy!

Hot Chicks & Bad Words

May 21, 2009By Karen Barnett 1 Comment

Last year my son’s class did a fun science project. They incubated chicken eggs and raised the chicks. The school had an all-day track meet on a hot day and the teacher was concerned about the chicks overheating. When I told her that my daughter and I were going to return to the school for … Read More

Fives

May 20, 2009By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

If you spend any time at all on Facebook, you’ve seen the “Pick Your Five…” lists. People either love them or they hate them. Sometimes it’s both. I’m not sure why we do them. Does anyone really care which five countries I would most love to see? Which five albums I could listen to all … Read More

Writing Contest Nightmare

May 19, 2009By Karen Barnett No Comments

“And the winner is . . .” Please — not me, not me, not me… Every other kid in the crowd leaned forward, expectantly. Everyone wanted to win this prize. Everyone except me. At my elementary school (way back in the dark ages), we had an annual writing competition for fourth through sixth graders. We … Read More

Blueberry Pie

May 18, 2009By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

One of my favorite things about our yard is the blueberry bushes. The year we moved in, I looked at the berries and decided that I needed to bake a pie. I was not very experienced in the kitchen and had never made a crust from scratch before, but I figured since I was using … Read More