Ok, so back to the grind tomorrow. Guess I really have to do this "homeschool" thing, huh? Just kidding. I've loved not being tied to a "schedule" for a while, to get through the holidays, and just going where the wind took us. Now, we have to get quasi-serious about school. Gonna start with some wild Indians and see where that takes us...
This semester, we're going to study American History, in preparation for our trip to Pennsylvania in June. I'm super excited, because I've never been past DC along the East Coast, and I was 12 the last time I was out that way.
My goal is to start with the Native Americans, then go to the Explorers, then start Colonial life, and (hopefully) finish up the Revolution by the time we leave for PA. (We've been invited to the curriculum fair in Philly; going to make it an RV trip and drive through DC.) So many things to see and do while there, so I'm hoping to get all my ducks in a row to get ready for it.
Ok, so now, off to get my mind off of school for the last little bit, and then to bed. Fun-ness to start in T-minus 10 1/2 hours and counting....
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
We shall miss her.....
Yes, it was time. This morning, we said goodbye to our dear one, Ms. Sally Larry Princess Fairy. She will be missed. She was released back into the wilderness of the treeline to reunite with the friends and family that she was pulled away from 4 weeks ago. Ellie took great comfort in the fact that Sally Larry was going to be with her friends and her babies. She held her brave face, waved goodbye, and then ran in the house for a cheese stick. Mommy was especially grateful that she no longer is required to "change the jar" twice a week!!
No, Sally Larry Princess Fairy did not die. She (or he -- not really sure how to tell the gender of a snail) actually lived for close to 4 weeks in captivity in a jar in our kitchen window sill. She was even a well-traveled Gastropod. She went with our family on our recent trip to TX/LA. She did quite well on that trip, even got to spend the night in a nice hotel!! Her companion for the trip, Leafy, did not fare so well, and kicked it before we got home. It probably had something to do with the fact that Leafy had no food/water and one of his legs was detached from the rest of his body.
Sally Larry was a fine addition to our family. She joined the ranks of other vagrant pets we've had over the years, such as Tuck (red-eared slider turtle), Al (alligator snapping turtle), 4 bullfrog poly wogs, Batman & Robin (hamsters, nasty little boogers), and a few others that I can't seem to remember. They all were fun, but are all gone now; either because we felt like they needed to live in their natural habitat (poly wogs & Al), or because of cannibalism (Al ate Tuck, Robin ate Batman).
But now, she is back with her loved ones. Hopefully, she will live to a ripe old age of 2 years, and at the end of her life will think warm and fuzzy thoughts about the little 4 year old girl who found her in the back yard and put her in a glass jar for a month.
No, Sally Larry Princess Fairy did not die. She (or he -- not really sure how to tell the gender of a snail) actually lived for close to 4 weeks in captivity in a jar in our kitchen window sill. She was even a well-traveled Gastropod. She went with our family on our recent trip to TX/LA. She did quite well on that trip, even got to spend the night in a nice hotel!! Her companion for the trip, Leafy, did not fare so well, and kicked it before we got home. It probably had something to do with the fact that Leafy had no food/water and one of his legs was detached from the rest of his body.
Sally Larry was a fine addition to our family. She joined the ranks of other vagrant pets we've had over the years, such as Tuck (red-eared slider turtle), Al (alligator snapping turtle), 4 bullfrog poly wogs, Batman & Robin (hamsters, nasty little boogers), and a few others that I can't seem to remember. They all were fun, but are all gone now; either because we felt like they needed to live in their natural habitat (poly wogs & Al), or because of cannibalism (Al ate Tuck, Robin ate Batman).
But now, she is back with her loved ones. Hopefully, she will live to a ripe old age of 2 years, and at the end of her life will think warm and fuzzy thoughts about the little 4 year old girl who found her in the back yard and put her in a glass jar for a month.
Monday, September 20, 2010
"B" Scavenger hunt
"Um, Ellie, why is Seth in the bag?" I ask.
"B-b-because he's my b-b-brother!" Then she turns to B-B-Becca and says, "Now we need to put a b-b-bathtub in the b-b-bag!"
Wow. I tell you what, WOW!!! She never ceases to amaze me.....
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Discouragement *
AAAUUUGGHHH!!! Don't you hate it when you're blogging along, happily and on a roll.....AND THEN THE STINKIN' COMPUTER DOES SOMETHING STRANGE AND YOU LOOSE YOU POST???????
Anyway....Oh, I found it!!!! Ok, take 2!
Alas, the honeymoon phase of homeschooling has officially worn off. No, I'm not regretting my decision, nor the sheer number of smallish offspring that David and I have. But, sometimes, these two factors, combined with my almost-obsessive and domineering desire to "educate these kids!" lead me straight down a path that I don't like. It's hard to keep the momentum up. It's hard not to get stressed out. It's hard not to want to scream my head off and run away, as far and as fast as I can. It's hard not to completely submerge myself inn chocolate and shopping!!!
I called up David this morning, and said, "Ok, it's time for my daily pep talk...remind me why we're homeschooling again?" *sigh* It gets old, this feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted. What to do, what to do.
Veterans know what I'm talking about. Nodding with the "uh huh, I've been there" look, you know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Newbies, take courage -- these feelings don't last forever. There are ups and downs, just like there are with every other aspect of life. Today is just one of the downer days.
It hit me hard this morning. Not because I feel like my boys are lacking. I think they are doing awesome, and are really loving what they're learning about. Nathan is learning about mechanical components this week, and just finished making a paper link chain. Yeah, it's an easy project, but he understands links & chains now. Zachary's weather study is nearing a close, and he constantly correcting me. "No, mom. It's troposphere not stratosphere." He learned about rainbows today and made a barometer. Both boys are really getting the most they can out of what they're learning.
But trying to keep them on task, and get things interesting for the littles is presenting an obstacle. Micah hasn't wanted anything but to be permanently attached to me all morning. Couple kids not getting along in one room. Another kid is being pitiful and milking his boo-boo for all its worth. Then, there's the going back and forth between the 2 big boys and making sure they understand what they are learning. Whew! It's a lot of back-n-forth, back-n-forth.
I'm learning, though. I don't own this lesson, as I'm still in the midst of it. There's a song that a friend of mine wrote called "Grace for Every Minute". That song has been ringing in my head. I have to keep telling myself that, no matter what, there's One who's sovereign over everything. Only He can give me the grace that I need. And until I learn to fully rely on Him, I will fail over and over again. He must supply everything I need, including grace for homeschooling.
You know, after writing all this, I feel much better. Tomorrow holds a new day and new set of adventures. But more importantly, it holds new opportunities to cry out to my Lord for everything I need! Yay!!
Anyway....Oh, I found it!!!! Ok, take 2!
Alas, the honeymoon phase of homeschooling has officially worn off. No, I'm not regretting my decision, nor the sheer number of smallish offspring that David and I have. But, sometimes, these two factors, combined with my almost-obsessive and domineering desire to "educate these kids!" lead me straight down a path that I don't like. It's hard to keep the momentum up. It's hard not to get stressed out. It's hard not to want to scream my head off and run away, as far and as fast as I can. It's hard not to completely submerge myself inn chocolate and shopping!!!
I called up David this morning, and said, "Ok, it's time for my daily pep talk...remind me why we're homeschooling again?" *sigh* It gets old, this feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted. What to do, what to do.
Veterans know what I'm talking about. Nodding with the "uh huh, I've been there" look, you know that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Newbies, take courage -- these feelings don't last forever. There are ups and downs, just like there are with every other aspect of life. Today is just one of the downer days.
It hit me hard this morning. Not because I feel like my boys are lacking. I think they are doing awesome, and are really loving what they're learning about. Nathan is learning about mechanical components this week, and just finished making a paper link chain. Yeah, it's an easy project, but he understands links & chains now. Zachary's weather study is nearing a close, and he constantly correcting me. "No, mom. It's troposphere not stratosphere." He learned about rainbows today and made a barometer. Both boys are really getting the most they can out of what they're learning.
But trying to keep them on task, and get things interesting for the littles is presenting an obstacle. Micah hasn't wanted anything but to be permanently attached to me all morning. Couple kids not getting along in one room. Another kid is being pitiful and milking his boo-boo for all its worth. Then, there's the going back and forth between the 2 big boys and making sure they understand what they are learning. Whew! It's a lot of back-n-forth, back-n-forth.
I'm learning, though. I don't own this lesson, as I'm still in the midst of it. There's a song that a friend of mine wrote called "Grace for Every Minute". That song has been ringing in my head. I have to keep telling myself that, no matter what, there's One who's sovereign over everything. Only He can give me the grace that I need. And until I learn to fully rely on Him, I will fail over and over again. He must supply everything I need, including grace for homeschooling.
You know, after writing all this, I feel much better. Tomorrow holds a new day and new set of adventures. But more importantly, it holds new opportunities to cry out to my Lord for everything I need! Yay!!
Our Trip to Marshall, pt. 2
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Our Trip to Marshall, TX -- part 1
I just deleted the post I was working on – don’t worry, it was on purpose. I realized that I spend a lot of my time on trips describing all the problems we have in great detail and paint a dismal picture of our trip in the process. So I decided I’m going to tell you about the learning experiences we’re having right now.
Math -- It took us 6 ½ hours to travel 205 miles. That averages to 31 miles per hour.
Grammar, Science, Math, History, Economics, Social Studies -- Currently, the kids are immersed in School House Rock.
Anatomy/Physiology & Psychology – weird combo, huh? I put a pullup on Seth (who’s potty training) so as to avoid an accident in the carseat. You know, you’d think that a kid who seems to love to “go” in his pants when he shouldn’t, wouldn’t have a problem with a free ticket to do it all day long with no consequences!! But, NNNNOOOOOOO!!! He’s insisting on going in the potty, to the point where he’s crying & begging to go to the potty!! I think I’m going to have to revisit this combo of subjects at a later time.
Nutrition / Experiments – can 6 children survive the day on cheese, pepperoni sticks, goldfish, crackers, and juice? Still collecting data on this one. Results will follow in a later post.
Interpersonal Relations – trying to keep the kids from killing each other, and trying to keep myself from killing the kids. Doing much better after my melt down. Having more grace for it.
Spirituality – praying without ceasing. ‘Nuff said.
Art – Ellie & Ian have been keeping themselves pretty occupied with neon pink play dough. Very interesting creations coming from the table right now.
Entomology – (points for a BIG word!!) This morning, Nathan caught a huge leaf bug. Check out the pic! Actually, all the kids found it. Nathan was just the one they elected to capture the poor soul and save him before Micah put it in his mouth. Oh, and we decided to bring Sally Larry Princess Fairy with us on this trip. So I started my morning (before coffee, mind you) with changing out her jar. Gross-ology is more like it!!!
Map Skills – How do we get to Shreveport? Let’s ask the Map to help! Say Map, say Map!! I’m the Map, I’m the Map, I’m the Map, I’m the Map! I’M THE MAAAAPPP!!!!
Civics – Eating dinner in Hope, AK. Birthplace of Former President Bill Clinton. So…um…very…exciting…um, yeah…
Geography – After driving for hours in Arkansas, Zack says, “Dad, are we at the ripped-up sock yet?” (He meant Louisiana.)
Oceanography – Watching “Finding Nemo”. Decided torturing the kids with Planet Earth was cruel & unusual punishment.
Math (Telling Time) – Ellie (in her dramatic state, see below) says, “How much longer?’ David: “About 15 more minutes, sweetheart.” Ellie sobs: “But that will take hours and hours!!! Whaaaaaaahhhh!!”
Drama – Ellie. ‘Nuff said.
Math -- It took us 6 ½ hours to travel 205 miles. That averages to 31 miles per hour.
Grammar, Science, Math, History, Economics, Social Studies -- Currently, the kids are immersed in School House Rock.
Anatomy/Physiology & Psychology – weird combo, huh? I put a pullup on Seth (who’s potty training) so as to avoid an accident in the carseat. You know, you’d think that a kid who seems to love to “go” in his pants when he shouldn’t, wouldn’t have a problem with a free ticket to do it all day long with no consequences!! But, NNNNOOOOOOO!!! He’s insisting on going in the potty, to the point where he’s crying & begging to go to the potty!! I think I’m going to have to revisit this combo of subjects at a later time.
Nutrition / Experiments – can 6 children survive the day on cheese, pepperoni sticks, goldfish, crackers, and juice? Still collecting data on this one. Results will follow in a later post.
Interpersonal Relations – trying to keep the kids from killing each other, and trying to keep myself from killing the kids. Doing much better after my melt down. Having more grace for it.
Spirituality – praying without ceasing. ‘Nuff said.
Art – Ellie & Ian have been keeping themselves pretty occupied with neon pink play dough. Very interesting creations coming from the table right now.
Entomology – (points for a BIG word!!) This morning, Nathan caught a huge leaf bug. Check out the pic! Actually, all the kids found it. Nathan was just the one they elected to capture the poor soul and save him before Micah put it in his mouth. Oh, and we decided to bring Sally Larry Princess Fairy with us on this trip. So I started my morning (before coffee, mind you) with changing out her jar. Gross-ology is more like it!!!
Map Skills – How do we get to Shreveport? Let’s ask the Map to help! Say Map, say Map!! I’m the Map, I’m the Map, I’m the Map, I’m the Map! I’M THE MAAAAPPP!!!!
Civics – Eating dinner in Hope, AK. Birthplace of Former President Bill Clinton. So…um…very…exciting…um, yeah…
Geography – After driving for hours in Arkansas, Zack says, “Dad, are we at the ripped-up sock yet?” (He meant Louisiana.)
Oceanography – Watching “Finding Nemo”. Decided torturing the kids with Planet Earth was cruel & unusual punishment.
Math (Telling Time) – Ellie (in her dramatic state, see below) says, “How much longer?’ David: “About 15 more minutes, sweetheart.” Ellie sobs: “But that will take hours and hours!!! Whaaaaaaahhhh!!”
Drama – Ellie. ‘Nuff said.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
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