I'm not that Dull...Wow, who knew?

The rules are make the item bold on your blog if you've done it.


1. Started your own blog (umm… yeah!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (in elementary school I played the flute for 3 months if this counts!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (to my children when they were babies)
11. Bungee jumped (NEVER!)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the shore)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (I helped anyway)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (yes, but my satisfaction comes from God)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (drawn)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain (I can only assume.)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (I'm pretty sure thatI have...if not atleast 90%)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day (Oh, please...I homeschool!)
101. Been to Alaska
102. Milked a goat
103. Been bit by a snake
104. Been inside a cave

Bats and Barbarians

This morning I randomly asked my kids "So, what would you like to learn about today in school?". Anne immediately responded with "BATS!" (huh?) and Peter said "I want to learn more about Barbarians". While Peter's response could be categorized as typical for him, Anne's took me off guard. Like a good homeschool Mom, I have allotted time today for studying bats and Barbarians. LOL

Seussical the Musical

Anne had the opportunity of being involved with a local production of Seussical Jr. What a fantastic experience it's been for her and she's enjoyed every single minute of it! She can't wait until the next production, but I'm thankful for a reprieve with the upcoming Christmas break. She had six straight afternoon/evenings of rehearsals before the production on Sunday. I feel tired and I wasn't even doing it! However, I wouldn't change a thing and I'm very glad that she was involved in it.

Gingerbread

For several years I have wanted to travel to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC to see the entries for their annual National Gingerbread Competition. This year we finally did it and it was so worth the trip! The Grove Park Inn was a field trip in and of itself and the Gingerbread houses were incredible. I am amazed at the quality and attention to detail that these artists put into their edible creations. Here's some of our favorites:

The grand prize winner!

This castle was created by a child in the 9 to 12 year old category!

It's one of Peter's favorites.

Being a fan of "The Hobbit" Peter liked this one also!
(This was in the Teen category)

This is Anne's favorite (especially since she's involved in "Seussical the Musical" right now).
(This was made by a child)

Here's one that I especially enjoyed. I think this tree house scene is a lot of fun to look at.



Here's a beautiful, traditional Gingerbread House.

Remind Me...

Next time I freak out about because of a comment made by a public school parent, tell me to relax!! The very same person that I allowed to get me worked up in late October told me this week (with an air of pride mind you) that her child was starting to read her 3rd novel of the school year! Yeah...3rd. My less avid reader (Peter) has finished 20 books so far this school year.

Christmas School

This year I've decided to spend the month of December focusing almost completely on Christ's birth. This year in particular I feel the need to focus on what's truly important during this season. We've completed two days of "Christmas school" and so far it's been fabulous. Yesterday was one of those dream homeschooling days where the school day flew by, the kids were into everything and much was accomplished in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Maybe every day is like this in your homeschool?? LOL

We are using an eclectic mix of resources for our Christmas study. I'm using "Celebrating the Savior" by Notgrass and the Christmas unit in Bob Jones Bible Truths 6 as a springboard for what we're learning. The Notgrass book includes writing assignments, some grammar, historical background on Christmas traditions, Christmas Carols and cultural information about how Christmas is celebrated in various countries. Also, I am reading aloud "The Christmas Mystery" by Jostein Gardner which has allowed us to easily add in some elements of geography since the story takes place in Europe. I plan on getting out our "Geography Songs" cd from Audio Memory and having them learn the locations of each country in Europe using the map with the songs (they already know the names, but not the exact locations). Anne has come up with the idea of her and Peter writing a Christmas story which they will read to our family on Christmas Eve. Both kids are very secretive about the plot and contents of their stories. I'm excited to see hear the final products! Once I add in a few hands-on projects, Christmas Mad Libs (for fun), a field trip or two, Astronomy and math, we have a full schedule. I've been pleased with the amount of review and new learning that I can easily include using these resources. Yesterday I gave Peter a review spelling quiz while we were working in the Notgrass book and he wasn't even aware of it. Yes, I can be very tricky!

Our Memory Tree

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend. We cooked, ate, played Monopoly and on Friday we put up our Christmas tree. What makes our tree special is that each and every ornament has a story. We have an ornament that my Dad made when he was 6 years old, ornaments that I made when I was a child and, of course, ones that were made by Peter and Anne. When I was young, I had an Aunt that gave me a Hallmark ornament for Christmas every year and these are on the tree. I have ornament made by both of my Grandmother's and some made for my children by my dear cousin Mary Grace. Putting up the tree is a special time of refection and memories for me. There are many beautifully designed and decorated trees in the world, but I would never replace our "memory tree". I took some pictures to share:

My Grandmother made this Raggedy Ann ornament for me when I was five years old.

I love this "snowflake" made by Anne when she was three.

Peter painted this reindeer when he was four. Notice that one antler is missing? That's because he enjoyed playing with it and he crash landed it one too many times! The baby socks were Peter's too. He was born with large feet that never fit into these cute, newborn socks so I made them into an ornament for our tree. This was before I had "kidmade" ornaments. I was impatient and wanted some "kid" ornaments so I got creative!

This sweet ornament was painted by my cousin. I love handmade gifts because they truly are from the heart.

Anne's Fashions & New Sash

I love the eccentricities of pre-teen girls especially when that girl is my own. Anne isn't a "fashion hound" nor is she generally concerned with trends or what her peers are wearing. She just likes what she likes (usually because of the texture or the color of the clothing). Comfort is of utmost importance to her. Socks are one of her favorite things to wear (and collect). The crazier the colors, the better. Here's some of her fun and lively combinations that I've captured:

Here she sporting her new "mis-matched' leg warmers that she wore to her dance class last evening. The slight bit of red and white sock that's poking out of the bottom of the leg warmers are her Christmas socks that light up. The leg warmers were the hit of the class: one girl summed it up by saying "those rock"! Our puppy particularly likes the pom-poms! Also, she was promoted in Kung Fu yesterday. The tradition is that they are to wear their new sashes for 24 hours. Therefore, so she (proudly) wore hers to dance. Notice the bit of green and blue silk at the top right of the picture? That's her new belt (sash): she now a green with a blue stripe sash rank! I'm proud of her; she's worked hard.

Here she is wearing her rainbow striped socks with her American Girl outfit that she got for her birthday (the one that matches the outfit that the "Just Like You" dolls come in).

Peter's Promotion

Peter was promoted two weeks ago to the rank of blue sash with a red stripe in Kung Fu. He's been working very hard and I'm proud of his dedication and focus. God has blessed him with an activity that he loves and that benefits him.

You Know You Live in a Small Town When...

...your voting ballot is filled out by using a black ball point pen and filling in the bubbles!

No joke; that's how I voted today!

How Do You Know When You Doing Enough?

Tonight I was talking with a friend while our daughters were in their Musical Theater class. Her daughter is the same age and in public school. She was telling me about a persuasive speech that her daughter had to write and then present to her class. My first thought was "Oh my, I haven't done this with my kids!" while feeling slight bit of panic. I know it's sounds silly, but I'm being very transparent here. I think I'm just having a paranoid week, but I have been continually questioning myself and feel like I'm falling short. Questioning in and of itself isn't negative, but lately I keep having these inward panic attacks when I hear about what is being taught or done in various schools. On Monday, I actually felt guilt when I heard about a field trip that a class went on because I hadn't taken my kids there! I'll admit that I can be perfectionist when it comes to schooling my children. I don't want to just do "good enough"; I want to provide them with the best education possible. What parent doesn't want this? Part of these feelings probably stem from the fact that I've been working on recovering my energy and while I'm doing better, I'm not quite 100%.

I'd love feedback on this issue...How do you know that you're doing enough?

The Legend of the Woolly Worm

I love fall. I love the beauty of the colors of the leaves changing, the musty smells and the crisp, cool air. Fall is my favorite season! However, this morning I woke up to SNOW SHOWERS??? In October? How odd! According to local legend, the "woolly worm" predicts how mild or harsh the winter will be. Brown areas on them mean a mild time of winter; black means a harsh time. For example, if the woolly worm is brown on it's nose, black in the middle and brown at the end, it means that the beginning and end of winter will be mild with the middle being harsh. When we moved to this area 5 years ago, I laughed at the "superstitious locals" that believed such a thing! Later, I learned that this "legend" came from the Indians who lived in the area. After 5 winters, I realized that the woolly worms are very, very accurate. This year they are ALL black. After seeing snow showers this morning, we're probably in for a rough winter.

It's Been Too Long

It has been a long time since I've posted. I've been very, very sick for over a month. I haven't felt well since I had food poisoning back in July. On the weekend of September 19th, I must have come in contact with some type of food-born bacteria again because I had another terrible weekend. I thought I was recovering, but for the next two weeks, I never felt good. My stomach hurt constantly and I rarely slept through a night. When I finally went to the doctor on Sept. 26th, I was diagnosed with a major infection in my abdomen. My white blood cell count reached a critical level over that weekend. I truly believe that I would not be here today if it wasn't for the prayers of family and friends and the care I received.

I have learned a very important lesson about not ignoring pain. I have a very high pain tolerance so I really did not realize how sick I was. I am so thankful that I'm still here! My children need me: I can't imagine how hard it would have been on them. They've lost their father and to lose their mother too...anyway, I'm so full of praise to God! I'm still very weak, but I'm on the road to recovery.

A Random Act of Kindness

Last weekend, my Mom and I took Anne to the American Girl Place for her birthday. Anne has been wanting to go for years so this was a dream come true for her! We made a "girls weekend" out of the trip which was so much fun for all of us! The weekend started out by us having dinner Friday evening at the American Girl Bistro where the dolls dine with you at the table in special seats. They even give the doll her own menu! American Girl thinks of everything; if your daughter doesn't have a doll, they have "loaner doll's" for the meal. The food was wonderful and after dinner the most amazing thing happened. A little girl who was around Anne's age walked up to our table and handed Anne an A.G. gift bag and said "This is for you". Anne said "Thank you" and the girl wished her a happy birthday and walked out of the restaurant. Anne opened the bag, pulled out a piece of paper and said "What is it?". I looked at it and gasped! The girl gave her an American Girl gift certificate for $25.! I ran out into the store to find the girl and thank her, but her and her parent's were gone! The Bistro manager wasn't even surprised saying that "random acts of kindness" happen regularly at the Bistro. Wow! What a wonderful world it would be if people did random acts of kindness regularly. It has made me want to do my own.

Have you ever been the recipient of a "random act of kindness"? Have you ever done a "random act of kindness"? Leave comments, please!

Our Family Updates

The school year is in full swing now. I basically have what I call a "brain in a binder" which means that I'm following a daily schedule that consists of teacher guides and my day planner.

I haven't posted a lot because I've been feeling poor. I had

what I thought was food poisoning almost two weeks ago and

the stomach pains are still hanging on. Pain is very tiring.

School has been going well (in spite of my plight). We have hit the proverbial "pause" button on our study of American history.

After we completed the Civil War using Sonlight's core 3, we decided to go back and pick up where we left off (about 16 months ago) in the middle ages using Winter Promise's program "Quest for the Middle Ages". Winter Promise is similar to Sonlight, but adds hands-on projects. We have about 14 weeks left in this program and then we'll go back and finish Core 3.

Peter is on the verge of being a teenager! He seems more man most days than a boy. I often wonder where the time has went? He's such a good kid...I mean young man. Peter has been on a reading binge. It is so, so wonderful to see him devouring books! The "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter has been the catalyst for this remarkable change! He's on the 2nd book of the 2nd series and has set a pace of finishing a book in approx. a week and a half. This is miraculous to me because just a few months ago he read only when he was forced to. He is also diligently working toward earning his next sash in Kung Fu and has set a very high goal of earning his black belt by the end of next year. He is 4 sashes away from his (youth) black and these are the most challenging ones to earn. Kung Fu has been wonderful for him because he is so goal-oriented.

Anne is about to turn 11! I'm having these moments of realizing how quickly my children are growing up. However, she still has a lot of little girl in her and I'm so glad. She loves to write stories, read, play with her American Girl dolls and do craft projects. She is really enjoying her Musical Theater and Tap/Jazz classes. Musical Theater has been a whole new experience for her. While she is very comfortable performing routines in front of a group, she has never acted or sang in front of one. Last week she prepared and performed a monologue. She's enjoying her dance class too.

This school year has been nice because we all have rekindled some friendships due to our various activities. When Anne was on the gymnastics team, there were so many things that we could not do with our homeschool group. Now, we are a part of two co-ops (Astronomy and history) and we get to see "old" friends more regularly. It has been fun!

Adjusting to Our Fall Schedule

School is in full swing here and I have not had the energy to post lately. This must be a common homeschooling Mom phenomenon from the glazed looks that I've seen on many other homeschooling Mom's faces. Maybe it's just because our children are middle school aged, I don't know. Anyway, I don't think I'm alone. I'm curious about how many outside activities your children participate in...would you please post a comment with what you do. Here's our "outside activities" (as in out of the house) schedule:

Monday:
-Kung Fu
-Art Class (just Anne)

Tuesday:
-Astronomy co-op (every other week)
-Kung Fu
-Tap/Jazz (just Anne)

Wednesday:
-?Church Youth Group?...I'm tossing this around, but I haven't decided.

Thursday:
-History co-op every other week
-Kung Fu
-Musical Theater (just Anne)

Friday:
-1st and last Friday of the month: fun evening activities at Kung Fu

Peter is much, much more active in Kung Fu and does several classes as well as helps teach two classes a week. Kung Fu is his passion! Anne attends one Kung Fu class and I've scheduled her other activities while we would be waiting for Peter.

Our Wall Timeline Today

It took me a few days, but I finally got the time to take a new photo of our timeline and post it. A friend was generous enough to give me two extra large bulletin boards about the time we moved to our new house. I decided to use them for our timeline because previously I had been struggling with the strips coming off the wall. There is approximately 10 feet of the green "B.C." area and about 20 feet of the blue "A.D." area.
If I could change one thing about the timeline, I would allow more space in the blue "A.D." area. As you can see, there are some very crowded areas!

Our Wall Timeline

Here's a photo of our wall timeline that I made in January of 2005. I love our timeline because it is a visual reminder of what we've studied. It's interesting to "see" the connections in the framework of a timeline. I realized after a brief trial with our timeline being in a book that we needed something that we would look at daily. It is not only a timeline of history, but it has become our history (of what we've studied). It is made from sentence strips and bulletin board boarders and attached to the wall using removable tape. I wish that I would have allowed more room in the last 400 years of the timeline because certain areas are now too full and a little cluttered. This photo is from late in 2005 and we've had a lot of additions in the last two years so I really need to take another photo. It's interesting to see all the changes though.

Useful Resourses

In 2002 a friend of mine brought over a copy of "The Old Schoolhouse" magazine to my house. She told me that in her opinion TOS was the best homeschooling magazine on the market. I was a subscriber to "Homeschooling Today" magazine, but wasn't overly pleased with it because the articles seemed repetitive...and I was only in my second year of homeschooling! I borrowed her copy and found an abundance of articles that were useful and interesting and a FREE unit study as well! I was hooked and immediately ordered a subscription that I have had ever since (with one exception when money was tight...but even then I bought a copy at Barnes and Noble!). Although sometimes I wish that The Old Schoolhouse would be published more frequently than quarterly, it is so full of articles that it takes me 3 months to read it all!

While reading my latest copy, I have noticed advertisements for their new Homeschool Planner:

If you know me IRL (in real life) or read my blog regularly, you know that I really love to organize. Yes, I am a planner and a "box checker". There is nothing that thrills me more than organizing (my schedule, our curriculum etc.). Not surprisingly, when I took a spiritual gifts assessment through a church, my highest score was in "Administration" (the second highest was in teaching). I've found this resource chock full of the type of useful forms that I love. I've never found the exact homeschool organizer that I've needed so I've ended up piecing one together. Now, I can find everything I need in one place! Another nice feature is reference lists like "Kitchen Conversions", "Periodic Table with Elements", "U.S. President's and their Wives" and "7 Wonders of the Ancient World". Interestingly enough, my daughter just asked me yesterday which of the "7 Wonders" she was forgetting! The answer was right there! I love it when research is easy and accessible.

If you're like me, you love getting things for free. So I'm offering a free digital subscription to one of my readers that is not already a subscriber to The Old Schoolhouse. Leave a comment stating why you'd like the subscription. I'll contact you if your comment if chosen.

A Laid Back Summer

I cannot believe that the summer is winding down. This summer has been so different than the last several ones because I've been more relaxed. One of the major differences is that Anne is no longer on the gymnastics team or involved in gymnastics whatsoever. It has been wonderful to not be in the gym environment. When we were there neither of us were aware of how stressful the atmosphere was. Also, I have really, really relaxed with school this summer. I should have done this years ago because Peter and Anne have had time to explore their own interests this summer with fantastic results. While I've already written about how Anne loves to write and her wonderful experience at Writing Camp, a miracle has occurred in Peter's literary world as well!

Peter has had a "reading break-through" this summer! It seems that his reading ability has now caught up with his interests. I often wondered if this day would ever come! Since he struggles with dyslexia, reading has been just plain hard work for him. Therefore, the amount of pleasure reading that he has done has been minimal or non-existent. Previously, he read (excluding audio books or looking at the pictures with minimal subtext reading) only when he was told to. About two weeks ago, he decided to read the first book in the "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter. He finished the first book last Friday then immediately began the second book in the series. As of today he is halfway through the book!!! Unless you have experience with dyslexia, it would be hard to understand the miracle that's taking place! I am still shocked when I see him reading for fun. I'm so thankful to God!

I have been very hesitant in the past to take time off from school in the summer. However, it seems like giving Peter and Anne more personal time this summer has created the opportunity for them to explore and grow in ways that they would not have been able to if we had kept up the pace of the regular school year. With the exception of math (LOL), they have learned about a wide variety of topics according to their interests. Please remind me of this next year if I forget!

"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."

Just For Fun...

I hate chain letters, but this idea seems fun. I saw this posted on my friend's blog. Join in if you'd like to!

1. Post a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

I'm Celebrating!

I'm so thrilled that I don't even know where to begin! I've often wondered if Peter would ever get into reading for fun...well, something miraculous has happened in the last two weeks! He's begun to read for enjoyment because he wants to read! This may seems minor to some people, but it is a major blessing to me. In fact, just a little while ago he just finished his very first novel that he's ever read completely on his own because he wanted to (not because he was assigned it or was made to)!! In fact, after he finished it, he immediately began reading the 2nd book in the series! Reading has been just plain hard work for Peter. A lot of prayer and being homeschooled has kept him from feeling the sting of the verdict of the "system" and negativity from peers. Even though he has not been one to read for enjoyment, I knew he never had a negative attitude towards books. He loves listening to books on audio and hearing read alouds. I've been hopeful that at some point his reading ability would catch up to his interests and he would become a reader. I am celebrating and sending up prayers of thanksgiving right now!

In the last few weeks, I've had several conversations with friends that are concerned about their child not wanting to read. Don't give up hope! Be positive, continue to read to your child, keep a selection of audiobooks on hand according to your child's interests and most importantly: pray!

Writing Camp

Anne had the opportunity to attend a three day
"Writing Camp" this week. It was a wonderful experience for her! The (three) other children in the camp were also homeschoolers about her age and shared her love of writing. Her teacher was enthusiastic, encouraging and seemed to know how to nurture young writers. Anne is already begging to go back to camp next year. I am hopeful that there will be other writing classes this school year that she'll be able to participate in.

Yesterday was the last day of camp and my family and I were treated to a "Public Reading" by Anne and the other young authors. As a parent, we all have moments that we'll never forget: Anne's reading yesterday was one of those moments. I don't think I've ever felt so proud of her or known that she was truly exhibiting the natural giftings that God has given her. She stood at the podium full of joy, poise and grace and read the story that she wrote at camp. I love her heart and imagination and am so thankful that she had the opportunity to be involved in a camp where she can explore and learn about something she loves.

Continuing to Organize for School

I admit it; I love to organize for school and not only before the new school year begins: I seem to enjoy it all year long! I've been working on our schedule for extra-curricular activities. Peter does a lot of Kung Fu classes which leaves Anne sort of sitting around several evenings a week after her class is over. Granted, she hangs out with friends and reads etc, but it seems like there could be other things she could be doing. I had been fretting about what to do with her to better utilize the time. I thought about enrolling her in art classes, but I feel like spending money on having someone someone else to teach her art is a waste since my job (before homeschooling and being a full time Mom) was teaching art! Anne, however, decided that she wanted to do a dance class (tap and jazz to be specific) and a theater class. So, ultimately it all worked out. Peter couldn't be happier: he could spend every spare moment training at Kung Fu...and he basically does! Anne still loves Kung Fu, but is branching out. I'm happy about this because I feel that she needs more interaction with girls. She is the only girl in her Kung Fu class, there is only one other girl near her age in the homeschool group and we're doing church at home for the time being. I think the dance and theater classes will be good for her!

Organizing for School

Today I've been organizing the basement which is where our homeschool room is. I like having a space dedicated to doing our schoolwork because it is in a location where we won't get interrupted too often. Since we have a home business/office, this is an awesome attribute! I don't know about you, but I really enjoy trying to get organized for a "new" school year. Why is it that the more you organize, the more you realize that you have to organize? After a couple of hours of work today, I realized that I could literally spend several more days working and not have everything "just so". Of course, I wasn't limiting my organizing to the third of the basement dedicated to homeschooling, I ended up working on the whole thing! I have this slightly ADD tendency where I start in one spot and then when I carry something to where I'm going to place it, I start something else and so on and so on and so on...Ugh!

Today (while organizing), I also realized how many items I have for a used curriculum sale. Unfortunately, my homeschool group's sale isn't until next March or April! I've been "saving" so many items "just in case", but my children have aged out of many of those items! Therefore, if you have a child that is in 2nd through 5th grade and you are looking for something, send me a message and I may have it for you! I will note that I resisted my ADD impulse to start boxing items up...mainly because I didn't want to look at boxes until next spring.

Anne...Blogging?

Anne has been wanting to have her own blog and has been asking for one (especially) since I began blogging in January. Her main goal is to have an outlet to "publish" what she writes. Writing is her passion and I certainly want to do everything I can to encourage her interests. In fact, she is going to be attending a "Writing Camp" in a few weeks and she's so excited.

Earlier this week I was talking with my friend LaRessie about what to do for Anne this "school year" in the area of Language Arts. It seems like I'm always piecing together different curriculums to suite her needs and interests. She suggested I allow Anne to have a blog. Obviously, if she did blog, it would be a private one, but I still have some qualms about it. I probably being ridiculous to feel uneasy so I'm asking for feedback from my friends. Does anyone allow their child to blog? If so, what advice would you give?

"The Shack"

I don't know if anyone that reads my blog is familiar with this book. My Mom bought this book for "us" to read because someone told her how wonderful it is. She said that she was told that the author is a Christian and had a terrible time getting it published because the Christian publishers said it was "too secular" and the secular publishers said it was "too Christian". My sister-in-law visited this weekend and she's reading it too. She's much farther than I am in it and is raving about it. She said that nothing but the Bible has impacted her this way. I'll admit that this book totally intimidates me because a little girl is abducted from her family. The thought is nauseating to me and is not something that I want to read about! Generally, I read to have a very cheap vacation! LOL...Reading is a mental escape for me. This book feels like mental torture though. I cannot imagine the pain of a child disappearing.

Does anyone have any experience with this book?

Interest-Lead Learning

In homeschooling I often let my children's interests lead the way on what we study...to an extent. There are certain topics that must be studied, but how we go about studying it is often flexible. Both of my children especially enjoy history and geography and I often let their interest determine our topic or time period that we're studying. We are now learning about the Civil War which is one of Peter's favorites. We are working through Sonlight Core 4 (which covers pre-Civil War to modern times in American history). Peter and Anne asked me earlier this week if after we finish the Civil War we could learn about the Renaissance and go back and finish up the Winterpromise program "Quest for the Middle Ages". We were using this program the school year before last (2006-2007) and even though we enjoyed it we ended up beginning American history last year. I think Anne and I just needed to get out of the war-torn and somewhat depressing Middle Ages! Now, I think we all excited to go back and finish up this program. I'm especially looking forward to including that arts and inventions of the Renaissance.

I think that we'll be able to finish both Quest for the Middle Ages and Core 4 (American history) next school year. This should work out great because my cousin (who's doing Sonlight Core 5 this school year) has offered to loan us the program after they finish with it. Thanks Mary Grace!

Disheartened and Disillusioned

I'm having a hard time saying anything positive lately...so this is why I haven't done a lot of blogging. However, I'm going to vent now. I am so disappointed in "church" people and the church as a whole. In a nutshell, I am disheartened. People believe what they want to...truth doesn't seem to matter even among "Christians" in the "church". My grandfather used to say that to true friends you don't need to explain and to those who aren't friends, you can never explain enough. Good motives and working for the Lord causes some people to resent you and question your motives when they were only good. I'll never join another church and I can't see attending another one again any time soon. That doesn't mean that I don't love the Lord and won't worship and serve him, but not through the local church (any time soon)! I would have never understood this statement 5 years ago: that's for sure! Only two people have even tried to reach out to us in any way and now one of those is shunning my family. I feel emotionally bankrupt and devastated. What's worse is the no one will say why we're being treated this way: the pastor won't even respond! Apparently, our situation is common knowledge "around town" (from a phone call we received yesterday from someone asking for money). Gossiping about us is OK, but talking with us apparently is not OK. How hypocritical that a church's mission can say they want to reach people and show Christ's love and they turn around a put a knife in a family's heart! The (local) church is sick and I am heart-sick.

Green and Blue Belts!

On Monday Peter and Anne were promoted in Kung Fu! I'm very proud of both of them.

The Ones That Didn't Get Away!

My Dad and Peter were invited to go on a Deep Sea Salmon fishing expedition while we were in Sitka. While I was excited for them, the thought of my "little" boy out on the ocean slightly unnerved me. However, I kept my mouth shut since it was after all a "good experience". I just hope that their expedition would be fun and incident free. It was fun and ended up being one of the highlights of the vacation for both my father and my son! It was not free of incident, but the "incidents" were positive ones. As they would say around here "They caught a big 'un!" They really did!

Peter's line was hit first and while he was "fighting the fish"my Dad's struck. Dad reeled his in first and was thrilled to see that he go a 28 lb. King Salmon! Peter soon "stole his thunder" with a 36-37 lb one! Dad didn't care though: he was so thrilled for both of them! Their boat guide told them that people have been fishing those waters for 20 years and never have caught a big one like Peter's!

Last Half of Our Trip

Day 5: Sitka, Alaska

I could live here! Our time in Sitka was too short!

Day 5: Sitka, Alaska


Day 6: Ketchikan, Alaska
We saw the Great American Lumberjack Show which was fun!

Day 6:

Anne attends a "tweens" cooking class.

Cousins Reunite!

On the way home we got to spend time with my cousin and her family.

It was the highlight of my trip!

Hubbard Glacier (Day 4 of Alaskan Cruise)

My absolute favorite destination on the cruise was going to Hubbard Glacier! I've never been anywhere so beautiful. Even as I stared at the bay/glacier with my own eyes, it seemed unreal! It felt as if I were watching a documentary even though I was right there! The sounds were unreal too. The entire bay is filled with pieces of ice crackling like in a glass that you pour liquid into, but 1,000 times louder. When the pieces calved off the glacier the sound was like thunder. I could hardly tear myself away. Peter really appreciated the violence of the calving and the waves they produced. He hung out with me to see several pieces calve (which can be an exercise in patience). Anne's sharp eyes saw a couple of seal swimming beneath the pieces of ice.

Alaska Photos (First 3 Days)

Day 1:

Sailing out from Seattle

Day 2:
Peter and Anne in the hot tub at the Lido deck pool.
It was a rough day at sea and they loved the "wave" pool. They swam for hours!


Day 3: The Lido Pool docked at Juneau with the sun roof open.
Brrr...it was chilly and a coat was needed just to be on the deck!

Day 3:
We went on a whale watching boat tour and saw about 7 humpback whales!
This was my one and only photo and it's pitiful! The black spot is the whale's tail.


Day 3: Native Dancers at Orca Point Lodge

The Billy Graham Library (our 1st stop on the way to Alaska)

On the first leg of our journey, we visited the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. The "library"was more like a museum. It was very interesting. I love this photo of the children and my parents walking toward the library. The cross on Peter's shirt mirrors the cross at the entrance. The library is shaped like a barn because Billy Graham's family were dairy farmers. He grew up milking cows!

We saw where Ruth Bell Graham was buried in the "Prayer Garden". She grew up in China where her parent's were missionaries which is why she has Chinese writing on her grave marker. I really enjoyed what was written on her grave marker:
"End of Construction-Thank you
for Your Patience". What a wonderful spirit to write something like this on your final resting place! I am definitely a work "under construction"...apparently Ruth felt the same way. Sometimes, it would seem that the wife of Billy Graham wouldn't feel "under construction". It's comforting to know that she was a work in progress as well. LOL

Another fun aspect of our journey through the library is that they gave the kids a scavenger hunt sheet that they could fill out on the journey through the library. Anne was totally into this activity and busily counted Bible verses, looked for the details and did her best to answer ever
question. However, the highlight of the tour for her was having an ice cream cone at the end. She declares that it was THE best ice cream that she ever had!

I'm Alive!

We're back from Alaska and life has...well...EXPLODED! I want to go back on vacation!! We now have a very, very active, but very, very cute and sweet puppy named Baxter. We also came home to church problems. To top it off, I got sick...very, very sick...I've never felt so bad! I think it was food poisoning. I survived and am praising God!

Here's a photo of Baxter before he was trimmed:

Testing is Complete!!

Peter and Anne had their state required testing (for homeschooling) done today. I cannot tell you what relief it is that it's over! I feel like a "wrung out rag" right now. The examiner was wonderful and very, very positive and I enjoy getting feedback and input. However, I always feel like I'm the one being tested...and in reality, I am. What Peter and Anne know or don't know is a reflection of what they've been taught by me (and retained...LOL). I cannot blame a poor teacher or the school system that's for sure!

What is ironic and somewhat frustrating to me is that even though I spend a lot of time teaching Bible, History, Science, Geography and other subjects outside the three-R's, they are only tested on Language Arts and math! When I took the SAT, it was the same too. I've never figured this out! A truly educated person needs to have a wider knowledge base, don't they?

Anyway, I am joyful celebrating. Testing is over for another year! They each did well and showed progress this year and most importantly to me right now is that it's over!

Summer Begins

I am so ready to relax a bit about school. We have testing tomorrow and then we'll take a break until after we return from Alaska. We're going on an Alaskan cruise! We are all looking forward to it. It's especially exciting to me because I am not in charge. Usually when we go on vacation, I am in charge on making the arrangements and scheduling our time. This time I am not in control! My parents earned this trip through their business, but they decided to invite the children and I along. Isn't that awesome? I never, ever thought that I would get to see Alaska and I've always wanted to! Another perk to our trip is that I get to see my cousin "Mary Grace" on a layover on the way home. We haven't seen each other in over 3 years! I miss her terribly and wish that our families could share our lives more regularly.

Update on Prince Caspian

Our family is struggling to agree on a name for our puppy. Calling him "Prince" isn't at all appealing to Anne and "Caspian" isn't at all agreeable to my parents. We are having to wait until the middle of June to get him because of a scheduled vacation (it didn't seem fair to get a puppy for two weeks then leave him for a week when he was just settling in). It's hard to wait, but it's probably good so that we can all decided and agree on a name. It looks like his name may be "Baxter" because that is the only name that all of us can agree on!

Any name suggestions?

Introducing...

Prince Caspian's Mother!

We are expecting a new addition to our family in the middle of June. We're getting a 4 month old black, male, miniature poodle that we are planning on calling "Prince Caspian". The verdict is out on what he'll be called. Some family member's prefer "Prince" and others prefer "Caspian". Since we have a miniature Schnauzer, some people may wonder why we're getting another dog. One trait of terriers and Schnauzer's in particular (which we didn't know before we got ours) is that they tend to attach themselves to one person. Our Schnauzer has completely attached herself to my father. She follows him wherever he goes and whines, cries and has separation anxiety whenever he leaves. He's never had a dog love him so much (which is great for him). However, Peter, Anne and I (yes, I'm a dog lover too!) would like a dog that pays attention to us. Therefore, we have decided to get a miniature poodle. Because of Anne's allergies and the fact that I don't want to deal with dog hair all over my home, there are only a limited number of breeds that we can choose from. Poodles are one of them. After a lot of research I learned that male poodles are more lovable and less moody than females. He'll also be more likely to get along with Mandie (our female Schnauzer). This will be the 4th poodle I've owned (but the 1st male). One trait that I like about them is they a family dogs. Even if they have a favorite, they will pay attention to everyone.

So, yet another countdown to Prince Caspian begins for us!

The Bamboo Grove

Today we went on a field trip to pan for gold because we've been studying the California Gold Rush of 1849. After our panning we went to a nearby park to have a picnic and discovered a Bamboo Grove. The kids enjoyed exploring it and I, of course, had to take some pictures!

Kung Fu Tournament

Peter and Anne participated in a Kung Fu Tournament this past weekend. It was quite an experience not only for the martial arts, but the entire trip was an experience! After living in a small town for a while, Charlotte was quite a shock to the system. It was quite funny to see the kids get so excited over seeing a real, not on the Internet, Toys R Us. They begged to go in! I had to laugh because when we lived there when they were younger, the amenities of a larger town were really not a big deal.

The tournament was held in uptown Charlotte. Even though I lived in the Charlotte area for over sixteen years, I never, ever got used to navigating uptown. This excursion was no different. Our attempts at arriving at our destination were almost comical. We kept *seeing* our destination, but were unable to get to it because of all the one way streets. Also, our map showed a road into a parking garage! Ugh! We did finally arrive and were even early. Unlike gymnastics meets that begin almost always on time and are run almost like a military operation, Kung Fu Tournaments begin when they get around to it! LOL I was told that it would begin at 9:00 am and it began at 10:20 am! We should have "caught a clue" when they were vacuuming at 8:50 am! It was fun though when it got going. Although it would be nice for it to begin in a more timely manner, I like it being more relaxed than gymnastics. We got to see a traditional Chinese "Lion Dance" which was very interesting and entertaining.

Anne was about the first participant to perform. She did a fantastic 'Empty Hand Form', but I was concerned about how she would place because she was the very first in her group to go (judges tend to score the first ones lower). She ended up getting 1st place! She was so excited especially because in the two seasons she competed in gymnastics, she never got 1st place. I was so excited for her! She wore that medal until she climbed into bed that night! Peter also took 1st place in his age group in 'Empty Hand Forms" and then later in 'Weapon Forms'. I am so proud of him. He works so hard and practices a lot. It really was an awesome morning! Peter also participated in Continuous Sparring. He has sparred at the Kung Fu Academy with adults so I wasn't concerned. We quickly learned how different Tournament Sparring is from the way our school spars! The way Peter was taught to spar was to use restraint: make contact, but do not try to hurt your opponent (it is for practice and fun). This was not what he experienced! At this Tournament "sparring" included grappling, kicks, take downs and punches with force to anywhere but the head or groin. It was a just shy of a street fight in my opinion. Also, Peter was the only "Intermediate" student among Advanced students who have been doing this type of sparring for 4+ years (I found this out later)! In reality, he should be considered a "Beginner" because he's only been doing Kung Fu for 10 months! He lost the first round and had the wind knocked out of him and was pretty shaken up. As a Mom, I was ready to leave and would have, but he insisted that he finish the sparring. He ended up winning the second round and getting 3rd place. In retrospect, I realize that his willingness to go back in and finish what he started shows great character and courage: the character that I wrote about when I decided to use the name "Peter" for this blog ("Peter" from Narnia). He also gained the respect of his Sifu (teacher) and showed what he told me was "a Black Belt's Spirit". I don't know how I'll handle future matches (with lots and lots of prayer!), but I do know that I am so very, very proud of his very hard earned 3rd place medal...not because of the award itself, but because of the courage and heart that earned it.

"Living" History

Last week we had a planned trip to the Charlotte area for a
Kung Fu Tournament. We piggy-backed some excellent educational experiences outside of martial arts. In our history program (Sonlight Core 4), we've been learning about events leading up to the American Civil War. As it happened, the day before our trip, most of what was discussed was about our 11th President, James K. Polk! Since his birthplace is just outside of Charlotte, we decided to visit the Memorial (which consists of a museum and a reconstructed home). It was neat to see history come alive for Peter and Anne. I remember visiting the Memorial when I was a teenager and I found it fairly dull. I think this was because I knew little American history outside of a few key events and lots of memorized dates. I really had made no connection with history or people of historical significance let alone James Polk! I hadn't even heard of him until we visited there...no joke!


For me, one of the great advantages to homeschooling is seeing my children make connections with history in a way I never did until I was in college and saw history through art (history). It was neat seeing them really enjoy the Memorial because they had made a connection with what most people would consider an obscure President if they knew him at all!

Anne: Now and Then (comparing how she has changed in the past six months)

I'm amazed to watch my children grow and change. Anne certainly has had a transformation in the past 6 months. Not only is she growing taller into a young woman, but she's slowly leaving girlhood behind. In late November 2007 some major changes were made in her extra-curricular activities. I pulled her out of competitive gymnastics. She had been doing gymnastics since she was about 3 and was in her second season of competition. I made the decision with a lot of prayer and for reasons which boiled down to the negative things (like the stress on her emotionally and physically) were out weighing the benefits. It was a very difficult decision because Anne kept saying that wanted to stay on the team (and I really didn't want to be the bad guy!), but I knew that it was the right thing to do. Interestingly enough, when the decision was made and she knew it was final, she was the happiest I had ever seen her! God is so good! As it turns out, she really only wanted to be on the team because of her friends. She enjoyed gymnastics, but she had a lot of fears (hence the stress!).

Within days of quitting gymnastics, she expressed an interest in doing Kung Fu. She was exposed to it through Peter who began Kung Fu 5 months earlier. I would have never, ever thought that she would would want to be involved in martial arts...never in my wildest dreams! Probably because of her petiteness, I saw her as a "girly" girl. One thing I've realized about Anne in the last 6 months is that though she is very feminine, she is not a "girly" girl and this is a good thing. She has gained more and more confidence and is no longer timid. Sometimes her brother and I would like her to be less assertive! LOL I've also realize that in general Anne is as comfortable or even more comfortable hanging out with boys as girls. I'm so proud of Anne. Whatever she does, she does with her whole heart. She has worked so hard in Kung Fu and she earned her orange belt with a purple stripe yesterday. This is the 6th belt out of 15 belts (to earn a youth black belt).

Just 17 Days...

...until the "Prince Caspian" movie comes out. Peter is literally counting down the days. I hope the movie is as good as the anticipation of it has been. I'm just glad that it is only 17 days now because I've been hearing "I can't wait until Prince Caspian comes out" since last summer! Needless to say, we are going the day it comes out unless some calamity happens!

Images from the Weekend

Both Peter and Anne are involved in Kung Fu. They absolutely love it. This past weekend they had the opportunity to support their Kung Fu school by participating at a local Festival. Here are some pictures of them breaking boards in a demonstration at the event. My timing of taking the pictures wasn't very good, but you get the basic idea:

He broke these boards with an open palm strike (there were two of them).

Anne was determined to break a red board...she did it with her foot!