Gelato....yummy yummy yum....

It's been hot (believe it or not) here in Germany the past few days, plus around 90% humidity, which makes me question, are we in Arkansas or Europe, for pity's sake??? I've been moaning  and groaning about how on earth we'll get through the summer months with no A/C, which apparently the Germans don't believe in. (yes! I am a spoiled American!!)

Until this....the sound of a bell, the little gelato truck coming around the corner...

Oh......where have you been all my life, gelato? Move over, Blue Bell....I've found how we will get through the summer!

I think I have earned a day of rest today.  Seems we've been in a whirl since returning from the Netherlands a couple of weekends ago, but  what an experience!The highlights, of course, were visiting  the Anne Frank House, and seeing the tulip gardens at the Keukenhof Gardens. It really is as beautiful as you can imagine:

Since then, we received shipment of our household goods, so we've been working on unpacking and making the house liveable with our own things.

You appreciate the little stuff when you've lived out of a suitcase for 2 and a half months!

Other activities this week....

...watching baseball games--lots of them, it's tournament weekend

...going on walks and enjoying the trails as they green up

...finishing standardized testing--can you see the enjoyment on the faces?

...looking at cute flippy summer skirts online (Christopher and Banks had a 50% off sale--woohoo!!) I love a comfy skirt with flipflops.

...remembering why we do what we do... thanks Kim for reminding me of this book!

We have been busily unpacking boxes and taking  a weekend trip to Holland (photos soon to follow!), but in the meantime, I thought this was an interesting read from HSLDA.  I find this to be true, often. Even though my high schoolers seem like well-rounded, nice kids who are doing well, with strangers there is often an element of suspicion or negativity when they find out we homeschool. It IS a 'head scratcher'.

The Washington Times	May 19, 2008

Washington Times Op-ed—Acceptance Grows but Myths Persist

by J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President

A friend of mine and I were discussing labels and how we as homeschoolers like to label ourselves and others, to try to fit other homeschoolers neatly into some sort of definition whereby which we know how to handle them and their ideas.

Hmmm....we've homeschooled since 1995 (or '94? can't remember). It's hard to fit all we've done for school under the umbrella of some sort of label.  As we just moved here, I went to a homeschool meeting the other night, my first one in this area. It's the end of the school year for most of us, but I definitely wanted to connect with the local christian homeschooling community and I was very glad I went. I came away with several things though.

First was---Gosh. I am old.  :) 

But seriously....it was humorous to me to sit and listen to moms debating about which history curriculum they ought to use with their 6 year olds. (I could answer that easily--doesn't matter. I promise you when they're 10 or 12 and you ask them about it, they WILL have forgotten it!)

Ok, that aside..I had several moms who, on realizing I had kids in high school, wanted to hear what curriculum we have used for this or that subject over the years.

It's a difficult question to answer (and I still stand by my mostly tongue-in-cheek  thought after using the local ps independent study for 2 semesters for my oldest ball-playing son, that legos and library books will get you where you need to be by 9th grade). 

But my answer: it's depended on the year. Depended on the type of learners I was dealing with and their ages, whether we just had a new baby, just relocated, where we lived and the types of activities available or how tired I was in any given school year.  (Sounds really flaky when I go back and reread that, but it's the truth!) Some years we've used really 'formal' curriculum, some have been more hands-on and unit-y. Just depends. And when you respond that way, you can see the interest wane and their eyes wander as they drift away to someone who will just give them answers, by golly.

Not to sound like I'm being too hard on the younger homeschool moms. Just a reminder that if one is to stay the course, homeschooling-wise, there is a certain amount of flexibility you will have to have. (assuming you are homeschooling through high school)  I promise you, I've seen folks fizzle and burn out by trying to hold to too rigid a schedule or specific type of curriculum. On the other hand, I've seen the same from folks who were too loosey-goosey with no structure. We are more of the 'flow of the day' or 'rhythm of the home' type folks. There are better writers than I who have addressed this. Here's another. Good encouragement there.

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God....

At the risk of sounding cynical, I decided to write about some thoughts gelling of late. I've noticed some online discussions about  homeschooling 'styles'--some nice and some, well.... just plum not nice.  I am constantly amazed at the number of resources there are for us homeschoolers these days. There is a great sharing of ideas and is truly an incredible age we live in.  It's wonderful to glean and learn from others' experiences. But with all this abundance comes the risk of comparison and discontent.

But I have to say--keep your eyes on your own work. As soon as encouraging turns into comparing, or lively discussion morphs into something uglier --that whole 'my way is the best way, and therefore YOUR way is wrong', I have to say enough.

Waaaay back when I was growing up in school, I had a bad habit of looking at my 'neighbor's' papers. Not to copy, mind you. Just to see where I was compared to where they were on a test. To see if my drawing was like their drawing. What my handwriting looked like compared to their handwriting. If I should be worried because I wasn't working as fast as they were. I can't tell you how many times I heard a teacher say 'keep your eyes on your own work!'

I think many of us homeschool moms need that reminder.  My life is not your life. Your kids aren't my kids. I can't presume to be the voice of God for you, nor should you expect me to be and vice versa. Sometimes (always?) it's best to turn off the computer, to pray with and talk to our husbands and see what THEIR vision for our children and our homeschool is. They have an objectivity about it that we may lack. To remind ourselves that  someone who is lauded as a homeschool guru or expert may just not be what they're cracked up to be in the online world. That we don't always get the whole picture.

That, sometimes, the greatest good we can do for ourselves and our families, is not to look up one more curriculum, one more idea or unit study, or one more homeschool blog. But to simply put one foot in front of the other and face up to another day.  Many times we know the right thing to do. We would just rather procrastinate, read about it, talk about it, vs actually doing the thing.

Well, here we are. We made it safely from CA to Germany, all a little worse for the wear.  We are excited to be here, but I think  we need some more sleep before we can show it. I could tell you how hard the 11 hr plane trip was for me physically because of my recent surgeries, or how we had to pay for a new dog kennel ($75) at the airport because they didn't accept the one we had just bought the week before, or how my girls cried on the transatlantic flight because the stewardesses (oops I mean flight attendants) couldn't tell us whether or not our pet had made the connection, or how much my boys have missed their friends, or how c-c-c-cold it is here. Or how my hubby hit the ground running with work on Day 1 and we have barely seen him and how I've been feeling a little sorry for myself in a new place with no wheels (our van hasn't arrived yet). But I don't want to spend Easter weekend complaining.  Really.

I was thinking about things this morning, and it suddenly hit me that this is our 4th move since '02, 3 of them being overseas moves or coming back from overseas. Wow. No wonder I'm tired.  Hubby was also deployed to the Middle East twice during that time frame.  So I'm giving all of us a little bit of grace for the time being.

Not to feel sorry for ourselves, but it's a reminder of what we deal with as part of our 'normal', and how much we need to be patient with each other. Most military wives I know living this life don't have time to blog about it too. I am starting to understand that, which is why my entries have been sparse of late. 

I would say two necessary ingredients for the nomad lifestyle we enjoy would be flexibility and sense of humor. Which is funny to me that I even just typed that, because I grew up my whole life in the same town and definitely had a fear of new situations and people. God has a sense of humor! To think I would ever be encouraging others to 'go with the flow' is laughable if you knew the old me. I'm thankful He chooses to stretch us beyond what we think we're capable of.

  Which reminds me--I need to go to the Post office this a.m. and hubby needs to draw me a map since I've never been there before. catch ya later.

Tomorrow our packers come to start getting us ready for our Germany move! We are exhausted, excited, and hopeful. (not necessarily in that order!)  DS#2 sprained his ankle last week  and is on crutches--just to add to the excitement of trying to move a family of 6, a dog, a mom still recovering from major surgery in January.....and the fun begins!  We've been overseas just a few years ago, but I have truly forgotten how much work is involved.

I should be sorting or cleaning something, so I need to get back at it. It will be a blast to share photos and stories from Europe--soon!

God bless and thanks for the prayers!

I really miss HSB! And I am trying to tweak things here so as to keep posting. One nice thing has been the emails/comments I've gotten requesting access to my other blog. I am overwhelmed. I didn't realize Blogger had a limit on how many you can have 'subscribed' which causes me to rethink, yet again, this whole bloggy thing.

So I'm trying to figure out a way to be more 'generic' with my posts here, so I can continue with the homeschooling  blogger community. Bear with me, if any of you are still reading this!

Because of the nature of my hubby's  upcoming new job in the military, I have been asked not to have photos or personal info 'out there' for just anyone to google. To that end, I will soon be deleting this blog, and my blogspot blog will be by invitation only. I have had a couple of emails from folks asking for access. I am so flattered! I nearly invited all my 'friends' on HSB, but then wondered if anyone really cared enough to go to the trouble of reading our new blog.

If you would like access to my other blog, please leave a comment here and I will add you. The whole privacy thing has been an issue this year anyway with some strange comments and odd links to my writing. It's probably counterproductive to the whole idea of blogging to have it be private. I think I would keep writing whether anyone was reading it or not, though, so I will carry on. I really do appreciate the sweet comments and emails!

God bless,

Jen

Please pray for my little bud, Matty.

I am in the process of moving my blog to blogger. Check it out at Old McDonald's farm  The site is easier to navigate, it's easier to make changes and doesn't take hours (and I don't have to know html!) I have truly loved the community here, but it is very time consuming to make changes to my blog. And that is something that is somewhat of a commodity at this stage in life---time.

I will keep both blogs running for awhile. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And here's another example why, written by my 9 year old after being instructed in her English book to 'write a thank you note to your  teacher for helping you'. It goes:

Dear Mrs. M__________ (me, her mom, too cute!)

Thank you for always teaching me. And thank you for helping me, and loving me. Your hair always looks great. Your clothes are pretty and your earrings are beautiful.

Sincerely,

Anna

Definitely written by a girl--I love it!

James 1: 2-5, and v.12

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

John 16:33 Jesus said:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers and notes. Definitely have a praise because it does not appear we are dealing with anything malignant. We won't know for sure for awhile, but the surgeon felt pretty confident on that point. On the other hand, I will be facing some pretty major surgery soon--hysterectomy and other surgery which will put me out of commission for awhile. I don't want to make this blog boringly all about my medical issues, though this past year has been somewhat of a challenge in that regard, with more to come.

Also, I won't go into much detail, just for privacy's sake, and also so I don't get notes like "did you try other alternatives?" or "are you sure you want that surgery?" I've had enough of that in real life, unfortunately.   Not that any of you would do that!

Suffice it to say, I have been suffering with certain issues for a few years, and things have reached a point where a surgical solution is a necessity. As one who thrives on being independent and is pretty proactive about my health, exercise, etc these are definitely trials. I don't like feeling like I need help. I don't like having to lay down and rest every day just to keep going. But I know God has a plan. I definitely pray for bodily healing,  tempered with the knowledge that in this world we will have trouble. As Christians, we are not promised that we will escape this. In fact, we are promised the opposite. I just pray I can glorify God in this process, trusting Him with my very life. It's the only thing I know to do. HE is faithful.

Or really, I'm fine.....

I have a surgery consult appointment and biopsy tomorrow. I've been trying to not let my mind 'go there' as the big "C" word has been given to me as a possibility by my Dr. So, truly I've been trying to carry on and trust that whatever happens is in God's hands. I'm coping.  So I thought.

This evening I realized I'd been to our chapel, commissary, AND BX with TWO DIFFERENT earrings on--all day! With my hair pulled up, so you know it was noticeable.  And no one said a word, which I find even funnier.

Ah, well....thanks in advance for your prayers!

So much life is going on lately, that I find myself with less time to write/reflect about it.

What little time I've had online lately has been spent researching in preparation for a surgery consultation this week about some longstanding 'female' issues. I won't dwell on that, but will direct anyone having similar struggles to this great resource I've found. This is not only about surgical solutions (and sometimes they truly are the only solutions and I am thankful we have them) but other options as well.

Here is another good article by Home Living .  While I don't necessarily agree with everything they write (and my girls and I don't wear only dresses), it gives a Christian woman much to think about.  What is a Christian to do in this immodest age? We know God looks on the heart, but are we to be separate from the world? Should someone looking at us know we are Christians? (Or perhaps have a suspicion?)  I love what our chaplain preached about today....sometimes Christians are only known for what they are against. He proposed that perhaps we should get back to our NT roots and be known for what we are for.  Virtues such as love, helping others, kindness. To that I would add humility and modesty. Hard to find these days, even in Christian circles. So!  Here is a link from Home Living which has some ideas for way cute skirt/dress outfits.  There are also some good articles here and here. Have fun!

as I try to make a few seasonal changes...I'm not so good at this but was tired of looking at the same old thing! :)

Also, I have added a 'modesty links' section on the side...I'll blog more about that later. I don't endorse everything they say, but it definitely gives a Christian woman some food for thought!

What is that old Barney song? "You can have an adventure in a faraway land.....blahblahblah tuba in a marching band somethingsomething deep blue sea..... if you learn to borrow books at the library!"

I believe I've done an entry on the library before. We were all kind of 'eh' this morning, so off to the library we went. I'm always rejuvenated by books, the sight of stacks and shelves of books....ahhhhh....When my older two were littles and it seemed like I was always nursing, pregnant, or needing a nap, a big part of our schooling time was this: The 3 R's, and then we'd pick a book or two from the nonfiction or literature section of the children's section of the library to go through each week or two.  We'd leave with books on subjects as varied as insects, fairytales, the Pony Express, Christopher Columbus. An old classic movie thrown in. Sound disorganized? We would do an organized unit study once in awhile, but it seems the bulk of our learning came through reading together or alone. I recall we did a lot of Lego and playdoh playing as well.  

I love the simplicity that can be found in homeschooling. And sometimes I need the reminder that my youngest one deserves that relaxed, unhurried time just as much as my oldest did when he was that age.

Here's a wonderful quote and thought of the day for you that I got from this lovely blog:

If you wanted to gather up all tender memories, all lights and shadows of the heart, all banquetings and reunions, all filial, fraternal, paternal, conjugal affections, and had only four letters with which to spell out the height and depth and length, and breadth and magnitude and eternity of meaning, you would write it all out with these four capital letters: H-O-M-E.

I’ve never done a "day in retrospect" on my blog, so I thought it would be fun. I would love to read anyone else’s if they write one!

So here you go….the good, the bad, and the sleepy….

First, let me preface this by saying I sat up till midnight the night before….with good reason. I was waiting for the next day's medical appointments to dump into the Tricare Online system so I could make an appointment for my oldest son (“Tricare” otherwise known as “The Devil’s Healthcare system”, or to you civilians, as the military healthcare system)

6:30   Alarm goes off and I hit it several times before finally rolling out of bed 20 minutes later…I am NOT a morning person but have learned to just face the music (eventually).

7:00   Brewing coffee, and telling oldest son to get up already since the appointment is for him.

7:15  Telling oldest son to get up now or I will have to resort to using the ‘ice cubes of happiness’

7:16  Son is up since he apparently vividly recalls the ice cubes of happiness. I get an outfit together that requires no ironing and thank the Lord in heaven above for Mary Kay. I only have 2 dress code policies—I don’t go out in public in sweats or without my lipstick. J

8:20  Drive to clinic with above son for his (hopefully last) post injury follow-up

8:40  Sit and chat with Matt’s Dr, who we actually love and who has nothing to do with the devil (reference above)

9:00  Home again….move everyone along with chores/school/piano practice

9:10   Download a song for Wednesday’s music practice from CCLI. Go over song a couple of times to make sure I’ve got the chords right. 9 year old asks ‘why do you have to play the piano every day?” (I don’t) and not in a “ I wish you played more often” kind of tone. Stinker. I could go on about a prophet not receiving honor in his own country, but I won’t. Someday they’ll be sorry. 

9:15-11:30  Read Bible with the girls, go over math lessons, map out assignments for the week,  read aloud a chapter in each of our books we’re reading--
William Bradford, Pilgrim Boy (for history) and It’s a Jungle Out There (our ‘fun’ book). Start our Explorers History Pockets. Those are way fun and a nice wrap up for any subject.

11:45  Dad home for lunch. We break to eat and they take turns playing him in chess. Some days it’s cards, other days even poker. I figure it all falls under ‘higher order thinking skills’. J He doesn’t get to come home every day, but when he does, we stop everything to spend time with him.

1 p.m.   I leave for (yet another) medical appointment for my LAST (yeah!!) followup from my recent surgery. I am tired of all the medical stuff. Good news—I still have nerve damage but it is better than he thought it would be. This is encouraging. I call this friend (who I don’t get to see or talk to often enough) on my headset while driving there, and as always have a good conversation. Wistfully think I wish we lived near other again.  I get back at…

2:30   To find out the younger two did NOT behave while I was gone. (big no-no) They lose some privileges for the day. When I say “no friends” I later find the 9 year old crying on her bed, thinking it means she can’t go to gymnastics tonight. SIGH. Like I would restrict her from something that costs me that much money...I wish I could take a nap…

2:30-4:00   Finish grading school, picking up. The girls read. 11 yo is reading the second Anne of Green Gables book and the 9 yo Derwood, Inc. At some point I have the good sense to brew some more coffee, or as I like to think of it, ‘the nectar of the gods’. Oldest son goes to mow the neighbor’s yard.

4:00-5:00  Quick meal prep helped by the middle two children and get dinner on the table by 5:00 as we have some commitments tonight. Easy—spaghetti and French rolls! Yum.

5:30  Braid 9 year-old’s hair for gymnastics. 11 yo goes outside to jump on the trampoline. The big boys are on their beds reading books—the 16 yo is reading an Agatha Christie book (he has inherited my love for non-gory mysteries) and the 14 yo is reading A Tarantula in My Purse—what can I say? He loves science.

6:00  Leave house, drop 14 yo off for his first drum lesson (I see visions of a garage band in my future between him and my 16 yo electric-guitar-playing son), drop off 9 yo at gymnastics, stay and watch a minute and then run for a few minutes to a military spouses’ meeting that I forgot about until a few minutes ago.

6:15-7:00  Listen to a lecture on breast cancer awareness (my aunt is a 2-time survivor so it’s a topic near and dear to me) Did you know girls who were breastfed have a 25% lower rate of breast cancer? Interesting. Have to leave before it’s over, unfortunately.

7:00  Race back to pick up 9 yo and watch her last 15 minutes of gymnastics class. She lands her front hand spring on her feet for the first time ever. Go, girl! Hubby picks up 14 yo from his drum lesson.

7:30   Back home. I change into sweats, hallelujah! J Help youngest clean up kitchen and dust the living area. I am giving a piano lesson tomorrow and can’t have a dusty piano! Start the Shower Patrol and try to get everyone to wind down.

8:30  Watch a DVR’ed episode of Andy Griffith with my younger two and eat popcorn. Oldest son is holed up in his room working on schoolwork, 14 yo is in back room ‘practicing’ drums. Yikes. I putter around, do some school/music organizing, read emails, and think at some point I will update my blog and make it look prettier. But not right now, I’m too tired.

9:ish  Girls in beds reading ‘one more chapter’. Dh is woodworking outside. I am typing this and the thought strikes me “WHY am I not in bed?” It’s a vicious cycle. The big boys decide now is a good time to lift weights. I wonder how on earth they still have energy left.

Now it is 10 p.m. and my day is at an end! It’s been busy, but good. I try to never forget how happy I am to be home with my kids for these few years. I prefer days where I’m not out of the house so much, I do have to say. I also usually like to walk daily, but it didn’t happen today. And I don't usually drink that much coffee! What can I say? It's Monday.

Now...Please let me know if you do a 'day in the life'!

The feel of autumn is definitely in the air here...

...bringing loads of bunnies and deer into our yard along with it. (nature study, anyone?)

Can you think of a better way to study than this?

I love free stuff! While looking for a map of Columbus' route, I stumbled across this site called Mr. Nussbaum...TONS on here--have fun exploring!