I figured my threat last week of being grounded if Biggun did not do ALL his school work he would be grounded, would be enough to encourage him. Well, as a good Mom I had to follow through with the punishment.
I got home from work Friday afternoon at 5;15pm, went to check his school work and realized he had missed reading 4 chapters in a book he is working on. (these are small chapters like 3-4 pages each and I only asked him to read 2 chapters a day) I had to follow through w/ the grounding.
He had to finish his 4 chapters on Saturday and was not allowed to play w/ friends. Then on Sunday he had to jump start his schooling for next week and he was not allowed to play w/ his friends. He even missed a birthday party for one of his closets friends. I heard him on the phone w/ this friend the conversation went like this...
Biggun: sorry I can't come over for your birthday, I did not finish my reading so I am grounded.
Friend: ah' man,
Biggun: look at it this way you will be 10 next time I see you.
That made me smile that he was looking for the positive even in the negative.
So far today, Biggun has done good at getting what is on his schedule done. We will have to wait and see if it will all get done by Friday at 5pm.
Ever get to the point that you feel like you are not schooling at all, due to LIFE keeps getting in the way. Well w/ Big Daddy's motorcycle accident, it seems that way.
We are starting fresh and I am making my 10 year old a little bit more responsible for his schooling. I write the lesson plans but he seems to LOOK and FIND a reason NOT to finish the assignments I listed on the planner for the week. Now I don't over plan in fact most would say I am under plan. I only plan for 4 days a week. As of today, Biggun has to be responsible to do his own school work. If he does not have it all done by Friday 5pm, then he is grounded over the weekend. He will have to finish his school work on Saturday and he will be starting the following on Sunday afternoon. He will be grounded from friends over the weekend, too. This is an awful thing for Biggun as his friends usually can't play during the week due to they have homework, but the weekends he gets to play w/ them. I have explained all this to him, I am praying that I don't have to follow through. But will if I have too.
Biggun started a new fluency program that a friend MammaMary let us borrow called Success on School it is a Hooked on Phonics program that helps you move from decoding to fluency. He flew through the first 3 lessons then got to the 4th and 5th lesson today and it slowed him down. He did not give up but he realized that he had to slow down to get through it. There are 5 parts w/ 5 lessons in each part. When this is all done. I am also hoping to somehow start using Time4Learning again, I am just waiting to see how God will provide that.
Oh and Biggun has been listening to LOTS of books on his MP3 player.
I love when there is great FREE educational activities close to home. Even with all that is going on w/ our family. (Jay's accident and having two littles) Biggun was able to go w/ some dear friends to the
Brooksville Raid Reenactment
The Hernando Historical Museum Assoc., Inc. and North Pinellas County Scout Sertoma Club, Inc. present the 30th Annual Brooksville Raid Reenactment, Jan. 16th & 17th, 2010. This reenactment is a re-creation of a Civil War battle that happened in Hernando County in July of l864.
The Raid is held the 3rd weekend in January every year. We have become the largest Civil War reenactment in Florida with over 1500 reenactors and their families. We have 28 cannons, 60 horses, and over 50 sutlers.
The public is invited to tour, at no additional charge, the authentic confederate and union camps and actually see how they lived and what it was like during the Civil War. We expect around 60 sutlers (Vendors), so you can purchase any Civil War items you might want. We also have kettle corn, old time root beer and you can't leave without having a FRY BREAD.
We went a few years ago but have not made it back since Honey Bear was a baby. If you go in your scout uniform you can enter for FREE. Here are some pics that Aunt C. took....
I know it has been a while, I know people hate to hear the reasons for it being so long, or should I say excuses that it has been so long. SOooooo I will not give any and just update you on what is going on in our world.
On Dec 28, 2009 my husband Big Daddy, was in a motorcycle accident. He is alive, thank you God. but has a compression fracture in his lower lumbar and in a back brace for the next 2 - 3 months. We will be dealing w/ this for months to come. Big Daddy is out of work for 2-4 months. We are trusting in God to provide since he is the bread winner of our family. oh btw, the accident was not my husbands fault. Another driver pulled out in front of him.
On to the rest of the family...
Due to the accident we have not been able to get back schooling after the holiday the way I would like to. Biggun has been on a very light school schedule. I had hoped to sign him up for Time4Learning again but w/ the lack of funds right now, things are on hold w/ that right now. In the mean time, he is loving his mp3 player he got for Christmas. I think he has listen to 4 books off of it since Christmas. I found a great site to down load free classics. I was so excited when he came to me and told me in detail about "Little Men" he really liked it. We have been listening to Story of the World VI in the car, and I would love to get the other volumes on cd, but again everything is on hold in the spending department.
Honey Bear is 2 and determined NOT to get potty trained. Not that we have really pushed it. But she will now tell me when she has pee'd and pooh'd but after the fact. Honey Bear's vocabulary has improved so much in the past week alone. She is talking up a storm, she has been talking up a storm for a while but now you can sorta understand her. The facial expressions are wonderful too. Oh she got a Baby Elmo for Christmas, she loves to take that Baby Elmo everywhere. This Baby Elmo slurps his bottle and then burps and says excuse me afterwords. It says lots of things, but Honey Bear loves this doll.
Moose is growing like a Moose! He has a MOUTH full of new bud teeth coming in. I mean there are anywhere between 5 to 8 teeth coming in at one time. Yeah that is a lot I know. The one year molars are all coming in at one time, the canine teeth and others are coming in. His mouth is full of red red red gum's and little white spots, some you can feel some you can only see. He still does not eat much in the way of table food. I don't know why the boy is 13months old and he would rather nurse then eat food. He does not care to drink from a cup or bottle. He will play w/ both and food instead of drink and eat. But he aint hurting in the nutrition department cause the boy is GROWING like a weed, or should I say a Moose. He has had it the worst in dealing w/ Big Daddy's accident. I have to help Big Daddy with so much, like in the bathroom, getting dressed, in and out of the car the list goes on, that Moose shows jealousy over this extra time spent w/ Daddy.
Me, I keep on keeping on. God is my biggest cheerleader right now. Keeping me going w/ his words of encouragement. I find comfort in words like Matthew 6:33-34
33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Oh did I mention that it has been really COLD here in FLORIDA!!! like 29 degree lows and 36 degree highs. Inner parts of Florida had snow flurries. Yeah my thin blood finds it very hard to deal. But we have enjoyed it too, I get to wear those long sleeve clothes more this year then normal years.
Well that is our update and I will not tell you I will be back tomorrow, but I will tell you I will try to come back and update more often!!!
In reading on the Above Rubies Yahoo Group, I found a wonderful way to look at the Christmas Tree. Thanks Kim for your fine words.....
Because I was always concerned with the Christmas tree's origin, our family has come up with our own symbolism.
1. Galations 3:13, Deuteronomy 21:23, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us-for it is written, 'Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree.'"
Because Christ was hung on a tree, the Christmas tree is a symbol of Christ's death on the cross and the redemption of sin.
2. John 8:12, John 9:5, Matthew 5:14-16, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'" "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
The lights we put on the tree symbolize Christ's light, and our light (we are the light of the world).
3. John 3:16, John 6:47, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."
Because the evergreen tree is not a desiduous tree, that is it does not lose it's leaves or it's color, but remain green through all seasons, the tree symbolizes eternal life.
4. Zechariah 3:4, "Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment."
The decorating of the tree symbolizes the change we go through when we are cleansed of our sins. We become beautiful in the eyes of our Lord.
Hope that helps. Using a Christmas tree as a "Symbol" tree can be a good lesson, and tradition, for your family to use as a witness to those who enter your home and for your children to pass along!
