Good week of school.  GREAT week in terms of our move to Sioux Falls, SD.  Went into contract, had the inspection on Friday, appraisal is tomorrow.  Things are progressing on that front just fabulously!

We had gotten behind on our schedule because both kids had been sick for a couple of days.  So it was catch up with history and science (no new week started in our curriculums), and S and J simply proceeded with their math and grammar from where they had left off before their illnesses.

The highlights of the week belong to my youngest, M DS'07.  When it came time for lunch one day, he came toddling into the kitchen and said, "Mama, (garble garble garble) butter jelly, please?"  I knew what he wanted....a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, his favorite right now.  It was the fact that he used his manners that threw me for a loop!  Now, he doesn't always ask for something this politely, but, hey, I'll take it!  It was very cute, melted my heart.

The other highlight compliments of M was that he painted for the first time.  Set him in his highchair; gave him a blank piece of paper and a paintbrush; put some paint in a paper muffin cup, and let the creating begin!  He had a blast and S, J and I had a blast watching him.  A glimpse of that day: 

Anxious to see what next week has in store for us!!

Pretty good school week this past week.  Nothing out of the ordinary to report, either good or bad.  I guess that's good, right??

Lagging behind a bit with S's writing program.  She says she wants to be an author when she grows up.  So that kind of means she needs to learn how to write....right?  I can tell she isn't exactly ga-ga over her writing program (IEW, which stands for Institute for Excellence in Writing by Andrew Pudewa).  It's not my favorite part of our homeschooling day either, but it is the hardest to "teach", so I definitely need a formal program to help me out.  Will probably always be a struggle around here, but we simply need to persevere.

J struggles to follow through with his Bible Study (he's doing Sonlight's Core 6 program with the spine being The International Children's Bible Field Guide).  I'm a bit stymied here.....he gets scripture exposure/memorization practice through AWANA, but that program really doesn't have him delving into God's Word too much.  That's what I want for my kids more and more as they grow older.  S's program is going famously, and she absolutely loves it (Explorer's Bible Study - The Early History of Israel; she's even keeping up with a Bible Study journal).  Again, perseverance is the key here.  I need to be more diligent in getting him to do it every day because it obviously isn't getting done of his own volition.

Clearly our favorite part of the day, for both me and the kids, is when we settle in for a good read-aloud session with our latest historical fiction book.  The kids work on history projects or their history timelines, or if that's all caught up, then something of their choosing.  We have moved onto God King - A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson; another gripping tale of Ancient Egypt, this one taking place in 701 B.C.

We have a good flow to our days.  I'm staying pretty caught up on paperwork, which if left for even a couple of days, can seem insurmountable.  Trying to stay positive about this aspect of homeschooling.  It is so darn tedious, but it is essential to our success, especially as high school looms in the distance.  Nobody ever said that all aspects of being a homeschooling Mama were going to be hunky-dory!! 

But I plaster on a smile, and I........PERSEVERE.

We finished The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw this week.  In fact, we finished it ahead of Sonlight's schedule!  Not so hard to do when it's a fabulous book!  The kids and I really liked this story of Ranofer and his hard life in ancient Egypt.  In the end, however, he's the hero and gets to fulfill his dreams as a goldsmith's apprentice (hopefully that's not giving away too much of the book!).  It was easy to root for Ranofer; he's a humble and gentle spirit.  The icing on the cake is the many details of Ancient Egyptian life that the author weaves into her story.  I highly recommend this book.

It frees up our reading time to get back to The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty, which we have added into our curriculum because I've always wanted to read this to the kids (amibitious, I know)!  Another awesome book, beautifully written, with likable characters and more amazing details of the time period.

All of the above is the good news.  The bad news is that Sonlight has us reading through The Story of the World at a very rapid pace, making it very difficult to do any of the projects that is contained in the Activity Guide (we read a chapter a day).  My kids love history projects; I do too because it's something they can do while I am reading aloud. 

What do I mean by "history projects"?  I definitely mean something beyond the typical coloring page, which is in abundance in the Activity Guide.  It's easy to get bored by coloring page after coloring page.  A few here and there are tolerated, but my kids desire more most of the time.  For example, DS'00 made Joseph's colorful coat out of a brown grocery bag;  they also simulated ancient cave paintings by crumpling brown grocery bags and then drawing on them.  Those were manageable projects.  A lot of the others simply are too involved to get them done in a day, and I really don't like too many hanging projects.....they end up not getting done.

So a lot of the time the kids get to choose some activity to keep them occupied while I read.  For DD'98 it's art-type stuff, like painting or drawing.  For DS'00 it's Legos.  Sometimes I get stressed that their time while I read absolutely needs to be filled with more educational activities.  But I think it's also important that they get to pursue their own interests and likes.

I think we have found a good balance.

I get anxious about a lot of things (again, just ask my husband).  I'm pretty certain that it's not clinical, requiring medication.  I do, however, have a hard time settling down and focusing when I am worked up about something.  So what am I worked up about lately? 

Books.  Now, those of you that know me well, know that I absolutely love books.  Always have and always will.  I love everything about them:  the look of them, the feel of them, the smell of them (ahhhh....especially the smell), owning them, browsing through them at the library or Barnes & Noble, waiting for their arrival after I've ordered some through B&N or Amazon, getting recommendations from friends.  I positively love the hunt for a particular book; now that's an adrenaline rush!  And, yes, of course, I love to read them, too!

I love books ABOUT books.  Now, how is that for obsessive???  I love books that give me ideas of what to read on a certain topic, or that give me ideas on books I can suggest to the kids.  In fact, this is how I discovered what has become one of my favorite mystery writers/books:  I was reading Honey for a Woman's Heart by Gladys Hunt (http://www.amazon.com/Honey-Womans-Heart-Gladys-Hunt/dp/0310238463/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253565030&sr=8-1), and I decided to choose my next book by randomly flipping open the book and pointing.  Well, I kinda cheated, but who cares???  I gave it several tries and settled on Booked to Die by John Dunning.  I went to the library and read it, and then had to read the others he's written with the same character.  I've even read Booked to Die twice!!!!!  That's rare for me!

I recently checked out a whole stack of books about books.  I've recently read Raising a Reader by Jennie Nash (fun and light); Welcome to Lizard Motel: Children, Stories and the Mystery of Making Things Up by Barbara Feinberg (part memoir, part diatribe against the glut of "bummer" young adult novels that are out there); I am currently reading Hunt's Honey for a Teen's Heart (whether I want to admit it or not, S is almost there!) and Under the Chinaberry Tree: Books and Inspirations for Mindful Parenting (written by the women who are responsible for the Chinaberry catalog).  I also dabble in Jim Treleases's The Read-Aloud Handbook, which is the definitive tome on the benefits of reading aloud to your kids (and turning off the TV).  This is my second time through Trelease's book.  He's preaching to the choir, but I'm addicted to what he has to say and the statistics and studies that he uses to back up his thesis.

So how could a love of something so sweet and pleasing to one's life be a source of anxiety??  Well, are you sure you want me to answer?  I get anxious about wanting to own more of them, but, of course, our budget would scream at me if I were to willy-nilly purchase books to satiate my cravings.  If I had an endless supply of money or knew how to grow a money tree, I would own more books.  I would probably become a collector, which means I would get to go on more book hunts!  Alas, a book bought here and there will have to suffice for now.

One day I will own a t-shirt or a wall hanging that says, "Too many books, not enough time."  Yes, that's me.  This knowledge really sends me reeling sometimes.  We do own so many books, and I have a huge list of "want-to-reads" that when it's time to choose my next one, I don't know how to choose.  "But I want to read them all....right now."  Unfortunately, because of this, I have the habit of starting books and then getting part way through and then starting another book; and a lot of the time I don't finish the original book I started.  That's not so good.

Lately, however, the greatest angst is generated from not having enough time to read aloud to the kids all the great books that I want to!!!  It's a good problem to have....really.  I know this, yet I can't stop the angst from rearing it's ugly head.  Along the same lines, I see the books S will read this year covering our history studies and I think, "But wait!  I want to read that TO you guys!  I want to participate and revel in this story."

*SIGH*  Books are my passion.  Plain and simple.  For the short while, I will use that passion to do my best to foster in our homeschooling family a rich literature environment, one that I hope the kids will take with them when they fly the coop.  That's my prayer and goal in doing what I do.

What will it mean after the kids have graduated from our homeschool?  Well, of course, there are the grandkids (I hope).  But I think there's something more for me in the world of books.  I can't feel what I feel about them and "only" be a buyer and reader of them.

Time will tell.  In the meantime, I will continue to read, read, read......by myself and to the kids.  And I will take life one book at a time.

I've been thinking a lot about life lately.  I've been thinging a lot about my place in it.  I've been pondering who I am and what I'm about, and.....well, maybe it's a brain mid-life crisis, so to speak.  I've been sensing a shift in my life and everything in it.  We're entering a new phase here in our household, and it's cause for reflection.  But, don't worry.....it's all good.

What invariably follows closely behind all these contemplations is the intense desire to write more.  Perhaps I've said that before on this blog.  If I haven't, well, I meant to.  I need to release these thoughts, and I really have no other place to do this.  I don't keep a journal (perhaps I should???), and for obvious reasons, Facebook isn't the venue for my ruminations.

So, Folks, it's gotta be here.  If you visit this blog to get updated on our homeschooling life, you'll have to endure an occasional non-homeschooling entry.  I directly apologize to my friend Jenny for this; I know for a fact that she reads my blog, so she gets a personal "I'm sorry you have to suffer through this!"  A more general "I'm sorry" to you faceless readers.

I've been thinking about why I DON'T write more.  I have a lot to say (just ask my poor husband!), and unlike Jenny, I do desire to write more.  I need to be less uptight about the formalities of writing, and just get down and dirty and do it.  Everything else will fall into place.

And as I sit here and think about wrapping this up, I'm hit by the fact that you, the reader, will indeed be getting a glimpse into our homeschooling life, even though the most current blog entry may have nothing to do with the latest science project or what score the kids got on their spelling test for the day.  Who I am and how I live my life and "all that jazz" is, in fact, shaped and infuenced by being a homeschooling mama (I was going to write "mom", but I've never been called that in the 11 years that I have been one.  I am a Mama.).  Homeschooling is the screen through which I see life now.  Besides God and His Word, it is the Truth I live by.  It is the engine that drives this family forward.  

And again I say, It's all good.  

So, yes, we have started school for the year.  In case you've lost track (it's easy to do, given how fast time flies!), DD is in 6th grade and DS is in 4th this year.  Still technically elementary school, but a thought nags at me all the time in the recesses of my being:  it really is the last year before middle school for DD.  Good golly!  Enough to send me into a tizzy!

We are doing Sonlight Core 6 this year for history (both kids are learning this together).  It is the beginning of Sonlight's 2-year World History program; of course, we'll do the second half next year.  Our list of read-alouds for the year, listed at the right, should convey to you the crux of the program:  learning history through good, quality literature (which, in my humble opinion, is the ONLY way to learn history at this age!  No boring textbooks!).  It is exciting!  So far, so good...

They both continue with Rod & Staff for grammar and Wordly Wise for vocabulary.  In addition to Wordly Wise, for the first time they'll both be working through a vocab program that focuses on the ROOTS of words.  It's a program that they'll do alongside their Latin program, Latina Christiana I.  Also very exciting!  Well, that might not be their exact reaction to this... 

For Science they're doing Sonlight's Year 4 program, which has them studying electricity, magnetism and astronomy.  Exciting (well, only if you ask DS!).  To ensure our completion of science on a daily basis, we do science first thing in the morning.  It works!!!  THIS makes ME excited!  Science always got left for the "next day", when we ran out of time on the current day.  But then, that's what was always uttered the NEXT day as well.  But not so this year.  So far, so good...

Their first experiment was making a tiny light bulb glow with only a size "D" battery and a strip of foil.  They loved it!  So, of course, I loved it!

They both continue with Saxon for math.  DS says he feels like a big boy to do this program this year.  He has his own, official text book, and gets to write his answers in a notebook, like DD has been doing for a couple of years.  He is thriving.

DS'07 continues to make daily homeschooling life interesting.  He's a tad more independent, so that's good.  However, it is still a challenge to keep the older two on track and focused, all the while trying to keep the little one happy and out of trouble.

The most important thing is that we are getting our work done consistently, and everyone is happy with the studies so far.

What more could I ask for???

I'm starting to wonder if the reason I don't blog very often is because I get stressed about what to "Title" each blog.  Like this one, for instance.  Nothing witty or pertinent is coming to mind; that almost prevented me from blogging tonight.  Now, that's silly.  So I'll keep writing, and maybe something will come to me.

I can't believe it's stinkin' July already!  That is the overwhelming thought for me these days.  I have allowed a little rest and relaxation to be the rule around here, but then I blinked, and WHAMMY!!  I lost June!  [AHA!  The blog title just came to me.  Not very witty, I know; but, hey, I'm out of practice]  I think, though, that we all needed some carefree days.  We have been very busy traveling to tournaments on the weekends for my daughter's softball team.  Then we come home on Sunday night, exhausted, a little sun weary, a little dusty.  I scramble to get all the uniforms and fan apparel washed the following few days, and then we do it all over again on Friday.

I have wanted to get a few things academic in nature done this summer, though; finish up some lapbooks, work through our science curriculum, piano lessons, finish the Latin program.  And, of course, there's the whole summer read aloud list that we put together, all excited, anxious to plow through it like it was a gigantic ice cream sundae.  We're on Chapter 3 of our first read aloud...."The Hobbit."  *SIGH*

So I battle these conflicting issues almost on a daily basis:  the desire to really say we're done, let's relax, enjoy the rest of the summer, not to mention the projects and personal reading I'd like to get done this summer (besides, we're done testing, so that screams "We're done", right?) VS. the little voice that keeps saying,  "Keep the kids' brains sharp!", "Soon you'll be hearing "I'm bored!"", "They watch too much TV!", "We have to finish our lapbooks!"  Again *SIGH*!

Not sure which will win out.  I take it day by day around here.  In the end, it will all be good.....whatever we decide to do.  

My homeschooling friend Jenny has implored me to start blogging again so that she may be inspired to get back to blogging herself.  Good Golly!  Where has the time gone?  Well, Jenny, here is my feeble attempt to get you....and me.....going.

I have guiltily thought of my blog over these past several months.  I have thought about it as I sat poring through my friends' Facebook pages.  Yes, I have been sucked into the Facebook quagmire.  That has garnered more of my attention than this homeschool blog. 

That isn't an easy thing to admit.  The Bible says in Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  So where has my heart been these past several months???  What have I been treasuring?  I think you can figure that out.

Don't get me wrong....I don't sit for hours on Facebook while my kids clamor for my assistance with their schoolwork.  It isn't that bad.

However, my blog has sat here untouched, un-updated, dormant, neglected.  I started it so that my family in MN could keep abreast of our homeschooling doings after we moved out of state.  Well, as far as they know, we don't homeschool anymore!!!  Well, I exaggerate, because, of course, I talk to them often so they know we are still plugging away.  But you get my drift, I think.  Meanwhile, I daily post my "status" to my Facebook wall.  Something funny will happen and I think, "Oooohhhh....that's gotta go on FB!"  Hmmmmmm.........

I know my blog is an inanimate thing.  It does not breathe, or grow, or live as we human beings do; at least, not on its own.  But it is animate inasmuch as I make it so.  So, by golly, it needs to be a living thing again.  It needs to be resurrected as a mirror of our lives as homeschoolers.  It needs to be at the head of the class, at the wheel driving this car; it needs to be at the forefront of my updating efforts.....not my wall on Facebook. 

Yes, Facebook has its place, and I value it for what it is...a place to reconnect with high school, college and law school classmates, old neighbors, friends, etc; a place to share amusing daily happenings or thoughts.  And I do like peeking into my "friends'" lives from time to time; I like reading the snippets of what their life is like on any given day.  But do I want it to be where my treasure is?  Where my heart is?  I can figure that one out.

So, there we go, Jenny.  Your turn.  Let's keep each other motivated.  Nothing grand.  Daily homeschooling status updates.  Keep it simple.  You can do it.  I did.   

No, the kids aren't learning Greek!  I feel like I just had a beginner's tutorial in Greek.  Updated our reading list to the right.  But, brilliant me, instead of saving all the html codes from last year's list (that's too easy!) and just replacing the book titles, I had to go and delete the whole thing.  So I just recreated code, etc., to make it look pretty.  Computer language really is rather quite fascinating, though.  Confusing, but fascinating.

So, it's been awhile, I guess.  Where are we?

Instead of a true history curriculum, we've been using a World Geography/Cultures curriculum this year.  We are utilizing My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures.  I was very excited to work through this curr. when our school year started; I love geography and learning about far away places.  But, alas, something has fallen flat.  I'm still trying to figure out why I am feeling uninspired by our studies. 

If I was pressed to name one reason, though, I would have to say it's "User Error."  I, as the teacher, simply am not getting as much out of this curriculum for the kids as I could be.  Therefore, the kids seem uninspired and a wee bit bored by it all.  Inherent in studying geography is some memorization, and that can get tedious.  So that could be a part of it, too.  Learning is taking place, though, so I guess I should hold onto that positive thought.

We have so far studied the continents of North America (focusing on the United States, Canada and Mexico) and South America (focusing on Brazil).  Alongside learning about the countries and a bit about their cultures, we also are learning about habitats one would find on each continent (e.g., we studied the rain forest while "visiting" Brazil).

We are reading books that go along with our studies.  I will create a list to the right some time soon.  We just started "Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates" to accompany our study of Europe.

I was especially anxious to study the provinces of Canada.  I confess that I know very little about our neighbors to the north.  And that makes me a bit embarrassed, given that I was born and raised in a state that was directly south!  But, better later than never, right?

So when it came time to memorize the order of the provinces, the kids and I made up pnuemonics to help us out (a great learning device, in my opinion).  Want to share this in case you, too, are feeling a bit weak in your Canadian geography.

Starting west, here's what Sarah came up with for the first four provinces/territories:  YBCA (sung to the tune of "YMCA"):  Yukon Terr., British Columbia and Alberta; then for the next four, we came up with SMOQ (pronounced "smock"):  Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.  Now, keep in mind that there are a few more that we didn't include in our little ditties, but this is a good start.

That's your geography lesson for the day...

Isn't that how the saying goes?  If you don't know where to start, start at the beginning!?!???

I have thought about this moment for some time:  blogging after a two-month absence.  And I have suffered a great amount of angst concerning what I should write.  How do I just jump in when I haven't shared anything about our schooling this year (only the fact that we did, indeed, start in Sept.).  Where, for heaven's sake, should I start?

Well, you're probably sweating right now thinking that I will heed the saying and begin at the beginning.  But I'll spare you that tediousness.  I'll simply share something that I read recently that really meant a lot to me.

I get these weekly e-mails from "The Old Schoolhouse  Magazine" entitled "The Homeschool Minute."  Several folks from this publication all write on the same subject.  Recently one of the topics was decluttering.  Sadly, I can't find this e-mail or I would simply post a link, and you could read the entire newsletter yourself.  You'll have to settle for a couple of short quotes and my reaction.

I e-mailed one of the contributors, Deborah Wuehler, Senior Editor for the magazine, after I read this newsletter.  Her words specifically hit home for me, and I wanted to thank her, and ask if I could share her words on my blog.  She was kind enough to take time in her busy schedule to respond and give me permission to do so.

Her piece for this newsletter wasn't so much about tips to declutter as it was about how to keep our heart from dragging as we do declutter.  Deborah said, "Choose to be joyful in your mundane duties."  Isn't it so true that as a stay-at-home mom we have THE MOST MUNDANE duties around.  At least I think so.  That's not to say that they aren't important, for, indeed, they are.  The very survival of a household depends upon these mundane duties.  Imagine the duties going undone......dirty, crusty dishes piled up; grungy socks and undies lying around; rumpled sheets and bedspreads lying wrinkled on an unmade bed; dust bunnies taking over and scaring the cat; need I go on???

The most important word in that short sentence is CHOOSE.  It is a choice I struggle with, especially lately.  These duties are never done in my house, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that for any stay-at-home mom, they're simply never done.  There's always a dish to clean, or a sock to wash, or a meal to be made.  They are a permanent fixture to the to-do-list.  And that weighs heavy for me, a list-maker and a checker-offer when things on my to-do list are done.  But those cleaning-type duties are never done, so they never get checked off.  So lately I've been thinking, "Then what's the point of keeping up?" 

I needed to read those words Deborah wrote.  I have to choose to be joyful.  Let's face it:  they're not fun duties a lot of the time, so it takes effort to make them fun or joyful.  And that's what I have to do.  Sing while I wash, hum while I clean, smile while I cook.  It's the choice that just has to be made or my cat won't ever forgive me!!!!

The other words Deborah wrote also were poignant:  "Choose the better thing whenever possible...."  What she means by this is that if you are madly washing or cleaning or decluttering, if one of your children tugs at you to play with them or read to them, then choose that instead of your duties.  Playing or reading is the better thing at that moment.  And that needs to be a conscious choice on my part as well.  I always feel behind in my duties, so it's always very tempting to ignore the kids when they do tug at me.  But that is not the better thing.  My mundane duties can wait.  My kids can't, especially the little 15-month old who will, in the blink of an eye, be as tall as his 10-year old sister.

But I don't need to make the conscious decision to be joyful when my kids tug at me to play or read.  That just comes naturally with the territory!! 

So thank you again, Deborah Wuehler of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  Your words are in my heart and I am so very grateful. 

Well, they'll call it the Windstorm of '08, and what a storm it was!!  Wind gusts of up to 70-80 mph.  This all happened this past Sunday.  We thought we were in for a good old-fashioned thunderstorm, whatever was left of Hurricane Ike.  Apparently what was left was a lot of very strong wind, wind like I've never before experienced.  And hardly any rain!!  It was very bizarre.

Lots of trees are down as a result.  Our neighbor's tree got sheared off just above ground.  We quickly deposited it in the woods behind us so that it didn't get our car or a window on the house. 

But the biggest and most damage was done to the power lines all across Ohio.  We lost power at about 3:30pm Sunday.  And much to our dismay, we didn't get it back until 4:30pm today.  Three full days without power - the longest "black-out" I've ever experienced.  What a long three days it was!!

Before you lambast me for being whiny or whimpy, let me share that I am laying on myself a great deal of guilt for how poorly I handled the whole thing.  I am not proud of myself for how "woe is me" I got during all of this.  I am fully aware that three days of no electricity isn't much to have to go through compared to those who lost everything in Galveston, TX, as a result of taking a direct hit from Ike. 

I do believe we were justified in being somewhat cranky or frustrated over our particular situtation.  Three days without electricity with three kids is a very uncomfortable time.  In addition, we lost everything in our fridge and freezer, so we start from ground zero with respect to perishable groceries.  So a certain amount of angst is allowed and understandable.

However, I took it too far, and I am mad at myself for that.  I failed to see the silver lining; I totally ignored the "bright side" of things.  I was not a good example for my kids, and I wish I could do it over......well, then again, maybe not.  

My faith was tested, and I failed.

However, God didn't.....as usual.  I totally faltered, but even given that, he came through for me and my family by surrounding us with "guardian angels", friends who opened their hearts and homes to help us out through this time.  One friend was my source for my first cup of coffee for the past two days.  If you drink coffee, you completely understand how huge that was for me!  She also was the milk supply for the kids' morning cereal and Baby M's daily intake.  Again, huge.

Another friend allowed S and I to shower at her house one night, in an effort to save our hot water.  She also offered her washer and dryer so that I could do a couple loads of laundry to try and stay caught up.

Another friend even offered for us to stay with her and her family while we were without electricity.  And yet another friend also said we could do laundry at her house.

For my senior yearbook in college, we had to submit a saying or caption for our photo.  I had a friend take a picture of me with a bunch of my buddies, and one of the captions I chose was "I get by with a little help from my friends." (The Beatles)  Well, that again was proven so true in my life these past three days.

God has certainly shed his grace on me.

Well, the good news is that we've started school.  But like my previous post on being "ready", I would argue that the word "start" is open for interepretation as well.  In our house "started school" means that the kids have completed two lessons in their English books (Rod & Staff English 5 for S and Rod & Staff English 3 for J), they have done some reading, and both have completed a few thank you notes from their birthdays (from late July, but better late than never, right??).

So, while other homeschooling families maybe have completed several weeks of their FULL curriculum, or are getting ready to start their full curriculum next week, we believe in easing into things around here. 

Well, truth be told, "easing into things" is just this mama's way of saying "I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO TO GET US READY TO FULLY GET GOING!!!"

That brings me to the bad news.  If you've heard of a homeschooler speak of "box day", they usually have a gleeful tone to their voice and a huge smile on their face; dare I say there is an almost maniacal look to them.  That should've been me because today we experienced box day; my huge order from Rainbow Resource arrived via UPS.

Yes, I did get to experience a short burst of joy as we opened the box and started pulling out our books.  The kids were definitely excited, and J, after Papa got home, had to show him "how much I have to do." 

I think the kids' glee lasted a lot longer than mine, though.  Reality soon set in as I gazed upon the piles of books that needed to be thumbed through by me in an effort to understand how to utilize them in our homeschooling.  And then after that, I must pull it altogether into comprehensive lesson plans.

So the bad news is the mountain of prep work I have to do this weekend.  And I'm mad at myself for being in this state so late in the game.

But remember the good news.............

Gotta see the glass half full, right???

Now I can officially wrap up the 2007-2008 school year.  A local school teacher (that I know through our church) came over today to do J's assessment.  I went with this option for him instead of the Iowa standardized test, which is what I gave S.  I'm so pleased with both kids' progress.  It's so great to start the new year with the knowledge that we're on track, and that continuing with homeschooling for our family is the right decision.

So now I can finish up the reporting forms for this coming year, and I will attach S's test scores and J's assessment, and we're good to go.

Maybe getting all of this out of the way will jump start this family's homeschool teacher!!! 

Well, another school year is upon us.  Didn't we just finish up last year??  What happened to June and July?  Yikes!  So many things undone at this point, including so many posts that I just never got around to writing.

One thing that will get revamped here shortly is our 2008-2009 read aloud wish list that you see to the right.  (And, for the record, we did read "The BFG.")  I did admit up front that it was an ambitious list, and that's definitely apparent given the quantity of books not stricken-through.  But it's good stuff nonetheless.  My approach for the coming year will be read-alouds that more readily correspond to our studies.  It's just too much to read good books for history, etc., AND for fun.  So stay tuned for that.

I have ordered from Rainbow Resource most of the books we need to get going.  I already have the kids' English for next year; I went with Rod & Staff for both kids.  And I have received my Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) program that DD'98 will do next year.

It sounds like I'm on the ball and ready to go, but let's examine what's NOT done.  I haven't really wrapped up last year's paperwork.  And then there's the reporting forms that need to get done so that our homeschooling complies with Ohio regulations.  I have received S's Iowa test scores, and J's assessment is being done on Sunday.  No longer can I put off moving forward because of waiting on scores or trying to schedule J's assessment; now it's all on me.

So am I ready?  Well, it depends on how it's defined (thus the blog title).  I'm ready in the sense that I know what curriculums we'll be using; I'm ready in that I've ordered all the necessary books to start; I'm ready in that I've bought enough supplies that we can start (paper, folders, etc.); I'm ready in the sense that this is my sixth year of homeschooling and feel more comfortable at it (in other words, I'm more comfortable with NOT being ready!!!).

But am I really ready?  More than any other year, my motivation is not ready.  My motivation is still stuck in June.  My ambition is still on summer vacation.  My giddy-up is still in the barn.

Am I concerned?  Well, a little, because our schooling obviously goes better when I'm thoroughly prepared.  And, in addition, I now have a mobile and very curious one-year old around.

Yet, I know that once we get going, the teaching juices will start to flow, we'll get in a routine, the excitement will return.  And I'm just so thankful that my time with the kids doesn't have to end because of putting them on a bus to go to school.  That thought in itself brings peace and helps me surmount any worries I might have about not being "ready."

Well, my oldest, S, turned double digits on the 29th.  Wow!  Until your kids hit the big 1-0, they really still are little kids; at least, that's what I've been telling myself.  And then their birthday rolls around, they turn 10, and......Jeepers!  They're not little anymore!  They're all grown up!  It's rather unreal.  I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it'll take some time I think.

And nothing says "Happy Birthday" like a good standardized test (I'll bet you haven't heard that too many times!).  I feel a bit like Mommy Dearest for administering the Iowa Test to S this week, but it had to get done.  I mean, for goodness sakes, the public school kids' first day of school is August 25th!  So it's best that we wrap up last year, right, before we jump into our next one?? 

So she had a good mix of testing, card opening, playing with friends, and a free birthday supper at Red Robin.  My husband and I had bought our two oldest kids bikes this spring for their birthdays, but on her actual day, I also bought her two books from the Lily series that she enjoys so well.  My folks had bought her a new, comfy queen-sized mattress and box spring when they were visiting in June, along with a grown up pink and brown/tan comforter.  I then proceeded to paint her room, which turned out quite well, given that I'm not much of a painter.  So her room now reflects her new grown-up status.

In the aforementioned cards, she received birthday money from DH's side of the family, to use as S sees fit (I've heard talk of a new Webkinz).  My sister got her a subscription to American Girl magazine, something S has wanted for a while.   In addition, S also got pink roses from my sister, a treasured tradition that started when S was wee small.  S put roses on her birthday list one year, and my sister took her at her word and got them for S.  And that has stuck through the years, and has become a very special part of S's birthday.

Now we move on to the birthday party planning.  S will be having a party at Skate America  (roller skating)with seven....yes, you heard me right; SEVEN.....neighborhood girls.  Should be fun, although I'm sure DH may have different predictions for that day. 

So here are a couple of photos from S's special day.  Enjoy! 

S and Red after her birthday meal.

Can't you just imagine the sweet smell?

Well, Baby M passed his first "homeschool" test the other day.  I'm so proud!!  By the way, he turns one year old on August 13, so I guess I'll have to come up with some other way to refer to him than "Baby M."

I've taught him "Soooo big!" and "Patty Cake", of course.  His most recent accomplishments he performed right in a row, without hesitation, in his highchair during a meal.  I asked, "Where's your head, M?"  Hand to head.....he got an A.  Then, "Where's the baby?"  He put his hand to his chest; another A.  (He likes to look in the mirror at himself, so I've been saying, "Look at the baby" when he is gazing at his own reflection.)  Finally, "Where's Mama?"  He adoringly reached out towards me!!!

Needless to say, my heart soared!  He passes his first year of life with flying colors.  He's now graduated to toddler-hood, but without the walking so far.  That'll come.

We homeschoolers, when asked about our desire to homeschool, sometimes reply that, "Well, everyone homeschools their child to a certain extent (see above examples), we simply have decided to continue with those efforts into the academic years."; or something along those lines.  This has new meaning for me with Baby M, since he is the first of my three that has been BORN into our homeschooling world.  When J was born in 2000, S was only 2 and homeschooling was still some distant, foreign idea that I would never have dreamed would be our world.

But now here's M, turning one as I contemplate our sixth year of homeschooling.  So these early baby milestones, while normal and not earth-shattering, take on a different tone when viewed through my homeschooling veil.  I guess I will view the world through his eyes more than I did the other two because I will see it as a big field for exploration and learning.  And I will guide him and foster that exploration to the best of my ability. 

I'm so glad we had a third baby, even with the gap between #2 and #3.  I know so much more about homeschooling than I did when we decided to keep S at home about a month before she was to start Kindergarten.  This is not to say that I'm an expert, by any means.  I simply am more relaxed and I gain confidence with each passing day that we get under our homeschooling belts.

And, of course, it will be so fun to add Baby M's "homeschooling" accomplishments on my blog!  So stay tuned! 

We're in the middle of Vacation Bible School.  So our days are same old, same old, but then we pack up and head out at about 6 pm for VBS at church.  We're used to this scramble at night, having just finished baseball and softball seasons with the two oldest kids.

Baby M gets dropped off at the nursery, where he's well taken care of by folks who seemingly adore babies and their cute ways.  Tonight one of the nursery workers told me that M was very good, and that she was surprised how well he did with other people, which I took to mean "strangers."  This is pretty true, but he sure does let the tears fly when he gets picked up at the end of the night.  First his lip quivers, and then he lets loose.  It's like he's been holding it in all night, and seeing me just opens the spigots.

It's comforting to know that he is nurtured and attended to so nicely so that I can help out with the older kids.

Then we go to the sanctuary where DD'98 (S) heads to the 4th grade pew (with a friend from the neighborhood who has been coming with us), DS'00 (J) heads to the second grade pew, and I head to the third grade pew where I am a helper for the teacher.  

After sanctuary time we travel to different spots for Bible study, recreation, crafts, snack, music and missions.  It's a jam-packed night, but oh so enjoyable.  My favorite part is music.  We have been learning various songs that the kids will perform at church service this Sunday.  The songs are very catchy (the theme is "Outrigger Island", kind of beach-y, vacation-y; all the workers are wearing Hawaiian shirts or vacation garb and flip-flops), and we learn movements for each of them.  It's just a down-right good time, and it makes my heart soar.

S's teacher shared with me that he thought she was an amazing kid.  This, too, makes my heart soar.  Then, after missions, where she was able to recite the daily Bible verse, he said that he wasn't surprised that she was the only one who raised her hand to recite.  She seems to have a drive for memorizing Bible verses.  This is why she's been so successful at finishing her books for AWANA.  It would not surprise me if she went on a missions trip some day........ 

I love VBS week, and so definitely do S and J.  It's so great to see God at work in all of the kids.

This post has nothing whatsoever to do with our trip to Washington D.C., but had to share what I saw today.

I was sitting on the front stoop of our house, which in the late afternoon is out of the sun; this was a huge blessing on a hot and sticky day like today.  I was writing notes for my daughter's softball team's party which is tonight; I was an Assistant Coach, and we're going to give mini-presentations for each of the girls as we hand out trophies.  It was very peaceful....the sprinkler was going, there was a slight breeze, I had fun reflecting on our season.

We have a bird bath in our landscaping.  We've owned this for quite a few years now.  It was on sale at Menard's (a Home Depot-type of place in Minnesota), and I thought it was cute, so I bought it.  It has a fake bird sitting on the edge, and it turned out to be a good place for rain-water to collect (and a sheet of ice in the winter), but that's about it.

Well, as I'm sitting on my stoop, an American Goldfinch alighted on the bird bath, hopped gingerly down the side, and had himself a refreshing drink of water.  There also was a cute shake of the head, producing a small, bird-sized spray (imagine a dog shaking himself after getting wet). 

I was tickled!!  I have come to realize about myself that I love birds.  I love their colors, their variety of chirps, the way the American Goldfinches daintily extract thistle from my feeder in the backyard.  In fact, I was crushed when, after a few days of hanging the feeder, there still were no birds partaking of the fare I was providing them.  Slowly but surely, they have found their way to my feeder......and now my birdbath.

I am glad that the fake bird on the feeder is now not the only one to enjoy that perch.