New Beginnings

Renaissace Faire costume..and other stuff.

Blog Changes

Unfortunately, I am needing to make some security changes on my blog.  For now, if you want to continue reading about my life, you will need to be first, a registered user of Homeschool Blogger.  Second, you will need to be on my "Friends" list in order to access any posts from this point forward.  

If you are not sure how to get on the Homeschool Blogger "Friends" list, just leave me a comment with a link to contact you.

How Much Does God Do?

This morning I was reading Hosea 11:1-9.  God mentions how much He did for Israel and yet Israel continued to turn their back on Him.  The verse that caught my attention is verse 3 (NIV)..."but they did not realize it was I who healed them".

I wonder how much God does for me and my family every day....the protection, the blessings....and yet I don't even realize it!

I am determining to realize it by praising God more throughout the day.   I want to remember to thank Him when something goes "right".  I also want to remember to praise Him even when something doesn't appear to go "right".

I don't want God to have to say of me, "All these things I do for this family and yet they don't even take a moment to realize it".

Willow and the Pea

Bring Your Dad to School Day

I couldn't get the margins to scan right but this is a flyer I made for my daughter to give to daddy when he got home from work one day.  She and I had come up with the idea that it would be fun to have daddy sit and do some school work with her.  Well, when he announced he was taking a day off work, we decided it was time!

Unfortunately, I can't find the picture I took of Chloe and her dad sitting and racing through some math problems.   I will continue to look and hopefully be able to post it later.  They had so much fun!  Chloe especially enjoyed grading her dad's math problems! 

new camera! / picture post!

Chloe Read it Right

Our typically studious Chloe gave us a good laugh.  She was trying to tell us about a cool feature on a house that we pass on our way to church.  We couldn't figure out which house she was talking about.  She said, "You know!  The one that Morgan Stanley is going to live in".  We still had no clue which house she was referring to until.....

As we were driving to church, we passed an office building that is finishing up construction.  Chloe yells out, "There it is!  See!?" 

Well, sure enough!  The banner across the front of the building proudly reads: Future Home of Morgan Stanley 

Another Quip from Willow

Someone: "Is your tv new?"

Husband: "Yes"

Willow: "But it still says bad words! It's not any better!"

My Daughter's Dream Kitchen

Actually, I'm not sure what her dream kitchen will look like.  After all, she only just turned 6.  She revealed, however, a feature her kitchen will not have! 

She was standing on a chair by the counter, helping me stir something.  She announced, "I do not want a kitchen like this!  It is too shovey!" 

"What does shovey mean, honey?" I asked.

Her answer: "It means that when momma or daddy is in the kitchen, they are always shoving kids out of the way." 

Let me here clarify, lest you jump to false conclusions!  I love having the kids help me in the kitchen (usually) almost as much as they love helping.  The "shoving" part (which I think is a rather harsh description) comes in when there is more than one person in the kitchen.  One cannot be standing at the sink and still have there be room for either the dishwasher or the oven door to open.  And definitely, both doors cannot open at the same time!   Besides all this, there is the safety issue of a young child standing near an open oven door.

So, these are the times that a child must be shoved told to move to another area.  I guess this daughter doesn't like moving! 

Public School District Requires Homeschooling! (sort of)

I just received my local paper, The Rochester Post (Michigan).   The front page headline reads, "Avondale among first to offer off-campus, online study". 

In 2006, Michigan became the first state to "require" online learning (limited to two online courses per semester outside a school building for grades 9-12) for graduation. And now, two Michigan school districts have been granted a "seat-time waiver" in which high school students can take all or part of their academic classes online off-campus (home). Twenty-four districts are awaiting approval.  Michigan's ultimate plan is that all schools have a "variety" of teaching methods.

Mike Flanagan (State Superintendent for Public Instruction) states "Online learning can provide a powerful alternative for students who have a need for greater flexibility with their education due to individual learning styles, employment commitments and comfort with traditional learning environments."  Periodically, students make contact with a mentor who checks to make sure their online learning is on track.

The above two paragraphs were taken from The Rochester Post, January 22, 2009 (www.candgnews.com)

So what do you think?  Are the benefits of home education being publicly recognized?  But if the lines between public education and homeschooling start to blur, what might that mean for those of us who homeschool?  Does it make it easier for the government to eventually require home educators to be monitored?

I'm very curious what all of your first impressions are on this!