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We sign the papers in 19 days! I am so not ready to move. We (as in me) have been packing up like crazy, or at least until my asthma kicks in. So much dust under stuff.

Most of our furniture is going. I think the only things we are keeping is our bed, a couple of book shelves, two huge computer desks and two dressers. Oh and the fridge is coming with us too. We are getting new stuff when we move in. The place is smaller than we have now, so we need smaller stuff so it will fit.

No schooling has been getting done. Unless you count sorting and purging school. LOL. Lots of Matt's toys need to go. He has way to much stuff. I donated a ton of books and clothes already.

I need to finish my bedroom (hardest room I think so far). Kitchen will be last, or nearly last. I have to get some bubble wrap and pack up all the breakables. Pots and pans will be packed away the night before we move out. I plan on eating off of paper products for the last week or so. I know not very earth friendly, but I need to pack up my dishes.

I have been grabbing boxes from work every night and searching Craigslist for more. Love that place for the most part. So much to do and so little time to do it in.

Chat with you all later. Need to get back to packing.

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After much back and forth between us and the potential home buyer, we have decided on a final price. Talk about a pain in the arce! I never want to move again. And to think, now I have to go buy a house, so I am on the other end of this whole thing. Grrr. But anyway:

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After 15 months (gosh has it been that long?), our house is now under contract. I know this still does not mean anything until we pass the keys over to the new home owners, but I still have to back and get ready.

So my question is this: How do you homeschool while moving?

I know of many that will hold off until they are settled into the new place, but hubby (and son) don't want that, Matt want to start now (but I am not quite ready yet LOL). Hubby says to do our work in the morning (we always seem to do only 3-4 hours of work a day as it is) as Matt is up early (like 6am early). I am so not a morning person, but I haven't been sleeping much do to the stress of this whole thing so that could work.

Then the rest of the day (well until 3pm when I start to get ready for work and dinner), will be left up to packing. We have until October 5th to pack up and move and yes we have a TON of "stuff". I know I will be going through and tossing tons while packing. We are down sizing (from a 2 story house to a 2 bedroom trailer) so it needs to get done anyway.

Hubby said that we can pack the school room last (well the computers and current school stuff will be packed last and into my car as they will be the first things out and set up). I have a few ideas running through my head on what I can do, but would love some ideas as well.

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Last Thursday was take your child to work day here at CBD. Seeing how I work the evening shift, I was unsure if any kids would be going, but there were four others besides Matt. Three were his age, two boys and a girl. Matt hung out with the boys for most of the night.

When we got to work, there was a gift bag for Matt that had a sports bottle, some snacks, and a ton of office supplies. Matt got excited to see the post it notes. No clue why though. LOL The conference room off of the customer service area (where I work) was full of toys, and coloring books and crayons as well as movies for the kids. All stuff we sell. Each of the kids were given a headset so they could listen in on some of our phone calls. We made sure that they could only hear you and that you could not hear the kids. hehe

So, here are a few pictures of our night.

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A few weeks ago I switched from the normal wild bird seed mix I normally buy (which the birds go hog wild over), to just plain black sunflower seeds. I have noticed that hardly any of our birds have been coming by, but our seed would be gone every night. We thought that we just happened to miss the birds, but I think our cat Gracie has been keeping the birds away as she now likes to "bird watch" right under the feeders.

So, yesterday, was a lousy day. Gray and damp and just a blah day. I happened to be looking out the window at the feeders as I saw a male and female cardinal. They they flew away suddenly. Knowing that the cat was in the house sleeping, this is the little visitor that we got.

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Yesterday was our monthly Nature Study group. This time it was close to our house, so we were able to go. We went on a Nature Scavenger Hunt, or well, we were suppose to. It was in the 60's (warm for us in MA this time of year) so we took advantage of it.

We were at Breakheart and did the inner route, which is almost 2 miles. Most of the kids ran it, while groups of us moms were scattered all over. Matt, who usually runs all over, was walking either behind me or next to me. He was in one of his anti-social moods again. It took me a bit to get him to actually move near the kids. I have no idea what is up with him recently.

When the group was over, Matt and I headed home, with a stop at the grocery store for Diet Coke and Milk (the staples LOL). Matt was playing outside enjoying the warmth of the day. I was on the computer playing a game with my hubby, when Matt came in upset. I couldn't tell at first, but Steve could. Matt came in the room crying (gosh my hearing must be getting bad if I did not hear him crying).

When we asked him what was wrong, I expected him to say that the neighborhood kids were being mean again (hmmm maybe that is why Matt has been anti-social recently), but instead he said that Titan, or neighbors dog, bit him. This is the second time this dog bit him. The first time Matt provoked it by teasing him while he was on the lead. He would get just out of Titans reach and then run in closer and then back out. Titan ended up getting him once then.

But this time, Titan got out ofthe house and, from what Matt said, just came after him. Bit him in the thigh and scratched up his arm. The neighbors daughter got ahold of the dog and put him back in the house. Matt does have a bunch of superficial scratches on his arm, but the bit on his thigh looked gross and you could see some puncture wounds. I cleaned him the best I could (alcohol wipes and first aid ointment) then brought him to the Dr's office, where they cleaned him up even more and then bandaged him up.

To look at the bite now, it looks like nothing, but yesterday, it was gross. Right now it looks like a nasty purple bruise (which it probably is) with a few marks in it. It probably wasn't too bad of a bite, but dog's mouths are nasty and full of germs.

Well, today is suppse to be in the 70's and Matt and I will take advantage of this warmth as well.

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I can not believe that it has been nearly 3 MONTHS since my last posting. Yes, I have been busy between home and work. I never seem to have enough time for anything.

I'll be working on updating my blog theme and adding in the spring books we are reading as well as a few other updates to this blog. It really needs a big overhaul.

Last week, my husband and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been that long. Like every year, we celebrated by going to the place where we had our first date. The carnival that comes to the town next to us every year. We took Matt and he probably had more fun then us as he rode the rides and played games. My husband and I just walked around holding hands watching Matt have fun. I did get to have my fried dough though. LOL. I must find a recipe and learn to make it for myself.

Well, I must get some lunch in me and Matt. I have only had a few Cheez-It's since walking up this morning and my belly is so mad at me atm. LOL

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Well, the cold in the house made its way to me. The last part of last week, I was feeling yucky. So it looks like school will start up tomorrow, after Matt's Dr's appointment.

On Monday, my dad had a stroke. He is doing well and I spoke with him on the phone the day after it happened. He has had many strokes before, so for me this is not a big deal. It only will become a big deal if it totally disables him. He was cracking jokes so I knew all was well. Here is my dad a few years ago. He is a lot thinner now (he has terminal cancer).

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Well, today was our first day back after nearly a month break. It was so nice to take December off. Between being crazy at work and lots going on with selling the house (lots of lookers but no bites), I needed to take December off from school. Matt enjoyed it that is for sure. Lots of video games. LOL. Also lots of one on one time with his dad, who is on layoff every winter.

Today started out slow. Both of us were tired (I was up until nearly 2am LOL). I showed Matt what I had planned (I showed him my list of subjects from my planner) and told him he could pick what he would like to do first. I was thinking he was going to pick History or Science first, but nope, he picked English. LOL.

We get done with our lesson (or nearly, he had to write three sentences but ran to the bathroom instead). For the past week, my hubby, has had a cold. Well, it seems that now Matt has it. He is running a low grade fever and just feels like crap. I was in the kitchen laminating my husbands hunter and bow hunter education cards, when he sent Matt to bed.

So, I head up to Matt's room and curl up with him on his bed. I told him that we will hold off on lessons until he is feeling better (god I love homeschooling). He said ok and then asked if I could read him the Tale of Despereaux. I bought the hardcover version at work for $3.75! I told Matt before that once we are done reading the book, we will go see the movie. So, now that he is feeling yucky, we have the perfect curling up with a book opportunity.

Time to hit the bank and deposit my little check. Then after lunch, it will be mumma and Matt reading time. I fully expect him to fall asleep while I am reading it, but that is ok.

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The other day I posted about a odd bug I had seen in my yard and have gotten lots of replies and help identiflying it. I am very greatful because of that.

However, today I recieved an anonymous comment saying "How can you teach your children if you don't know that?".  

Just because I educate my children does not mean I know everything there is out there. Hell, even public and private school teachers don't know everything. I honestly had never seen this bug before so that is why I posted about it here to get some help from someone who might.

I know I shouldn't let a stupid little comment left to me rile me up so much, but I have had it. I get comments left to me alot here and over at Cafemom about my choice in education and faith. I am tired of letting this stuff roll off my back and say oh well. It bothers me and I am sick of it. I usually just delete the comment, but this one is staying.

To that person who left that comment to me, why are you anonymous? Afraid that a homeschool educator might be a better teacher than you? Scared that I actually might know something more than you? Or is it that your jealous of the fact that I am able to stay home and give my child a better education than his peers?

Sorry about the vent/rant post, but I really just needed to get it off my chest.

 

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Today was our homeschool group's first games day of the school year. Once a month the kids (mostly ages 8-14) get together and play games usually based on a theme. Sometimes it will be math games or geography games, today it was your favorite games. Of course all of our games are packed up and in storage, so we had nothing to bring to share.

Matt had not been to one in a year, so it took him awhile to warm up to the kids again. Towards the end of the time there,  he was acting like his normal self, running around chasing this one boy there that he has known for 3 years now. So hopefully next time Matt will be a bit less antisocial and actually play a game with someone instead of watching others play.

It was nice to see the other moms and to chat with them. There are two mom's there that live in my town and we were talking about how they got their phone calls to go in and see our new superintendent. I was saying that I did not get any notification and waswondering if I even would because I never got anything last year.

Well, I get home and I check the caller ID to see if there were any calls. I swear since I switched to Comcast, I get no phone calls from anyone except people looking for donations. So anyway, there is a number from my town there and so I call my voice mail box to get the message and it is the Superintendents assistant calling to set up a time for me to go in and talk about Matt's homeschooling plan.

She had called at 3:15. Normally I would have been home because games day ends at 3 and I live less than 5 minutes away from where it is being held. But I had to run to the grocery store to pick up some pasta sauce (eventually I will get around to canning my own this year) and missed the call. So, I mix up the meatballs and get them cooking in the oven and by this time it is 3:45. So, I call the Super's assistant and I get nothing. it was dead air. So I called again and again I got dead air, but when I said something to Matt, I all of a sudden get the woman's voice mail.

So, I leave a message saying that I am returning her phone call about homeschooling me son and for her to return my call. But, I told her she can only call me in the mornings because once noon hits, I am busy and I also work. Of course I made it sound like I work from noon on, but I don't work until 5:30pm.

So, tomorrow, I will probably be blogging about the phone call a little and then once after I see the super, I will blog about that. From what this one mom was saying, he is nice and like to chit chat alot. I also guess tehre are a total of 16 families homeschooling in my town. I only know of 4 other families and never herd of the others.

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My hubby drives a concrete truck for a living and he happened to be in the neighborhood one day a few weeks ago. Matt got to hang out in the cab for a little bit, asking questions about how everything works and if he could talk on the cb radio.

 

 

 

Posted in Ponderings

It has been one busy month. Between painting the inside of the house (outside is tomorrow) and with drama from Chantelle's grandmother, we have been busy.

Chantelle had been living with her gram and was planning on giving her custody of herself until last week. It seems that her gram has been blowing off enrolling Chantelle in the local high school (school starts next week for crying out loud) and she has also been denying Chantelle her much needed asthma medication. Gram claimes that it is because she can't afford the 50.00 in co-pays a month to pay for it (um hello I gave her 300.00 a month and she has Chantelle on her food stamps. Plus I bought Chantelle 300.00+ worth of school clothes and supplies). Gram also calls me once a month (always when Chantelle has PMS mind you) saying she can't handle her and that she is talking back to her. Chantelle is 14 after all and I know my mind doesn't work right during that time of the month either. This last time Chantelle had enough of all the crap her gram was saying to me about her and such.

So, now she is happily at my sisters and my sister has already gotten the ball rolling on enrolling her in school and heading to court for guardianship (she has to have it in order to enroll Chantelle in school in NH).

Now I have to figure out how to get transcripts for the 3 years I was homeschooling Chantelle. NH homeschool law is slightly different from ours here in MA. In NH, you have to have either a standarized test or a teacher evaluate a portfolio as an assesment. Here in MA it seems that each school district has a different means of evaluation. Some want nothing more than a report others want to see everything and I mean everything. I never got a letter from our super (who we report to) after our evaluation meetings and this year we have a new super (hope he is nice). So I'll have to make an appointment with him and show him everything and ask him to write a letter so I can bring it to the Manchester school department along with her standardized test score (she scored a 69 where 40 is passing!).

So, because I am having a little trouble getting Chantelle into school (I think it is mostly because it is a different school system in a different state), my hubby is a bit leary about me homeschooling Matt. He is on board and knows I can do it, it is just the part when we go to enrool him (the plan is to send him to middle and high school when we move to NH. Where he is only enterign the 2nd grade atm, we are way off right now). The middle and high school in the town we are looking to move to are excellent. I guess the school system gets a ton of money from the power plant in town.

Well, I am going to go for now. We went to the local farmers market and got a ton of blueberries (I ate almost half a pint on the way home LOL), early Mac apples, and cider donuts (Yummy!). I think I will go curl up and eat a donut now. LOL

 

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I don't have any before pictures, but once like 5 years ago ther ewas nasty pink striped and flowered wallpaper. Then after I stripped it, it remained a blank wall covered in dings and cracks (and the art work of one little boy in my house).

These pictures show the during, which is after mudding and priming the walls and trim and the after with the base coat and color.

This took me months to strip and I found these wonderful details under 30 (yes 30) coats of paint.

 

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Those who know me, know that Matt would not be caught dead reading anything other than a gaming manual. I went to Barnes & Nobles today to grab a book on harvest preserving and he picked out 4 books. Well we got home and he curled up on the sofa and read 6 chapters!!

 

Devil eyes! I forgot to turn on my red eye reducer on my camera hehe.

 

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I got this article from another blog, but it never stated where it was from. While over all I think this article is funny, I do hate the stereotyping. I for one do not wear long dresses, hell I don't even own a dress that isn't some sort of medieval or Halloween costume. I also don't wear my hair neatly in a braid. Everyone who knows me, knows I am a jeans and t-shirt gal and I either wear my long hair pulled up of straight down my back. Oh, and the day my kids don't have some dirt on them, is the day hell freezes over. hehe SONNY SCOTT:Home-schoolers threaten our cultural comfort 6/8/2008 9:39:01 AM Daily Journal

You see them at the grocery, or in a discount store.

It's a big family by today’s standards - "just like stair steps," as the old folks say. Freshly scrubbed boys with neatly trimmed hair and girls with braids, in clean but unfashionable clothes follow mom through the store as she fills her no-frills shopping list.

There's no begging for gimcracks, no fretting, and no threats from mom. The older watch the younger, freeing mom to go peacefully about her task.

You are looking at some of the estimated 2 million children being home schooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. Their reputation for academic achievement has caused colleges to begin aggressively recruiting them. Savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some place the figure as high as $9 billion. When you consider that these families pay taxes to support public schools, but demand nothing from them, it seems quite a deal for the public.

Home schooling parents are usually better educated than the norm, and are more likely to attend worship services. Their motives are many and varied. Some fear contagion from the anti-clericalism, coarse speech, suggestive behavior and hedonistic values that characterize secular schools. Others are concerned for their children’s safety. Some want their children to be challenged beyond the minimal competencies of the public schools. Concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the movement.

Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.

Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?

Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the home schooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.

Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar’s be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.

Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state’s bureaucrats on these “trouble makers.” Their implicit rejection of America’s most venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. “Individualism”) spurs us to heat the furnace and feed the lions.

Young families must make the decision: Will junior go to day care and day school, or will mom stay home and raise him? The rationalizations begin. "A family just can't make it on one income." (Our parents did.) "It just costs so much to raise a child nowadays." (Yeah, if you buy brand-name clothing, pre-prepared food, join every club and activity, and spend half the cost of a house on the daughter’s wedding, it does.) And so, the decision is made. We give up the bulk of our waking hours with our children, as well as the formation of their minds, philosophies, and attitudes, to strangers. We compensate by getting a boat to take them to the river, a van to carry them to Little League, a 2,800-square-foot house, an ATV, a zero-turn Cub Cadet, and a fund to finance a brand-name college education. And most significantly, we claim “our right” to pursue a career for our own
"self-fulfillment."

Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our 401k’s. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs a $100 to fuel the Suburban. Now the kid is raising hell again, demanding the latest Play Station as his price for doing his school work … and there goes that modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed, well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn’t you just love to wipe that serene look right off her smug face?

Is it any wonder we hate her so?

Sonny Scott a community columnist, lives on Sparta Road in Chickasaw County and his e-mail address is sonnyscott@yahoo.com. 

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The house is now on the market. We (or should I say my hubby) signed the papers this morning.

Of course this being Sunday, I just wanted to hang out and read and relax in my jammies until we had to leave for a birthday party. So, I am in the shower, taking my time, enjoying the hot water, when my hubby pops his head in saying the realitor will be here shortly!

Well, my shower ended right there. I dressed really fast and started barking orders at Matt to clean up the living room. He had a friend try to sleep over the night before (his friend got homesick and wanted to go home. No big deal, he only lives right next door) and there were toys and blankets all over. My kitchen was a mess. I made pancakes for breakfast and I didn't feel like cleaning up right away. You couldn't tell there was a table in the kitchen is was so covered in books and papers.

The realitor showed up like 5 minutes after. I was freaking out! I am by no means a neat freak, but the fact that my house looked like a monster ran through it did not help. Thankfully, our realitor, who has 3 kids under 8, knows how I feel. Her inlaws decided to show up and she was freaking out herself.

It took like 5 minutes for my hubby to sign the papers and she told me she had someone lined up to see the house TOMORROW NIGHT!!!! I guess they like the neighborhood or whatever. I love it here honestly. But all I could see was my house being so cluttered with boxes and papers and stuff that I still need to fix around the house, that I just went into a melt down. I am still freaking out, just not as much.

So, now I have to make sure the house is spic-and-span by 7pm tomorrow. Ya right. That never happened the 9 years I have lived here. My house has always been cluttered, but in a neat way. We are still storing crap from my inlaws and they passed away 7 and 4 years ago!

So wish me luck as I run around like a chicken with it's head cut off tonight and tomorrow. Housework is not my favorite thing to do. Good thing is we rented a storage unit, so I can throw all the boxes in it tomorrow, but there is still so much that needs to be done.

As much as it would totally rock my socks to have the house sell asap, I don't want it to. I need time to go through my crap before I pack.

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Boy, have we gathered a ton of stuff living here. I have been here 9  years, my hubby grew up in this house. So you can just imagine how much junk we have. Not to mention I am still finding stuff from his parents (this was their house until my FIL passed away 5 years ago, MIL passed away 7 years ago). I found two huge boxes of pictures, in my closet, that no one knows who they are.  I found old bill stubs and checks from banks that were back when my MIL first had her stroke in the early 90's. Those were stashed in my sons closet. There was even a huge box of old medical bills and reciepts in the basement. Lord knows why my FIL saved all this crap.

Like most homeschooling families, we have a T-O-N of books. We have donated a bunch (like 6+ boxes) to Got Books but we still have a ton. They are everywhere in the house too. I have 4 novels here at my desk, all but one has been read. I read a ton too. I can read a 400 page novel in one day, if the kids let me. I did today infact, but I was up at 5:30 with my asthma bugging me and hubby didn't want me to do too much to aggivate it more. I did fill up 6 boxes of stuff here at the house though and a load of laundry before needing to rest again.

We are having a huge yard sale this weekend up at my BIL house. Lots of stuff we have gathered are in need of a new home. We don't use most of what we have, so why not get some money back from them. My son alone donated 5 huge rubbermade bins of toys, while my daughter donated two. Most of her "toys" are cd's a movies anyway.

I am going to go curl up with a good book again before I tackle more packing. I'll post some things later in the week.

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Just having a little bit of fun. How I love this movie. I think I will curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and watch it.