Saturday, August 2, 2008 -
Rosetta Stone and cat poo-- both stink

... Posted in Product reviews

OK, we've been using Rosetta Stone French for 2 years... we bought version 2, Level 1, all the kids are using it, and the 2 oldest girls are just about through... I was aware that they've brought out version 3 (which has 3 levels), but was told by a rep at RS that I could move the girls into v3 level 2 with very little problem.... *sigh*..... WELLLL-----

Lo and behold, I called them today to find out just HOW the transition can be done, before I put my school order in, and guess what? The 2 versions are NOT compatible, and my kids would have to start over at the beginning of Level 1 again!!! My oldest, Emily, is going into grade 11. It took her 2 years to get through one level at THEIR suggested pace! And their solution is to buy all 3 levels of v3 at their "special homeschool price" and hope for the best, I guess. The discount might be a good one, but it still doesn't solve the problem of a kid having to start over.... talk about a way to make someone hate a subject fast.

Oh, yes, and I mentioned trying to find a version 2 out there somewhere and was "reminded" that it's illegal to buy or sell used copies and they "do prosecute" !!!!!!! (and they'd know how???) As well, they've recalled all v2 sets from their resellers. This STINKS!!! (actually it does what a vaccuum cleaner does too but that looked a little crude so I changed it).

I am so frustrated by this!!!!  How many hs'ers can afford to go and replace an entire curriculum that costs over $250 for a single level ? ? ? This company is going to alienate an entire customer base.

Meanwhile, I am stuck trying to find a decent French program for senior high, that doesn't A) repeat what she's already done, or B) require something she's not ready for. And living in southeast NB, it's neccessary for the kids to learn to speak French well. They at LEAST have to be educated in it as much as public school kids, and they all get it in school til grade 12 here (mandatory). Did I mention how frustrated I am?!?!?!?!?!?

Thanks for listening.

It's been the day from you-know-where (suffice to say cat poo stinks and the living room rug-- a 5x7 one-- is now rolled up in the backyard... and the whole house got scrubbed today with bleach). I'm going to go to bed.

jen

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Thursday, March 13, 2008 -
time for some almost spring cleaning...

... for my blog, anyways...

 

I'm tired of the current template so I'm going to be playing with it little by little... so if you drop by and think,"what in the world happened HERE?!?!" well, now you know.

 

By the way... I'm open to template donations.... lol.... I like country / prim/ flowers and not terribly busy (although you might not be able to tell the way it looks right now...).

Time for bed. Html hurts my head.

jen

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Thursday, February 21, 2008 -
long lost me

... Posted in Everyday life

Wow, it's been forever...

Let's see... Abby's almost 9 months old now. She's taking her first steps-- like she's not busy enough without walking. We're still homeshooling... year #11, and it's been rough. How many times have I wanted to completely give up? I have lost count this year alone. It's been a rough year all around... but things are coming around. We have a new church home, we've made some new friends, we've re-prioritized our life. Seems to be working.

Now-- we find out we're expecting again! This will be #7... I'm still in a haze from the last one, so I should float through this one.... lol Maybe not... but I'm open to advice from moms of many.

 

So, this is just a quick little update and pop-my-head-in-and-say-hi. Blogging has totally taken a backseat.

Take care all, and God bless.

jen

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Friday, August 24, 2007 -
take a deep breath.... and maybe some medication...

... Posted in Everyday life

I feel like I've been gone from here forever. Life has sure been busy! The baby's 3 months old now, and what a sweetie... it's been a time though...

She had lost a bit more weight than the new baby clinic was happy with so I had to supplement her with bottles. Then she decided she liked them better than me. It took ahile, but she finally started nursing well. She still takes bottles, though- it's about half and half, nursing and bottle feeding. I stopped beating myself up over it and have started to enjoy the fact that if she's hungry someone else can feed her for me. The other kids all love her to pieces. I'd forgotten too how fast they grow-- already into size 3 diapers and 6-9 month size clothes.

Post-partum recovery was amazing. Not a problem- except I have tendonitis in both wrists and it makes it really hard to do pretty much everything. 3 months of it, and I'm not sure if it's getting better or if I've just learned how not to move them!

School for the year never stopped. I got really lazy the last few months of  the "regular" school year, and the kids sort of took advantage of it (not that I wouldn't have... but boy, have I learned my lesson.. I  hope). We still have a month or so left of stuff to finish up on, then we'll take a break as long as it takes for all my curriculum to come (nothing is getting ordered until we're done).

I have to admit, this has been by far the toughest year for me. Still reeling from a miscarriage, I got pregnant again and had mixed reactions from family and friends. It was a relatively difficult pregnancy (by my easy pregnancy standards, anyway), and then right before the baby came the rug got pulled out from underneath me, so to speak, where our church was concerned. I may write about that someday, but right now it still very much hurts. I may be saved, but boy oh boy, do I ever have a problem with the sin of holding a grudge. Anyway.... it's been a rough year. I can only hope that this next year is a whole lot better.... and that I'll have it in me to be the encouragement my heart desires. Right now I'm pretty dry. I keep singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" to the baby, hoping it'll soothe my soul.

All for now.

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Thursday, June 7, 2007 -
Baby, baby...

... Posted in Everyday life

Two weeks ago we welcomed our newest addition, Abigail. She was born on May 24th at 11:20am after a VERY short but intense labour and delivery. She weighed in at 7 lbs, 11 1/2 oz, and 21" long. She looks just like our firstborn (who incidently turns 15 in July), in fact, the baby pictures are so alike it's amazing.

 

I'll be even scarcer around these parts for awhile-- I'd forgotten how much time a newborn takes, even with as much help as I've got. Showering and eating takes priority over computer time when spare time is hard to come by. I'll eventually fill y'all in on the gory details and the fun stuff that's part and parcel of having a large family.... but for now, I'm holding you all in suspense... lol... just one little tidbit of "everyday" life around here....

my second oldest broke her arm... fell off a SOCCER BALL... don't know whatrever posessed her to stand on it. But not surprising, knowing that child!

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Wednesday, May 9, 2007 -
8 Random Things about Me

... Posted in Fun stuff

I got tagged by Eve, so here it is...

Rules of the game:

1. Post the rules of the game.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

 

1. I love chip dip. Too much.

2. I can’t back up when I drive. Well, I can… I just avoid it.

3. I always wanted to work for a magazine… and now I do! (The Old Schoolhouse magazine, that runs homeschoolblogger… imagine that!)

4. I’m a born-again, evangelical, Bible-believing Christian.

5. I don’t really tan… I’ve tried. I’m perpetually pale… don’t burn, really either.

6. I love gardening, and do pretty good, but houseplants die almost instantly on me.

7. I know how to change the rear brakes on a ’91 Toyota Previa.

8. I have never pumped my own gas. Nor do I want to.

 

I tag:

Whoever reads this and wants to do it, since I’m not really into making enemies of those who hate being tagged!

 

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Wednesday, May 2, 2007 -
Ah, memory lane... wanna take a trip there with me?

... Posted in Memory Lane

I heard a song on the radio today that took me back a few years.... no, it wasn't something by Wham! or Luba, or Air Supply....lol

It was a song by a guy named Mark Wills... yup, I listen to country... not just country gospel, either...

Anyway, it's called 19 Somethin', and boy, didn't it make me smile... and almost tear up a bit too!!!

I found a place you can listen to it, and here are the lyrics...

 

19 Somethin'

Written By: Chris DuBois & David Lee

I saw Star Wars at least eight times Had the Pac-Man pattern memorized And I've seen the stuff they put inside Stretch Armstrong, yeah Well, I was Roger Staubach in my back yard Had a shoebox full of baseball cards And a couple of Evel Knievel scars On my right arm Well, I was a kid when Elvis died And my momma cried Chorus: It was nineteen seventy something In the world that I grew up in Farrah Fawcett hairdo days Bell bottoms and eight track tapes Looking back now I can see me And, oh man, did I look cheesy But I wouldn't trade those days for nothing Ah, it was nineteen seventy something It was the dawning of a new decade We got our first microwave And Dad broke down and finally shaved Them old sideburns off I took the stickers off of my Rubik's Cube Watched MTV all afternoon And my first love was Daisy Duke In them cut off jeans A space shuttle fell out of the sky And the whole world cried Chorus: It was nineteen eighty something In the world that I grew up in Skating rinks and black Trans Am's Big hair and parachute pants And looking back now I can see me And, oh man, did I look cheesy But I wouldn't trade those days for nothing Ah, it was nineteen eighty something Now I got a mortgage and an S.U.V. And all this responsibility Makes me wish sometimes Repeat 2nd chorus Nineteen seventy something Ah, it was nineteen something

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007 -
Country living in the city???

... Posted in Everyday life

Well, I don't have a cold now, just a chronically stuffy nose, and I am impossibly round with 4 weeks left to waddle around Moncton. Waddling is just sooo.... not graceful.

On the upside, spring has finally sprung in our neck of the concrete jungle (I'd say woods, but alas, we haven't found a suitable country acreage yet.... lol). Nice, warm, sunny days, and the backyard is de-swampifying itself.

In other news, we discovered that one of our deep-freezes is unsalvageable... it accidently got unplugged and by the time we realized it, it had a decidedly rank odour. Hubby was going to try cleaning it today, but decided against it when he nearly threw up from the smell (that's a pretty good indicator that it's beyond help). So, he and a couple of our kids lugged it outside, and just to keep it company the water cooler that's been sitting idle and broken in the kitchen went out with it. Now, we just need to park an old, beat up car next to them, and we'll be all practiced up for living in Albert County... by the way, I joked with a friend who actually lives in Albert County today (she's minus the beat-up old car in the yard, but she's a newbie.. give her time) that we could just use it for a garbage bin at the end of the driveway.... then what should we see on a drive out her way this afternoon.....? Yup, somebody stole my idea. I really don't belong here. Anyway... big-garbage pick-up is in a few weeks, so I guess the junk can perty up my driveway til then.

Did I mention I have only 4 weeks to go??? And no, I have never delivered before my due date. I am late with everything, this included. At least one could say I'm consistent.

 

 

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007 -
Point-form update/ pity-party

... Posted in Everyday life

~~My cold isn't nearly so bad now. I'm only a little stuffed up, and the cough I thought was starting never really amounted to anything.

~~I'm going to weekly profiles and doctor's appointments now. It's a pain, but I guess that's just part of getting near the end. And boy, am I glad to be near the end. Pregnancy has it's plusses, for sure, and it's kind of nice to have a valid reason for being round, but by the time you're reallllly round, including your feet, well, it's time to look forward to it being over. I just hope the next 5 weeks go fairly quickly.

~~I miss home. I get this way when I'm pregnant. Well, the last 3, anyway... I had the first 3 in Kentville, NS, and family was nearby, but the last 3 are going to all have been Monctonians. Moncton's city hospital is a good one, but I still miss home. Times like these it would be nice to have my mom, and my sister, and my mom-in-law around. Doesn't help that one of my best friends back home is "marrying off" her youngest daughter this weekend. And we can't go.

~~There are certain people in my life (not family) I have this overwhelming urge to slap right now. I want to go right up one side of them and down another. And no, it's not primarily pregancy hormones driving it... it's being tired of arrogance, and pride, and lies, and assumptions, and I'm just so sick of it. This so helps the blood pressure issue.

~~It's cold here still. And rainy. But the snow is melting.

~~Pancakes aren't good for blood sugar.... trust me. Yummy, but dangerous.... lol

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Friday, April 13, 2007 -
Thar she blows...

... Posted in Everyday life

I have a cold.

I feel yuck.

Hey Mom-- remember "My nosey, my nosey, my poor nosey" ??? That's about it. I'm stuffed up enough I can barely get that signature foghorn effect to work when I blow by doze. I'm so glad to see a weekend... I don't have to make my brain work to explain lessons for two whole days!!!

I am so thankful for certain things... soft kleenexes... popsicles... orange juice... and friends like Jodie and Melanie who will help me wallow in my misery. Thank you girls!!! And I'm thankful for daughters who love to bake, and especially the fact that everything got cleaned up today when they made butterscotch chip cookies.

I'm going to go shower... a nice, hot, steamy one that will hopefully help me breathe. And with any luck, I'll be able to sleep without anyone waking me up because they dreamed a bear was chasing them, or to have to get up to go pee a dozen times (good luck on that one, at 34 weeks pg), or to feel like I'm drowning in my own drool. Oh, boy, what a lovely picture I'm painting, eh? Ehhhh, whatever.

 

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