My first born is home, safe and sound! Joel arrived back in Seattle at around 10:30 this morning. It was so great to see my baby (shh...don't tell him I called him that!). He was only gone a week, and it really did go by pretty fast, but I'm a worrier, so...I worried. It's what I do, and I do it well! I also tried very hard not to think of him being 35,000 feet in the air. If you've ever checked a flight's status online, you may know that some airlines now have maps to go along with the actual time of take-off and the ETA (estimated arrival time). You can see exactly where the flight is, usually with a delay of about 10 minutes. That's great -- I like that feature. But American (or maybe it's Alaska Air) also tells you exactly how high that particular plane is, as well. No -- I don't want to know that my child is almost 6 miles above the planet. Kind of gives me the willies! But Joel and the rest of the group were in God's hands this past week, and He can take better care of my son than I can, even at 35,000 feet.

Here are some pictures from his trip (they're cell phone pictures, so they may not be the best quality). The first one is a shot of the 9th Ward, where the house they worked on is located. They stayed with a ministry down there (can't remember the name of it at present), but I'm not sure if it was in the same area:

The following shows the huge pile of debris they took out of the house:

Joel's glimpse of himself in a security mirror made an interesting picture:

And that's it. He does have a few other fun shots he took of himself and a few friends, but I'll let Joel be the first to post those elsewhere. I'm hoping someone else on the team got a good shot of the group, or some more pictures of Joel. If so, I'll grab them and post them as soon as I can.

Joel is still in New Orleans, and as they're back to working on the same house as last week, he took a moment to send me a picture from his cell phone. This is the infamous hole that he fell through a few days ago. I was momentarily stymied by the rectangular shape, until my other son told me it was because they'd had to cut the floor to get Joel out (his leg, anyway). Huh...funny how that little detail wasn't given during his conversation with me. What is it with these silly boys (and husbands) who think we weak women need to be spared certain details? Sheesh, compared with all the other things my teenagers tell me...

Needless, to say, I'm glad he's fine. He's got some angels watching over him.

Yesterday was their "fun day," when they got to visit the French Quarter, eat at the Hard Rock Cafe, and spend more money than they budgeted for. My poor son is learning a lesson in finances. I won't say how much he has left, but he'll be eating off the dollar menu today and tomorrow, should they need to stop for food (the church they're staying with is feeding them most meals). Thankfully, his flight home leaves early Wednesday morning and he can eat lunch at home.

Speaking of flights, I read online today that Alaska Airlines had cancelled dozens of them today because of the Kasatochi volcano that erupted Thursday in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. I hadn't even heard of it until today, but I think I'll do some research on it tonight. It's not exactly next door, but it is north of us in the Pacific "Ring of Fire." Mount St. Helens, of course, is our state's very own semi-active volcano (which is now sleeping again), and Mt.Rainier is the looming giant that could wake up anytime (or so we're told). Needless to say, we get concerned when any somewhat-nearby volcanos decide to act rowdy.

So far, Joel's trip to New Orleans has been a little eventful -- for him. On their first work day, he stepped on five nails, one of which punctured his foot (he can still see the hole it left). I told him that if he was going to get an infection, he would have gotten it by now. Apparently, the tetanus shot he got two years ago is doing its job.

On Friday, while ripping up flooring, he and a friend noticed some rotten floor boards. She warned him not to step on them. He did, and down he went -- one leg through the floor, the rest of him still above it. He's okay, with just some scrapes on his leg and a big bruise on his ego. (He prefaced this news to me by saying, "Now, Mom, I need to tell you something, but let me start by saying I'm fine...". It reminded me of a call I got from someone my kids were visiting a couple years ago. She started the call by saying, "Sally? Do you have health insurance?" Joel had gotten hurt that day, too.)

Today when he called (Saturday), he informed me that the lock I'd put on his luggage was missing by the time they arrived in New Orleans, along with the Oreo cookies he'd packed. It seems the TSA doesn't like Goldfish crackers, as they were left untouched in his suitcase. This kind of thing could make me mad. Instead, I just hope that whoever ate Joel's Oreos had them stuck in their teeth whenever they smiled. And that the cookies went straight to their hips.

The community barbeque went well, with about 100 in attendance. It wasn't as big as last year, but still a good number.

Some of you may remember that my son, Joel, went on a missions/relief trip to New Orleans last year. It was such a great experience for all involved with that trip, and this year they've gone again.

They arrived last night in "Nawlins" and will be involved in "mudding out" a house. I assume this means shoveling out the mud so the home can be repaired. Their efforts last year resulted in a mom and her kids being able to return to their home.

Hopefully someone will be taking pictures so that I can post a few. Stay tuned for those. 

After a few months of being out of the blogging mode, I've made the decision to come back to it here at HSB. At first, I'd thought that since we were not "officially" homeschoolers any longer, that this wouldn't be the appropriate venue for my ramblings.

Then I thought, "Why not?" We'll be doing the online public school thing (which I admit I'm still not thrilled about), but my kids will be home. We will still be "home educating" and enjoying each other's company. Not much will be different in that respect.

What I will have a hard time getting used to:

1. Not being my kids' "teacher."

2. Not being able to say we homeschooled to graduation.

3. Not having complete control over the curriculum used.

4. Being looked at differently by my homeschooling friends.

What I'm trying to remember:

1. We are going this route for the sake of our family (my husband has cancer, and should he need a bone marrow transplant in the future, I need to be bringing in an income that can replace his. More on that later.)

2. My kids are pretty excited about this new educational option. They really are. Many people all over homeschoolingdom believe it's a huge mistake to stop traditional homeschooling, and end up feel sorry for the kids involved. I'm not sure if these people have given much thought to what the kids think. Mine have expressed sincere optimism about online learning and that they'll get to remain at home. To them, it's the best of both worlds.

3. I'm going to feel less stress, and thereby will enjoy my duties as wife/mom/cook/chauffeur/kisser of owies more than I have in a very long time. I will also have more time to pursue my writing and other online endeavors.  (Admittedly, my teens no longer let me kiss their owies, but my toddler does. Where does the time go?)

I should also mention that I fully intend to homeschool my youngest, who is only 2 1/2 years old, as soon as she's ready. What does the future hold for her when she hits junior high/high school? Don't know. We'll see when we get there.

Over the next school year, I'll be documenting the ups and downs of online public school education. I don't plan to candycoat it, and I'm not recommending it (my heart is still very much with traditional homeschooling), so hopefully I'll be allowed to stay on HSB. I'm also going to be trying a new way of teaching my toddler to read, and will keep you updated on that, too (I guess that would be homeschooling, huh?).

You know -- it could be that all we're really needing is this year off. We may decide we abhor online education and come back to homeschooling the following year. I am totally open to that. For now, this is our journey and we're taking you along for the ride!

For those of you who are still periodically checking my blog (and after two months of me not posting, that might be all of 2 or 3 of you), I wanted to let you know about some changes our family will soon be making.

My husband and I have decided--and this has been a painfully slow decision to make--that our homeschooling adventure will be coming to an end. I say "adventure," but it's really been more of a struggle. For a few years now, it's been like trying to make that square peg fit in that round hole by hitting it repeatedly with a sledgehammer. I'm tired of wielding that sledgehammer.

As of next fall, our kids will no longer be "homeschoolers." Instead, they will be "school-at-homers." We will be taking advantage of two different online accredited schools for our sons and oldest daughter (youngest daughter is only a toddler).

You may have questions regarding what we're doing, so I'll try to imagine what you might be asking and will answer them as follows:

• Yes, they are public schools, so yes, they will officially be public school students.
  
• Yes, I know my kids can attend these schools part-time and still retain their homeschooled status. But we'll be putting both feet in the water: they will be full-time in the public school system. I need this break. It may be permanent. Most assuredly will be.
  
• No, I am not turning my back on the homeschool community, nor am I trying to make this a slap in the face of the "homeschool pioneers" who have done so much to pave the way for all of us. I am, have always been, and will always be truly grateful to those brave souls.

A few things have necessitated this change. For starters, I'm tired of "kicking against the goad" (that's in the old testament, just can't remember where at this moment). I have always said that homeschooling isn't for everyone. It appears that is now including us. We've had 10 fulfilling years of learning on our own at home. We're done with the "on our own" part.

There are some incredible families who've been to hell and back and continued "homeschooling anyway." Those are strong people. I feel like we've tried to be strong for the past few years but now that strength is waning. After the loss of our baby in 2004 and my husband's cancer diagnosis in 2006, I feel shell-shocked. There just isn't much left.

That actually brings me to my second reason for ending our homeschooling run: my husband's cancer situation. He is still doing "fine," evidenced by his tests coming back in an acceptable range every couple of months. But if the cancer (a blood cancer called multiple myeloma) decides to misbehave, his oncologist may decide it's time for a bone marrow transplant. If that happens, he'll be off work for several months (honestly, I'm not sure how long it would be), and we don't know if his company would continue to pay his salary.

Because of the uncertainties surrounding his health and our future financial situation, I am taking courses to brush up on some skills I've learned in the past, and am also learning some new ones. I'm currently taking a course in copywriting ("copy" is everything from business letters to junk mail--yes, I said it--to the words on that box of cereal in your cupboard). I am also freshening up my proofreading skills in an effort to get some freelance jobs while taking the copywriting course.

I am also signed up to take a course in affiliate marketing (which I've tried before, but didn't fully understand, so it fizzled out). I'm very excited about this. It helps that it's free--how awesome is that!

So, switching the kids over to being school-at-homers instead of homeschoolers will free me up to find work and bring in the extra income we are really needing, and may need more of in the future. I hope you won't judge us too harshly but will remember us in your prayers. (And keep in mind the main point--our kids will still be home.)

If you'd like to leave a comment, please make it an encouraging one. I'm really needing that right now! I will keep this blog up through the summer (or at least until summer), and will then switch to another blog hoster. Afterall, we'll no longer be homeschoolers, technically. I'll let you all know the name of that blog once it's up and running.

We'll talk soon. :-)

For me, my daughters, and at least one son, this flu has turned into bronchitis. We haven't been this sick in years. If you haven't caught this flu yet (hopefully you won't), check out this link from WebMD. You'll discover what distinguishes a cold from the flu, and how flu symptoms in infants, toddlers, and young children can be different from the symptoms an adult might experience.

If you think your flu may have progressed into bronchitis, check out this page to make sure. You will also find valuable information on determining if your bronchitis has progressed into pneumonia--something not to take lightly.

Know your symptoms, know your children's symptoms. If something doesn't "feel right," it probably isn't. Never hesitate to call your doctor. You can at least talk to the nurse about the symptoms you or your child are experiencing.

I, personally, am a big fan of using aromatherapy in easing the symptoms of colds, the flu, and bronchitis--and a host of other ailments. Here is a portion of an email I sent to family and friends yesterday outlining just what I'm doing for us:

I'm pretty sure we have bronchitis now, and am realizing Jesse had it first. Not sure if Joel did -- may have, since he's still coughing (he was the first of all of us to get sick, and has been great about helping the rest of us now that we've gotten it). So, first the flu, now this.

Erica and I have the worst of the cough right now. Bethany is coughing, too, though, and I know it really scares her. She was having a tough time tonight, but was able to cough up a lot of junk and then calmed right down. ("Icky!" was her word for it...) We're all (except Joel) still running low fevers, achy, have occasional chills, etc.

Joel is pretty much all better now, just coughing a bit, but Jesse still has a nasty cough. So...I made him a chest rub with Sweet Almond Oil (for a carrier), and 2 drops each of eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils. Erica and I are also using the same rub, along with some lavender essential oil. She and I are also using heat packs placed over the oils on our chests/necks, which really seems to be helping with the coughing and chest pain. If Bethany's cough gets worse, I'll make a VERY diluted rub for her, and will probably sit and watch a movie with her to distract her from me holding the heat pack to her chest (not too hot, of course).

Also have the humidifier going for the girls -- it has a fan on it to blow out steam mixed with eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender oils. Lavender is an antiviral and antispasmodic.

Just thought I'd share my routine with the essential oils and heat in case this stuff hits any of you. Also drinking lots of herbal tea with honey. "Throat Coat" with echinacea is a good one. (Everything I mentioned is available at Fred Meyer in the natural foods department.)

I must say I DO NOT recommend the use of essential oils on children under 6, unless used in very diluted amounts, and you must know what you're doing. Do some research before using, and you'll discover wonderful aromatherapy "recipes" for bath oils, chest rubs, diffusers, and the like. Two authors I highly recommend are Valerie Genari-Cooksley and Maggie Tisserand. Information can also be found online, of course.

In case you missed last night's lunar eclipse, KIRO TV here in Seattle caught it on time lapse photography.  My kids and I did get to see the eclipse from our backyard, which was an answer to prayer (I prayed it wouldn't be too cloudy to see it, proof that God hears and answers even our "little" prayers). We did get to see the moon turn a muddy shade of red, but that color doesn't come through on KIRO's pictures. My daughter got a somewhat grainy picture of it last night in which the red color is visible, so I'll try to get that posted later (depending on how it looks once I upload it).

Do take a look at the pictures. There won't be another lunar eclipse visible over our continent until December of 2010.

I received some links today by email that I wanted to share with you all. The first one is interesting, in a "Wow, I wonder how the Bubonic Plague started" sort of way. It's a map from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) showing where influenza is currently popping up in the USA. Forty-four out of 50 states are reporting it as "widespread". That's maddening, isn't it? To think of all the people who could've washed their hands, used hand sanitizer, coughed into their elbows or a tissue, or gee, I don't know...stayed home but didn't, it's no wonder this thing has spread like it has. The biggest contributor to the fast-and-far nature of this flu, I'm sure, is air travel. Illnesses are no longer confined to one geographic area. Anyway, check out the map, and show your kids. Tell them, as I did with my kids today, "This is why you have to take precautions when you're sick (and after you've been around other possibly-sick people)." It's a good reminder for us adults, too, to practice personal responsibility.

The next links pertain to a very cool meteor that appears to have landed in a sparsely populated area of our great state of Washington. A pilot with Horizon Air says he saw it go down in the southeast corner of the state, and an Idaho National Guard security camera actually caught it on tape. The meteor explodes twice in the sky and seems to burn out before making landfall. Maybe it's in a bunch of little pieces and that's why they can't locate where it landed...just a thought.

And last but not least: On Wednesday, February 20, there will be a fantastic lunar eclipse -- the last one until December of 2010. The moon will turn a "delightful shade of red" over Europe and the Americas. I'm hoping we'll be able to get a glimpse and not have to wait two more years for the next one. This link will give you the best idea of when you'll be able to witness it in your area. If you do, let me know.

It's amazing how "the crud" can disrupt your life. My family has come down with the flu. First, my oldest son, Joel (almost 16 years old), began feeling sick after coming home from the youth group's winter camp (it was a Friday through Sunday thing, Feb. 1-3). Several of his friends attended the camp while ill. Why can't people keep their sick kids home? But I digress.

After feeling "iffy" (not sure if he was sick or not) for about a week, it hit him pretty hard. He felt lousy for several more days. Then it hit my second son (almost 14 years old). He started off feeling "iffy" as well, and on Valentine's Day became very sick. Actually, my 12 year-old daughter did, too, the same day, but her sickness hit her without warning. They were both very ill, and also vomiting, which tells me we've also been visited by the stomach flu. Jesse didn't stop throwing up until I gave him some Benedryl. (Try that! Obstetricians prescribe antihistamines to women all the time for morning sickness. I used children's liquid Benedryl with Jesse -- the liquid is absorbed so much faster than a pill. Okay, okay...check with your doctor first.)

They're all trying to get better, but it's a struggle. They're still coughing, and Jesse was still running a fever today. And now it's official: Bethany and I are sick, too, as of today. We're stuffy and running fevers of our own.

So, if you've missed me, now you know where I've been!

This nasty flu has also kept us from taking part in the bird counting thing that Cornell University was doing. If you and your kids participated, post a comment and let me know how it went, what birds you saw, etc. I'd love to hear about it.

In the meantime, I will look at this flu as a chance to get caught up on my reading: books, magazines, and of course, the blogs here on HSB.

Stay well!

Have the winter doldrums taken hold over your household? Are the kids whining that there's nothing to do? Could be they just need a purpose -- a job, of sorts. Here's something that will help them feel like they're contributing to something bigger than themselves:

The Great Backyard Bird Count!  

This annual four-day event "engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent."

From the website:

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes during February 15–18, 2008. Count birds at as many places and on as many days as you like—just keep a separate list of counts for each day and/or location.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time, and write it down. (You can get regional bird checklists here.)

3. Enter your results through our web page.

Speaking of birds, I just heard some Canada geese flying over our house (yes, heard -- the noisy things). To me, they're one of the harbingers of spring, as I never see (or hear) them around here in the winter (which we're still smack in the middle of, though the temps have been pretty mild). We live just a couple of blocks up from a small lake, which these geese call home for the spring and summer months. Since they're back so soon, maybe they know something we don't . . . an early spring, perhaps? That would be nice.

Have fun with the bird count! If you participate, let me know what birds you see at your house (and what part of the country you're in, if you're comfortable with sharing that).

I don't like to be told what to do. Never have. Whether it was my mother telling me to clean my room as a child, or my husband telling me to pulleaze balance the checkbook...doesn't matter. Almost automatically, my lips would press together, I'd get that defiant look in my eye, and though I may have never said it out loud (or did I?), I was thinking it: "Make me."

My mother no longer worries about my messy room (which is still messy on occasion...am I still rebelling?), and I'm not such a clod with the checkbook anymore. Yet that streak of rebellion is right there, firmly ensconced in my heart. Probably has something to do with being a human being who needs Jesus just a tad more each day, and may have something to do with me still needing to grow up in certain areas of my life (which, frankly, I refuse to do). Like my room...do I let it stay messy just to placate my inner child? Or am I just a tired, slightly undisciplined mother who has too much to do? Dr. Phil, are you reading this?

It's because I don't like being told what to do that I don't make New Year's resolutions. I rebel against myself, too. 

Me: "You must resolve to finish those piles of filing this year."

Me: "Make me."

I like to make the betterment of myself just happen naturally. As if it tiptoes softly into my life through the side door so as not to disturb my inner brat. Like this Christmas, I got rid of a bunch of needless junk without having to tell myself to. As I took down certain things (vases, pictures, knick knacks) to make room for my snowmen and other cheerful holiday dust collectors, many of those extra things went into boxes to be given away. And when the Christmas things came down, some of those went bye-bye, too.

(You'll be happy to know that several of these things -- vases, mainly -- will no longer be clutter in anyone's house, because when I opened the hatch on my SUV at the thrift store, they fell out onto the pavement and broke into quite a few unrecognizable pieces. Obviously, it was for the best. No one else needed them, either.)

Another way some of that New Year betterment happens is by one of my favorite downtime activities: Visiting web sites that deal with how to organize, how to be a better parent (wife, friend, etc.), and how to get closer to God. These sites are full of tips that come in like a gentle teacher through the side door of my life, and after while even my inner brat is behaving -- never having known what hit her. Here are a few of my faves:

Martha Stewart: It's my opinion that most of the people who put her down for her uber-domesticity have never really perused her web site at length. There's a ton of fun stuff on here. Don't get stressed out thinking you have to do everything she says, or exactly as she says to. The point of the site is to make life easier for you. Look at it that way.

Get Organized Now: Maria Gracia is a professional organizer with a load of great ideas. It's not a huge site (which is a good thing for the easily overwhelmed), but you're sure to find some tips to help you with your time, money, and general organization.

Christian Women Online: This site is pretty new to me, but already a favorite. If you need encouragement, this is the place to be.

I may add a few sites later. Right now my inner brat needs a cookie. ;-)