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May. 13, 2008 - where we are...
Where we've been the last few days....
Did I ever tell you where we'll end up????
Any guesses for those of you who aren't in the know? ;)
© Copyright 2008 Called Home
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May. 5, 2008 - 182
182.
That's the number of boxes it took to pack up our household goods.
5 people
6 hours
182 boxes.
Best packers we've had in 23 years of Military service! They wrapped and packed EVERYTHING!
(do you think that could have something to do with the new full replacement value policy????)
© Copyright 2008 Called Home
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May. 3, 2008 - The Last Field Trip
It's a week of lasts (before we move anyway.....then it will be all new!).
We had our last guests. Our dear friends came up from Florida before we moved to the other side of the states.
They shared our last field trip with us.
The National Zoo. (free of course because it's a Smithsonian...
.but they charge you for parking and a map of the zoo!)
We got rained on for the first couple of hours (hence the few photos)
but then the sun came out, the field trip groups left and we enjoyed ourselves.
Youngest Dd just finished up a study/lapbook on butterflies
so we enjoyed the butterfly garden they had.
And of course they have 4 (I think) pandas, so we had to see them.
They were enjoying the rainy weather and actually doing something!
Our past experience with pandas involved pointing to a black and
white bump on a log.
They also have the coolest way to move their orangutans from one location to another.
It's literally about 50 feet high and 400 feet long and the orangs can travel across it "naturally".
(look out below!) They call it the O line. (a take on the local red/blue etc lines of the metro).
Nothing but air, 50 feet, orang grip and electric wires (on the posts) between you and an orang.
And yes, a few have "escaped" over the years. They are no longer allowed on the O line.
There is a kid barn area that we enjoyed at the end of our day.
The kids had fun playing on the toys.
Oh, sorry! wrong kids.
Here's the right kids playing on the pizza.
Last area field trip.
We head to the west coast real soon.
It's been a blast east coast!
© Copyright 2008 Called Home
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Apr. 29, 2008 - just browsing...
I spent some time last night just browsing blogs etc. You all are very interesting!
Any way......I found a few gems that I thought I'd share since my brain is not working deeply, just my hands doing deep cleaning and sorting for our move.
First this was in my in-box...
Why Are We Homeschooling?
"What God is seeking is not just children, but children who have been raised to choose the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord wants you to have full integrity and to walk worthy of your calling--and then bring your boys and girls right along with you. They are to be walking in your footsteps. Embracing your values. Serving your God. Choosing your Lord to be their Lord. The Lord wants you to pass the torch of godliness to the next generation."
- Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. This quote came from an article published in The Virginia Home Educator (spring/1997), and was chosen to encourage you to remember the heart of homeschooling is not just academics--it is passing the love of God to the next generation.
Then my friend Jen had an EXCELLENT post (all the way from Europe!) about Keeping your eyes on your own work. You have to go read it!
And then there's this post that I have to add....because I was asked this question immediately after we told my father in law we were homeschooling.
So go check them out and come tell me what you think.
I'll go back to my cleaning and sorting.
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Apr. 22, 2008 - ahhh....spring!
Don't you just love spring?
The trees start turning green, the grass grows, the bees start appearing.
And there's all that spring cleaning!
There's nothing like cleaning out ALL your food cupboards, tossing out the old, organizing, putting it all back in neat and tidy. Oh, and did I mention doing all this at 8pm at night. Did I mention the spraying of all the edges and corners with....ant spray!
My spring cleaning was NOT voluntary!
All the rain we've had plus spring coming means all those little guys are coming into my house!
Now I did needed to do this before we move in a few weeks. But it certainly wasn't on the schedule for this evening. Now the house has that special "floral" scent. Do they really think that masks the ant spray smell???
Don't you just. love. spring.
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Apr. 18, 2008 - How does it DO that???
We relived my childhood made shrinky dinks today. Remember those? If you do, you're as old as me!!!
Come on...you remember!
We traced the pictures out of coloring books and colored with pencils.
Here they are pre-shrunk
Then comes the FUN part. Good thing our oven has a window!
and TADA!
Now I suppose a great homeschool mom would have added
math to this by figuring out how much they shrunk and what
percentage etc.
Or added in science by figuring out just how that happened
and what the properties of certain plastics are etc.
But nope!
Just a fun craft.
Hey, they at least count as art.
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Apr. 16, 2008 - Happy Birthday My Daughter!
Today is my youngest daughters 7th birthday.
Wasn't it just yesterday that she looked like this???
She's our princess.
So Happy Birthday baby girl!
May God bless you as you grow up in Him.
You bring joy, laughter and dainty girly things into our lives.
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Apr. 14, 2008 - where we went day 2 (final day)
The second and final day of our overnight trip was spent in Philadelphia walking around Independence Hall National Park.
It was fun, only sprinkled on us twice and the kids had fun reliving
some parts of National Treasure. I do have to say I like DC better.
Since all of DC is National Park or Smithsonian, it's almost all free.
In Philly we felt like we were charged for every little thing. It all
started with the toll roads ($13 total) and went down hill from there.
Any way.....
we saw the Liberty Bell. (free)
Ignore mr. grumpy face. He was "starving" according to his estimation.
Took our photo with this well dressed gentleman. (free)
No, I did not coordinate ourselves on purpose! 
We toured Independence Hall (could have been free but I reserved tickets ahead
of time to make sure we got the time we wanted).
Saw Christ Church Burial ground and Ben Franklin's grave (from
outside the fence - to get inside cost $)
And of course, no trip would be complete without mr. drama
mimicking a statue. (also free)
We did all share a philly cheesesteak sandwich ($4 but well worth it)
but I was too busy eating to take a photo!
By the way, if you ever go that way, we stayed outside of Philly (about 25 miles)
at Valley Forge at the Homewood Suites and it was a great room (actually a 3 room suite)
at a great price. (plus, according to my youngest, the best part is the cookies they give you at check in!)
Sorry, no photos. My oldest complained, you're not going to take photos of the room
and post it on your blog, are you!! Who me??
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Apr. 14, 2008 - How do I look????
Doesn't my blog look pretty? That's thanks to Ali at Mission Field Designs. Over the last 4 days she took me from stock template to pretty and personal! She did a great job! Thanks Ali!
So if you don't know HTML or messing around with templates just contact Ali.
If you think you know what you're doing...take this test and see how you do.
10
If you scored as low as I did, you need to get in touch with Mission Field Designs.
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Apr. 12, 2008 - same day part 2
The next stop on the map (after a two hour drive) was Valley Forge, PA.
Washington and the Continental Army wintered here in 1777 and 1778.
There is a big visitor center with some hands on stuff, displays and a movie.
(they really need a stool behind George so big brothers don't have to
lift up short little brothers)
(oh the drama!)
They discovered just how heavy the rifles were too.
Washington rented out a local farm house both winters.
The troops stayed in cabins or tents.
I certainly wouldn't want to winter in one of those.
There wasn't a battle fought here, but the winters were so hard that many died
of disease, the cold and lack of food. There is a memorial arch in the park
to remember them.
The kids had fun running around the grass, enjoying the nice weather, and since
we drove through the park just before dusk, we saw plenty of these.
Stay tuned for day 2.....
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Apr. 12, 2008 - where we've been and what we saw....part 1
Our latest trip ( and our last overnighter before we leave).
We started our day with a stop at Fort McHenry in Baltimore.
For all you who haven't studied this area/time period yet.... this is the fort that was bombed
during the war of 1812
(over 1500 bombs were launched at it in a 2 day period) while Francis Scott Key was
on a ship in the harbor penning the words to the Star Spangled Banner.
Here's on of the bombs launched at it by the British. (they're huge!)
This is one of the many cannons at the fort. Notice the wheeled mechanism it rests on
so it can be turned. Pretty impressive for 1812.
The soldiers barracks. Two men per bed, unless you were an officer.
The jail (and jail birds! no pictures please!)
And a trip to the fort wouldn't be compete without two cuties on a rampart.
It was a beautiful day (notice NO jackets) at Fort Mc Henry, Baltimore.
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Apr. 6, 2008 - A slower paced life
Our latest excursion was three hours and two states away up to Amish country in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.
There life moves at a much slower pace. It was nice. Maybe I'll turn Amish.
We went on a buggy ride.
Our driver was a 78 year old Amish gentleman who still lived in the house he was born in. His family has farmed that land since 1860.
A Mennonite farmer owner the buggy business (that's why he drove a truck and talked on his cell phone).
Amish buggies are gray and Mennonite buggies are black. (bet you didn't know that!) When I asked why....he said tradition.
We discovered Saturday is wash day up in Amish country. Want to know how we knew that?
Every yard or porch had this hanging out to dry.
It was so cute to see all the black pants, colored dresses and black aprons lined up side by side.
Some farms had laundry hanging over 15 feet high! They had a pulley system they went up and up.
Everything was flapping in the breeze!
We went shopping in several of the small towns.
Saw lots of these for sale (oh, if I only didn't have to buy curriculum!!!!)
And saw lots of these. Most Amish up there are Dairy farmers. They raise feed for their livestock on their farms. Each farm is between 50-70 acres. There are a few who raise a cash crop of tobacco. (I learned alot from our driver!!)
All farming is done by horse. No machinery. They don't milk by hand though. They use milking machines for that. How do they power the milking machines, you ask. (I asked too) Diesel powered generators!
They use diesel and propane to operate their stoves/ovens and lights in the house too. (the gas lights give off a real nice glow - quote from 78 year old Amish man!)
It was real nice to walk around the towns, shop, see buggies coming into town to shop (although you wouldn't catch me driving one of those in town. Those "englishers" cars go much to fast and close for my comfort! ) , enjoy hand twisted, just baked soft pretzels and enjoy a slower pace of life.
But then, if I turned Amish, I couldn't blog about it!
Maybe if I turned Mennonite........
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Mar. 28, 2008 - another day....another field trip (or two)
Today the big kids and I went here.
We don't study this time period until next year but since we won't be here then.....I decided to go now.
It was another "no photos please" but even if photos were allowed....it wouldn't seem proper.
I went away with this quote speaking the most to me.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.
Pastor Martin Niemoller
Our second "field trip" for the day was really an open house.
HSLDA held their 25th anniversary open house at Patrick Henry College today.
"HSLDA was founded in 1983, with the goal of establishing the legal right of parents to teach their children at home."
"Now, 25 years later, homeschooling is legal in some form in all 50 states, homeschool laws are constantly being improved, and HSLDA member families number over 80,000. "
Let us not get comfortable with the freedom we experience to home educate our kids. We've seen only recently how fragile that freedom can be with the court case in California.
We are still opposed on many sides. Our freedom to raise our kids as God has called us to will be threatened in the courts and (as J. Michael Smith said tonight) it will be threatened slyly by the growth of public charter schools. I went away with the intent of teaching my kids the history of homeschooling. How just 20 some years ago parents were being jailed so we could have the freedoms we have today. I don't want their efforts, the price they paid, to be in vain or given up so easily. I want my children to catch the vision. Giving God the glory.
Remembering the reason, renewing the vision.
(I'll now get off my soap box and resume our regularly scheduled blogging....)
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About Me
Simply trying to obey Gods' call to raise up our children in the way they should go and to school them at home in the process.
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