Something often overlooked on our blogs is the ‘other’ family member that sleeps at the end of the bed.  We fail to mention our fur children even though they are a huge part of our lives. Is your ‘pet’ is really the king or queen of the house? Maybe you just tolerate having an animal because the husband or kids can’t live without one. Or some of you might be ‘animal free’, take issue with ‘just another responsibility’, or find that you’re deathly allergic to dander. With as much a part of our personal lives as pets tend to be, I figured it would be good to share about our animal friends (or the lack of them).

Who doesn’t love looking at furry critters - even if they aren’t your own? Some of us spend more time inhaling them than looking at them (cat belly can be addictive). Let’s not forget the slimy froggies, swimmy fish, feathery birds and other interesting creatures that some keep, also! Do you have an exotic pet to tell about? Or a neat animal story? Have you ever rescued a wild forest animal or had something strange wander up on to your porch?

Tell us your pet history. What was your first pet? Which was your most memorable? How about today? How many pets do you have? Do they help or hinder your homeschooling?

******************************

Well, the truth is our pets are wonderful, but they are also one of the biggest distractions to homeschooling we encounter!  The kitten, in particular, is a pain!  (A very cute, funny pain!)  Nothing interrupts a lesson like a kitten coming into the room, acting all cute and purring loud enough to hear from the next room!

If it's not the kitten, though, then it's my oldest cat, who is permanently attached to my side.  She will waddle in, meow, and chirp, and then roll around in front of us.

Her amazing girth distracts us all!  But she is very, very soft.  She just has a lot of softness to touch!

Marbles, the male cat, rarely bothers us during schooltime, but, when he does, he does it right.  He waltzes in and walks right on top of whatever we're doing.  He stands there, silently waiting to be petted and admired properly.  If he's feeling very affectionate, he'll actually start drooling.

(Notice the word "HOT" on his side?)

And, then, of course, there's the dog.  She also wants to be with us, though less now that Craig is home during schooltime.  Then she'd rather be with him.  Still, she often barges in, lays down, and then promptly starts snoring.  Try reading about the French Revolution punctuated by Springer Spaniel snores!

Even the hamster can be distracting if the girls have gotten him out of his cage unbeknownst to me.  I'll be wondering why they're not paying attention and realize the hamster is crawling around their laps.

Hey!  No wonder we have problems doing schoolwork!  The pets are taking over!

THEME

For this week, since I’m quite curious, post about what you did for New Year’s and what your traditions are each year. Have fun!

_______________________________________________________________

New Year's Eve, I had a major meeting/event at the church during the day, so the girls and I were there for about 6 hours.  Then I ran home, changed clothes, and came back for a party.  It was a small party (Sunday School class), but it was fun.  I was seriously wiped out from  the earlier event, though, so I was a zombie.

We played 80s Trivial Pursuit, and I did not do as well as I would've liked.  We ate, we talked, we laughed.  It was fun.  We gathered the kids in right before midnight to watch the Ball drop.  After that, we immediately began cleaning up and headed home as soon as possible.

(Normally, I can stay up till 1 or 2am without flinching; in fact, it's hard for me to go to bed before midnight, but I was really tired that night.)

For New Year's Day, we joined my parents for a traditional meal of pork and sauerkraut.  Yum!  We toasted to the new year with sparkling grape juice and enjoyed the fire in the fireplace.

That's about it!

THEME:

This week it’s seriously going to be just fun. This week share your favourite candies. I know from being on the HSBA Post team that Sprittibee and Dawn love gummy-bears, and maybe Bunny too. Have fun with this… and you’re welcome to post a photo of YOU eating your favourite candy. Haha!

God’s Word is also like sweetness to our souls. His sweet love, forgiveness, comfort, peace, and more is what makes our lives seem a little more bearable when things get rough. Whenever you eat your sweet piece of goodness remember that God loves you and will always be there when life seems sour.

Share a scripture for this week as well. One that lifts you up when you’re feeling discouraged.

*********

Candy, hmmm?  Well, I'm  more of a chocolate kind of person.  (Does chocolate count as candy?  Somehow in my mind it doesn't.)  As far as chocolate goes, however, I love dark chocolate and use the seriously strong stuff as medicine for my soul.  (I'm talking like 75%-85% cacao.  Serious stuff!) 

Otherwise, Dove is a very good American brand.  I like Peppermint Patties and Junior Mints, too, as well as Whoppers.  My favorite candy bar is Heath, though I like Milky Way and 3 Musketeers, as well.

Now, for candy proper, I like sour things, so I enjoy Skittles and Sour Skittles.   Oooh, probably one of my favorites, though, would have to be Peach Rings. 

But Sweet-Tarts and Sprees are also yummy.  If I want something truly sweet, I like Werther's Original Candies (sort of a toffee-buttery flavor).

Okay, great.  Now I'm hungry.

A Scripture that encourages me when I'm down is:

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatian 6:9, NIV).

THEME

This week I want to invite you to share one of your favourite winter treats. A treat you look forward to making when the snow falls and include the recipe for it so others can try it out.

THEME:

THEME:

This week share your favourite spot to study with your kids. There are many places you can sit down to teach, learn, and work, but where do you prefer and why? You’re welcome to include a photo of your study spot!

Well, we sometimes use different spots, but we usually study in the school room.

As you can tell, it used to be the nursery, so it's small.  But it works fine.  At other times, we may study in my bedroom.  The girls sometimes study in their own rooms, and then we use the computer out in the family room, too.  I haven't done this in a long time, but I like to do school work outside.  And, of course, life is learning, so "school work" takes place everywhere and anywhere!

This week’s theme is about sharing your 2008-09 homeschool agendas and plans. You’ve been preparing your plans for sometime and you’re ready to go. Or you’re still in the planning-stage and need some inspiration or tips on what to use. Because many use different curriculum and methods there is always something new to be gleaned from other homeschoolers. So this week I hope you will share what you’re doing this year for your homeschool agenda. Share the different curriculum you’re using. You can also include what age/grade you’re using it for, how long you’ve been using it, and why you like it.

Please share a Bible verse that has encouraged you or inspired you during this planning-process, and how.

Oh boy, well, I just happened to do this very topic on my last post, so I think I will be a bit lazy and say to look here. 

To expound a bit more, I will say that we start in mid-August so that I can take lots of breaks throughout the year.  I have only a short amount of time where I can be organized, responsible, and diligent; then I need a break to be a flake!    After a time of flakiness, I can make myself focus back on the task at hand (till that next bout of flakiness strikes).

Hmmm, a Bible verse that has guided me.  How about something "uplifting" from Ecclesiastes? 

What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun?  All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.   A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,  for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?   (Eccl. 2:22-25)

Hee-hee.  Sorry, couldn't resist.