Well, at the moment we're sticking to pretty much the basics. 

Hunter:

Just finished up a study on the president

Doing his CLP reading & workbooks

Practical arithmetic

Princess:

Rod & Staff reading & phonics

Rod & Staff math

Assorted reading aloud to me

Our family read aloud has been Charlotte's Web.  We are also doing parts of a unit study on it called "Within the Web"  It was a free download through currclick.

As I've already stated our last 3 1/2 months have not been the best on keeping up with the school work.  I have told my children that when they finish the workbooks/books they are doing now we will consider it a year. 

As far as breaking for a summer, we will take some breaks and take a couple of small trips/vacations and then it will be back to the school work until we are done.  That will probably take about another 2 months or so.

Whenever that is, we will still take about 2-3 weeks off and then start back up with the next school year.

Tomorrow morning is the annual used homeschool book sale.  My friend & I plan on being there right when it opens!  I am looking for 2 main things.  LLATL yellow student & LLATL gray student.  Those are the only books I need for the next year.  But, of course, I'm on the lookout for any science kits, good books, etc.  I am going to bring $45 and that's it. --So I CAN'T overspend.  Afterwards Princess & I will go weekly grocery shopping & a girls only lunch. (probably arby's because I have some coupons & it will be nearby)

Well, I hope you all have a great weekend!

If there was an award for the worst homeschool blogger I would probably take 1st place

I love to read the blogs when I have time but I just usually think I don't have anything interesting to post about.   When I started this blog I thought I would track our days.  Even if that meant just listing what we did in our books for the day. 

Well, today I thought I would give it another try. So, here is what we've all been up to the past bit:

~I have been babysitting for the past 3 1/2 months

~Planting our garden

~Trying to keep up on school work

~Trying to get my house in order

~Trying to just get back to my old self again!

I don't know if you would call it "depression,"  but I've been feeling just "not great" the past couple of weeks.  I knew the babysitting & other changes would be an adjustment, but I just didn't know how much it would throw me off.

When I do have some free time, I usually have to hurry & tidy up, cook or I just want to take a bit of time to myself.  --The problem with this is I had been trying to put up a happy front with my husband (who really did not want me to babysit to begin with)  Well, after my going to bed around 7:30 for a couple of nights my husband came in to talk to me.  I finally confessed all the emotions I was feeling & that things were not always going "peachy" during the day.  That school was not being a priority, if we even got to it during the day at all.---Would you know he was not mad.  He said he could tell for some time that something was wrong & he figured what was going on anyway.

Well, I told my sister today (after many times of her changing the subject & not calling me back for several weeks --other than to drop the children off)  That I give her 2 more weeks to find another sitter.

I do have some guilt because I really thought everything would be ok and I LOVE my niece & nephew dearly.  I am just not able to attend to my family's needs by watching them so often.  I know I should not feel guilty, but I just can't help it.

So now I have spent the past few days getting off of my rump!  I bought a new bookshelf & organized the hallway/library.  I also cleaned both bathrooms really well & got rid of some old towels.   Just doing those couple of things has made me begin to feel better & back to my old self again.

I am also going to re-do my household binder & get some chore charts back together. --My kids have also been taking advantage of my "mood"  We had a family talk last weekend & they are doing better now too.

I guess I just can't get  a little off track or instead of a bump I get completely de-railed!

Some good news is that we've been looking for a new place to live!!!  I have wanted to leave this area for a while.  I realize that it may take a while to find something we can afford but I've been praying about this for years & I know if I keep my trust in God then things will work out.

Thanks for reading & I'll do my best to post happy things from now on!

So, that's it for my whining & venting.  --I guess that is what is great about a blog.  I can get all my feelings out to cyber friends & not hurt anyone I love's feelings in the process.

Tomorrow I'll post on what school work we've been up to...This is homeschool blogger after all!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

For starters it is all about homeschooling!

I also like that there are a mixture of articles & writers to appeal to different types of homeschoolers. 

There is alot of information on different curricula for all ages.

If you subscribe you also get alot of free gifts!--always a plus!

The HSB Front Porch is having a contest and you can win a $50 gift certificate just for blogging about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Spring Promo before midnight April 30, 2008. Subscribe now to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and receive 25 BONUS gifts valued at over $550! The Winter Promo sold out, don't miss out on the free gifts this time!

They are also giving away a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store. All print subscribers (new or renewing) between April 3 - 30, 2008 will be automatically entered into a drawing. No purchase neccessary to win. To enter without subscribing, please send a postcard with your name, address, telephone number, and email address to:
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Spring Promo Contest
PO BOX 8426
Gray, TN  37615

The calendar says that tomorrow, Feb. 21 is Chinese Lantern Festival.  Here is a link to make an easy paper lantern.  http://crafts.kaboose.com/lantern1.html  Last year we made several of these and hung them around the house.  That night we served Chinese food.  We made homemade egg rolls & had fortune cookies.

Homemade eggrolls

1 package egg roll wrappers (check in the produce section)

1 bag coleslaw mix (or shred your own cabbage & carrots)

1/2 cup diced onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp sesame oil (asian food section)

soy sauce

coconut oil or canola for frying

In a skillet place 1 T. olive or canola oil.  Add cabbage, onion, garlic & sesame oil.  Saute until tender.  Add soy sauce to taste.  Then lay egg roll wrappers out.  Fill with the cabbage mixture then roll up; Use damp fingers to seal.  When you get all of them rolled up, heat oil in skillet.  When hot, set egg rolls in a couple at a time.  This will fry quickly so don't walk off.  Turn as needed to cook all sides.  Drain on paper towels.  YUMMY & once you make them once, you'll see they are fairly easy to make & Delicious!

Friday, Feb. 22, is Washington's birthday.   Here is a link to a free coloring page of him.  http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/presidentsday/color/1.html  We plan on reading a book I have about his life (can't remember the exact name at the moment though)  Also doing some rubbings of quarters. 

Ohh...maybe we'll add a cherry pie.......I cannot tell a lie, I chopped down the cherry tree!  Any excuse for pie is a good one in my book! LOL

We will have the little ones both days so this will probably be about it to end our week. I ordered some new math books today as well.   Next week we'll try to get back to a more "schoolish" week.  TRY

Today we met some other homeschoolers at the park & the kiddos did a show & tell.  It was so much fun!    It was such a blessing to get to talk with my old friends.  We realized we've all missed each other & the visiting for us as well as our children.  We are going to plan on meeting on a regular basis from now on.  YEAH!!!

We had a good homeschool day yesterday.  We got all of our work done & made a quick trip to the library to return some items. 

Today we will not be doing actual "school" work.  We are having a pre-valentine treat of going to the movies.  Princess is totally thrilled & already awake & wanting to get ready.  Hunter is not a "thrilled" but he's bearing with us.  The reason is we're going to see Hannah Montana in 3-D.  It is only playing here for this week.

After we'll probably go grab some lunch and make a stop into the Borders outlet store there. (It's a big boardwalk shopping place)

Bud & Little Missy will be here tomorrow so we needed to go have our "big kid" fun today. 

When we get home Princess and I are baking two big trays of brownies.  They are to be made into plates along with some candy for Valentines.  My sister-in-law wants to give them out to their employees on Valentines.  So we need to have them delivered on Wed.  I told Princess we could split the profit if she helped & now we're business partners!  We should each make about $15  after we deduct the supplies.  SIL said if she likes how they turned out she will want to order more for other holidays.  AND she said the woman who owns the business down the door wants to see them and possibly order some for another holiday too!-----That could be a fun little way to show Princess how business works, and some math(adding supplies up, figuring out profit) , and some writing (tags & writing out supply list), and customer service, baking (measuring & home ec) .---Always schooling!  

I wish you all a wonderful homeschool day!

It has been a bit since my last post....again! 

I've been busy with alot, but I have had time to get out to the Goodwill half-off sale on superbowl Sunday.  Along with getting Princess almost a whole summer wardrobe, me a couple of skirts & a top, I got a few books.

~McGuffey parent/teacher manual (This was great because I bought the set of McGuffey's from ebay a while back & this completes the set)

~Where are They (a huge hardback book like I spy)  Princess & Bud have been enjoying this one alot.

~An Incomplete Education by Judy Jones and William Wilson-This one says "From Quark to Quattrocento...Boswell to Bosnia...the Dreyfus Affair to the Doppler Effect...Mary Magdalen to Laurie Anderson...Teapot Dome to the Magic Mountain...Metaphysics to Microeconomics...Lao-tse to Levi-Strauss..Napoleon to NAFTA  Plus:  How to tell the iliad from the Odyssey"  (Basically the summary inside says the things that "they" never taught you in public school.  It is HUGE, 683 pages.  I plan on delving into this later.

I have been busy reading some library books this past weekend.

~A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick (LOVE this book--It has made me feel a bit better about how our school has gone lately)

~ Honest Pretzels by Mollie Katzen (this is a kids veg. cookbook w/pictures that Princess & I have copied some recipes to try)

~Salad People by Mollie Katzen (same as above)

I also checked out Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (I am going to start this one after dinner.  I have seen it recommended on several blogs.)

We also watched a movie last night.  How Children Celebrate Their Birthday's.  It was ok.   It is hard to find films that the whole family enjoys.  The two kiddos & I watched it all but Daddy fell asleep. 

We still have another movie called Meet the Robinsons this one is computer animated.  My son saw it at the movie theater a while back with his cousin & he also gives it a rating of "ok"  However, Princess would still like to see it so that is probably what we'll watch sometime tomorrow after school work.

I have to admit I have been a bit stressed and tired lately.  I have had a quiet & peaceful Sunday & I have enjoyed every minute of it.  It was warm with a light breeze today.  I got out and straightened up our school house & played with Princess & her cousin who is over visiting.

Every now and then I go over and visit www.momof9splace.com  I have visited it today and it always gives me peace of mind & reminds me to "keep on track"  If you have never been there, I would encourage you to go visit whenever you have some time.

It is about time for me to get dinner out of the oven so I better end here.  Take care & hope you have a wonderful day!

Oh my!  I certainly have had a week.  I pictured how structured we would be when Bud & Missy came, but it has not been quite so "picture perfect."  It has not been awful either though.

I must say that Princess has been having to do her work during nap & after they go home though.  We have had a tough time with reading & while she is reading fine now, she really NEEDS quiet and no distractions to concentrate.  Having a VERY, VERY active 3 year old and a 1 year old that wants me to hold her most of the day has not benefited our homeschooling.

We took a trip to the library for a homeschool science presentation & it was a disaster.  The Bud (3) would just not sit down & he started screaming.  No matter what I did he was just stubborn as an ox and made a huge scene.   I ended up leaving my 2 in the room & took him and the baby outside.  When we got home I made him stay on a blanket in the living room for a while thinking he would go to sleep but he just wasn't having that either.  He kept getting off the blanket, throwing pillows & hollering.  BUT...I was home now, I just let him get it all out & kept making him get back on the blanket.  It lasted about 45 minutes, but he finally layed there.-------Never sleep, but at least he saw that I was not going to give in.  Later he came up and gave me a hug and said he was sorry he was being bad & he acted well the rest of the day.

Today was not as eventful as it was stormy & cold.  We spent the whole day indoors playing.  They both took a nap & my kiddos got their work done.  So I guess it's getting better.

I am not saying all of this for sympathy, I'm just sharing our experiences.  I think it will all be fine as soon as he gets used to things & realizes who is in charge.  It will just take some time.