I have been asked by Stephanie at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ALifeBetterThanIDese/

to share about 6 unspectactular, quirky things about myself.  It will be difficult to find just 6, but here goes!

1) When I was younger, I always had to count how many steps it took to go from my bedroom door to the bed, and try to make it an even number.  Why?  I have no idea.  That's why it's quirky. 

2) I love bubble baths, and see very little reason to bother with showers unless pressed--as in having no time for a bath and needing to get clean *quickly!* 

3)  I like to eat ice cream in the bathtub. 

4) I also frequently take books in there.

5)  I'm pretty sure it would be impossible for me to start a day without a glass of orange juice. 

6)  I really have a hard time getting off the computer sometimes because I love to learn about almost anything.  I LOVE it, I tell you!  I have been known to get jealous of my unappreciative teenagers because they have the time and opportunity to learn logic, Latin, and chemistry, whereas I have none of those things!

That was fun!

Okay, so now I'm tagging . . .

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/disneymom3/

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/bubbebobbie/

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/our7blessings/

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DandelionSeeds/

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/drewsfamilytx/

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinRhome/

Here’s the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
List 6 unspectacular quirks you have.
Tag 6 bloggers by linking to them.
Leave a comment on each blog to let them know they were tagged.

Here's a video from the Family Research Council about a kindergarten father who was told that teachers were free to teach about ho******** relationships because same-*** marriage was legal in Massachusetts--he was JAILED because he insisted on being informed when such things were going to be taught.

Honestly, the thing I don't understand is why people expect things to be any different when their children are handed over to authorities operating under the premise that religion is irrelevant to everything else they're teaching--and then make "tolerance" the main focus of the curriculum. 

Here's a simple-to-understand story about taxes and tax cuts I read today.  Not sure where the original came from, but I thought it was a good explanation!

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer (my note--I'm sure this was root beer!) and the bill for all ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. Since you are all such good customers, he said, I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before.

And the first four continued to drink for free.

But once outside the restaurant, the men began to Compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man.
He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right!" exclaimed the fifth man.
"I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got TEN times more than I!"
"That's true!!!" shouted the seventh man.
"Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute!!!" yelled the first four men in unison.
"We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
Then the nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Hmmm. . . I am noticing a frightening tendency among people to feel that it's the government's job to provide for them.  They think the government should take from the rich and give to the poor (them.)  A "victim mentality," if you will.  And a sure way to make sure you remain in that "poor" category, too!

The following set of links was *very* disturbing to me to read today; they are editorials from Investor's Business Daily discussing Obama's various policies, especially regarding socialism, ie. "change."  We must be in prayer for this election like never before!  I'm starting to wonder how much of our economic downturn is being exacerbated by the thought that we could be headed toward seeing the most liberal President we've ever had linked with a Democratic-majority Congress . . .

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/series8.aspx

    Boy, have we been busy around here!  This year of schooling is definitely a full one.  We're all enjoying it (well, I'm not so sure my eldest ones always enjoy their higher-level studies) but I haven't really found my groove yet for getting everything *else* done.

    I haven't had time to blog since last week!  While the kitchen fills with the scent of maple bacon and pancakes, though, I'm sneaking in some time.  Pray for me that I'm able to multi-task or my kids will miss breakfast, 'kay? 

    We started a new Bible study last night at church, and all I can say is "Wow!"  It's new from Lifeway and was filmed last year at the "Deeper Still" convention where Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer got together to teach on its topic, Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed.  I so enjoyed watching Priscilla for our first session on David's life, talking about how he was chosen and anointed by God to be King--but first had to spend 22 years doing . . . well, other not-so-kingly things!  He was actually anointed by Samuel when he was about 15, and didn't take over as king 'til he was 37.  That is a long time to wait.

    I asked in the title to this post, "Do you know you're anointed?"  Maybe your answer to that is yes.  You've sat in church long enough or studied your Bible long enough to know that you're anointed--at least you know it in your head.  So perhaps my question should be, "Do you feel like you're anointed?"  Or even more pointedly, "Do you act like you're anointed?"  Those are a little tougher to answer, aren't they?

    Are there things in your own heart that don't appear to be related to the reality of your daily life?  Things you thought you'd be doing; places you thought you'd be going; ministries you thought you'd be involved in?  Have those dreams dimmed or even disappeared because of betrayal by other people, your financial circumstances, or just the mountain of laundry in your closet?  Do you feel trapped in doing the little things that are all around you, blotting out the important things you long to do? 

    I do, sometimes.  When I hear a great singer or an inspiring Bible teacher, or read a book that says just what I've always wanted to say, it can make me feel like I'm out here in the middle of nowhere changing diapers and teaching verb tenses while all the important stuff gets done by everyone else.  And it gets really bad when the diaper reached the baby's knees before I got it changed and the verb tense pages haven't even made it to the copy machine yet!  I can look around and see so much to do that I don't know where to start.  And none of it looks very important anyway.

    Here's what I have to remind myself:  I'm anointed by God for the task He has set before me TODAY.

That truth is the one Priscilla wanted to get across in our first lesson, and it literally brought me to tears in the back of the room last night.  Sometimes we forget that God is not a Deist.  He didn't create the world from nothing, give it a spin, then turn His back on us, letting us figure out life for ourselves as best we could.  Just as surely as David was set in place to be King--chosen for a reason: his heart after God--we have been set in place to be the moms and, if we homeschool, the educators of our children, the keepers of our homes, the helpers of our husbands.   That means the grace and strength and wisdom of God are available to us as we go about doing those specific jobs!  We just have to take advantage of that truth by asking Him for help.

I'm going to try to remember that today.  "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness."  2 Peter 1:3   Now that's good news!

*today's tip:  Do Bible first!

We all have good intentions about spending time reading God's Word with our kids.  Too often, though, the math and phonics, spelling and science seem more urgent, and we "just don't get to it."  Don't let this happen to you or your children!  The best fix for me was to start doing Bible first thing in the morning.  You don't have to do anything fancy; just read the Bible to them and pray together.  I like to share something God has been teaching me and then we go around the room taking turns, praying for whatever is on our hearts.  Our days go so much more smoothly when we give God the first part of them!   

I am a great fan of the Old Schoolhouse magazine.  Truly, before Homeschoolblogger came on the scene; before blogging came on the scene, for that matter, it's been on my list of life favorites.  So often I can feel pretty isolated as a homeschool mom.  Spending my days with my children is an incredible gift but, of course, it has its challenges.  I am not surrounded by other homeschooling moms, and the moms I know who do homeschool are, like me, very busy people.  Sitting down with a copy of TOS is like gathering with a group of friends and talking about one of the most important things in our lives . . . the education of our children.

In this magazine, you'll find more than admonitions to wake at dawn, dress your children a certain way, or use a particular curriculum.  I believe the editors are dedicated to sharing with their readers the wonderful gamut of options available to us as homeschool parents.  There are textbook-style curriculum ads and reviews as well as articles about unschooling.  There are helps for your preschooler and your high schooler, and even your college-from-home-schooler!  I love the variety of information I find in this magazine--and the reminder that I'm far from alone on this homeschool journey.

Now, TOS runs great promotions, but I was excited to read about this one, and I thought you would be, too!  Here's the news I received this afternoon to pass on to you:

I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall
Special. You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical
gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The
Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school
year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash!

It really is one of their best deals ever and you don't want to miss
out. In fact, they've got a really cute Homeschooling with Heart tote
bag (valued at $13.95) for the first 1000 to subscribe. About half of
them are gone, but you should still be able to get one if you hurry!
(They will remove the info from the subscription page when the bags
are all gone.) The total value is over $212, but you receive it all
for only $39 - 50% off of cover price! Plus subscribers get their
online monthly Teacher's Toolbox which focuses on a different topic
each month, giving you words of encouragement, hands-on teaching
ideas, book recommendations, field trip ideas, and a bonus download
item.

Here's a link if you're interested in this great offer!

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/US_Promotion.php

If you're not reading regularly for encouragement in your homeschool, if you don't know where to find new products or how to find out which ones might work well for your family, or if you just enjoy reading about how other people make homeschooling work for them, I hope you'll love becoming a subscriber to TOS! 

This is a critical and complicated issue.  I read a link this morning from Dave Ramsey with his "Common Sense Plan" for the current crisis.  If you'd like to read it, here's the link:

http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/fed_bailout/3_steps_to_change_the_nations_future_10928.htmlc?ictid=mlfrnd

I've tried to email my Senator but couldn't get through--a good sign; people are actually letting their elected officials know what they think!  Yippee!--so I'll have to try later.  Mr. Ramsey encourages us to read his plan, send it on to our Senators and Reps, and let others know about it.  See what you think!

46And Mary said:
         "My soul exalts the Lord,
    47And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
    48"For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
         For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 
   49"For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
         And holy is His name.
    50 AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
         TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.

Luke 1:46-50

No, I'm under no delusions that any of my kids are sinless, nor were any of them miraculously conceived, LOL.  But my mind was full of these Scriptures on Monday morning and I never had a chance to come here to type them out, so I'm doing it now.  It was such a beautiful day, they were playing hide and seek out in the yard, and I felt incredibly grateful that we were all TOGETHER.  No one was being encouraged to believe in evolution, no one was being mocked by a teacher for their lack of understanding in algebra or by another student for not wearing this week's fashion on the playground, and no one was being offered drugs in a bathroom.  They know who they are and Who they belong to, and they're building family relationships that will truly last a lifetime.  I am so grateful that I live in this country, where homeschooling is legal and we can teach our children about the Lord without fear.  Hallelujah! 

We returned to Classical Conversations this week after our break.  The kids were so excited they were counting the days.  I've just decided I'll have to live with the fact that I will no longer sleep on Monday nights, after I tossed and turned all night again!  We had a great morning of memory work, learning a bunch of new facts; about nerve endings, Latin verbs, skin cells, irregular verb forms, *and* perspective in drawing, among other things!  The kids got a kick out of being traced on large sheets of paper in preparation for the My Body unit which starts in a couple of weeks (I was quite relieved to learn that we are skipping the coloring and cutting out of the reproductive system, with its instructions to color the ****icles or ovaries purple and the rest of the system gold, LOLOLOL), and I'm quite sure they're going to be extremely excited about our tin whistle study, though the tutors are investing in earplugs!   I really *work* for those 3 hours, let me tell you--it's so much fun but very tiring as our time is very packed with things to do.  In the afternoons, of course, we sit in on our elder children's grammar, math and writing class.  With apologies to our dear Mrs. Welton, who is FABULOUS, I must admit that there is something deeply, inherently satisfying about giggling in the back of a classroom, even at 28   38!  It's the lack of sleep and busy morning that contribute to it, I'm quite sure.  Last night I was so exhausted, I was lying on the couch in the living room in the middle of all the typical house action and awoke some hours later alone, in the middle of the night, having fallen asleep there still dressed!  Since I learned yesterday that wearing your dayclothes to bed used to be illegal in Massachusetts, I breathed a sigh of relief that this is Florida!   We're having an open house next week at CC, so if you're in the area and have wondered at all about what it's like to attend, you can sit in on a class for free!  Just leave a comment or call me and I'll let you know how to sign up.

I had to laugh at a couple of things I heard this week, and write them off as inherent parts of being homeschooled. . .

You know you're a homeschooler when your mom and baby brother are there for your school pictures.

You know you're a homeschooler when you look at a chicken nugget and it reminds you of Nebraska (that one from my dear friend Kirstyn, whose children have incredibly keen minds!)

You know you're a homeschooler when you choose tablecloths and even shower curtains for their educational value.  Did you know Bed, Bath and Beyond has one with a map of the United States?  I need to order one, myself, and retire the world map we currently have in the kids bath!

Practical note:  Gymboree's Gymbuck redemption starts tomorrow, and all their Christmas stuff is out!

Well, it's 8:15.  Time for everyone else to wake up, and time to turn on our Memory Work CD and make some waffles (it's Wednesday, you know!)  Hope everyone has a lovely day.

This is an incredibly difficult and complicated situation, and though I've read a lot about it, it's still hard for me to see what *should* be done.  The situation is absolutely critical; when you're talking about businesses not being able to access their funds in the banks, 401K money being lost, people losing their jobs, it's very serious.  Yet it doesn't seem at all right that the government take on bad loans that shouldn't have been made in the first place. The House is supposed to vote any minute now.  Please pray that they will have wisdom, and that God's will would be done. 

Don't know what The Old Schoolhouse Crew IS, you say?  Of course you don't, because we haven't really done anything yet.    The TOS Crew is a group of 100 homeschool moms (actually, I think we've got 99 moms and one dad aboard!) brought together by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine as a focus group to review homeschool curriculum products.  To apply to be part of the group, we had to submit reviews of a couple of great items--see below for my posts about the online version of TOS Magazine, as well as the Schoolhouse Planner. There were apparently several hundred applicants, and yours truly was chosen as one of the final one hundred reviewers.  Yippee me!  They just informed us that we're each going to receive one of those great totebags you may have seen pics of in their recent subscription drives, which I'm thrilled about because I wanted one but had already subscribed.  The list of vendors assembled so far is fabulous; people like Times Tales, Trigger Memory Systems, ALEK, and many others.  We expect to each review 50 or so products in the next nine months.  To me, reading another mom's opinion on a product and all about how it worked or didn't work for her family is the most useful help in determining what to purchase.  So be checking here once in awhile for the latest reviews on the new products you're wondering about, as well as some you've heard of but haven't tried yet--just watch for the above banner at the top of a post. We should get started in the next couple weeks!