Nov. 27, 2005 - Thanksgiving

We had a great thanksgiving this year with the Nehemiah clan.  we usually get together about twice a year.Thanksgiving and 4th of july.

 Thanksgiving is held at a church fellowship hall. Mr N's Grandmother used to put it together, (she's been gone 2 years now) Everyone is a decendant (or married to one) of Grandma N or one of her 6 siblings.... Mr N volunteered to carve the Turkeys a few years ago, and so now it's his job. He stopped carving halfway through the 4th Turkey this  year. we just didn't eat as much as usual. Surprisingly there was only one ham this year.  we almost overloaded the pie table though. I didn't even get a piece of Key lime (my second favorite pie) because I had too much Pecan.

  We stood or sat through photo's (7 different cameras) & I don't have a total head count yet, but we're guessing around 65-70 people at least 20 were under age 10

 Mrs. N

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Nov. 8, 2005 - Planning a Trip

 Hi internet Friends!

   My Family (including Mil & Fil) is planning a Trip from Washington state to Bryan OH sometime this Late Spring or Early Summer (I'm having fun with my Capitalisation)

   we will be taking Interstate 90 and plan to stop off at Mt Rushmore on the way. does anyone know of any other "must see" sights for homeschoolers?  Mr Nehemiah isn't to keen on getting "off track" so it would have to be significant enough to pique his interest and probably not more than 10-15 miles off  I-90

I'm also looking for hints, helps, suggestions for  making a 2500+ mile road trip with a 14yr old, 9yr old, and 8yr old. & fun read alouds that have something to do with the area's we'll be passing through ie. "the carving of Mt. Rushmore", or the lives of Washington, Roosevelt etc.

I'm also going to try to get in a trip to the creation museum (only 200+ miles from Bryan) with both my sister's in law and their kids & probably Grandma, 8 kids 4-5 adults.

 and if possible visit my childhood friend in Traverse City MI (only ~300Miles) It's funny that we now both have 3 kids and both home school. her eldest is a boy & the younger two are girls, my Eldest is a Girl, then two boys

  Thanks.

     Mrs. N

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Oct. 25, 2005 - schedules!

 I'm TRYING to regain the schedule that we used to do so well. just when it seems things are rolling along, something comes along and tips our schedule upside down. with birthday's and  camping trips(an historical learning opportunity/field-trip) this month I've been happy if we just work on our math and our Greek roots daily. I know the children are learning so much more. DD14 is reading from her assigned stack, and is re-reading little women for fun (I thought I had ruined it for her by making her do chapter reports on it in 5th grade, so glad to find out otherwise) DS9 is reading on his own from sun-up to bed-time. and DS7 has initiated a 550pc puzzle all on his own. the three of them worked together to make cookies this morning (a quadruple batch) with no squabling (yeah!) and only mild instructions from the eldest (we've been working on speaking sweetly)

  I guess I'll have to re-work the form schedule that has been our help and guide for the past 2 yrs and figure out something that will help me keep track of the way we currently do "school" an eclectic, Charlotte Mason-y, semi classical, not quite unschooling, binder using/booklet making chimera.

   Mrs N

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Oct. 12, 2005 - Tweakage

 I've been Fixing the colors on my blog  to suit Autumn and my own personality. this is fun, It's not as hard to learn as I thought it would be.

 I would very much like to find out how to make graphics & turn them into background wall paper.

  Maybe soon.

  PS I have nearly all the living history costumes done, just a few more hand sewn buttonholes and I'll be done

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Oct. 11, 2005 - Poor neglected Blog

   I must admit I've been neglecting my Blog lately. It just isn't on the top of my priority list. It's fun and kind of cool to share my thoughts with the entire world. But I've been  dealing with my yearly Autumn re-structuring.  We move to a more formal "school" Schedule in the Fall, and I always seem to want to Declutter during this season. On top of that we all caught a Nasty cold. we're better now.

   Right now about the only reason I'm online is because I'm procrastinating (isn't that AWFUL?) We're going to participate in a Lewis and Clark Living History Presentation this weekend and I still have to finish a pair of Narrow fall trousers for my son7 and put a  panel in the bust of my Dd14's dress. Add buttons and loop closures to the boy's shirt cuffs. Put new cuffs on my blouse and then Pack for camp. and we leave Thursday at 11am. Mr N. is putting a new fuel pump in the truck (I'm so thankfull that it went our now and not while we're traveling)

  I wonder if there is an autumn themed Template for my blog?

  I'm so random in my thoughts today!

      Mrs N

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Sep. 1, 2005 - The Conspiracy theory of the week ;)

This week I went to the store with my mom. We were searching for baby shower gifts for my cousin. In addition I wanted to get a baby doll for the “big sister” since I was making matching “baby brother” and baby dolly bibs.

   So after sweeping past the “fashion doll” and Pony Aisles we finally find the baby doll section & what is there?  No more than 5 styles of baby dolls. Not more than 15 total dolls. And 3 of the 5 styles were just plain UGLY! Who would want to play with a hideous looking baby doll?

  Maybe that’s the point. Maybe if the fashion dolls are more visually appealing than the baby dolls, then little girls will grow up desiring to be “supermodels” instead of mommies. I suppose it also indicates the mindset that babies are ugly & we all know in this culture that ugly equals not valuable, this thinking lends itself to a worldview in which abortion is considered an option.   I told you it’s a CONSPIRACY

 Love in Christ

      Mrs.Nehemiah

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Aug. 16, 2005 - Yeah!

 I finally put the Narnia Movie countdown timer on my Blog!

   Thank you to Gini for being brave enough to post a how to question on the forum. and a Big thank you to Aslan for doing the hard work of (what is it you did anyway? write the code, re-write it?)

 So all I had to do was cut & paste & preview, preview, preview, until I liked the look.

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Aug. 16, 2005 - Undermining Marriage ( a small rant)

It seems that few people today have the same concept of Marriage that My Husband and I do. It's for sure & certain our bank does not. You see, we believe that our marriage has made us one unit, with the Husband as the head. as such I am his agent and can do business in his name. our bank (and let's face it, the federal Government) believes we are two seperate people who happen to share a home, a last name and a joint checking account. This morning's small incident illustrates their viewpoint. Mr. Nehemiah asked me this morning to do some banking for him. his online banking password had been compromised so he had requested a new one from our bank. so I was to recieve the password, get online, change the temporary password &  pay three bills. However, when our bank called, the cheerful young lady would not tell me the password, despite the fact that I am his wife, that it is a JOINT account in both of our names & that I was going to be spending OUR money on OUR bills. however she did accept his cell phone # from me so she could call and tell him the (singularly un-imaginative) password. Really, if it was my intent to defraud the bank or my husband in some way I could have given any phone # and had the man on the other end affirm that he was indeed my husband, so I hardly think that this was a security issue. Likewise when the Feds send the tax return check (in both our names) why is it that we must both sign it in order to place it in our joint checking account. I could understand if it went into a single named account but REALLY! In the end this "two seperate entities" thinking really undermines my ability to be a help to my very busy husband, because he cannot send me on the sorts of errands that a woman 30 years ago would have been able to do without question.

   I've thought of another regulation that undermines the marriage privilages. that is the new hospital privacy policys. did you know that if your spouse falls ill & is taken to the hospital without you present, unless he or she is well enough to sign the disclosure form, the hospital is not even supposed to confirm to you weather or not  he/she is a patient!

  Now I just know that someone is going to explain that all this nonsense is in order to preserve the rights of some tiny percentage of battered women. do you really think that  the rest of the world should be held hostage by that tiny percentage? would it not make more sense for these women (and men) to OPT IN to these restrictive policys, instead of making the rest of the world OPT OUT (if that's even possible)

  OK enough steam has blown off the top of my head & my smile is back right side up.

   Glad to be Mrs. N

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Aug. 4, 2005 - Everybody needs ladybug friends

 OK, So what is a ladybug friend? well, consider ladybugs, what do they do for your garden? that's right they eat the nasty aphids & other unhelpful critters (and they're a lot cuter than spiders :))

 So then what is a ladybug friend? she is someone who can mercifully and gracefully speak the truth in love, pointing out attitudes and actions that are aphid like (sucking the life out of your garden) and then praying with you and for you.  My ladybug friend is going through a slightly stressful time right now, her DD20 is going to be married in just 10 days! So I'll be lifting her up in prayer this week. and thanking God that she is not a spider (I guess that would be someone who jumps on your wrong attitudes without grace or mercy)

  Mrs. N

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Aug. 2, 2005 - wow!

Wow, it's amazing how motivated I get just posting my to do list where others can see it. 

Wow! thanks for all the encouragement/commiseration ;) re: how fast time flys.

& Wow! I have a LOT of books!  DD14 is a visual learner, she may even  have a photographic type memory (which leads to lots of problems with being VERY literal) So, I decided to take advantage of that gift & make her high school plan mostly book oriented. I went through my bookshelves & wrote down all the "must reads" and assigned them a year 1-4. they seem to have naturally fallen into several categories. I have two pages of college ruled notebook paper filled & I havn't even gotten to my book wishlist yet  mind boggling.

  The other thing she will be doing is creating a home management binder with several sections. This will be used to demonstrate competence in several skills(math writing, organizing information, research etc.) and it will include a "hobbies" section the main purpose of which is to help her find her bent. 

  One of the main things I want to work on with her this year is Logic. I'm thinking about getting  The Fallacy Detective, or The Thinking Toolbox , for us to use.

  Perhaps because of her learning style, she tends to believe anything she reads(she still points out "New & Improved" items in the grocery store).

     One day, when she was 10 or so I asked her to bring me the windex, she returns to the living room "we don't have any windex"  "Yes we do, go look again."   goes, looks, returns "nope, no windex" "It's blue, in a spray bottle, under the sink, right hand side, I bought it yesterday. You were with me, remember?"   "Oh! do you mean the 'Western Family Value Sized Window and Glass Cleaner'?"  "yes, the whatever you said!" "Ok, I'll go get it" (by golly it really was western family yada yada yada)  This gift can be very helpful for all of us, she knows the lyrics to every worship song that she's ever read on the screen at church, but can't remember it if she's only sung it (even if she's sung it many many times)She remembers details about products that I never notice, reminding me which one I liked & which I vowed never to buy again(or which of 3 billion barbie dolls her little friend does NOT own) but I can see it will be a stumbling block to her also.

   We've learned to be very general when sending her after something ie. tissues not Kleenex. However, I think its time she learns to properly interpret someones intent, because she's going to meet all kinds of people who think they are saying what they mean, and she needs to be able to interact with them appropriatly.

   So does anyone have a similar situation, what worked for you?

   Thanks

       Mrs. N

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Aug. 1, 2005 - My online to do list

Today I have a lot to do and very little enthusiasm for it.

   1. clean the Living room (maybe 10 min worth of work, why have I been putting it off all day?)

   2. create a Highschool plan for Dearest Daughter.(OK I'm procrastinating on this one because I'm in denial about being the mother of a 14yr oldhow did that happen?)

  3. find or remake the family camp packing list.

   4. begin packing for family camp.

  5. create a Master food list for family camp.

 6. Submit above to Mr. Nehemiah for revision (hey, if he's doin' the cooking for 3 days, he can change the menu all he wants.)

 7. make potato salad

 8, Put away all this clean laundry that's been piling up because of the great weather ( we're very high tech, all our clothes dry "online")

 9. resize & upload my avatar picture

 10. figure out how to put the "Narnia movie countdown timer" on this blog (if it's possible :)

  Now I'm motivated !

   Back Later

      Mrs N

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Jul. 17, 2005 - Brain Freeze

 This is so funny! I have a ton of things to write about then, when I get to the computer the ole' brain freezes right up. I guess I'll have to pre-write my posts when I'm not online.

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Jul. 15, 2005 - I love books, but...

That "in the library" template was kinda depressing!

  This one is so much more cheerful, besides it's still a "yellow" kinda day for me. (whatever that means) I'm glad it kept my entrys when I changed templates, that means I'll be able to change templates whenever the mood strikes

   Well I should put up a to do list to make this blog better. I need a list of books I'm reading (that's always fun) and a digital Photo in the "me" section, I guess I'll have to get Dear Daughter to take it since Mr. N is off building walls. and maybe a few links to my favorite sites. what else?

      Thinking about...

  Mom N (Mr Nehemiah's mom) broke her leg a week ago so we've been taking over the chores feeding the critters, & sending a kid over during the day to be her "helper". I'ts good that they only live about an acre away. Mr N built a ramp for  her before he left. so now she can get outside in the electric scooter. Dad N has been doing the grocery shopping  I'll have to invite myself over to make dinner for them sometime this week. "man cannot live on tv dinners alone"  & poor Mom won't eat them at all.

   My Resolution.

    I hereby resolve to change my habits and not stay up past 10pm until Mr. Nehemiah gets back from Costa Rica.

     (I kinda have a problem sleeping when he's not here, so I tend to stay up waaay to late, that's fine for a weekend camping trip but 8 days is just asking for  trouble.  )

  Signed

     Mrs. Nehemiah

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Jul. 15, 2005 - I hate trying to think up a title!

 This morning I dropped Mr. Nehemiah off at the airport. Well, I walked in with him & met his group, weighed his baggage, 2 totes at 45lbs each. then kissed him goodbye and paid $4.00 for the privilage of parking in the parking garage for 50 minutes So where is he going? Costa Rica. He is going to be building a structure for a boy's camp down there. I have a website for it, & when I figure out this blogging thing, I'll try to post a link. (like this one to Camp summit  I just now changed the link to make it more specific)

 Well, I almost never drive to the airport & I got a little turned around on the way home, well around as in Driving in Circles. But I was able to laugh at myself,& not get too road ragey ( I did throw up my hands at the gal who couldn't figure out that she had to speed up in order to merge) but I didn't call her any names.  I could count it all JOY because by the time I got to my mom's house, about 1/2 way home, She was there. I would never have caught her if I hadn't spent 45 min driving around Tukwila.(sp) she was only at home for about 20 min before leaving for her second appointment of the day.

 While I was there she gave me a gift cert for a 1 hr massage with her (christian, female) massage therapist.! very cool!

 I also spent about an hour at a nice thrift store near my mom's house. I got a pretty yellow dress, and some bright yellow fabric, and jeans for my growing boys. when I got to the counter the cashier noticed my hat (with a yellow bow on it) and my current yellow dress, and commented that I must like yellow. Yes, I like it today. Do you ever have a day when you like one color more than others? I guess my favorite color is a daily choice.

   Love, Mrs N

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Jul. 14, 2005 - A Blank Page!

 Wow! my very own Blog, please bear with me as I learn to navigate this thing.

  I love a blank page.

 I've never been much of a diary writer (ever since that time when I was 11 and my brother and his best friend locked themselves in the bathroom with my STOLEN diary and read all my secrets, Or most of my secrets anyway, they stopped when I took the doorknob off the bathroom door and burst in like a hurricane }:) )

  Well, I've got to stop writting, I can't concentrate not knowing what all those buttons on the left hand panel are for.

 BBL

   Mrs Nehemiah

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