As some of you who may be regular readers may remember from last year, our dd is on our local homeschool volleyball team, The Golden Angels.  Our 20yodd was also on this team before she graduated from our homeschool. 

This past Saturday, the team went to one of their annual tournaments at Speice Fieldhouse in Ft. Wayne, IN.  This is an AWESOME tournament for ALL homeschooled teams.  We went up on Friday night and spent the night (all the other years we have gotten out the door at 5a.m. to make it there by 7:45a.m.!!).  It was so much nicer to get 2 more hours of sleep!    And it's always fun to stay in a hotel.  It's a rare treat for us. 

The team had fun, as usual, at the tourney...but they didn't get too far this year.  Last year they got about mid-way through.  This is QUITE a "building year"...they lost 6 Seniors from the Varsity team from last year and only ONE girl is a returning Varsity player.  I hope the girls really remember that they are there to HAVE FUN, build godly character, enjoy godly friends, etc. because they are essentially a new team this year.  Because last year they had such an OUTSTANDING year - their 3rd undefeated year of regular play, thye won a regional tourney in Cinci, went to Homeschool V-ball Nationals in Omaha, NB and came 8th in the nation - I hope they don't come down too hard on themselves when/if things don't go quite as well.  I hope they have ooodles of fun and just have the time of their lives!  They're not going to Nationals this year (too much $$$ so they only go every 3 years), but they will be going to a big tourney in Erie, PA at the end of Oct.  They LOVE that tourney, too.  It's a great way to end the year.

ANOTHER GREAT THING HAPPENED AT THE TOURNAMENT!!!  I know so many of you probably read Jacque Dixon's blog (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jacquedixonsoulrestes & http://jacquedixon.com) ...well...after a few years of blog friendship and being connected through TOS, we FINALLY got to meet!!  They live w/in driving distance of Ft. Wayne and were SO incredibly gracious to give up a few hours of family time on a Saturday to come out to meet us!!  I AM SO EXCITED to have finally gotten to meet this incredible family!! 

Also there were:  Amanda (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SuperAngel), Jocelyn (http://aponderheart.com/blog), Rachel (http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/rjdjohn316), Hannah (http://dixonhomestead.com/hannah) and I also was blessed to meet Eric Isaac, Caleb and the adorable LucyLillie!  What a great family!!  What precious, well-behaved children...every one of them.  Unfortunately, Jasper couldn't come (the trials of a working girl ) and Jenna didn't get to be w/them as much as she would have liked b/c ... well ... she played!  lol  But after that her Varsity team needed to support the JV team while they played.  Time just simply ran out and before we knew it, it was time to the Dixons to head home.

But I am thrilled beyond measure to have met all of them!

FYI...When Jenna gets her pics up-loaded, I'll post a pic of the Dixon's and myself!!

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

....the 3rd annual

hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days.

Click on the button for more details,
and start preparing your reading lists,
to be posted later this month.

LucyLillie is potty-training. Is that exciting or what? She is 17m old (yesterday), and goes potty all day and wakes up dry. We have been training her for the few past months. Caleb was potty-trained last January and February when he was so sick and all I could do to make him comfortable was give him something to drink and take him potty. That was a constant thing, so he got potty-trained pretty quick.

I am enjoying training Lucy and sitting her on her little potty seat on the big toilet. It has been rather cute. She loves to go on the potty. We give her just enough praise, and she thinks it is great and can even make herself go. If I wake up in the middle of the night for any reason, I go ahead and take her potty too, and she has been dry at night while wearing underwear alone! I am so happy!

You might think that after having 8 children, I would be an expert potty-trainer. Alas, it is not so. Partly due to the fact that I already am potty-trained, and I am really the only one I can absolutely, for-sure control the potty-training with. We do currently have 2 in night diapers, but recently, Caleb and LucyLillie are NOT in nighttime diapers.

Caleb is now a big boy who goes in all by himself and goes potty like a big boy. I do still remind the Littles to go potty whenever they are outside playing or doing something that takes their attention.

See Tips to Potty-Training at Walking Therein

I am thankful for the Lord’s patience and joy during times like this. I used to sweat it. It used to be a big deal to me, but I have learned to look for limitations and reality in times like these. Now, I count it a joy and a time I will look back on and remember when they are older and grown with children of their own. And, oh how time flies. I don’t want to miss it because I am flustered and wishing it over.

James 4:14
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.“

blessings!

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Tags: Caleb, cloth diapers, LucyLillie, potty training

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I found this article on-line, and thought it was perfect to share here.  Most of the change she's suggesting sure sounds like homeschool to me.  When you're done reading it, stop in over at my daughter Bethany's blog.  You'll get a snapshot of learning in the safe environment of home, where the world is the classroom, and learning is for a lifetime.  First, read on:

Why School is Bad for Kids by Rachel Grobstein
(Rachel was a sophmore in high school when she wrote this for the school newspaper)

Once upon a time a child is born who, after spending many days blissfully watching how his fingers move and poking at the cat, enters the first year of what will be the focus of the next decade of his life: school.

And so, as he embarks upon his educational career, he learns many things.

First of all, he’s taught that there’s a difference between learning and living - as if learning is here in the school building, and living is outside, and there’s no correlation between the two.

As if what he did for the first five years of his life - like discovering language - wasn’t learning at all.

He learn that to be confused or wrong is a crime. The school wants Right Answers, and he learns countless ways to con the teacher into thinking he knows something he doesn’t; he learns to bluff and cheat.

He also learns to be lazy. Before school began he worked for hours and hours, with no thought of reward, to make sense of the world. But in school he learns that no one does anything they don’t have to and he learns to be bored.

Poor guy.

The ideas above are essentially those of educator and author John Holt, who believes that our educational system misdirects the youth of today. I agree.

Don’t get me wrong. Education is vital. But the system is - like many things - imperfect. And the problem comes with the misconception that learning begins just after the first bell rings and stops after graduation.

Education is a lifelong process and by showing kids that the reward for learning is not knowledge but a good report card, there’s no wonder that the problem is lack of motivation.

I think that the point of education is not to teach what to think but how to think. That way, even if we don’t remember, say, the quadratic formula, we still know how to problem solve. And that way, the FAQs of the classroom - Why should I care? What’s the point of this? Why do I need to know this? - will disappear into oblivion.

Follow the assumed Path of Motivations:

Why do kids learn? To get good grades. Why get good grades? To get into a good college. Why a good college? Because then, as everyone knows, we will be more likely to lead a happy, successful, and fulfilling life.

What a motivation.

Frankly, I think that if people are not learning for the sake of learning itself, they’re missing the point. Why come to a place 180 days out of your year if you have no interest in what you’re doing there besides basically preparing for the rest of your life?

I think that the problem of a whole bunch of ulcerous people running around their entire lives worrying starts with the incredible expectations and pressures we’re taught to deal with on a daily basis. And speaking of stopping to smell the flowers, I think it’s impossible when one has four hours of homework a night plus sports and music and art and whatever else one happens to be involved in.

But that’s a separate issue. It’s what comes from going to a successful school - a high stress, high anxiety, AP freshmen, 7 possible majors - successful school.

So much for criticism. What do we need to do? I think, for one, that learning should be a more active process. It’s a bit of a paradox to learn about the world by being taken out of it. We should have time to take more field trips and learn things hands-on in the “outside” world.

There’s something even simpler: we should spend more time working with other students. I’m sure that, with all the criticism of this Main Line environment we life in, no one actually takes the time to appreciate the diversity we do have. And don’t kids learn best from each other?

Let students take more responsibility for their own learning. Does anyone really believe that students won’t notice mistakes unless they’re pointed out or correct them unless we’re made to? In such a case we become less independent and less confident of our own abilities.

And then there are grades. How is it possible, students ask, to stick a number on a piece of writing or a piece of art? Or even more importantly, how is it possible to work and think so hard for a class and then be presented with a load of percentage points?

Because essentially, however grading may be justified or supplemented with explanations, it shows the student that what counts in the end is not whether he has learned the material and will apply it or use it to enrich his life, but that a high number will get him into a good college.

How do you truly measure what someone knows? In the words of Holt: “Let the child learn what every educated person must someday learn, how to measure his own understanding.”

What, after all, is the goal of education? Making honor role? Or making sense of the world?

Deb Turner

Minute to Minute Readers Helping Readers   Greetings! In conclusion to our Month of Special Needs Minute to Minute E-Newsletters, TOS Magazine would like to thank all the homeschool moms who took the time to write in with questions and answers. Without you, Minute to Minute would not be possible, and because of you, homeschool moms with special needs children have been tremendously encouraged.   In this final issue, we take a moment to focus on  homeschooling children with Down Syndrome or ADHD. If you have not had the opportunity, we highly recommend you take a look at the special needs articles in the Resource Room, and order a copy of TOS Summer '08 Edition, which focuses on special needs. Now is a great time to subscribe though! With our new Fall Special, you can get two years of the magazine, the current Summer Edition, 6 great gifts worth over $120, AND a Homeschooling with Heart tote bag if you're in the first 1000 subscribers. It's a great deal at only $39 and I know that there are still plenty of the tote bags left. We have enjoyed accompanying you on this special needs journey. Join us next issue as we meet a soon-to-be homeschool mom who needs the advice of our veteran Minute to Minute Readers. Something Special                 Dear Amy,   I am right with you. My oldest son has severe ADHD as well as sensory integration disorder, and several other labels.  Every year I battle with what kind of curriculum to buy, and most years I change in the middle.  This year, however, I found what seems to be very good for him.  It is called Heart of Dakota (HOD).  I stumbled onto it by "mistake," and am finding it the perfect mix for my child. Let me explain what sets it apart from other things I have used.  First, it is completely laid out for me.  Having a child that takes a lot of time, as does my son, it is nice to have little planning time.  The author writes her plans in blocks.  Each block takes no more than 15 minutes.  That means that the ADHD child is keeping their mind occupied, reducing the amount of struggle to keep them on task.  The blocks can easily be broken up through out the day, though I know that most of the time my son wants to have a schedule, there is some flexibility there. Next, HOD is not a traditional "textbook" approach.  The author uses the Charlotte Mason approach, but she does it in a way that is not overwhelming.  My son loves for me to read to him, though he may be moving around, standing on his head, and so on while I read.  The author has picked great books, and then she gives you the questions to ask the student.  This is great for my son.  HOD also has hands-on activities, but they are not over the top, and they are always educational.  My son loves to do hands on stuff, but often times it is too much for him.  Everything I have read about homeschooling your ADHD kid is to get him up and moving.  Play active games, etc.  My son, however, actually gets out of control if we do that too much.  For example, if we play a game where he must jump up and down while spelling a word, he will jump up and down and spell maybe half of the word, then he is bouncing off the walls, and I have lost him.  Many games that seem to be so good for ADHD just make him go haywire.  That is one reason I love HOD: lots of simple "projects" that do not cause him to go over the top.  He gets to put his hands on what he is learning without being over stimulated.  My son has a difficult time writing, and I am able to do all the work in HOD, and limit his writing.  For us, that is awesome.  He does obviously have to do some writing, but I can control the amount.  I don't know if HOD would help you, but it has helped us.  We still struggle some days, but it is much more geared to his learning style, and much easier to incorporate in our family.  In fact, I love it so much, I am planning on using it with all three of my boys.  It is worth checking out.  The website is www.heartofdakota.com.  Hope that you find the exact thing that your family needs.  Martha from NC    Dear Amy and Lyn,   I have 6 children, 2 of whom have been helped by a group called International Christian Association of Neurodevelopmentalists www.icando.org. They have therapists throughout the United States and Canada that can help write a program to address any issue your child is struggling with. We spent a lot of time and money at specialists that only gave us labels - ADHD, dyslexia, temporal processing disorder, speech delays, fine motor skill issues, etc. This is the only organization that we found to address all our child's issues with an inclusive plan that we could implement at home. They are not concerned with labels and will help you unlock your child's God-given learning potential.   May God guide you in your journey,   Carmen   Dear Amy and Lyn,   I homeschool our 5 year old who is autistic, as well as our 15 year old who is ADHD. I have found the best way for them to learn is by doing things as non-traditional as possible.   For teaching our 5 year old ABC's, 123's, colors, and shapes, we play with Leap Frog toys and watch their movies. I buy little workbooks from our local Dollar Tree and give them to my son to do whatever in. They have ABC tracing and number counting in some of the Disney characters so my son likes them. These are his "fun books" and there is not any pressure from me to get anything in them done.   We made an ABC line that is hanging in our living room above all our family pictures. Everyday I would print a new letter, we would color it and add it to our line. I took an old kids Bible that was falling apart and cut out pictures for a story line. As my son and I went through our Bible, we would focus on characters like Abraham and put the events of his life in order. Nothing too formal or over planned.   For kids who have trouble sitting still during a more formal class setting, give them a big exercise ball to sit on as a chair: the ones women use to do sit-ups and such. Kids with ADHD have a hard time focusing on their studies or listening to mom as she teaches. This "new" chair allows the child to bounces a little, giving an outlet for his spasms. It really works. It really helps with their fidgeting. Relieves a lot of stress on both them and mom. Hope these ideas helped.   - Cerese From The Experienced. . . .   My youngest son has special needs and a short attention span. I came across a book called, "How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning," that was a big help. The author uses index cards to make games, flash cards, and more that keep your child focused a little longer. The activities are engaging, they make learning fun, and can be used for every subject you want to cover. This was a big hit with all of my children, not just my son!  - Tia Homeschooling Resource E-Book: A Parent to Parent Chat on ADHD will help you figure out the questions you need to ask if you suspect you have a child with Attention Deficit Disorder. Knowing the right questions to ask is the 1st step in gaining control. Written by Theresa Lode, the mother of a now 12 year old with ADHD, this E-Book will be a friendly cup of coffee with another mom who will share her experiences. Homeschooling Resource E-Book: Homeschooling--The Journey Is The Reward by Pamela Berthume is a very unique and realistic view of homeschooling and family life. Join Pamela, a homeschooling mom since 1993 with four children, as she shares tips on homeschooling. Included in this book is a very extensive chapter, "Homeschooling with Health Issues" which covers how to homeschool with Celiac Disease, Asperger's, Spinal Cord Injury, Scoliosis, ADHD, and more. A must read for parents with special needs children.   To see print print version click here.   Thank you for taking part in our month of special needs and sharing your curricula ideas, helpful resources, and encouraging personal experiences with Amy and Lyn. If you have a question you would like to ask the Minute to Minute Readers, please email us. Emailing or otherwise responding to this email constitutes permission for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC to publish, post, reprint and distribute part or all of your response in the Minute to Minute E-Newsletter, the print, digital and online versions of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, on Company websites and in other Company publications.   Sincerely, Elisabeth Marlowe, Minute to Minute Editor The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

Minute to Minute Readers Helping Readers   Greetings! In conclusion to our Month of Special Needs Minute to Minute E-Newsletters, TOS Magazine would like to thank all the homeschool moms who took the time to write in with questions and answers. Without you, Minute to Minute would not be possible, and because of you, homeschool moms with special needs children have been tremendously encouraged.   In this final issue, we take a moment to focus on  homeschooling children with Down Syndrome or ADHD. If you have not had the opportunity, we highly recommend you take a look at the special needs articles in the Resource Room, and order a copy of TOS Summer '08 Edition, which focuses on special needs. Now is a great time to subscribe though! With our new Fall Special, you can get two years of the magazine, the current Summer Edition, 6 great gifts worth over $120, AND a Homeschooling with Heart tote bag if you're in the first 1000 subscribers. It's a great deal at only $39 and I know that there are still plenty of the tote bags left. We have enjoyed accompanying you on this special needs journey. Join us next issue as we meet a soon-to-be homeschool mom who needs the advice of our veteran Minute to Minute Readers. Something Special                 Dear Amy,   I am right with you. My oldest son has severe ADHD as well as sensory integration disorder, and several other labels.  Every year I battle with what kind of curriculum to buy, and most years I change in the middle.  This year, however, I found what seems to be very good for him.  It is called Heart of Dakota (HOD).  I stumbled onto it by "mistake," and am finding it the perfect mix for my child. Let me explain what sets it apart from other things I have used.  First, it is completely laid out for me.  Having a child that takes a lot of time, as does my son, it is nice to have little planning time.  The author writes her plans in blocks.  Each block takes no more than 15 minutes.  That means that the ADHD child is keeping their mind occupied, reducing the amount of struggle to keep them on task.  The blocks can easily be broken up through out the day, though I know that most of the time my son wants to have a schedule, there is some flexibility there. Next, HOD is not a traditional "textbook" approach.  The author uses the Charlotte Mason approach, but she does it in a way that is not overwhelming.  My son loves for me to read to him, though he may be moving around, standing on his head, and so on while I read.  The author has picked great books, and then she gives you the questions to ask the student.  This is great for my son.  HOD also has hands-on activities, but they are not over the top, and they are always educational.  My son loves to do hands on stuff, but often times it is too much for him.  Everything I have read about homeschooling your ADHD kid is to get him up and moving.  Play active games, etc.  My son, however, actually gets out of control if we do that too much.  For example, if we play a game where he must jump up and down while spelling a word, he will jump up and down and spell maybe half of the word, then he is bouncing off the walls, and I have lost him.  Many games that seem to be so good for ADHD just make him go haywire.  That is one reason I love HOD: lots of simple "projects" that do not cause him to go over the top.  He gets to put his hands on what he is learning without being over stimulated.  My son has a difficult time writing, and I am able to do all the work in HOD, and limit his writing.  For us, that is awesome.  He does obviously have to do some writing, but I can control the amount.  I don't know if HOD would help you, but it has helped us.  We still struggle some days, but it is much more geared to his learning style, and much easier to incorporate in our family.  In fact, I love it so much, I am planning on using it with all three of my boys.  It is worth checking out.  The website is www.heartofdakota.com.  Hope that you find the exact thing that your family needs.  Martha from NC    Dear Amy and Lyn,   I have 6 children, 2 of whom have been helped by a group called International Christian Association of Neurodevelopmentalists www.icando.org. They have therapists throughout the United States and Canada that can help write a program to address any issue your child is struggling with. We spent a lot of time and money at specialists that only gave us labels - ADHD, dyslexia, temporal processing disorder, speech delays, fine motor skill issues, etc. This is the only organization that we found to address all our child's issues with an inclusive plan that we could implement at home. They are not concerned with labels and will help you unlock your child's God-given learning potential.   May God guide you in your journey,   Carmen   Dear Amy and Lyn,   I homeschool our 5 year old who is autistic, as well as our 15 year old who is ADHD. I have found the best way for them to learn is by doing things as non-traditional as possible.   For teaching our 5 year old ABC's, 123's, colors, and shapes, we play with Leap Frog toys and watch their movies. I buy little workbooks from our local Dollar Tree and give them to my son to do whatever in. They have ABC tracing and number counting in some of the Disney characters so my son likes them. These are his "fun books" and there is not any pressure from me to get anything in them done.   We made an ABC line that is hanging in our living room above all our family pictures. Everyday I would print a new letter, we would color it and add it to our line. I took an old kids Bible that was falling apart and cut out pictures for a story line. As my son and I went through our Bible, we would focus on characters like Abraham and put the events of his life in order. Nothing too formal or over planned.   For kids who have trouble sitting still during a more formal class setting, give them a big exercise ball to sit on as a chair: the ones women use to do sit-ups and such. Kids with ADHD have a hard time focusing on their studies or listening to mom as she teaches. This "new" chair allows the child to bounces a little, giving an outlet for his spasms. It really works. It really helps with their fidgeting. Relieves a lot of stress on both them and mom. Hope these ideas helped.   - Cerese From The Experienced. . . .   My youngest son has special needs and a short attention span. I came across a book called, "How to Get Your Child off the Refrigerator and on to Learning," that was a big help. The author uses index cards to make games, flash cards, and more that keep your child focused a little longer. The activities are engaging, they make learning fun, and can be used for every subject you want to cover. This was a big hit with all of my children, not just my son!  - Tia Homeschooling Resource E-Book: A Parent to Parent Chat on ADHD will help you figure out the questions you need to ask if you suspect you have a child with Attention Deficit Disorder. Knowing the right questions to ask is the 1st step in gaining control. Written by Theresa Lode, the mother of a now 12 year old with ADHD, this E-Book will be a friendly cup of coffee with another mom who will share her experiences. Homeschooling Resource E-Book: Homeschooling--The Journey Is The Reward by Pamela Berthume is a very unique and realistic view of homeschooling and family life. Join Pamela, a homeschooling mom since 1993 with four children, as she shares tips on homeschooling. Included in this book is a very extensive chapter, "Homeschooling with Health Issues" which covers how to homeschool with Celiac Disease, Asperger's, Spinal Cord Injury, Scoliosis, ADHD, and more. A must read for parents with special needs children.   To see print print version click here.   Thank you for taking part in our month of special needs and sharing your curricula ideas, helpful resources, and encouraging personal experiences with Amy and Lyn. If you have a question you would like to ask the Minute to Minute Readers, please email us. Emailing or otherwise responding to this email constitutes permission for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC to publish, post, reprint and distribute part or all of your response in the Minute to Minute E-Newsletter, the print, digital and online versions of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, on Company websites and in other Company publications.   Sincerely, Elisabeth Marlowe, Minute to Minute Editor The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

By now you have probably heard the flap about the flags.  If you haven't, well yesterday at the McCain/Palin rally they passed out many of the 12,000 flags that were leftover from the DNC--seems they were left at Coors Field (I know, it's not called that, but who can spell "Invesco?) by the good folks up there.  Well, the GOP's said they rescued them from the trash, the DNC said we stole them for a political ploy.

Well, they are American Flags so I guess we might as well have used them!  They sure looked grand there at the jet center, don't you think?!

 It was a great lesson for the kids and an experience they won't soon forget, and we all have sunburns to prove it!  We kept telling them it was history in the making.  It is fun being a part of history, not just reading about it.

This is the best photo I could get of the Alaskan Governor and Senator McCain.  We weren't willing to get there at 5:00 a.m. so we didn't get a good seat, er, I mean place to stand.  But nevertheless we had a wonderful time listening to several speakers and singing along with all the wonderfully patriotic songs (and a few pretty rauchus ones.)  I told my 13 year old son that he had better enjoy it because that was as close to being at a rock concert as he was ever going to get!)

The Gov. and Mr. McCain both had pretty powerful speeches.  Although we have already heard them speak (on TV) and online, it was positively electrifying there! Nothing like a good political rally to get your adrenaline going.  Did you see the video that the RNC had about Gov. Palin?  It had some beautiful footage of Alaska.  I loved the photo of her and the caribou--with the voiceover talking about her being a moose hunter...oh well, moose, caribou, whatever!  Now I know why I like her so much!

Just thought I would add these two pics of some very creative signage!

It is kind of small, but can you tell that the pit bull has...what else?  Big red lips drawn on the dog!  I heard that Sarah's "pit bull" line was ad-libbed.  Not sure if it was or not, but both parties are getting a lot of mileage out of it.  I thought it was great.

And this one is pretty cute too.  We saw these two kids near where we connected up to the LONG line to get in to the rally.  BTW, we saw tons of families there.  Kids everywhere! 

It was also a blessing to be with our friends.  We had the honor of standing by the parents of Adam Brickley.  (I just linked to his Google hits.  If you have time, be sure to watch or listen to some of his recent interviews in addition to checking out his blog.  But if you watch him on the Colbert show, just skip EVERYTHING before Adam comes on.  That guy Colbert uses some rank "humor" that will make you wince big-time.  He did a great job interviewing Adam though.) 

(Don't be surprised if you find that young man leading from the Oval Office someday!) 

Have a blessed homeschooling week!

Homeschooling IS Life!

Nancy

My goodness these past few weeks have been rather blurry, and I doubt it will get any better. Let's see:

Ds1 seems to be enjoying RS books. I must confess that currently we haven't had a specific school time, we just try when baby is sleeping. The afternoons seem to be when she sleeps longer, so we try to get stuff done. If not, I nurse while I teach. Though at 4th grade, there currently is not a whole lot I need to do with him, other than English, History and Science and occassional math, he really does most of it on his own. We are rotating science one week and history the other. They both are talking about climates and zones. I like both subjects being similiar. So far in science we've discussed weather, climate, zones, and different storms. History, we covered different zones (tropical, temperate,artic), simple geography too. We hope someday to travel to the Tropic of Cancer marker. That runs through Taiwan, it is about 1hr or so north of us. I would like to do some projects, but I am not sure what to do.

Ds2 loves reading and math, well, sorta math. He hates anything that makes him pick up a pencil. But his reading just suprises me. He is half way through his first reader.

Ds3 is wanting classes, but then always asked at the most inconvenient times!LOL!! our classroom has been rearranged and now on 3rd floor, but it is sooooooooooooooo stinkin' hot there right now that I don't want to be up there. So we have books on 1st floor and at times that bugs my dh. So, we gotta figure something out. A classroom would be best, I agree.

Miss Anna has her immunizations on Friday................at 2month and 2days she was 13lbs!!! Dr. commented she was big for her age, but being she is nursed, the dr wasn't concerned. And once she starts crawling and everywhere, it will slow down!!

Ministry wise: we had an unwed mother give birth, she doesn't want the baby, so we are helping him be adopted by a great Christian family in the USA. She leavs the hospital on Monday and then baby will come home with us. We have P, a young lady who lived with us for 6 yrs, who will be taking care of the baby boy at our house. Then in a few weeks we have another unwed mother moving in til birth. This will be an experience for our boys. We also have a very immature 14yr old boy living with us. He lived with us 3 years ago and honeslty, I don't think has matured. He is not a bad boy, but just a boy who  seems to be stuck in the 9yr old age or so........................annoying!!

DH goes to China on the 11th and will be back the 25th.........................We are preparing ourselves for this long time with dh gone, but please pray I don't go crazy!!  It will be me 2 19yr olds (one with a newborn and one pregnant), 14yr,10yr,6yr,4yr boys and 2month old girl!!!

Ok, enough of my book:-) I'll try to update more often so I don't have to write such long entries!!

Friday, Callie got to have her cast taken off!!  Yay!!!  We are quite excited!

This is one of our little princess once she got feeling like eating the night after her surgery.

We are so thankful that the Lord has blessed her body with health to heal well.

Here is a link to her running with her cast on...

http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f321/youngwife/?action=view&current=100_5355.flv

Thank you for praying for Callie.  Please continue to pray for Rachael, she is dealing with a lot of pain on a daily basis.

On a homeschooling note,

our family is talking a lot about politics and such with the election coming up soon.  So, I have been wondering what have your families been talking about that you probably otherwise would not be discussing?