Nov. 19, 2007 - I've Been Tagged................
I've been tagged by Setapipes and Squeeli
The rules were to share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself and to tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Here goes nothing:
1. I hate to clean.
2. I love spending summer days in the pool with my kids
3. I love thunderstorms.
4. I love to cook.
5. I still get excited to see my husband when he gets home from work
6. I find sewing to be relaxing
7. It feels like Christmas when I see the UPS man or FED EX man bring a box to the door!
Since I am still "new" at this I don't have 7 people to tag. So tag you're it!
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Nov. 19, 2007 - I'm Back
I can't believe it's been over a month since I last blogged.
My precious little dog got ahold of the mouse cord and keyboard cord one night and chewed them in half. I was going to go to the store and buy a new one, then the tv quit working. While we (me and the children) do alright without the t.v., my sweets is another story. But, that weekend came and it was off to camping with the Boy Scouts. The following week all three of my children got sick (fevers, sore throat, cough, runny/stuffy nose). About the time they were feeling better, my husband had a weeks vacation. I really enjoy having him around. It was very sad for me when he had to go back to work. Of course last week when he went back to work, I got sick. Then Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning (4 a.m.) I woke up with a terrible pain in my ear. Went to the doctor and he said I had an ear infection. I've never had an ear infection that I can remember, but now I know why babies hold their ears and cry. I've been taking this medicine three times a day, and while the pain is mostly gone, my ear still feels clogged up. My children told me that they would be glad when this was over, since I've been misunderstanding what they say. 
Last night, my love brought home a new mouse and keyboard! 
So, that's where I've been for the past month.
Blessings, Kristi
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Oct. 18, 2007 - Taking Back Control....
My middle name could be "Procrastination". This has been a real battle for me. At the beginning of last "school" year, I was terrible about getting school started in the morning, and then of course I would feel guilty. (Lucky for me, my children learned plenty inspite of me.) I felt like I could not get anything accomplished. One veteran homeschooling mom told me to just think of it as my job. That if I was "working" out of the home, I would have to get up and get going. So that was what I did. Now mind you, it wasn't easy. My whole body fought me tooth and nail on that one. I wrote down my priorities(goals) for myself and what I wanted for my children. That seemed to help, seeing it in print that way. I knew that if my children were going to have what I desired for them, then something (that would be ME) was going to have to change. Someone (Me again) was going to have to take charge and lead the troops.
Now, I am not a "morning" person. I could lay in the bed until 9 o'clock (which at the time is what I was doing). So, I began forcing myself (with the help of my husband) to get out of the bed at 7:00. That first month was rough, and the first week is probably better forgotten. But now, 10 months later it feels like second nature. I don't even have to have the alarm clock anymore, and I'm the one dragging my husband out of the bed. I even get up early enough now to walk/jog on my treadmill for an hour every morning before I get anyone else out of the bed! I feel so much better on all levels (physically, emotionally, spiritually).
I've also learned not to take all of the "household" task on myself. I elicit the help of my children and my husband. I have come to realize everything worth doing does not necessarily have to be done perfect. My children are in charge of the dirty dishes (loading and unloading the dishwasher), their laundry (they each have their own laundry day, they wash it, dry it, and put it away {so of course some things are just waded up and pushed into their drawers, but I've learned to let it go, it's okay!}), making their beds, feeding the pets, and putting away their toys daily. They have other chores they help with that are done weekly or as needed. Of course sometimes they grumble, but they have come to realize that many hands make light work!
While I am still a "work in progress" (and it has been a lot of hard work for me), I am seeing some of the "fruits of my labor" and I really like what I see. I know that my children are watching my husband and myself, even when we don't know it. We are "writing on their slates" who they will become. I want my children to have the self discipline to do what needs to be done, and I believe if they learn it now while they are still young, it will be so much easier for them when they become adults. I could be wrong, but I pray that I'm not.
Kristi
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Oct. 18, 2007 - Rain!!!!!!!!!!!
Rain!!!! While last week may have felt like autumn around here, it didn't last. The temperatures have been back up around 90 degrees this week. And the drought, ugh
! Everything is sssooo dry. Well today we have had a steady rain. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow too! Thank you God!!!!
Kristi
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Oct. 13, 2007 - Our Week in Review
MORGAN --
ENGLISH: Analytical Grammar (unit 8) ; Wordly Wise 3000 Book 7 Lesson 7; Spell to Write and Read (SWR) List T-4 and T-5; Literature: finished up The Witch of Blackbird Pond and the Total Language Plus Guide (we pick and choose thru these guides).
MATH: Chalkdust Pre-Algebra section 3.3 Addition and Subtraction of Fractions obj A,B,&C; section 3.4 Multiplication and Division of Fractions objectives A,B,&C
WORLDVIEW: The Church in History Ch. 31
SCIENCE: Apologia General Science began Module #4
HISTORY: We studied The New York Colony, the Dutch, The Virginia Colony and tobacco, beginning of slavery, made butter
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Rosetta Stone Spanish I
MUSIC: Rock of Ages and the history behind it (we use the books Then Sings My Soul)
BIBLE: We've been studying the Book of James
EXTRAS: helped complete patio, cantering and jumping in horse riding lessons, girl scouts, read the Sign of the Beaver; worked on a novel she is writing, went collecting fall decorations
ART: Visual Manna Complete Art Curriculum lesson 4 Calligraphy
MIKE:
ENGLISH: Rod and Staff 3 unit review and test, Wordly Wise 3000 Book 3 Lesson 7, Researched how to keep earthworms in a jar and wrote a short report on how to do it; SWR word list J-5 and J-6; Reading: The Elson Readers Book 3 (reviewed setting, characters, plot; studied cause & effect)
MATH: using SAXON 3; working on times tables, reviewing addition and subtraction, reading a thermometer, finding points on a number line, drawing and writing fractions
SCIENCE: learned about trees and plants (seeds, roots, spores, chlorophyll, photosynthesis,), studied a tree ring (counted the rings to determine age, learned about the different parts of the wood [ pith, sapwood, hardwood, the 3different parts of the bark ), used a tree identifier book to identify what tree different leaves came off of, made a "greenhouse" with a ziplock bag, potting soil, seeds, and water (did this at the beginning of the week and set in a window seal and now everything is sprouting)
HISTORY: Studied the New York Colony, the Dutch, The Virginia Colony and tobacco, beginning of slavery, made butter
MUSIC: learned Rock of Ages and the history behind it (we use the book Then Sings My Soul
BIBLE: We've been studying the Book of James
ART: Visual Manna's Complete Art Curriculum lesson 4 Calligraphy
Extras: Mavis Beacon teaches typing, boy scouts, helped finish the patio, we use the BOOK-IT program so he's been doing a lot of free reading, went collecting fall decorations
CHASE:
PHONICS/READING: Pathway Readers: Last week he finished First Steps so this week he began Days Go By and the workbook to go with it: Learning through Letters and Sounds Book 2; SWR word list C
MATH: mastering addition and subtraction to 18, began adding 3 digits (ex.: 7+3+4), telling time to the half hour, drawing lines to show half
SCIENCE: learned about trees and plants (seeds,roots, leaves, photosynthesis) studied a tree ring (counted the rings to determine the age, identified the sapwood and bark) , used a tree identifier book to identify two leaves
HISTORY: studied about the New York Colony, The Dutch, made butter
MUSIC: Rock of Ages
BIBLE: The Book of James
ART: Visual Manna's Complete Art Curriculum lesson 4 Calligraphy
Extras: earned his Bobcat badge at boy scouts, helped finish the patio, reading easy readers for the BOOK-IT program, went collecting fall decorations
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Oct. 12, 2007 - It's Friday!!!!
It's another beautiful day here in South Georgia. Today is our "light" day of school. Of course we still do reading and math, but we also play "catch up" on anything we didn't have time for during the week (like projects, etc.)
My children love school on Friday because we always do art on Fridays. The past two years, art was always hit or miss, but this year I have designated Friday as "Art" day. That way I know it will be covered and I won't be all stressed out about it! We have been using Visual Manna's Complete Art Curriculum and we (myself included) really like it!
Well I'm off to enjoy this beautiful fall weather while it lasts!
--Kristi.
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Oct. 11, 2007 - Fall has finally arrived
It has actually felt like fall today, hoorah!!!! I just love the crisp clean air of fall. The leaves gently fluttering to the ground. The sounds of children outside playing. Leaves that crunch underfoot. Reds, oranges, yellows, browns. Smell of smoke from neighbors burning leaves. Shorter days, families gathered around the dining room table. Succulent aromas of stews, soups, and chilis. Pumpkins, acorns, sweet potatoes. The promise that Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
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Oct. 10, 2007 - Ramblings
I've noticed that when we start our day with the Bible everything else seems to go soooo much smoother! We manage to get through school without too much chaos! Mike (3rd grade) took his first ever English "test" today. He was so proud of himself, and I was so proud of him too! This child loves structure. He also loves for me to "grade" his work. He made a 93!
It was nice outside today, so we enjoyed sitting on our patio. Yeah! Big hugs and kisses to my husband who finished what I started.
We must have a thousand (actually about 15) pecan trees on our property, and the pecans have begun to fall. The kids have been outside picking them up so they can sell them. They are going to try and earn a little Christmas money for this year!
---Kristi
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Oct. 9, 2007 - Stop and Think
Have your kids every said something to you that stopped you in your tracks and made you think about your own actions? Well, today Chase (7) did just that to me. My husband and I had gotten into a somewhat "heated discussion" and he stomped outside and I stomped to our bedroom. Well, on the way there Chase had asked me something, and I am ashamed to admit, I snapped back at him and proceeded to stomp to my room. (very mature of me huh). As I was lying on my bed throwing a big ole pity party for myself, I heard him sit down on the floor by my door. Not really wanting to be bothered, I asked him what he was doing. His reply was "I'm waiting for someone to act like they love me."
Needless to say that was the end of my pity party. This was my baby sitting there feeling like that because of my selfishness.
(Now my husband keeps telling me that Chase knows how to get me to come straight to him, but I don't think so. What mother wouldn't go to her little boy if he said that after she blew him off?) Of course I went to him and told him I wasn't mad at him. I kissed him and held him and told him how much I love him.
It just made me think about how my actions affect my children. How what goes on between my husband and me affects our children. And it also made me think about God. How many times in our own selfishness do we ignore Him? While the whole time He sits there loving us and waiting on "someone to act like they love Him."
---Kristi
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Oct. 7, 2007 - Family Project
Through many (too many ) trials and error, I have finally learned not to start a new project until the one I have going on is completed! I seem to start projects with such gusto, but as soon as I begin to tire of them I want to start something else. I realize this is not the way to complete things, and it drives my poor husband crazy. I've also learned to include my husband AND my children in projects. Things go faster, I stay on track, and we all seem to grow closer as a family!
For the past two weekends we've been working on building a patio. It was scheduled for completion today, but since we went to Andersonville it did not get finished today. That's okay though, because seeing the enjoyment my family had today was more than worth it to me! It will be finished Tuesday though, I have too many other projects to start (and finish)!
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Oct. 7, 2007 - Andersonville
Today we took the kiddos to Andersonville. They were having their annual Civil War re-enactment. The boys loved it! My daughter seemed to enjoy herself, but she wasn't gushing on endlessly about the "war". Must be a boy thing. I'm just happy they all seemed to have a good time.
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Oct. 6, 2007 - My Introduction
Who am I? It seems I ask myself that same question periodically, but for starters I'll give you a brief rundown.
I live in Southwest GA with my husband, 3 children, 3dogs, and 7 cats (one of whom just had 3 kittens). This is our third year of homeschooling. We began homeschooling when our oldest had just completed fourth grade. Our children are Morgan - 7th grade, Mike - 3rd grade, and Chase - 1st grade. I will forever be thankful to God for this opportunity.
As far as curriculum, we've had some hits and misses. My "Big Find" for this year so far has been the first grade Pathway Readers. My youngest son (whom, I have no doubt, God blessed me with to learn patience and humble myself to Him) has really taken to this program.
Anyways, that is just a little bit about us!
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