We were going out last ight.  Let me explain a little first...When we go out we go about 45 minutes away to feel like we have really been somewhere.  :)  Anywho, we were on the way and Jonathan was counting and he went all the way to 99 and then asked what was next.  LOL.  It was the first time I had heard him count all the way from 1 - 99.  When he got to 69 he skipped to 80 but I told him "70" and he took it from there.  I still thought that was pretty good.  I haven't really "taught" him to count like this.  Just with his math lessons and reading a measuring tape he figured it out.  When I told him that 100 came after 99 he said, "Someday I will learn to skip count by 100."  I told him he could probably do it right now.  I told him 100, 200 and then he went with that to 900.

I think this is one subject he is going to be good at and enjoy.

T ball sign ups are next week.  J will get to play this year.  My SIL and I are going together hoping to get our kids on the same team.  J likes baseball and I do hope he has fun. 

We went last night to my nieces birthday party.  She turned 13.  Man does time fly.  It is hard to believe my brother has a 14 and 13 year old.  We stayed till after midnight singing "karaoke".  We didn't have any accompany music so it wasn't really karaoke.  We found out my sister is a pretty good singer.  One of my nieces friend got up and sang for us and then they sang together.  It was all so fun. 

I have signed up for a few craft markets this year.  I got a notice that here where I live they are going to start a "Market & Music Saturday".  It will be held the 3rd Saturday of May, June and July.  I am excited about this and do hope that it goes well.  It will be a great place to get my soap stuff out into the public more.  I go to one Trade Day once a month but I do need more places to sell.  God is good and he will provide.  I was called the other day about a Show going on at a Mall about 45 minutes from here but when I talked to the lady, she said it cost $300.00.  That is a little out of my price range right now.  I do hope someday I will be able to do it.  So far I have my regular TD monthly, I will be doing the M & M saturdays, I have signed up for two shows in April, one in May and then the later ones in November.  It feels good to be set up for the year.

I guess I better get busy doing something.  I have been sporatic so far, clean a little here, organize a little here, move stuff from here to there...I am working on getting more organized.  I ordered the e-book from the Homeschool estore about organizing.  It is called Organizing 101.  Right now you can get it for free.  Go take a look. 

Ok, I am off...........

We had a pretty good bit of snow today.  I guess around 4 or more inches.  WOW.  That is a lot for around here.  We went out and played a little, I think J and Dad built a little snow man.  I didn't get pictures of that yet.  I guess we had a snow day for school.  I worked this morning and then we went and ate lunch out and when we got home I sit down at the computer and didn't ever get started on school.  J didn't mind though.  He likes when we "take a break". 

Here are a few pictures from the last few months. 

 J had his first dentist appointment and he came out without any cavities.  I was so glad. 

The other is of when we went skating.  J had to make funny faces at the camera. 

We usually write our letter sounds on paper but I decided to have some fun and used flour.

The one with him on the kitchen counter was when I was cleaning and rearranging stuff and he had to climb up there and then posed when I took the picture. 

The other is of the snow today.

This is my 50th Entry.  Wow.  I know lots of people have more, lots more, but for me...I thought when I started this that I more than likely wouldn't keep it up.  That is just the way I am.  But, I enjoy doing this so much.  I like coming and writing my thoughts as if I am the only one going to read them.  I like coming and reading the blogs of my "friends" that I have come across.  I enjoy reading what other homeschoolers are doing and how they are doing it.  It is encouraging and keeps me going. 

I have found one thing bad about homeschooling....  I am addicted to curriculum.  I can't stop looking for stuff for us to use.  And it don't help when I got read a blog and they recommend a site.  I HAVE to go look and end up either buying something or downloading something.  :)

Oh, I guess I should say that J is feeling better today. 

J and I went with my best friend to her farm and then to look at some goats.  J was feeling "not good" on and off while we were gone.  I just thought he was needing to go to the bathroom and wouldn't.  Well, we were almost home and all of a sudden he started loosing his lunch.  It looked more like his breakfast.    We tried to get on home and here he goes again.  I had his jacket and was trying to stop it from getting all over us and then....well, I will save you the gorry details.    We ended up stoping and getting out to save a bigger mess.  And we were just a block from home...

Now J is sleeping.  Hopefully he will be ok tomorrow.

Life has been busy.  Isn't is always?  We had some sick goats for a while that we were having to doctor.  NEVER EVER bring in a sick goat into your herd, always quarantine first!  They all get sick.  LOL.  We learned a lesson!  One went blind in one eye and then the other.  We had the vet out and he gave her injections in her eyes.  Yesterday when I went out to feed I could see her eyes and I could tell she could see a little bit.  Today she is doing even better.  Yippy.  Needless to say we were excited about that.

Now, on to homeschooling.  We have done things a little different this week.  I have tried to be a little more relaxed.  We are using the "...100 easy Lessons" for reading and I am still doing that but have slowed down some.  We do the same lesson several times but not reading the story yet.  I found some other reading material called "Progressive Phonics".  They offer some of the first books for free so I have started with them.   They are little stories that I read a part and then he reads the red words.  He is enjoying something different.  When we are finished reading we take the magnetic letters and spell words with them. 

For math, we have been doing Math U See.  He is learning to count by 5's.  We finished the work pages for this and I wanted him to practice more on it and on skip counting by 2's and 10's so I got the jar of pennies out and we have been practicing counting them. 

I bought some workbooks from the dollar store a while back and we are working in them.  They are the Little People works books.  I bought another one from Wal Mart that helps him practice cutting and pasteing.  He is not really crazy about cutting.  :) 

I am doing crafts at VBS this year.  That should be interesting.  I have about 15-20 minutes to get a craft done with about 25 kids.  Of course I will have some help.  In the past years I have helped with the games at VBS but this year they aren't doing games so I was nominated for crafts.  I THINK I will enjoy it.  My mom is coming in a bit and we are going to prepare craft packs.  Instead of buying the already packaged crafts from the VBS store, I decided to buy each thing and put the packages together myself.  This should save the church about $200 or so.

This week has been wild and unorganized.  Monday I don't even remember what happened...oh yeah, that was the day my friend and I went out and picked up some goats.  Saturday we had went out and picked them out and there was a baby goat that's mother had rejected it.  We brought it home and started feeding it.  She was doing so well, she had started trying to stand up then later that evening, all went down hill and the baby goat died.  This was Jonathan's first experience with death.  He took it pretty hard.  So back to Monday.  We got our goats and while we were there a baby goat came up and the guy that owned all the goats picked it up.  It was so cute.  I handed it to Jonathan and the baby was trying to nibble on his ears and neck.  We ended up buying the baby goat too and brought it home.  It stayed here with us and I feed it and it ate well and it was so fun.  By Wednesday, the goat was doing bad and it ended up dying.  We think it must have had pneumonia because it had a runny nose and it's eyes were matted up.  That was a sad day.  It was very emotional for me.  Now all our other goats have runny noses and watery eyes.  We are giving rounds of antibiotics.  Grrr.  That is what happens when you bring in new goats.  

As for school, we didn't get as much done as I wanted.  It was just such a busy week.  We worked on reading.  He is getting so much better at it.  Math is going well, he really enjoys it.  We have started adding by 100's.  We did skip counting by 10's at the first of the week and he caught on so quick. 

Now tomorrow, I have orders to fill for people wanting soap stuff.  Busy, busy, busy...

The game is called Scattegories. Use the first letter of your name and find words with that letter. The number of letters in your name determines how many people you can tag. Have fun!

What is your name?  Bernice

4 Letter word: Bump

Vehicle: Buick

City:  Baird

Boy's name: Bob

Girl's name:  Brenda

Movie:  Bob the Builder.  LOL

Occupation:  Brick layer

Something you wear: Britches

Celebrity: Bob Barker

Food:  Banana

Something found in a kitchen:  blender

Something found in a bathroom:  Bath tub

Reason for being late: Broke toe

Cartoon Character:  Bob the Builder (again. )

Something you shout:  Boo

Animal:  Bamboo

Body part:  Bottom

Word to describe you.  beautiful (well, my husband says so  :)

Tag list???  Don't know. 

I got this idea from a "friend".    She is sharing a scripture and what it means to her and I thought I would give a try too.  Hope that is ok.  I don't mean to be stealing.  :)

I have been reading in 1 John.  It is all good but this is one scripture that I had to underline...

1 John 3:18

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

We should not only tell others we love them but we need to show them by what we do for them.  When I first read this I had to share it with Jonathan.  I told him that he can show love by what he does as in minding and doing what I tell him when I tell him.  Don't know if it sunk in but if I keep telling him and showing examples, he will one day love in deed and in truth.

I was looking thru my blogs from a year ago and read my first post.  It told the reasons I wanted to homeschool.  I think I have better reasons now.  :)

• I want to train my child in the way he should go as an adult. 
• I want his whole day to be Christ centered.   
• Aren't public schools anti-God?  No praying, no God in the Pledge of Allegiance etc. 
• Yes I do what to shelter my child. 

Still looking back...

I have been subscribed to "The Old Schoolhouse" magazine for about a year I guess and I got out my very first issue a week or so ago and I am thinking, "Did I even read this thing?"  I am not remembering very many of the articles.  It is like a new magazine to me.  I am enjoying it and know that I have a few more issues that I probably didn't read.  LOL. 

I am still set up here in the living room on the lap top.  I did get my desktop back and have turned it on once.  I don't know if it is going to work better or not.  The computer Dr. said he couldn't find anything wrong.  He just did a lot of cleaning.???  I am really liking being in here.  It is so much warmer and I can watch J play too.  :)

I have started planning for next year, well for after we finish 100 EZ Lessons.  I am considering do the Pathway Readers.   It looks interesting and it teaches moral and spiritual values.  It is writen by Amish.

Also, I am looking at the Heart of Dakota curriculum.  It looks to be filled with activities and it is Christian based so I like that.  

Right now that is all I have decided.  I looked at some other stuff but so far this is what I am leaning toward.  I am excited to be looking ahead. 

I almost forgot.  Yesterday was my one year anniversay on HomeSchool Blogger.  I have had so much fun.  I have meet a few people who have encouraged me and gave great advice.  Thank you all. 

So much has changed around here at home.  When I first logged on I wasn't even homeschooling yet.  Now we are in full swing and never stopping.  Homeschool forever.   Well, at least till he goes to college, then we will see about that.   LOL.

ugg.  My computer is getting ready to go to the pc dr.  I am using my lap top that I haven't used in a while.  I have to get use to it.  Not cusomized like the computer.  I guess it will be ok though.  One thing I already like is that  I am in the living room where it is warmer.  The computer is in the bedroom and we don't have any heat in there.  It gets kinda cold.  I might get use to this.  :)

Anywho, I have to share what Jonathan said the other day.  We were coming home from buying groceries and he was talking about the things he didn't do anymore like hitting, pushing etc.  Then he said he did his school work really well.  Then he said, " I was diligent doing my school work."  My husband asked him what diligence was and he said, "Working hard to accomplish a task."  Ha.  That almost made me cry.  I relized how much he was actually learning.  In our Character building book, it gives the words and definitions of different character traits.  This was one we had been reading for the week.  I was so proud!!! 

I am editing some of this.  I relized after talking with my husband that I had left some stuff out and wrote some of it wrong.  :)

A few years before the adoption, I had a dream.  Before the dream we had gone to a Reproductive specialist to find out why I had not gotten pregnant.  We had several test run which  we passed.  They told us why we weren't getting pg and said that a few rounds of artificial insimunation might work.  We decide not to go back.  After another year of wanting and waiting, we decided we would try the dr again.  We did 3 rounds of artificial insimunation which all failed.  We were working on one more with the use of Chlomid but I messed up on my testing and so we missed our visit.  The dr. was starting to suggest invitro fertilization and that is when we decided that wasn't for us. 

(Added this) I really felt the need to get ready for a baby.  We bought a baby bed and I painted the nursery walls.  As I was putting the bed together, I wrote something on the box...  "I am getting this room ready because a baby is coming not to make a baby come."  It was just an act of faith.  I made a baby quilt and started on the bumper pads for the bed.  Then I rested.  It wasn't until I found out about adopting, that I finished the bumper pad. 

Now, I don't really know at what point I had this dream but it was a few years before the adoption.  In my dream, my husband and I were standing outside somewhere and there were fireworks going off.  The army was there shooting them off (don't know that that has any significance).  Anywho, as we were watching a firework exploded and the little papers were falling down from it.  One was a regular sized piece of paper coming toward me.  I stuck up a fisted hand and the paper drapped over it.  The "paper" was really more than paper, it was stronger than paper (added) like leather.  I took it and looked at it and there was a picture of a baby.  There was a name on it.  I thought "ok, I will have a girl and name her that name."  I woke up.  This is the dream that came to me as I was leaving for work after talking with our birth mother.  Her name was the same as what was on that paper from my dream. 

(Changed some of the wording here)  There is more...after we found out about the adoption but before he was born, I was at church.  The preacher was talking about staffs and septers and how we change from having a staff to having a septer.  As he was talking he lifted his hand just like I had in my dream when the paper fell on it.  I didn't understand what I was hearing but I felt it was for me.  The next day I was talking to my mom on the phone telling her about the sermon and it hit me...  I was fixing to go from having a staff, something important, to having a septer, something of more importance.  I would have more responsibility.  A septer is what a king carries a staff is what a shepard carries.  It made since to me...

I talked to the birth mother a few days later and told her my dream.  Of course it gave her goose bumps.  We all decided this was a God thing. 

In August of 2003, the birth mother called and told us they would be inducing on the 18th of that month.  We were to be at the hospital at 6:00am.  We met her, her best friend and her mother there and all went in together.  The meds were started at around 7 and I was allowed to be there for the whole thing.  At about 11:15, Jonathan showed himself and came into this world.  What a wonderful experience.  Of course I cried.  The birth father was called later and he came to visit.  We got to meet lots of family that day.

That night, I stayed with the birth mother and then the next morning, the name was given for the birth certificate.  We were allowed to name him.  Jonathan...gift from God.  When it was time to go the birth mother was wheeled out in the wheel chair and I carried Jonathan.  The guy helping us out said that in the ten years he had worked there, this was the first time he ever seen this. We took Jonathan home and now he is 4 years old.  We still visit with his birth mother and grandmother when we can.  He has a half brother who is now almost 2.  I hope we get to see them soon. 

Mother's Day 2003.   We had gone to eat breakfast with my parents, my grandma and some aunts and uncles.  On of my aunts, Connie, came over to me and said her daughter, Angie, had been told about two babies that were going up for adoption.  I told Connie to tell Angie that she could have one and I would take the other.  I was half joking. 

About a week later:  My husband, Terry, had come home for lunch and told me that it was his last day at work at the factory he had been working in for about 10 years.  He was going to work with his dad pouring cement.  We had talked about it before and he finally made the decision to go for it.  As he was walking out the door to go back to work my cell phone rang.  I didn't answer because I didn't recognize the number.  Then the house phone rang.  It was my cousin Angie.  She said that one of the couples that were giving up their baby had wanted to meet her but they had already committed to the other girl about adopting her baby.  Angie wanted to know if we wanted to meet this couple THAT NIGHT.  Of course Terry had just left and I couldn't ask him about it so I just told her YES!!  We decided to meet at a friend of Angies who was also a friend of the birth mother.  I had some things to do and knew I wouldn't be home when Terry got home so I left him a note.  "Don't run off.  I need to talk to you."  

I think he called me as I was coming home.  I told him the news.  He was a little shocked and I am sure nervous about it all but we went on that night and met with this couple.  The young lady was about 6 months along.  She and the young man had been married but were now divorced.  They had decided to give up the baby for adoption.  We visited for a while there at the friend of a friends house. 

About a week later:  We had planned on the couple coming to visit with us at our house but she called me while I was cleaning a house and said that they weren't able to come but that they did want us to adopt thier baby. 

We had found a lawyer that would handle our adoption and he told me about some information I needed to get from the birth parents so I called the birth mother.  I had to have her full name and other info so I took it all down and had it laying on the table.  I had a house to clean that day and as I was going out the door I looked at that paper and was reminded of a dream I had had several years ago. To be continued.

I was surfing around on HSB and ended up on this blog.  She had a tag and I thought I would give it a try...

What was I doing 10/20/30 years ago?

10 years ago 1997:  I had been married 5 years.  I don't think there was anything really "special" that happened.  A year later in '98 we started going to see a reproductive doctor to find out why I hadn't gotten pregnant.  We went a while and then stopped and then started back up a few years later. 

20 Years ago 1987:  I turned 17 this year.  I was a Sophmore in High School.  I had met my best buddy a few years before so we shared a locker and hung out as much as we could.   Probably mostly at school.   She introduced me to my to be husband in '88. 

30 years ago 1977:  I was 7 my brother was 8.  I guess not a lot going on that I can remember.  I don't remember a lot about my childhood like how old I was when things happened.  I know that my sister was born when I was 10 but that is about it. 

Well, not really all that interesting but still nice to think back and reminisce.

I guess you can consider yourself tagged it you would like to participate.  Please leave a comment and a link and I will come read yours. 

We had our first school day of the new year yesterday, Monday.  It went really well.  I have finally set up a schedule for us to follow.  This is how I am wanting our day to go...of course as most homeschooling goes, it is sure to change.  LOL. 

• Prayer and Praise....  I want to get a notebook to write these down in so we can keep track of our answered prayers.
• Bible Reading....   I have several childrens Bibles that I will read out of.  One that I am using right now is a Praise Bible.
• Character Reading/Building.... My husband got a book for us for Christmas called "A Child's Book of Character Building"  by Ron & Rebekah Coriell. 
• Reading....We will continue to use "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons."
• Copy Work or Tracing...Since he can't write his name yet, we are working on that.  I write it and get him to trace it.  I will also work on writing one word on a card and get him to copy it.
• Math...  We will start with Days of the week and Months of the Year, and then continue with Math-U-See Curriculum which Jonathan is really enjoying.  We will also work on money recognition.

That is it so far.  I am really enjoying our homeschooling experience and it is nice to have a plan.

God has really been dealing with me about our homeschooling.  I am really wanting to have a Christ Centered homeschool and focus more on Character and teach the love of God.  As Ali Telfer said in TOS..."Curriculum is important but the Bible is our Core".  This is my hope for our homeshooling.  I was really inspired by Ali's article, "The Goal of a Christian Homeschool" that appeared in the Spring 2007 The Old Schoolhouse magazine.  I am off to read her blog.

Yesterday at church, we had a guest speaker.  His name was David Barton from "WallBuilders".  David is a historian and what he had to say was so interesting.  What I found very interesting is what he said about the education and how it was started and the text they used for reading.  Since I am just getting started in homeschooling, I haven't studied much history since high school (which has been about 19 years ago).  Hearing that the Bible was the book that most children learned to read and that the text books were all Bible based.  I bought a copy of a 1777 Primer that they sell at wallbuilders.com.  The rhyming alphabet was scriptural.  I bought several books from them and some history curriculum.  The book I am reading now is "Four Centuries of American Education" by David Barton.  It talks about the starting of education and the people who had a part in the textbooks etc.  I am really enjoying it and know that someday I can use it to teach Jonathan about our American History. 

I thought I better check in on this wonderful new year. 

The weather here is going to be so nice for the next few day and I want to get out and enjoy it.  We have all been coughing for a while.  Jonathan has been coughing since before Christmas.  It is better now, mostly just at night. 

I plan to get back to schooling Monday.  I had hoped to do some this last week but it didn't work out.  I am so wanting to stop working.  I have a couple of houses that I clean and it sure can interfer with our school work.  They reason I am still working is just because it is hard to quit on someone whom I have been cleaning for for over 10 years.  I know this shouldn't even be an interference with school.  I am sure there are women out there that work full time AND homeschool.  I don't know how they can do it.  I can loose focus so easy after I get home from working. 

We are planning on looking into foster care.  There is also a chance for another adoption of a new born.  We were asked for our address so the girl can get in contact with us.  It is all going thru so many different people right now.  It started with my sister saying her mother-in-law knows a lady at chruch that knows a girl that is giving up her baby.  Then my mom runs into the mother-in-law at Wal Mart and she says the girl wants our address.  So now I have to try to catch mother-in-law at home (she only lives a few blocks from us) so I can give her my address to give to the lady she knows who will give it to the girl.  Whew...I hope it makes it there.  LOL.  Anywho, I am excited and nervous about the whole thing.  I am just praying that this child will be placed where she can be taught about Christ and his love for them. 

A few posts back I mentioned about a baby that would possible go up for adoption but I found out a week or so ago that the girl lost the baby. 

Ok, now it is time to go outside and play...or work...whatever it is, it will be good to be outside for a bit.