Happily Homeschooling

Coming Attractions

Hello to all of my readers. It has been some time since I’ve posted a review but I want you to know I will be posting reviews soon. Yeah!! My voyage with the TOS Crew has ended for now (maybe again next year), but I do have 3 products I’m currently reviewing for other companies.

Our family is winding down the school year, which has been pretty time consuming. Our testing is done and now we’re finishing up schoolwork.  

We will be attending the NYS LEAH Convention this year. This is the first year I’ve been able to attend since moving to NY in 2002. I’ve always had to work. I’m sooo excited. I am praying that if it is His will, I will be able to speak with companies about reviewing their products.

I am also working on a new idea for my blog. It will be a theme, of sorts, that I will add to on a specific schedule. I haven’t decided what it will be yet. But I have several ideas. If anyone has a need or something they would like to see, let me know. You can add a comment or contact me here. 

Thanks to all of you for reading my blog. I do appreciate it. I look forward to posting more soon.

Take care and may The Lord be with you all. 

Mona Lisa

A time of thanks

Thanksgiving is here already? Wow, how fast time goes by. I'm actually really excited about this Thanksgiving. This is the first time that we have been invited to someone else's house for dinner. Usually I have to work (the ER never closes) so that I can have Christmas off, so we just eat around my schedule. My mother-in-law doesn't cook and they most often say "we're not doing anything, just doing the best we can", so we don't travel the almost 4 hours to visit. We should and then I could cook and give them reasons to be thankful, but we don't. Anyways....we are all happy to be spending time with another family this year. Growing up everyone came to Nana's house to eat. We got there early and stayed late, sleeping on one of the many chairs, couches, or beds. I loved it. It was always an anticipated day because of that. I love the memories that I have and want my  kids to be able to have similar memories, although it just isn't like it was then. But that's o.k., our memories will be different but are sure to be fun. We always try to have a good day, no matter what. We're having fun baking today and trying new recipes. Yummy!

Well, have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone and God bless.

Unexpected critics

Hello all. Today I feel compelled to write about an incident that happened yesterday, in my own home. To set the stage, I must first tell how we ended up there. My girlfriend (BW) since childhood was dx with non-hodgkins lymphoma in about 1999. Her daughter (SW) was only 1 and she had lost 2 children due to severe genetic disorders. The cancer would not stay in remission so BW had several tx's over the course of several years. Needless to say, with all that was going on, SW did develop a self-centered attitude and a "it's my way all the time" attitude. BW had a bone marrow transplant last year which resulted in GVH disease and she died. SW was 9. BW and I always wanted our children to be friends, like we were. We did everything together as children. After we were married, we lived in different states and didn't see each other often. In 2005, she moved closer to me and the kids could finally get together. Unfortunately, the few times that SW has been at my house, she has been bossy and selfish, which my kids do not like very much. It's not much fun playing with someone that believes they know everything about everything and is not so nice. Anyways, I offered to have her at my house last night, with reservations, but she hadn't been over since before BW died and, well, you  know. Everything was going so well, and the kids were getting along great. I was so pleased. Until... Now for the reason of the title.

My daughter came out of her room at 1100pm crying and stating she "just can't be in there with her". At first I though it was drama queen stuff, but I did follow her to the dining room to find out. SW apparently made a statement about school and my DD stated "I wouldn't know about that because I'm not in school". SW stated that "homeschooling is stupid and anyone who homeschools is, too". She stated that "you can't do anything, your day is set. Mine might seem set because I'm in classes, but it can change all the time." (obviously she really doesn't know about homeschooling). My DD attempted to explain to her that homeschooling is not like how she thought, and then SW stated "whoever teaches homeschooling doesn't know anything, things are always changing and they don't stay updated," or something like that. My DD stated "my mom is my teacher", then SW said "well she probably doesn't remember everything." I'm not sure how much else was said, but my DD couldn't take the bashing anymore and left her room. She said to me "I knew this would happen one day, I just was hoping it wouldn't be today". I felt so sad for her. She knows that not everyone likes or approves of homeschooling and she usually can stand up to that. But I think coming from a 10 yo who is sort of supposed to be her friend, really hurt her. I talked to her some more and let her lay down in my bed for a few minutes. I went in and talked to SW and she, of course, changed what she said. (she has done this before). I exlained to her that even though she doesn't like homeschooling, we do homeschool and so do many other people. She just doesn't know any except us. I then told her that my DD was upset b/c of what she said. Then said that if she had any questions, she could ask me.

I just wasn't sure what to say or how to handle it. When it comes to an adult critic, I know exactly what to say, but to a 10yo that I care for very much b/c of her mom, I felt almost speechless. I did tell her father that there was a disagreement and he said "everyone is entitled to their opinion". I didn't tell him everything, but I so wanted to. I feel frustrated about this because of how it effected my DD. Also because I want SW to become closer to our family (that is what her mom wanted), but her dad hasn't taught her how to be pleasant and proper. He has always had a different kind of attitude. They are not christians and he opposes any talk of it. We have invited them to church and even taken her before with us, but not in a long time because her dad is almost against it. He was raised Catholic and almost to atheist during college. He says "I believe there is a God, but I don't believe in going to church".

I guess I just needed to vent. This is really long, I know. I would love advise if anyone has a though. My DD is feeling better about everything today after we talked. SW went home before church this morning.

Well, thanks for reading. Take care and blessings to all of you.

short vacation

Hello everyone. I haven't posted much and wanted to add a note. We just returned from a nice vacation to Williamsburg, VA. We drove the Colonial Parkway and went to Yorktown and walked the beach, too. We found all kinds of shells and such. We also found live hermit crabs. WOW! It was so exciting.

It's so beautiful down there and there is so much history. I went one time before when I was a teenager and that was it. 20 something years later and some maturity, too, changes the view alot. I am happy that my children were able to see so much. Since we homeschool, we were able to learn about things before going and during, unlike when I was a kid. I love homeschooling! It's makes everything that much better, in my opinion. 

Well, that's all for now. Oh, I haven't even told everyone here that I was chosen for to be a member of The TOS Crew. The focus group for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I'm really excited about this opportunity and will be posting reviews as I go along.

Take care and God bless all of you and your families.

~Mona Lisa