We took yesterday off from traditional schooling and spent the day playing games and relaxing.Then in the afternoon we decided to make cookies for our neighbor and Kenna said she wanted to make cookies for the lady  up the road

Last week we had a run in with this lady she stopped my kids when they were playing outside and told them they should not be outside.Then yelled at me that I would get reported.......oy vey .....smile and breath

SO Kenna says "Mommy maybe that lady is grumpy because she needs some cookies"

SO the oldest boys and Kenna made cookies while the others drew pictures for her.We went up to the door and rang her doorbell and the look of shock on her face was priceless.She asked what these were for and Li'l Jerry said cuz you're our neighbor.Well she started crying and calling the kids sweet  and hugged all of them.It made the kids feel very good and I was able to explain we homeschool.I think her whole demanor changed!What a great day I love how kids are not scared to do things like this because I was shaking that she would yell at us.What a wonderful homeschooling lesson!

Um ok this is something that has been  on my mind since this last weekend when we went to my inlaws for breakfast.I should first and foremost say that both my mil and my bil are teachers.My mil is cionstantly testing the kids......

SO when we were sitting there eating breakfast holly says I have a friend at my dad's house.and my mil says well thats one point to you.I was like what?Well we have to score kids by they're socializing skills to see if they need special ed?and since she has one friend thats a point for her.Ummm she's 2!!!!!SO the rest of the day over there if the kids did something she would tell me wether or not  they earned a point or lost a point...it got to a point where i was like so do i loose a point?

Why are we scoring our kids by points when we should be looking at the problems they may be having and trying to solve them not make them fit into a graph?This really bothers me.Not so much with my kids because my kids are constantly impressing my mil.But it does get old that they try to fit them into the public school mold when they are not in public school?I want better for my kids so I can be there and help them with their problems not let a teacher decide where their strengths and weeknesses are.I mean what if a kid is terribly shy and does not make friends eaily he looses a point because he is the way he was made?that's absurd!!!

Thank you thank you thank you JuggilingPaynes!I finely figured out how to post pics on here so here it is my family!!!!

This is Li'l Jerry,Nathaniel,and Kenna.Jerry is almost 10 Nathaniel is 8 and Kenna is 6.These three are probably my most logical thinkers and my hardest workers

This is Holly and ANdrew.Holly is 2 going on 10 I swear!And Andrew is also 6.Thes are our 2 goofballs of the family always entertaining us!

This is my Lane he is 4 soon to be 5.what can I say about Lane?EVen though Holly is the youngest he is definatly my baby!He's always great for a cuddle and a kiss

ANd then their is me and Jerry!!!Yup we are the two semi gron ups who run this big family and love every minute of it (now that the diapers are gone)I feel so blessed to have him back into my life after  12 years of not knowing where each other were.We are complete opposites but in some ways so much alike.He is more logical about things though whereas I tend to think anything is possible and wont listen to other people or care what they think.

This is our happy family!More pics to come I promise!

I guess it's officially time to learn how to hook up the house for gas!!!COnsidering we no longer all live in a 700 sq foot one bedroom house it is now a 2000 3 bedroom house and the little woodstove in the dining/schooling room will no longer keep us warm!SO this weekend while the kiddos are at the exes we will be making a huge mess I'm sure!!!

SO I made the oatmeal and hot cocoa for all the kiddos this morning.Some of the kids like it some of the kids don't(the oatmel that is)I put in appleasauce and cinnamon.SOmetimes I dont get how these kids ate before I came along and wonder how long it will take them to switch them over to a little more natural food!!!ALthough my tuna noodle casserole last night was a big hit and even Li'l J said he was glad I was here because if dad didnt barbeque at night for dinner then he would go get Mc Donalds.I'm all for the once a month happy meal but we're talking at least 2x a month!!!

I ran to the library last night as I had forgotten to turn in the 2nd disc of the He Man video we had checked out.WHen I told the lady I had forgotten it she smirked at me....I said What it was my kids that checked it out!lol so what if I watched all the episodes too!

I think the kiddos were ready for a day of school!Everyone did much better today and worked really hard.We learned about Hieroglyphics and they all wrote their names in Egyptian.

The older two boys are working on proper letter writing.It's funny because they're both so technical that getting them to loosen up and write a friendly letter is hard.

Kenna and Andrew have been working on their reading skills and comprehension.They are coming along very well.ALthough it's hard sometimes with Andre because he is behind where Kenna is for reading.

Something new I have implemented is D.Y.O.T. time or Do Your Own Thing Time.I originally implemented it for the older boys so they would have some time away from each other and maybe that would stop so much of the rudeness.But funny thing is.....The younger ones do better with it then the older ones.The older boys are craving company 15 minutes into it and it's only 30 minutes long!!

Dinner tonight is Tuna Noodle Casserole one of my all time favorites!I'm baking chocolate chip cookies now and hoping they will be done by the time Holly wakes up!

How come things never go as planned?But yesterday didnt go as planned but still ended up being a wonderful family day for all!We went to papas and grandmas for breakfast and ended up being there till after 1.It's a wonderful house that they're rdoing and it's out in a very rural part more rural then where we are.after breakfast mom had bought some books at the book fair at her school(yes both mil and bil are teahcers)and one was on making paper airplanes....so the three oldest boys spent then next 3 hours making airplanes.

Mil Great Grandma and Me sat out on the front porch with Holly and talked and bird watched.It was sooooo relaxing!

We came home had a quiet time then played outside for a bit.Took the kiddos out to Denny's for dinner and then came home and played Disney Scene It.Of course my team of me,Kenna,and Lane won!I don't know why but I get EXTREMLY competitive in this game.And when you think about it who really cares who knows more Disney trivia?Wait I do!!!!!

Well I pulled out all the shorts yesterday and we are officially only wearing pants.We still could probably wera them but I need the extra space in the dressers lol!

My father in law called the two oldest boys yesterday to invite all of us to Breakfast this morning.Thank God!I'll let other people cook for me whenever!I love to cook too but when I have 6 hungry kids waiting on me it can get a bit rushed.

We wrapped up our first week studying Egypt and Next week we will learn about mummies.The kids are very excited.I also heard that the boys worknooks are back up here so no more making needless  copies and wasting ink!!!!

Today is our STepfamily day.so instead of picnic at the park we're going to breakfast with the rest of our family!Hope everyone else has a wonderful day

I am very relieved to have a place to finally write this down and maybe glean off of other families who have been there.

I always told myself I was not surfe I could be a stepmother.I love kids but the thought of "sharing" kids that were not my own tore me up inside.I am blessed that for the most part me and the boys mom get along pretty well although there was a problem earlier this week where we made t-shirts for everyone and i left out her mother's boyfriend.she felt the need to call me and tell me i should've let the boys do one for him.well the subject hadnt come up till after the fact that i had already traveled 40 minutes into town and gotten just enough shirts then the kids brought up the fact they wanted to do one for him.the t-shirts took 3 days to make for all those i made them for.I was crushed.....heartbroken...shattered.....

and then the fleshy part of me took over and i wanted to say to her well what about the boys workbooks you asked to see last weekend and you didnt send back?or what about the fact that i even bothered to THINK of YOUR mother for grandparents day.Or what about the fact that she really didnt have any room to say anything because SHE walked out on her own children saying she couldnt be happy being a mom.BUT I HELD MY TONGUE let her speak her mind and then told her how sorry I was and that i would keep that in mind for Christmas.

I knew stpemothering would not be easy but what happened to boundaries?WHich leads me to my next daily struggle which is the one that is hardest.

My oldest is 9 almost 10 and he is my stepson Li'l J.He is a wonderful boy who is very smart for his age and is delving into the world of homeschooling and realizes all the good that comes form it.Such as being able to play basketball with his 6 year old brother.

UNfortuantly though i think he has been left to do most things on his own in his lifetime.Because he is constantly on the other kids about whatthey are doing it or how they are doing it.Or if they dont understand something he has said he will loose their temper with themI have told him if you would not talk that way to me or your dad you are not allowed to talk that way to other people I am constantly reminding him to watch his tone.He was doing so good last week till he came back from his moms :( I just dont know how to deal with it.He has got to be the best at everything and he will lie to keep from getting into trouble even though you say you heard him talk this way.This morning him and Nathaniel were jabbering during math I had told him and Nathaniel many times to please  be quiet.I walked into the room after listening to them both still talking and said boys i'm serious.Nathaniel put his head down and Jerry gave me a very bossy "WHAT!" I flipped then he tells me he wasnt talking.I just dont get it where does he think he can talk to me like this.It just broke my heart.Do I chalk it up to pre teen hormones or something else?

Tomorrow is National StepFamily Day!!!! I did a search last week when we were working on Granparent's Day presents.(We made T-shirts for them with the kid's handprints on them)

SO I decided that we should make it a special day that the kids plan.The only rule was it has to be something everyone can do and something that does not cost any money or little.

On the list of things to do tomorrow:

-Public swim at the pool

-Picnic in the Park

-The kids are gonna put on a puppet show of the 3 little pigs

-a BIG family dinner

-and to wrap up the night a very competitve game of Disney Scene IT!!!

I am so blessed to have such a great step family/family.I am looking forward to a day with all the kids

So we are currently studying the STory of the World Ancients and Using History Odyssey Ancients l.Right now we are studying Egypt and the Egyptian people.

Li'l J was reading a book yesterday on the subject and they showed how to paint your face like an Egyptian and how to make an Egyptian collar.He asked if he could do it and I said sure so all the kids got their faces painted and they worked very hard on their collars.I wish my camera was working!They were so proud of themselves and I had 6 little Egyptians running around here playing Pharoah.We are studying about the Nile too and the big boys are picking an animal of the nile to do a short report on.Li'l J picked the Nile Crocodile and Nathaniel picked the Egret.

Kenna has dance class tonight which means I'll actually get to see some more homeschool moms.Her teacher is in our homeschooling group and a wonderful lady.I just stare at her in marvel with how gentel she is with all the girls even thoughs that need a stern talking too.The one thing I always here when I say I homeschool 6 is "wow i wouldnt have the patience for that"and I have to laugh.Anyone who knows me knows that one of my giftings is NOT patience.But through teaching the kids and learning with them I am slowly gaining more.But the words Lord Grant Me Patience comes out of my mouth more than not :)

This is my first entry here.I have blogged in other places,but lets just say I want to find a place where i can blog safely out of the eyes of ummm well sleaze?LOL

A little about me and my family.I am with my old highschool boyfriend from 12 years ago.We both have had previous marriages that for me resulted in 5 wonderful kids(1 who is in heaven now) and for him 2 wonderful boys.He has full custody of the boys so yes we are a family of 8 and we love it.He likes to joke that he watched too much Brady Bunch as a kid.

My kids have a year of homeschooling under thier belt.And his poor kids have been shuffled around from public school to public school quite a few times.SO this is quite the adventure mixing in homeschool and non homeschooled before kids.But the boys seem to be taking to it quite well and I think it's helped with our family adjustments.

I enjoy keeping home and baking and cooking.My future mother in law likes to joke that I'm a hippy,while if you asked my mom she would laugh and probably say I have not done much for the woman's movement.I am a strong believer in the women's place is in the home,and our chief responsibility is to make the house a home of love and safety and raise well mannered,honest,virtuos children.

I hope you enjoy reading our blog and I cant wait to meet more homeschooling moms on here