As I write this, I can hear the birds singing and the sun is shining.  It's supposed to be in the mid 60's today!  I can't wait to get the kids out and riding their bikes at the park.  I can hardly wait for the leave to be back on the trees, as we have been doing botany and neglected to collect leaves in the fall.  Next time, I will remember to do this!

My daughter has auditions with the Atlanta Opera for their Children's Chorus and the Gwinnett Young Singers.  She is very excited.  My son just started soccer last week.  This will be his 2nd season playing.  He loves it!

I am now teaching science at our group's CoOp once a month.  We focus on the days of creation - this week (the waters above and the waters below - weather).  The kids enjoy it and so do I.  We are gearing up to do Tapestry of Grace next school year.  I can't wait.  I think this will make my life easier and will help keep us on track.  Right now, I am trying to decide if I want to find a TOG Coop in my area (or start one) to help keep us accountable and to do group projects.  But that might be too much!

We are planning a trip to the Creation Museum later this summer.  I can't wait!  I wish I could load up all the Public School kiddies that I know and take them too!

Well, my kids are finished with breakfast and it's time for them to get dressed and ready to start school for the day. 

Have a blessed day! 

Well, the holidays are over and we're back in school.  My 5 year old is almost finished with his first Christian Liberty reader and my daughter is almost finished with Botany.  She is doing well with Sequential Spelling and Math.  We're doing fractions right now and will then move on to harder mulitplication and division.  We are thinking of using Tapestry of Grace Next year.  

My daughter recieved her first set of badges for American Heritage Girls - gardening, home care and repair, Pet Care, swimming, Personal Well-Being and Etiquette, Young Meteorologist,  and the Joining Award.  She has 18 hours of community service (and earned 3 more just before the award ceremony).  So she has 3 service stars.  Both kids are working on their Pinewood/Powder Puff Derby cars.

We lost 1 crab right after Christmas (it got stuck on something and died trying to get loose) and another one last week.  Both belonged to my daughter - so we turned her 10 gal tank into a home for a beautiful black gerbil named, Black Beauty (Blackie for short).  She is very sweet and will let the kids pet her.   I am going to put the other gerbil in a tank as soon as I can.  The big dog had tried to eat him twice!!!!!

My husband introduced our daughter to a card game called Redemption.  She was starting to want to collect the horrid Yu-gi-oh cards.  This is along the same lines, but is based on the Bible instead.  Much better.  When I get a chance I will post some pictures of the cards.  The artwork is beautiful.

We went ahead and signed our son up for the county soccer league.  In the past, we have only played sports with the church.  This will be a big leap for us.  Fortunately, my husband signed up as a coach.  My daughter did not want to play soccer this season, she prefers bowling instead.  She's more of an individual athelete.  So, she will be bowling in a league.  I'll post her scores as they come in.

Well, I guess that's about all for now. 

We had a wonderful Christmas!  However, I think I will greet the new year with a severe head cold!  Oh well, better now then when school starts back.  Santa left us a gerbil.  At first I thought he looked like a rat, but he seems to be growing on me!  My son keeps wanting to take him on a walk.  How do you explain to a 5 year old, that gerbils don't go on walks?

Happy New Year!!!!

The Babaz Family in the Duluth Cahoose!

Calen - Age 5 - Adv. Red Belt

Kierwyn - Age 9, Novice Black Belt

We learned a long time ago, that December is not a very productive school month.  We don't plan any schoolwork during the holidays.  If any gets done, that's great!  But, at least there's no pressure.  Instead, we read novels like "A Christmas Carol", "Charlotte's Web", do daily devotionals, read a different book about Christmas everyday, make cookies and gifts for teachers and friends, go shopping, we help out with the Salvation Army and so on and so forth.  So, yes, even though I don't do "book work", we do count December as a schooling month!

My children are learning greater lessons about faith and giving than they ever could from a textbook.   For this, I am grateful for the opportunity to homeschool.  Thank you God and all of our Service Men and Women that help keep our country free so that we may continue to have the freedoms that we so enjoy!

Merry Christmas!