Posted in Poetry Studies

     My DD has dreams of being a writer & poet one day. She is working on a book right now, and is doing an exceptional job on it. She came to me last night and said, "Mamma, I want to read you a poem I wrote."

     I said, "O.K. let's hear it."

     This was her poem:

 "The Rose"

Posted in Homeschool Happenings

     Why is it that I get up each morning wanting to put in a hard day at work (you know, schooling) & my children & I always have different things in mind. Here it is, after a good nights rest we should be ready for the books, righ? No, that's not my children's theories. We're good & rested Mamma so lets play! So here I go trying to tell them the importance of getting in our books & doing our work for the day. And it is as if my children have a whole that goes straight through their head, as if their ear drum was missing in both ears. They don't hear anything I'm saying about important, school work. What is this? Are my children the only one's like this?

     Well, soon God moves & we manage to get to our books & get most of our work done, but not always what I'd like to get done. But thank God for what He did help us accomplish. We survive the day.

     Later at night, I say bed time & tuck my little one's in all snuggly & tight, put them on an audio to listen to so they can just drift off in to la,la land. I start for the bathroom & then discover my children feasting with good books. Let me remind you, what was that I had been trying to get them to do all day? Getting in to their books. It makes me question myself. Do we need to just school at night? God help us to know your direction. Prayer can bring unity. My children & I will get on the same wave link after a while.  All of you pray for us.

     Hope all of you are having productive days, Blessings, Traci 

Posted in Ramblings

     Well, not a whole lot around our house today. The children are playing, I am on the computer, & my DH has been getting everything situated outside for the storm we are expecting this evening & on through the night. I just praise God that it is not another hurricane.

     I am sitting here for the first tiem trying to learn how to categorize my posts on my blog. Hopefully I will figure it out.

     I have two blogs now. The other one is: www.homeschoolblogger.com/minutebyminute It's a long story why I have two blogs now. I won't get in to it. I'll Post on the both of them from time to time. Some posts may be the same, but more than likely they'll both have some of our happennings on them.

     Well, if I am going to learn anything about categorizing, I'd better get off here. Blessings, Traci

Posted in Poetry Studies

     William Blake is an English poet that we are currently studying. He is becoming very popular with my children. I just didn't think poetry would capture their attention like it has done, but out of all of our biographies we have chosen to read, he is the one they always want to start with.

     I never was too big on poetry when I was in school, but even I am enjoying myself. I was hesitant about bringing poetry in to our studies. I suppose I have gotten wiser with my age because I have been able to fall right in there with the children and enjoy myself also.

     After making the decision to use living books this year, I can already see my children engulfing the material that is being placed before them.

     We have been using quotes, poems, rich paragraphs, etc. from our biographies we are reading for our copy work. My children are developing an eye for great rich info, now that it is not being spoon fed to them by a text book.

     My DD followed me all over our house last night with a book and a high lighter marking rich material for future copy work. She even followed me to the bathroom and stood at the door reading and marking. I didn't exactly want her there, but it was a little funny watching her graze in a good book. She was devouring every word.

     By the way, she was reading from a 1978 Daily Guide Post. It is filled with famous quotes, poems, stories to go along with them about something that happened in history, etc. We high lighted page after page for our copy work in the future.

     Besides William Blake, here are the other books we are reading: 

 History: "George Washington" An American Life

                     By Laurie Calkhoven

                  "Benedict Arnold" Trader To His Country

                      By Jeannette Covert Nolan

     Library Read Aloud: "A Man of Prayer & Courage" George Washington

                       By Norma Cournow Camp

     Poetry: "William Blake"

                       By James Daugherty

     Science: "James Watt" Inventor of a Steam Engine

                        By Robert N. Webb

     Artist: "Copley" A Biography

                        By Elisabeth Ripley

     Geography: "The Hudson Riverof History"

                        By May McNeer

     I can see where people say living books make a great curriculum. They are so rich. A biography gives you so many details about the person you are studying. It makes the text books look like a short paragraph. My children & I are soaking up our studies like a sponge.

     Speaking of my children, my DD is back with another book reading more quotes & poems from an A Beka reader saying, "Here's more copy work." I think it is bed time, or I know it is past bed time for my DD. Not that I don't appreciate her collecting  copy work, but it is difficult trying to type & give her my undivided attention that she thinks she needs because she is talking. So I'd better go for now. Blessings to you all, Traci

Posted in Homeschool Happenings

     Well, we started school last week & I was wanting to jump right in, but things hasn't worked out that way. My DS is having a little bit of a problem getting back in to the swing of things. I had thought for sure, this year, he would be ready to just jump in & do his school work without some motivation.  That's not the case. I had thought after 3 years of schooling he would know that the faster he completed his work, the faster he could go play. Guess he hasn't figured that out yet. We desire all of your prayers.

     We have been enjoying what schooling we have done. We've done some English, Math, Spelling, History, Bible, & Science. Our history & science has consisted of reading books. We also have been doing our library read aloud & reading our Literature (The Bears of Blue River) & my children are loving it. my children love read alouds! They beg for more. One chapter is never enough. Most of the time my DH just has to say, "That's enough for one day." I'm always sitting there thinking, "He should know wy they are begging for more. They are like their mommy & daddy, they love reading."

     Charlott Mason believes a child can retain much knowledge from just reading books. I have to agree with her. My DC have learned so many things from just reading books or our read alouds. We are going to try doing our history this year by just reading good living books. I am going to do a trial & error thing. I want to see if they pick up on more information this year with just reading, or do we need to go back to the text books. (Oh, how I hope not.)

     Our Science is going to consist of many different things: reading books, experiments, kits, etc.

     If I could just convince myself that my DC could learn to become great spellers by just reading, our school would be a very relaxed one.  Lot's of reading, some notebooking pages, our copy work, math, Bible, & a bit of English.

     Well, I must cut this post short. My dear sweet hubby has just prepared me a burger to eat so I'd better go. I was blessed with the greatest husband. I couldn't have asked for any better. He spoils me so much. He also has our children spoiled. Just the other day our DD was giving me a long list why she could never have another daddy. The entire list was ways that her daddy has gotten her spoiled and she just knew no other daddy would do those things for her.

     Children are so funny. They come up with things like that & I'm thinking, your daddy is not going anywhere. I love him too much to let him go anywhere.

     Well, out of here for now. Blessings to you all, Traci 

Posted in Ramblings

     Drop in over at VeiledGlory's blog & enter the great give away she is having. She is going to give away three books. They are:

    "The Power of a Praying Wife",

   "Excellent Wife", &

   "Beloved Bride".

     I have "The Power of a Praying Wife" & it is pretty good. It gives lots of scriptures on how to pray for your husband & family. The other two I haven't read, but are books that I have heard were great material & want to read them.

     So here is the link VeiledGlory Go join in the give away. Blessings, Traci

Posted in Homeschool Happenings

     We started school yesterday after taking the summer off. It was pretty exciting, but a bit hectic on the other hand. I had finally decided to use the Old Fashioned Education site 4th grade level for our main focal point & take some things away & add a few things of my own. It has turned out that it is a tremendous amount of material we will have to cover this year.

     We managed to get the most part of our work done yesterday, it took us a while. I am hoping it is just because the DC & I are just out of the swing of things. I am going to moniter the situation and see if I neded to drop or rearrange a few things. I truly feel like my DC could handle the material, the time is just so consuming.

     I really like the books I have chosen for them to study this year. I feel like they will give them a well rounded education with all of the living books. I love the C.M. method of education, but we are reading so many books at one time. I don't know if my little ones will be able to follow so many books at one time. I watched to see today if they were getting the books confused with one another, but they didn't.

     Surprisingly, they kept them sorted very well. I guess my worry may just be that motherly instinct in me trying to protect my little biddies. I know I should enhanse our curricula a bit more each year, but I just don't want to overwhelm them with too much. If anyone has any imput on this, please feel free to comment. I am going to try to get the books posted we are using for everyone to see Then maybe someone can give me their point of view.

     I guess I've rambled enough for one day so I'd better go. Praying that you all are having a great summer/new school year. Blessings, Traci

     Well, it was a very exciting week last week. My sweetheart and I have been married 10 years now. We spent the entire week together! No DC, just us. Not even our phones. We monitered every call & only talked to those we chose to converse with.

     Our anniversary was on Thursday of last week. The children had left on Sunday to go stay with my M-I-L,for Bible school at her church for the week, so that left us to enjoy our time together.

     We didn't go anywhere. we enjoyed the comforts of our own home (so no motel bill), had all the privacy we wanted, & could do anything we wanted, when we wanted. If I wanted to sleep to 10:00 a.m. or ... I could. It was great!!!!!

     On Wednesday, because of Thursday being our church night, I prepared us a nice candle light dinner. Soft music in the back ground & our sweetheart glasses, as my children call them.My hubby made a special toast & I cried. He also read my marriage plaque he had gotten me when he proposed to me, beings I don't wear jewery. It was so sweet. He couldn't have taken me somewhere & it meant as much as our time alone.

     I thank God for the blessing He has given me. I chose some sour apples in my past, but God blessed me with the sweetest fruit, Elton. I love you sweetheart. I pray God blesses us with many more happy golden years together. Traci

Posted in Homeschool Happenings

     Hi guys, we haven't been doing any real schooling this summer. We took the summer off, or so the children thought. We did participate in our summer reading program (school that they don't consider), swimming in their Aunt conny's pool (,more school, P.E. they don't consider), counting their  money they have earned from time to time (school, they don't consider), & of course, all of the science that has been found in our backyard. No real schooling,but much more than they realize. My DD has even brought me notebooks & showed me her copy work/penmanship. We took the summer off, but have accomplished so much.

     I am looking forward to August so we can get started back with school. I think my DC are actually looking forward to it also. The only problem with starting back up with school is that my mind is scattered in many directions on what we want to study/cover this year.

     The last few months of last year we used the Charlotte Mason method of teaching & it went so well. I want to make the same approach this year, but not sure if I want to use my curriculum I have, Ambolside, or Old Fashion Education. I may just use a bit of all of it. I like spontenuity getting up each morning with something new to dive in to. Using many different things will allow us to be able to do that. 

     Our school year may involve lots of spontenuity this year. Because of Elton becoming disabled & us having to go on disability, our income is not that great & I may have to get a job. My heart is torn in this. I want to go to work to make ends meet & be the help mate I need to be to my sweetheart, knowing that he is not able, but then there is that mother side of me that wants to be home with my babies. Should I get a job, it is going to be hard for me & my children. We have never been apart for more than a few days of them spending the night with a grandmother or aunt. Being apart every day will be a hard bridge to cross. We desire all of your prayers.

      I'll keep you all posted on what happens. I'd better go for now.  Blessings to you all, Traci

Posted in Ramblings

     Hi everyone, hope all is well with you all. I know it's been a while for me posting, but things have been a bit hectic.Between schooling, my mother being sick my nephew being sick, & my grandmother getting sick & us having to take care of her around the clock until her passing last week, I have not had time to get on the computer for nothing.

     Now things seem to look like they might slow down for a while so I can blog again.

     We did go to our Art banquet & had a marvelous time. My DH & I both won awards and sold a painting. I am so excited about my award! I won what they call "The Traveling Exhibit Award." That means my painting travels for six months to different galaries & in October will be on display in our state capital, woo, hoo!

     We finished up our school year using the Charlotte Mason method & my children & I were well pleased with our end of the year results. It worked so well the last few months of this past school year, we'll be starting back up in August with the same school setting.

     Through all that has been going on, I am looking forward  to our family getting back in our family routine of being at home, schooling, enjoying our back yard, etc. I just have to sit down and get things lined up for the things we will study this year.

There is just so many directions my mind is racing, I'm not sure which direction to let it race. I'm sure as soon as I take time to pull aside & get alone with my Lord, He'll give me a sure road map. He has not failed us the past 4 years & I know He won't fail us this year. 

     Well, time is up for now. It is time for us to get ready to leave for church, so until next time, blessings to you all, Traci

Posted in Ramblings

     I have had more excitement today! When we checked our mail today, there was a letter in there that I didn't know I was going to get.

     We (elton & I) had an opportunity to send some of our art work to the Very Special Arts in birmingHam Alabama so we did. Your art work has to go before a juror to be judged to see if it is good enough to be placed on display for this art exhibit. I wasn't sure how we would do, but thank's be to God, the letter we recieved today had complimentary tickets to the art exhibit April 15, 2008 on Tuesday of next week. Our art pieces had been chosen!!!! So Lord's willing we'll be heading to Birmingham next week to see if anyone buys our pieces. 

     We desire all of your prayers. With me being legally blind  (no income) & Elton on disability, we are hoping that my art work will boost our income one day. I am just now venturing out & putting my work on the market as a blind artist.  Hopefully this is just a beginning break through for what God is about to do in my art work.

     On another exciting note, today we went to a thrift store just for the purpose to see what books we might be able to find. My DS was so tickled because he found him a science book. When we got in our van & was on our way home, he was looking at his new science book (a high school science book) and he said, "Wow! Mamma we don't have this stuff in our science book we've been using." He was so excited at the new things he was reading & learning. (Only a third grader)  I was sitting there thinking, yes son, I know that stuff is not in our science book because that is on a much higher level than you should be studying for your grade level, but he was so excited & reading & discussing so many things, I just kept my mouth shut. I figure, if he's excited over the material & understanding it even though it is much higher than his level, why should I set his goal. If god is giving him the knowledge to understand that material, then I need not step in the way of God's hand moving.

     It blesses my soul to know that this child is the one that I have so many problems in the past trying to coach him in to reading and after a month of Charlotte Mason's Approach of mainly consisting of reading, now I see my son picking up book after book realizing there's some important information in the book that he might could learn. wooWho!!!! God is helping us so much. He gets all the Glory! Nothing in our self, all Him.

     Another late night, so better go. Hope all is well in each of your homeschools. Bless you all, Traci

Posted in Homeschool Happenings

     We got up this morning with plans of getting in a good school day so we could be ready for Homeschool Expo with Cindy Rushton tomorrow, but not long in to the day, our plans were changed. My aunt called & said she was sitting at a gas station & she didn't know if her tank had a whole in it  or what, but the gas was running out on the ground when she  was trying to pump.

     I thought, here goes our school day, but when a neighbor is in need it's an opportunity for a good deed. so we got ready & off we went to see if we could be of any assistance.

     I grabbed the library books & said, "Beings we are going that way, we'd better make a library run too."

     We got to where she was & thank god my hubby immediately spotted the problem. We had prayed when we got in our van that God would show him the problem and again God was faithful. There had been a limb that had gotten caught some how & it was stuck between the gas tank & the van & it had knocked the hose lose from her gas tank. Thank the Lord for showing him & soon she was on her way again.

     We went on to the library & that is when our fruitful day began. Here it was, I had thought our day was shot for any school, but God had other things in store, little did I know.

     My son is getting better, but he is not what you would call an advid reader. Today I could tell God wanted to shine some light on our homeschooling. Everyone was picking out their books to bring home or just brousing around & my son & I went in the children's reading room (a place where the librarian reads to the toddlers) and he got a book and sat down & began to read to me. He read three bookx! WooWho!!! We're on a roll. When we left the library, he started reading in the van. We went to my M-I-L's house & when we left there, he started reading again. God is on the move!

     Not even in the plans for the day & so much accomplished.

     My son started drawing a picture & I asked him what he was drawing & he said a carriboo. I asked him, "Do you know what a carriboo is?" He said, "Yes, Mom." (This was in one of the books he had read to me.) So I asked him, "What is it then?" He said, "A deer." That's good enough for me. Great job done! I'll take that as a naration. I can tell that he had learned something today. We are having a blast with the Charlotte Mason style of teaching.

     We found some great movies to go with our studies this week about stars, sun, moon, solar system, galaxies,.... I think this will make our library book on galaxies come alive to them. I have never seen my children more happier about schooling than they have been in the past month. I thank God for leading us down the right paths to follow.

     Well, I am going to go for now. I got me a great book to read also, now that I got me a program that goes on my computer & will read books to me. I got me a book called "Things We Wished We'd Known" compiled together by Bill & Diana Waring.  Anyone familiar with that book? I am looking forward to getting to do lots of reading. If anyone has any great suggestions, please feel free to leave them in a comment or email me. Wep, better go, Blessings, Traci

     Up this morning and getting ready to go to the house of God. What a thrill! Just to know that I have the freedom to get up and go worship my Lord this morning without having to worry that someone is going to throw me in stocks & chains if I am caught.  That's something my flesh would not like, but in the spirit, I suppose it would be just fine. Beings my Lord suffered for me, I should be willing to suffer for the name of Christ.

     Today the world forgets the suffering He done for us & how he said if you be ashame of me before men, I'll be ashamed of you before my Father. The world is in this fashion if I am around a person & they act like they don't have a problem with me being a christian then I'll let them know that I am. On the other hand, if I am around a person who acts like they don't care for christianity then I'll just not bother to let my light shine. Besides, if I let my light shine around that type of person they might not be my friend, or ..... What has happened to the true love of Christ?  What happened to the first commandment where Jesus said, "Thou shalt not have no other gods before me."

     Most people look at this commandment as some other object or person as another god, but this can go in many directions. Most of us don't want to admit it either, that sometimes we, our self, can be the other god we put before the God, Jesus Christ our Lord & Savior.  That old self-pleasing spirit, that spirit of having everything we want, right when we want it, just how we want it, & no other way except our way.  I know you all know what I am talking about, help us God? Help us learn the true meaning of love, the love like Jesus showed us when He went to calvary. Lord just help us get our flesh under your subjection & walk in your spirit?

     Well, I don't know how I got off on that, but it's good for us, a reminder that Jesus should be Lord of our life in everything.

     Our week has been great in school this week. Yesterday I was getting some things together for our notebooks for this week. We are going to study the Milky Way & galaxies this week. I got some things together that would be like things that you'd put in a lap book, but we are going to arrange them on notebook pages instead. I'll try to get pictures and post them. I think the pages are going to be so cute & such a fun way of learning.

     I had always thought that people learned so much from just reading, but I never knew how true that was until just lately. My children & I have just been reading books & some we've taken notes as we've gone through & others we have just read & I have seen my children pick up on so much. No long drawn out study, just reading through the book. It has been great.

     I am looking forward to planning my school year for the new year coming up in August. I have a feeling it is going to be our best year ever.

     Well, time to go out the door so I'll post more later. Everyone have a blessed day. Enjoy your Lord & Savior today, & all His beauty. Blessings, Traci 

Posted in Testimonies

      God has ben so good today. It has ben a marvelous day. I've been sitting in on cindy Rushton's Homeschool Expo conferences today, working with my children with their school work, picking up my house some, baby sitting my nephew, & my hubby even cleaned on the yards some. So much was accomplished & I know it was only the hand of God that let it happen.

     My days have been so much more at ease since I started with the CM style of HSing. And what is so amazing is that it won't look like we have accomplished much with our schooling, but when I go back to record it in my journal, our day is filled. We have been just taking our time with schooling, but our days have been so fruitful. I also see some changes in my DS.

     It used to be a battle just about every day with my DS, but for the past few weekss,taking our time & slowing down, he has worked wonderfully. 

It finally feels good to homeschool peacefully. Before the past few weeks, we were always pushing & rushing trying to get this done, trying to do that, but now that I have relaxed and just folowed my desires for the day, my whole family seems a lot happier. You all know the old saying, "If Mamma's not happy, ain't  nobody happy." Well, when we were so rushed with trying to get everyday's life  done around our house, I wasn't exactly the calm loving Mamma I needed to be. Some days I would just lose it. I knew that was not God's will or plan He had in mind for me homeschooling my children. He didn't mean for me to chew them up and spit them out every day. I knew something was wrong, but what? We were getting up and following the books every day. Just what could it be?  I see now following man's plan with all of the load of books curriculum has for you is not what God has in mind.

     God's call is to train up our children, not cram them in the way they should go. I have repented much in the past few weeks and now feel free in my soul that I am following God's way now. Not letting the books run us, but us enjoying our books at our pleasure.  I have actually been training my children in some things the past few weeks, instead of being like a drill sargent.   The stress load has been lighter so Mamma is happy, so now the entire family is loving it.

     Pray for us to be the family God would have us to be. We're on this journey trying to make it to the finish line, but we still have a ways to go. I know my Father is leading the way though. In Him, Traci

    I  received this email today & thought I'd share it with you all.  It's about leaving prayer out of school.

       I don't like it when people try to leave God out of the picture & in reality without Him there would not be, anything. 

The email is an essay a student wrote.

New Pledge of Allegiance (TOTALLY AWESOME) !

Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore Because the word 'God' is mentioned...
A kid in Arizona wrote the attached essay:



NEW School prayer :
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen 

Jesus said,
'If you are ashamed of me,
I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

      My prayer is that God will give good christian students the umption to spread His name & Word like wild fire throughout every school.

 

      Bless you all, traci

     Well, I had taken a week off to revamp my schooling and to refresh myself and everything went great.

     We stepped in to our new approach this week and my children and I are loving it.  We are slowly easing in to the Charlotte Mason Approach and we are thrilled with the results already.

     Usually, our days are long and drawn out. It has been so nice this week. 

     I'll give an example of just one of our days this week. On Tuesday, we did our school the Charlotte Mason way, I cleaned my house, had an appointment that was kept, and had time to pleasurely enjoy the computer or anything else I wanted to do because I didn't have to sit and feel guilty because something wasn't done. I could sit at ease. That is a first for our homeschooling.

     Charlotte Mason requires a child to learn through lots of reading and copy work. We love to read in this home so that has been excellent for us. Even my DS that I used to have to coach in to reading has just fallen right  on course.

     My children have been finishing their school work and have had time to go out side to enjoy the new family pet, Tank (a dog). Don't ask where that name came from. I don't know why we couldn't be one of those families that had a FOO Foo or Tiger or something, but instead we have Tank.  I suppose we're just like God would have our family to be though.

     I thank God for the way he has blessed our family and has had us at such ease this week. It has been rather nice to be without stress this week.

     I have tried to venture out & follow the leading of God in teaching my children in the pass, but just wouldn't get out of the boat and go with it. I figured I had sat in the boat long enough, it was time to swim a while. So we are swimming and having a wonderful time.

     I'm still getting a few things together for our schooling, but hopefully now I can visit blogs more often. If things keep going, I should be seeing you all soon, on a regular basis.

     Well, got to go for now. Tonight is our church night and I like to get everything ready ahead of time. Blessings to you all, Traci

P.S. If any of you have not heard of the Homeschool Expo with Cindy Rushton, check it out. I'm sure you'll enjoy it very much.

     Hi all, I haven't been on my blog for the past week because I have been sitting in with Cindy Rushton & all of the other wonderful ladies in the chat room for Talk-a-Latte. It has been a tremendous refreshing & I have met a lot of wonderful new friends.

     If any of you have never been to Cindy Rushton's blogs, you may want to consider it. She has so much to offer & she has given me so many others web sites that have been and are going to be even more helpful in the future.  Check her out.

     As for our schooling, we took the week off so I could do my homework & revamp   myself. I know this is not really the time of the year to be doing this, but I want to follow the leading of  the Spirit. I am homeschooling my children because I want to be in the center of God's will, so I think after 4 years of trying it everyone else's way, it's high time I back down from the world's way & let God take complete control.

     Forget having a set book setting that we have a certain time to be finished by. I am going to take the Charlotte Mason approach & run like fire with it so I can enjoy my little blessings that God has only lent to me for such a short time. They'll be grown before I know it.

     I know God called me to HS my children, but I have always had such a fear of not being able to teach them enough to be successful in life. I am tired of that fear the devil has placed upon me. I rebuke that spirit in the name of Jesus, my Lord & Savior, the one who equips me for all things. He will not call those that He will not equip. So get behind me Satan. I am going to do this God's way from now on. 

     God I know you are walking beside me & you said I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me so I am standing on your word.

I'll keep you all posted on how things are going around here. Sorry for that outburst. I just had to put the devil in his place. The Word says never give place to the devil & I have been doing that so I had to run him off. He has no place in my home or life.

     Well, I'd better go for now. I still have a few things I am looking in to before we start back on Monday. Blessings to you all. Hope to get around to speaking with you all soon, Traci

     Am I the only one that has a problem with this, "Breaking out of the box?" I have so many things I want my DC to learn, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything I want to do & follow the curriculum that I have purchased. I love my curriculum, but sometimes my DC just   school better when they think that it's not really schooling (doing school work that is not in their actual curriculum book).

     I am one of these that doesn't like ot waste  anything so it bothers me when we finish a school year with out doing all of our curriculum. I need help in this area. I want to follow the leading of what God would have me to teach my DC, but then there comes that fear again. You all know what I am talking about. The fear of am I teaching them everything they need to know? Am I doing enough of work with them? Is the work I am giving them too much for them?  Is it too easy for them?

     I feel like I am beating around in a box and can't find my way out. I know I am not suppose to compare my DC with others, but I don't want me to leave something out that would cause them to be behind. How do you get out of this box and let God lead you in your own HSing journey?

     I'm sorry, I guess I am just journaling instead of blogging. I desire all of your prayers.

      We have had a great day with our schooling today. My Dc have been very cooperative. They are doing super. I just need to discipline myself in some areas. 

     I'd better go for now. My niece just got here for the night. She is having to stay with me at night while her mother is at the hospital with the baby. Please pray for my nephew (the new baby) he is in the hospital, under an oxygen tent. I'll blog more later. Blessings to you all, Traci  

     I feel like I am living in the fast lane. I am running here & there, doing this & doing that, & it still doesn't look like I am getting anything accomplished. Do any of  you know what I am talking about?

     I have been working on my house today, but that is really not what I wantded to be doing. I have managed to get my house at least clean enough that I would not mind company. (Terrible me, I should do better).  I long to be the Proverbs 31 woman, but I am so far from it. I know god's frace is sufficient though so I know He is going to help me in this area. I am so thankful that God has mercy that goes a long ways. If it didn't, I'd be in a lot of trouble because keeping my house clean is an area that I have struggled in.

     We are schooling, but I'm not sure we are getting enough accomplished. I know as a HS family everything becomes a learning experience, but how much book work do you have to have to show your accomplishments. We have been doing lots of hands-on learning, but I don't have anything to show that we have done it. I know they are improving in some things though because I have seen it. There was a book that my DS could not hardly read at the beginning of the year and he is reading it now. He read 3 chapters the other day for me. I was so excited! I usually have to coach him in to reading just one chapter to me, but he just kept reading & of course I didn't try to stop him. I just let him go to see how far he would read before he stopped. I was so over-joyed by the time he did stop.

     I am a blind artist and I have also been working on my art work. I have 3 events coming up in the next couple of months I have to get some things together for them. I love painting, but I just don't have enough time to paint like I would desire. I know one day the children will be older & they won't require so much of my time & then I will be able to get more involved with my art work.

     In the midst of all of this, I need to take time to stop by the spiritual filling station & refill my tank. I feel like I am running on fumes. I definitely need more discipline in this area. If I could just slow down for about three days & get alone with the Lord, I know everything would just fall in place after that. He took time for me, Lord help me to take time for you.

     Speaking of time, I need to go. there are a few more things I want to get done with my housework & it is getting late in the day. Talk with you all soon. Blessings, Traci 

     I have been so busy with so many things. It is so hard for me to believe that it is almost March of 2008. Time gets away so fast.

     We have been working on our schooling, but not like I had planned. I had so many things I wanted us to accomplish before the end of this year, but we have had some things to come up that we wernot expectingso it has thrown us a little behind where I wanted my scheduleto be at this time.

     We've also had some sickness that has slown us down.

     Just a little update on my new nephew, who just turned 2 months old last week, he is now 14 lbs. 2 ozs. He is growing so much more faster than any of the other grandchildren grew. He is already holding his head up very good & trying to talk to you if you talk to him. I keep telling him he's not suppose to be doing all of these things so fast & growing as fast as he is growing. I want him to stay a baby for a little while beings he is probably going to be the last grandchild, unless my brother decides he will find a wife(which will surprise us all if he does). He says he doesn't need a woman to tell him what to do or spending all of his money so he'd better not get married.

     I have been working on my art work again. Maybe I can get some pictures posted for you all to see.

     It's late & I am just rambling on & on so I'd better go. Blessings to you all, Traci