well, at first I was intimidated because everyone seems to write such thoughtprovoking blogs = and then I thought - i don't care . . .

so, here goes - i broke down and did the Connections Academy thing - you know, the charter school online.   it's going okay but pretty intense - lots of work for us considering we were fairly solid UNschoolers.    So what changed?   Well, the kids did - actually.  They wanted to make sure that they were on task.   I have a feeling that next year they won't ask to be in it again - which is fine with me.

Emily is in hawaii for a year long missions trip. 

that's enough for now.

martha

i have all the daily schedules typed up, the plans for corps work are in place, program ideas lined up - whew . . .

busy new years day!

I finished Don's video - it was fun, but took a long time - but it was worth it.

all right gotta go.

Martha

So we are on day three of hanukkah - even though I think it is day 4 . . . i'll have to check.   But we are reading a book called Alexandra's Scroll - it's great.

I've done my end of the year planning - gettimg my life back in order after the craziness of an Army christmas season.  

I've got a schedule for homeschooling - let's hope it works - incorporating Bible Bowl, music along with some basics.  

we've made some personal goals - calling them CLAIM THE LAND - with each letter standing for a scripture verse, which stands for a goal - hoping it will help me learn bible verses for those things that are important to us.

I'm hoping to keep up with this a little better  . . .but we'll see. . . .

sometimes I wonder.   okay, so right now I am smack dab in the middle of taking christmas applications for people who need help with food and toys.

sometimes i feel like i live such a double life.  I don't really celebrate Christmas - except to use as an evangelistic tool and a way to talk to people about Jesus.   And yet here I am, helping people get toys and food for a holiday that they don't really even celebrate themselves.

Now, I am NOT being cynical - and I'm not in a bad mood - but I just don't get it - when people have to be given toys so that they can give them to their kids.   Why can't they make something - or do something together as a family - or have a nice family dinner (which is rare among many families).    Why the whole toy/gift thing? 

Now, dont get me wrong -  I love to give gifts but to be honest, I like doing it all the time.   It's not my main love language but I love doing it.  I just don't understand why we emphasize it at Christmas.     It just sounds so materialistic and greedy to teach our children to expect something for nothing - and from people that they don't even know. 

Anyway, I'm trying to make my schedule like this - I will be at home in the morning (do school, housework, etc.) - then me and the kids all go to the church and I work and they hang (sometimes doing schoolwork, sometimes playing in the gym, sometimes volunteering with the other groupies).   About dinner time, Steph (the girl who is living with us for a little while) comes by and picks up the kids to take them home for dinner, baths, and bed - and usually movies.   That's the plan.   we've done it for two days - ithas worked.  

the problem is school - since i am so busy with christmas at the office right now, i don't spend a lot of time on schooling them - so I'm looking for self-directed activities - which works well for three out of four of them!  

I'm going to make Hanukkah books and have them go through them during the slow hours when I'm busy . . . coloring, etc.   I also have JBop which goes through the holidays.    other than that, they are doing the times tables daily and reading Narnia.

sigh - so little time, so much to learn, so many books!!!!

I am excited to find a blogging space for homeschoolers - we have problems that other people just don't relate to.   When I do have a problem, their response is - just send them to school and have done with it!!!   

well, I'll try to keep this fairly current - if only for myself.