My oldest dd is due to take the PSAT this fall (06/07) school year.  I was so worried I would have many road blocks with the local schools as far as her coming in to test there.   Well that was a whole lot of wasted worry because I spoke with the Assitant Principle at the local high school this morning and she was so nice.

She said just to give her a call back in September and she would get everything set up for my dd to take the test! 

What a relief!

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I am working on my plans for next year.  I am satisfied with what I have in place for my high schooler.   This is what she will be doing

Algebra 1- taken at local resource for homeschoolers.

English 2 Honors- taken at a local resource for homeschoolers.

Photography- This is a certificate program through the community college.

Hebrew- Rosetta Stone if I can ever get there page to come up.

The Joy of Science- from The Great Courses.. this is just lectures I will have to assign papers, labs, test and exams

Great World Religions- same as above

The Old Testament- same as above

The New Testament- same as above

I haven't quite gotten the schedule for my youngest finished but I am toying with

Math- Saxon 7/6

Language Arts- Undecided- Anyone got good advice for 7th Grade L.Arts?

Science- Undecided - Co-op or..

History- Undecided - Co-op or...

Art- Undecided Co-op or DVD

Sign Language- Online or through software

Tennis

I'm worn out already....:-)

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This week I had the opportunity to discuss the pro's and con's (yes, there are one or two) of homeschooling with a friend that wants to homeschool her son.

Her son is currently in Kindergarten at a public school.   There are only 4 months left in the school year and I encouraged her to leave him in until the end of the year.  Now before you start thinking that I'm a horrible homeschooler for suggesting this,  try to see my point of view.   The child is in no danger, is not being bullied or teased and is in a very decent school.  Thus, eliminating the need for a knee jerk reaction.

If she pulls him out right now,  the officials at her school are going to give her every reason under the sun not to homeschool. New homeschoolers second guess themselves enough without being talked out of it by school officials.

I told her that leaving him in for the remainder of the year would give her time to research and decide which legal option she wanted to fall under.  In our state we have 3 options for accountability- 1. School District,  2. an Independent Homeschool Association (basically a school district for home schoolers) and 3. what is known as Third Option.   Either way you go it takes a couple of weeks to line everything up and she has to have that paperwork to show when she pulls him out of school.  This way she can get everything lined up and when they have registration for next year she can just show that she is going to homeschool him.

It would also allow time for her to read and explore all the different homeschooling methods rather than just jump right into duplicating "school" at home.  This way she has all summer for her son to relax and come out of "School" mode.  

She has no plan in place yet.   She doesn't know if she wants to use curriculum, do unit studies, unschool or any other ideas.  I feel like if she gives herself the remainder of his school year to decide these things she won't flounder around, end up feeling like a failure and stick him back in school as a result.

Also, she has 3 little ones under the age of 3 and will be adding a newborn to that because she will be babysitting a friends baby after its born. I would hate to see her overwhelmed by it all, so I suggested she come to some of our homeschool group get togethers to meet moms that are successfully homeschooling while still attending to lots of little ones.  I have to admit a little envy of these moms..I've always wanted a large family.

I truly feel like this is the best advice I could have offered this friend.  If it were a different friend or different circumstances I am sure the advice would have been different.

What about you, what advice would you offer a new homeschooler?

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I'm still on my yard sale "rush" (ha ha).  This is what I wrote for the Yard Sale category of my Savings Blog this morning.  I thought I'd put it here too.  If you have a "ditty" post it in comments and I will add it to my list (of course giving you credit for it).

You know you are a Yard Sale Shopper When....

1. You drop your loose change and dollar bills in a jar at home just to use for Yard Sale shopping.

2. You feel like you've won the lottery when you open the Friday newspaper and there are more than 5 yard sales close to home.

3.The only day of the week you are up and out of the house before 7:00 AM is Saturday. No matter how cold it is outside.

4. You buy clothes for your kids, the neighbors kids, your friends kids and your nieces and nephews because you can afford too!

5. Your neighbors look forward to your coming home on Saturday to see what good deals you got.

6. When a friend compliments a decorative item in your home and you proudly say " I got it at a Yard Sale for .50." Then, you love the look on their face!

7. Buying name brand clothes with the tags still on them for $1 or less makes your heart race with joy!

8. You have a standing "date" with your best friend to meet before dawn on Saturday mornings so you can yard sale together.

9. You don't need a map to get around your town because thanks to Yard Saling you know where every subdivision and Church and rural road are located.

10. When you come across a sign for a Yard Sale that wasn't listed in the newspaper, you slam on brakes causing everyone in the car to get whiplash. Then you scream " Woohoo! I can smell them out!" and even your kids think you've lost it!

11. When your teenagers are so impressed by your deals they post about them on their blogs!

12. When you can spot an item you've been looking for from your car a block away as you approach the yard sale. But you don't buy it because they are asking too much for it.

13. When you hear about a church yard sale and you scream "Yippee those are the best ones!"

14. When you walk up in the yard and the smell of Moth Balls and Stale Cigarette Smoke is so strong it would knock a buzzard off a poop wagon but that does not deter you from plundering through the items.

15. Your idea of a fun Friday evening is listing the Yard Sales you want to go to by the time they start and where they are located and then mapping out the best route so you can minimize waste of time and fuel.

16. You no longer want to eat dinner out because it will cut into your Yard Sale budget.

17. You can scan a yard and in mere micro seconds determine if its a good or bad yard sale.

18. You keep oxyclean and spot shot on hand at all times in case you've overlooked a stain on something you've bought at a yard sale.

19. You don't understand why people cancel their yard sales just because it Rains!

20. You hold up traffic at every intersection you come to so you can scan the signs to see what Yard Sales are coming up this weekend.

21. You secretly laugh at people that pay full price for Tupperware because you own every Tupperware piece ever made and you have less than $10 in the whole set.

22.Even on days you don't buy one single thing you still have lots of fun!

23. You long for a bumper sticker that reads "I brake for Yard Sales!"

24. When you see an item at retail that you've just bought at a yard sale and you calculate the the amount of money you've saved and get shivers up and down you!

25. You look forward to going to the Flea Market on Sunday because all of the people are selling the leftovers from their Yard Sale the day before and you can get even better deals!

26. You don't worry when your child ruins a shirt or has torn a hole in their pants because you only paid .25 or .50 for them anyway. Besides now you have a cheap dust cloth or fabric you can cut into squares for a quilt.

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I had the best time hitting the yard sales today.  My youngest DD and I hit the road about 6:45 this morning!

We found some really great deals today.   I was looking for pants for her, gardening things for me, always looking for books (what homeschooler isn't?) and I always keep my eye out for good bargains.

We didn't luck up on any pants for dd but I did get two small racks for .50 a piece, each rack has three little pots in each to start herbs on the window sill  ...   I found an Introductory Algebra textbook that looks like its never been cracked for $1.00.  The deal of the day is a Baby Crib.  One of my dearest friends is expecting and she's been looking for a crib.  The used ones she's found so far have just not been in good shape.  I found a beautiful Honey Oak Crib that looks like they set it up,  looked at it and took it down. It actually was bought to be used at "grandmas" house and it just didn't get much use. This crib sold new for at least $200...I got it for..okay are you ready for this......... $15.   When I showed up at my friends house she almost fainted when she saw it.  All she could say was "It's so beautiful"  "I just can't believe you only paid fifteen dollars for it!"

All in all I spent about $20 today...and I was reimbursed the $15 for the crib!

Oh and one more good deal,  I found a winter coat for baby Matthew for $1.  Its a really nice heavy coat and it looks like it was hardly worn.  Its a Carolina Panthers coat and these type coats are pricey even for the toddler sizes so I came out really good there too. Of course his folks being the sports fans that they are liked it too!

I Love Yard Sales!

Looking forward to next Saturday!!

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I've missed posting on my blog and catching up with whats going on with everyone else.  I have been in bed with Acute Bronchitis and Early Pneumonia.   I never really lost the cough from the recent upper resp. infection and Tuesday I woke up feeling run down.  I felt like I really needed to lie down Tuesday afternoon  and when I woke up I knew something was very wrong.  I had 104 fever and I could not really catch my breath and trying to recover my breath when I coughed was really hard.

So off we went to the emergency room as my doctors office was already closed.

So I have been in bed the past few days.  The fever finally broke in the early hours of this morning and while I don't feel great, I feel better.  I don't have a lot of energy...when I go from room to room I get really winded, but I still feel better than yesterday!

My girls have been such a blessing to me. My oldest (she's 15) has been such a wonderful nurse!  She has just taken such good care of me and the house and meals for her dad and sister.

Bessie (11) is like me and is a germ a phobe so she hasn't been to close but she has done a great job of helping keep up the house and she has of course made me a many get well pictures which she clipped to my bedside lamp with a clothes pin...You can't beat waking up to that when you are feeling lousy.

I have learned something while I've been sick,   no matter how old your kids are you never lose your role as a mom and no matter how old you are you never lose your need for your mom.  My mom came by yesterday to check on me and to see if she could do anything for me.  I just felt so much better with her sitting on the edge of the bed just like when I was a little girl!   She was almost disappointed I think because she said "I wanted to come help around the house but the girls seem to have it all taken care of."      I told her that I was just glad she'd come.

Okay enough mushy mush!  I am off to see what the rest of you have been up too!

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We just got home from having dinner at my parents house.  My mom made the absolute best casserole I have ever eaten.  It's called Baked Chicken Salad.

It is absolutely going on my list of favorite foods..MMM MMM Good! 

I will be adding the ingredients to my grocery list for sure..

When we went by to see my folks yesterday, Bessie took the helicopter she'd built from the erector set.   My dad was enjoying tinkering around with it and said " I always wanted an erector set when I was a boy "   The way he said it was so wistful.  My dad had a hard life growing up due largely in part to a Step-Mother that was just plain mean.  So when the girls and I left I was pondering to myself what life must have been like for my dad growing up.     Coincidentally The girls in unison said " We want to buy Papaw an erector set.."

They decided it was just terrible that he'd never had one.  So each chipped in some of the money they got as Christmas gifts and bought him an erector set and wrapped it up.

I wish you could have seen his face when he opened it... I am not sure if it was the erector set itself or just knowing that he means so much to the girls but either way the look on his face was just too wonderful for words.

The joy of giving is even better than the joy of receiving isnt it!

I am off to soak some beans...

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Just a quick update because I have to crack the whip this morning.  I have 2 cakes to deliver.

The horse cake turned out okay...Just okay.  The person wanted it  just chocolate..so thats what I did.....I would have liked to do it a little different..Also there should be ears on top of the head but when they are on there it looks like a donkey....

Hopefully they will like it...The other cake is just a pound cake but I have found a great recipe for pound cake so I will post it later.

Bessie got an erector set for Christmas....As we have been passing around the cold thing we haven't gotten any "book" work done.  But she has build some amazing things that actually run! 

Here's the car she built:

Here's the helicopter:

Note the way girls play with the helicopters they build

Its a med vac.....for Polly Pockets!!

I have to get a move on ....but about the job for hubby...the company is very interested and hope to do an interview next week...

More Later,

T

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Dh has a lead on a job here in town!   The profile for it reads like a perfect fit and he emailed his resume over this morning.  The company has already called here for him!  Of course he'll have to call them back when he gets home so I will have more details then.  But the job description and his resume are almost identical..

We have not gained much ground school wise this week.  Oldest DD is now sick with what I had last week...My youngest is so off schedule now since the holidays sleep wise I'm not sure that we'll recover (LOL).

I did quit my part time job.  It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I already have a cake order for this weekend to do from home... I'm thankful for that.

Its a horse cake.  I will post the pictures when I get it finished.

I am really struggling to get back on schedule around here...any one got any good suggestions?

Hope everyone is well,

T

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I am feeling better and so is Bessie so I reckon we are back in business around here.  My day started at 4:30. I'll get the kids up around 6:00 and we'll start school around 7:30.

This afternoon we have to run errands -Grocery Store, Pet Store, Post Office, Movie Rentals, Library.

So our day is full.  I hope to squeeze in some time to crochet.  I am working on a ski mask for my dad. I want to get done and start making blankets and Booties for a good friend thats expecting. I found a book of the cutest blanket patterns on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  I'm itching to make one.  The best part is that she will actually use the stuff I make.  She loves handmade/homemade things!

I have decided to quit my part time job...I really miss home when I am at work.  I miss everything about home..Hubby, the girls, the house, the pets... all of it. 

My heart is at home. Still I worry about being home all of these years and not having enough Social Security credits..

I worry about what all of my friends that work think of me..and yes sometimes I do feel inferior to them.   I know I shouldn't because everyone has different things that make them happy. For some women its a career.  But whenever I am away from home it just doesn't feel right.   I try to picture me working full time after the girls are grown and it still makes me feel sad because I am looking forward to heaping a lot of extra love and attention on my  hubby...and I can picture myself always being there to help out with any future grandchildren if/when the time comes. 

I don't know any women that have been stay at home moms that then become stay at home wives I guess is the term? 

I guess I am worried people with think I am lazy and don't want to work...I don't mind hard work...If our livelihood depended on me working I would do it regardless.  But my heart strings would still pull at me to be home...

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I have a lot of catching up to do...I worked on the wedding cake from 3:00 yesterday until 5:00 this morning (not counting pre making the roses from icing days ahead of time)....only to get ready to box it (I knew better as heavy as it was to do it myself but I wanted it ready to go).  Needless to say I got off balance.  Trying to save the cake itself I mashed it into me and destroyed all of the icing and icing flowers...I was in tears...So I went to bed at 5:30 this morning..Got up at 8:30 re-iced the entirecake and did all the stringwork and borders but did not have time to re do icing roses so I used silk flowers...Yeah I cheated...But once I had the edible glitter on there which you can't see in the photo..the cake looked great...and I delivered it at 1:50 for the 2:00 wedding.. Thankfully it was for a friend's daughter.

Okay so whats inside there??  The bottom level is a 12 inch round double layer chocoalte pound cake,  the middle is a 10 inch double layer yellow (vanilla) pound cake and the top tier is a 6 inch double layer (vanilla/Yellow) pound cake.  And lots of dowel rods to hold it all together!!  

The cakes and icing are made from scratch....yum yum...

Well I am going to go catch up on everyone else's blogs and return some comments.

T

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I finally gave it up and went to see the doctor this morning.  They did a flu test and thankfully I don't have the flu.  I do have a really bad upper resp. infection. 

I hope to feel like visiting everyone's blogs in a day or two..

T

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Have you ever had one of those days where you wish you could just rewind it and start over?

I'm sick..like flu feeling sick.  Bessie is still sick...The cat has diarrhea and is supposed to be going to get fixed in the morning.   The baby threw up all over himself, me and the living room carpet this afternoon (curdled milk and mucous...Yippee) only to be picked up by his mom to go home and eat pizza and jump on the trampoline..so she probably thinks I am nuts.....

I'm going to bed, tomorrow is bound to be better..

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I was really hoping to get back to business today.  Its just not meant to be I guess. I have come down with a bad cold and so has Bessie (dd nickname).

She's got up and ate a little and has gone right back to sleep.  Best thing for her I suppose.

I'm just going have a lazy day as I don't really feel like doing much of anything anyway.

DH got an email in regards to a resume he sent out weeks ago.  They company put the position on hold until the holidays were over and hope to start scheduling interviews within the next week or two.  This would be a great job for him and more money for us.   

Keep us in your prayers..

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The holidays have finally ended.I am ready to get back down to business around here.  Today is DH's last day off from work so I know we won't do any school.  Instead we will just enjoy our time with him watching football. 

Alabama plays their bowl game today...Roll Tide!! 

My Goals for today are:

Make any needed changes to our schedule (our warm weather and cold weather schedules are not the same).

Pull together needed materials for school this week.

Get my menu plan and fitness plan in place.

Work on creating a better chocolate pound cake recipe than the one I have,  it's for the wedding cake order.

Climb Mount Wash More....(get the Laundry done)

Root for Alabama to win their bowl game.

Thats it for todays plan...

Our visit  yesterday with the in-laws went fast.  They only stayed for about 45 minutes...(They drove 3 hours to stay 45 minutes) long enough for a cup of coffee, some small talk, and the presents....a cornucopia of guilt. 

I hope everyones week gets off to a good start!

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Scooby Doo for my nephews birthday.

Puppy Dog for my Grandmother

Car Cake for my cousins daughter

I will post the wedding cake I am going to make at the end of this week..

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I can't believe how quickly 2005 flew by.   I am looking forward to achieving a lot of new goals in 2006.  I have a lot of financial goals, fitness goals, family goals and most importantly spiritual goals (spending more time in prayer and finding a bible study either locally or on-line)

Today will probably  not be the greatest New Years Day ever.  My in-laws are coming in to celebrate Christmas with us.   I dread it. 

It wouldn't be so bad if they even showed any interest at all in the kids any other time of year.  They only show up at Birthday and Christmas time, with their "guilt" gifts as I like to call them.  Other than that we never hear from them.  I have a really hard time accepting and allowing the kids to accept gifts from them.  Yes, DH is aware of my feelings and he shares them but his idea is just to "keep the peace."   So for his sake I "keep the peace." 

This past week I've started reading The Purpose Driven Life.  I finished Chapter 4 yesterday.  It is really a thought provoking book.  I wish  I knew someone else that was reading it so I could have nice long discussions about it. 

Tomorrow we are back to school.  This is the first year in a long time we have actually taken a 2 week break at Christmas.  I am looking forward to the remainder of our school year.   I can't believe I am on the home stretch with my oldest!  She will be graduating in the 06/07 school year.  She had us worried for the longest time because she wanted to major in mass communications to become a radio DJ. I have nothing against dj's but we feel the night life that often goes along with that is not suitable for her.  However lately she's been saying she'd like to work with Autistic children and is looking at career choices for that.  She would be so good at that. She is very patient and is one of the kindest most gentle people in the world.

My youngest has been writing some of the most beautiful spiritual type poems and song lyrics lately.   When I have more time I will post some of them here.  It amazes me the depth of her understanding of her love and belief in our heavenly father for her to be only 11.

Well I am off to get the house in order for our guest.  I hope everyone has a delightful New Years Day!

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I got this idea from another blog.  I think its a really good way for readers to get to know me.

1. I met my husband when I was 16 years old.  I had never seen an aura before and I've never seen one since but I saw a halo of white light around him the first time I saw him.  (As a side note I do not practice new age religion nor to I believe in "reading auras" this is just what happened)

2. We got married when I was 19 years old and he was 24.

3. I love to read.

4. I have a strong desire to become a vegetarian.

5. If I like a song I will listen to it over and over and over (like right now I am listening to I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me and When I Call On Jesus by Nicole C. Mullen back to back while blogging.

6. I don't have a good relationship with my Mother-In-Law.

7. I am a Creationist...God Created the Universe and everything that is part of it.  I did not evolve from an ape.  (I don't expect you to feel the same way)

8. When I was a child I wanted to runaway and live with the Amish.

9.  When I know I am right I don't compromise. Ever.

10. I have been homeschooling my children for 10 years

11. I love Little House on the Prairie.

12. My best friend from high school married my oldest brother, divorced him and we were still able to remain friends.

13. I want to own a cake shop one day.

14. I would love to homestead but I am afraid to do it.

15. I agree with Edible Landscaping.

16. My Dad is really my "step" father but I don't feel that way and he doesn't either.

17. I have an Aunt thats only 1 year older than me..we were like sisters growing up.

18. I am nosy..um curious...but not so I can gossip I just have an inquiring mind.

19. Cigarette Smoke makes me want to throw up.

20. I have a pen pal in Australia. Her name is Michelle. We've never met in person but she is one of my dearest friends.

21. I am afraid to fly.

22. I love to Crochet baby booties for our local Birth Right Center.

23. I am not a feminist.

24. I don't drink alcoholic beverages. Ever.

25. I love to watch Andy Griffith.

26. I love the movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."

27. I think Paula Dean only cooks stuff that every southern already woman knows how to cook anyway.

28. If I could be a super-hero I would want to be known as SuperMom-  Protector of Children World Wide.

29. I love Vidalia Onion and Peach Sauce.

30. I don't believe money is what makes you rich.

31. Songs, Poems, and the Ballet sometimes make me cry.

32.  I love Sweet Iced Tea with Lemon.

33. I am an over-protective mom.

34. I am an Alabama Crimson Tide fan even though I didn't go to college there.

35. I think families should eat together at the kitchen table every day.

36. We only have 1 vehicle that DH and I share.

37. I love to go to yard sales.

38. I have been trying to trace my family genealogy for several years. 

39.  I can't find out anything beyond my great great grandfather.

40.  I am named after the plantation in Gone with the Wind.

41. I am a germ-a-phobe.

42.  I believe in the saying " A little Child will lead them" because when my daughter was 4 years old she said, "Mommy it feels different when Jesus kisses me goodnight than when daddy kisses me goodnight."    What she didnt' know is that every night I prayed for Jesus to wrap his arms around my children and protect them but I still questioned if prayers were answered....Obviously Prayers are answered.

43. I love to meet my mom for a lunch date.

44. I don't watch horror movies

45. Sometimes I am too sarcastic.

46. I like to send cards to people to let them know I am thinking of them.

47. I think Christmas has been hijacked by Department Stores.

48. I can't draw with a pencil but I can create almost anything with cake..????

49. I don't own a microwave.

50. I love to eat at Olive Garden

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I found out about homeschoolblogger.com when reading an article in The Old Schoolhouse magazine. (Which is my favorite homeschooling magazine.)

I have been a stay at home mom for 15 years until recently.  I took the Wilton cake decorating classes and found a hidden passion!  I got a part-time cake decorators job in a bakery at a grocery store nearby which gives me a chance to use my skills and to learn new ones.  I also do cakes for friends and family. I am doing my first wedding cake this week for a friends daughter.  I am excited about it!

I hope one day to own a cake shop.

I am a homeschooling mom too.   This is my 10th year....where does the time go?

My oldest daughter is using Keystone online for high school.  It has been an expensive blessing.  The blessing part far exceeds the cost.  I don't have to do much record keeping (just what is required by our state laws).  The classes are self paced and on-line.  They do transcripts and she has access to instructors. 

I take more of an eclectic approach with my youngest.  She is naturally curious and loves to learn. I firmly believe in allowing lots of time for her to pursue her own interest.   She is currently learning sign language on her own after reading about Helen Keller.   I work with her daily on Math (Saxon) and Language Arts.

Science and Social Studies are interest led. 

I also keep a delightful little boy that is almost 17 months old.  I keep him M-F while his parents are working.  He just blends right into our family.  We love him like he is our own.

I hope I will find wonderful topics to talk about on my blog in the future.

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