His name is Parker and he lives in Florida.  He is a friend of a friend of a friend.  I was alerted to pray for him when he was diagnosed with cancer in February or so, and have been checking on him ever since.  He just had a PET scan, and the cancer has spread.  There are few medical treatment options, but our God is the Great Physician.  Please pray for his family and his community as they follow God's leading in this situation.

Parker's Website

I've never been tagged before or done one of the meme things (which I don't quite get how to pronounce), so I thought I'd give it a try.   Warning, though:  I'm really a geek, so this could get ugly and boring. Feel free to stop reading. [Note:  this is my second time writing this.  The first time, I did a search for something and forgot to save what I'd typed so ---grrr---- it all went away.  I'm hoping this second time around I'll think of more interesting things]

1.  On our first or second date, I told DH that I wanted to have 3 children some day, all boys.  Amazingly, that didn't scare him off, and he came back for a second date.

2.  Speaking of our first date, not only did I go out with DH on the first date, but also his two sisters!   They were driving back home for Christmas and were stopping through the town DH was staying in, so after our dinner-date, DH and I met them at a Ground Round for a beer.  His sisters were a blast and I loved the stories about all of them growing up.  I don't recall doing much talking during that part of our date, but I sure did laugh.

3.  In my B.K. life (before kids), I was a speech language pathologist.  I loved working in hospitals and out-patient.  My favorite things to do were videofluoroscopic  (videotaped moving xrays) swallow evaluations (for dysphagia, disorders of the swallowing mechanisms) and language testing (I love administering tests and analyzing the data) [See, I told you I was a geek.]

4.  DH and I got married in Purgatory. Really, I kid you not.

I feel I'm getting desperate here.....

5.  Since graduting from high school, I've never lived in any one home longer than 3 years (no, I'm not in the witness protection program, and we're not military).

6.  I'm still friends with Julia, my best friend from 3rd grade!

7.  I was an undergraduate history major, but have learned more history in homeschooling than I did at my alma mater (which is a top ranking U.S. News & World Report undergraduate program year after year).

Phew, I did it, and I spared you the boring facts of my adolescences.  Now, if you've read this, you are IT, and consider yourself tagged.

     Well, it sure was nice not to have to pack a suitcase for this weekend!  We're done traveling for a while and I'm thankful it was rainy today so that we could spend some time enjoying each other!

History: We've sort of stalled in the Renaissance this week;  I was hoping to get more done on Hugs' da Vinci projects, but it didn't happen.  However, after a quick trip to Home Depot on Friday night, we now have the 2 inch foam insulation sheet to make the "Walk on Water" shoes that he picked.  Tomorrow will be foam day.   We did, however, combine our history studies and art studies to make a da Vinci-esque notebook page of a new invention:  An Air-Powered Rocket Launcher 

 Next week we're going to tackle the reformation/counter-reformation.  I'm still awaiting an inter-library loan about the Lutherans, but even if that doesn't come in for another week, we're going to charge ahead!

Science:  It's back!  Yeah!  Hug's has formulated a question and made a hypothesis for his science experiment (with control group) that he is designing:

'm so glad we're back into the science groove.  I love science.

Language Arts:  We're progressing through AAS and FLL-3.    We're really only 1 week behind in FLL-3, which is not a problem, because we were scheduled to be finished with it mid-May, and our school year won't end until the end of June.  We've been without a reader for the week (but Hugs still reads -- he's read 2 Judy Moody Books and 1 or 2 Stink books), but I just got our ILL, Lumber Camp Library, which looks good, but will only last for this week at the most.   Then, we'll move on to another horse book, Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West.    The Bible memory verse/ handwriting combo has just been pure genius on my part, and I'm glad I've dropped Reason for Writing.  I'm also beginning to require a bit more cursive on Hugs' other writings as well.  I plan on making it mandatory after Christmas.

Latin: Plugging away and plotting when to tell DH that I need to go shopping for Lively Latin .

Math:  We only have 3 more units in 2B and we'll be done.  I've decided to let this last, however, until our Christmas break, even though I know it could go much faster then that.  In slowing Hugs' down, I'll be adding much more of the Challenging Word Problems and Mental Math sheets to continue to give him practice with his math facts to help solidify skills.  In January, I'll start 3A (Guess who's getting Singapore Math for Christmas?   ME!)

       I hope to spend some tim updating our year-at-a glance planning grid to flesh out a little more where we are and where we are going.    I also need to spend some quality time in front of the TV cutting out Spelling key cards, etc.  (really, I must sit in front of the TV to do this or else I'll go insane).

      I've decided to investigate digital pianos for the new year, instead of paying $200+ for an annual tuning of our little spinet piano.   Our friend and piano tuner says it is an OK piano for a beginner, but I just don't want to keep shelling out money for a tune on it when we could get a digital with weighted keys for a decent price (I hope) that would never need a tune, that would have a headphone jack for practice.  I've started to look online, and some of them even come in a frame that simulates the look of a piano console. 

It is a joy to be your mama! 

     Where am I?  What am I doing here?  And what are these three (adorable) rugrats doing around me all the time? 

     That is how I felt after DH left for work on Monday morning.  Like I was jumped dumped into my life again after a few days away. 

     We had all gotten in late on Sunday night because everyone came to the airport to pick me up from my 11:45 pm arrival from Chicago-O'Hare.  I flesw to the midwest to attend my grandfather's funeral.  He passed away to join the Lord on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 2 am after a short illness.  So, I joined my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins (all 10 of us were there!) to celebrate his life, share memories and cry some.  

      It is amazing how life can change in the blink of an eye.   We had just been to the midwest to visit he and my grandmother in June, and he looked fabulous.  Honestly I was more worried about my grandmother, whose slim little legs were resembling tree stumps. 

     My Dad asked me to pick a scripture to be read at grandpa's funeral.  Immediately, I thought of Psalm 121 .  On the plane, I had the opportunity to pray about it and read it again and mediate on it's appropriateness for my grandpa:

I look up to the mountains does my help come from there?

2 My help comes from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth!

3 He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep.

4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps.

5 The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.

6 The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon at night.

7 The LORD keeps you from all evil and preserves your life.

8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

     As I thought about my grandfather, I realized what a comfort this Psalm is for me when thinking about him:  orphaned by his pre-teen years (11 or 12 when his father passed away and he went to live with aunts and uncles), volunteered for the Army (42th Rainbow Division):

(The division's insignia)

survived WWII and the European campaign (including being there when Dachau was liberated) and provided (persevering through good and hard times) for four children, who grew up to be successful contributors to their communities (and parents to a really cute/ handsome, intelligent, and fun group of offspring, if I do say so myself).   Yes indeed, the Lord did shelter and protect him through all his days and grandpa now dwells in the house of the Lord forever....not because of anything that Grandpa did, but because of what Christ did for him 2000 years ago.   I can't wait to see you in eternity, Grandpa.  I love you.

*******

     So, school this week -- and much of last week after I learned of Grandpa's deteriorating condition -- has been survival mode.   Still, I am  amazed that we've accomplished some great things, though, and hope we can finish up our Renaissance unit next week.

History:  I just mentioned we're in the Rensaissance.  We're using Hand of a Child's Renaissance lapbook.  It is going great!  We made artist baseball cards this week for Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Jan van Eyck.  We've learned about what made art in the Renaissance different than art during the Middle Ages (just so you know, I have NO art history background.  All you out there who think, "I could never teach my children about art" please know, that you can!  The world of knowledge is just a mouse click away...).  We've also learned about what makes a Renaissance Man. 

     Hugs has picked out what projects ("I want to build something, Mom") he wants to build from this book:

He wants to make walking-on-water shoes and a trebuchet.  So, I'm hoping to get some time to go to Home Depot to buy the 3-inch foam insulation sheets we'll need for the water shoes.   I've already put DH in charge of the trebuchet.  As a matter of fact, DH is in charge of ALL projectiles from now until each boy turns 18.

     Once we finish Leonardo, then we'll move on in our history book, Story of the World, to the reformation/ counter-reformation.  

     As far as where we are in our Grand Master Schedule.....well, we're behind.  But I've got three years of homeschooling under my belt, and I know it just doesn't matter.  We're having fun, we'll have more fun, we're learning and that is all that counts. 

Latin:  My5wolfcubs asked if I'd made a decision between Lively Latin and Latin for Children.  I think I'm going with Lively Latin.  For our needs now, I think the variety of learning activities will be a hit with the boys (Smiles is also learning Latin via osmosis).  Basically, I was sold with the word "Lively" in the title.  We are, though, plugging our way through Prima Latina, and it is getting better.  We took off from Latin this week, and will restart Lesson 18 next week.

Math: I don't think I'm going to have a math freakout for awhile.  Our math program is working really well right now.  I'm loving Flashmaster, and seeing measureable progress in Hugs' mastery of math facts.  My goal for him is to be able to do the flashcard program at 4 seconds per problem.   And, he has to hve greater than 90 accuracy.  The best thing about Flashmaster is had dramatically decreased my stress about math fact mastery and I think I'm being a better mommy and teacher because of it.  Right now our math schedule looks like this: 

Monday - Thursday	Singapore Math Schedule & Flashmaster
Friday	Singapore Math Challenging Word Problems & Flashmaster

 Language Arts:  We've finished All About Spelling's level 1, which was really far too easy for Ben to do, but I am pleased that it gave him a better understanding of the phonograms.  I do have an old copy of Wanda Sanseri's Teaching Reading at Home and have used it as an independent measure of his spelling level.  I gave him Test 2 and his scored at a grade status of 5.1.   This tells me that he is performing at least at his grade level or above, and that I shouldn't be so worried with his spelling skills.  However, I will keep using All About Spelling through level 2 because I do believe he needs to have more practice spelling with the phonograms and with the concept of syllablication.  My plan now is to finish AAS 2 by Christmas (shouldn't be difficult;  we usually do at least two lessons in each sitting) and then let him go back to his ACSI Spelling grade 3 book, which he'll likely fly through.

[Just as an aside:  I was a Speech Language Pathologist in my previous life, and my favorite part of my job was assessing kids' or adults' oral and written language skills then taking all those raw scores, converting them to standard scores and percentiles and making sense of it all in light of other non-standardized results.  So, I actually like testing my kids, knowing that it is a snapshort of their abilities at that instance.]

Fine Arts:  I've come to group art and music under Fine Arts in my computer software (Homeschool Tracker), so I'll just lump it all together here, too.   Art is going amazing well this year.   We completed our first unit about the element of lines in art.   We added four pieces to Hugs' art portfolio, the final being a piece á la Piet Mondrian.  Can you tell which is Hugs and which is Piet's?

 Yes, you guessed right, #2 is Hugs.  Isn't it great (it is tempra and charcol on, um, paper, unsigned)?  This from a kid who "hates" art.  Really, I think he hates art because I have shown impatience towards his artistic attempts.  (Patience is a constant prayer for me as I educate and raise up my family.)  This year's gentle investigation of the elements of art will, hopefully, capture his imagination and he will be more willing to try art.

 I also found this great book, one of a series on elements of art:  Lines, by Philip Yenawine. 

We had a blast looking at it and being art critics ("That's really famous art, Mom?" he said looking at Jackson Pollock's One):

...From the mouths of babes!

Oops I forgot:  Those dynamic warm up exercises I posted on a few back for our homeschool gym?  Oh my, I did them for the first time on Friday, and I've been waddling with sore muscles since!  (it's Sat. afternoon now).   The boys?   Not even a flinch from them.  Hmmm, I wonder who Homeschool Gym is really for, the kids or me?

     Life has been so crazy this week, trying to get back into the swing of things after being away for the weekend.  And now, DH (who desparately needs a better blog name-- I think I called him Runner Man once, but that sounds just totally stupid) is gone to his cousin's wedding in Florida.  So, it's me and the boys this weekend (tacos tonight, pizza tomorrow, grilled cheese on Saturday in case your wondering how the other half lives).  I haven't even posted last week's review (and it was a good school week ! Hugs has actually --- gasp! -- enjoyed Renaissance art history) and being on a plane has made me percolate on things I may want to write about. 

     THEN, Tapestry of Grace did this really mean thing and came out with a 3-week sample of their Year 2 American History curriculum (I think I deleted my wishy washy blog entry about wanting to use TOG but being undecided on whether to use it for our second half of US history).  Sheesh!  So I printed that out and have that to distract me from watching the rest of 24's season 4 (I love TV on DVD -- no commercials!).  So, be patient.  Don't not-ever come back.  I promise I'll do something this weekend.   Oh, and if you really, really can't stand being without something from me, head on over to Confessions of a Pioneer Woman   for a hilarious read. 

     My friend Esther is leading the charge as we start a homeschool gym class with about 12 kids.  We had our first meeting last Friday, and the boys had a great time playing soccer skill games.  We started with a warm up and then two 'laps' around the field we were using.

     DH has given us a great idea to incorporate dynamic warm up exerices instead of the traditional "warm up" that most of us are used to from gym class.  Dynamic warm up exercises increase your body temperature and warm up the muscles without the potential bad-effects of warm up stretches.  I decided to post the link to the Youtube.com video showing a variety of warm up exercises that he recommended:

     DH suggested the following order for the warm ups, from lightest intensity to hardest intensity:

Arm Circles (forward/ back, little/big)
Walking butt kicks
Fast butt kicks
Walking hi knees
Fast hi Knees
Hi Knees with skip
Toe Walking
Heel Walking
Walking Lunges
Reverse Walking Lunges
Single Leg Deadlift Walk
Stiff Leg Raise and Rotation
Grapevine (l/r)
Side lunges/ lateral shuffle (l/r)

     He also sent me to this site at Center For Athletes which explains why you want to do a dynamic warm up vs. a static stretching-style warm up.

I'm so glad I get to be your Mom.  You have brought much joy into our home.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Just 1 day old!

First Cereal (about 4m old)

6 months old

Oreo Time!

     Apparently, I'm the winner this week.  I'm the last healthy one standing, but it may not last long, as I've got swollen glands.  But, at least I'm still here.

     Despite sickness, we are chugging along.  A couple things popped up that I'll journal below:

History: We studied about Martin Luther this week. ("Is the the one who said, 'I had a dream?'")  We giggled as we read SOTW's little poem to remember the number and outcomes of Henry VIII's wives:

divorced, beheaded, died

divorced, beheaded survived.

I don't think I'll ever forget this piece of trivia!

Science: Noeo's got this great book scheduled about the scientific method. 

It does a great job of explaining the scientific method and possible biases scientists might face as they interpret their results.  Towards the end of the book, we'll be trying to design an experiment to answer a question and walk through the scientific method setp-by-step.  Unfortunately that won't be for another week or so;  we're going to focus on History next week because we'll be studying the Renaissance, and there is so much to cover that Hugs is going to love.

Latin:  I really think Latin is an important subject.  I'm very pro-Latin in our homeschool, but just having a hard time getting to it daily.  We did complete our Lesson 16 this week (names of some of the constellations), but I'm just not excited about it like I was last year.  I'm trying to figure out why.  My first inclination is "go shopping" and buy a new curriculum -- something with a  WOW factor in it.  I'm considering either Lively Latin or Latin for Children.  Both seem to have a variety of learning activities in them, which I think is what we need. 

Language Arts: I've really stepped up the pace of All-About-Spelling.  He doesn't need all the foundation that is covered in Level 1.  Certainly, he needed the phonogram information, something we'd never covered before, and just slowing down to segment words into their phonograms was a helpful review.   I suspect we can finish level 1 next week and move on to level 2, which will give us more on the syllabication rules, which is what we need for spelling and reading.  Hugs is a good reader, but I think his difficulty with longer multisyllable words (words he's never seen before and words of 4-5 syllables) are holding back his comprehension. 

     AAS and FLL-3 are really my time drains right now.  They just suck a bunch of time out ofmy morning and make me feel like I'm neglecting the other two boys.  So, I don't know that we'll stick with AAS as Hug's main spelling program.  I will need to reassess after we finish AAS level 2, which hopefully will be by Christmas.  If we can go back to our ACSI Spelling program, or return to Spelling Workout [we finished B mid-2nd grade] that would mesh better with the needs of the other boys.

     In other news, we are tracking my mom's Asian cruise on our wall map, we missed CBS this week (because of all the sniffles), but did go to our first homeschool swim lesson and gym class!  Both those activities were well received by Hugs and Smiles;  Giggles not so much since he didn't get to do anything.

     After dinner tonight, I had a big "duh" moment.  I've just tonight gone ahead and transferred our Bible verse memorization lyrics into Start Write software and we'll use those for our handwriting practice rather than the Reason for Handwriting verses.  This will help with memorization and handwriting at the same time.  Two bangs for the buck.  Exactly what I need right now.

     I've also decided I need to do more  in the kitchen with the boys.   This week, they were in charge of peeling the carrots.  I'd like to get them more involved with some meal prep, so I'll be looking at ways to encourage their help

I've only known one soldier who has been to Iraq and back -- the son of a friend at church.  Since summer, I've been trying to make it a point to thank every soldier that I see.   I am just so grateful for their service and the sacrifice they make.   I found this great slide show at Operation Shoebox about what it is like for a returning soldier.  Please take a moment and view it.  Then, next time you see a soldier at the mall or crossing the street, please take a moment and thank them.

When a Soldier Comes Home From War