I've moved my blog HERE,

but need to keep this one current so I don't lose the posts before I figure out how to backup.

It's so great to be back online!  We've had some computer "upgrades" that have been giving me a rash!  But I think we're good to go now, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights and sounds (and not the smells) of this weekend's horse show that Horsegirl partcipated in.

This was a "schooling show," so I think the competition was somewhat friendly and relaxed.  Everyone was practicing getting ready for the more serious shows to come.  This is Horsegirl's first foray into competitions (outside the fair, which isn't very competitive, at least in her division), and frankly, we didn't know what to expect. 

She entered three events in the "13 and under category."  Here are some of my favorite photos:

He's standing square...he RARELY does that.

 

There were about 12-15 competitors in each of her events.

How cute is she?!!!!

In her 3 events, she placed 8th, 4th, and 1st.  For some reason, this is the only picture I have of her with a ribbon (I guess I was wearing the other ones):

Even though she enjoyed the competition, what she REALLY wanted to do was to go on a trail ride in the woods that adjoined the equestrian center.  But her events were so late in the day, we couldn't pull it off.  Plus, it was wicked cold!  Next time, girlie!

Are they starting to look alike?

Nah!

Our local homeschool support group organizes a Father/Daughter Valentine Dance every other year...and THIS was the "other" year!  Here are Horsegirl and DH:

I just love her sparkly dress!  She didn't want me to buy it because it's black, but it was $8, so it would have been WRONG not to buy it!

I have no pictures of the actual dance, but I'm hoping to get some from a friend.  I know this is a rather lame blog entry, but my mom has been on my back, and I need to get her off!

Love ya, Mom!

I just wanted to make a quick mention, late in the day, that today begins Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Great Backyard Bird Count!  It's not too late to participate!  Our family has done this for the past 2 years, and have really enjoyed counting the birds in our yard and posting our surveys online.  Check out their website here.

Participating in this bird count is a fun way to get familiar with the birds in your area, and dare I say, you could definitely count it as "life science!"  Let me know if your family participates, and be sure to post your link in my comments if you blog about it!

We've already seen 5 White-throated Sparrows, 2 Northern Cardinals, 1 demented Northern Mockingbird, 2 Carolina Chickadees, 1 Tufted Titmouse, and a Carolina Wren.

Happy Birding!

I've had computer problems as of late, and have been largely unable to post pictures from all our "Be a Tourist in your Own Town" field trips.  Not much time now, but I wanted to post a couple from downtown Charleston.  You may recognize these locations if you're watching Wheel of Fortune this week.  They are broadcasting shows filmed in Charleston recently.

In front of the pineapple fountain in Waterfront Park:

Horsegirl and Gameboy in front of the other fountain in Waterfront Park

 (too cold to play in it....but he was tempted!)

He and I had a rough night last night.  He was up several times with mostly dry heaves.  He hadn't had anything but water for over 24 hours, so there wasn't much there.  He was able to express his amazement, however, with how quickly I ran into his room at the first sound of trouble.  It's amazing how that "Mommy sense" jars us out of a dead sleep, isn't it?

He was able to get up and try to play a computer game this morning, which is an improvement over his being prostrate all day yesterday.  He's back sleeping now.  I'm thinking flu, and am constantly asking him to drink water or white grape juice everytime he's awake.

I have to share two things that I love about him.  Every time I come into his room to check on him and feel his forehead, he asks me to pray for him.  He expects God to heal him, and that is how I pray, thanking God for the healing He is actively accomplishing.

The other thing is this sweet boy's sense of humor.  Last night I carried him and his "bowl" (you know, THAT bowl) into the bathroom.  As he knelt in front of the toilet bowl between heaves, he said, "And THAT is why the good Lord created bowls!"

Even in the midst of sickness, he can toss-out a great one-liner!

Gameboy's sick today.  Sleeping a lot, sore throat, no fever.  When he wakes up he says he feels dizzy and nauseous.  I don't know what's up, and I would appreciate your prayers.

Here's a paper he made the other day.  He was practicing drawing hearts.  You can see that he has no problem patting himself on the back.  And he learned about "sloth" recently when listening to an Adventures in Odyssey about the 7 deadly sins.  But he doesn't quite get the grammar, does he?

That boy's the cutest!

I totally don't have time to blog today, so again...listen quick!

Our support group had its quarterly meeting last night.  Last quarter, all the parents stood up in turn and stated what they love about homeschooling.  It was VERY encouraging and uplifting---quite the little pep rally.   Well, that same concept took a different spin last night, as our CHILDREN took turns walking across the stage holding posters stating why THEY love homeschooling.  I thought you might enjoy some of their reasons:

I get to be with my parents all day.

It's fun and Godly!

Fieldtrips, fieldtrips, Cici's pizza....and more fieldtrips!

I get to stay up and watch the Super Bowl...and sleep in until 10!

I get to play with my sisters.

I get to explore my passion...Robotics!

My principal is like a father to me...and I get to practice my gift of drumming!

I get to do my schoolwork in my PJ's (you KNEW that one would come up...and more than once!)

I love homeschool drama, ice skating and dance!

And the ones from my kids:

Gameboy:     My mom and dad read books to us.

Horsegirl:     Britney who?

 Okay, that last one was her father's idea, so it's really what WE like about HER homeschooling.  While parents are complaining on Fox News that their 10 year old daughters want to sing, dance and dress like Britney Spears, our sweet, innocent 10 year old daughter doesn't know anything about Britney Spears.  So in response to that oh-so-lame argument I've heard that "you can't shield them forever," (which drives me nuts, because implicit in that statement is that if you can't shield them forever, you shouldn't bother shielding them AT ALL!), we say,

Maybe not....but we can shield them NOW!

Mid-afternoon conversation between me and Gameboy (6):

Gameboy:   "Horsegirl has Ritz Bits peanut butter crackers!  I want some!"

Me:  "You already had some peanut butter crackers with real peanut butter that I made for you!"

Gameboy:  "Yes, but she also had some strawberries earlier.  So pathetically speaking, she had 2 snacks and I only had one."

Me:  "As you know, life isn't fair.  You are not getting another snack.  And by the way, it's 'hypo-thetically speaking.  But a nice try, all the same."

Saturday I received my Winter copy of The Old Schoolhouse, and in the movie review of Facing the Giants (which I saw in the theatre and LOVED!), the movie was lauded as being doctinally sound, having no "seeker-sensitive characteristics."  Now I'm not sure if the lay-reviewer meant to suggest that seeker-sensitive churches teach unsound doctrine, but it was clear that she has some disdain for the church form. 

Three years ago, I shared a similar attitude, looking down my nose at "seeker-friendly" churches.  I thought, "Okay, so you put on a good dog and pony show...but where's the meat of the Word?"  Which was a very convenient attitude, though somewhat prideful.  The church I attended was hopping when 100 people showed up for the very serious and sincere worship, teaching and fellowship.  It was comforting to feel superior to that big mega-church in the neighborhood that packed over 1500 or so people into their Sunday service.  I was sure they must be watering down the word to get so many people to attend.  But I never checked it out for sure, I was committed to my church where the Word was taught with authority (though now that I look back, the members, myself included, grew in the Lord while neglecting to convert unbelievers).

Shortly after, my family moved to South Carolina and visited one of "those"churches, which was very close to our home.  My first impressions were that it was lightweight worship, and really short (only one hour for the service?  Are they kidding?).  They had so many things going on, I was sure my suspicions would prove correct, that the teaching was "a mile wide and an inch thick." 

Three years later, I'm still at this church, digging deeper into the Word, enjoying meaningful worship, and connecting with other believers who are on the same journey.  Along the way, I've learned to repent of that prideful attitude, and appreciate the efforts the church leadership makes to make unbelievers comfortable...at least in the short term.  My church unapologetically states that they are going to woo unbelievers, since it's the sick that need a Doctor.  That means fun and entertaining weekend services (4 of them), a coffeeshop and bookstore where confused people can connect with grounded believers (AND enjoy a cafe mocha), a myriad of small groups on every subject from "Healing and Forgiveness after Abortion" to Beth Moore Bible Studies to "Ultimate Frisbee."  Yes, people who come to the Ultimate Frisbee group experience changed lives.  How?  By connecting with grounded believers, seeing the fruit in their lives, and wanting that same Jesus that saved THEM from who they were!  Sometimes it takes patience.  The guy with alcohol addiction and a gambling problem isn't likely to attend a church service, (or attend the Beth Moore bible study, for that matter).  But in a non-threatening sports group, subtle evangelism takes place.  Let's face it:  sin can be fun.  But the love of Jesus is irresistible!

So allow this to be a gentle correction, if you, like me, have held this former attitude.  Seeker-sensitive churches are not necessarily watering down the Word just because they appeal to unbelievers.  Remember, babies need milk before they're ready for meat.  I don't see Jesus despising efforts to attract sinners to a place where they can find both.

I've been tagged, so here goes:

7 Weird Things About Me:

1.   Two of my toes on both feet are webbed.

2.   I'm currently fasting TV and talk radio (I love Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh) for 21 days as a part of a churchwide fast.  I hardly miss TV at all, but I do miss Rush.

3.   I have a borderline psychotic obsession with the squirrels who eat my birdseed.  I fear my family may "Baker Act" me, so I try to hide the obsession and pretend I don't care.

4.  My husband and I like to host "Mystery Dinners" where guests order food from a menu with only riddles on it.  They choose the riddle, and we bring food which answers the riddle.  It's a LOT of FUN!

5.   I'm a huge fan of author Ted Dekker, which actually isn't weird.  But HE sort of is, now that I think of it.

6.   Yesterday I saw a barn cat eat a mouse's head.  Pretty unpleasant, actually (though the cat didn't seem to mind).

7.   I composed this blog while riding my exercise bike.

Rules:  each player of this game starts with 7 weird things about you.  People who get tagged need to write a blog of their 7 weird things as well as state this rule clearly.  In the end, you need to choose 7 people to be tagged and list their names....also, leave a comment that says "you've been tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog for further info..!

Here's who I'm tagging:

tavnkate4ever

2cupsOjava4me

Mommy2fourCs

dtandfambly

Devonbunny

Momwtrmn

APlaceToRead

Why oh why?  An hour and a half to do 2 pages of math!!!  Somebody put me out of my misery!

Okay.  I'm taking a break so no one dies.  Serenity now....

Cold, nasty, rainy day here in beautiful South Carolina.  Horsegirl's riding lesson has been cancelled, so we get to stay inside ALL DAY!!!!  Yea!

So Horsegirl decides to make homemade (Hungry Jack) pancakes in honor of the yucky day (and to postopone any schoolwork).  Gameboy is happy  with this turn of events.  But, alas, breakfast is finally eaten (after an ENTIRE Adventure in Odyssey on tape), and academics must begin.  But when I tell Gameboy to get his math book, he comes up with this doozey:  "But Mom, I need a break after that pancake!"

Yeah.  Good one.  I guess more copywork involving the ant and the sluggard needs to be put on the agenda....

Here's Gameboy's dictation (given under duress) of his impressions from our Middleton Place field trip:

  Well, I got to milk the cow, I got to grind the corn, which was fun.  I got a stick that doesn’t break.  I liked the guy that made all that wood stuff.  And I got to grind rice in there.  We went to a mini-restaurant.  We got sodas and our friends got cookies and we got Doritos.  And there was fun games we could play there, like a game we played at Williamsburg where there’s a little ring and a stick, and you have to keep the ring going with a wood stick.

 And we saw two dolls put together and it was freaky.  There were two dresses, two heads and two arms, and you could pull the dress over the other one and you’ll only be able to see one doll.  But if you pull the dress back you can only see the other doll.  One had black skin and one had white skin.  And we saw a picture of a $2 bill.

 There was a church with about 3 big seats that was used by the slaves.  We went to a yarn-maker thing and a petting zoo and we saw bunnies with red eyes.  That was also freaky.  It looked like they were sleepy and they haven’t slept for months!  And there was a pottery-maker.

There were butterfly lakes also.  The reason why they were called the butterfly lakes is because they kind of looked like wings.  They had bumps like stairs and it looked fun to roll down, but if you did, you would get goose poop in your eye, and go….in the water!

 There was a 1000 year old oak tree.  It had branches that were on the ground and it looked fun to climb on, but it was illegal.  It was making me tired walking all around, but it was interesting.

 The end

I asked him to draw a picture to accompany this dictation, and he wanted to draw a Dorito.  Oy!

A couple of entries ago I mentioned being a Tourist in Your Own Town.  Our Ft. Sumter field trip got postponed...indefinitely.  Then the weather got better, and we finally had a day out!  We went with our good friends to Middleton Place Plantation, in Charleston, SC.  The weather was gorgeous!

Middleton Place was a rice plantation settled in the late 17th centruy.  It has quite a history, considering Charleston was a major battleground during the American Revolution, as well as the Civil War.

During the Civil War, Union troops from New York occupied the estate, ransacking and burning the main house and flanking buildings, leaving family treasures strewn all over the ground.  After the war, William Middleton restored the south end of the home, which had the least severe damage, and his family occupied that as their home.  The remaining shell of the old home was toppled by the great earthquake of  1886.  The 18th and 19th centuries were rough on Charleston!  (Although an argument could be made that she had it coming to her for the enrichment the city enjoyed at the expense of the sin of slavery!)

Some of the ruins remain for visitors to observe:

It's colored like a candy cane!  Here's Horsegirl after getting her nose too close to the pollen:

Luckily she doesn't suffer from allergies!  Of course the disadvantage of visiting the gardens in January is that pretty-much only the camellias are blooming...so we'll have to go back in the spring to get a view like this:

Here's Horsegirl posing by the statue of the "Wood Nymph," one of the few statues to survive the war:

And of course, you can't beat a field trip that offers a chance to climb a huge stump:

That stump was on a little hill, which Gameboy decided to run down, which resulted in a shoe full of grass:

    I've washed those pants twice since then, and I'm still working on those grass stains!

I have WAY too many pictures to post them all, and I fear you're yawning already...so let me cut to the chase.  There are stableyards where demonstrations are available of how sheep's wool was combed, carded, spun and woven, how pottery was made, how the plantation maintained it's own food supply, etc.  But I want to post the picture of my favorite demonstrator:  the cooper.

 

I have 2 minutes to blog this morning, so listen quick.  I'm reading my bible a little bit ago in the living room and overhear this exchange between the kids:

Horsegirl (to Gameboy):  "Want to come in my room and listen to me play my guitar?"

Gameboy:  "Sure!"

In a few minutes I hear her playing the chords her dad taught her, and singing the song from church ("Ready Now" by Desperation Band - great song!).  It was so sweet listening to her sing (off-key, but still...).  And it warmed my heart that she wanted her brother to listen to her and approve of what she's accomplished.  These are the moments that just fill me up!  You can't get that first thing in the morning if you had to rush them to the bus at 6:25am!  But of course, lest I get overly sentimental and proud....the next exchange occurs. 

After finishing the part of the song she knows,

Horsegirl:  "Okay.  That's it.  Now get out of my room so I can play with my horses."

Ah, sometimes reality can be quite the smelling salt.  The good news is Gameboy didn't get offended.  He just said okay and went to play in his own room.  Definitely could have been worse!

In our homeschool, I write down virtually EVERYTHING in my "lesson planner" (in quotes because it is actually a log of what we DID, not necessarily what I INTENDED for us to do!) that can be construed as educational in ANY way.  Of course, I have to be creative in how I categorize each activity.  Is it Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, PE....what? 

So here's where I need some help.  This morning we had a very educational lesson in which we explored the most efficent method of nose-blowing.  Open tissue?  Wadded tissue?  Gameboy's ever-popular collar of his shirt?  One nostril at a time vs. double-barreled blowing?  The benefits of nose-blowing during a hot shower?  The question is, where to record this in my planner.  Social Studies?  Science?  PE? 

Any thoughts?

It's a rainy day here, so our field trip to Fort Sumter has to be postponed.  Today was to be our first day of "Charleston History Month."  Our family bought a pass through "Be a Tourist in Your Own Town," and we were planning to use our pass to take a cruise to Ft. Sumter, where the Civil War began (or the "War of Northern Aggression" as it is sometimes referred to 'round these here parts).  Anyway, we're rained out, so we're going to stay home and read some library books about Charleston.  This is a cute one in which two children visit downtown historical landmarks in search of their missing cat.  So though we're rained out, we'll try to make some lemonade out of these lemons!  And as they say, tomorrow is another day, Scarlett!

But if we WERE able to go on our field trip, I would not have to suffer the indignity of watching this acrobatic RAT eat all the birdseed!  GGRRRRR!

While Horsegirl was finishing up at her riding lesson yesterday, Gameboy was hyper, climbing all over the inside of the van.  I told him once not to climb on the seats, since he had mud on his shoes.  Unfortunately, he unwisely disobeyed, and the result was this goose egg:

As if the ravenous squirrels weren't enough, now we have a Northern Mockingbird that is scaring all my other songbirds away from the feeders:

And THEN, eating all the food the squirrel leaves behind....

Whew!  He even kind of scares ME a little bit.  I walk right up to the window and he stands his ground (or perches his branch...whatever).  The little chickadees and titmice and cardinals and wrens make themselves scarce when this big brute is around.  So I can protect my kids from bullies by homeschooling, but the songbirds are on their own!