I am going to keep trying to work on this blog.  Here is the offering for this week:

This won't be much but I want to renew this blog.

It is good to have a place to write/talk about what s going on in our neck of the woods.  It is also good to have a forum for creative writing. 

I think I will aim at writing once a week.  Maybe I will include our menu or recipes or something like that, too.

Are there any requests?

Oh, my goodness!  It has suddenly gotten nippy.  We even used the fireplace yesterday.
 
I like the "Back to School" time of year, even though we never really stopped.  The support groups are back in swing and Awana is starting and other programs are getting going again.

We went to a meeting last Saturday for a local group in Eugene/Springfield.  It is called   LIGHT (Lane Inter-Christian Guild of Home Teachers).  They have monthly meetings for the whole family and other special meetings throughout the year, including the Christian Home Educator's Faire in, I think, May each year.  They sponsor cub scouts and Keepers, too. 

We have joined this group and the cub scouts as well.  I figure that we must participate in a varity of activities so the boys can forge new and lasting relationships (not to mention mom and dad!).

Since last February, we have been participating with a play group that is an off-shoot, sort of, of LIGHT.  It is called LaneCH (Lane Christian Homeschoolers).  It is basically a Yahoo Group that works as a coop to do field trips, park days and that sort of thing.  We have really enjoyed it.  We have even had some curriculum-sharing times where I had a few interested moms and kids over to check out the curriculum I use.  Most recently, one of the moms has planned a Mom's Night Out for once a month on the second Thursday of each month.  It is at her coffee house in Creswell and she is providing coffees at 1/2 price.  Isn't that nice of her?  We had our first night just last Thursday and six of us moms showed up.  It was just the right number for a beginning.

So, all that being said, it looks like we will be kept busy all year.  But hey, I asked for routine... so, I got routine.  Mondays- Latin, Tuesdays- Cub Scouts, Wednesdays- Awana and 2x a month- gymnastics free play, one Thursday a month- Mom's Night, one Saturday a month- LIGHT Meetings.  I just need to make sure I get school done, too!!

On a non-homeschool note, we are still unemployed.  Prayer is appreciated more than I can say. 

Until next time, God bless,
Jeanette

I hardly know what is going on around here.
We had company for a lot of the summer and that kept us pretty busy.  Then, during the last week of visitors, my husband lost his job.  That really changes things around here.  We didn't get right back to school as planned.  It is hard to do our usual routine with dad around.  I hate to say that but it is true.  It isn't that we don't want him here.  In fact, we are enjoying him being around but it does distract and side-track.  And then there is the fact that, because he is out of work, we need to be more careful with money.  So, I am not refusing the produce offered to me.  I am taking time I was planning on doing school and picking fruit and canning it.
All of this is to say.  I could use some prayer.  While prayer for a job for hubby would be nice, what I really need is prayer for me to use my time effectively and to use my resources wizely.
We should be starting school again on Monday and I am looking forward to the structure and just the fun of all the stuff we are learning.  We are also planning on doing Latin this year with a new homeschool aquaintance.  That should be real neat!
Okey-dokey... it's late and I am rambling.  Time to go to bed.

Blessings to all and to all a good school year!!

I got tagged and now I have to complete this survey on my blog.

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 28, and find line 4.
      Our Lord speaks a parable which addresses these very issues.  He begins with a story about old garments and new patches.
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
     My 4 drawer file cabinet.
3. What was the last thing you watched on TV?
    Jeopardy
4. Without looking, guess what time it is
    9:15 am
5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
    10:00 am - I had better get moving, it's later than I thought!
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
     Bob, the Builder and my boys playing in the livingroom.
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
    At 8:15.  I went out to the garage to get meat for dinner out of the freezer.  I also just wanted to see what the day promised to be.
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
    I wrote a long post for my blog and then lost it by accident.  I decided to go ahead and get this survey done instead of trying to rewrite it.
9. What are you wearing?
    I'm busted!  I'm still in my nighty and slippers.  It is chilly so I am wearing my black hoodie also (my hair IS brushed though...I'm not a complete slacker!)
10. Did you dream last night?
    Yes, I dreamed of projects I have to get done...not too restful or entertaining.
11. When did you last laugh?
    This morning while coming in from the garage.  Our big grey cat is just so silly!
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
    School work, calendars, paper models of a skeleton, skin layers, joints and the eye, a clock and one buzzing and irritatine fly.
13. Seen anything weird lately?
     Nothing as weird as my husband but then again, I'm used to him so he isn't really what I would consider weird.  I guess the cat I saw with heart-shaped spots is the weirdest thing I have seen lately.
14. What do you think of this quiz?
    This quiz is...well, peculiar.  It is interesting to stop and think of answers to these random questions but there is nothing too thought provoking.
15. What is the last film or video you saw?
    Marty Stouffer's Wild America: Water Babies
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
    A case of Bibles for each of the missionaries our church supports, a ton of rice (literally) for the displaced Christians one of our missionaries is trying to help, some more bookcases, all the homeschool books I have circled in the catalogs on my "wish list" pile, some clothes and shoes for us all, a hair cut for me and the boys (dad doesn't cut his hair- he's just an old hippy), train tickets to visit my family in California at both Christmas and Easter and I would pay off the house and set up a trust fund to generate $$ for special needs for our missionaries and other activities and needs within the church family.
17. Tell me something about you that I do not know.
    I have two middle names.
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
    I would cause ALL political leaders, their support staff and advisors to be honest.  Like, as soon as they took the job (or campaigned for it even), they would be unable to even  consider telling a lie without it making them turn purple or something.
19. Do you like to dance?
    Yes, but only if I can not be seen by any humans.
20. Comment to George Bush:
    Be bold and courageous.  Trust God and seek His will.
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
    Barbara Breanne.
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
     Timothy Isaiah
23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
    Yes
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate?
    "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"
25. What one book, besides the Bible, has changed your life?
     Classical Education and the Homeschool by Doug Wilson
26. 3-5 people who must also do this quiz on THEIR blog:   
    Kathy, Bev, James, Jaimie, Mellissa - they know who they are!

So there!  That gives you some information about me, even if it is worthless.

I have been waiting for the really hot weather to tell me it is summer but it hasn't come.  I guess in Oregon, anything above 75 is summer weather .  I'm sure that is something I can get used to!!!  So far, our hotest day (and it was just one day) was 94 deg. F.  Where I am from, it is a nice summer day when it is only 94.  Most days were 100+ for at least a portion of the day.  Now I can say "Ahhhh!  The wonders of a northern rainforest.  Thank you God, for bringing me to such a different climate and a beautiful part of the country."

We have been on one camping trip with some new friends and their Lutheran church.  We went to Schwarz Camp near Dorena Lake.  We all had a great time (even with my problem with mosquitoes).  It was lovely to fellowship with the body of believers and get to know others in the area. 

I am planning on taking the boys on my own next week.  Or, I might get that same friend to come with her daughters and leave the dads at home.  It is good for our guys to get a chance to have the house all to themselves sometimes (besides, someone has to keep earning $$$ ).  I think we will go to a campground alongside Cottage Grove Resivour.  That way, Dad can drop by for dinner after work and get in on the "camping" stuff and still go home to sleep in a soft bed.  He likes that!

We are still slowly but surely getting school work done but I am only doing 3 days most weeks.  Once Labor Day rolls around and all the campgrounds close, I will have to discipline myself and get back to the 5 days a week thing and stay on it.  While homeschooling should be a flexible proposition, here in Oregon you have to test in 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th (I think those are the years).  So, I need to be up to a certain point in their learning so they will test well.

MMMMM.  Doesn't that sound like teaching-to-the-test?  I hate that!  After this year, I won't be so concerned about it.  My youngest will have caught up on reading and be able to test accurately.

Then again, I almost don't want to let the ESD know we exhist.  I haven't filed with them yet.  I guess I should contact Home School Legal Defence Association [www.hslda.com] and get some advice. -- As an aside, we have been members of HSLDA all our homeschooling years and wouldn't "stay home" without it.  Even in a good political climate and an "easy" homeschooling state, things can go bad very quickly with just one disgruntled family member, neighbor, or busy-body church member making a call.  For around $100 a year, we have legal coverage.  HSLDA will step in with their years of expertise and the weight of a large legal firm behind you.  I think it is cheap security and peace of mind.  Besides that, being a member helps our homeschooling brothers and sisters in other not-so-friendly environments.  Okay, off my soap box now! --

I must run on with my day instead of my sentences now.
God be with you and shine on you all.

Just dropping in for a moment to let folks know I am still alive.
I have been preoccupied trying to build a life here in our new home and state.
I'm feeling challenged by it.  This is good but frustrating.

We finally have livingroom furniture and had our first "Oregon" guests over for Memorial Day.  It was very nice to do the hospitality thing.  I love hospitality!

Our school time is going well.  In our Rome studies, we have just learned about the end of Mark Antony and Octavian (Octavius).  Soon we will be moving into the next era.  We have also been studying the human body.  We've only just begun with cells and the 5 senses so we have a lot to go but it looks like it will be fun. 

We'll be schooling through the summer to catch up with all the time devoted to moving and the like.  I think we will take a few short camping trips, mid-week, and take the books with us.  There is a lot of value in having the motivation of hiking, swimming, fishing or whatever for after the work is done.

Anyway, that just my thoughts for now.  Not much really to write about, is it?

So, off I go to begin school for the day.
God bless you all and may you have lots of opportunities to love on you children (young and old) today.

Wow, it has been quite a while since I posted last.

I just read my last post and got some encouragement from my own post!  Remembering and recounting good days and blessings is good for the soul.  It makes you thankful, grateful.

Well, here is what has been going on.  I have been reading the book Created to Be His Help Meet for the second time.  I am aware of all the contoversy and would rather not discuss it here.  There are other forums that would be more appropriate for that.  This time through, I am keeping a journal.  I have never been very consistant with that sort of thing but this time it seems to be a pleasure to work on it.  The book has given me great insentive to improve my outlook on life.  I am finding more joy in being a woman of God than I have ever experienced.  I love the woman God is calling me to be.  I'm still struggling to get there but I know God has a plan for me and I am trusting Him.

Part of the new joy I am experiencing is the joy of starting a new cycle of curriculum for the boys' school work.  We have been using My Father's World curricula [www.mfwbooks.com] for 3 years now and we love it.  We have used 1st grade, the focus of which is Bible; Exploring Countries and Cultures- focused on Geography and people groups and religions; Genesis to the Greeks- focused on, well, Genesis to the Greeks.  All of these make use of a timeline and lots of literature and DK-type books, not text books. We have enjoyed it all.

Now we are about to start Rome to the Reformation.  This will be the first time that I teach both boys from the same curriculum (except for their math and spelling).  They are 4th and young 2nd grader.  Before I was aprihensive but now I just feel an excitement for the adventure.

Going out of my way to seek joy and be sweet, even when I was down, is giving me more joy in so many things.  It is a great feeling.

I'm not just going to sit back and count my blessings as if that is all I'll ever get.
I am going to serve my blessings and reap the bushels-ful of joy and peace and contentment that God had planned as result to all that mothers and wives pour out.

Wow, was that last post depressing.  At least I kind of talked enought to get to a solution.

 I know I need more discipline in my life.  I used to be able to juggle running a support group, being a leader in Awana (a children's club at church), provide daycare for 2-3 kids and homeschool 2 different grades.  And I still got dinner on the table by 6 every night!

So, I am trying to use some of my old methods to get back on track (I have been a mess for about 3 years ). 

Yesterday, I got dressed, shoes and all, right after my morning trip to the bathroom.  I also was up before the kids- not by design but by happenstance.  I didn't let them turn on the television either.  Man O man, did these three things make a big difference.  It really helped the kids attitude to see me "going" already.  They did their schoolwork without as much belly-aching and daudling.  Cool.  Rewards already.  Isn't God good?!

I also decided to do as many little chores as I could find while the kids worked.  I made sure I was still in the same room to keep them on track, though. We school in the kitchen/ dining room so I chopped all the veggies and meat for our dinner of stir-fried rice, washed dishes, and emptied the dishwasher, sorted some laundry (with their help), straightened some cupboards and cleaned the fish tank.

It felt so great to get so much done. 

Today, I started the same way.  Before school started, I folded some laundry and stripped the bed and started that to wash.  Once our Bible time was done and the boys were on independant work for a while, I sorted out my big rubbermaid tub of sewing stuff.  When we moved, I just emptied the small dresser and sewing machine cabinet into the tub and sealed for storage.  What a mess.  I also sewed on some patches while my 7 year old read to me.  Then we made some jello for dinner.  That is a lot for us slackers to get done by lunch time!!!  I got the dishwasher loaded while the children took a break and it is running now.  That will be nice when hubby comes home; it will contribute to a peaceful atmosphere.

Now, we just have some read aloud stuff and Spanish to do and we are done with school. 

Maybe I'll even get some floors swept and the bed made before my man gets home.

Isn't it peculiar that doing all this work is giving me a brighter outlook and a more cheerful disposition?  I mean, I knew it would, it did before.  But what was keeping me from it???

Could it be......Satan?

It is so inconvenient to have only one working vehicle!!

My van is out of commission and all my husband's tools got stolen so we are waiting for payday to get what he needs.  In the mean time, I have to drive him to work and pick him up if we want to keep the truck.

You homeschoolers know what that means.  The day is chopped up and our routines are mangled.  It is hard for me to stay on a routine anyway.

So, yesterday, we take dad to work (a 1 1/2 hour round trip) and get home around 9:15.  We eat breakfast, start our morning cleanup and chores but the boys just won't stick to their jobs - routine has been broken.  I don't get mine done either because I am running back and forth playing "policeman" getting them to stay on task and do a half decent job. 

Then, daddy calls.  "Your appointment isn't until 1:45, right?  Why don't you come and have lunch with me?  We never get to do that."  Well, how can I say no?!!  But, this will eat up the 2 hours we were going to use to get some school done... I guess that means more catching up another day (we have too many of these already ).

We meet dad and have a wonderful McDonald's lunch .  Then off to my appointment.  When we are finally done there it is 2:30.  We have to be back in town at 5:00 to pick up dad so might as well go shopping.

At the grocery store (which is still new to me and takes a lot of concentration to shop right) the boys are just full of beans.  They won't keep their hands off each other!  And the older one... man!! can he keep up a conversation, even when you say, "I can't listen to you.  Please quit talking to me.  I have to use my brain myself.  Tell your brother."   I finally remembered to give them jobs to occupy themselves.  I made them compare prices and do the "shopping" for the best deal.  I also made them keep their hands in their pockets so they would quit pestering each other (but of course, I have to keep policing that as well).  By the time we get done packing the bags (one of those pack-it-yourself places) and loading them in the truck, squishing them in the cab around the kids because it is raining, it is time to get dad.  Whew!  I'm feeling this:But I hafta be this: when I greet hubby. 

The 15 minute drive to hubby's job I listen to Christian music and try to adjust my frame of mind.  I am only partly successful but at least I don't throw myself at him weeping my dispare at ever getting shopping done without feeling on the verge of a breakdown.  Dad senses the boys need to be dealt with strickly and allows no malarky on the drive home.

Home... shoot!!! I forgot to plan dinner !  I wisper to hubby, "can we get pizza?  It's $5 night."  He doesn't say a word, just turns at the right corner and my stress begins to melt.  He is a good husband and father. 

Once I sat back and looked at the day, it wasn't as wasted as I had thought.  Dad got to be part of everyone waking up, which is rare around here.  He and I got to chat and share time while on the way to work and during lunch.  I got to my appointment on time and the boys were well behaved waiting for me.  At the store, I got a money order and took care of a bill I had been forgetting for a week, got a pantry and fridge full of stuff for 2 weeks, did a little practical math with the boys and  got in some life-skills training on shopping for heathful, frugal meals.  After unloading the groceries, we had a relaxing pizza dinner.  The boys were in bed ontime and I got my shower without interuptions .  I even got in bed on time (which is uncommon) and had a restfull night.

Now, my only question is: Why am I on the computer doing this instead of getting school done?

I have to get more self-disciplined if I intend my children to be self-disciplined. 
Maybe that will be the topic of my next post.
Until then... thanks for joining me.

I am excited to start a blog.  Not like I really have time for it....

About my family: I have been married for 23 years with a lot of ups and downs.  We have 4 sons ages 21, 21, 10 and 7 and they're all a bunch of smarty-pants (I have to work hard to keep up . 

Our two older guys live in Southern California independantly.  We homeschooled them from the beginning through high school.  We used mostly Bob Jones and ABeka with a few other things thrown in.  It was wonderful to school my sons but there was just something missing. 

When it came time to start teaching my younger two, I did a lot of research and found My Father's World curriculum which has a Charlotte Mason/Classical aproach.  THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE THIS WHEN WE STARTED 17 YEARS AGO!  I love it; it is how I always wanted to teach my kids!  I am so enjoying schooling now and I am learning so much along with my sons, stuff I never learned before!

So anyway, God called us here from SoCal last September.  We found our home and were able to move in early Dec. 06.  We have found a church that seems to be a good church home and the boys are going to Awana and loving it.  [we are long-time Awana fans and can't recommend it enough]  We haven't really bonded with the homeschool community yet but we are trusting God for that and hoping to maybe learn about some contacts through this blog. 

Until then, I will use this to "think out loud" and share our days when I can make the time.

Thanks for stopping by.