• Apr. 15, 2008

I haven't blogged in a while.  The longer you go between writing the harder it is to write.  Writing does not come naturally to me.  I think to much about what I want to say and how to say and what I've already said.  Then I end up taking half of what I have already written out.  My poor son is alot like me.  He struggles with writing. 

I have tried many writing programs and I have decided there is no magic program.  He will just have to work and struggle to learn to write.  Right now we are using a book called The Write Stuff by Dean Rea.  It has different ideas of things to write about.  It starts out with ideas for writing for fun.  The next section is a family history and then essays, interviewing and non-fiction articles, and news, advertising and photography.  We are on the family history section. 

My daughter loves to write.  She is very verbal and very creative.  She has plenty to say.  She writes stories and reports without problem.  I only have to work on her grammar.  We use Easy Grammar for that.

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• May. 26, 2007
Summer!

Wow!  Summer is here already!  We've done all of our end of the school year stuff.  We had our 4-H banquet, our piano receital and childrens chorus receital.  Our last homeschool group meeting has come and gone.  We have nothing pressing until fall.

We do have a few things lined up to do.  Daughter is going to take lessons to learn to knit and I am going to teach her to sew.  She and her dad want to take dulcimer lessons also.  Son still has his fencing. 

We are still doing lessons but not as much.  The kids will still keep up with their math.  They will have some writing but not spelling and grammer.  I'll put some of that in with their writing.  We have a book that we started and never finished about the elements.  It has some neat experiments.  We will do some of those.  We just finished studying about the 1920's and we will continue on with the 30's and the depression. 

It was not easy finding the kind of information I wanted for the 20's.  There were several history type books in the library but I couldn't find a story type book that would tell about how life was.  Then when I was reading about the short dresses and bobbed hair, I remembered Cheaper by the Dozen and how the Dad and the daughter clashed on that.  I also rented a DVD about the presidents and we learned about Harding, Coolidge and Hoover.  Son also watched the Untouchables, the old TV series, about Eliot Ness and Al Capone.

I did alot of research on my own before we started.  It was very interesting.  It certainly wasn't something I learned about in school.  Hoover was a very interesting man.  He led the relief effort in Europe during and after WWI.  He was very active in Public Service during the Coolidge administration.  He had ideas about ending the depression but they didn't work.  Then public opinion turned on him and he couldn't get anything done.

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• Nov. 9, 2006
'Tis the Season

It's that time of year again.  Time to start making the Christmas Cookies.  Everyone we send packages to, everyone at church, all of our neighbors, all of our Meals on Wheels people and alot of others get cookies from our family for Christmas.  It started out small but, like alot of things, it has grown through out the years.  We start making our cookie dough in November and freeze it until the first part of December and then we start making cookies.  I have my favorites but every year I like to try something new.  I am not sure what it will be this year.  I am checking my cook books.

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• Nov. 2, 2006
Fall in SE Texas

Rain continues to fall.
Leaves have not begun to fall,
          Not yet,
          Only wet.
Mosquitos whine and bite
In the warm, early fall night.
          But somewhwere
          In the air
The wind blows a gentle call,
Telling us it is really fall.

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• Sep. 2, 2006
Another Wal Mart Story

Yesterday I went to Wal Mart.  I used to shop there all the time but now I go about once a month to buy toiletries and cleaning supplies and cat food that are cheaper there.  I thought I was going to die of old age before I got out of that place.  They only had 3 regular checkout lanes.  I had too much stuff to go through a self checkout.  I don't like those anyway.  While I was standing in line I had a problem with my contact and I had to go to the bathroom to fix it.  When I got back to the line everything was just as I had left it.  My cart was still in line and hadn't moved any.  

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• Sep. 1, 2006
Daughter's Grumpy Week

Daughter has been exceptionally grumpy this week.  I am not sure if it is because she is tired or maybe because she is growing and changing.  She just turned 8 last week.  Or it could be because she was a bit spoiled during the birthday week and it was a let down going back to being a regular person.  What ever the reason, by Wednesday, enough was enough. 

Hubby had taken the day off and we only did math that day.  But she found something to complain about all day long.  Finally about an hour before bed time, I told her to go brush her teeth and get into bed.  She comp;ained, she whined, she cried but I was through with tantrums.  I told her God made me her momma and I wouldn't be doing a very good job if I let her continue on like she was.  I told her she needed a good night's rest so she could get a fresh start the next day.  She went to sleep pretty quick.

The next day she woke up and started complaining about something.  I marched her right back to her bed.  She changed her attitude real fast and we had a fairly pleasant day yesterday.

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• Jul. 20, 2006
Wal Mart

I haven't been going to Wal Mart much lately but I had to go today.  I was reminded why I don't like Wal Mrt any more.  As I was unloading my groceries the cashier hollered at me, "Hey, little momma!"  I really didn't think she was talking to me at first.  But she wanted to know where I found some notebooks I was buying for the kids.  She was pleasant enough after that but I had a hard time geting over the "little momma" bit.  At least it wasn't big momma!

I thought about speaking to the manager but I knew it wouldn't do much good.  Ever since Hurricane Rita came through they have had a hard time hiring enough people to work there.  They have had to take what they can get.  The lines are horrible because they don't have enough cashiers.  I've been going to HEB lately but about once a month I will to Wal Mart to get toiletries and cleaning supplies.

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• Jul. 7, 2006
Why I Like Homeschooling

Things I like about homeschooling that I had not thought about when we decided to Homeschool.

1)  I get to buy books!

2)  The kids and I don't have to be ready to leave the house before 8:00 AM

3)  I can shop during the day and avoid crowds.

4)  I always know were my kids are and who they are with.

5)  I get to learn everything I missed when I was in school.

6)  We can vacation in the off season.

7)  My life does not revolve around someone else's schedule.

8)  We don't have to worry about homework at 10:00 at night.

9)  Did I mention I get to buy books?

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• Jul. 6, 2006
Friends

We have some really great friends.  On the 4th of July our best friends from church, a couple in their 70's, invited us over.  They have 3 children that all live within 2 blocks of their parents.  Everytime they have us over various family members  come and go through out the evening.  They like to play games and we usually end up playing a dice game called ten thousand. 

This time 2 of their grandsons joined us.  They were so funny.  They are both in college and really smart but they were acting about Son's age.  it really made us feel like part of the family.

Yesterday we had some friends in from Tennessee.  They used to live here but moved a few years ago.  They usually come at least once a year and we try to get up there at least once a year.  Their daughter is the same age as Son and their son is the same age as Daughter.  Everytime we get together the kids pick up right were they left off the last time, even if it has been 6 month or longer since we have seen each other.  What's really neat is that the moms and dads get along as well as the kids.  We have not met another family that fits in so well with ours.  We even went on vacation together one year and everyone got along great.

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• Jun. 29, 2006
Vacation Bible School and Friends

Daughter went to VBS this week at a nearby church.  Our church is too small to do VBS.  Daughter doesn't have any of her friends at this church.  Son has 2 friends there but he didn't want to go this year.  He thinks he is too big for it.  Daughter loves Vacation Bible School.  She talks about it for months before and after.  She loves the songs and the crafts and the games and the stories.  She is every teacher's dream.

I kind of worried about her not having one of her friends there but I shouldn't have.  She made a friend the first night.  She makes friends easily and hangs on to them.  Every where she goes she makes a new friend.  Sometimes she makes friends we can't keep up with.  She might make a friend at the park or the pool and we never see that child again.  But Daughter doesn't forget.  She remembers these people and fusses about making friends and not getting to see them.

Her first best friend just moved to Virginia at the beginning of the month.  Her second best friend is moving in about a week.  She is taking it hard.  All I can do is hug her and tell her I know she's sad and she's going to be sad.  Momma can't make it all better this time.  Hubby tries to tell her that she'll make new friends but this doesn't help, especially with Daughter.  I know she will find a new best friend in time but now she just needs us to understand how she feels.  Even though she makes friends easily, she is very loyal to the ones she already has and won't forget them soon.

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• Jun. 22, 2006
Son's New Room

Hubby and I spent the last 5 days remodeling Son's room.  We hadn't planned on doing this.  But on Friday we went to Ikea in Houston and found a loft bed in the clearance section.  It was too good of a deal to pass up.  We decided that if we were going to move a new bed in we might as well paint and as long as we were painting we might as well replace the window. 

So the wall paper came down and the ancient wall paper behind that had to be scraped off.  I don't think I will ever wall paper again, just because it is such a bother to take down. 

Hubby did the window.  I didn't have to bother with any of that.  We both painted with kids trying to help.  We took down the ceiling fan and installed a light.  We didn't think a ceiling fan would go well with a loft bed even though according to Myth Busters you can't cut your head off with a ceiling fan.

We set the bed up Tuesday night and moved all the other stuff back into his room Wed.  It looks really nice.  Son is pleased and the cat loves it.

Now I get to tend to the rest of the house that has been neglected for 5 days.  Daughter feels neglected too.  I keep telling her we haven't forgotten about her, that her turn will come one day. 

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• Jun. 14, 2006
Online Shopping for Father's Day

I did almost all of my Father's Day shopping on line today.  It makes life so much easier going online instead of going to the mall.  Plus I can be a little more creative online.  Instead of browsing through shirts and ties, I have a world of possiblities at my fingertips.  The only drawback is not being able to see or touch the item.  I don't like to buy clothes online because of that.

For Hubby's dad I got a book about Sgt. York.  He likes to read when he travels and he likes military types.  Plus Sgt. York was  a Godly man who lived his faith. 

For my step-dad I got a book about Babe Ruth.  He likes baseball and he likes colorful characters.  I have to be careful with picking books for my step-dad.  He reads alot and I have to make sure he doesn't already have this one.

For my dad I got some tea.  I got a sampler of different types of green tea.  He is very hard to buy for.  Our taste are not similar at all and he is the type of person that if he wants something, he already has it.  But I think he will like the tea.  It has some unusual varities and he likes to try new things.

The only thing I have left to do is take the kids shopping for their Dad and have them make something for him.  Son wants to buy him an inflatible boat that costs $200.  We will have to think of something else.

They like to make him things to decorate his office at work.  One year Son made a paper mache cat mummy and daughter made a paper mache hippo.  We had a craft book about Egypt.  Another year we made a frame for his computer monitor out of craft foam with pictures of the kids on it.  We got that idea from Family Fun.  Maybe Family Fun can give us some ideas for this year.

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• Jun. 7, 2006
Entertainment for the Curious Mind

If you have a curious mind in your house, check out this web site.  http://eepybird.com/dcm1.html  

This is the extreme Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment.  Make sure they try it outside.

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• Jun. 5, 2006
Clever Kids

My wonderful little children combined their brain power today and figured out how one could make faces at the ATM camera while the other could peek through the open office door and watch on the video monitor. I am so glad to see the payoff of all my homeschool efforts. I wonder if the bank employees appreciative?

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• Jun. 3, 2006
Vacation

We just got back from a short vacation to Mississippi. My mom lives there and I grew up there. We had a good trip. One day we went down the Natchez Trace to Rocky Springs. Rocky Springs was a favorite spot to go when I was a child. The kids liked it but it rained on our picnic. Rocky springs used to be a town. All that is left is the old church and grave yard. The grave yard is full of old cedar trees with lots of gray hanging moss,very creepy. The graves all date back to the 1800's. The best part is the creek. It's not very deep. It's cool and clear and just right for wading. The kids could have stayed there all day. We have promised to go there again on our next trip.

After we left Rocky Springs we went on down to Port Gibson and then out to the middle of nowhere to the ruins of Windsor. Windsor was a big mansion built with cotton money in 1861. It survived the Civil War but was burned down in 1890 by some one careless with a cigarette. All that is left of it are the columns and some iron work. It looks very impressive out there in the middle of nothing.

When I was a kid we used to go on trips like that all the time. My mom liked to explore. I never realized then that she had a pretty good idea where she was going. I always felt like we were going to be lost in the back woods of Mississippi and never get home again. Sometimes we would go down gravel or dirt roads that were only wide enough for one car. I was really nervous on those. I just knew we were going to get stuck.

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• May. 25, 2006
At the Library

Yesterday at the library, the librarian commented that we had over 99 items checked out. When you get to 99 their computer system "blocks" your account and she had to override that to check out the rest of our books. That was a first for us. But we had returned some books and they had not been checked in yet. I just checked our account online to renew some books and we only have 71 items out now. You should see us carrying all these books out of the library!

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• May. 24, 2006
Is There a Right Way?

Lately I've been reading alot of different books on homeschooling and education in general. One thing that I have noticed is that the method the author is promoting gets good results. If the author is for unschooling, there are plenty of examples to show how good it works. If the author is for the classical method, they have examples of success also. So I have come to the conclusion that there is no one right way. Really, I already knew this. But I keep reading trying to find the best way but there is no such thing.

It all boils down to what is best for my family, which may not be what is best for your family or anybody else's family. I can only take ideas from these books and if they don't work for my family, drop them and move on. This may seem pretty obvious but I know plenty of moms who are always searching, looking for the best curriculums, the best methods; trying to force a way on their family that just doesn't fit. I have done it myself before and if I don't keep this in mind, I'll probably do it again. I think it is human nature to be looking at others and comparing ourselves to them. We all want what is best for our families. We have to trust ourselves to know what is best for them. Of course, homeschooling instead of sending the kids off to school is shows that we really do know this.

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• May. 23, 2006
Egypt to Texas

We have been doing a small study on Egypt. I wanted to study one foriegn country and had thought maybe Mexico or China. Hubby said Belgium. We both agreed on Egypt. We have spent the last 2 weeks on the history of Egypt but not too in depth. Now we are going to start talking more about the modern culture, people and what is going on in that area now. Monday we are going to finish up with an Egyptian dinner. I have found some recipes online.

After that we will take 2 weeks off. Then we will start on Texas history. Texas is a neat state. I may even include in our study the history of homeschooling in Texas. Back in the 80's and early 90's they went after homeschoolers in Texas. Now Texas is a very homeschooler friendly state. Many thanks to the Texas Home School Coalition for their hard work in making this a great state to homeschool in.

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• May. 19, 2006
End of the School Year

Alot has happened since I last blogged. I wasn't able to log in for awhile but the friendly folks at the homeschoolblogger were able to fix everything. Things are winding down for the school year. Our family homeschools all year round but alot of our activities have come to an end. We had our last 4-H meeting for the year. Son was elected reporter. He wanted to run last year but I wouldn't let him because his writing skills were not where they needed to be. I told him he could run this year and he was excited at first. Then his buddies told him he shouldn't run and he wasn't going to but I made him. He is glad now that he did. I wasn't going to let him back out of something just because his friends didn't want him to. Now his friends are talking about running for office next year.

Daughter finished piano lessons for the year. She also had her recital for the Children's Chorus. At the recital they let the kids do a solo. either singing or playing an instrument if they wanted to. Daughter wanted to play the piano so it was a piano and chorus recital for her. She did good. I was very proud of her. I thought she would be nervous waiting to go up on the stage for her solo. But when she sat down at the piano and her name was announced, she turned around and smiled real big and waved to the audience. I knew she wasn't nervous then. She was having a blast! She did her piece perfectly. Then when all the kids sang together, she sang louder than anyone else. She was tapping her feet and having a good time.

We also had our last meeting for our homeschool group. Poor homescool group never got a good start after the hurricane. No one wanted to do much. Hopefully next year will be better.

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• May. 4, 2006
New Computer

We just got a new computer and high speed internet. No longer will I be folding clothes or putting up dishes while I wait for a page to load. The old computer with dial up was so slow. I am having trouble learning how things work on the new computer. It is an iMac. we had PC before. Even simple little things like setting up my email are difficult when you have no idea what you are doing. I am going to buy a book tomorrow or else go hang out at the Apple Store until I learn it all.

I could tell that the man who came to hook up the internet service was not familiar with Macs. My son had to show him how you connect to the internet. To make him feel better I told him that when Son was 4 he showed his 2 year old sister how to use the computer. To these kids the computer has always been apart of their lives. There is nothing strange about it to them.

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