I have to keep telling myself that! If you're wondering where I've been....it's HERE:
This is what WAS our front porch! I'll spare you the details but, suffice it to say, one thing leads to another.
Anyhoo...since there are only so many warm days left, I'm getting a bit worried about getting this project done. I'm trying to work in the mornings and sand/paint in the afternoons.
Here we are with things getting even worse. Did I mention I'm the only one doing this? My husband is in harvest now, so the porch will remain that way until late August! lol Actually, I finally broke down and hired a young man to help sand, but he's working on the massive wall on the left side (that you can't see) This is all my "handiwork".
This is the nifty bench handy hubby made me so I can reach up to the corbels. Unfortunately, it is about six inches too short. I can reach everything except the front soffit board, which needs sanded as well. I'm just going to ignore it for now, though. Oh!! And there are birds in that hole on the left, so we can't cover it up until the babies fly out. They freak me out because they rustle around when I'm working there and I always think they're going to come out and attack me - or Momma Bird is. She's not happy about this whole thing. But I'm not happy they're there, so we're even. lol We'd covered the rest of the holes w/fiberglass long ago and it held up well. This one still had a plug, which fell out.
I painted the bottom front. Yay! I've decided that, for my mental stability as well as physical well-being (sanding is HARD, hot, dirty work!) I'll have to see progress and paint as I go.
Here are the colors. The body is Mochachino, trim is Chocolate Cupcake, Accents are Port and Porch rails and inside windows are Creamy White.
I actually got the body coat on the top front last night. Between MORE sanding, scrubbing the filthy corbels and moulding, priming and painting, I was on the porch from 2 - 8:30 pm!! I didn't take a pic yet, because it doesn't really look that good w/o the window trim done. Today is shot with activities, but I' hoping to get the rest of the top completely done this weekend. May be overambitious, but one can hope! lol Actually, my family was making fun of me last night because I wouldn't come in until I had the front painted.
There are times when a small house would be infitely more desirable. This is one of those times. :-) Still, I know that by doing this ourselves we are saving between $20,000 and $30,000. (Is that CRAZY or what??!! I think I'm in the wrong business. No. I wouldn't want to do this for a living)
• Jul. 25, 2008 - Homeschooling Only One ~ A Fifteen Year Old's Question
Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in
hsingonlyone
A week or so ago, I had a dear friend's 15-year-old daughter give me a letter asking for a response. Due to a conference she attended, she was challenged to ask an adult, "What do you wish you knew when you were my age?" As she mulled this over, she felt the Lord encourage her to ask several people, of all "persuasions" (friends, family, Christ followers, Non-Christ follwers, acquaintances, and so forth). She may write or do some sort of art piece from the answers. With her permission, I share with you my response to her question. It doesn't really have anything to do with homeschooling (although she is and has been homeschooled) or with having only one child (she's the oldest of four). But it is a challenge to all of us, to look back and ponder what would be something we would have liked to know "if we knew now..."
My first paragraph concerned watching the internet broadcast of this past week's sermon. LifeChurch.tv does a sermon series based on movies for the month of July each year. They are only broadcast during the weekend Experiences (worship times) and online both on Sunday at 11:30am Central USA time and Tuesday evening, 8pm Central USA time. They are not archived since they do use clips of particular movies (a different one each week). This week was based on "The Bucket List" and was quite poignant. I encouraged her that she ought to make time to watch it on Tuesday (July 22nd). I thought specifically of her during the sermon Sunday morning (July 20) and thought she ought to watch it. (She and her family attend the same church we do, but she had not been able to attend church last Sunday.) This particular one won't be saved, so no one here will be able to access it, but if you're interested, you can watch this coming Sunday's (on July 27 and 29). It will be the last one for this year's "At the Movies" series.
I continued my reply with the following....
Fifteen... I turned 50 this year. I never thought of myself "being" 40 or 50. Thirty, I think I might have thought of in some form or fashion at some point... figured I'd have kids and be settled into my own family by 30. Mike (our firstborn) arrived the September after the April I turned 31. So at 30, I didn't "have" all I thought I would by that age. In fact, I felt his first kick on my 31st b'day so that was pretty monumental for me. What does that mean to you, now, at 15? I'm not sure... maybe that what you envision for your life now (for then) may look TOTALLY different then than what you see now...
Plus, 15 is incredibly YOUNG. Realize that your life has barely begun. Traumas and heartaches now (and in the ensuing several years), however hard to walk through, might be seen in later years as "nothing" or mere bumps in the road. I'm not trying to minimize or invalidate those bumps and traumas and heartaches that you may have now (or in the next 5 to 10+/- years), but in the larger picture, the highs & potential lows -to-come- will truly make these upheavals diminish in size. Often 15-year olds see everything in the NOW, and the tragedy of things that happen to them...well, the way they see the situations they find themselves within are soooo tragic and sooooo large, and it's just not true. (Although adults around them need to remember that for this age, it IS tragic and horrible and traumatic to the young lady who is experiencing them, in her perception.) The young lady (or young man) just needs to remember that perception is not reality.
The last few years of one's life (at 15, meaning from even 8yrs old to 15 years old) are so full of change (with hormones and such; learning to be one's own self, not just an extension of one or both of your parents; challenging one's family beliefs, even in a small way, making them your own, etc.). There is just a LOT of change. Knowing that life does settle out and although we are always challenged (in different ways and methods), things do settle down some. Usually. ;) That is something that would have been nice to know at 15 (or even 19...) for myself.
I think another thought would be that no matter what you have to walk thru, that if you have a personal relationship with Jesus, He will walk through those situations (your life, period.) with you. You don't have to be alone. There may be desert experiences and times, but hang tight with Him and no matter the outcome, it will work out. Even if the outcome ends up in Heaven ultimately and you don't see one "good" thing in the here-and-now. I have lived WITH Him since I was 10. That's when I invited Him in. He's walked me thru a cross-country move (after living in CA the longest I had EVER lived ANYWHERE which was a little traumatic, but not horrible--I was 10), my parents' divorce when I was 19 (pretty traumatic for ANYONE, no matter their age!), thru the birth & life of a special needs baby (very high needs) and through his death.
I think the bottom line of what I'm trying to say in the above paragraph, is what happened to me during that weekend of Richard's death. (He died on a Friday morning and his funeral was on the following Monday, 3 days later.) The whole weekend ALL I could think of, kind of like a mantra without the Eastern Religious feel to it, was: "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. BLESSED be the Name of the Lord." Over and over and over... it was all I was aware of almost. NOT Blessed because of what He has done or what He allowed me to walk thru, but simply for WHO He is/was/will be. I know without a shadow of a doubt that He is trustworthy. That He loves me. That He knows the "big picture" and I *CAN* trust Him in all things. Even the things that are not fun, are painful... and trust me, arms that held a baby that is not here in this life any more, those empty arms are truly and utterly desolate and empty... but even so, BLESSED be HIS NAME. I trust Him. I don't know if I could have ever even wrapped my mind around that happening and the depth of the Trust and Love I have for Him before it happened, living thru it, and after it, the and that Love He has for me, even in the midst of pain and travails.
I guess that's my answer to her question, "What do you wish you knew when you were my age (15)?"
What would have been your answer?
Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completes his homeschooling this year. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One five years ago, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC
Oh what fun! This week's featurd blogger, oldschoolmarm of Forty Acres, A Husband, and Three Kids, had her birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday Julie! Her birthday post also gives her testimony, the best beginning anyone could have.
Speaking of birthdays, what about the birth of a homeschool? Our Homeschool Beginnings describes how this homeshcool started and what they did. It's amazing how quickly a homeschool can grow up!
Another new beginning is Julie's first blog post here at HSB, I Found It! While she had lost her ring and later found it, she also found peace with Christ for a prideful heart.
As you read Julie's blog you'll see that she truly has a heart for the Lord and that she is excited by His creation. Go say hello and wish her happy birthday! You'll be so glad you did and that you found a new friend!
Concluding this week with my series, A Day Without Communication is like...IMPOSSIBLE!
You may be able to get through your entire life without ever having to make a speech but you can't get through one single day without communicating something to somebody!
9. Friendship "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Proverbs 25:11
Good communicators enjoy:
Self Confidence
Leadership
Personal Presence
Credibility
Ability to Explain and Persuade
Understanding of Others
Interaction Enjoyment
Happiness
And all of these qualities help us make friends and maintain relationships!
A study by the National Communication Association in 2001 revealed that "Youngsters with poor communication skills are sometimes viewed as less attractive by their peers and enjoy fewer friendships. Antisocial and violent behavior often accompany or occur with underdeveloped social and conflict management skills. On the positive side, the ability to communicate orally supports sound psychological development. One's self concept is acquired through interaction with others."
The study shows that effective communicators are more likely to make contributions in groups, exert influence over others to achieve a desired result and use socially acceptable behavior in doing so to accomplish many of their wants and needs.
"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24
Effective communicators are also better equipped to handle anger in a positive way. The American Psychological Association outlines four communication based steps to take when dealing with anger:
Talk about your feelings
Calmly express yourself
Listen to others
Negotiate
"An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of the citadel." Proverbs 18:19
Those with ineffective communication skills are unable to share their thoughts and calmly express themselves in order that their friends might understand them. Further, they are unwilling to listen to others and negotiate with them in order to work through the inevitable issues friends have.
Communication skills have always been important to master, but recent technological advances have left individuals with the impression that communication is easy and unimportant to study. Many have come to think of communication as the very narrow speech and debate necessary only for lawyers and politicians. If communication skills were not an important subject worthy of the attention given to math, science and history, then why has the Lord seen fit to mention it hundreds and hundreds of times in His Word?
"Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1Peter 3:15
"From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied." Proverbs 18:20
"The wise in heart accepts commands, but the chattering fool comes to ruin." Proverbs 10:8
"He who answers before listening-that is his folly and his shame." Proverbs 18:13
"A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul." Proverbs 18:7
"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions." Proverbs 18:2
"With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape." Proverbs 11:9
"The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgement." Proverbs 10:21
"-So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11
The world is a smaller place through technology and we are no longer sharing our thoughts with only like-minded individuals. Communication technology does not equal communication skill and effective communication is required in every day life more today than ever before!
In a recent article some disturbing statistics are found in the UK which I believe are mirrored in the United States today:
"The number of children who arrive at primary school unable to speak in full sentences is rising, according to a government review which today reveals that 7% of children now have a serious communication problem."
"In some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country, up to 50% of children had speech problems"
"If a child is exposed to a relentless diet of TV and computer games and deprived of interaction at home, that is very damaging."
The article goes on to say that "Instead of being an optional add-on, communication skills should be at the heart of the primary curriculum ... speech and listening have been elbowed out of schools for literacy and numeracy for too long." And it confirms that "...people have fewer options through life if they cannot speak"
Virginia Beardshaw, chief executive of I CAN, a speech charity, said: "Communication is the fundamental life skill for the 21st century."
Don't make the mistake of thinking that your child will learn to communicate well just by talking. Don't wait until he is in high school or college to begin teaching communication skills to your student. Speech and debate classes can teach a great deal but speech and debate are NOT the only communication skills we need to master!
Communication touches every aspect of our every day lives and each communication skill is unique and distinct. You cannot learn to communicate effectively in your marriage, as a parent, to share or defend your faith or in business by taking one college speech class. There is much more to communication skills than just speech and debate and it is vital that we take steps to ensure our children have the skills they need for success all areas of life!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, including Say What You Mean Every Day, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
• Jul. 23, 2008 - Homeschooling is Life! ~ Unschooling, Creative Arts and Summer!
Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in
hsingislife
Hi Friends!
Thanks so much for stopping by the HSB front porch. We really enjoy doing these articles and we also enjoy your feedback! I personally love to hear from anyone who stops by and reads one of my blogs.
Last week I goofed up and well, I posted an article for our dear editor and then I posted the same one to my personal blog. I guess my brain was in neutral. :) Anyhow, here are some of my thoughts on what has been going on at our humble abode.
I posted on my personal blog about a dear little bird that we enjoyed for several days--Wow, what an experience! The funny thing about it was that a couple of folks looked at me with downright disdain over it. I hope to write more about that over at Homeschooling Is Life, as soon as I can. In other news, we are in a frantic last ditch effort to get our "creative arts" projects done for the county fair. Every year, well, for the last couple anyhow, we have entered several pieces of our handiwork in the fair. I'd like to say that we have been consistently working away all year on these. Some of us have (aka: my oldest daughter) but the rest of us are finishing up with only one full day left to do all we need to do.
The county fair is an excellent avenue to pursuing a goal. Just seeing their work on display will thrill most children's hearts. Not everyone gets a ribbon, but if they do then they will be even more excited! I hope you will check out your county fair this year and see what you can plan for next time. Some homeschoolers do 4-H, but your fair should also have open competition. You can pretty much do ANYTHING and enter it in the fair. You can do baking, sewing, building, painting, photography, etc. The list goes on. If you have already done this, please let me know! I'd love to hear about your endeavors.
(Columbine~Watercolor by me)
Today, while we were working hard (with two kids who are battling illnesses, no less) I got to thinking about things. Most of us were being exceptionally productive. There was so much creativity going on, I just loved it! I said to the kids, "I want our "homeschool" to be like this more!" Everyone was working on individual projects, yet there was cooperation going on. Not perfect, mind you. We are just like most families - we gripe, complain, fight and all that other stuff I could do without. But we actually do get along pretty well when we put our minds to it.
So with all that said, I just love to see my kids being creative! I can't wait to see all our projects hung up and on display, and hopefully some will have ribbons attached! If not, that's ok. We really enjoyed ourselves with all this flurry of activity.
Nancy Baetz is a homeschooling Mom of four, and the author of "Haircuts For Little Men," an e-Book designed to teach Moms how to cut hair at home! She is also a contributor to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and The Girlhood Home Companion. She's working on some other projects, but has NO IDEA when they will ever get done~ :)
The summer is quickly coming to an end...How hot it is outside, and how run-down we start feeling. Where did the summer go? We were going to do SO much this season! Not to worry - a languishing reprieve is here for you!
Keep it Short
This week, we'll focus on a few SHORT ways to include your foreign language study without bogging down the family with too many high expectations. Think of little five minute explorations using word you already know.
Today we played CandyLand. As the kids called out their colors for their next turn, I called them out in German. Within a few turns, they were using German only, and any visitors could begin picking it up as well!
Keep it Real
As we were setting the table, we named plates, cups, and napkins in German. Each child got a chance to say their words, and before I knew it, they were counting them out in German, linking two or more words together.
Keep it Fun
Maybe most importantly, be sure your children are smiling while they practice. If you see frowns or hear sighs, something is wrong. Remember: this is not the time to pile on lots of lessons or practice. Lessons in persistance and endurance can wait until the temperature drops! Just remind them that yes, they DO know Spanish, or German, or French, no matter how little. At one point they knew less, and in another month or few weeks, they will begin to know more.
How can you get them to smile? Surprise them! My children wanted to color on their legs with markers. I really despise that. But I DO have washable markers, and a back yard with a sprinkler... so why not? I can take advantage by saying YES, and let them be a little silly, and draw animals on their legs... all while practicing German!
Enjoy these few fleeting months, and keep it short and upbeat before more serious study starts in just a couple of weeks.
We are in our 10th week of w.a.i.t.i.n.g. to hear from the banks on the homes we have offers in on. They are "short sales". Enough said.
Anyway....while we are waiting, we have been somewhat busy.
Oldest son celebrated his 13th birthday.
We took him, a few friends and their dads to the Miramar Speed circuit.
They (big and little) had a blast.
For men and boys what could be better than driving fast, wearing headsocks and the
smell of gasoline.
Happy 13th (belated) birthday my son. You bring joy and laughter into our hearts. May you continue to
follow God with all you have and grow and mature in Him.
We've also been to a beach baptism where my son created some "art".
Had a bug live on the front door for almost two days...
They named it "steve". Anyone know what it is???
And the kids have been enjoying our friends dogs. (and they keep praying for God to give
us our house so WE can get a dog too).
I have to admit.......who could resist this????
So, thanks for making it to the end of this post about our life in the
waiting room.
• Jul. 22, 2008 - We Need Your Help with a Special TOS Project
Posted By HomeschoolBlogger Company Blog in
TOS News
Greetings!
TOS is Celebrating the Olympics
with a Fun Project!
TOS is putting together a fun little Olympics activity E-Book for use in an upcoming promotion.
We would love to include your creative contributions.
Do you have a yummy international recipe? Maybe your children enjoyed a fun recipe while studying a country. Perhaps your family lived overseas and aquired some favorite local recipes.
Or, do you have a fun geography activity or art project that would fit in well with the theme? Do you have a favorite related website or reading recommendations?
We're excited about creating this fun resource from TOS!
Please send any contributions (asap - we are going to launch this soon) to Karen Walden at kwalden@thehomeschoolmagazine.com.
Please provide any website or credit information, if applicable, with your contribution.
I'm sorry that I've been a bit quiet over the past few weeks. My inlaws just left today to return back to their home in Maine. While they were here they shared with me a website that sends out daily devotionals. I'm so glad that they did because our summer has been FILLED with unexpected "crisis" of varying sizes and shapes.
Now that you have finished "planning" for the fall and your school year with your high schooler, let me remind you (and me) that unexpected things WILL happen during our school year. When they do, we have choices to make. We can fuss and fume about our lives being disrupted! We can panic and talk to whomever will listen to our chatter. We can worry about what might happen next!
OR
We can LEAN HARD on the strength that comes from HIM. Here is a devotional from the website my favorite inlaws shared with me. I am planning on keeping this devotional accessible throughout this school year so that when the inenvitable UNEXPECTED situations occur, I will be reminded on whom to lean.
Faith and Courage,
Lori
Lori is married to the love of her life John and together they have four sons ranging in age from 22 down to 10. The two oldest boys have graduated from home school and successfully entered college and/or internship positions! (YEAH!) She is the author of “Beginning With The End In Mind”, a frequent speaker on home education, family and the arts, as well as the founder and Executive Director of Artios Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts where she has worked with hundreds of homeschooled high school students. You can see some of the pictures of their home in the central Colorado Rockies by visiting Lori’s website at www.theendinmind.net where you will receive encouragement for the journey. You can also hear Lori on “The End In Mind” broadcast on www.blogtalkradio.com/theendinmind
The thoughts and reflections of a mom who loves being at home, and is doing all she has ever desired in her life..... Really... I love my life that much!
"And all thy sons shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy sons.
In righteousness shall thou be established." Is 54:13-14
Keys for Kids -- daily devotional for kids
