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seeds and dreams

Grace and peace to you and your family, Penny

I know I haven't been on for a very long time...at first I just neglected this blog in favor of another...then we cancelled our internet at home...but now we've reconnected and I realize how much I've missed this community and blogging about our homeschool day.    :)

Homeschooling is going so well this year.  My big boy is in 2nd grade and the little boy is in K.  We're studying the 3 R's, the book of Proverbs, Life Lessons from the Squire and the Scroll, the history of Thanksgiving, animals, piano, Latin, ASL, art, Karate and typing. 

We also now belong to a mini co-op and a homeschool group so we're very busy with those things.  I can only function with a detailed plan of what is to be accomplished each day...

Anyway, I'm hoping to have some more interesting posts in the near future.  Until then, if you happen to read this please leave me a comment.  Short and sweet hellos are always welcome!

I'd like to start teaching Latin next year and am looking at using the Prima Latina program because I have no foreign language background what-so-ever.  I'm wondering if any one who has used this or any other Latin program would be willing to give me some feedback and some tips on how to best approach this subject.  I would really appreciate any comments!

My hubby loves his new salon, things are going well.  His clients have followed him and he's been booked solid!  I'm sure I've said this before but it is so awesome to see him living his dreams! 

I also wanted to let you, my friends, know that my house is clean!  Not that it was ever horrible but it needed a lot of attention and my poor hubby was always frustrated about it.  It doesn't really bother me as much as it bothers him but I want to honor him and this is one way I can.  I cleaned up and got more organized with the help of the flylady.  The flylady is a free online coach and has really helped me get control and feel good about this part of my life, so I thought I'd pass the info on!

I hope you're doing well, grace and peace to you!

"Mommy, you made school fun."

These are the words that came out of my six year old's mouth today!  I almost started to cry.  He really loves the way we order our day now and he loves the planner I made for him.

What I did to make the planner is simple.  I put a page protector inside a 3 ring notebook with pockets on each side.  Inside the page protector I put a piece of paper with the following listed on it...

• phonics
• spelling
• sight words
• math
• handwriting

These are the tasks he is to complete during his "table time", and he is able to check them off with a dry erase marker as they are completed.  He loves it.  All of his worksheets to be completed go in the left pocket on the inside of the 3 ring binder.  When he completes them he moves them to the pocket on the right side for me to gather and file later.  This was so easy to put together. (I borrowed the idea from a friend.)

Anyway, I'm hoping the good attitude will continue throughout the rest of the school year.  I figured out today that we only have 44 days to go.  (Our state requires 187 days.)  That may seem like a lot to some who are finishing up right now but it's right on track for us.  I like to start at the very beginning of August and end the school year sometime in June.  If we take too long of a break all at once it is hard on us, so this schedule is perfect and allows for some flex time throughout the year.

I hope your homeschooling and all of life is going well, grace and peace to you!

Today my husband's salon opened for business!  It is so wonderful to see him living his dream, when they put his name on the window last night I almost cried.

All the prep last night took much longer than we expected and we were up (kids too) until past midnight so today has been a relaxed homeschooling day.  We have done lots of reading stuff though, math too.  My big boy was given a math computer game that he loves.  I find him begging me to let him play it regularly!  It's great.

In other homeschooling news, on the way to my big boy's piano lesson, Monday, my little boy asked (well, begged really) to take piano lessons too.  We talked to the teacher and she said he could start in the fall, when he starts Kindergarten.  He'll be taking 10-15 minute lessons at first instead of the typical 30 minutes.  I'm excited about it, I really want them both to learn how to read music.  Music was not a part of my childhood and so I'm enjoying learning along with them now!

I hope you're having a great day, grace and peace to you!

Hi everyone!  I have a question...I'm considering Story of the World for history next year and am wondering if anyone has used it and would be willing to share their experiences using it.  My children will be in Kindergarten and 2nd grade and I really like what I see, but of course it always helps to get the opinion of those who have used the product!  Thanks to anyone who will leave me a comment!  Grace and peace to you and yours!

*I'm a stay at home mom.
*I get to homeschool my children.
*I go to church with people I love.
*My husband thinks I'm sexy even though I'm overweight.
*I live within walking distance of downtown OP.
*I'm married to the man I believe to be the love of my life.
*I love to learn.
*I have read a lot of great books and am finding more to read all the time.
*Spring is finally here.
*I have more than a few really good friends.
*My sister Candy and I live within a five minute drive of each other.
*I am now a part of a homeschooling group.
*My husband is fulfilling one of his life long dreams and opening his own salon.
*My children both love God.
*My husband prays with us regularly.
*My husband reads the Bible with us regularly.
*I planted flowers with my kids today.
*I have very little debt.
*We only have 2 car payments left.
*I'm wearing skirts again.
*I have a new job at Homer's.
*I learned how to draw.
*I get to see live music for free on a regular basis.
*My family and I take walks together regularly.
*I live in America.
*I get to teach all the kids at my church about missions.
*I have valuable things passed down to me regularly.
*My husband does my hair.
*My immediate family is very creative.
*I have many handmade pieces of furniture.
*I have lots of origional art.
*I have blankets that were made for my family by a close friend on every bed in the house.
*My four year old can add.
*I have a church pew.
*I'm learning to create and maintain better boundaries.
*My husband makes me laugh.
*My husband has a wonderful laugh.
*My kids and I memorize lots of Bible verses together.
*My oldest son knows how and loves to use a compass.
*My bedroom decor reflects who I am as a person.
*I get to hear my oldest son practice piano almost every day.
*I'm learning to read music along with my oldest son.
*My oldest son is reading phonetically appropriate books with history and fine art themes.
*I have a Degas print.
*My family eats together at the table somewhat regularly.
*We have never gone hungry.
*We have never missed a mortgage payment.
*I'm a Christian.
*God loves me just the way I am.
*I've learned that legalism and lawlessness are two sides of the same coin.
*My littlest boy loves books finally.
*My oldest boy loves to be told stories.
*I'm not depressed anymore.
*We have a wonderful cat who needed us as much as we wanted him.
*My mother is alive and lives close to me.
*My brother is married to a wonderful girl.
*My littlest sister is going to college.
*I've met and become friends with other homeshcooling families.
*I've made some good decisions about my homeschooling resources for next school year.
*Big trash day is coming soon.
*I've been spring cleaning.
*I get to get out of bed as early or late as I want most days.
*I get to allow my children to wake up naturally most days.
*My children tell me their dreams almost every day.
*My kids sing songs with me at bed time regularly.
*I've reconnected with lots of old friends on myspace.
*My husband has this whole week off.
*My youngest son loves to go barefoot, just like me.
*I usually have purple hair.
*I have a great group of friends at the coffeeshop I work in.
*My oldest son is starting to use his good manners more often.
*I can leave the windows open most of the time for the next month or so.
*My littlest sister calls and instant messages me all the time.
*My other sister can soothe my nerves with just her voice.
*My hubby does laundry to keep us as caught up as possible.
*I've lost 4 pounds in the last 2 weeks.
*My family gets together at least twice a year for holidays.
*I get to spend time with my dad at least once a year.
*I finally let go of my resentment and love my step mom.
*My Nana and my Grandma are both out of the hospital.
*I can weave.
*Summer is coming.
*I'm getting more organized and better at running my home.
*I work only because I want to not because I have to.
*My husband gets better looking with age.
*I get to enjoy the babies born into our church family and then give them back if they cry.
*I get to worship God every Sunday in joyful song!
*Every spring my children and I watch the baby squirrels in the tree out front.
*I have friends who are smarter than me and willing to answer my questions.
*I have seen my favorite band play 3 different times.
*I write on 3 different blogs regularly.
*My youngest son has beautiful curley hair.
*People call me a hippy and not because I'm dirty.
*I believe that God has a plan for my life.
*I love all of my in laws.
*I get to go out of town a couple of times every year. (Not far but I do get to go.)
*My husband has a job that we can barter with when we can.
*I've learned to value people even when I don't like them.
*My husband and my children play together a lot.
*I'm saving money to get a new tattoo.

Does spring cleaning count as homeschool?  :)    It's been all we've done for 3 days or so. 

 First we cleaned out the boys room.  They filled a medium size box with toys to donate...we threw away the broken ones.  My little boy is only 4 so he still loves his toys and kept most of them but my big boy is 6 1/2 and got rid of almost everything.  He says he's getting too old for all those toys. 

Next I did my room, it was a huge chore.  I really need to pay more attention to it.  But I got it all reorganized and filled a box of my own to donate.  It feels so good to get rid of clutter.

Today I'm working on the kitchen and the homeschool stuff.  Being in the middle of finishing this school year and looking for next years stuff is a recipe for chaos, not to mention that I'm dragging back out the Kindergarten stuff for my little boy for next year.  So anyway, I have a full days work, and I'm enjoying it.

My hubby is taking next week off and we'll tackle the garage and yard together.  The salon will open April 3 and it's really coming together.  We'll be opening with just $1000 in debt which is much less than we anticipated.  Horray!

Anyway, boring post but this is my life!  Grace and peace to you!

A few days ago my big boy and I were checking out his math worksheet for the day and they were introducing the concept of perimeters.  Being 6 years old, my son was not familiar with this word or the concept so I suggested, as usual, that we look the word up in the dictionary.  As soon as I pulled it out my son made the funniest comment.  He said, " Wow Mom, the dictionary knows everything."