this will be my last post here at HSB but don't fret, all you need to do is get into the habit of lurking here:

www.kristinacamp.blogspot.com

we will be combining forces there to regularly blog, post pictures, maybe a video or two if the internet is fast enough over yonder in PNG.  we might even fork over the measly $10 required to register a domain name that doesn't have dot blogspot dot com in it.  maybe.  i|I will be attempting to import all my archives there in the next litte while but I can't see that bothering anyone but me.  In any case, I think I have imported almost all the friend's list names.  if we missed you, please don't feel slighted, just let us know.  that way you are forced to leave a comment.  as they say in pigin:

ok, me go, you sta

NO,  I am not copying JenIg.  as a matter of fact, I believe I had this already planned out on Sunday; that I would post this family picture today, Wednesday.  She must have sensed I was going to do it and wanted to beat me to the punch.  Here it is.  Not the greatest, but the batteries (both of them) stopped working right after we took only two shots.  I had forgotten to wear any makeup and Jonam is laughing hysterically because the timing light on the camera was keeping the beat with the background music we had on.  I insisted on using this particular photo because Jonam usually looks like he would rather be adopted out to any other family than the one he has been forced to pose for a picture with.  Oh the joys of Holiday picture taking.

See how well you can gaze at the tree in all it's glory?  Poor, poor JenIg.  And Neal is sporting his "bobby just got shorn" hairdo because the night previous had a wee little girl calling him a "very bad man".  I guess he could look pretty menacing with his mass of dark curls, like Bob Ross ...

Here Jonam is standing behind me saying "awwh ... you chose the bad one!"  I personally love this one.

Tonight we had our homeschool drama group play and it went really well.  Neal was handy to add three extra rows of seating, and thankfully we had a number of mom's decide to bring "a little bit extra" for dessert after the show.  I cheered for bestsister's kids like they were my own.  Such sweetness.   I am, however, very glad to see this term end and will enjoy taking a HIGH Day break until the first week in January.  Now I can concentrate on the upcoming show at the VPP in town, and the murder mystery I am in on December 15th.  The life of a homeschool mom never ends, and neither do my pictures from our tree cutting ...

a view of some of the open fires.  you simply find an available one and get out your dogs and buns to roast away

each of the "boys" took turns cutting down OUR tree

first, the tree gets shaken so the excess needles will fall off, then it gets wrapped in twine to make it simple to put on the roof of your car (if you have a roof rack, which we don't).  we stick ours in the trunk and make the boys shove over one seat.

Neal bought me a sugar cookie while the boys went through the cedar maze because there was a heater in the tent and I was completely frozen by this time.  The icing was in a warming tray so it heated up my cold, cold hands.  yummola. 

I have no idea why people mistake me for my boy's sister ...

I love this time of year, and we will be working on our Christmas lapbooks soon, winding down for the holidays.  In twenty-one days, Neal and I will celebrate our fourteenth anniversary.  I love this man.

The day was perfect, including the occasional snow fall, the big, beautiful, story-book kind of flakes, and Harry Connick Jr. over the loudspeaker.  Mmmm, yes, the day was perfect ...

Neal carving his name into our bucksaw so Sloan's doesn't think we took one of theirs

walking toward the main building, where you pay your entrance fee

coming in with us?

going to have some fun before we eat

Jonam on the pony ... we were told the boys were on the edge of being too tall.  at least we had this time

Evan on the zip line.  hard to believe we had to force him to do this

I will post more tomorrow ...

my friend michelle tagged me back at the beginning of the month, and being the most excellent friend I am, I only caught up on reading her musings today.  nice friend indeed.  I really love memes though, so here I go.

8 things I’m passionate about...

1.          My family. This has come to include people I truly am madly in love with though not related at all, like michelle, the fox family, the posties and the smalls.  some people I just cannot do without.

2.  Jesus.  I love the quote from mr. bennett. "I'm not crazy about religion, but I'm crazy about the Lord.
   

3. ART!  I love to create it and analyze it, even let it make me totally crazy mental not being able to make it the way I want to.
   

4. music.  cannot abide a life without it or those who have incredibly bad taste in it.  was a proud moment the night I recorded my first 'for real' song.  I love to write the music and lyrics and nothing quite compares to the feeling you get when you hear a piece performed for the first time ever.
   

5. parenting.  sounds cheesy, but I mean I love good parenting and seeing those skills lived out in others.
   

6.  writing.  being published is a bit of a rush, though I am far too critical of my own things. 
   

7. making a decision and feeling peace about it.  you have no idea how much this means to me.
   

8.          Theatre.  am I allowed to be this similar to someone else?

Things I want to do before I die...

1. believe in myself, not narcissistically but realistically acknowledging my gifts and talents and not being afraid to just use them already, without feeling like I need to make excuses.
   

2. become a respected writer.
   

3. sell some more of my art and not think people are completely retarded for wanting to buy it (see number one)
   

4. get out of debt and stay out.
   

5. have a honeymoon. 
   

6. travel all of Canada.
   

7. actually meet my relatives in Europe.
   

8. live long enough to see my kid's kid's kids, although heaven is mighty tempting.
   

Things I say often....

1. that's retarded.  I know, completely un-politically correct, but this is MY meme.
   

2. I'm such an idiot.  I say this with far too much regularity (see number one in the second section).
   

3. for real.
   

4. that's nice.
   

5. my hands are freezing.
   

6. Jonam (or Evan) what are you doing right now?
   

7. (on the phone) this is Kristina
   

8. go away 
   

Books I’ve read recently...

1. Crunchy Cons
   

2. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

3. Star-Shaped Pegs, Square Holes

4. I'm Not Going to Get Up Today

5. When the Heart Cries

6. The Kite Runner

7. Reunion

8. A Fish Out of Water

Songs I could listen to over and over...

1. Dave's Party by Flight of the Conchords
   

2. Hey Delilah by Plain White Tees
   

3. Come to Jesus by Mindy Smith (love Mindy)
   

4. I Want You to be my Love by Over the Rhine
   

5. Who Will Guard the Door by Over the Rhine (anything on the Drunkard's Prayer album)
   

6. Night Windows by the Weakerthans
   

7. Killer, ok,anything by Seal (thanks to Erin Hussey)
   

8. most of anything off the farewell album by Watermark.  what I wouldn't give to wake up and sound like Christy Nockels tomorrow morning
   

8 Things that attract me to my best friends....

1. they don't let me get TOO carried away. 
   

2. they expect certain things out of me.
   

3. they actually laugh WITH me and not just at me.
   

4. they seem to get it most of the time.
   

5. they love Jesus too.
   

6. they excel in areas I do not.

7. they tell me that they love me and I can tell they mean it.
   

8. they know this is my favourite number.  well, they do now.
   

8 People who should do this Crazy Eights meme:

you will sense it ...

ok, so maybe I will attempt this with some regularity.  we shall see.  seems I am really not talking about homeschooling at all anymore.  maybe because we haven't done a whole lot of what most would call "school".  s'ok.  we will get back to more book-like stuff once all our plays are over, the first week of December.

this picture was taken at the start of summer, 1995.  we had just moved to Neal's parents place because we thought we had no resources for life on our own.  can you say we got married real young?  anyway, we drove our old, blue volvo down to the bluewater bridge for some fries all the while pondering our second year of marriage.  it wasn't looking so "mature" for lack of a better word, but little did we know that a message was being left on the answering machine; an offer of a paid co-op position with a company that would hire Neal on full-time seven months later, once he was done his schooling.  This was Jonam's first time at the bridge ... Neal was 22. 

this just about explains everything ...

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You're the glue that holds everyone together.

is worth a second glance, so I am posting this gem from homeschoolestore.com, where I have one of my curriculum guides for sale.  (I am sure you will glean something from it also)

WHAT’S WRONG WITH SCHOOLS AND RIGHT WITH HOME SCHOOL?

In our current educational system, almost every school, public or private, relies heavily on certain tools which actually hinder the desired result of education. These include the obvious, overcrowded classrooms, non-standardized curricula, under-trained and unmotivated teachers, the “bad guys” everyone points at. But there are other subtly destructive ideas at work. These include grading, grade levels and homework.

When a teacher gives a grade, be it for a test or a semester, the teacher has admitted his failure. Why didn’t every student learn the requisite materials? The students were there. Every “B” issued is the teacher and school’s way of saying “we taught this student MOST of the materials”. And an “F”? They’re admitting that they haven’t a clue how to teach your child that subject.

Many courses are graded on a “bell curve”, in which a certain percentage of students MUST receive an “A”, a “B”, and so forth. Who determined the percentages? What do you do with a class that is almost entirely “expert”, give some of them “F”s? How about the class that is generally sub-standard, whatever the “standard” may be? Give a percentage “A”s when they can’t sign their names? It happens!

Grades pigeonhole a child. Your student is “bright” or “slow” or “below average”. According to what scale? Who determines the criteria?

What’s wrong with Grade Levels? Children are tossed into a group because they are the same age, and supposedly that alone will allow them to study well together. But what happens is the fastest or brightest students “slow down”, so they don’t soar ahead of the group. Slower students become “remedial”. The “average” student, whatever that is decided to be by whoever is in charge, is the governor regarding speed of study.

And homework? When you, an adult, complete your eight hours of work, and you head home, do you want more work to do? If a school can’t get enough information communicated in a standard day of school, what ARE they doing? When should a student pursue his own interests? Music…theatre…sports? When are they allowed control over their own time, their own lives? Who decided it was alright for a school to become the vast bulk of the child’s activities? And don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s “number of hours spent” that determine an education. It’s not. It’s “amount of information acquired, understood and ready to be used”.

Home school places the control over the student’s education back where it belongs…with the student and their parents or guardians. It allows the student to study in a safe environment…something few schools can claim they create, not with a straight face. It eliminates the need for grade levels, or homework. It allows student and parent to design a schedule the student can succeed with. It allows the student to move at his or her own pace, without comparisons or stigma. It allows the student to avoid grades, when the home school system used is a wise one. And the big “problem” with home school, that much-overrated concern, “socialization”, is readily resolved by extra-curricular activities such as sports and music studies, and the fact that the student will have far more discretionary hours in a week!

Steven Horwich
Connect The Thoughts

we went in to town today to attempt to purchase snow stuff for the boy-o's who needed boots, gloves, touques, snowpants, coats etc.  we have yet to go back to Barrie to pick up the cool toboggan we bought at a garage sale this summer ... our good friends are storing it in their already over-stuffed garage.  it was a big relief to get it all in one day even though there is no snow around here yet.  it's coming ...

so far, all Evan wants to wear is the jacket hood. 

and for those of you out there who do not know the difference between a touque and a toboggan ...

touque

toboggan

I'm sorry ... to call a touque a toboggan is  j u s t   p l a i n  wrong.

next weekend, we will be packing our hotdogs, buns (literally and figuratively) and lots of hot chocolate to go and chop down our own christmas tree.  it's the most wonderful time of the year ...

Last week, on Halloween day, I drove to a local school and read to a classroom of grade 3 and 4 students.  I was dressed as an ice queen (that's what looked reasonable when I googled easy costumes at 10:30 the night before).  The kids ate it up.  I was introduced as an actress ... ooh, ahh, and boy did I act like one.  I read books about Halloween and all things autumn.

This morning I went back to the same school only this time I read to a grade 1 class.  This was going to be easy.  I chose all my favourite books from the shelf behind Neal's art desk and drove out there for just after 9 am.  My boys had woken up only minutes before I left but they knew the drill and actually seemed happy to get to a day of school.  As a disclaimer, I did NOT dress up this morning.  Maybe I should have.

The reading started out innocently enough, I mean, these are my favourite books, right?  What could possibly go wrong? 

Yah.

The first selection was I'm Not Going to Get up Today by the one and only Dr. Seuss.  It was going just tickety boo until I heard myself reading the following:

"In bed is where I'm going to stay.  And I don't care what the neighbours say!  I never liked them anyway."

Score one.  Ok, so I didn't write it (but the way some things go around here, I just might) but I READ it ... OUT LOUD.  Funny eccentric girl. 

Then I chose A Fish Out of Water.  Great story about a little boy who doesn't listen to the man in the fish store and totals his parent's house.  Ok ... moving right along ... Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Excellent.  So appropriate for the morning, as I had already told the children that I had slept in (thus the I don't want to get up theme) and hoped it wasn't going to be a day like the one Alexander had had.  So I read, with much enthusiasm and using multiple voices (have to use that English degree somehow every day you know) and that's when I heard these words being said:

"I hope you sit on a tack ... I hope the next time you get a double-decker strawberry ice-cream cone the ice cream part falls off the cone part and lands in Australia."  I kept reading on ...

"On the way downstairs the elevator door closed on my foot and while we were waiting for my mom to go get the car Anthony made me fall where it was muddy and when I started crying because of the mud Nick said I was a crybaby and while I was punching Nick for saying crybaby my mom came back with the car and scolded me for being muddy and fighting."

In reality, she probably took him into the car and spanked him, since the book was written in 1972.  She probably spanked all of them, as Anthony really tripped Alexander and Nick was being a bit of a brat.  So, I finished up my three selections all about disobedience and violence just in time to hear over the P.A. system

"Students, it is almost 9:40 and it is time for our classrooms to make their way to the auditorium for the assembly about bullying."

I have relatives in Australia ... maybe I should think about visiting for a while.

I don't usually do this, not because I don't think it is cool, but just because it would mean I would be expected to do it regularly, and Neal and I have decided I am partially fickle.  BUT ... I had a friend over this weekend for some scrapbooking, which I used to do a lot of, like 10 years ago, and have really done very little of since 2003.  She made me do it, and I am glad since it helped me realize virtually every picture we have taken since 2004 is on our computer, and not in print.  It was also really fun and kind of cathartic to take the trip down kid memory lane. 

Without further ado, I bring you memories one, two and three.  These jumped out at me as a few of my happiest days ...

Jonam and me, laughing ... something we do a lot

We had the priviledge of meeing up with our actor on Monday night, if only for a few hours, at Boston Pizza. 

He is always such a crazy guy to be around, and makes everyone laugh and feel a tonne lighter for it.  We were happy to treat him with dinner and a wee token gift of our love.  Turns out he had had a hard week, in many ways.  His co-star, for one, is in hospital recovering from an aneurism and it is not known for sure when he will be back "on stage" for the show Danny King of the Basement.  

Evan and I were able to see at least one of the shows, without Jonam.  Jonam had two shows of his own that same day.   I hope to post some pictures of that as soon as we can get our hands on some.  No flash photography allowed you know.

We miss Colin's antics, but are very happy he "chose" our home to share this past summer, and really hope he can return for another.  Guess we'll take what we can get.  We love sharing our home and our lives with people ... here are some snapshots of one of our favourite people ... here he is over-reacting, I mean, acting, I mean being excited over the late birthday present from us ...

If Colin's co-star is back on the road this coming week, I will take the boys to see another of the shows. 

He really is a great actor and a most excellent houseguest.  Too bad Randy and Sarah picked us instead of him.  I am sure we were not half as funny ...

Lyle Lovett is a big hit around our house, though most people we ask have either never heard of him or have no taste for his music.  Well, every time there is a family funeral, Neal and I sing this song, or a part of it ...

I went to a funeral.  Lord it made me happy seeing all those people I ain't seen since the last time somebody died ...

Neal comes from a big, healthy family, on both sides.  Campbell, Hamilton, Steele, Teeple.  It was quite a jump for me, having only one brother and 95% of my relatives in Europe, to enter in to family reunions and "cousins, cousins everywhere"(and this is still somewhat of a shock every time we leave the house ... we always see a cousin or an aunt/uncle no matter where we go).  I absolutely love it.  I always wanted a big family and I also wish we saw these people on a regular basis, but life is busy and not everyone shares the same interests and, you catch my drift.

Yesterday, we had the priviledge, to steal Carl Teeple's words, of celebrating the life and death of a great man, Lorne Teeple.  He passed away on Monday, at 11pm, and left behind a wife and six, grown, godly boys.  What a legacy.  The 'boys sang in three part harmony ~ a couple of good old gospel songs, just like their Daddy used to, for over six decades.  The whole generation, from wife down to great-grandchild, also sang over all of us ... the Doxology ... before the meal was served.  What a celebration and what a tribute not only to Lorne, but also to the Father most everyone in that room shares the saving knowledge of.

I could not believe the light spirit I walked away with.  I felt blessed, encouraged, and charged up to go another round.  We may not get together much, but when we do, and because we did ...

Lord it made me happy, seeing all those people I ain't seen since the last time somebody died ...

because some people are never satisfied ...

10 years ago.  let's see.  just about to turn 26. I was not  the person whose blog you would leave comments on, except maybe to say you were praying for me.  I was probably about as negative and critical as it comes.  I was also in the midst of some serious post-partum depression and Neal and I were having some, uh, difficulties.  On a lighter note, though, I had the friendship of an amazing couple, Jay and Tara, who stuck by me and wouldn't let me go ...  the picture below has Jonam and Evan feeding a lamb in Tara's sister's backyard (long story). not too long after this, I met bestsister, who looked past it all and helped me too.  the highlight was moving (though so briefly) to Pulaski Tennessee and falling hopelessly in love with her.

20 years ago.  I was 16.  not a good girl, and suffering with a bad bout of mono.  almost failed my grade eleven year because of it.  I worked at Shopper's Drug Mart, if I am not mistaken.  I certainly gave my parents a run for their money.  I often wore slippers to school.  I wondered if I would be an actress, an artist, a singer or a writer.  here I am with some of my youth group, ready to take freshly baked cookies to some shut-ins.  I never did up my coat that year ... not even in minus 25 degree weather.

30 years ago.  this was cute time.  I was all of 6.  I loved my school.  my "mummo" or grandmother, in finnish, lived with us, and I shared a room with her.  I would often fake that I was asleep because she would take my book out of my hands and proceed to tuck the blankets around me like a cocoon.  I felt safe.  my mom had just gone back to work the year before and I made sure she knew it was a mistake pretty much every day.  she has gotten over it.  so have I.  yes, 6 was good.  my brother let me wear his cub scout beanie for my birthday ... this picture is me maybe almost 8, not sure, but it was as good as I could find.  mom has all my pictures before marriage.  my brother Eric and me, at the cottage, in Parry Sound area.

40 years ago, my brother was blissfully alone, never once imagining I would be the answer to his pleadings to my parents for a brother or sister.  mwah, ha, ha.

http://www.petroliatheatre.com/

go check it out.

In the Great House of God there is a furnace.  This furnace affects the whole house, and your prayers fuel the furnace.  Your intercession is coal on the fire.  Your pleadings are kindling to the flames.  The furnace is sturdy, the  vents are ready, all that is needed is your prayer.

THE GREAT HOUSE OF GOD *  MAX LUCADO

I have been asked to ponder this question on more than just one occasion:  "what would happen if you gave up praying the very day before God had chosen to answer your prayer?"  Well, in at least one case I can answer that very likely my Dad would NOT be getting baptized this Sunday, three days after turning 63 years old, almost three years after being diagnosed with terminal lung and brain cancer, and coming to a sving knowledge of Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour.

How can I make such a bold statement?  Because I know my Mom faithfully prayed for that stubborn man for longer than I thought was necessary, or useful, or even sane.  She held hope long after I was done talking about it with her; holding on to this unseen cord of hope and belief that God truly hasn't become deaf so that He cannot hear.

My oldest went once to their home (at the time it was just down the road) when he was about nine years old, armed with the gospel.  He had had a horrible time sleeping the night before and announced at the breakfast table that he believed God wanted him to make an appointment with Granddad to discuss his lack of relationship with God.  He had all the Scriptures he felt the Lord had laid on his heart to share and was shaking in his little boots with nervous excitement.  So, with a quick phone call to my parent's place, off he went, giving my Dad exactly "three days to decide" if he would be for Jesus or against Him.  My Dad took a few years longer than three days, but he did phone to let Jonam know that he was carrying an awfully big burden that my Dad was releasing him from.  He thanked Jonam for being big enough to face my Dad, and let him know that he would "definitely think about it".

The power of prayer, in action.

So, on Sunday morning, at Dad's baptism (did I tell you how much he hates water?) with my brother and his family, my husband and boys, bestsister and her husband and kids, I have the privilege of witnessing another testimony to both the realness and the greatness of my God ... and this is what Jonathan, Cheryl and I will sing over the whole congregation ...

Darlene Zschech - I Will Never Be


I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk apart, I'll run the race
And I will never be the same again.

I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk apart, I'll run the race
And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,
Whatever you need to do, Lord do in me.
The Glory of God fills my life,
And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep aways the darkness, burn away the chaff
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk the path, I will run the race
And I will never be the same again.
And I will never be the same again.
And I will never be the same again.

I wonder how much it would irk my amazing American friends IF

every school day they realized they would have to think about how to properly convert their child's math program because, after all, it was written by a bunch of Canadians and it uses all the wrong measurements and the money is way off, but the pictures are pretty and the paper doesn't seem to irritate their son so they will stick with it, even though ...

Every couple of days in a lesson week, they need to investigate what happened on their side of the border while presenting the history lesson because, again, the history textbook they dropped in favour (favor) of historical fiction is not exactly mentioning their country much at all.  Ok, a slight exagguration ... there were two sentences about their nation.

Atlas adventures are a wreck, too.  How do you navigate a country so huge when the curriculum available only talks about the nation next door, and the Atlas itself has only one, very large, double page spread on the country as a whole, and you cannot even find where you happen to live on it?

That isn't to say there is nothing a homeschool Mom in Canada can do, it just means it takes a bit more work as a whole to find the books and resources to round out the stuff you can buy in the catalogues.  Unless you want to wait until the Public Schools get rid of a bunch of "old" texts, the commodity of Canadian curriculum for the homeschooler is comparatively curtailed.

No personal offence, but I long for the homeschool day when my kids can know just as much about their own culture and history as they do about America's. 

SO glad I took the time to catch up on blog posts last night ... thanks, ApplesofGold for the recipie.

Well, last weekend I had the privilege of singing with bestsister at our homeschool group's Encouragement Day.  The music track stopped playing off and on as we progressed in our singing, but we just smiled that knowing smile at each other and sang anyway.  It wasn't half bad, considering we had practiced acapella "just in case" we felt "led" to sing that way (just not in that particular song)

*sigh*  it really was a good day all things considered.  I believe I came away truly encouraged ... not so this Saturday.

THIS Saturday, I had a wonderful rehearsal time with some dear, old friends whom we never have the priviledge of seeing much anymore.  I am singing with them as my Daddy gets baptized this Sunday to come ... just three days after he turns 63.  He chose the song "I Will Never be the Same Again" and I hope I do it without crying.  I have not sung with this couple for many years; what a treat to be able to sing with three of my most favourite singers ever, within weeks of each other!  I also had a most yummy lunch with my parents after the practice since they live in the same city.

but then ...

We went to a goodbye party for some of Neal's cousins who are leaving in a few weeks for Africa.  It isn't for missions, but still there will be many opportunities for their family to minister there. 

To think that we had been invited both here and here ...

What wasn't so great about the time was the crazy conversations I found myself participating in.  Here is what I "learned about myself" (read: was informed of by a loving, honest in-law)

a. my kids are not being socialized properly
b.our decision to not attend church this summer, or to church on the beach or whatever I want to call it was just plain wrong, no matter what
c. we never should have allowed our summer houseguest/actor into our home ... and

d.some of the comments on my facebook are inappropriate (it was not stated whether I made the comments or others made them and I failed to delete them)

I have decided that attending this family function was a little like opening a fortune cookie ...  tasteless and filled with useless information

so, today, as we speak, my man is upstairs sleeping instead of making the money at work.  he is stresed to the max with an absolutely awful mouth, cancer sore the size of a dime, other festering cuts lining his tounge and cheeks.  this is stress from last week, compounded at the dinner table last Tuesday night when he chose to bite the inside of his cheek over a potato.

it had me on my proverbial knees yesterday afternoon, while the boys had a basketball class at the local community centre.  sometimes paying someone else to teach your kids is a fantastic thing.

so I am slowly working my way through the Blessing Handbook, by Terry R. Bone who none of you will have heard of because he is from Southwestern Ontario and that is ok.  In his second chapter, he talks about missed blessings ... an emotional deficit children carry into adulthood due to a failure on the parent's part to impart the affirmation we all know everyone needs.  my inner jury is out still on this one.  there was a time for reflection and prayer at the end of the chapter, and I asked Father to reveal to me any unmet need for blessing in my life.  nothing.  crickets chirping.  I just don't buy into the victim mentality ... even though I have many a reason to.

1.  my mom worked full time even though, precocious as I ONCE was, I begged her not to leave.  I begged her to babysit instead.  I would even tell her to leave my lunch in the fridge, what toys I would ONLY play with, what shows on tv I would ONLY watch, and assured her I would NEVER turn the stove on, open the door or answer the phone.  no avail.  but I am truly over it.

2. my dad was an alcoholic and not entirely involved in our lives.  not that he did not love us, he just didn't know how.  we all live by example, and if the example isn't there, well, you do the best you can with what you know.  plus he is British ... need I say more?  I had a talk with him many years ago about how I was needing his forgiveness for not honouring him as my dad, and he apologized for not being the dad he could see, now, that I had needed.  I don't regret my childhood or bemoan what it "could have been".  sometimes you need to see the silver lining, even if it takes 38 years of a faithful mother's prayers.

3. my dad was diagnosed with cancer of the lung and brain only a few years ago, just as he has come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  that could make me really bitter or sad, but it doesn't.  my dad helped me through the initial shock and sadness and now we are all just in awe of his healing thus far.

4. one of my best friends moved over 25 hours away, and had her fourth baby without me.  my other best friend had the joy of announcing her 7th pregnancy to me.  this is all good, right?  except I cannot seem to know the happiness of a larger family, and there is no apparant medical reason for this.  we were also rejected when we tried to adopt three years ago.  so I should be really angry with God and finding new friends to comfort me, right?  I have been told lately that no one understands how I can be friends with the woman who is pregnant with number 7.  it makes no sense.  it must be ever so difficult for me.  please.  maybe I just really don't "get it" but I still have tea with her every thursday, and I still talk to my other friend in saskatchewan ... and when I need to cry, they offer a kleenex.  what is so hard about that?  they need to cry sometimes, too.

anyway, there is more I could say, but I wanted to end with this, because I wonder if it is connected somehow - to my man and his stress, and to me and my refusal to believe I have missed out on blessings.

chapter 3 of the blessing handbook.

there was a time in his life when Doug's destiny was in question because of a missed blessing ...

My Father died in Vietnam when I was five years old.  The last thing I expected was to receive a letter from him 17 years later.  But that is what happened one winter day when I was 22 years old.

'Someday, you will have to decide on a career.  Many well-meaning people will offer their sincere advice and you will undoubtedly be quite confused.  The choide of your life's work is equally as important as choosing a life's mate.  Before you can do either, you must decide what you are yourself, as a person.  As  the years go by, you will soon discover whether you are outward or timid, adventuresome or docile, ambitious or complacent.  It is no sin to be one or the other; but it is extremely important that you discover what you are - not what at some moment in life you may think you would like to be.'

life isn't always what we think we need or want it to be, but we can certainly choose how we react to it.  could it be that my man is in need of a change of scenery, and all that that entails?  and can I possibly decide to accept my family size without having to always like it?  is it, perchance, a possibility that adopting the happy heart I expect my kids to sport eventually replaces what seems to be a curse with a blessing?  can I really live on the flip side?

I think yes ...

I am trying to get up the courage to send these people some of my songs, the courage and the recordings ... it always helps for someone to actually have something to listen to other than simply a concept.  Today I want to post one of my favourite songs from the album Third Circle, called I Don't Know.

When I was a baby You held me close

When I was just a child You showed me the way I should go

When I'm old and gray you'll never leave me

You're right by my side

How am I gonna thank You, if I can't get my arms around You?

I know that You saved me, but I don't know, I don't know

How far You had to reach

I swim in Your deep love, but I don't know, I don't know

How wide or how deep

I know that You're good, Lord, but I don't know, I don't know

Why You're so good to me.

Funny how no matter what changes, some things stay the same.  Like apple picking.  Given the choice of simply purchasing a bag of apples at the store or picking my own, in the orchard, I will always choose the latter.  It just feels like the right way to welcome, officially, the autumn.  So, without further adieu, I post this year's pictures, sans korean student, but avec sarah's beautifully penned words (I hope she doesn't mind much).

Dad, Peeling Apples

The color of wheat
bread speckled
like the skin of a Golden Delicious,
freckles on top of freckles
and tiny nicks
from his knife, dots of blood
turned to brown scabs.
My father’s hands

have never changed. Every night
a different apple
skinned naked,

split and seeded without him
ever looking down, loving the fit
of apple
in the left hand, brown-handled
knife in the right.

He licks the tip of his finger
where the juice runs clear
and skewers a slice

for me, which I take

regardless
of whether I want
an apple or whether
the flesh has begun to brown
around the edges. When he is done,
knife set down and fingers wiped
clean against the legs
of his beige corduroys, I will take
the leathered back
of his hand to my cheek
and hold it there, begging
his weathered roots to spread
their soil-caked fingers
long and strong
as deep as the generations will go.

(By Sarah Small. Copyright 2000. First published in The Yalobusha Review.)

what a precious memory to share, with friends, across the miles.  this, too, I would forsake for the beauty of the mountains ... hills to call home.

If this blog were a twelve-step program, I would introduce myself this way:

Hi.  My name is Kristina and I am a gossip.  So, really, don't tell me anything.

The chuch we have been attending for the last month or so has a fantastic thing going on every Thursday night, for 40 weeks (hmmm ... significance in 40 weeks?).  It is called Celebrate Recovery and is based on the traditional twelve step program that has been proven successful.  My problem is not in admitting that I could certainly use some help "recovering", but, rather, in which group to join.

Do I sign up for the addictions group, since I love a good story as much as the next girl and am especially gifted, I find, in the art of exagguration?

Or, would I better fit as a co-dependant? I clearly have not mastered the practice of stopping a fellow gossiper dead in her tracks or I would have nothing to gossip about.  Talking about myself is not gossip ... it is boring conversation, no matter how much bestsister laughs.

Well, this morning, at our homeschool co-op group, I was talking to a friend about how sad she must have been when she had to recently put her bulldog down.  I told her how I cried like a baby when we had to "get rid of" our dog.  She politely asked me some details, which I proceeded to tell her, when she started to get a funny look on her face.  I stopped talking long enough for her to say "Kristina, I have to tell you that I have already heard this story and it was not said in a nice way at all."  Seems there is someone in our wee town that just doesn't like to say kind things about me and mine, and the stone that I rolled (in other ways) has rolled back on me.

I am still resigned to confront this other person as our family does know them, but it makes a good point.

Perhaps I can join the addictions group first, and when that 40 weeks is done, I can roll on into the co-dependant group.  I should like to think that I will have learned my lesson by then ...

not because I am proud, but because I really am finding myself with fewer and fewer ideas to blog about here (but, certainly, no fewer questions).  so I post a picture of one of my latest canvasses.  at least it is something.  sometimes I wish homeschoolblogger offered more bells and whistles ...

was not my best night.  In fact, upon reflection, I feel I looked a little like Carrie in the Exorcist ... not that I would ever have watched a movie like that, but I have heard about her character.  My swollen and red eyes are proof that I was emotionally disturbed and did not get the proper amount of sleep.  My head is throbbing and I am less than enthusiastic about being a homeschool, stay-at-home mom, with kids around all day instead of being able to send them skipping to some other institution so I can go back to my bed.

but then ...

I went into the bathroom to survey the facial damage and saw a gift that had been given to Neal and me some years ago, by a couple who are just plain "there".  Not there as in Carrie, but there meaning they can take it from us and they still offer unconditional love (and a kick in the pants when needed).  I could go on and on about them, but the point I am trying to make concerns the gift ... a daily verse flip pad of Max Lucado musings.  Here is today's:

We are covered by the Lamb, hidden in Christ.  When God looks at you, he doesn't see you; he sees Jesus.  And how does he respond when he sees Jesus?  He rends the heavens and vibrates the earth with the shout, "You are my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with you"  (Mark 1:11)

amazing.

Happy Birthday, Roger ... wish I could be there on Sunday.  Do you really know just how much you two mean to us?  I only pray I can someday be half of what you have been to Neal and me.

and Neal?  I am sorry.  Please forgive me.

I am working on it.

Yes, many creative things that I could blog about this particular morning.  One, that we had a voting on a Referendum last night and I awoke to the news that most of the Province has chosen Liberal ... boo.  Most of my county chose Conservative.  My first sentence is probably wrong, politically, as well.  At least I voted.

Two, my relative happiness with our "new" church is just that ... relative happiness, but I am resigned to the fact that one really must go somewhere, and this somewhere is not half bad, just not quite what we were looking for, and still a bit of a drive.  I have no idea what the Pastor thinks about homeschooling or those eccentric enough to do it, and proclaim to be artists at the same time.  I can speculate that he would be somewhat in favour of homeschooling in general as the church also has a private, Christian school attached.  There are a little less than 100 children who attend this school.  I always thought there were more.  Another private school has less than 50 students (actually closer in number to 30) and there is also a private Christian Reformed school.  The majority of homeschoolers in my area are Dutch and Christian Reformed.  There is a membership meeting in two weeks.  I am not sure I can decide that quickly and, at the same time, desperately want this whole situation resolved.

Three, my youngest just plain hates school.  This certainly challenges my enthusiasm and confidence in teaching.  I have said it before and I will say it again ... homeschooling is not for the faint of heart.  At least I still have his heart, and he is only in grade six.  We still have time ...

Out of approx. 87 families who are registered members of my area (which is pretty huge, geographically speaking) I only know of two who are currently homeschooling high-schoolers.  There is an online program some have chosen for their high-school students, but it is not actually homeschooling as it is a government-run program for those who, for whatever reason, cannot or do not want to be in an out-of-home classroom setting.  Parents do not check the work or assign anything, but help with homework just as they would if their child attended the local public high school.  We would like to homeschool through high school, but God may have a different path for us.  I wonder, sometimes, how eccentric is too eccentric.  You really do get pretty ignored in this wee town if you don't go with the flow.  Friends would be nice.

Four, and last, I leave you with this article my dear friend, bestsister, forwarded to me on Halo3.  I have not formulated an exact opinion on this whole issue yet, but would like to announce that the church we attend, currently, has added WII to the youth room.  The hope is that kids will move a bit and enjoy this type of action/sport gaming over Halo and more passive games.  Apparantly the good, old-fashioned idea of playing outside 'til it is too dark to be safe is just old-fashioned.

Some days, the pull to "the hills" is stronger than others.

yesterday I remarked to my husband "I don't think I have ever eaten thanksgiving dinner in a tank top before" and I was, apparantly, right.  the high peaked at 31 Celcius and, let me tell you, we had both air conditioners at full blast to be able to endure it in this old house of ours.  she may be three bricks thick, but when the temperature is in the 90's for too many days, the heat begins to seep through the cracks and you feel it.  yesterday's high broke the record set back in '77 ... and I probably had a tank top on that day too but I don't remember a whole lot about being 6.

no wonder I took a three hour nap on saturday.

so, it's back to the same old, same old today, with the addition of rehearsals tonight for Rumplestiltskin.  this time my boys are acting with me, and neal is going to help paint the sets.  we will be out three nights a week on top of basketball lessons once a week and french twice a week.  enrichment classes on monday mornings and before you know it, we will be celebrating christmas ...

and there is NO WAY I will still be wearing a tank top then.

so, with the incredibly, unseasonably warm weather, we canadians will welcome thanksgiving weekend, Monday being the official holiday, and think about swimming over sweaters.  some areas of ontario are even breaking heat records.  must be a trickle down from tennessee ...

my in-laws will be relaxing on their deck, by the lake where they live, and we will be spending some saturday sweetness with my folks about an hour away from here.  the rest of the weekend will be for our family of four; time to catch up and slow down for a while.

we will have the stuffing and cranberries, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, apple pie and chicken ... yes, chicken.  I forgot to buy a turkey and have had, instead, a few chickens delivered by a friend and it just makes more sense.  this will be the first thanksgiving without extended family in a long, long time.

this year I am thankful not only for my dad, who will be baptized the first weekend in november (truly amazing that he is still here with us, sarcastic sense of humour and all), but also for my husband, who is the love of my life.  may our God, who has been ever faithful, continue to show himself mighty as we daily conform to his image by the renewing of our minds.  this poem is for neal.

I wonder what it will be like when we are old 

and we paint

together

on Wednesdays

will we paint on Wednesdays?

and will our art belie our age?

or will I paint flowers and puppies

and children out skipping?

will I have my hair cut short

just because I am old?

Our children will come

and bring their children with them

and we'll tell the same stories

again and again

but no one will stop us -

no one will say anything

they'll just listen

and be thankful

that they have us at all

And after they've gone

we'll sit at the table

together

alone

wondering how we got to this place

thankful to be in this place

where you still call me beautiful

and I still call you strong

where hours slip slowly

and memories mark time.

kristina campbell, august 25, 2007, onfirepublications                                                                                                            

my alarm clock is set to CBC radio and this morning I heard one of those comentaries that wakes you straight up out of a peaceful slumber.

the man on the radio was telling the interviewer how much of a travesty he finds public school lunchtime to be.  he believes that it is of the utmost importance that parents take the time to eat lunch with their children, picking them up from school to do so.  He remarked that although cafeterias are available in some schools (or at least a place to eat), this is merely a service that is offered and has nothing whatsoever to do with education.  education is the primary focus of the school, not eating, and parents should be available to eat with their children to help break up the day and maybe even hear a good "pirate story" (I did not hear the first part of the interview which I assume was a happy parent/child lunchtime example).

what an eccentric man to propose such an inconvenience.

at least it's something.

here, in the county where we live, this would be an impossibility.  the public school board decided it would be a brilliant idea to take traditional recess and lunch time away from the kids and, in it's stead, give two lunch/recess breaks per day.  the children begin classes at 9am and break around 10:40 until 11, then again at 1pm until 1:20.  I suppose if a parent had no other appointments and could really quickly speed over to the school, they could enjoy some time ... oh, wait, I forgot.  sorry.  children are not permitted to leave the school grounds until the end bell rings at approximately 3:20pm. 

scratch quality time.   add to the grocery bill and the problem of obesity since no one can really expect their child to eat just a "snack" at first break, saving their lunch until the late hour of 1pm.  instead, parents have to give little johnny TWO full lunches and hope he can wolf it down in the 5 minutes he is given to eat (because exercise is important and the teachers need some down time and no food is allowed outside, nor is extra eating time allowed).

oh, and did I mention that you are only given a couple of bathroom passes each day?  guess they figure kids can plan to be efficiency experts in that area, too.

 p.s. just caught sarah's what's grosser than gross tag ... and mine is borrowed from a kiwi friend of long ago ...

a cat who refuses to clean his nether regions and is, thusly, and aptly named "Sammie Stamper"

we met with the youth pastor last night and had a quick but good conversation.  he let us know that he wished more parents would come to him with questions and concerns (isn't that kind of the norm for homeschooling parents, though?) and said that if we wanted Halo 2 removed from the church we could consider it done.

that wasn't our intention, though it was tempting ... and he told us that that particular room is supposed to be locked during service.  apparantly some smart (aleck) kids propped the door open and were, then, gainfully employed in the worship of the video game.

hmmm.  my mom told me that had I not explained to her the basic premise of Halo 2 she was content to believe it was a game about celestial beings.

right.  welcome to the youth group I never had growing up ...

(and, for the record, Halo 2 is also said to have been "over" rated to mature, not teen as it would be rated now.  It is not my intention to get into a debate or onto a soapbox, I just know that I was surprised to find my boys playing the game at church, once the service had started, and that they were not alone.)

here is a letter my husband e-mailed the youth pastor at the church we have gone to exactly twice ...

D,

 I have a question (or questions) about the youth ministries, that I should have asked you about at lunch yesterday:

 When we picked up our boys from Sunday School (in the H2O room) when church started, we found them playing Halo 2, which we understand has a “Mature” content rating. We try to be cautious with which games we allow them to play but occasionally let them play some “Teen” games although they are technically not teens. I was surprised that there would be any games of this kind of content in the church.

I also was surprised that there were a bunch of kids in the youth room hanging out and playing video games when church had already started.

 I guess my question(s) is: Who monitors what games are at the church and would these be a part Sunday School and SONIC nights?

 Thanks,

So, can anyone explain to me how continuing to try church after church is better than just going back to the beach? 

seriously.  I have non-Christian friends who freak out over games like Halo 2 being played by kids the ages of mine. 

what does that say?

I went to a ladies night last night at the church we chose to attend last Sunday.  It was a nice evening of cheesecake, music and testimonies.  I was particularly interested in hearing from the momI wrote about earlier this week, desperate to make a connection at a new church with someone else who homeschools.  

Her testimony was excellently delivered but so was my acute disappointment.  She stopped homeschooling this year and her son is two years older than my oldest ... in high school ... too "cool", I am sure, to be interested in hanging out with 11 and 12 year olds.  Too bad. 

He is really all I need; this I know. 

Since my local homeschool support group has had to deal with some issues and I like the post from Walden's Wits from this morning, I decided to link to it.  I am really lax with my comments for the most part (just too lazy to take the time to log in and leave my thoughts, though I really do think them).  

food for thought.

For us, youth group is a necessity this year.  I won't bother to tell you why unless you specifically ask, but will, instead, tell you what my boys heard last night :

kid : why would you want to be homeschooled?  You don't have any friends if you are homeschooled.

son number one : yah we do ... we have lots of friends ...

 leader (who just happens to be a homeschool mom) : that's right, sure, you have tons of friends ... and as a matter of fact, we went to Disneyland while you guys were in class!

kid : silently wishing, staring off into space for a few moments.

sweet two feet from where I was

Heard at my house this afternoon ...

Jonam, walking by the computer on his way to the spare room:

"I don't know if this affects you and dad the same way as it does me, but I've noticed that the clothes I wear affect my day. Like today, I'm wearing my s l o w   day boxers.

I take some time to process how accurate he is in his description, then I hear:

"But it's a good thing we went to French class today. These are my "event" pants. Hope I don't wear my "restless night" pjs.

~ who teaches this kid?

while we have gone to a conveniently located, wee baptist church here in town the last two sunday mornings, I am reluctant to visit again tomorrow.  how quickly my fervor is squelched due to my insatiable need to speak honestly and expect honest answers.  I kid you not ... if you have never yet had the priviledge to witness my talent in this area for yourself, you will not fully comprehend how many hopes I can have dashed in only one conversation.  hopes, that is, of actually finding someone who not only respects what I "do', but also comes across as at least a tiny bit supportive (read: not repulsed).

last weekend was the local hick-fair and we enjoyed it very much.  we had an opportunity to meet and converse with the pastor of the church we had attended the prior week.  the pastor was on vacation so a visiting guy spoke.  I liked the pastor well enough as he is on the young side and seemed to laugh a little at enough of the things I said to make much hope arise in me, that is until ...

you know, I have to say it still baffles me how many Christian folk actually take the time to confront me about my homeschooling practices.  seriously.  why would someone who knows and believes and follows Christ even wonder to themselves, let alone out loud, why I homeschool? 

this young pastor, and father of one child, actually questioned why I would homeschool in the first place, not to mention even consider homeschooling past grade eight. not only did he not agree with our education choice, but he did not comprehend it either.  I am also quite convinced that everything I said to him in response went in one ear and completely out the other.  which is not to say that I believe every single child on this planet ought to be homeschooled ... (pausing to imagine this concept) ... but it would be nice, truly nice, to find just one pastor around these here parts that did not look at me like I was doing something utterly ridiculous and incomprehensible.

perhaps it is conviction

Evan and I sat down to do some cursive penmanship today.  I only torture him with this on a Wednesday.  The book we are using is actually a grade four Rod and Staff penmanship book that, for the record, he picked out himself back in June at a curriculum fair.  Incedentally, when I pulled it off the shelf to begin using it last week, he grumbled.  I asked him why he was cranky since he, himself, had said he was all geared up and ready to learn this skill (in grade six).  His reply?  "yah ... that was in May". 

Today's lesson, being lesson number two and a review on slant print, made me chuckle.  Here is how it reads:

The children might lack enthusiasm for printing and be inclined to do a poor job at this age.  Remind them that when they grow up, they will often need to print.  Give some examples, such as filling in forms or making signs.

My mind began to wander at this point, as Evan droned on in the background, and I imagined the signs he might decide to print, like 

"wanted: new curriculum".

MIght I suggest, for future reference, that any form letter   rejection letter  responses to inquiries about positions in your company be amended to read as follows:

 Thank you for your interest in Sylvan.  Unfortunately, one of the requirements at Sylvan is that you be a qualified teacher  available during the day.
   Again, thank you for inquiring.

I only make this suggestion to point out that I do, actually, possess the necessary qualities, am completely competent, fit and legally entitled to tutor, and am not below a fixed standard, willing to fulfill your conditions, able to pass an examination or take an oath and more than capable of making myself available.

Unless, of course, you actually meant to use the word certified instead of qualified.  Then, unfortunately, I am absolutely uninterested.

Thank you.

well, it has been one of those weeks again where things just kind of fall into place and I end up sitting back and pondering my spot in and among it all.

we decided last night to NOT send our boys to scouts this year, which is kind of funny when I consider that just last week I let you all know that badge-gettin was our biggest method of schooling for this new year.  we will still do the work, we just won't get the stuff to sew.  jonam is really showing both and interest and a talent for writing and filming etc, so he will continue in the professional theatre group here in town.  evan, with his second place win in the adult competition at the local fair (I know, I know ... a FAIR! but the other photographs really were well executed) will be encouraged with the purchase of a new digital camera.  neal will join him in the next month at the inception of a new club in town ... the petrolia photographer's club, as long as it really, truly does commence.  we are sad to leave scouts behind, but, like my good friend said "you cannot do it all" and jonam's theatre group would have him missing the first three months of scouts as it is.  evan had little desire to do scouts and, truthfully, would have had a difficult time of it for many reasons.

on monday night my brave husband accompanied me to a 'mandatory' homeschool meeting which was attended by approximately 1/3 of lambton county (surprise, surprise).  being the only man after the first 15 minutes, I had visions of him standing up and announcing 'well, I think I've heard about enough' and escorting me back home to never have to be at another meeting again (a book club in the big city near us was to discuss emma, on the same night and at the same time as the meeting and I really wanted to go and try to re-create my tn book club experience).  needless to say, we both stayed for the duration of the meeting.  I graciously handed over my anally-prepared secretary binder and rolled my eyes whenever appropriate.  I bit my tounge on many an occasion but am still holding out hope that this town in which I have been planted will see some change for the coming school year and lots of fun activities can still be planned.

alas, while reading blogs and checking out various videos on youtube, I had a fleeting thought.  there is a village, for real, about a 6 minute drive from here.  in it lives a bestsister.  and for her I am incredibly thankful ... but what I wouldn't give if the name of that town, with her still in it, were called alcoa ...

This is for clarification purposes ...

THESE are Rockets:

And THESE are Smarties:

Well, literally speaking, the results were more than just "fair", they were fantastic.  We have had a great weekend so far at the Petrolia Fair, and will be going back tonight for the antique tractor pull (but NOT for the BX-93 dance).  Tomorrow afternoon is the demolition derby. 

I love being a bonafide hick ...

Here, the town crier and his wife start the parade.  He knows all about our heritage home and loves to talk to the boys about the history of Petrolia.

In the car ride the Petroia fair Queen and the two runner-ups.  Beautiful Queen Bethany happens to have graduated from homeschool this past year ... way to represent!  (she is in the middle)

This next picture cracks me up.  If you look really, really closely, you can see MY entry ... strawberry freezer jam.  Apparently it was not up to snuff, since the judges clearly tried to hide it from spectator view.  sheesh.  It won first prize two years in a row in the next town over ...

My "single stem of sedum", however, faired much better ... see the perty red ribbon?

Now for the boys ...  I was particularly proud of Evan's photographs in this category, as it was an adult competition, and he placed second for his collage of "day on the farm"

Here are a few of the other items the boy-o's entered:

This was a "special"  and won Jonam $10.00.  "a monster made out of vegetables"

Evan has finally mastered my prize-winning chocolate chip cookie recipe, taking first place.  He now goes on to compete in the District level in November, and, hopefully, the Provincial level.  I tell you, chocolate chip cookies are tres importante around here, folks.  And if you ever do make the drive up here, I promise I will bake you up a batch ... or maybe Evan should from now on ... way to carry the torch, young man!

Lastly, a picture of two fellow homeschooling friends. Bethany the Fair Queen's sister Holly was named Petrolia Fair Princess, and Nathan, named "man of the future", Jonam's goal for next year's fair.  Homeschool families in this area take the better part of the first couple weeks of "school" to prepare for the fair.  We only found the fair book on Wednesday this week and spent Thursday concocting.   Guess we better start early for 2008 ...

Hi Kristina,

   Thank you for your interest in Sylvan.  Unfortunately, one of the requirements at Sylvan is that you be a qualified teacher.
   Again, thank you for inquiring.

Susan Mitchell
Director

... but I won't.

I completely forgot to mention what we are doing for Geography this year ... going over (ad nauseum) the Geography Sings cd we have been listening to for quite a number of years so far, intermittently 

2.	alternately functioning and not functioning or alternately functioning properly and improperly.

 It is good for fun and a laugh, at each other of course, never the voices on the cd ... never.  If you have never heard of this I suggest you seriously consider it.  I thought it would never work, due to the cheese factor, but it turns out that yours truly has learned an astounding number of the songs.

If only it was publicly acceptable for me to sing everything, I would be all set.  I remember Neal telling me about the time his Mom confronted him about his obsession with listening to music, saying "If only you could learn all your school work like you can memorize the words to all these songs you listen to".  Well, folks, his Mom was right on the money!

When we tire of this, we will move on to exploring the places of the world vicariously, using travel guides.  Ruth Beechick outlines how to capitalize on this idea in her book You can Teach Your Child Successfully, Grades 4-8 (since that be where we is).  I especially like the Eyewitness travel guides, which contain lots of illustrations and interesting facts.  I picked up a used copy, at our local Value Village, about Spain and we are all feeling eager to try geography this new way.

So, for tomorrow, I have the following to try and work into a nice, pat schedule that flows beautifully each and every day of the week that we decide to step into the stream.  In other words, here is what we have chosen for our new school year to look like.  Jonam is in grade 7 (gasp) and Evan is in grade 6 (I will need the Lord's help here)

The Scout Handbook ... seriously will be the crux of our year.  there is a plethora of science and lifeskills badges to be earned here, and we plan to get them all

The Dangerous Book for Boys ... oh yah!  while eating cheap hotdogs at target, neal actually said to me "you know, we could practically throw out everything else and just do this book here.  I wisely said nothing.  I was hoping he was for real.   (I am still hoping)

Cheaper by the Dozen (with study guide I made up)

the Swiss Family Robinson (with study guide I made up)

Intermediate Language Lessons, by Emma Serle ... old as dirt but fantastic.  serious favourite of mine.  this is just for Evan, along with practice in cursive writing (that was actually his idea)

Art study ... I am supposed to teach a couple of boys in exchange for French lessons from a good friend  who is bilingual.  not a bad deal.  we will continue to do art as a family as usual, too, looking forward to our annual studio tour open house at the end of this month

Basketball lessons ... from another homeschool mom who wishes I was teaching her kids art, but I will, instead, find myself doing an aquafit class while the boys bounce.  I don't want to work out any more than son 1 and son 2 want to learn basketball, so it should be interesting to watch this play out.  (that was terrible)

Blogging and assorted creative writing ... these are not hard things to do

Saxon math 7/8 and finishing Abeka 6 ... thanks to blogless leigh who generously gave me the 7/8 when I met her, back in may.  abeka will be tolerated by Evan, who has no choice.

I actually think this is pretty much summing it up.  sounds hollow but it won't be in reality.  we will still be plenty busy and tired at the end of our days.  Presuming I can actually lead us all to the water ...

My husband has had a theory for quite some time now that he has only just revealed to me.  He believes that old people drive with their mouths open.  I personally have not, admittedly, cared to make this observation until last night.

I vainly asked Neal to take my picture, while writing, so I would have something to blog about today.  What is that expression about a stone rolling back on you ... no, that doesn't fit here ... maybe something about things biting you in certain areas of your anatomy?  yep, that's the one

any guesses who the "old" one is in this relationship?

and, no, my tea is NOT too large ... it's just in the foreground.

to catch all the half-price books the Old Schoolhouse Store has to offer ...

check these out!

I am definitely one of these ... and I think it shows.

Nurturing a Natural Writer
by Sandy Larsen

Part 2: Dandelion Time

In Part 1 of this article we looked at how parents can nourish a natural writer by providing room to write. Room to write includes physical room (a place), schedule room (a time) and psychological room (permission).

Time to write and permission to write involve what I call “dandelion time.”

One summer I walked past a park and my attention was snagged by a T-ball game. The small batter had just stepped up ready to knock the ball over the chain-link fence. Meanwhile, the outfield was not exactly prepared. The left fielder was bent over picking dandelions. The second baseman was gazing at the clouds. When a grounder came rolling out between them, the coach had to call it to their attention. Then they both rushed at the ball, knocking their heads together.

I wanted to yell at those two dreamy fielders, “You! And you! You’re outta the game! Go back to your notebooks or your drawing pads or your sculpting clay where you belong!” Clearly those kids were artist types who needed some unstructured time to do nothing.

Artists of all kinds, writers included, need time for picking dandelions and staring at clouds. I have read it and read it from people who are professional writers today. Downtime is what made them writers.

Growing up, I spent enormous amounts of time down in the woods which started at the edge of our back yard and spread through steep gullies in all directions. I never took pencil and paper into the woods. But while I was there, whether with the neighborhood kids or alone, I was writing. Even while “doing nothing”—especially while “doing nothing”—the writer is observing, taking in, sorting out. Some of this is conscious work; some is unconscious experience.

Dandelion time is difficult to incorporate into a summer recreation program. It’s almost impossible to insert into traditional school. As a homeschooling family, you have a huge advantage. Your schedule is inherently flexible and under your control. The very nature of dandelion time is unprogrammed, and it’s exactly what your young natural writer needs.

___________________________

Sandy Larsen is a professional freelance writer and the author of the “Igniting Your Writing” homeschool writing curriculum, available on HomeschoolEStore.com.

and I sees this monstrosity of vegetation and I thinks "wowser ... like, when did this all happen?" and I went to take a closer look.  I harvested more peppers, nice and sweet and orange, basil, tomatoes and ... woah ...

I am blown away by the willingness of zucchini fairies to travel to the other side of the world ...

It's totally unnatural looking, and I swear it came out of the garden just this way ... look out, Jen, I think the fairies are on to you.

figure THAT out ...

so, I was making kraft dinner (and it is too called that sarah) when it hit me ... they hit me, to be precise.

I have two more spastic things that I regularly do that I must add to my list of eight.  Here goes.

1.  I am always trying to make the "perfect" kraft dinner, and it eludes me.  I have a happy memory (only one) of being babysat by Mrs. Stacey and Jason's mom.  I always hated playing with Jason.  There was a hole in the floor for some reason, and it went straight down to the basement.  He repeatedly threw the best Fisher Price toys down it.  I was convinced I was next.  (he did actually push me down the basement stairs once)  So, I was always trying to watch tv with his mom instead of playing like the 5 year old that I was.  She never let me, though, because she was always watching Days of Our Lives.  I became slightly addicted to that show once I was in grade 8.  I have recovered completely, without a twelve step program.

But, one day, she made the best bowl of K.D. ever and I have been trying to replicate it since ... to no avail.  Today's attempt was just as so-so as the last.

2.  I believe that my favourite saying to my first born, in particular, is "I don't feel sorry for you"

should you feel sorry for me?

RCElliott tagged me...

Tag Rules:

1).The player starts with 8 random facts about herself or himself.

2).The person who is tagged must post, on his or her own blog, the answers and post the rules first.

3).Then the player must pick 8 people and tag them. Also leave them a note on Message that lets them know that you tagged them. You can write who you tagged on your blog also!

Okay, here are my "random facts:"

1. I was born in the town that killed Jumbo the elephant

2. If you want to know the time period from which a person knows me, just listen to how I am addressed.  Kris is really way back there, or intimate family friend, Kristine was high school, and Kristina is everyone else ... which morphs into Kris over time (or Katrina, which I dislike completely but politely respond to ... sometimes)

3. I was on the high school rowing team and we were good.

4. I can drink from a cup to cure my hiccups ... from the opposite rim, with my head down.  This has yet to fail me.

5. I wore bell bottoms under my dresses in order to stay warm while walking to school, but was not aware that I should remove the pants once at school.    I would be reluctant to repeat it ... 

6. I would really love to know "for sure"

7. My name never was called on Romper Room, but my brother made it.

8. i wish I wasn't such a deep thinker.

I wish I didn't have to tag people, especially since I have been spending so little time on HSB ... but I will tag the following:

AmericanEagleGirl

Ekulboy14

oldnavyflipflop

Animallver

csbb2

jbaxley

redwallreader

bloggerjoe

     Yesterday was one of those days that begins with wondering ... whatever shall I do to occupy my time until my husband returns from the hunt?  It didn't end with wondering so much, unless you count wondering how I can transport myself back in time by a few decades or so.

     I received a phone call from my previous Director asking if my family would be available to dress in Victorian garb and attend the Petrolia Communities in Bloom Awards Night.  Hmmm.  I love being on stage, especially the cosume aspect of it.  Let me think for about 2 1/2 seconds.  YES, yes, I believe I can clear my exceptionally full social schedule to indulge rescue poor, hopeless, couldn't -find- anyone -else, Carol. 

     The night was a success for everyone.  So many older men and women had nostalgic comments for my boys, whether the smell of our old books reminded them of precious school-mates, or the clothing made them misty-eyed in remembrance of simpler times.  I was happy to be wearing a costume that actually fit me for once, and was NOT green.  (I had to say that for the benefit of the few).  Neal and I both were happy as Mr. and Mrs. Victorian Someone, forgetting our problems and melting away our stresses if only for a few hours.  Monday, Monday ... la, la, lala ... so good to me ... la, la, lalala

it has been such a long time since I have posted ... but that is what is supposed to happen when you are on a vacation from church and regular life.  not a bad thing, just a new thing ... and one that is teaching me more than I thought possible.

I have been spending an enormous amount of time on the beach pondering (and burning a little, but not metaphorically ... literally).  this afternoon I was searching through one of my husband's reads when I came across this, and it spoke volumes to me.

Entry # 14  On Becoming Human

I've come to love that word - human.  I mean, humanity can be a pretty bleak place to live, but when you begin to see what we're really capable of, our potential for good, it can be breathtaking.  For the past two thousand years, Christianity, along with pretty much every other world religion, has made the primary focus the sinful nature of us all.  In some ways I think this has lead to a not-so-subtle self-hatred.

I have been mulling this idea over for some time without actually realizing it until I read it on paper.  I think that is the reason I write poetry and music ... to, in a sense, discover what is in the deepest regions of my soul as I see it materialize through the ink or in the chords.  It sounds crazy to hear that I cannot always know what I am thinking ... I am myself, after all, but it is true that I don't know the whole piece until it comes out.  Then I reflect.  And, what I am thinking is not always en vogue ...

take our summer, for example.  we have determined to meet with God in a very un-traditional and counter-culteral way.  we worship every day, but not in a way that makes much sense to some we have told.  that is okay ... we know what we are doing and why we felt pressed to do it, and so far, we are discovering a lot, including who we really are as individuals, as a couple, and as a family.  Some have jokingly told us we are going to suffer for our time away (as if God moved from us when we stopped meeting with him on Sunday, in public).  only this time, I am not listening so hard ... except to Him.

I love this quote from Erwin McManus:

our brokenness is not proof that God could not or would not love us, but proof that what we need is the God who both created us and loved us.  what our souls long to become is not something other than human, but to become beautifully human.

that has slowly become one of the blessings of this summer journey I am on ... letting go of the thoughts of other well-meaning people and clinging instead to the voice of my Maker.  learning to see myself through HIs eyes, and realizing that to Him (because of HIm) I am beautifully human.

how refreshing ...

this marks the last day of the Perfect Wedding, tomorrow being the day of Colin's departure.  I really think I might just cry ...  he has been a hilarious houseguest, an excellent philosopher with me, a fantastic big brother for the boys, the perfect scapegoat and all around farmer boy ... adieu my fine friend, I hope we see you again someday ...

seems that blogging interesting things along with my interest in blogging is becoming more and more of a challenge to me ... neal says I am fickle.  I think he is right.

Yesterday, though, I had him snap a couple of pictures so I could, like charlotte, look them up later, at home, and identify them.  The first is an orange sulphur / colias eurytheme

the second is a red admiral / vanessa atalanta

neither one is hard to sight, but, man!  I was reading to Neal part of the description of the red admiral and it says " common.  erratic "  uhhh ... yah.  you should have seen neal ... squatting with the camera, moving all over the beach, crab-style.  it was great comic relief.  I think that was how we both got burnt.

this was my favourite picture of the whole day, I must say.  I call it " this sand is stinkin hot "  and I think it should be added to my pieces for the studio tour this fall.  price-less.  he is actually running to the blanket.  I should have moved it, just for fun times.  at least I would have found it funny.

better watch my back ...

I promised my boys some goggles if they learned the skills needed to pass the next level of swimming lessons this summer.  Evan proudly announced last night that the two were going to keep the results a secret, only to be revealed at dinner tonight, in the presence of Dad.  AND, just as I predicted to myself (because the apple never falls very far from the tree) Evan waited until we were approximately 50 feet from the pool to announce "ok ... I can't stand it ... we both passed!"  It really was touch and go for him, in particular, and I thought the goggles would be a great motivator to learn a new skill.  Canadian Tire had some great ones last summer that made you look like you had shark eyes, or tiger ones.  I have a feeling those will be the top pick.

So, now that that is out of the way, I can try and think of a great reward to honour my own hard work on writing more curriculum and planning more of September, that I am sure to start any day now ...

I am thinking these rose-coloured goggles will work wonders for a few years to come.

     The Carnival of Homeschooling is up at the Cate's, so go and check out the mish mash of musings for yourself (just be sure to leave a comment thanking them for all their hard work at setting up the "tent")

We just got back from the Lake about an hour ago ... and look what I pulled out of the wee square-foot garden bed ...

spinach, beet and basil

I am going now to hang the basil up to dry on my pot rack.  The smell is incredible ... I will be the envy of every Blue Berry from here to Tennessee, and all will be heard singing

And look at this crock pot of Madame Lacrosse's,
And ceramic jars where she keeps all her sauces!  (that were handmade by Mrs. Kristina Campbell)
Nice sauces...

I don't know where I've been, but I had never heard of this book or this man until today ... and I am aghast to say the least.  The author claims that Christianity has done more damage to children than any moral atheist would ever do ... all I can say is "praise God for homeschooling".  This is on the best seller list.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/popup.html?http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/23265/vsu/wmv-hi-319/VideoSyndication/070702_thehour_godisnotgreat.wmv

well, Neal and I were surfing for long lost high school friends and he mentioned a picture to me that I had not thought much about.  It was taken a couple of years ago, and I thought it was neat that it happens to be the exact date as today ... only circumstances are much different.  We were on our way to a family reunion not too far from where my folks live, so we stopped in to visit briefly.  My Dad had recently undergone chemo and radiation (including a special study chemo drug that only a few hundred in all of Canada were blessed to receive and, consequently, only my pa received any benefit from) for cancer of the lung that had spread to the brain.  We were all kind of prepared to loose him, but it seems God has other plans.  We just saw them both last weekend when my brother was at their place (he had a high school reunion) and my Dad is still smarter than me ... even with the tumors!  talk about being blessed ... and I mean me ...

Dad and my boys ( the big side effect from the chemo was that Dad lost a tooth ... too funny)

Dad and Mom with the boys

Me and my Mom

I think that, for most of us, the weekend just puts the icing on the weekday cake ... we are all doing what we love to do (being at home with our kids) so it isn't as though the regular day-to-day stuff is miserable (though there are those seasons, too) BUT something transformational happens each weekend in our home.  I think it must be my husband ...

He helped me out by building my garden bed, for one

He also built the boys a bit of a tree fort in the back, so they could invite friends over and have something to do if the friends should be free to come ...

He loves to help out by cooking most everything on the weekends (and I let him because he is really creative and I like to deek out of as much as possible once Saturday shows her cheery face)

He encourages me to try, try, try again, and takes pictures of every bit of progress I make along the way

He shares my love for a "great spot" (actually so do my kids and my cats)

and, I suppose for now, he is my village ... and I love who he brought along with him.

To celebrate the day, we went to Neal's parents for the afternoon, to the lovely private beach, and ate mammoth steaks (topped off with ice cream, angel food cake and strawberries).  We managed to even talk our house guest in to coming with ... good times!

We are going to make a fire in the backyard now and watch the fireworks.  We figure we will have a great view since they are shot off from the river down at the bottom of the hill (we are at the top).  Our guest commented on the sad lack of red and white clothing for the event, but I said it is because all the patriotic clothes are summer stuff and it is really cold tonight for some reason.  Lame excuse, but really all I could do on short notice.  Here are some pictures from this weekend ... and here's to Neal having the day off tomorrow ... and sleeping in ...

My friend and I were talking about how, in a way, it is nice as homeschool families to just look "normal" ... you know, not stand out or, more preferably, not stick out.  I agreed and we continued on in our happy conversation.  I certainly had visual images in my head of not-normal homeschool people, having either met some, or just using my imagination.  It wasn't hard to do. 

Then this morning happened.

I decided to "look it up" as my daddy always said, and this is what I found ...

Normality (behavior)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From the Latin Normalis (f).

For example, the French sociologist Emile Durkheim indicated in his Rules of Sociological Method that the most common behavior in a society is considered normal. People who do not go along are violating social norms and will invite a negative reaction from others in the society.

Ok.  Me and mine are definitely not normal.  We may look it on the outside at a glance, even if we do dress a little differently than many of the parents we know, but we are anything but normal on the "inside", regularly violating social norms (even within the "church", oh my).

• we homeschool,  but not like the other parents in my local group who use recognized material.  I am even branching out by writing my own curriculum and selling it to other suckers people
• we are open to having a whole bunch of kids, though you would never know it to look at us
• our church is most certainly not normal and though we are working out our thoughts on some of the bigger issues involved, we cannot imagine attending a "regular" service with any regularity
• we usually, truthfully, do not agree with or embrace whatever seems to be the next best thing, be it a cool tv show or the latest purpose-driven, prayer of whoever Christian product
• we always share our summers with someone ... this year it happens to be a young actor living with us for 5 weeks
• we are growing as many vegetables as we can and choose to purchase locally what we cannot
• we would rather play our own music, create our own art or just hang out than watch anything on tv
• we choose cash over credit, hands down, and hope to instill this value in our kids
• I actually like being at home, wasting my degree in blissful ignorance of what is expected of me

What struck me with all I thought of, wrote, and even left out, was the fact that, for us, all our seemingly abnormal tendencies are ,actually, quite normal.  So I have a new phrase I am going to try on for size ... we are "pleasantly disturbed", and pleased to make your acquaintance.

It is funny how you find yourself doing things at times without knowing why, or if you are even enjoying yourself.  I was driving the boys to do their papers last week, and tuned in to the tail-end of a discussion about a novel I had quite forgotten aobut.  I cannot even remember when it was I decided I wanted to read it, but it was brought to memory that afternoon in the car, and I quickly wrote the title on my hand (lest I forget it again).  Yes, I do that often ... yes, I mean both writing on my hand and forgetting. 

It seems many habits are hard to break.

The story of Asher Lev is a beautiful torment to read on paper, and to imagine in reality.  I do not know how many of my friends and acquaintances would relate to this novel, or even want to in truth.  Asher has been given a tremendous gift in his art, and is understood by very few.  There are parts of me that "get" him completely and parts that hope I never will.  It is a strange ride of swells and sick turns ... sometimes staring into seemingly limitless depths, and other times awed by the beauty of the atmosphere you become a part of in the reading.  It must be like mountain climbing, if you don't look down.  Jonam repeatedly asked me how I liked the book, and I would constantly reply "it's depressing".  I even thought I had  "lost" it for a number of days until I searched the underworld of my bed, and re-discovered it.  Jonam joked that I put the book far under the bed in my sleep, on purpose, because I didn't like it,  but I was riveted and unable to simply walk away.  Each chapter would build upon its predecessor with more fascination for both the anguish of the artist, and the intricasies of Hasidic Judaism.  It is masterpiece and mournful, both.

I suppose I liked this review enough, if you care to read it instead of the novel.  I am not much of a book reviewer.  I have been left, though, with a lot to ponder. 

I sat here for a while thinking about what I should like to write about ... my first thought was a description of my home, but nothing clicked.  My second thought was something about how everything in this place squeaks, but, again, no real "fit".  Maybe it is because I am busy reading some pretty heavy novels alongside the writing of my latest curriculum guide.  It is going quite well, and I tend to forget about my blog fairly quickly at times like this.  So, for whatever reason, I began thinking about the colour brown and how I wondered if it could at all describe me.  So I did one of the things I like to do at moments like these ... I did a meme.  Brown wasn't me.  I am fairly certain, though, that if Neal did this meme, he would be some earthy colour for sure ... if not brown, then definitely green.

I came out very impressed with the "diagnosis" ... it was right on the money.  In fact, if I could choose to be anywhere today but here, I would choose to be in Berea, on the lawn, drinking a wonderful Organic Chai, with my sketch pad and one of my favourite violet pens (which I am sadly out of at present).  The boys would be at an art lesson with someone wonderful, and Neal and I would be sitting comfortably on a blanket, with our drinks and some yummy pita, and hummus and fresh veggies and fruit.  Hmphh ... and to think ... I do not even own anything of this colour other than a pretty set of sheets.

VIOLET

You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

today I feel strangely homesick, except I cannot figure out what that means.

I love my home.  I love my husband and my kids.  I drank in the presence of my best friend, even if it was just a few minutes.  I thought of my other best friend and her expanding belly, and knew that I was loved despite the distance that prevents any face to face.  Our house guest is adapting to "us" incredibly well, and his independence is an added blessing I thought I could only wish for (after the guest we had last summer).  So, what is it?

perhaps you know ...

My husband tagged me because our son tagged him.  Here it is:

1 Pick up a book that is near to you

2 Go to page twelve in the book

3 Read the first two sentences and post it on your blog

4 Also post the book title and the name of the author

5 Tag 3 other People : )

I had to wait a while on this one, since none of the books I was reading had anything I thought HSB would deem appropriate (not on page 12 anyway).  You needn't be wary of the types of novels I read, it just happens that the first two sentences of the three I currently have on the go don't necesarily meet a family friendly rating.  For those of you who are totally nosy-heads, like me, I am reading My Name is Asher Lev, How to Get Pregnant Naturally, (courtesy of my Mum), and Crunchy Cons.  So, I will quote from page twelve of The Swiss Family Robinson, which I am also reading and writing curriculum for ...

          As soon as we could gather our children around us on dry land, we knelt to offer thanks and praise for our merciful escape, and with full hearts we commended ourselves to God's good keeping for the time to come.

          All hands then briskly fell to the work of unloading, and oh, how rich we felt ourselves as we did so!

Seriously, how beautiful and all-encompassing is that ... for daily living, for homeschool encouragement and for pressing in to win the prize. 

This post is completely for bestsister who, bless her heart, tried so hard to help me with my bread problems.  So did Tara ... even reading over the phone from her Bread Bible.  I liken this to the time in High School when I realized Advanced Math was no longer working for me (not even close) so I had to transfer down to General (mortification at the time).  This is a no-knead recipie for whole wheat bread that FINALLY worked for me.  All I needed (not kneaded!) to do was go from the Advanced advice of my expert friends to a General version I could actually succeed at.  I am sure you are riveted to this post.

Now, notice that THIS loaf is actually white ... because we just picked strawberries and you cannot have a strawberry sandwich on brown (in my house).

FOR RELEASE ON June 13, 2007

ONfire Publications Signs on to HomeschoolEStore.com

Petrolia, Ontario — The era of digital delivery is here and ONfire Publications is at the forefront. (that's Neal and Kristina in case you didn't figure it out!)  You can now easily download our education material 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at HomeschoolEStore.com

We are happy to announce that we’ve teamed up with HomeschoolEStore.com and can now offer you, our customers, homeschool and educational products as secure eBooks on this exciting, new site. Check out our eBook educational products right now by visiting www.homeschoolestore.com.

HomeschoolEStore.com is the only eBook and audio book site specializing in Homeschool curriculum. This dynamic and user friendly site employs the latest Adobe server technology, allowing us to make our full line of products available to you easily, instantly, cheaply and completely free of shipping costs. HomeschoolEStore.com takes extra books off your bookshelf and puts them on your computer or CD-Rom, saving you much needed space. No longer will you be plagued by broken or missing audio cassettes and CD’s, or drink-stained workbook pages! Your books will now be effortlessly stored, as small, easy-to-use files on computer or disc, to be viewed or printed at your convenience.

Don't miss this exciting opportunity: ONfire Publications and HomeschoolEStore.com will be offering one of our products for download absolutely free during one week coming up shortly.  (More details to follow so check back here).  Be sure to download this and check out our other great products at HomeschoolEStore.com where you can always get Tomorrow’s Lesson Today!

or at least in close up we are.  Here are the latest pictures from our yard that Neal took last night.  Still only lettuce on the menu, but we are hopeful, and, really, what else are we doing right now?  Swimming lessons don't start in Ontario until July 1st (Canada Day) and no one will be done Public School until the last Thursday in June.  My oldest declared summer "great" because " I can go to the Library every day and finally learn what I want to learn about"  because, as you already know, I force my children to learn only what I think is important all the other days of the year.  Here is what I call lettuce updated

This next one is entitled new view because we decided at the last minute Sunday night to take out the middle part of the dumb dividing fence.  No real reason other than it bugged me because it served no purpose except to let people know we have three yards in back instead of two.  The hardest part will be when the old owner comes by to see what we have changed.  Too bad.  You snooze, you loose.

These peas are so the Queen can see what's popping up green.

Here are some beets that I plan to pickle ... this because way back when, I was in a 4H group that was on canning.  We were supposed to enter at least one canned item into the fair, but I was lazy and, instead, took a jar of my Mum's pickled beets from the year before and entered them.  Wouldn't you know it, Mum took first prize, only the tag read "showing signs of age" ... you think?

On Saturday I finally took the time to properly prune back the lilac tree and Neal helped prepare the ground for some wood chips as the grass is perfectly pathetic.  My reward?  Within days the peony bush that my Mother-In-Law was afraid would never bloom did my hard work justice.  Sweet smells for outdoor dining ...

This Cheaper by the Dozen Study Guide is 35 pages of the following fun:

Well, it ain't no Tennessee here, but it finally warmed up, and has not dipped below freezing for a number of weeks now, so the garden is shaping up to be quite the thing.  I see no signs of any herbs yet, which depresses me, but then again, the seeds did specify they were to be planted by 2006 ...  So, the boys and I have been weeding and seeding and praying and hoping.  We even enjoyed our own lettuce on the weekend.  The picture below is totally  "BEFORE" ... we sprinkled wildflower seeds on the part that looks like a telephone receiver, and planted four vegetables in each "square" of garden

this iris was a surprise from Neal ... and smells like the sweetest candy ever!

and a picture from a couple of weeks ago ...

I planted the "old lady", as Neal calls it, geraniums in the front to dissuade the bunnies from dining on my plants.  Oddly enough, this year anyway, they have decided to eat just the geraniums.  Perhaps that is still success.  It will be some time before I have tomatoes or peppers, zucchini or spinach, but when I do, I will have satisfaction and will have justified all the back-breaking work my husband endured to "go with" his wife's latest interest.  At least everyone in the family gets the benefit!

Now to fix up the "real" bed in the next room.  A bonafide actor is coming to rent it from us for the next theatre production in town.  He is coming from the big city of Toronto, and is actually famous, for real!  I hope he likes his room ... and I hope I can find a dresser between now and then ... ahhh, my family is famous for our experiments.  I guess we like to share.

I don't know what all you all have done to me, but just this hour, out with Neal at a tea room (where he happens to have a mini art show!)  I said the following:

" I'll have a hot tea, please."

good thing we Canadians (not Canucks) are bilingual.  heaven only knows what I might have had to drink if we weren't.

You have heard it said that a picture paints a thousand words, so I will simply post the ones we took and let them speak for themselves.

this first picture was AFTER I was going to take photographic evidence, so it got worse before it got better (just to know)

Can anyone else see what some of these bags are labelled?  One is "stuff" and another is "random" ... does this give me licence to "stuff" as many "random" items I find laying out on the floor into said bags and, I dunno ... "bag" them for good?  At least they wouldn't find themselves back on these floors.  Boys, boys, boys, boys, boys.

OK

I am not even sure where to start this post except that I went upstairs to do some more laundry (I spilled Alpha Bits on my white cut-offs.   White cut-offs because I could not find the jean ones in my size in the store Sarah recommended I check out while we were in Tennessee ... and I wanted to look just like her back at home, and Alpha Bits because I spent $5.99 on a light blue delphinium instead of on more food, and the flower got so rained on yesterday that it actually snapped in half and now all I have is a stem, some leaves and some potentially stained cut-offs)

anyway ...

I went upstairs to start the next load so I could hopefully salvage my totally current cut-offs when I stopped to actually look around me.  I was not surrounded by laundry ... I was surrounded by STUFF!  I do not even know who owns all this but it was vomitted all over the floor and all over the sinks and it MUST be Neal's fault because he tucked the boys in last night and HAD to have seen their room, too, but he said nothing!!

If I had the camera at home I would load you with pictures ... but it belongs to Neal's boss, and he kind of uses it during the day for work. (whatever).  Evan clearly is not wearing clean clothes today because he has a big target taped to the dresser drawers, and there are elastics and spongy disk things all over the floor and down the hall and in my bedroom.  His laundry bin (which was going to be THE thing that finally made laundry happen) is full of clothes, but they are usually just the things he didn't feel like putting anywhere else ... except it is on its side on the floor and I don't know what is clean or dirty because they supposedly do their own laundry (I do try to be firm).  His bed looks like it was hit with a low-flying tornado, but I think he slept ok last night.

While I was yaking to Neal on the phone, Evan walked by my room and announced that he has finally found his Abeka math book ... the last time he worked on math was last Tuesday he thinks.  Don't ask me ... I just live here.

Jonam had large, labelled Ziplock bags all over the bathroom floor from his Scouting canoe trip.  He filled the bags with clothes and necessities in case the canoe he was in tipped.  It didn't.  BUT his camping stuff is all over the place and someone is totally going to wipe out on the Ziplocks!  Someone has dragged a comforter into the doorway of their bedroom (they share a room which just makes everything look way more messy ... I think).  Jonam keeps covering himself with Calomine lotion for all the bites he got on the trip, and then whenever we ask him to do something, he yells "argghhhh ... mosquito bites!!!" which is code for something that Neal and I have yet to decipher.

Miscellaneous cups and bowls and spoons even though MY children NEVER eat anywhere but at the kitchen table.

All of Jonam's paints in the corner of his ... wait a second ... those are MY paints that I use to make my altered books ... and he is using them because he is going to be a special effects guy, making good, Christian movies when he grows up, and then he can always have yogurt in his fridge and he can finally be allowed to make that chocolate "toilet" cake that I never want to bake ( cake shaped like a toilet with stuff in the "bowl" part, iced white  ) Oh, yes, and the cheese will never run out and will always be for eating right now.

More clothing behind the door to their room ... cats laying atop the laundry I HAVE managed to get done so far ... I totally have to post pictures later, when Neal gets home because I am sure none of it will be changed from now until then (even though it will be 4 1/2 hours till we see his handsome face).

This all to say that I had a "conversation" with Jonam in the bathroom that questioned how it is that these disasters come to be in our home with such frequency when my well-trained son calmly agreed with me and said "I know, Mom ... we have such a high maintenance house"

Go to theFront Porch to find out what exactly has been going on behind the scenes with HSB ...

UPDATE on HSB Server Change

so ... Neal just had to catch me working, in a photograph, so it could be duly noted that I am active.  Here we have the peat moss and a couple of kinds of poop ... right on top of some broken-down cardboard boxes from our local grocery store.  I love that you don't need to dig up the grass or fuss with a rental rototiller. 

The clumps of grass in the bed are Neal's.  I wanted him to take them out.  I thought people might get a mixed message about what to put in a square- foot -garden- no- soil bed.  I guess we have been married long enough that he just chooses to ignore me when it is most convenient.  Ok ... so do I.  (but for those people who need clarity on what goes into a real square foot garden, dried up grass clippings belong in the composter ... not here)

The next add-in is the vermiculite, which has a rather lengthy health risk list.  Not very crunchy sounding, but very tempting to a 10 year old child who, of course, knowing nothing about NOT breathing in the dust, decides to dip his hands into the bag and start sifting.  He heard both of us yell things then.  (all loving, encouraging, up-lifting words, to be sure). 

See Mom work.  See Mom work hard.  (later, see Mom wish she just decided to forfeit the garden and visit the air-conditioned grocery store).

I am still trying to decide if I want to keep that fence you see at the back of the picture, to the left of me.  Whoever built it must have thought that dividing the yard did something, only I have no idea what, except that it divides.  I could maybe build an arbour.  I guess.  If I pull it down, then the backs of the "stone" gardens would just look retarded.  I need to think on it some more.  Neal is out back right now laying out a wooden "map", if you will, on the top of the "soil" so we can do the whole plant- per- foot deal.  Guess this is mostly all we are doing these days.  I have bronchitis and my sinuses are toast.  School is tres relaxed ... but Mom finally learned how to barbeque this week, so I am a happy student of the grill now. I must admit that I kind of burnt the rotdogs for lunch but considering what they are made of I don't think it really matters much.

I hope that this works out in the cool way we envisioned it and doesn't end up as aesthetically pleasing as a van bench on the front porch.  Neal and I went to what is know as Peter's place (the flea/junk/eyesore/ shop) and he came upon an idea for our square foot garden.  We might as well plant one since the grass is mostly weeds anyway.  We decided on an actual bed frame as the surround, and even found a discarded composting bin .. all for fifteen bucks!  So, my man will likely keep you filled in with pictures, while I try to think of something else to blog about ...

The other really cool thing we experienced this week was not, perhaps, as emotional as a kindergarten graduation (not really "done" here in the homeschool circles) but definitely elicited cheers all around ...

I have no idea how it is that a Mamma robin can build a nest right over your head without you noticing, but I guess that is all part of God's plan.  We had a great time watching these three (though you cannot see the third in this pic) stretch their necks for a feed, and scrunch down to hide whenever we approached the garage.  One of them looked a ton like "Beeker" from the Muppet Show.  He had the craziest "hair" ever ...  Anyway, we were enjoying the beautiful weather last night out on the porch and, as usual, were staring over in the robin direction when it happened.

fat boy (aka Beeker) flew the coup!  I have always wanted to see the whole thing from start to finish, but never have I been so obliged until now.  He hopped along the top ledge of the garage for quite some time until taking flight.  We all cheered (Neal missed it because he just stepped inside for a quick minute) like he was one of us; freedom realized is a beautiful thing.

One down, two to go ... *UPDATE*

My oldest went outside with me to water the garden and were delighted to watch the last robin fly the coup, sort of.  Actually, he glided down from the garage and ended up inside.  I guess his wings aren't quite dry.  My son walked slowly around the car from the left so mr. robin would hobble out to the right, and onto the grass.  His legs aren't so great yet either.  He fell quite a number of times in his attempt at independence when just yesterday he was being fed by his mamma. 

I thought of me

I want to do it all on my own and I am not always willing to wait for the best timing.  I wobble and stumble, sqwaking all the while, trying to show off and prove that I know exactly what I am up to until ...

hilarious.  little chubb got himself stuck in a hole ... in lattice ... in the fence ... in my garden.  Yep, that's me allright.

this day, May 29, brings joy to our wee home as Neal is another year older (but will never be as old and wise as me).  We celebrated last night since our oldest has a year-end Scout party and my girlfriend has an Usborne book party I may be able to slip over to now that we are all partied out. (plus jury duty turned out to be half interesting, mostly boring, not even over yet and I felt I needed cake).  My man is great, and I am a very blessed woman to have turned his head almost fifteen years ago.

Here he is trying to put the "birthday boy" hat on his head, but, of course, like my mum, Jonam cannot wait for the picture to be set up properly ... he just aims and shoots.

Likewise with the birthday cake below.  Evan decorated this one very happily for his Pa, though he absolutely hated cake decorating classes with all girls (mostly).  Hopefully he will be offered some choices for next year's enrichment classes.  Note the left side of the cake where there is a serious lack of icing.  We left it on the kitchen island, unattended, while we relaxed on the porch ... and we have a very bratty kitten who, apparently, likes icing a lot.  nice for company, to be sure.  (gross).

If you are wondering what to do inside today (because, if you ask me, one needs incentive to stay inside when it is so gorgeous OUT) then head on over to the latest carnival and enjoy the reads, and the beautiful pictures of Alaska ... definitely one of those places to visit if you somehow have the chance.

Be sure to leave some comments on the blogs of people who encourage, inspire, or just plain stimulate your thinking cells ... they could use the feedback and encouragement to keep writing!

tomorrow I have to drive into town to attend jury selection.  I have been given much advice on this topic.  One woman suggested I tell the judges I have trouble sitting for long periods of time ... hmmm ... ask my kids ... not a problem.

another woman told me her husband borrowed a friend's leather jacket and went in with his arms crossed over his chest.  They rejected him.  He is also a very large farmer ... I am not.

my husband told me just recently a guy was already serving on a jury and asked to be excused to use the washroom, only he never came back into the courtroom.  tempting.  I used to hate recess in public school, so I would go into one of the bathroom stalls and stand on the toilet seat so the teacher would not see anyone in the washroom when she did her checks, and I could be spared (I was incredibly UN-athletic as a child.  no comment for my adult athletic ability)

I guess I just have to make myself get up in time and go tomorrow (a feat in itself).  Maybe my hoarse voice will simply put them off (I woke up yesterday with a nasty chest cold and sound like I have smoked for my whole life and then some) and I will be fine just as me ...

wouldn't it be great to be a homeschool reject?

so, I should be a gracious host and fill in the blanks (how hard could it possibly be?)  So, here is my list of EIGHT random facts/habits ... plus it's all about me ...

1. I say that I will never un-school except that I think it is actually really a good description of what we do

2. I am constantly telling the kids to get to school except I am nowhere to be found the majority of the time, or I am everywhere all at once accomplishing next to nothing

3. I simply have to question everything and I am often driven by guilt and fear (not cool)

4. I wish I had more kids but I'm learning to be contented with two miracles

5. I wish that I did not know how hotdogs are made (and what they are made of)

6. I want to stop talking about a tattoo and just get it already

7. I love to take surveys

8. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up

I would tag half-pint, bestsister (even though she already did this), anotherblogonthefire, ~ ok, so here the guilt and fear comes in because I might actually tick someone off by asking them to do this, but I can trust the three I have listed so far.  geee.  Ok, three out of eight ain't bad ... and I'm feeling a song coming on ...

The Rules

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight
things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged
and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to
read your blog.

Earlier this week I received an e-mail from someone who had written a post about homeschooling though she does not personally know any of "us".  I was pretty impressed with what she had to say and equally honoured that she contacted me both to read her blog and to comment, as a homeschooler.  Take a look at what she and others had to say, and feel free to "toot your own homeschool horn".

crucialminutiae 

My comment:

seems that things are a little calmer on the homeschool front ... for now.  Our group has had a tough week with a couple of members, and lawyers from HSLDA were involved.  I found myself in a precarious position defending a group member that seems to have only one friend ... me.  Scary thought. 

My boys are next in line for a lesson on reconciliation. 

If only it was so easy to make it right with the bucket of tadpoles we caught with some friends yesterday.  It would seem, this morning, that there are considerably fewer moving ...

I have to admit that I am addicted to learnin'

I want to expand my horizons and actually be able to follow a large chunk of intellectual discussion when I eavesdrop in on it.  I want to remember my days in school when I could debate and still be friends afterward.  I want to recall the feeling I got when I finished all the hours of research and turned in a solid paper, ready to devour the next lot of novels or take apart the next poem.  My problem is that I lack skill in the goal setting area, and my best laid plans usually get, well, laid aside.  I had fully intended to redeem my grade school years by memorizing my times tables right alongside my boys.  Grade four had me booted out of Enrichment because I didn't memorize them that year, and grade five caught me with the tables crammed onto all the crevaces of my hands, in pen (also not allowed), and had the opposite effect I was hoping for ... not an instant "A" but a trip to the Principal.  At least I have dreams ...

But even in that there is posed a challenge I have wrestled with.

Erwin McManus says some of our dreams are meant to be just that - dreams, and I for one believe him.  I have never fully embraced the thought that you can be whatever it is you want to be.  It just doesn't ring true for me.  Dreams are useful, however, and help pull us forward into the future.  They help us define our deepest longings and cause us to rely on God for direction and answers.  I remember, with much sadness, one of the greatest friends my husband and I ever had.  He lives in N Z now and we have no contact whatsoever, but when he lived near us for a short time, he challenged my thinking on so many levels.  He had issues, like we all do, but the difference with him was that he was so ready for the answers that he was unafraid of completely baring his soul to find them.  He really wanted help.  I miss that level of honesty in the homeschool and church community ... I have never found it in anyone since him.  I have tried to be that honest in many different circumstances and discovered, sadly, that people really don't seem to want to "know" as much as they ask for.

But I want to know things

I want to hear the critiques about my art.  I want to listen to the criticisms regarding my latest song.  I want to be told that the curriculum I wrote was helpful or in vain.  I want to know, like Simon Cowell told one contestant  "look ... do you want to hear the truth or not?  OK.  That was absolutely horrible.  Now you know that singing is not for you ... so you can move on"

what is so hard about honesty?  I would much rather know that my latest dream was meant to be just that than to invest myself in forcing it into reality.

I want to be and do what Father has bent me to be and do.  Therein lies freedom.

the one who didn't want a blog, has been blogging so faithfully lately ... makes me kind of feel like bloglesskristina.

He wrote about this and kind of made me feel like he had our wee family covered.  I am at a loss for posts.  this would be funny if I wasn't a writer-of-sorts.  I have kind of moved over to reading more than articulating lately (which is probably a blessed relief to those who have to listen to me ruminate and such.  lucky for Sarah I actually went back to my own country)  so, now, bestsister  gets to sit and nod while I wax (and wane), and I get to read my husband's blogs instead of creating my own.actually, the truth of the matter is that I have had to "deal" with so much garbage within my homeschool group (where I am supposed to be a Director-in-training, and already serve as newsletter editor and secretary) that I have gone on a bit of a mental vacation in the words department.  I find myself needing to re-trace some of my steps and re-evaluate where we are heading as a whole family.  While it may not be easy, it is ever so comforting to me to find the holes in the sand where I last stood, and just simply look out over the horizon of our homeschooling ... calling myself back, if you will, to the areas I need to set my face like stone; determined to do His will.  And I know that I will triumph.  (Is 50 :7).

My "other" best sister and I were talking today and out of her mouth flowed the most wonderful words of wisdom.  I count myself among the priviledged to be loved by two such amazing ladies.

why is it that Christian women are allowed to get away with speaking in such nasty, disrespectful tones?

why do we Christian women have to show every emotion every time?  as Christian women, we ought to be mature enough to be professional in our every day lives ... most of the topics we discuss are life and death ... they're Eternal.

reconciliation is a painful process but it is needed and necessary if we are to grow.

I came across this link on smallworld and bestsister's blogs some time ago now, but last night I was remembering my own youth group time and lamenting that things just don't seem to be the same anymore. 

My own youth group was something I pined over until I "came of age" to join.  You HAD to be in first year high school ... these days, youth group starts in grade six.  Grade six?  Come on ... what is "high school" about a bunch of eleven and twelve year olds? 

We didn't date in youth group either (though we talked about it a little), but the youth group my son went to talks about dating 101 ... they have too ... ovey 80% of the kids who attend are dating by the time they reach grade six (and doing more).

My youth group participated in youth choir, even singing Handel's Messiah once, and travelling with our Pastor to sing at congregations he was visiting preacher at, dramas (when my mom was the sunday school teacher), visiting shut-ins (who we sang for and baked goodies for)

group fasts, lock-ins at the church, volleyball tournaments with other kids from all over Ontario, mystery bike tours that often took us to Port , scavenger hunts, progressive dinners, skating and tobogganing parties, always a Superbowl party, movie marathons (where every parent knew what we would be watching because we actually asked permission), newspaper rolling, Reformation parties ...

Withe the exception of only two families, we all attended the same high school and sat with our families during service (every once in a while one could sit with a friend but if you were caught yaking instead of listening, the Pastor actually stopped the sermon until you noticed ... talk about embarassing).  In grades eight and nine, we also had to hand in our sermon notes at the end of the service.  Not an entirely bad idea.

I really enjoyed my youth group days and believe I would gladly send my boys to a group just like this one when they were high school age.  I am not against youth groups, I just don't think I get what's going on in most of them anymore. 

Yesterday I tackled what I call the freezer room.  It is aptly named as it has a 14 cubic foot freezer nestled at the back.  I remember the day I received it (the freezer, not the room).  The phone rang and when I answered, the man on the other end of the phone asked if I would be home all day as he needed to deliver my freezer.  I hadn't ordered one, so I was shocked, and as I am a terribly honest person, I told him "I didn't order a freezer".  His cool reply?  "I know.  I just want to know if you will be at home so we can deliver it to you."  I told him I would be here.

Hanging up the phone, I wondered what I was going to do when the thing showed up and I couldn't pay.  It wasn't half an hour before they were at my door, freezer in tow, with a booklet explaining what had been delivered.  I reminded him once again that I didn't order a freezer and actually couldn't pay for it either.  That was when he let me know it was a gift to us, from someone who must like us an awful lot.  To this day we cannot prove who purchased it, though we have our suspicions. It sure has come in handy.

It got me thinking about memories ... good times.  As I was cleaning out everything from the freezer room (successful clean sweep, I might add) I stumbled on a Rubbermaid bin that had not been unpacked since we left St.Thomas in 2004.  When you move as often as we have, you tend to not unpack it all.  Inside, among loose silverware, great 45's and full albums, I found a bag of things Neal and I saved from our days in school.  Here are three photos I treasure ...  The first is a picture of me in grade 12 or 13 (I can't remember exactly)  doing my co-op at the St.Thomas-Elgin Art Gallery.  I am polishing a piece for the weekend display, and the local paper took my picture.  Nice bangs, eh?  My jeans were so tight at the bottom I had to take them off inside out.

The next picture was also taken by the local newspaper, but I was in University at the time.  I would get hired on as a Parks Worker each summer until I had my degree.  This job was excellent.  I remember again just how much I loved it right around this time of year ... and how I made about 10 cents more per hour than Neal did the summer I was engaged to him.  I still like to remind him of that every now and again.  My boots were way too big for me, but at that time, no one sold ladie's steel-toed anything.  Funny.   We often got caught asleep in the cab of the big, orange Sanford and Son truck while waiting for the water/fertilizer tank to fill.  A hose would be put in the tank from an outside main; the whole process taking maybe 20 minutes. BUT, when we had to start work at 5am Mon, Wed and Friday, fallling asleep was just a tad too easy ... 

My last picture was taken by a photographer at the University of Western Ontario, Brescia Ball.  Neal and I had been together for about 5 months by this time (January) and by March we were engaged.  It is a beautiful picture from 15 years ago now.  How time flies.

          I almost couldn't post for lack of inspiration in the title area ... this is the hardest part of being an almost artist, too.  I can finish an altered book or pull a perfect print but think of a title for the piece?  My brother emailed me just yesterday asking for the title of one of my books so he can play around with some backgrounds for the best presentation photos.  Needless to say, I am stumped.  Maybe if I ignore his email for long enough he will simply title it for me (or maybe untitled sounds more professional).

So, last Thursday we tooled around Maryville (Marahvull) scoping out all the thrift stores.  I am queen of thrift shopping (been doing it all my life) but sadly found nothing.  Oh, that is actually a lie (ok, Sarah).  I did find a pair of American Eagle jeans that I was going to cut off so I could look as cool as smallworld, except they were size 0.  Size 0?  Are you kidding me?  Who is size 0?  I don't want to know.  I would also like to take this time to mention that I completely forgot that I had decided to blog, with pictures, each day of our East TN trip ... until this morning.  Oh well.  Neal did a great job highlighting.

In the afternoon, we went to the blogger's picnic that Sarah lovingly organized.  My blogger friend's list has gotten considerably longer since meeting all the cool homeschoolers that attended.   I really wish that I could say everyone here is so anxious to get together. 

Here I am convincing JenIG and Weesma to move to Petrolia.  I am pretty sure that they are going to.  I am looking slouchy (as usual) but having a good hair day (unlike some people I know and live with)

I know we didn't go to McKay's on thursday, but seriously ... who wouldn't want to spend as much time as possible here?  Especially if there was to be found, among some seriously great, thrifty prices, an adorable blonde in the aisle?

           I remember very clearly the day I met the first of our local homeschoolers.  We had just moved into a 800 sq.ft. townhouse in the middle of nowhere and I had allowed my boys to run down the road a piece to play in the park while I made lunch.  In no time they came flying back into the house yelling "homeschoolers ... homeschoolers ... a bunch of kids are running around shooting each other with homemade squirt guns ... in the middle of the day ... they must be homeschoolers!"  So I gathered up my courage and went to see for myself.  I met two great Mom's and all their kids that day, and subsequently got invited to join their group (which I am going to co-direct this fall with my bestsister, though somewhat reluctantly).  This all sounds fantastic, but you need to understand that the day in question was touted as "Lambton area homeschool picnic day" and out of approx. 76 families who homeschool in this area, only these two moms bothered to show ... and they are the directors for the group.  Sad.  Homeschooling in this area is a lonely road to take

and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  but I just might need to travel to TN every once in a while.

So ... we are a bunch of very relaxed ecclectic charlottemason unschoolers that sometimes purchase dumb fill in the blank books so that something looks like it is getting done type homeschoolers. 

I sat down this afternoon to actually take a look at my youngest son's Abeka Language workbook (don't ask too much ... it really seemed like a good idea at the time because I could assign a bunch of pages and then go off and play Zuma or talk on the phone).  I wish I was kidding.

Anyway, before I even really read the assignment he had completed I found myself writing "fun!" on the page in a slanted real teacher sort of way.  Then I had a novel thought ... maybe it would be nice if I didn't just do everything orally and took some time to read what he wrote.  I hope you enjoy this slice of Campbell pie because it sums us up pretty well.

ACTUAL STUDENT WORK (no children were harmed in the making of this post)

          While travelling   throughout, I met an interesting gentleman in a brown suitcase.  I asked him to tell me about himself.  His story was most unusual.  As a child, he grew up underneath a trailer and never went to the bathroom.  He was the last on his mother's side.  His father worked as a taxidriver and his mother made extra money at the shoestore.  In a barrel, he decided he should earn a living, too.  A man who worked at a toilet store offered to teach him his trade.  Up until then, he wanted a change of trade.  He then devoted his life to constipation.  He wrote a book about it.  After that, I learned the value of fibre. 

If you would prefer the "all-in-one" style of vacation-recapping, then I suggest you visit the wonderful blog of my husband anotherblogonthefire .  He did his whole post up last night because we found out yesterday that he has pneumonia.  No wonder he kept coughing and was not feeling up to snuff while we were adventuring.  Poor guy.  He has to stay home from work for three days, and I get to sort of enjoy his company - whatever company he can be when he is not in bed sleeping!

Last Tuesday, we went to hear a wonderful speaker, Clayton Narveson, tell us about WWll and the Depression.  I found the whole thing very fascinating, and would have gladly listened for longer.  I was even impressed with the amount of American history questions I could answer.  My kids knew quite a lot as well.

Most impressive to me was the number of people who actually showed up to hear Mr. Narveson.  Over 120 Neal counted.  If someone had put that on for this area, I would be embarrassed at the lack of interest (guess it explains why things like that aren't attempted outside of the Public Schools (and only for Remembrance Day).  You can see that some people even had to stand!  Another reason to brag about homeschooling ... in Blount County ...

As I look back on the week we spent in TN with some people that we supposedly did not know I can only explain the way I feel by saying that I just knew that it was going to be a great thing.  I have some mixed thoughts as I wade my way through the pictures.  I can hardly believe we won't see the Smalls any more than I can believe we really had to drive almost 10 hours for the experience.  Arriving around supper (convenient) Sunday night, we sat in their living room and had some great conversation.  Monday was a quiet day as drhibiscus was at work and Sarah had Monday Fun Day classes, so Neal and I sat drinking hot tea in the garden, enjoying the heat and wondering how we came to be so blessed ...

OK ... so I see a plastic wrapper of some kind in behind the iris ... these people said they were environmentally concerned ... what is up with that?  I can tell you one thing, though ... I know just where I would be today with my cup of tea if I had a choice.  The reality is that we have school to finish up in just under 5 weeks, and the grass is half way up to my knees (and there is a lot of it), and it's laundry day and I live in Southwestern Ontario, so I need a jacket to go outside still.  As much as we have always wanted to stay in Tennessee (since our first stay as a couple, back in 1997) I think there is a tad more to consider than simply saying "let's move to Blount County", even if we've had encouragement from a few people we were priviledged to meet along the way ... brownsugar  jenig   sixredheads  Suzanne   partyoffive (fyftn)   QueenoftheHill  sharonkay weesma and blogless, lurking leigh.

you saw a beautiful woman in your backyard
because she was with her family
and her love for them shone through her eyes
and it caused her to notice things
she had, perhaps, never seen before
or had not taken the time to see
as beautiful, too
and she picked up a toad
even though she knew
she would get pee-ed on
for hands can be washed
but time will not stand still

We arrived home to find our menagerie still alive and quite happy to see us.  The kitten had gotten into his food bag and (truly) seems larger to us than he did last week.  Even our older, cranky cat Louise came right up to my husband for some affection (highly unusual).  My only regret is not cleaning out the one fish tank before we left.  Not only is it totally gross to look at, but I cannot fathom (too bad it isn't that deep) how he is still living.  The tinier fish, Ace, is just fine ...  Just look at poor Lyall's living conditions...

We are also thinking that there is a possible co-relation between our kitten's apparent growth spurt and the ripped kitten food bag that we found.  I only purchased it on Thursday last and it looks like I will need to buy a new bag on the way home from Homeschool classes this coming Friday.

Pig.

Tomorrow I am going to post my first trip down memory lane from last week's adventure.  Today I felt like moping mostly ...

Carnival of Homeschooling #70: the Yes, No, Yes!
edition is up at Dewey's Treehouse.  Guess I'm just a tad bit behind this week.

I have a show tonight (again) and then it's a week off from blogging for me, anotherblogonthefire, bloggerjoe and misterx.

Tennessee ... you've been good to me ... Yes, I've come to believe you're where I wanna be ... You may not be what everybody needs ... But Tennessee ... you're good enough for me ...

Hmmm.

Some things really are worth waiting for ...

I really like the Erskine site as it is, but now this is even cooler.  My guys watched these videos when they got back from delivering papers.  Here is the link for you to check them out (but you have to sign up) 

freehomeschoolvideos

tomorrow I will be teaching French to the 5-9 year olds as well as the 10 and up class. Sensass. Je parle Francais, mais, je parle un peu du Français.  Naturellement... j'ai un professeur fantastique (bonne chance).

As things are beginning to wind down to a close for summer (yes!) we spent the morning here tying up loose ends.  The boys have been working really hard to fill the requirements for as many Cub and Scout badges they can before the year is out.  My oldest just brought home his beautiful canoe paddle ... complete with burnished initials and the year.  It is deserving of a home on his bedroom wall, made of Arizona Cypress, and waiting to be dipped in Bear Creek in June for the over-night canoe trip.  He spent the morning researching pinhole cameras. 

My youngest swims up the second week in May (becomes a Scout) and will make for easier badge work around here since they will be in the same troop again, meeting on the same day of the week (free date night for Ma and Pa!).  He was introduced to my beloved sewing machine and undertook the task of making bean bags.  His Dad helped him find an easy pattern on the Internet last night while I was at rehearsal.  So, what have I got to complain about?

The happy problem?

The ten year old, on his very first try, sews a straighter line than me.

we had a really great homeschool weekend (I know, maybe I should let the kids rest, but homeschooling is life, right?)  Saturday had us at a Scout car rally since my oldest placed first for the Bluewater area a few months back.  None of us really,  really wanted to go, but we knew that the other family competing with us were some good homeschool friends.  What we didn't know was there is a wee black history museum nestled in the corner of the building we would be racing in.  Chatham, Ontario, is a place full of history, being on the underground railroad route.  I love that God is full of surprises (I find myself completely fascinated by black history and wanting to learn more and more).

Yesterday we went to church and then felt a need to celebrate the first warm weekend yet by spending the rest of the day gathering and burning brush.  We live in town, but we can have a fire if we also have a water source or fire extinguisher near by and are also cooking (hotdogs and smores always count).  In the process we not only saw a great toad, and helped him move in,

By the time we had also witnessed a rabbit, a woodpecker, multiple robins and squirrels, this little toad had completely buried himself and, we hope, settled in for a long summer of garden life.  (I have to refrain from posting all the pictures so my boys can have a post today, too!) If we hadn't had our eyes open, all this would have still happened but we would have been none the wiser.  Imagine.  I wonder what else simply passes us by because we are too busy to take the time to reflect?  I am beginning to practice the art of seeing by "being".  I mean that I am trying to remember to take some time each day, in the middle of whatever it is that presents itself as pressing, to stop and observe what is happening on the outside of my concentration.  I think it's working.

While I was off at another rehearsal, my husband and boys took a bike ride.  Normally they would go the "back way" downtown, but last night they took a detour to Bear Creak and were rewarded with the sight of a muscrat ... as close as 5 feet the boys estimate.  No one else to see it but my three.  The muscrat swam straight down the overflow of the dam, too (a small waterfall, but cool to see him in action).  We already own a muscrat skull from a previous adventure ... now to do some more research to add to our science notebook.  What did you see this weekend?

The latest plan of the RCMP:

The RCMP is gathering aerial photographs and blueprints of thousands of schools and universities across Canada as part of its plan for responding to school shootings, unveiled Thursday.  You can read the rest of the article here.

It reminds me of the preciousness of peace.  Last night, as soon as my husband turned  out the light above our bed, our little kitten crawled over to my neck and snuggled in for the night.  I had no choice but to curl my right arm around his fuzzy, warm body thinking all the while that I was like the wee child sleeping with her beloved stuffed teddy bear for comfort.  Then my thoughts moved to the wonderful man already asleep beside me (how come he falls asleep so quickly?) and how I appreciate the nights he is home to turn off the lights and lock up the house for us.  I covet his prayers over our home and our little family.  He makes me feel secure. 

I am thankful that the RCMP is doing all they can at this time to be prepared for what could happen.   I trust that they will do their utmost to protect us with whatever resources they have, in whatever capacity they can.  I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me with a healthy, strong, competent, hard-working husband that can do his best to offer us his protection; to cover us with prayer whenever we are weak with fear.  I am doing all I can to learn all about this God who holds me captive by His love ... so that even in the darkness, I can trace His path like the steps I know to take in my house in the middle of the night.  I want to know him like the back of my hand.

I know there are people out there who question how I can serve a God who lets innocent people die, as happened in the Virginia tragedy. 

"Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" ---  Romans 12:19 NASB 

I am reminded of the Erwin McManus quote "We serve a dangerous God.  His is not safe but He is good."  He doesn't tell people to hate, kill and destroy.  His Spirit grieves when His children suffer.  He weeps when we weep.  I don't have the answers for huge questions like that, but I know He does, and He can handle the asking.

I am thrilled to announce that the 2007 Blick Linoleum contest entries are up and waiting for you to check them out.  I was amazed at the number of entries and encouraged that so many are teaching what I love to do to their students too. 

Please follow the link to view some of my student's work ... they would be so happy to know you took the time after they have worked so hard to cut and print them.  Let me know what you thought, too.

Sarnia Homeschool linoleum prints.  We didn't win any prizes (this year!) but I know I set a fire beneath some kids who otherwise would never have experience the joy and satisfaction of printmaking.  Now I just plan the next teaching session...

It is up and running without a hitch!  I think you should take a look (and stay a while).  Let the Cate's know how much you appreciate the hard work and lack of sleep it takes to make the Carnival a go.  I will.

carnival-of-homeschool-week-68

Am I the only one who, coming to the beginning of a new homeschooling week and looking back on the one that preceeded it, sees that she spent a lot of time doing something but cannot necessarily find a category heading to file it under?

not that I am worried.

I took a VARK learning styles test earlier in the week (one of the many somethings I mentioned earlier) and was relieved to discover that those of us who talk out loud to ourselves are simply proving that we are auditory learners (not in need of psychotherapy after all).  I have also discovered that I am a  very global thinker (which my husband has been trying to tell me all these years.   I just couldn't  quite "picture" it).  As a matter of fact, I am so global that even though I have read Cynthia Tobias' book The Way They Learn many times over, I still don't get it!

I  learned a lot more about my teaching style this week too (yep, another something) when I linked from the Homeschool Minute to the Cindy Downes site .  I find it mildly humourous that my boys have tried desperately to get me to convert from military school (as they seem to view it some days) to un-schooling, and I scored a big 68% in favour of that method!  I react very strongly to being referred to as an unschooler for some reason (methinks thou dost protest too much).  I like to remind the boys that we are "home-schooling" in general, not just "home-ing"  I also scored 72% for Charlotte Mason, though it was not a surprise.  The next in line was Unit Studies, at 64%, another funny because I tell my husband and great friend on a regular basis how much "I hate Unit Studies ... they so don't work for us", to which my husband replies "didn't you just finish writing one?"

If nothing else, I am slowly (painfully slowly) beginning to realize that not only do I homeschool eclectically, but I basically do life eclectically.   I may have been at this homeschooling experiment for 6 years now, but I still like to say that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.  I am having fun, and have my hand in many pots right now (I act in the local theatre group, I sing and write songs for guitar though I cannot read "proper" music, I am a lino print maker and an altered book artist, a writer of poetry and curriculum, a Mom who loves to homeschool, and a wife to a fantastic man who is beginning to discover who God created him to be too).

We are eclectic, and we are filled with joy.

I am, unfortunately, a woman whose life is sometimes driven by fear.  Not that I am neurotic (though I am sure there is a quiz out there somewhere that could tell me differently), but in the stillness of my mind, when I take the time to just "be", that is when I realize I invite a lot of fear in.  I am not resigning myself to the thought that "this is just how I was made", however.  It is not true.

I saw a man on Oprah yesterday (yes, I really do enjoy her show for the most part) who defined the role of perception.  He claims, and I am inclined to agree with him, that it is the job of our perception, in our brain, to prove to us that what we think is actually right.  If I think that life is dull, boring, not so great, and never in my favour, then my "perceptors" will seek out circumstances that are dull, boring, not so great, and never in my favour, to prove to me that I am correct in that line of thinking.  On the flip side, if I believe that I am a joyful person, happy, contented, secure, and living a fantastic life, then my perception will work to pick up on the circumstances around me to prove my theory that life is, well, life is excellent!

Imagine what that could do to my fear, to my homeschooling methods and delivery, to discontent in my heart, to my willingness to out-serve my husband each day, and my interactions with the unsaved.

I like the way DevdoorDeb puts it in her latest newsletter devotional: "When my flesh feels fear, in my spirit I affirm the truth that no matter the circumstance, God is good, in control and loving. Always." I have to agree with her. I must agree. To do anything else is to give way to fear. Fear cripples; hope restores, renews, and revives. I must affirm the truth; I choose to hope in a loving God.

Even though the chances that someone would draw our name and then actually choose to mail "Internationally" (though, we are just across the water and not International at all in my mind, however ...)  I thought  this contest was right up our alley.

All you need to do is visit the Front Porch, which you should already be in the habit of doing, of course, and have your child tell you what type of robot they would  invent to help with chores around the house.
As the parent, you leave a comment describing the type of robotic invention your CHILD would like to invent for you (What would this robot do?  Any neat features?  What would you call your robot?)  Please do give  the details!

All  names will be put into a (clean) butterfly habitat and the winner will be chosen on Wednesday, April 17th. 

**IMPORTANT**

If you ALSO blog about this contest on YOUR blog,your name will be entered  twice!  But, you have to let Michelle  know (in the comment you leave on the Front Porch) that you blogged about it!

 Today you will find a myriad of musings at Apollos Academy, including some yaking by yours truly.

Take some time to browse ... you might get a better idea who you'd like to vote for in the HomeschoolBloggerAwards, or who you should have nominated in the first place!  I voted from an entirely biased point of view (my husband for best Dad blog, even though I love reading RCElliott and Walden's Wits) and my friend bestsister for best new blog in 2006.  I should have nominated Sarah, but I forgot and then it was too late.  I might need to watch what she puts in my tea (hot tea, that is) in a few weeks when we visit ...

So, read the Carnival entries for this week, then take a moment to vote, if you will.  You don't have to vote for me ... but you could, if you wanted to. 

The following is a brief overview of the roles of some of the individuals and groups responsible for publicly funded elementary and secondary education in Ontario.  The duties are legislated in the province's "Education Act", Chapter E.2, Revised Statutes of Ontario, 1990, as ammended.:

The Ontario Government and the Education Act

Education is a provincial and government responsibility in Canada.  In Ontario, education is governed principally by the "Education Act" and its regulations.  The "Education Act" and its regulations set out duties and responsibilities of the Minister of Education and the duties and responsibilities of school boards, school board supervisory officers, principals, teachers, parents and students.

the Minister of Education

School Boards

Principals

Teachers

Students

Parents

School Councils

Ontario College of Teachers

Education Quality and Accountability Office

These links are pretty comprehensive and include a number of duties for each section.  Though I admit I did not read them in depth, I saw a lot of requirements for the person who holds the title, and it seemed reasonable considering the number of children in a typical school on a typical day.  Under the title of Students, if you didn't look already, one will find the following:

Students are responsible for:

• attending classes and taking examinations; and
• exercising self-discipline and behaving courteously toward both their teachers and their fellow students.

Sounds reasonable to any homeschooling parent, right?  It is something we all strive for and, usually, accomplish fairly easily because we homeschool ... together.  It was when I read the role of the parent that I was literally stunned.  I scrolled down the page farther, hoping to find the missing or mis-laid requirements, but there were none.

Parents are responsible for:

• ensuring their children attend school.  Generally speaking, attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16.

And that is all "they" wrote.  Parents of public school children need only be responsible to drop their children off at the "brick box".  They don't even need to feed them breakfast anymore if they don't want to (or can't?).  Just drive them there, or make them walk.

Might explain a LOT...

I was trying to take advantage of the fact that, being Good Friday, my husband is home for the whole day, when I stumbled upon some laughable quotes.  At least, they are laughable to me because my kids aren't subject to the "system".  As a matter of fact, here in Ontario, as homeschoolers we are free to do whatever we please, whenever it pleases us.  No school system needs to know we are even homeschooling at all.  My husband and I have chosen to let them know, usually, each year because we have had our boys in Public school for a few months, but it is not necessary and most of my friends don't bother.  You don't need a B.A. to homeschool in High School, though I happen to have one.  I am free to ask the local Principal if I may borrow textbooks, and he is free to tell me "no".  So far, the idea has not tempted me. 

I was looking online at the new and improved Ministry guidelines for public schools (grades K to 12 now that grade 13 has been abolished) and laughed outloud.  This is what I read under Science,

The development of skills and knowledge in science and technology is often related to learning in other subject areas. When planning programs, teachers should emphasize this cross-curricular learning by:

• coordinating the teaching of related content in two or more subject areas
• providing opportunities for students to work towards expectations in two or more subjects within one lesson.

Isn't this what homeschoolers have been doing forever?  If the "system" would like some help in diversifying, planning, writing curriculum and the like, why don't they just come and job shadow? 

TeamBettendorf Quilt Drive

Tia has sent this request to us to help spread the word that the Bettendorf family has a need, and we can fill it.  The story is especially close to my heart as my Mother in law had breast cancer many years ago, my Father in law had cancer removed from his ear in 2006, and my Father has lung and brain cancer (thankfully they are all doing just great; God's mercies are new every morning).  It must be excruciating at times to watch your child suffer with cancer, spending so much time in a place you do your best to stay away from on any normal day.

Bless Katie's heart for looking past her own needs to also see the needs of all the other children surrounding her in Hospital.  AS Tia puts it,

          If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him.  Oswald Chambers

Tomorrow night, our wee family will head into town to play and worship at the home of a gracious woman I have not yet had the priviledge of meeting.  We will simply go to her door, bass, guitar and amp in hand and knock.  I assume she will answer, greeting us with a friendly smile, though she has no idea who we are either.  I do this almost every month with a bunch of friends from various churches ... we are known as 24/7 worshipers who find a willing vessel of a homeowner and just "show up".  It is one of the things I love about the body of Christ.  We haven't made an album (yet) but I would love to try and capture the essence of what we do together sometime.  It isn't about talent, it's about together.

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to  what one has, not according to what he does not have. 2Corinthians 8:12.

I see this reflected in the lives of many homeschoolers, too.  A real genuine desire to do the best job they can in teaching their children; teaching what they know to other's children lovingly as well.  The unsung heros in a sometimes tumultuous world.  Life may not always be easy, but it is always an adventure, and I wouldn't trade mine for the world. 

My husband had a pretty bad day a while back, and now it's bit me in the behind, too.

You know it's a test of self-control when:

your oldest son has started night-coughing, again, seemingly without ceasing, for what feels like the thirty-first day in a row, only this time he coughs so hard that his gordita supper lands on his (why?) stupid, organic, cannot be machine-washed or dry cleaned, or anything other than spot-washed for that matter, comforter that, of course, was free but would cost hundreds of dollars to replace, and it is raining outside so I cannot hang it out, along with his Buckley's that obviously now is not going to have the desired effect on his coughing that is still going on at 4 am.

My husband woke up, finally, at the sweet hour of 8 am, not even close to 6:15 am,precisely half an hour after the work day begins for him, approximately twenty minutes from his office.  My loving response, in my haze?  "are you going to get fired?"  His eyes were almost as big as his hair (move over Bob Ross).

I came downstairs to call my parents and ask them how to clean the dumb cannot be cleaned by any means comforter because they have one too, and they even were the ones who gave me the cursed thing in the first place, and that was when cat number two stunk up the whole lower level doing his "thing" in the litter box, except when I turned to look, he had actually done his "thing" all up the side of the wall, the water meter box, and the floor.

did I mention that today is also "regular" laundry day?

I think homeschool today is going to be a little heavy on the home.

When I was in High School, like everyone else, we studied one of Shakespeare's plays each year.  I knew to expect that, but I never thought I would absolutely fall in love!  I eagerly memorized a soliloquy to present to the class.  I don't think I'll ever forget the poor classmate of mine who, delivering her speech as one of Macbeth's witches, spray-dyed her hair green only to return to class the next day still green!

When I got the chance to study Shakespeare again in University, I was ready.  I remember that the final exam was going to be on thirteen of the fifteen plays we would be covering that year.  I took the "easy" route and simply chose two of his plays that I wouldn't read at all.  Thank God for graduate students to live with, and learn from; my roommate gave me that wise advice.  I also acted in every one of his plays my College put on.  Never enough.

So, why all the talk about Shakespeare on a Saturday?  I know my bestsister will agree with me that he is a fantastic writer; that we have both counted the days till we could introduce him to our children.  I picked up a large copy of the Lamb's Tales From Shakespeare at the local public school almost three years ago.  They were practically giving it away.  I guess it didn't interest anyone there (can I say idiots?).  I started reading from the book on Tuesday afternoons, surrounded by teacups and little cookies, right after reciting poetry.  We have not managed to hold to this as a consistent tradition for some reason (flighty Mom I guess) but I am reminded today by this email, and just had to let you know.

Our story this week is The Winter's Tale, as retold by Mary Lamb.

Did I mention that I am starting a curriculum guide for Swiss Family Robinson, now that Cheaper by the Dozen is on homeschoolbuy.com?  I just thought it was cool that both the Lamb's book and Swiss Family are children's books from the 1800's still in print!

Friday has long been my most favourite day.  I love the thought of waking up next to my husband and NOT having to go anywhere, most Saturday mornings, anyway.  Every other day he leaves early for work, but Friday brings the promise of two whole days of being able to stare at him as much as I want.

I really am that pathetic.

The family can be together to do whatever it is we have waited all week to do with Dad.  Tonight we are going to see my oldest in the play he has been madly rehearsing for 10 weeks.  Tomorrow he has two performances and then we can have a family meal all seven nights of the week again.  No more divide and conquer.

This morning was our homeschool H.I.G.H. day morning.  The boys are progressing wonderfully with their sign language instructor.  He is deaf and funny as stink!  I wish I was a part of the class.  I keep thinking I should use my brain more, and I was all geared up to learn along with them.  I need to tell you that I still managed not to learn the alphabet.  Add it to the times tables I was finally going to learn and I am not doing quite as well as I would have liked.  ( I was selected in grade four to go to enrichment classes except I needed to learn my times tables.  Threats were made by my teacher ... this was supposed to motivate me?  What grade four kid wants to pick dumb enrichment over dinky cars or marbles at recess?  I even wrote all the tables I could on my hands in grade five so I could pass the test.  Ii didn't work; I got caught.)

My youngest son decorated a cake.  He wasn't thrilled to be "stuck" in a "girly" class, but we'll suffer through the taste-testing (if we have to).

I am known for my frugal ways around here, (here as in P-town, not here as in blog-world) and I have blogged about Jim Erskine's programs before, but this is an excellent week at their place, especially for you Americans.

So ... If you've never been to visit Homeschool Radio Shows before, this is the time to do it.  This week they have a ton of stuff to practically give away, along with a reading of The Railway Children, by E. Nesbitt AND a free PDF study guide to boot!

but don't be thinking I'll give away MY PDF study guide for free; I will gladly take your order, though!  It may be called Cheaper by the Dozen, but it doesn't play out in real life.  (you can feel free to order twelve) 

I keep reading things in our local newspaper (we're talking the kind that only gets published on Wednesday, and has riveting stories like the woman who grew the potato that looks like a six-fingered hand, which, subsequently, served only to make me put down said paper and watch The Princess Bride.  I must say, though, that the photograph of the woman and the potato was very Gary Larson-ish and did indeed make me smile.  Ahh, the simplicity of small town life) .... back to the newspaper.  I keep finding articles on lock downs in our local High School and it does not make me want to send my children there.

at all

So, Neal and I are tentatively deciding to keep our kids at home for a longer time frame than we had once, oh so long ago, thought we would.  I am usually fairly quiet about our homeschooling, not because I am embarrassed about it (heck no) but because it has become so much of our life and what we simply "do" that I don't really "think" about it much.  Two lock downs in just over one year of us moving here has me thinking now; thinking a lot.

so, it's official, spring is just around the corner because I have seen a

.  Yesterday, in a tree in our front yard, three of the chubby things were sitting on one limb.  It really signifies something worthy of conversation in these here parts.  Almost as exciting as hearing about someone you know who won a free coffee or doughnut at Tim's.  We look for these birds like crazy as soon as the snow is melting faster than it falls ... as soon as the shorts start appearing in the stores ... like the hope that I can wear just a sweater, not a snowmobile suit, to church on Good Friday.

If you haven't seen one when everyone else is talking about it, you almost begin to question what is really the matter with you ... and then you join the club.  Who said there is no such thing as peer pressure over 30?

So the Carnival this week is truly inspiring ... Celebrate the Journey  of the great Spring migration at Principled Discovery. 

"U Crane" by Greg Holden is part of the  Cranes on Parade  exhibit at the Museum of Nebraska Art and Rowe Sanctuary, coming up March 30-31, 2007.

this is going to be one of the most difficult weeks for me.

I have been asked to do a couple of things that I do not want to do, and am fearful of doing.  I can talk around the issues quite well, but when it comes to actual delivery, I am feeling inadequate and uncomforted.  I know my resume indicates I have the qualifications, I just don't remember applying. 

I am getting to be very skilled at half-jobs.  Spring can come anytime.

One of my altered books was accepted into a juried show in the UK, and I thought someone might be interested in seeing a few pages of the sort of thing I do.  If only they would award me with tickets for four to actually see the show in person ...

I have told you before that I really enjoy the writings at Walden's Wits.  Not only is he to the point, relative, and Scriptural ... but also funny.

I have declined a posting myself since his words today fit right where my husband and I are at.  I like that.

Check it out ... "free" fuel.  God is Not a Bigger Us .