January 31, 2009 - New Expectations...
After graduating one from high school, and trying to follow the same plan with the other two daughters...I realized something was not working well. Every day had it's own stressor and it was always something to do with studies and not getting something and not getting it done. The days that went well were far and few between. I was bewildered at how some state that the high school years are the easiest, yet I was struggling.
I evaluate and re-evaluate and I still come up with the same things... Ya, BUT.... were my answers for pushing, for adding a bit more. I don't think I did it to be mean, or to even make my daughters out to be Einsteins. But I pushed, none the less. Our home environment was becoming tense and I realized I need some changes, although I wasn't exactly sure with what.
I have begun to make some changes and after seeing their sucess or failure, I am trying to reshape our daily plans. One thing we have begun to get a grip on is our daily schedule. We've been "lazy" in the morning hours to get up and get going. Whether this is a bit of depression, an increased need of sleep during their teen years, or I'll admit... a huge lot of laziness on the part of me and my children and my lack of direction for those morning hours... we needed change.
Our daily routine has changed that every one us up and ready to go on their day by 9 AM. This lets them sleep in until 8 AM, getting that extra teen sleep. It allows me to make a good healthy breakfast by having time to do that. It allows me quiet time in the AM for devotions and exercise. We once again have regained our 9AM start time for our studies. It feels good and has added benefits... we're on time to church as well! LOL.
The second thing in our routine was a thorough evaluation of each class and the time needed for completing assignments and evaluating whether a different "schedule" should be made up... rotating classes each day or shortening times or extending times. I am still in midst of this, but discovered how much actual time we spend in language arts is almost double of what is needed. I am trying to rethink our plans and make changes as we go. I am relieved to find one class to reduce on, perhaps this little bit of relaxation will ease the stress we've had around the house as of lately.
I will try to update our changes as we go along. I'm sure I'll find many more things that need changing. Our home is everchanging in its dynamics and I enjoy creating new schedules and routines to meet those needs... implementing them is a different story. However this time, I am enjoying the implementation process as well...perhaps because it is reducing the stress in the house in two different ways... reducing study time for the girls makes them happier. Evaluating the course loads has eased my guilty conscience of thinking we're not doing enough...we are!
Warmly, ~Melissa
October 26, 2008 - Paige completed her first "school book"
Paige just finished her first "school book". She has learned at 3.5 years old that the girls are busy during the day on some studies. Feeling left out, she grabbed one of many color books and preschool books that I have around the house. She started out one day and found out school wasn't much fun at all! I mean you had to follow directions and color things correctly. She put the book down for several months and was content again to play. However, the last couple weeks it has been too cold out to play in the mornings, so she opted to sit at the table doing play doh or some other activity. This soon bored her and she picked up her book again and decided to work at it. This time, she enjoyed the coloring. I'm not sure the book actually taught her anything. She already knew her colors...and that was the point of the book, but perhaps some persistence and determination to complete a book.
Anyways, she was quite proud of her accomplishment. She is content to be back playing once again.
Warmly, ~Melissa
February 5, 2008 - Long, Busy days...
I normally love winter because it is my time to slow down and enjoy a few hobbies. This winter, I took on some projects of getting organized and uncluttered... and well, I am full to the brim with long, busy days!
I recently purchased Homeschool Tracker Plus. I am pleased with it and am getting rid of some of my paper piles. I am diligent with backing it up on a jump drive, because we've had two computers crash in the last 6 months. (they were older laptops, but still!) This is taking some time to get all the information in, but I am slowly seeing the piles disappear. That is such a relief to me! I have so little storage areas, that having to store paperwork for three kids for all their schooling years... well it was getting to be a burden and so I have begun the process of recording on the computer and putting together portfolios of their schoolwork and reducing it by tons and tossing the rest! (Just like every other mom... if it doesn't fit on the fridge, it's outa here!... well, not quite that drastic, but getting closer!) I am thinking of scanning some of the favorites so we can see them, but just not have to store them!
I really love paper! I have 3 file cabinets by my desk and I had them full to the brim. One had farm /bill records in it. One had unit studies in it and the last one has teaching helps and current year school work filed in it. I recently went through my school file cabinet and reduced it by half. There were unit studies on units I never would have done. I was given alot of materials from teacher friends and I realized I will never to an exclusive study on bats. Not to the point of having bat manuscript paper and bat letter stationary and bat counting papers, etc... So I let go of the bats and a few other units that have sat lonely in my files. I will let someone else have them!
My other large project is the house declutter. I think we finally have the house rearranged to where items may permanently stay for an extended period. No more moving the school room or bedrooms or any of that nonsense. We've hip hopped the house round and round because of daycare needs in the past, then homeschooling 3 kids was messy on the dining room table and now we are down to just 2 in the books and they seem to keep the dining room neater and there is less stuff, just one bookshelf, vs. the two we had to have before. Anyways, we are still debating over the piano issue. Dh wants to get me an electric piano with CD copying capabilities and so much more... found a really nice one for around $700, but we are on a debt-free journey so that is just a wish for now. Our huge piano is just in the way, it is older and it is hardly played. I play from time to time, but where it is (the only place it can be), it can't get played because that's the TV room! (Dh's haven! *grin*) I've set up the house with areas in mind, rather than filling an empty hole along the wall. Each room has purpose and storage of particular items. This works so well! I often wonder why it took me so long to figure this out.
I know the kids were growing and because of that we moved things around... we also added on to the house, so we moved things around... we then didn't like the loft and the high living room ceiling, so we put in a lower ceiling and we moved things around again... round and round and round!
My days are long and busy. I barely have time to keep up, but there is progress each day. I no longer feel frazzled by disorganization. I am tackling the huge piles and they are slowly going away, even if only a half a box at a time. I am having a hard time keeping up with the household duties and am tempted to hand them over to my oldest who is done with high school, but waiting on college until next fall. I could continue the overhaul of the house and complete it before she enters college (yes the house is that bad... actually the bad stuff got moved to the basement, but I have to take care of that mess before spring!).
Today's accomplishments seemed little in the eyes of my husband. I corrected 30 lessons today. I added a couple new files to the bill cabinet. I cleaned out a half of a box upstairs and I cleaned out half of a pile downstairs on the buffet. I also planned out lessons for the next two weeks and logged in some past lessons from old plan books. Dh says I have trouble keeping to one task, LOL. I just did what presented itself to me along the path of my day. Between going up and down the stairs for baby and making supper this evening... well, life happened, but I still accomplished something. I haven't felt that way for a long time... I felt life was passing me by and I was just continuing to get further behind.
I praise God for long busy days! I interacted with my children. I got some things accomplished. I made Dh smile today. And I even got my devotions in. I am slowly feeling peaceful with each passing busy day. That we accomplished something, yet we weren't too busy for family and we weren't too lazy and stuck on the computer all the day, either. Lambing season has started at our home. Our days will be long and busy, but full of life and new beginnings. What a precious time. Each season is full and I love each of them. I have been praying for peace and order in my life and I have read books and been on email lists and nothing really worked. I finally just cried out to God and asked for help and He is leading me to a plan specific for me and it is working. It starts with spending time in God's Word every day. Most of the time it is in the morning before the girls awaken. But if a bad night puts that off until mid morning or late afternoon, that is ok...I don't freak out... I just keep going and know that I will have time with God sometime today. That I think is the source of my peace and each item I tackle with organizing and decluttering, has gone up in prayer and for the first time in years, it is falling into place. My home is feeling homey. I am opening up my home again to visitors and everyone comments on how our house isn't the best dressed, but it is the most homey... one of the teens mentioned homely... but laughed at his mistake and said... I meant Homey ... HONEST! LOL!
That's what a home is for... to be homey... not to be schoolish, not to be Better Homes and Garden picture ready, not to be the path house full of piles, either. But to be at home... toys may be on the floor at times, laptops sitting at the feet of the couches, blankets tossed over chairs. But it is clean enough and organized enough for life to function without being distracted by clutter. It is welcome enough to visitors to plop on the couch with a smile on their face, not apprehension at whether they are sitting correctly and might upset someone. School books may still be on the dining table, but quickly clear to the bookshelf near the table. Our white board shines of "School", but others laugh at how included in that is real life... call the dentist may be on the side or a favorite Bible verse to be shared by those who stop to read it.
I'm glad for my long, busy days. I'm glad for my Saviour. I'm glad for my home. I'm glad to be home with my kids. Sometimes one just has to think on those things and be thankful and send up praises.
Warmly, ~Melissa
November 8, 2007 - Books and Texts listed on half.com
I am cleaning out an old school closet of our church school. I am offering the old texts for sale on my half.com account as I have time to post them. I have two boxes posted so far. What is posted from the school is social studies materials...I also have several books of many different reading tastes, from fiction, to young readers, to cooking and crafting books...
Check it out at my HALF.COM listing.
Warmly, ~Melissa
October 15, 2007 - Sweet Bargain...
I am so excited. After sitting in the dentist's office for an hour today, I headed home, needing to stop at the grocery store. Just before the grocery store, I see the second hand store in our town. I stop quickly just to browse, but tell my daughter, NO CLOTHES.
We go in and I skim the adult books, then quickly check the children's books. I found the Foot Book by Dr. Suess. We had this summer lost our copy due to it being left outside during a rainstorm. I found two true to life history books, Anne Frank and another one from a Danish/Dutch version of this same war. Then, I spy two Rod and Staff Spelling books. Grade 6 and Grade 7. Neither one is written in. The covers show some shelf wear, but really good shape. I was so excited. I had been looking for these for some time and have bid on several on ebay, but I just can't afford much so always got outbid.
My total cost for the quick stop... was $1.50. And the $1 was for my daughter's blouse (remember I said NO CLOTHES... I am such a push over... can't pass a half price very nice white blouse up!) But the books were 50 cents... 10 cents each! God is so good! My husband tells me I should sell the spelling books on ebay, now, considering I always got outbid... we both laughed. Maybe, after I am done with them!
Warmly,
Melissa
September 10, 2007 - First visit of the year with our Supervising Teacher...
Tonight we had our first of eight visits with our homeschool Supervising teacher. This is one option of following the law in Iowa. We choose to work with a supervising teacher because for me it is the least stressful route and the cheapest route of keeping accountability.
Our visit went well. I was about 10 minutes late. Just alot to do today. I had gone to an orthodontist appointment with my 12yo and run to the grocery store, run home, prepared supper and out the door I had to run. Other than being late, it was a good meeting. We set a date for our next visit (phone visit). I paid my fees. And then we just discussed school plans for the coming year.
To make it easier, I handed her my form that I handed in to the local school district. She jotted a couple more notes about the extras that we are not required to submit to the school district. We discussed goals, our summer projects and exchanged some sharing about mission trips.
I have a better plan with time management for this year and so far it is working a bit better than in past years. I made some priorities about our extras in life and simply put... they come last!
My two current projects that are on the forefront of "my" list are decluttering and finding a way to organize school record keeping that is easier to use for me! The decluttering process is slow going, but it is working. I have been selling some stuff on ebay and had a garage sale this summer and hope to have another in a couple weeks during the city wide garage sale. The record keeping has been trial and error for the past 8-9 years and I am hoping to come up with a better way this year. I want something that works for ME, that works for making a transcript, that works for easy planning, I've tried other homeschool programs and record keeping planners and they work to a point, but not totally for me. I will probably make my own Homeschool Record Book with all the things "I" feel are necessary, instead of things that don't apply. You know each state has their own things that must be kept track of, each college has their own standards... and it just would be nice to have one that fits my needs. Instead of keeping track of the stuff others think is important... I will keep track of the things I have found that ARE important. Having one that is graduating in a month or two... I have found out MANY things that are important... that NO ONE told me about! And it is really hard to try and think back... so I want to have it recorded from the start with my next couple of kiddos.
So, that was all discussed at our meeting as well. We went a bit over on time, but we have been friends for years and it is good to have a chance to catch up, too.
Now, that first meeting is officially over... it is time to hit the books and set some goals for this year and really make it happen. (I have big goals, but I find little goals are easier to meet and great boosters to keep us actively accomplishing the bigger goals!)
Warmly,
Melissa
August 6, 2007 - Today was registration day at the local school.
It was registration day for our school district. This is the day I pop in to gather my registration forms for homeschooling. Almost every year, I seem to cause great confusion. This year was no different.
On needing more than just registration forms, I decided to make use of my visit and get more information about the enrolling, so that my daughter could get free use of college courses for a year. In Iowa, if you are dual enrolled, you can have your child start college (with class limitations) and these classes will count for high school AND college. And the best thing is that the school district pays for the classes.
Dh has been asking me to get more information about this "deal". Well, I asked about it today and for now, we will be passing on the deal. It will be hard if not darn tricky to get it worked out for this year. I would need to bring in all data from my daughters schooling and the school would then determine which credits they would accept. She then would have to graduate with the graduating class, take testing... and more classes if they felt she hadn't progressed with classes they approved of. I just love (grimace) the tone they give me... you know we may not accept all your credits... we just cannot take her on and not evaluate her, beings we have NO IDEA how or IF she has learned anything at all. Why do they feel they must put me down before accepting to do something that is state mandated? Were you under a licensed teacher at all for any of this teaching that you did? was the next question posed to me. Yes... the guidance counselor then calms down... well, then... you should be fine.... trying to correct herself as she now realizes how she has talked to me...
Well, that's gone far enough! We don't WANT your free money! *sigh*. Really we do, but we aren't prepared to jump through the hoops being this is our first child to go through high school. I should be better prepared for my next daughter and perhaps they (the school) will maybe have learned some courtesy by then. I say that as this isn't the first time I've been talked to this way... it's probably the 3rd or 4th time. (the only times I have opened my mouth and uttered something other than can I get my registration forms, please?)
On the plus side, our county has a developing agency that is now trying to dispurse funds in positive ways. This is casino taxes. Is it wrong to use this stuff? I hope not, cuz it is sure going to help. Each student in our county was given a $50 gift card for school supplies, which meant... school supplies, then backpack or shoes, and if you still had money left over... then you could use it on underwear and socks. Hee, hee. That kind of tickled me a bit. Well, I got my gift cards today and while I was there, I asked about the scholarship funds I had heard about... last year each child graduating got $3600 to put towards the college of their choice. They expect that figure to be around $4000 from here on out. I asked if homeschoolers could get it and she said, yes, yes, yes. And I asked what I needed to do (since most of the others get the information through the schools... as I missed out basically last year from late information... but in the end that was OK. My daughter didn't finish her senior year by May... she still has a couple months to go and then she will be done... still a 2007 graduate, just a fall graduate instead of a spring graduate! I explained my situation and she assured me that all was fine. It was too late for last year, but they will gladly put her on this coming year's list. AND they didn't care that we were only schooling for 2 months this year... WOW, NO HOOPS! To get the scholarship, they need an acceptance letter from the college of choice (this to be done by all getting the scholarship). She asked what proof our college gets for us schooling and I said, some just accept the ACT scores and others want a transcript and she says, whatever the college wants, just give us a copy of that and that will be proof enough. Woo HOO! AGAIN! I was beginning to love this lady... she radiated warmth and a genuine desire to get these funds into all kids in the county... not just the "schooled" kids.
Well, I headed home and shared the news with Dh and the kids. The kids finished their schoolwork and then said... Mom are you ready to go? I said, go where? They said, to WalMart...that's where the gift cards are good for, right? Ahhh, school supplies... no matter that we would be in town tomorrow for farmer's market... they wanted to go tonight... so we did! LOL. The girls each got a backpack as their old ones are pretty kiddish...they even have spots for their MP3 players to ride along. Going to the nature center will be so much more easier on them, now that they aren't dragging their pooh backpacks along with. Hee, hee. They also got a pair of tennis shoes and the rest was used on school supplies. Actually Chelsea did not pick out her shoes yet, she wants to do that on a different visit as she wants to get a more expensive pair and she will pay the difference... she forgot her money tonight.
Well, a day full of adventures. I now have two weeks to fill out my forms and return them to the school. I guess that means I should figure out what we will be learning about this year so I can fill out the forms properly. We actually started school today in a sense. The girls have some half day assignments until I get the rest of it figured out. We're a bit behind from last year, so this will just help them catch up until the new books arrive.
Warmly,
Melissa
June 27, 2007 - So happy!.. plus some musings on homeschooling.
I just checked in and finally was able to get on and the "friends" link works! I am sooo happy. This makes it so much easier to catch up. I just didn't have all the time to go blog hopping.
Farmer's market is well under way and we are in full swing for summer. Market sure makes life busy. I used to feel guilty that we get behind on the bookwork, but after having some refreshing time... I am feeling much better. My girls all have wonderful home life skills under their belt. They all know the ins and outs of raising sheep and chickens and a few other birds/pets. And they all know how to work at the market. Ok, doesn't sound like much... but oh what is included in that.
My oldest two are running their own booth together this year. They are learning the cost more directly this year as they have to pay me for the ingredients and the packaging of the items they bake. They are learning salesmanship as they are working on their presentation.. not to be just sitting in the chair and looking around, but smiling and approaching customers and welcoming them to their booth. They give out samples and that has brought on more sales. (all this stuff my dh learned in college in his retail management degree). They also work on their booth "look". And labels are made with their own style and design.
Today, my oldest is down in Missouri at a national sheep sale. On Monday she helped her dad show the sheep and they got judged. The sale is today and they will be headed home. She's gone before to this sale and enjoyed taking classes with her Dad. She went to a class to be a certified inspector of hair coats, one year, although they deemed her too young to get the "paperwork". Another year, she learned about parasites and worms and how to identify that in sheep and the different stages of infestation by their symptoms. This alone is a great asset to a farmer in being able to reduce the regular rounds of worming, because you are on top of the situation, instead of just worming to worm... just in case. Very few regular active sheep farmers know that information. Our last lambing season Kate was very involved taking shifts that alternated with mine. I worked nights and she kept it going early in the am until I was rested to take over and she also kept an eye out when I was busy with household duties as well. We had a selenium deficiency this year due to different feed and wow did we learn alot. Kate also had to pull soooo many little lambs this year. She is even better than I in that department. She said she could get a job hiring out for pulling lambs with a chuckle. Too bad there aren't very many openings for that. LOL. She did pull some for a friend of ours... though she didn't get paid. Some of our bottle lambs also tend to get festers. We think it is an allergy to the dry milk. So treatment of that was done as well. She was our main sore cleaner.
In addition to knowing that, the girls have attended sheep sales at local sale barns and watched what people look for in sheep. Their dad is active in the registry and in the national sheep improvement program and the volunteer scrapie program, so they have learned alot about genetics, codon testing, and learning how to breed to get better characteristics in your animals. As his only help, the girls are also included in on sales pitches and selling the sheep. They give tours of the farm when Dad is delayed. They even have taken over selling the sheep when Dad got called away. They are quite able to converse with customers and do not bring down the sales, but often bring them up. You know, this includes skills such as speech, sales pitches, social skills, and so much more!
I will not allow myself to feel that we aren't doing enough. Why should I? What other high school students walk out ready to tackle their world. My kids are able to run their own home with chores, baking and cooking skills, family management and can cook for large quantities. They all volunteer at church willingly. They step in and offer help in areas they are well versed with. (Hence the reason Kate was pulling our friend's lambs). They have two job skills under their belt, selling produce/ eggs/ and baked goods at the market... or running a sheep farm. Which those skills will help them immensely with any other job they may choose to go after. No going to college to learn how to talk to customers. No going to college to learn how to give a good speech or sales pitch. They've already got it. No, I will not feel guilty...
and this isn't the half of it...they still are doing other things. Kate our oldest loves her horses and keeps them on their toes with working with them and keeping them clean and brushed. She also is headed for a mission trip this summer. Chelsea is big on style... clothes and hair. She is learning how to care for her hair and loves to try new products and "test" them out.... even homemade ones. Her sense of clothing is modest but in style... and she challenges the rest of the family with her style. She is the one that keeps us feminine. LOL. Megan is still young and still discovering what it is that makes herself tick. Currently she enjoys shopping. She maintains her budget with her sheep sales to keep money all year round. At only 12yo, that is quite the accomplishment... to always have money in the bank and budgeting on her own to keep it that way with absolutely NO help from mom or dad.
Nope, I will not feel guilty. I just need to learn how to render all this learning into credits for college. As I figure that out, perhaps I will post courses that we made up to give others some ideas.
Warmly, ~Melissa
May 21, 2007 - Mom's reading list...help needed, please.
It's been a long year and I'll be the first to admit I am headed towards burnout. Our new family dynamics have given me much to ponder and much to question about my way of doing things. *grin*
I've decided that a summer of reading will probably be the best therapy for this tired homeschool mom. I am in need of refreshing, of encouragement and of new ideas! While I have read several organizational books this year... I am still in process of integrating all that information into my life. Things are improving... I've just not ARRIVED, yet.
I am looking for thoughts on these ideas... scope and sequences, different teaching theories/strategies, high school teaching that isn't sooo complicated (lol), dealing with preschoolers and high schoolers and middle schoolers all at once, record keeping ideas, relaxed learning, incorporating learning done into high school credits, training up daughters, and just simply a good enjoyable book on homeschooling.
I also would like to learn more about fitting high school into less years... I've heard of others doing 4 years in 3 years... or others that have their oldest help homeschool the youngest... how do you do that and still your oldest is able to complete their own school work? I've heard of other families who have their senior teach the kids for one entire year... I'm just unsure of those dynamics and how that works. So much that I want to learn!... so little time! LOL.
I would really appreciate you all sharing your suggestions. Favorite books, ideas, theories, etc.
Warmly, ~Melissa
May 10, 2007 - Ever Changing...
Well, here I am, the end of another "school year". Which for us won't be, but that is OK. In reflecting the past few months, I have seen the fruits of my efforts. I have also learned quite a bit more about me than I had previously made known to myself. ...I did know it, I just chose not to acknowledge it.
With struggling to keep up with record keeping with my oldest soon to be graduate. I realized a couple things... even while trying to catch up... I would not be doing it well. There is always something else pressing to do. I live for adrenalin rushes and will often do things at the last possible moment. I almost always have no failure over doing that, but my stress level is way high. As I am getting older... this year I have noticed that my stress level is alot higher on a daily basis. I am not able to bounce back from a late evening doing some hunkering down on whatever project it is.
So is age really telling me what I've done all along is wrong? I find I jump from project to project alot. That would make sense with what DH sees. He says... what did you do all day... he's seen me busy, but not seen a "finished" project for the day. That really drives him bonkers. He is a stick to it until it is done or functional again. I am content doing stuff and if I recall an item that is more pressing, I will stop and do that... and on and on all day long. It is rather frustrating to look back and wonder why you can't seem to finish a project unless I devote a late nighter to the project. I am learning that diligence is needed on my part.
On another level, I took a seminar on spiritual gifts. While it assesses spiritual gifts, you also will reflect upon your own talents as well. Seeing things brought to light with multiple questions reworded over and over to get an accurate assessment... well, I was beginning to see my failures and my callings. I saw what I was good at (my talents)... I found my passions and my spiritual gifts. I also found many things I was horrible at.
To my husband's dismay... administration is my highest spiritual gift. Not in the fact that I can tell people what to do... I am NOT a leader. But in the fact that I LOVE to plan programs and do it quite well. I can plan out things and have done it for others trying to meet their needs and it has been quite successful. But here is what I learned.... I do not like to be the one implementing the plan. UGH.
With homeschooling that has become apparent. I plan and plan and plan and LOVE this! But when it comes to implementing the daily details of it all... it just curls my hair all the more. I hate spelling tests. There, I said it! I really do! So, I have found that in some of these putsy things of life, I either need to buckle down and do it... find someone else like DH to do it... or find a program that the kids can do it on their own. This is what I am learning...
In all of this learning about myself... much of what I have not shared... I realized that God is good. If I would have seen these failures up front... would I have attempted to home school? No, I don't think so. But God is able to do more for us than we can. He has come into our days and fixed the big blunders. When I knew not what to do, he brought the learning to us in a much calmer gentler way. I love remembering on a day when my oldest thought I was ruining her life. I wasn't a teacher and she surely was going to let me know... well I prayed all day long as I watched her glumly sitting in her chair looking out the window... and suddenly she perks up and notices that we have thousands of monarch butterflies fluttering about our property. She got to experience Monarch migration in real life... isn't God good? We go outside and it is lightly sprinkling, so they are all taking shelter among our trees. We walk out to the back pasture after the sun starts peeking out again and it is filled with clover covered with butterflies. We watched these butterflies, for the few short hours they spent with us. It was truly a wonderful day and my daughter had smiles on her face again. What we miss when we always do what is routine!
So, there... I need balance. I need structure and I need flexibility. My quandry right now is trying to find that balance as my older self is needing more stability than my young life once was capable of understanding or needing. Dh says I just need to slow down... but life is just getting faster. We have a larger farm than before, which means more chores. We are now back in Market season for Farmer's Market... which has been a wonderful opportunity for my girls, so I plunder on with that. Our days are filled with different items and I think it is more me being able to switch gears and figure out what these different directions hold for my family and for the girls' education.
I am in process of doing that. I am trying to take the evenings when Dh is home to unwind and figure all this out. Alot of plotting and scheming is going on, but don't worry... I LOVE this stuff! I also am digging into the bookshelves and really trying to discern what is necessary to accomplish it all. If I could just downsize a bit, life wouldn't be quite so overwhelming with soooo many choices. Ahh, life is a continual process of learning... not just for our little ones under our care, but for us older ones as well. May I embrace that truth with a smile.
Warmly, ~Melissa
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