Homeschooling 3 in Tennessee - Homeschool Blogger

Thanks HSB'ers

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:19:00 -0600

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
- William Arthur Ward

Though I know nothing about William Ward, I know this quote is very true!

It's Thanksgiving morning, and I want to take time out to thank each of you for sharing your experiences - both good and bad - and your crazy, wonderfully hectic lives with me on this site. Support and kinship are so very important as we face challenges that only other homeschoolers can understand. I hope you have a blessed holiday with family and friends, and don't forget to tell God and others how thankful you are. Go ahead and give that present to them.

Much Love,
Karen

Decimal Street

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:58:00 -0600

Camille has been doing so well on place value notation! Since she is four and only on the Primer level, I don't expect mastery on this skill, but she's really surprising me with her understanding of place value. After the holiday, we'll move on to hundred's place - yippee!!

Now, if only I could get her to stop scribbling when she colors. She can color well when she wants to, but she'd rather scribble and be finished faster. Arrgh!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:21:00 -0600

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
² Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100

Weekly Wrapup - November 7

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 23:39:00 -0600

Enjoy reading our Weekly Wrap-ups? Join us by visiting Carol's page for details.

From the Heart:

We live just 20 miles from Memphis- a city with many problems and challenges. There are many faith-based initiatives committed to helping meet the many needs of Memphis. These organizations often struggle for help, financially and personally. It’s a sad truth that the Memphis area also has an unusually large number of mega churches. For several years, I have felt a yearning to work in inner city ministries. This calling grows stronger each year, and I can no longer ignore it. Yes, I have mentored two homeless, pregnant ladies through a Christian child and family services agency, but I want to do more. I’m not sure exactly where God wants me to work, but I feel strongly about tutoring inner city kids and assisting young women as they transition from their past lives to a different, much better future. I also want to include my girls in this work. I'm eager to see what God has in store, and I’m equally excited about the possibilities after my children have left the nest. There’s no telling where I’ll be then.

If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

Proverbs 24:12

In Our Home:

Rachel went to the OB/GYN and left after having only a consultation. The doctor does not think she has endometriosis because the pain does not worsen around here cycle. Instead, she believes it’s muscle-related. She wanted to examine Rachel externally and internally to be more certain of ruling out anything gynecological, but Rachel freaked out and said she “couldn’t do it”. Rachel tends to go into a panic when anything unexpected is about to occur. It’s quite disturbing actually. In the end, the doctor did not examine her internally, but prescribed a muscle relaxer to see if it alleviates the pain. If it works, great! If it doesn’t, she really needs to be examined.

Terry was on vacation last week and began building a closet in the upstairs gameroom/bedroom. The frame is complete, and it looks great! We plan to move Sarah into that room with Rachel since it’s so large, then use her old room as an office/guest room. After Terry puts up the drywall and add the insulation, it will almost be complete. Still, it will probably be Thanksgiving before they begin to share since beds have to be disassembled to be moved.

In the Schoolroom:

Last week was very awkward with Terry home. Every day had a late start; plus the hammering, sawing, and excitement of him being here made it very difficult for everyone to stick to their tasks. However, we completed four days of school and spent the fifth day (Thursday) at the zoo. The weather was perfect. The crowds were small. The animals were playful. It was an ideal zoo outing.

At home, this is what we accomplished:

Bible: We continued our study of David and King Saul’s jealousy. (1 Samuel 15-19)

History: Sarah is still reading The Adventures of Ulysses and loving it! We couldn’t find any good books on Sparta and Athens at our library, so we read commentary and related chapters from Story of the World.

Language Arts: Still working on paragraph organization with Rachel and Sarah. Camille worked on the letters L and G. She will be finishing Book C very soon, and then we will begin Explode the Code, Book 1 which introduces vowels. She’ll be reading before I know it.

Math: Sarah continued studying volume of cylinders, while Rachel worked on angles. We will start next week going back over Lesson 5 though. She did not do well on Test 5. The lessons are starting to require spatial reasoning now, and she may need additional visuals to help her from here on out. Camille wrapped up number recognition and formation. She’s doing very well writing her numbers (0-9), so next week, we’ll begin introducing place value.

Science: Rachel continues her study of Botany in Module 15. Sarah is still working on the nervous system (senses).

Literature: Rachel is reading Antony and Cleopatry by Shakespeare and Persuasion by Jane Austen. The girl LOVES Shakespeare! Sarah is still only interested in twaddle, but after the holidays, I will give her a booklist from which to select her free reading. Thanks Belinda, for that idea.

On the Bookshelf:

Thrive, Don't Just Survive – ladies’ Wednesday night study. Last weeks’ discussion was on bitterness and anger. This was a tough chapter for me since we deal with this at home with Rachel. There really isn’t anything anyone can do for her. She has to let go of the negative self-talk and re-direct her thoughts to something positive. I shudder to think of where she’s headed if she doesn’t make these changes in her life..

This Side of Heaven – I sent this one back to the library. There was no use keeping it any longer. I just couldn’t get into the story.

Parenting Today’s Adolescent – Great book with very practical advice.

On the Exercise Mat:

I exercised four days last week and walked the zoo for 3 days another day. Not a bad week on the exercise mat.

Have a magnificent week, ladies!

Weekly Wrapup - October 31

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 23:20:00 -0600

Enjoy reading our Weekly Wrap-ups? Join us by visiting Carol's page for details.

From the Heart:

My heart is heavy tonight because I just learned that another instructor at my place of employment was killed in an accident last night. He was a favorite among the students. Many students have told me over the years that they’ve never enjoyed History until taking his course. He also taught Religion. Rarely did I see him without a smile. I don’t know any details of his “accident”, but I know this is a tremendous loss to our college and his family and friends.

In a brighter note, after a very soggy week, the sun came out Saturday and God graced us with a beautiful weekend. This is my favorite time of year. I feel energized by the cool temperatures, the colorful foliage, and the excitement of the upcoming holiday season. I think we’re predicted to have a colder winter than normal. That would be so awesome!! I love fall and winter, and would love to move a little further north.

In Our Home:

Rachel’s stomach pains have not subsided, and it’s now been 3 months! When it seems that the GI was out of ideas, I got one. Endometriosis came to my mind – just out of the blue. I called his office and asked him his opinion of my idea, and he agreed that she should be evaluated by a gynecologist. Now, I’m wondering why I ended up being the one to consider that. Hmmm… Anyhow, Rachel is scheduled to see a gynecologist Wednesday, the 4^th. Rachel is VERY squeamish about anything feminine, so she’s already freaking out about the upcoming visit and the possible tests. However, I think her pains are severe enough for her to go through almost any test.

Camille’s nighttime potty training seems to be ineffective for now. I’ve been waking her to potty for several months now, and yet she will still wet the bed whenever I do a trial night. The training doesn’t seem to be working. Her body does not signal her to wake up to go potty, and Mommy’s pretty exhausted. She will be five in February, but it is what it is. I ended up buying Goodnights pants for bedtime. Maybe we’ll try again after a little break. She has never been a good sleeper, so we’re still getting up through the night (for other reasons), but at least I’m not changing linens in the wee hours of the night.

In the Schoolroom:

Week 10 of our school year went well. Here is a summary of our studies:

Bible: We continued our study of King Saul and the Israelites (1 Samuel 9-14)

History: Sarah studied the Dorian invaders and Spartans in Ancient Greece. Also, we’re still reading The Adventures of Ulysses. Rachel is learning history through literature – Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Language Arts: I started a writing lab with Sarah and Rachel last week. We began with the paragraph (topic sentence, body, and conclusion). The girls did a fantastic job on their first formal paragraph last week. I was impressed, and I think they were too. Camille worked on lower case C, which was pretty easy since she knows how to write her name and it’s exactly like the capital C.

Math: Sarah completed her first study of polynomials and did very well. Now, she’s studying volume of cylinders. Rachel is studying reflex, acute, and obtuse angles in Geometry. Camille is still working on activities counting 0-9. I don’t expect her to master writing the numbers at this point, but understanding the concepts of the numbers.

Science: Rachel continues her study of Botany and will test on Module 14 on Monday. She should finish Biology in 4-5 weeks! Then, we’re off to Chemistry. Oh, joy! Sarah is still working on the nervous system (reflexes and brain function).

On the Bookshelf:

Thrive, Don't Just Survive – ladies’ Wednesday night study. I’m a bit behind, so I need to read two chapters by Wednesday night.

This Side of Heaven – Started on it this weekend. It is starting as a candid story about disappointment in a child and wanting to live up to others’ expectations.

1 Samuel 9-14 – Bible read aloud with the girls (Saul - first king of Israel)

On the Exercise Mat:

I’m still not losing much weight, but I certainly can see a change by way of inches. I got a little off track this week – only exercised 4 times last week and didn’t watch my portions as I should. It seems that I stay hungry though. I need to re-evaluate some things – like my goals and my expectations.

Have a beautiful week!

Weekly Wrapup - October 25

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:59:00 -0500

Enjoy reading our Weekly Wrap-ups? Join us by visiting Carol's page for details.

From the Heart:

My mother-in-law has been on our minds a lot lately. With the holidays around the corner, she’s being missed all the more. After five months, we can talk about her more easily now – without as much pain. We’ve reminisced about her funny sayings and Terry’s childhood. It’s been really nice, but sad. I hope Terry will continue to be in good spirits about his mother as we go through the holidays.

Last weekend, we traveled to my home town for our college homecoming. Terry and I met in college 19 years ago, so we occasionally attend homecoming. We attended the parade and the game, but spent most of our time visiting my parents. It’s funny how activities that used to excite you don’t move you at all later in life. We’re not making plans to go again next year. This homecoming participation should last us at least 5 years!

As Wife/Mom:

I got a hair cut Thursday! It wasn’t anything drastic, though my girls greeted me at the door saying “Ooohh… you got ALL your hair cut off!!!”. Quite the exaggeration. I needed more lift, so I got it cut into a bob style. My new profile picture shows off my new style. It works for me… at least for now.

Do you wanna know something strange? When I look in the mirror, sometimes I don’t recognize my face. My reflection has changed in some ways. I can’t explain how it’s changed, but I just look so different than I used to. Some people have the same look, but with a little more gray or a little rounder. With me, I don’t know what it is, but it’s just…different. Nothing disappointing… just different. Isn’t that funny?

In the Schoolroom:

Last week, we took a couple of days off for a fall break. They ended up being very busy since we had a trip coming up that weekend, but there was no schoolwork to be done. Camille was not so happy about that, but the other girls were. Last week ended our 9^th week of school, so I graded lots of work and calculated averages for our own knowledge.

Rachel’s Beautiful Feet guide came in the mail Thursday, and she’s starting that this week. Her first book is Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This is a book I already wanted them to read, so it’s the perfect start to the Civil War era we’re heading into. Also, Camille’s new workbooks came in the same shipment. They’re not very thick, so I anticipate buying more in only a few weeks. I can’t believe how quickly she’s devouring these workbooks! Sarah and I are reading about the Odyssey together. We’re not reading the original text, but a very good version of Homer’s book instead. It’s titled The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin. I think she will really enjoy the bizarre adventures of his journey home.

On the Bookshelf:

Thrive, Don't Just Survive – ladies’ Wednesday night study

This Side of Heaven – still plan to begin this one very soon

1 Samuel 9-14 – Bible read aloud with the girls (Saul - first king of Israel)

On the Exercise Mat:

I had a very good week again last week. I walked/jogged three miles 4 days last week and did moderate exercise on 1 additional day. I just completed week 3 of my healthy lifestyle and I must admit that I sleep much better at night and I feel less sluggish during the days. The scales didn’t show much weight loss from last week, but I know I’m gaining quite a bit of muscle, so I’m not concerned.

Have an amazing week!

"I'm A Big Kid Now"

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:50:00 -0500

Camille got a new, big girl school desk this weekend from her Nana and Papa. Today, she was more than happy to "do school" in it. Her room is a bit cramped with the desk, but for now, the location spot will do. Here are some pictures of her bedroom.

Having a preschooler is so much fun. I wish I had shared the preschool years with my older two!

Weekly Wrapup - October 17

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:27:00 -0500

Enjoy reading our Weekly Wrap-ups? Wanna join? Visit Carol's page for details.

From the Heart:

Last week, I was blessed with close family, good health, and good friends. God is truly awesome! I'm experiencing a wonderful sense of freedom as I move closer to recognizing things I cannot change, giving those things to God, and basking in the other blessings in my life.

October has been a busy week for our family with church camping trips, college homecoming, school, and just the energy of fall. I just love this time of year! Sarah and Terry went on a middle school camping trip this weekend and "roughed it" through two 35 degree, wet nights. I pray none of them get sick after that. I made my first chili last week, which in our home, marks the official start of the holidays. It wasn't my best batch, but it was good.

Also, I'm considering going back to school for the PhD in Accounting. I know that must sound crazy, and perhaps I am; but the thought is crossing my mind a lot lately. Lots of prayer will go into that thought though.

From the Word:

"'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts.' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.'" - Isaiah 55:8-9

Well, so much for asking God "why".

As Wife/Mom:

I am finally doing something about my health and wellness. For the past two weeks, I’ve been changing my eating habits and am gradually changing my family’s as well. I’ve also made it a point of exercising 5 days per week and will drop that to a more manageable 3-4 times per week after my good strong start. In the first week, I lost 3 pounds! I weigh in again tomorrow morning. I expect it to be about the same.

I’ve researched healthy eating tips have learned some very simple changes I can implement that will naturally and significantly increase my metabolism. First, I need to eat. Yes, I am serious. This is perhaps the toughest thing for me to stick to. Most days I wake up on a schedule and forget to eat. Often I don’t think of it until noon-ish. Bad business for the body! Also, I need to eat several times a day, only to satisfy the hunger, not to get full. Finally, I need to make wiser choices in my foods – avoid white and processed foods, go natural and organic if possible. Simple stuff that makes a tremendous difference!

In the Schoolroom:

We just wrapped week 8 of our school year and things are going well for the most part. The girls and I are studying the book of 1 Samuel right now and I'm find that there's much wisdom in that book - from Hannah's faith to Eli's parental responsibility. We've only gotten through five chapters, but we're really enjoying the study. Well, I certainly am.

Sarah is smooth sailing through TruthQuest (and really enjoying Ancient Greece), Pre-Alg, the human body (Sci), and Total Language Plus. She is also enjoying music theory. Last week, as we began our study of note names, we pulled out the keyboard, labeled the keys, and played the notes in her book instead of simply writing the name of the notes. She got a kick out of that and continues playing during free time. I hope she’ll continue an interest in piano. It would be nice to have a piano player in the family.

Rachel is doing well in the first lessons of Geometry and in the last modules of Biology. All dissections are done and Rachel couldn't be happier! She absolutely did not like dissections and tried to avoid touching anything! Here are a few pictures (WARNING: graphic for some viewers):

On the other hand, Rachel is having a really tough time with American History/English 3 (combined through Notgrass). She is not comprehending her reading assignments and failing tests right and left. As a result, I’ve required her to narrate each lesson, and that’s been disastrous. Rachel is so preoccupied with other issues that reading comprehension is severely lacking – especially in certain topics. I’ve decided that Notgrass is too intense for her to handle right now. Therefore, we’re going to switch to a more relaxed literature-based history program for the remainder of the year. I’ve always loved Beautiful Feet, but Rachel has never used it before. Since she loves to read fiction, I hope the BF program will be a good fit and the living books will help her to learn American History without it feeling so textbook-ish. This may help her retention and comprehension greatly. Otherwise, she’ll have real problems on her transcript this year. By the way, if you or someone you know is interested in purchasing the Notgrass Exploring America complete set, please let me know.

Camille has completed three workbooks and is starving for more! I’m amazed at her abilities and her retention with Explode the Code and with Math-U-See Primer. Also, it’s refreshing to see her excitement for learning. I can already see her inclination toward perfectionism and I’m trying to discourage that. Yet, she frustrates herself and wants to correct anything she deems “not right”. She’s doing so well though. I can see her applying everything she’s learning – around the house, at church, in the store, anywhere! She even brings up concepts we haven’t gotten to yet. I think I’ll have my hands full with this one…in a good way though.

On the Bookshelf:

The ladies class at my church is still working through Thrive, Don't Just Survive. This book speaks to me on so many different levels! I really love this study. Also, I’m starting another Karen Kingsbury book titled This Side of Heaven. I have loved every one of her books to date, so I’m expecting to finish this one in two days tops! Finally, I’ve been recommended the book Parenting Today’s Adolescent by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. There are a couple of chapters I’m studying there as I borrow this book from a church counselor. I love the Raineys and Family Life Ministries, so I may buy it for myself and read it in its entirety later.

Enjoy your week!

Happy Autumn Everyone!

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:01:00 -0500

Nothing Gold Can Stay

by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold,
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Autumn Fires

by Robert Louis Stevenson

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

Weekly Wrapup - Sept 19th

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:10:00 -0500

Enjoy reading our Weekly Wrap-ups? Wanna join? Visit Carol's page for details.

The week of Sept 13 through Sept 19, from a few choice perspectives:

From the Heart:

Last week was one of physical limitation for me. I have a rare eye disorder that I've been treating for 13 years with steroid drops. In December, the ophthalmologist decided to let me gradually get off the drops to see what happened. I got off the drops the first of July. Just over two months later, I had another inflammation flare-up. Now, I'm back on the steroids full force for 6-8 weeks and will slowly ween back to one drop a day...probably forever. The pain was bad last week, but better now.

If iritis is untreated, one would inevitably lose my eyesight. Prolonged steroid use can lead to cataracts and/or glaucoma, which also leads to blindness. I guess it's a trade-off. So far, so good though.

Good week, otherwise (except for an almost-sinus-infection). I'm taking each day in stride and leaning on the Lord along the way.

From the Word:

"...God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" - Hebrews 13:5

Life will no doubt be full of ups and downs. Isn't it comforting to know that God is with us through them all?

As Wife/Mom:

I had a tough realization this weekend. My oldest daughter has been in counseling lately trying to figure out the root cause of her anger and bitterness with life and everyone in it. This has been a tremendous challenge for everyone in our family (behavior, meanness, attitude, etc.). My husband wants to end the sessions because he thinks they aren't doing any good. He thinks it all comes down to her choices and no one can do anything about that but her. I think this is a matter of the heart and until she "seeks first the kingdom of God and his righteousness", nothing will change. Rachel is confused and has no idea what's causing her feelings and what to do about it. My realization? I think I know the basis of her anger. I will post more about this in a later, friends only, post.

I have a feeling we're approaching a tumultuous time in our family. I'm bracing myself and praying ahead of time. I know the Lord will see us through is... as always.

In the Schoolroom:

Last week was an exciting week of wrap-ups. Rachel finished Algebra I; Sarah finished her study of Ancient Egypt (although we're still reading Mara, Daughter of the Nile); and Camille finished book A in Getting Ready for Explode the Code. Also, I ordered Math-U-See Primer for Camille. I think she's ready for it. She'll be excited to have a real student book like her sisters - instead of just workbooks. If only the older two would love school and learning like Camille does.

On the Bookshelf:

Sarah and I are reading Mara, Daughter of the Nile together. What an intriguing story!! We look forward to each new chapter. I'm just not good at all with readalouds. I tend to drag them out for weeks because of life and distractions.

Also, I'm reading a new book with a ladies class at my church. It's titled Thrive, Don't Just Survive. I'm only on chapter 2, but I can see that this book will be invaluable to my Christian walk and life as a wife and mother. Already, I can highly recommend it!

Around the House

The floor in the walk-in shower is beautiful! My husband is a genius! *LOL* I tell him that all the time, and he says "yeah, right". Coming up: floor in the water closet, closet addition in Rachel's room, and kitchen countertops. I'm thinking he should just take up residence at Lowes.

Have a blissfully productive week!