Life in a Nutshell - Homeschool Blogger

Friends...

Fri, 5 Jan 2007 19:10:00 -0600

"You came to me from the darkness,

With no voice but many a work.

You help to fill these empty hours.

With friendship that's unheard.

Although I cannot hear you,

I can see your caring soul.

And thank you for the times we've shared

Into my heart you stole...

So take these words of friendship,

With my thoughts and hold them near.

Cause friends like you are hard to find

And very, very dear."

Happy New Year to you all...

Wed, 3 Jan 2007 12:46:01 -0600

Another year completed.....phew!

I look forward to what is ahead in 2007. I had a wonderful holiday season. I was able to spend the holidays surrounded by family and friends. My sister came home from Florida and I finally got to meet my beautiful little niece. I was able to get reaquainted with my other niece, which I truly enjoyed.

I must say it is nice to get back to the routine. The kids are not in school this week, which kinda threw a wrench in things but we were able to get some friends to look after them. I thank the Lord for those friends and for the blessing they are to me.

I am starting to miss my homeschool days. We are going through some things, nothing serious, but still things that I would not have to deal with if I homeschooled. The kids are doing fine in school, I am starting to notice the philosophies of the world creeping in but as long as I keep on top of them....Pray for me.

Not a whole lot to say, just wanted to check in

Wow, how time flies...

Wed, 6 Dec 2006 19:05:00 -0600

Merry Christmas to all....

I can't believe how time flies, it's been a month since I last wrote. Things are going well for me and the family. The kids are doing well in school, adjusting well.

We are keeping busy with all the christmas concerts, parties, work luncheons, sunday school concert practice, not to mention getting ready for Christmas.

We got a whole bunch of snow yesterday, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas, every where I go....

Doesn't my blog look beautiful!!! I only have my sister to thank for the all the work that went into it. Thanks sis.

My sister told me last night she may be coming home for Christmas...yeah! It has been 2 years since I've seen her and her family. She has a 10 month old baby I have not even seen yet. I talk to her on the phone all the time....Pray that she'll be able to come home. I miss her.

Things are starting to get a little better for me and the whole "rat" race thing. I'm starting to adjust to the schedule and routine of things. I've found myself again.

It's getting late and I must go,

Hopfully, it won't be so long before I write again.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Mon, 6 Nov 2006 17:11:00 -0600

We had our first snow fall here in New Brunswick today. It was beautiful to see. Another part of God's magnificent creation. I look out my window and see the trees laiden with snow, the ground is covered, the kids are out making snowmen and I watch while enjoying the warmth of the wood stove.

I really don't like driving in snow but....c'est la vie!

Life for me has been busy busy busy!! I think I've lost myself in it all but with God's help and the help of those who care enough to listen, I'll figure it all out eventually. I miss the routine I had for the last 3 years. Everything has changed and I'm like a fish out of water, just floundering back and forth trying to get back into the water. The truth is that the water is right there, it's not that far away but boy does it seem like it.

I have to thank my sister for her insight and wisdom. She sheds alot of light on things for me. She's the only one in my life who would dare attempt to figure me out, bless her heart!

The kids are doing well in school. My son is taking some time to adjust to some of the everyday goings on in a school environment, like lining up, not running in the class room, you know those kinds of things. He is doing very well academically, he speaks French very well and is picking up the language with no problem.

Holly is doing well also. She's a little on the hyper side and that gets her in a little trouble at times but over all she's doing just fine.

My son, unbeknown to him, makes his ole mom feel special. He has opportunity to bring extra work home, and when his teacher told him he could work on the extra stuff at school, Brendan told her no, because he wants to do it with his mom. Isn't that sweet! All those days of getting frustrated with him, pulling my hair out....and his(jk) didn't affect him the way I thought they would. Praise the Lord for His goodness to us.

Brendan was baptized this Sunday past. He expressed interest in baptism a month or so ago, and he went forward in church one Sunday and told our Pastor he would like to get baptized. We went through a little book on baptism with him, so he could understand why it is we do that. He got it! Holly told us she wants to get baptized when she grows up....we're not sure exactly when that is but Lord willing she'll let us know.

With the snow here, I want to decorate for Christmas. I love Christmas!

Any way, enough babbaling....

Remember what the Lord told us, "...I will never leave thee nor forsake thee..."

Friendship

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:52:00 -0500

Everyone Needs Someone

People need people and friends need friends
And we all need love for a full life depends
Not on vast riches or great acclaim,
Not on success or on worldly fame,
But just in knowing that someone cares
And holds us close in their thoughts and prayers-
For only the knowledge that we're understood
Makes everyday living feel wonderfully good,
And we rob ourselves of life's greatest need
When we "lock up our hearts" and fail to heed
The outstretched hand reaching to find
A kindred spirit whose heart and mind
Are lonely and longing to somehow share
Our joys and sorrows and to make us aware
That life's completeness and richness depends
On the things we share with our loved ones and friends.
-Helen Steiner Rice

busy, busy, busy...

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 16:21:00 -0500

I forgot what it was like to work full time and have 2 children. It is all coming back to me very quickly these days. As I wrote a few days ago, my children are attending public school this year and I have decided to go back to work. I was very thankful when my former employer hired me back and was able to give me the schedule I needed.

These last few months have brought about ALOT of changes for my family and these last few weeks have been really busy! A friend of mine is getting married this coming Saturday and their reception will be here at my house. That means about 60-100 people will be running through my house Saturday afternoon....ugh! No, it's really very exciting to me. My little Holly is going to be in the wedding so I'm excited about seeing her with her hair all done up purty and in her pretty dress. Once I get some pictures, I'll have to post one or two.

It's my son's 9th birthday on Friday needless to say we are not going to be doing a whole lot this weekend for his birthday. He is invited to a friends birthday on Saturday so hopfully Brendan will be okay with that.

I can't believe I have a 9 year old. That's hard to believe. You ever have those "moments" when life just sort of hits you in the face?

My children are doing very good at school. They are really enjoying the whole experience. Brendan is learning lots of French, although I must say he's not being challenged the way I would like him to be. The homework he has is stuff he would have done at the beginning of grade 3. I am glad it's easy for him with all the changes he's had to make.

I am a much happier woman these days, thank YOU LORD! I really do enjoy my children a little more. I can still be short with them but I am doing alot more laughing and carrying on with them. Homework time is probably our favorite time of day. I just LOVE doing Brendan's homework with him. I have homeschool to thank for that.

school days

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:45:00 -0500

Well hello to all you bloggers,

My husband and I have made the decision to send our 2 children to public school. It has been a hard decision to make but with the Lord's help, we have a peace in our hearts. Not to say I will never homeschool again but for now this is what is best.

A little encouragement to all of you, my son's teacher, was pleasantly surprised with Brendan, having been homeschooled and all, he COULD actually function in the classroom. In other words, he IS normal! I guess this teacher has had homeschooled children in the past and it wasn't a good thing . Brendan is actually making friends, he is attentive, he is doing very well. Maybe this will change this lady's outlook on homeschooled children.

There was no doubt in my mind Brendan would do great, he is a very social fellow. He used to ask everyone that walked by our house what there name was and where they lived.

Holly is in kindergarten and doing fine as well. She does not like to take the bus and we think it's because it is so noisy and there is alot of kids on the bus in the morning.

Since I am not homeschooling, I felt I should try to get a job and help take some of the financial burden from my husband. I called the employer I left 3 years ago, and within a day, I had a job there working exactly the shift I asked for 7:00am till 1:00pm. God is so good! I am actually excited about entering the job force again, it must be the other adults and conversations that don't include, "Stop, bugging your sister/brother..."that I'm looking forward to.

My prayers are with you all as it's now I realize truly, how much was involved in the whole homeschooling process. I know while I was homeschooling I felt the stress and pressure there at times but because I had committed, there was no other option, so I just did it.

I have to thank my sister for being there to support me and making this whole change a little more easy. She knows me better than I know myself and she helped me understand myself a little more. Thanks sis, I love you!

I'm back...

Sun, 3 Sep 2006 18:34:00 -0500

My oh my, how time flies... I have been really busy these last few weeks and have not had the time to sit down and write. I actually tired to add an entry and for some reason I couldn't.

The summer is officially over for us. The kids are starting their school schedules tonight. That means bed at 8:30 for Holly and 9:00 for Brendan. We had family over for the weekend and my kids are extremely tired.

Saturday Brendan went to his first football practice. He looks like he was made to play football. He's a big, tall, handsome boy. He really enjoyed himself. I was worried for a little because they made them run some laps on the field plus all the other stuff they had them doing. I am sooooo glad we decided to put him in this year, it will be good not only physically but also it will help build his confidence.

I'm sitting here listening to some good music about the Lord. Thank you Lord for music! The songs bring me back to where I need to be in my thinking. Instead of me worrying, I just need to give my burdens to the Lord.

greetings from Halifax

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 08:29:00 -0500

I am writing from Halifax, NS. My family and I came to Halifax yesterday for the weekend. My husband had to write an exam at St Mary's University last night so we decided to make it a long weekend.

This sure is a much busier city than Moncton. We went down to the waterfront last night to see the Buskers. I haven't seen them since I moved from Halifax 10 years ago. Of course when we got there, most everyone had packed up, so we will be heading down there again tonight, weather permitting.

We are staying with my brother-in-law and his wife and there 6 year old daughter. My children love coming here and playing with their cousin.

It is nice to go places and see different things. Halifax has sooo much History. While we were driving around yesterday and seeing all the old old houses and the old schools the Halifax Explosion came to mind. What a mess this city must have been in and yet there these buildings stand.

My sister will be proud, we went to soccer practice with Felicity last night and while we were there the kids found some big rocks to climb on in the woods and Brendan brought me this piece of rock and I told him to hold on to it and we will put it in our Nature Journal, that is yet to be started but will hopfully be soon.

All your talking and encouraging is rubbing off sis. Keep it coming!

I must go for now, I not being very sociable.

Windy...

Mon, 7 Aug 2006 19:07:00 -0500

Today was a holiday here in New Brunswick and what a beautiful day it was!! How I thank the Lord for the seasons and the changes each one brings. So like the seasons of our life.

For some of you, school has already begun but for us we still have a few weeks to go. The month of August is a busy one for us, so that will make the month go by that much faster. I am not really ready for school but I'm getting there.

I found another poem on mothering that I found to be quite nice.

A Mother by Vivian French Dennis

A mother

snuggles her baby

steadies her toddler

safeguards her preschooler

studies with her grade-schooler

suffers with her teenager

sends out her adult child to repeat the cycle begun by her,

her mother, and her mother before her.

And all this time the wise mother

prays and searches for wisdom

to build her house and not tear it down

to protect and not smother

to discipline and not discourage

to teach and not preach

to guide and not push

to keep on loving even when her child

repeats her mistakes

and those of her mother

and her mother before her.