Just here to share day-to-day experiences, any doubts I might have, and victories won. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:53:00 -0500 Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:53:00 -0500 I met with our cover's high school coordinator today!  I can't believe it's already time to think about high school credits.  My dd will enter the 8th grade next school year, and she can start accumulating high school credits.  This blows my mind when I stop to think about it.  I think I need to start reading about and researching this uncharted territory.  Any suggestions? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/673331/ Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:53:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/673331/ Just when I thought I had decided not to post here anymore, something comes up that I need to talk to fellow homeschoolers about - grades.  I recently was informed by my HS administrator that I need to be using the number grading system for my 7th grader as opposed to the letter grading system because of high school transcripts and such.  Well, the only subjects I really have a number grade system are in math and science and that's because of the curriculum (Teaching Textbooks for math) and the teacher (my DD takes science from someone else).  So now I wonder if I need to change curriculum (which I will wait until next year) or just make up grades, if you will.  I consider myself an 'eclectic' teacher, so we don't always use structured material.  For the most part we do, but not always.  So, what do you do?  How do you grade your children?  I will probably go through all of my copies of The Old Schoolhouse magazine, but I thought I'd start here for advice.  If you take the time to read, thank you.  If you take the time to comment, thank VERY much!  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/647871/ Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:23:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/647871/ My DD has fussed at me for not posting here in so long.  I've already confessed that keeping up with two blogs is challenging to me.  However, today I felt the need to share some of my holiday woes.  You may or may not remember that 1 1/2 years ago my mom and grandmother died on the same day.  It was the most horrific ordeal I've lived through.  But, I have lived through it.  However, now that the holidays are here, well, it's just not easy.  Just a moment ago I browsed through a grieving website and read a few entries from people who are experiencing the same feelings.  In a way it's comforting, but at the same time it's not.  Does that make sense?  This will be the second Christmas without Mom.  It doesn't seem possible.  I wonder if it ever gets easier.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/626647/ Mon, 1 Dec 2008 17:52:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/626647/ I hope you'll forgive me for referring you to my other blog again.  You see, I can't see to navigate on homeschool blogger as quicly and easily as I do my blogspot blog.  For some reason, this system is a great deal slower and not as straight forward (at least in my mind).  So, I blog in more detail and more frequently at www.christyellis.blogspot.com  My recent post there is concerning the Bible study I am doing with my kids on the book of Revelation using the Precept study method.  I hope you take the time to read about it.  I also want to let you know that even though I don't blog very often here, I don't want to give up this site because of the friends I have made along the way.  So, if you'll put with me, I'll keep this one just so I can check in on you, and hopefully you'll check in on me at blogspot.  Thanks! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/610611/ Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:34:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/610611/ I saw this contest on abundant blessings site and had to enter.  I almost bought the curriculum yesterday when we were at the museum. I held back because it was a bit pricey for me right now.  Cross your fingers that I win!  (I hope I entered the link correctly, it's supposed to give me a second entry into the contest)  *sigh* the initial plug-in didn't work, so I just copied the stuff below.  I wish I knew how to do these things!  Maybe I should ask my DD, she seems to know more than I do. LOL!   <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/sc/anderklan/seasidetales/index.blog/1343095/october-giveaway-pilgrims-progress-allinone-curriculum/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/anderklan/pilgrimsprogressgiveaway.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/607054/ Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:56:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/607054/ Well, we had a wonderful, super duper time at the Creation Museum!  Once again, I'll refer you to my other blog for the details.  www.christyellis.blogspot.com  I also wanted to let you know about a great website I heard about.  It's like having an online library.  www.paperbackswap.com  It's free to join.  What you do is post 10 books you are willing to give away.  When you do that, you earn 2 credits to use towards books already posted.  The only cost for you is the postage, which is usually around $2-$3 depending on the weight of the book.  The books you choose are yours to keep or give away if you choose. You receive 1 credit for each book you mail off.  If you buy the prepaid postage option, you get the credits instantly.  Otherwise you have to wait for the recipient to note that they received your book.  I went ahead and bought the postage because I'm impatient.  The first four books I mailed took longer than I wanted to wait!  I've really enjoyed this website, I think it's a great idea.  Well, that's all for today.  Thanks for checking in.       http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/607053/ Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:40:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/607053/ We are so excited about our trip to the Creation Museum this weekend!  Even though I'm a little tiny bit anxious about the bus ride, I can't wait to get going.  I sincerely hope that we are able to see as much as we want to while we're there.  The actual tour of the museum is only for the one day, Saturday, but I'll take what I can get.  I have wanted to go there since before it ever opened.  Let's hope that my expectations aren't too high and that I won't be disappointed.  I remember ages ago going to Universal Theme Park in Florida and being completely let down.  Of course I went when it has first opened and some of the bugs had yet to be worked out of the rides.  Hopefully we won't encounter technical difficulties and such at the Creation Museum.  It should be interesting taking this trip with a bus load of strangers.  That in of itself is an adventure for me.  I don't usually do things like this.  Well, that's all my babbling for now.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/604702/ Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:13:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/604702/ I typed up a rather lengthy post on my other blog.  I hope you'll take the time to read it.  Having two blogs is becoming quite a challenge!  Anyway, here's the link  www.christyellis.blogspot.com   BTW, I'm excited to report that the weekend of October 17-18 we are going to the Creation Museum!  A group of people from a nearby city have charted a bus and made hotel accomadations at a discounted price.  The museum tickets are also discounted due to the large group, so we are able to go.  We are very excited about this trip.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/600167/ Sat, 4 Oct 2008 20:38:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/600167/ We had a really good time the other day on our field trip.  The greenway trail was extremely nice.  The length of it was four miles long, but we didn't walk the entire length.  I'm too out of shape to even try four miles one way!  We came to a couple of bridges on our walk.  The kids played in the creek and found crawdads and minnows.  I even kicked off my shoes and walked in the cold water for a while.  It was a gorgeous day.  My DS was saying on the way home how he was praising God after our day!  Isn't it awesome when the kids praise our God?  I know it must be such sweet music to His ears when his babies acknowledge Him and express their praises.  I tried very hard to post pics with this post.  I just can't seem to figure out his HS Blogger works regarding pics and videos. If you want to see pics from our field trip, check out my other blog at www.christyellis.blogspot.com  Thanks!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/596304/ Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:25:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/596304/ No, that's not the lyrics to the song, but close enough.  I think I've already decided in my head to go on fall break!  I'm just not motivated to open the books today.  It's absolutely beautiful outside and I want to go play.  I have yet to decide what Bible curriculum to start, although I'm leaning toward using the Precept study for kids on the book of Revelation.  We had started it at the end of last year and never finished it.  I think we'll probably go ahead and finish that one before I purchase something new.  But since we're going on break next week, I don't want to re-start it just to put it down and have to refresh again once we start back.  I think I've talked myself into a field trip today.  There's a walking trail that I've been wanting to try out once the weather cooled down, and today seems like the perfect day.  I think I'll pack a picnic and take the kids for a good nature walk today.  Tomorrow they will be in their Friday classes and I'll have to go grocery shopping for our camping trip next week.  That reminds me, do any of you have any cool meal ideas for camping?  Now keep in my mind I'm not one to cook over the camp fire, so it needs to be something we can grill or cook in the camper (I know, I really rough it, don't I?).  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/595277/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:13:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/needchocolate/595277/