Thinking Online - Homeschool Blogger

Nearing the end of October

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:13:00 -0500

Just a few personal thoughts I wanted to chat about this evening.

I realized this week that Matthew and I moved down to Caroline County 5 years ago this month. That’s 5 years of CHSCC, 5 years of Grace Community Church of Caroline.

At work, Matthew and I are really busy. Life is never the same. God’s been very gracious!

Church has moved several times and is growing. IT looks like Matthew and I will be heading up a youth group for 12-18 year olds. We don’t want to just have programs, but we still want to figure out how to minister best to our church members!

The homeschool group stuff has fallen on the Totem Pole. I love the relationships but have not been able to planning or even attend many activities. But I hope that everyone is getting the support that they need.

There’s been a lot of illness going around. And controversy about the flu. Sometimes I wonder that we’re being so careful all week long, and then pray that we don’t pick anything up at church! LOL! We’ve been popping the probiotic, airborne, and OJ like crazy! I hope everyone is well and healthy at your home!

If anyone has high speed internet and has time to check out my new blog page with most of my “Jenni links,” I could use the feedback. I’m not sure what I’m missing:

www.JenniferRathbun.com

Matthew and I are going to DC for real estate training this week. Thank you Mom and Dad for watching the kids while we ~~go play~~ work hard to help our community!

Rainy Day Catch-up

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:42:00 -0500

We were planning on going to the Bowling Green Harvest Festival today. But it's raining and I have no interest in waling around in the cold rain to look at crafts and civic organizations. I know I would not expect anyone to come to my booth if I were there!

So we're into the school year - moving forward steadily. We were up to date until yesterday. I brought the kids homework to my parents' home, but as usual, it did not get done! So we'll add a few pages each day till we catch up. No big deal.

It's been interesting starting Volume 1 all over again. I don't have as much time to act out stories and make projects relating to lessons. Luckily the kids like to make up their own play based on what we've been studying.We've covered geology and architecture. Now we're on communication. We watched My Fair Lady as an intro to how important it is to communicate!

I've spent the last 2 days working on a "all about me" webpage. Not sure if it will be working correctly when I'm finished with this post, but the domain name is JenniferRathbun.com .

My family is in a Star Trek mood. We've watched #s 2, 3, and 4 in the last 2 days. We'll be heading home soon. I guess I better pack up! (Figures! When I finally have time to sit down and update everyone on the homeschool/church/family side of life.) I still have to pick up a key to re-list a client's home this weekend!

So what else...
MAckenzie is wearing my clothes. Grrr! I only have one good pair of cords that I can wear to work - and she's wearing them! Luckily her feet are now larger than mine so she can't steal my shoes anymore!

Kayla loves playing in this cold rain! I keep finding her outside roller skating in the rain.

Kenley is still sucking her finger which has been quite frustrating.

Yes, these are all comical bit of our lives. Hopefully you're keeping up with our day to day on social media! I must day that most of our effort goes into CarolineVABlog .

Our dog is having a real hard time climbing up and down steps. We're trying to limit him as much as possible - baby gates, doors closed, etc... But it would not surprise me if he hangs on for a couple more years!

Ok movie's over! Time to head home! Maybe next time I can get more rambling in!

The Day Before a New School Year

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 15:00:00 -0500

It's Labor Day. Summer is over.

I started a post last week, but my computer restarted.

It was all about planning for our new school year. OF course I don't remember it all.

I mentioned how Kinsey would be starting Junior High so I'm switching her Language Arts and Math to Switched on Schoolhouse.

But the rest will be based off The Weaver Curriculum as usual (Bible, History, Science, Vocab, Health, etc...) We will be starting the volumes all over with Volume 1 tomorrow. I can't believe we're already used it for 6 years!

And I can't put off school any longer. Summer, which feels like it barely has begun, now has to end. And it looks like next summer will be even shorter!

IT has been a very busy summer with work. But we squeezed in a couple days at the beach and pool and a week at Nags Head!

This school year stats off very busy with a couple work events, classes, and trips. Plus 2 weddings - one which is my brother's! Then my 16th anniversary is at the end of the month also. We're also planning on going to the Virginia State Fair one day. I wanted to go to Williamsburg Homeschool Days also, but we just can't squeeze it in...

As always, most of my blog writing is over at CarolineVABlog.com . It has community info, housing tips, financing ideas, etc.

Here is a link to our current school schedule. Yes, I know it has too much on it. It always starts that way. I start like that and then take off what does not fit as we start the year.

I guess I need to start wrapping up. We have to head home soon, get organized for tomorrow and start a very busy schedule! And my daughter just came in and declared that Christmas is 3 months away! LOL!

Even today, on Labor Day, we're having a hard time just enjoying NOW. Hmmmm....

Recipe for the Outside of Your Home

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:53:00 -0500

Good morning Ladies and Gents! We’re back from our vacation from Nags Head, NC. It was very nice! I had not been there in almost 10 years! And I’m thankful that the trip did not seem as long this time – especially since I thought we were going to Sandbridge outside of Virginia Beach.

Anyway, being a real estate agent and visiting such a unique area with such a variety of beach houses made me feel excited! I rode down the beach playing the “no, yes” game from my youth – for “which home would you buy if you could?” And then we visited the Life is Good shop and not I want to redecorate my house with the words of Life is Good – relax, live, have fun, love! Maybe someone here will open a franchise for me! I’m sure it would do well in Ladysmith Village!

One final thought about my vacation (for now) was the difference in landscaping. Some had only the beach grass. But some yards looked like golf courses which seemed a bit out of place to me. But maybe it was because we played Frisbee on the beach instead of on the lawn. But the yards reminded me of an email I received….

I receive the cute newsletter every week from Econobusters.com . I love the layout and the great tips, and this week I asked if I could share their recipe for natural lawn fertilizer! They said yes! So here you go!

Home Made Lawn Fertilizer

Ingredients:
One can of soda (any kind except diet soda will work)
One can of beer (any kind except light beer)
1/2 cup of household ammonia
1/2 cup of liquid dishwashing soap
(do not use antibacterial soap because it will kill important microbes)
1/2 cup of mouthwash

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients and pour into a 10-gallon hose-end sprayer, and apply it to the lawn while you water.
The soda and beer act as food for the lawn. The ammonia promotes growth and helps make the grass green. The liquid dishwashing soap is a wetting agent and helps the water reach the roots, and the mouthwash actually kills bugs and grubs in the lawn.

Be very careful to use the exact amount listed for each ingredient. The ammonia could kill the grass if too much is used. This fertilizer should only be used once every three to four weeks in high heat, and even less frequently when the temperatures are not hot. It is also important to only use dishwashing soap, dishwashing detergent could be harmful. If you have pets at home, they should also be kept off the lawn for 24 to 36 hours after treatment.

There you have it. I thought a recipe for the actual yard would be a neat twist this time around!

And don't forget about my recipe E-Book,Molly Makes $5 Dinners and $3 Desserts!

Thanks Econobusters.com !

Photos

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:20:00 -0500

Here's a link to the prayer walk photos Matthew took this week...

http://picasaweb.google.com/CarolineAgent/PrayerWalk#

Taking girls bowling. The 7 y.o. for the first time!

http://picasaweb.google.com/CarolineAgent/Bowling#

Busy

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:20:00 -0500

So busy working, I have not had time to plan for the next school year. The summer is half over and I don't feel like it's even begun.

I've only taken the kids to the pool once - and it's in my community and paid for with our dues! We have been to the Lake Beach a couple of times, but still not that much.

There's just not enough time for everything! I'm sure God has a better plan for balancing my time. And I'm going to keep looking till I find it!

We are talking time to go on a true vacation this summer. That will be nice, but I can't organize our school books when I'm gone. I CAN take my planners though. So at least I'll giet soem of it done.

I was talking to a girlfriend last night about taking 3 hours each Thursday (my slowest day) to work on organizing and planning for school. I like that idea. I just need someone to steal my phone and internet access for those 3 hours! LOL!

I had hoped to cover Genesis 1 this summer (my Weaver friends will know what I'm talking about). before starting al over with Volume 1 in the fall. Still determined to try. You need the foundation of the creation to cover the rest of Scripture and other school subjects.

Time to get back to work!

Annual Convention

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:22:00 -0500

We're on our way to the annual HEAV homeschool convention! Woo hoo! We're actually 1 exit away. Guess I better get packed up. I love going every hear. Thousands of Christian Homeschoolers from all over the state to reenergize, share, and shop!

I hope you're able to make it if you're in Virginia!

My Baby is Seven

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 16:24:00 -0500

She still looks like she's 4 years old to me. But she's now seven. Sigh! I can't get the photo to load! Sniff! Here's a link...

We had a party at our community beach. It was a small group, but we had a lot of fun! Thank you for everyone that made it and we missed you if you were unable to come.

I remember being seven. I thought I was all grown up! It was also they year my baby brother was born and my cousin came to live with us for a year. IT was a bit difficult going from a single child to one of three. We survived somehow. Or should I say, my parents survived!?!

Anyway, time moves on. I don't remember the last time I looked at a Baby Talk Magazine or One Step Ahead Catalog.

Now I’m worried about math and language arts curriculum for my 7^th grader! You have to figure out where you want your child to end and work backwards. If I want her to take Pre-Cal in 12^th, then it’s Algebra 2 in 11^th, Geometry in 10^th, etc….

With working full time, I also wanted to pick a curriculum that had a bit more accountability for Language Arts. I don’t want to skip the research reports or essays that are so important for their futures. So I’m going to try SOS for my 7^th grader.

The HEAV homeschool convention in this coming weekend. Thursday – Saturday! I love this time of year, just to focus on my marriage, family, and homeschool. I do hope my clients won’t mind that I’ll be unavailable for most of that time. I’m a bit concerned because this weekend was very quiet in relation to work. Two dead weekends could be dangerous! But my hope is that God is being gracious so I could refresh and focus on my 7 year old’s birthday and then the convention next weekend.

I continue to do most of my blog writing at CarolineVABlog.com . We just purchased SpotsyVABlog.com. As I expand my advertisement to Spotsylvania County, we thought we had better go ahead and buy the blog name before someone else did - even if we’re just forwarding it for now. Hope you can visit us over there if you’re from the area…

Three more days of official school! I'm excited and obviously, so are the kids. I can't wait to take our "school hours" and take them to the beach or the pool instead of saying "is your schoolwork done yet?" Yes, we'll still have some work to do this summer, but I'm not going to be intense about it like I am during the year.

I would like to catch up on our literature reading and some historical movies. Then we'll get in some hours of play. And then I hope to use the rest of the time for a productive working summer. Hopefully the homeschool convention will have a few classes on balancing work and homeschool.

When did I become a "Woman?"

Fri, 1 May 2009 11:14:00 -0500

I did not know what to title this post.

I'm 33. And I noticed during the past year, I've been slowing adding products to my daily routine.

My current routine for getting ready for work includes:

use a whitening mouthwash (pluck eyebrows while swishing)
Brush and floss teeth
use eye cream to help with bags, dark circles, and crows feet
a cream that is suppose to help with sun damage on my cheeks
acne meds on my chin and around my nose
mederma to try to reduce scars
progesterone cream to sleep better at night

Is that enough? Nope! If I leave the house I still need the make up..

Bare Minerals Foundation
Powder and mineral veil that you really can't tell is on, but it's suppose to help with the shine.
And lip gloss

Then the hair

volumizer so my hair will be thicker when I curl it
blow dry
then curl

Don't forget the deoderant!

And the worst part.... I don't think any of it helps!

Well, maybe it will help slow down the process. We'll see...

Spring Break

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:01:00 -0500

We're on Spring Break right now. My grandparents are visiting from Oklahoma. So the kids had school the 2 days after Easter and then I took them to Colonial Beach on Wednesday.

While they were there, I got to go with Matthew to Hampton Roads for the night. That was fun! It was mostly driving. But we got to stop in in Williamsburg and see some friends.

This weekend we have all been in this little town trying to visit with different family members. We had a barbecue and a birthday party. My Mom is turning 55! I’ve been wanting to share the surprise my Dad had planned. Finally the plan has been revealed so I can share it.

My Dad is taking my mom and my oldest daughter to New York City. They are going by train. And they will be visiting the Empire State Building, the American Girl Store, take a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, and then they are going to watch Wicked at the theatre on Broadway. When I heard that I was confused, but I guess it’s like a prequel to the Wizard of Oz movie.

All of this will push our school year into the summer. I planned out the school year all in advance so I’ll need to redo the last month and a half of school. But I think this time off is good. Besides visiting family, I’ve noticed several things we need to work on – especially attitudes with each other.

I’m not sure when we’ll be starting school again. Grandma’s not feeling well and now with my oldest going to New York on Saturday for 4 days. I guess I should just relax and enjoy the time off of school and spend extra time working on Real Estate until everyone is back from all trips. But with the rain and cold weather, there’s not much for them to do.

When we start back up, we’ll finish reviewing WWI and WWII, finish the life of Jesus from crucifixion to ascension, and then the workbooks for L.Arts and Math.

We’re missing several mid week Bible Studies this month. I miss that.

I’m reading a great little book called A Bride Most Begrudging.

Anyway, school, work, spring break, family, birthdays… I guess that’s everything. The next few months will bring used book sales. Hopefully I’ll have enough saved so I can get the best deals on the books I’ll need.

See you soon!