Jul. 22, 2008 - Our Great College Adventure

Registering DD for College

DD has been registered for college for about 2 weeks today. It was quite an adventure. We got her applied, counseled, tested, advised, registered, and all paid up in 3 days. We made 4 trips to our local community college ( 30 minute drive) in 3 days, once in a downpour. We even have purchased most of her books. Talk about a hit in the pocketbook.   Her books were a little over $400. We still have 2 books to purchase.  OUCH!

DD was really, really scared about the whole process. She kept saying it is happening to fast. I was glad it was happening so fast. She didn't have much time to dwell on everything. She was rebellious enough with having too much time to think about it. Everything worked out well. I just left everything in the Lord's capable hands and trusted him to work everything out the way it was suppose to be.

She aced most of the testing. She made a 98 on the reading and writing test. She quailfied to start in the pre-cal class and another calculus type class. Her advisor told her she was 1 of about 10 students in the her 10 years there, to test into that high of math classes. That made DD feel very good. I was impressed and as the teacher, I patted myself on the back. She failed the computer part. It wasn't a big deal. She could take it again and did so the next day and passed. I called and asked my BIL who has an assoicate degree in computers for helped. I told hm what DD had missed and he said that was off the wall stuff that nobody used.

DD will be taking Western Civilization I, an expository writing class, college algebra, Local & State Government, and a fluff money-making course called "College Success." Most of the classes are internet courses. She will have to go to the college on Tuesday and Thursday, for the fluff course for an hour. Her writing class is a hybrid which means she has to go to the college on Tuesday for an hour & a half and the rest of the work will be done on the internet. All that means is on Tuesday, she will be at the college for 3 and half hours and on Thursday for a hour. It was a good compromise between what her daddy wanted and what she wanted.

After we bought her books, we sat down and looked at them. Her Western Civilization book is a hoot. The first 2 chapters were full of evolution. The rest of the book was filled with radical feminism, planned parenthood proganda, socialism, humanism and all manner of liberalism. We sat DD down and told her, she knew the truth and if she ever had any questions or doubts about something a professor said, to ask us and we would help her find the truth. We told her not to argue with them because it was pretty much pointless, because most college professors didn't want to hear the truth. We told her to read the material. Answer the questions according to the book and according to what they wanted to hear. DH said we may have to deprogram her every day. So, please pray for her and us, as she enters this hostile atomsphere. Pray that she stands firm in her faith. Pray that we will have the answers to combat the junk she will be hearing. If anyone else's children are entering college, please know our prayers are with you and your child.  

Jun. 23, 2008 - Graduation Speeches

The Welcome Speech

Welcome to Richey Hill Academy's Graduation Ceremony. I have had numerous people ask me how do determine when a homeschooler is ready to graduate and how do they graduate.

At the beginning of DD's high school years, DH and I sat down and wrote out a course of study for her to follow. She has passed and completed all of the requirements we set for her. There are many ways a homeschooler can graduate. Some may attend our state's homeschool conference and take place in the graduation ceremony held there. Others chose to celecbrate with family by eating at a nice restuarant. Most celebrate with a small ceremony and dinner with loved ones. Which is very appropiate since most homeschoolers place a great deal of emphasis on family.

God, family, and learning are how homeschoolers place their priorities. We strive to place god as the center of everything we do. Building and strenghtening the family unit is what we hope to achieve, We place more emphasis on learning instead of being taught. DD has been learning when she hasn't even realized it. She has been learning household management as she did her chores. She has been learning budgeting and consumer economics as she saved her money to buy something. She has been learning every time she picks up a book to read. She has been learning hospitality as she has friends over to the house.

Homeschooling has been a wonderful experience for us. The one thing we would change if we could, would be to start homeschooling from kindergarten. There are several verse of scriptures we homeschoolers use as guidelines. We would like to share them with you now.

The Principal's Speech

High School Graduation remains one of the most significant rites of passage in our culture. It is a meaningful point where we can pause on the treshold of change and look in 2 directions-past and future. For a Christian, looking back reminds us of God's faithfulness and gives us the foundation we need to look ahead to the uncertainities of the future with an attitude of humility and faith. As a homeschooling mother, I look back and am awed by the ways that the Lord directed the education of DD, and the people and events He used to do it. I'm humbled by the fact that His leading and His blessings have come in spite of my shortcomings! What an exercisein tahnkfulness it is for us to look over our shoulders and see God's hand of mercy in our lives and DD's. As we stand on the threshold of a new beginning we face the unknown. The only genuine hope we have for the future and for DD's future is found in the Lord. As we pause to recognize this, it is a cause for worship. Looking back with thankful hearts allows us to look forward with faith.

By marking the high school commencement of our homeschooler, we aren't only affirming DD's accomplishments but giving her a sense of closure. Just as homeschooling is more than academics, a homeschool graduation signifies more than just the completion of a cousre of study. It is a time to affirm our children's passage into adult life. These verses from Colossians 2: 6-7 is a wonderful one for DD as she reached adulthood. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in faith, as ye have been taught, abounding ther in with thanksgiving." Like the commencement itself, these verse links the past with the future, "abounding therein with thanksgiving," comes from having a clear view of God's dealing with us in the past, and the admontion for the future is also clear-"so walk ye in Him." The middle section  of this verse ties the 2 together "stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught. As DD reaches the end of her home education and prepares tomove on to the next stage of her life, can we ask anything more important than that she remains "rooted and built up in Him," and continues to grow in the Lord.

DD, I leave you with 2 thoughts: (This is the point where I start bawling. )

Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Dream for tomorrow.

The past is your hertiage. The present is your  responsibility. The future is your challenge.

I didn't come up with the speech. I took it from an article published by one of the owners of Home School Diploma. This is where I ordered DD's diploma, name cards, tassle, and stole. I also got the idea for our invitations and announcements from there. There is also other great ideas to be found at this website, www.homeschooldiploma.com.

The Superintendent's Speech

With these hands, I gently cradled this child;

Held her close to my heart,

Nursed her wounds and clamed her fears,

Held the books that I would read

And rock this child fast asleep.

With these hands, I made her lunches

And drove the ca that carried her to school;

Snapped endless pictures, wrapped countless gifts,

Combed her hair and wiped her tear,

Let her know that I was near

To nurse her wounds and heal her heart

When it would break.

With these hands, I made mistakes,

And witht these hands, I prayed and prayed and prayed.

These hands are feeble, these hands are worn,

These hands can no longer calm the storms;

These hands have done all they can do;

These hands now release this child, my child,

To You.

For Your hands are able,

Your hands are strong,

Your hands alone can calm the storms.

Your hands will continue to do

What they are so gifted to do,

To shape her life and make her new.

Into Your hands receive this child,

For my child I now give back to You.

In the strong name of Jesus,

And with all my heart I pray,

Amen."

DH heard this read on a Famliy Life Today program. He got on-line and found it. He had tears running down his cheeks as he read it. It was the perfect way for him to release her into His hands and a good practice for the day he will have to release her into the hands of her husband.

Jun. 23, 2008 - Richey Hill Academy's Graduation

Our DD's Graduation Ceremony

DH and I sat down while on our mountain camping trip and laid out our plans for the graduation ceremony. We knew we wanted it to be Christ-centered. He had a special poem he wanted to read. I had several scriptures I wanted to read. We asked DD if she wanted to say anything. She didn't and that was fine with us. We decided on an order of events. Here is what we came up with.

Graduation Program

* Graduate Processional

* Opening Prayer

* Welcome Speech

* Scriptures

Proverbs 9: 10

Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

Proverbs 22: 6

Deuteronomy 6: 5-9

Ephesians 6: 1-3

* Commencement Speeches

Speech by Principal

Speech by Superintendent

* Presentation of Diploma

* Closing Prayer

Jun. 14, 2008 - Announcing The Graduation of Our DD

Richey Hill Academy Presents the Class of 2008

Well, it's offically, DD graduated last night at a private ceremony held at our home. Her grandparents, great-grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins were present, as well as our pastor and his wife. DD was a bundle of nerves, but handled everything with diginity and grace. I made it most of the way through the ceremony without any tears till the end of my speech, then I lost it.   DH had to speak after me. He got through his speech with no crying just a few tears sliding down his cheeks. We made God and family the focus the center of the ceremony, as they are main focus in our lives. I hope some of the family members present took a little something of our faith with them, home. I will post our speeches later on next week.

After the ceremony, we served our guest dinner. Here is the menu:

APPETIZERS

Garden Salad

Veggies w/ Ranch Dip

MAIN COURSE

Italian Meat Lasagna

Italian Baked Spaghetti

Italian Bread w/ Flavored Butter

DESSERTS

Fresh Fruit

A Celebration Cake

DRINKS

Water

Sweet Tea

Lemonade

We ate outside in our backyard. It was rather watm, but not as hot as it has been. We were in the shade for the most part and a slight breeze blowing. Everyone had a wonderful time of food and fellowship. We sat the great-grandmothers in our nice, soft deck chairs. I think they enjoyed talking with each other about their grandkids, great-grandkids, aliments, surgeries, etc. Even our 10 month old nephew enjoyed being passed around. He got to see the chickens, the cows, and the dogs. He really enjoyed watching the helium ballons we tied to the fence posts. Our guests didn't start leaving until 9:00. My mother, my SIL, and my 2 older nephews stayed to help clean up. I will post more about how we decorated later. Hopefully, I will have some pictures to post, too.

I was so tired last night, I couldn't sleep. Everyone kept asking me if I made all the food and decorated by myself. I did make most of the food, but did have help. DD browned the hamburger meat, made the dip, and chopped veggies. My MIL fixed the vegetable tray. My mother fixed a fresh fruit bowl. She did a good. She made a bowl oout of watermelon. The tea came from Bojangles, a local fast food restuarant. My DH, DD, mother, and older nephews helped me decorate. My mother helped me set out the food and keep bowls replinshed. So I did have alot of help. However, I did work non-stop this week and didn't sleep very well, because list of things to do kept running through my head. It was worth all the hard work and sleeplessness. DD will remember her graduation with fond memories.

I finally got to sleep around 4:00, this morning. DH didn't wake up, when he got up. He let me sleep. I finally got up around 9:00. I ate breakfast. The first meal I had ate since Thursday night. I had a doughnutfor breakfast yesterday morning, forgot to eat lunch, and didn't eat much of the supper, I spent most of the day preparing. I piddled at a few things, then washed my hair that was caked with hairspray from last night's hairdo. DH was up running around taking tables back we borrowed, taking decorations, and hauling off the trash. DD was up doing her cleaning, putting away what dishes she could from last night, and display items she could. I felt guilty but was just to tired to do anything. I did fix us all lunch, then we all took a nap.

Dh went to take care of some shopping, afterwards. I started washing clothes and blogging. DD washed up lunch dishes. DH called. He is on his way home. DD is on her computer and I am off to fix supper. It is BLTs and fruit tonight. Something easy. Before, I forget, Happy Father's day to all you dads out there.

Jun. 9, 2008 - Graduation Countdown, Part 2

4 Days Until Graduation

Temps here are still hovering around the high 90s. We went swimming yesterday. We took Oakley with us. She jumped in the pool as soon as I got in. She wanted to stay in the pool for the first 30 minutes we were there, with me holding her. After awhile she was content to lay down on her towel in the shade and occasionally walk ariund the pool. We didn't stay for more than an hour. When it is this hot, the pool can get to be uncomfortable.

Well, we are in full preparation mode around here. I finished a few things up outside this morning, in the heat. After getting cleaned up, DD and I ran to the video store to rent a few movies. What else can you do in this heat but stay in the air and watch tv. We went to the grocery store and ordered her graduation cake. We checked on how much it will cost to fill up 15 ballons with helium, picked up a few items, and headed home. 

Back home, I fixed lunch, started a load of clothes, and reddied up the house. When it is this hot, I wake up and go right outside after breakfast. I leave the beds unmade and the house not picked up. I feel like I need to take advantage of the cooler temps when I can. All the other inside chores can wait until I come in and it is too hot to work outside. I set butter out to soften up so I could make garlic/parsley flavored butter. I thawed out boneless, skinless chicken breast and got them marinating in Italian dressing for supper. I washed a few dishes. We weren't going to wash dishes, yet. When it is hot and dry, we try to wash dishes once a day to conserve water. DD and I don't mess up many during the day, but with me making flavored butter and thawing out chicken, I decided to go ahead and start washing them. I worked on a few odd jobs like clipping coupons and putting away misplaced items.  

I have started working on displays for Friday night. DH and I decided it would be nice to set up displays of DD's schoolwork. We will have one table for her work from elementary public school and a table with home school work on it. We are also setting up a table with all of her KAH work on it, too. We need rain it has been little over a week and a half since it rained. They are calling for rain on Wednesday and Thursday, maybe on Friday, too. So while I am praying for rain, I don't want it to rain Friday afternoon and am praying for such. I am trying not to worry about it.  If it does, we will be thankful and move everything inside.

Aren't Dear Husbands Wonderful

Do you know what my DH is doing right now? He is outside in the heat mowing grass that doesn't really need mowed. I want a nice neat looking yard for Friday night. So, he is out there mowing the tops of weeds and the few sprouts of grass that have managed to grow despite the lack of rain and the heat. If that wasn't enough, as soon as he got home, he went to his parents house to load up tables we will need for Friday night. Isn't that a wonderful man?  

Jun. 6, 2008 - Graduation Countdown

A Week Until Graduation

DD's graduation ceremony is in one week, next Friday. Things are going to get really busy around here. I don't know how often I will be able to put up posts. I will, however, give a full up date on the ceremony and dinner next weekend. Hopefully, I will be able to put up a few pictures, too.

I almost have my schedule planned down to the last minute for next week. I have to make sure the house is clean. I need arrange all of DD's school items we are going to display to show her schoolwork throughout her school years. I have some baking, cooking, and  chopping to do. A cake to order. Decorations to put up. Tables and chairs to get. I have mapped everything out over and over again in my mind til I think I have it down to a fine art. Well, lets hope so.

A June Heatwave

It has been very hot here the past 3 days and it will continue to be hot for the next few days. The temps have been in the high 90's. Not that usual, but my oh my, how the local news has gone on and on about it. I hate watching the local news and don't. The weather people make such a big deal about the weather whatever it may be. They act like it doesn't get hot around here. We live in the South and it gets hot around here. It will cool off at sometime but, will get hot again and probably with even hotter temps. They also enjoyed predicting the doom and gloom of the lack of rain and the water supply running low. It was dry last year. We didn't have alot of rain, but wells weren't running dry like they have before. I think water supplies ran low because of the wastefulness of people washing their precious cars and watering their lawns to keep it greener than their neighbors. Water is a precious resource. It shouldn't be wasted like that. We have had  quite a bit of rain this spring. The hay fields look the best they have looked in years. The flowers this spring are absolutely beautiful, prettier than usual. When it rains, the weather people complain about the rain. When it stays sunny, they complain about the lack of rain. I just want to know whta they think the weather may do. (They aren't even very good at doing that. I think sometimes God likes to change the weather in an instant just to show them they really aren't in control like they think they are.) I don't need or want to hear their commentary.

Mar. 29, 2008 - A Milestone

Preparing for Graduation

Today dawned cloudy and rainy. I am very thankful for the rain. Besides needing rain, I think the good Lord knew I needed to stay inside to day to finish the half-completed projects I have going on throughout the house. If it was pretty and sunny, I would be outside. I have all the half-finished projects finished. I am working on items that I have had on my to do list for a very long time and have been putting off, and putting off. Number one on that list, start graduation preparations.

I think I thought if I kept putting it off it wouldn't happen. Guess what it is happening anyway.   I don't want her to graduate or grow up...      Okay, okay, under control now. DH and I have picked out the diploma and cover. DD has picked out tassle, and namecards. I am making the invitations and announcements. Note to self: YOU NEED TO GET STARTED!

We are having a small private ceremony with grandparents, great-grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins. (I will announce the date ,soon.) The rest of the extended family and friends will be receiving an announcement after the ceremony. I think, not sure yet.

I will tell you a secret if you can keep it. I am kinda of excited. Not about what most people who have kids graduating are-getting the kids out of the house. No, I am excited because DD has worked hard for this and has had to put up with a lot of fussing from Mom. (Yes, DD, I know you are there. I am very proud of you whether you believe it or not.) She deserves the recognition. Good job!

Feb. 22, 2008 - My Confession

I Have A Confession...

...to make. I lost my temper today. 

I went to our local middle school to sub today. I have been subbing for 13 years. Over the years, I have become more tolerant in what I will put up with and won't put up with. I can take more talking than I use to. I understand the need of kids to be able to get up and walk around, as long as they don't do it while I am talking. I do demand respect and will not tolerate back talking. 

Over the years, I have seen a change in the kids. My first 3 years of subbing, I didn't think I would make it. There were about 10% of the kids that were major behavioral problems. They were the finally defining factor in our decision to homeschool. Believe or not, the kids have gotten even worse. That 10% has changed to about 80%. The backtalking has gotten worse. Although once I let them know I won't put up with it, they usually don't do it to me. They have also gotten worse in their trashy behavior. 

That is what made me lose my temper. There were several girls bickering and going back and forth. Threatening to hurt each other. Girls crying because feelings were hurt. Merciless picking going on. The finally straw was when I went in the hall and saw one of the upset girls down the hall where she wasn't suppose to be. I fussed at her and she backtalked me that was it. I got everyone back in the room slammed the door and starting yelling at them at the top of lungs. telling them their behavior was unexcusable. They needed to decide if they were ladies or gutter trash. They couldn't go through life threatening to beat up everyone that called them a name. Enough was enough. They had never seen me that mad. Many apologized to me, afterwards.

I felt so bad that I had lost it, but not for giving it to them. There are so many hurting kids out there. They need someone to care for them , to listen to them, and show them a better way. But that someone wasn't me today.

I really don't enjoy subbing anymore because of all the behavior problems and the school system's inability to establish rules and stick to them. However, I still feel like that is where God wants me to be (part time after my obligation to my DH and DD.) I feel like I need to be there for the kids and set an example. Well, I failed today, but I can try again next time. Please pray for me. Good night!

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A Cautionary Tale

Please, Please, if anyone that has read the post above is thinking about putting their kids back in school, please don't. The public school system isn't the place for our or anyone's kids. There was a new student in the class I yelled at. He was just put back in public school from being homeschooled. He shouldn't have had to listen to the girls to begin with and he certainly shouldn't have had to hear me yell.

There are so many good teachers at this middle school, who are excellent in their job. However their hand are tied by the system and the junk the kids bring from their home lifes to school every day. Many have told me if they could home school, they would.

Just a little something to think about. 

Nov. 13, 2007 - Our Homeschool Day

Some may wonder why I can do so many things during the day if I am homeschooling. DD is 18 years old and pretty much teaches herself. I tell her what she needs to accomplish and set a date for completion and she does the rest. She does 15 Saxon math problems each day. She does her science every day. She usually has literature or writing every day. Most of the time she does both each day. History is something we really don't have to worry about. She is reading some sort of history book every day or has her nose stuck in an encyclopedia. She reads her Bible every day. Home Economics is an ongoing life lesson. The only subject we do together is Spanish and we don't get to it every day. So you see my role as a teacher is kept to a minimum.

What a lot of people don't realize is the homeschooling is more of a way of life than an educational philosophy. DD is learning every day. Alot of the times she doesn't even realize she is learning. It took me a while to realize that, too. DH and I set the standard for learning in our house. If DD sees us continually learning and having a desire to learn more, she will continue to learn.  

Jun. 29, 2007 - School's in Session at Richey Hill Academy

Richey Hill Academy is the name of our homeschool. Richey is my maiden name. Hill refers to the hill my parents live on. Richey Hill is what we call the area covered by my paternal ggf's dairy farm. My brother & his family, my uncle and one of his daughters, my aunt, and my grandmother all live on part of the old dairy farm.

DD attended public school kindergarten through 6th grade. Her 5th & 6th grade years were the hardest. She would have 2 to 3 hours of homework every night. I started thinking about homeschooling her before she entered kindergarten. I had started subbing at the local middle school and knew that it was no place we wanted to send our daughter. Over the years, especially the last 2, I started doing alot of research and discussing it with my DH. At first my husband was hesitant, but after 2 years of coming home from work to me and our daughter yelling and screaming at each other over homework; he was ready for a change.

We began homeschooling the fall of 2001. We have had our rough patches, but over all it has been the best thing we could have ever done. DD and I get along so much better now. There still is the usual mother/daughter tension but I believe it would be intensified if she was in public school.

We use an eclectic mix of materials. Our Bible cirriculum has been made up of a variety of things. DH and DD did an intensive Bible study on Daniel and Revelation using David Jeremiah's books. DD also has to read selected books of the Bible with our Keepers At Home club. We use the Keepers At Home handbook and the Future Christian Homemakers handbook for Home Economics. For math, we use Saxon. It is closest to the way my DH and I were taught math in high school. We started out using Alpha-Omega for Language Arts. We have since gone to various other materials. Alot of the time, DD does work that I have created. For science, we use Apologia. DD really enjoys the creation-based cirriculum. History is something I do not have to worry about. DD is a history nut. However, she does work I create. We have not started a foreign language cirriculum, yet. We have not focused on music or art, either. We felt the focus should be on the core subjects and preparing our DD on becoming a godly woman.

According to when our DD started public school, she should have graduated this spring. Due to several reasons and the fact she was born early and started school early, she will not graduate until next spring. We don't know what her future plans will be. She may do college courses over the internet or attend a local community college. One thing is for certain, we do know we will not be sending her off to a 4 year college. There is no sense in sending a lamb into the lions' den.

To find out more info. on a Keepers At Home club go to www.KeepersoftheFatih.com

An excellent source for finding homeschool supplies can be found at www.dhss.com  They also have a store in the Hickory, NC, area. Go and check it out sometime.