Hello everyone!!

Had a fantastic time yesterday at the quilt shop hop.  Hit nine stores.  I was exhausted when I got home, but it was a nice exhaustion.  I spent a little bundle, but I haven't shopped in a few years, so I used that as my excuse.  I have enough projects now to keep me busy for a while.  I wrote down twelve that I would like to work on.  Perhaps, sleeping is overrated?  hehe

As far as next year, this is the outline for our curriculum.  I hope to find a chemisty unit for Trey to work on for about two months.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Trey-sixth grade

Reading-continue reading classics with discussion questions.  continue with his dyslexia workbook.  Also the library skill workbooks

Spelling-I found a great workbook program and can't remember the name of it now

Math-Teaching Textbooks

Grammer and Writing-BJUP and some workbooks on writing

Geography-daily geography and finish up our study of the US.  Maybe start world Geography.  Both of these are from Trail Guide of US or World Geography.  I love their programs

Hallie-second grade

Reading-REaders from Abeka with Explode the code workbooks.  Library skills workbooks

Spelling-that program I can't remember right now

Math-probably BJUP

Grammer and Writing-BJUP and some writing workbooks.

Geography-daily Geography

Courtnee-first grade

Math-BJUP

Spelling-Still can't remember that program

Grammer-First Language Lessons and writing workbooks

Reading-Sing spell read and write

Geography-the daily geography program

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For history we'll be doing units on the vikings, middle ages, renaissance, explorers, and American Indians

Science we'll do some units together and some seperate.  Together, we'll do human body, plants, and earth science.  Trey will do a unit on chemisty and dinosaurs.  The girls will work on a unit on bubbleoloy and habitats. 

I think that's the general outline.  I will probably change my mind at some point.  I have a lot of stuff to do most of the science stuff already which is why I chose those topics.  I'm trying to "be smart" and use what we have already instead of buying alot.  I plan on trying to find the workbooks that I like on currclick so that I can download them.  I can probably find them a little cheaper somewhere else, but the download allows me to print as many times as I want.

How's your new year shaping up?  I'd love to hear what your doing!

Has it really been a month since I blogged!!  Shame on me. 

In my defense, we do not have a computer with internet access.   I have to wait until hubby gets home and run to the base library to check email, pay bills, etc.  I rarely get more than a half  hour. 

I could run to the real library, however, I'd have to chase around a toddler-still not getting any blogging done.

We are still in our camper.  We get housing on July 6th.  Our stuff arrives the 7-9th.  Then the unpacking nightmare begins.  Yuck.  My least favorite part.   We'll stay in the camper for probably the first two days until we get enough unpacked that we can find the sheets and stuff.

Kids are doing great.  Trey's been active in Boy Scouts the last few weeks and has his first campout this weekend.  He's very excited-mom doesn't like him leaving but I'll get over it I guess.  The oldest three are all doing Taekwondo.  We've been watching alot of Walker, Texas Ranger-which the kids love and its and awesome show.  They love their classes. 

The pregnancy is going well.  Although, we still do not have a name for our  new little girl.  I didn't want to fork out $12 for a baby name book-I'm too cheap and haven't had time to check out some names online.

Life in the camper is going well.  Its small-but very easy to clean.  Its only rained one day-who told me it rained alot in WA?  The grass is brown here because of lack of rain.  We see rabbits, deer, and have been watching a bald eagle that flies over our camper.  And since the ocean is a mere 50 yards away, we are constantly whale watching.  I think I saw a grey whale the other day, but I couldn't be certain.  Yes, life is rough for us.

I managed to hit the homeschool convention in Puyullap, WA last weekend.  I've been homeschooling for 6 years and this is the first one I've gone too.  I really enjoyed it.  Daddy stayed home with the kids since our friend was visiting from Japan.  It was a nice day.

Tomorrow, I"m going on a quilt shop hop with two other campers and am very excited.  It will be nice to get out for a little bit!!

Take care!!  I can't wait to hear your curriculum plans for next year!!

Hello everyone!!

The kids and I made it okay to MT and picked up Kevin.   After two days of driving, he said that he didn't know how I had driven from VA to MT with the kids all by myself, because he was pooped after two days.  (put on my superhero mom cape here)

We enjoyed the drive, somewhat.  No dvd player, ours broke.  We listened to some books on tape, which was nice, but a dvd would have been nice every now and then to break up the trip for the kids.  They did well, but we were all a little squirrely by the time we got here.

Our campsite is nice, about 100 feet from the ocean.  Its cool and windy here-probably in the 50s during the day.  Its been nice for the kids to run around and play.

We picked up some ticks in IA, and unfortunately, have been dealing with that.  Only been finding one a day, but still drives me crazy. 

I'm off for now.  The internet cafe closes in  a few minutes.  I'll check back in a few days and post of our adventures!!

Take care and God Bless!

Sorry for the delay in posting.  I didn't get a chance to use the computer before we left VA.  I'm really missing not having a computer!!

The kids, dog and I left VA on Mother's day and spent the next few days on the road.  I stopped early everyday so I could rest and the kids could get outta the car.  I'm happy to report that I didn't tip over, crash, or not connect the 34 foot camper attached to the truck.  Trey and I are now pros at hooking up and setting up camp.    Although, I have assured Kevin that he will be able to resume all the duties of driving and setting up when we meet him next week in MT.  We still have to travel to WA-and I may just jump on an airplane and let him take the kids and dog, hehe!!

The kids did great traveling in the car, but are happy to have a few days outta the car to see their cousins.  The dvd player broke-which actually worked out well.  We listened to Little House in the Big Woods and the first set of Jonathan Park cd's.  They are wonderful.  It is about an eleven year old boy whose paleontologist father is a creationist.  Each episode takes them on a different adventure and then they are challenged by non-believers.  Each episode is supported biblically and we're really loving it.

Well, that's all for now.  We leave on Monday to drive to MT.  We pick up Kevin there and then drive to WA.  We should be in WA on May 27th and hopefully I'll have a computer adn internet access.

Take care!

Busy, busy, busy.  That's what we are.  We have managed to get several really good school days in each week.  This week, we went to the Marine Science Museum.  Boy, was it bad.  About three exhibits were gone, no new ones added-too much money for what little there was.  I paid the same in Japan for a great Aquarium and dolphin and whale show.  Very disappointing.

Next week, I will finally be getting the ultrasound done.  Yeah!  I really want to know if the baby's healthy and whether its a boy or girl.  We're praying for a healthy boy.  Kevin said that if its another girl, he and Trey are moving out.  Trey's decided they're moving to Hawaii.  I may go with them and leave the girls to fend for themselves!!  hehe

Still living in the camper.  Its not bad, and boy is the cleaning nice to do.  It only takes a few minutes and I love it.  I can clean twice a day and still it only takes twenty minutes tops.  Its great.  

Now being in the campground is another story.  Some of these people have lived there for five or ten years.  Their sites and campers look a mess.  We've met some nice people and some "interesting" people.  Our next door neighbor's friend brought "beverages" over the first Saturday morning we were there.  It was 9am and they were enjoying themselves nicely. 

Anyway, we're here for about three and a half more weeks.  I plan on hitting Yorktown, Jamestown, and some small museums.  My brother in law is bringing over my youngest neice tomorrow and if the weather is nice, we'll hit the zoo on Friday.  It advertises over 350 animals.  I know better however.  About 100 are birds, 100 amphibians, 100 spiders and snakes and the rest are animals-not including the 25 in the petting zoo.  Its sad that such a large area has such a poor zoo.  Its really small compared to the population that's here.

Well, I think that's all the updates for now.  I'll write more soon.  Sorry no pictures as I'm without a computer and using my dad's every few days. 

Take care everyone!!

Sorry its been so long since posting.  Not having an online connection, is about to drive me mad.

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We left IA in good weather, but cold.  Traveled three long days to make it to VA.  Poor hubby had to drive in the fog one night because his crazy wife wanted to drive farther that day.  The next day, we arrived in the middle of a monsoon at the campsite, which turned out to be a swamp.  Apparently, they had three days of rain, dad said.  Thankfully, two sunny, warm days straightened that right out and now its quite nice. 

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The kids did well traveling in the truck, although poor Kailyn was screaming to get out of her seat at the end of the second day and the third day.  They were troopers and have helped set up camp pretty well. 

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Cleaning is great.  Takes about fifteen minutes each day.  Laundry is easy too.  I can do several loads at the laundry mat at the same time and have them all washed and dried in an hour or so.  Today, I opted to hang out clothes.  Its a nice day, and I'm cheap.  Why pay for drying if I can use the wind to do it?

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Hubby leaves next weekend to go to Rhode Island for school for six weeks.  The kids and I were supposed to go to NY for a few weeks, but decided not too.  Its just too much traveling.  We have to meet hubby in WY when he gets out of school, which means traveling from VA to WY, pregnant, four kids, and a dog.  I just couldn't do NY also.  It was going to be too much.  It probably wouldn't be that bad, except that I was so sick in IA, that I'm still a little tired.  So, we're staying in VA, and my mom is coming to us for a week.  That will be nice. 

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This week, we finally started back to school.  It was hard to do with one or two kids were sick in IA.  One would be sick one day, fine the next, and then sick again.  I'm just glad that we're all through that now.  Anyway, we did short days.  I'm doing math, reading, spelling, grammer, and geography four days.  The other one will be history and science.  I'm hoping that will work out okay.  It gives us shorter days and we can visit with family and friends then.

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I also plan on field trips to Jamestown and either Williamsburg or Yorktown.  I'm pushing for Yorktown.  Already did Williamsburg and I think it will be pretty much like Jamestown adn the kids would be bored.  Yorktown is right on the water and should be fun for the kids.  They also have and Air and Space Museum, and two marine museums that we'll head off too.  The zoo isn't that great.  We went two years ago, and it hadn't improved from when we lived here before.  Plus, after living in Japan, with the awesome zoos there, I'm afraid that they would be bored as they aren't a lot of animals there, just lots and lots of walking.

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Well, I'm off for now.  Not sure when I'll get a few more minutes to post.  I'll try to do that soon!!  Take care everyone!!  I'd love to hear your plans for next year!!  I'm working on outlining mine now!!

The oven in our camper is pretty yucky.  Crockpotting will be the way to go.  I have several good recipes, but I need more!!  Please send some my way!!!!

If you want to email them, subbie1@juno.com is great!!

Thanks!

Michelle

The girls are doing much better.  Trey still has a dry cough, but I had started him on medicine also a few days ago, so I think the days of fevers are gone for him.  Kailyn woke up today with a fever, but I think hers is from cutting teeth.  Possibly and ear infection, so I gave her a little medicine too.  Now, that we're down to our last few days in IA, hopefully, we're all on the mend.

Tonight is Kevin's 40th birthday party with two of his high school pals.  They have already turned 40, but we thought it would be fun to do a party together.  One of the guys still lives around here and the other is visiting from TX.  Its great to see them together again.

Tomorrow we drive north to meet one of Kevin's navy buddies who retired in MN.  We're going to meet for lunch.  We haven't seen him in about six years.  I can't believe that his daughter is graduating this year.

Monday we pick up our camper.  It will be nice to get it and get settled.  We sadly leave on Wed.  It seems like just a few days ago we got here.

Take care!

Yes, we're STILL sick.  Trey's fever is gone but he has a dry cough now.  Hallie and Courtnee were taken to the doctor this morning.  She wasn't sure it was strep, but is treating it like that anyway.  I'm grateful, if I don't get some sleep soon, I'm going to be a mommy zombie-oops-already am.  I'm hoping after the second dose of the yucky medicine and a good nights sleep, that they will feel better tomorrow.  I feel really bad for my in-laws, who've looked forward to our visit with them, and here we're been sick the entire time.  We leave next Wed.

We went and signed the papers today for the travel trailer.  We pick that up on Monday.  I'm excited, but worried.  How will I fit everything in it?  And will I be able to drive it okay on my own?

I'm off for now.  I'm hoping that the cough medicine I'm taking (which I'm really not supposed to be) will help me sleep through the night and get rid of this cough I've had for over a week.

Praying for to sweet dreams and healthy kids!!