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Just a few personal thoughts I wanted to chat about this evening. I realized this week that At work, Church has moved several times and is growing. IT looks like 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:
Matthew and I are going to DC for real estate training this week. Thank you Mom and Dad for watching the kids while we |
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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! |
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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....
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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: Directions: 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 ! |
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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# |
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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! |
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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! |
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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 7th 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 12th, then it’s Algebra 2 in 11th, Geometry in 10th, 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 7th 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 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. |
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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:
Is that enough? Nope! If I leave the house I still need the make up..
Then the hair
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... |
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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! |
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When I went to log in tonight, I noticed that my "about me" spot was way out of date. So I changed that a bit. I woke up to the sound of gentle thunder and pounding rain. What a beautiful sound. I just wanted to cuddle up and enjoy the sound and the gray skies! But I had to get up and start working. The best part though was that I did not have to leave the house. Homeschooling and working from home has so many benefits! I think the kids decided it was a "PJ Friday!" The rest of the day brought pouring down rain and then bright sunshine! I slept so well last night (for me at least) that I did not need my caffeinated hot chocolate this morning. But I desperately need to stop by the health food store and pick up some Progesterone. If shipping not too much I may just order from Beeyoutiful . It's been a while since I relaxed and spent time thinking about girly things. But one leads to another. LOL! I need hair clips! I've been to Target and Food Lion and I did not see the ones that hold my thin hair well. I guess I'll need to try Wal-Mart and when I find them, I'll have to get several packs! I sure wish I knew where they all disappeared to! They girls promise me that they have not taken them, but the older the kids get, then more things disappear! I continue to struggle to give all my stress and worry to the Lord for Him to carry. We are so blessed and I need to daily offer up thanksgiving for His goodness towards us. I just want to do what the Lord wants and yet I find myself daily questioning if I have made the right decisions. I miss lots of things right now, but I'm really beginning to love my job too. It's like two worlds colliding. The last 2 weeks we had a ban on TV. It was really nice. And I did not feel like staying up till midnight without movies and shows to watch. So I've had lots of time to read! I have to remember to read boring novels occasionally so I won't stay up reading all night long! That's enough rambling for tonight. The ban has been lifted and the girls and I are enjoying Anne of Avonlea! |
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I love sweaters! They are warm and cozy and I don’t have to iron them! But I think I’m getting a bit tired of them. It won’t last as long a summer unless I find a few more cute sundresses that I can wear to work, but I am ready! Today, I actually started a little school planning for next year. Can you believe it?? Kinsey will be in 7th grade and since I’m working more, I think I need something for Language Arts and Math that will have a little more accountability. So I’m looking at lots of options (Abeka and Switched-On Schoolhouse mainly). I am going to stick to Weaver for everything else! It’s worked great for 6 years and we’re going to start over with round 2 next year. Maybe adding a few electives that have more accountability too. I spent a few minutes describing the differences of the different curriculums to Matthew. Of course he like the computer based – imagine that! I want to teach as much as I can to the kids, but I also want to make sure that they have different learning experiences while under my roof. We’re getting our business webpage updated with the new host. It’s a completely different format and it’s hard getting used to it. I really like the blog! And the social media platforms are popping up everywhere. I wish I could do more to help families that are struggling with making their housing payments. I hope they are reading or getting the help they need. I’d also like to connect to more moms that work and homeschool. I’ve had families contact me about how I do it, but I’d like to talk to others that have done it longer! Maybe at the homeschool convention! With my tax refund, I was able to purchase a new laptop – which will be a business tax deduction for this year! I’ll be going from the orange swirl to “flamingo pink!” This is so needed! My laptop is 99.9% full! I often have to delete items to run other programs. LOL! K. My brain just shut down. Thanks for haning in there! |
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It's been a long winter. Today, 6 families got together for an impromptu get-together. I calledthe library, brought a few games and coloring books and walla! Get-together! It was nice to laugh and realx for a couple of hours. In order to take time off I have to get out of the house. When I'm home, I just keep working. This morning did not go well either - to the point where if I had not organizedthe even, I might have kept them home because of the girls' behavior. But e all needed to get out. And tomorrow will be better. I got some great ideas about L.Arts and Math curriculum for next year for Kinsey. And I was reassured that it's not the end of the world when one of your kids cannot spell very well. And, yes, the Cosby Show is awesome as a parent. |
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Matthew and I had a great time tonight with another homeschooling family. It was so nice to get out for a few hours - to laugh; to talk about Christ, kids, homeschooling and work; and to eat! This is something that we do not take enough time to do. We need to relax and take a break more often. This week will be a Weaver break. Once again my yearly lesson plans did not match up with my actual lessons. So we'll focus on Language Arts and Math. I have a feeling that this is going to be an interesting and busy week. Time for bed! |
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Someone asked me if I still use Publisher for web page design. I only use it for the homeschool blog in our community. In real estate we have to be able to show homes to our clients. The best way to do this is through and IDX that shows what is in our local MLS. The webpage company I was using raised their prices on me again. So I'm in the process of converting webpages. It's a bit overwhealming. I got used to changing a page anyway I wanted. Now I'm having to figure out coding to make it work. There are so many things I want to add, but I also need to work on design, layout, blogs, articles,etc... It's fun, but it's a lot! I realized last week that we only have 4 months of school left this year! I'm not sure that's actually going to be enough. We're getting through the Weaver Curriculum - usually doubling up on the days we do that. We're getting to math and Language arts every day, but maybe not as much each day as we should. So it may be a shorter summer break. I just want to time to cuddle with the girls and read! And our homeschool group does more durning the summer than the school year. Kind of funny, but it's the only thing that works right now. That will be fun too. Till then we're going to hang on tight and enjoy the ride of the next 4 months!
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I have no idea what to write. I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. Or like my 11 year old. I know I need to write. But after email, community blog, facebook, and twitter, what else is there? LOL! Since this is a Homeschool family blog, I guess I should mention school. The kids are hanging in there. We’re focusing most of our efforts on Language arts and Math. We’re not getting as many books read this year, but we’re coming along. Here are some of the books we have read: (I can't get the spaces out for some reason)
Kinsey decided to start recording the books she reads. We’ll see how it goes. It finally snowed today! Yea! The girls went out to play twice. And came in like little frozen popsicles – twice. I don’t know if I’m interesting on Twitter or not, but here’s a bit of what I’ve said: I use the Twhirl Widgit to keep up with out the need to refresh. These are backwards because you add to the top as you go.
I’m learning how to use the Flipcam for business, school and fun. Today’s video is in the link above. The Lord is blessing the business. It's a lot of work and I'm still trying to figure out how to balance work time, family time, and free time. I was feeling like I was catching up until I realized that the first month of 2009 is almost over, but I'm still thankful for all that has been accomplished so far this year. Because there are so few places to meet in Caroline County when it's cold, the kids miss their homeschool friends. We can't wait to go ice skating next month with everyone! I'm at a loss as to what else is going on in my life. If you have a question, ask! And yes, the dog is STILL alive...
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MacKenzie had a great birthday bash this past week! I'm nit sure where it all came from. I wanted to get her an American Girl Doll since she's getting older and their about to stop creating the Samantha Doll. But she wanted an activity instead. I who heartedly agree that events are much better than "stuff." But then we had to agree on what event: ice skating, roller skating, Build-A-Bear, etc... After picking the 2 friends she as allowed to invite, then we can to compare schedules and see when all 3 girls were available. Then we had to figure out what event was available for that day and time. We finally decided upon Libby Lou where their girls had their hair done, make up, picked accessories, and goodies to take home. Then the danced around. Once that was over we went to picture people for a memory shot!
After we picked up our photos, we headed to Friendly's for Ice Cream Sundaes! Woo Hoo! Yum, Yum! And although it was cold and rainy, I think everyone had a great time! On another note, I finally got to do one day of Christmas Shopping. I think 1 more day and I'll be done! I need to get to the Dollar Tree to pick up some notebooks and a few other odds and ends that I know they have. Once again, we're focusing more on events and giving to other families than getting more "stuff" for our families. It's been a nice change! 3 more days of school before starting a 2 week Christmas Vacation! And I was not even expecting it! It was a nice, needed surprise. Just last Friday I was thinking that I needed a vacation at home to clean my home and time to implements some of my work studies. This is my chance! Lots of work keeping me busy! God is good! I'm very thankful for my new office this year! I love working there and the help and support they offer! My mentor and my boss are awesome! Many blessings everyone! |
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I had corndogs for lunch! LOL! Yes, now that my brother has a girlfriend, I see that we will have to share the holidays! Since it was important for Girlfriend to be with her parents for the Thanksgiving meal and Brother also wanted to eat with us, we're having our meal at Dinner time. ----- Which is actually not much later than usual, but it's cute just the same. I was trying to remember what Matthew and I did for holidays before we had kids. I think they were still spent with my parents or at the Rescue Squad. Rescue Squad's fine when you don't have little ones, but I'm so glad that phase of life is over and done with. Anyway... on to better thoughts... As for all of us, our lives don't usually look the way we planned. But maybe that can make us more thankful for what we have now. It makes me more thankful!! Although I still have so much to learn so I can be a better wife and mother, I am so thankful for my awesome husband and children that make sanctification worthwhile. I love just relaxing and laughing with friends and family! So if you come to my home for a holiday, don't expect a 20 course meal. Bring a snack and come enjoy the day. Maybe I can get Mom to downsize her meals so she will sit down more too. Time to go dry some dishes for her so I can take a nap! Our Thanksgiving 10 years ago...
And this Thanksgiving...
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I've spent 2 days updating my profiles at various sites - busness and personal because Matt and I changed the community blog to www.CarolineVABlog.com . Yep! Came back from Orlando inspired to work on details. So what suffers right now? The personal blog. But it's all good! The kids and Matthew put up the tree last night. Kinsey made cookies today - snickerdoodles. Thanksgiving starts tomorrow at our house. Yea! |
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I realize that I need spell check more and more each day. I can't blames it on my inability to type. I never learned to type correctly, but it seems that I make more mistakes now than I ever did. Maybe because I type faster? Text messaging makes even someone like me type faster. But then you have to suffer through my spelling if I forget to run spell Check. Yep, we're on our way to Florida for our work vacation. We stopped in Savannah tonight. I wrote a quick not to my Grandmother this evening. In it I said, "we have 4 cameras, a flip can, and 5 phones and we did not take a single picture today." We did keep up with work emails on the Blackberry. We kept up with friends on Twitter. The kids watched movies on the laptop, played games on the DS. Anyone see a pattern here??? My hope is for a day or two completely - ok, mostly unplugged to watch life and not screens. On that note, I'm off to read my book! If you think of it, please pray for our safety and that the Lord would reveal any new plans for our Real Estate careers that He would like us to use. And pray for my dad. He will be spending the most time with the girls at Disney while Matt, Mom, and I are in classes! |