Music Video:

 Here Up North 
 
~ Neil Harding McAlister ~
 
 
Here up north the air is cleaner. 
Autumn wind blows cold and clear,
Making all the senses keener
As the waning days grow leaner,
And long winter nights draw near.
 
Here the moon is always bigger. 
With rare beauty she’s endowed,
Cutting a majestic figure;
Sailing on, with grace and vigor,
Through the shoals of scudding cloud. 
 
Here up north the magic’s stronger.
In the sky the Northern Lights 
Glow in phosphorescent wonder.
Awesome spectacles they conjure,
Moving, dancing in the night.
 
Here up north the Spring’s more urgent;
Life explodes with pent-up might:
All the forms of life divergent,
Birds returning, flowers resurgent,
With the coming of the light.
 
Here the evenings last much longer
When the summertime has come.
Day by day the light grows stronger.
On the tundra, great herds wander, 
Guided by the midnight sun.
 
Here up north the lines are sharper.
                    Icebergs pierce the azure skies.                      
Light’s more dazzling, shadows darker,
Choices clearer, contrasts starker.
Open vistas hide no lies.
 
Keep your crowded, southern highways
Where cars scuttle back and forth.
We prefer the unmarked byways
Underneath our clear, blue skyways,
Drinking deep from Nature’s source.
 
Life is better, here up north!

'He told them,"This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power on high." ~ Luke 24:16

If you'd like to hear the word of Christ, join me as I listen to the live Easter mass with Pastor Bob Coy of Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, the celebration starts at 11:30am (est)!

Happy Easter!

A Prayer for Peace

Peace be in the heavens,

Peace be in the sky,

Peace be in the waters,

Peace be in the plants and trees.

All is peace;

peace alone peace.

May that peace, real peace,

be with us all.

Peace, peace, peace

be unto us,

and to all the beings of the universe.

~ Sanskrit chant of the Atharva-Veda ~

Irving Cramer, the Executive Director of  MAXON: A Jewish Response to Hunger ~ an organization that collects and distributes money to feed hungry people ~ shared this story...

In a kindergarten classroom in northern Minnesota, the teacher asked the children, "How many of you had breakfast this morning?"

About half the students raised their hands.

The teacher then asked those who did not raise their hands, "Why didn't you eat breakfast today?"

Some said that they got up too late and didn't have time to eat. Some said that they weren't hungry this morning. A few said that they didn't like any of the food that had been served to them.

All of the students gave an answer - except one little boy.

"And why didn't you have breakfast this morning?" the teacher asked him.

"Because," he replied, "it wasn't my turn."

"It wasn't your turn?" asked the teacher. "What does that mean?"

"Well," said the boy, "there are five kids in my family. But we don't have enough money to buy enough  food so that everybody can eat breakfast every day. We take turns eating breakfast, and today, it wasn't my turn."

(Golden Rules ~ The Ten Ethical Values Parents Need to Teach Their Children ~ by Wayne Dosick)

North America is one of the richest and most prosperous nations in the history of human civilization. But, there are so many who are in need: the hungry, the homeless, the illiterate, the orphan, the mentally ill, the substance abuser, the addicted, the battered and abused, the poor and impoverished, and the list goes on.

No, I'm not rich, but neither am I poor. I have a warm, comfortable home in which I live. We'll have a nice Easter meal with our family but this year we'll forgo the Easter chocolate and treats, so that we might give to those in need.

Christ gave his life on this very day for us. This Easter season...teach your children that a good, decent, ethical person hears another's cries of anguish, and responds.

Blessings,

Thea ><><

If you are a dreamer, come in

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A Hope-er, a Pray-er, a Magic Bean buyer,

If you're a preteder, come sit by my fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin

Come in!

Come in!

~ Shel Silverman ~

Good Monday Morning! Well, I made it but just barely! I definitely prefer juice fasts! I'll fast again in late spring but it'll be a juice fast! I find it to more re-vitalizing and honestly, more rewarding! If I see another onion, I might be sick! I lost 1 1/2 inches off my true waist! You know, that place where those 'boy' pants fit snuggly, and let's everything hang over! I have more to go but that's where my walking will help me out!  I also lost 3 pounds.

After the initial fast, which ended yesterday, I will now start eating;

• fresh fruit
• vegetable juice
• garlic
• radish
• turnips (the Chinese use turnips for lung imbalances such as sinus problems)
• salads - lettuce, cabbage, celery, cucumber, carrots and more onions
• More boiled and steamed onions (I'll happily give these up!)
• tofu
• whole grains
• vegetables
• seaweed

But I already committed my first blunder...I grabbed a coffee! Mmm...I missed it!

Here in Quebec, St. Patrick's Day, usually marks spring! It was a blustery -14°c with the wind! But I'm still able to plan, right? It's supposed to go up to plus 16°c on Thursday!! Here's some links to help motivate! If you decide to start a program, let me know, I'll be your cheering section!

• Starting an Exercise Program by Vicki Pierson
• Introduction: exercise and fitness - Merck Manual Home Edition
• ExRx - Beginner's Page (This is a great place to start and go back too!)
• The Walking Site

Oh gosh...I have to go wake the kids! It's 5 to 8!

Blessings,

Thea ><><

Do you need some motivation today? Go visit me @

Homeschool Nations - Quebec, Canada

I posted a great cartoon from GoComics

I started my fast yesterday! I feel absolutely crummy! The headache started within hours of being awake! Coffee withdrawl! But the eventual outcome will be worth it! I'll probably continue with my fast until next Sunday to make it a fulll week! I'm hoping this, too, will help my skin to clear up! I've been suffering off and on, with adult acne, since my last child was born 11 years ago. When I fast, it usually clears up but this time when I start eating again, I'll check carefully for food triggers!

I also wanted to share some really great webpages with you that are really life changing:

Don't Wish Me Happiness

Anne Morrow Lindburgh

(1906-2001)

Don't wish me happiness - I don't expect to be happy all the time,

but it's gotten beyond that, somehow.

Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor -

I will need them all.

Like everyone else, I've tried ever diet that's ever been on the market, and they all failed me. Just as they've done everyone else who doesn't have a personal trainer and chef on their staff. To lose weight means to change your lifestyle!

 You need to decide what you can live without and what you can't!

When all of my health problems started popping out, I had to make a decision and you, too, need to take one! I cut out meat but that's not something that everyone's willing to live without. Okay, you like your meat! Then have it but don't eat it at the 'same' time as you eat pasta, bread, rice, or potatoe. Have it with a salad or vegetables. It's all about food combining. Foods are either acid or alkaline based. If food combining requires that you think more about what you are eating, then good! We need to pay closer attention to the food we eat for our health's sake. Food combining allows you to enjoy all of your favorite meals, as long as you make sure the ingredients are correctly 'harmonised'! I've been eating this way for the past nine years, it works, I've lost over 90 lbs. Don't expect miracles, God has better uses for them.

Blessings,

Thea ><><

An Oath of Perseverance

by Herman Sherman

1. I will never give up so long as I know I'm right.
2. I will believe that all things will work out for me if I hang on until the end.
3. I will be courageous and undismayed in the face of the odds.
4. I will not permit anyone to intimidate me or deter me from my goals.
5. I will fight to overcome all physical limitations and setbacks.
6. I will try again and again and yet again to accomplish my dreams.
7. I will take new faith an dresolution from the knowledge that all successful people have had to overcome defeat and adversity.
8. I will never surrender to discouragement or despair, no matter what.

I really did mean to start my fast this morning but I lacked the courage to do it! I'm not able to go outside for a walk due to the frigid weather system we're still in. I usually suffer from really awful headaches and fresh air helps to keep me focused on my goal. This weekend, we're supposed to go above 0°c, so that's when I'll start...

I don't know about everyone else, but my biggest issue after losing most of my weight was the excess skin! I have so much loose skin. It doesn't matter what I do, I can't seem to lose the the fold around my waist, back and on the backs of my thighs. To see me fully dressed, you wouldn't think I had a problem with my weight, ever. But undressed, or in a bathing suit, you'd have no doubt.

No body talks about this side of weightloss.  I've heard very little about this! On the commercials on t.v., everyone just lost 90 pounds and are prancing around in their bikinis! I did find a couple of articles, or ads, like this one from Total Body Fitness, Dumbell-Exercise, or this one from CommonVoice.

I know this is my biggest obstacle. I'm carrying easily 10 lbs of loose skin and I've done everything to get rid of it! Yes, I've tightened alot of that loose skin but just like when you reach a plateau in weightloss, I've reached a plateau in ridding myself of the loose skin! So if you are interested, I've uploaded my measurements:

I just wanted to add... I'm 5'3 with small, thin bones. I'm at risk for osteoporosis and have been taking doctor prescribed supplements for 5 years after a bone density test. Exercises that require jumping around is out of the question, so is rollerblading, skating and exercises requiring balance. Walking is my real only option. Although, I love cross country skiing, too!

Blessings,

Thea >< ><

"You don't get to choose how you're going to die or when. You can only decide how you're going to live." ~ Joan Baez

Finally, I've been trying to access the internet all day. We have five computers hooked up to our router, which for some reason has to be totally disconnected and reset at least once a month! But it has been unbelievably cold here, so I thought it might be due to the weather, I was wrong! My three kids are thrilled that they can finally get online. All of their public school friends are off this week for Winter Break. We're doing half days this week!

I just wanted to apologize, the link that I provided for the printable walking log, did work but About.com obviously wants you to check out more than their PDF, so you'll find it mid-page on the link I provided. It's still one of the better logs I've seen.

This morning...I took my measurements. I'll post them tomorrow, using the Fit'N'Well tracker form, which explains exactly how to record the information. (I need to scan the form) But...as I previously mentioned, I'm not overweight, I have 13 stubborn pounds to lose. I'm trying to improve the quality of my life.

I'm not here to judge anyone and I ask that I not be judged. If you want someone to support you on your journey to becoming fit, so as to better enjoy your body and your life in general, YOU came to the right place. Let me know where you post from and I'll be your biggest fan.

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow." ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I'll be starting my fast tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to how I'm going to feel when I'm done but to be honest the first couple of days are torturous. I usually end up with a bad headache but that's usually when I participate in a juice fast. Tomorrow, I'll be using a Chinese fasting method because I believe in the winter, we need more calories. (Today, it's -40°c) It'll be my first time using this method. I'll let you know how it goes. No coffee will be the hardest part.

Common symptoms of fasting are:

• intense discomfort
• headaches
• back pain
• dizziness
• weakness
• and nausea

Ahh...but the ups are something to be experienced. Dr. Ehret, an avid faster describes it thus.  "An indescribable feeling that gave me great joy and happiness just to be alive.  Greater power, energy and endurance... All my faculties were improved, beyond the healthiest part of my youth."  Doesn't that say it all?

If you are planning on taking back your blessing, start slowly. Becoming fit shouldn't be painful or unpleasant. The last thing you want to do, is put yourself off. Walking daily will dramatically change your outlook on life, who you are and our God, who we serve. I feel so spiritually connected to this earth that HE created, when walking in nature. Today I had to use our stationary bike! Too cold!

Alot of people listen to music when exercising. When I need a distraction, I like to listen to stand up comics. You can download or buy some great comedy. Exercise is supposed to be fun! Nothing feels better than laughing out loud! In fact, check out this great science lesson from Science NetLinks - The Laughing Brain 2: A Good Laugh.

Blessings,

Thea >< ><

After the Epiphany

by Elayne Clift

I still rise every morning and brush my teeth. Sometimes I complain if the coffee is cold or the soup is too hot. I often wish I were five pounds thinner and didn't have lines tugging at the edge of my lips. I get tired. I feel angry. I worry about my kids. I want people to call back, and things to work the way they should. I daydream about places I'd like to go, and things I ought to have said.

But now, I linger in the morning just so I can listen to wind whispers, and the joyous cacophony of bird songs. I walk with my eyes open and my head up, and I watch the ballet of tree boughs. I touch the roses. I smell the dew upon their velvet lips. I sit by myself for long hours and never feel lonely. I work, calm. I wait for spirit voices to soul-talk. I know that to be alive is everything.

I rejoice.

Yesterday, I provided that marvelous link for keeping track of your progress and the benefits of using a pedometer! In the past, I never left the house without my pedometer, by tracking my progess I found favorable results. Walking is a gift that can be used anytime, anyplace! It's easy to lose sight of your objective if you can't view the outcome.

One of the most helpful and life changing 'websites' that I've discovered is Coping.org.    Authors James J. Messina, Ph.D., & Constance M. Messina, Ph.D. have provided onsite manuals for coping with a variety of life's stressors called 'Tools for a Balanced Lifestyle' , they are free for the taking. If you take away nothing else from my blog, please, take that information as it is truly life changing.

Tomorrow morning, I plan on taking my measurements, as I mentioned before I'm on a mission to tone up my muscles, this will be a better indicator of my success than my scale. Read this article from Fit 'N' Well  Even if you're not losing weight, muscle gain is a definite improvement, and is the ultimate goal. A very informative article I want to share, here! My aim is to work on my butt, inner and outer thighs, and my lower back. Wish me luck.

Walking is a wonderful exercise because it soothes the body and mind. Walking in nature is kind of like a massage for the soul. It's the one time of day where my worries and daily stresses just fall away. I can be me. I don't need to talk, or think, I can simply relax. I could have a heart to heart with God, without any interruptions. When I first started walking, I could barely make it down to the end of the block. But as my condition improved, I was able to go a little bit farther and with time my speed increased. It's amazing how good you start to feel! Just a fact to share: Beta-endorphins are produced after only 20 minutes of brisk walking! I might be optimistic, in hoping that someone out there reading my blog, will join me and share their own experiences in altering their lifestyles for the better. Leave your own reflections here and provide a link back to your blog, so I can visit you there!

Blessings,

Thea >< ><

I really love to walk and since it's worked for me in the past...Here's a free printable walking log for 2007. It's important to track your progress!

• Calorie Counters
• Pedometers - step counters (very necessary and totally encouraging! Mine's a cheapy from Wal-Mart)
• Free calorie counter

It's important to have a plan. If you change nothing else (i.e. your diet), it's imperitive that you exercise! Leonardo de Vinci, one of the greatest thinkers of our time, offered the following specific advice on maintainig well-being:

"To keep in health these rules are wise:

• Beware of anger and avoid grievous moods.
• Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful.
• Be covered at night.
• Exercise moderately.
• Shun wantonness, and pay attention to diet.
• Eat only when you want and sup light.
• Keep upright when you rise from the dining table. (Too bad for us couch potatoes)
• Do not be with the belly upwards or the head lowered. (In sleep)
• Let your wine be mixed with water, take a little at a time, not between meals and not on an empty stomach.
• Eat simple(i.e., vegetarian) food. (Maestro was a vegetarian)
• Chew well.
• Go to the toilet regularly!

"I have met but one or two persons in the course of my life who understood the art of walking, that is, of taking walks - who had a genious, so to speak for sauntering," noted Henry David Thoreau in his essay "Walking".

As he pointed out, humans were built to walk! It is the best exercise there is and it's free for the taking. He believed that it shouldn't be called exercise, for exercise is a modern word that separates us from the joy associated with walking! Calling it a blessing instead! A half an hour's worth, after eating, conditions the entire body. With arms swinging and legs stepping freely according to your own pace, you are exercising your muscles, heart, respiratory  and circulatory systems without even thinking of the fact that you are exercising. That's my  kind of aerobic conditioning! So, I got back here sooner that I thought I would, but now the sun's shining and I have a dog to walk! More tomorrow!

Blessings,

Thea >< ><

At the beginning, of course!

I mentioned that I'd like to lose the rest of my "baby-making days" fat! No, I'm no longer over weight but I am on a mission to be in better health... for life!  If you're like me, you are interested in finding a new way of living, but it still needs to be enjoyable! I have no intention of becoming a highly conditioned, competitive athlete, my true goal is to enjoy my life. Becoming fit shouldn't be painful or unpleasant, the last thing I want to do with my leisure time, is torture my body.  Instead my intention is to eat well, increase my energy level, my sex drive and to have fun!

I recently let my doctor know that I was going to start a new regime. If you haven't seen your doctor recently, do so! I'm in good enough shape to start a new program of health, just slightly anemic, this is due to my extremely heavy periods. So this week to begin, I'll be fasting. I feel that this is necessary to cleanse the intestines and colon. You'll also see some amazing results within the first week of starting. By fasting properly you, (HPS-Info Fasting)

•  Boost your immune system
•  Rejuvenate your body and mind
•  Feel & look younger
•  Reduce wrinkles, lose weight, decrease cellulite
•  Restore your sex drive and vigor
•  Revitalize your heart, liver, kidneys & lungs
•  Maintain muscle mass
•  Refresh memory, mood and mental energy
•  Sleep soundly and awake rested
•  Help eliminate stress, fatigue and depression

There are all sorts of ways of fasting. In the summer, I like to use the juice fast, mostly because summer fruits are cheap and easily obtained. I throw them into the juicer - instant meal! In the winter, or in my case, the spring, I'll be following a Chinese fast that consists of;

• Miso soup
• Whole grains: If constipated (like most women), make grains wet, with thick, soupy consistency. Add a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger, chopped carrots and onions, in a vegetable based broth.
• A wide variety of vegetables, including leafy greens, roots, round vegetables and squash
• Fruit, such as grapefruit, lemons and oranges (fruit should only be eaten in the morning, on empty stomach), cantalope (it's expensive in Winter/Spring)
• Carrot juice at midmorning
• Boiled or steamed onions for lunch
• Carrot juice at midafternoon
• Boiled or steamed onions for dinner

I will follow this fast for a period of three to five days, for its mucus-cleaning effect. I also believe that we need the extra calories for energy that's necessary in the winter. Did you know John Wayne had 40 lbs of waste in his body at death? And Elvis had 60 lbs? Check this out or here. You stand to lose a minimum of 5 - 10 lbs, while fasting! How's that for instant results?

Here's some only articles, you might want to check out:

• Fitness and Weight loss after Forty
• Fit After Forty
  • Fit After Forty: Having Trouble Losing the Last Five Pounds?
• Weight Gain After Forty
• Fasting Connection

I'll check back in tomorrow and tell you about my exercise plan!

Blessings,

Thea >< ><

Over the past couple of days, I've been taking care of our HSN blog, after that nasty virus attacked all of the 'javascript' on the page. It was such a thrill to find that I still had my 'celebrating my faith' music on this blog. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I do! I definitely won't be changing my template any time too soon! (If you change your template, no more javascript!)

Oh, yeah, sorry I got distracted by the music! One thing that we all have in common as mothers (well the greater percentage of us) is our struggles with our weight.

Mine began after the birth of my beautiful son in 1990. When I found out I was pregnant with him, I was a mere 102 lbs, by the end of my pregnancy I was a whopping 212 lbs. Yikes, eh? Our Father is wonderful, he trusts us to fall in love with this precious gift that he's entrusted us! I wasn't worried, I was so in love with being this child's mom, I didn't even think about it until...Yep, bathing suit season.

Luckily, I was a single mother and couldn't always afford to insure my car. That's right, it was walking for me and I dropped all of the weight except for 15 lbs. It took 13 months. Then I met my wonderful husband and he made me feel so good about myself, I didn't worry about those extra pounds. Since then, I've had two other blessings and despite special diets, I gained an unbelievable amount of weight. I went up to 215 with my dd and 218 with my youngest ds.

As we all know, when you have three children under 5 in the house, the only real exercise you get is cleaning and the occasional walk to the local park. I'd be praying the whole time that there would be an available park bench to park my voluptious self. I was Kristie Alley, truly! Color her hair dirty blond and you'd find me. Okay, minus her beautiful face, too! And like her, I tried every diet with some results. I'd lose the weight, only to gain 5 to 10 pounds, the minute I thought to eat 'normal'. Today, I'm 13 pounds heavier than I was in 1989. But I'm in control now.

I think personally, it's normal to put on a few extra pounds during the winter and the constant moving around that we've been doing the past couple of years. But I'm approaching 40 and I refuse to take on my family's health problems. My mother has put on at least 45 pounds in the past 10 years. Four years ago, she had to have an operation on her knee, after a fall. She has problems with her blood pressure and thyroid. My dad suffered 3 stokes over the past 2 1/2 years and his cholesterol is too high!

It's been 9 years now that I've been a vegetarian. It started when I began to have pain in my legs and found myself visiting doctor after doctor for relief. I was finding myself unable to run after my young family. Until I met a rheumatologist, who suggested that it might be in my head! And she was right! She explained how food is processed in our bodies, the chemicals that are released, how it reacts with the chemicals produced in our head. Not only was I harming myself with too much processed 'mommy' helper foods but I was eating food combinations that my body found intolerable.

It didn't take long for me to find my enemy - it was meat. Looking back, again to the family tree, my grandmother was also a long time vegetarian. She was unable to process meat, like me. A great book that I bought was 'The Hayes Diet', which talks about food combining and the no-no's! I'm not telling you to throw out the contents of your fridge but think about the order in which you put them in your body. I need to go but I'll be back! I'll tell you what I've got planned for myself over the next couple of months. Hope to see you on the flip side!

Blessings,

Thea >< ><

(Originally posted on February 12, 2007 at Homeschool Nations - Quebec, Canada but I thought it was too personal to leave on our Provincial blog!)

Unbelievable! It's truly unbelievable! Today, my mother-in-law called, demanding that our children be put back into school because what I am doing is illegal! It didn't matter what I tried to tell her. I told her that Quebec has the most liberal laws in Canada. That my kids pass more time being educated than children in the public system. She wasn't to be convinced. Argg...it's been two years! Get over it! Please!

To my mother-in-law's defence, she really is a good person, she's just overly concerned. When someone is overly concerned, they tend to listen to anyone who speaks with any kind of authority. Gosh knows, who had this heart to heart with her but this was definitely not the week for this kind of drama! She went on and on. Her last words were to put them back in by September. Or what? Am I alone in this?

I'm a believer that people find the unknown too scary to contemplate. Homeschool your children? When there's a perfectly good school down the road? Are you insane? You need to go back to work, dear! It's true, I have days that I'm not sure we made the right decision but when my kids say they prefer to learn at home!? They're learning and are happy! So why do I feel guilty?

So... I told her that she'd recieve a package in the mail...I'm going to snail mail off every article I can find supporting home based education! If you know of any that I haven't listed here and it's in french?

It's incredible to think that my son, Zachary, will be 17 on Friday! It's been such a long journey, yet the time has gone by so fast! His father and I separated before he was born. We had our marraige annuled. Then I found out I was pregnant. Zach was so torn apart by the ensuing battle that had raged on between his father and me. It was never something that I wanted for him but I was unable to prevent it. For the first 7 years of his life, we were in court, fighting to keep custody of him. My troubles really started, when I maintained that I wasn't in love, any longer with my ex... I just wanted to be, two friends, raising our beautiful young son.

I don't know why God has people enter your life when they do. I met my husband, the day before my son's 1st birthday, and my ex was bound and determined to make me pay for that 'mistake'.  The Lord gave us strength to make it through some of the darkest years of my life and made us stronger as a family unit.  But it was a very trying time in our history as a family. My son has somehow maintained his sunny diposition. I don't know how but he has. His father walked out of his life 3 years ago when his mother died of brain cancer. She left everything to her grandchildren. She cut my ex and his siblings out of her will. The last we heard, he was contesting the will, claiming she wasn't in her right mind. We're staying in the back ground for now. I told my son, when he turns 18, we'll check into the outcome. He doesn't really care about the money but as the will explained the money is meant for his education. And my son is college bound! We're leaving it in the hands of the Lord. If the money is there for his education then it's God's will being done!

Blessings.

I'm a homeschool mom of three great kids. Two lively teens, Zach (17 next week) and Bianca (14), and our families baby, Tristan (11). Today as a family, we decided that each of us would create a blog that could act as a chronicle of our daily lives, thoughts and whatever else tickled our fancy. I figured we'd be able to touch on Language Arts and Computer Science, while documenting our homeschooling efforts. What I find amazing, is that they are actually having fun creating their own space and I'm happy because it's in a Christian forum. In the next couple of days, I'll be transfering some of my more personal entries from Homeschool Nations -Quebec, Canada, to here. If anyone is interested in my daily epiphanies, they can follow my thoughts to this more personal forum. Or not!

I'm going to let you know right now, I'm probably one of the most unsure homeschooling moms, that you'll ever meet! When I peek into the lives of other bloggers, I can't get over how secure they all appear and I feel totally inadequate. I can advise you on how to put together a great portfolio, or the best sites to use, or books that make teaching easier but... How does everyone do it?

I like a clean house. Clutter makes me crazy. But this is only year 2, so I'm bound to adapt, right? I just don't know when I became so unorganized. At one time, all our books had a home, my floors got washed twice a week, and the beds, too! We keep school projects around for a week or two, then off to recycle heaven. Now I'm not sure what I must keep and what I can throw away. Kind of like taxes! You never know which receipt that you need to keep! But at least we know after 7 years bye-bye! And if we aren't 'educating' ourselves between the hours of 9 and 3, I'm so sure they couldn't have learned everything they needed today! Yet I know of other homeschooler who study from 9 to 12pm. That's it. I'm just so thankful that I found this forum. He is good.