It's been awhile since I've written.  Life gets quite eventful around the Holidays.  So much to do - so little time.  But it was a wonderful holiday season! 

We were able to go visit our very dear friends in Kentucky over Thanksgiving!  We had such an awesome time!!  And road trips are such fun ways for the girls to learn.  I always print a book up before we leave.  I find all the things I can about each state we will visit, and then they get to work on them on the trip.  They can color flags, learn about state animals, mottos, birds, and other fun facts.  I find famous people who have lived in the state we are visiting, dig up all the history that I can on the states, and then I print everything I find, and put them in a binder.  It keeps the kids busy, and they learn quite a bit!

We got to go on two fieldtrips while in Lexington, Kentucky.  We went to the Kentucky Horse Park (and museum) and the Explorium (Children's Museum).  And then we checked out the National Cemetary where we got to visit Civil War and Spanish American War Graves.  What a neat learning experience!! 

Christmas came and went so quickly!  I just can't believe it.  I look back, and it was like a blur.  Madi broke her arm just before Christmas, and just recently got her cast off.  We got to see Santa, and Emy even sat on his lap!  I was impressed.  Her sister was 8, I think, before SHE sat on Santa's lap. 

We visited all of our family, had many different parties, and Madi participated in the church play!  The Candy Cane Lane.  It was quite delightful. 

On New Years Eve, my husband and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary!   I can't believe that we have been married for 12 years now!  What an awesome journey it has been.  And everyday, I find myself more and more in love.  Something, I never thought possible.

Madi has started to ask about going to school in the fall.  I always said that it would be her decision, that if she really wanted to go, if it's what she really wanted to do, that I wouldn't hold her back.  I figure I have to let her experience all life has to offer, and if she wants to see what school is like, I'm not sure I should deny her that experience.  I have time to think about it.  We have time to talk about it.  But it is sad for me.  I do so enjoy homeschooling, but I keep telling myself, it's not about me.  This is about her.  This is her life.  I am but a stepping stone on her life's path.  I can only offer her guidance, but it's up to her to live.

I'm a firm believer that the world is our classroom - but if she would like to see what a classroom itself is really like, I don't think I should stand in her way.  But, no decisions have to be made today.  So for today, we'll continue on this wonderful homeschool journey.

I will still continue to homeschool Emy.  She'll be in preschool for another 3 years.  I love preschool.  I love teaching colors and shapes and numbers and all the basics life has to offer!  And Kindergarten is such fun too!  So, for now, even if Madi decides she wants to try school, Emy and I will still be here, homeschooling.  :O)

For both girls, school is going great.  We're all looking forward to spring, as cabin fever is begining to set in.  We try to get out for fieldtrips often, and playdates.  But there's just something about spring that makes us feel alive!  Come warmer weather, even our school work turns outdoors.  We collect our books, and head outside to learn.  I'm looking forward to those days.

Until then, we'll snuggle inside where it's warm and pull out a good book.  We got behind this week.  I've been busy overhauling our house.  I've been tearing each room apart, one by one, getting rid of things we don't need, cleaning, and re-organizing.  I'm trying to simplify our lives.  I feel so much better each day I accomplish something new. But guilty as school work gets neglected.

Oh!  In wonderful, terrific, awesome news, Emy (who just turned 3 in December) had a follow up with her cardiologist the other day.  She was born with 2 congenital heart defects.  The one was fixed within her first year of life.  The 2nd, a hole in her heart, remained.  They had hoped that as she grew older, the hole would get smaller, and it DID!!  Yea!!  She looked so fantastic, that they released her as a patient from the Children's Heart Center!  She still has a murmur, and a tiny hole, but nothing that we need to worry about!!  Walking out of the center that morning was like waking up from a long dream.  The world looked brighter, and despite the frigid temperatures, felt warmer.  Everything felt okay.  It was so nice!  I'm so glad our little baby, the little baby we waited so long for, is healthy!  I just had to share!!

I hope each of you is having a wonderful start to a New Year!  I'm looking forward to 2008 and all the adventures it will bring.

(Please forgive any spelling errors in tonights entry - I'm too tired to run in through spell check first.)  :O)

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It has been a crazy few weeks here in the Hundred Acre Wood.  School is going great for both my little girls.  We try to get as much work done as we can each day, but if we don't finish something, we don't sweat it.  I figure, it'll get done eventually.  Madi's really coming around with her Spelling and Math, her two worst subjects, so I'm happy with that.  I'm trying to make them fun for her.  I'm a firm believer that if you enjoy something, you're more apt to learn it. 

Soccer season is winding down.  For the first time in quite awhile, I enjoyed coaching again.  All last year, it was more of a chore to me then anything else.  I couldn't find the fun in it.  Then, I realized where I was going wrong.  I was forgetting to have fun.  So, with the new fall season, we set out to have fun - and what fun we had!  We coach a group of thirteen 10 and 11 year old girls, and they were an amazing group to coach!  They loved having our little one as their mascot.  They even enjoyed sitting down and playing Duck Duck Goose with her.  Imagine, 13 5th and 6th graders playing Duck Duck Goose.  It was quite a sight.  But you know what, they LOVED every minute of it!

Madi really amazed us this year.  It was like suddenly all the pieces to a puzzle just snapped into place and things made sense to her.  Madi was born with a slight case of Cerebral Palsy and has always been a bit behind the other kids with her motor skills.  Sometimes, it's very hard as a parent to watch.  But, this year, she worked SO hard at her Defensive position - and wow!  She amazed us.  Every day she was out playing Soccer with our black Lab, who thinks he is a soccer dog, and it really paid off.  She can kick the ball more then half way up the field, and she plays her position so well!  Yeah, I'm proud!  :)

Our little one thinks that she should be able to play soccer too!  And boy does she get mad when she can't go out on the field and play during the games.  Someday, it'll be her turn.  :)

We tried to get her to sit on the potty, but she just doesn't want anything to do with it.  And really, that's okay with me.  She can be my baby that much longer.  :)  She was cute though, she grunted a few times and then looked up and said, "It's not working, I need batteries."  lol!  What a hoot!  She thinks everything can be fixed with batteries or sticky tape.  How precious.

We had a pretty bad week here not so long ago, but when I look back on it, I see how close to us God was during such a trying time.  We definitely weren't alone. 

It started with my sister trying to kill herself, our house nearly burning down, a tornado demolishing a house just a few houses from us, and ended with my Grandpa having a stroke.

It was a difficult week to say the least.  But God's presence was so incredibly strong. 

Despite her strong desire to end her life, my sister is still with us.  Whether or not she is getting any better, is yet to be determined.  Insurances like to cut you loose as soon as they can - so she's not exactly getting the help we believe she needs.  Her life has been quite difficult, to say the least, the last few years.  Her biggest hurdle was losing one of her children to SIDS.  It was the most awful thing I have ever gone through, and I was not that precious little baby's mommy.  I cannot imagine the feelings she must have felt - and still continues to feel to this day.  I doubt one could ever get over such a loss - and I find myself defending her to insensitive souls who say "It's been six years, she needs to get over it."  Because none of them have ever lost a baby - and we can only hope and pray they never do.  But because they haven't, they shouldn't judge. 

But even though I try to understand - I cannot.  I suppose it's because I am in a rational state of mind at this point in my life - and she (apparently) is not.  I do understand depression.  I have been depressed.  Clinically and quite severely at one point in my life, so I do understand the bottomless pit that you feel as though you've descended into and cannot find  your way out no matter how hard you try.  The overwhelming feelings of despair.  The doubt that you'll ever find your way.  But what I have a hard time grasping is how she could even consider ending her own life.  I feel that it was selfish.  She has 5 living children and a husband who loves her. (Not to mention parents and siblings)  Isn't it selfish to put her family through the grief that she herself is going through?  But, again, that's my rational thoughts... I have not been in her shoes, I hope and I pray that I never am... and therefore, I cannot judge... but I can be sad.  And I can be scared.  And I am.  But I can only hope and pray that she can get through this.

...Then came the house.  The very next day actually.  It was actually our fridge.  As my dear friend Jullian pointed out, Refrigerators are not supposed to catch fire.  That's what we have stoves for.  :0) 

We came home from a soccer game to a house full of smoke and a burning wire smell.  We searched the house high and low, and thinking it was the wiring, my husband even started to check the walls.  We thought it was strongest in the kitchen, but the fridge was still working, and there wasn't anything odd about it.  But, soon, Bob (my husband) figured out that the smell got stronger when the fan on the fridge kicked on.  He pulled off the fireproof backing - and there was the fire.  If there hadn't been the fireproof backing.... well... our house would not have survived. 

Despite the age (10 years) of the fridge (which I so love!  It's huge!!  It's a Maytag Wide-By-Side.)  I called Maytag.  Everyone told me I was crazy, but I figured, why not?  What could it hurt?  I mean, I can understand things not working anymore - but to catch fire? They immediately sent someone out to our house (for free) to see what had happend and to see if it could be repaired. 

It took a week - but Maytag fixed it up so well that it's basically a brand new refrigerator!  They covered every penny of the $657.  The repairman was shocked at the fire damage.  He said he'd never seen anything like it - and commented on how close we came to losing everything. 

After nearly losing my sister the night before the fire, I couldn't really dwell on the closeness of it at the time.  I just told myself, "That's what we have insurance for." And went on.  Because really - what else can you do?  We have nowhere to go - but forward. 

A few days after the fire incident, torandos ripped through our county and several surrounding counties.  Two missed us by just a few miles.  They did extensive damage all around us, but left us unscathed.  Just a couple miles up the road (on our road) a family was sleeping in the upstairs of their house when the tornado ripped through and DEMOLISHED their home.  The parents were thrown into the basement.  They crawled out and found one of their children nearby, but could not find their baby.  They dug for quite some time (with help) and finally found their 1-year-old baby SIX FEET beneath the rubble.  Alive!!  His crib had turned over ontop of him and his mattress saved him from any serious injury.  Besides cuts and bruises, the entire family is fine!!  How amazing is that?  It's just an incredible story.  Tell me someone wasn't looking out for them that day!

The day that followed, my grandfather had a stroke.  Years ago, I had another grandpa who had a stroke.  He spent seven years in a near vegitive state.  He couldn't talk or walk or communicate.  He tried.  So hard.  But it was like he was trapped inside his own mind.  It was so sad.  He died two weeks before our Madi was born.  So, when I got the call about my other grandfather, who lost his wife just days after I had our Emy, I feared the worst.  We went up to see him, and he was not doing very well at all.  He progressively got worse as the hours ticked by.  In fact, at one point, he gave Bob and I quite a scare.  I thought we were going to lose him right then and there.  He stopped being able to talk and communicate... and then, just a few days later, he turned back on.  That's the only way to explain it.  It was like he turned back on.  He can talk and walk and seems to be improving.  (He didn't have any of the stroke busting drugs either.  He has a DNR and so the hospital could not do anything for him, but make him comfortable.) 

He does have dementia, something that has been progressing for quite awhile now, and he has a very hard time remembering things - including me (but he always remembers my husband - isn't that funny?)  I sometimes think that he thinks Madi is me - as though he's remembering me as an 11-year-old little girl.  He probably is.  But despite the dementia - he's not living in a vegetive state.  At least he can communicate with us.  And that is a good thing.  Although, on the downside, he is quite... ummmm.... how do I put this delicately?  Difficult.  lol  He recently got himself thrown out of his nursing home.  This weekend we move him to a new one.  All we can do, is shake our heads.

And then my little girl (Madi) found out her best friend is moving away.  It's been difficult for her.  I hope that despite the distance, they can remain friends.  A good friend is hard to find. 

It's so hard to watch your children's heart break.  We'd do anything to stop the pain.  Growing up is hard.  For all of us.

We took the kids trick-or-treating tonight.  They had a marevelous time.  Madi was a purple witch (she designs her own costumes) and little Emy was Donald Duck.  Her favorite!!  :)  At 2, she was REALLY getting into this Trick-or-Treating deal.

Despite our difficulties, I realize... life is good!  And I'm enjoying it immensely. 

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First, I wanted to say what a wonderful community this has proven to be so far.  I'm very much enjoying my stay here in the homeschool blogger world.  I've had so many nice people drop by to say hi.  Thank you for making me feel so welcome.

It is shaping up to be a crazy week here in my little corner of the world.  My two nieces and nephew, ages 9,8 and 7, arrived this evening to bring a little cheer to our life.  :)  I'm sure they're going to keep us quite busy for the next week while they visit.  We've been so excited about their visit that I can't believe it's already here.  We have so many fun events planned! They're looking forward to having a little look into our homeschool world, a foreign concept for them.  So, I thought we'd do a pond study, nature walk, scavenger hunt and identify some leaves.  And then I thought I'd pull out the wonderful packages we've received from all over the world this last year from some of our new homeschool friends so they can learn about all those neat places!  That was their request after they've heard so much about the fun we've had and the packages we've received.  After the learning, we're going to set up a "water park" and an obstacle course, have a fiesta night, and a make your own pizza party, and then go on a field trip where we can take a step back in time and explore a village from the 1800's.  And then maybe we'll just relax in the pool...

It should be a fun week.

I was tagged to play a game to write 10 Random Facts about myself and post it here for all to see - and then the object is for me to tag 8 new players.  The thing is though, I'm so new to this community that I don't know 8 people.  So, I've decided to change the rules ;) and challenge all of you to play the game and post me a link to your site so I can read your answers.  What a great way for me to get to know all of you!  (And if you've played the game already, I'd love to read the facts you've provided.)  So, before my exhaustion carries me into dreamland for the evening, here we go.

10 Random Facts About Me

1.)  I all too often wear my heart on my sleeve.  A bad place for it to be, for there it gets bruised easily.  But, I pick myself up and move forward - because that's the only way to go.

2.)  My husband and children are the love of my life - and without them, I wouldn't be where I am today.  They complete me and make me more happy then I've ever known.

3.)  My eyes are blue, my hair is blonde, and my big sister and I could pass as twins.  I'm a middle child.

4.)  I love the beach, the mountains, my family, and writing.  They calm me and inspire me.

5.)  When I was in middle school, I convinced the new girl, who would one day become a very wonderful friend to me (even to this day), that I was a movie star named Jessie. 

5b.)  I wasn't a movie star named Jessie.  But today, I am a writer and go by the name of Jes.  Coincidence?

6.)  I LOVE the tv show Dharma and Greg.  My daughter says I remind her of Dharma. 

7.)  I walk to the beat of my own drum - to the music inside my own head - and for it, my in-laws don't like me much.  After 14 years, you'd think they'd get over it...

8.)  I like to mow the lawn and listen to my MP3 player while I do so - it's my escape from reality. 

9.)  I'm almost always writing in my head.  It's the little voices that talk to me and keep me happy.  :)  When they're quiet, I worry. 

10.)  I love books.  Someday, I'm going to own a bookstore on the beach with my bestfriend, Jullian.

10b.)  I believe in God.

11.)  I don't follow rules so well - which is why there are now 11 facts.  Rules are just a starting off point for negotiation. 

12.)  I love it when my kids call me mommy.  It makes me feel warm inside.

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I decided to start a homeschool blog because I always enjoy reading everyone else's, and though I have a myspace - and a blog for my family who lives far away to read - I wanted a place to really be me.  So here I am.

My name is Jamie, and I'm the homeschooling momma to 2 little girls, the soccer player, Madi, and the bundle of energy, Emy.  Both of our girls are Miracle Babies.  Madi was a premie who barely survived - but you wouldn't know it today - and Emy was a gift from God after 8 long years of fertility treatments (which we had finally ceased after we were told that we had done everything we possibly could, and it was time to stop).  She was born just before Christmas with 2 heart conditions - but is doing so wonderfully today. 

Our oldest, Madi, turns 11 next month and we have been on our homeschooling journey pretty much since the day she was born.   When she was 5, I put her in Kindergarten like it was expected of me, and we were miserable.  It wasn't what I wanted, it was what the world dictated I be.  It was what my family insisted I do. 

My family consists of a very large number of public school teachers.  Un-naturally large numbers.  So, you can imagine their displeasure when I decided just a couple months into my daughters educational career, that I would follow my heart and bring her home.  It was then that I realized - this was what I had been doing since birth, and it felt natural. 

The years passed, and my family continues to hope that one day I will come to my senses - but they should know by now, I've never been one to conform to the rules that society set for me, why should I start now?  I do have my days that I wonder if I'm doing what's best for her - but then I realize that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to education - homeschool vs public school - it's what is right for us.  And this is it.

Don't get me wrong, somedays, when the day has been long and hard, I think about putting my Madi in school.  I dream of the peace and quiet in the afternoons during naptime, and the after-school milk and cookies while we converse around the table about how her day went, but then I wake-up and remember why I homeschool.  And my love for it.  And how much I'd miss her while she was gone in a place where she's not allowed to be herself, or grow-up at her own pace.  

Eight years after our first daughter was born, God gave us another miracle and we've never been happier.  Today our little Miracle is 2, and our girls are our pride and joy. 

My family consists of me, our two girls, and my wonderful, loving and supportive husband (my high school sweetheart) who works hard to make this journey possible.  We also have a dog named Buddy, a bunch of cats, and some fish.  We live in a house on a hill with a great woods and a creek that runs through it, which my girls enjoy exploring.   We live out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road surrounded by nature, horses and farms.  It's peaceful and quiet and perfect for our homeschooling journey. 

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