As is the custom for many at this time of the year,
we are reflecting on God's bountiful blessings to our family.  

In years past we have done a  'tree of thanks',
it's a project that we have enjoyed, but this year we are doing something just a bit different....
an 'advent calendar' for Thanksgiving.


First, we made our own envelopes (one for each day of November,)

and then we searched online for cute images and clip-art to decorate them.

Inside the envelopes are small slips of paper that say, "I am thankful for...."
Each day we will each write down one thing that we are especially thankful for, and then place it in the pocket for the day. 

At the end of the month,(or perhaps at our Thanksgiving celebration,)
we will all read our slips and share with one another just how richly we have been blessed.

My littlest girl and my step-daughter happen to have the same birthday. It's so much fun to celebrate two birthdays on one day. It makes it a little more like Christmas because it's not all about one child. Our girls are so cute about wanting to surprise their sisters and be involved in the party preparations. This year we started having the older ones pay for their own gift out of their piggy bank. It's a wonderful experience for them. They are really thoughtful, yet frugal in their choices. Well, here are some pictures of the celebration.

It was a medical day today.

The Shots

I gave in and got the H1N1 vaccine for two of my daughters (my oldest and youngest) and for me, complete with Thermisol (mercury) for my older daughter and me. I have very well-managed asthma that has occasionally gone totally South on me in the past. Real misery.  30-40% reading on my peak flow meter kind of stuff. And my eight year old has CVS, which she has gotten sick before from a cold and it causes her to not be able to keep things down at all, once for almost a week. So, despite my misgivings, and outrage at them STILL putting things like Thermisol in our vaccines, I got the vaccine. My littlest daughter got the one without thermisol, but it was "unavailable" to us who are older. We even had a flu like thing come through our house, but not everyone got it and it wasn't that strong or long-lasting, so I'm figuring it wasn't H1N1.

In the end I just figured I was going to worry about which was the right decision and I'd just get the vaccine and then put the worry behind me.

Abigail was cute as can be. Kids were there screaming before they even got the shot, just in anticipation. She, at first didn't know what was going on. Then I got a shot and Natalie (8) got a shot and then I picked up Abigail (2) to hold her. What a smarty she is. I pulled her sleeve down to bare it and she immediately grabbed her upper arm muscle to cover it. So smart. We all feel alright so far.

Dentist

Jon went to the dentist. We belong to an HMO. He called for a dental cleaning and they told him it was three months or today. So, he took today. In customary fashion, nothing wrong with his teeth. I tell you, he brushes his teeth so fast and only once a day and isn't consistent about flossing. But, never any cavities or any other problems. He tells them about the difference between him and I. I don't know why Jon tells me these things, but he tells me he says they say it's just how you take care of your teeth. He tells them about how many cavities I have gotten when pregnant. They tell him that extra cavities associated with pregnancy have only to do with being distracted. You have got to be kidding??? These people just frost me! (Am I not supposed to say that on a blog?) I brush my teeth like a maniac when I'm pregnant. They tell Jon there is no nutritional basis for cavities and that teeth cannot have minerals leached from them. What are they smoking??? (Am I not supposed to say that either?) I suppose weak teeth have no possible connection with weak bones either...as in how badly I broke my wrist... Oh...my, I do need to brush my teeth like crazy. That's true. But, it is my belief that I have some genetic thing going on with both my teeth and my bones and my moods that I best do something about. The medical community can be so narrow minded sometimes. Medicine + a thoughtful (rather than bureaucratic) look at nutrition = powerful. Medicine the way it is = unhelpful.

This year Rebecca decided to do math club.  She is in high school now and so the math is TRICKY.  She, being the perfectionist that she is, came out of class today in a rather foul mood.  Methinks it has something to do with the review they had of a recent contest the team competed in.  She was not happy on that day either.  I'm just sayin' there may be a connection somewhere...

We have long since outgrown Trick or Treating and Halloween has become somewhat of an awkward holiday.  It was never really a favorite of mine (although the loads of candy was cool) and now that my kids are all teens it's almost an annoying "holiday". 

 

This year was a bit different, however, because the girls got to go to a dance!  Rather than doing the costume thing and having a plethora of "thou shalt not's", the organizers decided to employ black lights and have a "who is the brightest" contest.  It was soooo much fun!

 

 

The kids have recently become card game aficionados and the idea of dressing with a deck of cards theme was enthusiastically embraced.  They spent a couple of hours creating their assigned/chosen card and this was the result. 

 

Josh was supposed to be the jack of clubs, but he decided to hang out with some buddies instead. 

You can find me over here...

at Sunny Scholars.

This should be required reading for all homeschool dads is hysterical!

Homeschool Mom Universal Translator
(A translator for dads, so that they do not misinterpret what we mean
when we are stressed out by homeschooling.)

And it couldn't be more timely... considering my last post

Sorry I haven't been updating more....We all  have the 'blahs.'
(It's too early in the year for this...isn't it?)
Part of it is the weather - ( the cold hit early this year),
part of it was the flu  -(that took a lot out of all of us!), but mostly...
we're just not as excited about school this year for some reason. 

The material is just as good,
but we haven't found our groove and settled into a comfortable routine like we have in past years. 

It isn't  MFW that's dragging us down this year -
(Yes...we're all ready to move on from Rome, and I've been a bit frustrated with some of the readings, but in all I think that we've all enjoyed it....)
It''s our core subjects that have hit us hard this year.

Julie, especially, has reached a point in which her main subjects have increased quite a bit in the level of difficulty.  (She's hit the 'logic stage' for those who subscribe to the 'Classical' model.)
Because they are more difficult, she often needs to spend more time on them.
This frustrates her, (because she sees Joseph 'whizzing' through his work,)
it frustrates Joseph, (because he has to wait for her so we can all do our MFW readings together,)
and it frustrates me,  because we get further and further behind...
(and this extends our time in Rome!)

Also, Julie has begun her catechism work that she must take in order for her to become an 'confirmed' member of our church.  This is a very intensive Bible study course, and I think that doing two Bible programs (MFW and catechism) is wearing her out.  I'd hate to give up either one, though...as they both have so much to offer...  One is church history, and the other is Church history!

Thinking ahead to next year already, I have already decided that - while I have really loved combining Julie and Joseph for Bible, History and Science these past few years...I did so because I thought it would make things easier and less complicated for me.  At first that was true, but now that they are at different levels of comprehension...this is proving to not always be the case.   

So next year, I am pretty sure that each will have their own completely separate program for all subjects.   whether those are textbooks, or unit studies, or possibly even literature based programs - I haven't decided.   

We'll stick it out for this year though, and who knows...
once we're out of Rome - our whole outlook may completely change.

Of all the places I could choose to write about this, here seems to be the perfect place. Maybe becauseyou know my heart better than most, maybe because "Encouragement Along the Way " is the title of my book and my blog. Venting is something I do very rarely and these words are not writing in anger, more befuddled and confused than angry.

You see I discovered the other day that my publishing comapany no longer exists. I was not told it was no longer in business. I was not notified that they were no longer distributing my book. Truth is I don't even know if my book is even available anywhere any longer. The original file, the publisher did not return. You see I wrote an email requesting I be mailed a case of books. I was planning on a book signing prior to the Holidays. After all this is the time people are most likely to buy a devotional. Anyway, the email was returned adressee unknown. So we went to the Publishers website.. It was gone! Without any notice it was completely gone.

When my first publisher sold the company, we had great correspondance, decisions were made and new contracts exchanged. The new publisher well, that has never been the case and it breaks my heart. I expect Christians to behave honorably.  And that has not been the case, not even respectfully have I been included in this dissolving of my ..."MY" book.

I am told it is mine to do with as I please. Find a new publisher, self publish, or e-book it. I am open to the Lord's direction. Valerie posted this verse on her FB today, and I knew it was God speaking to my heart.

We rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love. Romans 5:3-5

This is my prayer,my focus, my desire. This hope is the only hope that does not disappoint. So today I am developing character, praying to forgive and waiting for direction. After all, it was never ever my book, the heart of it, the words in it ,they were always the Lord's. It is His to do with as He chooses.

 

 

Joseph was assigned to write about a 'famous explorer' for language arts today.

Thinking he might need help, I started listing off a bunch he could choose from:
Columbus, Magellan, Drake, De Soto, Cortes, etc....

He said "No...that's okay, Mom.  I already picked one."

"Great!" I thought.   He's starting to retain those important historical facts and figures!


And then he handed me his paper...

with a paragraph on.....

























Sigh......... 

Oh well...at least it was a well written paragraph.