Okay, so it has been months since I posted anything.  Life is very busy.  We are doing very well keeping up with our school work this year.  We even took time to study calligraphy tonight.  It was a lot of fun.  I have started to teach ds3 to read.  He has learned to read bat so he can read "Batman."  He used to only care about farming.  I wish dh wouldn't show him Batman videos.  We have endured a week of the flu.  Everyone of us ended up getting it sooner or later.  I think the flu last year was worse.  It seemed to drag on for weeks.  This one was over in a couple of days. 

Co-op has been going well.  Dd1 said this P.E. thing might just be a little good.  She's finding herself being more flexible.  They are doing the Presidential Fitness Challenge.  The first week, she thought it was going to kill her, she was so sore.  But things have gotten easier for her.  They are all enjoying the study of Land Creatures.  We have spent the last few weeks getting ready to sing in a nursing home.  About half the kids play a musical instrument.  It might actually be more than half.  They will be playing for the residents and singing for them.   I've been thinking of making cupcakes to take in and give away when we go.  I found a red velvet cupcake I think the older people might enjoy.  I think a lot of the older folks enjoy carrot cake.  I wonder if I could make it in cupcake form?

Dd1 has been reading the biography about Jeremiah Stokely, an archeologist.  She thinks it's really funny.  Dd2 has been fascinated with paleontology lately.  We have once again gotten into the study of dinosaurs.  But we are also studying the Earth.  She read a book about everything a paleontologist needs to know and she's set to learn it all.  Time to go.

Another good day at co-op Friday.  The kids are loving their science classes.  I moved dd2 back to the K-2nd grade class because there was only 1 other girl in the class and she wouldn't have made the cut off for 3rd grade if she had been in public school anyway.  She is loving being in that class. The teacher is a good friend of mine and is so good with the kids.  Dd1 is getting used to her new teacher and the new teacher is getting used to her.  They  are starting to enjoy being around each other.  At first the teacher didn't know the way she always answered the questions.  She does them as a narrative but chooses 2 different characters to talk to each other to answer the questions.  Last week it was Lassie and another famous dog talking to each other.  I forget which one.  The week before that it was Mr. Ed and Francis the talking mule.  I think the teacher is looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.  The kids seem to have a competition to see who can come up with the most imaginative one.  Ds3 is loving his class with Miss Patty again.  Five boys in that class this year.  No girls.   Where are all the girls?  There had to be some others born in the last 8 years other than mine and that other girl in the K-2nd class.  We have lots of boys though.

For gym, the kids ran for the Presidential Challenge.  Dd1 is going to have to work up to a mile.  And sit ups really aren't her thing. 

For history, we went to the gorge to look for the foundation of the first covered bridge in Indiana.  Then we went fossil hunting along the river.  Dd1 went knee deep into the water.  We had a picnic after the class and let the kids play.

Then we went to Civic Theater and found out there was still space available on the homeschool troupe so I paid out my $70 and got the girls into that.  The theater is going to be doing The Boxcar Children in the spring.  I think that will be fun for them.

The piano teacher said both girls did very well in their lessons last week.  She said it was probably dd1's best lesson ever.  Dd1 was ready to quit a few weeks ago when it seemed to be getting too hard, but she stuck with it and conquered the difficulty she was having with the new things she was learning.  Her music sounds so beautiful now.  Dd2 is doing well but had taken some time off from lessons.  She wants to learn now and is doing well. 

Horse back riding lessons also went well, with ds3 finishing our lessons with one trip around the ring.  He wears his helmet (backwards because there is a piece of velcor that scratches him on the forehead when he wears it right)  the whole time the girls are taking their lessons.  They all love horses. 

We took a field trip to the Levi Coffin house yesterday to learn about the Underground Railroad.  We had a good trip.  It was Levi Coffin Days so the house was full with a different interpreter in each room.  Harriet Beecher Stowe had come by there to interview Levi Coffin while she was writing Uncle Tom's Cabin.  I think that will be the next book we'll read after the Diary of Anne Frank.   Frederick Douglas had also stayed there.  Over 2000 slaves were supposed to have gone through that house in the 20 years Levi lived there.  They said they had to make it all the way to Canada to be truly safe travelling about 15 miles a day.  We had some very honorable people that lived in this area.  The city of Richmond was founded by Quakers from North Carolina that were so disgusted by slavery that they left there to come to Indiana where slavery wasn't allowed.  I am proud to have that heritage, knowing my ancestors were some of those people.

The girls were in the moonlight parade tonight, with the model railroader's club.  It was a lot of fun.  They have a wonderful float with the trains running on it.  The trains all had lights, so it looked really great at night.

I've been studying local history for our co-op class.  I really love it.

'Ds2 just called.  He's forgotten the keys he needs for work and wants Hubby to bring them to him.  I hope we can hold out filling the gas tank until the hurricane is past, but it looks like we might just get taken and have to buy it soon, before the price drops.  We need to learn to make manure into fuel.  Hopefully, we can get some homeschool kid working on that.

We had a good day at co-op yesterday.  We studied careers you can have dealing with animals.  The families are starting a family fitness challenge.  The kids took their initial test in that.  We went on a field trip to the Joseph Moore Museum at Earlham College where we had a wonderful class on the Adena/Hopewell Indians.  The also got some snakes and snapping turtles out for us.  Then, it was on to the McDonanld's playland where I had a meeting with what seems to be the leaders of our co-op to work out the problems we had had.  Alls well now.We had good fellowship and good fun. 

The other day, ds3 was going out to work with Grandpa, moving manure.  I told him if he had to potty to take down his pants and do it and not pot in them.  He said ok.  I said,  "that's my good boy."  He's responded,  " That's my good momma."  I love that kid!

Dd1 is very sore from the gym class and doesn't want to do it anymore.  Dd2 didn't think a thing of it.  Not sore at all.  Dd1 definitely takes after me more.

I have decided to do a unit study of Anne Frank after the Freebie Friday newsletter.  Last year, we studied Corrie Ten Boom and I think this will be a nice follow-up.  What's amazing is one human being could treat another like they did during WWII.  I'm so glad the U.S. got involved in that war.  How shameful it would have been to continue to let Hitler take over and destroy.  I think we will find many of the same kinds of attrocities in Iraq when all is said and done.  I do believe we wouldn't be there if God didn't intend on us being there.  We don't know all the reasons, but He does.

We had a rough day yesterday, working out the problems with co-op.  I'm afraid relationships have been permanantly damaged.  But just like the Germans, if I stood by and watched a fellow human being mistreated, I would be just as guilty.  He that knows right and does not do it, to him that is sin.  That is my recollection of that verse.  One of the ladies making the decision that I believed to be in error wrote me and said she was doing it because homeschooling was under  attack and we had to stay accountable to one another.  She is the same age as I am, but her oldest is only 6.  I think back to 15 years ago, when like many of us, I had to defend my right to homeschool.  For years I fought for the right to homeschool my son.  The school system has proven they cannot teach children well, let the mothers do it.     They would like nothing better than to have our children back in the public school, not for the education, but for the money they get per child.  And it is additional money if the can give them some sort of label, such as ADD.   And then I think,, what can this woman know about homeschooling being under attack?  What has she gone through that would make her think she had to explain that to me?  Go figure!

Well, the problem I thought had been resolved has come back up.  I have sent my apologies for any trouble I caused.  Hopefully, this will end it and we can just get on with the school year. 

We had piano lessons again today, but dd2 started lessons after taking off since last Christmas.  She did very well.  DD1 is wanting to quit because it's getting too hard.  She's moving her hands farther and farther around the keyboard.  It's taking real effort now.  I forced her to practice tonight before bed.  She wasn't happy about it.  She's dead set on quitting.  We did our reading while the other was in her lesson.

DS2 started his new job today.  He has to be at work by 6:30 in the morning, but his girlfriend won't let him sleep.  She slept till almost noon today, so she just isn't tired yet.  They had to move in with us when they got kicked out of their apartment.  He couldn't find work, so he couldn't pay rent.  Hopefully, they'll get on their feet soon.

I love life.  We put hay in the loft today because the hay elevator broke while we were doing it Sat.  The kids and Grandpa all helped.  My husband even got home while we were working and pitched in.  I was watching everyone as we walked back to the house.  My 22 year old threw his girlfriend on his shoulder and was carrying her back to the house.  My ten year old walked with him, giggling.  My 8 year old was holding hands with Daddy and my 3 year old was helping Grandpa park the tractor in the barn.  What a life!  I do love my life, my God, my husband, my parents and my kids.  I love being surrounded by them.  Hope you all can have a love life.  It is wonderful being blessed with people to love.

After a couple of years of one of my sons denying God, he believes in God, again.   Thank everyone who prayed for him.  He starts a new job tomorrow.  I am so grateful to God.

Yesterday, I was buckling my 3 year old into the truck with Grandpa to go get parts for the baler.  I told him he was a good farmer and he answered, "Yeah."  Then I washed him up with a wet wipe and gave him a kiss.  When he was leaving, he told Grandpa, "I like my mom."  He fell asleep before he got to the river.  Grandpa brought him back and went on to town.  He woke up as Grandpa was leaving the farm for the day.  I asked him how his trip to town with Grandpa was.  He scratched his head and said they had hit a goose.  Turned out it was a buzzard in the road they had almost hit.

Today, DD2 turns 8.  Happy Birthday, Sweetie.

Well, we didn't get to any book work yesterday.  DD1 had piano lessons in the middle of the day and then I just wanted to catch up on housework.  We'll get at it again today.  Sweet corn is about ready.  I planted it late because of the rain.  Weeds are taking over again this year.  I planted some ferns the piano teacher let me dig from her place.  They seem to be doing well.  Ds2 and his girlfriend have moved in to our house.  He can seem to find work.  She isn't trying to find work.  She works a job 2 hours a week and that seems to be enough for her.  I'll be glad when we find a place for all their things.  Right now we just seem to be tripping over everything.  DD1 soaked DS3 yesterday with the water hose.  He was cold, so I told him to stand in the sun to warm up.  He came in while I was cooking a little while later.  He said,  "The sun doesn't work.  A shower would work."  Remember, he's only three.  It was so cute.  I stripped him down and put him in the shower.  Then the girls went after each other with the water hose.  They all ended up in the shower and I ended up with three extra outfits to wash.  At least I don't have pjs to wash for DS3.  He slept in his John Deere shirt.

Well, as John Wayne said,  "Daylights a wastin', Pilgrim."  DS2 has to be at the unemployment office at 9.  I better get him on the move.

I believe in Deut. 6, teaching your children at all times, but yesterday we started back to our official school year.  During the summer,  I made a concentrated effort to teach the children to help around the house.  I have got to have help.  I cannot keep up with the laundry and house by myself.  I bred laziness in my older ones by not having them help enough.  I was satisfied if they watched the little ones while I tried to get it all done.  I failed them.  What good is it to have all the learning in the world without a work ethic to get the work done that's ahead of you?

The weather has been beautiful here.  The highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.  It would be wonderful weather to work outside if I could get the inside work done to get there.  I only have one load of laundry to do today, so maybe I'll get out and trim the shrubs, finally.  DH doesn't see the point in trimming them.  They just grow again.  We're starting to look like one of these foreclosures around here.  I need to fix the electric in the bathroom.  I've got to figure out what the last guy did to fix our current problems (no pun intended.)  Everything around here needs a coat of paint.  I don't know how much I'll get done.  I better get to it, though.  It's not going to do itself.