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Smooth sailing so far...

This week has been monumental in many ways, the most obvious being the start of our new school year.  The two thousand fifteen, two thousand sixteen first week of school is almost in the books.  Noah began ninth grade, Caitlyn began fifth grade, and Aiden began third grade.  These years of homeschooling my three have flown by.  It is hard to believe that this is our ninth year homeschooling and my seventeenth year teaching.  After this year I will have homeschooled longer than I taught in the classroom.  That period of my life (the classroom teaching) seems lifetimes away.  I jokingly refer to it as my former life.  We have also begun our 11th year of Navy life, 9 more to go to 20!!

Our start of our school has gone really well this week.  We started our week talking about names and what each of their names meant.  Our Bible study is going to center around the different names of Jesus, so learning about our names first seemed logical.  We also made the beginnings of our timelines.  We talked about BC and AD (even though the terms have changed slightly, we still learn the old ones, along with the new ones).  The littles are "rowing" How to Bake a Chrry Pie and see the World.  Technically it isn't a Five in a Row book, but we have already done the FIAR book equivalent How to Bake an Apple Pie and See the World a couple of years ago and I thought this book could help us kick off our study of American history and geography.  I love it when you have lessons that just take off.  This week that has happened to us.  Tuesday I had the opportunity to spend individual time with Caitlyn and Aiden as Noah had his first high school co-op.  It was a blessing to be able to relax and enjoy their activities and without worrying about "finishing" this or that in order to divide my time in thirds.  So, I printed out large U.S. maps for both kids (each map spread over nine pages), each had to assemble his/her map.  After assembling, Aiden wanted to color each state, so color we did!  I had in mind for them to label the states as we studied them, but they were so excited about completing their maps, that that wanted to label them right away.  One of the things that has always irritated my perfectionist children (no idea where they get that, by the way) is that when they write, it often doesn't turn out as neat as they want it to creating utter frustration and desire to give up altogether.  Enter the label maker, that little "splurge" that seemed so frivolous at the time.  "I don't really NEED it, " I told myself in the store while I was considering the purchase.  I bought it anyway, and this week, I am glad I did.  I let the kids use the label maker to create their state names!  Since the label maker can make perfect letters, the product turns out like they envision it.  And, they are still working on spelling as well as fine motor skills, so win/win.  Such a simple idea, I can't believe I didn't come up with it sooner!  The kids have been so excited about this project that they have been asking every day to continue working on it.  Asking to do schoolwork outside of school time signals a good lesson, in my opinion.  We also read the first two chapters in Burgess' Bird Book and talked about migration and colors of feathers.

Noah started his first co-op this week.  He seemed to like it.  I think he will do well if he can keep up with the work in all the classes.  He is studying the Middle Ages this year in history and is using the text The Middle Ages by Dorothy Mills.  I have chosen literature to go along with the time period.  This week we started Once and Future King by TH White.  We have gotten through the first chapter together.  I have taken it slow this week in order to discuss note taking as we read.  We also discussed the history of the Arthurian legend.  We talked about Joseph of Arimetheia and how his story ties into the Arthur story.  One of the many things I love about homeschooling is that I can cover about three "classroom" lessons in one sitting with Noah.  

All of the kids resumed piano lessons today.  I don't think they missed too much over the summer.  The teacher seems to think they will pick it right back up.

So, that is all I have to report this week.  Please pray for us, as next week we start co-op #2, in which I am teaching two classes.

Stuff my kids say...

One of the many things I LOVE about homeschooling is catching my kids say funny things.  I love that we can laugh through out the day.  I especially love Noah's sarcastic wit and Caitlyn's unintentional funny lines that she is humble enough to laugh about.  For instance, today Caitlyn was working on a word problem in math and she commented, "Saliva?  What kind of name is Saliva? (reading more closely) Sy...Sy...Sylvia?" (giggling) "Oh, Sylvia, that makes more sense!"  A good laugh by all ensued.

Charlotte Mason would have been proud...

Today was a very different type of school day.  Firstly, we worked on math first thing this morning and it did help the little kids to concentrate.  The second change was that we went outside and enjoyed nature.  Charlotte Mason would have been proud.  I have been meaning to take a nature walk every week, but it seems that we had not found our rythm yet with our other subjects, or we were all too tired by the end of the day.  So, this week I decided this was to be the week.  Today we went outside, sat in the grass and talked about making observations, then I let the kids walk around and observe.  Aiden chose to observe from his spot on the grass, but we had a very engaging discussion about what is "natural" and what is not.  Noah and Caitlyn explored together, they might have even ventured into the woods (gasp).  When they returned and began writing and drawing, I noticed Caitlyn had listed several things she had observed, but had neglected to place a comma between the items in her list.  So, I made a note to self to go over the rules associated with listing items within a sentence.  She collected a nice, big leaf which she sketched in her journal, fulfilling her art requirement for the day.  I looked through Noah's binoculars at a purple patch at the edge of the wood, and noticed it was wild flowers.  I sent Noah on a mission to sketch them for me.  By that point, Aiden was cutting the grass with the scissors he had included in his backpack, so I figured it was time for lunch break.  One thing I have begun doing lately is playing some sort of documentary during lunch.  I figure they can learn while they chew.  The Secrets of the Tower of London was our program today and we had some great discussions about the logistics of raising and lowering Tower Bridge, and how annoying it would be to live in the Warder quarters and have to walk up all those flights of stairs carrying your groceries.  Then Noah made a clever remark about how King Henry had a poor decorating sense because that head on a spike did NOT go with that gate (Traitor's Gate).  Even I learned something new.  I don't recall ever seeing the, now private, quarters where Thomas Moore was imprisoned.  Interesting stuff.  As we were finishing the program Aiden became very sleepy and snuggled next to me.  When he suggested getting a blanket I told him he better not, or we might fall asleep.  His reply?  Who cares, Mommy???? Yeah, I am with him!!!!  Who cares????  So snuggle away!!  What could be a better way to pass an afternoon!!!!!

We wrapped up school with some reading and before we knew it Catherine was here for our tennis lesson.  We opted to go to the Amish market first where our bounty included mums, pumpkins, apples, plums, peaches, corn, and broccoli which the farmer cut just for us!  Then, back home for tennis, dinner, and book study for Mommy.  All in all a good day!

First day of school, first day of school!!

I have been encouraged to blog more...

So, here it goes.  Actually, I have been blogging lately, it just hasn't been posted.  I guess you could call it journaling, but none has actually been post worthy, in my opinion.  I guess I should just dive back in and maybe my inspiration will come back.  I know that the act of writing everyday can be inspiration in itself, at least that is what Ray Bradbury said in, Zen in the art of Writing.  I always like posting about our homeschooling week, although, none of that is ever particularly inspiring I would guess to most people anyway.  I guess I am always waiting for that moment of real inspiration, but I might be waiting a long time.  Anyway, here it goes, for real this time...

We have had a great start to our school year.  One would think that with homeschooling, the start of the year would be smoothe.  The kids aren't new, the teacher isn't new, nothing to get accustomed to, right?  Well, just like in public/private school, my homeschooled kids have an adjustment period too.  Every year is a new year, one more grade up, higher expectations, more distractions and that is just for the teacher.  This year Noah is in eighth grade.  I am not quite sure how that happened.  I thought we were just last week enjoying Five in a Row together, studying Ping and dressing up with his sister like a dragon.  How did he become such a wise, creative, and math savvy teenager?  We are loosely following the Ambleside Online curriculum this year.  I love the format and philosophy behind Ambleside Online, but I can't quite seem to master what I envision Charlotte Mason's peaceful classroom must have been like.  I mean, did she have students throwing themselves on the floor as a distraction, or someone hiding under the table to avoid an assignment?  I often think to myself, how would Charlotte handle this?  My answer is always the same, she would have probably run away from the classroom and hidden herself in the bathroom for a ten minute break.  That must be what she would do, because that is the only action that seems logical when he classroom is in chaos.  

Caitlyn is in fourth grade and is learning cursive for the first time.  She is motivated to write curly, swirly letters all over the board dotting her I's with little hearts.  I remember the heart dotting I stage.  Such a fun time to be a girl.  Way before you have to worry about the stress and pressure of girl teen-hood.  If she could only stay in this stage forever...  She and Aiden, who is now in second grade (did I just write that?) are thoroughly enjoying Five in a Row together for another year.  This curriculum truly makes me happy.  The kids love it and I love it, they learn along the way and we all get to really examine and enjoy literature together.  Perfection.  Unfortunately after all that goodness has to end and math has to be done.  Ugh, I don't like teaching math any better than learning math.  Math, however, is Aiden's favorite subject.  I hope I don't inadvertently squelch his love of math with my subconscious negativity.  I am working really hard this year to give the kids freedom and encouragement in their areas of interest.  Caitlyn loves everything art related.  I find that if I work in drawing at some point in the day, she is a happy camper.  One thing I find amusing with her is her competitiveness.  She wants me to put a grade on EVERYTHING and wants to know if it is an A + or - and she wants to compare her grades with her brothers.  Never mind the fact that they are doing completely different work at different grade levels.  She loves to do good work in everything.  I admire that in her.  I think I am a bit like that too, except maybe when it comes to keeping my car clean.  Aiden is content to sit in my lap.  That is all the reward he needs.  He likes to be the class clown and make people laugh, but really he just still wants to be my baby, and I am just fine with that.  He has become more independent in his free time.  He used to need encouragement to play or do an activity by himself, but now I see him initiating his own activities while I work with the other kids.  He is progressing in his skills nicely.  My challenge right now is to carve out one-on-one time for each of the kids for a really meaningful activity.  I feel like we have just been slogging through each subject and not really savoring our time, like I wish we would.  I haven't had time to read aloud to them, except for a little bit, and would love for reading to be the heart of our day, instead of an activity we do when we finish all the other "important" stuff.  We haven't gone on nature walks to enjoy God's creation.  I think we all really need that during the day.  I have scheduled in tea time, but we have yet to get to it, sigh.  Maybe there is a way we can flip our schedule around and put that first, so it will not be put aside at the end of the day when we are worn out.

These are the things swirling around in my head right now.  Farewell for mow mon amis, I will leave you with a few pictures of my beautiful children...

Our Maryland Adventure...

As I was unpacking my school room after our most recent move from Florida to Maryland, I came upon the special book that I had printed of my blog a few years ago.  I thought about how much the kids love looking at the pictures and reading my words.  I have always felt like that was one of the best things I have ever done for the family, recording random special memories of our crazy life.  My mom, who was here visiting, asked me why I had ever stopped blogging.  I had to admit that for our first year in Pensacola, I really didn't feel like I had much to say.  Life after a move is difficult.  Many people will never understand the toll constant moving can take on a family.  Constantly having to say goodbye to friends, being new most of the time, finding new friends, a new homeschooling group, a new church...it can really be tough.  After leaving our home in Corpus Christi, Texas; and saying farewell to the lifelong friends we had made there, I think we all were in a bit of a tailspin.  I even hesitate using the word "friends" because really I have always thought of them as family.  It was so difficult on everyone to leave...And, after a bit of a rocky start to our Pensacola time, I think we all just went into survival mode, military moms know this mode well.  It is the "I have to maintain normalcy at all costs".  Sometimes it means curbing activities, keeping everyone at home until things get a little smoother.  So, for the first year in Pensacola, I didn't find many happy things to blog about, and who wants to read a year long complaining jag?  No one.  Hence, no blogging for me.  By the second year we had made a few friends, not many, but some.  The third year is really when things took took off for us (read:  our last year there).  After really connecting with our great homeschooling group (BEACH), and meeting some new friends, we found ourselves so busy, that I hardly had time to write.  By mid year we were already preparing ourselves for the move, making sure we completed all our "lasts".  We had a bit of a hick up when we found out we were not moving to Orlando, like we had thought for months (read:  disappointment, so again, no blogging).

Then came Maryland...I certainly was not happy about moving here, but was determined to make the best of it.  House hunting was our first step.  When we arrived late on a Saturday night, we were received by my ADPi pledge sister, who had just moved to Maryland a few months earlier.  In retrospect, I think that this warm welcome by old friends really set the tone for our whole trip.  Chris and I both really, really liked the area.  We saw some great housing options, then we found "the" house!  We found a HOME in Leonardtown, MD in a great subdivision with many amenities.  It was just what we had been looking for.  From the moment I walked in, it just felt like home!  Even when we arrived before we had our household goods, it still felt like home.  So, we have now been here three weeks and it has been great so far.  We have met friends already and are getting our boxes out (slowly).

Caitlyn and Aiden have had a great time watching (and catching in Caitlyn's case) the little rabbits that frolick in the green behind our house.  Our house has already been swamped with boys coming to hang out with Noah.  Seems like things are going smoothly...I will be adding pictures and hopefully updating as our first year of our Maryland adventure continues.  Until next time...

Important FlipShare Service Update

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Dear FlipShare User, Thank you for your loyalty and support of Flip Video. On April 11, 2011 we announced our exit from the Flip business. We have maintained FlipShare and video sharing since then to allow customers time to transition to a new video sharing service. On December 31, 2013, you will no longer be able to share videos via FlipShare - all previous videos that you might have shared via FlipShare will also expire and be deleted. Remember, the original videos that you have stored on your computer are not affected. You may continue to use the complimentary 30-day video hosting from FlipShare for videos uploaded on or before November 30, 2013. Video sharing capabilities will still be supported until December 31, 2013. In addition to downloading your content to a local hard drive, you can migrate your content to a third party hosting provider that supports the country in which you're located. If you are having trouble locating a third party site or provider, there is a new service called Givit that may meet your video hosting and sharing needs. Givit can be used for sharing and storing videos for a longer period of time. To see if Givit meets your needs, go here. If you think Givit's service is right for you, you can register online for free. Givit can also be downloaded at the Apple App Store or the Android Market if you are using mobile devices. Cisco will continue to provide technical support for both Flip video cameras and FlipShare until December 31, 2013. All information regarding the end of life for FlipShare and FAQs on these changes is available here. Sincerely, The Flip Video team

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Ode to Murph or Reflections on Easter

For the last few days I have been trying to wrap my mind around the death of my friend, just like the other family and friends of Jennifer Marie Murphy Martz. It feels inconceivable that this beautiful friend, daughter, woman, mother should not be in the world anymore. As I pondered this reality, I was struck by a verse from Romans 12:2.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good and pleasing and perfect will."
I believe with all my heart that Murph (that was her nickname) was one of the transformed, and not patterned of this world. She was not perfect, as God does not expect perfection from us. He simply wants us to seek his will for our lives through study, prayer, worship and action. She certainly did all of these things. You can see the fruits of her endeavors simply by looking at her children. I cannot speak to all the ways she blessed her church, her community, her family as I didn't know her in those capacities, although every time I spoke with her after the birth of her children she gushed about them and I could tell they were the loves of her life. I can only reminisce on my own memories of her and how she touched my life.

The first time I met Murph was on January 11, 1992, our bid day at Southwestern University. Like me, she ran out into the courtyard of the dorms to a mass of happily singing sisters. We had just finished rush week and had made our selections as well as the sororities had made theirs. We were greeted with shouts and cheers as we indicated that we would accept an ADPi bid and become a part of that sorority. I knew a few of the girls in my pledge class, but had never met some of them. Little did I know that some of those sisters pledging with me that day would change my life forever. Jennifer Murphy was one of those sisters. One thing that drew me to her right away was her ability to laugh. We had so many tasks ahead of us that semester, with learning all we could about the sorority so that we could become full members, not to mention classes still! Study hours and meals together were strongly encouraged so we saw LOTS of each other. I can remember many meals in the upstairs commons with her just laughing and laughing. She took the role of "big sister" to everyone in our class very quickly. Having trouble in a class? Chat with Murph. Bad break up with a boyfriend? Go cry with Murph. Advice on who to ask to such and such event? Seek counsel with Murph. Struggling with spiritual issues? Pray with Murph. She was always that girl that made you feel so special and so important when you were with her. I never remember her being to busy to spend time with any of us.

I can remember distinctly the day that she told me she was going to study abroad for a semester. I couldn't imagine SU without Murph. I moped the whole semester, I think. I knew she was having a wonderful time, from her letters, but I counted down the days until she returned. I can remember her coming to surprise me in my dorm room. We hugged and danced and screamed as we rejoiced! Then I had a startling moment a few nights later, when I heard a knock at my door and in walked Murph with a very large pair of scissors in her hand. "If you don't cut my hair RIGHT NOW," she said, "I am going to cut it myself!" Evidently, she had not had a haircut the whole semester abroad and she was at the breaking point with it. I assured her that she was making a terrible mistake. I had long STRAIGHT hair and I had no idea how to even begin to brush curly hair, much less cut it! I warned her that I had never cut anyone's hair before, not even my own bangs. I tried to talk her into waiting the next day, as I had a good salon to recommend, but she would not relent and I could tell she meant business, so into the bathroom we went. I cut her hair to the best of my abilities and the next day we both laughed hysterically when someone complimented her on her new haircut. She never asked me to cut her hair again, but we both just knew I had saved her from a very bad self cut!

We spent many nights hanging out at the Pike house together. She was so encouraging to me when I started dating a boy named Chris. She assured me that he was a great guy and that he would NOT break my heart. She was so wise. Four years later, she watched as I married that guy. I couldn't imagine making our vow before God without her there to celebrate with us. She and Walt brought their new little baby, Jorden, who stole everyone's heart!

Murph was always the pioneer in our group. She was the first to get married, first to have a baby, first to own a minivan. Even after college, she continued in the big sister roll, talking me through each new life step. She called me with news of each new pregnancy. We celebrated this new role that she was moving into as a mother. I can remember when I found out I was pregnant with my first baby. A call to Murph was one of the first I made. That was one of our longest phone conversations as I wanted her to tell me "everything!" She assured me that pregnancy and delivery would be fine and that I would make a great mom. That was just what I needed to hear at that time. There were a couple of years that followed in which we lost touch. I think we both were going through difficult times and neither one of us had the emotional energy to reach out to anyone. I wish we had lived closer. Her shoulders would have caught my tears many a night and mine would have done likewise for her. Although we were not close in proximity and we only talked a few times a year, I knew that if I ever really needed her, my "big sister" would be there for me, to chat with me to advise me, to pray with me.

When I heard of her upcoming surgery, I immediately called her. She did not have a chance to call me back that day, but texted me later that night. the next day as I texted her back I assured her that I would be praying for her and thinking of her as she went through surgery. I waited a couple of days after the surgery and sent my dad over to visit her. If I could not be there to see her, I sent the next best thing! She was sleeping, but my dad had a nice chat with her mom. The next week as I was preparing to get gift cards to restaurants for her family I just felt like I should call her. I felt sure that I would talk to her mom as she was probably resting. To my surprise she answered the phone. It was so good to hear her voice. We chatted for a moment and then I asked her if I could pray with her. She just exhaled deeply and said, "That would be GREAT." I prayed for complete healing of her body and peace for her and her family. Right before I was about to close the prayer, the Holy Spirit prompted me to to thank God for her friendship, and for the many ways she had blessed my life. I can't explain in words how precious that memory will always be for me as I had the opportunity to tell her how much she meant to me and my life. When I woke up the next morning and learned the shocking news of her death, I cried out to God in my own grief and for the grief of her precious family. Many hours have, and will be spent in prayer for her family.

This time of Lent is always a thoughtful time for me. For those of us who have accepted Christ Jesus as our savior, we are reminded that our everlasting life has not come without a price. Although we will one day be rejoicing with the angels, the suffering must be first. I march on toward Holy Week with a foreboding feeling in my heart. I know what is coming for the Savior. I feel the cross looming. There are things about this I will never understand...how God could love me so much that he would allow his son to suffer and die for me. How those who claimed to love Him, rejected Him. How black and dark it all seemed in the end. Somehow, though, after the darkness, Easter always comes. No matter how many times I ponder these events or hear the story, Jesus always leaves the tomb and Easter comes. No matter how my heart is saddened by His suffering and death, Easter comes. No matter how sinful the world gets, Easter comes. No matter how much my soul cries out for strength and healing, understanding of that which is not understandable, Easter comes.

My prayer for us right now is that although we are, like Mary, standing at the tomb amid our confusion and pain over what has happened, the Lord will remind us that Easter comes. Easter comes. For Jennifer Marie Murphy Martz, our beautiful sister, loyal friend, loving daughter, and devoted mother, Easter has come.

And in my soul the quiet voice of the angel whispers to me, "She is not here. The tomb is empty. Easter has come."

Thank you, Geico...

Watch and laugh...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_0fyUYB3cA

I just wanted to give a shout out of thanks to Geico for their latest commercial. (See above.)  My kids laugh hysterically at this commercial EVERY time it comes on.  Their favorite scene is the end one with the boy and the cereal.  In fact, they love it so much, we have been creating our own scenerios with the same premise. 

My current favorites are:
 -Morgan (our dog) begins to go to the bathroom on the floor of the living room and in scoots DM and slaps him away saying, "Not in my house."
-It is Aiden's birthday and all the kids are lined up waiting for their turn to hit the pinata and in scoots DM and slaps the pinata down scattering all the candy.  Kids are stunned for a moment and then proceed to grab candy.

We have come up with tons of follow-up commercials if anyone at Geico is interested:)

Just love laughing with my kiddos.  Makes me realize why I love hanging out with them so much.  Any tension is always forgotten with the slap of a hand (DM, not mine, ha ha).

My precious, precious Aiden...

I really can't say enough about my youngest child.  He is such a blessing.  He is the cuddliest of all the kids. (Is that even a word?  Well, he is!)  When I put him to bed and I lie down with him, he holds on to my head and kisses me gently.  The other kids, they just fall asleep.  I am not knocking that, believe me, I love it when ANY kid gets to sleep!  (I have not forgotten the sleepless nights!)  But Aiden is so tender.  I think it is a glimpse of how he will be with his wife and it really makes me think she is going to be one lucky lady.
The other night we watched Frankenweinie, a quirky movie about the Frankenstein family whose son loses a beloved dog in an accident, then revives him from the dead a la Mary Shelley style.  But, in true Disney fashion, the dog stays alive and everyone lives happily ever after.  I did think it was a cute movie with several allusions to the original story, but I just felt the ending was a little silly.  I really wanted the boy to see the error of his ways and let his little dog "rest in peace", but maybe I am just reading a little too much into a cute movie.  I did playfully ask the kids who they would bring back (meaning pets that has passed).  Of course you can guess who Noah chose, Addie.  I quickly responded I would bring back my Icy-dog, and Chris said maybe Deputy or Argus (his childhood dogs).  Then I hear Aiden's little voice calling from the bathroom where he was taking a "pit stop", and he says, "I would bring back Emily."  So very precious.  So sweet to know that he values the sister that he has never had the chance to meet. 

A shopping excursion...

So yesterday the kids and I went shopping in Foley at the outlet mall and the day went a little like this...
First, we went to Gymboree, as I had some gymbucks to spend. We were in there a bit longer than I had anticipated, as there were quite a few orange items and Aiden wanted them all. I wanted to make sure to get all the kids an outfit. So, I ended up getting: Caitlyn - two sweaters, three shirts, a skirt, and hair clips. Aiden - two shirts, pants, hat and sun glasses. Noah - a sweatshirt, and a hat. For all of that, I paid only $58! So excited to get all of those savings. I was more excited, however, when Noah told me, "Mommy, are we about to go, I am really getting uncomfortable." I am constantly amazed at how much progress he has made. I know he is getting older, but I can just remember the days of tantrums and explosions, and then I thought, "is this ever going to end." I can now say he does 100x better at regulating himself and his sensory input, so that I don't have to! Such a big accomplishment! So, after Gymboree, we went to the crocs store. I got two pairs of crocs and two jibbits for $31! Again, yea for the bargain! We then proceeded to Target, as I had promised them they could spend some/all of their Christmas money. We took a pit stop at Krispy Kreme, and then on to Target. Caitlyn was a little sad that she had already spent her money the week before. After much deliberation, Aiden and Noah selected their items, so off to the check out stand we went. But, before we got very far, Noah said,"Wait, Mommy, I want to get Caitlyn something." He assured me he had enough money saved from his allowance to get her something. So the delighted Caitlyn bounced off to select her item. I was really I impressed by Noah's desire to include his sister in this happiness and that he spent his hard earned money on something for her! I told Caitlyn she should really be thankful for the brothers she was given, because mine would not only have NOT gotten me something, but they probably would have taunted me on the way out. The kids and I had a good laugh at that. So, went headed home and everyone was happy! Shopping trip...success!

Learning to fingerknit!

Now, before you envision me as Charlotte Mason herself, please know that I got this idea from pinterest!  I guess you could think of me as the 21st century version of Charlotte Mason, ha ha!

Getting behinder and behinder...

We had so many wonderful visitors in the month of October and November that I have now found myself at that precarious state known as...behind.  Now, I know that seems like a strange thought to my homeschooling friends.  "Behind whom?" you might ask.  Well, I guess I am simply behind where I wanted us to be at this time.  Every year I start out with the greatest intentions to adhere to my chosen curriculum, but every year about this time, I start to feel confined by thus curriculum.  So, inevitably I scrap the curriculum for a while, only to return to it in spring, without completing it totally by the end of the school year.  I think the problem for me lies in my need for freedom.  I want to be free to study whatever might come up.  That is what I adore about homeschooling.  I feel that education is so much more meaningful to the student when related in a relevent way to that student.  When it is Christmas time I want to be doing Advent studies and baking bread to share with the neighbors, and making home-made Christmas gifts.  I guess I have yet to find a curriculum that gives such freedoms, except unit studies.  I guess that is why our beloved Five in a Row curriculum worked so well for us.  It gave us the freedom to pick and choose what we wanted to study and when we want to study it.  I had hoped that Exploring Countries and Cultures would give us that same sense of freedom, but it is still feeling a bit confining.  I will keep working at it though, because I do see the strength in it, but I am still longing for that simplicity that I had with FIAR.  Maybe this gives me points to ponder as I look ahead to next year...until then I am just going to keep pressing on.  I will take time to smell the flowers, as they say, bake the bread, and enjoy this amazing journey that God has ordained for us...

Noah enjoying THE HOBBIT...

In preparation for the upcoming movies Noah is reading THE HOBBIT and I am reading ANNA KARENINA.  These are first readability for both of us.  I am really enjoying AK, although I am not a fan of the some of the characters actions.  Gaining insight into the mind of someone opposite of myself.  I love it when characters don't behave the way I want them to.  It provides for an interesting inner dialogue!

DEAR school day...

Dropping everything and reading.

Wow, sometimes I really impress myself...

So last night I was poking around a bit in blogger, trying to remember how to do all the things that I once knew how to do when I was regularly writing this blog.  I had once been able to post things by mailing from my iPhone, but hadn't done that in ages.  So, after about 10 minutes I figured out how to set up a mobile blog and merge it with my existing blog!  Success!  I am not nearly as tech savy as those who are having a blog carnival (whatever that means), or those posting crazy ideas to pinterest, but at least now I can update on the go!  Maybe now this little blog won't be so forgotten!  Cheers!

The cute little buggers...

This is our ridiculously cute yin-yang picture.  They are just full of cuteness...and naughty-ness...

I love them, I love them not, I love them, I love them not...

I think that title just says it all, right?  Oh, yeah, I guess I better tell you what I love and don't love...two beautiful little puppies.  Two puppies that came into our lives shortly after we had to say goodbye to our faithful dog, Addie.  Addie was 14.5 and was getting worse by the day, poor girl.  She completely stopped eating.  I think it must have been cancer or something horrible...or maybe she just wanted to see her girlie in heaven, who knows.  Anywho...the atmosphere in our house after Addie was gone, was, well...just sad.  I had so wanted the kids to grow up with a dog, like I did.  For as far back as I can remember, Icy was there.  He was a giant ball of fluff, a mix of collie, husky, and anything else big, dumb and loyal.  Everywhere I went, he went.  We visited everyone (read, all the old people) in the neighborhood, we went down-town to the drug store where we shared some ice cream, we even went to church together one time (boy that was memorable, and unintentional).  We got Icy when I was really little, I don't even know how old I was, all I knew is that he was ALWAYS there...always.  He lived 15 years until we had to let him fly to heaven.  Didn't you know that dogs fly to heaven when they die?  Yep, angels...special halos for the really good ones.  So, I wanted my kids to have that same, little town, neighbor visitin' friendship and goodness that I had growing up.  One problem, we found siblings.  Two little sibling, rescue puppies, from a place called All About Dogs Coastal Rescue.  We fell in love at once.  They looked so sweet on the website.  Beagle-Dachsund mix.  One looked more like a beagle, the other with short stubby dachsund legs.  They came over for a visit and that, they say, was that.  What we did not expect was that after four months, yes, four months, they would STILL not be potty trained, and would escape the yard several times a day.  Now, on their behalf, the fence is falling down and there are holes everywhere that we have done our best to patch up...but seriously, multiple times a day.  Chasing them all over the street, even into our sweet neighbors house, seriously, I almost died.  Had the older lady not been so sweet about it, we would have had floppy-eared soup for dinner. 
So, today was my breaking point...I had HAD it with the accidents, with the escapism.  I was DONE!  I am sure I told the kids a thousad times that we were just going to have to take the dogs back to the rescue (I'm sure there will be therapy about that later).  I have just felt so taxed lately with all of my duties PLUS puppies acting badly.  Okay, they are just puppies...and cute ones at that, but I swear if someone had come by the house today inquiring about pups, I would have handed them both over with all their supplies without another thought.  The problem is that I have these three little kids that have to have that doggy goodness of childhood...sigh...I guess I will just have to pray for yet another miracle, that I don't completely loose my mind until they stop all the aggravating puppy behaviors.  Oh, and we are getting an in-ground fence :)  My friend Ashley (our friendly Petco manager, love her) assures us that after two days, they will NEVER go past that fence again.  So, that is the plan...hopefully, all will be well by my next post, which, at the rate I'm going will be sometime next year...ha ha.  I know I have been MIA from this blog for a while.  I kept waiting to feel really good and settled here in P'cola before I really started writing.  Now after a year and a half, I think I am there, maybe half-way there...
Till next time...

My three bunnies!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note™, an AT&T LTE smartphone

Easter Sunday!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note™, an AT&T LTE smartphone

Really? Seriously?

So, I have been obsessed with Pinterest.  I know obsession is a strong word, but really it is like my creative secret lair.  I see a million things on there daily that I think I could pull off myself.  I am a visual person, so the pictures really are very appealing to me.  Some things have really caught my eye and some things really have made me think twice about the whole "cyber alternate reality" idea.  Let me explain...

Some things are just too good to be true, you know?  I mean, how do these homeschooling moms of 2+ have the time to have a perfectly organized home, perfectly organized homeschool; where they make their own bread, and games for their kids and have a part-time sewing business.  It seems impossible, or highly unlikely at least.  I can't seem to get it together enough to get every subject done during the day, not to mention clean my house and cook dinner.  Now, before I get hateful comments from all the Homemaker Hollys out there, let me just say that I know that there are those who are VERY organized and who pride themselves on keeping everything neat and tidy.  But sometimes I see posts and pictures from people that make me go, "Really?  That is REALLY what your pantry/playroom/bedroom/schoolroom looks like?  Like a magazine spread?"  I just feel sometimes with the internet we have the option of putting our best face forward, when really I think people hunger for people to be real with them.  I remember looking at some of the magazine ads of the SUPER skinny models and thinking I could never be like that.  I remember thinking that my life was never what it seemed like from shows on TV.  I think the same way about the internet and sometimes I think that we need to be very careful not to present ourselves as perfect, because we are not.  I also don't want to develop this disconnect between the way my life REALLY is and the way my life is portrayed on my blog.  I do like to remember the good times, and write about special things that touch me during the day, but I don't want to ever make anyone wonder if I am some sort supermom.  I am not perfect or anything close.  I am a sinful, prideful, selfish, woman who prays to be better, minute by minute.  You may see my sweet projects, or my cute children and wonder what the true me is like.  I'll tell you:  I am tragicly flawed in more ways than I can count and if it were not for my precious Savior, I would be NOTHING, NOTHING, I tell you.  He allows me to show my real side, scars and all, because it is Him who gives me strength. (I'm still waiting for Him to bless me with talent to get "everything" done!)  I hope that you enjoy the things you read or see here, but please bear in mind, that even though I sometimes seem really put-together (maybe I don't, I don't know...) I am just another person doing her best with what's she's been given.  I try to live up to the dreams that God has for me and be true to him and myself in the process. 

"May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand."

~Traditional Gaelic blessing~

American history for us...

Today was our first official day of school in 2012.  We will continue studying American history.  We are nearing the American Revolution.  We also have added a new part of our studies.  We had been doing another geography program that wasn't much fun, nor was it getting finished, so when my favorite bookstore went out of business, I snapped up all of the Which Way USA items that they had.  We started it today and it was great fun!  It took us a couple of pages to get going, but when we did, we had a ball.  It sparked all kinds of discussions that took us to the computer to do research!  I'd call that a success!  I'm not sure if it will continue to fascinate, but we have about half of the states, so by the time we finish those, I'll know if I should find the rest.  For inquiring minds, I'm providing the link!

Which Way USA?

We are rolling along with the other parts of our curriculum.  By the end of this week Noah will be right on track with his math.  I think that is a record for us.  Caitlyn is doing great, learning subtraction and working on learning to read.  Aiden is a tornado.  I can't keep enough activities on hand for him.  He blows through everything.  Chris' parents got the kids a trampoline for Christmas, that should help everyone with getting out the energy we all have!

I'm trying to come up with creative ways that we can organize (read "throw stuff away without the kids knowing") our school room.  I have so much stuff that HAS to go.  I also am a little sad to get rid of some of the pre-school stuff, but Aiden has far advanced the colors and shapes items, so I guess they will have to find a new home, sigh...

By the way, Noah will be setting up a new blog soon.  It will be a private blog, so if you'd like to be included, let me know.  Also, we would love to have other homeschoolers to follow as well, so if your homeschooler blogs, just let us know!

Thoughts on the new year...

I hope this year will be better than the last.  I hope that I will work everyday for a closer walk with the Lord.  I hope THIS year I'll learn patience.  I hope that this year I will do a better job at keeping the Florida house organized. I hope this year I will not fall behind on school planning, or grading, or teaching.  I hope this year I will be able to enjoy cooking more, since it seems that I won't be able to afford a personal chef anytime soon.  I hope that this year I will be able to USE that one room a day cleaning sheet that I made up two years ago to keep my house clean.  I hope that this year I will workout more than I have in the past and lose that baby-weight before I officially have no more babies.  And, I hope that this year I won't beat myself up when I don't get past my first two wishes for the new year...

Blessings Y'all!

Happy New Year Everyone!

New Year’s Card 2011

What we've been up to...

It has been a little over a month since I wrote the first post of our new school year.  We've been in an ebb and flow fashion as of late.  I sometimes feel like, right after we get a good pattern going with life and school, we have some sort of disruption.  I guess the trick is to keep the ebb and flow pattern and limit the disruptions as much as possible.  We had a great visit from Pap-pa in November where we visited several Pensacola landmarks (Naval Air Museum, Pensacola Lighthouse and Ft. Pickens).  We loved all of those things.  We had never gone to the top of the Lighthouse before (and I still didn't, because at the last minute, Aiden got cold feet - and really to be honest I did too, as I didn't wear the proper foot attire and I was NOT looking forward to going up that winding staircase barefooted!).  So, Aiden and I stayed down below and watched everyone above us and took pictures.  It was also a little bit of a stretch for me to allow my babies to be up there without me.  I tried not to panic at the thought of Noah or Caitlyn bouncing over the side before Pap-pa could catch them.  Luckily, their Pap-pa is in great shape and that helped my anxiety a bit.  They all made it down safely, PTL.  The next day we went to Ft. Pickens.  We had not been able to visit the last time we were stationed here because of the hurricane.  It was really neat.  We all enjoyed seeing the fort and reading the history and seeing Caitlyn chase after butterflies.  She has a knack for catching butterflies and takes every opportunity she can get to chase them.  Feeling their little flittering wings against her hands transports her to a magical place where her brothers cannot follow as they are not quite so adept at catching the little creatures.  The day after that we had a great time at a local art gallery painting.  Who knew we had so much talent in one family?

We traveled to Houston for Thanksgiving and then decided that we just couldn't make another TX trip before the end of the year, which was bittersweet for us.  It was great thinking about being home for Christmas, but alas, Pensacola is not home.  So, we enjoyed being with Granddaddy and Grandmommy for a while.  We shopped and went to see the new Muppet movie.  I got sentimental and shed a few tears while Kermit transported me back to my pre-teen life with his Rainbow Connection.  There is just something beautiful about frogs strumming guitars, singing about rainbows, you have to admit. 

December has just been a push toward Christmas, unfortunately.  I wanted a peaceful Advent season, but that isn't really how it has been.  I'm not sure why I've felt so anxious, maybe because I'm unsure of how Christmas will be without the traveling, or maybe this semester hasn't exactly worked out how I thought it should.  So, I guess I will just try to wait as patiently as I can for God to move in our new lives here.  I can tell He is working on the internal part of our family, just not so much the external part.  (And if you know me, you know waiting for that part is very difficult for me!)  I am remaining faithful to the promise that God made in Joshua, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you" and learning how to appear patient even when my insides are telling me, "WHAT is going on here???"
I will say that we did have a rockin' Christmas party!  It is the first time I can remember hosting a party and it was a rousing success.  I could hear Melissa's voice telling me that I had a gift for hospitality and it really showed that night.  We had Chris' co-workers over and had a TX style spread complete with taco bar and home-made salsa!  We had a few great rounds of rockband on the Wii and then completed the night with a HILARIOUS dance off between Caitlyn and a giant guy to a Katy Perry song.  I was laughing so hard that I forgot to get it on video or I totally would post it here for all to enjoy.  It was a fun group and a great time.  Glad we did it.  Will do it again.
Then, last weekend we had an awesome Saturday with our friends Melissa and B and R.  OH. MY. GOSH, I can't tell you how happy it made me to see the kids skipping and running and laughing with their good buddies.  Melissa said R's heart was happy, and boy mine was too.  I will post pics as soon as I get them off the camera.  We all decided that our next meet-up would have to involve a hotel stay so we could hang longer.  We met half-way in Gulfport, Mississippi at the childrens' museum.  It was a little juvenile for the "big" boys, but they endured it with lots of Beyblades and chatter.  Aiden vacillated between the boys and the girls and only told me once that there was "nutting to do", which is typical retort when he is tired!
I would love to say that we had gotten through our curriculum gloriously this semester, but it seems that transition always takes more time than I expect.  Although, it is going pretty smoothly.  This month we have enjoyed many Christmas crafts which I'll post pics of soon. 
I hope that this post finds all of my readers well and blessed, even the hacker who insists he needs my help in transferring millions of dollars.  I hope he finds a good place for his millions, even if it isn't in my bank account.  I am looking forward to celebrating the birth of the Christ child tomorrow and the day after.  I hope that my kids remember Jesus amid all the presents and wrappings.  I hope I will too...
Blessings friends.

Aiden's turkey...

Aiden's list of thankfulness...

Aiden's turkey dinner...

Wow, November!

I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to blog since we started our school year.  I've even blogged in my mind some, just not IRL.  So, today November 14th is the day for an update!

Noah is moving right along in 5th grade.  We have made some changes in curriculum this year (yes, yes, I know what you're thinking).  These changes have been great for Noah.  We FINALLY came around to Singapore math.  Why didn't I listen sooner?  It is the perfect fit for us.  I have a teacher's manual that helps me teach and Noah has a variety of different exercises to learn the concepts.  Perfect fit.  Can I say it again, perfect fit.  I like the way it sounds.  I think I'll stick with this one!  For history and language arts we are using a Sonlight/My Father's World hybrid.  Noah is too advanced for the Adventures program that I selected, so I have managed to meld the program with Sonlight D+E for a challenging and full program.  We are pretty much following both programs, with the exception of other fun tidbits that the kids or I find interesting.  Right now we are doing an in-depth study of American Indians (or Native Americans).  It is going slowly, but it has been really fun.  I am basing our study off of the Evan Moor Native Americans History Pocket.  All the little crafty things are right up Caitlyn's alley, and they hit some essential fine motor skills that Noah really needs work on.  He has been reading about a novel a week, with some overflow.  The thing I love about Sonlight is that it really doesn't give a bunch of Mickey Mouse exercises to check comprehension.  I always hated those book report sheets that I had to fill out when I was in school.  I have done a variety of things with Noah to check his comprehension.  Sometimes I just quiz him with some of the questions.  Sometimes I pull out a quote and ask him to tell me what is happening in the scene.  I used to quiz my 9th graders with quotes when they would do outside reading.  I think the most effective exercise, though, has been my using The Arrow, by Bravewriter.  The Arrow is a language arts magazine that is put out monthly, I think.  I was able to buy "back issues" through Homeschool Buyers Co-op, so I just picked up a few that matched up with the Sonlight novels (geneous, I know).  I am alternating days of the Arrow passages with The Phonetic Zoo and Evan Moor's Daily Language Review.  I've found that alternating grammar and writing is the best for us.  For science, I will admit, I'm failing...I had every intention of creating this wonderfully rich science experience for Noah, but it just ain't happenin'.  So, we are doing weekly interest based research topics and he is working with Caitlyn in REAL Science Odyssey Life.  He is still learning, but just not at a rigorous pace that I had hoped.  I guess I am just trying to figure out how to really teach two different levels at once. 

Caitlyn is doing great with Adventures in My Father's World.  I have been watering it down some by just using picture books about the topic at hand.  We are still using Explode the Code for phonics as well as some scholastic ebooks that I ordered during their dollar sale.  I also am using some readers by Abeka.  I'm not totally happy with this combo, but it just came down to the fact that I didn't want to spend more money on curriculum.  She is also using Singapore for math, with a splash of Miquon.  I mostly use the cuisenaire rods to teach the concepts when the Singapore teacher manual calls for a manipulative.  Since we used Miquon last year, Caitlyn is very comfortable with the rods.  I still say that Miquon gave her a way to "see" math, in a way that I was never able to. 

Aiden is mainly playing with Little People and playing apps on the iPad.  I really am amazed at what the iPad technology can get the kids to do.  It really does just invite the kids to perform activities that my oldest would NEVER have done at 3.  Aiden can identify all of his letters and most of the letter sounds as well as write some of his letters.  I think the games on the ipad have helped him tremendously. 

Other than those things, we don't really have anything else to report.  We are trying to get connected in various things, some success, some fail.  We're just plugging along...

Caitlyn's sun catcher...

Aiden in the canoe...

Caitlyn steering the ship at the Wentworth museum...

Our sad little wigwams...

Year of the FROG...

Today we began our fifth year of homeschooling, even though we are calling it "school lite" for a couple of weeks. We have had a busy and difficult summer with our pcs to Pensacola from our beloved home state of Texas. I think we are all missing our friends and family a little bit. I had been in prayer about our "theme" for this year, (you know I've just done VBS too many times not to have a theme to get excited about) and God showed me the frogs.



One of my fondest memories of our time in Pensacola was our nightly frog count. Each night Noah and I would go out to our front porch and count the little tree frogs on our overhang, devouring the mosquitos. We loved those little guys. Our highest count ever was 19, can you imagine? It was a whole family! We loved that time together so much, counting those frogs, me and my one child, little three-year-old, Noah. I also thought about another special time with frogs, last year during VBS. We were doing a camping type theme and we were raising money for a charity with our offerings. The best part of the week, though, is that we set a goal for the week, and if we met that goal, we were going to make the chaplain kiss a frog. It was awesome, the kids really got into it. We decided that our unofficial theme for the week was that we were learning to Fully Rely On God, or FROG! Cute, huh?



I think that God was bringing these sweet memories to me to highlight the fact that our little class really does have some work in the "relying on Him" department. With our transition and our changes, we really do have to rely on Him, because we have nothing else...We've been stripped of our security blankets (family and friends). I find that a time such as this is the perfect time to return to the security of His arms and know that not matter what the problem is...we can RELY on HIM!!!!



Night before last I happened upon a package of letters that Chris had saved. You know how it is when you move, there's just no telling what the packers could have unearthed in the depths of your junk. Well, this night I found letters. I had written them to Chris at a VERY difficult time in our lives, just after we lost our sweet Emily. Chris was away at OIS and Noah and I were at home dealing as best as we could. The part of the letter that I thought was most interesting was my sentiment that I wanted to love Noah intentionally each day. I didn't want a day to go by without him feeling my love. After you suffer a loss, you are often left the with the acute awareness of the fragility of life. Within that awareness you have the desparate need to live life to the fullest. Part of that fullness is making sure that my family know where I stand with them. I want to make sure that each of my children feel the fullness of my love. I find it so ironic that I should find such a letter the day after I create a sobbing mess of a ten year old over his messy room. Now, before you go down the, "loving means discipline" road, I know that I must instill certain values in my children. I know it is important to create order and cleanliness. I just should have gone about it in a different way. I should have been more loving.



So glad that we all have already learned so much, and it is only Monday...

Our new notebooking strategy...

This semester I've started doing our notebooking a little bit differently. I recently read a blog about a homeschooling mom who used "altered" composition notebooks for her notebooking. I thought maybe using comp books would be great for us. We've tried lapbooking in the past and although, we had a great time doing them, I ended up doing most of the work. Also, my son became frustrated when he didn't have enough room to write on the lapbook piece. Then I tried traditional notebooking with a three ring binder. I had papers EVERYWHERE. We just aren't organized enough to put and KEEP everything in the binder. It seemed like every time we put something in, it mysteriously let things slip out. Anyway, so I was on the search for a new idea and it seemed as if the comp books might work for us. I wanted something that could be as elaborate or simple as necessary, as I have kids at various levels. So when we started REAL Science Odyssey - Life this semester, it seemed like the perfect time to implement it. I also used the same concept for our TX history study. I really got into decorating the cover, and I loved the way it turned out so much, that I plan on decorating all of their notebooks for next year. I put clear packing tape over the cover of them to help with the longevity! The idea is simple, just use the pages like you would a normal spiral notebook (if you have work that needs to be written out), or just glue/tape in any lapbooking or notebooking components that you might have. Our last step in any activity is to put it in our notebooks. With the strength of the binding and the gluing of the pieces, nothing has fallen or gotten ripped out yet. Some notebooking pages, I do trim down so that it will fit, but sometimes I just make the cutting and pasting part of the assignment (which is always good for my son who struggles with his fine motor skills). Hope this gives you an idea about how I've used these in my school. Oh, and I've had lots of questions about how RSO Life is going and it is going fabulously! I do "beef it up" for my oldest. Any topic we cover, I make him read in more depth in his science encyclopedia and pull out more details for his notebook.

Page from REAL science odyssey

I make Noah highlight as we read together.

You can see where I modify for Noah

Our muscles lab

Caitlyn's cover of her human body book

Caitlyn makes an x-ray

TX history vocab

TX history notebooking

Noah's TX history cover

The Rush of Angels Wings...

I was late to Bible study yesterday...again. I really do try to be on time, honest, I do. But, there are days when I'm doing good just to get out of the door with all my kids, kids' stuff, my stuff, in a sane manor. The words slipped out almost before I could stop them, "Let's go, let's go, let's go," in one staccato phrase. I was immediately transported back to the EHS football stadium where I heard my dad's familiar, "All the way whatdoya say, all the way," and I realized, yes, I've become my father. Anyone who knew my dad during this time, will know exactly what I'm talking about. You could always hear my dad over everyone else... Anyway, so I was on my way to Bible study. The kids were jabbering in the back, about what, I'm just not sure. We arrived 10 minutes late and assumed our usual parking spot, under the tree need the chapel parking lot. I just feel at home pulling in there, it's like God holds it for us. The kids jumped out and took off, very excited to see their friends for the morning. I entered right as they were saying an opening prayer so I quietly and respectfully put my things down, gathered my Bible and book and headed for an open spot. About half way there, I heard and felt and awesome power followed by the loudest rumble and I heard the ladies exclaim, "The angels are here!" Yes, it is that time of year again, The Blue Angels airshow. You really cannot watch their aerobatics without feeling awe. I so love this time of year as it makes my heart swell with Navy pride, but this year, their coming made me feel more than pride... After Bible study we went to Jody's house for some fellowship and it was just the time that the Angels were practicing their maneuvers. The little kids were enthralled as the jets zoomed back and forth overhead. Aiden would run to the window and exclaim, "WOW!" Their utter amazement really got me thinking about angels in general. I remember from Bible stories that many who witnessed angels were awestruck. Oftentimes, the angel had to say, "Do not be afraid." Those who witnessed them knew that they didn't just pop up everyday and that there must be something special in that moment. I also remember the soldiers that came to arrest Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed and at the very utterance of his name, "I AM," hundreds of soldiers fall to the ground. Now that is power, right? In this day and age it really takes a lot to surprise us. I mean, we've got gadgets that do just about anything. We have every kind of reality drama on TV that you can imagine, singing competitions to paternity test reveals. We are, in fact, desensitized to most things in life. We do have brief moments in life, where we experience the height of amazement, like the birth of a child, but for the most part, we float along not really feeling the exhilaration that can come with really experiencing something amazing. Where is all this going, you ask? I'm almost there...drum roll please... Shouldn't we be awestruck every time we encounter the risen savior? Shouldn't we relish in the beauty and amazing things in which God has surrounded us? The ocean tide, the starry sky, the beautiful spring flowers...All of these things, and many, many more point directly to the awesome power of an eternal Lord. As we approach Easter, we prepare ourselves to be amazed. The resurrection is amazing after all. I think the thing we need to remember this season is to continue to be amazed. My dad has often said, "We are an Easter people." He is so right, but part of being an Easter people is living that amazement that we feel every day of the year, not just on Easter. Surprise yourself with amazement and allow it to fill you just as those "Easter people" before you have done!

Caitlyn with the baby gator. Lainy and Noah take notes.

Noah showing the next person how he cleans corn

Washing

Caitlyn washing clothes...

Aiden trying his hand at the ringer!

Caitlyn: iLiveMath Test Results

iLiveMath Results: Level 1

Number of Questions: 2

Correctly Answered: 0
Incorrectly Answered: 1
Unanswered: 1

Correct: 0%
Incorrect: 50%
Unanswered: 50%

Question 1:
A Chinese zoo feeds pandas at 3:00 PM and it takes them 3 hours to feed. What time did they finish?

3:00 PM + 3 hours = 6:00 PM
You need to spin to pick an answer and tap 'Done'.
Incorrect Answer: 8

Question 2:
Tourists started photographing Sarus cranes at 1:11 PM and completed at 1:19 PM. How many minutes have passed?

1:19 PM - 1:11 PM = 8 minutes

(c) 2010 iHome Educator
www.iHomeEducator.com
www.iLiveMath.blogspot.com

Sent from my iPhone

iLiveMath Results: Level 1

Number of Questions: 2

Correctly Answered: 0
Incorrectly Answered: 1
Unanswered: 1

Correct: 0%
Incorrect: 50%
Unanswered: 50%

Question 1:
A zoologist in India saw 7 Sarus cranes last week and 2 this week. What is the sum?

7 + 2 = 9

Question 2:
The pandas expedition started at 6 o'clock PM and completed in 2 hours. What time did the tour complete?

6:00 PM + 2 hours = 8:00 PM
Incorrect Answer: 4

(c) 2010 iHome Educator
www.iHomeEducator.com
www.iLiveMath.blogspot.com

Sent from my iPhone

Test

iLiveMath Results: Level 1

Number of Questions: 2

Correctly Answered: 0
Incorrectly Answered: 1
Unanswered: 1

Correct: 0%
Incorrect: 50%
Unanswered: 50%

Question 1:
A zoologist in India saw 7 Sarus cranes last week and 2 this week. What is the sum?

7 + 2 = 9

Question 2:
The pandas expedition started at 6 o'clock PM and completed in 2 hours. What time did the tour complete?

6:00 PM + 2 hours = 8:00 PM
Incorrect Answer: 4

(c) 2010 iHome Educator
www.iHomeEducator.com
www.iLiveMath.blogspot.com

Sent from my iPhone

I am so excited I can hardly stand it...

My kids and I are anxiously awaiting the new All About Reading program to come out. They had a little sample unit that you could do as a preview and my littles LOVED it. Caitlyn and Aiden both participated, so that gave me the idea of actually using it for both of them for next year. Caitlyn is doing well with her phonograms, but still needs more practice with them. She is recognizing initial sounds, but is still having some trouble with final sounds. Overall she's doing quite well with phonics, but reading still hasn't quite clicked with her. Here is a picture to tempt you like it did me, when I saw it on the AAR forum at the chatterbee...

Now maybe you will await it with me!

Our snow ice cream!

Caitlyn's project...

Shoot Anything. Share Everything.™ Flip Video Store    Find a Retailer         You have received new Flip Videos             Irishmommy - Caitlyn's project...     She folded and stamped envelopes for her project. She was a little shy and didn't want to hand them out like she wanted to, but overall I was proud of her work on the project! When I told her that letters were traditionally sealed with wax, she said, "You mean I have to dig in my ear and put it on there?" I had a GOOD chuckle about that!           View more ›       Unsubscribe Terms of Use   © 2010 Flip Video / Cisco Consumer Products. All Rights Reserved