Started with Roses!

We had a great time, my hubby and me, playing 18 holes, shopping, dining, and sleeping in late! We were to leave on Thursday evening and when he drove up he presented me with a dozen red roses. We were going away on a weekend to a B&B and just to be by ourselves. The reason for our weekend was a combination event for valentines, the end of his seminary classes (he still has one more year to write, but no more classes), and for my birthday (39 and holding!). We dropped the kids off with a couple in our church that has an absolute love for kids. They took them just about everywhere while we were gone.

On our way to our destination, not very far out of town traffice hit a standstill. We weren't very far from the scene and when we realized that most people were just turning around we thought we were in trouble (a semi was turned over all the way accross the road!). However we found another route (see my hubby does stop and ask for directions!) and off we were. Got to the B&B and enjoyed sleeping in (for us that means around 7:30am). We both had our quiet times with the Lord and I had a most glorious blueberry coffee cake with cream cheese in the middle and laddled with blueberry syrup on top. Absolutely delicious! We took off to play golf. I just rode in the cart and gave him kisses when he did well and gave him kisses even when he didn't do so well (Okay I won't cover the mushy parts!). It was a picture perfect day!

Then he took me shopping. Now he hates to shop but he endured it for me. I wanted to get an Easter/birthday dress and some shoes. I found them both at a couple of stores in the mall. We then found something to eat and went shopping some more and then found the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory and bought some chocolate covered strawberries! MMMMMM, they were good! We went shopping some more the next day and just walked around and then headed back home after lunch. The kids didn't get home until late that night so we unpacked, I went grocery shopping, and took a nap!

What started with Roses ended up to be a perfect weekend trip!

He is truly Amazing!

Yesterday I had a chance to visit my old neck of the woods (where we used to live) and visit with some friends. I'm amazed yesterday as I spoke with all the different women and the little men that God gave me exactly what I needed.

You see I've been fretting. Fretting is worrying and continuing to do so time and time again without really making any headway about what your worrying about. I've been fretting over whether or not to homeschool during highschool. Lots of questions enter in the equation when asked that question.

Am I qualified to teach subjects that I struggled in high school over?

Is this going to take more time than what it already does?

Will they be better off with other friends their own age?

Will a Christian school give them a better oppurtunity to pursue colleges?

Etc, etc, etc.

Since starting to homeschool in 2001, I've been asked and asking this question, "Do I homeschool through high school?" Somehow in the midst of this homeschooling year I've forgotten one very important person and factor in this whole equation. I've forgotten that every year God shows me what to do and where to go. He supplies the strength, the knowledge, and the know how. He has shown me year after year what to homeschool and what to use and and what to do. So why would He stop now! The most important years of my childrens education are now (yes the early years are important, but I think you know what I mean).

So through the ladies and our fellowship, this morning the Lord, simply said, let it go and trust ME! I'll supply the answers you need and if I ask you to do this then I will supply that as well. So for those of you who ask me, "Are you going to homeschool through High School?" My answer is without a doubt, "I'll know when He shows me!"

Ladies if He has called you to do anything, trust Him to work it all out!

Ramblings from a deranged mom!

Not much going on this week and last week. We have lots coming up, so look forward to me posting some more. Just hanging out and doing school.

Today though I thought it was interesting that I was in the middle of writing an email, cooking a pie, helping my youngest daughter with her English all the while listening to my oldest daughter read me her english. I thought that was pretty talented. What was most talented is the strength God gave me not to scream at everyone to be quiet so I can do one thing at a time. (Of course the pie might be really bad, the girls might not have learned anything, and the email well lets just hope it made it to the person I was writing to without any bad words in it)

I did fuss, a little loudly I might add, at my oldest. She has these grandiost plans and gets so excited about them and they are worthy, but she doesn't seem to follow through with them, unless I prod her to do so. It is so frustrating. For example, she went to bible study sunday night and got her workbook and came home so excited about it. I was so excited for her until the next week I asked, "Did you do the work you were supposed to do in your workbook for your bible study?" "No, I forgot, or I was just too busy." Sigh, big sigh, because that is her life. She gets so excited about something and I have no idea what happens but maybe she is so excited she is about ready to pop and pop she does the idea right out of her head and it is not there anymore. She is not consistent with anything unless I remind her. Shouldn't a 12 year old remember more things on their own than your 9 year old? I sigh, bow my head and pray, and go on my way and pray some more, that once they are in college, I won't be writing out their activity sheet and how to keep everything on schedule.

My washing machine broke the other day. My wash sat for 6 whole days doing nothing! DH looked at the machine two nights in a row and then called a repair man. We really thought we were going to have to buy new machine (and of course a dryer to match!) with money we didn't have except for the money tree in the back yard (only dreaming). However they suggested changing out the belt. Now the old belt didn't look bad in any way, but we did it anyway and guess what, for $17.95, my washer works now! Didn't have to go to the money tree after all. So DH actually washed all my clothes for me, and I folded and put them away. He is soooo good to me!

He is in the middle of writing papers. So his brain is all on papers and writing and bibliographies and such things. He has been working hard since January to gather all the materials needed and then starting writing. He has one more week to finish before they are due. Praise God he has one last paper to finish his Doctorate, and of course that's the big one! He is so smart. I'm glad it is him not me.

Okay that is enough rambling, just thought you would like to hear from me. Nothing special!

Ice Cream, Ice Cream, we all read for Ice Cream!

Have you ever in your life been told that if you read a certain amount of books, I will give you FREE ICE CREAM! Well that is what the Braums book buddies are all about. We use to do this program but had stopped due to the whole maintenance of it by me. However I was inspired once again to start doing the Braums Book Buddies. They have to read 6 books and place their stickers in their Braums booklets in order to get their prize. They graduate up from a single dip, to a single cone, to a double dip, milk shake, and the final is the Ice Cream Sunday. This program is available for those in the 1st-6th grade. Of Course that leaves Sarah out but I didn't, so I made my own and had her put her own stickers in it and I will buy her whatever the gradual stages are originally.

Most people who are reading this blog knows my childrens taste. One is a very health, but picky eater and the other two are sweet eaters. Oh they are so like me! They love chocolate, ice cream, and candy. So this tickled their ears and in no time at all after introducing this to them on Tuesday, they have begun and Isabella has already earned her first treat! Zech is one sticker away from it. Sarah has it a little tougher because she is not allowed to just read a first grade reader, she must really read. So she is behind them, but catching up.

This has sparked a new revolution in our house, because instead of hearing, "Mom, may I play a computer game?" it has changed to, "Mom, I just read another book, or mom, I need more books to read!" Oh what joy that brings to my ears.

For the adults out there I propose that everytime you read a book because I know it is usually a novel, go ahead and take yourself to an ice cream shop and treat yourself too!

Time for a change!

Are you ready to take an adventure with us? Well we are going on a homeschooling adventure. You see January and February are what a lot of homeschoolers call the "doldrums". Simply because you've just come through your most busy time and during the "winter" you stay indoors a lot more and you get as much school done as you can. Lately our life has had its many downs than up times and I'm stuck in a rut. So I got a little inspiration from our homeschooling loop on Unit Studies and decided that we are going to change a little learning around here.

One of the reasons that I homeschool is to hopefully make my children think. Unfortunately for me it makes me think too! I have to think up stuff that is fun and simply put, I'm not a lot of fun! I like to keep my house clean and just do routine stuff. I like my homeschooling days to be in the "norm" for us rather than the "un-norm" everyday. I don't like crafts, messy paints, researching stuff and stopping in the middle of what I'm doing to figure things out. I like my kids to go self paced (self disciplined to do what they need to do to "get it done"). However that doesn't create a very learning environment for my children.

So we are off on an adventure. We are throwing aside the history curriculum and the science curriculum (although Sarah still has to do hers) and heading off into the world of 'Unit Studies'. They are studies directed by parent or students that usually last 2 to 3 weeks about one particular thing and then all your learning comes into play studying that one thing. For example, lets say a particular child wants to know why we have a lunar eclipse. For two weeks we would check out books from the library about lunar eclipses, research on the internet, build models, write stories, do some math problems (like light years and miles around the moon and how many years till the next one, etc), and much much more. Now before all of you freak out and say that's not enough study, I agree. So we will stick to the regular math and english programs, the spelling and vocabulary, etc. They will learn all about one thing on top of their regular studies except for their regular History and Science. This helps keep it interesting and makes them want to learn and how to learn.

So come on the adventure with us! We will study about Bald Eagles, the Model T Ford Car, and Wedding Rings. (These are the topics my kids picked out from a list of unit studies I had for them) Isabella picked the wedding rings. At first I thought why would wedding rings be a relevant study, but she actually gets to study gold, platinum, and diamonds (that by the way is chemistry!). She gets to learn the symbolism of the complete circle of the wedding ring. Also if I'm smart, I'll plug in some "true love waits" information in there too! I'm sure also that by the time we are done she will have picked out the wedding ring she wants. I told her that I'm not buying one of those just for the study.

If you have any relevant information about any of these or any interesting ideas on these let me know. I'll be sure to snap plenty of pictures for you to find out all you can. Oh and by the way at the end of two weeks they will be required to deliver a full report of what they've learned to dad and I and the other siblings. So if your within driving distance and want to come and hear, come on down and we will even make you dinner!

Official Spelling Bee!

My kids did the spelling bee. Isabella was eliminated in the first round. Her first word was "saffron"! Now I as a mother would have given her credit because in my opinion she did stop and think and spelled it "saphron"! I thought that was a natural conclusion that the "f" sometimes is spelled with a "ph"! I was proud of her anyway. Zech got eliminated the 3rd round from "relevant". He spelled the second "e" with an "i". Now he knew how to spell that word so I guess nerves just got the best of him. Zech and Isabella were in the elementary catagory (1st - 5th). A third grader won! Sarah and Katie were the only two in their junior high category (6-8th) and the battle was on. Mind you both were guaranteed a prize for the 1st and 2nd place winners, however they were matched word for word! I was amazed. They went on and on, not missing any words for 20 minutes or so. Then Sarah missed a word and the other girl spelled it correctly, then she had to spell another word which she missed and so Sarah got to stand back up and the battle was on again. This happened 3 more times, where Sarah missed and Katy spelled one correctly and then missed another one. Finally Katie spelled the championship word correctly and she won 1st place. We were so proud though of Sarah. That was hard without really a break because once you were done the other spelled and then you were on again. Kind of nerve racking! But she did great. She won a $25 gift card to Hastings (let's hope she buys books with it).

True Love Really Does Wait!

I know against a majority of a popular opinion, I still believe it is best to wait for your true love and marrying that true love and never having sex with anyone or that true love until you are married! That is what True Love Waits is all about. I am proud to say that my 12 year old daughter has taken that vow to stay pure until her husband!

As you can tell we made a committment this last weekend at church. This whole month our pastor has been preaching on "True Love" and what it means. Not the ushy gushy kind of love but Love the person! God is Love, the bible tells us that. The pastor preached this last Sunday on "Holiness Matters!". The bible tells us that we are to be Holy as He is Holy.

Sarah has been going through 6 weeks of study in Sunday School about this commitment. This is a commitment to God and to her parents and we as parents committed to help her stay that way. We are so proud of our children and the fact that they are making our beliefs their own. Praise God!