Land of Counterpane

Girls - What Message Are We Sending?

2011-07-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

When Ariana comes to my house, I realize that I make over her more when she has a cute outfit on that I like. And I've wondered, what kind of message am I sending her? You are cuter because of your cute clothes? She's the same little girl she has always been. She just has different fabric on. She needs to know that we value her no matter what she is wearing.

"How to Talk to Little Girls?"

What messages are we sending our daughters?

Thought provoking article

2011-06-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

How to Land Your Kid in Therapy: Why the obsession with our kids' happiness may be dooming them to unhappy adulthoods. A therapist and mother reports.

Ouch? Read all four pages of this article in The Atlantic and you are sure to recognize yourself or some other parent you know. Excellent article!

My absolute favorite...

2011-06-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

My absolute favorite homeschool book this year....K12's The Human Odyssey, Volume 1.

The New Year

2010-12-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

I realized something yesterday. I'm more excited about the upcoming new year than I am Christmas. Re Christmas - can we get on with it so I can start plaYing with the new year? I enjoy Christmas, but I'm excited about the opportunity for a fresh new start, new calendars, and new books to read.

My favorite planning calendar.

Reading Little Women

2010-10-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Crater Lake and Oregon Caves

2010-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

I wrote this for other homeschoolers to read but thought I should share it here too. There are so many things about this trip that I want to share (stars reflecting off the surface of Crater Lake, going to sleep to a Grateful Dead cover band, watching my handy hubby change a flat in the middle of nowhere on a gravel forestry road at dusk, camping with cows, etc.). Maybe later.

Just back from a week of vacation. No school for a whole week. Wow! But, we certainly weren't idling the day away next to the pool. Nope. We were learning. We spent a couple of days at Crater Lake National Park, a day at Oregon Caves National Monument, and a couple of hours at the Klamath County's Main Museum.

Klamath County's Main Museum has an awesome hands-on exhibit for kids - "Forests for Everyone: Klamath's Living Legacy." The exhibit shows how forests can be shared by sportsmen, preservationists, foresters, and recreation seekers. There are many displays about the Modoc Indian Wars along with a huge washtub collection. But, you know what was really amazing? The actual newspaper pages from the 1940's taped up on the walls of the bathroom stalls. It made for great reading along with the 1958 Rand McNally poster of the universe.

Crater Lake was beautiful of course. We learned how the collapse of Mt. Mazama formed the caldera over 7,000 years ago. There were so many geological features to see and cliffs to pull the 8yo away from. Aside from the regular view the movie, drive around the rim, and take a hike, we also decided to stay and view a moon rise over the lake. A natural forest fire provided the smoke necessary to create a deep orange moon as it peeked over the rim of the lake.

Oregon Caves was nothing like I imagined (I guess I was thinking of Mt. Timpanogos). The drive was steep with hairpin curves for a good 8+ miles. The guided tour had strict guidelines - no children under 42", no carrying children, no food, no flashlights, no back, breathing, or heart problems. I knew I was too out of shape for the entire 90 minute tour, so I bailed at the 110 step exit. But, what I did get to see was fun to share with my family...especially when the lights went out. Oh, and on my way down the trail I was able to hang out with a group of five deer.

We even had an educational experience at the primitive campsite we stayed at, Huckleberry Mountain Campground (camping with cows was scary and fun all at same time). While chopping wood for a fire, Dad exposed a fat grub we think may have been a mountain pine beetle larva.

Later the 12yo showed me the white fat grub and announced that she was going to eat it. Crunch! It was just biscuit dough.

Thank you, Ken, for dragging me out of the house.

Cheese, Hairy Legs, and Gift Shop Knives

2010-09-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday we drove to Tillamook to tour the cheese factory. We decided to take in the local air museum also. 8yo began whining before we hit the air museum parking lot, so I volunteered to sit out in the Westfalia with her. Shortly after settling in, I remembered that I had brought some of her school books with me in hopes of doing a little planning during the drive up to Tillamook. I retrieved them from my parents SUV giving 8yo quite a shock . Once she realized that mom wasn't kidding, she sat back in her seat, pulled out her tourist knife from the cheese factory gift shop, and proceeded to trim her leg hairs with the scissors attachment. The doors were closed to keep the dog inside. The windows were closed to keep the rain out. The 8yo was happily trimming her hairy legs. We were reviewing math and science. It was all very ~~muggy~~ cozy.

BTW, my legs received a trim also. ; )

School

2010-09-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

We started school last week. I was going to wait until after Labor Day but... why not? We did a light schedule so the younger girls would have time to play with their neighborhood friends. Here's my take on the first week:

The first day was tough. It was like trying to ride a bike with a rusty chain. Lots of exertion without moving very far along. Add in some awful squeaking noises. 12yo - compliance with frustration and tears. 8yo - non-compliance with copious amounts of whining

Day 2 - It was like someone oiled the chain. Not as much exertion needed. Moved more easily.

Days 3&4 - Did someone put a new chain on the bicycle overnight? School went smoothly and ended a couple of hours earlier (for the 12yo).

Day 5 - We're in the groove.

I love homeschooling....at the moment. Ask me tomorrow and I might confess that at times I hate it. Sometimes I experience both of these feelings all in one day. Yeah, I'm the Bipolar Homescholar. ; )

This week we'll be adding more subjects and early morning seminary.

Book 31

2010-08-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Mockingjay

Suzanne Collins

Third and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Another page turner though not a feel good type of book. Breaking free doesn't mean a happy ending.

Book 30

2010-08-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Austere Academy

(A Series of Unfortunate Events #5)

Lemony Snicket

Not quite as funny.

Book 29

2010-08-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Miserable Mill

(A Series of Unfortunate Events #4)

Lemony Snicket

I keep finding the funniest quotes in these books. I've tried to share with my family but they don't seem to appreciate it in the same way. ; )

Book 28

2010-08-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Wide Window

(A Series of Unfortunate Events #3)

Lemony Snicket

This one made me want to watch Meryl Streep as Aunt Josephine in the movie again.

Book 27

2010-08-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Reptile Room

(A Series of Unfortunate Events #2)

Lemony Snicket

Gum

2010-07-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

I used to have a rule: No gum. I softened and the rule became: Gum stays in your mouth or goes in the trashcan. Today we reviewed the rule after...

This little devil


+ this little devil

became this mess.

The tools

Book 26

2010-07-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Bad Beginning

(A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)

Lemony Snicket

Book 25

2010-07-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Coraline

Neil Gaiman

Book 24

2010-07-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Doll People

Ann M. Martin & Laura Godwin

Sweet book for 8-12yo girls.

Book 23

2010-06-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Catching Fire

Suzanne Collins

Book 22

2010-06-17T00:54:00.000-07:00

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

So many of the folks over on TWTM homeschool boards have given this book a thumbs up, I had to read it for myself. I would definitely recommend it.

Book 21

2010-06-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Last Apprentice:
Clash of the Demons

Joseph Delaney

Book 20

2010-06-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Last Apprentice:

Wrath of the Bloodeye

Joseph Delaney

Book 19

2010-05-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Last Apprentice:

Attack of the Fiend

Joseph Delaney

Book 18

2010-05-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Last Apprentice:

Night of the Soul Stealer

by Joseph Delaney

Good but the climax lacked something. "Oh, that was it? Did I miss something? Let me back up and reread the paragraph. Nope, didn't miss anything." Just a little flat after all the build up.

I've decided...

2010-05-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

I've decided to join the Catholic church. I believe it is the one and only true church, and I believe that everyone should join the Catholic church. I'm especially worried about my grandchildren. I know this is the church they should be members of but their parents are Mormon and don't agree with me.

I feel really strongly about this, so I've come up with a plan to convert my grandchildren to Catholicism. When their parents aren't in the room I'm going to tell them about how wonderful the Catholic church is. I'll compare it to their parents' church and show them how much wiser it would be to attend a Catholic church. I also plan to take them to church with me so that they can see first hand how much more fun it would be to attend church with the Catholics rather than with the Mormons. I know their parents won't be happy about this, but I know being Catholic is the right choice for everyone. I'm sorry that I have to undermine my daughter and son-in-law's parental authority, but they just don't understand how their choice to raise their children in the Mormon church is going to screw up the kids' lives.

No, I'm not going to join the Catholic church.

Go back and insert "public school" for Catholic church and "homeschool" for Mormon church. See where I'm coming from?

Thank you to those of you who may not agree with homeshcool but are still supportive.
If you do have a beef with homeschool, talk to me not my kids. Privately would be nice.
I believe homeschool is a choice. I do not believe it is better than public or private school.
I will not try to talk your kids into choosing homeschool. I trust your parental right to inspiration. You know what school choice is right for each of your children.

Book 17

2010-05-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Last Apprentice:

Curse of the Bane

Joseph Delaney

Okay, now I know why these are in the young adult(YA) section and not in Juvenile. This one got a little more gruesome. Still enjoyed reading it but thinking that maybe I shouldn't read these before bedtime.

Book 16

2010-05-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Last Apprentice:

Revenge of the Witch

Joseph Delaney

Young adult fiction. Yes, this does have witches in it. If that isn't your thing, skip it. It was a quick (one day) read, and I already have the second book in the series on hold at the library. I enjoyed it though I do think it would have scared my younger kids.

Book 15

2010-05-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

Rhoda Janzen

I was drawn to this book because we use textbooks from a Mennonite publisher. The title piqued my interest which led to watching an interview with the author.

There were times I laughed. There were times when I couldn't figure out what she was getting at.

I would rate this book a PG-13. The language that the husband used and some of the situations were a bit out of my comfort zone.

Apologize

2010-05-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? I love this song. Lyrics

The Woman in White

2010-04-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

The Woman in White

Wilkie Collins

I am surprised by how much I'm enjoying this book. It was published in 1860, but I'm finding it to be an easy, fun mystery.

Edited to add (May 9th): I LOVED reading this book. It has been my favorite read so far this year.

Music and Books

2010-04-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

The kids have taken to Peter Fox. Since I don't know German, I hope the lyrics are tame. His music is fun to listen to.
Peter Fox

In the past month I've read six books which is a lot for me. Still reading Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison to the girls.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison, City of Ember, Starship Troopers, The Last of the Mohicans, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Wizard of Oz

Hodgepodge

2010-03-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

DD8 was baptized this past Saturday. Such a big milestone...and our last one. Grandma O. did a great job of telling about it.

Thanks to everyone who shared the day with us. DD was having a hard time dealing with her emotions and was very glum until she saw Curtis in the church gym. Her mood immediately lightened when she saw him. Curtis, thank you for helping Ann Marie be happy on her special day.

I am now forty-sick. I mean forty-six. ;) I received my birthday present a week early. New windows! And, DH painted the windowsills to match. .

What keeps my mind off of sitting in a freezing cold van in the morning? Time passes much more quickly when you have a great read! George made it through the American Revolution one more time. Good job George!

Life Lessons

2010-03-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

6 Life Lessons: From the Dead

Gotta Love the Friends of the Library Sale

2010-02-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

The Young Nation: America 1787-1861

10 Volumes

The library's loss is our gain...$25 vs. $379.

Pets - the things you don't know.

2010-02-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

Apparently we have pet fleas and didn't even know it. Lots of them. Okay, I really did know about the fleas, I just didn't know the "lots" part.

Yesterday I finally felt guilty about my cat pulling his hair out (allergic to flea bites) and my dog panting from her desperate attempts to find the fleas above her tail. The dog was stinky, had a red rash, and had chewed the hair off the top of her tail. I applied flea insecticide to both animals. The cat's worked, the dog's didn't. While the 11yo read her Latin lesson to me this morning, I picked fleas off the dog. The infestation was worse than I had imagined. Guilt, guilt, guilt!

My guilt bought the dog a trip to the groomer. I know, it's cheaper to wash the dog at home, but there are some things I'm not willing to do. One thing people don't tell you when trying to share their cute little puppies with you is that dogs occasionally need help emptying their anal glands. That my friends, is one of the perks of taking your dog to the groomer. You do not have to know about or have to deal with anal glands.

Thirty-six dollars and two hours later, I picked up my dog minus the musky odor. But that isn't the worst part. Nope, thirty-six dollars isn't so bad. What really hurts is the flea control. Three tiny vials of insecticide is going to cost you $60. Yep, twenty dollars a month. Ouch! Our total is now slightly over $100.

And there's more. Did I tell you that while the dog was in town being groomed that the cat attempted to puke on MY side of the bed?

Pets, companionship, man's best friend, fleas, worms, cleaning up warm cat puke....hmmm....I don't know. What were we thinking?

Am I a Plant?

2010-02-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

I noticed a pattern a few years ago. I always have a crash in February. I mean CRASH. Some of the worst depression I have ever experienced has happened in February. Big, bad, scary!

Is this a self-fulfilling prophecy? Honestly, I've wondered that myself. Every year I convince myself that it is just a coincidence. Besides, who can be depressed in Oregon during February? This is one of the sunniest winter months. In fact, last year when I made it to the end of the month and nothing had happened, I was sure that somehow I had made up this whole thing. And then, BAM, I felt like a zombie. I had to think about getting up off the couch. I had to force myself to move. I had to think about each step forward.

I joked with my sister that maybe I had some plant gene in body and that my body was reacting to the coming of spring. I know what you're thinking - completely fruity and off the wall.

Fast forward to this year. For a week the frogs have been serenading us at night and now I see that the tulips are already 4-5 inches tall. And me? Yesterday I was so agitated that my skin felt charged. I had this feeling that if the 7yo touched me I might literally explode (her incessant chattering was having the same effect). Before the evening was over I had experienced an "ugly cry."

This morning when I let the dog outside, I saw the tulips and thought, "Yep, I'm a plant."

52 Books - Week Six

2010-02-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

1-2-3 Magic

Thomas W. Phelan

I'm still in the process of reading this book. I'm hoping that putting it on my blog will motivate me to finish it this week ;)

52 Books - Week Five

2010-02-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

Shhh...I didn't read this week.

Free Phonics Program

2010-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Progressive Phonics

I wanted to share this free resource for children who need a little fun phonics practice at home. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

52 Books - Week Four

2010-01-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Proper Care & Feeding of Husbands

Dr. Laura

YES! I finally finished. I'll admit that so far this has been the hardest book for me to finish. Reading transcripts of Dr. Laura's call-in show made me angry. She came across as being quite judgmental and critical of the callers. Also, the book didn't seem to have a logical flow. However, there is good information in the book. I had to take the "don't throw the baby out with the bath water" attitude while reading.

An interesting note. Having read Madame Bovary (1840's) just before this book, I disagree with Dr. Laura's argument that the lack of respect for husbands is the fault of the feminist movement. There's nothing new under the sun.

52 Books - Week Three

2010-01-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

Madame Bovary

Gustave Flaubert

"Gradually, growing calmer, she came to see that she had been unjust to him. But casting aspersions on those we love always does something to loosen our ties. We shouldn't maltreat our idols: the gilt comes off on our hands."

Depressing with a capital D. I skim-read this book several years ago. I decided to actually read it this time and it is just as depressing as I remember. Yes, this is no doubt a classic and the descriptions of every day life are amazing, but the tragic story line often distracted me from enjoying the author's gifted writing. I found this review worthwhile.

Portrait note: The book cover features a portrait of Princess de Broglie.

The Thirteenth Tale

Diane Setterfield

Honestly, I didn't intend to read another book this week, but this one was fun...kind of like a dark chick flick. It included a dysfunctional family and plenty of "who done it." Each time I thought I had it all figured out another layer of mystery was added.

52 Books - Week Two

2010-01-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

Steve and Teri Maxwell have been homeschooling for 23+ years. In this book they discuss the benefits of switching to Christian textbooks after their first 12 years of schooling. It was interesting to have a peek into how they run their very organized school.

Phew!(668 pages worth of "phew!") I decided to read another book that has been sitting in my "to read" pile for ages. Eldest is the second book in the Inheritance Series. Since it had been several years since I read the first book, Eragon, I had a hard time remembering characters, places, etc. Much of the book dealt with Eragon's further training as a Rider which was thankfully broken up by following a separate character. The last 100 pages of the book were the most enjoyable as there was more action.

I'm linking to Amazon, since the Publishers Weekly Editorial Review there is much better than I can come up with. My favorite chapter? "Priorities: Putting God First."

Week One

2010-01-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! I finished my first book of the year this morning, Restoring Order to Your Home by Vicki Norris. One down, 51 to go.

Quote

2010-01-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

As part of my deluttering efforts, I plan to read some of my self-help books and then donate them. I'm reading Restoring Order to Your Home by Vicki Norris. Here is an excellent quote I found while reading:

"In my view, organizing your home is about making room in your life (and your space) for that which is important to you now, not what used to be important to you or what might become important to you."

52 Books in 2009?

2009-12-28T22:29:00.000-08:00

Nope, I didn't make it. I didn't even come close, but I'm glad I tried. I read more books than I would have otherwise (approximately 18). Many of those were read alouds (RA) which made reading them a slower process.

The most uniquely written book was The Dead Fathers Club. I was proud of finishing Dracula. Surprised at how much I enjoyed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Shack was my least favorite. I know a lot of people love it but for me it was too far removed from my own beliefs.

Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
The Precious Present - Spencer Johnson
The Neverending Story - Michael Ende
Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (RA) - Brandon Mull
Stormbreaker (RA) - Anthony Horowitz
The Shack - William P. Young
Peter and the Starcatchers (RA) - Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
Point Blank (RA) - Anthony Horowitz
Skeleton Key (RA) - Anthony Horowitz
The Lightening Thief (RA) - Rick Riordan
Eagle Strike - Anthony Horowitz
The Sea of Monsters (RA) - Rick Riordan
The Titan's Curse (RA) - Rick Riordan
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
The Dead Fathers Club - Matt Haig
Dracula - Bram Stoker

New Fave

2009-12-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

I have found a new favorite TV show...Hoarders.

Show description: "Each 60-minute episode of Hoarders is a fascinating look inside the lives of two different people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis. Whether they're facing eviction, the loss of their children, jail time, or divorce, they are all desperately in need of help."

You can watch full episodes online.

Edited to add: I also found a documentary, My Mother's Garden, made by a daughter of a hoarder.

Join me in...

2009-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Join me in congratulating our seminary student. As of this morning, she has memorized all 25 Book of Mormon scriptures. Good job, Lynn!

Dracula - Quotes

2009-11-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

Dracula
Bram Stoker
Puffin Classics, 2009 edition

"Bless that good, good woman who hung the crucifix round my neck! for it is a comfort and a strength to me whenever I touch it. It is odd that a thing which I have been taught to regard with disfavour and as idolatrous should in a time of loneliness and trouble be of help." pg. 44

Mina writing in her journal: "I am anxious, and it soothes me to express myself here; it is like whispering to one's self and listening at the same time." pg. 117

Professor Van Helsing to Dr. Seward:
"My thesis is this: I want you to believe."
"To believe what?"
"To believe in things that you cannot. Let me illustrate. I heard once of an American who so defined faith: 'that which enables us to believe things which we know to be untrue.' For one, I follow that man. He meant that we shall have an open mind, and not let a little bit of truth check the rush of a big truth, like a small rock does a railway truck. We get the small truth first. Good! We keep him, and we value him; but all the same we must not let him think himself all the truth in the universe."
"Then you want me not to let some previous conviction injure the receptivity of my mind with regard to some strange matter. Do I read your lesson aright?" pg. 313

"...for this enlightened age, when men believe not even what they see, the doubting of wise men would be his greatest strength." pg. 521

Sir Ken Robinson

2009-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

I hope you all will take 20 minutes and watch this humurous yet serious talk about education and creativity given by Sir Ken Robinson. I think it ties in nicely with our recent discussion about women and education.

BTW, I'm looking forward to the addition of your "must read" book suggestions.

Which Books?

2009-10-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

This evening while I was at the bookstore, I was lamenting over the fact that there are so many wonderful children's books yet not enough time to read them all...especially before our children leave home.

Which works of literature would you like your children to read (or have read to them) before they leave your nest? Let's try to limit it to the top ten or less. You may also want to list the ones that were most influential to you as a child.

Autumn Sausage Casserole

2009-10-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

From: Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea

Family Rating: Different

I would not rate this as a "We didn't like it" or a "You've gotta cook this again!" It was good but falls in the different category probably due to the spices (cinnamon and allspice). The prep work involved cooking a pot of rice and chopping vegetables and meat. I did start the crock pot later in the afternoon than I should have. After an hour-and-a-half the carrots were still crunchy so I cranked up the heat from low to high. It cooked on high for another hour-and-a-half which was too much. The edges were a little brown and crunchy and overall the rice was mushier than I like.

What I'm glad I did:
I mixed all of the spices, sprinkled them over the chopped vegetables and meat, and tossed to thoroughly coat the veggies and meat with spice. The spices were distributed more evenly this way.
I used a granny smith apple which added a nice tart flavor.
I used golden raisins and the kids didn't notice. I don't like cooked raisins and even I didn't notice them.

What I would change:
I would like to try a different type of sausage (used Polska Kielbasa 'cause I love the stuff).
Cut sausage in fourths instead of halves. More likely to get a bit of sausage with each bite.
Slice the carrots thinner to reduce cooking time.
Possibly add the rice later to reduce overcooking.
I think this meal might be even better cooked in a sauce pan. Cooking the onions and carrots together (caramelizing?) would be the trick to taking this from "different" to "We would eat this again."

Women and Education

2009-10-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Ladies, whether you have a degree or not I hope you'll participate in my mini-poll. Men, chime in with your observations about the women in your life.

What part of your post high school education do you use on an everyday basis?

Has your post-secondary education been useful in specific situations? (ex: financially supporting the family, church callings, community or social participation, being an informed consumer, etc.)

Is there anything you wish you would have done differently in regards to post-secondary education?

Thank you for sharing your experiences!

Neti Pot Party!

2009-10-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

Neti pot demonstration.

A year ago when I first heard of neti pots, I decided to buy one thinking it would be a great way to avoid sinus infections related to colds. For me that is the worst part of a cold...the lingering stuffy nose and sinuses that won't clear.

Procrastination happens.

This morning 7yo woke me complaining of an earache. She has had a bad cough and then yucky nose for about three weeks. For me, an earache is a sign that I'm on the mend. I know it sounds weird, but I've found that if I'm going to get an earache that is when it happens. Assuming 7yo's situation is similar, I gave her Tylenol and spent the day telling her, "Blow. No, blow harder!" (We avoided blowing the side that made her ear hurt.)

This evening the girls and I loaded up and drove to town on a mission to buy a neti pot. 7yo was happy to be in possession of the neti pot until we got home and mom announced we were going to have a neti pot party. Then the whining began. Yes, there was whining, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Of course she survived. 14yo sister came in afterward to demonstrate how to use a neti pot without the drama. And 11yo had to show the rest of them that she was game too. She generously left me enough fluid to try rinsing at least one side.

Yeah, I know. We shouldn't have shared the pot. But, we've all had the same bug recently and hey, we're family. We love sharing...even germs. c:

Learning to Read

2009-09-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

This warms my mommy heart!

Just a day....

2009-09-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

My eyelids pinged at 6:40am (way too early in my book). I decided I might as well tackle the dirty laundry which was overflowing into the kitchen floor. It's only 10am and the third load is ready for the dryer.

While I'm waiting for my pants to dry so I can go on a walk, I'm contemplating making a grocery list. Sigh. I don't really want to go to the grocery store today, but we are out of food I can make a meal out of. Hey, we're even out of milk! I'm combing over the last two menus from e-Mealz to see what I'm willing to cook and what the troops may be willing to eat.

I'm also pondering homeschool. I have some things I want to do, but we still don't seem to have enough time in the day to get them accomplished. I could turn into a organizational Nazi and possibly get them done, or I could accept that it isn't going to happen.

I also decided that I'm going to have to do teacher prep on Saturdays. There's just no way around it. I can study Biology while 14yo is in seminary but there is still more to learn. Participial phrases are making my head spin and I hear Egypt calling my name.

I hear the dryer buzzer.

Seminary

2009-09-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Two down and ..... how many more days do I have to do this? It's true. I'm the seminary chauffeur. How funny is that? The two family members that have the hardest time getting out of bed early are waking up at 5:30 a.m. There is something totally wrong with this picture.

Night owls' observations:

at 5:30 a.m. it is dark outside
people are actually driving to work at 6 a.m.
seeing an orange sunrise behind Mt. Jefferson(?) is breathtaking!
Mormon standard time is alive and kickin'
at 7:30 a.m. you can get a front row parking spot at WinCo
WinCo only needs one checker in the early morning
Lynn should not be taken into WinCo just after the shelves have been stocked. She will feel compelled to fill the empty spaces and organize anything that is out of place. She is also super giggly and begs for stuff (a.k.a. doughnuts)
Lynn thinks one hour power naps are too short
the crash begins at 3 p.m.
mom is very grouchy in the evenings after getting up so early
she wants to go to bed early therefore everyone else must too

Don't shoot me...

2009-09-05T00:35:00.000-07:00

Can I admit that I'm looking forward to public school starting on Wednesday? I love that my girls have friends, but I'm looking forward to fewer interruptions and better focus. Even if their friends don't come over, just knowing that friends are available seems to contribute to "but mom I could be playing" attention deficit. Of course we'll have to adjust. Every year we go through the "I'm bored" stage for a couple of weeks. Then, we revert to the "knocking on their door the minute they get off the bus" syndrome.

Girly Math

2009-08-20T09:32:00.001-07:00

Who needs counting bears when you can
use bottles of nail polish instead?

Counting bears are math manipulatives used to help with counting and sorting.

Unwanted guests

2009-08-05T00:10:00.000-07:00

I found myself dancing with an unwanted guest last night...in my bare feet! After jumping over him several times and squealing an expletive or two, I convinced him to go sit in the corner. Fast forward to tonight. I guess he thought the coast was clear to hit on me again once hubby went off to bed. But, my faithful kitty came to my rescue. Although I must sadly report that the cat decided to help another creature join the "one less leg" club. I'll have to tell you about the slugs hubby found in the kitchen this morning another time.

BTW, I spent a considerable amount of time online trying to identify the spider. It could be a hobo or a giant house spider. Apparently, hobos are hard to identify because they look similar to several other spiders. Regardless, I had a good time lying on the floor with a flashlight and magnifying glass getting as good a look as one can through an 8X8 pyrex dish.

A Day in the Life of....

2009-07-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

After a terrific heat wave (104, 108, and 102 degrees Fahrenheit), I think it is time to start living again. Time seemed to stop for a few days. Only the bare necessities were performed so as not to produce additional body heat. Dirty clothes and dishes have piled up along with every toy or item that was used in the last few days. I've decided to share what today's recovery effort will look like. (Special thanks to DH who braved the hot weather to do the dishes and laundry which did get done. Oh, and he slaved away in the garage during the early mornings to fix the van.)

Woke up at 9:15 a.m. Walked out of our cool bedroom to find that the rest of the house didn't get quite as cool. Considered being a slug again today.
7yodd decides that copying people is fun. 11yodd and I copy 7yo for 5 minutes. 7yo gets rather frustrated and realizes that copying is a form of teasing and it isn't fun to be on the receiving end.
Seeing that cabin fever is brewing, I announce that they (7 & 11) should play at the park while it is cool. I retract said statement upon seeing the state of their room.
We role play. I'm the slave driver and they are the slaves. I think it is a fun game. They don't seem to get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. Their room is pronounced clean. Role playing ends. They flee the house.
I fill out paperwork for today's field trip to a local climbing wall. Did I just sign my life away?
I try to rouse 14yodd. She apparently HAS decided to be a slug today.
Washing my jeans that looked like a Brownie Batter Blizzard rained down them yesterday. I don't know how that happened.
The park didn't last long. Now listening in as kids watch "Martha Speaks." Martha can speak Polish?

Continued...

Beginning to feel claustrophobic now that I'm actually acknowledging the cluttered state of our home. The veil has been removed from before my eyes. Shudder!
Vacuuming one area rug shouldn't take an hour.

Eat where?

Aah, much better!
(now to clean off the piano bench where I dumped the stuff ;)

Trying to calm my anxiety by eating a fudgsicle.
Returned all Wii game discs to the appropriate cases.
Slug girl has arisen (2pm!) and is attempting to morph into a human being.
Trying hard to squelch the "this is hopeless" mantra that is getting louder in my head. I am beginning to hate stuff.
When your house looks like it has had an explosive BM, shovel the contents of your bedside table into a box. Dust the table and the pretties. Feeling overwhelmed? Go sit by bedside table and admire it until you have the strength to return to the battlefield.
Avoidance - called my mom. They are in Nauvoo, IL. I encouraged them to take their time driving across the states. DH still needs to go next door and clear out his model train stuff. I have NO idea where he's going to store it.
Avalanche prevention - cleaning off the top of the dryer.
Started the dishwasher. Unsure what to do next, so I start eating Cheeze-It's. Yes, eating. That doesn't take any effort.
Note to self: STOP buying stuff!
I admit defeat. Retreating to my room.
My favorite distraction - crossword puzzles.
Rock climbers are home and in one piece...now enjoying their favorite distraction "The Brady Bunch."
Computer died forcing me back into the fray. Digging through the bedside table clutter which was dumped into an empty dishpan earlier.
14yo & 11yo made cheese and bean quesadillas for supper. What wunderbar children!
As Cliff Hanger (Between the Lions) says, "Can't...hold...on...much....loooonger!"
Hard to get anything accomplished with my cat in the room. There is nothing like a one-eyed, three-leg, mangy looking cat. He is just too irresistible. I must hug and kiss him each time I pass by.
11:30 p.m. Load in the dryer, load in the washer. Goodnight.

Welcome Sweet Baby!

2009-07-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Stephanie and Jeff!

Fiction let down?

2009-07-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

This morning I finished The Shack...parts were sad. This evening DH and I watched Troy...sad ending. Then tonight at bedtime I read the last chapter of Peter and the Starcatchers to my younger girls...another "sad to me" ending. I'm feeling a bit melancholy. I guess I'm suffering from fiction let down (if there is such a thing).

Edited to add: I really liked Peter and the Starcatchers. It was a fun read aloud!

The Joys of Pet Ownership

2009-06-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

Queasy stomach? Sympathy puker? STOP!!! Skip this entry.

The reason the dog was in the skunk trap was food...ham sandwich meat that had been sitting out in the sun for several days. When she started throwing up yesterday, we assumed upset stomach due to rotten meat. And when she whined last night at 2a.m. I assumed spoiled dog who didn't want to be locked up in her kennel overnight.

This morning I was informed that she had been sick again outside, and upon further investigation I found that she had also been sick in her kennel. I pulled out her pad and saw what looked like a piece of string approximately three inches long. My brain started putting two and two together, and I decided to take a closer look. The "sausage links" gave it away. Yep, it was a tapeworm (identified at vet's office). Let me say that brushing your teeth after using a toothpick to pick a tape worm out of dog vomit...well, I wasn't sure I was going to hold down my breakfast.

I am VERY glad that I decided to poke through her vomit. I think tapeworms are usually found in the intestines not the stomach. Poor dog must have quite the infection. I'm also glad that I happened to buy freshly ground hamburger at the grocery store. After trying to pry her jaws open, I found that putting humongously large pills in small hamburger ball works much better. It became a game of let's catch the raw hamburger mom is tossing to me. Ah, it's so fun having pets. ;)

BTW, I'll never look at a string of pearls the same way.

We didn't catch a skunk but.....

2009-06-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

We didn't catch a skunk, but we did catch a DOG!

Pepe LePew was so cute until...

2009-06-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

The cutest little skunk has apparently chosen our backyard to hang out in. Well, I thought he was really cute until he decided to sleep under our bedroom window. And apparently something was sprayed tonight. Phew! There is nothing like the smell of burnt rubber greeting you when you open the back door.

Do you think I was inspired to buy a fresh new bottle of Skunk-off last week? The cat (1/2 blind) actually went up to said skunk and sniffed it. I guess he thought it was another cat. Luckily the skunk chose to hiss and not spray.

She's READING!!!

2009-05-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Am I a little excited? YES!

7yo has been able to read consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) ("cat") words for awhile, but she wasn't able to read sentences. Last month I bought some sight word readers which she memorized. The past two weeks she has been reading longer passages in her Rod & Staff "We Learn About God" reader. Again, these are sight word stories, but they are much longer which showed me that she is actually reading not merely reciting memorized passages.

BTW, we are working through the accompanying phonics workbook too. I like this approach of using both types of reading instruction (phonics and sight words). Using sight words means she is able to start reading quickly and phonics instruction helps her to build future reading skills.

Now, if we can get her to count from 11-20 without leaving out numbers.... c:

Kudzu Vacation

2009-04-09T00:16:00.000-07:00

Kudzu or "the vine that ate the south."

Our family lived in North Carolina from the time I was six until I was 14. I don't remember seeing Kudzu in FL, but it was definitely in NC. It covered everything on the ground and then grew up the nearby trees. It was like a green tidal wave. It was beautiful and could be useful, but it had become an invasive species smothering the native flora.

This week has been a kudzu week. All of those little "good" things on my schedule are like kudzu. They are beautiful and mostly good, but together they are overtaking me. They are making it hard to do the things that I feel should come first.

And so, I'm declaring a kudzu vacation starting Monday. I am going to choose carefully what I'm going to allow to creep into my life. Because we all know that those little creepers can become dense walls that block our view of the beautiful and important forest underneath it.

The Blues

2009-04-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

Back when we were living on Bluebell (+ 4 yrs ago), I started to recognize a pattern. Every February I had a day where I was so blue that I had to make myself move. I can remember sitting on the couch watching everyone move around the room while I felt like I didn't have the energy to get up. And, I didn't want to. I would have this mental argument where I would tell myself that I had to get up and start moving or I was going to go deeper into the funk I was in. I wasn't grouchy. I had no energy. I was blah.

Last year it hit me particularly hard. I felt like a zombie. The worst part only lasted for about 24 hours, but it took me a couple of weeks to finally feel normal again. It scared me!

February came and went this year with no trace of the blues. Then March passed by too. Yeah! I thought I was safe.

Not so. Of all days, why April 1st? I don't know. I stayed in bed with the covers over my head. I didn't answer the phone. When I finally forced myself out of bed into the shower, it was like watching a movie in slow motion. After awhile I realized I was standing under the shower with my mouth hanging open. I had to think about what to do. At the grocery store, I wrote the amount for the groceries on the "pay to the order of" line. I stood there dumbly looking at the check. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't figure it out until I had studied the check for a few seconds. (Are you wondering why I was out driving? Me too!)

I did something different this time which I think helped. I told my husband. Knowing that someone else was aware helped me to fight back. And, forcing myself to get out the house helped too. I was still in slow mo but it helped to be around other people. It was like a distraction that helped me stay bobbing at the surface rather than sinking down deeper.

I feel much better but also on guard. I don't enjoy feeling like someone has sucked the energy out of me.

If you've ever watched the movie "The Dark Crystal" you'll understand what I'm afraid of. I don't want to be a Podling whose life essence has been drained.

Fablehaven

2009-03-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

I bought the newest book in the Fablehaven series, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. I would read it to the girls all day except our resident teenager thinks she has better things to do with her time. The nerve!

You know what surprised me? When we went to Borders at noon on the release date, there were only three copies. I guess they didn't expect many buyers? The next evening we couldn't find any copies. Hopefully that's good news for Brandon Mull.

BTW, we'll try not to post any spoilers. It will be hard...but...we'll....try!

Homeschool update

2009-03-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

When folks ask me how homeschool is going I tend to give a general answer like fine. Personally, I doubt they want the nitty gritty details, but maybe they do want to know a little more than "fine."

If you are interested here it is...

13 yodd is preparing for standardized testing. Think mom shoving lots of worksheets off on her.

10 yodd is learning about fractions (finding lowest common denominator), the future tense in Latin, Australia, and mollusks, etc. Soon we'll be starting a unit on astronomy.

7 yodd is learning to read. That is her job. She does a couple of workbook pages pertaining to phonics or reading skills each day. She is also working in a 1st grade math workbook.

The Teacher Store

2009-03-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

A few times a year I plan a trip to the closest educational supply store (45 minute drive). It's a little stressful with the traffic of a bigger city, but it is so fun to go in and drool over all those cutesy elementary school themed supplies and cool educational toys. I usually come away a little disappointed because I tend to talk myself out of buying things I know I don't need.

Yesterday was a good trip, because I found some things that I wanted and knew I would use. I bought some colorful sight word readers for 7yodd. She read them to her Dad at bedtime last night. We also bought a set of word family cards.

Of course, sometimes it is the little things that are the most exciting...new chalkboards! We use lap size chalkboards every day for homeschool and it was time for some new ones. Yeah!

It's official. I'm a Twit!

2009-03-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing about Twitter for awhile and could not for the life of me figure out what people were talking about. Then one of my favorite homeschool authors announced that she had started twittering. I enjoy reading her blog, so I decided to check out this twitter phenomenon. After visiting Twitter I thought, "Oh, that's nice" and went about my business.

And then....I had a few times when friends wanted to chat with me on Gmail while I was busy with school. I figured how to use the busy signal on Gmail. It seemed fine until oldest dd told me the message other people see. For fun, I started putting a custom message with my busy symbol...cooking supper, crossword puzzle, homeschool hours, etc. It was fun and I realized that I was doing something similar to Twitter so why not give it a try.

DH said now we are hip. Nay, we're too old to be hip. We're officially twits.

Link - Twitter

Perspective

2009-03-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Expect a flew bleeps.

Everything is amazing, nobody is happy.

Europe?

2009-03-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

How well do you know Europe? See if you can place the countries in the right place. Post your best time....if you dare. You can try it with outlines or without.

Europe Map Puzzle

Like a Machine Gun

2009-02-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

What made me so excited tonight that on the way home my mouth was firing off as fast as a machine gun?

D
R
U
M
R
O
L
L

I went to the Friends of the Library annual book sale where I found a 2007 set of World Book Encyclopedias for $100. They are beautiful. My 10yodd and I both marveled that some of them felt as if they had never been opened. A note with the set quoted the online price of $300, while a new set at the World Book online store is $829. I'm thrilled to finally have a set, and a nice one at that.

Isn't it interesting what makes some people happy? ;)

What We Are Shooting For

2009-02-15T14:11:00.000-08:00

I've floundered a lot since we started homeschooling. I think it's like parenting. By the time I get it figured out, my children will be grown.

In June 2006, I began reading The Latin-Centered Curriculum by Andrew Campbell. Yes, I actually got butterflies while reading this book. I was that excited. Why? Dr. Campbell showed me that I can give my children (and myself) a classical education. He convinced me that it is possible.

If you are curious about why classical education (esp. Latin centered) is exciting to me, I hope you'll read this interview with Dr. Campbell.

Distract Me, Please.

2009-01-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

My daddio had bypass surgery a couple of months ago, and today he had to have another surgery. I'm feeling weepy and on the verge of tears. I need something to distract me, so I thought I would come here and post.

Hmmm....let's see what I can blah, blah, blah about.

January is a time of revival for our homeschool. We are literally trying to revive it. Think CPR here.

DD10 was easier than the rest. We had a nice routine going before the break started (Thanksgiving week), so all I needed to do was copy one of our old planning pages and forge ahead. We've done quite a bit of review. We've revisited Hercules (Greek Myths), Nigeria (Geography), and keyword outlines (writing) to name a few. In a couple of weeks we should be finished with some of her current books (D'Aulaires Greek Myths and Rod & Staff Science 3) which will help her schedule be more flexible. We're adding cursive handwriting - again.

DD6 - I'm about ready to give up on this child ever learning to count from 12-16. I said about. We are now doing calendar daily to help pound those pesky teens into her head. I've decided to move forward whether she can consistently count to 20 or not. We started her Math 1 workbook and she is loving it! We also started working in her phonics and reading workbooks. Rod & Staff's 1st grade reading program seems to move rather fast, so we're going at a snail's pace trying to keep things fun without leading to discouragement. We are reading through the Core Knowledge book What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know.

DD13 - (Okay, she's going to read this. Warning....teasing ahead ;) This girl loves The Teaching Company courses. She gets excited about these like some girls get excited about boy bands. I kid you not. And, she's very good about doing her school work without being reminded. But...well...you know, everyone has things that they avoid. For example, some people enjoy planning and writing fiction, but they tend to wiggle out of learning to write nonfiction. And some people (not naming any names of course) have decided that they shouldn't have to study English grammar. Why would a future best-selling author need to do that? (wink, wink). Seriously though, the thing I really want to do with her is spend time learning together. It is nice when a student becomes more independent, but we've swung too far the other way. I miss the days when we sat on my bed tripping over all those crazy Greek names in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Sigh! " Hippolochus fled, but him too did Agamemnon smite; he cut off his hands and his head- which he sent rolling in among the crowd as though it were a ball."(Iliad, Butler, book XI) Sniff, sniff. Such fond memories. ;)

52 Books in 52 Weeks

2009-01-01T16:18:00.000-08:00

I've joined a "Book-a-Week in 2009" reading challenge (a.k.a 52 Books in 52 Weeks). I'm hoping it will motivate me to read some of the books I've amassed over the years. I want to join the great conversation.

I read Of Mice and Men today. One down and only 51 more to go.

Wanna join me?

Read an average of a book a week - 52 books in 52 weeks
Re-reading a book counts--as long as you first read it before 2009
School related books don't count (unless you want them to)
You can start reading on 1-1-09 at 00:00:01AM

Twenty Years Later

2008-12-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

For my oldest daughter's 1st birthday, I decorated a teddy bear cake. She's almost 22 now. This "Let it Snow" cake is my first successful attempt since then.

Snow...here?

2008-12-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

IT SNOWED!!!

Writing too

2008-11-25T00:43:00.000-08:00

Since my family members are all posting about writing (two doing NaNoWriMo and one published in Make magazine), I figured I would jump on the bandwagon so I ..... made a grocery list for Thanksgiving. LOLOLOLOL!!!! That is all that is in there. ;)

BTW, who played voodoo doll with my computer? It has died and is awaiting a box to ship it back to HP. "I am glad to inform you that the Notebook appears to be in warranty and hence free mail in repair service can be arranged."

Let the Countdown Begin!

2008-10-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm excited! In one week NaNoWriMo begins. I've decided that I won't be a participant, so why am I so thrilled? As the head teacher I made the executive decision that 13yog will drop all school subjects except Latin and Algebra while she participates in NaNoWriMo. She does much of her school work independently, and I know she is looking forward to a break from those subjects (spelling, poetry memorization and American History). I will miss doing Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings together, but I will make a confession. I am GIDDY over the fact that we get to ditch English for a WHOLE MONTH!!! I am talking The Price Is Right, jumping up and down, kiss Bob Barker kind of giddy. Since Bob Barker isn't around I guess I'll go lay one on Ken.

Replica of the Ark

2008-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Find more pictures here.

Seven Interesting Things About Me

2008-10-09T00:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, Stephanie tagged me a week-and-a-half ago and I guess I've procrastinated long enough.

I was born in the South, but I don't particularly like southern cooking. Spaghetti and tacos - yum, yum!
DH and I have married each other twice.
My 3rd dd was born in the bathtub at home. Procrastination happens.
Almost all of my nightmares include alligators.
When I was a child I thought I was adopted, because I was the only one in the family with blond eyebrows.
I like to bowl and shoot pool though I haven't done either one in years.
I have read Les Miserables...every page! Some of it went in one eyeball and out the other, but I can say that I read the whole thing.

Latin making a come back?

2008-10-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

A Dead Language That's Very Much Alive

Okay, I admit it. For me, Latin is like shooting pool and bowling. Even though I stink at it I love doing it. And apparently I'm not alone in my enthusiasm for this ancient language. The New York Times article linked above reports that Latin is making a come back in schools. Yeah!

Book It!

2008-10-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Pizza Hut's Book It! program started October 1st, and we feel fortunate that homeschools are invited to participate.

10 yodd is reading Fablehaven to her older sister and me. She's grumbling a bit about 20 minutes a day, but that's okay. I'm enjoying the opportunity to have someone else read to me for a change. Six yodd gets a picture book or two at night plus she is listening to our current bedtime read aloud, Pollyanna.

Even if you aren't participating in the Book It! program you can print some cute reading incentive calendars from their website. They have the standard "color the slice of pizza" or monthly themed calendars. For example October's calendar has pumpkins, ghosts, or cats while March's calendars feature either stars or shamrocks and kites. Book It! Calendars, Reading Logs, and Reading Contracts, etc.

Studio 4 Learning

2008-10-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have come across a great resource..... Studio 4 Learning .

According the website FAQ:
"What is Studio 4 Learning?
Studio 4 Learning, owned by Studio 4 Networks (www.studio4networks.com), is an ad-supported streaming video network on cable, broadband, and satellite. It is geared toward students from middle school through early college as a way to supplement classroom learning and get ahead on school topics."

F.Y.I. - I want to point out that this is "ad-supported" and the ads are definitely targeted towards teens and young adults. (I'm feeling old!)

There are also two other websites available:
Studio 4 Kids
Studio 4 Fitness

Here it comes! NaNoWriMo 2008

2008-09-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not a writer, but I'm intrigued by this event, the National Novel Writing Month. Adult participants attempt to write a 50,000+ word novel during the month of November. There is also an event for younger writers which allows them to set their own word count.

NaNoWriMo's Young Writer's Program

Join kids and teens all around the world in
tackling the fun, frightening, and totally
unforgettable challenge of bashing out an entire
book in one month.
You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll write like crazy for
30 adventurous days. And on December 1, you’ll
have a great new book to read. Your own.
(From Young Writers Program flyer)

FREE! Young Novelist Workbooks

Under Pressure

2008-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago, I received a call from my mom that a friend of mine had died in a car wreck. I was stunned. For the next week I walked about in a daze seeing life through a different set of lenses. As I looked around me, I realized that some things I had deemed important in this life really weren't that important.

Six months ago my daughter confided to me that she had been depressed for quite some time. Though I went through the necessary steps to get help for her, I was in denial. I was sure that it was just a hormonal imbalance....you know, part of growing up....and that everything would be better soon. Reality set in the day I found myself holding a bottle of Prozac in my hand and listening to the pharmacist on the other side of the counter counsel me about the possible side effects of the medication. I don't think I'll ever forget the drive home. On the outside I forced myself to stay calm for my daughter's sake, but on the inside I was shaken. How had this happened? In the space of one year, both of my oldest girls had experienced major events in their lives that no parent would ever wish for their children. Over and over again I pondered what part I had played in bringing us to this point. By the time we pulled in the driveway, I again found myself looking at life through a different set of lenses.

The changes that came about in my oldest child's life were easier for me to deal with. It was something I was familiar with and I knew it would have a definite end. I knew how to help her. But with my younger daughter's depression I feel like I'm in a dark tunnel trying to feel my way out. I want SO much to help her, but I'm not sure how. And like a dark tunnel, I cannot see if the end is close or far away. There is no way to tell. At times I think we are making great strides, and then I stumble on an unexpected obstacle and I realize that we haven't come as far as I had naively imagined. And when I stumble, I realize how tired I am. I try to stay strong for my daughter, but there are days that I falter.

A few days ago, I experienced an unexpected obstacle along the path. My daughter let me know that her medication was actually making her have more frequent bouts with the depression. There was a flurry of communication between the psychologist, the pediatrician, his nurse, and me. In what felt like the blink of an eye, we found ourselves in the pharmacy with a new prescription in hand.

Interestingly enough,it is almost always after one of these unexpected bumps in the road that I remember that I need to put my new lenses back on. Tonight I did just that and I was reminded of what I learned after my friend died....some things are more important than others and those are the things that I should focus on.

Fablehaven

2008-09-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to "escape" into some lite reading last night, so I headed for 13yodd's bookcase. She has a collection of fantasy books, and I figured that would do the trick. I chose Fablehaven since I had heard favorable reviews.

It was a fun read and had some surprisingly strong similarities to The Sisters Grimm (sanctuary for magical creatures/fairy tale characters, children who are unwillingly sent to stay with grandparents they vaguely know, a grandparent is kidnapped and it is up to the children to save the day). It made me wonder which one was published first.

Even though it was one of those fun, brainless reads, as a parent I wasn't able to fully enjoy it. I was constantly annoyed by the fact that the 11yo character repeatedly disobeyed the rules without being disciplined. Time and time again his grandfather sets down clearly defined rules and this kid disobeys him as soon as the grandfather is out of sight. There are no consequences enforced by the adults in charge. And, when "natural" consequences do occur, he doesn't seem to learn from it. He goes right back out and disobeys again - almost immediately.

Sad to say, but I think this is a common theme in modern children's literature and movies: children are portrayed as being wiser than the adults who surround them. No wonder today's children have little if no respect for adults.

In the Media

2008-09-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Parents Magazine:
Homeschool Diaries: How 3 Families Teach Kids at Home
BTW, Kendall is a regular on the Five in a Row homeschool boards that I've visited for about eight years.

CBS News Sunday Morning:
The ABC's of Home Schooling: Today's Model of Personal Education Is Not Your Grandmother's Home Schooling

TGIF

2008-09-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Last week 10yo cheered when she realized it was Friday. "Woohoo! Two days off!" It is amazing to me how trashed I feel and how trashed the house looks by the time Friday rolls around. Today has been no different, BUT I also feel good because I know we accomplished a lot this week. Did we get everything done? Nope, but we got closer than we did last week.

Good happenings:

Oldest dd and her cute baby came for a visit. 13yodd proved that holding a baby is definitely more fun than doing Algebra.
13 yo fulfilled an assignment with a creative twist "America"
13 yo scored 100% on her first Algebra test!
10 yo finished all of her schooling by 10 a.m. this morning. Aah!
10 yo made brownies using a 1960's 4-H cookbook she found at Grandma's house.
6 yo enjoyed pushing her niece around the neighborhood in a stroller even though it made me very nervous.
6yo looks so cute with a tooth missing.

Doing it all (Homeschool)

2008-09-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Another homeschool mom asked how others get everything on their schedule finished and done in a timely manner. My reply helped me sort through what I do with my own middle schooler. I decided to post it here - my second brain.

Eek! Rereading what I posted makes me sound like a slacker. We just finished our first full week and I hope to accomplish more as we find our groove over the next few weeks.

BTW, some of these classical education moms have seriously SCARY schedules for their children.

First post:
Sheepishly chiming in here. We do very little. My main goal is Latin, math, and writing every day. I would LOVE to do more but with three kiddos, weekly counseling appointments, and church meetings, it is all I can do right now. I still have hope for the future. ; )

A couple of things help. First, I try not to assign work in areas that she already does/enjoys. She is writing her own book and is reading The Lord of the Rings, so we aren't doing writing or literature lessons....yet.

The other thing that I do is try to find self teaching programs. For example:
Latin - Lively Latin
Math - Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1
Spelling - Phonetic Zoo

The other thought I've had is to teach subjects like a university does .... only 4-5 subjects a term and M,W,F, or T,TH schedules for each class/subject.

Second Post:
One more - have a cut off time. By 2pm I call it quits no matter how much we have left to do. There is always tomorrow.

BTW, I have a general idea of what I want to accomplish over a year, but I only put weekly goals in writing. I was getting angry when we got "behind."

2008-09-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

CVC Words

2008-09-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

Have a little one learning how to sound out CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words? Check out "Dog's Letter Pit" from the PBS show WordWorld.

2008-09-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

June 2007

Curriculum 2008/2009

2008-09-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

6 yodd
Speechercise
Rod & Staff Preschool
Let's Build Words - magnetic
Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD
Leap Frog Talking Words Factory DVD

Older Girls
The Latin-Centered Curriculum
Big Book of Lively Latin
Christian Studies (Memoria Press)
Developing Linguistic Patterns Through Poetry
Fix It!

10yodd
IEW's Student Writing Intensive A
IEW's Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales
Rod & Staff Math 4
Rod & Staff English 4
Rod & Staff Spelling
D'Aulaire's Greek Myth Study
Rod & Staff Social Studies 3

13 yodd
Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1
Phonetic Zoo (spelling)
Rod & Staff English 6
The Aeneid - Fitzgerald translation
The Teaching Company's Aeneid of Virgil
Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings
The Teaching Company's Understanding the Brain
A History of US by Joyce Hakim

Attitude Adjustment

2008-09-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Many moons ago, I was the mom of a public school child. And just like moms all over the country, I too looked forward to the first day of school.

Times have changed. Today I am a homeschool mom and have been for eight years. Like any other life style choice we make, there are pros and cons. This morning as some of those cons were rolling through my head, I decided to surf the net a bit. I was surprised and saddened to read how happy and relieved many moms are to be sending their children back to school. Even moms with very young children seem to be counting down the days until they can send their children away.

An attitude adjustment has taken place. My heart feels full as I realize what a blessing I have before me this morning. I have the privilege of being with my girls every day and witnessing their struggles and their triumphs.

How thankful I am that homeschool is a choice available to me and that my dear husband supports me and allows me this wonderful opportunity. And of course, I am very thankful for my sister who showed me the way.

I Am Thankful

2008-08-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

I am thankful that....

the ladies at park lunch asked me to come down for a head lice check today and they told me which of the children have lice.
10 yodd told me that one of those children played hide 'n seek in 6 yodd's covers and on top of 10 yo's bed last night
their room is clean which meant we didn't have to shovel it out in order to get to their beds.
Grandma S. offered the use of her washer and dryer next door in addition to my own.
it is 74 degrees outside instead of 100 like it was a couple of days ago. It's a perfect day to run the dryer.
13 yodd's usual Monday appointment was delayed until tomorrow. I'll get to do laundry all day uninterrupted.
the nearby country store reopened recently and that my younger children were willing to make a run for "mommy is stressed" food (a.k.a. chocolate and Combos).
U-bake pizza exists and that it is what we normally eat for supper on Monday.

My Summer Vacation

2008-08-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Last summer it seemed like all I did was go to the doctor, go to the doctor, go to the doctor. This summer...I'm taking the teenager to the doctor, to the doctor, to the doctor. Aye carumba! In the space of two days this week I found myself in a waiting room three times. For someone who prided themselves for NOT going to the doctor, this has been humbling.

Other news:

6 yodd has learned to ride a two wheeler!
Grandma & Grandpa S. are here for the summer. Ah, lot's of cookies and lemonade
the heating pad and I have been best friends for a couple of weeks - sore neck/upper back
I'm decluttering the house...oh, wait...that's ongoing ;)
due to decluttering, younger girls (6, 10) have had a clean bedroom for...drumroll...a record breaking four weeks!
We ordered caterpillars for our butterfly habitat and they've emerged
13 yodd attended the midnight release party for Breaking Dawn at Borders so her Mom had an excuse to go LOL! She doesn't even plan to read the book.

Black Sheets

2008-07-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

It's official! Our daughter is a teenager. How do I know? Her new sheets are black.