1st Day of 20th Year of Homeschooling

This is the first day of my 20th year of homeschooling. I deserve tenure.

This is, by far, our most unusual First Day of School. Our books are in hold baggage, it was God we didn't bring them in our suitcases or they'd be gone. We're in the TLF....but not really. Mike is working nights this week and so needs to sleep during the day. This is always a challenge as a homeschool family; incredibly more difficult in the TLF. We determined to take school on the road this week...and I'm still not sure if housekeeping, neighbors, kids etc of others will cooperate to let Mike sleep back at the TLF. I have been awaken for 3 days at 5 a.m. by someone above us moving tables, chairs and running from one end to the other of their apartment...and I've thanked God that our exception to live on base was turned down; this could be common for three years. LOL

We're focusing on Japanese Culture and Language this month....and drill...lots of drill. The kids are also working on Language Arts - writing to be exact.

Jared will do Year 2 Unit 4 and Year 3 in TOG, Algebra, Biology, Computer Skills - Word I think, Logic/Debate, Japanese Culture, Japanese 1 and we're thinking of either Blogging 101 or Web Publishing...not sure which. He'll also have weights and whatever else we decide to do. LOL They've changed the TOG website again and I can't find the list of high school credits earned for each year. I wonder how many hours I spend each year searching for this file. ::snort::


Leaving the house for our first day of school 2009/2010


The day began with Jared and I discussing the options....cobble Tapestry of Grace together or relax, make the most of our time on base and explore Japan. He'll decide. I think he'll do a bit of TOG and focus on Japanese Culture until we unpack our books. He was really looking forward to studying the Revolutionary Period in depth and we can't find many of the books we need at the base library. I think this will be the telling factor. I also think he's got way more hours earned towards a credit in Japanese Culture (Social History) than he realizes.


Meanwhile, the others kids are excited to DRIVE to school. ::snort::


Breakfast at Cafe Mokeuteki


Littles "play" at drills at the library


Middles help find more books on Japan at the library


Playing math games at the Weasel's Den


Lunch at the Weasel's Den - Jared left with a few books to read at the library


Recess

We read up in the tree house...the highlight of the kids' day was watching mom slide down from the tree house

About 2:30 lots of pre-school kids began to arrive at the Den. We'll have to get more work done earlier tomorrow....and I'm going to go buy a small cooler so we can bring a lunch with us and not have to buy it out. I hate to do that as we have 3 coolers in our shipment...but I'm tired of wondering if food has been out to long.

I'm tired.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Landscaping

We've been amazed at the landscaping in Japan. I've mentioned there is very little grass around here. The landscape, however, is not bleak. Most homes are surrounded by quite a bit of pavement...but every bit of space is used. There are rows and shelves of potted flowers everywhere, groomed trees and vegetable gardens.

Often, I cringe as I drive on a twisty, narrow street and a mamasan is sitting in the road, while clipping her flowers. We've also been surprised not to see a lot of riding lawn mowers on base. Instead, there are armies of men, armed with weed eaters....cheerfully grooming the base. It's a beautiful base.

The kids enjoyed this site this week. There were 3 or 4 men up in this tree. The kids were sure they were clipping with scissors...but they do have tiny clippers which look like wire cutters.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Progress on "Our" Home

We have a front step and door....notice the reserved sign. I SO wanted to mark our name on it...


Kids in front of the house...note the framed in area for a driveway, and the framed in forms for concrete to run all along the front of the house.

Not sure WHAT this means...it's to the side of the house. We're REALLY hoping they aren't going to concrete the side of the house too....I'd love a garden in this spot...but hey....whatever....


The deck off the dining room is done and we have this nice little decorative fence too.


This is our backyard from the edge of the patio. I'm not exactly sure where the boundary will be...and I don't know what these large things in the ground are for...Mike will probably know. They are in the yards of all the homes.


They've cut the field from the road to just behind our home. It was all as tall as the grass on the right. I'm not sure if someone is going to put another dozen homes in or if a farmer was clearing the field for the fall.


I would have a great view from the kitchen sink if it weren't for this frosted finish. ::snort:: A friend told me that they do that as most houses only have a view of the next house...


Peeking in the sliding door....We have WALLS!. This shows dining room, bar and kitchen...little square of light is the laundry room...The door leads to the hall and 1/2 bath.


Living room - the stairs are now framed in. The short little closet doors lead to storage.


Some sort of fan is new.

Silly - as it isn't our home...but we're excited to watch the progress. It gives us a sense that we belong in Japan and aren't just passing through. LOL We DO have to keep telling ourselves we're RENTING and not BUYING as we see the choices of landscaping. ::snort::

But if they pave the whole yard...we'll simply learn to garden as the Misawans do....

Pretty, isn't it?

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Windy and Clan

A few photos of the progress of your home.

The sole purpose of this photo is to orient you as to where you are and where we will be. We're still hoping that the home across the street becomes vacant. This is your garage in the foreground...to the right is the vacant lot (hoping it stays vacant at least a year)...foreground right is the house we'd like to have gotten for you....and the house in the background right...with the gray strip is our home...really, we'll be within a strong baseball pitch of each other. ::snort::

Ah....your front door - the white square piece of paper says, "reserved"...garage to the right...looking down the side you see the brick area is off your dining room. I wanted to take my ever-present sharpie and mark our names on the paper...I didn't. ::snort::

This is the side of your house from the street....brick area is the patio off the dining room...


This is taken from the edge of the vacant lot...and the home with the scaffolding still around it is yours....the first window is the garage area.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Stacia's Accident was Private....

There's a bill board in San Angelo that says something like, "Bob's accident was private, very private."

I've been reminded of that the last two days. Stacia's accident was private, very private. Poor thing. I was about to take her to the ER today. I "felt" we could wait...that she simply had some trauma that needed to subside....but I worried. Mike brought Miss A home today after chapel. I had asked him to ask her to call, so we could chat about Stacia. Miss A is very calming, has a delightful English accent, is our Wing Chaplain's wife and has lots of experience with accidents. She is also very good with children and Stacia told her just what had happened. I had guessed as she suddenly was hopping around, screaming and clutching her crotch...but details weren't forthcoming.

Seems she was climbing up the slide (which I knew and saw from below), "swung" at the top and missed and it hit "under there" (which I didn't see). Miss A gave me some tips for easing her discomfort, told me to keep pumping non-acidic fluids and to wait and see how Stacia is doing tomorrow before taking her in. She comforted me that Stacia will not be traumatized for life is some doc gets to examine her and that it won't hurt a thing to wait....that in fact...just like anything you hit hard...it hurts but may not need a doctor. We shall see. Stacia wanted to go out this afternoon to see our house and come to the Weasel's Den....so she perked up, used the bathroom and here we are.

Mike goes to work at Midnight tonight - exercise. Yep, were back to an operational base that does real exercises. ::snort:: I'm a bit worried about how the week will go with him trying to sleep during the day in a TLF. LOL We are slated to begin school. I can tell Jared is worried that we don't have all his school stuff here. It helps him to know that Algebra and Biology are on the way.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...