Totally Tuesday

Quote of the Day: Jared - "Playing Knights of Honor pays off. I know where all these places are." ::snort:: AND Jared says it will count for logic too. He thinks I should remove the computer time limits and count his play time as geography/logic.

Did I already confess to my insanity in STARTING SCHOOL THE FOURTH WEEK OF THE MONTH????? ::snort::

Yes, plodding...one foot in front of the other. I CAN do this.

Worked out with a Step Video this a.m. I don't SAY it, but I spend time in the Word most mornings as well.

We got math and phonics done. I made a big salad for our monthly PAC meeting.

I grabbed Jared and we headed for base. The meeting was good. The salads were all yummy. Ivey does a great job feeding us each month.

Jared and I ran by the bank. He now has all the $ for World View in his account. There is a fundraiser on the 15th, our hope is that he'll be able to leave some money in his account. We shall see. I'm so glad both boys have earned their way to this camp.

Jamin and I continue to talk about his school options. This topic deserve a seperate post. Basically, we want to prepare him for all eventualities and yet we don't want to bore him to death "checking boxes" when he's already checked all the boxes that the state of Maine (where our cover school is accredited) requires. OK - I could say more but it really IS involved and should have its own post -or I should simply not say anything. LOL

I spent a few hours getting our TOG order together. Well - sorta. I had DREAMED of being able to order redesign and then simply pick the packages I would need, click a button, and have them all HERE. To do that would cost us $1800....on TOG only...not math, not science, not all these wild high school electives, not Christian Writer's Guild - just TOG. I can't do that. NOW - before you write off TOG as expensive - remember that I have a child in each level. AND I'm talking about paying full price, buying it all new, and not combining books. I spent this afternoon making sure we have the books that are multi-unit and the first unit titles. It was still more than I had right now. I was hoping I could pay for this part of the curriculum with the share and save credit I have of $158. I began to realize that in classic TOG I got very used to using one book for 2 or 3 levels and so I looked to see where we could combine...and that saved some $. Then I looked at the library and they had some surprising books. I'm guessing someone else has done year 1 in this town before me...if I could only FIND that person maybe we could have some TOG fellowship. LOL I also found books that weren't the EXACT title of what I needed but that will work fine. I did order all the rhetoric titles that I couldn't find because I really want to know that the things I hand my older student will either 1. be from my world view or 2. have teacher notes to warn me of what to address. I was bothered several times last year to hand adult books to my children on significant topics when I really didn't know the slant of the author. In ohter words they weren't recommended by TOG, they were the only books in our library on the topic. LOL My TOG order was still over $158. I went to Amazon and found some of the TOG books quite a bit less and some were quite a bit cheaper at TOG....so I chose the cheaper at both places. I was finally ready to enter my S/S code and it wouldn't work. It's after business hours in the East, so I'll have to call them tomorrow. I refuse to feel like I wasted my day. Several books are on their way via free 2 day shipping from Amazon. I'll call first thing in the a.m. to see about the TOG order. I'll have all the books I need that are multi-unit and the first unit's books. I'd hoped not to have to buy month by month this year - but it's OK. God is faithful. Where God calls, He equipts and so I have to assume that He thinks I can handle the library trips another year. ::snort::

I called Math U See. Jamin was in the middle of Saxon Alg 2 and I pulled him out. *I* made the choice and Jamin was relieved after the fact. He HATES us to spend money on him and, lately, he's been expensive. ::snort:: He didn't want to throw out a text we had, to BUY a new one. He was spending 3 - 5 hours EVERY DAY BUT SUNDAY on Alg 2 and only made it 1/2 through the book. It wasn't clicking. I finally told him we had to do something different. I was used to that many hours on upper level classes but to only make it through 1/2 the material was simply too much work for one silly credit. The plan was for him to test through the early material of Alg 2 in MUS and then do the last half of their course. He likes the MUS. He is acing the ALG part but they have 5 review questions on the tests - and they are geometry. Those familiar with Saxon (at least the editions we own - they ones carved on tablets they are so old) know that there isn't a full geometry course between the two Algebras. I called MUS. Should I switch and buy Geometry and do that before Alg 2? They said I could either 1. skip the geometry review questions and not count them in his grade - DUH! I guess that's why they are the experts. ::snort:: or 2. do geometry now because it will help him on the SAT test and finish Alg 2 next year. What to do? Still not sure. We'll talk about it tonight.

THEN I nabbed Josiah and Jamin and we ran to the library. I got the books that I'd found online and then browsed the shelves for more books on Ancient Egypt. We came home with all these books for our lower grammar, upper grammar, and dialectic students. This will keep them busy - and it saved me hundreds of dollars. It was worth the hour....all those little dewey numbers got to me though. I really DO need to make that appt to see the optometrist. I'm getting a headache.

I printed out the sample of Ancient Egypt that Tapestery of Grace gives out (link in the sidebar). It is the first three weeks of the year 1 redesign. I really like it - a lot. I found the 50% off coupon for the redesign. I'll order it on pay day....I figure they'll turn it around fairly quickly (I hope) and I have 3 weeks before I need it. If worse comes to worse we'll do a few weeks out of the classical stuff or I'll wing it. I honestly think that I could wing it now with a library card and a general outline of what I wanted to cover. That's the joy of having homeschooled 17/18 years. LOL

A bright spot in the busy day. Mike bought these dresses in Korea for the girls. This WAS Arielle's but Stacia has found it. I couldn't get her out of the garbage bag to get a proper picture...she really does have the Dumpster Diva title down. ::snort::

All of us are home tonight - or will be when we get Michael - so we're going to have some fun.

Friendship in Proverbs 28

28:7 He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.

~Proverbs 25:28 showed me that a man with no control over his spirit lacks protection. I think this goes along with that.

~A glutton has out of control appetites - if I allow this in my life - or when I see it in other's lives I can know that it will lead to humiliation. I believe gluttony is a heart attitude and not determined by the number on the scales, BTW. I could be a glutton for things other than food as well....

~Matthew tells us to store up treasure in heaven - this person is driven to have it all NOW

First Day of School

Quote of the Day:

Jamin - "Feels strange to be the oldest student at home this year!"

Jared - "Yeah, I remember being the youngest student and now there are 5 children younger than me."

Jamin - "Stacia, will probably never have five younger than her."

Mom - "You never know". ::smirk::

I have complained numerous times about the fact that ALL the groups I belong to put their activities in the 4th week of the month. WHY, do you think, did I decide to begin school during a 4th week???? I guess because I need to order things for next year and I can't think if the children aren't focused. LOL

The day began with Curves at 5:45. ARGH - will I ever get back into the routine of getting out of bed that early to work out??????

Michael and I took Cy out to breakfast. (See the post below). Cy went to base to get a new ID.

I ran home and started the older boys on their work. I talked with the younger ones.

Cy got home and we had a precious family circle - I am missing more and more the older ones who are not in school with us any longer, and I was glad Josiah was here one more morning.

Cy left for college. No, I didn't follow him to college for this photo....but I DID take first day of school photos. LOL He left a full HOUR early and barely made it to his first class. It took him 45 minutes to find a parking spot and he PAID for a parking permit!

I took the students of Meadowcreek Academy of Excellence (named for the creek that ran through our yard in ALASKA and not the dried up creek down here) out for our first field trip. These are my students. I really think Stacia is our mascot or chaos factor and not a student.

Jared wants me to tell on myself. I was taking the above photo and told the child in the front row, second from the left to SMILE and then realized it was the trash can! I AM going to make that appointment with the eye doctor - soon. ::snort:: They are in K, 3rd, 4th (took us a bit to figure those grades out this a.m. I told Nolan and Arielle to remember for the next time I ask what grade they are in ::snort::), 8th and 11th grades this year.

Zander's first lesson of Kindergarten is that he LIKES cones.

Stacia's first lesson of the year is that Dilly Bars MELT ::snort:: She just happened to lose the ice cream from the stick immediately after I took Zander's photo. She caught it in her hand. LOL

I dropped children off at home and ran to the base to get MY ID updated.

Michael and I caught lunch with Ch. T and Kimberly. Kimberly leaves to go home to Maryland tomorrow. She's been a wonderful Chaplain Candidate and we are really going to miss her.

I ran back home.

We worked on our history quilt. It's done - it's bigger than we imagined it would be. I should stitch it up. Today we simply tied the corners and it is fine. I couldn't quite wrap my mind around HOW to stitch it.

It was supposed to hang nicely in this hall - but it touches the ceiling and hangs low down the wall...ah well. The kids want to make another one for this year. They aren't so sure about lap books but that's a story for another day. I need to make up salt dough eventually too. My goal is for us to FINALLY, our second time through TOG, make a salt dough map. As Jared says, we've been trying this every year. Last year we did cookie dough maps.

I still need to order TOG and all it's books. Also some components for new courses Jamin wants to take. We have the basics and have begun.

Tonight was Mom's Night Out. I feel like I should stay IN and order school books. Stacia totally doused me with a cup of milk, earning me a second shower for the day. While in the shower, I decided I NEEDED a Mom's Night Out after all.

GUESS WHAT? I got to hold baby Elisha for a good portion of the evening. From the milling around time through the meeting time. Deja is our Mom's Night Coordinator. Good job tonight, friend, I enjoyed all the socializing after the meeting. Anyway, a couple of folks haven't seen me through the summer and knew I was pregnant in May. This led to some confusion and there is really no gracious way to tell someone that you aren't pregnant but this ISN'T your baby... I loved holding this new baby and wasn't ready to return him . What can I say? It was bittersweet....healing for my bruised heart. Deja solved the problem. Isn't she awesome? Do you see my second name tag? It says "Elisha - Deja's Baby". ::snort:: It was so sweet to hold him. His whole little tush fit into the palm of my hand. His kissable head is covered with adorable HAIR. Ah.....Thanks for the loan of your little man, Deja. It filled a longing.

Thus begins our 18th year of homeschooling. Some of you know that I've been exhausted and dreading the start of a new school year. I still am; sometimes you just need to put one foot in front of the other and start plodding. I wanted to wait until I was PREPARED to begin....but it does seem like the children are ready NOW; I may never get EVERYTHING prepared. I plan to spend this week tying up loose ends: history quilt, lapbooks, portfolios, freezer meals, moving books, ordering books, running to the library....plenty to do while we wait for new books to arrive. I wanted to order all the individual books I would need for TOG - but I need all four levels this year....so I won't be doing that. I'll be buying the multi-unit books and hopefully lit books, then supplementing heavily from the library again. I AM buying the high school level books, because Marcia makes wonderful choices and I don't have time to read all the library offers for this age.

I couldn't help comparing Zander and Cy's photos....both starting on significant ventures today; kindergarten and college. Really, in to time at all Zander will be entering college or some such thing. Michael and I've committed to stay engaged in parenting into our 60's. LOL I need to simply dig in.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! Part 1




No - I did NOT follow Josiah to his first day of college. Michael and I did take him out for breakfast, however, at IHOP.

BUGS! Outside IHOP. Ugh...crunch, look down and see THIS!

Now on with school for those of us at home.

Friendship in Proverbs 27

27:6 - Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

~Everyone who makes nice is not necessarily a friend
~A friend will sometimes say the uncomfortable for our own good

27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend.

~Look for friends who will share counsel and consider it sweet rather than meddling when someone cares enough to offer counsel. ::snort::

27:10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

~God has made provision for those of us who live far from family - righteous friends
~Here you go - I don't believe God intends for us to change friends with the season - this verse has something to say about loyalty in relationships

27:14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him.

~Don't bug your friends in the early morning. ::snort:: Soft voice is o.k. hmmm....

27:17 Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

~This verse seems to summarize the previous verses on friendship. We are to sharpen one another. This will not happen as readily if we only hang out with those we find comfortable. It will not happen if we desert those who have the courage to speak truth into our life. It will not happen as readily if we flit from relationship to relationship and never develop depth in any of our relationships.

Sunday

Three services. Great sermons. We're tired.

School begins tomorrow for many of us.

Josiah begins college.

Friendships in Proverbs 26

There are many verses in this proverb about fools, sluggards, and deceit. I'm going to assume that we've not knowingly chosen fools for friends so I'll not list all the verses here. I will, however, remember where to find wisdom on dealing with fools should the need arise.

26:17 - Like one who takes a dog by the ears id he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.

~Do you really have a dog in the fight? If not, keep out of it.

26:18-19 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, so is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, "Was I not joking?"

~Watch out for deceit labeled as "joking" or "teasing" in my relationships.

26:20 - 21 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

~ I don't want to be the one who whispers and spreads contention. There are those who need to always be in the middle of constant chaos.