A Funny

I am honored at how many of you choose to link to Choosing Joy from your blogs. Thank you! I mean that. LOL The blog isn't about numbers but it is fun to connect with others and it is interesting to see where you all come from.

I added that "feedjit" tool in my side bar when my map was archived. It was time to try something new. LOL One fun thing that the feedjit box does is that it sometimes tell me how folks "arrived" at Choosing Joy. I was surprised at how many find me through searches - and what they are searching for.

I began to note lots of visitors were coming from smartteaching.org. I looked around and didn't recognize the author (often I'll "know" the folks who've linked).....today, I looked around a bit more. If you are an SHS author or someone I know - speak up.

WOW.....I found an article (which looks to be good) titled 100 Essential Web Tools For Homeschoolers. Exploring this list will be a great way to spend a few hours "researching".

Get this - Essential Web Tool #97 - "Choosing Joy. This powerhouse of a homeschooling mama is in charge of her family of nine children ranging from 3 to 23. "

Mystery solved. All these readers have been dropping by to find the powerhouse homeschooler.....and what has been at the top of the blog today? An article on picking noses. ::snort:: I console myself by the thought that surely, since the article has been up since August, there have been some days when something nearly bright was at the top. ::snort::

©2008 D.R.G.

Ewwww.....Prepare to be Grossed Out.....

Why do people pick their noses? I don't get it. I may have a phobia about this because of my upbringing overseas. They'd sort of push on one nostril and blow it all out....EWWWWWWWW.....

I don't remember the older two girls picking their noses....but I clearly remember one of our older sons in church when he was about two. He was mining for treasure, pulled his finger out with a goober on the end, looked at it, shrugged his shoulders and ATE it! In church. That was many years ago.

I've watched son after son do this.....why? I gag.

The other night Mike must have even been grossed out, "Child, go get a kleenex."

"Why?" as he ATE it......

I've tried to train them well. This is DISGUSTING....shoot....I saw an adult in a car beside me at the stoplight pick his nose.....I gagged.

WHY? Is there something deficit in a young child's diet that would cause this? How do you train a child that this is simply gross? I've been watching this strange, gross occurance for years and years...and I'm perplexed!

Surely, my wise readers will have some sort of solutions to offer? Now, I really am exhausted, Jamin is home, and I should go to bed....I probably should have gone before I wrote this post.

©2008 D.R.G.

God is GOOD!!!! all the TIME!

I'm so RELIEVED. We had our first PWOC Bible Study tonight....which means I'm really getting my big rocks fit into the schedule......I never know if I'll really be able to pull off a new schedule until we do it.

We had 18 tonight.....discussion went well. I love the new faces and the old faces...... I love the topic of discussing our Kinsman/Redeemer....our God who avenges, pays our ransoms, sets us free, gives us a future...

This is a huge praise. I know I shared this on the PWOC blog but I don't think I shared it here. We've had retirees, older moms and students in our group. There has been no need for a children's ministry. I've consistently said that when there was a need God would supply the answer. We've had two young moms express an interest in attending Tuesday nights, but they needed to bring children. I talked with Mike and Ch. T and they found a student who LOVES children and is blessed to be able to lead our children's ministry. One of the new moms came tonight with her precious children...and Ashley was excited. I'd told her that I wasn't sure we'd have children because we'd not advertised....but we DID.....

I have much to write....school, taming our schedule, a couple of book reviews....but Jamin called and is ready for me to pick him up from work.

Maybe tomorrow.

©2008 D.R.G.

"May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have cme to seek refuge." Ruth 2:12


I'm preparing for study tonight. Betsy sent me this photo and it "fits" so well.

This little kitty is such a picture of contentment, rest.....the big dog is surely capable of providing refuge.


May I learn to lay back, relax, listen to His heartbeat....and let him carry the burden.

©2008 D.R.G.

Science Input

I'm the mom who routinely explodes the eggs we're trying to boil for science experiments.

We are using Apologia Zoology 2 - swimming animals (see post below).

Each module has several experiments. We'll do notebook pages. Here are some lapbooks made to go along with the text. Arielle does not like Lapbooks. The text is above Zander and Nolan much of the time.....but I narrate it to them. They LOVE this series and WANT to do it.

I'm wondering if I should add in the lapbook for them or if you all think it would be overkill. Has anyone done these lapbooks?

We are also doing Hands On History kits and TOG hands on activities for science.

©2008 D.R.G.

MONDAY

I made it to the gym AND we got a full day of school done (see following post). LOL

Tomorrow we begin our Precept study of Kinsman/Redeemer. I took notes with me to the gym today. I took notes with me to Speech Therapy today. I think it will be fine....but I like to "feel" much more prepared by Monday night. ::snort:: Yes, I know that God gives you words to speak....however, I take very seriously the priveledge to teach God's word and I work hard to be sure that I'm prepared and prayed up. I know some HATE Precept....but I have to tell you that I've not found material that is as good at teaching one to use the tools of the Inductive Study Method....they take you right into the Word...no bells and whistles....but WOW does God always meet me when I'm in the midst of one of these studies. BTW I don't make my ladies do all the marking or charts if they don't want to.....and I don't spend the entire class time with my back to them. ::snort:: We have FUN!

I have calls in to TOG and NARHS. The TOG issue is resloved. The NARHS issue will be tomorrow, I'm sure.

Our family way for the day is "We choose to be joyful, even when we feel like complaining." I centered our family circle this a.m. around the "way". It was timely. I gave the kids permission (as always) to quote the way to each other and to ME.....or to simply say "choose joy". LOL

The kids swam in between thunder storms.

Mike came home, changed and went out again for a dinner he needed to be at. Mike passed his LAST ACSC test today. YES, yes, YES!!!! That time stealer is gone.

After dinner the kids and I played charades.




Shelob


Mary and Jesus


Young man that fell out the window during Paul's sermon


Serpent tempting Eve


Frog


Moses Parting the Water



Mike got home as we were playing "Big Doggie". He joined us. This is a great game for eye hand coordination - which evidently is an area we need to work on. LOL
We re-worked our schedule. I had us SCHEDULED to be out of our home EVERY day of the week. That will not work. We've got it down to 2 - 3 days a week. This will be better in the long run - though we'll miss out on some great opportunities. I'll have to write about that later. It's 9:2o and I need to get up an hour earlier now that school has started so I can do the gym before school.

P.S. Yes, I DO document every movement around here.....but that's because at the heart of Choosing Joy is our grown up babies and family who live far away. They NEED to know how the kids' change every single day. ::snort::

©2008 D.R.G.

A FULL DAY OF SCHOOL

We did it! We got a full Monday of school in.

Arielle is doing great with her new-found freedom. She's already read a whole week of lit for her level. THEN she looked at the alternate resources and read a book that they had listed to take 3 weeks - The Lantern Bearers. I gave her new more options that are each to take 3 weeks....maybe it will keep her busy this week.

Jared is zipping away as a Freshman. He's got a FULL schedule, but I think its doable. He is still working on it - but Mondays are always his long day. He plans it that way so that Thursday is easy (House of Faith, Civil Air Patrol) and Friday is off so he can help me with Produce.

Jamin has been busy researching CLEP tests, signing up for courses at Taylor University, and researching the ACT/SAT dates etc. He's currently working 30 hours a week. I'm not sure we're going to allow that to continue. He HAS the credits he needs to graduate and he's saving up for college and a car....that's all good.....but we want him home to spend time with us too. LOL

Nolan had speech today. I laughed when they told me he can do all the things I TOLD THEM HE COULD DO LAST YEAR but they said he needed to learn. Near as I can tell he has to work on R in the final position and sometimes the TH sound..... I am certainly thinking this will be the LAST year of speech. We had been told he'd been in a group. They have doing one on one with the therapist. I'm not sure why this was so needed. LOL

Zander sat with us for all our school. He even did his own phonics and math. I planned to use Sing, Spell, Read & Write with Zander. At this point my standby curriculum suppliers don't sell just the workbooks....and I don't plan on spending $375 for a kit that I've owned for 11 years. LOL

The younger 3 are all doing Apologia's "Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day". Arielle is doing the reading on her own. I'm reading/narrating the material to Nolan and Zander. We'll do the experiments together. My kids love this series. I need to go get the extra notebook pages etc....maybe we'll do a lapbook....maybe just the experiments. ::snort::

Today they worked on the start of a year-long project - their ocean boxes. For the life of me I could NOT find paint brushes. They used sponges - which seemed appropriate.....

Zander is a hands on type of guy!

Arielle & Nolan are going to share a big ocean box (Zander will make his own).


We finished school at 4:50. NOW we need to tackle the rest of that calendar, but I believe God is giving me some ideas to reach our goals without spending the year on the road. LOL

©2008 D.R.G.