Tuesday?

I was up at 0500. I read a bit, journaled a bit and thought through the day. We are leaving on Thursday. I shopped yesterday. Tomorrow will be busy....we have a BIG family day and celebration happening.  Today I worked on taxes. We had an extension. I got everything I could ready. Michael spent some time trying to locate more info I couldn't access.  It turns out he couldn't either.  We've been waiting to do the FASA until we had our taxes done. We aren't expecting a grant but need to do it to get VA funding for Stacia. This is the tangled web up on the whiteboard. Pull on one string until it sticks and then pull on another string. ::snort::  Eventually, it will all pop free. 

Michael and I had a zoom visit with our church's new pastor and his wife. We'd visited before but never got around to talk about some specifics for our various ministries. 

Allie ran out for a haircut...she brought tea home and we had the last of the cookies - all of us sitting around the table - connecting. I think GG is wishing he could come fishing this year - but he hasn't said anything. He has refused to go the last two years. 

Stacia began working on her degree application, references, and four essays for Alaska Bible College. 

Allie got word her initial application was accepted and she began working on her degree application as well. She began knocking out the four required essays. Grandpa is pretty happy to have two girls going to Bible College. LOL 

I've done lots of laundry and we are putting it directly into the RV.  I began pulling some things from the cupboards to take with us. We've got meals here for Alex and GG. 

Michael ran to drop off taxes at our CPA's. 

He got home and Stacia and I ran to deliver 6 dz eggs...and then on to Eagle River to play with Noah for the evening. WELL - Stacia is playing with Noah, and I am playing with Noah a bit, but I'm working on the spreadsheet for fish camp, catching the blog up etc.  She wanted me to come along as there are a lot of hills in Eagle River and she wasn't 100% confident driving the manual up and down the hills...and I wasn't quite comfortable with her driving home after 9 p.m.  Don't know why - it won't be dark. It's just a mom thing, I guess. LOL 

I threw another two post it notes away today - such a satisfying feeling!  As I went to blog, I told Stacia this was a long week. She had a funny look on her face. I thought it was Friday; its only Tuesday. LOL 

And That's a Wrap

Allie has finished her second week of college. No, I don't plan weekly updates at all. HOWEVER, maybe this once....

The new work schedule works well with her added classes. She enjoys being able to volunteer with youth as well as attend life group. She is still working 27 hours a week.  She has 4 days "off" each week for school, life and family. 

I don't know that we blogged about Allie's college changes. It turned out the program the University of Northern Colorado ACCEPTED her into (ASLEI) is only available if you ENTER with 30 liberal arts credits. Through no fault of Allie's, the college's admissions department had put her into an upper program and listed her as a residential student. She began calling this to their attention in April.  To further complicate matters the UNC doesn't offer liberal arts credits online. This is beyond odd as we have discovered those are the FIRST credits most universities offer online.  Allie had to switch gears in June and figure out how she wanted to get 2 years of liberal arts credits and more college level ASL before applying once again to their ASLEI program. Options were presented, discussed and discarded...local college, residential in Colorado, online....we offered up the three online programs often used by military members....Wayland Baptist, University of Maryland and Liberty University...because we knew they are accredited and accepted in the educational community. We also knew all 3 online programs have been around for decades and have their programs and best practices in place.  In June she made SURE she was switched at UNC from residential to online student, and planned to take only ASL with them, and re-apply as a transfer student after she has the 30 liberal arts credits. I was part of these zoom meetings and KNOW Allie told them repeatedly about this issue starting in April when we realized the mistake had been made.  We did not know about the requirement for 30 liberal arts credits until July, because they had ACCEPTED her into the program.

Allie explored her options. She chose Liberty University. Liberty was amazing....their process is streamlined. They knew exactly what she needed to do. They had the financial aid and entire application process finished within 3 days. 

Allie planned to take an ASL class at UNC as she'd already tested into the class. She is taking 12 liberal arts credits from Liberty University. 

Fast forward to THIS WEEK when Allie received another notice from her advisor at UNC that she was listed as a residential student, and SHE needed to take care of this before she was charged residential rates? WHAT???? I saw the paperwork, I was on the zoom with this individual and two others when Allie told them all she had withdrawn from residential, was going online at Liberty and would take one ASL class from UNC.  She did all they told her to do, THEY SAID IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF....but here we were in August STILL dealing with the issue we began bringing to their attention in April.  She called registration and was told the very lady sending the email needed to fill out a specific form to switch Allie. There was nothing Allie needed to do. She called the advisor back and let her know she needed to turn in her form before Allie could be switched. 

Meanwhile there were some concerns with the online ASL class Allie had started. This combined with continued inefficiency and drama at UNC led Allie to drop the ASL class at UNC. They finally apologized for the crazy mix ups and said they welcome her applying again in a couple of years. 

Allie will continue her ASL studies locally and when she reapplies for the ASLEI program she will be able to test for placement again. No loss, she'll test even higher, I'm sure.  They will have 2 years to work out the kinks of their hybrid program. One kink was that the link to register as an online student funneled you to a residential program. LOL  It all escalated from there.  

How has the first two weeks gone for Allie as a Liberty student? She made 100% on her first assignment - a screen writing class.  She has made 98 - 100% on all assignments and quizzes. She's loving the class material. She is thriving in the discussion boards required for the classes.  She is home more often and continuing to work 27 hours.... it's all coming together. 

AND - she was awarded a $1500 scholarship from the National ASL society to be used towards college. I think this means her second semester is covered....and saving has begun for the summer semester. 

Run, baby girl, run! 

A Day at Home

The morning began with Olivia. Stacia had school and Allie was sleeping - poor Liv was left with me to entertain her. She introduced me to a Disney show...and we made banana muffins. We also had a good talk about the recent changes in her life. She is attending a new school in the new town they moved too. She told me she likes the school. She had discovered today a friend from school goes to her church - always a great connection.  It was good to hear she is liking the new school. We've been praying for a smooth transition for her. 

Stacia spreads out her books and gets it done! LOL  The challenge this year is to find a quiet place to work on school in the mornings. Allie is usually sleeping when Stacia starts the day (because she works late at night several nights a week). GG has taken to loud discussions and singing in the a.m.  My noise cancelling headphones work nicely. I gave them to her right after this picture was taken. LOL 

Stacia finished school. CyRi arrived to visit for a bit, pick up Livie and head to the state fair.  The girls and I visited and ran a couple of errands. 

I took Allie to work. 

I noted the chicks, which are now pullets, were pecking at the tiny new chick. I couldn't find all the things for the brooder but set our new chick in the other side of the rabbit hutch, caught the broody hen and put her back to work. LOL  We've raised a chick by hand before, but if she will do the job, it's much easier to integrate the new chick to the flock. 

I picked veggies for dinner...made dinner, started a batch of chicken broth, and waited for Michael to come home. 

Stacia and I DID begin the Monk series again...it's been 5 years since we watched it. I think it's o.k. Watching MONK puts me instantly back to our days of living in the RV.  LOL 

Michael arrived home. GG went to bed.  I waited up for Allie. 

Three eggs tonight - we suspect 1 from Golda (her eggs are bigger and white), we also got a green egg and another BIG brown egg. I am guessing we have 3 of the pullets laying. We are dreaming of being overrun by eggs once again. Last time we had this many hens we sold eggs.

More yellow is showing up in the yard...I think fall is here....and if I refuse to admit it much longer I may miss it altogether. LOL 

Stacia's FIRST Day of our LAST Year of Homeschooling

 This is the first day of Stacia's SENIOR YEAR, and the first day of our 34th year of homeschooling!  

34 years and we FINALLY did the first day of school picture! snort:: Thanks to Stacia for humoring me, getting dressed, and putting on make-up for a photo! LOL Thanks to BreAnne for loaning us her board.  One spot says, "What I want to be when I grow up," she put a big question mark. I told her she should read it, "Where do I want to be when I grow up?" That's an easy answer - Japan. LOL 

Two weeks ago, at co-op a sweet gal came in and wanted to know who  Obachan was. She is of Japanese descent and had seen a marking on my car proclaiming to all I'm Bachan.  As we talked, I shared Stacia's heart to go to Japan and she assured me there are plenty of jobs she can get in Japan, and I should be at peace about her going. Maybe not at 17 - I have quite a long way to go until I'm at peace. LOL 

We were up at 0715 making sure Stacia understood the manuals and syllabi for each course.  She is taking Japanese History, Japan 4, Logic, Comparative Religions, Classical Lit, Music Comp and a "shadow credit" of math. 

Today was a wild start to a school year. First, all the intro discussions with me put her "behind" where she wanted to be. Then Arielle and the boys came over to allow Mike and I to go out for brunch. Our respite hours have been cut as she will have therapy with Little Buddy during our normal times.  We jumped at the chance to go out...Stacia was sad not to be able to play with the boys...but she stayed focused and soldiered on. 

GG and Little Buddy 

Danny & Arielle

Arielle has her hands as full as her heart as she juggles Little Buddy and Danny. I didn't get a photo of Benny today...he was busy. 

Millie did NOT take kindly to Stacia having her attention back on books. First, she laid on Stacia as she tried to read Father Brown. 

She finally gave up, grabbed pink monkey, came upstairs and pouted on the couch. I swear she is part human. 

Dad was loud today. He was in a good mood. Which we love.  He expressed it by singing all types of old songs - LOUD.  Krista suggested she use noise-cancelling headphones tomorrow.  A great idea. 

All in all, Stacia got er done. 

Michael got 3 cottonwoods cut down from the front of our house - and some brush from the orchard taken down as well. 

Alex had the day off. Nolan and Allie had work.  Stacia and I went out with Krista tonight...which I will blog next. 

Sonight Box Day

Did you miss the momentous occurrence? Sonlight Box Day across Alaska!  There was no fanfare when the box arrived at our home. I opened the door and tripped over the box....but when I brought it inside....we celebrated...we remembered...all the feels. 

It's a small box this year. One class for one student...years past we'd receive five or six boxes. This is our very last Sonlight Box Day. Contained inside this simple box is Stacia's SENIOR Classical Lit curriculum. That's it. The final credit she needs to graduate (though she is taking 4 1/2 other credits of her choosing).  Yes, this is the start of our 34th year of homeschooling...and it is the senior year of our baby. 

Her shirt: American on the outside; Japanese on the inside

Benny happened to be at the house and was excited to point out the drawings on the INSIDE of the box! 

This is fantastic! Our box becomes a shuttle! What a great way to build excitement in small ones for their schoolbooks to arrive. Kudos to Sonlight's marketing team. 

How did Benny know this? It appears it's been Box Day all over our little town. Benny's pre-school/kinder materials arrived on THEIR porch too! TWO boxes! Our very LAST Sonlight Box Day and Benny's very FIRST Sonlight Box Day.  Is anyone breaking into a rousing chorus of "Circle of Life"?

And next door to Benny, TWO more Sonlight boxes arrived at BreZaak's. Bella and Gideons 1st and Kinder materials - their second year with Sonlight! 

Annie, Gideon and Bella 

A fun tidbit? Bre (Bella's Mommy) and I REMEMBER using this book back when I was teaching itty bitty kids from Sonlight. Now the grands.... Who would have guessed?  While I was a tad bit sad to see the last box arrive, watching these grands begin their educational journey is exciting. So many memories to be made! 

I wonder if these moms are having the trouble we are having - NOT STARTING THE BOOKS UNTIL SCHOOL STARTS!  ::wink::  

When I visited CoRielle Benny was quick to show me his Sonlight box. HIS had turned into a castle...and Stacia sent hers home with him where it had become a shuttle with a bit of help from his daddy. 

Look at the faces! I love the first day of school...even though I've never been able to go out with the girls for coffee on the first day of school. ::snort:: Maybe, Mike and I will pick up a subbing gig next year. LOL 

Last Day of School

 Here are some shots for a momentous day over at BreZaak's this week. The kids finished their first year of homeschooling!  Bre sent some fun photos. 

The whole gang!

Bella was K & Gideon in Preschool

Gideon's first day of school is on the right! Look how much he's grown this school year. 

Bella's first and last day of school. 

Annie's last day of Pre-3...she began telling us she was "almost 3" months before she actually became 3. 

Bella celebrates the start of Summer! 

Bre is using Sonlight, a literature-based curriculum, along with various things from other publishers. The kids have thrived this year.  I believe BreZaak are giving their kids a gift of imagination by reading great books with kids. So much of life is now video-driven... there is something about creating the pictures from the words with your own imagination that is to be treasured. It is ironic to me to be finishing up our last baby with Sonlight's high school offerings while the grands begin their journey with Sonlight. 

Brit Lit Tea Party

Today was THE day to host our End of the Year Brit Lit Tea Party! We finished school on May 1st, but I had ordered a special trinket for the tea and shipping.....

Everyone was home from work today - so before the garden work and such...I got up and made cookies and scones. After the garden work Stacia and I hit the shower and Allie cut up apples, cheese and set out crackers. 

Nolan and Grandpa were using the table.  This turned out to be a great motivator to think outside of the box. I grabbed the china from mom, Gram's old lace cloth and headed outside! I've been dreaming of a garden with a gazebo and a spot to enjoy tea with the girls and/or friends. We are not near ready in the garden...but this table outside the garden was a wonderful start....and now I'm even more determined to create a fun and whimsical garden tea area. LOL 

The yellow Dandelions add a nice pop of color! 

Here they are...I got a set of earrings with the cover of their favorite book from the year. Frankenstein (on the right) for Allie and Hamlet (on the left) for Allie. I chose The Secret Garden. 

Checking out their gifts

The least favorite reads were Gulliver's Travels for Allie and I, and Dubliners for Stacia.  Emma came close to being the least favorite of both the girls. WHUT? They said Emma was incredibly shallow and they had no sympathy whatsoever for her. 

Stacia's favorite Creative Writing assignment was an persuasive essay she authored titled, "Merry Christmas You Joy Junkies!" Allie's favorite assignment was a short story she wrote called, "Dancing on the Pennsylvania Gallows

Both girls liked creating Cento poems. 

The weather was perfect, and our outdoor party was much fun. It was good to sit together and chat about every little thing. We miss Allie now that she is working full time. 

Pay No Attention

 Pay no attention to the young woman signing on the blog. LOL This is the simplest way to load a 4th quarter work sample for IDEA for Allie. LOL 

A Picture of Redemption

 I recently read there are moments/days in life which propel one miles ahead on the journey from childhood to adulthood.*   A few of those moments may have just sprung into your mind. In addition to the ones most of us share, first day of school, getting a driver's permit/license, taking the SAT, high school graduation, wedding, birth of a child, etc, we all have "propelling moments" unique to us. Entering boarding school, flying to the states while my parents stayed in the Philippines, the day I forgave my abuser were all moments which moved me by leaps and bounds on my journey of personal growth....you get the idea. I love this thought as it is one factor which explains why some 15 year olds seem more mature than some 22 year olds.  They've had more propelling moments, they are simply further on the journey. Most parents agree whole years can disappear in the blink of an eye as those moments hit one after another in their child's life.  One's 18th/19th year are often full of these moments...high school graduation, leaving home, etc. This year is one where the big, propelling moments line up and crash in wave after wave.  Hang with me, I'm going somewhere with this...I've been told I have to give a bit of backstory in order for you to understand and join us in the depth of our celebration. 

February 2021, shortly after Allie moved in, she came up and set on the hearth in front of the woodstove.  This had already become a signal to us all Allie had something she needed to talk about. Sure enough, she looked up at me and said, "I'm screwed. I'll never be a functioning member of society." 

I sensed this was an important moment; I now know it was a propelling moment. I wasn't entirely sure where the discussion was heading. Lots of ground could be covered with an opening statement like that. This was the moment Allie realized she was on a path which would not lead to the destination she desired.  Yes, she was in this place because of choices that were not solely hers.  However, this IS where she was and this is the moment Allie quit making excuses for the place where she found herself and took responsibility for moving to where she wanted to go. She shared she was behind in school. I relaxed. This happens. I knew what to do. First step, we needed a clear picture of where she was. Second step, we would figure out where she wanted to be and chart a course to get there. Third step, we would both have to commit to the plan to get to said destination.  I shared my brilliant wisdom. She shared I didn't understand how far behind she was. She was SCREWED, I tell you, SCREWED! We defined what she meant by "functioning member of society."  I explained college wasn't a necessity, but the things on her heart to do DID REQUIRE degrees. 

I told her the first step was still for us to get a clear picture. We called her contact teacher, and Allie requested a transcript and a current Individual Learning Plan (ILP). Things were confusing as Allie was not actually doing the classes on her ILP.  The books which she had brought did not match the classes for which she was supposed to be providing work samples. The contact teacher and Allie didn't really have an answer for this. I met with Allie's mom. Over tea, we went over the ILP, the transcript, and the discrepancies. I came away with a list of courses on the transcript which Allie hadn't finished, several she hadn't started. I was told there were no other books at home for the current classes. I asked her mom to please let the contact teacher know she could speak to me about Allie's education. She was voicing she wasn't sure she wanted to go to college, but she wanted to be ABLE to go to college.  In more conversations with the contact teacher, we set Allie up for an online, state-run program which allows for accelerated recapturing of credits for at-risk kids. All this work is monitored and graded online - I did NOT give Allie a single "mommy grade." Allie was doing 7th grade math when she moved into our home, but she was a Junior. I knew this would provide the biggest challenge in being college-ready in 1 1/2 years.  I told the contact teacher I was going to give Allie an assessment and see if she could start Pre-Algebra. Our goal would be for her to at least get Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 on her transcript before she graduated.  She told me Allie wouldn't qualify for the Alaska Performing Scholarship, and I told her our goal was to build as strong a transcript going forward as possible - one that would couple with SAT scores to get colleges to look at her.  We registered Allie in several courses through the online program: Physical Science, Biology, Pre Algebra and Algebra 1.  We made a plan for Allie to finish all the courses which were listed on her transcript, and I had curriculum for the classes that were on her current ILP - she'd need to finish them, as well - all by the end of summer. Isn't that like God that I would have complete American History and Forensic Science on my shelf as Stacia and the boys had used the books in recent years? Her senior year would focus on areas of interest, filling a few more gaps, college/career prep, and a getting a strong Literature credit. 

We had a plan. Allie committed to work HARD and to work LONG hours. She finished her job and put all of her focus on school. She worked all semester, all summer and by the time her Senior year began, she had done all the work her transcript listed. She was interested in Psychology, and we found an AP Psychology course for her to take. She had 1/2 a credit in ASL - we wanted her to have at least 2. God led us to a program that is amazing, and the founders are now huge advocates for Allie's future career.  Allie took a very SOLID Senior year - none of this cruising to the end. She kept the goal in sight. 

Yes, this discussion was a propelling moment. "Alright, you're screwed. What will you do about it?"  Its ironic this conversation became the basis of a life lesson essay Allie submitted on her college application. She learned to take responsibility for where you are, chase after your happy ending, be willing to put in the hard work, and you'll find others willing to support you as you do. Allie now says what she appreciated most is I didn't sugar coat where she was. If she wanted to get to college, she'd need to make some changes. 

Another propelling moment happened around our dinner table. We often discuss what the guys are doing at work, what random memory GG is focused on, and what the girls are doing in school.  The discussion was swirling and Allie randomly looked up and said, "Hey, I can do ANYTHING I want to do, can't I?" 

"Why, yes, m'dear 'tis true."  (OK maybe we were more like YES!!!! accompanied with high fives and claps!)

She went on, "I mean, I CAN actually be whatever I want!" 

This was another huge moment!!!! Allie had a vision. The realization there is no reason she couldn't reach her dreams.  She had realized, as we suspected she would, the field of psychology is not one she wants to pursue as a funding source.  She is drawn to being an ASL interpreter, and this is a new and blossoming career field. She can interpret in schools; she can be a medical interpreter, she can interpret for politicians. There were lots of settings and lots of opportunities. Her tutor has interpreted for President Bush and Toby Mac as well as school districts, etc.  We see this fitting Allie's personality and gifts more readily than 40 hours of counseling week after week. 

Allie finished all 3 levels of ASL and moved on to one-on-one tutoring to prepare for the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI). She is currently working through this course with her mentor/tutor. She submitted the video we posted last week to a contest. She's applying for an ASL scholarship.  Meanwhile, I researched ASL programs. There are none in the state of Alaska. As we all discussed options, Allie voiced she would like to take as many online credits, as possible. She didn't feel ready to move out of state at this point. There are a variety of reasons this is a good plan.  As I researched, I signed Allie up at the schools which looked good and she began to get calls and emails from various universities. All the programs were in-residence - from Washington state to Virginia, and then, I found a plan offered in-residence OR as a hybrid course. The degree was accepted for licensing in the state of Alaska. It seemed to be a well-recognized program.  Allie's tutor sent her a list of five programs she recommends, and the number one pick was the one Allie had begun thinking would be the best fit for her. 

And...so these past 13 months...we've run! We've pressed hard, and then came the SAT, college entrance applications and college scholarship applications. Would it be enough? 

We began the process of applying to the University of Northern Colorado. They required FOUR HIGH LEVEL MATH COURSES - Algebra 1 and beyond. Um...remember the back story and math?  Allie told me she was "grossly under qualified" for UNCO (note the upgrade from SCREWED - vocab is amazing). She wasn't wrong. We suggested she apply for her number one pick and see how God may work. We also discussed how it would be feasible for her to take a year at the local community college, focus on math and then apply again as a transfer student for the next fall. Allie applied. 

We waited. 

We discovered on Friday they had never received her transcript. 

We had the school district email another. 

Allie checked her email in the afternoon and then went about her Friday afternoon/evening routine.

Saturday morning came, and I heard running and Allie calling, "Madre! Madre!"

What in the world!!!

"Madre, I got an email from UNCO saying they made a decision on my application!"

Wow - they were just waiting for that transcript, evidently. 

We read the email - no photos from that moment as we were IN THE MOMENT. Allie has been ACCEPTED into UNCO for the fall 2022 school year.  She was also awarded a scholarship of $16,000 to be used over her four years at the University. 

We laughed, yelled, cried, hugged, danced....and woke up GG and Michael.  GG said, "What is all that hollering about?" We shared the news with Allie's parents, the Gherkins, those who have been praying her through the process and other friends and family. None of us have stopped smiling yet. 

We paid the required fees...and she is officially a UNCO Bear. 

Stacia made a dessert Allie loves - Irish Sticky Toffee Pudding - for our evening celebration. We put four candles in Allie's piece - one for each year she will be at the University.  In this photo, she is laughing at our attempt to find an appropriate "I'm going to college song."  She actually laughed so hard, she blew out the candles, and we had to relight them. 

No celebration is complete without a gift. I framed the acceptance letter and told Allie it is a tangible picture of redemption in her life. 

We told her it was the first award to hang on her "praise me" wall in her future office. 

We thought Allie still needed to apply to the ASLEI Program but as Michael read the letter it SAYS she has been accepted into the "American Sign Language English Interpretation program in the College of Education and Behavior Science at UNCO."  It sure sounds like she has been accepted into the program, though she hasn't applied to the program yet. 

Allie wants everyone to know when this story is shared, she is grossly under qualified and this is solely by the grace and favor of God. 

Well done, Allie; well done! We are all so very proud of you and so very humbled by the favor of God on your journey! 

*I like this thought for a variety of journeys... i.e. faith journey. I am not sure who to attribute it to. I suspect Karen Kingsbury as I discovered the Baxter series while isolated at home this time around. 

Every Breaking Wave

Allie typically does not like to share her ASL videos. However, this is a season of stepping outside of her comfort zone and since ASL Interpretation requires being in front of people she is working hard to get comfortable sharing her work. It's a season of STRETCH. 

Allie has been working on a big project.  Her ASL mentor/tutor strongly encouraged Allie to get out of her comfort zone and enter the Eric Malz Malzkuhn ASL Literature Competition sponsored by the National Honor Society of ASL. 

This challenged Allie to sign in "pure ASL" rather than simply interpreting English to ASL sign words. This is more of a flow of thought - focusing on meaning and emotion rather than a word for word English translation. That is why this is more dramatic than many videos she has previously done. It is also why her mentor informed her dancing and smiling was not appropriate. ::grin:: 

Allie finished the video early so she could help CyRi move on the 18th. The evening of the 17th she was informed her teacher had overlooked a few things Allie needed for the video. She had one day to redo it all and turn it in again. We wanted to go out into the ocean...but Alaska being what it is, we decided not to. By entering this competition Allie will be eligible to apply for an ASL scholarship. 

Without further ado, I present to you our Allie preforming "Every Breaking Wave" by U2. 

 Of course, there were bloopers...pretty funny bloopers even if you don't know ASL. 

SAT - CHECK!

 Around our home we celebrate big and small achievements. Many prefer the celebrations include ice-cream.  And so, tonight, we gathered in the kitchen with mugs of ice-cream and milk (AKA Gherkin shakes) to celebrate Allie and Stacia. 

They've been working hard to prep for the SAT.  This is Allie's Senior year. We tried to juggle letting her get as much prep done as possible before the last SAT of this school year with the need to have a practice run at the test. A practice run is always wise, for homeschoolers it is especially needful. This allows them to get used to the testing site, 25 other students, and the whole "thing."  Ideally, Allie would have taken a test last spring and again this spring. We had too much on our plate last spring to think about the SAT.  

I had the girls at the site at 0700.  I commented on how gracious God was to provide each girl with a friend with which to walk through the day. None of our others have had that advantage.  

GG and I went to pick them up...and we waited...and waited. A full  hour after they were to be done we began to see students leaving the building.  It turns out a proctor didn't show up for one group - so the test started late. 

AND there was a 5.1 earthquake in the middle of the test. Stacia still gets rattled with "big" quakes.  She knew just what to do...pulled her thoughts up short and addressed the shaking...."Not NOW - I'm taking the SAT." ::snort:: 

Both girls felt the math was tricky and that they did well in the reading and writing. This is what we'd expect. They also both felt the time they've spent in College Prep Genius was very beneficial. They plan to continue working through that material before taking it again in May. 

Neither a missing proctor, nor a 5.1 quake could deter the girls from their stated goal. They conquered the SAT. We met Alex and Nolan at McDonald's and celebrated with lunch.....and then Michael came home from Man Camp and we celebrated with ice-cream. 

Our Golden Child

...the one where Nolan is deemed to be our Golden Child.

The girls have been working through Sonlight Curriculum's Career and College Planning kit as we explore options for their future. Larry Burkett's, "Finding the Career that Fits You," and Lee Binz', "The Home Scholar's Guide to College Admission and Scholarships" form the foundation of this 1/2 credit course. Michael and I have been impressed by the solid info provided.  As we look ahead to the SAT we discussed adding College Prep Genius to the mix. College Prep Genius was the foundation of Nolan's "Post-Secondary Prep" credit. As we all talked around the table last week, we realized there are solid test taking strategies Nolan learned from College Prep Genius which continue to benefit him. The girls' course is more well-rounded but adding this aspect will make it even stronger. The ILP I'd written included SAT prep in the description so it would be easy to add College Prep.  They are both finishing other course work; it seemed doable to add this to their school load.

 In our February discussion with our IDEA contact teacher, she brought up adding College Prep Genius for the girls. Confirmation. We set about adding this to their workload, never guessing it would result in Nolan being titled the "Golden Child."

Golden Child of the Week 

Years back I handed the link to Nolan. He registered, downloaded the material, and completed the course. He remembers enough of the course to motivate us to use it again. We switched to the Sonlight course with Alex as the focus is more on exploring the student's strengths, interests, personality and matching that to various careers, than simply taking the SAT. It is from a solid Christian perspective and so we, rather than IDEA, purchased it.  I added the previous bit lest one thinks IDEA paid for Christian curriculum. ::snort:: 

We were homeschooling more kids when Nolan took College Prep Genius. This year we are down to 2 students. I have been investing more time in the career/college prep process with the girls. Wednesday afternoon found both girls upstairs with their laptops. I gave them the link and instructed them to register for College Prep Genius. 

I swear the devil entered their laptops. TWO HOURS LATER we finally had both girls registered, paid for and we fully expected to cruise through the course.  Stacia made a witty quip about 12 hours of school. I apologized for adding 2 hours to the day but expressed puzzlement as "Nolan simply registered," and we have no memory of a 2 hour ordeal. 

Totally staged photo of Stacia and Allie

Today, it was time to begin the program. Stacia came upstairs and complained she couldn't find the lessons. I helped her find her starting spot. I also discussed with Nolan his memories of the course. 

Allie came up later and commented there were 13 videos in lesson 1 and she needed to print some booklets. 

Stacia came up and informed me she needed to print out a workbook. 

At dinner College Prep came up. Allie said she spent three hours on lesson 1. Stacia spent two hours on the same material. A bit of motherly investigating revealed Stacia realized she could take the quizzes and skipped the later videos. Um...the course's purpose IS to teach one how to quickly navigate the SAT. We couldn't fault her strategy, though Allie was slightly indignant. ::snort:: 

At this point we were all laughing. I AGAIN noted I was surprised this was so hard. NOLAN simply registered himself and took the course. He read the booklets in his ereader. I didn't remember grousing, 15 books to print, or hours long sessions. 

Allie quipped, "NOLAN is the Golden child."  ::snort::

I responded, "He is certainly the Golden child of the week." One thing led to another, and we officially awarded Nolan the title. There is talk of adding a section to the downstairs bulletin board to honor the child of the week. We laughed until we cried. 

In the process we remembered Nolan had a LIGHT senior year. When we registered with IDEA, we were told he had too many credits. He was missing health and Alaska history and had to take a senior year rather than graduating early. We added in the college prep and a couple of business courses.  He did a lesson a WEEK rather than a lesson a day. He never complained about the pace, I assumed the course was set up by days...I think we have the kinks worked out now. 

Shew. The challenge was unexpected, but it led to merriment and lively dinner talk around the table! 

Routines - Part 2

Fridays mean Bible study with Stacia. We discussed Mark 9 - 14 today. We'll have one more week in Mark and then we are also going to work through The Hard Good by Lisa Whittle.  We debated what to do this morning. It's still DARK outside these mornings so climbing to the top of a mountain for a study isn't as appealing as it is in June. In the end we went to our favorite spot.  The plan was for me to go inside and order, bring the food out to the car and we'd study in the car....

The ladies at Sophia's are so nice. Audrey actually insisted on bringing our food and drinks out to the car. 

Car selfies are challenging

We had a window we needed to hit today. We came home, helped with Grandpa's morning routine, let the chickens out, picked up Allie and were at the hair salon when they opened. 

We left the salon and dropped Allie off for lunch with her uncle. I raced Stacia home for Japanese tutoring. Stacia is now going to meet with her Japanese sensei twice a week. Today was the first Friday.  I ran back to town and had time to pick up meds for Dad and read a chapter in the parking lot before Allie walked outside. 

We had planned to go out with Arielle, but the timing was simply too tight. Michael and Alex went out for their study. They talked about the Ark of the Covenant. We spent the afternoon schooling. This is what couch school looked like today. The girls are writing, I was on the other couch finishing this week's reading from Wuthering Heights. 

Millie's hair is starting to grow out...she was happy to laze around with us this afternoon. 

We begin every week thinking we will have people over Friday night. Lately, we are dragging by Friday morning and are happy we can crash in the afternoon.  We enjoyed our Pizza and watched Godzilla vs. Kong. 

Grandpa is still not feeling well. He doesn't have a fever or covid. He didn't throw up today, but is WEAK, sleeping all day and nauseated. We're pushing fluids, the BRAT diet, and lots of sleep. Nolan has cold symptoms. Stacia is still battling her cough.