About School

I realized I haven't posted much about our homeschooling lately. Well, that's because this whole semester has been so full of other activities that our schooling hasn't been anything consistent... at least nothing worth telling about.



The kids have been doing math, spelling, writing, etc. just to stay on course, but we all miss the FUN we used to have, especially with Five in a Row.



But with Baby Girl's community play she was in, all the kids playing and cheering for Upward, out-of-town family visiting, me starting to work, helping dad build his business, and all the other things life has brought our way, the fun 'extras' have simply been put on the back burner.



But you know, I'm SO beyond ready to re-capture those days. My kids aren't getting any younger and I don't want to lose any more days of having fun learning with them. Especially our oldest, who just turned 11. She'll be in 6th grade next year and is quickly getting to where she's 'too old' to do a lot of the fun stuff we used to do. She can't even play at the playground any more simply because she's too big.



So my plan is for us to school right on through the summer to stay on course since we've lost so much time already. But just for a couple hours each morning. And most importantly, to get back to having FUN with our learning. I still want to have plenty of park and library days and lots of swimming and hiking and picnics!



If you think of it, could you say a little prayer for my hubby's business? It's doing well, but we need to get to a certain number of customers and I can quit working at the hospital and we will be well on our way to complete financial freedom. Those two things will allow me to have all the freedom and peace I need to get back to having stress-free fun and true, pleasureable enjoyment with my kids and school again, with no other distractions or worries. Well, except what normal daily life brings.



How about you? How's your summer looking?

My Yard Sale Treasure!

Me and the kidlets went yard saling with my mom this past weekend and just LOOK at the treasure my mommy bought for me!!















Can you believe they were only $5 each!



Thank you SO much mom! They're going to look great with my collection this next Christmas!

This Kid Needs a Helmet!

Remember this little fella with his 5 stitches at Christmas time when we tried to go see the annual Kentucky Christmas Chorus at Rupp Arena in Lexington...








Well, this was him today while we were at the annual March of Dimes walk...







It looked much worse in person... BIG pump knot, bruising, and scrapes. He and his brother decided to run way up in front of us and THIS is what happens when you don't listen to mom and dad! Thank goodness there were nice, helpful paramedics close by.













Here's a few more pictures from our walk today. The boys were picked out of the crowd and had their picture taken by a newspaper reporter, thankfully BEFORE Reese Cup's smashing head-first-into-the-concrete fall!

I've Been Tagged!

This is my first tag since moving here to Blogger and I feel so honored that my fellow FIAR sister from The Shades of Pink chose me!





Here's how it works:





Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to tag others and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!





So, let me see if I can come up with 7 things about me you may not know...





Hmmm...





1.) I'm a BIG homebody, but if there's one thing I'll RUSH to get out to do it's go yard saling. I LOVE it! Not junky, nasty yard sales. I don't really want JUNK. But the exhileration of finding something good, something we'll use or something one of us would like or need at a great bargain price, well, there's just NOTHING like it!





2.) I graduated high school as Valedictorian (at age 17 and I was still 17 when I moved away from home to go to college! What were my parents thinking?!). My best friend graduated Salutatorian.





3.) I live in the same town as the very first Kentucky Fried Chicken.





4.) I once dated a guy that was 10 1/2 years older than I was, and I was only 14 when I started dating him! Again, what WERE my parents thinking?! (Seriously, he was my step-dad's nephew who was in the Air Force and stationed in ALASKA. He was only home about 2 weeks a year, so I guess they figured it was pretty safe...LOL. He was really good to me and treated me like a princess. Guess he knew he had to be or not only would he risk his job in the military (due to my age, *wink*) but he'd also have his own uncle to face! Crazy Kentuckians! LOL!) We dated for almost 3 years!





5.) I've spent the 4th of July at Disney World with 80,000 other people AND I've also spent the 4th of July in NYC laying in the grass right across from the World Trade Center with about 5 MILLION other people! A couple years ago our family also watched the country's biggest fireworks display, Thunder Over Louisville, with 800,000 people!





6.) When I was in college I worked at the college's daycare and there was a little boy who came there who had something medically wrong with him but none of his doctors had been able to diagnose him. He was 4. One weekend while I was at home I picked up some informational papers my mom had been given about a little girl she was working with as a teacher's assistant, because she had special needs. As soon as I read the paper and looked at the pictures I KNEW that THIS is what the little boy at the daycare had! I took the papers back to the little boy's parents, they took them to his doctors and they finally had their diagnosis. (I take NO credit for this whatsoever. I am just so honored and humbled that the Lord chose to use little, insignificant me to help these parents get the help they so desperately needed. I think it's really cool and can't help but smile every time I think back on it.)





7.) I love children so much that it doesn't even have to be my own child for me to cry over them. When I see parents talk meanly or in an ugly way to their child, it takes everything in me to not go 'rescue' the poor little thing. I can watch videos of other people's kids and sob. When our kids are grown and gone I think I would love to adopt. Children are just my passion and I could, and sometimes do, hug them all and tell them how special they are!





Now, to choose whom to tag. Someone who won't get upset with me for taggin them. Someone I'd like to learn more about...





Ok, because she is so fun and such a sweetheart, I believe I'm going to tag Oney. I just think the world of this lady and would love to hear what things she comes up with.





I'm not sure how many people I'm supposed to tag, but I'm only going to do Oney because first, I don't think she'll get upset that I tagged her and second, it's 1:30 a.m. and I'm tired and don't want to think about who else to tag! LOL.

Shouldn't Math Be Fun and Easy?

No tomatoes, please.



If you've homeschooled at least one child for say... any amount of time, then I would almost gaurentee you or one of your children, or maybe even both of you, or even ALL of you have had days where you would just love to chuck anything pertaining to math!



How do I know this? Honey! My oldest and I have been there, done that, and got the stinkin' T-shirt! UGH! At least 1-2 times a week one of us ends up in tears over math. Especially when she's learning a new concept. So believe me, I understand.



So when I saw Lynn's daughter demonstrate this, I knew instantly what tomorrow's math lesson was going to be!



Thank you Lynn and Makayla!

A Little Too Close To Home

There was a stabbing today at my (and my sweetie's) alma mater!



This is the high school that I graduated from as well as where my sweetie and all his family (siblings, cousins, dad, uncles, etc.) also graduated from. Sweetie's uncle has been the head football coach at this school for nearly 30 years and we have a nephew who is currently a student there as well.



Apparently it was over a girl, and the wounds are not life-threatening, thank goodness, but still... this truly just breaks my heart.



We're a small town where everybody knows everybody, or at least you KNOW somebody that knows somebody. Quite possibly, if you talk to someone long enough, you'll find out that you're somehow related to each other!



I've only been out of school for 14 years (EEK!). Our class, as well as the two (at least) directly behind us, was a small (70 in my graduating class), close group of friends. Sure there were always the 'trouble-makers', but they pretty much stayed to themselves. The good kids far outnumbered the bad.



There were arguments and the occasional fights in the hallway. But never did it cross our minds to do something as crazy as to actaully STAB another student! Even if someone DID think about it, they never acted upon it.



It is so sad to me to see kids today so unconcerned for other people's feelings. So many seem to never even consider how their actions will affect others. More often than not I see a very selfish generation coming up today.



Where has this come from? Don't get me wrong. I know that rebellion and self-centeredness has been around as long as the world has been, but as time goes on, things even the meanest bullies would have never thought about doing years ago seem to be quickly becoming the norm today.



Honestly, when I think about the things kids and young people (not to mention full-grown adults) are doing these days I can only come to one conclusion. There must not be much training of The Golden Rule coming from home.



Daily, we use this as our foundation for almost all discipline given in our home. No matter what the situation is, sweetie and I always try to help our children understand how their actions and words affect other people. Children NEED this kind of training. It's not good enough to just tell kids 'no'. Tell them WHY they can't do something. Explain to them that what they do and say, even their tone of voice and attitude, affects other people. How would THEY like being treated that way, or talked to that way?



I promise you, if you'll take the time to do this consistently with your children you will see their little hearts being molded and shaped into ones who care about others and automatically consider other people's feelings before acting or speaking (usually). Yes, it's a lot of time and work. Yes, it's easier to just holler 'Stop it!' from another room. But trust me, you'll be so glad you took the time to train your children's hearts. And so will they.



Even if they go through a rebellious stage and it seems like everything you trained them in went right out the window, stand firm on what our Father tells us in His word...



TRAIN up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he WILL NOT depart from it.



God's word is true. He can not lie. What He tells us, we can stand on! If He says they will not depart from it, then that means that they will not depart from it!



It may take longer than you like for them to come back around, but don't ever doubt that somewhere deep inside there is a little voice saying, "How are your actions affecting others? Is this how YOU would like to be treated?"



Trust me. I know what I'm talking about because I see the fruits of our labor in our children. We are already reaping what we have sown in our children's hearts all these years. It works! Our children are a joy to be around... we've been told several, several times by many different people.



Am I proud of them? Absolutely! Am I bragging on my children? You'd better believe it! It's my blog and I'll brag if I want to, brag if I want to, brag if I want to!



Now, go hug those little angels of yours and if you're not already, begin today to TRAIN them instead of just tolerating them.

Fun and Easy Way To Stay Caught Up On All Your Friends Blogs

Ok everyone, here's what I have found to be the easiest (not to mention really super cool) way to keep up with all my friend's latest blog entries. I just discovered how to do this and I couldn't wait to share it with all of you!



First of all, I use Google Reader. This constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content, and it's FREE! (I love that word).



All you have to do with Google Reader is sign up, then click on 'Add Subscription'. If it's a Blogger/Blogspot blog you're wanting to add then all you have to do is enter the blog address and click 'Add'. If it's a HSB blog you're adding, then see if they have 'My Blog's RSS' on their blog somewhere. If so, click on it, copy the address that comes up in the address bar, and paste it in at Google Reader and click 'Add'. It's as simple as that! You can even seperate the blogs you enter into different 'folders', like 'Five in a Row Friends' or 'Homestead Blogs' or just whatever you want! That makes it a lot easier to keep up with whose blogs you're reading.



Now, here's the really great thing!



I have always had FoxNews as my homepage but sometimes wanted to change it to different sites but never would because that's the only way I know what's going on in the world. But I just found a way to have everything I need in one place and have THAT as my homepage!



Here's how you do it...



Set up a Google account (which if you use Google Reader you should already have a Google account). Then go here... http://www.google.com/ig . This is where you can pick and choose from hundreds of things you want at your fingertips all in one place and set that as your Home Page.



For example, when I come to my computer and go to the internet my Home Page pops up and has all of the following in one spot: My Weather (for our town), the date and time, a calander that I can personalize and add events to, FoxNews.com (their top 3 story headlines that I can click on and it takes me right to that page at FoxNews.com), My Bookmarks so I can easily go to the places I visit the most, a To-Do List that I add to and check off as I get things done, along with a few other things that I haven't used yet like a Sticky Note pad and Google Notebook where I can keep notes I need (instead of having little pieces of paper laying all over my desk). There are literally hundreds of things you can pick and choose from to add, even games like Pac-Man! I'm seriously considering adding that, but afraid it will be too much of a temptation each time I sit down here.



You can even 'Choose a Theme' for the overall look of your Google Homepage. I chose 'Beach' and at the very top of my page is a beach scene all across the screen and the position of the sun in the picture changes to coordinate with the time of day it is here! How cool is that?!



But the COOLEST thing I have on there is a box with my Google Reader! It lists all the newest updates to those blogs I have added subscriptions to so I don't have to go searching each blog! And, it continually stays updated for you!



I'm telling you, you really should check this out. It has made my life SO much easier. It's simple and quick and I can still stay caught up on all my favorite blogs without taking up very much time and without clicking to tons of different web sites!



This is BY FAR the absolute COOLEST thing I have ever found on the internet! Now that's saying a lot.



(And no, I don't make any money from telling y'all about this . I just love it that much!)