March 24, 2011 3:57 p.m.

In my life this week...

We had a nice, quiet celebration of Sweet Girl’s 8th birthday on Tuesday.  She doesn’t ever specify what gifts she wants or expects; just trusts us to know what she likes.  We hit on some winners with a scrapbooking kit, a bean bag chair,  and some Polly Pockets.  She was also happy to get a replacement kickball and hula hoop.  It isn’t easy to keep those kinds of toys in good condition for long.

And Spring is in all its glory here these days.  Today, especially, Breezy Point is more like Gusty Point!

In our homeschool this week...

Plugging and chugging along.  Chips turned in his second test set last week and is up to lesson 46.  Sweet Girl is on lesson 55.  We gave her a day off from school for her birthday, of course.  She especially enjoyed her science lesson this week, which involved Oobleck. 

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

We try to schedule a Saturday between birthdays for a family outing for celebrating Chips and Sweet Girl’s birthday.  But birthday plans for our family outing are on hold.  It is a long story, but Chips really needs to learn not to shoot off his mouth.  Character training never stops around here.  Long sigh..  (How to create consequences for one without the other having to pay, too?)

My favorite thing this week was...

Giving a Russian-English New Testament to our violin teacher, who I don’t think has ever read the New Testament.  She seemed to be happy to receive it.

What's working/not working for us...

What’s working for us is when I can manage to stay off the internet until we get through most of our lesson day.  If I get online for anything, anything at all, all order and productivity goes out the window.  Just like speaking on the telephone.  I’ve learned this time and time again.  I just have to live by it now.  So, help me, Lord.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...

I am thinking that I want to start keeping up with the sixth grade readings in history and geography, now, as well as science and literature.  History is getting more into ancient civilizations, and geography is getting into in-depth covering of all the eastern hemisphere and its individual countries.  I never remember getting any of this in middle school (or, perhaps, I slept through it all) but I am happy to be getting it now.  Having said that, though, as much as I want to do this, it will not be easy because it is all so time consuming.

Photos to share...

Sweet Girl, here, is making a friendship bracelet for her little friend at church.  She pretty much did it with very little support from me.  Just goes to show how “8” she really is!

Chips was a savvy shopper with some of his violin award money.  He found a great indoor flying helicopter for only $26.  This one works particularly well, and has many metal parts.  Air Hogs were cutting it for him anymore (too flimsy).

Here, Sweet Girl can be seen talking to her Mimi while opening her gift.  A lovely set of fresh water pearls!

Who says “School in a Box” is dull?  I’m making Oobleck for my studies in physical science this week.

This is the weirdest stuff, Chips!  Do you remember doing this?  It acts like a solid when you slam something into it, but then things sink if you leave them there for more than a second.  So is it a liquid or a solid?  Hmmmm..  ??

I cannot believe Calvert had Chips balancing chemical equations this week.  I know I never had any of that until high school chemistry.  It was a bit difficult for him to teach it to himself, but once I explained it to him, he understood, and even finds it enjoyable.  I guess I really taught something this week.

New bean bag chairs for all!  I called this a “book nook”, but they prefer to call it a “cozy corner”.  Whatever it’s called, it is a great place to read and write journal entries.

 April 20, 2010 6:33 p.m.

I truly want to share some of the highlights of the past several weeks /  months here, and have included some photos here.  Having said that, I must add that there aren't as many photos as I would have liked to include.  Most of the pictures included friends' children, and I don't post pictures of other folks' kids on my blog (unless they are generally unrecognizable in the picture).  So that left me with few photos to use, and I shall have to paint the remaining photos in your mind with words alone.

We had two birthdays here in our family.  Sweet Girl turned seven in March, and we had a quiet and peaceful home celebration for her.  This is the cake that Chips decorated for her.  Our children have a custom of treating each other like royalty on their birthdays.  When it is time to open the gifts, the non-birthday child sets up a type of "throne" for the birthday child to sit on while opening presents.  The throne may be outfitted with cushions, signs, a parasol over it, and a special gift opening table covered with a brightly colored cloth or blanket.  We capture it all on video.  It's pretty funny!

Chips turned ten earlier this month, and this is a moment from his bowling party.  He invited sixteen friends, and they were all able to come.  Chips had an ear-to-ear grin the entire time!

Back to February, now.  Here are the children watching the Olympics, complete with flags for the team members they were rooting for.  Notice Sweet Girl's handmade Korea flag. 
For any new readers, yes, we are a TV-free family, but over the seven years of not watching, we have made exceptions for the Olympics, for Presidential inaugurations, space shuttle landings (there was one here just this morning), and hurricane / tornado coverage (because our internet is the first thing to be knocked out).

Uh, yes, that's Self-Reliant Man teaching Chips to shoot targets with his air rifle.  Goodness, but what has country living done to me?!  Chips was still just nine in that photo.

We had a "field trip" for our homeschool fellowship group at our home.  One especially skilled mom led a terrific class on DNA, complete with hands on experimentation, and then the "field trip" morphed into frolicking in the field.

The children were in a musical production at church, singing "Do-Re-Mi" as the von Trapp children, and "So Long, Farewell".  It was a great show, but alas I cannot show it here...

Sweet Girl made a profession of faith at church on Maundy Thursday and became a communicant member.  She was one of eleven such children, and I have a sweet photo of all those children, too, but darn, I can't show it.  Sorry.  They really are cute, too.

Finally, our dry erase board in our school room doesn't owe us anything.  It has been used, and used, and used, and will need to be replaced rather soon.  But what can you do to thank a dry erase board that has consistently passed along to me such priceless messages?

I have joined Homeschool Memoirs, and the first theme begins today. The writing idea is as follows:
This week, we want to hear about YOU. The author behind the words. The Momma behind all the homeschooling kiddos. Just write up something about you, your family, and your home. How long you’ve been homeschooling and why you decided to homeschool. It doesn’t have to be anything lengthy at all, but we’d love to hear it! You might include a family photo too!

Well, first off, I have only been in the blogosphere for two months, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I have been married for 14 years, and am a homeschooling mother of two children, ages 5 and 8. We live in a rural area in Florida, in a home on 5 acres. I have now been homeschooling for 5-1/2 years, ever since my DS turned 3. It has been a journey for which I am always thankful. Sure there are some days that aren't so great, but that would apply to anything that I set my hand to. I have my hand fixed firmly on this plow, and there is no turning back.

Deciding to homeschool hit me like a bolt of lightning when my DS was 2-1/2. Prior to then, I had never given it any thought. We were planning to send the children to a local Christian school. Now, I can't imagine life any different! One day, I visited a school supply store in my area (L*keshore), and when I was leaving I picked up a freebie newspaper that was in a rack by the exit of the store. I think the newspaper was all about homeschooling. I read articles that evening on homeschooling, and followed up by investigating websites and library books on the topic. It didn't take long before I was "sold", and then there was no problem convincing my DH of the soundness of the idea. So, I knew it was of the Lord. Nowadays, homeschooling has become such an integral part of my identity that I view life completely differently than I did in those days. Homeschooling means Freedom!

This is a photo of our family last September on vacation on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Another benefit of homeschooling. We can take those vacations at any time of the year we desire. I am looking forward to writing these weekly themes and meeting more of you homeschool moms.

p.s. This first post is in memory of my mother, whose first name was Etta. Today is her birthday. She has been with the Lord over 17 years, and would have turned 85 today.