Homeschooling Changes

So, after hours and days of planning before buying last spring, here I sit. You know what I did? I changed it....a lot of it.

On a whim, I decided to purchaseTapestry of Grace Year 4. Even though it was a late night, weary, spur of the moment purchase, it was a good one. I'm a bit more settled now. I've even started using my Homeschool Tracker again this year. Now for 36 hours of uninterrupted time to finish planning and typing and printing and copying...oh, wait, that won't happen. Well, as I squeeze in an hour here and and hour there, hopefully it will get together. It is moving up on the priority list, to be sure. I have the college purchases done. I have the auto purchase done. I spent all day yesterday pulling weeds, picking produce, and watering plants (yes, then we were the happy recipients of four inches of rain last night....it always works that way!) Now if I can knock out the home interior and the processing of garden items, the homeschool planning will again be priority #1 on the to do list.

The TOG Year 4 is all recent history. I had hoped to go through most of it over the summer (when will I learn????) and start ancient history this fall, but now I will take all this year to go over history from the turn of the century to now. That is exciting to me. I looove that time in history. And, next year's core is already purchased.....so, it's not really a waste. (Whew!)

Now to figure out Homeschool Tracker....not sure about it just yet.

Long Time, No See

So, what do I say when it has been so long since we talked? How to begin to catch up?

Let's see.....

As usual, I'll start with the kids.

Travis, a.k.a., The Big Boy, will start school at Mizzou in a few weeks. He's almost ready to go, as far as I'm concerned. I've done all the dorm/school shopping I'm going to do. The rest is up to him. We have sheets, blankets, towels, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, a new Macbook Pro, an IPhone (I got one of those, too...love it), boxers from American Eagle, jeans, shirts, shorts, shoes, shower shoes, shower scrunchy, hangers, oh, and did I mention the Explorer we added to our, ahem, fleet? A really nice high mileage rig that I'm soooo thankful didn't get sent to the Clunker pile. Oh, but I'll not get on the Cash for Clunker rant...yet. Clearly that's not all, as his room is about 1/3 covered with school-bound supplies, but you get the drift. He will have to fill in the rest.

Holly will begin her Junior year in less than two weeks (sob!). She is poured into the love seat as I write this with a sprained ankle that will require therapy beginning today. She has spent her summer babysitting and hanging out with her friends. She has gone to outreach places a couple of times and loved hanging out with the kids there. We are hoping to go to the DR on a mission trip next year. She and Trav took a roadtrip recently, which was interesting when observed from the outside looking in. They were on the road by early morning every day, even on the day to come home. Not sure how that happened, because neither is an early riser when I'm with them!

Nathan and Annie went to camp this summer, have been swimming, and are looking forward to a trip to a Midwest Amusement Park in about a week. We are hoping Holly can walk well by then. They are a bit out of sorts, and if I was even slightly prepared, I would start them on school just to get them in a routine. That, however, is another story.

We are in the process of purchasing a small parcel of land near here with the hopes of building in a few years. It is all wooded, with a small pond, and when we visit there, it gives us a sense of "going home". The peaceful feelings of sitting among the trees, watching the tops sway with the wind is only disturbed by the occasional tick or snake that crawls around us. I love going there, even though each trip brings a new case of poison ivy and a tick or two. When I have time, I obsess over house plans. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time for that OCD kick lately.

Our garden has exploded. I think I've figured out the whole garden problem. We plant at the beginning of summer when it is cool, and nice, and I can't get outside enough. All the produce comes at the time when I am trying to prepare four kids for school and get ready to teach and we are trying to cram in the last of the summer activities that haven't been checked off our list yet and WHO HAS TIME TO PICK CUCUMBERS AND MAKE PICKLES????? I sit here among eight bags of peppers and cucumbers and today I will make....whatever....to preserve them to the best of my ability.

So, I had better get at it. Nathan is emerging from the shower where he has been singing "Carry On My Wayward Son" over and over and over....thank you, Rock Band. You may exit my home any time now. Maybe if I give him some jobs he'll switch to "Whistle While You Work"......

The GPS is my Friend

The GPS is my neeewww friend, and I call him Chase, and I hug him and squeeze him, and when he is bad, I threaten to throw him out the window.

I've always been a map kind of gal. I like pictures, to be sure. Pictures are good.

On our recent road trip, The Big Boy and I threw caution to the wind and didn't even visit an online mapping tool before we left. We took the GPS.

Along the way, we played with the GPS, trying various accents, etc. Right after the purchase, we set her on a British lady. On this trip, however, we changed it. We really like the voice of the Aussie male. He sounds just like Chase, from House.

There were a few times when Chase made me really, really mad. I yelled at him and told him to straighten up or he is going OUT THE WINDOW!

Other times, I could have kissed him.

Then, when I knew where I was, and to where I was headed, I didn't need his sweet voice chiming over and over, "Recalculating", so I told him, "Honey, you can be quiet now...I know where I am." That sent The Big Boy over the edge, laughing at me.

So, I'm still a map kind of gal. When Chase took me all over the countryside, on county roads in counties I didn't even know existed, I'm not sure that was really the best way. Chase, however, has a new spot in my heart, and I really like him a lot and I hope we travel many miles together.

Someday, I may just introduce him to my friend, J's, GPS. Her name is Athena.

Feathered bangs and Beat It, Gone in a Day

I'm having a sad time. Two of my childhood icons are gone in a day.

Farrah Fawcett.
The swimsuit poster. Feathered Bangs. Charlie's Angel. Guys drooled over her and girls wanted to look like her.

Michael Jackson:
The Jackson 5. I listened to the album over and over and over when I was very small. My family was worn out on Michael before he turned 12, thanks to me. Then, high school, well, was framed largely by his music, his dance moves, and his style. He was fraught with talent and a musical genius. His later years are evidence of his search for....I don't think he ever knew what he was missing. Maybe he did. He always seemed so lost and just messed up. He made himself a bit of a freak trying to satisfy something in his soul. He remained a musical genius and an icon through it all.

Having said that.......

These two people, beautiful, talented, icons of our culture had so much that we, as a society, covet. Beauty. Perfect Pitch. Gracefulness. Ability. Money. Power. Prestige. Fans.

And now, they are gone. Now, what do they have?

Last night, I told my kids, that despite all they have had for all these years, at this point in time, what do they have? As they meet death, as they account for their lives on earth, what do they have?

Only Jesus knows for sure. Certainly some mom in the Midwest who has never been within hundreds of miles of them cannot account for the state of their soul.

What I do know, is that all that they had while on this earth is dust to them now. All the nice things they did, all the bad things they did, all their earthly possessions, and all their devoted fans are worthless.

Because, in death, we all stand before an audience of One.

He is the only fan that counts. He is, indeed, our fan. He sacrificed it all for us. He holds us accountable for every deed, every word, everything. Despite it all, our deeds and words cannot give us eternal life. It is only by His Grace. His Sacrifice. His Love.

So, the answer? At this time, unless they have Jesus, they have nothing. (At this point my kids giggled and pointed out that their aunt, my sister, made a similar speech to them recently and boy, we are so much alike! That, my friends, is quite the compliment)

It is sobering.

For what am I laboring?

Unless it is for my audience of One, it is for naught.

Laundry Room of Horrors

Have you ever pondered the effect on a laundry room when two Things go to camp? Add to that the mom and Big Boy going to a baseball tournament, not to return until a few days after the Things return. I assure you, the sight, and smell, are not for the faint of heart.

It is enough to make Jack Bauer shrink in fear.

It is enough to make Gibbs head back to Mexico.

At such a sight and smell, the smoke monster will retreat, never to be seen again.

I would post pictures, but they would have to have a disclaimer, and I am no attorney.

The Things returned on Friday. Thing 2 must have forgotten those plastic bags for wet things shoved in the bottom of her duffel. So, wet swimsuits, towels, and I don't want to know what else, were evenly distributed throughout the bag, assuring everything in there would be subject to the wet....on Friday morning. By Tuesday afternoon, when said bag was discovered by mom, it was utterly nauseating. Having not been here on the Things return to quickly open the bags and get the stuff OUT (I know my Things, after all), it sat for an extra few days.

That smell has to be the same stuff that lurked in the car after Jerry (Seinfeld) had it parked by a valet. The smell that lingered in Elaine's hair, and despite efforts to rid herself of the scent, it wouldn't go.

I have discovered that there are no methods available to man that will dissipate the scent in anything less than three long, heavy duty washings. It involves a lot of oxy cleaner, soaking, and a high-temp sanitize wash.

Only a persistent, stubborn mom could prevail in such circumstances.

The laundry room is thanking me. I think it was starting to crumble, so defeating was its contents. I'm sure it felt hopeless. There is an end in sight. The floor has been discovered again, and I'm confident that with the team of Tide, OxyClean, Downey, bleach, and a rockin' new washer and dryer, we will prevail.

Summer, You Have Changed!

Every spring as the robins and martins come, the flowers bloom, and the trees and grass turn that light green that is so near and dear to my heart, I dream.

Every Easter as we dress in our summer outfits which are always light, airy, and sleeveless and FREEZE because in reality, despite the aspirations of our clothing, it is STILL WINTER, I dream.

Every May as I traverse from one year-end banquet to the next, and furiously scramble trying to get homeschool to be over BEFORE JUNE, I dream.

I dream of lazy, hazy days, lounging in the hammock, reading a really good, non-homeschool FICTION novel that takes me away.

I dream of lemonade on the front porch watching the birds fly, the kids play, and the cars go by.

I dream of lounging by the pool reading while my children joyously frolic in the water, just happy to be there and together. (Okay, maybe I don't go THAT far....)

I dream of baseball games, picnics, berry picking, flowers, farmers markets, and that sought-after commodity, TIME. Oh, time. I dream of that one a lot.

So, my summers, in my mind, are a conglomeration of blissful moments from the past summers, which dance in my head, giving a warm, fuzzy feeling to my heart.

Now, I sit, scratching my head, wondering.....why has summer changed? I feel ever so betrayed!

I admit, I have enjoyed some exciting and fun baseball games, visiting with dear baseball friends, and watching the boys play. The rest of it? Sigh. Nope, not at all.

No moments on the hammock reading even a homeschool, non-fiction book. The flowers are there, and because we are enduring the late July 100 degree weather, they are looking like late July flowers and I'm sorry, it's just not as much fun! (Maybe after the tlc I gave them this morning, they will snap out of it....) The few front porch moments I had were punctuated by the Really Cranky Neighbor cussing at his dog and screaming at people to "Slow down! You drive too fast!" (Ah, and that is fodder for another blog, to be sure..)

And worst of all, no moments by the pool. I realize there are people who are EVER SO MUCH WORSE OFF than I, and I am being a pampered, spoiled child right now, but I don't think folks realize how much those moments by the pool maintain my sanity. I don't just benefit in the summer, but all winter long. Because, you see, if I don't have moments by the pool, of what will I dream those long, gray days in March when the sun doesn't shine for a few weeks in a row? Really....I need moments by the pool. With a friend, alone with a book, I'm happy either way. I am happy by a creek, river, or lake, too. Two ingredients fit the bill: Water and sun.

So, this week? We will go to a pool. We will pick blueberries. And despite all that is not right in the world, I will make some memories that will make all the difference next winter and spring....

No, Mr. President

What a powerful message by >John Piper.


No, Mr. President is his response to President Obama's statement regarding the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. It is short.....I promise you have the time.

HT to Justin.