Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ The End of Week 1

Well, we did it. Somehow, someway - we have managed to make it through our 1st week of our 3rd year of homeschooling. And everyone is relatively ok, undamaged, & somewhat sane.

The week started out good. Most of the week went surprisingly well. We have been finished by lunchtime everyday except today, but we haven't set our schedule yet & we haven't added Latin.

Today, the dreaded monster reared its ugly head. I'm sure you are familiar with this monster. It speaks in a strange language that constantly says "But...", "Why...", "Ugh...", & "Wait a minute...". It moves about by shrugging its shoulders, rolling its eyes, whining, & huffing...a lot.

I'm talking about the attitude monster. Oh, how I loath this creature. When it appears, I turn into a monster myself. To say that we don't get along would be an understatement.

Please explain to me when the "teenage attitude" trickled down to preteens. Seriously, he's 10! Why does he act like he has a chip on his shoulder part of the time?!

Oh, Heaven help me for the true teenage years.

Happy Birthday Justin

I would like to wish my wonderful hubby a very happy birthday!

Justin likes to tell me ALL the time just how old I am. Hey, its not my fault that he lied to me 14 years ago about his age. Nope, I will never let him live that one down! ;) Its ok, because if he hadn't lied to me then, I would have went out with him.

Well he can no longer claim to be "30". He is now "IN HIS 30's". Its ALL down hill from now. LOL

I am very thankful that God has blessed us with 13 years of marriage. It hasn't always been pleasant, but it has made us who we are today. It has strengthened our bond with each other & our relationship with God.

Justin, I love you with all my heart & soul. I don't tell you nearly enough, but you mean more to me than you will ever know! Husband, father, preacher, son, brother, fireman, provider, EMT, businessman, Eagle Scout - you wear many hats & each one fits you well. Thank you for all you do for me & for our family.

Now, where are you taking me for dinner? ;)

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ School Pictures

Austin - my oldest, my first born, my (not so little) man of the house

Lover of music, dirt bikes, football, farm life, & art, he has a heart big enough to change the world & the confidence to match. Short tempered, independent, & head strong, Austin wants things his way & has problems adjusting when something doesn't come natural. HA - He is my child, that's for sure!

Even though I wanted to homeschool him from Kindergarten, we sent him on to public school. After 3 years, we knew the time was right to bring him home. I'm sure that public school is in our future again, but for now, we are taking it one day at a time & enjoying the ride.

Makenzie - self proclaimed princess, drama queen, & persistent hugger

Loud, outgoing, & energetic, she can go from twirling ballerina to rough & ready brawler in 2.5 seconds. She's as tender hearted as they come & will cry during commercials. If Makenzie had her way, we would take in every stray animal known to man. She loves to sing, dance, cheer, & idolizes her big brother.

Logan - mess maker, snuggle bug, cookie lover

He is my only child to have strawberry blonde hair & already displays the temperament that goes with it. He loves being tickled, food of any kind (nothing slimy though), milk, & waking up early. Logan is very easy going as long as he isn't sleepy or hungry. He can jerk everything out of a cabinet faster than you even realize he is doing it.

Tales of a Homeschool Nothing ~ A Brand New Year

We started back to school today.

What, wait, how did that happen? Where did the summer go? It seems like only last week we were wrapping up last year.

Oh but yes, it is that time again.

We have tried to run by a 6 week schedule before, but never really stuck to it. I'm trying again this year. I have already planned our lessons for the 1st 6 weeks in most subjects (some have even been planned for the whole year!) Yes, you should be shocked! Last year, I was frantically planning the week ahead at 11:30 on Sunday night.

We had a decent day & I only raised my voice one time (during school, that is). I got the basics accomplished for both of the kids - math, language arts, history, reading, & even art. I remembered to take some pictures, but not nearly enough. On top of it all, we were even finished by lunchtime. Yeah! I will add in our history cards & Latin next week. And hopefully, we will get our actual school pics done soon.

Logan thought we should "study" him.
We keep our library books in this box.

But wait, I deserve a few more stars today. I cooked breakfast, washed dishes (dishwasher & by hand), washed 3 loads of laundry & have most of it put away, cooked lunch, cut out coupons, ran 3 miles, showered, & made a quick trip to Walmart.

Today was a beautiful morning
for watermelon on the back porch.

If you are a homeschool mom or even a stay at home mom, you KNOW the significance of this list. Now the only thing I really want is to go to bed.

One Lone Wolf

I have always had a fascination & respect for wolves. They are beautiful, mysterious, & deadly creatures of habit.

Occasionally, you will find a lone wolf who has either been forced out of the pack or one who has opted to venture off on their own. But for the most part wolves stick together. They fight fiercely for what they consider theirs, claim far more territory than they could ever need, & hardly ever accept a new comer into the pack.

Did you know that wolves will rarely attack if the prey stands its ground? They enjoy the rush & the chase entirely too much to just pounce on something. 

I see so many parallels between wolves & people.

There are a lot of things going on all around me right now. Things that I have to be completely vague about. Things that have caused harsh words, broken friendships, numerous tears, countless questions, & endless prayers. Things that truly don't have anything at all to do with me, but somehow have sucked me down into the swirling vortex of them.

I am watching people's lives being ripped apart as choices are made. I am watching people making snap judgements without knowing the whole truth. I am watching a beautiful, sacred institution on the verge of being ripped apart & I am screaming on the inside how wrong this is.

Justin is one of the few people who sees things from my point of view. But do we get involved when clearly the lines have been drawn? Do we state our beliefs about fairness even though we don't know the truth? Do we risk it all just to make a point?

I remember being thrown to those wolves just 3 years ago. What I wouldn't have give for someone, anyone to stand & fight for me then.

That deserted island looks better every single day.

Be Still My Bleeding Heart

Pardon me. This is not going to be my usual uplifting inspirational post.

I am usually a generous person. I am usually open minded. I am usually a glass half full kind of girl. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I have the word "SUCKER" tattooed on my forehead.

Well, I think that may need to change. I feel the sudden urge to become cynical, to doubt everyone, & to question every motive. Hey, you know that whole innocent until proven guilty thing. Yeah, well, no more. Now it shall be guilty. Yep, just guilty.

If it looks like a duck........

Wait who am I kidding?

I have always worn my heart on my sleeve. I have always felt the sympathy in most situations.

Regardless, I HATE to be taken advantage of.

Here lately, there has been one person in particular who I have felt has certainly taken advantage of my good nature. This person has one sob story after another. I don't know if the stories I am hearing are worth more than the breath it takes to tell them.

I know we all fall on hard times, but come on. Can anyone's luck (fate) be THAT bad?

Unless your name happens to be Job, you just might be exaggerating a wee bit.

Hey, did you ever think that maybe God is trying to get your attention?

Olympics - All Glory?

I am not an avid sports fanatic. I enjoy watching the occasional game, especially if I know the players. I tend to pull for certain teams due more to tradition than knowing who the players are & how they have scored this season. But, just like most of the world, I have found myself enthralled with the Olympics recently.

I have enjoyed watching the jubilation that comes with breaking records & winning gold. I have laughed along with the parents as they ride the emotional roller coaster. I have seen the devastation when the unthinkable happens. I have cringed, gasped, cheered, & sighed along with everyone else.

Among all the excitement, I can't help but think about the cost as well. These athletes begin as children & devote their whole life to being better than they ever dreamed they could be. I wonder if given the choice now, if they would do it all over again. Would they be willing to give up their childhood again? Would they train all those hours? Would they ask their parents to invest all of that money again?

A lot of them would, I'm sure. But, I just wonder if there aren't a few who would say, "No, its just not worth the cost".

Then take a look at the less fortunate countries. A lot of these athletes are hand picked as children & forced to train. These children come to not only want to do their best but NEED to do their best. The realization has been reached that the Olympics could be their only ticket out of their situation.

So what happens when they don't win that coveted medal? When they under perform? When they fail their country?

Do their coaches & sponsors continue to pump more money & time into these people who are now "losers"? Or do they cut their losses quite literally & focus on someone else? Are these former stars punished for their lack of ability?

I've heard rumors & I have my own opinions, but proof is hard to come by.

On a lighter note: I came across this little tidbit of information yesterday

"Gymnasium

The word "gymnasium" comes from the Greek root "gymnos" meaning nude; the literal meaning of "gymnasium" is "school for naked exercise." Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games would participate in the nude."

Makes you wonder, hmmm.

Well this is Logan's take on the original Olympics. Yep, he's going to KILL me one day!