Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Loading Day
Today, the "loaders" arrived at about 7:30 a.m. to start loading all of our boxes and furniture onto the truck. They were done by 1:30 P.M. and now we're just waiting until we can go over to the new house. We have already done the closing, but the sellers needed just a few more hours to finish up cleaning, etc. Our things can't be delivered until tomorrow, so it's really not a big deal. Karl and I will spend the night in the new house so we can be there when the movers arrive....the kids will stay with my parents at the renatl house (in their RV) until tomorrow evening after the movers are finished taking everything into the new house. We do still have some cleaning to do on the rental...floors, bathrooms, etc....but then we'll do a walk-thru for the owners and be done. We're so ready to be in the new house and it's just a matter of hours now! I'll post more here soon, and hopefully have some good pictures of the interior of the house for all to see. Until then.....
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Packing Day
Well, the week has arrived! This morning the packers arrived and have begun putting all of our things in storage boxes. We will close tomorrow, and move into the house on Thursday. We're very excited, and ready to get in the new house and get settled! I'll update more later. :)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
50 facts about me
A fellow blogger had a list of 101 facts about herself on her blog, inspired by a friend of hers. I thought I would follow suit...but right now I only have time to do 50. Maybe I'll get to more later...maybe not.
1. I love the smell of freshly mowed grass
2. I like to mow the grass & rake leaves
3. I enjoyed shoveling snow (1st time experience) last winter
4. I had my first baby at the age of 23
5. I am now expectng my 4th baby at the age of 33
6. I am married to my high school sweetheart
7. My high school sweetheart is the love of my life
8. I want to travel in Italy, France, & Spain with my husband
9. I've been on 3 cruises
10. I want to go on a cruise to Alaska
11. I want to start my own in-home daycare
12. I would like to adopt children someday
13. I love to teach
14. I love words...to my husband's dismay!
15. I enjoy flavored coffees
16. I would love to move back to Alabama to be near family
17. My favorite dessert is cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory
18. I miss eating my Mama's lima beans, collard greens, and corn bread!
19. I love to read about/see the Amish life
20. I don't like mushrooms
21. Coca-Cola is the only carbonated beverage for me.
22. I am a certified PADI scuba diver...haven't been diving in 8 years, though
23. I have two gray cats...got them when they were 5 weeks old...the fluffy one was going to my cat. She fell in love with my daughter instead and tolerates me. LOL
24. I am moving into a new house in 8 days! :)
25. I am an avid Survivor fan!
26. I like to watch The Biggest Loser while eating high-calorie snacks...not really, that's just what we always end up doing...it's a great show.
27. I had lost 8 pounds before I found out I was pregnant (this time).
28. I adore the winter Olympics (ice skating) and summer Olympics (gymnastics).
29. I had NEVER spent a night alone until 2005.
30. In 2006 I spent 6 months of nights alone, except when Karl came home on the (2) weekends each month.
31. I often watch T.V., read a book, and surf the 'net' all at the same time.(ADD anyone?)
32. I wanted to be a model when I was a teenager.
33. As a 3rd grader, I wrote a letter to Michael Jackson...it never got to him.
34. Until 3rd grade, I often wore cutoff jeans and no shirt, requiring people(family) to call me Roger.(?)
35. I wanted to dress up as Tom and Jerry, or Popeye and Olive Oil for Halloween last year...couldn't get Karl to do it!
36. I used to roof houses with my Daddy as a young girl.
37. I always looked forward to playing Powder Puff football my Senior year of high school...I was really bummed when several years before I became a Senior the tradition was cancelled because some girls came to the game drunk.
38. I went to college for a year on a 2-year music scholarship, and gave it up. I wish I could do that over!
39. Where we live now, the mailman delivers our mail to our mailbox...right next to our door.
40. When we move, I'll actually have to walk up the driveway to retrieve the mail!
41. I can't stand snakes...my daughter wants to own one.
42. My favorite holiday season is Christmas.
43. I would like to own a Smart car.
44. My favorite dog is a Chocolate Lab or a Siberian Husky.
45. I love the smell of newborn puppies.
46. My favorite flower is a daisy.
47. My favorite color is green.
48. I love to learn about U.S. History.
49. I want to learn how to sew so I can make a quilt.
50. I spend TOO MUCH time on the computer.
1. I love the smell of freshly mowed grass
2. I like to mow the grass & rake leaves
3. I enjoyed shoveling snow (1st time experience) last winter
4. I had my first baby at the age of 23
5. I am now expectng my 4th baby at the age of 33
6. I am married to my high school sweetheart
7. My high school sweetheart is the love of my life
8. I want to travel in Italy, France, & Spain with my husband
9. I've been on 3 cruises
10. I want to go on a cruise to Alaska
11. I want to start my own in-home daycare
12. I would like to adopt children someday
13. I love to teach
14. I love words...to my husband's dismay!
15. I enjoy flavored coffees
16. I would love to move back to Alabama to be near family
17. My favorite dessert is cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory
18. I miss eating my Mama's lima beans, collard greens, and corn bread!
19. I love to read about/see the Amish life
20. I don't like mushrooms
21. Coca-Cola is the only carbonated beverage for me.
22. I am a certified PADI scuba diver...haven't been diving in 8 years, though
23. I have two gray cats...got them when they were 5 weeks old...the fluffy one was going to my cat. She fell in love with my daughter instead and tolerates me. LOL
24. I am moving into a new house in 8 days! :)
25. I am an avid Survivor fan!
26. I like to watch The Biggest Loser while eating high-calorie snacks...not really, that's just what we always end up doing...it's a great show.
27. I had lost 8 pounds before I found out I was pregnant (this time).
28. I adore the winter Olympics (ice skating) and summer Olympics (gymnastics).
29. I had NEVER spent a night alone until 2005.
30. In 2006 I spent 6 months of nights alone, except when Karl came home on the (2) weekends each month.
31. I often watch T.V., read a book, and surf the 'net' all at the same time.(ADD anyone?)
32. I wanted to be a model when I was a teenager.
33. As a 3rd grader, I wrote a letter to Michael Jackson...it never got to him.
34. Until 3rd grade, I often wore cutoff jeans and no shirt, requiring people(family) to call me Roger.(?)
35. I wanted to dress up as Tom and Jerry, or Popeye and Olive Oil for Halloween last year...couldn't get Karl to do it!
36. I used to roof houses with my Daddy as a young girl.
37. I always looked forward to playing Powder Puff football my Senior year of high school...I was really bummed when several years before I became a Senior the tradition was cancelled because some girls came to the game drunk.
38. I went to college for a year on a 2-year music scholarship, and gave it up. I wish I could do that over!
39. Where we live now, the mailman delivers our mail to our mailbox...right next to our door.
40. When we move, I'll actually have to walk up the driveway to retrieve the mail!
41. I can't stand snakes...my daughter wants to own one.
42. My favorite holiday season is Christmas.
43. I would like to own a Smart car.
44. My favorite dog is a Chocolate Lab or a Siberian Husky.
45. I love the smell of newborn puppies.
46. My favorite flower is a daisy.
47. My favorite color is green.
48. I love to learn about U.S. History.
49. I want to learn how to sew so I can make a quilt.
50. I spend TOO MUCH time on the computer.
A valance, a lady, and her God
When I awoke this morning, I never could have imagined the battle that would later ensue. I happily got out of bed, anticipating a good breakfast and some hot coffee (decaf). Once I put the coffee on, I headed downstairs to wash and fold some laundry before making my breakfast. I put the kids to work too, putting towels away, cleaning the bathrooms, and finishing up with their other chores.
I had just sat down to eat when the phone rang...it was Karl, calling to say good morning from Washington, D.C. He'll be home later tonight, so that was another 'good' thing about my day. We spoke for a few moments then he had to get back to his meeting, and I to my breakfast.
I had a few sips of my coffee, then decided to go ahead and replace the valance that we had taken down when we moved into this house. We had hung a curtain instead, because it keeps the glare off the T.V. when we're watching. I thought it would be best to just get that task done...it would be one less thing to do this weekend before the move. It was easy enough to get the curtain off the rod and take it downstairs to be washed. However, when I returned to face the task of putting the valance on the rod...hence my battle.
You would think this an easy, 5-minute 'to-do' on my list. Nope, not for me. I am not mechanically inclined as my mother has always been, not did God choose to bless me with her creative bent. And, my dear husband is not here, so I could not call upon him for help. I commenced to wrestle with this rod and valance for the better part of an hour! I did not realize (not mechanically inclined) that the end parts that are bent were removable, so I tried to get the valance on over that...it did not go very far. Once one fell off...well, then I realized I could remove the end pieces and the valance should slide right on. Could this be easy? No. The other end piece fell off inside the valance...try getting that out!
At this point I'm starting to pray, "Lord, please let me just get this done. This is so stupid and frustrating!" You might think that praying for something such is this is silly...but I happen to believe that God cares about ALL the details of my life...even my wrestling match with this valance and rod! :) So I finally figured out a way to work the end piece out of the valance without ripping it apart(do they really need this thing anyway?)either purposely or accidentally. Then I began trying to slide the valance on again. Now it's easy, right? Oh, no. You have to keep in mind that I am 18 weeks pregnant, and by now by belly is in the way of certain things. I was unable to handle this thing like I normally would. So, I'm trying to hold the rod with my feet while pulling the valance on. I tried placing it on the table and pushing the fabric on...across the top of the couch, in my lap...all were a struggle, but it was going on inch my tiny inch. I continued my praying...now saying, "Please let me get this on without breaking the rod or tearing the fabric. We want to get our deposit back...Lord, I know you understand." Finally, the fabric is all the way on the rod and I can try to put it up...oh wait, I have to put the end pieces back on. You would think surely this is easy for me, right? No, again. One piece says left and one piece says right...believe it or not it took me a moment to figure out which side each went on....and I thought I had just put the valance on upside down! However, God did spare me that crisis(He loves me!), and I soon figured out where to place them. Now time to climb back into the chair to put the rod back in place. Again, no easy task for me. I called Logan down to hold it for me while I put up one side...it's so nice to have a child who is both old enough and tall enough to help his poor, challenged Mama! Once I got my side on I stepped up behind him, had him step down, and then dismissed him to go play. (we are supposed to be doing school work by now, but I am determined to show this valance and rod who's boss!)Once it was in place, I began straightening the valance...to make sure it wasn't too bunched on either side...when the end piece falls off again..inside the valance. "Nooooooo!!" is all that was heard through the house, and my kids reply(from upstairs) with "Mom, did you call us?" No, I did not. "Lord, please help me," is all I could say. And He did. I was able to get the piece back on easily, and snapped back into place...that was the problem, it didn't snap before...and get the valance straightened with no further issues.
Believe me when I say I am tired! My arms ache from trying to hold up that silly rod while sliding on the valance. My coffee,which I thought I would get right back to, was cold by the time I was done. But, I overcame....my frustration, my anger (momentary), my desire to cry...and I do believe it was because of prayer. Obviously I pray for bigger things, more important things; I think we all do...even if we do not profess to be Christians or lead a Christian life. But I often find myself praying for these little things, such as during my morning battle ;) or when I can't find a book I need, or when I can't find the building I'm looking for and I'm driving in circles....When I take the time to pray and ask God for help, He invariably steps in, calms me down, and gives me the answer...it's that still, small voice that says "Go look on the third shelf of the bookshelf in the living room one more time"...and there is the book. Or the voice that says, "Call your husband, he can help you with this." Or, the voice I heard this morning that said, "Just calm down, trust in me, and I will help you get this done." Now, these are not audible voices...but I do believe it is the 'voice' of God leading me to the answer I need. He is involved in the little things, and even when we're struggling, and we don't understand, He is there to guide us if we will just ask Him.
Now, I am going to get a fresh cup of HOT coffee....and enjoy it before I do anymore work. I think I deserve it after the battle I've endured. ;)
I had just sat down to eat when the phone rang...it was Karl, calling to say good morning from Washington, D.C. He'll be home later tonight, so that was another 'good' thing about my day. We spoke for a few moments then he had to get back to his meeting, and I to my breakfast.
I had a few sips of my coffee, then decided to go ahead and replace the valance that we had taken down when we moved into this house. We had hung a curtain instead, because it keeps the glare off the T.V. when we're watching. I thought it would be best to just get that task done...it would be one less thing to do this weekend before the move. It was easy enough to get the curtain off the rod and take it downstairs to be washed. However, when I returned to face the task of putting the valance on the rod...hence my battle.
You would think this an easy, 5-minute 'to-do' on my list. Nope, not for me. I am not mechanically inclined as my mother has always been, not did God choose to bless me with her creative bent. And, my dear husband is not here, so I could not call upon him for help. I commenced to wrestle with this rod and valance for the better part of an hour! I did not realize (not mechanically inclined) that the end parts that are bent were removable, so I tried to get the valance on over that...it did not go very far. Once one fell off...well, then I realized I could remove the end pieces and the valance should slide right on. Could this be easy? No. The other end piece fell off inside the valance...try getting that out!
At this point I'm starting to pray, "Lord, please let me just get this done. This is so stupid and frustrating!" You might think that praying for something such is this is silly...but I happen to believe that God cares about ALL the details of my life...even my wrestling match with this valance and rod! :) So I finally figured out a way to work the end piece out of the valance without ripping it apart(do they really need this thing anyway?)either purposely or accidentally. Then I began trying to slide the valance on again. Now it's easy, right? Oh, no. You have to keep in mind that I am 18 weeks pregnant, and by now by belly is in the way of certain things. I was unable to handle this thing like I normally would. So, I'm trying to hold the rod with my feet while pulling the valance on. I tried placing it on the table and pushing the fabric on...across the top of the couch, in my lap...all were a struggle, but it was going on inch my tiny inch. I continued my praying...now saying, "Please let me get this on without breaking the rod or tearing the fabric. We want to get our deposit back...Lord, I know you understand." Finally, the fabric is all the way on the rod and I can try to put it up...oh wait, I have to put the end pieces back on. You would think surely this is easy for me, right? No, again. One piece says left and one piece says right...believe it or not it took me a moment to figure out which side each went on....and I thought I had just put the valance on upside down! However, God did spare me that crisis(He loves me!), and I soon figured out where to place them. Now time to climb back into the chair to put the rod back in place. Again, no easy task for me. I called Logan down to hold it for me while I put up one side...it's so nice to have a child who is both old enough and tall enough to help his poor, challenged Mama! Once I got my side on I stepped up behind him, had him step down, and then dismissed him to go play. (we are supposed to be doing school work by now, but I am determined to show this valance and rod who's boss!)Once it was in place, I began straightening the valance...to make sure it wasn't too bunched on either side...when the end piece falls off again..inside the valance. "Nooooooo!!" is all that was heard through the house, and my kids reply(from upstairs) with "Mom, did you call us?" No, I did not. "Lord, please help me," is all I could say. And He did. I was able to get the piece back on easily, and snapped back into place...that was the problem, it didn't snap before...and get the valance straightened with no further issues.
Believe me when I say I am tired! My arms ache from trying to hold up that silly rod while sliding on the valance. My coffee,which I thought I would get right back to, was cold by the time I was done. But, I overcame....my frustration, my anger (momentary), my desire to cry...and I do believe it was because of prayer. Obviously I pray for bigger things, more important things; I think we all do...even if we do not profess to be Christians or lead a Christian life. But I often find myself praying for these little things, such as during my morning battle ;) or when I can't find a book I need, or when I can't find the building I'm looking for and I'm driving in circles....When I take the time to pray and ask God for help, He invariably steps in, calms me down, and gives me the answer...it's that still, small voice that says "Go look on the third shelf of the bookshelf in the living room one more time"...and there is the book. Or the voice that says, "Call your husband, he can help you with this." Or, the voice I heard this morning that said, "Just calm down, trust in me, and I will help you get this done." Now, these are not audible voices...but I do believe it is the 'voice' of God leading me to the answer I need. He is involved in the little things, and even when we're struggling, and we don't understand, He is there to guide us if we will just ask Him.
Now, I am going to get a fresh cup of HOT coffee....and enjoy it before I do anymore work. I think I deserve it after the battle I've endured. ;)
Monday, October 20, 2008
A funny political 'joke'...
Here is something I got through email from a friend of mine. I just couldn't resist posting it here for all to see.
Sarah Palin is invited to meet with the Pope while he is vacationing
south of Rome in Venice.
The liberal press reluctantly watches the semi-private audience, hoping
they will be able to allot minimal coverage, if any.
The Pope asks Governor Palin to join him on a Gondola ride through the
canals of Venice.
They're admiring the sights and agreeing on moral issues when all of a
sudden the Pope's hat (zucchetto) blows off his head and out into the
water.
The gondolier starts to reach for the Pontiff's hat with his pole, but
this move threatens to overturn the floating craft.
Sarah waves the tour guide off, saying, 'Wait, wait. I'll take care of
this. Don't worry.'
She steps off the gondola onto the surface of the water and walks out
to the Pope's hat, bends over and picks it up. She walks back across
the water to the gondola and steps aboard.
She hands the hat to the Pope amid stunned silence.
The next morning the topic of conversation among Congress, CBS News,
NBC News, ABC News, CNN, the New York Times, Hollywood celebrities, and
in France and Germany is...
...'Palin Can't Swim.'
Sarah Palin is invited to meet with the Pope while he is vacationing
south of Rome in Venice.
The liberal press reluctantly watches the semi-private audience, hoping
they will be able to allot minimal coverage, if any.
The Pope asks Governor Palin to join him on a Gondola ride through the
canals of Venice.
They're admiring the sights and agreeing on moral issues when all of a
sudden the Pope's hat (zucchetto) blows off his head and out into the
water.
The gondolier starts to reach for the Pontiff's hat with his pole, but
this move threatens to overturn the floating craft.
Sarah waves the tour guide off, saying, 'Wait, wait. I'll take care of
this. Don't worry.'
She steps off the gondola onto the surface of the water and walks out
to the Pope's hat, bends over and picks it up. She walks back across
the water to the gondola and steps aboard.
She hands the hat to the Pope amid stunned silence.
The next morning the topic of conversation among Congress, CBS News,
NBC News, ABC News, CNN, the New York Times, Hollywood celebrities, and
in France and Germany is...
...'Palin Can't Swim.'
What's your color?
A fellow blogger and HOD user had this on her blog, and I just had to add it here. Test yourself to see what 'color' you are. Here is mine.
| BLUE |
You give your love and friendship unconditionally. You enjoy long, thoughtful conversations rich in philosophy and spirituality. You are very loyal and intuitive.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
An article concerning Obama..
Friday, October 17, 2008
Another visit to the OB...
I had another Dr. visit today...I'll be 18 weeks this weekend. Everything is looking fine...in fact, the Dr. said "you're growing perfectly" when referring to the size of my belly. :)
There is some concern about my weight gain this time, as we don't want a repeat of the events involved with Corbin's birth, but I trust that God gave us this baby and will take care of him/her just as He has all the rest. To me, it just shows His strength that He's brought us through all the trials we've had with our pregnancies/births. I am sure He has a bigger, better plan for me than I would ever deign to know...so I'll do my part to keep my weight in check, but trust in Him for the ultimate result.
The kids were well-behaved again. I even left Corbin in Logan's charge and they all did fine...in the lobby of the Dr.'s office. We'll see if they can keep that up...I may begin to believe I'm raising responsible, obedient children after all!
There is some concern about my weight gain this time, as we don't want a repeat of the events involved with Corbin's birth, but I trust that God gave us this baby and will take care of him/her just as He has all the rest. To me, it just shows His strength that He's brought us through all the trials we've had with our pregnancies/births. I am sure He has a bigger, better plan for me than I would ever deign to know...so I'll do my part to keep my weight in check, but trust in Him for the ultimate result.
The kids were well-behaved again. I even left Corbin in Logan's charge and they all did fine...in the lobby of the Dr.'s office. We'll see if they can keep that up...I may begin to believe I'm raising responsible, obedient children after all!
More ideas for grocery savings...
Here is yet another link I wanted to share. Unfortunately, I am unable to use this site here...unless I want to try it at CVS, Rite Aid, or Walgreens...I don't. However, in other parts of the country you can find great savings at grocery stores such as Albertsons. With prices as high as they are these days, I thought you all might be able to use the help. Let me know if you are successful with this.
www.thegrocerygame.com
I can't get my 'add a link' button to work, so just copy and paste this into your browser. I'll have Karl help me fix it when he returns.
www.thegrocerygame.com
I can't get my 'add a link' button to work, so just copy and paste this into your browser. I'll have Karl help me fix it when he returns.
Monday, October 13, 2008
17 weeks and counting...
I just wanted to let everyone know the pregnancy is going well. I am out of the exhausted and nauseaous phase, and into a more energetic (well, a bit) phase. :) I have felt a few flutters from the baby's movements, and I'm sure that will increase soon to real kicks. I decided to add a picture so you can all see what I look like now. And I'll post some more along the way.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Another link...for anyone
Sharing another link...this time for FREE downloads. It is a site for homeschoolers, but there are items available that anyone might be interested in having. I suggest you check it out. There is a free item listed each week day...Monday through Friday. Enjoy your booty!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Presidents, First Ladies, and the White House
I just wanted to share a link with you that I think is very interesting. With all the debates and political 'stuff'(Hooplah!) going on right now, I thought a look at past presidents might be a nice break. Enjoy!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Fall is here...
With the arrival of 'official' fall came the fall weather. It has been much cooler and even cold some days. I think our shorts days are over now until late spring. :( However, with fall also comes the promise of all the fun fall outings and yummy fall produce!
We went today on our Second-annual Woerner-family Apple-picking Hike at The Apple Farm in Victor, NY...only a short distance away. The weather was finally sunny and not too cold (58) so we headed out around 11:30 this morning. We got quite a few empire apples and some golden delicious apples, as well. The owners warned us upon our arrival that all the apples were spotted because they had been "hail-kissed" due to a hail storm, but they assured us they still taste great. They were right; most were very spotted, some had holes in them, and of course we saw and smelled the usual rotten apples that had fallen on the ground. However, we discovered (Karl's smart suggestion) that the apples on the underside were mostly okay, so we began picking from there and ended up with tasty and pretty apples for the rest of our adventure!
I am looking forward to using the apples to make filling for apple pies, homemade applesauce, apple muffins, and just for eating as they are. If any of you have other suggestions for how to use them, please post a comment. We ended up with 33 pounds of apples...
We went today on our Second-annual Woerner-family Apple-picking Hike at The Apple Farm in Victor, NY...only a short distance away. The weather was finally sunny and not too cold (58) so we headed out around 11:30 this morning. We got quite a few empire apples and some golden delicious apples, as well. The owners warned us upon our arrival that all the apples were spotted because they had been "hail-kissed" due to a hail storm, but they assured us they still taste great. They were right; most were very spotted, some had holes in them, and of course we saw and smelled the usual rotten apples that had fallen on the ground. However, we discovered (Karl's smart suggestion) that the apples on the underside were mostly okay, so we began picking from there and ended up with tasty and pretty apples for the rest of our adventure!
I am looking forward to using the apples to make filling for apple pies, homemade applesauce, apple muffins, and just for eating as they are. If any of you have other suggestions for how to use them, please post a comment. We ended up with 33 pounds of apples...
Friday, October 3, 2008
Scheduling
I have been reading a lot lately about organization, schedules, chore charts, meal planing, etc. Anything to do with homemaking, homeschooling, or family life and I've been researching it. With our growing family I realize there will be MORE laundry, MORE dishes, LESS time, LESS sleep, MORE responsibility, LESS money, etc. So, I'm doing all I can now to prepare for the arrival of the baby.
We have had somewhat of a schedule for our schooling. We always (almost) do things in the same order each day. This helps everyone to know what comes next. We don't have assigned times per subject...I feel that would be too much pressure for me...but we just do it in sequence. We do have a start-time goal of 8:30 a.m. and we go from there. Here is how we usually do it:
Bible study and music
Poetry
Handwriting/Copywork
Math
English
Spelling
Science reading and/or experiment
Geography/Art/Vocabulary (this rotates..1 day per week for each)
Health/Spanish/Creative writing(1 day per week for each)
History readings
Story time readings
We also have a reading program for both of the older kids that we will be adding in over the next week or two. I think we will do that at the end of our school day, as I need to work with each of them separately on this.
Corbin has been working in his 'workbook' each day while the older two are completing their writen work. We need to add the rest of his school, but I've been trying to get all the kinks worked out for the others before trying to do that. We are so close! :)
We have also had several days that we've had appointments or we've had to leave the house so the realtor could show it (for our landlord). Even though these have not been all day events, it does break up our day and makes it difficult to finish our work on those days. When this happens, we just carry that work over to the next day. Doing that helps me to feel less stressed, which I am very prone to do.
We have about 4 weeks until we move into our house, and I cannot wait! So, there will be more 'interruptions' in the weeks to come. But, it will be well worth it when we are in a house that actually fits us and our possessions. I know there will be several weeks of adjustment, but we plan to just keep working on the things we can...and we will get back to the extra things we don't get to once we're settled. I feel sure the winter season will provide plenty of hours for cuddling up and reading, as well as catching up on any subject in which we get 'behind'.
I am also looking into creating 'centers' for our homeschool area (our basement). I like this idea, as it will give any child who is waiting for me to work with them something educational to do while I am working with his/her sibling. Plus, when the baby is here and needs feeding, changing, holding these centers can be utilized then as well. I am thrilled with the fact that we should have room in the new house to do this. We plan to do school in the basement, and have most of the toys/games/art supplies there as well. So it should just be a matter of grouping like things together:
Audio center: cd's, cd player, headphones, audio books, computer, movies
Language center:Beginning readers, writing prompts, paper and pencils, poetry to copy and memorize, alphabet flash cards,spelling words to practice, list of spelling rules, spelling games
Math center::Number flash cards; addition, subtraction, multiplication, division flash cards; word problems
These are just a few ideas. I've found some web sites that have more complete lists of what to put in specific centers...I'll be referring to them when I begin putting our centers together. We are not trying to re-create the classroom at home by doing this...we really enjoy the flexibility homeschooling offers, and don't really want it to feel like a traditional school. The kids use all of these things at home already. I'm just looking to make it all more user-friendly, so I can tell them "go to the Language center and work on XYZ" and it will be easy for them to understand exactly what I mean. Plus, my hope is this will help reduce the 'downtime' we have between lessons and requests for tv watching...we already have too much of that, and I fully believe it reduces the effectiveness of our teaching time.
Another area we need to tweak is chores. The kids have things they are responsible for getting done each day, but we need to do a better job of following through(Mom included). We will change the way we do things when we move because many things will be different and change will be required in certain areas. We also plan to give each child a bit more responsibility in order to make things easier on us. We have a lot to get done each day, and their help is necessary to maintain a peaceful, clean home. I am not talking about spotless; that's not my goal, nor do I feel it's possible if I am doing all my other jobs properly. But we do need to eliminate the clutter as much as possible, keep up on laundry and the basic cleaning of the house. That way, we can relax each day, knowing we accomplished our goals. We will also be more likely to entertain, which we really enjoy doing, if our home is clean, peaceful, and virtually clutter-free. A girl can hope, can't she? ;)
We have had somewhat of a schedule for our schooling. We always (almost) do things in the same order each day. This helps everyone to know what comes next. We don't have assigned times per subject...I feel that would be too much pressure for me...but we just do it in sequence. We do have a start-time goal of 8:30 a.m. and we go from there. Here is how we usually do it:
Bible study and music
Poetry
Handwriting/Copywork
Math
English
Spelling
Science reading and/or experiment
Geography/Art/Vocabulary (this rotates..1 day per week for each)
Health/Spanish/Creative writing(1 day per week for each)
History readings
Story time readings
We also have a reading program for both of the older kids that we will be adding in over the next week or two. I think we will do that at the end of our school day, as I need to work with each of them separately on this.
Corbin has been working in his 'workbook' each day while the older two are completing their writen work. We need to add the rest of his school, but I've been trying to get all the kinks worked out for the others before trying to do that. We are so close! :)
We have also had several days that we've had appointments or we've had to leave the house so the realtor could show it (for our landlord). Even though these have not been all day events, it does break up our day and makes it difficult to finish our work on those days. When this happens, we just carry that work over to the next day. Doing that helps me to feel less stressed, which I am very prone to do.
We have about 4 weeks until we move into our house, and I cannot wait! So, there will be more 'interruptions' in the weeks to come. But, it will be well worth it when we are in a house that actually fits us and our possessions. I know there will be several weeks of adjustment, but we plan to just keep working on the things we can...and we will get back to the extra things we don't get to once we're settled. I feel sure the winter season will provide plenty of hours for cuddling up and reading, as well as catching up on any subject in which we get 'behind'.
I am also looking into creating 'centers' for our homeschool area (our basement). I like this idea, as it will give any child who is waiting for me to work with them something educational to do while I am working with his/her sibling. Plus, when the baby is here and needs feeding, changing, holding these centers can be utilized then as well. I am thrilled with the fact that we should have room in the new house to do this. We plan to do school in the basement, and have most of the toys/games/art supplies there as well. So it should just be a matter of grouping like things together:
Audio center: cd's, cd player, headphones, audio books, computer, movies
Language center:Beginning readers, writing prompts, paper and pencils, poetry to copy and memorize, alphabet flash cards,spelling words to practice, list of spelling rules, spelling games
Math center::Number flash cards; addition, subtraction, multiplication, division flash cards; word problems
These are just a few ideas. I've found some web sites that have more complete lists of what to put in specific centers...I'll be referring to them when I begin putting our centers together. We are not trying to re-create the classroom at home by doing this...we really enjoy the flexibility homeschooling offers, and don't really want it to feel like a traditional school. The kids use all of these things at home already. I'm just looking to make it all more user-friendly, so I can tell them "go to the Language center and work on XYZ" and it will be easy for them to understand exactly what I mean. Plus, my hope is this will help reduce the 'downtime' we have between lessons and requests for tv watching...we already have too much of that, and I fully believe it reduces the effectiveness of our teaching time.
Another area we need to tweak is chores. The kids have things they are responsible for getting done each day, but we need to do a better job of following through(Mom included). We will change the way we do things when we move because many things will be different and change will be required in certain areas. We also plan to give each child a bit more responsibility in order to make things easier on us. We have a lot to get done each day, and their help is necessary to maintain a peaceful, clean home. I am not talking about spotless; that's not my goal, nor do I feel it's possible if I am doing all my other jobs properly. But we do need to eliminate the clutter as much as possible, keep up on laundry and the basic cleaning of the house. That way, we can relax each day, knowing we accomplished our goals. We will also be more likely to entertain, which we really enjoy doing, if our home is clean, peaceful, and virtually clutter-free. A girl can hope, can't she? ;)
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