Ok now I know everyone has there own opinions about our President and thats just fine. My opinion personally is that He is on crack. Specifically when it comes to lengthening school days for public schooled children.
I homeschool so why should I care, right? I care because familys are being attacked in this country. Both parents working outside the home, kids in daycare from as young as 6 weeks old and up, kids in school for 6 and 7 hours a day just to come home to hours of homework. No wonder the divorce rate is so high, no wonder teen crime rates are rising! What kids need is to be with there parents. What families need is to be together.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Appreciating what you don't have
One of the worst and hardest parts of going through a deployment is simply missing your loved one. No matter what I am doing I miss Justin. It feels like your missing part of yourself. Even when I am having a good time and doing something fun it is tinged with thoughts of missing him and wishing He was there too.
One of the "perks" of deployment(yes there actually are some perks!) stems from this lonelyness. I appreciate my husband SO very much. I appreciate a little e-mail He may send out of the blue to ask how my day was. The sound of His voice telling me He misses me. I appreciate all the things He does when He is home SO much more because right now I am having to do them!
I find that having been through a deployment I tend to nit pick less, strss less, nag less and I dont have to have him do thing MY way like I used to. Because of that we have a far happier and more content marriage than I coud have pictured us having 6 or 7 years ago.
Going through a deployment has really given me a testimony of the fact that Heavenly Father makes even our trials for our good. Being apart from myeternal companion for a year is the hardest thing I have ever had to do BUT despite that I have been blessed the whole way through.
One of the "perks" of deployment(yes there actually are some perks!) stems from this lonelyness. I appreciate my husband SO very much. I appreciate a little e-mail He may send out of the blue to ask how my day was. The sound of His voice telling me He misses me. I appreciate all the things He does when He is home SO much more because right now I am having to do them!
I find that having been through a deployment I tend to nit pick less, strss less, nag less and I dont have to have him do thing MY way like I used to. Because of that we have a far happier and more content marriage than I coud have pictured us having 6 or 7 years ago.
Going through a deployment has really given me a testimony of the fact that Heavenly Father makes even our trials for our good. Being apart from myeternal companion for a year is the hardest thing I have ever had to do BUT despite that I have been blessed the whole way through.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The Changing Seasons!!
Look at my beautiful new blog layout! I was feeling particularly fall'ish today after the kids and I went for a walk on the bike trail and I happen to have a Sister who is particularly handy with this sort of thing. She offered to do it for me. Thanks Sis!!
I am starting to feel IT
I am officially feeling TOO pregnant! LoL This being my fourth pregnancy I knew this would come. That I would get to the point when I was up peeing more than sleeping at night and just getting me and the kids out of the car and into the store, let alone doing any grocery shopping would feel like an accomplishment.
I took the kids and headed to Walmart yesterday to get the cars oil changed. I thought it would be a nice little half hour trip with a chance to shop around a little.
Sadly only five minutes into our "nice little trip" I was tired, my back was aching and the smell of tires and oil from the tire and lube center was still making me nauseaus!
I had to laugh today when my sister suggest we make a trip to pick apples at the apple orchard NEXT MONTH. You know when I have about 4 weeks left till my due date! I reminded her of the looming due date and the fact that I would be taking all three kids Alone (i.e without spouse help).she said to me in all her crazyness
"Well My hubby and I will be there!"
Now for anyone who knows and for those who dont my sister and her Hubby have five children of there own! What kind of help would they really be?? None, not in the least bit!! I love ya Sis but you know its true!! =-}
Now in all honesty I might make the trip! The kids would have a ball, get some fresh air, fresh apples and Grandma and Grandpa usually go.They having no children of there own to chase would be helpful with my own rugrats! Of course just the thought of the whole trip makes me want to lie down and take a nap!! We will see if I get the energy up to make that trip!!
I took the kids and headed to Walmart yesterday to get the cars oil changed. I thought it would be a nice little half hour trip with a chance to shop around a little.
Sadly only five minutes into our "nice little trip" I was tired, my back was aching and the smell of tires and oil from the tire and lube center was still making me nauseaus!
I had to laugh today when my sister suggest we make a trip to pick apples at the apple orchard NEXT MONTH. You know when I have about 4 weeks left till my due date! I reminded her of the looming due date and the fact that I would be taking all three kids Alone (i.e without spouse help).she said to me in all her crazyness
"Well My hubby and I will be there!"
Now for anyone who knows and for those who dont my sister and her Hubby have five children of there own! What kind of help would they really be?? None, not in the least bit!! I love ya Sis but you know its true!! =-}
Now in all honesty I might make the trip! The kids would have a ball, get some fresh air, fresh apples and Grandma and Grandpa usually go.They having no children of there own to chase would be helpful with my own rugrats! Of course just the thought of the whole trip makes me want to lie down and take a nap!! We will see if I get the energy up to make that trip!!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Justin is 5 today
I can not believe that I have an eight year old, a five year old, a two year old(on the 29th) and another one coming in November!!
Today my second son is five years old. I can still remember when He was born. He was born very shortly after my husband joined the military. We were in Georgia, hot, icky, stick Georgia! His was a very fast labor! three hours and forty minutes to be exact =-} I was at the hospital for forty minutes before He was born. Justin was my husbands and my first child biologically together and it was so amazing to go through the whole labor and birth process with my husband and see his wonder at his new born son.
Justin has always been my laid back happy guy and I love seeing him grow into himself every day. He truly is a joy, a blessing and a gift!
Today my second son is five years old. I can still remember when He was born. He was born very shortly after my husband joined the military. We were in Georgia, hot, icky, stick Georgia! His was a very fast labor! three hours and forty minutes to be exact =-} I was at the hospital for forty minutes before He was born. Justin was my husbands and my first child biologically together and it was so amazing to go through the whole labor and birth process with my husband and see his wonder at his new born son.
Justin has always been my laid back happy guy and I love seeing him grow into himself every day. He truly is a joy, a blessing and a gift!
Pregnancy update
I had an appointment with my midwife and an ultrasound this week so I thought I would update on how things are going.
I am 32 weeks along now and have gained 22 pounds so far.. Now I am fairly indifferent to that fact. I have gained with my pregnancy's as much as 55 to 60 pounds and as little as 15 to 20 pounds. Cant say I did anything different with each pregnancy and I figure my body gains what it needs and it can all be worked off later.
The ultrasound was primarily to check the position of my placenta, which was Very low and close to the cervix as of the last check. If it were to remain too low a c-section would be necessary. Thank goodness that is not the case and no c-section in sight! Miss. Alyssa is looking to be around three pounds right now and the ultrasound tech said that is right on. Now if she will just move to a head down instead of a head up possition we will be ready for delivery=-}
I am 32 weeks along now and have gained 22 pounds so far.. Now I am fairly indifferent to that fact. I have gained with my pregnancy's as much as 55 to 60 pounds and as little as 15 to 20 pounds. Cant say I did anything different with each pregnancy and I figure my body gains what it needs and it can all be worked off later.
The ultrasound was primarily to check the position of my placenta, which was Very low and close to the cervix as of the last check. If it were to remain too low a c-section would be necessary. Thank goodness that is not the case and no c-section in sight! Miss. Alyssa is looking to be around three pounds right now and the ultrasound tech said that is right on. Now if she will just move to a head down instead of a head up possition we will be ready for delivery=-}
FIAR and lapbooking
We are a family that loves unit studies! For those who don't know what a unit study is let me explain. In some teaching methods everything is separated and has nothing to do with anything else that is taught. You have a Math book, a Science book, a History book, an English book and so on. With a unit study approach you fit several subjects (History,Science,English,etc.) into/around a central theme.
Example: We could do a unit on Birds. For Science we will learn about types of birds, there habitats, breeding habits, what they eat and so forth. For English/Language I will have my son write a story about his favorite type of bird, going thru the writing process doing pre-writing, a rough draft and a final product. For Reading I would hit the library for some books on birds. For a preschooler maybe they would be sesame street books with Big Bird. History we might learn about birds that are extinct and how or why they became so.
One of the best things about doing units is that you can teach to several age levels at one time. For our unit on birds when my 2nd grader is writing his story about his favorite type of bird my kindergartner can be practicing tracing/writing/identifying the letter "B" and learning that "b" say b-b-bird.
While my 2nd grader is doing a worksheet identifying the parts of a birds wings (anatomy) my kindergartner can be coloring a picture of his favorite bird and talking about the birds beak and what he uses it for again anatomy just on his level.
This year we are using a curriculum called Five In A Row, FIAR for sort. It is a unit study curriculum. All the units are based off of classic children literature.
In the books we have read we have swam down the Yangtze river in China with a duck named Ping taking time to learn about rivers, China and ducks. We have played a Japanese weather telling game with a little girl named Mako and taken time to learn about Japan, islands and meteorologist. We have read about Madeline and learned about her home in Paris, France. Learning about Authors and Illustrators and writing our own poetry.
We are experiencing and learning so much this year and we are doing it all together!
Example: We could do a unit on Birds. For Science we will learn about types of birds, there habitats, breeding habits, what they eat and so forth. For English/Language I will have my son write a story about his favorite type of bird, going thru the writing process doing pre-writing, a rough draft and a final product. For Reading I would hit the library for some books on birds. For a preschooler maybe they would be sesame street books with Big Bird. History we might learn about birds that are extinct and how or why they became so.
One of the best things about doing units is that you can teach to several age levels at one time. For our unit on birds when my 2nd grader is writing his story about his favorite type of bird my kindergartner can be practicing tracing/writing/identifying the letter "B" and learning that "b" say b-b-bird.
While my 2nd grader is doing a worksheet identifying the parts of a birds wings (anatomy) my kindergartner can be coloring a picture of his favorite bird and talking about the birds beak and what he uses it for again anatomy just on his level.
This year we are using a curriculum called Five In A Row, FIAR for sort. It is a unit study curriculum. All the units are based off of classic children literature.
In the books we have read we have swam down the Yangtze river in China with a duck named Ping taking time to learn about rivers, China and ducks. We have played a Japanese weather telling game with a little girl named Mako and taken time to learn about Japan, islands and meteorologist. We have read about Madeline and learned about her home in Paris, France. Learning about Authors and Illustrators and writing our own poetry.
We are experiencing and learning so much this year and we are doing it all together!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
I LOVE homeschool
I am sure that more than half of my posts on this blog have been about how much I love homeschool, but really I just love it so much! I cant imagine doing anyhing else, or why anyone would for that matter!!
For anyone else who homeschools they can relate to the interesting situations that come up around "back to school" time. I hear all about how "little Sally" cried for 20 minutes on her first day of kindergarten but mom was just "sure" it was normal and somehow good for her. Or how "Billy" came home this week saying five new words that were NOT exceptable but mom was just "sure" it was normal and he would get over it. Or how after being back to school for a week the teenager in the house was trying to dress like a street walker and had to be checked each day before leaving the house, but again mom is "sure" that this is normal....
When did all this crazyness become "normal"?Yet I hear about how MY children are missing out on such important adolescent experiances! Yeah right like what? The ones listed above?!
I dont mean to sound bitter or holier than thou But a girl gets a little cranky when she has to sit and listen to every "public" school parents back to school bliss(woohoo I get rid of my kids for most of the day) and there problems (listed above) and yet no one asks us about school and how its going. I honestly think they dont ask because we dont have anything to complain about!
For example I always get a little grin when I ask a friends child if they are looking forward to school starting and I hear all the whining, grumbling and complaining about how much school stinks. When said friend asks my child in return if they are looking forward to school starting (and again half the time they dont even ask!) The response they get is generally something resembling this
"Yeah I cant wait, homeschool is so awesome! We get to learn about X,Y, and Z this year I cant wait!" =-}
We all need a good rant now and then and THAT was mine!
For anyone else who homeschools they can relate to the interesting situations that come up around "back to school" time. I hear all about how "little Sally" cried for 20 minutes on her first day of kindergarten but mom was just "sure" it was normal and somehow good for her. Or how "Billy" came home this week saying five new words that were NOT exceptable but mom was just "sure" it was normal and he would get over it. Or how after being back to school for a week the teenager in the house was trying to dress like a street walker and had to be checked each day before leaving the house, but again mom is "sure" that this is normal....
When did all this crazyness become "normal"?Yet I hear about how MY children are missing out on such important adolescent experiances! Yeah right like what? The ones listed above?!
I dont mean to sound bitter or holier than thou But a girl gets a little cranky when she has to sit and listen to every "public" school parents back to school bliss(woohoo I get rid of my kids for most of the day) and there problems (listed above) and yet no one asks us about school and how its going. I honestly think they dont ask because we dont have anything to complain about!
For example I always get a little grin when I ask a friends child if they are looking forward to school starting and I hear all the whining, grumbling and complaining about how much school stinks. When said friend asks my child in return if they are looking forward to school starting (and again half the time they dont even ask!) The response they get is generally something resembling this
"Yeah I cant wait, homeschool is so awesome! We get to learn about X,Y, and Z this year I cant wait!" =-}
We all need a good rant now and then and THAT was mine!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
some pictures recent
I just wanted to put up some pictures of the kids and I. =-} I am getting pretty big and I still have two months left!! =-}
Monday, September 14, 2009
Finally Settled in!!
I am totally exhausted BUT we are finally settled into our apartment!!! The furniture is in, the pictures are on the walls,the internet is (finally) hooked up and homeschool is back in session!
Homeschool has gone really well so far. Both boys are doing great and still asking for homeschool! Gotta love that!
I was so proud of myself today. I did a few things that typically are my hubby's job. I hooked up our web cam, our new phones AND programed the universal remote! =-} I am very proud of myself.
The kids birthday party is this weekend and I will post lots of pictures afterwords!
Homeschool has gone really well so far. Both boys are doing great and still asking for homeschool! Gotta love that!
I was so proud of myself today. I did a few things that typically are my hubby's job. I hooked up our web cam, our new phones AND programed the universal remote! =-} I am very proud of myself.
The kids birthday party is this weekend and I will post lots of pictures afterwords!
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