Face Book

So I've discovered Face Book. I resisted for a long time. I have enough to do, don't you know. Adding another computer 'thing' didn't seem wise. But the minute I showed up, I was suddenly connected with old friends I thought I'd lost forever. College, even high school came flooding back with memories of laughter and tears. Now Providence has broadened His scope as stories of his mercy and grace shine through to warm me. We are all connected by chords spun from the Hand of God, like lace crafted in an ever changing pattern, drawing us one to another. I thought Face Book would steal my time. Instead, my time there has brought God, who is not limited by time, a little closer.

As time goes on...

As time goes on, I find that my older children need less and less of me in order to finish their lessons. It is the goal of the home schooler to encourage independent learning, right? That's how we teach, by independent research - no one tells us to do it, we simply assess what we need to teach and learn enough to teach/direct.

I have an interesting combination of those who need me every minute and those who are, perhaps, a little more independent than I would like. I like to be involved in what they're learning...I like the interaction. For those of you who know me, I NEED the conversation. In fact, I thrive on it. Much to the chagrin of the men in my life, on occasion...hm!

For awhile, this year, the older ones have wanted to be completely independent. But within the last week, they have come to me and asked for more input. (And yes, this is a stroke to my ego - I'm still needed...yeah!) So we're setting up short classes in which we can discuss the lessons. Mondays are History/Government. Tuesdays are Biology and Physics with our friend, Ted. Wednesdays are Bible/Winkey Pratney (for now...when we're done with Winkey, I haven't decided yet where to go - or should I say that I have not yet sought the Holy Spirit on the issue...?). On Thursdays, there is no assignment, because Josh works all morning and I still have to drive him (or Brian does). Fridays we do Theology/Bible overview.

I'm excited this morning to work on Theology with the kids. I LOVE Theology! We are simply discussing questions, which I find tickles the mind. The mind will continue to work on the question until it is answered - perhaps years later. Questions like "Who is God?" or "What is God?" help us begin. Then, as time goes on, we delve into questions that are not so easily answered, such as "What does God know?" (Everything, right? - can you support that? That's really the key, you know...) Or "What, exactly, is predestination?" and "what, exactly do they mean by 'Free Will?'"

Our younger co-op is doing History, with a focus on literature. Currently, we are doing the Epic of Gilgamesh. With each lesson, we look at questions related to the story - What is a good friend? What is death and should we fear it? How is eternal life obtained?

The books we are using are wonderful - fantastic art work, and broken into three stories, which is great for the younger set, who have a shorter attention span.

Gilgamesh the King
The Revenge of Ishtar
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh

All are by Ludmila Zeman, and each costs about $5.

Next, we'll delve into the beginning of organized law. The main focus will be the comparison/contrast of man's law vs. God's law. The main questions: What is the purpose of the law? and Can the law save you? (reworded - Can we work our way to Heaven?)

Still having fun, but occasionally feeling the weight of my mother's Alzheimer's. Her unhappiness is hard to bear.

All in all, the joy is always in the journey, not in the destination.

Autumn into Winter

The autumn sunlight streams into the mountains on concordant notes, a symphony that resonates with the deeper tones of trees and transforming leaves. The song is one of ancient cycles, set in motion by the Ancient of Days, Himself. Spring into summer, summer into autumn, then autumn into winter in a blaze of glory. Finally, then, back to spring, the cycle promises, and its word is a good as gold.

And the Saga Continues...

So Josh was doing something stupid last Sunday (his words) and did a backwards dive off the steep side of our driveway. Nothing's broken, but we spent most of Monday morning at two different doctors, and he's just getting out of his sling today, Friday. Depending on your perspective, it's a good thing he hurt his RIGHT shoulder, since he is LEFT-handed. And you know, it is amazing that he fell head first down the embankment and did NOT hit his head.

Then, on Wednesday, we had to rush the scooby doo dog to the vet for emergency surgery. He developed an abscess on his face from a cut his SISTER had inflicted on him. Bad Kita! I could tell she felt really badly about it. (Not!)

Wait! There's more!!! On Thursday, I had to go to the chiropractor due to my neck turning against me. He had to put me in a collar, it was so bad. I am still wearing it today and icing, alternating with heat. I'm afraid to sneeze, and yawning is rather painful. I am amazed at how many things you need your neck for. Putting on shoes, trying to see the caller ID on the phone, drinking water, laughing, walking a dog, getting up from a chair, sitting in a chair...you get the idea.

Start Your Engines!

Breakfast, anyone?

I have found that breakfast makes a huge difference in the level of learning that takes place in my home school. Yesterday, against my better judgment, I allowed waffles. Homemade, mind you. But waffles, nonetheless. Even my 10yo, who is normally independently motivated, sat slumped in her chair with a dazed expression. And I was SO tired when I went to bed that night, even though I, in mature wisdom, chose something OTHER than waffles for breakfast. (I think I just broke my arm, trying to pat my back!)

I have long observed this ritual of the American breakfast. Food was given to us by God for nourishment. It is meant to give life. But the wrong foods can put us in a state of unwellness and cause our minds to operate on haphazard connections. If the mind won't connect, no real learning is happening.

Another thing that I have seen as helpful is taking a walk. We go one mile, with the dogs. The activity gets our blood flowing, the cold air wakes us up, and, I don't know, I can just think better when we get home. Not to mention the stimulation of our creative juices as we look at the beauty that God has spun in the trees and the sky. Oh, and then there's that spike of adrenaline that kicks in when a deer or elk thumps suddenly onto the road in front of us. And the amazing strength that my Scooby-Doo look-alike dog has when a saucy squirrel mocks him from the base of a tall tree. But you get the point.

The other day, my 13ds was walking the neighbors' dogs through the woods, when they happened on an elk. It's amazing how such a large creature can disappear in woods populated by pines and Aspens that stand on narrow trunks. At any rate, the elk suddenly snorted, right next to them. Both dogs AND the boy holding the leashes nearly jumped out of there, uh, fur.

Pop Tarts anyone? (Ewww!)

Providence in the yucky stuff

I mentioned to someone this week that I was having the week from hell. Literally, I wondered if our rash of negative events was an attack from ‘the dark side,’ or more accurately a spiritual attack on our family. And, as usual, I wondered if I had somehow caused this attack by my own carelessness.

It all started last Saturday, ironically, at the Jeffco Safety Fair. Walking across the street, both Drew and I fell, with the consequence that Drew broke his clavicle. It’s bent, fortunately, rather than severed, and God made our bones with an amazing ability, not only to heal but to correct the bad angle. Wow! He’s healing up nicely. Mom’s still a basket case.

Shortly after this incident, one of the kids knocked a hole in our shower tile. Almost $500 later, it will be fixed next week. This was bound to happen, given the construction of the wall. And the cost was less than my husband had anticipated. Not only that, the hand man who is going to fix it was a cop, a fire fighter and would like to discuss writing with me, since he’s writing a book also. One of his previous locations was Jersey, which happens to be the location of one of my stories.

We plan our vacation every year in mid September, to avoid the crowds and to view the changing colors of Colorado. This year we planned our trip to the Rocky Mountain National Park. The arrangements were made and the kids began to come down with a virus. My first thought was for Drew, because he comes down with Croup every year. I prepared, according to two doctors’ instructions and Drew seemed to be handling the virus just fine…

We woke up at 5:00 am the first morning out, with his airways tight and the cold morning air only afforded a slow recovery. He did work his way out of it, however, so we continued our day, keeping watch over his breathing and carefully following the doctor’s instructions. Later that day I was just about to make the decision to stay when he took a turn for the worse. His airways were clamping down and nothing seemed to be working. Well, I’m not superstitious, but bad things DO tend to come in three’s… Just wait, there’s more. While I was making the decision to pack it up and head home, our 10year-old daughter was borrowing her brother’s bike. She headed downhill…and lost her breaks. She hit a car, broadside, and rolled over the hood. As it turns out, the couple driving the car had lost a child in an accident. For them, this was more traumatic even than for us. Amazingly, Becca came out of this with a strained wrist and tears of embarrassment. In the process of this accident, we met the local deputy, Matt. He had a very stabilizing, calming effect on the situation and was very concerned about Becca. My husband was so impressed with how he handled everything. Yup. I haven’t met a deputy yet that I didn’t like.
Well, there’s more. Drew ended up in the hospital the night we returned from the RMNP. His airways just kept closing. Turns out the medicine I was told to use was inappropriate for Croup. Hm. I’m so glad I made the call to come home!
Now, this morning, in the hospital, the Front Range is visible beyond the bustling Saturday morning city, and calls me home. As I sit, and pace, with my coffee, and wonder how this piece of really sticky tape got attached to my hand sometime during the night, I have a whole new perspective on the situation. What looked like a rash of bad things WAS. But over all of it I saw a layer of God’s protection. It all could’ve been so much worse. God is good, and I am thankful.

I love the mountains!

So we went into Littleton area today for dance classes. Afterward, I asked for directions to Costco from our our friends' house...Got the directions to the new one, and I looked ALL up and down Bellview for Santa Fe... With the sun setting right on the top of the mountains as I headed west, we saw a road called Zuni, right past 85. Going back east, the same road sign says Frontage Road santa Fe. So we turn onto this supposed Santa Fe and it DEAD ENDS! Why don't I have a map, you ask? My 18ds did NOT put the map back into my car...he is so busted! So I finally stopped and asked someone who told me to go back under the freeway and I would find Santa Fe. Ri-i-ight! I do what he says, and am examining the 'under the freeway' scene, when he drives up beside us and points - to 85! To quote one of our favorite movie lines, "Whoever designed this city needs to DIE!" Turns out, after taking 85, we had to take the FRONTAGE ROAD off 85, to the LEFT (who knew?), so we passed it because I was prepared to exit on the right.

When we left Costco, I asked the lady at the door for some help getting back to 85 so I could get back to 285. She says 'turn left at the light, then left at the next light and get back onto Santa Fe... I laughed. "There is no sign on this planet that calls 85 'Santa Fe.' She laughed back and said, "I know."

The whole way through this scenario, and all the way back up 285, Daniel is sneezing, loud. Every time he sneezes, one of the kids says "Daniel, stop it!" He says, good-naturedly, "I can't help it. I'm allergic to something. I'm just sneezing." I laughed so hard, I almost had to pull over on 285. But I couldn't do that because I'd had enough of pulling over and making u-turns to last awhile. I said, "Daniel, that's not a sneeze, that's a war cry!" We laughed the whole way up into the mountains.

I must be a mountain goat, now. I don't EVER want to go back into the city again! I LOVE my mountains!!

Jeffco Safety Fair

We went to the Jeffco Safety Fair on Saturday - it was very cool. There were so many people, we had to park across the street. There were food vendors, bouncy houses, an old car show (that was awesome!), all sorts of booths and then there was the Jeffco section. I had no idea there would be so much there.

The dogs were really great - we saw two of them, a regular German Shepherd and a pure bred black Shepherd. The first dog was a little nervous, I think, about the crowd. The trainer kept glancing at the announcer and shaking his head. The dog did well, considering, though. The guy in the Michelin man suit did well too. I think I would be freaked out. At one point, the dog grabbed his arm and the guy swung him around several times. The trainer has to work with the dogs to get them to let go.

The black dog was in the car barking up a storm while the other dog performed. I was a little nervous about bringing him out around all the kids. But he was very well behaved. It was incredible to watch him go into attack mode and then stop on a dime when the deputy called "Nein! Nein!" They have him trained to stop the attack if the officer sees the suspect begin to comply. He was a beautiful dog.

We got to see Dee. I really like her. She even remembered me. Brian will be in her class for Alive @ 25.

We got to see the bomb squad - that's a scary job. There was a robot there, which fascinated the kids. It's on remote control, has 3 eyes, a long arm and parts that move. It's on tracks and can turn on a dime. He held a small board, about the size of 3ring notebook, and pushed and pulled levers to move it for us. It's about a quarter of a million dollars worth of lifesaving equipment. For the bomb squad guys, distance from the bomb is the key. The suit was amazing. I didn't know that they have to back out of the building, since the back of the suit is not the same as the front. They said that the suit will not necessarily save their life if they are too close when a big bomb goes off. Wow!

Drew's favorite was the SWAT team. (Ok, it was Mom's favorite too!) He was very nice and explained a lot to us. Drew wanted to touch the guns, of course, but that was not allowed. There was an AR15, and I don't know what else...one was an automatic rifle, I think. We got to look at the vest, which had all sorts of goodies attached to it. He pulled out a cartridge (I think that's what you call it) for the shotgun that shoots did he say mushrooms? It's not a bullet, but has softer stuff in it, but it hits hard enough. He compared it to a fast pitch with a hard ball in the big league. What's that, about 90 miles per hour? There was a mask that attaches to an air tank, and the helmet was cool - that ought to do some pretty good protecting!

I got a good resource for drug information for my writing, and we saw some of the drug testing kits, etc. The kids got to see how finger prints are dusted for and how molds are made of footprints. One was a shoe and one was a huge paw print.

We're going to do the Citizens Academy next year. Or at least I am. It's for 18 and up. I was hoping Josh could do it, but I guess not.

We got fire safety for the kids, a 15minute lesson by a very pregnant firefighter. She was great. The trailer is set up as a 'house' where you can go through and spot fire hazards and fix them. It starts in the kitchen, then moves to the living room with a fireplace and then to a bedroom. They have a remote control smoke maker and they have the firemen lift the kids out the 'bedroom' window. She turned on the smoke alarm for us to hear. She told us that the escape rope ladders are not part of her training. They are concerned about the kids falling. Her instructions were to throw stuffed animals and stuff out the window so that when the firefighters get there they will look up at the windows where the kids can wave their arms and yell for their attention. Then the firefighters can get them out safely. Their first task when they get there is to walk all the way around the house to spot trapped residents.

I'm excited about setting up NESS with my neighbors and putting together a plan for emergencies. We had one to deal with after the safety fair - Drew fell and broke his collar bone! It occurred to me that I was uncertain where, up in the mountains, I could take him. The doctors were all out, including the chiropractors, and the urgent care was closed. I'm glad I went up to the door of the urgent care place - they had a note on the door to direct people to the other one in Bergen Park. I ended up following an ambulance, with lights and sirens.

The people at the urgent care place were very nice and Drew's clavicle is bent, not severed, so we were relieved. The only hitch was that the doctor kept trying to get me to give Drew his vaccinations...he was very disapproving of me on that regard, which I understand. Still, no thanks. Drew is doing fine, but I hate to see his left shoulder an inch lower than his right. He's in a soft brace that wraps around his shoulders to pull them back, so he doesn't hunch forward. Now we have to be careful for the next 3-6 weeks that he doesn't fall or get bumped. Heavy sigh. For Mom, I hate that this happened on my watch. On the other hand, I'm glad I was there for him. He needed his mom.

Having fun with the camera

Estes Park

Two little red headed imps!

More of beauty around me

I live in a beautiful place!

Off to a running start!

School is going very well, and the kids are as excited as I am. It's like a breath of fresh air. Even Algebra is going just fine! My 18ds is moving ahead on subjects that we haven't even started yet. He's thinking maybe he can graduate early. We'll see... If he keeps this pace, there's a good chance.

I've found that each child is moving along independently and I'm finding a great deal of one-on-one time with each one. This is a tremendous blessing. The only one who needs more time from me is my 6ds, but I'm working on that one, today. He's so happy all the time, that he never seems to 'need' me to drop things for him. I must purpose to create that special time with him each day, because he doesn't demand it. My 10dd and I go walking every morning by ourselves and are enjoying time together.

Brian's truck gas tank arrived today - Guess I know what he's doing this weekend!

Gotta go, only had a few moments to spare.

Nothing stops traffic...

like elk...

Except maybe...moose!

From our trip to Rocky Mt. Nat'l Park.

Just moosin' around!

Teenage boys

You know you live with a teenage boy when you wake up and there's a rusty Jeep gas tank sitting on your kitchen floor! He's looking for a new one, online, but it was made just before the changeover, so there's some question regarding the part number. He needed a visual for comparison with the pictures on the websites...

Yup!

On Scheduling

I love to plan. It is one of my favorite parts of preparing to start school. I have found, however, that plans change, moment by moment, and the schedule needs to be a guideline, rather than a hard and fast rule. This is especially true if there are younger children in the house. They change ‘with each passing glance,’ as Randy Stonehill says. What worked in the morning may not work in the afternoon.

My friend and I have been passing schedules back and forth. We learn a lot from each other and find that it is beneficial to share our ideas for our homes. She has 9 children at home, all under the age of 14. More power to her! I have a mere 6 at home, from age 6 to 18. So my house schedule looks a bit different than hers.

The purpose of scheduling is to meet several levels of need. The younger children need the familiarity and the routine. This helps them develop a sense of purpose for their days. For moms, we need the routine in order to slay the dragons of our lives. Confusion is a tool of the devil. God is orderly and precise. But underlying that order is a sense of purpose, an ultimate goal for our betterment that is reached through the tool of orderliness. Another purpose of the schedule is to train the older children in priorities. They are in the process of learning how to order their own lives. Little by little we hand over the scheduling process to them, allowing them to discern what is good and what is best. My friend’s oldest daughter sets her own schedule, at age 14. She has researched what is required for graduation and has laid out a course for the next 4 years to accomplish that goal. Within that structure, you can see what is important to her, and how God might use this young woman for His purposes in her future. My 15ds is also accomplishing this task, setting his schedule in order to achieve the best graduation scenario and a path for success in his future. In this process, they are learning to be responsible for their own choices, while still under the guidance of moms and dads who have already been there.

I am a coach for my 18ds. I have laid out what he needs and he has determined to alter it according to what he sees are his needs. We are a team, laying the groundwork for his future goals. He is unclear, at present, what that road will ultimately look like, but the parameters are being set as we work together.

A people with vision will thrive before the Lord.

On Motivation

This comes from another blog - I thought it was very good.

http://lifenurturingeducation.com/2008/08/21/motivating-students-with-relevant-lessons/

Why do I homeschool?

Why am I homeschooling?

There are a couple of reasons. First, I was commissioned by God to do so. Ok, how can you argue with that one, right? Nevertheless, it was an aha moment, when my first daughter was in preschool. I told my husband and he said ‘absolutely not!’

Well, ok then.

So I prayed. Did I hear God incorrectly? Or was I supposed to just wait on Him?

So heated was my husband’s attitude about homeschooling that I seriously thought that he might never speak to me again if I broached the subject one more time. (I didn’t nag him, you understand, I only brought it up twice, once to open the subject and another time to ask, ‘are you sure?’)

Then a Homeschool conference came to town. Gregg Harris. So I prayed and ventured to open the subject one last time. I told my husband about the conference, suggested that he go hear Gregg Harris. Then, I told him that if Mr. Harris’ spiel didn’t convince him that homeschooling was a good idea, I would never bring up the subject again.

Half way through Harris’ lecture, my husband turned to me and asked what curriculum I was going to use.

For me, this was an issue of obedience to God, Liberty of Conscience, and submission to my husband. It was quite a balancing act!

The second reason I homeschool is because the Bible states that it is the parents’ responsibility to teach, to raise up, to train their children. If this is the case, then I must seriously consider what that looks like for my family. I do not ever point at others and say that they ought to homeschool. This is a matter of conscience before the Lord.

It is not ‘fashionable’ or even favorable at times, from a personal standpoint. Children are hard work. I’m on, 24/7. Sometimes I get tired. Sometimes I get sick. Sometimes my children don’t like me. There is much labor and often little immediate reward. So don’t think I have done this for my own personal gain.

That said, there is a third reason. And that is to watch those ‘aha’ moments happen in my children’s faces. If they went to the public school, I would miss those. Years of labor and dedication may yield only a few of those, depending on the child. I could not bear to miss those few. Some children have them daily, and this is, indeed, a blessing of great magnitude.

The fourth reason I homeschool is because I want my children to have the influence of a biblical education. There is no question that this would not occur in the public school. My time with them would be so limited and so dominated by the education process offered by the school system, that I would have to take a back seat with any instruction I wished to give them. In my humble opinion, it is much harder to train up a child in the admonition of the Lord, if they are only with me a few hours a day. It would take a better person than I to accomplish that.

In light of my renewed sense of vision...

I would like to run through a series on homeschooling. The first entry follows.

All in a day...

After walking a brisk mile with Josh, we've begun school, even though we have not yet begun school. It's 11:30 and I've done 3 loads of laundry, planned a lesson for the 1st Module of Biology on 'What is Life?,' helped Josh do a lesson in Elementary Algebra, assisted him in answering the question, "Who is God?" for his Theology class (next step is the arguments for the existence of God), directed 11ds and 10dd in removing her furniture so that we can prep her room to paint, directed 13ds in morning chores (He's Hammy with attitude this morning!), kept an eye on 11ds while he sawed a tree into firewood pieces, directed 5ds in cleaning up his room, ironed 6 shirts (every shirt my dh owns must be ironed), scheduled a field trip to the Jeffco safety fair, scheduled a ride-along for 15ds with a local deputy (yes, 'mine'!), scheduled two planning meetings and the first date to meet for our History co-op, and planned a meeting later this afternoon with Ted to discuss co-teaching Biology. Josh has to be at work at 3:00 and there are still weeds to pull and dead trees to gather for cutting up. Plans later include reading a story, and directing 10dd in making dinner tonight. I also have the cleaning of 2 bathroom to supervise, and Josh is currently asking for help in designing a wood plaque.

Just over 2 weeks...

...until school starts for us. Many have already started, it seems, in our area.

We are currently clearning our land (2 acres) of slash and dead Aspens. A few dead pines. And we're praying over our pines...no beetles, please!

I got a bug to paint...it's all the deputy's fault! And my friend, Tish's. But my 10yo dd wants her room painted, lavenders. And the new theme is black-eyed susans. So I also have two shades of green and a yellow, in order to paint stencils. I found a really cool stencil of the pretty flowers. I was searching for something for 'the deputy' (Sorry, his name has to be left out), because he likes black-eyed susans, and we fell in love with them. Do you know, it's hard to find paintings or photos or decor in black-eyed susans that is affordable?? I found some that were over $800! I just wanted to send him a thank you, thank you very much. I finally found something - hope he likes it. Hard to tell with someone you just met - even though I think of him as 'everyone's favorite brother.'

When dd's room is done, I'll move on to the kitchen, and then maybe the downstairs family room, aka 'boys' room.' My kitchen theme will include black-eyed susans, too, along with pine cones. I love the pine cones that fall around our house.

I got carrots! Well, ok, I got a whole whopping 3 of them. But it's a start! Don't laugh! I have a black thumb, and I actually got something to grow... The broccoli is growing nicely, but I lost the spinach. We'll see what happens with the red beets, and the beans are taking over the side of my house. I don't know how I'll move them inside - shoulda built a green house!

I'm excited about school starting. But I'll be better when my mother is settled. The kids have already started their work, even though I'm not directing! Boo-yah!

We had an awesome sermon on Sunday - Ps 63:1-8. My dh mentioned that one preacher, when asked why so many came to hear him preach in the tent meetings, said that they come to 'watch him burn.' It was that way on Sunday. There was so much passion behind the message that you could almost see the flames catching on the whole group. I'm going to get a copy of the tape so we can hear him again. Kyle is a man who knows how to preach/teach. We all left feeling a lot like I did after spending time with 'the deputy.' Motivated. Encouraged. In awe of God.

Oh God, you are my God.
Earnestly will I seek you.

Like Enoch, I want to seek Him, simply because I can do nothing else. We serve God because He's awesome. One look and I want to 'stick to Him like glue.' A moment with Him inspires a devotion to be with Him even more. I want to be like Luther, who said "Here I stand. I can do no other." - I'll have to check the quote on that, but it's close.

Cool! God is awesome!

Fall Cleaning

Meeting with the Deputy for a full eight hours did something to me. There is a significance to his 'job' that stems from the way he lives life. No moment is wasted, because every one is precious. Isn't this the way of the 'normal Christian life'? I have been somewhat pensive since my foray into serving and protecting. Is my life significant? Am I leading my children in significance, and modeling it? These are good questions to ask, especially as I enter our school year.

Every year, just before school starts, I renew the vision that God gave me. If I don't, He tends to renew it for me. This year, I was floundering a little. So He renewed my vision through a 38yo man of character who spoke simply about the work he does while I sat in awe - not even so much in awe of him, I mean, he's just a man, after all. But I was in awe of the truth, the honestly, the humility and the courage that I want so much for myself. I spend so much time with my children...and this is not a bad thing. But occasionally, I need to meet with adults who have as much substance as this Deputy.

I have some friends who are like this as well. Some in Cali, and some here in CO. But I must admit that they are far and few between. When you find them, you want to hold on and not ever let go. You want what they have to rub off on you. Do I show such character? Does anyone want me to rub off on them? I am an average sort of person. But is my life affecting others in a significant way? It is a question that drives me to my knees.

In spending so much time with my children, I tend to get to a point where I run dry. I feel used up and tired. I sort of steel myself for the last few laps. This is so different from what I have just experienced. Sheer tenacity to reach a finish line is so much less than the experience of being fueled, of being lifted toward the shore by the current that leads you home. This - this is vision.

The Bible says that a people without vision will perish. I see it. I have a whole new understanding of it. It's not necessarily that they will be wiped out. You understand? It's that they may continue on, without a destination, without a purpose, without any significance to the steps that they take. This is the saddest existence that I can imagine.

If I can model a life that moves in the footsteps of Enoch, I will be content. Of all the heroes that I can imagine, Enoch is at the top of that list. He walked with God. He has, what? one sentence, maybe two, in the Bible about him. He has no long story of heroic acts. But he walked with God and then he was no more, because God took him.

I don't know if 'my' Deputy believes in God, but he has led me to a deeper appreciation of following God, of walking daily. Who better to give me a clear vision than the One who sees all?

"Oh God, you are my God. Earnestly will I seek You."

School is looming ahead...

OK, well, maybe it's actually here. I've had 5 of my kids ask to start now. So off we go. We're putting together binders, and ordering books. We're signing up for things, and laying out the schedule, talking about jobs for my two oldest boys.

My 'best laid plans' have been changed, of course, as they always are. For instance, I'm not doing Human Physiology yet, but Biology. Ah, well, we'll get there. :-) It's actually a good move.

So, we have:
Old World History review, along with Geography and Literature.
American History, Geography and Literature.
Government will continue from last year, as we tackle the US Constitution, using 'Steve' as our curriculum guide.
Grammar and Spelling, of course, using Rod & Staff and Writing Road to Reading. We're adding Latin this year.
Biology, for the whole family, but geared to Jr. High/High School level.
Advanced Physics (thankful for Ted, who is teaching it) for Brian (and Josh may sit in)
Theology, self - directed by questions, such as Who is God?, What is man?, How are we saved?, etc.
Bible includes reading the Bible in a year, and WTB charts to supplement. Josh is adding Greek to his own studies.
Two of the boys are heading into Algebra, while the rest are still working their way through the beginning of Ray's. Brian is self-directed in Algebra, along with Physics.
Brian never finished Chemistry, which is simply because he hated it. He had determined that he will finish it along with the rest of his work load.
Brian may continue with CAP for one more year. His only hesitation is that it feels more like a club. He wants to do search and rescue and Encampment, NRA certification and survival training.
I think we're doing co-op again.
Dance is on Mondays for 1.5 hours, down in town, one day a week.
Each of the kids has a night that they plan for and cook dinner.
For PE, we are only running/walking a mile every day, twice a day. I can't afford sports. And I can't run, due to sciatica. Getting old - in fact, today is my birthday. :-)

My mother is moving out here soon, so I have to plan for that, too.

Life in the fast lane - boo yah!

Ride along with a Deputy

I went on a ride along last Thursday. It was more than cool. It has, literally, changed me. I was becoming a little stagnant, a little fuzzy around the edges. God has used this experience to bring focus back to my life. He has renewed my vision by allowing me to come in contact with these men who are of such character that their presence elicited awe.

I wrote a 'report' after the fact, but I can't publish it until I change names and places. I'll get to that later this week.

I'm going to this every 6 months from now on. This is no longer about writing my book, although my writing has become more focused too. It is about becoming a part of the community who can make a difference. I will never be a Deputy or a Fire Fighter. But I can, in the years to come, put my name on a list of people who can be called at all hours of the day or night to come and help in a local disaster.

I'll post my rewrite of the 'report' later.

Returning to the blog thing

Been away from the computer, ok, well, not the computer, but away from the Internet for awhile. A friend visited from Florida and we had a good time. The kids and I are gearing up for school, buying books, setting schedules, etc. And I'm writing furiously, moving toward a deadline to publish, which has been set in motion.

We have another friend visiting the last week of August and then back to school.

I'm having fun writing - learning new things. I have a drive along coming up and I'm meeting with two different task force guys. I am gaining a tremendous respect for LEO's (Law Enforcement Officers) and especially for those who go under cover. They are heroes. We go about our days, distracted by all manner of things, while these men and women risk their lives to save others.

Maybe in my writing, I can share a little glimpse of that for those who might read what I publish.

Be safe.

Providence in the little things...

Over the last month or so, my 14ds (yes, the one who hit the deer...) has experienced Providence in little things, that may even seem insignificant to him. It's one of those 'wow!, God cares about that?!' moments. These are memorial stones for him; reminders that God really does care about every detail.

Yesterday was one of those moments. He needed a chiropractor treatment. I suggested that he call and ask if the Dr. had any work for him, to pay for the treatment. Of course, he didn't call. But then, this morning, bright and early, the Dr. called to ask if Josh had time to work for him...go figure! It's stuff like this that sometimes reaches in and grabs hold of our hearts. The hugely miraculous is fun and often an adrenaline rush. But Jesus even said that some will not believe even if someone was raised from the dead. The little stuff of life, stirred by God's Hand...the regular stuff...that's what draws us to His heart.

We got so much done today!

Cleaned out the garage, set up the rest of the planters, planted three plants, loaded up the sub to go to the dump (it's totally full!) and the Good Will, paid bills, cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom, pulled weeds, threw away half of what we own (ok, not quite that much), did laundry...

Wow! How did I get all that done??? Well, I have 6 kids at home. One is only 6, but the rest helped and boy, does it feel good!

Bri pulled a Robin Hood!

Check out the pictures - We laughed for a while!

Woodworking

Josh has decided on a loft bed plan - from furniture plans.com or something like that - and they're going to make it. If it turns out well, we'll make one for each child - 6 of them! My mother is probably moving back out here, so Becca will have to give up her bed. The plans are very nice and you download them from the site. Mission style. It will be a good learning experience and a good time with Dad. :-) He really needs to build a bookshelf too...and maybe a locker to keep some stuff in...and garage cabinets...ok, ok, I'm done now!

Half of my brain is working toward starting school in the Fall...18ds has one more year, but recently he's decided to look into the police program in which he can get immersed into the thick of things to see if it's what he wants to do. He's become disillusioned with CAP, saying that it's more like a hang out for high school. He's ready to get serious. So we have to find out what he needs - if it's a high school diploma, we'll have to fast track next year for him (I really mean, HE will have to fast track) and finish up. He'll also have to find a job for the winter, since installing windshields doesn't happen during the winter in the mountains.

It's time to start buying books...Apologia, here I come!

Way Cool!!!

So I'm still doing research in preparation for publishing...

In the process, I have been given contact with people who would normally not give me the time of day. Time after time, doors are opening that confirm God's leading in this effort of writing. I'm totally 'hooked', if you'll pardon the expression, on the drug scene in today's youth culture. Why? No, my kids are not into it. And no, I don't come from that background. So what, then? I'm still not certain. But I am convinced that I have God's leading, by more than ten separate confirmations that 'fell' into my lap. Like a rock. The best one? I got a call from an undercover cop today. How cool is that? Even better? He confirmed my story line, by his own experience. To use an old phrase from my jr. high years, I'm totally stoked!

Now you've seen the other side of the home school mom - I'm even starting to talk like my rogue cop!

Now, if you'll pardon me, I really have to tend to some chores, before my husband nixes my writing!

July 4th, or Where has the reverence gone?

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays.

Before we moved, we attended a celebration at a college, on the green. It was the most moving July 4th celebration I've ever attended. Everyone placed their blankets down, rolled their picnic coolers up and enjoyed the sun and company. Red, White and Blue were everywhere. Pompoms were sold, and little flags. Booklets were handed out, with the words to all of the major patriotic songs, so that everyone could join in with the music.

We stood for the National Anthem. We said the Pledge of Allegiance. Military people were honored. A men's choir sang the patriotic songs and everyone sang with them. The fireworks were choreographed with patriotic music...

It was a most moving experience, one that remains with me.

In contrast, I have not found a public celebration, since that time, that even compares. It's just a big party, and an excuse to flaunt flesh and drink beer.

Ok, maybe I'm over-reacting, but I can't help but wonder, where has all the respect gone?

The Revenge of Bambi

So, my 14ds is learning to drive. The other day, dh took him out to drive the Neon. For those of you who don't know, that is a rather small vehicle, and low to the ground. The first key, up here in the mountains, if an elk or large deer (they can get quite large around here - the elk are often larger than horses) jumps in front of your car, you should NOT put on the breaks, but speed up. Putting on the brakes will shove the nose toward the ground, making a very effective ramp for the elk to ram into the front seat of your car. Given the size of elk antlers, this could be a very bad thing. On the other hand, in a car like the Neon, maybe it doesn't really matter...

Josh, being new at driving, has a longer reaction time than those of us who have driven for awhile. He did not see the deer until the last minute, at which time it chose to leap in front of the car. The result? There is paint scraped off the front bumper of the Neon, somewhere in the woods of Conifer is a deer who is limping pathetically, and Josh needs a new pair of boxers.

Publishing...!

I'm finished!

I'm ready to submit my stories to an editor. I'm very excited, in fact I even danced to the tune of my printer, while it cranked out 112 pages this morning.

And now, I think I can get my house clean. And catch up on the ironing.

Well, ok!

My house is a mess!

I'm about a month out from publishing...so now it's that last stretch to the finish line, the kind that narrows your focus and causes everything but your goal to fade away, almost nonexistent in the background.

I've got a title, two stories, one which still needs its conclusion, and possibly an artist for the cover. I still need to complete 2 interviews, write up a commentary for the appendix, write the legend that introduces the stories and find an editor...

Title: Stoning the Crows
Story 1: Operation Scarecrowe
Story 2: View from the Crowe's Nest

This is a little rough, but it's close:
Jacket teaser (or whatever you call that blurb...):

Mike Malone was a good cop. A little unorthodox, a little too close to the edge on many occasions, and a little too cocky for his own good. But he was a good cop, nonetheless. He had the good fortune to possess everyman’s face. A little alteration here and there, and his own mother would not recognize him. A quick study, he became his new persona, shedding all evidence of his real self. And this fact would prove to be his biggest challenge…

What's odd is that the locations I picked, not having EVER been to New Jersey, are accurate representations of the history portrayed in my story. Hm. How does that happen? Was I led by the Holy Spirit is this endeavor? We shall see...

My 10yo dd is also writing a story, which I will focus on next, so that she can publish too. It's about what it means to be a disciple of Christ. She's a little stuck on Judas Iscariot at the moment, but we'll jump that hurdle shortly. I'm happy that my work has also inspired her. And I think she can do her own artwork - she's pretty good!

Back to making my house LOOK orderly, even if it isn't at the moment...

When Does This Get Fun?

In my writing, I find myself continually 'dropping' into youth culture. I write about other things, yes, but youth culture comes up frequently.

So, in studying this week for a story involving Christian concerts I came up with mosh pits. My first search led me to mosh pits in general, but I found nothing Christian about them. So I did a search for 'Christian mosh pits.'

As an aside, some time last year I spoke of this topic in our church kitchen and a young man walked past just as I asked if anyone knew about them. His comment? "Mosh pits are awesome!" This young man graduated from high school this year. I am going to see if I can interview him. He also calls himself emo, another aspect of youth culture that I looked into last year. Something else about this young man...last year he wore a very long Mohawk. Though still accepted in our church setting, there were obvious signs of people backing away from him. Once, he shaved his head, leaving a long strip on either side of the Mohawk that had not previously been exposed and then spent some time in the sun...I'll leave the rest of the details to your imagination.

But, back to mosh pits. I found it interesting that the general consensus, at least on the Internet, is that there is very little difference between secular and Christian mosh pits. The biggest difference is lyrical. The style of music? Usually punk, metal or something similar. I did not catch any reference to Techno, but it could be part of the mix too, I guess.

One You Tube I watched showed the dancers on the floor in front of the stage. While the band played, the kids began to jump. This is no two-step, ladies and gentlemen. A large trampoline would serve the purpose well. And, something distinct about the jumping - Their heads loll. Like rag dolls. The jumping began to draw more dancers in, like water droplets that are attracted to others and slide into the larger, congealed mass. The bulk of the crowd in the center held, writhing and twisting, until, as if according to some unseen signal, floor began to appear in the middle, like the parting of the Red Sea. The opening widened. For a moment, the jumping was maintained on the two sides of this expanse and I began to think of clicking off the video. Is this all it is? Then, suddenly, whatever invisible restraint that held them apart dropped away and both sides of the pit ran, ran! into each other: collided without any attempt to soften the impact. I stared, and I think my jaw dropped onto the keyboard. Ouch!!!ouchouchouchouch!

Mosh pits include such activities as slam dancing. This phenomenon involves the jumping of two or three people, as high into the air as they can, and then violently (their word, not mine)slamming their upper bodies together while in the air. Okay....

Then there is crowd surfing. Ever been passed from hand to hand, over the top of a crowd? My daughter saw this once when she was twelve. They dropped the boy on his head. Skull fracture.

The one that made me really wonder, however, was stage diving. Typically, this is done backwards, to avoid injury to softer body parts. I'm sure I don't need to explain this. So if you dive off the stage, backwards, into the wall-to-wall crowd, how do you know they won't drop you? Apparently, this is not a big problem for the kids. I think my chiropractor would cringe, however. Security is typically not in favor of this activity. Just let them try to stop it. Do the words 'mob' and 'riot' sound similar? If not, you need to find a better dictionary.

A recent interview on WayFM revealed yet another injury caused by these activities. The lead singer of a popular Christian band dove off the stage during his last song, microphone still in hand, and broke both of his front teeth out when the mic was violently thrust into this face. Ok, maybe it's just me, but I wanted to say 'duh!'

The scene includes large, flashing lights and music so loud that you can't hear for days afterwards. Stimulus overload. Sensory bombardment.

Mosh pits have etiquette rules, too. The main one? If someone falls down, pick them up. Now, I ask you, why does this even need to be said?

I see two reasons. One, the kids who are jumping are not using their consciences. Or they are not expected to. If they were, they would not need to be told to do this. Two, this is a highly emotional experience. Can you feel the beat? Throbbing and pulsing, reaching into your head, stirring your feet, energizing your soul? Don't we all tap our feet (or at least one foot!) to music? Adrenaline rush, to the max! In fact, they call this 'adrenaline music.'

It's extreme sports on the dance floor.

The emotional, adrenaline-induced high that is achieved first by the music and then the gyrating movement, and then the painful physical contact is unequalled. It's addicting. Literally. Emotionally. Spiritually.

So if you're addicted to extreme dance, I'll bet 'regular life' can seem kind of boring...

Another fact I came up with in my research - this is a wonderful place for pedophiles and gropers. But ladies, if you raise your voice and point your finger, rest assured that your honor will be defended, violently.

So, a question. In the secular community, at least at the Raves that I researched, there is heavy use of energy drinks and stimulants, such as Ecstasy. The purpose of these stimulants is to give them the energy to maintain the activity level for long time periods. At the Raves, the kids often dance with a water bottle in their hands. They have learned that the prolonged excess energy has put many of them in the hospital for dehydration. Another serious side affect of the stimulants is heart failure. The body wasn't meant to sustain that level of activity, and adrenaline for long time periods. My question is this: Are these stimulants prevalent in the Christian scene, too? I use the term Christian loosely here, you understand. Christian means 'of or pertaining to Christ.' What would Jesus do? Would he jump into the pit and throw himself violently against the others, pushing and shoving? I'll let you answer that one.

Hubby's doing well

My husband's surgery went off well, though I get to tease him about the nonsensical things he said while under the anesthetic. His arm seems to be healing well and regaining movement. He's back at work and, though tired and achy, he's doing well.

Probably taking a few days off...

My husband is having surgery tomorrow on his shoulder, so I may take a few days off from blogging to baby him. He deserves a little babying. ;-)

VBS, round 3

So, I wonder if we could do a Principle Approach VBS...that would be a lot of fun to write. Anyone one to join me?

VBS, round 2

Our lessons this week are as follows:

Choose to Believe 1 Jn 4:14
Choose to Act 1 Jn 3:18
Choose Forgiveness 1 Jn 1:9
Choose to Obey Ps 119:60 & Ps 19:59-60
Choose Jesus Josh 24:15

Don't try to put it into an acronym - there isn't one.

They've gone to great effort to make this special for the kids - the decorations are unbelievable, oh wait, that would violate the first day's choice!

VBS and a little 'extra' time

A lot of us take our kids to VBS during the summer. My friend told me she does about 3 every summer! Some moms, like my friend, think it is wonderful, while others find it to be detrimental to their child training. I've seen both, in my experience. I only have two who are still young enough to go, and two more who are helpers, which is a good thing, too. (My life is changing drastically...I also have two who are working!) Wow! Just think on that a minute!

So this week I have some time alone with my 14, almost 15ds. What will we do? We'll study the Bible (he wants to study the 10 Commandments in depth, and we've gotten on this kick about Open Theism, Molinism, and other 'heresies'. I believe that in order to understand the ideas of liberty of conscience, one of my other blogs, we must have a clear understanding of the nature and charcter of God. Without that, LOC can go awry very quickly. So, while talking with Hamlet, some of these things have come up, and Josh is excited about determing not only his own belief but how to answer the questions of others. So, off we go! Our first quest? Winkie Pratney. 2nd will be Charles Finney. Who knows who/what is next?! All surrounded by searching the Scriptures, of course.

Since I process verbally, talking to Hamlet and to my children is as good as any good cup of coffee for me.

Another thing I'm doing is writing. I simply can't help myself! The words boil in my mind until I type them (furiously) and spin them to some good end. Am I good? Well, I really have no idea! Some have scoffed at my writing, while others have told me they couldn't put down the story they got hold of. I'm learning not to be discouraged by the negative responses, though, truly, this is hard for me. The fact is, whether I'm good or not, I HAVE to write. I have a sense that God has given this to me. He is my biggest Cheer Leader (bet you didn't know that was one of His names!). If I do it to honor Him, then He is pleased.

I write to share biblical truths with others. That being the case, I have felt that I must publish. Either that, or give my stories out freely, which has been considered. I'm checking out self-publishing, as I know I'm not good enough to go with a standard publisher, simply because my name is not known. It has become apparent, in my research, that they care only about the income they will make off a writer, and not the content. I'd rather go for good content and leave the income to God. My coach told me that 'books sell because they sell.' It makes no difference if it's good or bad writing. I see this to be true, even for my own purchasing of books. I will buy books whose authors are known to me. We are creatures of habit. Fortunately, God does not make His choices by tradition.

Did I say God makes choices? Hm! Off to do more study! (Can you just hear the glee in my 'voice'?)

Hamlet...take 2...truth, isolation and faith

Well, I think I found him - it sounds like him, anyway. These discussion forums can be very intriguing. It is quite stimulating to talk with such heavy thinkers, especially Hamlet. Well, some of them, anyway. In a recent conversation, questions were raised about exposure to 'wrong' ideas. In this particular forum, which is secular based, there are a number of atheists who post. I find this good for my ability to reason. I watch, mostly, and post little. I feel a little like a lamb among wolves, simply due to the fact that I know so little about their arguments. I'm afraid to speak up, lest I fall under attack like the cute little aliens in Galaxy Quest. On the other hand, I find that the questions scratch an itch in my mind. None of the questions or arguments challenge my faith in God. On the contrary, if I change my mind about something I believed, based on Scripture, then I've grown. I am not swayed by their heavy handed blasting of God, though it saddens me. And not all of them do this. We are challenged to be in the world, but not of the world. These are real people, who have real questions, and maybe I can learn something or be used by God to teach.

In the movie, Thr3e, I found the premise challenging. Ted Dekker uses the circumstance of a young man who is in seminary, writing his thesis on the good, the evil and the person stuck in between. In the process of writing his thesis, an unresolved conflict comes to the fore. His Aunt, who raised him, states that children should be 'isolated with the truth.' But it is very clear that 'her' truth is a conflagration, fanned by intentional deception. The Uncle, when asked when he has left his house, wonders, "why should I leave the house?" And the Aunt states that evil and confusion (not a direct quote) are 'out there.' Hm! Isolated with the truth...

The Scripture says that 'You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.'

My mind is spinning some questions from the forum that might be raised as a result of this statement - Whose truth? and Free from what?

Food for thought.

I lost Hamlet!

Some of you know that I have spent time talking to a young man who refers to himself as Hamlet. I have learned a lot from him. I'll check again, but the apolgetics forum seems to have been wiped out. I can't find it! I don't care so much that I can't read the posts anymore - but it does bother me. What really bothers me, however, is that the connection to Hamlet seems to be gone.

Lost! Lost!

I feel like I've lost a friend.

Oh Hamlet, Hamlet, wherefore are thou?

Writing and Publishing

I like to write. There is something liberating about it. Words can spur us on, or take the wind out of our sails. They can inspire or leave us bereft. Words can form the basis for a revolution and under gird a reformation.

The Word of God, now, that's something else. In creation, God created by the use of words. He spoke everything into existence. Well, not everything - Adam and Eve were formed... but it was words that taught them about God, and words that were used to deceive them. Michael Card says that, when Jesus came to Earth, God 'spoke the incarnation.' Mr. Card is good for word pictures. Jesus chose not to speak at times. But when He spoke, Oh, the truth that came forth! We are told in Matthew that we will be held accountable for every careless word. Ephesians tells us to only use words that build up, encourage and meet the need of the moment. We are told to speak truthfully to one another. And we are told to let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no' be 'no.'

Words. It is said that men only have a small allotment of them each day, while women have three or four times as much. Hm! It's odd, but I can FEEL them! They stir me up inside and bubble out; they flow over the top like too much root beer float. Well, ok, I process verbally, so that's part of it.

Ted Dekker has inspired me to write - he uses words that catch the reader. Sometimes, after they catch, they grab hold and then toss you up against the wall. Oh, to write like that!

The Joy of Cooking

We got a new toaster. The old one got dropped the same week we bought it in '04. I guess it's pretty good that it lasted this long. So, our new toaster is kind of cool - it toasts corn tortillas. Since the novelty is still firmly in place, every time I turn around there's a corn tortilla in my toaster. At least one. Usually two or more.

So Jon and Daniel were toasting some the other day. Frequently when they do this, the middle of the tortilla will bloat out and look sort of like a pillow. Daniel thought it would be cool to slap both sides of it and flatten it out. What he didn't expect was the mushroom cloud that came out the top...

So whoever said cooking can't be fun?

Runs with Dogs, and other necessary diversions

Along with the necessary teaching of why the lid must be kept on the toothpaste, how not to burn the rice and why the warming drawer is essential for keeping the dogs out of dinner, there is the in-between diversion of fun. I believe that God created fun. It is part of that 'rest' that is mentioned on the 7th day of Creation. It is part of that intimate contact with Him, when we laugh uproariously and God joins in. It's that crazy, hysterically funny moment that catches us off guard, and we hear Him say "Ha! Made you laugh!"

Right now, in our family, there is this spontaneous occasion of running with the dogs. Ok, so it isn't always with the dogs. Sometimes, since our kitchen has two doors, a child will come around one corner and I simply have to scream and run the other direction. The dogs can't observe this, of course, and get right under foot in the middle of it all. Each of us has a unique laugh and sometimes the laugh itself instigates more laughter. Snorts, not withstanding.

There is something about laughter that cleanses the soul. It rushes in like an incoming tide and then recedes, leaving gold speckles on the sand. In laughter, two souls can connect and meet in a place where no other emotion brings them together.

Laughter is God's way of bringing completion to our days.

The Best Laid Plans...

Ok, so we're not finished yet!

But it's ok...it's just a little more. We'll work a little on it next week and conclude all the grading.

I always get to the end of the school year and then the next beginning and wonder how I can accomplish 'school' with all the rest of what we're supposed to do during the day. Somehow, when we 'quit' school for the summer, our schedule is just as full as when we had classes.

We're planting seeds - we'll see if they grow. So far, no one, outside of our family, if optimistic. They all say that either the deer, elk or bunnies will get the plants, or the dogs will. Hm! We'll see!

We're going through rounds of eye doctor appointments and dentist appointments, fixing parts on the cars, selling things - lots of things this year! We're cleaning out the house and the yard. Next we'll work on the garage...We're going hiking next Thursday.

I am still running around waiting until the last minute to pee, since every event seems carbon bonded to the next. (You think I'm joking? Just ASK a homeschool mom!) Life is full. And I'm enjoying it.

2 more days and an updated website

Well!

2 more days of school.

We spent about 2 hours today on Grammar. Some of it was notebook grading, and completing the last assignment. Tomorrow we finish the last assignment.

I have a funny to share - in the middle of the lesson, I took 2 papers from my 17yo and proceeded to staple them. Just as the staple hit the paper, he jolted and pretended to be shot...such is life with a houseful of boys!

I have a sense that I am completing this school year with my tank still full. I'm not drained or feeling like I'm 'hitting the wall.' Hallelujah! He has restored my soul. Just as He said.

I have just updated my website in order to make it a little more user-friendly and perhaps a little more appealing to more than just moms. I'd love to hear feedback on this - is it better?

We planted seeds yesterday - hopefully my children have better green thumbs than I!

That's all for now - time for sleep!

New Study!

So we're meeting with another family (they have 9 children, we have 6) to do Bible Study together. We're going to meet about once a week, over the summer and into next year. We decided to study Matthew first and make comparisons with Isaiah. Age range? 4m to 17. It's noisy and a little crazy, but what fun! We're adding in the 7 principles to study as we go. And of course the biblical principles that we come across in our reading. Very cool. The other family just left, and my kids have gone to bed...I think I forgot to eat dinner! Wow!

We're cooking up some good stuff for Liberty of Conscience and I'm about ready to start blogging on that again. I'm excited about our study and our conversations on the topic.

Grades. My house is a mess. Last assignments. laundry, ironing, please don't look at my kitchen floor! Breathe in, breathe out...it's all gonna be ok!

Next stop, hiking! And lots of suntan lotion - I fell asleep in my deck chair the other day and got a rather colorful response! Ouch!

Got my new glasses - I can read again!

Bed time! Can't do tomorrow without sleep!

Almost there!

Today we have 'off' because Daddy is home from work. Becca's dance recital is tonight, so that's our focus today.

I got most of the final grades done yesterday (still have to add in the last assignments of course) and piles of papers sit on our craft table. No one touches the table upon pain of death. Ha! Next I have to grade notebooks. With the CA home school challenges of late, I feel it is quite important to have everything in order. Not that I didn't see the importance of it before, but now there is 'pressure' to have a quick answer ready if anyone challenges our home school.

I've gotten most of next year planned out, changed it several times, and settled on a tentative schedule. I'm excited about next year! One new challenge that has come up is Human Physiology. I think I might use the Apologia as a guide and teach from it. It is an AP course, requiring Chemistry and Biology as prerequisites. I'm quite certain that the book is actually too advanced for us, but I also feel confident that I can teach from it, just using it as a guide. We have the Chemistry book and I can probably borrow the Biology book.

More of our classes will include the whole family next year. I am excited about this. We're going to do an inductive study in the Bible with another family - maybe Isaiah. Along with this we'll study the 7 Principles. Our history course will include Government (as always), Geography, Literature and writing (for research papers). We'll review World History, then launch into American History and Lit. This will be a time line overview, so that each child can cover what they need, according to where they are in their study. Over the summer, the younger kids and I will study from The Light and the Glory. And for the school year AFTER next, we'll step into The Story of Liberty, along with the study guide they provide. I have settled into a rotation kind of plan, and it seems that about every 3 years we'll cover in depth three levels of history, adding supplements as we go. American History will include a 2nd layer of Government, as I envisioned before. I see that the study of American Gov't must continue, in layers, for the rest of my life. I hope to instill this in my children. Joshua in particular was impressed with David Barton and his command of the subject. Inspired, is the word.

We're still finishing Grammar, R&S Social Studies, the primary History book and our sciences. Almost there!

Wrapping up the School Year

We're ending school the last week of May. That means I have 3 weeks left to wrap everything up. I'm a little behind...or the hurrier I go, the behinder I get, or something like that.

Becca's dance recital is next week and we still have a little to prepare for.

In 2 weeks I'll collect notebooks for grading.

I use an Excel spreadsheet to list classes, in quarters, and list their grades. If you know the right codes, it will actually assign percentages to each letter grade. (I'm so smart!) Unfortunately, I've forgotten the codes!

May is always a 'messy house' month. Things just don't get done because I'm scrambling to pull the last bit together.

So I'm behind in haircuts - have to do it all before Monday because Brian has CAP.

Brian is serving at the Fire Fighter's Memorial tomorrow - his unit does that every year. I was interested to hear that it was CAP who was called out to help with the search and rescue for the plane that went down the other day. But not Brian's unit. We are farther away from the crash site.

So we have 4 weeks of Physical Science. Physics will end the last week of May. Grammar will be finished by next Friday. History/Social Studies/Health Science will be done by the end of May.

Government, well I'll be hard pressed to cram the rest into 3 weeks! I'll have to see when Ami is leaving - maybe she can meet in June for a couple of weeks.

We have a graduation party at church on May 22. A friend is graduating TOMORROW!!! (Brian graduates next year. Since Josh and Brian have been studying together, I may be able to graduate Josh next year as well - we'll see. He'll only be 15 this summer.)

Brian has a shooting course next weekend - I think the focus will be on hand to hand combat on one day and maybe gun training the next, I'm not sure. They call it a Personal Protection Conference. He'll even learn defensive knife handling. I'll have to ask him for some tips!

I must have been out of my mind to schedule a photography session next weekend. I'll have to reschedule. I've already had to reschedule an appointment for next week - there's just no time.

In the midst of all this we had to change our address to a PO Box due to mail box theft in our area, AND I was sick for 4.5 days. Sigh!

So how do I have time to blog? Well, the boys finished their school work and went paintballing! I have just my 5yo at home at the moment. I hardly know what to do with myself!

Back to correcting math homework!

No Way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, it's not Mocha this time!

School's almost out for the summer!!!!!!!! Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm already planning for next year. I have to get grades done. I need to stop getting sick!! Summer plans are already made. I may be moving my mother out from GA (we can't decide what's best). Two friends and I are going to write a book. I have to figure out how to get the PayPal buttons on my website - anyone know html well enough to help? Still thinking about buying Curves (if it's still for sale). A friend is helping me put the ACH sessions on MP3 to sell on my website (very cool!).

There's a sense of rushing to get everything done. There's a sense of almost freedom - we're almost finished! There's a sense of burn out - "do I have to do school today???"

So what did we do today? Played Rock Band! The Rolling Stones - Sam would be proud!

Mocha

OK, so I don't have her picture up yet - I've been sick all week, give me a break!

Just before the snow melted in our back yard, Josh looked out the window to see her lay down on her back. It was icy and on an incline. You guessed it - she slid the whole way down the hill head first!!

The other day I looked over to see her lay her head on the floor. He rear was still up and leaning on the wall. While I watched, she slid her rump down the wall and thudded into a laying down position. I laughed for ever.

Lots of laughs, to be sure!

We can't decide if we should call her BDH, for Big, Dumb and Happy, or Stampeding Buffalo, or Bull in a China Closet, or what!!

She chased Josh around the corner to our dining room the other day and slid on the tile, right into the bathroom! She's so big she couldn't turn around!

Daniel looked up the stairs the other day and saw her standing there...his comment? "Oooh, big scary dog!

Music Anyone??

Brian just bought himself a Rock Band set...Electric guitar, drums, mic. It's a computer game for those who are not familiar with it. You outta hear it!!!!!

NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She did it again!!!!!

So, I guess if she gets the butter a 4th time, it's OUR fault and not hers, right???

No way!!!!!!!!!

Mocha ate a whole brick of butter!!!!! It's time for a good dog whippin'! (get it, whipped butter??)

A Day of Preschool

The boys brought home a large play set that is being given to us...yesterday, after half of it was brought home, Josh saw me look out the window and said, "Don't look Mom." So of course I looked...yikes! I imagined all sorts of shenanigans to get it to stand up like that. I said, "Joshua..." He responded calmly with "I told you NOT to look!" Anyway, that has been their project today, to set up the rest of it. It's quite a project.

So, since the lumber jacks were all out in the yard today, I had Becca and Drew to myself. We got a lot done, too! Becca received a nice promise book for her graduation present. She asked me what 'joy' meant. So we looked it up in the 1828. Joy is based on the expectation of good. And since God is good, we can expect good. No matter what the circumstances. Hallelujah! Well, I've been all out of sorts this week, so guess who God spoke to through that little message?? Me, of course! Out of the mouths of babes.

Co-op This Week

For co-op this week we discussed forms of government. I think maybe I did a little too much for the age levels, but the older kids seemed to get the idea. The other thing I thought, afterwards, is that we ought to do the group time first. Then the kids aren't as antsy. Anyway, we played a game. The first part was to demonstrate a Democracy by voting on a punishment for the crimes of two of the young ladies in the group. The boys all voted for execution. (Go figure!) Next we demonstrated a Republic (after reviewing Ex. 18) by separating into 3 'towns' and electing representatives. At first I thought that the kids were too antsy that day to 'get' the message. But at the end, when I asked which model represented the needs of the individual better, I got the right answer. :-) Cool!

Doggie Pictures

We'll get one of Mocha soon and post it, too. It will be titled, "Big, Dumb and Happy." :-)

Government Class

Ok, so we haven't reached the Constitution yet...I don't know why I'm surprised. It always takes longer than I originally imagined. I think this is why I can't follow the Noah Plan - it's TOO structured. (Not very conducive to 6 grade levels, either.)

So we're wrapping up the Political Principles of the Founders on Monday, and THEN heading into the Constitution. I'm enjoying the prep in "Steve." To wrap up the previous section, the kids have to define American Federalism and how it is maintained or eroded. We've been discussing how this applies to the 'promises' of the candidate hopefuls... I have been intrigued by new information about how the 3 branches were set up. I used to use 3 lines in a triangle, with the points disconnected, to demonstrate them. Now, however, I see that this is somewhat inaccurate. Instead, as "Steve" shows, it is more like 3 circles, of different sizes (different percentages of power and responsibility are given to each circle), but with another percentage of overlapping (and conflicting) powers and responsibilities. Montesquieu outlined this separation of powers, but Madison expanded on it, developing a uniquely American Federalism.

Next year, I am looking forward to more of The Federalist Papers, more of Madison, more of Paine...and the beginning of Adam Smith, who helped to define the Free Market System for America, which is founded on individual liberty - to fail or succeed, and to act upon conscience in buying and selling.

For the Economics section of our work, we are going to focus on the 10 pillars, found in GACE, along with the Free Market section of "Steve." I've found "Steve" to be quite informative, at a ground level, something I have needed for my own learning.

As a summary of the political principles, I'm going to contrast American Constitutional Federal Republic with a time line of collectivism, beginning with the Garden and ending with Revelation. (Thanks to Ted for his invaluable help in this area.)

Some assignments they have been given...They are going to evaluate a particular issue, as presented by the candidates, and compare that with the model of Federalism, and/or the Free Market system. Another one is to write a letter to our representatives regarding homeschooling, in light of the CA issues. They are to examine the ideas of conscience in individual liberty as laid out by our Founding Fathers and present this as a case for individual choice in homeschooling. The test at the end of "Steve" requires that they memorize an outline of the Constitution, using the main ideas of each section.

On a completely different subject, my children went to 'take your child to work day' at Lockheed Martin today. (I couldn't go - I'm considered a security risk!) They came home with 'sticky brains' which, when thrown against a wall, or the refrigerator, will slowly crawl down the vertical surface to the floor. Remember, I have 5 boys - they're totally awed by this gooey toy. When they got home I was immediately confronted with, "Dude, Mom! Look at this!" (Yes, they really do call me 'Dude, Mom.'

Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our summer schedule begins whenever we are finished with the bulk of our courses for the school year. That might be May23rd or June 27th, depending.

We plan to build garage cabinets this summer (personally, I'm an organizer, so I can't wait!). There are dead trees that need to be cut down and cut into firewood, and we'll probably have to go cut more to get us through next winter. Spring cleaning is part of the mix, and maybe inside painting...we'll see. We plan to hike once a week, and maybe swim once a week. Brian is hoping for full time work, as is Josh...I'm hoping to write next year's outline for school and maybe work on writing a novel.

We're planning for a veggie garden this summer. Broccoli, string beans, radishes, carrots, green onions, sweet peppers...Now, how to keep the birds, the squirrels, the rabbits, the elk and deer, the dogs AND the kids out of the planters...

I'm trying to decide if we ought to have our group birthday party this year...It's a family gathering, pot luck, gifts are optional type of party, outdoors usually. But I got to thinking about individuality and I'm wondering if this is a good idea or a bad idea...I'll have to think about this one.

Ted, Kim and I want to write a book on Liberty of Conscience. And we were discussing getting together our families for Bible study over the summer.

It feels like Summer outside today, almost!

Schedule, what schedule??

People often ask how I schedule school with so many kids and so many different levels of learning. I don't know, it depends on the week you ask me! One of the things I've learned, with this many children, is that no schedule is solid. Things change from week to week, depending on the kids, things I have to do to maintain our home, whether or not Daddy is home, if some are unwell, etc.

Now that I no longer have a Toddler, however, things, being fluid as they are, don't change quite as drastically. With the babies, into toddlerhood, it changed every 5 minutes!

We do follow a 'school year.' We're 'off' during the summer. I keep an Excel spread sheet of grades and they keep notebooks of their work.

This year, this is our schedule:
Monday 9-12 is Government and Economics (Bri, Josh, Jon). During class, Daniel, Becca and Drew do chores off a list I print for them (change sheets, vacuum, clean bathrooms, etc.) Then they go on to school lessons that they can do together, without me. Monday night, Bri has CAP. He drives himself now, and sometimes a sibling or two.

After Gov't, they have assignments for other classes to do - Physics, Grammar, Math, Physical Science, etc.

Tuesdays we meet at a friend's home, from 10ish to 12ish. We are going through the Chain of Christianity. Brian and Josh stay home and work on assignments. When we get home, we do lunch, chores and then prepare for dinner.

Wednesday, we're home. We sit around the kitchen table, or the computer and work together, but individually. Grammar, Spelling, COC reports, Math, 'Social Studies' (Rod & Staff), Bible, etc. We're finished by lunch, or soon after. Brian has Physics, which I try to attend, from 3-5 in Pine.

Thursday we're home too. Becca has dance in the afternoon, and sometimes she spends the night Wed or Thurs or both (depending on snow). Our plan today is the same as Wed, except Ted comes over to teach Physical Science to Jon and Josh from 1-4. I try to attend this class or work with Becca and Drew.

Every other Friday Daddy is off. So we don't 'do school' on those off days. Sometimes the boys will work with Dad on woodworking, or we'll go somewhere. They went skiing on some of those Fridays during the winter. The other Fridays, I'm trying to incorporate games that teach. We don't always get to those, but that is a goal. Drew likes alphabet bingo. We have a lot of good teaching games. Yatzee is great for math! Scrabble, Rummy Cube, 13 Solitaire, etc. are all games we like. Then, if we have time, we do bookwork, too.

Each of the kids has a day that they are supposed to cook dinner. They must prepare and plan ahead (a good lesson to explain Providence!). While cooking we manage adding and multiplying fractions, if needed, too. Even Drew has a night to cook, after much expression of his desire to do so. :-)

What courses are they taking?
Sciences: Physics, Physical Science (both Apologia), Health & Safety (Abeka)
Math: Ray's Arithmetic, mostly, and Saxon drills
Social Studies: Rod & Staff
Grammar: Rod & Staff (really, really like this one!)
Spelling: WRtoR (we're behind in this...)
History: Story of the World, Streams of Civilization, a whole plethora of books, and the internet
Government: A Guide for Teaching and Learning the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, "Steve" for short, Common Sense, The Federalist Papers, the Red Books, including GACE
Economics: Bob Jones (it's ok...), and several others, including GACE, and "Steve"
Literature: Abeka, World and American, and the internet (we're really slow on this one, but plugging along)
Woodworking: all sorts of stuff
Home Ec: you name it - laundry, cooking, house cleaning, yard work, sewing, ironing, etc.
Art? Well, not this year. Josh and Becca like to take classes that are offered locally. And Becca is taking dance with CMA
PE? Sporadically, self-directed
Music? self-directed, piano, harmonica, djembe drum, guitar, violin, singing...no real plan here yet

What do they do in their free time? Walk dogs, ride bikes, skate, gaming (computer, game system, figures), watch movies, board games, Becca plays with dolls, makes jewelry, etc.

When do I study? From 6-8 in the morning or in between everything, whenever I can.

Off to change tires in town, and then off to co-op (today's Tuesday)

A New Friend

I met a new friend this week - her name is Pony. I'm very impressed with this lady, though I've never laid eyes on her. Her spirit of devotion to God was very evident in her email. If you think of it when you read this, please pray for her, as the Lord leads.

Today was full of not-so-fun things. I've filled out half of the paperwork for my mother's return to Colorado. I've filed her taxes. I've filed my taxes, but I have to send Brian to the PO tomorrow to mail our state taxes. I have to stay home and nurse our dog, Akita, who apparently got into something like fiberglass. She is bleeding internally. It seems to have stopped, but we're not out of the woods yet (never mind that we LIVE in the woods!). I had to shorten government glass to take her to the vet.

Government class was fun, until it ended abruptly. We're into Federalism, de Tocqueville and Locke's 'social compact'. Republicanism and Democracy. And a look at the French Revolution. We were just about to head into the Free Market System when Akita's condition became apparent.

Due to nursing Akita, we have to miss our co-op tomorrow. We're sad about that, but I don't see any way around it. Next week, for co-op, we'll finish Biblical instructions regarding view of government.

I'm tired, hopeful (for Akita), disappointed (about tomorrow), excited (about my website) and pressed (with a lot to do).

Inspired by Pony, I'll quote part of a verse - 'we are pressed, but not crushed...' God is faithful, always. No matter how tired or stretched you feel, REMEMBER. God is faithful, always. Look for His Hand in the pressing and stretching and you'll find it. I promise.