Chick . . . .chick . . . . .chickeeees

Oh my, oh my! We have gone and done it now! We have just bought our FIRST CatawbaCoop and we are in LOVE!!! Thanks to a friend wanting a BIGGER coop, we got our wonderful coop and THREE lovely chickens at a very reasonable price. We have had a blast playing with the chickens, playing with the coop!

We are having a blast researching chickens and their care. I can't believe that I took all this for granted when I was growing up. HOWEVER, I think I have created a monster . . . or two.  Tim now has it in his noggin that he wants to start harvesting honey. Go figure. I will keep you updated on that . . . .

As for the chickens. We have one Coachin and 2 Rhode Island Reds. We are thinking about getting some Bards, and possibly an Araucana. We are having so much fun! Oh y'all should just come and visit us and see all the fun you can have while watching the chickens dance.

Have a blessed day folks! Love to all!!

What has been happening?

WOW! Talk about slack - I know, I know. I post those words quite a bit, don't I? Only because I tend to get caught up in the real world and forget about the virtual world. I am truly not as slack as my lack of posts may lead you to believe . . . .well . . . ..at least I hope I'm not.

What all has been going on in our fabulous journey? Hmmmm, where to begin? Well, we are doing great regarding schooling. The girls remain such blessings to Tim and I. I haven't even threatened to string them up by their toenails lately.

This past week was a little rough, but not because of them. I had a few health issues that made me feel like total crud, so we didn't have "class." But, you know you are doing something right when your children BEG you for "school." And NOT public school, YOUR school. When they come to you and say, "mama, can't we at least do some of our worksheets?" what are you supposed to do? Say no? I think not!

And when your 10 year old says, "but mama, I really want to know what is happening with Nat Bowditch. Can't I read it out loud (instead of me)?" Do you say, nope, that read aloud is only for me to read aloud to you, not YOU to me!?!? I should hope not!

It truly reinforces that we are truly following God's path for us, when we see such POSITIVE attitudes from the girls. Every day Morgan asks me if she is in 2nd grade yet. She is REALLY excited about going to 2nd grade. Taylor is going to be in the spelling bee through our co-op and she is really, REALLY, doing great! Kenne is actually excited about participating in the talent show (she NEVER wanted to participate when she was in public school!). They each have grown so much as individuals, becoming more confident and more independent than I could ever have dreamed.


Well, we are off tomorrow on a field trip - yep, that's what we are calling it! We are taking the girls skiing at Sugar Mountain - got an AWESOME deal through a homeschool group. How cool is that? What a great way to teach the girls about snow, freezing water, precipitation, altitude, momentum, force, hmmm, I think I could go on and on about all the wonderful things the girls can learn on this field trip.

Will touch base afterwards. Love to all! And as always - happy homeschooling!

TOS – Special pricing about to expire

Going . . . going . . . almost gone!


The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is saying good-bye to their $7.95 subscription price (one year, U.S.) and international sale prices of 40% off at midnight on December 31, 2009. There is still time to treat yourself or share the gift of homeschool encouragement with your family and friends.



Receive 4 issues of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine RIGHT NOW for only $7.95 (U.S.)! That is less than $2 per issue. Canadian and international subscribers save 40%! Your subscription will start with the Spring 2010 issue. This includes one-year gift subscriptions!


Order the one-year plus current issue option and enjoy the Winter issue in January 2010 for only $12.95 (U.S.)!


Plus, new and renewing U.S. subscribers receive bonus gifts!

 

Get all of the details here.



http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschooling/Almost-Gone.htm



Hurry! December 31 is the deadline for the sale prices!



I am a subscriber to TOS and I LOVE it! I don't know what I would have done without TOS this past year as I journeyed into homeschooling my 3 angels. Just a thought, folks, just a thought.

Fantastic Deal on TOS! WOW!

I love The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Now they have made it even more affordable for folks. Check it out because this is a fantastic deal!!!!! Here's the offer, but hurry. It ends at midnight tonight, Oct. 30, 2009. 

 

We are a magazine with a heart for homeschooling.

Through the years, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine has reached thousands of homeschooling families like yours around the world--each with different homeschooling styles and needs, but the same goal of providing the best education possible for your children.

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The Real Deal--Get at least $100 worth of gifts for FREE!

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Subscribe or renew for one year (U.S., print) and pay only $7.95. PLUS, receive 10 FREE gifts--while supplies last!

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4. We will email you a gift selection form after your purchase.
5. Complete and return this form via email.
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What's going on?

Wow! Talk about slack. Whew! Can't say that I am the most "with it" can you? Well, I guess I can blame it on tons of things - but the main thing is that I just haven't made time to post. Have you ever felt that no matter what, you just can't seem to get your act together? Well, the past few weeks have definitely been that way for me. BUT that's ok. Because as my dear, dear friend, Patti pointed out to me, we homeschool to live not live to homeschool.

The girls are thriving! Absolutely, totally thriving. They love homeschooling. It's so funny to me that I used to be one of those "what about socialization" types of folks. You know the ones I'm talking about. Yep, that was me. My poor, poor girls! I think some days they wouldn't mind going back to public school just so they aren't run to death! Seriously, they really are loving it AND they are still learning!

So, what has been going on? Well, we have been hit with a few medical hic-ups. My MS has flared up big time over the past month. I have a new neurologist (one of the best MS specialists in the area) and he is running tons of baseline tests so we can try to get a handle on everything NOW instead of waiting until it is so bad we are playing catch up. So the past few weeks have been a little nutsy with tests and all. Just to tell you how awesome my girls are though (yes, I am about to brag!): went for an updated MRI which was supposed to only take about an hour. Well, it ended up taking over 2 and 1/2 hours. My baby girls were sitting in the waiting room that entire time, reading, playing their DS, taking naps (ok, so only Taylor slept!) and just chilling. I had so many folks come up to me when I FINALLY got out of the tube telling me how fabulous my girls were. Can you just imagine the pride that overflowed from me that day?

Then Kenne got this mulluscum thing. So we are tea tree oiling her twice daily and it is really helping. (ask me about Tea Tree oil if you don't know what I'm talking about! AMAZING!)

Then Taylor (why is it always Taylor?) got an infected belly button. That's right - her belly button is infected. Looks so nasty. But she may have scratched it while digging in it (you know, lint removal!) and it got all crusty and bloody. So after trying to treat it at home for a week, we ended up having to take her to the doc and get her a topical antibiotic.

So the past few weeks have been a little nutsy. Oh and on top of all that, my darling SBC (sister by choice) Erika felt called to start a soccer league for Northern Wake County homeschoolers. Well, who do you think just had to volunteer to be her admin coordinator? Oh and our co-op starts this upcoming week so I have been preparing for that. And finally, finally I have actually been working. Yay!!!!!! Maybe, just maybe the real estate market IS turning around. I just hope it's not a false turn around - know what I mean? But let's stay positive and that's for another post.

Love to all and may God bless you as richly as He has surely blessed us!

Our Curriculum

So many people have been asking us what curriculum we are using or "where do you get the stuff you teach?" It's so neat to talk about our curriculum choices. We are doing things pretty "normal" around here with the occasional jump "outside of the box."
Our main curriculum is Sonlight. Our history, geography & writing all center around the stories in Sonlight. For math and science we use Switched on Schoolhouse.
We love everything we have tried as of right now. Sonlight allows the girls and I to share in the learning experience and it is all laid out for me - virtually no planning on my part (well, not as much as it would be otherwise!). The SOS makes Kenne read the instructions. Because of that, she is learning to actually follow directions. Imagine that!?!?!?!
We have just started using a FREE (that's right, FREE) lesson plan based on the Book of Virtues. Loving it! Loving FREE! Loving what the girls are learning! For the twins we are using Sing, Spell, Read and Write for their Language Arts. For their math we use Horizons - which I got for FREE from a friend in our co-op.
Anyway, I could go on forever and ever about the FREE resources out there. . . .oh, wait! I think I will go on and on - in another blog post down the road.
Love to all!

May I introduce . . . Kelli, the patient one?

So many of my friends and family have asked me lately how I am managing to stay calm and actually have tons of patience. Well I am going to share my little secret with you. But first, let me tell you a little about the "old Kelli."

Back in the day, you know, back when the girls were NOT homeschooled (It seems like FOREVER ago!) I felt like a chicken running around with its head cut off. It was go, go, go – constantly go!!! After the girls had spent 7 hours in school they then came home to do their chores, then homework, then dinner, then soccer (or karate, or piano, or church, or . . . . . ). Then it was time to go BACK HOME and get their showers and throw them in bed. And Tim wondered why I was short tempered back in those days.

Now, let's meet the NEW KELLI!! Patient? Me? PUHLEASE!! But wait! It's really true! Kenne, my oldest, tells me everyday how wonderful her "new mommy" is. I do NOT feel rushed, I do NOT feel crazy! I do NOT feel like it is go, go, go . . . . .constantly go anymore! It is truly amazing how wonderful I feel by NOT going bonkers trying to fit my life (and that of my family) into the public school schedule. Here is a sample of our new daily schedule:

7:00 – I wake up, take my shower, brush my teeth, you know that kind of stuff.

7:30 – I have my quiet time with God (or QTWG)

8:00 – I wake the girls and they make their beds, get ready and all that jazz.

8:15 – I actually feed the girls. (that's right, breakfast! Before breakfast was a pop-tart or granola bar as we ran out the door! Now it is muffins, sausage biscuits, cinnamon rolls, cheese toast, and yes, bowls of cereal!)

While they are eating, I read the daily bible story to them from Studying God's World from Christian Liberty Press. They even have comprehension questions so I can make sure they are listening.

After they eat, they run and brush their teeth and brush their hair – all that "girly" stuff. By the time they finish, it is normally bout 9:00.

9:00 – 10:00 they do their chores (so do I) like emptying the litter box, dusting, putting clothes away, laundry, bathrooms etc.

10:00 – the school bell rings. No seriously, it really does. I have my computer scheduled to sound the alarm!

From 10:00 until 12:30 we are in class. We have morning announcements where we: Pray, say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing from Sonlight's Wee Sing and then we all get started on our materials for the day.

12:30 – we eat lunch

1:00 – Kenne (my 5^th grader) finishes her math and science and anything else she hasn't finished (like reading etc.) Taylor and Morgan (the twins) take this time to be QUIET!!!!! Ok, ok, so really this is their time to read, color, do some computer work – quiet time type activities.

2:00 – DISMISSAL!! That's right – after only 4 hours in "school" my girls are done. Now, once Kenne hits high school, I expect her hours will get more intense. However, she STILL will not have hours upon hours of homework to do once she gets home so she still comes out on top!

As for me – from 1:00 until 4:00 I get to work. Being a Realtor, business is pretty slow right now. But we are seeing a turn around so maybe it will pick up some and my husband won't have to carry the burden of supporting us all on his own.

So that is why, my dear friends, I am a happier person – there is actually TIME to enjoy my kids, myself, my job, their jobs blah, blah, blah, blah!!! Go ya get me?

Ok – so new Kelli is here, hopefully to stay. Do you know my girls ACTUALLY ask me why I smile all the time? I thought it was a given that I smiled all the time – but evidently I hadn't been smiling so much and now they are just ecstatic that mommy is smiling. Amazing, huh?

Thank you God! Thank you so much!!