School update...

Well it has been quite a while since I last updated! Sadly in that time we havent gotten nearly the amount of school work I would have liked to have done! But here is some of the highlights!

Math- all the kids are doing really well with Rod and Staff. Matt is flying through his book and will likely move up before the year is up! He can do so much in his head we are just trying to concrete a little more "on paper" before we move him! Emily is doing great! She just goes through her book, rarely a comment to me or question! She is so smart! Kaitlin has reached DIVISION! For some reason she breezed through multiplication but has hit a standstill with division! We are working through it and waiting for the "aHA" moment!

Copywork: We just did one particular copywork that Matt really enjoyed. It is part of a Guy Fawkes Day poem or chant. He really liked it!

Science- We are not moving to quickly through science but the kids are enjoying what we are doing. They LOVE AOE and playing with their friends and are really remembering a lot of the elements! We went to Chemistry Week at A&M University a few weekends ago and the kids had a great time!

History: We are way behind but trying to not worry! The kids are learning better this year than last year and seem to be retaining more which is good and I am going slower to make this happen! We read or listen to each chapter at least 3 times! We are currently on chapter 5, we are leaving the New World and headed to Japan. History is so interesting this year! Last week each of the kids made a diorama thing for a colony, they had a lot of fun, but I didnt take pics of Matts and it has already been destroyed. But here is Kaitlin's...

Bible: We are working through the New Testament. We are at John the Baptist. The kids are learning their memory verses pretty well and are doing them for copy work on the first day. We are also working on Psalms 23 and some names of Jesus.

Presidents lap book: We are still only on the 2nd President but that is fine! We learned about John Adams! We still have some books to read but we took a short joint off the Prez to learn about the White House since he was the first President to live there! We did this cool ABC's of the White House that I found on WhiteHouse.gov. It was neat!

We are still working through Robinson Crusoe, the kids added to their journal this week and we are up to chapter 19 I think. The kids also watched the first episode of Crusoe on TV. It is not up to snuff as far as accuracy but it gives the kids a really good glimpse of how things were, the materials he dealt with and the time period in general. They really like it so far.

started our FALL bulletin today although all we got done was the actual bulletin board! We will do our LAPBOARD -which is my version of a lap book on a bulletin board! We are doing a bunch about corn, and of course Thanksgiving stuff! I have a little about crows and scarecrows that are all out of the September Book bag from Curr click. I need to order the November one too, I will do in next week!

Book club- We started the The Tale of Despereaux! Very exciting, we are working through it and will finish on December 19 in time for the movie coming out! Yeah. Kate loves the book! Emily has said she is joining book club!

Well that about sums it up, this is the stuff we have been working on the past few days!

Sunday, Sunday...

It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.

Mary O'Connor

I find this quote very interesting. It is so true! I need to decide if somethings I am busy with are important enough. Are the things keeping me buzzing about- useful, helpful, worthy, right, good or productive. I have posted comments on some home schooling blogs lately that I am not altogether happy with my schooling choice. For one, we are simply not doing enough. I also feel trapped in a little square box that I made for myself. When I step outside the box than I feel guilty for not getting "real" stuff done! It is a viscous circle! I am very busy with a number of things and I need to choose. Which are very productive and "bee" like and which are non productive like the mosquito's.

More Vacation pics at Garner State Park...

Fitness Friday...

okay, it is Fitness Friday!

I missed last week due to vacation and complete and total business but doesnt mean I wasnt working the program! I still havent graced the doors of the YMCA but I am working on it! I ate off some on vacation but was very careful about it and really did not go off much! I did however have some dessert- I ate three roasted marsh mellows over the camping trip at 6 carbs each and I did have various pieces of a Hershey bar (hey the whole bar is only 26 carbs! Not bad) But all in all a good time was had by all and we ate pretty carb friendly!

Plus all the walking and tramping and frolicking!

So goal for this coming week:

YMCA
lower carb intake
increase water intake (which I have been doing pretty good at!!!!!)


This weeks Fitness Friday is share your wardrobe choices for your weight loss journey! Well I just want to say, I meandered about online for a while and picked out some clothes, but I dont want to do this.

I dont wanna play, I am to far away from this particular goal so I am choosing to pick something else! This is a goal, not something to wear but something to do. I want to fit here...

and I want to fit in any of these seats, without worrying if I will pop out the arm sockets or the seat will bend over backwards! (this happened to me at paint place in an exact replica of the last chair!) Needless to say we left!

So that is my goal, not clothes but physical places that I can barely or not at all squeeze myself into! The last time I lost weight I remember going to the mall and we were in a food court (a place that I had previously not been able to sit at a table before) and I sat down and than I stood back up and sat back down and stood back up and my sister was like what in the world is wrong with you and I said, "I fit."

I want that feeling again!

Vacation Pics... San Antonio, Texas

On a funnier note...

Kaitlin took Emily's books and put them on her chair, during the course of school they got knocked to the floor. Emily was VERY offended. So I said jokingly (meaning to point our that she didnt need to be quite so offended)

Me: Lets stone her, everybody pick up a rock. (We had just talked about stoning in the bible by the way...)

Matt: I dont wanna stone her.

Me: Your right Matt, lets not stone her what else could we do about the books being on the floor.

Emily: We could kick her out of the house.

NUF SAID.

I wanna just have a wordless Wednesday and say nothing at all...

I really do. I have plenty of cute pics from Garner! But, I am sad. I am sad at the choice America made. I believe the "change" we are in for will not be the change people are betting on. Their mortagese still wont be magically paid by the morgage fairy, the health care industry will not suddenly become all lollipops and free kleenex in hospitals (ever been charged for kleenex before!) and guess what the war- will keep on being a war! It wont stop, and all the men and women who died for our country will not somehow make it back alive! There will be change- he might do great things but all I have heard since the election was called is this...

Barack- dont expect miracles.
democrats- he cant make water from wine
news commentators- We hope people dont expect all the changes to happen in four years, I guess we will have to elect him again!

Seriously! He campaigned on CHANGE. Now he and his party are saying...dont expect to much change!

I am confused. But again I am sad.

dont be mad at me if you disagree just let me be sad. I will fight harder next go around! I will make my voice heard louder and stronger.

On the other hand my kids did participate, they voted with their dad (sorry no pics were allowed!) They thanked all the people working at the polls, they even thanked the democrat that was outside the polling place for working the process! (after matt checked to make sure he was lawfully far enough away from the polling place!)

The polls are closed!

Only one question for you??? Did you vote?

Sunday morning...

I know how I feel at Garner, I always feel closer to God there? I dont know if it is the quietness, the mountains, the nature or just my willingness to be still? But whatever it is I feel Him near me there. I feel Him speaking there. I feel Him. I go so long sometimes not feeling him. Isnt it a shame that I have to get away to feel that but than again even Jesus "got away". So I will not question. I will just wallow in the comfort of Him and the peace I leave with...


To trust, delight, commit, and rest,

What comfort this would bring!

If we would only practice this,

And trust in everything!

It is our Father's purpose that

Our hearts have peace, and rest;

His wisdom chooses for us

What is always wise and best.

He asks us just to trust in Him,

Be happy, and rejoice!

To evermore delight in Him,

This is the Shepherd's voice.

He wants us to commit to Him,

Our pathway, day by day,

To let Him take the hand and lead,

And to direct our way.

He asks us then to rest in Him,

Yes, this is His delight!

To have our hearts at peace and rest,

And happy in His sight.

"Let not your heart be troubled."

then, And "fret not," neither fear;

He wants us undisturbed and calm,

For He is ever near.

To trust, delight, commit, and rest,

Were this our daily prayer'

Twould yield the precious fruit of peace

And freedom from all care.

'Twould keep our hearts rejoicing,

With a mind at peace and rest,

And happy in our Father's love,

Whose ways are right and best.

—Lois Beckwith

Daylight Savings

Hey just a reminder that tommorow is Daylight Savings so turn back your clock!