This is a bitter sweet moment. I decided to move my blog to worldpress since they have more options to add to my blog; gives me a tad more freedom. Go to Homeschoolinmomma.worldpress.com, stop in and say hi. I will be closing this one day in two months after I all those links moved over to the new one. Whew!
On a side note......yes Jill =P, I haven't been posting to the blog since Sept. 3rd. Well, my grandma passed away on the 6th and I've been going through some major grieving/depression due to all the drama. Families are good for drama and I have a gem of a tale to tell one day.
Stop by and see the new blog. I promise it will be worth the move.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
That isn't GG
My grandma isn't doing well. Her doctor put her into the hospital last Thursday evening for a blood transfusion and to have a surgeon look at her legs (sores caused by poor circulation). The surgeon did what she could for her (cleaned out the wounds), but amputation would be the only way to remove the infection spreading through her body. Monday we got the call that her kidneys are shutting down. They can't do much for her except make her comfortable. Morphine is her best friend at this time. Its hard to see this woman, who was so full of life, diminish day-by-day; hour-by-hour.
We have spent may hours by her bed side these last few days. Or I should say I have. The boys are very close to her and it is so hard for them to see her like this. Zane has said "that isn't GG.".........I totally agree.
We have spent may hours by her bed side these last few days. Or I should say I have. The boys are very close to her and it is so hard for them to see her like this. Zane has said "that isn't GG.".........I totally agree.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Menu Plan - Aug 31-Sept 6
Found a great idea on a blog a while back. Every Monday post your dinner menu for the week. No more guessing what to fix everyday. Grocery shopping is much easier...you have a plan with a list. :)
We have several pounds of hamburger left from the 1/2 cow we bought last year from a processing center. This has to be used up before we get any more meat. Lots of hamburger recipes will be in our menu until its depleted; creativity is the key.
Monday - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with rolls
Tuesday - Meatball subs, cucumber salad
Wednesday - French toast bake, bacon, and strawberries
Thursday - Chicken Spaghetti, salad
Friday - Slow cooker chili
Saturday - Steak, twice-backed potatoes, roasted asparagus and possible leftover salad
Sunday - Roasted Turkey breast w/gravy, stuffing, stewed apples, and green beans.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Prorities and routines
Ever notice if one thing is left out other items multiply at that spot becoming a huge cluttered mess? Or one thing in our daily routine doesn't get done and makes you feel behind all day? Yesterday nothing went right. All of my routines were out of whack or not done at all. Why? I woke up late because I stayed up to late the night before (there was this tv show I wanted to watch and....). This caused my morning routine not to be done and chaos ensued. Routines are a must with me. I'm easily distracted and without them or my to-do lists my day goes to the wayside. What is our focus for the day? What is the most important part to accomplish? What is our goals/our priorities for home and school? Do they coincide with our routines or focus?
1. Every morning, after I feed the cat or she won't let me be due to starvation (if you see my cat she is far from starved), is sit down and read from the Bible. Fifteen minutes every morning puts me into focus of what is truly important. If I don't do this my day is a wreck waiting to happen. 2. My second routine is read my calendar, the menu for the day, school planner, and my emails for flylady's to-do list as well as my own personal to-do for errands, who to call, etc. Knowing what my day holds for me or my family keeps chaos at bay. No one wants to wake up to find no milk for breakfast because I didn't go to the store on errand day. 3. I'm also finding that walking every day is helping me clear my head. A counselor I was seeing once told me this is the best time to pray. And it is! Not only do you have uninterrupted 'quiet' time but you get to see God's beautiful creations He made (flowers, trees as they change, sun rise, etc) as you walk.
Everything in our home has a place and a place for everything. If it doesn't or we don't need it, it doesn't stay for very long. As easily distracted I am, having to much clutter is bad for me. I'm not a neat freak, but my home must have a sense of order. Its a welcome haven for my family and friends.
Simple order, daily spiritual time, and routines can help our day go much smother.
1. Every morning, after I feed the cat or she won't let me be due to starvation (if you see my cat she is far from starved), is sit down and read from the Bible. Fifteen minutes every morning puts me into focus of what is truly important. If I don't do this my day is a wreck waiting to happen. 2. My second routine is read my calendar, the menu for the day, school planner, and my emails for flylady's to-do list as well as my own personal to-do for errands, who to call, etc. Knowing what my day holds for me or my family keeps chaos at bay. No one wants to wake up to find no milk for breakfast because I didn't go to the store on errand day. 3. I'm also finding that walking every day is helping me clear my head. A counselor I was seeing once told me this is the best time to pray. And it is! Not only do you have uninterrupted 'quiet' time but you get to see God's beautiful creations He made (flowers, trees as they change, sun rise, etc) as you walk.
Everything in our home has a place and a place for everything. If it doesn't or we don't need it, it doesn't stay for very long. As easily distracted I am, having to much clutter is bad for me. I'm not a neat freak, but my home must have a sense of order. Its a welcome haven for my family and friends.
Simple order, daily spiritual time, and routines can help our day go much smother.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Presents in the mailbox
Or at least it is for me. Its like opening Christmas presents when we receive a delivery of anything, even if I'm the one who ordered it. The missing teacher books arrived. I'm diving in excitedly looking over what we will accomplish this year. Smile on my face, I asked the kid if liked these new teacher aids. My brilliant second born answers "Oh, more school books". LOL
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Lost the bid
My maximum bid of $60 was lost to t***7 late last night to someone else with a bigger need than I. lol At first I was going to rebid but quickly did the math. This was going to cost me MORE than it would if I bought it from a dealer. We were only bidding on the books, not a CD in sight. That little CD is $50 by itself. Naw, I think I'll just bite the bullet and order it through my normal curriculum suppler Rainbow Resources with a rush on delivery.
On a side note, a good friend of mine stopped by last night with her copy of Exploring Creation with Zoology 2. Unfortunately she didn't have Zoology 1, yet I'm not going to worry about it.......free is a gift. I have borrowed her Exploring Creation books for the last 3 years. The boys and I have studied the planets and botany; now we are onto Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. We have all enjoyed the details giving as well as the experiments to accomplish afterwords.
Still waiting for the teachers edition of Bob Jones History 8 and Writing/Grammar kit. Delay in shipping. This is what I get for procrastinating. Yet we will get them and the kid will get his education, that I have no worries about. Love homeschooling and the flexibility to do things that work for us instead of the system.
On a side note, a good friend of mine stopped by last night with her copy of Exploring Creation with Zoology 2. Unfortunately she didn't have Zoology 1, yet I'm not going to worry about it.......free is a gift. I have borrowed her Exploring Creation books for the last 3 years. The boys and I have studied the planets and botany; now we are onto Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. We have all enjoyed the details giving as well as the experiments to accomplish afterwords.
Still waiting for the teachers edition of Bob Jones History 8 and Writing/Grammar kit. Delay in shipping. This is what I get for procrastinating. Yet we will get them and the kid will get his education, that I have no worries about. Love homeschooling and the flexibility to do things that work for us instead of the system.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Last set of books to get
We have always used Saxon math. Only because it was the same curriculum the kids used at public school and I wanted to keep them with something familiar. Do we stick with it this year or switch to something else? This is the last of my books we need this year. Why did I procrastinate til now?
Researching I found that Bob Jones's 8th grade math looks easier to the eyes on a page. The reviews are great about it as well as for Saxon. Only $14 difference in the price, BJP being on the higher end and this is without the cd while the the Saxon set includes the cd. The kid wants Saxon because it has the cd that teaches him instead of me. Anyways I bit the bullet and bid on a set on ebay. Now its a wait and see if I get it.
Researching I found that Bob Jones's 8th grade math looks easier to the eyes on a page. The reviews are great about it as well as for Saxon. Only $14 difference in the price, BJP being on the higher end and this is without the cd while the the Saxon set includes the cd. The kid wants Saxon because it has the cd that teaches him instead of me. Anyways I bit the bullet and bid on a set on ebay. Now its a wait and see if I get it.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Back to school again
Its that time again. I personally can't believe our summer has gone by so quickly. To much to do so little time to play. Darn it.
I'm back home again; stopped working about 3 weeks ago. The laundry mountain has become a small hill. The house is starting to look decluttered and more like an inviting home I love. There is major work ahead of me, but with FlyLady and her reminders, I'll get there eventually. (Saw a testimonial about it took a flybaby 6 months to get her home looking nice and it clicked. I don't have to do it ALL today.)
Our oldest asked to return to public school this year. He started Thursday and has said it was great and loves the challenge. I miss him during the day yet I know he needs this. Tomorrow homeschool starts for the two younger ones and me. Yeah me!!
Last week I bought a planner geared for homeschooling parents. Shocking part is I have never used any type of planner/organizer except for her calender in the kitchen. After looking at the samples and examples, it made since to me. "Why didn't I do this before?" Frankly, I thought I didn't need one. Thinking back I never knew what the boys were to do, when it was do, and so forth. This looks like it will keep me focused on what our goals are for each week/month/semester. My plan is every Sunday evening to go through all subjects per kid and write down what we need to do. Be it a test, workbook page, experiment, to a field trip...its going to be planned. What if I can't do something that day because I'm sick or the kids are? There is always tomorrow.
Our major battle this year is going to be finding act ivies for 6th-12th graders. We have support groups in our area, yet they lack activities for the older kids. Doing research on the net I'm finding the same lack of ideas and activities for this group of students. My mission today though, is to find some lessons or ideas geared for 6th - 8th grade on: Bible Study, Indiana State Studies (should have been done in 4th grade but......you get the drift), Spelling, P.E., and Home Ec. The rest of our subjects are already here or soon to be. Need to order 8th grade math yet. Thought I had one somewhere...............................now where did I put those books?
I'm back home again; stopped working about 3 weeks ago. The laundry mountain has become a small hill. The house is starting to look decluttered and more like an inviting home I love. There is major work ahead of me, but with FlyLady and her reminders, I'll get there eventually. (Saw a testimonial about it took a flybaby 6 months to get her home looking nice and it clicked. I don't have to do it ALL today.)
Our oldest asked to return to public school this year. He started Thursday and has said it was great and loves the challenge. I miss him during the day yet I know he needs this. Tomorrow homeschool starts for the two younger ones and me. Yeah me!!
Last week I bought a planner geared for homeschooling parents. Shocking part is I have never used any type of planner/organizer except for her calender in the kitchen. After looking at the samples and examples, it made since to me. "Why didn't I do this before?" Frankly, I thought I didn't need one. Thinking back I never knew what the boys were to do, when it was do, and so forth. This looks like it will keep me focused on what our goals are for each week/month/semester. My plan is every Sunday evening to go through all subjects per kid and write down what we need to do. Be it a test, workbook page, experiment, to a field trip...its going to be planned. What if I can't do something that day because I'm sick or the kids are? There is always tomorrow.
Our major battle this year is going to be finding act ivies for 6th-12th graders. We have support groups in our area, yet they lack activities for the older kids. Doing research on the net I'm finding the same lack of ideas and activities for this group of students. My mission today though, is to find some lessons or ideas geared for 6th - 8th grade on: Bible Study, Indiana State Studies (should have been done in 4th grade but......you get the drift), Spelling, P.E., and Home Ec. The rest of our subjects are already here or soon to be. Need to order 8th grade math yet. Thought I had one somewhere...............................now where did I put those books?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Gasping for air
Yeah yeah, I've been lax in posting on my blog. Kinda busy of late. Yes, I'm busy. Well lets see some of the highlights in my life........
- Part-time job was to be 20 hrs a week has turned into 30.
- Elderly grandmother (maternal) had back surgery in November and is now unable to walk without a walker. I help with her care.
- Elderly mother, on oxygen 24/7. I do what I can for her when she needs it.
- Paternal grandmother passed away unexpectedly in March.
- Homeschooling 3 kids.
- Huband is gone 5 days a week for work....I'm both parent while he is gone.
- Household chores still need to be done (I've tried to ignore them but the dust bunnies don't listen).
- Selling our house to get a bigger one so grandma can live with us.
- Got diagnosed with Insulin Resistance Syndrome. Have to revamp our cooking/eating/life.
I'm behind the eight ball. Why? To much on my plate? Yes and no. I'm exhausted all the time and have chronic headaches. My body makes to much insulin. For the last two weeks, I've eaten 90-120g of carbs a day, a lot of protein and veggies. Headaches are gone. I don't remember having one in that two weeks. This is unheard of in my life. I have headaches daily!
Started meds today to help control my insulin production. Doc said that could take a couple weeks to really notice a big difference. It will help with my exhaustion & weight loss. Today I'm more awake and alert (diet has a lot to do with this). I have been up since 6:30 and now I'm getting tired (its almost 1pm). Not like before the new meds and diet. I'd be up 2 hrs and need to sleep 5 from total exhaustion. Who knew there was life in the afternoon? I didn't.
Homeschooling. We are looking into a private school here. I do NOT like the way public schools are ran nor the way kids can do anything they want. Depending on the cost this may be prohibitive. There are some charter schools on the internet. We may have to look into them.
- Part-time job was to be 20 hrs a week has turned into 30.
- Elderly grandmother (maternal) had back surgery in November and is now unable to walk without a walker. I help with her care.
- Elderly mother, on oxygen 24/7. I do what I can for her when she needs it.
- Paternal grandmother passed away unexpectedly in March.
- Homeschooling 3 kids.
- Huband is gone 5 days a week for work....I'm both parent while he is gone.
- Household chores still need to be done (I've tried to ignore them but the dust bunnies don't listen).
- Selling our house to get a bigger one so grandma can live with us.
- Got diagnosed with Insulin Resistance Syndrome. Have to revamp our cooking/eating/life.
I'm behind the eight ball. Why? To much on my plate? Yes and no. I'm exhausted all the time and have chronic headaches. My body makes to much insulin. For the last two weeks, I've eaten 90-120g of carbs a day, a lot of protein and veggies. Headaches are gone. I don't remember having one in that two weeks. This is unheard of in my life. I have headaches daily!
Started meds today to help control my insulin production. Doc said that could take a couple weeks to really notice a big difference. It will help with my exhaustion & weight loss. Today I'm more awake and alert (diet has a lot to do with this). I have been up since 6:30 and now I'm getting tired (its almost 1pm). Not like before the new meds and diet. I'd be up 2 hrs and need to sleep 5 from total exhaustion. Who knew there was life in the afternoon? I didn't.
Homeschooling. We are looking into a private school here. I do NOT like the way public schools are ran nor the way kids can do anything they want. Depending on the cost this may be prohibitive. There are some charter schools on the internet. We may have to look into them.
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