Homeschool Happenings

Just a few weeks left...see light at the end of the tunnel! However.. This is a tough time to get through for us. It seems we are close to finishing so much and excited to start new things. I am already looking ahead to next school year and in June will be taking a huge leap of faith attending my first homeschool conference. I am nervous to see things and think I need to be doing it...I am afraid I will feel I am falling short and will want to do everything I see. I might have to be medicated...only time will tell.

Let's see though..what is going on in CB's Schoolhouse these days.

I can say that we rock in Geography and History but I have to follow that up with admitting that we still stink in Science! I thought this year would be different. I thought that Apologia would change it all for us, but it is just us I guess. The way I see it is this....If one of my boys shows a strong interest in Science, we can cram...we can make it up...we can overcome!

Connor especially really loves the Geography and we have done really well except when we studied the countries of Russia! Wow are those hard to pronounce. This is Connor after filling in the Middle East countries we studied, he of course likes to fill in all that he is familiar with! Here is one area where I am definitely embarrased by what I am learning. Wow, my geography was pretty pathetic!

In History we are studying knights and castles and wow is that exciting! The boys are loving it and they are having a whole lot of fun documenting in their history notebook all that they are learning!

I have decided I am no longer qualified to teach to the level required for the higher math that my boys are in....OK, just kidding....I will be honest, 3rd grade is my limit. I had to get through equivalent fractions with Connor and the next week regrouping addition with Brody. They both did amazing with both topics, but I felt a little tongue tied trying to execute those lesson plans! Connor loved the fractions so much he wrote an expository paragraph on them! His last sentence was; "I like equivalent fractions because I like equal stuff." Brody is amazing in math as well. He adds in his head and grabbed onto the concept of regrouping in addition very easily. I still don't understand how he gets to the answer sometimes, but they are almost always right. Still though, I am looking into a CD Rom program for Connor next year called Teaching Textbooks that I am very excited about! The daily lesson plans will be on the computer followed by a workbook lesson! This will be good for both of us, I'm sure;)

We took two field trips in the last few weeks; one to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and one to the Humane Society. We had a great time at both. We closed the place down in Portland and I could hardly pull my boys out of the play room at the humane society. They have decided they want to have their birthdays there this year.

I have to close with a big fat THANK YOU to the Clampett family from the Beverly Hillbillies! If it wasn't for the hours I spent watching that show as a kid, I am certain of the fact that I would not be able to pull off the voices needed for our current Read Aloud....Strawberry Girl. What a fantastic story! I have reinvented the accent of Ellie May for one of the main characters....Birdie! For that, I will be eternally grateful! Never thought that would come in handy...I guess you really just don't know!

A Day and a Half!

Yesterday was a big day for our little "Bean"! When he crawled out of bed, we informed him that we were skipping church and heading off to the Ag Fest for the day. He felt that was a very appropriate way for him to spend his special day since after all he did officially turn 6 1/2! We told him there would be a petting zoo, a sheep shearing demonstration and handed him the printed map of the fairgrounds! He was grinning from ear to ear!


We had a great time, received a lot of free goodies...like plant starts and even a tree. (of course I forgot what kind it is) The most useful bring home item was 4 brand new spanking pencils. Why can't I ever find one when I need it? They had a lot of hands on activities for the kids such as digging for potatoes and planting. Brody won a free ice cream at a wheel spinning in the dairy booth which he was very excited about. Usually "lady luck" follows Connor so I was happy for him and he was pretty darn proud of that red certificate!







Then we went and had lunch at Padington's Pizza which really was fantastic! It was nice to have daddy with us for all the fun and it was a special day!



This year Brody and Connor wanted to decorate the 1/2 birthday cake ALL by themselves! No shocker that Brody picked white with white frosting....like a sheep. Connor worked real hard with a knife to make it look like sheep's wool and they used the sprinkles to make a sheep (hard to see...look REAL close) and there is some grass down there too. It was a real valiant effort and they were proud of their masterpiece!

Like a Good Neighbor

I have been reflecting this afternoon on how blessed I have been with great neighbors in my life, specifically the last few moves. I remember Kathi and Richard who lived across the way when I was going to live by myself for the first time. They were friendly and helpful and even sent there teenage son over to do all my heavy lifting. They would help with my dog when I was working long hours and even bring me goodies once in a while. They were wonderful to talk to you and kept me company during what could of been a lonely time.

Then of course in Yucaipa, Bryan and I lived next door to his parents for 9 years and they too were terrific neighbors! We spent a lot of time together and I would even call them Jody Brothers Market because I constantly went over there for missing groceries! She always had what I needed! We had wonderful afternoons on the patio and many yummy dinners over too. It was also extra special to walk a few steps for holiday occasions and avoid the awful traffic in Southern California!

We have already had two moves here in Salem and God has been good to us once again! Over on Alderbrook we had David & Aileen who lived right next door. They helped us in the yard and would answer any questions as we were learning our way around town. They were instrumental in our decision to buy the place we are in now and their daughter even drew the plans on our remodel.

I think of this because this afternoon when my doorbell rang it was a new neighbor of mine, LaVurne. She was holding an amazing bunch of lilacs pulled from her yard for me. They are so beautiful and have filled my home with beautiful color and sweet fragrance. Last weekend she called me and gave me a whole bunch of "starts" for us as we begin the huge landscaping project here. I called her a few weeks ago for some advice on our yard and she welcomed me over and walked me all over her property as well as came up and gave some specific advice on mine.

You know, neighbors have the potential to make life miserable and it is one thing that is hard to check out when buying a house...you never know what will be on either side of you or even across the street. So, today I am grateful for the many blessings I have received from great neighbors and hope I can be a good one too.

NOT for Children of All Ages!

I have to say that I am constantly amazed how our culture continously not only exposes to but actually markets completely inappropriate things to our kids.

I don't get on a soapbox to often here, but I can't get this out of my head, so I need to share it.


Last week the boys and I attended a local Shriners Circus which overall was highly entertaining. By far, the finale impressed the socks off all of us....two motorcycle riders in a big steel ball. My boys were literally on the edge of their seat with the thrill and also loved the dog show act.


I found myself continously shocked and disappointed though because of the poor taste in clothing that the female entertainers wore for the show. I don't understand how an attraction like that which markets to children can show such bad judgement and further more I don't understand the point! In my opinion they looked like they would of fit in more in a adult entertainment lounge than a family oriented children's circus! Low cut in the front, high cut in the back....well, you get the picture! Then throw about 50 hula hoops on them and watch them spin, put them in some high heels and add some gymnastics...and you really have a show....but for who??

I will admit when it comes to things like adult humor and violence at this stage in parenting, I am what is probably considered "extreme" in keeping that from my kids. I probably sound "extreme" here too, but I prefer my boys to be exposed to modesty modeled in women which I know will give them a healthier outlook and more respect for them later on in life. What is the point of them seeing things like that? I can see no positive.

I did walk away from there though completely amazed at the sheer amount of talent that the group had. When the whole cast came out, you realized how small it was and how many of them were involved in more than one act. I had some great thoughts running through my mind like....

Who was the first one to say....."Sure, a dog can do a handstand!"
Who thought of this one...."How about juggling with fire...yah that sounds like fun!"

I came away wanting to find a book on circus life and see how they live and am fascinated with what their lives might be like. I am curious about the ones that travel and live life on the road. Are they like a family? Are the other girls jealous of the girl that gets the center ring? How many hours of training are involved in pulling off the two hour show they put on for us? How do they really treat the animals?

I know that it isn't the same with each and every circus. I remember going to a local YMCA circus in Redlands California and I don't remember having the same negative experience. It was a fantastic show with incredibly talented young people. I just remember sweating with fear watching the performers so high up as I have a slight fear of heights myself!

So, I guess I will have to be aware and cautious next time I consider a family night out at the circus...what a shame.

Down on the Farm

Ok...I know we don't really have a farm. We aren't growing anything but weeds, and I am sure of the fact that one cat and dog, does not qualify us for the animals required to earn that title either! It just sounded good.

It has been almost a year since we bought our home here in Salem Oregon. It is the first time that we have owned any amount of property and it has been interesting!

Bryan sold his truck and bought a tractor! Wow, has that already come in handy big time around here! He spent last weekend mowing down the weeds which makes a huge difference!

We had a crew of workers here this week taking down 3 big fir trees that were in the front yard. One was very close to the house and the other two were down by the barn. The good news is, we got a good deal, we have firewood for next winter (after we cut it all up) and they chipped all the branches into a huge pile of mulch that we can't wait to spread around! It also lets much more light into the front of the house which I love! We hope to plant trees that don't get so big.

When the guys were here working on the trees we paid them to finish the day by climbing into a few of the trees into the back and cleaning them up. They did that but left the branches for us to take care of which we all worked on this past weekend. Wow, was that a project and boy did that tractor prove itself useful again! The boys would work for a while, then ask to climb the trees for a while which of course we couldn't resist. They did work hard and we love seeing them climb, play and explore this place. After all, they are the main reason we are here!

So, I feel good knowing that we have at least begun some of the project of working to clean up the outside. I am excited to see it come along! Let me say that "yard work" has a whole new meaning for us now too!

It Just gets Better!

I remember very clearly a conversation with a dear friend a few years ago about our little ones. Although her only son is only 9 months older than mine, when our kids were real little that amount of time is HUGE. Kim was always looking forward to the next stage and told me it just gets better! I remember feeling then almost an anxious feeling about each step when I became a mom. I felt like I would figure one out and feel like I was in a good groove, then I would realize how quickly things would change. I remember thinking what I am going to do with a kid who is 8!

I find myself with that 8 year old now and it is awesome!! I do love each stage and it really does seem to get better. It definitely changes and sometimes that change is hard, but now I feel like I have this little man in my life and I just adore him. I love so much about having a child at this stage; he is starting to cook for himself, he can find things in the car when I can't, I can reason with him and explain things that I never could before, and he displays this confidence that grows with each passing year. We have great talks now and I truly enjoy his company. Plus, let's face it the board games get way better!!

In the past few weeks, he has gone to a no back booster, received his first pocket knife and tomorrow will be taking his first school test administered by someone other than me. It is a wonderfully strange feeling to be parenting a boy and one that is just not so little any more. I think I have turned a major corner and instead of anxiety about the next step, I am now anticipating the next step because it really does just keep getting better!

NO...You CAN'T Read now!!!

Boy do I feel like a horrible mom when I say this, but sometimes I just have to. Every day this seems to be our dialogue....

Me: "Boys...come on time to start school!" (enthusiastically said mind you)

Boys: "Can we PLEASE start with reading?" (a little whiny)

Me: "We really need to get going on some of our other language arts first, then you can do your reading."

Boys: "wwwwwhiiiiiiinnnnnnnneeeee"

Literally this happens almost every day. The only problem with them starting with their school assigned reading is that they will not stop!!! They are both a year ahead in their "readers" with Sonlight and they just can't put them down. They really do pick the best books, but there is never enough! I have to use it as leverage to get their other schoolwork done. What a problem to have!




Brody just starting reading chapter books a few weeks ago and is doing SO well comprehending what he is reading. They both discovered these Magic Tree House books and are gobbling them up! They are a real quick read for Connor as in on the way home from church, but they take Brody a little longer. Someone told me that they were good books and we had a few on the shelf so I pulled them down and they are loving them. Brody even explained to me after reading Dolphins at Daybreak how a pearl is made! They do have some magic and one I previewed had some ghosts but we have talked about it extensively and they know it is pretend fun. Today they took $25 that I got from selling some toys on craigslist to the Book Bin and bought 11 of them with that money. Of course Connor picked out his share in numerical order and he tried real hard to be patient with Brody when he picked out ones with titles that he likes with numbers all over the place! It was VERY cute!








The other day on the way home from piano they had a great conversation about another book they both read titled "Amazing True Dog Stories." I have to say it was kind of surreal hearing them in the backseat talking so grown up and sharing this experience. It made me realize how much my little ones are growing up!







Connor curled up with his LA reader, the famous...Henry and Ribsy!




I walked by their room and the other day and saw this and thought it was so precious. He just pulled his desk chair right up to the bookshelf! I also caught him reading by flashlight one morning when he woke up early and both of the little boogers were up until 10:15 reading the other night.




Brody will be sharing his very first book report at FIGS and he chose the first real chapter book he read called....Sheep and Goat (a gift from Aunt Ann & Uncle Max)! He has practiced it so much, he has it memorized and he wrote it all by himself using an outline I gave him! I got a clip of him doing a practice run!

Easter Fun!

We had some real fun this Easter holiday! Here are the boys with the "loot" from their Easter baskets. Connor got a new bible which he was SO excited about. We have misplaced his old one, but was ready for a new one anyway. He was happy to take it to Sunday school today! He also received his very first pocket knife which we know made him feel so grown up. He got a Swiss Army Knife and he can't wait to have some fun with that! He loves his new doodle markers that color and write and is good with the candy too!

Brody got a new devotion book that he was so ready for and new "mini" markers which he loved also. I just couldn't resist getting him a little sheep after what happened the other day. We were cleaning out their room and I was encouraging them to purge through some of their belongings. I felt that we could pass on some stuffed animals and after an agonizing search we narrowed it down to 3 sheep. Then we got down to one but when he went to say "goodbye" he tried hard to be strong, but was torn up inside. I couldn't go through with or expect him to! They did get rid of a few toys and one stuffed animal so I was happy with that! He is very thrilled with his new puffy sheep!

Daddy and the boys colored eggs on Saturday while I was out and daddy was sweet enough to remember to grab a picture for me!

We finished our day up with a egg hunt and a yummy Easter ham dinner! The service at church was incredible and we had a great day!

Busy & Blissed

A few reasons why my afternoon out did NOT feel like a break from mommyhood....

1) The weather was awful; rainy and stormy off and on all day
2) I ran marathon errands for a total of 9
3) I ran those 9 errands in the awful rainy weather
4) Target and Wal-Mart supercenter were included in that bunch
5) I was out on a Saturday at the beginning of the month
6) I was out on a Saturday at the beginning of the month, the day before a holiday!

A few reasons why my afternoon out DID feel like a break!

1) My afternoon did start with lunch by myself and a good book
2) I was the only one put out by the awful weather in and out of all those stores
3) I splurged on Starbucks
4) It ended with a facial at Simply Blissed!

I had this afternoon planned all week, but the errands kept piling up. It has been forever since I had a facial and when they called earlier in the week and could get me in, I jumped on the chance! When I got there, I got to put my feet up on the couch with a warm wrap around my shoulders and a hot cup of tea. My facial was incredible...warm booties on my feet...relaxing music...and incredible smells. It was SO wonderful! They really know how to spoil you there!

Then I came home to dishes in the sink, the boys still in their pajamas wanting dinner, laundry to put away.......you know....back to reality;) Connor and Brody did enjoy their "daddy day" and even colored their Easter eggs! I enjoyed talking to them on the phone. Sounds silly...but they sound so different when I talk to them on the phone, so grown up!

All in all.....Busy & Blissed....and wonderful!

News from the FIGS front....

Our homeschool group continues to meet each week and the boys are doing wonderful and really enjoying themselves! It is definitely keeping me busy too!

Connor was awarded the very special "Stanley Sportman's Award" a few weeks ago and was very proud. He was caught sharing balls with other kids during a game of toe tag among other things that day! He slept with it on his bed the whole week!

He impressed the crowd with his Show & Tell taking a joke book that Aunt Lara got for him. He ended with 3 jokes and had everyone laughing! He also recited a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson titled My Shadow.

Brody has been a little "nervous" for presentation but did a stellar job reciting "Sheep and Lambs" by Kathryn Tynan and some scripture verse the next time. He has his first book report coming up in a week and is very excited!

We had an art lesson on Gauguin and they had a project titled "Surprise Color" with oil pastels which they enjoyed. Connor created a castle, a field and an orange river with a shark ( a few surprises there) Brody of course did a sheep.....mmmm...imagine that, threw in a purple tree and blue grass!

On Tuesday we went to the Elsinore Theatre with a few families from our group to enjoy "Nate the Great". It was very well done and the kids had a ball!

Yesterday was our Ressurection Party and it was full of fun! We had PE...craft time....snacks with our friends...acted out the Sounds of Easter....and had a relay race blowing chocolate eggs through straws! What fun!

This group of homeschool families has been such a blessing to us over the past few months and we love seeing our friends each and every week!