The Homeschool Mother's Journal Wk 12~It's ALL ABOUT Drama!

I'm participating in The Homeschool Mother's Journal this week and we're ALL about DRAMA right now! Drama Club that is! Both my kids have been heading out at dawn each morning and driving to drama group for the last week of this semester's production of Charlotte's Web! I am too thrilled! In fact, I get to GO SEE IT tonight~WOOT!! My daughter is such a trooper~she has two minor roles~a baby gosling and a baby spider! My son is a supporting crew member~he's cleaned and readied the theater each performance and tonight will work as an usher and in concessions!  AMAZING!

In My Life and In Our Homeschool This Week:
It's been a crazy week. First out my pastor of many years~my childhood and teen-early twenties passed away on Saturday. You know how you think you can lay all your demons to rest and moved on in life for it to suddenly bite you? Well, that's what this has been like.  I will one day write about all my feelings related to this but for now, please just know that it did effect me and I have been very sorry that he is gone. In fact, now that he is~something is MISSING that was good in this world...As for how I've done, I have struggled keeping my food plan in place. I am still sugar and white flour free but my portions will sometimes take a hit and I will eat more than I normally do.  I've been pretty good with this so far~but it is a challenge. I do celebrate 26 weeks tomorrow and now one year in my eating program.  My clothes are significantly looser and I am now a few shoes sizes smaller! woot! I've been on my bike and I've been pretty active. We're cleaning out one 1/2 of the basement and I am getting ready for a HUGE CURRICULUM CLEANOUT~be on the look out! Also I am reordering my stuff~Can you say~C R A Z Y?? LOL...

Our homeschooling has been excused as our daughter is on leave from her school work and our son is off for three days until the play is complete. I will have some pics for you next week that I am taking tonight! I am too thrilled! AND SOO ready for that break!
 
Places We're Going and Ppl We're Seeing:
  Drama Club TONIGHT AND TOMORROW April 15-16th@the Holland Theater in Bellefontaine, OH!   Check out this HS group!
Daughter is a gosling and baby spider~awwww...LOL!  
 
My Favorite Thing This Week was...
Seeing all the progress in my kids and how well they are holding up under such responsibility.  My son was stretched by interacting with a special needs young man and I am praying for him to do God's will. I love that we are cleaning our basement and that I am FINDING MY LIFE again! woot!  I also like that I am in that smaller shoe size!!! whoot whoot!
 
What's Working/Not Working For Us...
I like that the weather is BEGINNING to cooperate~NO SNOW this week! YAY!! AND the flowers in my yard are getting going~
 
Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
Will JUNE ever get here?!  And CAN I purge all my book cases easily???

Here's a pic~Okay~A FEW...lol! (BUT HOW COULD I RESIST?? LOL)
 

Boxes from our basement~

Drawn portrait  by a cousin of me @ 3.5 yrs~

mine when they were babies~

Dolls in storage w/o their clothes~

Our house~street view turning in...GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME!

First flower of the season~

 Thanks for stopping by~CK OUT the other moms by clicking on that big button up top. You can join up too if you want~ WHAT'S YOUR week been like? ;-))

Family Films~Truth Be Told: TOMORROW NIGHT

I'm excited to share that Proctor & Gamble and Wal-Mart have teamed up again (READ about FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT) to bring a family friendly FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT to network televion~WHEW! WHAT a breath of fresh air from all the JUNK out there!

This is for all you romantics~Here's a movie for you! In fact, this is a FEEL GOOD movie.  If I have a problem it's that these "nice people" meaning the main characters got themselves into such a circumstance...DO PPL REALLY think they can LIE and it turn out okay??? Hmmmm...soooo for all the moralists out there like me~you might have a problem with the premise to begin with...I mean~LIES NEVER PAY, right??? Of course not...and this movie isn't all giddy-glory but...NO SPOILER HERE...

TUNE IN tomorrow night on FOX (Saturday; 4/16/2011 - 7pm CST)
Facebook FAN PAGE HERE!
Web :PageHere's the trailer~

I was given a sneak peak at Truth Be Told as part of the Propeller Blog program in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own. THANKS!

SisterT's Braggn' AGAIN!

You can watch her draw it HERE!

Teacher Tipster: HISTORY Class

I'm a believer in making stuff REAL.  We love field trips and getting out and doing~but finding the money and resources can be a challenge sometimes.  When teaching subjects, if we can go and do we seem to really enjoy the experiences of that event or topic we are diving into~There are many ways to make history come alive for your student.  Teaching using all the modalities such as visual~do you have pictures or film? Audio can be a dramatization of a historical event. I have the pilgrim's of Plymouth on tape and my kids enjoyed listening to it several years ago. We like books on tape too.  Recently I taped my daughter's text reading so she could listen to mp3 while in Drama Club so she wouldn't fall behind.  Tactile could be field trips and hands on activities such as building a model. We built a mini to scale Noah's Ark about 6 years ago~woot! You can use living books and several history curriculi have book lists of suggested readings.

Here's a youtube video on the Civil War Veterans.  Short but nice to see the actual men who served.


How do you teach history? Thanks for coming by~let me know you were here with a comment please ;-))

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN Wha????

We have a winner~
Thanks to all who entered...

Barb G of Diabetic Snacker!!
Whoot!

WIN $100 VISA Gift Card~

And like, I'm gonna tell you where?? Yeah, I'll tell you...LOL~because I love ya! HOPE I win, though! LOL
ENDS TOMORROW, 4/12/11~HEAD ON OVER!!

Blog Cruise: SisterT's Talking About HSing in the SMALL Places!

THE QUESTION:

How do you or do you homeschool in a small area (small space, small house, etc.)?

While I'm not small physically, but financially I AM a small person~I don't have a HUGE grand home~I don't have...blah, blah, blah...but what I do have, has done the job~and we've been doing the job into our 10th year~We've ALMOST completed it, too~woot!!

But HSing in a small place has never been a barrier for me.  In fact, I prefer NOT to have a dedicated  or large space, because twice now, in our HSing I've had them.  I LIKE having HSing integrated into our home and lives~but...this too can have draw backs. Do you have a dedicated space, however small it might be or do you drool over the fashionably design deva coordinated school room~shelves all matching~tools all coordinated~things all orderly and BEAUTIFUL?  Well, yes.  I guess on some level we might all desire that...but I'm here to say that it might NOT be best and it's certainly NOT necessary.  All the 'put together' of the latest-greatest things in decor won't get your children NOR mine taught the 3Rs much less the 'important' things in life.  So SisterT, JUST WHAT are you saying you might be asking.

HSing imho happens BEST in the natural environment of our homes.  RADICAL~I know.  In fact, I've tried it a few times THE OTHER WAY~and while it's very necessary to have essentials like storage/places to sit and the items needed to officiate the learning, all the glitz and glam~WHILE NICE, isn't necessary...and having a small space just might be BEST!
 
Okay~here's my story.  You see, in our HSing we've done it living in...five different homes.  Each had its pluses and minues~but I do know that the BIGGEST waste of energy was early on when I set up a dedicated school room which we QUICKLY abandoned! Why? Because we were too isolated.  ENTIRELY too isolated.  My children nor myself enjoyed being shut away from the hub of the home~our family room (which is essentially a living room.)  And so it wasn't long that the little schoolroom become repurposed into a bedroom and our book shelves found their way into our living spaces.

I think working at the kitchen table gives wonderful importance to the task of doing 'school work.'  And I know that while sometimes our routines might be interrupted b/c we are doing 'school' we do have to dedicate time to it for sure~AND this will mean that when my kids are curled up on the sofa reading or in the recliner or even at the table~there were days and still are they will spread out on the floor~ANYTHING goes as far as WHERE~but the importance of being able to drop all other HOME ACTIVITIES to focus on the educational aspect means that we really value VALUE value the learning that is going on!  Hub stops! Grandma stops! I stop! And even the dogs and cats stop! Everything can be put on hold for that treasured time each day when learning takes precedence. 

It's not always convenient either. We have a tutor coming twice a week and they work at our kitchen/dining table. Our home is open concept so we all leave these rooms in order for peace to reign~I don't fix food or anything~well...I do try to be prepped so when he gets here all is set~but it takes order and organization to pull this off~and believe me, it's not always easy, but we do it b/c it's important!

Finding places and order in the everyday~When we first began and even today, I stored stuff in unusual places for HSing so that it was readily accessible and in the normal environment.  For instance, I used and still do use our buffet in our dining room to store OUT OF SIGHT schooling items.  When they were littles each child had a door and drawer~today it's a chest type and the printer paper/ink and stuff like that is there~printer is beside it~networked over 7 computers in our home! Okay, you get the idea? We put stuff where we can~and of course I have some lovely shelving that hub built just a few years ago(see that pic of the bookcase!)~oh boy! yes! AND these are in our family room which is a very very very small room crammed with three recliners~well, we school between this room and a small space we created to put two computer desk top stations(another pic here with daughter and cat!/son and desktop).  But unless it's the computer stuff they're doing~and sometimes even still b/c they both have lap tops that will access the materials~they will take it all to the dining room table  or couch or even into their rooms. It just makes sense, and my daughter says she can spread out better on the floor with her books.  My son prefers his bed or the couch to read!  I don't expect them to school sitting at those work stations all day~in fact, I hope they won't!  I've gotten padded office chairs, but overall~the kitchen/dining table does it best!

I found, too that I don't *LIKE* cleaning more rooms than are necessary!  Incorporating HSing into our lives has worked so well~that I don't ever plan to change this aspect of our lives! Learning IS a natural occurrence of our lives~WHY worry and manufacture the environment?

A few benefits of schooling in the normal environment whatever the size space is that I believe our children not only GET the importance of education, but they learn HOW to learn in the regular everyday.  Nothing hard about that...and also that they can develop a good attitude and probably won't even realize that school happens ALL the time!  Do you realize you are teaching AS YOU GO?  Deut definitely admonishes the parents in the Old Testament to teach their children the precepts of the Lord as they went about the EVERYDAY.  This is such a key to learning how to do LIFE. I'm not an advocate of a 'curriculum' for 'life skills' either. To me, they are best taught naturally!

Tips for HSing in a tight space:
1. Use the storage you have well~organize and catagorize.
2. Weed out! Boy, do I need to do this~in fact..I will be SOON! AND let me say that the public library often has what we need as does digital storage or FREE online~why accumulate and store when online works well?
3.  Use book bags for each child~I did this for years~it made our work portable and kept it all together~
4.  Bookshelves/cases~of course, this will depend upon your actual SPACE in your home, but a single book width bookcase can fit nicely behind most soft cushy chairs in the livingroom or along side kitchen walls~also I've used these in the children's room to organize toys verses the hodgepodge of a toy box making their play items much more accessible.
5. Boxes or baskets~I use these to organize on the shelves to make them seem less cluttered (Ya think? MY STUFF IS WAY TOO CLUTTERED) But in the living spaces baskets and boxes (attractive ones you can make or buy) will HIDE all that school stuff~whoot!
6.  Finding creative places to store stuff: under the couch, in buffets, on book cases, in cabinets, in book bags, baskets on the floor, behind the piano (this is where some of our BIG charts are stored!) and the like...on a door that is always opened~to the back is our daily schedule...we don't have all our school stuff hanging out for all visitors to SEE, but it's there~believe me ;-))

Okay~so that whole crew if offering up their thoughts! Head on over to ck it out            !

BELOW you can see what a 'best' teenage 'friend' LOL did to her pic...LOL! LOVE IT! LOL

Do you have a big place dedicated or do you incorporate it into the natural normal environment of your home?  Thanks so much for coming by~;-))

The Homeschool Mother's Journal Wk11~CRUNCH WEEK Big Time!

I'm participating in Sue's journal and if you wanna know more~like JOIN UP or read mo~click the big button!!

In My Life and In Our Homeschool This Week:
Would YOU believe we had snow flurries AGAIN this week?  Just flurries, but flurries none the less! And it's cooold out there right now~although not so that we don't have a few windows up~so maybe it isn't too bad! LOL...It could be that ole saying of the glass either 1/2 full...OR 1/2 empty...LOL...

Soo we are in a very very very busy week! Girl Thing One~Miss DRAMA QUEEN...LOL is in Charlotte's Web with a six performance run with CenterStage Productions which is a homeschool drama club that consists of all homeschoolers!  Her brother doesn't ACT~but is a crew member by doing supportive work like building sets and working on other crews such as working to get the kids hair done for their characters.  NEXT weekend is PERFORMANCE and it's EVERYDAY getting things pulled together!  The drama club calls this POLISHING WEEK meaning they are perfecting their performance all week this week and next week will be dress rehersals and then~D day!  LOL  I am exhausted. I don't know HOW they do it. Of course, we are on spring break which is good b/c the time commitment is HUGE~but next week is going to be nearly impossible for them by being at the theater all day everyday and evening~pray for us! Thanks!

I'm doing fine on my eating plan and I have lost a 1/2 inch these last couple of weeks in my hips. MAKES ME KNOW that the jeans I just ordered that are a little loose right now will be bagging really bad so that second pair that hasn't arrived I need to cancel.  NO need to have huge clothes~I can reorder the smaller size~WOOT!!  Eating and activity is good.

I am struggling with a new season coming in my life, though.  I am going to be selling much of our homeschooling curriculum.  With virtual academy, all these resources are unneeded. I am purging and will post that list up when I get it pulled together. Literally there is at least five years or so of STUFF~

Places We're Going and Ppl We're Seeing:
Check out this HS group!
Daughter is a gosling and baby spider~awwww...LOL!

 
My Favorite Thing This Week was...
God blessing me with the restoration of a relationship~AMEN and AMEN!
 
What's Working/Not Working For Us...
The virtual academy and drama group TIME conflicts~
 
Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
IS purging the hsing stuff wise? I believe it is~It's a new season! But also WHAT THE HECK am I gonna do NXT?? LOL...

Here's a pic~Okay~A FEW...lol! (BUT HOW COULD I RESIST?? LOL)

I want to begin a NEW theme here on Telln' It! How about:  On A Tank~meaning what I see in on a car trip~Soo here's some pics from this week in Bellefontaine, OH when GirlThingOne was a Drama Club for practice~

Logan County Courthouse~neat ole blding..could be on a hill...LOL

Performer's entrance~Holland Theater...yes, that's milk..don't ask! LOL

EVER HIT a brick wall?? LOL

Adult parole office~might NEED this one...LOL

Across from Courthouse and on the first paved st in US!  SEE the street?? LOL

Cornerstone of Veterans Blding below~

Currently the Veteran's Bldg~Go troops!

Lower detail of Logan County Courthouse~

Detail of Logan County Courthouse~where are the gargoils? LOL

This CRACKS me up! Imagine...the treatments...LOL!

Can you tell I LOVE old buildings and 'other' oddities?? LOL...okay, so THANKS for cking in on us this week~HOW are you?  READ MO             !

Fit Mommy Friday~WK 14: FAT HEAD

I have figured out with God's help just WHAT my problem is~I have a FAT HEAD! Not kidding! So much of my eating problem is related to my mind~what I think and how I think and then ultimately it has affected WHAT I DO~

As big as my body is~my head is FATTER!  But I'm seeing RESULTS~just in the few short weeks since measuring I've lost in my hips~yes, it's slow...but it's SURE!  I bought new jeans that are WAY WAY too baggy now so that second pair on their way will be sent back for a SMALLER size!  I'm still bustn' a move as much as I can~oh it's no exercise guru mover stuff~but in time...My body is bagging and sagging~well, it's gotta loosen up to lighten up, right??

Sooo ~TODAY (and sorry this is up too late!) I'm celebrating 25 weeks of no white flour or sugars. In fact, I've favored a low carb diet in general and boosted the protein~which I had never done before and my appetite is more satisfied and my energy more sustained.  I am eating 3 solid meals a day~yes, breakfast and I have begun the believe that BREAKFAST IS KEY!  But most importantly I have avoided compulsive overeating by working a 12 step program and also avoiding the temptations as much as possible. I have learned I can DO the nxt right thing in all of this and that God is concerned with the fuel I ingest~He wants glory in my sacrifices~and this is a sacrifice, believe me~So to eat in a God honoring way is huge for me~maybe simple for you...huge, for me!

Thanks for coming by to ck on my progress~it won't be perfection! I am not perfect, but God is! Thanks again!
Ck out the other Fit Mommys                 !

REVIEW: SCIENCE the FUN Way~

Science Weekly

Website 
1-800-4-W E E K L Y
PRICE: Subscription Prices: <20 $4.95 yr per child/>20 $19.95 each per child
AGES: PreK, K, 1,2,3,4,5-6th
I say: Very well done and informative~AWESOME!

I received a sample topic of all the age levels of Science Weekly as part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's TOS CREW in exchange of my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own. 

 Wanna MAKE DIRT?? Okay, silly question, I know! But I received the Science Weekly on Composting and  it's pretty neat how it broke down the topic into the age groups ~made it interesting and easy to understand but thorough! Reminds me of a kid newspaper on science each child can have! Fun! There are activities and as well as information~I especially liked the teaching material which is the adult version of the material~

Looking for a neat way to reinforce or teach various aspects of Science? Consider Science Weekl!

Want to see a sample? You can ck out every level and the teaching notes! 
The sample is on the Coral Reef~pretty cool!  You'll wanna ck them all out!

We enjoyed Science Weekly and I used it when planning our garden and compost this year~Head over to read what the CREW is saying             !

SALE Coming Soon~HUGE Curriculum CLEAN OUT~

FREEBie: Online Classic Children's Books

I remember THIS ONE~It's Away We Go! The characters are Paul and Sally~oh I reemember them well! Okay, so I'm old...You can't go wrong with FREE and either read online OR download.  This is so cool~
Hope your littles enjoy!
HUGS!

Children's Books Online

Welcome to the PARTY~SisterT Is Partying DOWN~PRIZES AND MO! ENTER GiveAway!

So glad you hopped over from the Ultimate Blog Party 2011! 

Ck out the tabs and find all the FREEbie cool resources I've compiled for homeschooling~I write about our family's journey in hsing~doing reviews and giveAways~

Leave me a SHOUT OUT to win the latest Rebecca St James praise and worship contemporary music CD I Will Praise You~Be sure I can contact you! And for 3 additional entries follow me, and for 5 additional entries~Grab my button or widget ;-)) ENDS 4/10 11:59PM EST

Woot!

SisterT

Join the party HERE! and ENTER for prizes! whoohoo!

Blog Cruise: SisterT's Talking About HSing and Housework!

THE QUESTION IS:  How do you divide household duties and needs with your homeschool schedule?

Let me tell you up front what SisterT's attitude is about it~I AM A DECORATOR...LOL, not a housekeeper! LOL..oh kay...Not really!

But I prefer NOT to clean but ONLY when the dept of health is ready to bang down my door...no! I'm really, just kidding!

Here's my philosophy:  EVERYBODY who lives HERE is just as responsible as I AM! So I really don't do everything and don't feel bad about that, either.  There are three adults in this home: me, hub and grandma.  NONE OF US are neat-freaks..but mess-makers! Soo it's a real challenge~and my kids? They do pretty good. In fact, all the responsibilities are shared.

There IS a division of labor around here:


Hub~Hub mostly does the outside duties, but he is responsible for all repair/maintenance and picking up his OWN stuff like clothes and counters and dishes...Hub makes the money and is gone some~so we pick up behind him the MOST of this bunch~

Son~Mows grass/shovels snow.. (hub does it too some, but mostly our son!), clears dinner dishes-puts away all foods, cleans his own room, walks the dog(s), cleans the cat box, hauls in groceries...uh...you GET the picture~

Daughter~unloads dishwasher~puts groceries away~puts towels away~cleans her own room/washes windows.


Grandma~Cooks one meal a day usually the dinner meal and preps often for lunches.  Laundry.

ME~I have kitchen duty which is cleaning all surfaces and dishes each day~I do this at least twice a day to keep everything ready to go as we generally eat at home.  I vacuum, mop, grocery shop and organize~do most of the family buying, deal with most administrative things in the home, also prep and plan~buy for our home such as towels, and consumables....make all appointments, taker over all slack in the house, and now I am a learning coach in stead of the TEACHER I once was~but TRUST ME, I still teach...LOL...this area won't ever end...

OKay you get the idea of our DISTRIBUTION of labor!  But if I had to DO IT ALL~my Lord! HOW could I?? I'd never get it all done! In going with the virtual academy this semester, my hsing duties have changed. I am no longer totally responsible for the content and teaching of our schooling~but when I was~I just juggled...as best I could...KEPT MOVING...doing...RUNNING...but today with older kids, life is easier~yes, Mom~having gotten this far does come with benefits~

EVERYBODY has always helped in our house though...this is how I've taught life skills...we ALL worked!
(You can read my post about teaching Life Skills!) Everyone in my house has worked since we ...WE...and so it's been this way~since my kids were old enough which was about 3-4 they've helped and done...Oh NOT the list of things they do now..but things like dusting baseboards and washing walls WITH ME...LOL..it was fun! Soo they thought..then!

I'm a believer in training them EARLY~I'm NOT the maid and overall 'do girl'~it's a BALANCE and they need to KNOW how to do all this stuff...Better they learn with all the mistakes and foopahs of childhood in the home of mama and daddy so when they get out~THEY CAN!

BTW~my kids know almost all the jobs...we've had them doing them or doing with us for YEARS~not easy, trust me. Sometimes it seemed like it would have been easier to have done it ALL ourselves. For instance, my daughter once took the trash outside and found herself with the trash bag dripping on the carpet along the way~soooo...she fixed a bucket of hot soapy water to clean it up...Sounds GREAT, right?  Did I tell you she used BLEACH?? Well, the carpet was ruined and made it necessary to rip it up...well...well...she DID learn...Another example is the time she organized our laundry room.  When she was organizing and putting stuff 'away,' she put the bleach under the hanging bar with MY DRESSES...uh...can you say~spotted dresses??? LOL..so you see, it might be more work, but in the long run, it's soo worth it!

You know, one thing keeps sounding in my thoughts is that I had to let go of the 'perfect' image of homemaker, wife and mother~and allow my family to experience life right along side me.  My littles have learned as we went, and I can't think of a better preparation for life~Here's my post again on teaching 'life skills."

This is HOW I'm making it~We ALL DO~
Thanks so much for coming by~How do you do it? Read the TOS Crew on this subject           !

SisterT's BRAGGn' !

My daughter is an  artist and I am so proud of her work. Here's her latest~

You can watch her draw@Sketchfu.com!

REVIEW: Zeezok Film Guide: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

And it might be a SURPRISE who actually sits down with us!

It's been 40PLUS years since Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? came out and its subject matter is LOVE, humanity, connection~all riding in the vehicles of interracial relationships/marriage showing WHAT'S REALLY important in life in a masterful way~ I was given a choice over a good list of film choices for a Zeezok Film Guide review through The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's TOS CREW review group, and I chose Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? with my children in mind.  IS today really different from the day this film came out?  I believe my teenagers could benefit from this film experience.  We had many choices in some wonderful films You can see them here! There are over 25 to choose from and more being added!
Film is an excellent way of learning, discussing, and experiencing different subject matter for homeschooling~everything from social studies to history and literature!

If you have young children, this film will certainly be lost on them entirely...but for the parent with an older, more mature child who you are guiding to understand the important things in life, the things that transcend time, culture, race and relationship~I recommend a careful and thoughtful view/study of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?  In fact, I won't spend much time here discussing this FILM Reviews!!~if you've not seen it~be prepared to find yourself ringing in on the side of love, human-ness and ultimate beauty!

Preview the film yourself and also get the Zeezok Film Guide~Included are wonderful features to help you navigate the themes of the film in a well organized and meaningful way~There are activities and questions~it's a real guide to knowing and understanding~TRUE appreciation for this what some may feel is a controversial topic~Do people still think this? I know 'back in the day' it was considered~OUT THERE in some circles! I find absolute pleasure in the idea that people of every race, color, tradition and creed can find happiness TOGETHER~I see it as something THIS SIDE of heaven! Zeezok Publishing treats the subject matter with respect and thoughtfulness~the only "uncomfortable" area I have is in the intro where Dr. Prentice is described as a 'Negro' which is an older outdated term, and  I'm not sure others will feel that this is acceptable or not offensive...


Here's the trailer:  (You can purchase the dvd HERE $22.95) 
READ Film REVIEWS HERE!


Here's the link to the Zeebok Film Guide HERE!
I recommend both as a good addition to your high school modern studies of the 1960s and United States culture.

The TOS CREW was given opportunity to pick their own film to use a Zeezok Film Guide~Head HERE to see what we picked and are saying~

Leave me a comment. What do you think? Has the world changed? Are we still facing such racial and cultural divisions and challenges as are shown in this film? Thanks for coming by!

Fit Mommy Friday~WK 13: Progress NOT Perfection!

I'm participating in the Fit Mommy meme each week where we share what's going on with our attempts to get healthful with our food and exercise.  You can join up too~click that big button! ;-))

Soo it was a good week!  I have been way way more active, but I haven't been swimming OR biking, but I've pushed that vacuum a lot and cleaned and cleaned ~running errands several days~AND YARD WORK!!  DOES this count when it's all new for me?  I was on my feet yesterday over an hour and it felt fine~My life is definitely improving.

Last Friday I did measure my body.  I did:
neck
upper arms
forearms
bust
waist
fat hang over waist..LOL
hips
thighs
knees
calves
ankles...

GOT the picure?? LOL..I haven't weighed in about 8 weeks but I am shrinking~ so now I'm going to track it a little more officially.    Food continues to be WHITE free and I'm working portions of course! I am also moving more~in time...but I did do some really HARD physical stuff in raking my front yard this week and cleaning up the sidewalks and porch from winter and yard trimming! whooho!

We got snow this week! LOL...

Thanks for coming by~
God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and a sound mind~amen!
You can join the other Mommys HERE or just read about us~all levels and abilities! whoot!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal Wk10~Eureka! PAY DIRT!

I'm participating each week and if you want to read more~click the button~whoot!

So my week has turned out really well.  It didn't start out all that great as hub and my girl were both sick, but then Sunday came and our church was really sweet and threw a surprise birthday dinner for my hub~Soo sweet! Everyone brought covered dishes of yummy stuff and they had a cake, icecream and cool ballons~EVEN some neat gifts! Well, hub WAS surprised! Everyone was amazed he didn't know...well~I was amazed he didn't find out...but God was good and it was really fun!

In My Life and In Our Homeschool This Week:
Today we went to a virtual academy homeschooling field trip and met some other kids!  This was just amazing! Not only was a new friend made, but we even got to see an old one from the former hsing co-op we attended a few years ago~WOOT! IT really is a small world!
 
Places We're Going and Ppl We're Seeing:
Next week is Polishing Week in the Drama Club as performances are April 14-16th@the Holland Theater in Bellefontaine, OH!   Check out this HS group!
Daughter is a gosling and baby spider~awwww...LOL!  
 
My Favorite Thing This Week was...
A couple of things~I signed the intent for BOTH to take college credit "dual enrollment" classes next year!! YAY!!   Daughter is OFFICIALLY on spring break and she came and reported that her math grade is NOW a B!!!WHOOOHOOO!!! I am littlerally DANCING!! HER GPA is 96 and HIS is 85!! YAY!!

AND I am doing pretty good on my eating plan.  My body continues to shrink~having sustained almost 25 weeks w/o ANY white flour/sugar in my system~I am feeling GREAT! I am doing more and my health is improving! I also got to chat with a dear friend tonight who has had illness in her family~I love and miss her..and am soo sorry things are not so good~please pray for her and family...
I got to go out and CLEAN UP my yard this week~bushes trimmed/yard rakes/brush removed...cleaned sidewalk/porch~LOOKS sooo much better!!
 
What's Working/Not Working For Us...
THE DIRTY neighbors whose trash is blowing in my yard~I NO LIKE!
 
Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
Will it ever let up~just a little bit? Oh yeah...this week IS spring break! I am going to BREAK and rest! woot!

Here's a pic~Okay~A FEW...lol! (BUT HOW COULD I RESIST?? LOL)

 Thanks for coming by~please leave me a comment~WHEN IS your spring break??