We made the leap into the poultry world in November.  I have become...a chicken farmer.  The idea was to get 4-5 hens and maybe one rooster to learn about life, responsibility and for a little fun. It is not surprising that Sadie was the initiator of this adventure. As I type this we have about 40 chickens in our backyard.  Yes, 40!  I came home one Saturday afternoon in early January to the announcement by Jay and Sadie that we should expect 35 day-old chicks at the end of the month.  I was not a part of this decision, though I am certainly responsible for making sure they receive proper care.  I have learned not to be bitter about that fact. 

Honestly, it has been a great "hobby."  We have learned a tremendous amount about life - how it comes to be and how it can quickly and unexpectedly end, particularly with the loss of our sweet Iris.  We have learned a lot about how hard and time consuming farm life must be as we have only experienced it on a tiny level.  It takes about 2 hours to clean out and replenish the coops which we do weekly.  We also feed and water daily along with throwing out scraps, chicken grit, and occasional corn.  We have also learned about the intricacies of God's design in His creation. The process by which chicks are brought into this world is fascinating and it is amazing to me all of the pieces that come together to make it happen - daylight, temperature, timing.  Although this might sound a bit hokey, it is actually entertaining to watch the chickens when we have them free-ranging in the yard.  Some of them have distinct personalities like our group of Polish ladies who are always curious. Others, like our Silkies, who are sweet and docile, are not the smartest chickens on the block. It is pretty hilarious when one chicken finds a worm and all the rest go crazy trying to get it out of the mouth of the finder. 

Our current breed selection include:  Silkies (a chicken with black skin - google an image for a picture of the black skin.  It looks a little creepy), White and Silver-crested Polish chickens, Wyandottes, and Crevecoeurs.  We also have 4 Giants and 4 Red-Star Roosters.  We also have a "mystery" chicken that was sent to us as a bonus.  We think he is either a Americuana or a Buff-Laced Wyandotte.

We have names only for the Crevecoeurs (Bob and Brenda) because they were our first chickens and are endangered.  We also have a name for our Polish Rooster, Fred.  Fred has gone a little kooky since his original mate died and he had to be separated from Bob due to fighting.  His group of ladies are not quite old enough to be in his same coop, but I hope once they are, he will calm down.  Currently, he does a lot of prancing around and crowing and displays signs of haughtiness.  He still allows Sadie to pick him up and carry him around like a baby on his back, so at least no pecking has begun.
Lily likes to create these funny names for the chickens.  She has named one Mrs. High Places because she perched up on the highest corner of the coop.  Other chicken names include Florida and Dudlette Do-Wrong, Cooper (short for Coppernicus), and Bob Junior.

Only Brenda, our lone Crevecoeur, is laying.  The others should be ready in another month or so.  She lays about 1 a day.  We are letting her keep her eggs in hopes she will become broody and want to sit on them.  Time will tell.  Eventually, we should get about 20 or 30 eggs a day.  Our plan is to sell what we can and donate the rest to the Open Door Shelter.

On these warm spring evenings after Jay has returned home, we will get a drink and sit in some lawn chairs down by the coop watching our flock free-range around the yard.  There is a bizarre sense of peace down there amidst the clucking and cooing.  I never thought I would find contentment in that.

Images (top to bottom): Silver-crested Polish hen, White-crested Polish hen, Crevecoeur rooster, Silkies, Silver-laced Wyandotte

Our Typical Week...

For those considering more seriously about homeschooling, here is an idea of how our week typically runs.  We spend the core of our day doing our Language Arts and Math block, opting to tackle this first.  The girls have learned that when that is completed, they are allowed a break. Then we reconvene to complete science, history, geography, and bible.  After our "formal" homeschooling is over, the girls practice piano and spend at least 30 minutes a day reading and completing chores.  In a perfect world, all of this is completed before we collect Ethan at 2:45.  Not every day is a perfect homeschool day; life gets in the way, and sometimes you need to just bag it in order to get a piling to-do list complete.  Typically we start around 8:30, sometime at 8, sometimes at 9.  We usually finish the core at 10:30 and complete the rest before 1.
Monday:
Language Arts, Math, and Bible until 11.  Girls pack their bags, eat lunch and we head out to HPHE for classes that begin at noon.  This semester, Sadie is taking Dance, Drama, Electricity and Magnetism, Rockin' recorders.  Lily is taking Math Logic, a 3-5 grade Language Arts class, Dance, and Young Illustrators.  Typically, I don't use HPHE for core classes.  I like to control that myself.  However, we are using the Language Arts class for Lily for exposure and re-enforcement..
Tuesday:
Full day of subjects:  Language Arts, Math, Science, Geography, History and Bible
Wednesday: 
Full day of subjects:  Language Arts, Math, Science, Geography, History and Bible

Thursday:
Language Arts and Math, Leave house at 10:30 to take Sadie to do Latin with my mom.  Sadie then goes to piano and I meet her later for Lily to have her piano lesson.

Friday:
Full day of subjects: Language Arts, Math, Science, Geography, History and Bible

Under Language Arts, I include a mix and variation of grammar, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, and handwriting (for Lily only). 

They complete Language Arts, Math, and Bible individually.  We work on Geography, History, and Science together.

For science we completed Apologia's Astronomy book and have now moved on to some basic Biology, Chemistry, and weather. 

Our history is A Story of the World.  The girls follow along in their books while a CD plays.  They must answer questions, complete map work, and often have art projects that go along with their history.

We began the year working on World Geography.  We have made our way through Australia, Antarctica, Africa, South America, landing in North America in January.  We are now working on the 50 states, spending time learning something about each one.  Sometime in late March we will move to Europe and then Asia.  The curriculum I am using is great because it is a multi-year book, meaning each year you can drill down a little deeper (history, religion of the regions, etc.) while still using the same book.

Sadie and Lily also have some brain teaser books that they do just for fun and to help mix things up.
I have been told be several teachers that I am doing way, way more than necessary.  However, I stress a bit if the girls are getting what they need.  I think that is normal.  My main focus is if they are reading and writing enough.  We are spending a week in early March doing only that - reading and writing.  Next year, I will probably block out more time in the day for just those two things.  Then again, it is only February, the year is not over and I can still revamp to include more.

Homeschool 101

Lately, I have fielded an enormous amounts of inquiries regarding homeschooling.  Understandably, it is that time of year when most private schools asks parents to make re-enrollment decisions. Other parents begin asking themselves if their child is in the best environment possible.  It is my opinion that twice a year, parents should evaluate what their child is learning and where their child spends 7-9 hours a day.   

There are nearly as many ways to homeschool as there are individual families.  That is the #1 reason most people will say they have chosen to homeschool - flexibility and freedom.  The flexibility and freedom comes from choosing the topics you will cover, how you will cover it, the pace in which you do so, the methods you choose, where you educate your children, and the schedule you keep.  The ability to speed up when your child is excelling and slow down when they are struggling makes learning less stressful on everyone.  Taking an impromptu field trip when the natives are getting restless or tired of the same routine is a joy.  Seeing your child discover a love for an extra-curricular activity because you have more time to explore it is another advantage.  Simply spending more time with your children develops your relationship with them - a true blessing while they are young.

Knowing a bit about how your kids learn and the subjects and topics they tend to enjoy covering are some of the first things you want to consider.  Are they auditory, visual or kinesthetic learners?  Are they very social?  Do they enjoy hands-on activities or do they prefer to spend time reading on their own?  If they are old enough, ask them their thoughts. What would they like to learn?  How do they see homeschool working out for them? 

Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as a parent is another consideration.  Are you a
type-A planner or do you tend to procrastinate?  Do you want to be hands on, or are you more willing to check on progress, but not actually do the teaching?  Do you have the time and drive to spend on this endeavor.  While I know homeschoolers who work full-time, I know this cannot be the ideal when children are young and dependent in their learning. I tend to be an eclectic homeschooler.  This means that have picked individual curricula for each subject area, yet I stick to a structured and quite planned out schedule with my girls.

If you have made it this far, I suggest visiting your local library for books on homeschooling.  One I read early on was, So You Are Thinking About Homeschooling, by Lesa Welchel.  It is a quick look at how fifteen different families go about homeschooling.  It was eye-opening as to the various schools of thought on educating children.

Legal Issues:
Did you know that there are over 50,000 children homeschooled in NC?  Due to this, NC is fairly organized with their homeschool policies.  They set some very simple rules and for the rest, leave you alone.  There are only three things that North Carolina requires:
1.  Register your school with the state.  The link to do so is here: www.ncdnpe.org
2.  Keep an attendance record
3.  Take an end of the year standardized test.  The list of approved tests is on the above website and most homeschool groups offer this to its members.  You can also administer some of these tests yourself, while others opt to go to private testing centers.  You are not required to submit these test scores to the state, but you must have them available if requested.
They do state they have the option for a "drop-in" visit to check on your homeschool, but I have yet to meet anyone who has actually had this done.

State and Local Support Groups:
Here is where you can get a wealth of information, ask questions, find co-ops, playgroups, classes, hobby clubs, and sports opportunities.

North Carolina Home Educators is our state's main support group.  They also host the annual three-day conference in Winston-Salem around the end of May.  It includes many, many workshops and seminars with a book fair that will overwhelm you.  They also host a graduation exercise, cotillion-styled dance, and an all-star basketball game for girls and boys during this conference. 

High Point Home Educators:  Like most local groups, you must join in order to participate in their discussions, post discussions and to take classes.  HPHE offers classes on Mondays ranging from core classes (reading, math, etc.) to dance, drama, lego physics, cake decorating, sign language, etc.  Classes run a semester in length and course selection varies each time as well.  You can pay for one or up to 4 classes.  They also offer field trips, occasional parties, field day, sports teams for middle school and up, and spirit days.  They have a end-of-the-year Showcase while affords the kids to perform what they have learned on stage and display art projects. 

Other groups include:
Classical Conversations.  To quote their website, "Classical Conversations" programs model the three stages of classical learning—grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric. Using age appropriate methods, children are taught the tools for studying any subject.  The Classical model emphasizes mastery of facts during the early years. This gives students a foundation on which to build later learning and a solid framework where ideas can be categorized and compared as students mature. (For more information on the classical education model, read Dorothy Sayers’ essay The Lost Tools of Learning.)
Classical Conversation groups meets once a week with a lead tutor and then complete all assignments on their own throughout the rest of the week.  Groups are located in Thomasville, Greensboro, and Kernersville.
 
FAITH Academy:Greensboror.  Contact Kathy Long at kl1020@aol.com for more information.

EMMA classes:  Another group that offers classes once a week in Greensboro.  This is a fairly large group that offers a wide selection of classes, including AP classes for high schoolers. For more information, contact Hayley Saffer, Registration Coordinator, at resourceclasses@yahoo.com
Piedmont Homeschoolers has a yahoo group which keeps people fairly informed of resources and opportunities.  I'll let you google some of these groups yourself.

Forsyth Home Educators and Greensboro Home Educators are strong groups that offer a wide variety of sports teams for middle and high school. 

Check with your local YMCA as they usually offer P.E. classes.  Nearly every sports organization also offers homeschool classes throughout the day, too.

Curriculum:
I would take a look at Cath Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child's Learning Style.  She has already weeded out a lot of material that might not be up to snuff and reviewed the rest.  She also has a comparison chart listing how much time is needed by the instructor, to what type of child would do well with the way the materials are done.  She also has a website, but I believe that it is overwhelming unless you know what you are looking for.
I buy our books from several sources:  Amazon, Rainbow Resources (which carries everything with  great customer service people who will answer all your questions, and has a huge catalogue which you can request), and straight from the manufacturer when I can't find it elsewhere.  I have also bought materials at the homeschool conference and at a bookstore in Winston-Salem called Guillions.  They have a used section of books, will buy back books for credit, and the ladies there are wonderful.

I also use the following book for reference when charting our course for the year:  The Well-Trained Mind:  A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer.  Her program is not for the faint of heart.  It is rigorous, but results are very well-rounded children with superior writing skills.

Finally, there is a tremendous trend in online classes of varying levels.  I do not have much experience with these.  It is my plan to investigate them quite thoroughly this summer.  I understand they can be pricey, but also allow your child to take some pretty advanced or specialized classes.

As your child enters high school, many community colleges offer classes.  The result of which means your child can earn credit hours for college while still in high school.

Final Notes:
You will find that the majority of homeschoolers are Christians.  Therefore, most groups reflect these beliefs and promote them as well.  There are secular homeschool groups, but you will need to do some research to connect.

We decided to homeschool when our middle child was struggling with behavior in school.  She is extremely bright, yet very active and impulsive.  My relationship with her was broken and I knew that if we continued down our current choice, we would never be able to repair it. We opted not to put her on medication and brought her home to see what we might accomplish here.  Now, she is able to sit how she wants, get up from her chair for a break when she needs, explore areas that captivate her attention, like raising chickens, and has thrived in this environment.  This year we brought home our youngest daughter.  She is a logic-driven, math whiz and she has been able to move through at her own pace, recently completing 2nd grade math in February.  Yet, we are able to take time with handwriting and other activities that involve fine motor skills, an area in which she struggles. The girls are each performing at least a grade above what they should be and sometimes even two grade levels above.  More importantly, I know that the over-all tension in our house has decreased, the amount of arguing has diminished, yet the trust level and respect has increased.

Homeschool is a journey.  Some days you will feel that you could win Teacher of the Year, and other days you will want to drop off your children at the nearest school doorstep and squall away.  Some days you will feel like you were always meant to do this, yet on others you will wonder why in the world you chose this torture.  There are days where I really, really don't like my children.  I think you have those days even when you aren't homeschooling!  As you journey along, however, the better days will out number the not-so-good days.  You learn how to switch things up to keep it fresh and enjoyable for everyone.

Recently, I read an acceptance speech given by John Taylor Gatto, New York State Teacher of the Year, 1991, entitled, "The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher."  It is a very critical and thought-provoking look at the institution of school.  If my kids gain nothing else in homeschool, I want them to develop the joy of learning and desire to be life-long learners.

Good  luck on your decision-making process!

Life lessons from my 30s

I have had a couple of days to come down off my birthday project high. It has given me some time to reflect on two eventful days that nearly collide together each year, my birthday and the new year. It is all a little more monumental this year as I turned 40. Naturally with that comes surveying the landscape of my 30s. 
In a nutshell, my thirties were a time of great upheaval, turmoil and yet, growth. The birth of my two youngest children, the building of our house, moving twice, the illness and subsequent death of my sister, the breakdown of several familial relationships, changes in my own friendship circle, examining and discovering what really matters in my life, my own health issues including major back surgery, from weight gain to weight loss, becoming a stay at home mom, to starting a new business, to homeschooling my kids, learning new skills and exploring new hobbies, to the constant challenges, successes and failures of parenting. Actually, that is a lot for 10 years when I write it out. Wonder what I forgot?
In retrospect, here are my top life lessons from my 30s - in absolutely no order and vastly simplified.  Can't wait to read these when I turn 50 and laugh.
1. If it doesn't feel right, don't keep trying to make it work. Walk away, change it up...something. Just don't keep trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.  The only exception to this being marriage.  Marriage is not a commitment based on how you "feel."

2. Food. Only necessary to survive, doesn't have to be enjoyed. Although one tiny piece of chocolate a day can stop any binging or over indulgences in a basic healthy eating plan.

3. Keep your mouth shut. Yeah. Still working on that one. With the exception of spreading the gospel, offering a word of emotional encouragement, or asking forgiveness, no word is ever actually necessary.

4. Friends will come and go. It is alright if you don't stay close to everyone you have ever been close to. Life circumstances, daily routines, and your personal growth can lead to your circles changing. It is natural, normal and not a reflection of your self-worth. Ask for forgiveness over any grievances and move on.

5. Avoid political conversations. Just avoid them. Same can go for "religious" conversations.  I could really care less about religion these days, but will never refrain from a discussion about Jesus if asked.

6. Trusting God as the sovereign God will get you through anything in this life with joy and peace that surpasses all understanding. We waste so much time on the what-ifs of life.  Knowing a God is ahead of me eliminates worry, anxiety and panic.  A hard lesson to learn, but wow, life is so much easier.

7. A consistent, team-approach is the key to parenting.  Even with the best intentions, you will fail, dislike your kids, and question everything you have ever done.

8.  Every once in a while try something you have convinced yourself you really don't have an interest in doing.  You might find you like it and are actually good at it!

9.  Believing in #6 means that you do not have to worry about giving your kids every possible opportunity to try out every activity, hobby, and academic endeavor in the world in hopes that they find success and happiness in this life.  It will not damage them to be at home in the afternoon after school.  Still a work in progress on this life lesson.

10. Prayerfully decide on what you commit to do, knowing that saying no is always ok.  If you commit to something, you are committed.  Give it 100% regardless of whether you are tired, something better comes along, or you just don't feel like it.  The phrase "good intentions" is always followed by some comment of unmet expectations.   

11.  Know when to ask for help before you get to the point where you can't. Be your own advocate in matters of your mental and physical health.

Finally,

12. From Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Everything is temporary, especially life on this earth. Therefore, ALWAYS be the first to ask for forgiveness and ALWAYS be thankful for your blessings.
I could rally a few more funnier ones like always check the pockets, pocketbooks, hands and mouths of your wildest child before leaving the house and don't assume that a yes or no question gives the full story.  Oh, how about there is rarely a completely innocent bystander in a childhood fray.  I'll just leave those for the "Things I Never Expected to Learn as a Parent" list.

The Birthday Project

My birth date, December 30th, has long been riddled with problems my entire life.  If you have a birthday between Christmas and New Year's then you know what I am saying.  Expectations are always set for a great day, but they never seem to materialize.  People forget, gifts are combined with Christmas, no one is in town, the plans of New Year's Eve the next night supersede any focus on celebrating with me.  I have even been given guilt trips because of how terribly timed my birthday is...like I had any control over that.  I am understanding, but it still stinks.  Or rather, it always used to stink until this year. 

About a month ago, I discovered "The Birthday Project."  Immediately, I knew this was how to transform the negativity often associated with my birthday into something completely different.  Instead of focusing on me on my birthday, I was going to focus on others.  Instead of receiving gifts, I was going to give gifts.  Some of the ideas were small, some of the ideas were larger, some cost money and some only took my time.  Some of them touched people in my immediate circle, but more went to those I did not know at all. It turned out to be the BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.

Here is what I did, in the order in which it happened:

1.  At the gas station, I bought the drinks for the man behind me in line.  He just stared at me like I was a lunatic.  I loved it!
2. Stopped by my Mom's house and gave her lots of hugs and told her how much I love her and cherish her.  She is the best mom in the world, people.  I am so blessed!
3. Gave a dog treat for a dog being walked in the neighborhood.  Surprised look and a big thank you.
4. At the bank, put quarters in all of the gumball machines.  Told the teller all about the Birthday Project which inspired her to the same on her next birthday.
5. A person in the parking lot of the bank had a dog in her car, and I offered a dog treat.  She gave me a big smile, a thank you and a SURE!
6.  At Costco, I let the person behind me get in front of me.  Who doesn't appreciate that!  They did!  Thanked me multiple times as the lines were really, really long!
7.  I gave some money to a homeless woman at the light.
8. I taped 6 bags of popcorn to the RedBox movie box with a note that said, "Free Popcorn for your movie.  Take one and enjoy this random act of kindness"
9. Gave out bottles of water and handwarmers to other homeless people collecting money around the Wendover/I-40 area. Amazed at the appreciation and thanks.
10. Gave a new friend a small bouquet of flowers.  What a way to brighten a day!
11. Gave an old friend a small bouquet of flowers.  Got the best, longest hug!
12.  Stood in the lobby of Target and with permission, gave out single dollar bills to kids coming in so that they could pick out some little treat from the Dollar Section.  Parents thought it was great, no one told me "no," and the kids' grins were priceless.  Got lots of "Happy Birthdays," too!
13.  Distributed 37 handwarmers to men outside of the Open Door Shelter, with the remaining given inside to be distributed.
14. Handed out 22 bottles of water at the Main Bus Terminal in town.  Oh my, the elderly African-American ladies were unbelievably sweet! They give the best hugs! Everyone wished me a happy birthday, too!
15.  Stopped to check on a driver whose car was in distress.
16.  Dropped by the Salvation Army and delivered 36 various chocolate candy bars.  I explained what I was there to do and this was the response, "Wait.  Let me get this straight.  It is your birthday and you are giving US chocolate?  YOU ROCK! What an awesome idea!"  The kids went nuts, by the way.
17.  A lady walking with 3 kids under the age of  8 was walking towards the Salvation Army and I gave her a bouquet of flowers. Oh, the look on her face!  Was it the most practical thing I could have done for her? Probably not. She said, "Who are these for?"  I said, "You!  Everyone deserves something beautiful."  She started crying.  Oh my!
18. Let several cars into a long line of traffic due to road construction.
19. Paid for a man's lunch in the drive thru at McDonald's.
20.  On our last stop, we surprised my 85-year old grandmother.  We gave her 25 yellow roses.  As predicted, she cried.  She always cries over anything slightly emotional, so this was a Niagara Falls moment.

Twenty collective acts that translated to touching over 130 people.  Were these earth-shattering acts? Absolutely not.  Did it brighten someone's day unexpectedly?  I am positive it did so for one person - me!  Will I do it on my birthday next year?  No.  That is because I don't plan on waiting so long to do it again.  I plan on making a conscious effort to do something every single day moving forward, not just on my birthday.  Let the planning begin!

This is not a post about how great Kelsey Dumoulin is because she did this on her birthday.  This project is not about me.  I certainly don't own the creative rights to it. It is about looking outward on day that is usually very self-focused and at times greedy.  This is a post to inspire you to consider The Birthday Project on your special day.  What if everyone did it?!?

Well, hello there little blog.  It has been a while, my friend.  No documenting of our lives has occurred in nearly three months and that just has to be ok with me. A quick list of things that have happened in the last few months that should have warranted some mention, but just haven't:

1. Lily had eye surgery to correct her accommodating esotropia in November.  The muscle located in the inner corner of each eye was cut and shortened in order for the eyes to stay aligned.  Amazing procedure, amazing results.  She did great - better than I would have thought.  Recovery was a snap and she looks "great" as she says.  She will still need glasses, but in time will get wear contacts and later, lasik surgery.

2.  Sadie is no longer swimming.  She is happy; we are happier.  Well, I take that back.  I wish she were swimming because she is good at swimming when she cares about it.  Actually, she is great at swimming, but it isn't interesting to her anymore. She is thinking about a running club, tennis, soccer, horseback riding, and sewing lessons.  Obviously, we are not doing all of that, but it is nice to see that she is curious about many things.

3.  We are raising chickens.  Yes, chickens.  Who would have thought?  It was all Sadie's idea, of course.  We have 1 crevecoer rooster and 2 hens; 1 polish rooster; 3 silkie hens, 1 silkie rooster and 12 silkie chicks of unknown sex.  Jay finally broke down and has purchased a really nice shed to hold the lawnmower, ATV, bikes and I would imagine "chickens and chicken gear."  He re purposed the fort to the old playset and the chickens have quite a nice coop.  Sadie has been diligent in feeding, watering and putting them up in their coop each night.  We are concerned with the amount of predators in the area - hawks, dogs, raccoons, foxes and coyotes.  It is an adventure and sometimes one that I do. not. have time for.  I also do not like Bob, who loves to crank out the cockle-doodle-doos at 4:15 am some mornings.  We haven't gotten any eggs, yet, but are hopeful the girls will start cranking them out soon!

4.  In October, we went on a very last minute trip to the Dominican Republic as a family.  Ethan and Jay spent most of the time scuba diving.  After much coaxing and some freak-out, Lily learned to love snorkeling.  I loved it too as soon as I realized that with Lily practically pushing me under water the entire time, I needed a life vest while she was with me. Sadie just took off with the snorkeling and I spent time trying to keep an eye on her.  I took the girls horseback riding and now all they want to do is take lessons.  Might be a good Christmas idea for them - an intro lesson down the street.  The weather was a great while we were there, the rooms wonderful and food decent.  It was interesting to see Lily struggle with all of the changes.  I thought it would run a little smoother with her, but she didn't quite know how to adjust at times.  Her response was that she wanted to go home, but I track much of this up to the need for more sleep and the over stimulation and activity.  She fell asleep on the beach, one time literally, three of the afternoons.  All in all, a fantastic family trip.

5.  The trip to the DR threw us off in our homeschool schedule and routine more than I thought it would.  I am not sure that I would choose to take an unplanned week off of school again.  It was tough to get the girls back on track and figure out how to rework schedules.  We made it through three continents and basic world geography before I realized it was too much in our daily schedule.  We stopped it after we returned from our trip.  I hope to pick it up over Christmas break...we'll see how that goes.  I had to find a new bible book for Lily because the 3-5th grade book we were using was just too heavy in subject matter.  I still have to make some decision on science and reading for the second half of the year, but for in general feel quite confident where we are in our studies.

6.  I am struggling with how much to push Ethan in school.  I feel he is capable of all As, based on teacher feedback and previous test scores.  He received all As in the first quarter, but I can see that the attention to math detail is a problem for him.  It is stressful to always be teetering at that 92 mark wondering whether he can bring it up in time.  I am sure I impart this stress onto him.  I finally told him that if he did his best, then ok.  What do you do?  Push him, or let him find his way.  Take away television or screens so he can devote more time in practice, or be satisfied with a B?  What am I teaching him?  Still in prayer over this one.

7.  We are still attending morning swim practices.  Ethan and I have adapted quite well, in fact.  I get my workout in and he feels extra energetic with morning practices.  He has made such strides in his swim times this year.  I know he is pleased.  I hope the trend continues.  Last year, we saw a near complete halt to any drops in time after Christmas.  He is working hard, but at times just wants to do noth-ing - no school, no work, no chores, no lego robotics, noth-ing.  I have thought about if he is over scheduled, and am considering some changes in the first of the year.  In addition, I have completed the requirements to become a Stroke & Turn Judge for USA Swimming.  It took some effort and I am pleased to have accomplished it.

8.  It is Christmas time.  Too many things going on and trying as every year to create the magic of the holidays for the kids.  I love traditions and I love seeing my kids get excited to relive our favorite ones, even if it drives me a little batty.  We do gingerbread houses, craft Saturday (where we make ornaments), Bags for the Bus Stop, driving to look at Christmas lights with family, our church Christmas performance, and finally hosting a Christmas party.  Right now, I don't foresee being able to get it all done, but you never know.  Sometimes things just magically fall into place.

A Day in the Life...and it is killing me.

You know when you have a day where it seems every minute is planned?  I had one of those days today.  In fact, every day since school began has been those days.  I wanted to document just one day in order to remember when I am old, the kids are gone, and I am retired and I declare to my now adult children, "I am so busy!"

4:45 am  Alarm goes off.  I lie there for a couple of minutes, debating whether I am actually going to get up or not. I do this almost every morning I have to use an alarm clock.  I don't know why I do it.

4:48 am  Crawl into Ethan's bed to wake him up, secretly hoping he says he can't possibly go to swim practice so I can return to bed.

4: 50 am Throw on work-out clothes and walk to kitchen to discover Ethan has forgotten to pack a lunch so I throw a sandwich, some grapes and a granola bar in a bag.  I remembered to have Ethan take all school and swim stuff into the car the night before - score one for me.

5:00 am  Head out to swim practice.  Notice that my left pinkie, end digit is very sore.  Wonder if it is possible to sleep the wrong way on your the end digit of your pinkie.  Realize that it is a ridiculous thought and I must be tired if I am spending time on it.

5:05 am Realize Ethan is wearing flip flops and has not packed his tennis shoes in his swim bag, return home because he cannot wear flip flops to school

5:12 am Head back out to swim practice

5:29 am Arrive at practice nearly 15 minutes late.  Chat briefly with another swim mom (commiserating, really) and head to the treadmill

6:15 am End work out, head to car to get gas and coffee

6:30 am Sit in lobby of sports center and work on homeschool planning for October in history and science.

7:25 am Ethan finishes practice, showers and we head to school

7:40 am  Help Ethan into school with large backpack, lunch in a plastic grocery bag because he forgot his lunch box the day before, trumpet case, and large cardboard box covered in black paper to look like a car for a skit he had later today.  We slapped it together last night as that was when I was notified of the need.

8:00 am Return home to find girls in kitchen finishing up breakfast and Jay in the shower.  On the way home receive call from my mother reminding me that she would not teach Sadie Latin later today.  I laughed at her "reminder" because I hardly remembered our initial conversation.  Think to myself that it is probably a good thing that she doesn't have Latin because I can use that extra time to get a lot of things done.  That ended up being a misconception that I will note further in the day.

8:15 am Change out laundry, check email, squawk at girls to head upstairs to get dressed and head to the bonus room to being school.

11:15 am  Several moments of huffing and puffing/borderline fits and school is done.  I realize that although Sadie does not have Latin, they still have piano at 1 pm and I don't have the 3.5 hours I thought until I had to pick up Ethan.  I really only have 2.

Tell the girls to finish getting ready, crush their teeth, grab some lunch. I jump into the shower.  While half-dressed, I call the vet to see I can drop off our dog, Bobo, our one-eyed, thirteen-year-old, almost deaf mutt.  He has about eaten himself up with his annual dermatitis/allergies and needs a steroid shot.  I also note in my call history that the Honda place had returned my call from the previous day.  I had completely forgotten I made the initial call to drop my van by for some repairs. 

11:55 am  Throw 2 girls, 2 piano bags, and one mangy looking dog into the van.  Start to pull out of the garage when I realize that I need to unload the van as the dealership might have it for several days.  Start dumping contents of the trunk of my car (swim bags, etc.) onto the floor of the kitchen.

12:10 pm Arrive at vets.  As always in September, I am appalled at the "look" of my dog, Bobo, when I have to take him in.  Half the hair on his back is gone and there is always one or two really nasty looking spots.  He can accomplish this look in about 3-5 days and the vet assures me that it is ok.  While waiting for the vet tech to come collect Bobo for his medicated bath and shot, another man waiting in the lobby said, "Got werms?" in a very southern drawl.  I said in a tad of a prideful voice, "Oh no, he just has allergies.  We have to come every September to get this done."  The man replied, "Well, a wer-em just came outta he-is butt."  Sure enough. Indeed, there was a small worm hanging from you know where.  Ugh!  My dog had tape worms from a flea he ingested somewhere between a month or six months ago.  My thoughts raced to the fact that we have had him indoors a lot lately. 

12:30 pm Call Honda to make sure a shuttle was available to take us to the office once we dropped off the car. En route to the Honda dealership, some ding dong was riding his bike without a helmet on Westchester Drive.  Not only did he not have a helmet, but I think his brakes didn't work.  He tried to use his feet as brakes on a steep incline while riding in the gutter and nearly fell off his bike and into my path.  I said lots of prayers, slammed on the brakes, and emitted a slight shriek.  Thankfully, he recovered control of his bike and then looked at me as if I had done something wrong.

12:40 pm Arrive at Honda.  List the myriad of issues with my car.  Making sure they noted that the passenger sliding door has still had plenty of problems despite me randomly bringing by and leaving it to their disposal (once for 4 days) to repair.  It had never malfunctioned in their care.  I was redeemed this time because it didn't open when I pushed the button.  Yes!  Call Jay to tell him to have the spare car ready at the office.  He said he didn't have time because his conference call with the Employment Security Commission was in 10 minutes for a former employee who quit his job and was trying to collect unemployment.  Hope for the best as we are shuttled to the office with 2 girls, 2 piano bags, my overloaded pocket book and a booster seat.  For once, I remembered to grab the garage door opener!

12:54 pm Arrive at Jay's office.  Note the spare car out front.  Yay for Jay!  Run into to collect keys.  Have girls dump all things into the car.  Realize that the last person to use the radio was listening to a rap station.  The radio is slow to respond to the controls, and I was afraid we were going to have to listen to it for the remainder of our drives.  However, it finally responded to my repeated turning of the volume and power switch.

12:55 pm Run to piano, knowing we will be about 5 minutes late. Lily works on her piano theory while we wait and I eat chocolate dusted almonds.  I realize it was the first thing I have eaten all day.  I have had 2 VERY large cups of coffee, however.  Receive text from a friend who inquires if I want to get botox with her.

1:30 pm Sadie returns to the car and Lily goes in.  I think I have enough time to run to Staples to pick-up Ethan's student council poster.  He was willing to pay the $8 for the print-out with his own money.  I uploaded it last night.  As I leave the piano teacher's house, I receive a call from Staples that they had problems all morning with their computers and had not printed the poster.  However, they wanted to confirm one thing before they did.  I told them I was on my way and they said they would have it ready.

1:42 pm  Arrive at Staples.  Sadie runs to the bathroom.  I collect the poster and am happy to hear they will not charge me the standard $5 rush fee since I requested to have it completed prior to 24 hours.  I didn't know about the fee, so their computer glitch turned out to be a blessing.  By this time Sadie arrived at the print counter with some more mechanical pencils.  I told her no.  She retreated and returned with the lead refills.  That purchase made us late to return to the piano teacher's house and I was irritated.

2:05 pm Arrive at piano teacher's house to see Lily sitting on the front porch.  I see her mouthing the words, "Why are you late?"  Before she gets in the car, I tell Sadie she has to tell her why.  When Lily hops in the car, Sadie offers her some Sour Patch Candy straws as a peace offering.  She also offers Lily 2 candy dots.  Lily offers her the sucker she has just picked from the goodie box at piano.  After Lily gets the 2 candy dots, she reneges on the sucker.  An ensuing tiff begins in the back seat.  In the end, Lily takes one lick of the sucker and gives it to Sadie who happily finishes it.

2:30 pm  Arrive at school to pick-up Ethan.  Have poster in hand.  Ethan takes it to show his class mates in the pick-up line and is thrilled with it.  We take it upstairs to his homeroom so it is ready to hang.  I make Ethan look for the Student Council application in his locker which he hasn't been able to locate.  We don't find it, so we grab another copy from his teacher's desk.  I connect with the Language teacher who prints out a final make-up quiz Ethan needs to take.  Then I connect with the Spanish teacher as we are leaving who indicates Ethan will have a make-up quiz on Friday on material he knows nothing about.  Great.

3:00 pm  Leave the school, calling to see if Bobo is ready for pick-up and most importantly, if he has been de-wormed.  He is ready.  Also note that I have once again missed the call from Honda.  Returning their call, I learned that they have discovered my problem with the door is a latch issue.  They also said the terrible rattling in my steering wheel when braking is from warped rotators.  I need a brake job.  Ka-ching.  I turn down the 90,000 mile service checks as most had either been done or to me could wait.  They did say that I needed a steering wheel flush/change and something else I can't recall.  I opted for those two as they never offer me services like that.  Finally, and the best of all...they are going to shampoo my carpets for me...FOR FREE!!!! I don't care if it was out of pity - as I am sure it was - I feel so blessed!  The car will probably be ready late Friday or Monday, depending on parts.

3:15 pm  Pick-up Bobo, pay $74.  One more medicine dose and the worms are history.  Listen to the kids crack up about the "wer-ems in your butt" story the entire way home and finally banished that line altogether for the rest of the day.

4:00 pm Arrive home,  Ethan begins homework.  Chores doled out and I decide to lie down for just 30 minutes because I cannot think straight.  Check email, and return several.  Five minutes after I am settled into bed, I hear Jay is home. Decide to nap anyway even though it is already 4:30 pm 

5:15 pm Wake-up in a complete pool of drool.  Realize that I don't have the motivation or time to make stuffed peppers.  I have never made that recipe before, nor have I ever eaten them.  I just have a TON of green peppers from my garden and need to do something with them.  Decide to make a quick, homemade soup instead and beg forgiveness. 

6:00 pm  Eat dinner, clean-up kitchen, start dishwasher, check-in with Ethan who is working on his Student Council application.  Change out laundry.  Fold laundry while sitting with family while watching River Monsters.  Totally didn't like that show.  Jay sends Lily to take a shower.  I dole out the final "clean-up your rooms, stairs, and shoes" warnings.  I end up having to help Lily with her shower and brush her hair.

7: 30 pm Last details of clean-up chore gets done.  Lily requests a desert and a little tv time.  Sadie still puttering around upstairs.  Ethan is done and has some computer time. 

8:15 pm Everyone sent to bed.  Ethan begs for some more time as he is in 6th grade.  Jay indulges and tells him he must be in bed by 9 pm - his responsibility to keep up with the time and there are consequences if he isn't in bed by then.  Jay asks me if he should go ahead and give him his punishment now.

8:30 pm  I am in bed writing this blog.  I am reminded about my sore pinkie.  I ask Jay what he thinks.  He comes up with some ridiculous response and I realize that asking him was about as stupid as thinking about it this morning at 5:00 am.

Is this a normal day for most moms?  I mean...this is every day for me.  How to stop this out of control train?