IHEP

 This week I am beginning the process of collecting my thoughts and supplies in preparation for our first official year of homeschooling.  This is a little anticlimactic (side note: that word looks way stranger than it sounds) because in reality we've been "doing" school for years now, but at the same time it is a little daunting.  What if I'm not really "teacher material?" What if we drive each other nuts?  What if the dog eats my curricula?  Should I just go ahead and pay for a box set, or keep with the beg, borrow, or steal approach to gathering information with which to educate? Will my kids grow up to be geeky kids with glasses (please no french braids) who are...gasp...unsocialized?!

About a month ago I filed my official "letter of intent" and received in return a manila envelope of paperwork from the local school district to be completed and mailed back for approval.  Along with a copy of the rules and regulations concerning home education and a few official notices came an "Individual Home Instruction Plan." These two stapled pages are what have me researching the World Book's page on "Typical Course of Instruction for First Grade" and making stacks of some of my curriculum sources.

Just when my hand begins to cramp and my youngest is approaching with a *very* precarious stack of board books, I look up to see my older two gleefully dismantling a broken VHS player with the help of our favorite "Randy" from across the street. They plan to make a machine that has "electrical power" to vacuum.  Or maybe drive somewhere. Perhaps a decision can be made later.

You know, I think this will be a good year no matter what.  Perhaps, for now, it's time to put down the pen, step away from the computer, and enjoy the education of my children.  Plan free. 

a circle scarf for me

I have been trying to decide on the perfect use for this little bit of turquoise and orange flowered fabric for about 3 years.  It was a gift from my grandmother's fabric stash, so I knew that it had to be something special!

Inspiration struck this morning when I realized it was already sewn into a tube. I lined it with another piece from Grandma's stash (this one a brown with some lace detail) and a little bit of sparkly ribbon, and left the edges to fray a little. Perfect.

ps: you can see the colors for the house a little better here.  I hope one day to get rid of that icky faux brick, but that may have to wait until we're rich enough for hardieboard.

proof that I am not a hermit

Tomorrow is a red letter day.  Deputy Danny and I are entrusting these kiddos

 to this lovely couple

so that we can go to the big city to see this beautiful lady

and spend some time with these two (who are also perfectly splendid)

and perhaps come home with a little something special to celebrate my birthday. Only a moth late ;-p

my mother always said...

I'd be either a teacher or librarian.  Now, looking around my home, I think I might be turning into both.  Aside from a few (I use the word liberally) boxes stored at my parent's schoolhouse, most of the elementary and middle school age books I own are stored in the school room:

The little golden books, most of which were accumulated when I and my brothers were tiny, are in the living room:

along with the baby books currently in rotation (one shelf left empty so B can put his own books away before bringing another stack to me).

 We also have a basket of library books by the couch: 

The only problem with all of these books for little people is that there is no room for the high school and beyond age books. (sorry, no pic.  that particular pile is too embarrassingly out of order and, well, huge.)  Which is ok, I guess, because I don't have much time for reading things with actual chapters much anymore.  I can't imagine why... ;-p  I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed that I haven't been to any library sales this summer, eh?

Football in the side yard (or: new lense!)

As

"they"

 say,

 It's

all

fun

and

games

until

someone

gets

hurt.

 =)

Memorial (Day) Lane

so. it's been awhile. sorry.  No, really, I am!  I have 200+ new pictures on my computer, and there is no way I will be able to blog about them all.  But Memorial weekend pics I can do.  Enjoy!

spring WIPs

So apparently we skipped winter this year and jumped right into  "work outside" season??   We've barely been inside, much less on the computer, since the beginning of the month.  I thought perhaps it was time for an update.  If you agree, you should say so and maybe I'll try to update sooner next time!

so...the month's works-in-progress, in no particular order:

WIP#1 is not actually an in-progress anymore, but it was when I first thought of this post, so there.  boy #2 has mastered his 2 wheeler.  oh boy.  this means that I now have to run to keep up with those 2 older boys, while pushing #3 in the stroller.  Well, that or make them wait at every intersection or parking lot for me to catch up.  I'll let you guess which is the preferred method.

WIP#2: We were informed by our insurance agency that our house was basically un-insurable as-is (go figure, it was un-financeable as-is too...).  So instead of installing Hardi Board (our first love) we are doing the fiscally responsible thing and painting. The lower half is a grey/blue/green and is somewhat appropriately named "Mount Etna." All the trim and porch will be "Cottage Cream." In this light, the asphalt top half and painted bottom half look remarkably dissimilar.  In other lights, they coordinate really well.  All in all, even though we were aiming for "not as ugly" I think we in fact ended up with "kinda like it!" This is a WIP that will likely last all summer.  ugh.

WIP #3 is school.  We don't do sit-down learning every single day (more on our field trips in another post), but today we did.  Pictured is our workbox system.  Top row for boy1, middle for boy2, third and fourth for group activities or boy3.

WIP#4: boy3 is potty training.  Which works out well as long as mom remembers to set the timer and pay attention, lol.  We have our good days and our bad, but I presume he'll be reliable by age 2, so yay.

WIP#5: the garden.  My handy dandy father build me 3 garden boxes, and they were promptly filled with sheep poo, straw, a little dirt, and compost.  The town provided 4 trees worth of stump mulch, and we were in business.  I sure hope at least something bears fruit (or vegetable...) because my aching muscles could use the nourishment ;-p  ps: way back in the corner is my rhubarb, blueberry, and bush cherry "orchard" right next to the grape vine that I found last fall.

WIP#6 has been functional for awhile, but just this week I did a little work to make it prettier.  We have yet to decide how to tackle the paneling, but there is paint on the floor, pictures and a mirror on the walls, and a rug almost finished :)

 That's a lot of WIP's.  No wonder I'm tired at the end of the day!  It does feel good to get cracking on a few things though...pun intended.  What do you think?

to hold my pots

My Granny is a spectacular quilter.  Every color is perfect, every stitch tiny.  She hand quilted beautiful wedding quilt for me using squares first pieced by her own mother that has been on our bed for most of the past 8 (!) years and I bet it will last at least another 100.  I think of her often when I am in the sewing room, but my skills don't even come close to hers.  Yet still I create, and it makes me happy.

On the phone recently Granny agreed with me that sometimes "done" and "useful" is better than "beautiful" or "perfect."  I think she was just being nice, but I'll take it!  So, on the day after her birthday (oops), I thought it only fitting to make a little quilt.  A.K.A. potholder.  It looks better (more square) in person, but I will be the first to admit it is a FAR cry from perfect.  But the colors (mostly from a bag of pre-cut strips from my cousin, thanks Amy!) are great and with a layer of batting and a layer of felted wool in the middle, it will be quite useful.  Also, it quickly satisfied a crafting urge that struck once I realized all three boys were playing happily in 3 different corners of the house AND might very well stay that way for at least 20 minutes. 

Happy birthday Granny!  Maybe next time you visit I can get a few more pointers from the perfectionist =)

up to lately

not much computer time happening around here.  Instead, we've:

=)

babies in blue on Easter morning

Happy Easter!  Will update with egg hunting pics if I get a chance this afternoon.  Right now we're off to a church breakfast and then to worship our Risen Lord.

Take a picture, it lasts longer

 At 18 months, boy #3 is doing a lot more of this:

as opposed to this:

and waayyy more of this:

than this:

I thought it prudent to document the last few minutes of babyhood before they slipped right on by.