Summer Projects

We had a busy end of the year, but school is over!  Well, for the kids; not for me.  I happy to announce that I am a Senior (that explains my senior moments) and my last class ends the end of April 2018.  Looks like Josiah and will be graduating the same year.

We had a lot of travelling after the last post.  There was a Pastor's conference, and we had to go pick up the twins from Wisconsin.  Then there was finishing up school, doing grades, and getting ready for evaluations.  All of which have been accomplished.  Jerusha worked hard and managed to do 6th and 7th grades this past year.  She does have a wee little bit of work to do this summer to make sure the ends meet for 8th grade academically, but that is okay.   Josiah requirements are laughable.  The only credits he absolutely needs to graduate is in English/Literature.  Pennsylvania requires four years of language arts.  That means he has to write 3 papers, one being a long 8 to 10 research paper, reach 15 novels, including some classics, and some grammar.   Easy peasy.  However, Mama says he needs more than that.  So, he will be taking dual enrollment courses again.  Also, I have a couple of good History books he will read, Bible, Quiz team, Piano, and Art.

To sum up, this fall we'll be schooling grades 3, 8, 10, 12, and a senior in college.  I've already gotten all our books but they aren't out yet.

Since evaluations, we've been working on some projects around the house.  We have done a little landscaping out the front of the house, planting two rhododendron plants and a forsythia bush.  I started seedlings back in March for the garden, but because of rain interference, and lack of an available rototiller, that has fallen through.  That is the reality of our schedule this year.

We are also putting up our pool, and working on landscaping for that.  We are getting leveling the area right now, which is quite a feat given the hilly terrain.  I've been busy hanging out laundry, baking bread, doing school, editing my next book, and

 We have been working on some decluttering and organizing.  So far we have done the playroom and living room.  Our newest project is the office, which is undeniably a disaster right now.  For our anniversary I bought Dale a "parson's desk" (seriously, that is what is called.  I didn't know it until I was checking out online.  I can't make this stuff up!).  For his Father's Day gift, we are organizing, decluttering and cleaning the office.  Here are some before pics:  Note:  the empty shelves was how far I got before I remembered to take the "before" pictures.  Doh.

So, that is the gist of our lives so far.  I'm still in school, the twins both got their licences and are looking for jobs, Caleb and Josiah work part time landscaping, and we are going room from room in the house this summer, getting things organized.  I will update the progress on our office as we go.  Can't wait to get it done!

Blessings,

Lisa

It's Not All Textbooks

Image: istockphoto.com

WARNING:  THIS POST IS WICKED PHOTO HEAVY!

It has been a while since I posted much about our homeschooling activities.  This year I only have four children at home, which has been interesting.  People keep asking if things have slowed down since 3 area away at college.  Actually, no.  If anything, we are just as busy as always.  I finally figured out it was because the ones who aren't here, are the ones that have the most activities, all dependent upon Mom, of course.  For example, we have two sets of art lessons and music lessons.  Josiah is enrolled in two dual enrollment classes as well.  That requires me ferrying everyone.   I'm not complaining, just pointing out the reality of our life right now.  All that coming and going could very easily be my excuse to stay home the rest of the time because quite frankly, it can be exhausting!  However, I have always been in the camp that believes that there is more to learning than what textbooks have to offer.  To become a well-rounded person, you have to get out there, experience life, broaden those horizons!  Carpe Diem!

So, here are a few of our "Carpe Diem" moments so far this fall.


Since Benjamin is up a Miracle Mountain, we have been a couple times.  The first time for the annual Mud Run.  Benjamin and Josiah both ran in that and we watched while sipping hot chocolate.  The second time was for the Harvest Party. That was so much fun!  LOTS of games and activities, pony rides, trail rides, crafts, and even dressing up for a photo op.  What a fun-filled family day it was. It taught many things: socialization, family fun appreciation, creativity, and balance.

Here Dale is playing Monopoly with the kids in the Cabin at Miracle Mountain.  Josiah is bunking with his big brother in the dorm.  Surely everyone is familiar with the benefits of playing Monopoly, such as strategy and math.

Of course, fall without a leave pile just wouldn't be right!  Here Jerusha is doing a random quality control check on the raking job the boys were doing. This teaches to pay attention to detail.  Like, when its time to pick all those leaves out of your very long and thick hair!

Every year our church has a hay ride for the community.  We also have a bonfire after with roasting marshmallows, making smore's, and eating donuts and drinking cider.  This teaches socialization and how to use your brain and think ahead for crying out loud and wear a coat because it is cold at night here!  (Okay, that may have been a little bit of a mommy rant, sorry!)

I love it when the kids get creative on their own.  Caleb was experimenting with food art last week, and made this creation.  He called it "Jungle Fort".   This teaching them to think outside the box, and to come up with creative solutions to building and design. 

Speaking of art, here is a sample of some recent finishes by Jerusha (red frame) and Isaac (green frame).  Okay, yeah, they may have had a little help from the teacher, but they are still very nice.  This teaches them to take pride in their work, and to do their best since they know I will be putting their work on display.  :)

Ummm.... Tubby checking out my cleaning/organizing job?

I am doing a mini sewing class every other week with a friend.  Here you can see Jerusha and her friend and her mom cleaning their machines. This teaching maintenance and sewing skills. 

Ummm... Tubby again... checking out a caterpillar we found in the office. She didn't know what to make of it, and sniffed at it, then pawed at it.  It rolled around some because it went into a ball in self-defense. 

On days when the weather is cooler and we don't have to run anywhere in the afternoon, we like to have a proper tea.  Jerusha and Caleb set this up for me one day.  This teaches them hospitality and food preparations and presentation. 

Josiah wanted cupcakes for his birthday.  Yes, those are eyeballs made out of gumballs.  This taught generosity, creativity, food preparation, math (we had to double the recipe), and hospitality.

And of course.... applesauce making!  We did 100 quarts in 3 days.  The kids were wonderful and helped the whole time.  Dale did too, stepping in when I had to take Josiah to his dual enrollment classes.  Isn't it pretty?  We got the apples free for the picking from an older couple in our church.

Most parents recognize that there are many different ways for children to learn.  I have found that by experiencing new things, their brains just get a refreshing.   It's like shaking the proverbial cobwebs from your head when you get a little fogged over.  Sometimes it is created from being in a rut, and getting out into the fresh air and doing something OUT of the house is the way to shake things up.  

Blessings,

Lisa

Whew! Lots of Hard Work

Yup, made it even though that Lit Theory class was a doozy!

Time for some chocoloate!

Whoa... is that a POST?????

Don't faint... yes, I'm actually posting.  It has been a LONG time!  So much has been happening, that I can't keep up with it.  It probably goes without saying, but this post will be picture heavy as I try to encapsulate over 4 months of our lives into one post.  Even though things have been out-of-control busy, we have still taken a few moments to enjoy some of God's beauty around, like this sunset.  The pic really doesn't do it justice.

For those who don't know, last Fall my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and has been undergoing some very intense Chemo treatments.  I have been making trips out to the Boston area to help her after the treatments, as they rough her up pretty good.  Then I come back home, and jump back into the circus of our crazy schedule. I'm happy to say that according to the last CAT scan the treatments seem to be doing good things, and hopefully after two more treatments she can go to radiation therapy.  

Meanwhile back at the ranch, life is going on with its' usual busyness.  Last November, the kids participated in the school play, which was a take off from Patch the Pirate Goes West.  Here they are in costume.  Ben was chief Halawasa, Josiah was a hilarious Cactus Patch, Jerusha was a prairie dog, Esther was one of the 4 lost girls from school, and the others were all Indians.  They did a great job!  

Esther's Solo  :)  She has such a pretty voice!

Benjamin had a solo too!  Nice deep voice for his part.  

Also, last November, our family did a concert for a church in New York for their Harvest Banquet.  We did 50 minutes of music...whew!  The kids did great, but I think it tuckered them out a little.

Sometimes Mr. Greene preaches for chapel and you can almost always expect the unexpected from him.  Believe it or not, the following pics were part of a devotional he gave last November.  

Ramp, obstacles, behind paper

Crazy teenager willing to participate (Nice outfit, eh?)

Here we go!

 He made it!

Thankfully the battery in my camera died there, so I can spare the rest of the story which had to do with rope and more boxes.  :)

Also in November, Benjamin, Esther, and Elizabeth, along with another girl from the school, Heather Greene, auditioned and were accepted into this year's Pennsylvania State Choir.  They practiced for many hours, then spent two days in Harrisburg and practiced with the rest of the 125 participants, under the talented Dr. Ledgerwood from Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, WI.  Dale travelled down with them, and I went down for the concert on Saturday, taking the rest of the kids, on a 4 hour trip just to hear a one hour concert.  IT WAS WORTH IT!!!!!  They performed in the rotunda of the Capitol building in Harrisburg.  It was beautiful!

Bad shot of the choir... a couple dozen people missing on each side of the pic.

From left to right, starting in the back row:  Benjamin, Elizabeth, Heather Greene, Esther, Dr.Ledgerwood, and Dale.

Of course, if you are a grandparent, you already received the CD of their wonderful performance and Dale's letter with some background about the music and experience.  Hope you enjoy it!  We are wearing ours out.  Can you say, "Proud Parents"????

As has been my tradition, I had, in the midst of all the November madness, taken it upon myself to participate in NaNoWriMo.  I'm happy to say that I met the goal of 50K words!  Wasn't sure if I would make it or not, but just plugged away at it and "got'er done" as Dale likes to say.  

We have had a pretty cold winter here thus far, but that doesn't stop us from having a good time in the snow.  Benjamin and I are also in the ski club at school, but do you think I have taken any pics?  Something about a new skier (Benjamin) and a camera is irresistible, but I haven't brought it with us yet.  I missed two sessions last time I was out in Boston, so Josiah went in my stead, and seemed to like it!  

The twins are on the Girls' basketball team, and Jerusha is a cheerleader!  In fact, the only official cheerleader for the team.  Worked out that she was the only eligible girl in the right age group and had her grades up enough to cheerlead.  She is SO adorable!

I have a ton of blurry pics from actual games.  :/  None of them worth repeating here.  I really need to invest in a camera with a high speed feature!

Here is our Christmas Cactus in bloom.  We have tried our best to kill the poor thing, but it has proven to be quiet hardy.  Esther loves the blossoms!

I have been knitting and doing some quilting as well, but have taken no pics whatsoever of my projects. I'll see if I can change that soon!  

Congratulate yourselves if you made it through this "catch up" post!  Lord willing, I'll be able to keep a bit better.

Have a wonderful day!  Enjoy the winter while it lasts.  :D

Does That Come With Earplugs? Please?

We are nearly three weeks into our school year, and I've already learned to expect the unexpected.  Like, two hours before our very FIRST match of the season being told that Mr. Greene had to officiate and I was the head coach for the day.  Oh yeah.  I went from wicked excited to a bundle of nerves.  It wasn't as bad as I thought, though I felt like a bull in a china shop most of the time.  Some of my instinct on what to do when were right on, but I kept second guessing myself.  I need to trust and make the decision more quickly.  At any rate, despite winning the first game in the match, we lost.  The girls were tight, and got frustrated and soon discouraged.  I could watch their countenances falling and their playing go downhill as a result.  They would make an error, and they let it get to them.  They need to learn to let it go, and press on, and not allow themselves to get flustered.  That comes with time and experience.  We had our second game this past Monday up in Buffalo, NY.  We are in for a lot of driving this season as we are the new kids on the block in the league so we have to go to the away games, but they don't have to come to us because this is merely a probationary year.

They lost the match on Monday, as well.  But, overall, I saw improvement.  They seemed more relaxed, and yes they made mistakes, but there were some really good plays too.  They are growing and learning as volleyball season progresses. 

Last Friday was our school retreat.  What fun that was!  We spent the day with horses, hiking, playing, and eating.  And it counted as a school day.  It just doesn't get any better than that.

"Buggy" on Thunder the mule

Isaac on Thunder.  He also rode Ginger (who is definitely preggo, yay!).  I had a hard time getting him off when it was time for lunch.  The big kids were going on a trail ride after lunch, and Isaac kept asking "Can I ride the horse again?"  Oh boy.  Another riding addict is born!

Emiliee on Thunder.  She is used to horses.  She has a pony named Charlie, and I got to see her ride at the Fair back in August.

When you have a group of teens together, there is always some sort of tomfoolery.  This time it started with Benjamin (almost 6 '6") asking "Hey Mr. Greene, can I ride a sheep?"  He told him "sure if you can catch one."  Let the games begin!

What is good for the goose (sheep) is good for the gander (pigs).

By the way, that muck right in front of the kids spread eagle against the wall is knee deep liquidy goo.  They were waiting for Benjamin to chase the pigs out of the door on the right.   

This one got out, and then the chase was REALLY on!  

Playing on the fort.

This is a mini golf course (all 4 holes of it) based on the story of Jonah.  The devotional I did after lunch was on the book of Jonah, so I had the kids (Pre-k through 7th grade) sit in the boat.  It was called the USS Ninevah.  :)

Swinging!  Who doesn't love a tire swing? 

While we were at the fort, the older group came back from their ride.

Benjamin on King.  They look alike.  Tall and bony.  I don't know if you can pick it out in the picture but Benjamin is eating an apple.  Quiet a few of them were.  They must have raided the orchard on their ride.

We also had school pictures last Wednesday, so grandparents, be prepared to receive something new for your dartboards.

Today I got a new student!  Matthew is joining our little group.  He is 4, will be 5 in November, so he is almost exactly the same age as Isaac.  But let me tell you, he is a big boy!  Very tall, and quite robust.  I found out very quickly, that as hard as it is to understand Isaac sometimes, Matthew is even worse.  Also, his mom speaks a lot of Spanish at home because of her boyfriend, so apparently he knows a lot of his colors and numbers in Spanish.  Not so much English, though he does speak it fluently.  Except for colors and numbers, apparently.  No one told me I had to be bilingual for this job!  Good thing I took four years of Spanish in school.  

I quickly discovered that Matthew does not like to sit at a desk.  He does not like to color.  Or write.  Or sit still for a story.  He isn't big on crafts either.  Oh, did I mention his broken arm?  Thankfully his cast comes off next week, and then maybe I can get a clear evaluation on his fine motor skills, which seem underdeveloped right now.  He didn't break his dominant arm, but I am still giving him the benefit of the doubt, so to speak.  At any rate, I have figured that he is a solid pre-schooler.    So, for those keeping track, I have a sort of pre-preschooler, a preschooler, a K4 student, and a solid Kindergarten student.  Whew!  Anyone want to come help?  Oh, yeah... and I might be getting another one!  But that isn't certain yet.  

So, after a hectic day with a new student, and  Pre-preschooler underfoot, I was looking forward to getting home, putting up my tired tootsies for a few minutes, and enjoying some real quiet time.  

Not gonna happen.

The kids started band this week.  Oiy vey.  Elizabeth started on my flute.  I know, from experience, that learning how to blow into that thing so it makes some sort of pleasing tone isn't easy. Elizabeth is finding that out too.

Josiah is playing trumpet.  Or trying to.   

Caleb is doing surprisingly well with the French Horn.  If you think sounding like an elephant blowing his nose is good, anyway. 

Jerusha started the recorder last year in the second semester.  She is working on that, and learning to sight read this year. 

This classy guy, with the flood water chaps on, is playing a bass clarinet.  It is almost the same as a saxophone, except it uses a reed as the mouthpiece, and the saxophone doesn't.  He has his chaps on because he was going to work to help clear some land right after he practiced.  

Budding musicians.  Glad I'm learning sign language, because the ensuing din will probably cause permanent damage to my ears.

This Saturday we have a volleyball tournament up towards Buffalo, of course, but not as far as we went yesterday.  It will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  We have to leave early from school.  That means we'll be up bright and early... say 5 a.m. or so, on a day off. 

Goodie.  

Have a blessed day!