Thanksgiving Already...Homeschooling Obsession....:)

Wow, the year is just flying past-just last year at this time I was preparing to leave my kids for the first time EVER to travel to meet my new boyfriend's family in Charlotte. I can't believe that it's been a YEAR, or that we are heading into a new year!
This Thanksgiving celebrates a whole new type of holiday for my children. For the first time in their young lives, my parents will be in town for a real family holiday. They have owned a timeshare for about 14-15 years and have never been around. This was a little shocking to me, considering that every single Thanksgiving of my life was exactly the same until that point. I spent the first few Thanksgivings with friends, traveling, then had my first child and tried to pull off something that resembled "Thanksgiving"...Finally, after many years and too many Thanksgivings traveling pregnant and with children, I decided to give it up:) About 7 years ago I decided that I would buy everyone new jammies...We woke up on Thanksgiving and bathed-then put on new comfy jammies. We would watch the Macy's parade and eat dunkin donuts, and also beef stick and yellow onions....(family thing;)) I would cook a million things and drink wine and enjoy my jammies:) We stayed home and told everyone they were invited to stop by for whatever food was on the table at the time-but that we would be in jammies and using holiday paper plates:) Lots of football, food, whatever...:) My kind-stress free and I get to cook:)
This year we are celebrating at my brother's house-he is an amazing chef:) It should be amazing. David should be here within hours, and the kids will all be in one place for the day-including my nephews:)
I hope, however, that I can even get myself out of the house to celebrate:)! I am SOOOO wrapped up in our homeschooling right now-it's insane-it feels GREAT:) I have a thirty three page detailed outline of American History that I created to work from...We are documenting the chronological sequence of events including presidents and states added to the union...It is VERY long and VERY invloved-Thankfully I have a great jet printer-I print NON STOP!:)
My obsession is with lapbooking/notebooking, and http://www.handsofachild.com/ seems to be the place to be:) They, BTW, are having a HUGE Black Friday sale this Friday in the am-between 3am and 9am, all project packs are 45% off!!!!!!!!!!! That's AMAZING and my list is growing quickly-I am matching them into ALL of our future plans!!! I LOVE these things!!!!!!:)
Oh my....I need to save this and head to work...David may be here later and the house needs a quick pick me up:)
More soon......Lapbooking....:)
Sami

Just a Post....November Arrives

Halloween has passed, full of fun and costumes and trick or treating with friends, and November arrived dressed in golds and reds, and rolling, gray skies. Daylight Savings has come and gone and the darkness is overwhelming and long. Mostly, the kids are inside longer and need more entertaining! WOW! The days do go on and on...;)
Halloween was fun and full of blessing and wonder. The weather was perfect, the friends were bountiful, and the costumes were easy and a pleasure. The kids had the week off of lessons and we spent a lot of time getting ready for our neighborhood Pre Trick or Treat Party and finishing making our costumes. We also spent some serious time cleaning the basement and going through summer items and throw outs.
David came to visit for a few days and it was lo-key and relaxing. We took the kids to Pizza Hut and had a feast-it was a hoot. David and Skye were vultures....The pizza was good;)
Work has settled and a sweetie pie friend of mine has entered the "management" pool...I think he can blow the lid off it, I hope he does just great;) Things have been "hairy" there though, with WAY too much going on...The whole point of the job was to avoid "bringing it home"...Ahem....
Things ARE good though, settled, calm....I have been laughing a lot, and Halloween simply made me giddy....LOL...
Curriculum planning for the next 6-7 weeks....off I go....

Life kind of Sucks...

Wow...What a week. The guy who I was so PROUD to have become my general manager at work got fired...My rare pure white, very sweet and gentle parakeet, Indy, was killed during rough play with my son-this is a HUGE deal right now....And, well, I am simply in a funk. The weather is cool and dreary, the seasons are changing in the gray, cold bare way, and things are just not as bright as I would hope for.
My issue listed on the blog before this one seems to have faded into the woodwork. I have had no other issue, but jeez, that was enough drama for a year...
I am just plugging away, working as much as possible, teaching the kids, trying to look ahead...I need a goal...My life is gray and dull because I have no real goals at the moment...
hmmmm....

this is sad...

ok..here's the deal...I have been threatened...This is my really sad attempt to make document of the fact just in case. I am frightened. My kids are frightened. In case anything happens, this blog is accessible by my computer browser toolbar....
I was sexually harassed at work. It happened last summer, and the guy was fired-not for that, but for showing up at work drunk. They hired him back because he was in trouble with the law, in jail, and needed to a job to stay out of jail and on probation. They did him a favor even though they knew it was a problem. I told them that I would not tolerate any bad behavior and would report it immediately.
He spoke horribly about me behind my back on Sunday afternoon-so horribly, in fact, that those privy to the words will not repeat them. Those that heard what he said were shocked and disgusted and embarrassed. He was fired on Tuesday. He is irrational and he scares me and I have seen him angry....After being fired, his "girlfriend" called the store and basically threatened me and the manager, and then I got a threatening email. I am alone, here with four kids who have always gotten "creeps" and bad vibes from him, and we are all scared to death. The police have been notified. They said they can't really do anything. The promised to patrol the street-we are a block from the dept....I have yet to see a car and I have been watching...Edmund is a drunk and a loser with nothing to lose...And he stands a chance at returning to jail at this point. He thinks, because he is a drunk and loser, that this is MY fault.
I need to make note of this...In case...This is so sad...I just want to raise my kids and be a mom...
October 4th, 1:11am.....Sami

Smiling, Five Days, October is HERE!

I love Fall...I really do....I love the crisp nights, the orange colors against the October blue sky, the feeling of anticipation as my favorite holiday-Halloween-approaches. I love digging out my decorations for the first day of fall and dusting off my ghost collection (yes, I collect Ghosts and keep them out year round:)) I love the cozy feeling of the early dusk, the feel of long sleeves on my arms, the idea of packing away clothes that I was excited about wearing in early May...
David has decided to spoil me to death with a Visa gift card that will surely fill my closet with many new Fall items, including something new for the wedding next Saturday (NOT MINE!!!!:)), and to top it off, he will be HERE in five days and I canNOT wait to touch him and see his beautiful face again....Are people my age allowed to be this in love???? LOL! It's been almost a year and a half, and I just fall deeper and deeper each day....My head spins with the very thought of him, and he is SO GOOD to me-to US, me and my children...God, the kids are NUTS about him, and he, them. Julian wouldn't even go to bed tonight without calling to say goodnight to him:)
I love football-the sound of it on TV, the colors of the jerseys, the history of the sport (which is very much MY history:)). I am SHOCKED, so SHOCKED, at todays score of the Ravens game and momentarily pretending that it didn't happen....LOL, that's the only thing that makes bartending on Sunday worthwhile....I LOVE having those old guys come in for beer, treat me like a young little blond...Then I lay my football knowhow on them and they are just dumbfounded:) I love talking "oldschool" with them...All the names I grew up with-Donovan, Unitas, Moore, Jones....I love telling them that my dad brags about my throwing arm in front of my children, I love the fact that my boys-and daughter-will always remember MOM as the one who taught them how to throw the ball...I love that part of my past-It's one of the few things that I remember with love about my youth....Football:) Who would've thought?

So, it's Fall, officially, and I am happy. In love, content, feeling a bit accomplished after a particularly good week of work....And, it's October:)

David will be here in five days....I CAN'T wait....Jeez, the weeks DO fly by, but I still want him HERE, all the time....I really do....This week is full of lessons, plans, work, chores....We are trying to get ready for a yardsale, but I am not sure when and how that will happen with meetings and weddings and visits from David going on....We want to get to Durham for a few days as well before the weather get cold....We still have money on our cards from funnest place on Earth-Frankies:) (go carts, batting cages, bumber boats, video games, laser tag, putt putt and more:))

Oh, I have to run-or go to bed actually-couldn;t run if you paid me to:) I am SO tired and Tomorrow is a DAY OFF! (of work, not much else:))

It's OCTOBER!!!!!!

WHEW!!! LOL!

Deep sigh of relief-another week ends well-or is it just starting???:)
David left earlier tonight-left and then showed up at work for an extra kiss goodbye right before he left again-he is AMAZING! We had an awesome weekend, as usual, and I am tired but incredibly content in EVERYTHING:)
We decided to shelf the idea of a move to Durham for now, though the kids are pushing for it hardcore. I can't possibly handle another huge life change right now, and honestly, I think they have been through enough of that as it is. Life there could be easier, cheaper, more liberal if nothing else, but I really want to make the best of here-HERE is where I have made my life-our lives, and I just don't want to walk away from that quite yet.
I am not sure what is keeping me here-the homeschool community is stuffy and basically hell bent on creating lives of shelter and sameness for themselves and their children-that was a five year struggle that just wore me out-the constant preschool attitude was exhausting. I gave and gave and gave of myself only to find that I was simply used in the end-I tried to convince myself otherwise, but too many people have pointed out the issues of mom immaturity and insecurity that constantly filtered through my life for five years. I mean, there was just too much lying, back stabbing and dishonesty to continue to look past. Half the kids I knew were extremely immature as well...I knew too many kids with no education, bad manners and, well, many needed to be medicated and I think that some were even kept at home to remove "officials" from finding out about the truth. We even knew 10 and 11 year olds who couldn't read yet and the parents didn't seem to care...I wish I could say otherwise, but my experiences with the whole concept, in retrospect, were very negative and unhealthy. A lot of what people SAY about homeschoolers was very true in some of the cases I came in constant contact with...Enough on that...I have moved on and it has shown in my life:)
My kids are doing AMAZING. My sis-in-law referred to our lives as "idyllic", church friends have pointed out that my kids are so incredibly well adjusted after "all the crap", and I receive regular kudos on their growth and personalitities...Our "lose" of our homeschool group has only catipulted us into a serious stream of education and the kids are progressing by leaps and bounds. Had I known that this kind of energy would produce such results...Well, I would have focused more on the family homeschool program then on our group experiences. They certaily don't need the socialization:) LOL...
Work is ok...What can I say. I adore those that I work with even though they can drive me nuts to no end-I have to face the fact that they have become my family-they adore my children, treat me with such respect and just make me laugh. Money could be better, but hell, I am paying the bills:)
Woe, I have SO much to do for tomorrow-we start our new Geography curriculum, and the kids are flying through their math books. I have MANY things to scan for their notebooks and MUCH to do to get ready for Kody, who is EATING UP school these days:) I cannot WAIT to shove this stuff into the reviewers hands:)
Ok....I wanted to post before another month ended...LOL...:)
Drop me a line, here, or on Facebook, I'd love to hear from those that visit:)

Homeschool Year 07-08:) Ideas, Ramblings Thoughts, Comments, Questions...;)

Hi Everyone:)
I am back from Durham NC-got home late last night and just finished unpacking and getting the kids ready to go with "dad" for the weekend while I work work work:)
I am so hardcore "homeschool planning" right now, it's kind of funny:) I have a copy writing account that is collecting dust, a cake to bake and decorate for a friend, and several doubles in my current schedule....All I can think about, however, is homeschooling.
Last month we lost our homeschool group of five years. I had started it, it was my baby, but I trusted the wrong person with my livelihood and they acted in a completely immature, unprofessional and conniving fashion and ruined something that had been really really good for a LONG time. At first I was devastated-mostly because of the time and effort invested over five years, and the fact that people would hurt children on purpose with selfish actions. Within a day, though, doors had opened for new opportunities, and by the fourth or fifth day, I couldn't believe the quality of our new life! Had I known that losing my group would lead to such freedom, such creativity, such plain "NON STRESS", I would have spent my time more wisely over the last few years. I would have invested MORE into our own lessons and life, and less into the lives of people who were pretty obviously using me. From this realization, I have bursted back into my over excited homeschool mom costume and it's like we are just getting a fresh new start!:) I am so happy, and my kids are thriving-totally thriving!
I am deep into planning for this year, efforts to get organized-like searching for a planning form or a new idea, have led me to great new sites and many new ideas!!! My challenge, of course, is to focus on a few great ones and not get lost in the masses:)
We have "notebooked" in the past, "lapbooked" as well. I like the notebooking better, but I haven't explored it very closely and haven't had a huge chance to actually see how it could work for us. My kids are varied ages and levels, and the creative aspect of the process can easily distract me from the whole picture of notebooking. I am so curious to learn how this approach of schooling has worked for their family...I'd love opinions from others who may be reading this:) I joined a few notebooking and form share yahoo groups for support, ideas and motivation:)
I have also re-discovered the Core Knowledge site. This site, along with the book series, was our first homeschool approach. The site offered little but a "What Your ~ Should Know" outline for each grade, with promises of a great future of added lessonplans. I hadn't been back in years, and today realized the the promises were kept! The lessonplan section is quite awesome! I saved each of my children's grade levels (save the whole link) to my desktop in their personal file for future referance.
I am having such a blast surfing the net for personal homeschool quest-I had gotten away from being excited about new HS ideas for awhile...Life happens;)
Another cool site that I stumbled upon last night is http://www.awesomelibrary.org/ .This site calls for more exploration and I can't wait to settle in and do just that. There seems to be TONS here for use:)
I have some rambling thoughts about homeschooling...Do most HS Moms constantly explore new options and ideas? Is it better the find something the works and stick with it for awhile, or is it ok to have changes during the year/s? I started out with a unit studies approach when my kids were preschoolers...Themes were based on the Core Knowledge scopes. Our first unit was on Rain forests...I got a little carried away;) As I added more children to the school day, I found a need for more structure and discovered The Well Trained Mind, which quickly became my homeschool bible. I still use curriculum ans theory gleaned from that incredible book, and with that, we have settled into a comfort zone for the last years. This year finds us more settled then in recent years, and with children that get their basic studies done rather independently. I feel that we now own more of our time, and that our personal interests and skills can really start to bloom within our homeschool lifestyle.
I have met many homeschool moms, all very different, but most enjoy searching out and discovering new "stuff". I have personally seen moms so wrapped up in the pretty "stuff" that they can barely dig themselves out from the UPS boxes long enough to do lessons:) I have seen moms change their philosophies and styles overnight for months at a time, and the "learning" seemed to drop off while mom researched and planned...I have hit that plateau as well-which is what has kept me so close to our basic plan for so long. I want to shake it up, but not too much:)
As a homeschool parent, do you embrace many changes or do you try to maintain a more settled and structured, constant approach? What has been your new discovery for this year-what will you drop, add or try? How are you implementing this into your lifestyle? Do your children help you decide what you want to do, use, try, as you plan for a new year? I am curious as to how others approach new years, new ideas....
Off to get ready for work and hopefully surf a little longer:)

Work, Work, Work...:)

This weekend the kids are away, which only means one thing for me-WORK! I try to work as much as possible when they are not here, needing a sitter, etc. It's good deal though, I usually end up working several doubles, enjoying the time to joke and goof with co-workers and management, as well as make good money. This weekend was especially good because the money was good even though business was slow. (damn BBQ Bash in Bel Air!) I got to do new things and make more cash and get involved more, which is always good:)
I have so much to do. It's insane how overwhelmed being a single homeschooling mom of four can get...I HAVE the money to pay the bills, I just never know what day of the month it is, so I forget to MAIL the bills!
I have to run....Wish I could sit and write, but more work awaits...!

Heat, Chinese Food, Homeschooling and etc...

We are back from the beach-a full five days of temperatures of 105+, and 97% humidity!!! It was fun though, the kids got to spend time with their grandparents, and also got to swim A LOT!:) They spent most days at the community pool at my folks place, and on Wednesday we ventured into the insane heat with a trip to the ocean. The heat index on the shores of Fenwick Island State Park was 115!!!! My children and I are not much on sunbathing-my legs have not seen the sun in probably 8 years-and although we slathered on serious sunblock, we all got too much sun. I was under two umbrellas, with a shirt over my legs, and I still got crisp on my legs. My daughter and middle son look like lobster faces and are already peeling. It was FUN though:)
Vacations always bring out the kid in me. Last year, two months after major surgery on my neck, I decided to play tag at the lazy river in our hotel in Va Beach. My insane competitive edge kicked in as my oldest son, Jordan, almost caught up with me. I looked up and saw a small hole cut into the giant rock formation in the center of the circular river, and in one movement, jumped up and THROUGH it!!!! It was only about a foot wide and high, and I took all the skin off of my thighs!!! Then, in effort to get away from my daughter, Skye, I dove into the water and pounded my head onto a rock wall....It was fun though....Memorable to say the least.
This vacation had us visiting one of my favorite places on earth-Ocean City Maryland. There are rides there that I have gotten on since I was 10 years old-so that's.....31 years ago!!!!!!!! Yikes!!!!:) My favorite ride, The Himalaya, plays loud music and loops you round and round while the operator yells "Do you wanna go reeeeeaaaal fast????" and everyone screams....Amazing how the operator has sounded exactly the same for over 30 years!!! I got on with my two oldest kids a few times, screamed like a 12 year old and had a BLAST:) Nothing makes you feel young like screaming on a ride:) I also got into the ocean, which I haven't done in years. I was way out, over my head to avoid getting pelted by the gravel in the breaking waves. I talked my daughter into joining me, then we decided to try to ride in on a wave...We got TRAMPLED, tristed, turned over and thrown onto the beach!!! I was lying in the sand in my bikini creaming for my eight year old to help me up out of the pit of sand that surrounded me when I got hit again and again by gravel filled waves! I was yelling and laughing so hard I couldn't get up and ended up with about three pounds of sand in my suit. That was IT for me, and I spent the rest of the day trying to get sand out of my ears.
The kids did math the whole time we were there. My mom watched as I wrangled kids in and out of the shower and into clean clothes, sitting them down in various parts of her house with their Singapore math workbooks. My daughter threw her daily math fit, acting helpless, while I ran back and forth between showers, bathrooms, and mathbooks, and just shook her head at my patience. "They would have been in school YESTERDAY" she said over and over. I just laughed and continued my running back and forth.
We have been working on Math all summer, with the older two also working on vocabulary while the younger two continuing with phonics and reading. It is making me nuts though, just trying to get those few subjects done each day-the neighborhood kids are outside riding MY kids bkes and skateboards up and down our driveway and pounding on the door every 10 minutes. I cannot WAIT for public school to start back up...Of course, we may very well take off the month of September:) I need a few weeks of peace to get my head-and lessonplans-together.
I am working doubles all weekend...Gotta run:)

Goin' to the Beach..(or, No Computer for four days!)

We are headed to the beach today to play and visit with family:) It IS raining, but who cares, I just need a change of scenery! My mind is warped on curriculum planning and my recent account. I AM taking the account file with me, and there is a box of schoolbooks next to me as I write, all packed and ready to go (those lucky kids! LOL) (my clothes and stuff, however, are nowhere NEAR ready to go!!! Talk about obsession!)
Awesome weekend with David visiting-AWESOME! He is simply SO fantasic there are no real words:) It just gets better and better and better:) We had so much fun-he is SO my very best friend, it's probably sickening to all who meet and see us. We laugh NON-stop, are beyond close, and the affection he shows to me is simply adorable. He is a definite KEEPER, LOL!:) He is headed to Chicago this week while I am in Delaware....Too many miles...! The kids and I go to visit him for several days in 2 weeks-I can't wait!
I really need to stop "exercising my word skills" and get into the shower and pack-I told the kids we would leave before 11...And I am not dress or otherwise...THE SUN JUST CAME OUT!!!!!!!!!!! GO SUN!!! Ok, headed to the beach for real!!! He He He He!!!
No computer for several days....No HS Tracker, no Facebook baby, no blogging....I will live though!

Have to Write....

It's 2:33 am and I decided that I HAVE to write, no matter the time. I think about writing all the time, but then I always get into something else....!
Basically, lots is going on...I had some big windows close, but as a great friend pointed out, some pretty big ones were sure to open...And they did, and are, and will;) Things change so fast...It's amazing, how fast. Things that were so important to me a month ago are simply mere memories-life just moves that fast-there is almost no time for reflection!!!
We head to the beach on Monday, after a weekend with David visiting. The kids are so excited about BOTH prospects:) They are NUTS NUTS NUTS about David, and really can't wait to go to the beach, and to see their grandparents, who we rarely see. It will feel AWESOME to reconnect with the power of the Sea-I need her energies!!! I am looking forward to it, even thought we ARE taking school books:)
After that, I have to work on a new account that I have suddenly had land in my lap. I have to think about restarting my small-very small-biz....And, I have decided to continue college in the Spring, taking classes in web graphics and design, hoping to pull together and upgrade my self taught skills:)
I am excited about a brand new homeschool year, a brand new year at UUFHC-where I will be teaching K-1:), I am excited about new changes at work, and changes to be made to our home, and our new curricum...(I am a self proclaimed curriculum queen) I am just excited...And, to top it off, DAVID is coming up today!!!!
Which is why I need to go to bed!!! NOW!

Fall Curriculum!

I am so excited!!!! We have settled into some awesome programs and books in the last year and have just discovered some new as well:) I am well planned and excited to begin!! This is what we will be using: :)

Older Kids-ages 10 and 12

ScienceWorks-Chemistry
Read and Understand Science
Young Scientist

Math-U-See
Singapore Math

Grammer Usage and Mechanics
Spelling Workout
The Traits of Writing
Mastering Vocabulary
Vocabulary Grade 5 TCP

World Geography-EvanMoor.com (Africa)
Map Skills MCP

Spotlight on America Rev War, The Constitution, Elections.

Art Packs

Advantage Reading


Younger Kids ages 6 and 8

ScienceWorks-Space
Reading Comp-Science
Young Scientist

Math-U-See
Singapore Math

MCP Plaid Phonics B and C
Spelling Workout

World Geography-EvanMoor.com (Africa)
Map Skills MCP

Spotlight on America Rev War, The Constitution, Elections.

Art Packs


We are also considering Cub Scouts, Gymnastics, Basketball, and private Art Lessons...

Individual Projects this year, so far, include Skye learning oil painting, and Dakota designing a comicbook based on the antics of our three crazy parakeets.:)

Too Excited!!!!!

Crazed Weather in Bel Air!

This is a shot I took last Sunday morning-this WAS the roof of a local auto parts store! We had a storm, around 5:30am that morning, and while there were no reports of tornadoes, this looks as though it was picked up, crushed like a tin can and dropped neatly into the parking lot-insulation was hanging from the trees and power lines!
Two weeks prior we DID have a tornado about a mile from here. I was shocked-it was the third one in this area in 3 years. I read online that this section of Maryland has a 40% higher chance of having them!!! No Idea!!! My kids and I were in the freezer section of Target...The lights went out several times then stayed out...It was so dark and quiet-it was like death! No one made a sound, and then I said, "freeze-no one move" to my kids....A few seconds later my cell rings and I answer it-thankful for the light it gave! My mom-in Delaware was on the line and she asked where we were...I told her "Target"...And she says to me, as I stand in the darkness, "There is a tornado in Bel Air!!!" Needless to say, I had NO idea what to do, the thunder and rain were pounding so hard on the roof I couldn't hear myself think....Soon, the lights came on and we continued shopping....The sky was BEAUTIFUL when we finally entered the parking lot, all the traffic lights were out, and there were leaves and debris EVERYWHERE....
Crazy crazy Mother Nature...;)

I am Not Afraid...

I am not afraid anymore. There was a time in my life when fear ruled my days and kept me awake at night. I imagined horrible things happening, I had all our panic attacks. I kept my children close, hardly allowing them from my sight, never letting them go off in other's cars, trusting no one. The fears lasted almost 10 years, with two years being unbarible. My doctor said it was postpartum that time. I lived in control of my life, fearing things from outside, afraid, even, to be alone.
I have faced some incredible things in my life, and though I always considered myself "a mess" during those times, others found me to be an inspiratonal "woman of steel". No real inspiration from me, I mean, you have to wake up each day, right? That's all I did: woke up and went about each day.
I realized tonight, I am not afraid. At all. I am careful, I am smart, but I am not afraid. I sleep at night, here alone, in the house with four kids, and I am not freaked out. I have no one really close to lean on or go to, but I am ok and have created my own "family" of support. I trust many with my kids because I HAVE to-they are getting independant and involved in life, and the single parent thing really forces it on me. I am ok though. My kids have met some GREAT people:)I am not afraid.

LOL, So Much for Writing:)

Wow! It's been almost two months since I have blogged-I got an email today to tell me so:) I have also been encouraged to add some links to the curricula I am currently obsessed with:)
Life is just fine here. More good days then bad, the sun is showing its face more and more, the days are warming nicely and I am starting to thaw out:)Come on Summer!!!!

Tired, But Accomplished!

I am exhausted. I am literally too tired to TALK which is rare. I think everyone is wondering if something is wrong...;)
Nothing is wrong; In fact, it's quite the opposite. I have spent many recent days organizing my calendars, updating records on my computer, getting curricula completed for the year, and going through stacks of mail. I had my entire life lying around on slips of paper, tucked away in notebooks or blank calendars, or worse, simply fleeting thoughts between my ears;) The job was long and tedious, but I finally got it done and now I don't know what to do with my need to procrastinate;)
It took every spec of my brain-especially my American History program, which has been in the works since October. I very much wanted a literature intense history curriculum, and I literally fell right into the perfect framework of a book series last week. We will be using the various series within Dear America to lead us in our studies, starting with journals from the Mayflower and Jamestown. I have stumbled onto a ton of great titles, as well as helped create a monthly History Book club, so I am feeling QUITE smug with myself:)
So, we start back into history with a vengeance:) I need to get my rest-much reading ahead, as I have two younger ones that need to be read to!!!
Besides that, I am not feeing motivated to do much else...It is COLD here, like, 9 degrees, and I am so miserable wearing all the stuffy clothes and being an ice cube anyway.....I haven't worked out either-it's just TOO COLD! I just want to get under the covers and hibernate til May!!!
I am off....Stay warm!

Must Be Doin' Something Right~

My daughter turned 12 this weekend. She has been "going on 22" since she was about 4, so I thought I'd be prepared, LOL. She is a really awesome kid who has more confidence then most grown women I know, and tons of personality. Skye has been homeschooled her entire life, and has been allowed to follow her interests and talents. She is also very involved in our church, which is Unitarian Universalist, and has had her mind greatly influenced by both the belief system and the congregation. At 11, she was a conversationalist genious, debating religious freedom, personal rights, equality and peace to all who care to engage her. Her opinions and intelligence are often very much her own and are usually linked to a personal experience within her own diverse life. Her free thinking confidence mixed with a creative mind makes for an extremely interesting pre-teen;)
And pre-teen she is;) She is extremely involved in fashion and design and spends hours and hours drawing, painting, and reading Vogue. She LOVES the eighties-music, clothes, fads-and takes me to stores that sell clothes that remind me of my junior year of highschool;) She recently discovered the telephone and IMing and I am enjoying the ability to use it as a reward for good behavior;) She has a Myspace page, which I monitor closely, and an email account as well. I check both regularly and we have had some interesting conversations about Internet use and safety-my daughter and I can discuss ANYTHING, btw. She added a few "friends" to her page by request, without knowing them at all-they were friends of friends of friends....I checked the links through, trying to figure out who one 14 year old girl was on Skye's page, and didn't like what I saw. This young girl was offering pictures of herself to anyone who would email her-and they were illegal pictures. I quickly deleted her link and questioned my child. She had no idea about the link, and also had no clue about who the girl was. She agreed to allow no more "strangers"...The line of what a "stranger" is these days is shakey though, isn't it? I check on her page consistantly. She is only allowed online once or twice a week for a short period of time, so there is not much there.
I was checking up on the page the other day, reading the responses to random questions as I chatted with David on the phone. Favorite food, favorite movies, favorite color...Simple stuff...Then, as I was about to click "close" on the page and get on with my conversation I saw the heading "Heros" and stopped to read-fully expecting her answer to be John Lennon or something like that-instead I found my eyes full of tears as I read the words "MY MOM". Her follow up sentence remarked on the gravity of our last year and how I handled it so bravely for her and her brothers...I was left in tears and totally speechless (and that never happens;)). What an amazing young lady she is....:)

This is How We Do it~

I worked tonight. I am a server at a local restaurant and I really love it;) It's a fun place, the guests are mostly families with kids, and my co-workers are a great bunch of people. I laugh A LOT when I am at work. After being a SAHM for 11 years, having a place to go where I am just "Sami" and not "someones mom" is actually quite nice;) I love being there and talking about my kids. People are always shocked to find that I am forty, for starters, and that I even have kids. Then thay are shocked to find that I have FOUR...Then I drop in that I homeschool them-jaws drop-and, oh, yeah, "I am a single mom"...;) (my tips are pretty good;) LOL!) I find it rather interesting; People have such pre-conceived notions of women with several children, or homeschoolers, and of single moms...And I guess I am not fitting into any of those stereotypes;) I have always honored my need to be different and out of the box, and this works quite well for me;)
Everyone wants to know HOW I do it, and the answer is not a hard one to give-One, I just DO-it's like a Nike commercial;), and Two, I have great people in my life who believe that I am super woman and support me 100%. I don't have people "raising" my kids. I have seen many single parent situations where that has happened. My kids spend less then 10 hours a week with a sitter, at which time they are with my brother's family. I survive on divorce settlement savings, part time earnings budgetted well, and, of course, child support. I have no retirement plan, I have no long range personal plan, I simply live each day to raise my kids the way I intended, and that is my priority. I strongly believe that my decision is a good one, and one that I will continue to find Blessing in, in the future. This is my way of providing my kids with the BEST private education they can get, tailored to their own needs. I strongly believe this is the best way to raise my children to be the free thinking individuals they are meant to be. One does not have to live within a box, but be free to explore the ideas and boundries that exist in the "whole" world. My kids are welcome to embrace that ideal and have opinion and expression. It's not always easy for me to take, but it's their truth they need to find, not mine. For this, I dedicate myself to our homeschool life.
We don't live fancy, we budget our money and our time. My daughter (12) is a fashion freak inspired by the eighties, and she LOVES to shop at thrift stores and clearance sales;) She earns and spends her own money. My sons get stuff from cousins, friends with older kids. They love the "worn" look, so I rarely have to buy them clothes. I LOVE Target:) We don't NEED air conditioning to survive, or even much heat-got that from my dad (who never had a heating bill more then 45 dollars!). We don't do movies, but wait for Redbox DVDs, eat out at my work at a discount, and use coupons. I don't pay full price for ANYTHING! I only work enough to make our budget and get some into savings each month, and I have no credit cards. I also have no car payment and keep up maintenance on a 99 van. My kids don't purchase video games, though we have one that was given to us. They don't "get" the need for labels on their clothes. My daughter DOES have an iPod, which her dad and I got her for Christmas. They are level headed kids who don't ask for much at all;)
I teach my kids during the week, working a few nights a week while they stay with family. They go with "dad" for two weekends and other times during the month and I work then as well. On weekends, we are sometimes involved in soccer, and we are very involved in our UU church.
People think this is crazy and that I must be losing it. We are ok. I am great, actually. Granted, having some savings in the bank provides a great relief for me, but it's not that much. I never "had" a life of "things", so I don't feel deprived of anything-I did GREATLY in my marriage though. I sleep in sometimes, and stay up late, after the kids go to bed, writing, talking to friends on the phone, reading...I have friends everywhere that back me up, make me laugh, and love my kids. I take off two weekends a month, while the kids are away, and do something for myself, visit friends, travel, go out to eat. I think I have a pretty ok life;)
It's been a year-We are doing fine;)

"The Wind!! The Wind!!"

Today we starting building a weather station for our weather unit. Our first experiment was to make a weather vane out of straws, rubber bands, a pencil, a nail, and a piece of card stock. The boys put it together and took it out into the backyard as I looked on, camera in hand, doubting the experiment as the cards blew off and the winter wind whipped around the kids. The weather today is cloudy, very windy, and getting colder by the minute...

They set the weather vane up on the picnic table and waited for the wind as I tested the compass with my own directional knowledge. Soon the wind whipped through, the vane shook, spun a few times, and pointed to the direction of northwest....! The boys were excited to check in with the Weather Channel for the actual forecast proof....AND, it WORKED!!! The winds today are north/northwesterly at 11 miles an hour! We added the data to our weather charts along with the temperature and rainfall and diagrammed our findings in our science notebooks. Julian said it was "fun stuff school":)

Perhaps we should inform the Weather Channel that all they really need to study the weather are straws and rubber bands...:)

Angels do Phonics Too;)

This is my sweetie:) Julian, or "Jules", as he allows only me to call him, is my youngest. He is at that still sweet and cuddly age of five-six next month. He melts my heart easily with his brown eyes and pouting lower lip-I know it just drives my other three kids NUTS! He likes to do schoolwork, and makes me laugh at his observations and letter sound imitations:) His absolute favorite thing to do is play cars, and he has about 2000 Matchbox cars that end up in pockets, in the van, at every one's house...Everywhere we go, there are long lost cars waiting for him:) He can make incredible noises for each vehicle and his fire engine sounds can challenge the real ones that come from the fire station behind our house! He is old enough to make sense of things and make his own peanut butter sandwich, but still small enough to be adorable and loving and full of "lovies". When all else fails, when the other three are wild or smarty pants or just fighting it out, Jules is always available for a big hug and many kisses...

Order Returns

A strangely quiet morning here at the house. Almost frighteningly so;)
Everyone was away for the weekend, and I was on my own, doing what I do when I am merely "single Sami" instead of "MOM!". All the kids came home Sunday evening exhausted and somewhat ill-just colds. They all slept later then we planned, but got things done and got into their schoolwork without my guidance. Yes, REALLY!
After a year of being "off" of what was a lifelong daily routine for my children, we are now attempting to "get back to normal", whatever "normal" is, for a single parented homeschooling family of 5. We are settled enough in our new home-after five moves in the last year. The kids LOVE LOVE LOVE the neighborhood, which is full of kids and bikes and skateboards...:) My front yard is always full of kids, little boys on bicycles with raven's jackets on, pre-teen girls perched on the backyard picnic tables...My kids are happier then I have ever seen them. My homeschooled daughter is trying hard to put together her list for her birthday party-she has to keep it to 20 kids. Thankfully I don't have to pay for the "non swimmers" as her list also includes adults, older teens, and preschoolers:) I love this concept of Homeschoolers being unsocialized....LOL
So, back to the structure of things...I came down like a giant hammer on our lives last week. Schedules, chore lists, bedtimes, expectations, all came to light. There was serious resistance, of course, but by Wednesday things were looking better...And apparently, by the calmness of this morning, the reality of "Sami's Domain" has sunk into their heads...Public school is out for MLK day, so there is an incentive right outside the schoolroom window:) It's seventy degrees here, BTW....
It feels so good to be back blogging...It's been a long while...:) Things are SOOO much better...
Sami