Warrior Prayer Challenge

I just bought the ebook. I'll be joining a friend from church to be a Warrior Prayer for our boys. I hope you can join us in this challenge.

life makes me smile

T12 had to read the original short story "Lassie, Come Home".   He wanted to know where the guy that fell in the well was in the story, and where was Timmy. Why did they live in a cottage and sale the dog to the Duke? Wasn't this suppose to be a cowboy story?  
Shows how far the TV shows have come from the original story.

Found a prosthetic devise called "Been a Boob" this week. Ordered a pair. Boys were so excited when a package came in the mail today, they couldn't wait to open it. You would have thought there were snakes in that there box.

Walked three miles yesterday before the pain kicked in. Received cortisone shots in the feet today. Also had x-rays of feet and lumbar spine. Just incase an old high jump injury is part of the nerve problem. Praying these shots work so I can continue with the Commander in our training.

Our pastor's family might be blessed with a newer house, with room to grow. Praying this goes through. Please, please, please.

Two boys are now involved in Boy Scouts and are camping this weekend. We will have a busy day tomorrow traveling to where they are camping south west of Lawrence, driving T12 to Overland Park for a soccer game, and then taking him back to finish the campout. Commander will then have to go back to camp Sunday morning to bring a group of campers back home. Can you say "OUCH" to the gas bill? OOOOOUUUCH! T12 is just bummed that he has to see his parents every day this weekend. HA HA HA.

Read a book by one of my favorite young adult writers -Donita K. Paul. "The Dragons of Chiril".  Probably read about three pages before I realized I had already read the book. Finished the book before ever noticing on the front cover (in real small letters) that is said it was previously released under another name. No wonder, I had already read it. It was just as good the second time. I highly recommend her Dragon Keeper series.

Remembering to shake my boots out on the back patio before putting my feet in them. A friend, Pac Leo, found a black snake in his boots at the back door. Can you believe he didn't kill it??? If it had been in my boot - biology on the driveway, Babe!

Boys are doing a super job at getting back into the swing of schooling. Herogian is working to be a day a head by next Thursday to go dove hunting with Mr. Joe. He gets to take Penny with him for her first hunt.

The Commander can burp "I love you" in a handful of languages. I luv u two -Oklahomian, and I love you, too. English. That's as far as I get.

Have a great weekend.

Unplug it to make it work

Okay, that makes sense doesn't it?  You probably already guessed I was talking about the computer.  This time it wasn't the modem but the wi-fi router. So, we've been without internet since last Saturday because the modem and router couldn't communicate. Isn't communication a big problem in this world?

Thanks to the nice reps at Road Runner, I can now get back into a love/hate relationship with my computer.

Last night a miracle occurred at our place. Three boys sat down before bedtime to do some school work. Herogian danced down the hall to the bathroom chanting "I like Algebra! I like Algebra!"  T12 did his literature and Hawk completed a couple of his subjects. All this while I was at work. No one standing over them making them do any of it. Cool.

After I work a late shift, it is really nice to sleep in until 8:00. The boys then get up knowing they are not behind on schedule. Yeah.

It is nice being back on the homeschool roller coaster. I like the familiarity of it.

We survived the first week

Schooling the boys is something I really enjoy doing. This summer, for some reason, I wasn't ready to start. I even put our start day off by a week to unwind from VBS and prep a bit more. Not like I don't prep enough from February to July.

The week started off rough with a bad teenager attitude (Herogian). That, thankfully, has turned around and he is now reading ahead during the evenings. Hawk is back to his old ways - getting a couple of subjects knocked off the night before. Then there is Terminator 12. He started off earning what he called 'Responsibility points' ( Commander must have given him a talking to while I was at work). He would let me know when he felt he had earned one of these by getting something done on time, or correctly the first time. Well, he blew a big hole in that one today. Let's just say he earned a spot at the table doing repeat copy work. I know, old habits die hard. We finished the day early enough to sit down and watch Ninja Warrior  Boot Camp together. What a fun way to relax at the end of a school day!

Commander and I have spent the last two nights walking about 5 miles each night. I'm ready to see the podiatrist for injections into the balls of my feet. There are good reviews on alcohol injections for Morton's neuroma. I'll save the cortisone shots for March if needed. I know cortisone deadens everything - I jumped six-four with cortisone, then dropped below 5'10 when the doctor wouldn't shoot it up for the third time- not a good thing during Olympic Trials. I'm hoping to find a taping method that will curtail this painful situation.

As of this week, we now have two Boy Scouts. Herogian of all people. I'm so glad. I think he'll really enjoy the camping and activities. Next week they head off for a place with a lake. He can go fishing all day long. A few weeks later they get to camp out on a train and work for a Railroading merit badge. How cool is that?

Oh, the computer is RAMmed out. Our computer geek (genius) came over at 9:00 last night to install the new drive. What awesome service!  I haven't had a blue screen of death at all today. (insert happy dance.)

How we homeschool

This is a general synopsis of our day, it fluctuates like waves on a beach. I try to be the moon and pull an even tide, but I wane and wax, too.
With just the first week under our belt, we have found that getting up at the same time works best - when I get up, I get them up, somewhere between 8-9. With late nights at the store, then insomnia in some degree or another, I need to ignore Commander's alarm.

The boys start with Bible reading and verse practice while eating breakfast. Next is Daily grams and Easy grams, We do two daily grams on MWF so we have T, TH off, but also will finish the year earlier by about 36 days. We are required 186 days in our private sector.

The boys then follow a daily checkoff schedule meant to keep them from needing the computer or the same book at the same time. They have helped line out this list as to what they want to get out of the way first. For Herogian it is;  World Geography, Hawk - Math, T12 - grammar.
THe boys have 11-13 different subjects to cover in the week. some are every other day, to once a week. "Better THinking Skills" only takes five minutes. (You heard about that one yesterday). S.A.T. Prep is one chapter a week for the older boys. They need to know what is coming, so it won't be overwhelming. Typing and Foreign Language are computer lessons, this allows them to get away from the books.

The boys work at their own pace, but have a time schedule to follow. If they finish a subject early, they can get a chore done, or tell me that they are taking a short break. Sometimes they use this time to do a lap on their bike, or Herogian takes Penny for a walk.
Lunch is between 30 minutes to an hour, but  if lunch is finished or not- they start back to work at 1:00. If they played around and missed lunch, too bad.

THe workout for me is staying up on the daily check of their work ( 3 against 1) and making sure, right now, that they are doing complete notes from the chapters. During this first quarter, they will be allowed to use notes for test. Then those will drop away, but they still must take the notes.
I look at Jr. High and High school as college prep training. They need to have the study skills engrained, beat into their heads, established by their sophmore year in high school.

The boys know that if they mess around during the day, they will be doing their work when Commander comes home. In the past I've left T12 at the table working with Commander while I leave for work. School isn't over until their work is finished.  During this frustrating period for all involved. If they need a break - they can go do a chore and burn off their frustration getting something accomplished, or they might be allowed to take a bike ride, or run a loop around the neighborhood.

Hawk has especially learned to sit down in the evening with his ice cream and start on the next days assignments. Herogian will also do some reading in the evenings. T12 is still fighting this concept.

Yesterday Herogian learned that I won't be so eager to take him places that he wants to go - Ducks Unlimited Banquet, last night, if he hasn't completed his chores. The chickens depend on him. So when he was so eager to go at 4:30 last night, I asked if his jobs for the last three days were done. What a look came over his face when he realized he had three jobs to complete before he'd get to leave.
When we finally left, (remember this is the kid that loves to hunt and hates geography) I told him, he would have to give me directions. A deer in the headlights look blossomed on his face. So I gave him a hint. DeSoto, 10th or 20th street, which one do you want me to take?   He chose 10th.  We drove about four miles down this road before he decided that we were on the wrong road and asked if we could go to 20th. I turned on Spruce. That's when Commander called and asked him where were we? When Herogian told him Spruce. Commander thought I was lost and gave Herogian the directions. OHHHHH! I asked Herogian how he would have found the place if we had given him the keys to the car and told him to have a great time. His reply:  "I would have driven around until I found it."    OR RAN OUT OF GAS!
I like dishing out life lessons.

As I'm typing, Hawk asked, "do you want a grape soda, cream soda, or a root beer for lunch?"
"I don't know."
"You sound just like Hawk!"
Takes one to know one. Indecisive parent, Indecisive child.

How to get my dander up

Son ---
"Oh, I didn't do that subject cause it would only take me five minutes to do it."

Ya know what? He did the subject - got the "Thinker" question wrong and was allowed to do it all over again. Sure took longer than five minutes when he had to write it down twice. ERRRGGGG.


We are starting the year off with one son definitely not in the right frame of mind. His skeet lessons won't go on schedule until there is a big turn around in attitude.
***
The surprise has been T12 - He is getting done with work by three in the afternoon. Last year we were still working at dinner time. THis is even with a late morning start after a night of soccer and boy scouts. T13-Hawk -- he still has half of his assignments done before bedtime the night before. Good thing - because last night he was up three times hugging the toilet. Don't know what brought that on, poor guy.

Have a safe week.

waiting for new ram

Our computer geek (genius) was over the other day. He will rev-up our computer from 1/2G to 4G this week. I can't wait.
I might actually be about to post on your blog pages without getting the screen of death.

Praying for you on the house situation and schooling, Altic Quiver.

Michelle, have a safe trip and a lot of fun doing the field trips.
As to planning, I start in the spring with writing every lesson out on excel. Then print this out for the boys folders. We can see the whole year. They then get their time schedule as when to do subjects so they aren't fighting over books. Finally, they each have a teacher's planner type of book that I write down one weeks worth of lessons so they can check it off as they go.

Right now it is Herogian giving me the attitude (teenager) about staying on a schedule.
Gotta go grade papers.
Have a great week.

trying to get in the school mode, ready to throw computer out the window

Ugh! The computer.    I can't believe how easy this thing can make preparing for school, yet on the other hand it can really frustrate me. It is ready for Commander to reboot the operating system - blue screen of death keeps popping up. I've moved everything of importance off my main page and onto a portable drive. The slowness of getting around some pages is really putting my multitasking skills to work. I'm taking a frustration break to come see what my blogging friends are up to.

School starts Monday for us. A week later than I originally planned, but oh well. The boys this year will be following a syllabus for each of their subjects. They can see the whole year laid out before them. They can also turn away from that overwhelming view to their weekly check off books and take it one week at a time. I went to the trouble of writing it all out this way so that it will prepare them for college - taking a class syllabus and then breaking it down into doable chunks. We will also add Rossetta Stone Homeschool Spanish to the mix with a Spanish speaking friend from church checking their pronunciation each month. I'm so thrilled that she has agreed to help them. You know this Okie accented person definitely can't.

The boys will also have to follow a daily schedule that I set up for them. Usually, they picked what they wanted to do first and set their own routine for the year. We used their past routine to set up this years schedule but had to tweek it a bit so that the older boys can share books easier - no arguing over who gets literature first.

Okay, back to printing off forms and tweeking lessons.
Have a great weekend and new school year.

Covering for someone else, finally

I hate it when I have to call in sick at work. I know someone will have to stay to cover my closing shift. Today was the turn around. I finally had a chance to help cover for someone else who was home with a sick child.
 It was a good feeling.
We were hopping - mad with customers at times, being short handed would not have been a good thing for business.
As the afternoon moved into evening, I realized how happy I was that "Hawk" and I had walked in the morning hours. Going to the gym after 10 hours on my feet wasn't going to happen.
 From now on all my 4-7 hour shifts will feel short.
It helps to do something out of the box now and then. This also includes Saturday at "Pair Day" - my first time to help. This is a Post event to help the incoming military families find out what kind of opportunities are in the community. It's like a street fair with tables and tents set up and the people just roam around gathering information about Doctors, Dentist, churches, grocery stores and what not. There is always free school supplies (pens, pencils, calendars, candy) to pick up as you visit each table. Price Chopper will be doing goodie bags for parents and kids.
 Herogian will be at the Rod and Gun Club table helping out and gaining Community Service hours, SHhhhhh - don't tell him that part.
Oh, our walk - was five miles from the gym in town with meandering through some neighborhoods. "Hawk" said the five mile walk wouldn't be bragging material - the walking along the highway is though. I'll just say that the 1 1/2 mile part that's all up a slight grade to the horizon wore him out more than he thought it would. I hope he will keep training with me.

Have a good night.

walking, dining and shopping with my hubby

What a lot of fun we had today. I started with a prayer before we started.  Commander and I walked 7 + miles - no foot pain with padding taped to the bottom of my feet. Cleaned up and went out to a local Mexican restaurant - where I can eat gluten free. Then did a little shopping on post to get a camelback for the training and some moisture wicking socks.

Just spending time with Commander made it special. There are days where he taps me on the nose in the morning to say goodbye, then he stops by the store while I'm working to tap me on the shoulder to ask if he needs to buy anything before he continues home. Five minutes of eye contact tops for the day.  Thank you God for my wonderful partner in life.

VBS crafts have been fun

The week is almost over for VBS. It has been fun. Taking on a whole new position this year, really opened my eyes. It will be a help for when I put another program down on paper (There are two twisting around in the mind).

We started off easy with decorating large brown sacks to store the 'goods' in, and a pencil topper. The second day was a puzzle with an old cassette tape, string and two large beads. The object is to move the beades through the loops from one side to the other. Wednesday was "Faith" bracelets with pony beads and crosses. Today we worked on foam visors and colored on 'color it yourself' beach balls. We also started windchimes with the older group.

We have had the challenge of stretching the windchime supplies out from fifty to eighty, ordering more supplies on Monday to get them here by Wednesday, and cutting out foam visors to have enough for the growing number of kids. Fun challenges - God always takes care of them in neat ways. It's been fun watching it all unfold.

*****

The foot neuroma is still flaring. I did find information on the internet and was able to pad it tonight and walk with the Commander. We had to stop about three times to finish five miles. I'm soaking in ice water as I type. At one point in our walk we were overlooking the Missouri River. It was so quiet. No Cicadas. Two blocks west of there it was so loud under a tree that I put my hands over my ears. Do they like a certain kind of tree?

Looking forward to next week. Besides soccer and work. I shouldn't have to drive ANYWHERE. Commander drives us to church.

Have a great weekend.

VBS week is growing

We jumped from 99 kids to 113. That's a good amount of growth for our VBS program in only its first 2 days. I prepping for 125 tomorrow in crafts.

Kudos out to Chris for his wonderful job of promoting VBS this year. He handed out flyers at the county fair, asked banks, and restaurants to put the info on their outdoor media signs, and invited day care centers.  Our youth director ROCKS.