Let the School Preparations Begin!

I have officially been homeschooling long enough to predict the future.  Are you impressed?  I am.  I hope you are too, because this is the end of my superpowers.  Please be impressed.

I predict that in about 3 weeks, we will all be bombarded by a million wonderful photos of the perfect, if not ideal homeschool classroom.  You know what I mean, the classroom that someone has in their home, because they have all that extra room, with brightly decorated walls, books carefully displayed an sorted, pencils with not-chewed erasers, beautiful binders all organized with tabs and spreadsheets and on and on and on....

We'll see a million how-i-organize it posts, how-to-teach posts, perfect curriculum packages for me posts.  Remember, from last August?  I do.  I remember looking longingly and thinking of the glorious homeschool days to come.

Hopeless Optimist.  That's who I am.  Or have been, at any rate.

This year, I'm going into my 7th year of homeschooling.  I now have enough years under my belt to remember the other days....the not so glorious days.  The days of tears or too tired, and I tell you what:

The cute classroom, the beautifully organized binder, they don't fix anything. While it's so valuable to have a pleasant physical environment & important to know where things are- these aren't the only points of focus for me this year.

We spent the first 4 years of our homeschooling days at the kitchen table.  I quickly realized the beauty of this plan.  I could set the kids to working and then hop up and work on dishes or dinner or what not.  It was cozy and comfy.  Yes, I had to clean everything up for meals, but it really, really wasn't the end of the world.  I have lovely memories of working in the kitchen.

Now we live in a house that has an odd shaped extra little room, and when I realized that there was enough wall space in that room that I could hang up a white board and a map and I was thrilled- we moved.  I was happy in the kitchen, but I'm still pretty close and right next to the laundry.  :) 

In about a month my school room will probably join the ranks of being perfectly tidy.  For at least 10 minutes.  But, as much as I'm determined to get better organized, it will probably just be weeks before it all melts into a happy-cozy-messy-space where we will proceed through the school year.  (This is what MY pen drawer looks like today after a school year of good use.)

So now I'm here to propose an idea.  As my son often reminds me when he's not interested in brushing his hair, man looks at the outside appearance but God looks at the heart. (our version of 1 Samuel 16:7) 

I'm thinking that while y'all might be impressed if I create a super cute classroom, tidy and ultra organized with all the right books, God alone knows the shape of my heart.  

On the hardest days of homeschooling I have come to know that the order of my intentions, the order of my heart towards the boys, the constant pushing away of pride and growing of grace is what will beautify The Boys' Noise School .  

My homeschool room doesn't reflect my

 greatness or success as a homeschool

 mom any more than state testing reflects

 the character and even the skills of our children.  

While Summer simmers in the heat of July, I'm starting to think about it:  the satisfying work that needs to be done, getting my books in the best spots, setting up realistic lesson plans, hitting the sales to build our supply closets.  But I'm also thinking about my year in this:  what am I hoping to accomplish this year in the hearts and minds of our boys?  What does God have in mind for me in this school year?  Oh, yes, I know that there are many things to be learned this year.

How can I really do better for these boys this year?  I know I've come up short in some arenas, I'm going to give Math extra attention this year.  I want to push farther on with Latin and some of us have terrible penmanship!  Carefully, I'm praying about their character.  Seeking God for His path for us. Proverbs 16:9 says that' the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.'  I take so much joy in the fact that God promises (James 1:5) us wisdom!  He has good plans for all of us this year (in spite of mine) ...and He designed us all, so I certainly need to know what He has to say!

Be encouraged as you plan your school year.  God has good plans for your little school, whether you have a table, room or work on a couch God knows just what you need.  Seek Him first:

Matthew 6:25-34

New International Version (NIV)

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Legacy: The Story of a Life to Sing About

My dear friend, her days here on earth are coming to an end.

She was diagnosed in October.  She fell, and there was too much pain in her that wouldn't subside.  When the doctors looked around enough they found that unwelcomed guest, cancer.  Her fight has been good.  She has never stopped fighting.  But cancer is a big thief and she lays in her room, restful while friends visit and family watches, grieve.

It's devastating.  I have cried a million tears, poured my heart out to God begging for healing.  Face on the floor I've cried, knowing full well that some of us have a shorter time here on earth, and hers might be a shorter story.  It's devastating.  But it's not a tragedy.

You see, her name is Joy.  For every day of her life she brings it, to her family and friends.  Laughter dances about her and they joke and tease, was she really worried about being too silly, too sarcastic with her family?  Her home is full of laughter and fun.  Smiles light her face as she tells us stories of the crazy, funny things her kids say, or a story of her and James' early years, or yesterdays silliness.

Her name is Grace.  Grace and faithfulness for her sweet husband, grace for her three children growing like weeds that no mom really knows 'what to do with.'  So she gives grace and love to them like crazy.

Grace all over her friends and our sweet little schooling community.  She's been patient and handles the hard things with laughter and a light heart, and grace, willing to put the hard stuff aside, to forgive and to love.

Her name is Legacy.

In her years as a wife & mother she has chosen well.  The job she took on didn't pay well.  No big Christmas bonuses, no vacations or sick time.  Her company car is an awesome retro stationwagon.  But she clocked in 16 years ago and has been working hard since then.
She built a beautiful home that is no magazine cover.  Her's are not shiny, tidy untouched rooms. The decor is every bit of who she is, cozy sunflowers in the kitchen, antiques everywhere, and books from ceiling to floor.  Her home has a pulse, her family lives there. Laughter laces the hallways and family photos hang, photos taken over all the years for us to see the story of the Bennett family.

She has invested her time into her faithful marriage, her children and their education.  Her hours spent pouring over good books and hard math, drilling what is a present participle verb form and what was the Vietnam War all about, anyway?  But I think what her children got from that education was more than the facts and a beautiful foundation~  they know their Mama loves them.  Her legacy was greatly choosing her children, her husband.  Her unselfishness built a beautiful, rich education and relationship with each one of her children. Her investments are already paying off.  Her kids' heart's ache.  But they will live well with their dad together.  Their mom brought them a chief understanding of who they are in Christ and led them, by her example, into a walk with Him.

Her Legacy is pouring herself out, imperfect and fully knowing that she didn't really know the exact way how, but pouring herself out unselfishly to her family, and friends.  Giving love, giving grace, always, always joy.  What a measure of a woman.

Her name, it's Surrender.  She gave her life over to the knowing, caring hands of Jesus so long ago.  She has lived a life that rested in God's promises,  that He loves her unconditionally, that He forgives, that He will provide, and His great promise that our life doesn't end here on earth.  So she's peacefully unafraid to go home with our sweet Savior, going to meet Him face to face.

Her life here hasn't been perfect, but she has trusted daily on Jesus' payment for every blemish and stumble.  God's work has been to provide to pay for our selfishness, when Jesus was hung, naked and willing on a cross *fashioned of a tree, He took on the weight of our selfish choices and God looked away because it was so very ugly.  Jesus took all the punishment that we deserve, all of it.  It killed him.

But Jesus, he's also God.  He has power over sin & death and He redeemed us all by taking a breath again, days later, breathing in life on earth and then, after teaching and loving his friends, He went home to his Kingdom.  He is, after all, God.  He left the Holy Spirit behind to teach us, to comfort, to lead us.  And my friend, she knew all of that.  She didn't just know it but she lived confidently in it.  She lived a joyful, gracious, giving and forgiving life because of that great gift Jesus gave.  She was so rich in love, so rich in grace, so rich in God's legacy for her she had plenty to give.

And that, is her song.  It's coming to an end but we will forever be singing it, all about Grace and Love, Joy and Surrender.  Out of joyful memories and love for her and our Savior both.

Walking through my house this morning and picking up another stray sock, making breakfast for my rowdy, mismatched crew will be a joy this morning.  I reflect on the deep well from where my joy comes and the huge legacy that I can choose to leave.  All the sweeping and face wiping and fights I referee, it's all an act of love and service to my family.  The dinners prepared, beds made, hours I spend listening to their hearts and ironing for my husband, I want to do it with joy out of the great gift God has given me, and the hope that is eternity.

Her name is Kari Bennett.  My sweet friend, my sweet friend.  The rest of the story.... I will look for the redeeming work of God's hand in the echoes of her life.  In her absence we will see the work of God, redemption's story never ends.  Thank you for your life Kari, the way you have lived is a shining example of who I want to be, and it's shown me that all this seemingly tireless work does indeed amount to something beautiful.  A story, a song never forgotten.

*Kari has been (my &) Joey's Grammar teacher for 2 years.  'Fashioned' was a favorite vocabulary word used in many papers read before the class.  I was sure to do a few dress-ups, Kari!

The lazy, unbusy life and other random chattering

The evening light is yellow.  Second day of Spring and I'm ready to head for Hawaii, or any other state that is warm.  I want to sink my body down onto a pile of warm, soft sand and nap in the afternoon sun listening to the ocean...

So much for daydreams.  The good news is that my kitchen is clean.  I've recently come to a realization about myself.  It's this:  I'm a little lazy.  You see, I've always known that I like I clean kitchen.  Most nights most of it gets done, but when it comes to those last few things I quit.  I sink myself onto the couch with my crochet or a good book and I'm content to let the rest sit.  I hate, hate, hate it when I get up in the morning and the work is already waiting for me (when does that NOT happen when you have a household of 5 people) but I'm lazy enough that I do it.  Fine with me.

Really though, the boys are getting good enough that most nights someone helps with dishes, some nights the boys work together and do all the dishes.  I love it.  I love being the lazy one and still getting the work done.

Here is my philosophy on chores.  Want to hear it?  Well, you've been reading this long...  My thoughts on chores are that the squeaky wheel, it needs to be oiled and worked more.  This is what I mean:

Mom:  Hey (son), will you gather all the trash from the house and take it out to the bin?  Then wheel the bin out to the street.  Tomorrow is trash day.

Son:  Mooooooom, (falling to the floor) I've been working aallll day.  First I had my chore, then I brushed my teeth, then I did all of my school, and now this?  *Aren't there child labor laws in WA?  Is this slavery?

Mom:  Thanks so much for helping me out.  I really appreciate it.  When you finish that work, and I wrap up the dishes we'll be done for the night!  What a relief.

Son:  Moooom, are you serious?  Do I really have to do all of that?  (Beginning of the meltdown) My brothers never have to do anything like that?  They just sit around all day playing LEGOS and laughing...do you hear that?  They're laughing?  They're laughing!  And I just have to work, work, work until my legs fall off!!

Mom:  Thanks again. (And I walk away thinking, ' and you just signed yourself up for garbage night for the next month or two until you're done whining about the work.)

So it goes.  **When that sweet son of mine responds to my request to take out the trash with a "sure" or "ok," then I know he can do that task anytime again without too much fuss.  Just gotta break him in.  I adapted this method of working my kids to the bone for 8 minutes a week about a year ago, and now my boys are pretty successfully broken in to jumping up to help me with most anything most anytime.  I love, love, love it!  On occasion we have a meltdown or sudden death due to chores, but it's just on occasion.


So life has been moving pretty smoothly lately.  I'm recovering from my near-emotional-crisis that took me from December into February.  Thanks, some of you have been checking on me.  I'm so loved!

The sun is coming out these days and doesn't that make a huge difference?  As much as I never want to move again, not at least for 20 years or something, I really would like to skip Winter for awhile.  I'm going to look into a 'Happy Light' for next Winter.  I figure I could put it in the school room...maybe we'd all be feeling better?  At any rate, Spring began yesterday and I was waiting for it.

I have gathered seeds and my materials and I need to get my indoor seedlings started.  Ralph and I have all these ideas about the yard this year but they just sit in our heads collecting dust.  I'm determined to have a veggie garden again no matter what, and I recently ordered a handful of succulents, hens and chicks and lavender for the yard anyway.  Maybe our yard progress will be haphazard and unorganized this year but I guess that would just be a repeat of the last few years.  No loss.  I'm just thankful I have dirt to climb around in and plants to care for, it soothes my soul, getting my hands in the dirt.

Next week is our last week for Classical Conversations classes.  As much as I treasure our weeks together and love seeing all my friends, I desperately long for a little peace and quiet.  We're planning to take a little Spring break ourselves.  Not going anywhere (though it would be super fun to get our bikes fixed up and do some exploring), not spending gobbs of money, just an ice cream here or a 2nd hand store there, but just getting a little break from the usual.  This time of year is the long part.  Every day I have to argue with myself about getting school started, and some days the boys are doing a LOT (too much!) on their own while I fool around doing anything BUT school.  It's a good time for a wee break. I'll try to get in equal times of play with the boys and my own work done.  Practicum is sneaking up on me, and I have some prep to do for training again.

It's such a battle to keep from the distraction of busy in today's world.  I found it simpler when the boys were young.  It seemed ridiculous to sign them up for every activity, but as they get older I have to fight off the ideas that the boys are missing some grand experience of life.  For now, we're keeping it pretty calm.  We still have karate, which I love largely because the boys have class twice a week within 2 hours on an afternoon.  I love it because it's 7 blocks from here and Joe and Nate have ridden bikes alone, or we all ride/ walk together.  I love it because classes are in the afternoon and that keeps our evenings open for Community Group and chilling out together at home.

I think kids should just be.  They should just be left to their own devices sometimes, or a lot of the time.  Leave them outside.  Leave them to figure out what to do.  Right now I have one kiddo grocery shopping with his dad, two in the back yard ripping apart a broken wooden chair and using the legs as drumsticks.  I like that.  I like letting them figure out things to do.  Sometimes they're destructive and I have to stick my head out there and bring them back down to planet "this stuff is still my parents' stuff,"  sometimes they get in fights and I help them talk it out.  More often not.  I want the boys to learn to navigate life.  Sometimes they get hurt.  I'd rather have them getting hurt in the backyard then on a stupid text-gossip-rumor.

I don't want zombie kids.  Pretty sure that apocalypse is closer than we could ever imagine.  Zombies, and we're growing them right in our own homes.  Just feed them what they want and plug them into the closest electronic device, leave them.  Pretty soon they'll be unable to focus in the presence of  that orb of light in the sky.  They'll be unable to speak and only make noise when their devices are removed or turned off, or heaven forbid...something goes wrong and it turns off.

There is my rant.  Seriously, though, I know these zombie-kids because I've come far too near to losing my own boys.  A few weeks ago I decided just to turn all that media junk off during the week.  Spring is springing and my boys were getting way addicted.  They get a few hours over the weekend and I'm so, so happy with the changes around here.  Waking up kids!

*these are real quotes from my household
** this really, really does happen, too.

Now that you've reached the end of my blogpost, stop over and feed my fake fishies.  They're cute, and I don't think I've fed them for a few months.

Survival Mode for a Homeschooling Mama

Gonna be real with you, folks. This has been a tough season for me. I've spent most of this year doing some digging around in my heart-closets, I've discovered more junk than I knew a heart could hold. As I've been seeking The Lord, talking to a friend or two, crying, I've still been needing to do my job.

Believe me, I'm wishing there were subs for this. Wishing I could call in sick. But sadly, as all mothers know, life doesn't stop when you're sick, or tired, mad or heart-sick.

So this is why someone coined the term "survival mode."  Some days are just like that. Me, groping along withy boys, doing my best when I'm having a crummy day.

Admittedly this is much easier than it used to be. The boys are older, can all read, write- do a few things alone. So I've kind of worked over the last year or two to help the boys to do school on their own some days. The boys call it 'easy school'. I call it mom is lazy (or upstairs journaling) school.

We have a white board in the school room, I write down a checklist for each of the kids. They love this!  Then I just send them off to work. They can work through math, some language arts, review CC, AWANA, Latin, on their own. I usually double their assigned reading.

And then I go, clean of I'm mad or cry if I'm sad.

I've been reading and learning about grief (in my case, delayed grief.)  I'm learning about grief containers.  Allowing myself certain times of the day, certain places to let myself grieve and be sad.  It doesn't always seem that simple, but I'm learning.

I'm also learning about self soothing.  Taking care of myself like a mom would care for her sad little one.  Take a bath, take a walk, take a cup of tea or a phone call.  Do some of those things that help me to feel a bit better, or just things that have been points of joy for me.

So we're rolling with it, the boys and I.  Homeschool wouldn't be complete without it's fair exposure to 'real life' studies, right?  While I mostly work to protect the boys from the harshness of my emotions, I allow them to know that I'm working through things, I've been sad, and it's not about them.  It's the best I can do until I train a substitute.   Applications?

River Ice

 Early this month Ralph & I took the boys for an outing, just a walk along the frozen riverbanks.  Seems we were starved for fresh air, I breathed long and deep the sunshine.

We drove for a change to a nearby park and walked South toward the sloughs filled with bird life, quiet and open.

The frozen ice on the riverbanks was a treat to discover.  Treasure for us all, something to collect, something to crush- a boys' delight.


February has been winter warm.  I've said it before, I'm certain.  Seasons are a constant reminder to me.  A reminder that though change is a guarantee, God's faithfulness is behind it all.  He will be the same, and life will continue to change right before my eyes.  He is steadfast, God is faithful. I'm so thankful.

School is going well, we're nearly 2/3 of
the way through the year.  This year is so very…academic and different.  A steady, almost predictable kind of day each day.  I didn't ever think this day would come, our routine is set and easy to keep.  Some days we have glitches.  A few weeks ago I spent the morning mopping more than 10 gallons of water out of our flooding basement instead of teaching.  The boys helped me with disaster recovery…call that life school?  Our journey with Latin has been a delight, and we're seeing it everywhere these days.

I recently spent the afternoon with my sweet friend and her 4 kiddos, all 7 and under.  I was shocked to realize just how far away I had come from being a mama of little ones.  When did my life get so quiet?  Well, a new sort of noise litters my house.  Giggles from a far off room.  Boy noises, (need I say more?) silliness, Oh, the silliness.  I had NO idea about the silliness!  Lord help me with that!

The realization of how quickly it's all going serves as a reminder that my days of speaking in to the boys lives are few.  I'm waking up to the present again- I have today with these boys and I'd love to just spend it on educating, and snuggling up on the couch, reading to these boys and laughing with them at their own silliness.  Teaching them God's Word, being transparent in a way that allows them to see that I desperately need God is all these days are for, right?

It's easy to get caught up in the hubbub.  What you couldn't know is that for the last six months I have been doing the hard, hard kind of heart work that sucks the very breath out of a girl some days.  I've been counseling and journaling.  Workbooking and praying through very old heartache, and some that's not so old.  But this season has been so good, so rich and vital to my life.  I want very much to live with a heart of flesh.  It's God that does this work, now isn't it.  Try as I might I just cannot heal myself.  It's amazing how in a quiet hour of prayer God can draw pain and hurt out of me and replace it with peace.  I've a long, long way to go.  But I'm going.

Alrighty, I wanted to spend more time
writing, but time to get to life again.  For now, more pics:

A lot of photos & silly excuses

I miss blogging.

I have been sitting around this evening, catching up on blog posts that are months old, how very sad.  Where once my life was a struggle to NOT think about everything I could blog, these days blogging has fallen to the back burner, the back of my mind, the back of the line and I'm just sad about it.

I wonder if it's the new location of our computer.  We have it placed in a spot that makes it seriously uncomfortable for me to work.  I'm looking on Craig's List for a small table or desk that would better suffice.  But the truth is that I'm just out of hours, life is full and good.

I have made time to do other things lately;

mass quantity dinners, 

making warmth and keeping warm,

keeping my busy boys busy,

making crafty Christmas things with those busy boys,

sitting at a desk in a quiet room with my cat, God and a lot of thoughts and some good books,

keeping boys busy learning to crochet,

enjoying Winter,

mass producing warmth,

admiring this painting (from my in-laws house),

watching snowball fights,

loving my morning view,

spending Christmas with family,

e*hem.  Yes, lots of this,

staring into their sweet eyes,

keeping warm with my Mama whilst those boys skate on the ice,

how could I not stare into those eyes?

having a fun date night with my 7 year old boy,

enjoying our new Settler's expansion pack (Thank You, Sister!)

...and pictionary with the family, of course!

And now it's January 5 and January 7 is the beginning of school again.  Things are going well with school but I've found that I'm spending more time there this year (not unexpected, as the boys get older.)  I'm loving the Latin for Children curriculum we've started, and I'm loving that my oldest boy is doing more and more of his own work and scheduling for school.  

I'll be trying to stop around here more often, I really enjoy this quiet little corner of my world...and I do love to share photos, and I have gobbs of photos.  

December 5 Daily Book

Outside my window...It's still dark for now, but skies have been blue and clear, for that I'm thankful.  

I am thankful for... the quiet of the morning.   I seem to have a bit of an early internal clock.  But I really look forward to the early morning when I'm the only one sneaking around the house.  

Ralph got me a Kindle for a belated birthday gift.  I never thought I'd enjoy one, but I'm thankful to read Les Mis without squinting at my phone or hauling around a 10 lb book.

From the learning rooms... This is our first full week working through the new Latin curriculum, Latin for Children.  So far I really like it.  I think learning how to use a new curriculum can be a job within itself!  But we're at home (no CC for a few weeks) and I'm enjoying focusing on our Boys Noise School.

We take school to the library every week or so.  Very cozy. 

From the kitchen...This week I'm making mass batches of Tuna Casserole & Lemon-Poppyseed muffins for the freezer and our tummies.  

I am wearing...jammies, robe, long socks.  It's early here yet.  

This is an honest picture.  The boys gathered around our sweet little tree for a photo...Joey promptly stepped on Lijh's toes.  This is what I captured.  :)

I am creating...a new method of chores for our family.  It's working quite well.  Rather than each to their own several chores, we've been doing chores together.  We tackle things like de-sticking the kitchen table & chairs, detailing the car, cleaning all the bathrooms.  It's been really effective for me, and the boys all voted to work together.  I am also getting to teach better as we go to be sure that things get done correctly and well.  No sense in doing 1/2 chores.  I really like this system for this season.

I am going...to work again toward letting my children suffer their own consequences when they fail.  This is hard for me.  

I am reading...Les Miserables.  The boys and I began a new Advent book yesterday and I fell in love with it right away.  Jotham's Journey, it's called.  

Nate painted this sweet little elf.  It's not finished, he says.  But I love it anyway.

I am hoping...to go back to the doctor today, get some better drugs.  I still have this sinus infection...I'm really ready to be well.

I am hearing...clock tick. That's all.  Waiting to hear the coffee pot kick on.  

Around the house...been scrubbing.  

One of my favorite things...having the tree up in Advent, all the twinkle-sparkle lights around the house!

A few plans for the rest of the week: school, karate, a meeting or two, little this, little of that.  

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Autumn Day Book

Cleaning up the leaves of the Sycamores

Outside my window...It's still dark, and cold, cold, cold.  31' right now, and cooling off like Autumn rolls into Winter.  I haven't been working in the garden a bit, it's a bit spooky out there with giant frozen tomato plants and stalks of the Summer sunflower lying around.  The squirrels see it at a garden, yet though.  Think I'll save it for another day.  

I am thankful for... my husband.  Ralph and I have been doing some of the really, good hard work that a marriage takes (see MORE than maintenance here).  The last few months have been devoted on both our parts to spending a lot of time together, fine tuning, all that stuff.  The work has been so very hard, but last night I sat in the family room while he took the boys up to bed.  I listened to his deep voice, so tender with his little men, loving and reassuring and I'm so, so thankful for a dedicated, determined husband.  It's a good thing to appreciate your spouse, and I'm doing so with new eyes.  Man, I love that man.  

Following that, but not too closely, I'm thankful for my fabulous Naturopath.  Yesterday I snuck into her office suspecting that my cold has been lingering far too long.  I am so grateful for such a sweet little staff at her office, so grateful that they squeezed me in to get me set up to treat this sinus infection.  So thankful for all the help our family has gotten from her in the last 6 months.

Finally I'm thankful for Classical Conversations, again.  All of the wonderful community that has come from this group, all of the fun my boys have with their friends.  It's fantastic.  I'm thankful, however, that today is our last day of in-class for the year, we'll be hunkering down and focusing on Boys Noise School and Christmas-December activity now.  For a December break, I am so thankful!!

Headed to the library.  Seriously?  

From the learning rooms... we're just getting back into business.  We took the week of Thanksgiving off.  We have, for the year, however, gotten into our groove.  Into our 12th week of school, first Trimester is done!!  Our days this year consist of Bible, Scripture Memory, Prayer (please!), CC Memory Work, Geography, Story of the World: Ancient History, (my favorite!!)  Math, reading and Language Arts.  Over Christmas break I'm determined to begin the 'Latin for Children' curriculum I bought. I'm always tweaking and challenging too, and find that a bump in our life (break) is usually conducive to inspiration and good change...so I'm expectant.  I'm also working up a new Math game.  I'll tell you about it when it's ready.  

From the kitchen...Ooo!  This is a fun one to tell you about!  I'm seeing success in my scheme to both save time and money on dinner meals.  One day I'll sit down and spell it out for you, for now here's what's happening:  each week I've been buying enough food to prepare 5 of one meal.  The first week I made 5 lasagne.  Of course we ate one that night and then I tucked the rest in the freezer.  Every three weeks I'll pull out a lasagne and I'll have a night of no cooking.  It's frugal because I was able to shop sales and buy food in bulk.  I've been doing this with different meals for three weeks.  In about 10 more weeks, we'll have FIVE nights of already prepared dinners a week, and one day a week of cooking five meals (all the same).  My goal is to reduce our grocery budget by $50-75 a week, and eventually get some lunches and breakfast in there too!!

Snuggled up and playing with Lijh in his morning-bed.

I am wearing...jammies.  It's early here yet.  And I'm thinking I need to go hit my local thrift stores for some color.  I tend to wear black, black, black in the Winter.  Trying to fight this.  Maybe I just need a scarf.  Green?  :

I am creating...a crochet blanket.  For no one in particular.  Thanks to inspiration from a friend I'm also trying to create a more detailed, homey environment around here.  I'd like more things hanging on walls.  More thrift shopping...

Boys Noise School Geography

I am going...to 1. read my Bible and pray 2. Get ready for the day 3. Go to school 4.  Come home and rest for a month.

I am reading...Les Miserables.  Yes, I'm tackling it.  I'm 1/3 of the way through and hope to finish it before I see the movie after Christmas.  

Settlers with My Dad:  A favorite game around here lately.  

I am hoping...to begin semi-scheduled blogging again.  ;)  Also to start excersizing ...find something that works for me.  

I am hearing...heater humm, coffee click maker and a boy upstairs, playing quietly in his room.

Around the house...been scrubbing.  

One of my favorite things...Date night with Ralph.  Wednesdays are AWANA for the boys which provides an instant date night for us.  We usually try and go for a little dinner or coffee.  I always, always look forward to it.  And then Survivor.  I know, silly TV but I love having something to look forward to.  

A few plans for the rest of the week: school, karate, a playdate Friday, and hanging out with my husband.  Oh, and I plan to get rid of this sinus infection and be well.  

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

My Four Boys....look at all of those feet.  :)