Merry Christmas ...

Wow, it's been a while. Since Thanksgiving, we have been passing around a bug. It affected the baby first, and had a second go-round with her this week. She vomitted up the same ingredients I watched being pumped out of her four different times in the NICU. But the ER doctors were not concerned. They checked her for dehydration, checked her belly, and determined it was just a virus. All these months of holding my breath, waiting for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop ... I guess you never really know how much stress you are under until some relatively minor event just sends you over the edge. Emma scared me ... really scared me. I am still not convinced the vomit was "normal" - coffee grind vomit is technically indicative of something amiss. But, for now, the incident just has to be filed in my Mommy-needs-to-remember-this file in my head.

We are pretty much hunkered down for the winter. I bought a Leslie Sansone Walk it Home video, and the kids and I work out to it a couple of times a week. You can choose to do 1-5 miles. I am surprised how well they do with it. It definitely helps when we can't get out for even a bit of a walk around the neighborhood.

So that is the update for my many, many, loyal blog-readers. (Hi, Jim!) I will leave you with this recipe for Christmas that I am thinking of trying. I found it on the WTM web-site - don't know the author, but thanks to whomever. Hope you enjoy.


Christmas Rum Cake

1 Tsp. Sugar
1 or 2 Quarts of Rum
1 Cup Dried Fruit
Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Soda
1 Cup Butter
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Baking Powder
3 Juiced Lemons
1 Cup of Nuts

Before starting, sample rum to check quality. Good, isn't it? Now proceed. Select large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc.

Check rum again. It must be just right. To be sure rum is of proper quality, pour one level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can.

Repeat.

With electric mixer, beat 1 cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add 1 seaspoon of thusar and beat again.

Meanwhile, make sure rum is still alrighty. Try another cup. Open second quart if necessary.

Add leggs, 2 cups of fried druit and beat til high. If druit gets stuck in beaters, pry loose with drewscriber.

Sample rum again, checking for tonscisticity. Next, sift 3 cups pepper or salt (really doesn't matter).

Sample rum. Sift 1/2 pint lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and strained nuts.

Add 1 bablespoon of brown sugar-or whatever color you can find.

Wix mell.

Grease oven.

Turn cake pan to 350 gredees. Pour mess into boven and ake. Check run again and bo to ged.

..ADN HALPIE HOLIGLAZE TWO YA'ALL!

Weekly Report ...

I have not done a Weekly Report in a long time. I need to take stock of where we are this year. It was a busy week, with some very time-consuming non-school related matters to which I needed to tend (illness in one of the children, washing machine break down, flooded laundry room, Dr. visit, toothache). Just a few minor annoyances - par for the course. But we still managed to stay on track.

In World History, we completed three more chapters in SOTW, along with corresponding readings in The Encyclopedia of World History, and CHOW. Written work consisted of the SOTW tests and all the mapping and activity pages from the activity book. The kids are also reading Short Stories from English History, and the older ones read Tales from Robin Hood and Marco Polo to the younger ones. Both of those books are from the Sonlight Core 1/2. I did look on United Streaming for supplementary videos on the Silk Route or the Diapora, but all I found was the Nest Animated Classic on Marco Polo. We have watched it before, but it is enjoyable, so no one complained about another viewing. There were some Horrible Histories and Time Warp Trio episodes also available, just nothing meaty.

In Science, Little Bear read about Mars and watched a video about a futuristic settlement on the planet. She did her journal pages in the corresponding Apologia notebook. This is my second time through this book and, secretly, I am anxious to be done. I just do not enjoy the same topic for such a long stretch in science. The twins are on their own with SL Science, and completed Week 16.

In Latin, Little Bear completed another Lesson in Matin Latin, the topic of which eludes me at this hour. She is doing very well with the vocabulary, but is struggling a bit to comprehend the "whys" of the declensions. The oldest twin finished the second review lesson in LC II. She grasps the grammar flawlessly, and struggles with vocabulary. When teaching Latin, I constantly remind myself and the kids that our goal is not just learning Latin, but learning about our own language from Latin. In other words, vocabulary and derivatives are very important elements. Sometimes I feel LC II falls short of my goals, and I have the urge to switch, but Oldest Twin is quite content and will not hear of it. Youngest twin continues with his Greek studies.

In Fallacy Detective, we covered Genetic Fallacies and Tu Quoque. Everyone participates in this. They all enjoy it.

Little Bear is on the last disc of Teaching Textbooks 4. Her goal is to be done by Christmas. She is learning so much with this program. And, in a proud Momma moment, I heard her brother exclaim, "You just listened to that part ... Why are you doing it again?", to which she replied, "I did not quite understand what he said. I want to listen again." WONDERFUL!!! Youngest twin continues with TT 6. And Oldest Twin completed Lessons 41 & 42 in Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra with Biology and Lesson 18 in MUS Pre-Algebra. She is very cognizant of how silly her errors are, and is working hard to improve.

In Language Arts, the twins and I worked our way through the Analytical Grammar lesson on prepositional phrases. Although the lesson did not call for it, I had them diagram the entire sentence, after labeling all the parts. With our background from Rod & Staff, it was not that difficult. I am having a hard time adjusting to AG. I much prefer R & S, even though it was tedious at times. I believe this purchase was a case of the grass is greener syndrome ... Little Bear completed an SL LA activity sheet with dictation, and a few lessons from Primary Language Lessons. She already completed her Wordly Wise book, and did another R & S spelling lesson. The Oldest Twin also completed a writing assignment from Lightning Lit. , having finished all the readings and workbook pages for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Finally, in Bible/Christian Studies, we completed the final two lessons in our survey of the Old Testament. The kids loved this course from Grapevine Studies. Of course, any academic pursuit that can be supplemented with a Veggie Tales episode has to be fun!

All the kids had their dance classes. The twins took on the task of "speaking for homeschoolers everywhere" when they corrected the false notions of some girls in their tap class who mistakenly assumed homeschoolers sit around in pj's all day and play video games. This particular comment really upset my eldest girl. She stewed on it for two weeks. I am proud of the way they handled the criticism and did not shy away from confrontation with someone who was just ... wrong.

Those are the highlights from the crux of the three older kids' studies. Rocky and I worked our way through week 2 of MFW 1st Grade. He has now covered all the letters of the alphabet, and is getting pretty good at the dictation assignments. In math, he has been doing fact families on Flashmaster. He has a stomach bug mid-week, so we will make-up science next week. We did get to watch a video on making an ant farm on United Streaming. My kids were not blessed with a mom who will go in the back yard, dig up an ant hill, press it between two pieces of plexiglass, and keep it on the kitchen table for observation. So we watched one instead. Can I lose my home-schooling license for admitting that?

Hello, my name is ______ and I use Teaching Textbooks ...

My biggest challenge when it comes to homeschooling has not been the commitment itself, but doubt - specifically, my self-doubt. Am I giving it my best, are my children excelling, not just plodding along, but truly excelling? Am I missing the mark in any aspect that would lead me to believe another option regarding their education would benefit them?

One area I have improved on over the years is realizing I need to give more to my older students, rather than the younger ones. My oldest daughter truly delighted in academic work from a very young age, so it was easy to get caught up in her enthusiasm. At the same time, I had a young man who was less than enthusiastic when it came to anything academic. I tended to give more time and effort to my daughter's studies, pulling the next in line along with her, and finding myself avoiding the inevitable battles over the less than stellar output of my oldest pupil. He rarely gave me any attitude or typical teen-age angst, but it was the simple lack of initiative, lack of interest that put me off. I found I could not break through his wall and it was disturbing to me.

Fast foward many years, the oldest has graduated and my daughter is now in 7th grade. She has an incredible work ethic, and would easily complete any task set before her with little input from me. And while that sounds like a dream, I realized I did not want her so independent. I needed to sit with her, discuss with her, clarify for her. In order to do that, I needed time, the enemy of anyone homeschooling multiple children.

Now the place to go for input on curriculum changes you may be contemplating is The Well-Trained Mind forums. And the place to avoid when you are contemplating curriculum changes is ... The Well-Trained Mind forums. The women there are brilliant. They are from all walks of life, with diverse backgrounds and years of experience. And they are opinionated. One program that receives many mixed reviews - some not so kind - is Teaching Textbooks. And this is the program that has helped me achieve my much needed goal of freeing up time.

Teaching Textbooks has become a favorite of mine, especially for the elementary grades. I have two children using it - Little Bear is working on level 4, and the youngest twin is on level 6. They are independently working their way through, and I am so pleased with their progress. The single most important aspect of the program - for me - is they are receiving immediate feedback on any problems they get wrong. I could not provide that, as, by the time I graded their work, they were on to something else. Bringing them back to that math problem in their mind was simply not the same as them entering an answer in the computer and knowing immediately if they are correct. It is a blessing to our homeschool.

I am spending the time I would have dedicated to their respective math instruction with my oldest daughter, who is making her way through two different pre-algebra programs. I want to make sure she is solid in what she needs to know before she tackles algebra next year. The plan for her is to continue with MUS and Fred, but there is still time to decide if that is truly the right path for her. Little Bear will finish level 4 of TT this December, and move on to 5. The younger twin will complete level 6 and go straight into pre-algebra with the start of our new school year in May. The research I have done says level 7 is not necessary if the student does well with 6.

So that is our story of how TT has fit into our homeschool. It truly was a process of researching options, weighing opinions, and allowing myself the option to not be responsible for all the instruction my kids receive. It does feel good when you choose well.

We began our new school year in May. We were at the beginning of the history cycle, once again, and I put together my own schedule using a variety of resources - Sonlight Core 6, Tapestry of Grace Unit 4 of Year 1, Truthquest Guides for Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Our Bible studies included an Old Testament survey from Grapevine Studies. This resource took us 7 months to complete. We also studied the life of Christ, in its historical context, along with a reading through the Gospels, and the development of the church.

As our Old Testament studies started to wind down, I felt a need to examine the role Christian Studies and the Bible were playing in our academics - and in our lives. I love Sonlight. Each year, I reexamine their program, and conclude, once again, how full, rich, and well-done they are. The only thing that has really left me feeling unfulfilled was how disjointed the religious studies seem to be.

It is so easy to study the Bible along with Ancient History. My children marvel at the fact that some people leave the Bible out of their studies, wondering how one can ignore its significance and its veracity as corroborated by numerous other sources. As we complete our study of the Middle Ages, and head into the Renaissance and Reformation periods, I am feeling pulled toward a curriculum that does a more deliberate attempt to weave God's Word into our studies.

I am currently using the original version of Tapestry of Grace, Year 2, as my primary curriculum, and it is very good. Almost everything I have wanted in a curriculum. But the time I spend each weekend planning, and scheduling, and photocopying is just too much. As much as I love that aspect of homeschooling, there came a point where I had to ask myself, is this really a good use of my time? And the more I looked at My Father's World Exploration to 1850, the more I felt pulled in that direction. I love how they are known as a truly Christian curriculum. There is no wavering on that ideal. When I switched my little guy over to their first-grade program, I also made the decision to switch the older children. The materials arrived today, and they are wonderful. As soon as we finish SOTW V. 2 we will begin anew.

I do not believe this was a case of "the grass is always greener". Rather, there was a feeling of being unsettled about the direction of our schooling. My children have a deep love and understanding of the Bible, a desire to know more about God's Word, and an innate desire to live Christian lives. The lens through which they view the world is one based on scripturally sound precepts. I feel compelled to build upon that as they get older.

Seriously?

I took Emma to the pediatrician for her 18 month check-up today. After the usual questioning regarding my beliefs on vaccinations, and have I changed my mind yet (read: come to my senses regarding allowing her to be vaccinated against Hep A), the doctor informs me that she was turned down by my insurance company for the Synagis vaccine. Now this vaccine is - as has been explained to me - critical for infants, especially preemies, during the winter months. It protects them from complications of RSV. In babies with compromised pulmonary function, it is especially crucial. It is extremely expensive. But the alternative - hospitalization - is more expensive.

The irony of this situation is, when Emma was still in the NICU, I expressed my concerns about introducing vaccines into her body when 1. she was just recovering from NEC; 2. gestationally, she was technically not even at full-term yet. I was told in no uncertain terms that they would not allow me to even delay her vaccines by more than a few days, and that I was jeopardizing her health by even considering doing so. The doctors did what they wanted to regarding vaccinating her, and I was left feeling somewhere between angry and embarrassed.

Why is it alright for a third-party to decide my daughter does not receive a medication, but, when I make a decision concerning her health care, I may be threatened with social services? I am the parent. If she gets sick, it is I who must take care of her, and it is I who will take responsibility for those risks. It means nothing to the unknown individual who turned her down for the vaccine. Their decision was not born of careful consideration, education, and prayer concerning the issue. When did their decision begin to assume more weight than my own?

I have asked this question before, but it begs repeating: If public schools are so wonderful that I have to justify educating my children in another manner, why then do graduates of the public school system get treated as if they lack the mental ability to make decisions for their own family? What are we really saying about the perception of the average citizen in this country? We need others to think for us, and we can not be trusted to know what is "best" for ourselves or our families. I am so tired of being talked down to, of being told that others know my needs better than I do, and I need to ask permission to parent my own children. Emma's doctor actually used this as an opportunity to glorify the need of socialized medicine so that I needn't encounter these trials anymore. Seriously? This is all going to go away when the government does all my thinking for me? Please, it is only going to get worse. I really need to find a new pediatrician.

Our First Week with MFW First Grade...

My little guy is 7. Last year was to be his first real academic year with me. But I found it very difficult to put much time in to his studies in a consistent manner. Too much of my time was already being spent going to the hospital, and the older kids needed me for their work. I have renewed my efforts with him this year. This week, we began My Father's World First Grade, and I am very happy that I made the purchase of this curriculum. I could have just pulled together some phonics, and he is already way ahead in math. But the cohesiveness of the teacher's manual, the convenience of all the books, and the schedule all ready and waiting for me each day is just a blessing right now.

Rocky's enthusiasm while working with me each day was wonderful to see. He really did well with the seat work, which was not overwhelming. He loves the idea of being able to read the Bible. I did supplement a bit with Starfall each day to reinforce the phonics lessons, and he is using Flashmaster to really get strong on his math facts. The math workbook is way too easy for him, but he lacks strong fine motor skills, so I have him completing many of the coloring type pages to work on those skills. I believe he will easily move on to Singapore 2 next year, or perhaps Teaching Textbooks 4, which my daughter is using right now. He is working on multiplication facts alongside his addition and subtraction, and he is very intuitive when it comes to math. There was one craft that called for making your own playdough, and he enjoyed it. Didn't really like getting his hands all sticky, but he cooperated.

She just watched. When I handed her a piece of the dough, she tried to eat it. Then she got upset that her hands were sticky. I do not know where these kids get their fastidiousness from.

I have decided my camera takes lousy shots indoors.

Of course, the older kids had to get involved. She will do anything to get out of math!

Mommy, my hands are sticky!

The object was to make a jar in which to house your scroll. Rocky lost interest when his jar did not turn out exactly the way he wanted it to - and when the stickiness became more than he could bear. But the kids had some fun with the dough, a craft was attempted, and the mess was cleaned up.

I am going to try to blog consistently about our year with MFW 1st grade. It was a huge decision on my part to make the investment, simply because, after doing this homeschooling thing for so long, I do not really see the need for early formal academics. But this program is very light, yet focuses on the very skills I would like to strengthen before I must formally report my son's existence to the state next year. I see it as a clearly defined time for the two of us to spend together each day, reading, sharing God's Word, and hopefully instilling in my son a love of learning.

On Cast Iron Pans and Personal Growth ...

When I was first married, I was the proud owner of new pots and pans, among them, one cast iron pan. Having gone from single life - on the go, not much time spent cooking - to attemping to be more domestic, I would take that pan out from time to time. It was soooo heavy, and so hard to clean. I did not know it was "different" from my other pans. Eventually, it and its rust were put out in the shed, to be used when the children make their mud pies.

Today, I was cleaning my new cast iron pan, one I procurred a few months ago, after having researched the dangers of ingesting the chips I was finding flaking off my non-stick cook-ware. I was marveling over the change in me as I cleaned the last remnants of sauce from my pan. I did not mind the cleaning of the pan. I did not flinch when I remembered I had to get to the cleaning before resting, or run the risk of rust. I took pleasure in the meal I had just made, with the better cast iron material, avoiding having toxic materials served as a course alongside the lasagna. I was actually admiring the way the skillet has already aged a bit, how it cleans so easily because I have learned to care for it, to properly dry it, to ready it for its next use.

The deliberateness in caring for that pan is something I have grown into, something that did not fit me in my younger years. I was too busy, too distractable, too unwilling. Now, I want to tend to the pan, and the children, and any other things in my life that need care, and attention, and time with more than an obligatory passing swipe of the sponge. Things worth caring about take deliberateness. Oh that I had a cast iron pan earlier in my life, and was taught how to properly tend to it. Perhaps I would have loosened the shackels of selfishness and want even sooner.

Then ...

One year ago, there was a family waiting for a baby ...

This baby, to be precise. But this baby was sick - again - with Necrotizing Enterocolitis, an illness as horrible as it sounds.

This little girl was 5 1/2 months old, and weighed a mere 6 lbs. 2 oz. She was emaciated, because, each time the nasty NEC reared its ugly head, the docs took away her food. Her face was compressed from the pressure of the ventilator, which was a presence in her life for many, many months. She was so lethargic from lack of calories that she could barely open her eyes, and could not hold her head up. And, boy, was she yellow. An ugly yellow, like a jar of Gulden's Mustard had spilled and, as it dried, crusted over her body. Her liver was severely damaged, perhaps beyond repair, some surmissed. Her intestines? Who knew. There was no definitive way to know unless we agreed to have the surgeons take them out, place them on a table, and take a closer look. But, that, of course, was no guarantee of anything, since the surgeons could not see inside the walls, where the damage would most likely be found.

So the little girl lay in the hospital, far, far away from her mommy. She was tied to a pole, tubes in her chest, buzzers going off around her, other little ones with other illnesses lay sick - some dying - around her. And the docs, well, some of the docs, were not too kind about her prognosis. "Swiss cheese for brains" is one of my personal favorites. Talk about bed-side manners.

But, at a home far, far away, there was a team of therapists ...

... including the bold and the beautiful,

the long-snouted, always elicits a shout of joy from the baby, mascot #1 ...

the I-do-not-know-what-it-is-but-she-loves-it mascot #2 ...

the bold (again) and the teacher/dancer who delights her sister with her mere presence ...


and the serious but loving older brother ...

They were waiting for a chance to shower their sister with love and devotion, and never complained or whined or cried out that none of this was fair, and they wanted to get back to their regular lives ... never ... not once.

And now ...

... Emma thrives. And I am happy to report, there is no evidence of swiss cheese - except that which she likes to eat ... on crackers, nonetheless!

A Nook, a Book ... and an Epiphany ...

My beautiful and generous children presented me with this little beauty for my birthday - a Nook. 'Cause I really like to read. And it is very nice. But it has made me ponder the need for a gadget that holds 1500 titles. It is sort of like the Wal-Mart of libraries. Sure, I can go to Wal-Mart and get great prices on things I really do not need ... And that is the part that has me feeling pretty guilty inside.

I do not need 1500 books on an electronic gadget that eats up my time with trying to figure out how to get 1500 books on this little gadget. I have already wasted valuable time playing with the thing. It is cute and there are literally thousands of free titles on the internet - sites such as Ambleside Online, that I reference for extra lit and historical titles throughout our school year, have a plethora of books available for immediate download.

I have decided not to fill this device up unnecessarily like a pantry cupboard that overflows with food no one will ever eat. Rather, I will find a few treasures at a time, and let the children read at their will. I never have to coerce my kids to pick up a book, and we never leave the house without a tome in each person's hands. So this will just be an addendum to an already full, literature-loving life for all of us.

I also need to add that I could never give up the priceless volumes I have acquired during my journey as a home-schooling mom. There are books so integral to my growth as an educator, as a parent, and as a person that I could never not feel the weight of that voluminous manual in my hands again -

The Holy Bible, The Well-Trained Mind, Honey for a Child's Heart, Harp and Laurel Wreath, Trial and Triumph, Home Improvements for Dummies ... the list goes on and on. It is these that leave my shelves to overflowing, to list from side-to-side with an anxiety-provoking creak. They deserve to be read and re-read, in true form, not digital. They represent a growth in character, as they have educated me in a way the public school system did not, and will allow me to educate my children in much better fashion than if I had not read them.

I do not want to imagine a world without books - real books, with dusty, torn covers, pages slightly askew from loosening from the binding, a spine that no longer creaks but rather helps you open to a favorite, much perused passage. No digital device could ever replace that experience, that tangible quality of a well-loved book. So I am grateful to my children for taking their birthday/holiday/tooth-fairy/left-over change-that-Mom-let-them-keep monies and pooling them for this sweet gift. I not only received the Nook, but also a lesson in what is really important to me.

Sunday Outing #2 ...

After a week off from academics, of purging, deep cleaning, and rearranging the home, and adding yet another therapist to Emma's retinue, we took advantage of the glorious fall weather to participate in the area's "Open Farms" tours. We were able to visit three of the 29 farms during the four hours they were open today. It was a beautiful day, and it was interesting to see the farms that inhabit our area, tucked away in their little niches in the mountains. Only one was a disappointment, specifically because we drove quite some distance to traverse the corn maze, only to find the cost so prohibitive that we only took some pictures and drove away. Really, $8.50 to walk through a maze? The kids and I decided to put on Emma's eye patches and try to find our way around our home.

These are the grounds of the gold-encrusted corn maze. Quite beautiful - had me singing The hills are alive ...

A hay-bale slide

A gratuitous cute baby photo

A really big goat - really big

A really little goat - and sooo cute

Alpacas - in Pennsylvania? Yes. Abandoned, nonetheless. This farm is staffed by volunteers, and they care for abandoned, abused, and neglected animals. One of these alpacas had a tooth that was growing out of its mouth, and was slated to be slaughtered. They saved the animal.

This horse belonged to an Amish farmer who worked the poor thing to near-death. If you zoom in, you can see the welts on its body. It barely moves, due to its feet and legs being so damaged from abuse. The vet on staff has determined it is not in too much pain, so it will continue to live out its life on this farm.

My little guys taking a donkey-cart ride. I'm not sure about the history of this pair of animals - the donkeys, of course, not the kids.

The weather was gorgeous, a bit windy but not a biting wind, and the autumn colors were amazing. Fall is just a wonderful time for outings, in my opinion. Why wait in long lines, sweltering under a blazing summer sun, lotion drip-drip-dripping in your eyes? I'd rather be indoors when the temperatures rise above 85. I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the world, and this time of year just brings all the beauty rushing to the surface ...

Sunday Outing ...

The kids and I went to Hawk Mountain on Sunday. It was a beautiful day for a hike in the mountains. The trails were a bit difficult to navigate, especially with a baby stroller, but the kids enjoyed themselves. I gave them the camera, and they really did a great job capturing the vistas.

I love this shot. Something about this stranger's silhouette against the view ...

She is just too cool.

Week in Review ...

Everyone must help out at chore time!

There are many books to be read!

Pre-Algebra is FUN!!!

Smile!

Everything she does is funny, so of course her crawl can't be normal!

The girl who does NOT think Pre-Algebra is FUN!!!

Weekly schedules keep us on task!

How will we ever find the table for lunch?!!