but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Friday, August 28, 2009

Thoughts about the 1st week of school.

Reasons I miss homeschooling the girls. . .
1. The only cranky person on a power trip my girls had to deal with was me and I could actually talk to my child at breakfast.
I walked with K to the cafeteria on Wednesday so she could eat breakfast at school. While we were standing in line we were talking quietly as were many of the other students. The lady monitoring the line announced that there was no talking allowed in the cafeteria line. K and I exchanged a look like "Oops, we're in trouble now!" but did not say a word. Well the lady must have seen us exchange the look because she decided to assert her power and walk over to K and very firmly say, "Little girl, there is no talking in the breakfast line even if your mother is with you." I was speechless. I couldn't believe that this lady had said that to K. It was only my daughters 2nd day at this school and and her first day of going through the breakfast line and she was not the only child talking.
2. I know what my child is learning.
I asked K after the first day of school what she learned that day. She told me that she learned the rules for the classroom and they took a tour of the school and learned more rules. This is understandable, after all she is a new student to this school and she needs to learn the rules. Day 2 K had Art class. I asked her what she did in Art, she said that all they did was learn the rules for Art. Again the same thing for PE on day 3. So she has had three whole days of school and has learned nothing but rules, rules, rules. Where are the Math, Science, History, and English??? My boys have had three days of full lessons in every subject, but then again they already know the "rules" for our school. LOL
On a positive note, I do know that quite a bit of time this week has been spent by the students getting to know each other. They have done many activities where they share about themselves. This is a great way for the students to get to know each other. The social aspect of school was one of the things we considered when making the decision to put K in school. She needs that interaction with other children her age. She has made a few friends and seems to be happy.
A's thoughts on school. . ."I like school a lot, but I don't like getting woke up in the morning."

Homescooling the Boys
We have only had a few minor issues with the computer curriculum that the boys are using and I was able to get those worked out pretty quickly so all I have to say is, "So far, so good."

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

1st Day of School!!


WOW!! What a day!!
I took the girls to school this morning. I walked them to class, first K, then A. I waited around for a while and walked with A's class to the cafeteria for breakfast. Took some pictures (OF COURSE!!). Then I left.
I went home and got the boys up for school. I baked brownies for our after school snack (I wanted them to have a special treat on the first day.) I took the boys to lunch (they requested Burger King, so they could have Icees) to celebrate the first day of school. I checked the boys work. Went back to the school to pick up the girls. We came home, had our snack and relaxed after a long day.
Both the girls teachers said that they had a great first day.
One day down--179 more to go.

Monday, August 24, 2009

School Starts Tomorrow!!

Wow!! Where did the summer go?
We had a pretty busy summer. We hosted an exchange student for one month this summer. This is something that we have done for two summers now and very much enjoy it. Last summer we hosted Miguel from Spain and this year we hosted Andrew from Hungary. We had very good experiences with both boys. While Andrew was here we took two day trips to the beach, which we hardly ever do so that was a big deal for us. We also took a trip to the Fort Fisher Aquarium and took the ferry to Southport for some shopping. So we were quite busy while Andrew was here.
We then made a trip to South Dakota. We were late in planning this trip because it was not just a vacation. We had to move Kurt's brother back up there to be closer the rest of Kurt's family. So instead of just Kurt taking Daniel, we decided we would all go and make a family vacation out of it. It was a very long trip. But it was great to see family that we have not see in over 2 years.
Then we brought my dad down for a visit. It was an extra special visit because he had never been to any of my homes before. My parents divorced when I was in 2nd grade and then I married an Army man and moved away. So it had never worked out for him to come to visit.
Now the summer is over and school is about to begin. I am looking forward to starting the new school year and getting back into a routine. This year will be different than any other school year because I will have two children in public school and two that I am home schooling.
The girls will start attending the local public school. I am thankful that they will have this year together at the same school. We attended open house last week and met with their teachers. Both girls seem to have great teachers and I don't anticipate any problems. We have purchased all their school supplies and are ready for them to head off in the morning.
The boys will stay home and work on their studies. I am excited about the curriculum I have for them for this year. I am sure that they will do fine with it.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Our trip to Reptile Gardens



During our recent trip to South Dakota we were blessed with free tickets to Reptile Gardens. My sister-in-law gave the tickets to J for a belated birthday gift. It was the perfect gift for J with his love of animals and it was a fun day. We went to the Alligator Show, Bird Show and Snake Show. J even got to participate in the Bird Show. We spent the entire afternoon there and had a great time. Thank you Beth for thinking of such a great gift!!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Blogoversary Giveaway!!!

I can't believe my 1 year Blogoversary is almost here!!! I want to have a giveaway to celebrate. This will be my first giveaway so I want to make it exciting!!!
Here it goes. . .
2 Prizes!!!!
1st Prize is a $50.00 gift certificate to a local restaurant!! The winner will have to let me know what is close by them.
2nd Prize is a $20.00 gift certificate to Target or Starbuck's your choice!!


The winner will be drawn on my 1 year Blogoversary, so remember to check back and see if you have won.

3 ways to enter!!!
1. Leave me a comment. Let me know your favorite restaurant in case you win 1st prize. Make sure that there is a link back to you so I can let you know if you have won or leave me a separate comment with your email (I will not post this comment). Make sure that you sign your first name and last initial. Thanks!!
2. Make a post on your blog about my giveaway and let me know that you have done so. We all love to win free stuff so tell your friends!!
3. Tell me how you found my blog. Have you been following, did a friend refer you, etc. I would love to know how you found me.
BONUS good for an extra entry!!!
Because I am a home school mom I am always looking for great Field Trips ideas. Tell me about the best field trip you have been on with your kids.

I am really excited about my first giveaway. I can't wait to see who wins!!!