Soaring Eagles Academy

A New Chapter In Our Lives

2011-09-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Since moving to South Dakota, we have made the family decision not to continue home schooling the children. C is now in the 11th grade, J is in 10th, K is in 7th, and A is in the 2nd grade. We are going through some adjustment issues, but things are settling down and the children are enjoying going to school. We have no regrets at this point in time.
Because of this decision I don't see a point in continuing with this blog. I will continue to post all sorts of daily life happenings to include things going on at school on the family blog, No Greater Joys. I hope you will all stop in and see how we are doing.

Field Trip to The Journey Museum

2011-04-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today we went to The Journey Museum. It is a really nice museum. I really enjoyed it. It was not crowded at all. Actually for most of the time we were there, we were the only ones there. However, the children were all over the place. It was hard for me to really look at everything when I kept hearing "Mom, come look at this." or "Mommy, this is really cool." I told the children that I will have to take them each back individually so that we can really look around at everything and enjoy all of it.
I give this field trip an A. Even though I didn't get to look at everything, the children enjoyed it, and it was NOT crowded.

Finally Approved

2011-04-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

I finally got my letter from the school board yesterday. I am now officially approved to home school my children for the remainder of this school year. I really wasn't worried about it. I was pretty confident that they would approve it since we just moved here and are in the 4th nine weeks of school, but it is nice to be official.

Field Trip!!

2011-04-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday after we finished our school work we went to Reptile Gardens. We were there in August of 2009 and it was beautiful. All the flowers blooming, all the exhibits open, lots of people walking around. This was not quite the case this time. It is very early in the season. They just opened and the weather is still very unpredictable so it was certainly not the same experience that we had before. That being said. . . we still enjoyed ourselves. And we will go back.

Homeschooling in South Dakota

2011-03-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my family blog then you know that we have now been in South Dakota for just about a week. One of the first things I did when I got here was go to the school board and fill out a request to home school my children. It is required in the state of South Dakota to have the school board approve all requests to home school.
The rules for homeschooling vary per state. And when I say vary, I mean they really vary. I was surprised by the differences. Some states are very accepting of home schooling and really have a good relationship between the public schools and home schooling students. For instance, here in SD home school students can participate in public school sports. (Something we really struggled with in NC was that our children could not play for the public school teams.) Also, home school students can take some classes through the public school while still home school for others.
I will continue to home school for the remainder of this school year. We will have to wait and see about next year. The boys are thinking that may like to return to school. We will pray about this option and see what the Lord leads us to do.

So far, so good.

2010-09-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

We have been in school now for a couple of weeks and it is going quite smoothly. I pretty much divide my time between J, K, and A. C is in 10th grade and with using Switched-on-schoolhouse he is pretty self sufficient. All I have to do is help him review for quizzes and tests and make sure his work is done for the day. J, K and A have been great about waiting for my attention while I help one or the other of them. They are even helping each other as they wait for me. It really makes me feel good that things are going so well. Now we just have to see how long the calm lasts. LOL

New year=New plan

2010-08-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

Last year the girls went to public school and I schooled the boys at home. It worked out well and the girls loved going to school except in the morning when I was waking them up at 6:30 and the boys were still sleeping.
So this year our family has been waiting to sell our house so that we can move to South Dakota. We thought that we would have the house sold and be moved over the summer, but that hasn't happened. With the thought of moving sometime during the school year we have decided to home school all of the children this year.
The older three will be using Switched On Schoolhouse. This seemed to be the best option for this year (less actual books to carry around). They can still do their lessons even if we are packing up the house and moving. A will be in 1st grade. I have decided to piece together my own curriculum for her. There is so much available online. I could spend an entire month just printing free material provided online.
I am very excited about the freedom home schooling will give us to explore the area once we get moved. There will be so much we can do together. So much to discover.
What a blessing it is to be able to school my children at home.

Muffins with Mom!!

2010-05-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today I went to school with A. They were honoring mothers today with Muffins for Mom. Each child also wrote about why they love their moms. It was really sweet.
I think she hit the important points with her poem: Hugs, Kisses, Love and Food!!!

Growing up and school dances!!

2010-02-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

My K is getting so big. She is now in 5th grade. I can't believe how the time has flown by since she was just this little girl running after her big brothers. She has had a couple of milestones the last couple weeks that are making me really think about what a great young lady she is becoming.
The first special moment was on February 14th. This was a very important day for our K. This was the day she decided to be baptized.

To add to the special moment, Kurt was the one to baptize her. This is a moment my little girl will remember forever.

The next special moment was a little less important to her eternity and more important to her here and now. The school that K and A attends was having a school dance.

OH NO, not a school dance already she is only in 5th grade!!

Okay now that I had that moment, let me go on to say that it was a "Friendship Dance". The one rule that we had for K was "No Dancing With Any Boys" To which K responded, "I don't like any of the boys at school." She said this as if it would actually make a difference if she liked them or not. Silly girl. Anyway, she had a good time hanging out with her new friends from school and enjoyed the music. I am very happy to say that I have survived the first of many, many school dances.

Life's Trials/New Year

2009-12-31T08:04:00.000-08:00

I am helping to coach C's home school basketball team. As I am enjoying this opportunity very much it is also very time consuming. That is one of the reasons for me not posting in such a long time. Anyway, C was voted one of three team captains for his JV team this year. One of the responsibilities of a team captain is to prepare a short bible lesson/devotion for each practice. This week C chose a devotion about the trials in life and how just because we are Christians it does not mean that we will not have difficulties in life.
As we prepare for a new year and have a time for reflection and even try to make a "resolution" to improve something in our lives for the new year I am thinking of those trials that we go through.
What do we do during the times of great difficulty in our lives? Do we seek and listen to God only when things are going good in our lives? Are we more "faithful" during the good times or the bad?
C's head coach tells the boys on the team that she is not looking for their mistakes (because she knows they will make them) she is looking for what they do for the first 3 seconds after they make a mistake. I know that until we are home with Jesus, walking side by side with our Heavenly Father, we will continue to face trials. But I wonder if God is looking to see what we do the first 3 seconds after we are faced with those trials. Do we immediately go to Him for guidance, or do we rush off to try to figure things out on our own? Do we seek guidance from those around us instead of the only who can truly solve our problems?
During the years that Kurt and I have been married we have had our share of trials. I think it is hard to just wait, wait for the Lord to speak. I so often want to solve my own problems as quickly and easily as possible, only to sometimes make the situation even worse. Sometimes I let my emotions lead me, or my sense of what is the right thing to do instead of listening for the Lord to tell me what I should do.
If I was to make a "resolution" for this new year, I think it would be to truly seek God first in all I do. Not just when I make a mess of something and need Him to fix it. He is always there for me, all I have to do is go to Him and let him carry me through life's trials.

Christians are like pumpkins!!

2009-10-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

I read this many years ago and wanted to share it again.

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin!

Let me try to explain, I brought this pumpkin here to help me illustrate what I mean. (Proceed to carve the pumpkin.)

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

He then washes all the "dirt" off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things are become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the "yucky stuff" called "sin" out from the inside. Look at this! Yuk! Sin will not have such internal power. He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His Word. That's why it is important to go the church and learn about God's Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God's love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face. Our countenance is changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence. "Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven."So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us. We can say like this jack-o-lantern, "Thy presence, my light!"

Our Trip to Duffie's Exotic Bird Ranch

2009-10-15T07:01:00.001-07:00

Last week our home school group took a field trip to Duffie's Exotic Bird Ranch in Dunn. There was an article in our local paper about the ranch so a trip was planned.
There were many different varieties of birds and it was quite an enjoyable trip. It was a beautiful day for the trip not too hot with just a bit of a breeze. The ranch was definitely bigger than it looked from the front of the property. We walked a good distance and the guided tour took just about 2 hours.
One big difference about this trip is that it was the first field trip of the year without the girls. Since they are now in public school they will have their own trips. It was nice to spend some time with just the boys for a change, but more than once I found myself wishing that my girls would have been with us.

My 1 Year Blogaversary Giveaway Winners!!!!

2009-09-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my winners!! And thank you to all who entered. I don't have pictures to show how I did the drawing, but I assure you I was fair. I put all the entries in a bowl and my sons picked the lucky winners!!

The Grand Prize Winner of a $50.00 gift card to your favorite restuarant was. . . Terrye at Shirley's Adventure to Grace Elyse!!!

The Second Place Winner of a $20 gift card to your choice of Target or Starbuck's was . . . Marla at Lego's and Tutu's!!

Our Trip to the Durham Life and Science Musuem

2009-09-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last Monday was our first day off school since the girls are in public school and get all the holidays/teacher workdays off and I decided that it would be much easier to keep the boys on the same schedule.
So, for our first "Holiday" off school we decided to go somewhere and do something instead of just wasting the day. We went to the Life and Science Museum in Durham. It wasn't too far of a drive and we had a great time.
It was amazing to see all the different kinds of butterflies and moths. They are so pretty. K was thrilled when one of the butterflies landed on her finger.

The kids had a ton of fun in the Dinosaur area where they could dig for sharks teeth. I am not sure what one has to do with the other, but it was fun for them and sometimes that is all that counts. Kurt even got in there and helped them dig.
We also saw some animals and lots of bugs. Bugs are definitely NOT my favorite, but they can be kind of cool to look at as long as they are in cages and not on me. LOL
I really liked the Lemurs. They look so cute you just wish you could hold them. The playground area was also a hit. They could just run off some energy. Of course the boys thought that it would be a great place for a paint ball fight. That is what my teenage boys would think about.
Overall it was a great day, I just wish we could have stayed a little longer.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

Are You Her Mommy? A conversation with a Kindergarten student.

2009-09-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

I posted the conversation that I had this morning with one of A's classmates on my family blog. If you would like to read it. . . please click here, No Greater Joys.

Thoughts about the 1st week of school.

2009-08-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

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."

1st Day of School!!

2009-08-25T12:36:00.001-07:00

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.

School Starts Tomorrow!!

2009-08-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

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.

Cute Video for Those Homeschool Moms Out There

2009-08-17T19:33:00.001-07:00

Our trip to Reptile Gardens

2009-08-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

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!!

Blogoversary Giveaway!!!

2009-08-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Trip to Fort Fisher Aquarium

2009-07-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday we decided to take a day trip with some friends to Fort Fisher and visit the aquarium. After the aquarium we had a picnic lunch by the beach and the kids took a walk along the beach. Then we took a ferry over to Southport for some ice cream and shopping. We had a great day.

2009-07-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

I finally scanned this picture from our trip to Hershey. We had a lot of fun together on this trip. Maybe we will get to go back again soon.

Common Whitetail Dragonfly

2009-07-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

J noticed this dragonfly on our back step the other day. I thought that it was very strange looking. It didn't even look like a dragonfly, but I looked it up and sure enough it is a common whitetail dragonfly.

Summer Camp

2009-06-22T17:52:00.003-07:00

I did it!! I actually dropped K off at Summer Camp. I hope I survive the week without her. She is 2 1/2 hours away from home for an entire week. The boys are very glad to have a week with only one sister. LOL
Thank goodness she went with three friends from church, so she will have tons of fun!!

Last Day of School

2009-05-29T08:35:00.001-07:00

Well today is our official last day of school!!!
The children finished up some of their subjects early, but today they are done with everything. Another year down.
I am really looking forward to next year. We have decided to put the girls into school. The school is very close to the house and both girls could go there for one year until K goes on to middle school. There were many considerations that went into this decision. I won't list them all, but we feel that it is the right decision for our family at this time. That is not to say that we can't pull them out and home school at any given point if we are not happy with their education.
The boys will continue to home school and I am excited about their curriculum for next year. I always feel like that when I start ordering curriculum. They will be using the following curriculum next year.
Math--Teaching Textbooks
Grammar & Composition--Abeka
Reading & Comprehension--Total Language Plus
Science, History, Bible, Spanish, Health--Switched On Schoolhouse

Funny

2009-05-29T06:30:00.001-07:00

A little girl had just finished her first week of school. When her mom asked her what she thought about school, she replied, "I'm just wasting my time. I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!"

Remember

2009-05-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Please take time today to remember the sacrifice of others. I would like to say "Thank You" to all soldiers who have willingly given so much to protect this county.

Kindergarten Beginners Day

2009-05-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

With much prayer we have decided to put the girls in public school next year. A will be in Kindergarten and K will be in 5th grade.
Yesterday was Beginners Day at the local school and K and I took A in to the school and stayed for an informational meeting while A went to the classroom for Kindergarten. There was an envelope with some work in it for A to take to the classroom with her. She asked me if it was her lessons. When I told her yes she said, "Ah man, I didn't know that I would have to do lessons!" I chuckled and asked her what she thought that she would be doing in Kindergarten. She said, "Read, play outside, and color." That sounds about right to me. LOL

Testing

2009-04-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

We completed our end of grade standardized testing last week and I mailed them off to be scored yesterday. I always breath a sigh of relief after we are done testing. Then I get anxious about how the children did on their tests. We should have the results in a couple of weeks.
I am sure that they did well. They always seem to do fine on these tests, but I always get nervous anyway. I try not to hold to much stock in these tests because some children just do not test well. But on the other hand when this is a homeschooling requirement for our state I want them to do well. I guess I will just have to wait to see how they did.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY!!

2009-04-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. Kurt was able to get off work to go with us. It was so nice to have the whole family together for a "field trip". It was not overly crowded and the weather was great. The children all picked their favorite animals.
The zoo was very nice. They had lots of animals to see. I really liked the gorilla. He looked as though he really enjoyed posing for the cameras. It was a fun family day.

The Discovery Museum in Cleveland, OH

2009-04-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

After we visited family in Pennsylvania recently, the children and I went to Ohio to visit my Dad and step-Mom. While we were visiting they took us to the Discovery Science Museum in Cleveland. The children had lots of fun and we finished the day with an IMAX movie. That was the first time I had been to an IMAX theater. It was pretty neat and I think the children enjoyed it too.

Our trip to Hershey!!

2009-04-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

We recently had the opportunity to take a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family. During this trip we decided to go over to Hershey and tour Chocolate World. It was such a nice trip and we really enjoyed the Trolley Tour of Hershey. It was fascinating to hear about Milton Hershey. His story is truly an inspiring one. He failed so many times before he succeeded, but he didn't give up. He was a very giving man and the company that he set up continues to do great things. And of course the chocolate was great!!!

Coloring Eggs

2009-04-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

We colored eggs tonight. It is so much fun to see the children being creative with their eggs.

Questions about Field Trips!!!!

2009-03-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

I am trying to think of some fun, educational field trips for my family. Have any of you been on any memorable field trips? Where did you go? What made it memorable? Was it memorable in a good or bad way? Please leave me a comment about all your fun field trips!!!

Website Spotlight Thursday

2009-02-26T06:03:00.001-08:00

Today I would like to Spotlight :
This is a really neat website with lots of great things that you can do with your children. There are craft ideas, pages to print, games and recipes. Just go check it out!!!

Blog Spotlight Monday

2009-02-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

Today I want to take some time to shine the spotlight on Sandra at Full Bellies, Happy Kids. Sandra is a Christian SAHM and wife to her Air Force Husband. They have 2 children.

I love her blog because she has her menus planned out two weeks ahead of time and she has the recipes listed for all the great dishes she makes.

Like this one: Mexican Lasagna.

If you want to find out how to make this yummy looking dish, just visit Sandra's blog!!!!

Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, winter to continue

2009-02-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

Being that I was raised in Punxsutawney, I try to follow along with whether or not the groundhog saw his shadow. It is fun to see if what really happens is remotely close to his predictions.

AP--PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – The world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting this already long winter will last for six more weeks.

Punxsutawney Phil emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses, many dressed in black-and-gold to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl victory the night before.

"There's significant buzz from the Steelers win and quite a few Terrible Towels floating from the crowd," said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism in Pennsylvania.

The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, a borough of about 6,100 residents some 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced the forecast in a short proclamation, in which Phil acknowledged the Steelers' 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.

Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn't seen it 15 times, and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

Rowley said the Groundhog Day festivities is Pennsylvania's largest tourist gathering in the winter. And if Phil's forecast proves correct it should bring even more tourists to the state.

"It's six more weeks of skiing," Rowley said.

Videos of the girls singing.

2008-12-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas Photos

2008-12-25T11:57:00.003-08:00

Fun Day!!

2008-11-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

Since it is my birthday, we decided to take the day off from lessons and do something fun. We baked cookies together!! The girls and I made sugar cookies. J and I made peanut butter cookies. They were super yummy!!!

Website Spotlight Thursday

2008-11-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

I would like to spotlight. . . Starfall website. This is a great website for little ones who are just learning to read. Katie used it when she went to school before I started homeschooling and now she loves working with Amilynn.

Blog Spotlight Monday

2008-11-10T05:48:00.000-08:00

Today I want to shine a spotlight on a blog called. . . Art Projects for Kids.

This is a great site to visit when you have run out of ideas on what to do with you children for art class. Kathy is an art teacher and has broken down her projects by grade level. I can't wait to try some of these with my children.

Mexican Potato Casserole

2008-11-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on the Full Bellies Blogspot and thought that I would give it a try. It is pretty simple and I like things with only a few ingredients. If I see a recipe with more than 10 ingredients more than likely I will never make it. LOL . . .I like simple.

Mexican Potato Casserole
4 medium potatoes, with peel
4 Tablespoons butter
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups salsa
1 cup chopped peppers (red, green or yellow) *I omitted the peppers since my kids don't like them
*1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and place in greased casserole dish.
Melt butter...stir in taco seasoning.
Pour over the potatoes and stir to coat well.

Bake uncovered at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.
Stir...bake 10 minutes longer.
Brown and crumble beef; add onion and cook until soft...then drain.
Stir in salsa and chopped peppers.
Pour over potatoes.
Top with grated cheese.
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

The verdict. . .the girls didn't care for it very much, of course J would not eat any, but Kurt, C, and I liked it well enough. I will probably make it again. It is nice to have something new and different to break up the same old, same old things I always make. I am glad that I found this recipe.

Nosy (and Lazy) Cat

2008-11-07T19:20:00.001-08:00

This cat is funny.

Today John was doing his math in the living room and Garfield got curious.

He wanted to do math too!!

Then he realized just how boring math can be!! About 4 minutes later he was asleep.

AHHHHH the life of a cat.

Website Spotlight Thursday

2008-11-06T05:42:00.001-08:00

The website that I am spotlighting today is. . . the Crayola website.

This is a great site for children. They have crafts ideas and games to play. You can print out coloring pages. They even have a resource page for educators and a parent page. It is just a lot of fun!!!

Wordless Wednesday (well, only a few words)

2008-11-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

My children are not always the nicest to each other. So during this very rare moment yesterday I had to get some pics.

Blog Spotlight Monday

2008-11-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

As promised (and only a day late) I am going to post a blog spotlight every Monday and a website spotlight every Thursday. Remember if you would like me to spotlight your blog or website please leave me a comment and I will be happy to shine the spotlight on you!!

The first blog I want to spotlight is. . . A Year of Crockpotting!!! A new post everyday about what you can make in your crock pot!!

I LOVE this blog!! I also LOVE my crock pot. I really enjoy being able to put a few ingredients in it early in the day and let it do the work and come back at dinner time and it is done. Especially with our busy schedules on some days it is so hard to plan a menu when we are all coming and going.

I also like it that she is doing all the experimenting. She will post how it turns out and whether her family enjoyed it or not. I never realized all the different things that you could use a crock pot for!! Thank you, Thank you for creating this blog.

Christians are like Pumpkins!

2008-11-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

I read this many years ago and forgot to post it sooner.

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin!

Let me try to explain, I brought this pumpkin here to help me illustrate what I mean. (Proceed to carve the pumpkin.)

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

Then He carves a new smiling face. Our countenance is changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Fun Friday!!

2008-10-31T20:46:00.001-07:00

Chicken Taco Soup Recipe

2008-10-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Jean has requested that I post the recipe for my Chicken Taco Soup, so here it is!!

1 chopped onion
1 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fl. oz) can or bottle beer
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, do not drain
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

OPTIONAL:
shredded Cheddar cheese
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips

Cooking Instructions
Place onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, bear, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup and pull apart or cut into small pieces. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and continue cooking for 2 hours.

Serve with the desired toppings.

I usually just use whatever kind of beans I have on hand (kidney, pinto) and plain diced tomatoes. We love this meal and it is so easy to do!!!

Mondays!!

2008-10-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today started a new chapter in our lives. Kurt is retiring from the military and has started a new job. He has had a few months of leave time so he has been off work and home with us since we started school this year.

I was a little nervous about how the children would behave today during their lessons.

It turns out that I didn't have to worry. They did a great job. They got up just like they have for the past several months and got right to work just like if Kurt were here.

I definitely feel blessed today.

Dinner is Done!!

2008-10-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well to be honest it is cooking, but my part is finished. My part was actually finished at 10:00 this morning when I put the ingredients in the crock pot.

I LOVE chicken taco soup!!! Not only does it taste very, very good, but it only takes about 5 minutes to throw everything together. AND three chicken breasts feeds 6 people--well--5 people. J is my picky eater who does not eat much variety. I could make a very short post on what J WILL eat. Plus there will be left overs for lunch tomorrow!!

Kurt doesn't have to grill, I don't have to cook, we don't have to have sandwiches, LOL!!!! Dinner is Done!!!

Silent Sunday

2008-10-19T12:47:00.001-07:00

I Need A Vacation!!!

2008-10-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today C and I were talking about how busy we have been lately. Between school work, appointments, basketball practices and baseball practices we don't find a lot of free time. We were kind of going back and forth about who had what going on and C said that he needed a vacation. I said I needed a vacation. You know what he told me?
"Your the mom, you DON'T get a vacation!"
What?!?! I don't get a vacation? How unfair is that?!?

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-08T16:19:00.001-07:00

K's Dance Class

2008-10-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

All of children are in extra-curricular activies. K really likes to dance. In the past she did ballet and jazz, but this year she decided she wanted to take the lyrical class. I love to watch the girls dance. The way they move and the choice of music is so beautiful. A really enjoyed playing while K danced.

Mondays!

2008-10-06T08:50:00.001-07:00

C is really enjoying Teaching Textbooks math this year. He can put in a CD and listen to the lecture for the problem set he is doing then when he is done he puts the CD back in and checks his work.

J is doing his new math. We started out the year with one math and it was a struggle every day. He did not like math.

Now we are using Teaching Textbooks and he does it on the computer. He LOVES math now!!!

K enjoys her new desk. We purchased it from another home school mom who didn't need it anymore and K loves it!! Now she can do her lessons in her own room.

She has her Wordly Wise out. This is her least favorite subject.

A really likes doing her lessons. . . and she can do them in her pajamas. LOL

Today she made the best B's I have ever seen!!

New Resource

2008-09-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

I love it when I talk to a friend and they have a great website to share!! This new resource that my friend told me about is great. I have to find more time to sit and search through all that it has to offer. Click here to visit this home school site and see what it can offer you.

Praying Mantis

2008-09-28T09:03:00.001-07:00

Originally posted to www.nogreaterjoys.blogspot.com in September 2008.

We were surprised to see this praying mantis on our window today. K is studying all kinds of bugs and insects in science right now and has been on the look out for all types of these critters. She was excited to be able to check this one off her list of things to look for this week.

Summers Over-A poem by my son

2008-09-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Summers Over
Summers almost over
To cold to play Red Rover
To cold to play outside
To cold for a bike ride
So cold a snake must hide under a rock
So cold I have to wear three pairs of socks
Lakes are freezing
Kids are sneezing
Down with a cold
Where's medicine sold?
A good thing about winter
Means it is Christmastime
A time to open presents
A time to hear no whine

Our first week of full lessons. UGH!!

2008-09-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

Originally posted to www.nogreaterjoys.blogspot.com in September of 2008.

http://homeschoolblogawards.com/
WOW!! What a week I have had!! Starting with last Friday I re-injured my knee and was in a lot of pain Friday night. Saturday I was limping because of the pain and ended up being in even more pain Sunday. Because of the limping I ended up having extreme pain in my hips, back and leg muscles. Even so, I still had to make sure all the children's lesson plans were done for this week and come up with a schedule so that I could give each of the children the attention they need for each subject. (Remember--I started the children on Math, Reading and English in August and everything else was added this month.)
On Sunday I came down with the worst cold I have had in years. I have had a terrible week!! I still sound like a bullfrog when I try to talk and end up in a terrible coughing spell. So to say that we had a smooth first week would be a slight exaggeration. LOL
The children have had a pretty good week even without a lot of hand's on from Mommy, which is a silver lining. Thank goodness the beginning of the year is usually review and not completely new material. They needed very little instruction from me. I do feel a little bit bad for A though as she was so excited to start lessons and ended up only getting about half of what I had planned for her. O-Well. She will get more than enough when I am fully recovered.Even with a week like this it is still a great joy to be able to teach my children!!

Starting School Again!!

2008-09-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Originally posted to www.nogreaterjoys.blogspot.com in August of 2008.

We officially started back to school August 4th. We have had a very busy and short summer, so I decided to start with Math, English and Reading only for the month of August. We are starting out very relaxed and it is working out well. We will start all our other subjects in September. We have had so much going on lately it has been difficult for me to find time to post. I also have not had time to follow my favorite blogs. I hope to catch up on how everyone is doing soon. Blessings to all!!

An emotional end to our first year of home schooling.

2008-09-28T08:48:00.001-07:00

Originally posted on www.nogreaterjoys.blogspot.com in June of 2008.
As Soaring Eagles Academy finishes our first year of homeschooling I have many emotions: relief that I survived, relief that the children survived, peace that what we are doing is right for us, joy that we have one year down, excitement for the year to come, faith that we are doing what we were called to do, happiness that I was able to spend so much time with my children that I would not have had otherwise, did I mention relief!! We are all looking forward to our summer break and I will be making plans for next year.
We were at the book store the other day and the boys could not believe that I would actually be making them read over the summer. Can you imagine?!? How dare I expect them to read on their summer break. LOL

Botanical Gardens Field Trip

2008-09-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Originally posted to www.nogreaterjoys.blogspot.com in April of 2008.

Since Kurt was off work today we decided to take a field trip to the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens. It was a chilly day today, but at least we did not get rained on. We did enjoy our walk although it is kind of early for all the plants to be in bloom. It was nice to take a break from our lessons to enjoy God's beauty.The kid's had the challenge of following clues to certain areas that had numbered pine cones and writing the correct number next to the clue. They all came very close to getting them right, but they switched two numbers. Maybe next time we go they will be able to get them all right.

Our trip to the Circus

2008-09-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

Originally posted to www.nogreaterjoys.blogspot.com in April of 2008.

The Circus came to town!!! We were so excited when the home school group announced a field trip to the circus. We got together with several other home school families and had a great time. We felt blessed to be able to enjoy this time together as a family.

We all had different things we liked best. I personally liked the mini dachshunds that were trained to do tricks. I really think I liked this the best because we have a mini dachshund.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Why Homeschooling?

2008-09-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

Orinally posted to www.nogreaterjoys.blogspot.com in April of 2008, edited today.

Well, you may all be asking yourselves, "Why in the world would she home school her children?"
I always rejected the idea right away, always made excuses as to why I would "NEVER" do it. You know the ones those of us in denial make. . . no patience, the children are okay where they are, I can't give them what they need. My favorite excuse was, "I don't have the patience for it?" They say "never say never" for a reason.
Just before bringing A home from China in June of 2007, we were asking ourselves what we would do the following year. The children were attending a local Christian School and I was working in the office. My entire paycheck was going back to the school for tuition, sports fees, uniforms, lunches, etc. After looking at many options--none of them being home schooling--it was time to make a decision. I really felt lead one day to look into home schooling. I knew where the feeling was coming from but I wanted to reject it. REALLY wanted to reject it.
After some prayer, investigation into curriculum, research about the laws for homeschooling in our state, and more prayer, I began to get excited about the idea.It's kind of a funny story that when we asked the children about it they were all on board right away and I kept asking them, "Have you prayed about it?" They would say, "Yes! We did and we still want to do it!!" For about two weeks my response to them was, "Well, go pray some more!!" I was still in denial about what God was telling me to do.
After much prayer we made the decision to home school all of the kids. We named our homeschool: Soaring Eagles Academy. We had a little inspiration for choosing this name.
We know that the decision to home school was the right one. Although we have had a few trials and errors this year, we have drawn closer and have had a very good year.I am currently very excited about getting prepared for next year. Researching curriculum can be very exciting and can give you a major headache all at the same time. In addition to researching curriculum I am also working on a new schedule for our day. I try to be very organized--it just doesn't always show through.
We have also been busy during the year with sports, extra curricular activities and much more.The boys both played soccer for the home school team. C played basketball for them as well. C is getting ready to start baseball for the Parks and Rec and has taken drum lessons this year. J took an art class that he enjoyed very much. Ever since he was able to go to the Art competition in 4th grade, he has really enjoyed doing different art projects. The boys are also becoming more involved with their youth group at church. K did gymnastics for a few months then decided she would wait until the fall and get back into jazz classes. K also took a knitting class and made a couple of good friends. A is in gymnastics and is very much enjoying it. Needless to say, we do stay very busy and the kids have lots of social time.I believe it is one of the greatest joys of my life that I am able to home school my children.
"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23