Homeschooling reality...

This is the beginning of the 6th grade.  (Nana is nice enough to have let us take over her living room.)

Organized.  Ready for some fun learning experiences!  And of course: Jake diligently and happily working...

10 weeks later...and this is on a good day...

The original plan has been sacked, stuff everywhere and I even kicked Jake out to do his history and note taking because we were driving each other crazy.  Actually he wanted to go outside on his own, but I am sure it is because he wanted to get a way from me.  .

At our Classical Conversations co-op yesterday, one of the moms was turning in her daughters folder and was trying to think of a nice way to say it had been a tough week and she didn't know what was even in the folder.  I looked at her and said: "It is what it is."  We both laughed and decided it would be our homeschooling mantra.  It is what it is:  there are good days and days we just get it done and ask forgiveness later for any arguing that may have occurred.  There are days when we look lovingly at our children as they are happily completing their work independently...even as I type it I know that no one who homeschools or even helps their children with homework after schools is going to believe that ever happens.  And there are days when I pray that a random school bus will go by so I can run into the middle of the street, demand the bus driver take my child-I won't even care which school it was going to, then go back inside (by myself because I am telling you the bus driver would take Jake-probably out of fear for his safety...but he would take him!) and enjoy some piece and quiet. 

I am thankful to be able to homeschool Jake and I know that this is exactly what we are supposed to be doing even if this post doesn't make it sound like it.  It is what it is. :)

Happy Halloween!  More on that another day...

The winds...they are a changin'

In 3 different ways...

*It is fall. Finally.  We went out on a walk earlier and were trying to catch the leaves that were falling like snowflakes.  I am going to have to bring my camera on the walk tomorrow.  This morning I just took a picture of my bundled up kiddo.  He is so cool.  

*The election may be changing too...I am crossing my fingers and toes, and saying all kinds of prayers.  I just heard that for the first time Romney is ahead of Obama (by 2%) in Ohio-which is an obvious must win state...

*Hurricane Sandy, which is being called a hurricane on steroids, is barreling toward the Northeast.  We are saying extra prayers for all the family, friends, and all those that are in its path...Wonder what the weather will do to the election and voting...

Brain Declutter: I should be sleeping...

*I am trying to get over a head cold...I have been for several days now...I keep thinking I am better and then {WHAM} there it is again.  I even flushed my sinuses today to try to relieve the pressure that is making my face feel like it is about to explode. 

*Because of flushing my nose out I have come up with a plan.  The other day Jake asked me what I thought he should invent to become rich when he grows up (and even at 11 he still says I can live with him when he grows up...that makes my heart happy), and I have figured it out: an eye camera.  A contact lens that you wear all the time and whenever you want you can take a picture by just thinking it.  Great idea right?  No need to focus because your eye already is!  No need to use your hands just think it and it takes it and stores it.  I decided Jake needs to invent this because when I was flushing my nose in Ranee's bathroom, I looked up into the mirror only to see Ranee, Aaron, Addie Kate, Rere (Riannon's nickname and now that I have stated it I never will explain it again), Lala (ditto for Della), and Jeremy was in the hall all watching me in anticipation.  I wish I had a camera.  Jake would have been there but he was staying at my mom's and dad's.  He would have taken pity on my I a sure...No he probably would want to see me flush my nose so he could laugh too...But any way get working on the contact lens camera Jake.

*Now that I have mentioned the contact lens camera I will be sure to see that it already available and my million dollar idea vanishes...

*I just watched Pride and Prejudice and I have decided to force Aaron to watch it.  I have seen his favorite movies and it is only fair that he watched mine, right?  And yes I do love the newest version of it with Keira Knightly.  I know some die hard Jane Austen fans turn up there noes to it but I love it.  Ardently...If you are a Jane fan than you will have caught the whole ardently thing and chuckled to yourself for being so smart as to have caught it.  If not than you should go read Pride and Prejudice.  I need to read it again...

*For that matter I just need to read.  I have been taking so much time getting ready for the craft show (which, by the way, turned out to be a glorified yard sale..a flea market at best...) that I haven't been reading.  I need to break out the Kindle and fire up a classic.  There are still 2...maybe 3 Jane books I haven't read and I need today...Lady Susan is one of them.  I can't remember the other one...or two.  I need to finish the Hobbit since Aaron doesn't think I will.  It is good, really it is but I am a girl and it is kind of a boy book.  I know, I know there are girls out there rolling there eyes at this comment but it is true.  Maybe if I read a Jane book too it will balance out.

*I need to go to sleep.

*I feel like I have been a miserable person lately. I need to change that.  I need to be nice again.  I feel like my mind automatically is thinking in sarcasm, eye rolling and the pointing out of flaws that  sometimes it slips out....a lot.  I need to be nicer.  I need to see people the way Heavenly Father does.  Not as the fool who didn't have their blinker on and if they had I would have known I could have gone...Or the person cashier who rude.  I need to think of them the way the Lord would.  I am going to work on that starting immediately. 

*I am working on time management and procrastinating too.  I am bad at both of those things...big time.  For that reason I am proud of myself for saying I am starting immediately instead of saying tomorrow.  Baby steps into a better me...

*Good night. :)

And another good day!

Okay we can just say we had a good week! Besides Monday and Tuesday...Jake and I were getting ready to paint on Monday and were carrying things into the basement of Erin and Matt's. Fynn, their dog, was very excited we were there and ended up running under me and knocking me on my back. She literally came up behind me took my feet out from under me and came out the other side. It knocked the wind out of me and rattled my brain a little. Instant headache and I spent most of Tuesday sitting in Papa's recliner (the back of it heats up) because my back hurt so bad. But a days rest, lots of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, a heating pad, and a hot shower, and I was ready to paint again on Wednesday. It is still a little sore but I am 99% better. So, other than that we had a great week!

(I started this post on Friday and am just now getting around to finishing it...)
We were at Erin and Matt's to paint on Friday and Jaxson was just waking up from his nap.  We went into see him and he was gumming his crib.  It was so adorable!

Jake took a shot of me painting some chairs.  I look like I am painting really fast don't I?

This is what they look like now.  My mom and I covered the seats on Friday night when Jake and Aaron were on a camp out.

 I am loving these chairs...

I had to take some pictures of Aaron and Jake getting ready to go camping...Just in case they forgot to take any while camping.  They said they took some but I haven't seen them yet.  Between homeschooling, and painting I haven't had a chance

Jake hugged the dogs and me about 5 times before leaving.  He was soooo excited to go camping with Daddy but he was going to miss us too.

So, as you can see we had a rather busy and fun week!  Next post: Camping pictures and Craft Show news...

Another good day...

We had a field trip which really was 3 in 1. We went to the Mineral & Lapidary Museum, Team ECCO Center for Ocean Awareness, and Skytop Apple Farm. It was a blast! 

It was exciting to head up the mountain back to our old stomping grounds...I miss the mountains...

In Hendersonville, NC there little downtown has lots of painted bear statues.  We parked near this one and Jake and his friend Gabe who rode with us laughed at the back...

A loud, but not to loud group of adults and kids at 9:15 on a school day standing together on the sidewalk?..Gotta be a homeschooling group! We love our homeschooling Co-op and we love Classical Conversations.

We broke up into 2 groups because there were too many of us to fit in the little museums together.  We started off in the Mineral museum.

The free stone everyone got as we were leaving.  Almost everyone got the grab bags that had 5 different minerals in is for $1.  After we went to ECCO Jake's buddies wanted to ride with us so we had a car load of boys auctioning and trading their mineral. :)

Next stop: ECCO.  Who knew there was an ocean awareness classroom in the mountains of NC?

They did a fish Scavenger hunt and had a blast. 

This little guy had some issues.  He would look at you and open his mouth really wide.  I think he was cussing us out in fish language.  I say that because after he looked you with a wide mouth he would turn around, suck up some sand and...

...spit it at us.  He wasn't a friendly guy.

His neighbors were quite friendly though.  A little creepy...but friendly!

On to Skytop!

The 3 Musketeer's  getting ready for the hay ride.

Or maybe the 3 Stooges would be a better name for them!

They had a bamboo maze that was pretty cool.

Jake picked his first apple.  It was pretty slim pickings this late in the year but it was still fun!

I really wanted to stay up in the mountains and go to the Romney rally that was in Asheville (mere minutes away) but Gabe had to get back for football practice and Jake had to get back to pack for his first Boy Scout camp out the next day.  Life is good!