Back to the Routine

Well last week was an interesting experiment. I gave the kids the whole week off from school. They seem to be getting back to their regular routine quite easily. Which is great for me. Last night I had anticipated crying, screaming and yelling (from me). But this was not the case. Could it be that my kids are actually growing up? Maturing before my very eyes? Maybe they see that I may be more apt to give them time off next year? We'll see about that one!
On another note I had planted a lot of veggies in planters two weeks ago and to my great joy I am already seeing sprouts! My lettuce is doing wonderfully. I also planted some flowers that are peeking above the dirt and my zucchini looks like a few tender blades are emerging! Wow! Who'd a thunk it? ME a gardener?
Dave and I have started a search for our first house (yeah, we were dumb with $ in our youth and so here we are in our 30's & in his case 40's) and are just now looking. It's such a daunting task. I'm not even sure WHERE I want to live never mind if I want 3 or 4 bedrooms, how many baths, if there is a pool, if there is a basement, blah blah blah!
My landlord actually told me and Dave that our rent is going DOWN!!!! Yeah! Amazing! You could have knocked me over with a feather! I have been in almost constant thought about him raising the rent since in our last place in Spencer the guy did it every 6 months! We've been here in Webster for 3 years now and he hasn't gone up once yet!
Well, enough of my schpeal. Gotta help Suz look for her protractor! *Sigh* it was nice while it lasted (a whole 2 hours).

Vacation Week

Well, I'm not sure if this week actually turned out to be a vacation for ME. But the kids have thuroughly enjoyed their week off. They think they are somehow cheating...lol. It seems like I have had more work to do than on a regular week. The laundry just doesn't seem to want to get into a smaller pile and I think since we've had Suzy's friends over that every dish I own is now in the sink! Ugh!
As I write, I have a load in the washer and one in the dryer. Thank God for the conveniences of the modern day! If I had to go bang my clothes on rocks at river beds, I don't think we'd be as clean...lol.
The kids are all outside (I think EVERY kid in our neighborhood) having a "yard sale". Ian has made 4 bucks already...lol. Hey the less junk I have the better. And that goes for my kids too!
Maybe he'll be the next Donald Trump or something...then he can take care of me in my elderly years. Quite the entrepreneur and even better, he LIKES to save! He BEGS me to take him to the bank! All that and the math skills he's learned are being put to good use too! Not to bad for a day I'd guess.

School Vacations?

Well if you are a homeschooler you know that with EVERY public school vacation week, you get the inevitable cry from the kiddies,"why can't WE have a vacation too?"
This time is no exception. No matter how many times I repeat the mantra...you have shorter days but more of them, you start your school year later and finish earlier...blah blah blah. This week coming up I have decided to give me and the kids a break. Yes, for the first time (I think anyway) in our family history...we are taking a week off. Yippee! No more strange looks from people when we are out and about in the early afternoon, no more saying to the kids in earshot of cashiers,"oh, I'll have to make your dentist appointment next."
Implying they were at the doctors office...lol Crazy yeah I know.
Truthfully I don't CARE about what others think (or do I)? Maybe I'll grab a Godiva and contemplate this for a while...

Homeschool Rant

We have new neighbors in our apartment building. They seem nice. My son Ian is getting along very well with the boy in the family. It's good to know that there will be other kids for mine to play with. Homeschooling is a bit on the unsocial side.
My family is always saying how worried they are that my kids won't be "socialized". If I ever had them sustitute for me on a regular week they'd change their tunes. I'm constantly on the run bringing my kids to all of their activities. They have plenty of socialization! More than I get (I'm jealous...lol).
I actually look forward to summers when the "things to do" slow down and all I have to do other than my part-time job is take the kids to the beach! Ahhh the life! Everything slows down and life is so much more enjoyable! Come on summer! Come quickly!

The End of the Year

We are starting to get to the end of our school year. I don't give my kids as much time off as the public schools so here we are in April, and with each passing week, we are down a subject. The kids are excited since the weather has gotten so much better and love to go outside to play.
Suzy has finished History so far and has only 1 week left of Geography. And two weeks left on Math and Science. Spelling will be the next to be crossed off the list with 3 weeks left to go. The only thing I have that will most likely make it to the end of the year (we end on the last Friday of May) will be Language.
Ian has just about finished all of his schoolwork already too. Because he is in younger grades, the curriculum is not as long. He's down to spelling and a math supplement workbook I purchased a few weeks ago.
I am tempted to start purchasing next year's curriculum and have them start on it now, but then what will I do when they are done even earlier next year? I think I'll just look online for free supplemental "stuff" to finish the year in areas I found that the kids may be a bit weaker in (fractions for Suz and multiplication tables for Ian).
I still love homeschooling and I'm not sure that my kids will ever go to a "regular" school. I'm looking forward to what the future holds for us all!

Spring has Sprung!

What a great weekend we had! Easter is my favorite Holiday anyway, but the weather has definately made it even better! I was woken up at 5:50 Am by my son wantingto look for his Easter basket. I got up and had a cup of coffee while he eagerly sat on the couch in the livingroom waiting for me to give him the "go ahead".
My daughter got up shortly and they both tore the house apart (well almost anyway). This year I was sneaky. I actually got the baskets hidden in their own rooms! They never thought of it til they desperately asked for a hint.
A few hours later it was off to church and to see a wonderful friend I hadn't seen in many months. Home again, I made a special dinner (not ham as usual). I attempted to make my hubby's favorite, cutlets. My family all love them. Dave said that they were as good as any his mom ever made...high praise for me!
The rest of the day was very relaxing too. I went to visit my mom for a while and Dave took the kids to the lake to fly kites.
Ah, a nice famly day! All that and Godiva chocoalte too! What more could a gal ask for?

It's A Small World

What a wonderful day this turned out to be. Being as it's Good Friday, the kids had the day off of school. So, it was off to do errands. What a beautiful, sunny, warm day it was! I saw my cousin Ashley first. She's such a sweet girl. A senior in high school and looking forward to her future. Then as I was driving down the street of my hometown, I was thinking to myself, "hmm...I wonder if my dad will be around?" and sure enough, there he was! Walking along the side of the road. I pulled over abd we chatted.
Next came grocery shopping. Such a treat when the whole world seems to be in the same place at the same time! My mom and my other cousin were working behind the deli counter. As I was ordering, I bumped into another friend from high school! Then my aunt walked up! Whew! If all that wasn't enough, I also saw my best friend from high school earlier in the day as well!
All in all it was a very small world (both in crowds, and with loved ones). I am working tonight and I think it'll be quite busy. Here's hoping everyone shows up!