Traditions

We recently went and picked out our pumpkins for the fall season. The kids decorate their gourds however they want and on Halloween afternoon, dad carves them out. Then they get displayed on the porch for all the trick or treaters to admire!
This is truly the time of year when our family traditions "kick in". Thanksgiving used to be the holiday we celebrated with Dave's family, but since his mom passed away, we have been making our feast here at home and spending quality time with our kids.
Since we have never done the whole "Santa" thing with our kids, we bake 8" single layer cakes and the kids decorate a birthday cake for Jesus. We've done that every year since the kids were toddlers. Then we pack them up and bring them to my moms house for her annual Christmas Eve party.
New Year's Eve has also been a stay-at-home tradition for us. We let the kids stay up as late as they can make it (they haven't yet managed to get to midnight). We have treats and decorations (hats, tooters, streamers) and watch the three stooges (silly I guess).
These are the days we will remember and will warm our hearts when the kids have grown up and have moved on. I treasure them all!

Smooth Sailing (so far)

Well friends, we've been at our schooling now for a few weeks, and I'm very happy with the pace and the content of the subjects the kids are taking. They have a good grasp on everything so far and these are the days I think every homeschooler finds blissful.
My main concern if I were to go out LOOKING for trouble, would be that I'm not to awfully sure that Ian is getting challenged enough with his curriculum. I'm thinking of adding to his daily workload. But its a fine balance with this kid of mine. To much and he gets discouraged and cranky. Not enough and he's bored and a trial to me.
I have resorted to bribery with him (as in an earlier post I mentioned I had to bribe Suzy to learn her multiplication tables). So here we are plugging away at the monotonous facts. Our deal was if he learns them by heart in random order he can have a wii for a Christmas present.
We are probably one of the few families who don't already own one. Mainly because I don't want my kids to be so crazed that nothing else is done around the house including school work to proper satisfaction. I'm thinking I'll probably institute a time policy like I do with the computer time. The kids get an hour each day for computer fun but only on pre-approved websites.
So far, that has been ideal. Well, there's my update. Hope everyone else is having as much success so far this year!

First day of school

Ahh...well here we are. The long summer days are getting shorter and it's the appointed day and time. School!! The first day is always the most exciting no matter if you are public schooled or homeschooled. There is just something about getting back into the routine and discipline that evokes importance.
I've mentioned in an earlier post what subjects the kids are going to be covering this year. The only thing I don't particularly like about the first few days of school are the low page numbers...lol. All of this review! Whole numbers, nouns, verbs, capitalization, number values placements...blah! Give me the good stuff!!! lol Of course, the kids like it so they can get their feet wet and not have anything to complicated to think about.
All in all, they had a wonderful summer. They are both still so tan! lol I'm jealous, since I'm so fair skinned I never tan. I burn, peel, and go back to ghost white again!
Well, here's to a wonderful, happy school year!

School decisions

Well, I've officially decided on the day after Labor Day as our first day back to school. I usually pick that day, but since it was so late this year (the second week of September) I had contemplated moving the date up. But...well...I just don't want to let go of summer this year. Am I alone in the thinking that it has been one of childhood memories? The kind that seems endless and fun-filled. In spite of having to work two days a week, I have managed to get to the beach a few times (plenty for me and my fair skin), had a few dinners out with friends, been to the Cape, managed to purchase ALL of the curriculum I'm going to be using, and will soon be on a last ditch attempt to squeeze out the rest of the summer when we go on vacation.
My kiddies are less than happy about the fact that the count-down has begun. I guess I, too, am a bit sad. This will definately be a summer for the scrapbook. Well, onward and upward they always say. Who knows? The rest of this year will most likely fly by and before you know it, we'll be preparing for Christmas festivities. Ok Ok so I won't rush it! Maybe this year I'll actually start my gift shopping early (as I usually threaten to do but somehow never seem to get around to).
Well, that is all my news so far, I'm patiently waiting for my cousin (Mal) to get on facebook and tell the world about her day! Can't wait!

Lots of "Stuff"

Ahhh...life is good! I've finally wrapped up all my shopping for next year's schooling. Suz is going to be taking Pre-Algebra (Lord help me), Writing and Composition, Japanese (again, Lord can you hear me calling?), Spanish, Civics, History, Geography, Biology, Health, Spelling, Bible, Music Theory, Art (we didn't end up having her take that college course...money was to tight, but maybe next year). Ian will be tackling the usual elementary classes, Math (he BETTER learn his multiplication tables this year), Spelling, Handwriting, Language, History, Geography, Science, Health, Art, Music Theory, Spanish, and Bible. Whew! This year will be a great one I can tell already!
On another note, we are still looking at houses and trying to find a mortgage. It seems this economy is making it harder and harder to get a loan for anything! We have pretty good credit so I'm not sure what to think. Oh well, guess the timing isn't quite right for us. Someday. I just keep telling myself that. Positive thinking and all ya know?
On another note, Suzy has had a chance to go into a real recording studio and have her songs recorded professionally. I'm not sure if I want her to go down that road. She has all the making for a Diva as it is...lol. We'll see.
I made plans for our family vacation. We are going to be staying in a cottage in Maine near Old Orchard Beach. I am looking forward to this. We can only get away on family vacations every other year. The last time we went away to speak of was to Hershey Park. We are planning on going to the beach, an amusement park near by, and for mommy, to the outlets in kittery! Yipee!!!
Definately turning out to be a wonderful summer so far!

Summertime

Wow! What a summer we are having so far. It reminds me of my childhood. All those long HOT days that seemed to go on and on (Insert countrytime lemonade commercial here). I had a great morning/early afternoon with the kids at Webster Lake. The water was just cool enough to be refreshing. I didn't want to get out to tell the truth. Alas, commitments and obligations forced me to pack up and leave shortly after 1pm. I say that jokingly, cause I'm actually ok with the reason we had to leave.
So, we get home, unpack, and settle in to lunch and wonderful air conditioning. I started a load of laundry, sat down on the couch and flipped on the tv...moments later BAM!!!! Darkness!! Oh no! I blew a fuse. I trudged down the stairs with the key to the basement only to find the land lord changed the lock and my key didn't work!!!
Poor guy. I called him and he had to come all the way over here to bring the key for me to go down and do something that only took a minute. He gave me a key though so he won't have to deal with that again.
So, here I am typing away in climate controlled comfort. Hoping everyone out there in blog-land has a way of staying cool too in this unbearable heat!
Now off to drop Suz at her practice (a mother's work is never done) and that's the way it should be I guess :)

In Memory of My Mother-In-Law

This is just going to be a short blog to mark the occasion of the one year anniversary of the passing of my mother-in-law. One year ago today, right around this time of the afternoon, she was saying her last good-byes. I know that people seem to think better of a person after they have passed on. But for me, I don't know, I always got along with her. She was a strong-minded, loving, but frail lady.
She had suffered from rhuematoid arthritis for over four decades. Added to that was Parkinson's Disease, Cancer, and Osteoperosis. The woman carried on through it all until the last few years of her life with grace and very few complaints.
I named my daughter after her...it is spelled differently (she was Raffaela, and my daughter is Raphaella), but it was only because I didn't know how to spell it at the time...lol. BTW, my daughter's middle name is my mom's name.
Tomorrow we are off to the Cape to visit my father-in-law. He has decided to sell his house (though he still lives there now) and move in with a friend to share expenses. Sigh, I remember being about 12 or 13 and thinking, "I can't even imagine my life when I am 30." Now I think, "what is my life going to be like when I am say 50? or 60?" Will I even still be here? Nobody knows when our time will come. That is why it is so important to make the most of what you have and be thankful for it as well. I am so greatful to God for everyone in my life. They are there for a reason, my friends, family members, those with us and not, all for a reason. Mine is not to question the why only to make the best of it all I guess.
Well, here is to you, Raffaela may you be in peace. You were a great mother-in-law to me, mother to my husband, and grandmother to my children. You are still missed deeply.