What Are We Going To Do Today

2011-07-08T10:51:00.000-04:00

Has it really been three months since the last time I posted something? SMH... I guess I'm not the blogger I thought I was huh? LOL

Its been busy around here. We unschooled this year, and it really wasnt my intent to unschool the entire year... but that's how it worked out. As much as I enjoyed unschooling, Baby Girl and I need a little more structure... just a little bit. :o) We are aiming at the Classical Education Model for the new year. I have just about everything I need printed out. There are just a few more things that I need to check into before we start which will be the first or second week of August.

I ordered her CAT test. (I had completely forgot about it until I looked at the calendar and realized that I was on a deadline to get her test scores sent to the Superintendent here) I believe next year, we will to the testing online. From what I have heard, the scores are sent to you almost immediately, which is a great thing. So I am hoping and praying that her test gets here today or tomorrow so we can go ahead and get it out of the way...

Until next time... And hopefully it will be sooner than later... :o)

Snakes, Monitors, and Birds… Oh My

2011-04-15T14:35:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks, Lil Steph has been in very close contact with lots of animals other than the dog. By the way we no longer have our dog. He bit her and drew blood. But that is another story for another time.

Anyway, a week ago we returned from our quarterly trip to NJ. While we were there, we were at the Willingboro Market Place. I was there getting stuff for her locs. She heard the dogs in the store a few doors down and begged to go see them. I didn't want to see any puppies… really… But I gave in. And on our way to the store, we stopped at the Snake Pit that was next door. And this was the result… :)

The King Snake

She didn't want to touch the dragon at first...

But she was ok after a little bit...

Thanks to Al, the Snake Pit guy at Willingboro Market Place. I told him that Steph wanted to be a veterinarian, and he was so excited. He told us any time that we wanted to come by and play with the snakes and lizards we were more than welcome. He was going to take out on of his many tarantulas, but I had to put my foot down and decline that invitation. If you wanted to see a large black woman screaming like a little girl and run at 90 miles per hour out of that place, that's all he needed to do was take that giant spider out of its cage… Oh the thought is giving me the heebie jeebies now…

When he was taking the snake out of its enclosure, I was getting skeeved out completely. I had to touch it first in order for Stephany to see that it was ok. Al assured us that the King Snake was not poisonous. Its one thing to see them on television, but they are beautiful creations when you are up close and personal. I still wouldn't want one, but they were all beautiful.

This is Kyle… The Parrot. He was at our park day on Monday

This is my nephdawg Brooklyn Miles.
My sister's Yorkie Poo and Steph's favorite toy
when we go to NJ. His eyes are closed.

Yes, my sister dresses Brooklyn. He didn't like paparazzi this
go round. Usually, I can get some really good photos of him...

UNTIL NEXT TIME…

Just checking in…

2011-02-28T00:46:00.000-05:00

The only reason that I am still up, is because I took a three-hour nap earlier today. I really do need to get in the bed. My alarm goes off at five o'clock in the morning and that's just so I can cook for my husband before he goes to work. I usually fall asleep after he leaves for another hour or two. But now that I'm back in the swing of things and have our lesson plan set out for the rest of the week, when I get up in the morning I will be up until I go to sleep that night.

We are still working with the Charlotte Mason method, however I am finally getting to the point where it in a schedule and not just on a whim. Hopefully will be able to continue with this method. She likes Greek mythology. Which was something that I liked when I was in school. So I think where I may continue with that. She keeps asking me if the stories that were reading are real. I'm trying to explain to her that mythology is not necessarily something that is real. But then again she knows that there's no such thing as monsters. I am also still using the mathematics enhancement program for her math. This is the program that the use in Hungary with students there. And it looks like it's working great. At least for them.

I'm actually testing out the Dragon dictation method here on my blog. So this entire post was spoken and the software typed it in for me. I think I'm in love with it. There's so much that I can get done if I don't have to type. The sad thing is, I type pretty fast, about 65 to 70 words per minute, but, sometimes it's just easier to talk instead of type.

Anyway so that's where things are right now. I will be posting a lot more. Especially now that I can dictate my posts instead of typing them. Is that lazy?

Until next time…

Happy Love Day...

2011-02-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

Yes I know it is a day late, but this past week has been a huge love fest around here. LOL My husbands birthday was on the 11th, and we've been celebrating since he decided to take almost a week off from work. It was very nice to have him around the house during the day. And of course, while he was home all homeschool activities came to a screeching halt. LOL

He went back to work yesterday, but still managed to surprise me with a great web cam for my computer. And just a day before his birthday, he surprised me with a huge 19 inch monitor for my Macbook (which by the way was having screen problems. LOL) I had planned on just using the tv from our bedroom. But he decided to get me a real monitor for my Macbook. He's been so sweet. And I definitely wasn't expecting him to get me anything. Not because he wouldn't, but money has been tight, and since I'm not working and bringing in consistent cash I wasnt expecting much.

Anyway... Happy Love Day...

Until next time...

Chaos, Re-instated (A Guest Blogger)

2011-02-10T18:14:00.000-05:00

Chaos, Re-instated

Posted by Darwin Garza

While most parents look forward to sending their kids back to school after winter break, I dread it. I love having them home and cooking meals together, and not having to coax them to do homework or get to bed early enough to wake up on time. However, the dreaded moment came and it was the weekend before Winter Break ended and there I was, unprepared once again. This year, I decided something new had to happen. I made charts for each of the kids, detailing what they needed to do each day of the weekend to help them get ready for school: Pick out an outfit for Monday, gather school supplies and needed materials into their backpacks, etc. When each of the tasks was completed, I gave a small reward, such as an extra lunch treat or longer TV time. When Monday came and it was time to load the minivan, all we needed to do was set the ADT system from ALARM SYSTEMS, grab the lunchboxes, and head out the door! It was a perfect system. Break it down into manageable pieces and do a little at a time!

She's Sick and I'm Tired...

2011-01-28T20:53:00.000-05:00

The Princess came down with some kind of bug and has been sick since yesterday. Actually, she started coughing yesterday. Then around 4:30 I heard her coughing and told her to come downstairs. When she came down, she didn't look too good. I touched her forehead and just knew she had a fever. Unfortunately, we didn't have any thermometers in the house. So my husband dropped off a new one along with some cough medicine. Her fever has been up and down since yesterday. She would be ok for a bit, then she would hunker down under her covers.

She never complains about being cold. So when she said that she was cold (especially since its so hot upstairs) I knew she had a fever. So off an on all day she's been complaining about being cold, and her fever would go up and down. I've been giving her Motrin and her cough medicine.

I hate to see her like this... And I'm tired... I went to bed late, and woke up only a few hours later because she was coughing. Right now she is quiet and not coughing, so I am so grateful for that. She said that her throat hurts now. It could be from all of the coughing, and she is a little hoarse. So when she wakes up, I will find out how she's feeling...

I would rather be sick than to have her sick...

Until next time...

Sleep Over Night...

2011-01-16T00:15:00.000-05:00

Its sleep over night tonight... The Loc'd Princess (TLP) is on her couch knocked out. She only fell asleep about 20 minutes ago. She had been playing her DSiXL for quite a while. We both wanted to play Uno and Go Fish... but she was engrossed in her game, so I didn't bug her this time to play with me. But we've been having fun today. We hung around in our PJs just enjoying each other. I made some brownies and some soft pretzels and we've been veggin' all day long.

I promised TLP that I wouldn't do any work during our sleep over day. She agreed that I could watch one football game since she was playing her video games and we weren't watching Netflix. After the game we watched fiftyeleven episodes (yes I said fifty-eleven) of Man vs. Wild. I just turned it off and started watching Man vs Food. LOL

Onto schooly things... When I say God answers prayers, he really does answer prayer. I had been praying and looking for new curriculum for TLP. Since she wanted to do more work, and worksheets, I was trying to find a curriculum that would work with our schedules, and that wasn't going to cost me, or her grandparents, an arm and a leg. While we were unschooling, it worked out because we didn't need to really buy anything except for our museum membership. But when she said she wanted to go back to me teaching her in the classroom with books and worksheets, I panicked. So I started searching. I had read some information on the Charlotte Mason method of learning and was interested. Then I found two websites that offered free curriculum, including a math curriculum that I have fallen in love with. And they are 100% free. I chose "An Old Fashioned Education" with the Math Enhancement Programme for TLP. Absolutely everything that I needed was online, and I just saved everything as pdf files for printing. My husband started on the math first, which was fine. I wanted to get that started ASAP. I'm looking forward to working with TLP the way that we used to...

Until next time...

Another Change...

2011-01-09T19:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, yet another change. Baby girl has asked for work to do. She is hinting that she does not like unschooing, yet she doesnt really know that's what we're doing. She's been asking for worksheets and having class like we used to. I guess that's a good thing.

I've been researching again... And I'm thinking about the CM method. (Charlotte Method) And I know that I want to use Math U See for her math. I think that might be the only thing that I have to purchase because Ive found a lot of free resources for CM...

Well, I thought I'd share that little bit of info while watching the Eagles play Green Bay...

Until next time...

Happy New Year...

2011-01-07T22:29:00.000-05:00

Hello & Happy New Year beautiful friends...

It was a beautiful Christmas for us. Unexpected gifts for us all, and a wonderful winter wonderland on Christmas night... I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas...

Princess was thrilled with her gifts. And I was thrilled with mine. LOL. Especially since I wasn't expecting anything. :)

Well onto educational things. LOL.

I feel like such a bad mom. Today, I was researching the learning different learning styles for Princess, and discovered her learning style. Not to say that it will stay this way, but geeze, I haven't been instructing, or even unschooling to her style. She is a Kinesthetic learner. Ugggghhhhh! No wonder when I would teach something she would kind of just nod her head like she knew what I was talking about, but when it came time for her to answer a question, she got her answer "her way".

I'm going to look into Math U See for her. I think I can handle other subjects in an "unschooly" kind of way. LOL But she likes math, and I'm not that great at it. I liked what I saw with Math U See so far. So I just need to be able to afford it.

Until next time... :)

In NJ... Again...

2010-12-17T10:39:00.000-05:00

After daddy's transplant, he wanted his girls with him. So we are in NJ. We've been here since the 10th, and we'll be headed back to VA on the 19th. Lil One is ready to go home. She's excited about the Christmas party at the karate dojo, and then she knows that Christmas is also coming really soon.

My sister has been asking me about my homeschooling. She doesn't have children and I was telling her a little about unschooling. She was wondering how it worked and why there wasnt much structure. I didn't get into it because she is pretty much set in her ways and her thinking. So why bother trying to explain something to someone whos mind is not that open to the idea. I love her though. And since we both came from a public school background, I don't expect her or anyone for that matter to get what we do and why we do it.

Until next time...

Updates...

2010-11-20T10:20:00.001-05:00

Hello Fellow Homeschoolers

Well I apologize for my lax posting. My father finally got his kidney transplant so I have been doing a lot of calling my family in NJ and all over getting and giving progress reports on him. He is doing great and will be headed home soon. He did get out of the hospital yesterday and is relaxing at the hotel. Now that he has left the hospital I will be able to keep up on our homeschooling (unschooling) adventures.

Last night, Baby Girl had a sleep over with her cousin. So they are chillin' on the sofa bed watching cartoons. We just came in from running an errand and eating breakfast. Hubby finally got Netflix so Baby Girl has been loving it. She has watched Billy the Exterminator and Man Vs Wild.

Until next time...

Back Home...

2010-10-31T20:39:00.001-04:00

We have been in New Jersey since Oct 14th, and just gt home today around 11am. Needless to say, I am still very sleepy. My husband took us to Red Lobster when we got home, then we came back home and I slept for about an hour.

Steph and I had an absolute blast in NJ like we always do. This time we were able to go to visit my aunt and uncle in CT. That was just oneof the highlights of the week. My aunt and uncle raise chickens and bees. Of course the bees have been "winterized", but the chickens were out and about in their little "run" and Steph was absolutely elated to be able to feed them and collect the eggs. No doubt about it, you can taste the difference in fresh eggs. Steph wants chickens and bees now lol. I think it would be fun, but Im not the one to do the beekeeping...

There are more photos but they are on my camera. I took these (and Im blogging from) my phone. Oh and the photo of the scrambled eggs are the eggs Steph collected from the chickens. Did I mention that all the chickens have names? :-)

Until next time...

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In New Jersey...

2010-10-24T01:52:00.000-04:00

We have been in NJ since Oct 14th, and we have been having a blast. Baby girl is currently sleeping peacefully next to me while I type a few things. Its almost two in the morning and I should be sleeping too, but I've been having wayyyyy too much fun here. I really do wish that I could move back to NJ. This would be awesome, especially since my mother will be retiring in June. She would be able to spend much more time with her granddaughter. And since my father is already retired, they all would just have lots of fun together. (My father is on dialysis, so he cannot travel and stay for long periods of time)

Anyway, my mother and baby girl were supposed to go on a little trip to the woods today. But we all spent the day shopping. Of course, YaYa bought baby girl just about everything she asked for, including crafting supplies. Baby girl wants to do crafts. So they had a ball at the dollar store picking out things for projects that she wants to do while she is here. (We won't be heading back to VA until the 31st). So after church tomorrow, YaYa (grandmother in Greek) will be taking Baby Girl on a little hike in the woods. This should be interesting. :)

Until next time...

Trip To New Jersey

2010-10-10T23:23:00.000-04:00

Well, once again, we are preparing for a trip to New Jersey. This is just one of the reasons I love homeschooling. We can go whenever we want and I dont have to worry about getting Lil Steph back in time for school.

I will post more soon. I am currently watching a football game (The Eagles) and can get overly distracted when they play. LOL Thats my team!!

Until next time...

Well... We're In Full Swing...

2010-09-15T20:01:00.001-04:00

We are officially in full swing and back on our or should I say Lil Steph is on her schedule. I am typing this blog post from my car, on my Blackberry, at a little before 8 o'clock at night while waiting for Lil Steph. She is at AWANA. And she was waiting for this particular activity to start up, especially since they stop during the summer.

She was a little nervous because she wasn't in the same class that she has been for the last two years. I told her that she would be fine. And I hope she enjoys it as much as she did the past two years. She saw all of her old teachers, and they were so disappointed that she had moved up. They really loved her and she loved them LOL. I'm glad that she has that effect on people.

So she is officially back to her schedule with our only free days on Tuesdays. Other than that, she's got something going on every day of the week. Yikes. I think I'm going to need to get some type of social life just to keep up with her. LOL.

Until next time...

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The First Day of School... (for everyone else)

2010-09-07T23:32:00.000-04:00

Today marked the official start of school for the vast majority of students around the country. There were a few that began earlier in the month, and a few that started in August, but for everyone else, they started today. I don't think Lil Steph even noticed. In fact, I'm almost positive she had no clue that all the other children went to school today. She watched Dora and Diego, ate some breakfast, and then she and I read together for an hour. Well, I read one book while she read along with me. And the second book that I read, she climbed under the blanket and "chilled out". I told her that I wasn't going to read the entire thing, but it was such a cute and interesting story that I ended up reading the whole thing.

She did enjoy the book about Wombats. And she was extremely intrigued that millions of years ago, there was a wombat that was the size of a hippo. She actually thought that bit of information was kind of funny. :)

Tomorrow will be working on some writing. Nothing formal... you know how I like to keep it around her. A little writing, a little reading, a little Wii gaming maybe LOL...

Her new thing is watching Man vs Food on the Travel Channel and Man vs Wild on the Discovery Channel. I was shocked when she wanted to watch Man vs Wild. Especially since Bear Grylls can get pretty graphic with the killing and eating of wild animals and bugs... But she loves it. And I'm glad...

Until next time...

The Zoo With Friends...

2010-08-20T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today was a great day out with Steph. We were invited to go to the zoo with her buds Perry and Epona. Of course I didn't tell Steph because she would have talked about it up until the very minute that we arrived. Besides, if something happened like... rain... Then she would have been pitiful for the rest of the day, and I wouldn't hear the end of it. LOL So I did not tell her a thing except that we were going on a field trip and she would find out when we got there.

Well needless to say, when I pulled into the parking lot, she knew we were having our field trip at the zoo. But as we were walking up to the elephant sculpture in front of the entrance, I saw Perry and Epona. And that was when I was able to tell her that we were meeting them for our trip. She went crazy. I had to hold her back otherwise she would have bolted into across the street to meet them. LOL

They were all so glad to see each other, and thus Steph's "Best Day Ever" (her words) began. Paula (Perry and Epona's mom) and I stayed behind while we let the kids lead us around. They had fun even though it was hot. We are definitely looking forward to when it cools off so we'll be able to enjoy our outdoor activities without passing out. LOL

Deciding if the goose was going to attack them...

The Red Panda came out to play...

This is the Red Panda

We planned to visit the reptile house after taking a short break, but Steph decided to run through the fountain (clothes and all). And of course I didn't think to bring a change of clothes. I know next time to keep some in the trunk. LOL So after we let the kids get wet since they were so hot, Steph and I headed back home. Steph did not want to leave. But we had to this time. I didn't have a change of clothes and absolutely everything on her was soaked... completely... But I'm glad that she was able to hang out with her friends today...

Epona, Perry, & Steph

Steph is soaked and wants more...

Until next time...

Free Movie Day...

2010-08-10T23:07:00.001-04:00

Regal has a summer program that offers free movies on Tuesdays and Wed... So today Steph and I went to see Veggie Tales "The Pirates That Don't Do Anything". It was so cute. I don't know why I thought she had the movie. But I had never seen it, and she said that she had never seen it either. (We probably have the CD with just the music on it) She had a blast, and we laughed throughout the entire movie.

After the movie we came home, had some lunch, and I let her go to town on that Wii game. Oh yes, her dad bought another tv the very next day after the other one broke. So she is thrilled that she can play her video games again.

Tomorrow we are heading to the park to see her friends. They don't know that we are coming, just in case for any reason we can't make it. I told her that I had a surprise for her, but you know I couldn't tell her about it. Otherwise she would mention it every 15 seconds. LOL

Well that's about it for now. I'm gonna look into going to the Air and Space museum within the next few days.

Until next time...

2010-08-04T21:08:00.000-04:00

Hello Happy People...

There is not much to talk about today. Other than today being a pajama day :) Steph and I just hung out around the house. She did math today. And she did pretty well. I think she did well because she wanted to get on her Wii today. But the Wii might be put on hold since the tv broke during the last hour that she was playing. We suspect that one of the plasma tubes cracked because there is a very dark tint on the tv when it is on. I doubt that we are going to get a new one any time soon, so the Wii will be in semi retirement. Umm, wait... that's not a good thing, because I've been practicing on my on Wii game... Madden... Oh this is not good at all...

Until next time...

Welcome Not Back To School...

2010-08-03T23:17:00.000-04:00

So officially, we began our school year, yesterday. Well I should say the school year began yesterday, but since we are unschooling, its just official for those who want to get all in our business about our schooling. You know... the ones who always have something to say about it, but have absolutely no clue? Yeah, when they ask, I just tell them that's when our school year began. However, I did try and get my own schedule together yesterday. Didn't work out too well because a workout was supposed to be in that schedule. That didn't happen at all. But technically, we're on track.

Yesterday we were supposed to hit the library, but that didn't work out too well either. Which is wonderful when we are unschooling. Because we just go with the flow, and not obsess about whether or not we made it to the library, or wherever we were going to go that day. I renewed the books that Steph already had out, and she read some of those as well as doing some computer work. So all was well with the world.

My highlight was yesterday evening when some family members came over to visit. My Aunt and her family are in town because my cousin had a track meet at Norfolk State. Since I was right around the corner, they stopped in and hung out with us. It was so great to see them, and it was so refreshing to talk to them about what they are doing in school. (They are in a great school system in Wilton, CT) And I was so humbled when my uncle commended me on the job that I am doing homeschooling. It felt really good talking to them, and watching Steph hang out with her cousins.

And today... Well today we went to the Museum... again. :) Now that our membership is up to date, we are back in there regularly. And they still have the Dino exhibit, so she was excited to see that, and so was I. Plus she saved up her money to get a stuffed animal from the gift shop. (Yes another stuffed animal) Lucky for her, she found two. A possum that she named "Toothless" and a Skunk that she named "Fred". Toothless and Fred are getting ready for bed about now. :)

Until next time...

Beach...

2010-06-30T21:46:00.000-04:00

It was beach day today. Ever since we went with a friend of mine about two or three weeks ago, the Princess has been asking about going to the beach. And so today, we went. Now first I have to say that it was supposed to rain this morning. But the Princess was on prayer patrol. She was praying all day yesterday that it wouldn't rain. And she was prayin' hard. I even told her that even if it rained we would still go to the beach even if we had to drive up and down Atlantic Ave until it stopped. Thank God we didn't have to do that.

We arrived around 10 after 10 in the morning. It was cloudy and windy and much cooler than the last few days. But we made our little spot in front of the water with our snacks and sodas. I grabbed the camera and clicked away as she played in the water. I didn't let her get all the way in because the surf was really really rough today. She wasn't too thrilled with that, but hey, she handled it well and made the best of it.

It was a great day and so peaceful. I want a home right on the beach. Not across, not near, but right on the sand. It was the most peaceful I had been in a while. Even with the surf and the wind and the Princess squealing in delight, there was a calmness that I only experience when I am at the beach. I absolutely love being there. There is nothing like it... to me at least.

Until next time...

WooHoo!

2010-06-22T20:51:00.000-04:00

The Princess officially completed 2nd grade today. I say officially because she finished her testing today. I was thinking that we would take two days to finish, but ice cream and pop corn are awesome incentives when it comes to an eight year old who has second thoughts about tests. LOL

We started around 10:30 or 10:45 am and finished at 1:00pm. Im sure we weren't supposed to take that long, but this year I didn't time her as she tested. I wanted her to figure out the problems and pay attention to what she was reading. The last thing I wanted her to do was rush through (which she sometimes has a habit of doing), and then get the answer wrong because she wasn't paying attention.

We started with the math first. I figured that subject might be a bit harder, but she did pretty good and got through it quicker than I thought she would.

I heard that she could take the CAT test online and get the results immediately. We just might look into doing that for next year. And maybe not. It's still early and I haven't decided yet. LOL But, thank God we have finished this year. We are going to get right into 3rd grade. She is definitely going to be doing more writing during the summer. We need to work on her handwriting, especially since she is still writing with both hands. I was thinking about starting cursive this year, but we might wait it out another year. Its not like she will need to sign her name to anything at age 8! :)

Her Pop-Pop is going to send money to renew her Museum membership, so we are both excited about that. She hasnt been in quite a while, and the membership expired in March. So she and I are both ready to go. I know for a fact that right now they have a Dino exhibit going on, and she's been asking about it. I was trying to hold out until we got the membership. Hopefully that will come this week.

Well, we will be schooling throughout the summer. Well, we're unschooling so we're always schooling huh?

Until next time...

Testing...

2010-06-22T01:13:00.000-04:00

Well tomorrow... Actually today since I'm looking at the clock... The Princess will begin her testing. Im a little nervous. But then again, I'm always nervous when it comes to baby girl and tests. She sounded a little worried when I told her that she would be testing. She wanted to know if it was going to be hard. I told her that it shouldn't be. So I am praying that she does well on the test.

Until next time...

2010-06-09T23:53:00.000-04:00

Ok, I ordered the CAT test yesterday. It got here TODAY! That's what I'm talking about!!!

Anyway, the Princess was on her laptop ALL day. She took a break only for lunch, and then was right back on it. In fact, this was the fastest that I have ever seen her eat. She usually takes FOREVER to finish her lunch, but today? She was on the ball. LOL

So after I got her set up on her computer, I decided to upgrade my OS. Well, wouldnt you know it... it took all dang day. In fact as I'm typing this I am still waiting on other updates to finish downloading. I wanted to get some writing done today, but when I restored my computer, I completely forgot about all of my internet bookmarks. I had A LOT. So I lost all of those and was trying to remember the most important ones. SMH And the downloads still have at least another 2 hours before they are all finished. So, that being said, I'm gonna just go to bed, and worry about it in the morning...

Until next time...

It Has Arrived

2010-06-08T23:51:00.000-04:00

The Princess's iBook has arrived. She has been so excited about getting her laptop since she saw it online. Its a white Mac and she is absolutely thrilled. And even though its much older than mine, its actually better other than the fact that it only has 40 gigs of HD space. But what is an 8 year old going to do with all that space? LOL. Her operating systems is the upgraded Leopard I think. I still have the very old one. I guess I need to upgrade huh. Well, she will be very happy tomorrow when she can get on it and enjoy her games. I want to find a browser just for kids, so she can feel like she's a big wig on her laptop. LOL

I ordered her CAT test yesterday. So I am just waiting for that to come so we can get that part over with. I'm kind of worried about how she's gonna do since we are unschooling. I have to keep realizing that our standard and the standards of those in school are going to be different. And she may not know some things in one area, and know a whole heck of a lot in another. I think that's still gonna be a big hurdle for me to get over as we do this.

Well, it is getting late, and Ive been going to bed pretty early over the past few days. But I will be back with updates...

Until next time...

So What Are We Doing Today?

2010-06-03T19:33:00.000-04:00

Absolutely nothing. LOL Well, today I had to get the estimate on my car. That didnt take too long, but we did nothing. When we got home, we were home long enough for her to eat some lunch, and then it was time to go to park day. She had a lot of fun, and her pal Perry was telling her about this video game that I think she might really like. So I told them both that I would look into getting it. And according to Perry, if we have WiFi, they both can play the game together. Well the Wii is set up for WiFi, so if I can find this game, the two of them will definitely be playing together.

Right now she is playing the Wii and Im on my netbook trying to get some writing done. Its not really working. LOL I did finally find a computer for her. She's getting an iBook. Yay. The Princess is in the Mac family with her father and I. So I am looking forward to showing her all the cool stuff her Mac can do.

She said that she wanted to be an artist. And she can definitely do a lot of artsy fartsy things with a Mac. Thats just one of the reasons why I love mine so much. LOL Well that and the music that I create on it. I even created the blogger background on my Mac. So yes, I love it. The only reason I am using a netbook is for writing purposes. I try to keep my Macbook in one spot at this point.

Ok enough about me and my Mac. LOL.
Im actually getting ready to check on the prices of all the museums in the area and their memberships. I want her to get a lot of exposure to all of them during the summer, so that when the new year begins, she and I will both know where we want to "hang out" for our field trips.

Well, I need to figure out how to get some more articles written so I can pay for these museum memberships. I also want to take her to see the Karate Kid when it comes out next week. So I need money for that too. LOL

Until next time...

2010-06-03T01:36:00.000-04:00

Hello Happy Homeschoolers...

Yes, once again, it is past my bedtime. I can't seem to get to bed at a decent hour no matter what. Well, that is unless I'm sick or something.

Anyway, Princess and I were in a car accident yesterday. We are both great, and there were no injuries. My driver side tire and fender are messed up. In fact, I will be going tomorrow to get an estimate. I do hope they fix it fast. My door won't open, so that means I have to climb in through the passenger side. Everyone knows my big butt barely makes it, so I really need them to fix it QUICK!!

That is all for now. I am behind with ordering her CAT test, so I need to do that SOON. I probably wont test her til the end of this month. But I do need to order the test ASAP.
Her father is still acting like he doesnt want her to be homeschooled. I really could kick him for that. Especially since he knew that I've always wanted to do it. But that's another story for another time. I am praying that he doesn't attempt to put her in school when this year is finished. Cause I will be one angry woman.

Until next time. :)

2010-05-31T01:12:00.000-04:00

Yes, once again it is late and I am awake. But tomorrow is a holiday, and we are not doing anything. So I am watching the SyFy channel. (Ive been watching all day long) This one is about Giant Sharks and Gators. SyFy is so fake its funny. Guess that's why I love these crazy movies. Not the horror ones, but the ones with a 900 foot snake, or a shark the size of a small island. They are hilarious.

Anyway, I'm getting ready to go online (well maybe not tonight), and get all of the prices of memberships to the museums that Princess wants to go to. Then get the fundage together so that we can become members. At least then we'll be able to go as much as we want to. She loves museums.

Well, Happy Memorial Day to all...

Until next time...

2010-05-29T02:36:00.000-04:00

Well its... Friday... wait Saturday... LOL

It has been a sleep over night. We watched School House Rock until about 10pm, then the Dog Whisperer until 11. I know Princess was sleepy because she had a hard work out at karate class. So after her shower, we ate some junk food and then her eyes started to close.

I was working on some new designs and uploaded them to this blog, but Im not sure if they came out or not. The blog is still resetting itself, so I decided to update the blog while I waited. Im hoping that it came out ok because its after 2:30 in the morning and I am BEAT...

Until next time... :)

2010-05-25T12:55:00.001-04:00

Hello World...
Just checking in today. Its been a little over a week since my last post, and I wanted to get one in before I started working on other things.

Not too much going on. I'm getting ready to start doing a lot more freelancing (writing, music, etc). This past year, our unschooling was not as successful as I hoped it would be, and that's only because the activities that I wanted her to do had a price tag on them. And it was a price tag that at the time I could not afford. I do understand that her Pop Pop said that he would pay for anything that she asked for when it came to school (he is purchasing a new laptop for her), but I really would like to handle some of the expenses. That being said... our VA Living Museum membership has expired, so I'm working on getting the money for that. They have the Dinosaur exhibit that I believe just opened up over the weekend, and Princess wants to go. I also want to get some memberships to the VA Aquarium, and a few other places here and there. I also want to take her to Williamsburg for educational purposes in the upcoming school year.

Right now she is on my netbook playing a few games. I was going to download some games to it for her, but she should be getting her laptop within the next week. At that point, I will make sure that she has all of her things downloaded to it. I'm also looking for a child friendly browser like Google or Bing so that if she wants to look something up, she can. And although she will not be unsupervised when she's on the web, I won't have to sit down and type the information in. So if you know of any, let me know.

Well, I need to finish a few things on my freelance site, while she is still playing on my other laptop.

Until next time...

2010-05-16T15:09:00.000-04:00

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and today is Pajama Day. Princess and I have been in our PJs all day long. I got up, made breakfast for her and I and then I fell asleep on the couch as she played the Wii. Then I got up and she wanted ice cream. LOL So she and I had ice cream for lunch. I know, that's not supposed to be lunch, but I dont care. That's what we both wanted. She is still playing the Wii. She just took a bathroom break.

She told me I couldn't do any work unless I brought my computer downstairs. LOL So I brought the laptop down and I'm relaxing on the couch while she plays. Tod (our hot dog) is still trying to attack these ZuZu pets that Princess got for her birthday. Every time they move, he's ready to attack. Its kinda funny, but then again, it only proves that we wouldnt be able to bring another animal into the house unless he was no longer with us. Which is kinda sad, cause I wanted to get a kitten. Oh well...

Tonight is supposed to be our "sleep over". I know I agreed to it, but I do have some recording that I need to do. Can't really get much work done when I'm downstairs on the couch now can I? LOL But maybe I'll get some writing finished. That would be nice...

Until next time...

2010-05-15T21:53:00.000-04:00

Hello Happy Homeschooler, and Followers...
It has been an interesting few days, but none of it had anything to do with homeschooling. LOL We've pretty much been doing our unschooling thing, which I still have not told any immediate family about. As long as they know that she is learning, that is all anyone needs to know. :)

We went to the library a few days ago and that was fun. Again she got books on animals, and I picked out a Nancy Drew book that I'll read to her. I haven't started it yet. In fact, I'll probably start it tomorrow night since we'll be having one of our "sleep overs". You know where both of us sleep in the living room on the couch while watching Animal Planet or Food Network.

She has been talking about, of all things, BUNGEE JUMPING, which I myself would love to try (call me crazy), but I know for a fact that I don't want her doing it ever. LOL Ok, well at least not for another 20 years. I told her that children are not allowed to do it because they are too young. And who knows, maybe they are allowed to do it somewhere in the world, but she is not allowed to do it yet. LOL. And I have no clue where she got the idea from. My daughter is talking about the extreme stuff already. I'm wondering if I should be worried, or just prepared to join her when it comes time to start jumping off of and out of stuff...

Until next time...

So Sue Me...

2010-05-11T00:14:00.000-04:00

I tell ya, my website blog was way too much to deal with. I had upload all of my changes every time I made them. And that was time consuming. So I am back with blogger. I guess I had to learn the hard way. So sue me. :)

Now, onto homeschooling news. I was doing a lot of research on Classical Conversations, and the classical education model for the new year. And although it sounds wonderful, and I like how it works, I don't think that its going to work too well for baby girl. I think unschooling is working for us. I see where I need to make changes in our lives, but I think that this what we are going to stick with, unless God says something different.

I am still going to try to upload video here. But I am going to stick with blogger as we chronicle this crazy homeschooling journey that we are on. And I promise, I will do better. Especially now that I don't have to worry so much about uploading my content. Blogger does it all for me. :)

Until next time... :)

Back On The Ball... Sort Of...

2010-04-16T00:09:00.002-04:00

Hello again, from the bad blogger... I know. I promise to get better at it... really. But I’ve been doing some research on Classical Conversations for the new school year. I have enjoyed unschooling, and she has enjoyed how unstructured we have been, however, I think for the new school year we will start a new approach. Who knows, we might go back to unschooling at some point, but right now, I do think that for the both of us, Classical Conversations will be a good fit.

I am still doing some extensive research on it, so I’m not going to post too much about it yet. It is still a new approach for me, so I need to make sure I know exactly what it is before I post any more about it. However, I do know of another HS mom who uses it with her 4 children. This is their first year, and she said that she wished she had found it when she first started. That being said, I’m gonna finish my research and let you know my findings in the near future. :-) Until then... we’re gonna keep on unschooling like we’ve been doing.

The Va Air and Space Museum has a Grossology exhibit going on, and Steph and I wanna check it out. I think we’ll be heading there sometime next week. And of course on Tuesday, we’ll be going to the Living Museum. Our membership will expire next month, so we’ll need to renew that. But I still want to get memberships to some of the other ones in the area.

Well, I need to get back to work on some other things tonight. So... Until next time...

Making Changes For The New Year

2010-02-12T00:08:00.002-05:00

New Year

2010-01-24T00:07:00.002-05:00

So I’m feeling a bit scatterbrained and very unorganized for the past week. And even though we’ve been doing the unschooling thing, I still feel like I don’t have it together. I am hoping that it’ll pass soon.

I rearranged Baby Girl’s bedroom last night, and finished moving everything around in there today. So her desk and laptop are in her bedroom with her now... and she is quite happy about that. So now I really need to rearrange the office/music room. Now that it’s not really a classroom anymore. Although, if we need it to be, I have no problems putting a tv tray in there for our math lessons.

Well, I will not post a long one tonight because it is late, and I’m very tired. We didn’t make it to the park today, but hopefully we will make it out next week...

Until next time...

Trying Something A Little Different

2009-11-24T23:56:00.002-05:00

Rough

2009-09-25T00:06:00.003-04:00

Sick & Tired

2009-09-23T00:04:00.000-04:00

Unschooling And Enjoying It...

2009-09-17T01:09:00.001-04:00

First, I have to apologize for the liks that are going to show up at the end of this post. I am typing this post on my balckberry, and my signature has my blog links in it. Anyway, we are off to a pretty good start this year... if you wanna call it an official start. LOL. Officially, if anyone asks (since I'm still not telling people that I am unschooling... Shhh...) school started om Monday. She was excited, and when she woke up, she asked if she could play on her computer. I told her to go for it. And surprisingly enough, she didn't go to the Nickelodeon site. She went right to her 2nd grade educational software. Needless to say, I was impressed.

So that's how its been working out so far. I want to incorporate some more reading in her day. And she is excited about going to the library more, so that is good. I have to call my dad and let him know how much her math book is going to be. That is the only thing that she will use a workbook for.

I'm excited about the new school year. I've noted how she is very busy during the week, with activities going on 4 out of 5 days. And that is not including her church activity on Saturday nights. Baby girl has a very social life going on right about now. I'm almost jealous. LOL.

Until next time... Oh and if you find typos... Remember I was posting this from my balckberry...

http://orlandreahomeschools.blogspot.com/
http://nappyandhappy.blogspot.com/
http://orlandreasweightloss.blogspot.com/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/189737/orlandrea_wilson.html

She Can't Wait...

2009-09-11T14:01:00.000-04:00

So after our near death experience with the mutant cockroach, we both got a little sleep. Baby girl was up early. And refused to go near the spot where our giant, man eating friend had been. Tod, our dog was over there though. He was sniffing up a storm. I had to shoo him away because I didn't want him to get any ideas that it might have been some food, and start licking the floor. (He does that, and it drives me nuts.)

So our morning was pretty uneventful. I was still very tired and wanted to lay back down on the couch, but that was definitely not going to happen, so I started with my routine. She got onto her computer and I started to straighten up the house. She kept singing this funny little tune which I did not pay much attention to at first. But then, I listened. She was singin, "I can't wait to start school." I thought she was talking about starting regular school. So I asked her. She said, "NO NO NO!!! I can't wait to start homeschool." ROFLOL!!!! I was so glad to hear that. And I was more tickled because she doesn't realize that even though we aren't doing anything structured, we are still "doing" school.

So as I am typing this little blog, we are sitting at the car dealer waiting for my state inspection as well as my oil change. She brought her V-Smile, but opted to play in the play area. She is making a "sculpture" with the oversized lego blocks right now.

And I guess I will keep on trying to find a blog that I can use as a website...

So... until next time...

Sleepovers and Mutant Cockroaches!!!

2009-09-10T23:34:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: Umm... I'm talkin' about bugs in this post...

So tonight Baby Girl and I are doing our sleepover thing... like we normally do. I took her to the store and she picked out cookies and cream ice cream, plain potato chips, and a bag of M&Ms as her sleepover snack. So here we are. She ate, I ate, we danced around the living room to her God Rocks DVD for a while until we couldn't take it anymore. Or rather, until about 8:00 pm which is her bed time. LOL I climbed on one sofa and she climbed on the other. I was determined to get some work done. (Trying to use a blog as a website cause I have no money to pay for the hosting... Another story for another time ) So after I turned on Thursday night Football and prepared myself for some work I saw a shadow moving across the floor.

Here is the kicker... The shadow was big enough to be a mouse. So I ran and turned on the light so I could get a better look. And there it was... a giant mutant waterbug/cockroach running through my living room. I was livid... and grossed out at the same time. So what would any superhero mother do? I grabbed my size 10 heavy duty sneaker and crushed that sucker. I heard it crunch and saw the guts spew. Baby girl had the heebie jeebies at that point. I did too. And I couldn't bring myself to get a paper towel to put it in. I didn't wanna feel it in the towel, so I went into the kitchen to get the broom and dust pan. As I am coming back into the living room, Baby Girl is squealing, "Mommy it's moving, its moving." Sure enough, that sucker was trying to crawl away. Guts gushing and all... I grabbed the sneaker and smashed it again, hearing more crunching. I even put my other sneaker on, and stepped on top of the sneaker that was crushing it. I thought for sure it was dead. Why did that thing try to crawl from under the sneaker???!!!! So I stepped on it AGAIN!!!!!!

At this point, I was skeeved to the point that there was no way that I was going to be able to get it without it trying to escape, and me having a heebie jeebie attack in my living room. So I smashed it agian, and ran upstairs to my sleeping husband. I told him that I couldn't kill it. He had such an attitude about getting it (that too is another story) but he came downstairs. He took the sneaker that was on top of the creature and did a Spongebob/Plankton kinda thing. You know, where he's kinda wiping the bottom of his shoe against the ground smashing Plankton and making him scream? Well yeah, my husband smeared some guts about a good foot before he lifted the sneaker. And you know what??? It was still trying to walk away!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I grabbed some paper towels and let my husband handle it.

Now I have heard that those things are supposed to be hard to kill. But dang it, I never knew that it was true!!!! I had to ask God why did he make something that big and why the heck it was immortal! It made no sense to me at all.

Now before anyone gets any ideas, it has been raining here all day long. And I am convinced that the mutant got in here because of it. Because the only bugs that have ever gotten in here were spiders, and thats just because of where we live. There are all over the place.

I've still got the heebie jeebies typing this thing. And any little movement that I see, I'm jumping out of my skin. I guess nothing would move if I turned the fan off huh?? I am traumatized about this one. Yes it was the size of a mouse... Makes no sense!! I guess we could use this for some research. But I don't know if I can handle lookin' at pictures of those things on the web.

Until next time...

been On Vacation...

2009-09-08T13:19:00.002-04:00

Lil Steph and I have been in Nre Jersey since Sept 3rd. We are actually preparing to return to VA. In fact we should be leaving early tomorrow morning to get back home. No, I am not ready to leave. Every visit makes me miss home more and more.

This trip we all went to my old private school for their annual Labor Day flea market. It was awesome. I picked up a nice little activity set for activity time after school. But the point was that I wanted to move back to that area where my private school was. It is nothing but country roads back there, lots of land, and big houses.

Well, we will start school next week. Everything will be "unschooled" except for her math this year. My dad said that he would buy her math books this year. I still haven't told anyone about unschooling this year because I am already getting flack about letting baby girl loc her hair. The very last thing I need to do is defend why I am choosing this style of learning for her.

Until next time...

Looking for the Link...

2009-08-17T14:58:00.002-04:00

For those of you who are looking for the site that I have been looking at... here it is... Its got some interesting unschooling info, and I'm still lookin' through it.

By the way... please forgive my not posting. Ive been sick. We had a really bad storm on Wed afternoon with an ice cold rain that caused flooding. I had to move my car and was caught in it. But then I had to keep going out into it to make sure that where I had moved wasn't being flooded. So needless to say I was standing out in that cold rain for a while, and got sick that night.

But I will be back on the ball... I promise...

Until next time...

Change of Plans...

2009-08-13T19:35:00.002-04:00

U'm yeah, so um... the "official" start didn't happen. LOL But I guess it shouldn't matter right? We are unschooling. :-) You are so right!!! So we've just been enjoying life. Another unschooling mom sent me some awesome information that I have been checking out. I likey. :-)

So I am actually looking through that site now as I wait for the football game to start. Yes, I must admit that I am a football lover. I know enough about the game to love it and watch it regularly. And yes, I even started going to church on Saturday nights, so that I can watch all day Sunday football. LOL Sue me... :-)

Until next time...

EEEEKKK!!! The Time Is Upon Us...

2009-08-03T13:26:00.002-04:00

I know, I know... We are unschooling. I shouldn't be in a panic. But I am. Because we are officially "starting" our "semi-structured unschooling" year next week. Right now, I need to get rid of the K and First grade Abeka teacher/parent books. Then I need to look for the 2nd grade teacher/parent books, just to keep me up on nifty little things that I can "strew" in her pathway to keep her interested in everything.

We actually need to go to the zoo or something. Because she had been asking for more animals. She wants another dog and a cat. We already have one dog. LOL If anything, we need to move to a farm. LOL At least she'd be around the animals that she loves, and can take care of them. Because even though Tod is her dog... I'm doing all the work when it comes to taking care of him. No wonder he is my shadow.

Anyway... I will be back on top of my posting starting this week. If I do not get the 2nd grade teacher books from Abeka... the internet is the next best thing. Why spend the money if I don't have to. (Especially when I don't have the money to spend.) One thing that I definitely need to do is limit her time in front of the television. I also need to check into getting those museum passes that will allow you to go to other museums around the country for free. Because the plan this year is to go to almost all of the ones in our area as well as the ones in NJ and PA.

Until next time...

Bedridden...

2009-07-24T14:29:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't been posting. On top of me working on my writing and music, two Thursdays ago, my back started bothering me. By Sunday, it was really bad. I had taken a shower and bent down to dry my legs, and I couldn't get back up. So I have pretty much been confined to the bed since last Sunday. I get up and try to move around as much as possible, but one week later, I am now just in constant pain. In the beginning, I would find a spot that was comfortable and be able to stay that way for a bit before having to move because it would get painful. But now, every position I am in is painful. Standing, sitting, lying down... its painful. It started out under my shoulder blades on my back, but then moved to the middle of my back. If I turned my head it would be horrible. It still is that way. But I guess after 7 days of this pain, (Tylenol doesn't work and I'm allergic to the other stuff), I'm used to it. I haven't had a good night sleep since it started.

And to make it all so much worse... I can't go to the dr. My spouse's insurance is crap. It is a PPO and the dr that I want to go to will not bill me for the coinsurance. It can be anywhere from $80-$150, but they can't tell me how much it will be until I get there. Needless to say, I don't have any money, and I can't even ask for it because I don't even know how much it is going to be. I am looking for a dr who takes our crap insurance, and can bill me. At least I'll know what's going on with my back, and he'll be able to give me something for the pain. Cause Tylenol is not strong enough, and I'm allergic to Motrin, Aleve, and all that other stuff...

I feel really bad that I wasn't even able to take Lil Steph to Park day on Thurs. We've only missed one of them since we've started going and that was because it was raining and we didn't think anyone would be there. But I can't even drive, so I couldn't get her out there. She was so bummed out... especially because she was going to miss seeing her friend.

Lil Steph has been very helpful while I've been down for the count. Unfortunately... there is someone else who does a lot of huffing and puffing when I ask for help... Hmmm... But this someone is also the one who "doesn't have any money" so I can go to the doctor and get better.

Until next time...

Not A Happy Mother!!

2009-07-17T00:34:00.002-04:00

For any of you who know about the marital issues, it came to a head, and he is again threatening to put Lil Steph into school... All so I can go get a job. So I am mad right now. There is so much more to it, but I'd rather not go into it cause it will get me riled up again.

I need the prayers!

Movie/Park Day...

2009-07-16T12:53:00.002-04:00

So during the summer months, one of the movie theaters in the area has free movies at 10am on Tues, Wed, and Thurs. This morning, thanks to the info from my editor, we went to see Horton hears a Who. It was the most adorable movie!! LOL I really enjoyed it, and so did Lil Steph. She laughed and giggled throughout the entire movie. So that is definitely one that I will need to get for her. And as I watched it, I found some wonderful points to use as teachable moments later on.

So right now, we are taking a little break. I fed her some lunch about 30 minutes ago, and she is watching the newest installment of her God Rocks! collection. She only got it yesterday, and she's memorized three of the songs/bible verses already!! I love this thing. I definitely teaches God's word, and she can recite it back... in song form. LOL

We'll head out to park day around twoish. I've been working on some music for some people, and I would really love to get back to it, but I have to wait until everyone goes to bed before I can get back on the ball. I really need a clone. LOL I'm working on a total of 5 songs for two poets as well as my own writing. But I could really use like one entire day to myself to get this music written and recorded. Then I wouldn't be up late workin' on it. Ok, yes I would, because I would stay logged on to those poetry shows at night like I normally do. LOL But at least it wouldn't be looming over my head. LOL

Some of you know about my marital issues that have been going on around here. I am letting you all know that I am fine, God has given me a peace about the entire situation... and I am not bitter. LOL I'm actually looking forward to what God has in store for me as the time goes on. :-)

As for unschooling... I'm still doin' it... (But it's still a secret) LOL Like I said, I haven't told anyone that unschooling is the approach that I am going to work on this year. I can see where I will need a little tiny bit of structure. But I think that I can "strew" things in her path that will help out.

Please forgive me for not posting like I was supposed to. I am back on the ball... but I could still use a clone. :-)

Until next time...

New Template...

2009-07-15T12:03:00.003-04:00

Well, this is it. I need to continue to practice on them (the blog templates), but this one is my first one. I think I like it... at least for now. I need to take more pictures of Baby Girl. She's seven, and these pics are of her at six.

Her tests have been taken and we have gotten the results. So I will be mailing off the results as well as her NOI today. I am excited for the new year, which although we are unschooling, will officially "begin" the first full week of Aug. So when people start asking questions, I'll just say, oh we've already started back. LOL

Well, I'm off to fix her some left over pizza for lunch.

Until next time...

2009-07-01T00:07:00.001-04:00

We didn't make it to the library today. So I just renewed our materials online. And what I will do is set aside time just about every day for reading with Lil Steph. She likes to take the books and look at the pictures, and make up her own stories based on the pictures. But we did borrow books that she can actually read. So I will read them to her. I think she enjoys that more anyway. LOL And besides, I do love cuddling up on the couch with her on my lap and reading like she was a baby. Because she still is my baby... even at seven. LOL

Tomorrow her friend Ali will be coming over for an early play date. They haven't seen each other since I think Nov., so Ali and her mother, who is also my editor, will be stopping by. I think I'm going to inflate the pool so that they can get in and enjoy the water. Steph has been asking when I would inflate the pool. I was just waiting for the official ok from Ali's mom that they were coming. So the two of them will enjoy themselves while me and her mother enjoy some homemade decaf frapaccinos that I will make with my old Magic Bullet. :-) I think I'm also going to get up and make a loaf of homemade bread for the occasion too. I haven't had homemade bread in quite a few months, so that will be a nice little treat. Especially since I don't have anything else to offer them. LOL

I guess I need to get in the bed being that it is after midnight and I need to get up to fill the pool and bake the bread...

Until next time...

Tired...

2009-06-29T21:24:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am tired. The whole MJ thing was kinda hard on a lot of people in my circle. I am an author and a musician, so a lot of the musicians were taking it hard and we all wanted to talk about it.

But anyway, I'm just tired. I think the combination of marital issues, among other issues just pushed everything over the edge for me, and I'm just beat. Lucky for me, I'll be headed to NJ for the weekend to hang out with my family and attend a Facebook/Class Reunion. I am looking forward to that. Some of them I have not seen since the day we left school. And our official reunion back in 2003 (it was an eleven year reunion cause they couldn't get it together in 2002), I was told that only about 33 people showed up. So yes, I am very happy to be going to this reunion. Me and my best friend from high school are excited about it. Even though she still lives in the town, this will be the official reunion with classes from 1988 to 1996. My sister graduated in 95, so I'm trying to get her to come too. That would be awesome!

Anyway... tomorrow is our library day. Although some of the moms are going to the beach tomorrow afternoon. I would love to go, but I think I am supposed to be having a meeting with the magazine owner tomorrow. (I'm the editor in chief) So we will probably have to wait until the next beach day. But I know that we will be headed to park day. I can't ever not take Steph to park day. LOL She will however miss karate on Friday and next Monday since we will still be in NJ.

Well, I should be going to bed, but I am trying to finish up my templates for this blog and another one that I write for.

Until Next Time...

I Am Going To Go There...

2009-06-25T21:31:00.002-04:00

I wasn't going to do it, because I usually don't do it for others. But this time is different. Yes, I'm gonna talk about Michael Jackson. And this is probably the only post you will see from me about it. The long and short of it is... God gave that man a talent, and in my opinion, he did a great job of using it. He reached the world! Now, I can't say that I agreed with everything that went on around him, but he was definitely the best entertainer to ever live. Michael had staying power. He came out before I was born, and made me a fan up until the day of his death.

He will be missed, and I will not lie to you and say that I didn't shed a tear or two. I mean hey, he was a brilliant entertainer, and even as I type this post, I am listening to all of my Michael Jackson CD's. And probably will do so for the next 30 days. (Although he did have quite a few songs that were already in my writing playlist for when I am writing my fiction) I am sad to see him go. And there will never be another artist like him, no matter how hard they may try.

As a artist, I know that I will miss his brilliant work. And as a fan, I will miss his entertainment.

Prayers will be lifted up for his family. No matter what the media will say within these next few days, weeks, and months, only God and MJ know what was really in his heart and what really went on behind closed doors. He will be missed in the entertainment community and all over the world.

Greatest Of All Time... May he rest in peace...

Until next time...

WooHoo!!

2009-06-22T22:51:00.003-04:00

So after almost a week of sitting at this Mac and praying for some kind of creativity... God finally showed me how to create my own layouts. How cool is that??? So I have a test blog for things of that nature, and tonight I tested out my codes and all that. Yippee skippy!!! I did it!!!!
The test blog shows up pretty good. So now, all I have to do is create the new template for this blog. I will be working on that this week and hopefully I will have it completed by the end of this week, or the beginning of next week. It was actually kinda fun. But now I'm ready to create. LOL

Steph had her 5th karate lesson today. She is so hyped up every Monday and Friday that it will be hard to tell her on the days that we might not be able to make it. She has been doing much better, so I am really happy that she is loving karate.

We ordered her CAT. So I want to review a little before she takes it. And it looks like we'll be testing on either Wed and Thurs, or Thurs and Fri. I haven't decided yet.

I am still loving the unschooling, I just think that I need to put more things in her reach. I have no problems with her playing her video games, however, I think she is playing them a bit much and I would rather she read or watch Animal Planet. LOL But I won't push it on her. She has been asking for it, so that is a good sign right? I want to get the Planet Earth, and the Blue Planet series on DVD for her. I think she would love that, and it would foster lots more questions in her mind.

Well... I am tired and I need to get in the bed...

Until next time...

Changes...

2009-06-19T23:41:00.003-04:00

I am in the process of designing a new blog template for this one. Wish me luck as I start this new endeavor. LOL I love creating things, and I thought creating my own awesome blog layout would be kinda cool. I've seen all of the awesome layouts on other blogger's sites, and I would love to make my own. So, that's what I will attempt to do.

Until next time...

Blog Changing...

2009-06-15T12:57:00.002-04:00

I am still going to be blogging, but I think I will need to make a few changes to either the format or the host. I haven't decided yet, but I am working on a few things to see what they will look like. :-)
If you noticed the google ads on the side, it was because I was trying to make some money if anyone looked at them. Since this is not really the type of blog for that (I have a different blog for that LOL), I will more than likely remove those.

But I will still continue to blog even while we are under construction... :-) And it will always be named... "What Are We Going To Do Today" ... Cause she is still asking me that question every day. LOL

2009-06-14T21:43:00.011-04:00

I have been such a slacker with blogging the past few days... Ok what it's been about two weeks hasn't it? Ok... I'm sorry about that. But me and Steph have been having a blast so far.
Below are pictures from our trip to the zoo. I took lots more, but these are the ones that I downloaded for the blog.

Steph turned 7 in May. I am such a bad mother, I didn't post a picture or anything from her birthday that she had with her YaYa and PopPop when they traveled here just for her.

Well, here is the cake. I did it all by myself. LOL She loves chocolate cake, and lucky for me, that's what she asked for. Because I could not afford the ice cream cakes this year

This is the "train station" at the zoo in Norfolk, VA.
We were waiting with the children who go to school.

These were some of the animals that we saw. There is one shot of some lions, but it was hot and they were not trying to impress any children that day, so they were kind of far away from us, but I wanted to at least attempt to get a photo of them...

Way back to the left, you will possibly see a
male lion lying down trying to keep cool... LOL

These were right before we left. There are little "fountains" in the front before we get to the exit. Since it was hot, I let Steph cool off a bit. We did see some children there in bathing suits enjoying the water...

We went to the museum last week. I will post those pictures very soon.
Until next time... And by the way... this blogger has real funky formatting when
it comes to pictures and stuff. I should probably figure a way around that huh? LOL
Please forgive the funkiness of the format. I do hope to figure a way around that soon...

Welcome To Summertime...

2009-06-02T22:50:00.002-04:00

And yes, she will still be "doing" school... well unschool. LOL We've been enjoying her interest led learning. And she is still really enjoying the big cats. Which is fine. I will grab a few workbooks from Walmart so that she can grab them when she is ready. Our plan is to go to the museum again tomorrow. Yes I know we went two weeks ago, but she loves it. And they have a new exhibit going so I'd like for her to check it out. However, I am not sure I have enough gas to get me all the way the Newport News and back. LOL If not, then we'll have to figure something else out.

On Monday, we went to the karate class for her to "check it out". She absolutely loved it. So when we come back from Jersey, she will be starting officially on Monday. And she will have classes twice a week on Monday's and Fridays. She is looking forward to beginning her classes and I am looking forward to it too. They also have adult akido classes after the kid classes. It would be awesome if I could take the akido class. I would really like that.

Well, I am trying to find something for us to do tomorrow because as I think about it, we will probably not be able to go to the museum, cause we've got other errands to run and I definitely will not have enough gas for that 45 minute drive both ways. Man I need to make some money... LOL

Until next time...

The VA Zoo...

2009-05-29T21:16:00.000-04:00

I am beat. I took Lil Steph to the VA zoo today. Praise the Lord it was free for homeschoolers in Norfolk. She loved it! And I'm so glad that she did. The only thing that I wasn't too keen on today was that it was really hot. Steph and I were sweating like crazy.

They are building within the zoo so there will be a monkey house, a place for tigers... (You know when Steph heard that she was so excited), and a few other animals that will be joining the zoo. I had a blast with her. Every day we have so much fun.

So after the zoo, I took her to McDonalds for lunch. We sat in the car, in the shade and ate. After lunch there was the VA Beach homeschool Park Day. It looked like they were doing some type of party or something so Steph really didn't want to stay too long. Although she did say that she wanted to do the craft with them. I told her that if we go again, I would let them know that she wanted to join them. We have been going to the Norfolk Park Day which we both absolutely love... But today since we were in the area, I stopped over at the VA Beach park day. We've been there before... Quite a few times, but Steph seemed to never have anyone to play with. With the exception of 2 different occasions. And she is very friendly... but the girls that she wanted to play with didn't wanna play with her. So when we go to that park she gets shy around the kids there. But at the Norfolk Park Day, it is totally different. She is her friendly, outgoing self.

Anyway... We then went to get some icecream. Needless to say I am extremely tired. I know that as soon as my head hits the pillow I will be out like a light...

Forgive any typos... I'm bloggin' via my blackberry LOL

Until next time...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

One Week Down...

2009-05-24T23:05:00.002-04:00

So we have officially finished our first week of unschooling. I loved it. And so did Lil Steph. We've enjoyed not rushing. I particularly love that we can just come and go and not necessarily be on a schedule due to workbooks and lesson plans. I will still plan out our days, but they will be based around what she is interested in doing.

I plan on taking her to the zoo this week. We still haven't been yet, and I heard that we might be able to get in for free as homeschoolers. So I will check on that before we head out that way. She still wants to take karate and guitar lessons. My spouse bought the Wii Music game and she started playing it this evening. At first she didn't want to play because she didn't know how. I kept trying to encourage her, and kept telling her that she was doing fine. I think she gets embarrassed, or nervous when we are watching her, but she asks if we can hear what she is doing. She wants us to hear it, but not necessarily look at her while she is doing it. LOL I used to be that way. I didn't want anyone to see or hear me though. LOL

She enjoyed that Wii Music very much. So I am hoping that she will continue to want to pursue her music lessons. I will talk with her once more before I tell her Pop-Pop that she wants to take them both. I know he said that he would pay for lessons for her. I just don't want her to drop out because she doesn't like it, or she has a hard lesson one day. I really wish I had continued with the guitar lessons. I loved it. LOL

Well, my sister in law will be here tomorrow with her boyfriend. They will be staying for the holidays and then heading to my husband's parents house for about a week. I hope she won't mind, but since they are not married, ole boy will be sleeping on the pull out bed downstairs. I don't care what they do at home, but if they aren't married, they are not sleeping in the same bed under my roof. I don't care if they do anything or not. I don't want any mixed messages going on around here under my 7 year old's nose.

That being said, I am soooo sleepy... I need to get in the bed, since they will be showing up around 7 in the morning. I think it will be earlier than that.

Until next time...

Lions & Tigers & Jaguars... Oh My!!

2009-05-19T23:18:00.002-04:00

Stephany loves animals, but she has this huge fascination for cats. Specifically the big cats. Tonight she came downstairs while I had Animal Planet on again. She saw the big cats on the television and she nearly had a fit. She absolutely loves big cats. So she was watching them. She is still having a hard time distinguishing the cheetahs and leopards from the jaguars... and the jags are her favorites for some reason. But while we were watching together, they kept showing the cats going in for the kill. OK, I found it a bit disturbing that my child was really excited about "the kill". Now me... when I watch... I am always hoping that the animal gets away from the cat. But not Steph, she was sitting on the edge of the couch talking to the TV saying, "Get 'em, eat 'em... get 'em eat 'em."

I'm not sure if I should be worried about that or not.

Anyway... this is our first "official" week of unschooling. Yes I'm still a bit worried, but it has been absolutely freeing for the two days that we have been just living life. LOL I really do like it, and she does too. She is reading and playing her Leapster and VSmile games. She is drawing. And when I went to get her new bike out of the shed, she spotted a ladybug and was fascinated with it. I was proud of the fact that she wouldn't let me kill it. I wasn't attempting to, but she didn't want me to run it over with her bike. Normally she wants me to step on something when it comes to insects, but this time she didn't. As a side note, she was never scared of bugs. But I think her babysitter made her afraid of them when she was going there, and I haven't been able to get her out of it.

We went to the park today and she ran around and played. Tomorrow is Awana night, Thursday is park day, and Friday we will be going out favorite spot... the VA Living Museum... I'm looking forward to it.

Until next time...

Schooling On a Sunday... I'm Lovin' It!!!

2009-05-17T20:57:00.002-04:00

So this is the last night of our 4 night "sleepover". (When she sleeps in her tent in the living room and I sleep on the couch) And a little after 8PM, I told her it was time to go to bed. She requested Animal Planet this time. I was just going to keep it on Food Network LOL Luckily for us an episode of Planet Earth was on. I so need to buy the entire DVD series, but I'm just glad that Animal Planet airs it often.

Well she is in her tent with just a small window opened so she can see the TV. This episode was about the forest and everything that is in them. The first thing we saw was the cicadas. It started out as a few thousand, and then, according to the narrator, it turns into billions of them. As much as I don't like bugs, cicadas have always kinda been interesting to me. Especially since the time I found one in my window and decided to burn it with my dads magnifying glass. (Don't worry, my dad had killed it first, and then put it in a container for me. I didn't wanna "throw it away", so I learned how to make fire with the magnifying glass. Ahhh those were the days.) Anyway, after watching the bugs, Steph started asking questions. The narrator was answering them, but I think Steph was so excited about what she was seeing, she didn't wanna wait for the narrator to finish talking so she could hear the answers. LOL

She has finally calmed down and the new episode is now about the dessert. The camels on TV started making too much noise and she poked her head out of the window of her tent. She said, "Don't those camels know I'm trying to sleep?" I just turned the TV down. She should be sleep right about now. I'm gonna keep on watching Planet Earth, and continue to be proud of our teachable moments this evening.

I love this stuff... LOL

Until next time...

To Unschool... or Not To Unschool... I Don't Wanna Ask The Question...

2009-05-15T22:36:00.002-04:00

Primarily because there is still that inkling of fear deep down inside of me that will wonder if my child is getting what she needs. For the past few days I have been flooding every crevice of my mind with information about unschooling. And it just makes plain sense. Why on earth would I want my already brilliant (so I'm biased... sue me) child to memorize and spit what she hears and reads, when she can really learn about things she is interested in. She is interested in animals because she wants to be a veterinarian. She loves butterflies, she loves music, she loves art. I want her to study what she loves. As I think about it now... when I was in school, and I had the opportunity to really study and learned what I loved... who knows what I could have done prior to getting married. Who knows what I could have accomplished. Maybe instead of waiting until I was nearly 30 to publish my first three books, I would have published the novel that I wrote while I was still in high school. Maybe I would have continued to play the guitar, cello, piano and flute. Maybe I would have been the front woman of my own all black rock and roll band. LOL (Yeah, I'm one of those. Only real musicians can hear the beauty in all music :-)

I don't blame my parents at all because back then, homeschool wasn't as prevalent as it is now. But wow... just thinking of the what ifs makes me really want to pursue unschooling with Lil Steph. Honestly, as I have already realized that God has given me confirmation about doing it, I just pray that I will be able to do it until she graduates and is ready for college. Because if it were up to my husband, I would be back at a 9-5 and Steph would be in school. (He would rather me work... but that's another issue all together)

I have found that unschooling would also allow more time for me also. Because I am a writer, and I do a craft here and there, unschooling would allow Steph and I to write, or do crafts together. And since I wouldn't be following anything specific, my attention would be on us and what we are doing and not necessarily what the book is telling me I should do. In turn that could lead to more sales of my crafts, and sales of my writing because more of it is getting done. Which in turn would mean that I would not have to stay up all night long writing because I would be able to get some of it done during the day. Which would in turn lead to me making a little bit of money to keep my husband off of my back about it. Which in turn would lead me to be able to continue to homeschool practically worry free... cause Lord knows I have a hard time doing it due to his remarks about not having that second income... Hmmm... I rambled right along there didn't I? LOL

Praise the Lord! I am excited about this new change that Lil Steph and I are about to embark on. She will probably never realize that she is learning because she will be learning what she loves. And my only concern will be what to tell people when the subject comes up...

Until next time...

New Group of Homeschoolers...

2009-05-14T23:45:00.003-04:00

So a few days ago, I went in search of another group of homeschoolers that were closer to where we lived. I don't know why I hadn't looked for them when we moved here. I guess I just assumed that the other group that I belonged to pretty much housed everyone. But that was not so. I came to find out that they had their own park day which was kinda closer to my house. So Steph and I went today. I had a blast, Steph had a blast, and I told them that we would be back. These were the most down to earth women that I have met in a while. I am not saying that I don't like the other women that I've met. But this group was awesome. The children were great and even though me and Steph were the only chocolate chips in the whole cookie, we fit right in. I loved it. They were some of the friendliest bunch of women that I had met. And the majority of them were knitters. I cannot knit to save my life. But watching them made me almost want to try. I will never tell them that, because they are positive that they are going to get me to start knitting. LOL

So today was a very easy and relaxed day. And it's sleepover day... So she is in the tent snoring. She talked about staying up until 1 in the morning. I didn't wanna fall asleep on her so I took an energy drink at 8. She fell asleep at 10... I'm still up at 12. LOL I probably won't do that again. But we had an awesome day...

Until next time...

Researching and Praying...

2009-05-13T00:47:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am still awake. I started researching the Unschooling method of homeschooling. And as I was reading the information on it, I've been praying and listening to my old contemporary christian music from back in the day... (Amy Grant, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Michael W Smith, Twila Paris... I have always loved it from the 80s and 90s) Anyway, I've been praying for confirmation about Unschooling. I've read information on it before, and I didn't think that it would be a good thing for us at the time. But for the past three hours, I've read a lot and have taken down the title of a book that I am going to try and find at our library. "The Unschooling Handbook"

I am the kind of person that almost needs an audible voice from heaven saying that "This is what you need to do." Before I think that I have received confirmation to do it. But if before, the idea of unschooling did not appeal to me, and now it seems like the logical choice, I am wondering if that is my confirmation. I'm still hoping for that audible voice tonight in my sleep. LOL But unschooling is looking more like the route that I want to take with Steph. So at 12:50 AM EST, I am praying for confirmation that this is the route that we should take with her. I want her to enjoy learning again. And I think that this might be the way to get her to enjoy it again. With all of the different things that she is interested in, and all of the questions that she asks, unschooling would be awesome for her and I both.

Well... until next time...

Change Is Good... Right?

2009-05-12T18:56:00.002-04:00

So yesterday and today, I've been going through some frustrations with homeschooling. Not necessarily with doing it, but with changing curriculum and the style. Lately, more often than not, she has been very unenthusiastic about her school work. Which is expected. I don't expect her to want to do school all of them time. But lately, I have noticed that her learning style is changing. There used to be a time when I could give her the lesson, and the seatwork and all would be fine in the world. Now I am noticing that I cannot do that anymore. I could attribute some of it to Spring Fever. (By the way she had a blast in NC with her MeMa and Pop-Pop, and I had a blast at home alone for four days LOL) But only some of it was Spring Fever. There are so many other things that she and I could be doing together with loads of teachable moments in them. And I have been feeling like we are kinda stuck to the curriculum and how things should be done.

So I've been praying, and it looks like we will be leaning more towards a very relaxed and not so structured homeschooling style starting next week. I will still stick with the Abeka teacher/parent books as my guide to what should come next. But I will have to pray for the creativity to find different things to do as well as make sure I use the teachable moments.

God has given me a wonderfully outspoken and very energetic child with amazing zeal. I am praying that he gives me the strength to keep up. Because I am not doing such a good job at it, and I think that is why I am getting frustrated. I do not want to stifle her zeal, I just want to hone it in the right direction. She will get her "structure" from her Awana, and upcoming Karate classes that she wants to take. LOL But right now, I think she and I need some "unstructure". LOL

Until next time...

Late Start Today...

2009-04-30T10:36:00.002-04:00

We are seriously getting a late start this morning. I was up every two hours with her last night because she just kept coughing, and I was getting worried. She said that she felt fine. But just to be safe, I gave her some cough medicine and monitored her temperature, which she never had. LOL Yes, call me the paranoid mom. I just don't like when she gets sick.

Anyway, the medicine helped her to cough less, and she slept pretty well. But of course since I was the one getting up every two hours to check on her, I'm still sleepy. That'll pass after a six hour energy drink. LOL She is doing fine and right now she is in her room watching her "God Rocks" DVD from her YaYa. I love the DVD because it helps her with her bible verses. And she learns the songs overnight, which I love too. So I called into her room and asked if she was ready for school. She said almost. Because she was still watching God Rocks. Now if it were SpongeBob or something like that, I probably would have pulled her out of her room and made her come into the classroom. But to me, her Bible lessons and verses are much more important. So I'm gonna let her stay in there a little while longer. Besides, she did a lot of computer work yesterday and the day before. Today and tomorrow are only review since she will be on Spring Break next week. Can you hear my enthusiasm? I will be alone, just me and the dog for a whole week!!! Honestly, I can't wait. LOL

So spring fever has kicked in for both of us and we just don't wanna do any school work. What I am going to have to do to finish out our year (which wont end until late Jun) is find cool spots for us to do the school work. That will help get through the last two months before our July break.

Until next time...

Bored with the Seatwork...

2009-04-29T11:38:00.002-04:00

I can understand my daughter's boredom 100%. I wasn't too thrilled with seatwork when I was in school either. So for the past three days, she's been on her computer. We have a first grade Jump Start program for her laptop which pretty much goes over what she is learning in her textbooks. Luckily for us, she loves this program and likes to keep going even when her lesson is over. I've also been online finding free online math, reading, and phonics games for first graders.

I actually think she has Spring Fever!! LOL Ah yes, I remember spring fever back when I was in school. She's restless. I'm so glad her spring break will be starting soon. In fact, it starts on Monday. My parents will be here this weekend to begin celebrating her birthday. They will leave on Monday morning, and then she and her daddy will head to my in-laws for the week. Praise the Lord I will finally be getting a few days alone... by myself... (Haven't had that since she was 2, and I was only alone for one night) She will be seven on Cinco De Mayo (May 5), so she will be spending it with her other set of grandparents. I've never been away from her on her birthday, but she will be in good hands, and I will call her all day long just to sing and make her feel special.

Today is Awana day, so she is thrilled about that. She learned her memory verse overnight, which surprised me. LOL But when it comes to Awana, she's up for anything.

Well, she has a slight cough today which I am hoping is only allergies or something... She says that she feels fine. I am going to monitor her for the rest of the day before Awana and make sure.

Until next time...

Another Child...

2009-04-15T00:02:00.002-04:00

So I've been putting off this post because its kinda painful. But Steph wants a sister. And I want one for her. But I cannot have anymore children, and my husband does not want anymore. The thing is that we always planned for two. So deep down in my heart, even though I love just having one, I know that we are supposed to have another one. She needs someone to play with, to share with, to fight with, on a daily basis.

Steph knows what adoption is and said that we should adopt a little girl so that she can have someone to play with. This absolutely breaks my heart for the simple fact that I want one for her, but my spouse doesn't. He was the one that insisted on me getting my tubes tied. And after those complications, I ended up not even being able to reverse the procedure if we were to change our minds, or if he and I weren't together any more.

So lately I've been bummed out. Ok, not too lately, just the past few days. Especially since everyone that I seem to come in contact with is pregnant. I miss being pregnant. Anyway... I digress...

I did let Steph go to Awana last week and she loved it. So tomorrow she will be going back. And we also met a few homeschooling families at the park, so as long as the weather holds up on Friday, we will be back at that park.

I got a great job as editor in chief of a new magazine. Yes I am thrilled. I'm very excited about it and can't wait til its on the stands.

Well, it is late and I need to get in the bed...

Until next time...

TGIF!!!

2009-04-03T10:55:00.002-04:00

Yes, thank The Lord it is Friday. Fridays are our very easy days. We double up on lessons during the week, and let Fridays be our lazy day. This is good for those times that we end up traveling to Jersey, or just traveling period. So today we are just relaxing. It is supposed to be park day at City Park, but its a little damp this morning. I am hoping that it will dry up a bit so we can go. She has wanted to do park day and every time I pick a park and a day, it either rains, or something happens and we end up not going. So I have picked Fridays as our park/field trip days.

I am praying that it dries up enough so that other homeschoolers will be there. I am also looking into putting Steph into Awana. Her best friend goes there and she wants to go with her. So I am thinking about that. And of course, her grandfather, her other best friend is going to pay for karate lessons. So very soon, Stephany is going to be one busy little girl. LOL

Well, I need to finish getting myself together for park day.

Until next time...

The Less... The Better...

2009-04-01T12:58:00.002-04:00

I have been noticing that, when I let Steph watch more tv than normal, she has problems with her school work. Like this morning, I let her watch some while she was eating her breakfast. And when I called her to the room for school, she kinda lingered in front of her tv. While we were working on her math, she acted like she didn't know answers to questions that are only easy review for her. So yeah, after another day of lollygagging, and procrastination, I told her that she could not turn on her television or sit and play her DS. Not punishment, just regulating. She plays that game all the time, and there really isn't any educational value to it. If she needs some entertainment, she could read a book, or play her Leapfrog, or V-Tech games which are educational. She thought she was in trouble. I let her know that she wasn't, but that she had been watching a little bit too much tv and playing a little bit too much with that DS (Nintendo).

I have to keep her tv and game time regulated, or I can see her zoning out during her school day. That is definitely not what I want. So prayerfully, we will get back to normal again. And her tv time will be when daddy gets home and we are all watching television together. I have been trying to get her to watch Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel. She hates the show Bizarre Foods. I think its interesting, although there are times when I cannot eat and watch that show at the same time. Some of the things that he tries just turns my stomach. If I had an iron stomach, I would probably try some of that stuff. LOL I was trying to get Steph to try roasted crickets. They sell them at the Virginia Living Museum. I told her that Andrew eats them. She looked at me and said, "No thank you." The woman in line with me laughed. It was funny, especially the look on Stephany's face.

Well, off to finish some housework and eat a late lunch...

Until next time...

Just Breathe...

2009-03-31T12:11:00.002-04:00

It was tough today. I was actually thinking today would be a pretty easy day, but she made it pretty difficult. She "lollygagged" today, and then when I told her that she needed to speed things up and pay attention, she totally sped everything up and just put answers wherever she thought they should go without paying any attention to anything.

I cut the rest of the day short today. And tomorrow we are going to have to go over everything again. I am beat just from the few hours spent this morning. Thank the Lord we need to run some errands. In fact I think that is what we both need today. We need to get outta the house. I know I definitely do. I actually need some time away from both of them. I see them both every day and her all day. I need some time away from them so I can regroup and come back refreshed. I am in a rut and it is pulling me down. I don't want her to see that. But I really need some time away. Just a couple of days.

Well, she is getting herself ready so that we can run our errands.

Until next time...

Wishing? But Not Reall?

2009-03-23T19:31:00.002-04:00

I found out today that an old friend from high school is pregnant with twins. Now normally, about 85% of the time, when I hear that someone is expecting, I am very happy for them. But this time, although I was happy for her, I was just a bit sad. There are days (not all of the time) that I would love to have another child. Unfortunately, my husband decided that he wanted to stop after one (although we were going to have two) and I had my tubes tied (I probably should have made him get cut instead), because having my tubes tied caused complications. So, I had to have another surgery which completely removed the lining of my uterus. So even if I had the procedure reversed, I cannot have anymore children.

So for the past hour, I've been a little bummed about not being able to have children. I wish we could adopt a child. But that would be way too expensive. And my husband has only been focused on "money". He does not want anymore children at all.

I have to admit that I love just packing up one child when it is time to go out, or go on a trip. I love that I don't have to get two of everything. But, there are times when I want that...

Oh well... until next time...

It's My Birthday...

2009-03-10T10:03:00.002-04:00

Ok, it was my birthday on Saturday, but since this is number 35, I am celebrating for the rest of the year. I'll keep up my decorations until the end of the month, but the celebration will continue until Dec 31st. I did it when I turned 30, I'm doing it now, and I'll do it again when I turn 40. Steph has been saying happy birthday to me for the past week anyway. LOL But I am sure she will stop the closer it gets to her own birthday.

I had a great weekend. Breakfast, I baked two cakes, ice cream and candy, you know... all the junk food that we love during birthday parties. Plus I will be going home to Jersey on Thursday or Friday for more celebrating. Now that's what I call a birthday. I think all birthdays are special and I always try to do them big, but every five years starting at age 25 should be a birthday to be celebrated all year long. When I turned 30 my parents and husband threw me a surprise party in Jersey, and I bought myself a car (a car that I loved and should have never gotten rid of, but thats another story for another time lol) So I figured, 35... I'll get another tattoo. When I turn 40, I should be at my goal weight and will get the tattoo on my back.

Well, we've gotten started a little late today, and one of the days this week we will not be having "classes" because we will be on the road to Jersey, so I need to get our day started.

Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to mmmmeeeeeee... happy birthday to me... LOL

Until next time...

Our School Name... Pending... LOL

2009-03-03T23:29:00.002-05:00

I was signing up to be a part of an online homeschooling group when they asked what the name of my homeschool was. Now I had thought about it a few times, and asked Steph what she wanted the school name to be. She came up with some cute ones... you know... The Fluffy Puppy School, Fuzzy Face Academy (we call our dog fuzzy face). But when it came to actually using one of those names, I didn't think it would look good when we were trying to get our homeschool discounts with the name Fuzzy Face Academy. Besides, it sounds more like a doggy obedience school LOL

So while I was playing around on the internet, I was thinking of God's mercy towards us, and how despite our financial troubles, he is still allowing me to do what I have wanted to do since I got married, and that it homeschool. So I was trying to come up with an acronym for Mercy, but couldn't get a decent one. (It could just be because of my pounding headache right now), but nothin was coming to me. And then it hit me, Grace & Mercy Christian Academy for Girls. It is only by God's Grace and Mercy I am able to stay home and homeschool my daughter with Christian morals and values. I haven't run it by my husband yet. But I'm thinking, that this is going to be the name of our school. I like it. Besides, Lord knows we need his grace and mercy on a daily basis around here. :-)

Until next time...

Still Tired... But...

2009-02-23T23:18:00.002-05:00

Praise the Lord, everyone is better. Well my husband has a slight cold, but it is nothing compared to what he had about two weeks ago. Both he and Lil Steph are finally better. Now if you are asking if I got any sleep yet, the answer to that is not really. Stephany was better the day before we all had to leave to go see his parents in North Carolina. We took another couple and their baby with us for this trip. I was really hoping that I could stay home and recover myself, but that wasn't going to happen. So once we got into North Carolina, we pretty much stayed up all the time. The couple had a great time, but I never got to bed before one in the morning. So you can believe that I am still recouping from that. LOL But it was fun.

My husband is talking about taking Lil Steph back to his parents for Easter. Praise the Lord. Maybe I will get a whole 24 hours of sleep.

Tonight I went out for a Mom's Night Out for homeschooling moms in my area. I had a blast. We went to Panera Bread for food and fellowship. I had a great time and was so glad to be away from my beloved child and her father for a few hours. I never get to have a break of my own, so this was desperately needed today. I am definitely looking forward to having more Mom's Night Out in the near future. We were talking about bowling which I love to do, and it turns out so do the other moms. So we just might have to plan something around bowling very soon.

Today Steph and I finally went to the library. Its a small little library here near my house, but it had what we needed. Steph wanted to get some books on bugs... so... we've got about three of them here. We also picked up a book that my sister and I used to read when we were younger. Amelia Bedelia. We used to LOVE her books. So I picked up one of those, and then one on mammals and one on dinosaurs. I am actually looking forward to using this little library as much as possible.

Until next time...

Bacteria, Viruses and Sticks... Oh My...

2009-02-06T22:06:00.002-05:00

So both my husband, and my daughter had doctor appointments today. My husband went to his first, and then met us at the pediatrician for my daughter's appointment. Why is healthcare so dang expensive? I guess that is another rant for another day...

Turns out that my husband has some sort of virus. There is nothing that they can give him except to help with his symptoms. The doctor said that he would just have to ride it out. And my daughter has strep. She said that when she swallows, it feels like she has swallowed a bunch of sticks. Poor thing.

Praise the Lord the fever finally broke. Instead of Tylenol, the dr's office gave her Motrin. Since I am allergic to it, I never gave it to her fearing that she might be allergic. I'm so grateful that she is not allergic, cause that Motrin knocked that fever right on out. But the poor baby is still suffering. She had a horrible cough, and her little voice is so hoarse. Her daddy looked over at her when she was trying to talk, and she said, "I know my voice sounds funny." He just smiled and said, "I didn't say anything about your voice."

Well finally they both are resting. Which means that maybe I can finally get some sleep tonight. I am going on 48 hours with no sleep since they have been sick, and I'm really in need of about 24 hours of sleep myself. But I know that it will not happen until she is completely better.

I just gave her a spoonful of honey for her sore throat, and rubbed some of that Vicks on her chest to help with her coughing. Praise God that she stopped and she even said that her throat didn't feel like there were sticks in it. So the house is finally quiet. My husband isn't coughing, and my child isn't coughing. I should probably take myself to bed right about now. But I can't... because I do have to get up to get my husband his next dose of medicine... and I need to listen out for his coughing. So I probably will not get any sleep until Sunday or Monday when his virus has finally run its course, and my daughter starts to feel a little better.

Yes, I can still definitely use one of those 5 hour energy drinks.

Until next time...

The Bad Cooties...

2009-02-06T12:37:00.003-05:00

Well, Steph has gone from bad to worse. So I will be taking her to the doctor today. Her fever really never broke last night. Needless to say, I have yet to go to sleep. So her highest fever yesterday was 102, but today it spiked to 103.7. She's been dozing on and off here on the couch while waiting to go to the doctor.

And with all that going on, my husband is still sick. He is actually at the doctor now. And he is supposed to meet me at Steph's doctor when she is done. So once again, I will be nursing two sick cootie filled people back to health. Today I could really use one or two of those 5 hour energy drinks. Because I am so ready to fall over onto my face. I would say that all I need is a nap, but right now I need more than a nap. And since I'm going to be nurse and doctor this weekend, I'm going to need about 12 hours of sleep. Too bad I won't be able to get it. LOL

So that is what is going on right about now. As soon as I know what is wrong with both of them, I will attempt to post the prognosis.

Until then... or next time...

Cooties...

2009-02-05T23:35:00.002-05:00

Yes, I said Cooties. On Monday, my husband came home sick. He went right to bed and stayed there until today, which is Thursday. I tried my hardest to keep Steph as far away as possible so that she would not get sick. And normally, when one of us gets sick, she does not get it, but this time was different. On Wed, Steph started coughing. At first I thought she was faking it, but as the evening went on, she kept coughing. So I gave her some cough medicine before she went to sleep and she was fine. I heard her cough maybe once last night, but when she woke up this morning poor baby was just a mess.

She started coughing first thing this morning, and it hasn't let up. Plus she's been running a fever since this morning. So now my daughter and my husband have the cooties, and I've been tending to them both. And I know that Steph is really sick, because she NEVER stays in her bed, or goes back to bed unless it is time for her to go to bed for the night. This morning, I told her to get back in her bed and I would come in with the medicine. She said ok, and went. And then went back to sleep. I knew she was really sick and this wasn't some little cold or something.

I haven't taken her to the doctor yet. I wanna monitor her fever tonight and see. Hopefully, it won't come to us going to the doctor. Especially since she hates the doctors.

So keep Steph in your prayers.

Until next time...

So We Really Aren't Behind...

2009-02-03T19:21:00.002-05:00

I was looking over our curriculum again today, and the dates that are "pre-filled" with the lessons, and realized something. We really aren't behind. See, this year, like I had planned for last year, we will be schooling through the summer too. And given the fact that she had all of December off, and she will get May off for her birthday, we are right on target. Duh... Sometimes I wonder about myself. What I need to do is stop looking at what the curriculum keeps showing me. She is on track and is doing just fine.

Praise the Lord... I found a job. And it is working from home... Praise The Lord again!! Thanks to ILuvBNaMom for the website information. I found exactly what I needed. And I also believe congratulations are due also. She had a baby recently.

So I need to start my training ASAP. I will have 2 weeks of training, and then I believe there is another 2 weeks of additional training. Now the pay is not great. But it's much better than nothing, which is what I am getting right now.

Until next time...

Behind? Or Are We?

2009-02-02T09:55:00.002-05:00

Although I have not been following my curriculum to a "T", I happened to look at the schedule that comes with it, and realized that we are sooooo behind. But then again, no one said that we had to follow the curriculum to the "T" right?

I still get that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach sometimes, telling me that I need to follow the curriculum because that's what other people do. Then I have to remind myself that there are some parents that don't even use curriculum. They "unschool", which I still don't completely understand.

Anyway, as I sat down at the desk this morning, and she began working on her worksheets, I realized that maybe next year, we might try something a little different, instead of "formal" curriculum. It's just a thought right now. I would actually like to talk to other parents who are not using a formal curriculum. I want her to learn at her own pace, which she seems to be doing fine on her own. There are words that I haven't taught her that she has been reading. I think if anything, we need to work more on her writing since she is ambidextrous and uses both hands. And we probably need to work a little more on her math skills. But, although we are behind per the curriculum dates, she's kinda ahead... catch what I'm saying? LOL

Until next time...

Welcome President Obama...

2009-01-22T13:46:00.002-05:00

On Inauguration Day... the school systems here closed in anticipation of 1-3 inches of snow. Yeah, I live in the South, and since they never see snow, they shut down entire cities for 3 inches of it. Mind you I am from NJ, where they don't shut down until there is at least a foot and a half of snow. LOL And then when we waited all day, and nothing happened... I just had to laugh.

Anyway, Steph and I were invited to an Inauguration Party at a friends house. (Since the kids were out of school) And we went and watched our first black President get sworn into office. I was proud to say the least. And I will admit that I did not help him get into office. I didn't help either one of them actually, but those are for reasons that I won't go into here. But I sat very proud as I watched him take the oath. I was proud to see his family there with him, and I was proud to be a Black woman!

Steph and the rest of the children were antsy while we adults watched the entire thing. They kept asking, "Is it over? Can we go play now?" We only made them sit there to watch him swear in, but I guess that was an eternity for them. LOL

Since Obama won the election I have been telling Steph that she can be whatever she wants to be. And I will not let anyone stop her. If Barack Hussein Obama can do it, then so can Stephany Renee Wilson. No if, ands, or buts about it. Whatever she wants to do I will support her.

So with that, I will say, Welcome President Barack Hussein Obama. Our prayers are with you as you lead this crazy country into its new realm of change. God Be With You...

Until next time...

2009-01-15T21:13:00.003-05:00

I have been behind with my posting, and I do apologize. I have been looking for work to do at home, along with fasting and WOW... Am I struggling.

During this fast, God has been showing me a lot of things, and opening some doors for me. It's been hard though. I have never craved meat. And now since I am not having it... I want it all the time. LOL

Steph and I have been working hard. She is a funny little thing. She can read... I know she can... But she acts like there are too many words, or words are too hard for her and she wants me to read things for her. But when I tell her that if she doesn't read it, I will have to take it from her, or turn the game that she is trying to play off, she automatically becomes a prodigy and can read words that I know I didn't even teach her.

She gets me all the time too. I mean I know that there are some words that she wouldn't know yet, so I am always ready to help her. But she'll say, "Mommy read this please." and it is part of her Wii game instructions. And I have to tell her to try it. She pouts until I act like I'm going to put it up... And all of a sudden, she knows every word. LOL

She's probably much smarter than I think she is, and she is faking the whole thing. Because she likes to keep saying that she is in second grade when she knows that she is in first grade. LOL

Until next time...

A New Year!!!

2009-01-02T20:05:00.002-05:00

I really do not like no having internet access when I am away. LOL I was in Jersey with Steph and the dog visiting my parents for the holidays. We had a great time, and as much as I love our dog... I will not do that again. That was 2 kids I had to look over. LOL At least I could leave him in his crate when I had to go out.

Well, here we are, in a brand new year. Where did the last one go? Time has gone by me way too fast, and I'm not too sure that I like that.

Steph and I got back from Jersey today, and school will commence on Monday. She had the entire month of December off for winter break. So we will be back on our grind. I'm looking forward to it. She has learned a lot over this holiday... not realizing that she was "learning". lol I love doing that to her.

Well, I am still very tired from the drive, so I will be going to bed early tonight. But I will be back up on updating as of Monday...

Until next time...

The New Staple In Comfort Food...

2008-12-23T10:05:00.002-05:00

The peanut clusters came out AWESOME!!!! At least I loved them. I look forward to making adjustments for different flavors as I do them in the future. My husband said it was too much chocolate for him. They had a wonderful dark chocolate flavor and they were not as sweet to me which I thought would be a problem at first. But as I continued to munch on it, I realized it was absolutely perfect... for me. And that's where it can be a problem. I liked them so much that I could see me keeping all of them to myself. So I only saved out one for myself. My daughter tried one this morning. She said she liked it, but didn't want anymore. Which meant that it was edible, but she wouldn't be asking for any for herself or her friends. I guess that's ok. She and her father are so dag on picky anyway.

Well, I plan on making a trip to the mall today. This will be my only trip all season. I need to find something from my grandfather for Steph. Something that she can take along with her as she grows up. But that is the only thing I am looking for. I'll also need to get my energy drinks for my trip back to Jersey on Friday. But that is it. I'll finish my laundry today, and begin to pack. And hopefully I can get some writing and music done today.

Crock Pot Clusters...

2008-12-22T23:12:00.002-05:00

Well, I just finished the chocolate covered peanut clusters from the crock pot. I definitely didn't get 150 out of them. But then again, it said to use an ice cream scooper, and the one that I have is slightly big. So I probably could have gotten 150 if I used a standard one. But this batch gave me about 79. Which I think is still pretty good. So right now they are sitting on wax paper in the dining room, and in the kitchen. They should harden quite nicely overnight. And hopefully, they'll be awesome. LOL

Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters... In A Crock Pot!!

2008-12-22T21:38:00.003-05:00

Yes, you read the title correctly. I am following this great blog, that had the link to another blog for "A Year of CrockPotting". I fell in love with that blog. And yesterday, she posted a blog for Chocolate covered peanut clusters. To justify making 150 clusters, I asked my spouse if he still wanted to give some gifts to his employees. He said yes. Lucky me. I told him I'd make the clusters for him. It was the easiest recipe I had ever seen in my life, and if they come out as good as I think they will, I might have found my calling. LOL

I've actually just put everything in the crock pot and turned it on. I'm cooking it on high, so instead of three hours, I only have to cook them for one and a half hours. I really hope they come out good. And as I wait, I'll be able to sit here at this kitchen table and continue get some work done.

I will post when they are finished and cooled... which will more than likely be tomorrow...
I still can't get over this recipe is for the crock pot. LOL

Until next time...

With The Family...

2008-12-18T14:01:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I have been here in NJ since Monday the 15th with my family. The death of my grandfather has hit us all a lot harder than we thought it would. This came as such a blow since it took all of us completely off guard. So although we have been celebrating his life, it has definitely been a difficult process for all of us.

Last night, after the funeral, all of the immediate cousins got together for the first time since our grandmother has passed. (Which was about three years ago) For the first time, all of us were together and had such a great time, and we all were getting along so wonderful. Not that we didn't get along before, but when we were younger, we had our own issues. So for the first time last night, we all needed stiff drinks after the past two weeks of the stress. My youngest cousin, went out and bought us all drinks, and we had a ball. Our parents stayed in the livingroom, and you would have thought that we were all a bunch of teenagers again. We had the best time. I hated to see them leave last night. It was so sad. Because the only times we really got a chance to see each other was when we were visiting our grandparents. But now that both of them are gone, we all kinda feel... LOST.

So we are planning our own reunion... for just the six cousins. Someone suggested Vegas. I'm all for it. If we had this much fun last night in my parents dining room, imagine the fun we could have in Vegas... just the six of us without our parents. (And yes... all six of us are grown... but our parents still love to sit around and figure out what we are doing. LOL)

Until next time...

Sex & The City... Finally Watched It

2008-12-14T00:26:00.002-05:00

When Sex & The City first came on HBO, I wasn't even the least bit interested. The name alone gave me reservations. Well that and the fact that I didn't have HBO, so I did not watch it at all. Little did I know that I was completely clueless. About two years ago, they started airing the show on cable tv. So I was finally able to catch an episode here and there. And yes, I will admit it... it is my guilty pleasure. For a while, I would sit up late at night to watch two and three episodes of this television phenom, and I was loving it. For one, the main character Carrie Bradshaw was like me... a writer. But as I got to know the rest of the characters, I found a little bit of all of them in me.

One thing that I absolutely loved about the show was the friendship between the four women. I longed for that. I had a few friends back in the day, but of course people change, things change, and you are no longer close to the ones that you grew up with. So every time I watched this show, (it was the very edited version), I would have to live my life vicariously through these four women.

Well tonight, I finally broke down and watched the movie. I bought it back in October, but never watched it. I was so jealous of four fictional characters and their friendship, and how fabulous their lives were, that it took me nearly two months to watch the movie. But I was so glad that I did. Sex & The City has become my new favorite movie. It has actually moved above Waiting To Exhale... (But not before the Godfather Trilogy lol) I'm actually looking into purchasing the entire series on DVD for myself.

Anyway, the movie was really great. Yes, there were some nude and sex scenes which I kind of expected, but the movie itself was wonderful. My baby sister went on opening night with two of her BFFs, and they dressed for the occasion. All three of them were dressed in designer dresses and shoes, and then all went out for drinks afterwards. YES, I was so jealous when she told me. That was something that I wanted to do. I actually was really excited when the movie came out, and I was really looking forward to seeing it. But I don't have any friends here in VA where I live. At least not any that I can hang out with and actually do a girls night out.

But that is ok. This movie was awesome and it showed me that real love is out there, and it prevails, and so do friendships. So with that, I am going to take my happy yet sleepy self to bed. I will be preparing to travel back to Jersey and I need some rest.

Until next time...

Baking Again... I Just Can't Help It...

2008-12-13T00:27:00.002-05:00

With me preparing for this trip back to Jersey for my grandfather's homegoing service, I am not my usual self. (Well that and marital issues... but that's for another blog) And my daughter can tell. She is so luvy duvy. She's been hugging me a lot more than normal, which I am loving. And coming into the room just to say, "Uh mommy, can I tell you something? I love you." Now a few of those trips to the room were because she was trying to avoid taking a rest period. I know, at six they don't get rest periods. Uh... here... she needs to. Because if she doesn't rest, then I don't rest. And I am with her 24/7/365. Which means when she rests, I can blink for a brief moment.

So, this morning when she came into the bedroom, she was talking non stop. I don't remember what she was talking about because I was still half asleep. (Late nights looking for work) And my spouse had the day off, so he was downstairs actually working from home. (that's really not a day off if you're still working from home) And my daughter was just going... you would have thought that she had been up for hours by the way she was talking. But she's always been like that. She will wake up begin her day without so much as a yawn. If you hadn't watched her go to sleep you would think that she never sleeps. But anyway... (I'm just yappin' aren't I?) She finally asked... "What are we going to do today?" And then it hit me. Sugar cookies. But I didn't tell her.

I told her that we would have an activity later on in the day. She bugged me about it all day long. I went online and found a really easy sugar cookie recipie that I had used once before, but never saved. So this time I printed it, and saved it, and headed downstairs to get my ingredients. Low and behold... NOT ENOUGH BUTTER UUUHHHHGGGGG!!!! We had one stick of butter left. So I went out to buy butter. When I got to the store, I saw the premade packages of sugar cookies and picked that up along with the butter. (We still needed that) Then I went and picked up a package of hotdogs, and some sprinkles for the cookies. And as I was headed to check out, God told me to put the premade cookies back. My child wanted the hands on experience of our activity. And so, I put them back.

When I got home, I hid the sprinkles cause she LOVES sprinkles. I made her two hotdogs, and some apple juice. While we were sitting on the floor eating together, I asked her if she knew what our activity was going to be. She said, "Chocolate chip cookies?" I told her she was close. Then I grinned and said, "Sugar cookies with sprinkles." She got the biggest grin on her face, and that meant the world to me.

So tonight we made sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles. I told her that she made them because she poured my dry ingredients in with the wet ones and even helped to mix it up until the dough was too hard for her. LOL Four giant cookies. She ate 2 1/2 and gave the rest to me. I put the rest of the dough in the fridge for tomorrow. I know for a fact she's going to ask for them for her snack.

Until next time...

I Love My Mommy...

2008-12-12T00:28:00.003-05:00

It is after midnight here in VA, and I just got a call from my mother. Now I know that she is mourning, but she called me to tell me how much she loved me, and even though I am here mourning pretty much by myself, that God is with me and has His arms around me to help me through the death of my grandfather. Without going into too many details, my marriage is in lots of different pieces, so yes she is right, I am mourning pretty much alone here. And my mom knows, and acknowledged it, which really did my heart good tonight.

Anyway... I am currently looking for work because I will eventually be a single parent... unless there is some divine intervention. I however refuse to work outside of the house. I missed out on five years of my daughter's life after she was born. And putting her into school is not an option regardless of what everyone and their mother seems to think. God knew the decisions that were going to be made that are putting me in this situation, so He also knows that I have to work from home in order to continue to homeschool her. I do not know how I'm going to do it, but it has to be done.

Pray for me as I look for legitimate work to do at home. Work that will afford me the ability to pay bills and still have money left over in the end.

Until next time...

Getting Better..

2008-12-10T23:52:00.002-05:00

I did a lot better today. Maybe because I was trying to keep busy, but I didn't cry as much today as I have been doing since Monday. I really miss my grandfather, but I know he is in heaven with my grandmother just as happy now that they are together. LOL But today was better. I will be leaving for Jersey on Monday. There is still so much I need to do here before I leave, and I don't know if my husband will be joining me in Jersey or not. Which is ok. I'm not upset about that.

I've been just getting small things done around the house today. Mainly laundry. Geeze the stuff piles up quickly. I look up and after it seems like I have just put the last pile away, there's more to do. But I guess that's just life. LOL Today, Steph spent a lot of time on her computer. Once I am stable with my writing and it's schedule, I'm sure our activities will increase and I'll only write at night and not try to do it during the day. Well, it is late and I am still exhausted.

Until next time...

The Raising of the Tree...

2008-12-09T17:52:00.002-05:00

The Christmas tree is finally up. I really did not feel like messing with that tree today. But I had promised Steph yesterday that we would put it up. And after I got the news about my grandfather's passing, I was no good the rest of the day. So last night I went and bought some vanilla ice cream with my last $4.00 and some chocolate sauce. That was what Steph wanted today while we decorated the tree. (She also wanted it for breakfast.)

It took a while, because I am still in a state of really wanting to stay in the bed under the covers for the next few days. (Unfortunately my spouse is not being very supportive during this time) But the tree finally went up. It's one of those trees that have the lights already on them, THANK GOD, so all I had to do was put it up, and plug it in. I handed my daughter the ornaments, and let her go to town on our little tree. I danced in the background as The Jackson Five sang, "Santa Claus is comin' to town", which my child made me put on REPEAT. I am so sick of that song as of this moment. LOL

The tree is beautiful. Even though the majority of the balls are concentrated on the left side of the tree in one specific area. LOL And I wouldn't think of moving them either.

I will be heading to NJ within the next few days for my grandfather's homegoing service. Thank you to everyone who has been sending up prayers for me. I really need them right now. Hopefully, I will still be able to keep up with my blogs while I am away.

Until next time...

I Love You Pop-Pop

2008-12-08T22:30:00.004-05:00

I learned today that my grandfather passed away. My sister called me while I was on my way to the Dollar Store with my daughter. He was in his eighties, but we were still taken off guard. I had already missed him because he moved from his home in NJ, to CO with my aunt since he could not take care of himself alone any more. So when I was in NJ in Sept and Oct, it was to say goodbye. But it was always my intention to take Steph on a trip to CO to visit him.

When I told Steph that grandpa had died she got a little teary eyed. As I was driving back to my house, (my sister made me pull over before she told me anything), I asked Steph if she was ok. She said, "I'm a little ok. But why did grandpop have to go to heaven without us?" I thought it was the cutest thing, and it made me smile. She was sad off and on for the rest of the day. But by the time it was early evening, she was back to normal. She knew that I was still sad, and she kept coming to my room to check on me.

She and I will be headed back home at the end of the week for Pop-Pop's homegoing service. I am going to miss him so much!!

Until next time...

So What Are We Going To Do Today?

2008-12-07T21:24:00.003-05:00

Well really, what are we going to do tomorrow? Since we did not put up the Christmas tree yet, I figured we can do that. However I think the very first thing that we will do is go to the museum. I love that she has a membership, so every time that we go, it is free. Provided I have the gas to get there and back, we will check out the Living Museum tomorrow. That will be a nice little surprise for her. Then, when we get back, we will put up our tree, and hope that our dog Tod does not have any inklings to try and get underneath of it.

I would really like to see some snow here in VA. A mother/daughter snowball fight would be awesome. My husband and I are from NJ, which means we know about snow storms. My daughter was born here in VA, so she's only seen snow, a real good snow, about three times. I would love for her to try and walk in two feet of snow. Those were the days.

Our chocolate chip cookies are almost all gone. I never really make the entire batch when I'm making cookies. I just put the dough in a container and as we want them, I bake them. That way, I'm not tempted to eat the entire batch. (Which is usually about 3 dozen) Maybe we'll do some sugar cookies. She loves those. I don't have any sprinkles, but I'm willing to figure out a way to color sugar so that I can make my own. I am the queen of finding a "concoction" to substitute for what I do not have.

That already sounds like a lot. And if we do end up making the cookies, I'm going to definitely have to do that 2 mile walk that I've been doing on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Until next time.

Blog's Name Change...

2008-12-07T18:31:00.003-05:00

Every morning when my daughter comes into my room to ultimately wake up the dog, she jumps on my bed and says, "Mommy, what are we going to do today?" She's knows that 80% of the time, it will be school and an activity. But it is the other 20% that she never knows what the day will bring. We might go to the museum, we might just take the day off and lounge, sometime I will even host a snack party all day long for the both of us. And we will eat snack food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (We don't do that too often.)

So I decided to change the name of the blog. Of course I will continue to chronicle our homeschool adventures, or should I say sometime misadventures. But I will also chronicle what is going on in our everyday lives. There are some times that our regular journey through life is a little more exciting that one or two of our homeschool days.

Until next time...

Let the Baking Begin...

2008-12-04T23:07:00.002-05:00

Well it has finally started. At least for me. The Christmas season does not really hit me until I start baking. And I started off this year with some chocolate chip cookies. It wasn't a big production like I normally do. (mainly because she was wondering what she was going to have for dessert after her veggies) But this year, I used my grandmother's old mixer. And when I say old, I mean old like hmm... 20 years old? When she passed, it just stayed in the cabinets until a few months ago. When my mother and aunt began cleaning out my grandparent's home (pop-pop was moving to CO with my aunt), they told my sister and I to take what we wanted. I went right for Grammy's mixer. Man, she used to bake up a storm with that thing. So it was only right that I take it, since I do more baking than I should. LOL

The cookies came out pretty good. Especially since I did not have any brown sugar and decided to make my own with pancake syrup. Yes, I know, they say to make it with molasses... but I don't ever have molasses in this house. So I had to improvise. I must say they came out pretty good. I was happy with them... but then again, I'm always happy when I have chocolate. And Steph enjoyed her's, and even the spouse had one.

So in the midst of my marital issues, and lack of fundage... I was able to get some of the Christmas spirit started up at least in my own mind and in the heart of my child. I started to bake. It's actually kinda theraputic too. Espcially since I was dancing around the kitchen singing, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve". LOL (I had left my Christmas Music on the hardrive) So hopefully the Christmas tree will go up, and I can officially begin the season.

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. And not cause I got cool stuff as gifts LOL... But because I absolutely love to give gifts. I love seeing peoples faces when they open something that they have wanted, and are finally getting. I also loved the fact that I was always at home for Christmas. Meaning home in NJ with my family. I never spent a Christmas away. We always woke up in our own beds, and enjoyed opening our gifts at home. So even now... after almost 11 years of marriage, I still feel a little weird not being HOME. Although I want my daughter to always open up her gifts here at home... or wherever home is at the time. Christmas is my favorite time of year, yet it is still kinda bittersweet for me...

Oh geeze... Looks like I started rambling on about this whole thing. Wasn't this post supposed to be about baking? LOL!!!

Until next time...

December Already...

2008-12-01T23:03:00.003-05:00

Where in the world does all the time go? Seems like just yesterday it was hot and I was talking about how although I liked summer, I was ready for the winter. So December has crept up on me and I am not ready at all. I love Christmas, but I'm not ready. I still do not have any money which is making it very difficult to "shop". And that includes all the goodies that I normally make during this time of the year.

Praying homeschoolers, please keep me in prayer. I am working on a few things that should bring in some money for me, but I need the prayers. :-)

Today Steph was on her computer all day. I hadn't unpacked her laptop from our trip to GA, but I woke up and heard it on and in full swing. I sat up in the bed and called out to her. She said, "I'm doing my computer school work mommy." I grinned. She didn't want to work on the books today. Which is ok, because I did decide that December was going to be a very easy month for us. I want us to enjoy the holiday season as much as possible. I would like to do a lot of baking, like I normally do. But this year, I think she's old enough to help, and I'm talking about the REAL help and not just standing on the stool and eating the dough, or licking the bowl.

She grew quite a few inches too. She's tall enough to wash her hands at the kitchen sink. About a month ago, she couldn't. My baby is growing up and I'm not sure I like it. Ok, I do.

I'm thinking about doing my famous chocolate and strawberry cakes this year. I stopped doing them for about three years, because my "Turbo Cooker" broke, and I could not find another one to save my life. But I did come into some money that allowed me to purchase a new one. (Did I mention that I am the infomercial queen?) So I am thinking about doing those this year. And of course I have to do chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and a couple of peach cobblers. And that is in addition to the banana, white, and french breads. Yeah, I do need money. Cause the husband is not handing over any. Hmm... maybe I could sell the cakes this year...

Well, even though I will be attempting to do all of this baking this month, I am still going to attempt to get some kind of workout in. I don't know why since December is the worst month for me to try and loose weight. But I guess I better get into the swing of it.

Until next time...

In Georgia for the Holidays...

2008-11-25T11:43:00.002-05:00

We have just arrived in GA for the holidays. Although I wanted to spend Thanksgiving in NJ with my family, we are here in GA with his family, and I will be in NJ a few days after Christmas. Which is cool. Steph will get to open gifts at home and at her YaYa and Pop-Pop's house.

But anyway, we are finally here in GA. We left at 1:00 am this morning, and arrived at around 10:45 am. That was such a long ride for just a few days. But his family was very insistent that we come for this Thanksgiving, which has been in GA for the past few years. We didn't make it last year, but we came the year before.

So I brought a nice back pack with her books and my lesson plans. She will definitely be doing school while we are here. We didn't do any today cause... we'll we just got here. Although we did stop at Cracker Barrel for breakfast around 7:00 a.m. and I was tempted to get a few worksheets in while we were waiting. But we didn't really have too much time for it. We kinda had to eat and run, since my husband was driving and was ready to get on the road as soon as he swallowed the last of his bacon.

We also played with doing some school work when we got to my BIL's house a little later on. Which we should be able to do. Especially since December is coming up, and she will be enjoying the Christmas holidays all month long. We probably will not do any "formal" schooling except for a few days during that month anyway.

So... that is where we are right now. Thank goodness the hotel has WiFi...

Until next time...

Oh What Fun...

2008-11-20T23:26:00.002-05:00

Money is tight, but this morning, I just really wanted to get out of the house for a while. We had our PE lined up for 1:00 pm, but I just did not want to be in the house. So we packed up her books, and went to iHop. That was fun. And she was amazing. I mean, she just did her lessons with no "lolligagging" at all. When our food came, she said, "Ok, food break." We enjoyed our "late" breakfast, and then she went right back to her workbooks. I was amazed.

The people at the tables around us, kept watching her and I. I didn't give anyone any eye contact today. I just was not in the mood to be bothered. I know, that is so mean... but I was just enjoying being with Steph having fun at the iHop. And she didn't want to leave until she was finished with her work... and her chocolate milk.

It would be awesome to be able to go out for breakfast every morning, and do our lessons there. Well, she is a picky eater anyway. So when we go out for breakfast, unless it is at Shoney's, she will only eat chicken fingers and fries for breakfast. So I have to stay home most mornings to make sure that she gets in her friut.

We headed to Mt. Trashmore for her PE. We walked (she ran) around the huge lake and the oversized hill. Then we went up the hill. So that was about 2.5 miles and some stairs. I am so out of shape!!!!!

Tomorrow is an evening playdate at Chick-Fil-A with some friends from my hometown of NJ. Next week will be a field trip. Still not sure where yet. Its a little too cold for the zoo, so we'll do either the Aquarium, or our trusty favorite, the Living Museum.

Until next time...