It can't always be good.

As much as I prefer to only know about the good things coming my way, I realize I HAVE to accept everything in my future won't be peachy sweet.

I have mentioned before that I have been working, and growing, my skills with divination.  So I asked a question.  It was a very important question.  I got answers.  I didn't want to accept the first answer so I tried again, then again and two more times after that.  I got the same answers, each time with a little more information, however the same results.  I sat perplexed for a moment.  So, I asked a question of how to gain a more positive result.  I didn't love this answer either by the way.

I have come to realize we all have the power to make whatever future we want, for the most part.  I also realize that sometimes conflict is necessary.  I sort of have felt that I could use a break from conflict and strife, having had so much of it over the years.  However, there are more lessons to be learned and even more obstacles yet to overcome.  The best I can do is keep a positive outlook, hope for the best, and learn my lessons.

Progress?

Last week, with the holiday and all, I didn't want to have our regular "school" so I made a creative fiction writing workshop for the kiddos.  They loved it.  Ken and I got a kick out of what the kids wrote.  I knew my daughter had a gift when it comes to writing, but my son is a natural.  I love his simplistic, clean style of writing.  He delivers just the right wording to make his point.  I'm truly impressed.  I think my husband was taken aback with how dark my son could get in his writings.  You see, I didn't ask them to write typical age appropriate responses to prompts.  I chose things like, write from a villains point of view.  I had the them do plenty of background on who and what type of villain they would create.  Like I said, they ate it up.

This week wasn't so challenging because the kids were happy to get back on their normal "school" schedule. Unfortunately I'm not quite as together.  I started working a part time, work from home, job.  I have discovered that I much rather enjoy working as a stay at home wife, homeschooler and of course mom-in-chief.  Or as I also refer to myself, home manager.  My duties have been seriously put on the back burner because of the training for the part time gig.  I'm so over it at this point.  However, we've purchased a second car and I have to make good on the difference of the car note, so it is what it is at the moment.

I truly hope my hubby will reconsider moving a little further north of where we are now so we could save more on gas and maybe I could drop this whole part time job thing.  We'll see, I have my ways... wink, wink!

Happy Blue Moon

How could I have forgotten to mention.  It's a Blue Moon tonight.

And We're Off and Running...

I've taken a serious backseat to posting here because I've been in full back to school mode.  Plus I've been training for my new part time at-home job so I've been extra busy.

Well here's what I've been up to:

• Still canning peppers and tomatoes!
• Reading everything from Arabian Nights to Silver Ravenwolf's "Hedge Witch" with a bit "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" for extra fun.
• Knee-deep in middle school Chemistry and advanced Biology and Anatomy.  Oodles of fun, I tell ya!
• Finally bought a second car - yes we were a one-car family.  Ironically I haven't really gone anywhere except Aldi's, Harris Teeter and the library.
• Still exploring Charlotte more and more (on the weekend mostly with the hubby)
• Magic Mike - yeah, I had to.
• Sadly, no writing.  I'm so disappointed with myself.
• Making friends, or more like dating potential friends.
• Readying up for football!
• Growing little by little with divination.

I'm sure I've done other interesting things, but clearly they escape me.  Or they're just too OUT THERE to post in this blog! hahaha

Mommy's Study!

I came to the realization some time ago I need a space just for me.  I know not everyone has the room in their house to even consider designating a personal study/office/etc.  I am very lucky we're not a formal dining type of family.  Basically I have taken over what was designed to be the house's formal dining room.

When we first moved in it was a very bright yellow.  I'll spare you the before pictures.  I also can't find any pictures before I painted, so there's that too.  ;-)  However, I decided to use the same color I had recently used for painting my son's room.  It's Valspar's Green Pastures and it's so calming.

I plan to get new comfy chairs, shelving and a console table.  This is just some extra furniture we've had for a few years now.  Those chairs are so NOT for curling up with a book.  I'm working on being more patient, so I'll survive using them for now.  I've been online checking for inspiration.  I get most of my decorating fix from blogs and of course Pinterest.   However, yesterday the Holy Book was delivered to me.  Oh yes, the 2013 Ikea catalog!!! Just what I needed.  I. Am. So. Psyched.

I'm hoping by Christmas I'll have this room pretty much done.  I plan to paint the hall and staircase too.  That's going to be a challenge because I have some issues with height.  Oh well, should be something fun to write about later, right? ;-)

More Back to Schoool

How could I have forgotten about the supplementary workbooks, etc!  Silly me :-)

Within each of my kid's history curriculum I'm weaving in Knowledge Quest.  I've also picked up a workbook to help my son with the periodic table for Chemistry.  I mentioned Spellingcity.com, but I should have also mentioned the spelling lists are free along with the games, practice activities and tests!

This year both students will spend a bulk of the their study time on Science.  This is purposefully done on my part.  My daughter would like to become a doctor and my son has a natural interest in science, especially experiments.  But then again, don't most children want to explore and do experiments anyway?

We'll use our library and continue to use amazon.com and our Nook's to fill in the rest of blanks.

Did I mention how excited I am for us to get started?  Ari says she is looking forward to the routine of it all again and Rodney would prefer to sleep half the day, eat, play and watch TV indefinitely.  Rodney's preferences fuel my entire approach to homeschooling practically year round by the way.

Back to School Next Week

I'm getting excited about starting our homeschooling back up next week.  Since I obsessively plan just about everything anyway, building a curriculum, scheduling and organizing has kept me in a great mood these past few weeks.

I posted our preliminary ideas for my daughter's 11th grade and my son's 7th grade school year, but here's what I've made a final decision about.


Logic:  

Math:  

Spelling:

Vocabulary:  

Grammar:  

Writing:  

History:  
 http://www.classicalhouseoflearning.com/logic-stage-literature.html#MiddleAges

Science:  

Foreign Language:  
http://www.rosettastone.com/homeschool-spanish/level-1

Art Appreciation:     
We'll integrate Art Appreciation using suggestions from The Well Trained Mind and using the Activities provided with Classical House of Learning lesson plans.

P.E./Sports:  Soccer in the Fall and Basketball in the Winter.

*********************************************************************************
Here's the plan for the 11th grade:

Rhetoric:  Writing exercises using the Presidential election.

Precalculus:  

Vocabulary:  


Writing:  


History:    
And hopefully, The History of the Renaissance World  also by Susan W. Bauer
The following list may seem more than ambitious for some, maybe less for others.  One important note is that we're taking more than an average school year to get through the list.  Some of the following may become impossible and therefore get abandoned, while I'll have my daughter skip others if necessary.  The best thing is SHE's excited to read through the following classics!

Augustine, Confessions
Augustine, City of God
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
Tales of the Arabian Nights
Beowulf
Dante, The Inferno
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Patience, Pearl
The Canterbury Tales
The Faerie Queen
Don Quixote
Gulliver's Travels
Edmund Burke, "On American Taxation"
The Declaration of Independence
Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist
The Constitution of the United States
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
John Keats, "Ode to a Nightingales" and other poems
Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist
Edgar Allan Poe, "The Fall of the House of Usher" and other stories
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter


Science:     

Also using

Fundamentals of Biology http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/7-01sc-fundamentals-of-biology-fall-2011/.

Foreign Language:    Rosetta Stone Japanese Level 2

Sports:  Volleyball

Tomatoes & Jalapeno Peppers

We've been doing our very own backyard homesteading.  Basically, we've got nice patch of land in the backyard where we've grown some veggies and herbs.  We started this spring and our harvest has been plentiful!  I canned some of our tomatoes and jalapeno peppers this past Sunday.  Almost all of the jars sealed properly with the exception of one lone jar of tomatoes.  But that's cool, we'll just use it this week.

And here are the pictures of my handy work.

It did get a little messy.  Could just be me?

 I think I'm going to invest in a bigger pot used mainly for canning.

I like how neat and orderly they look!

That's me feeling really proud.

We could have done a much larger batch, but I thought we'd do a trial run first.  It was successful, messy, but successful nevertheless.

Knowledge Quest Map Trek Review

I just purchased Knowledge Quest's Map Trek.  We haven't used it yet, but I'm really excited to integrate their lessons into our existing classical approach to history.  This year both Ari and Rodney are covering the Middle Ages through Early Modern.

Last year we didn't spend as much time as I would have liked using maps in history, but I think Map Trek will do the trick this year.

I love the lesson plan ideas, free integration guide to both Story of the World and The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion to Constantine to the First Crusade, oh and it's downloadable so I just print out myself.

I'll keep updating throughout the school year on how well we do with it.

Florida Mini-Vacation

This past weekend the family took a drive down to Jacksonville Beach, Florida.  Sadly, my husband was there for a funeral, but we also had time in the weekend to qualify our time there as a mini vacation.  A much deserved vacation!  We haven't really had a good family vacation in quite some time.  Me and the hubby are LONG overdue for our own vacation getaway!

This is as close to the Corona ad as I could get. :-)

 Lovely to see even at 12 sandcastles are still OK.

This was a happy photo accident, but cool right!?

 I'm glistening!

My baby girl is just gorgeous!

View from the hotel balcony.  Loved having an oceanfront room.

Ken, poolside, drink, oh and some guy.  ;-)

This is what I was doing most of the day, relaxing poolside with the Tiki bar just to my right!

We all got up to watch the sunrise.  Awesome.

Breakfast of champions!

Oh my gosh, there is nothing like the greatness of the ocean to put things in perspective.  Life and death and appreciation for our time on this earth.  So grateful.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Ah yes, it's that time again, curriculum planning!  I am so excited to plan Ari's 11th grade and Rodney's 7th grade curriculum.  I love making lists, shopping for books, scouring the internet for resources, reading the http://www.welltrainedmind.com/ forums



right along with secularhomeschool.com.


Here's the plan for the 7th grade:

Logic:  The Art of Argument, An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies

Algebra I:  Teaching Textbooks

Spelling:  Undecided on what we'll do.  I may pickup another copy of Spectrum Spelling workbooks.  It worked for us last year.

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary from Classical Roots C & D

Grammar:  Season 2 of Analytical Grammar

Writing:  Writing Strands Level 5

History:  Classical House of Learning lesson plans (http://www.classicalhouseoflearning.com/logic-stage-literature.html#MiddleAges) for the Middle Ages and if she post the lessons in time, for the Renaissance as well.  Otherwise I'm going to follow the CHOLL model and create something of my own.

Science:  Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry for the first half of the school year and Biology for the second half. I'm doing it this way because I want 8th grade to be all about Physics.

Foreign Language:  Continuing with Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 1

Art Appreciation:  Start Exploring Masterpieces: A Fact Filled Coloring Book

Technology:  Kid Coder's Window Programming.  This one is at the request of our Principal, my hubby.  He's all about nudging the kids toward the computer sciences.  Okay, maybe me too :-)

P.E./Sports:  Soccer in the Fall and Basketball in the Winter.

*********************************************************************************
Here's the plan for the 11th grade:

Rhetoric:  The upcoming election is going to be gift to help in the study of Rhetoric.  I'm still piecing some ideas together on this one.  Stay posted!

Precalculus:  Teaching Textbooks

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary from Classical Roots E


Writing:  Writing Strands 7 and Writing Strands Exposition


History:  The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade and if it's published in time and ready for the masses then Susan Wise Bauer's The History of the Renaissance:  From the History of Aristotle to the Fall of Constantinople.  If not, then I plan to consult my copy of her book The Well Trained Mind to study the Renaissance using the same methods.


Science:  Advanced Biology using, cringe worthy, Apologia's The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.  Along with quite a few of the books I purchased at our local homeschool bookstore, The Homeschool Room.  The labs are what we mostly want the book for!  Dissections, here we come!!!  I am also using MIT's open courseware  Fundamentals of Biology (http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/7-01sc-fundamentals-of-biology-fall-2011/).  Can we say...AWESOME!

2nd Science:  Physics.  We're up in the air on studying two sciences but I know my daughter is into it, with  much apprehension about becoming overwhelmed.  I am researching Singapore Math's Physics Matter Textbook.  I also am looking into more cringe worthy Apologia texts as well.  Again, stay posted for updates.

Foreign Language:  Rosetta Stone Japanese Level 2

Technology Elective:  Teen Coder C# Windows Programming.  Also, depending on how it goes, then Game Programming.

Sports:  Volleyball

Spirits & Divination

In my intro on this blog I explain our trailblazing across the south due to job changes.  My hubby has successfully changed jobs again, but this time we've lowered our anchor in NC.  I truly enjoy living here.  I still miss my precious Florida, more so because of friends and family.

Back in February I had a dear friend visit for the weekend.  We met up with other friends, one who has the gift of sight.  She's a Reader, by trade actually.  She's also a really nice host!  We hung out at her home here in Charlotte and she was sweet enough to share some things from Spirit.  I was only too eager to listen!  Her messages reaffirmed I was on the right path and I'm grateful for it.  The message I was given would aid in giving me strength and confidence to face the change that was knowingly to come.  The thing about a message from Spirit is that it can be a little vague.  So technically I knew when change was coming, but I didn't know HOW the change would come.  The big change was the new job for the hubby which would have a domino effect on our family and lifestyle.  Major change would be the correct description.  

This is Emeril's e2 Restaurant in Uptown.  Ken couldn't stop staring into the open kitchen.  He's such a foodie!  Oh and a great cook too!

We have been having a blast exploring the Charlotte area and not breaking the bank to do so! ;-)

I have had to put restrictions on myself because curriculum shopping has never been more fun!  I still have a budget, but it's so much more fun when you're wishlist isn't longer than the one on your shopping cart.  

I think a lot of us have had dreams that someone has passed or someone close to you is pregnant, you know along those lines.  Next day you find out so-and-so is having the experience you dreamed.  Some chalk it up to coincidence and let it go.  The rest of us remember these experiences, share them when appropriate and even document them.  I am one of those people.  I have some fears and hang ups like most folks, but not when it comes to what I like to call "otherness".  Basically where others run away, I leap toward the mysterious, unexplained etc. of life and death.  If, according to many, I should willingly believe that a man born of a virgin would eventually rise from the dead, then why can't it be plausible my ancestors' spirits want to tell me something once in a while.  Just sayin'...LOL!  

My love of all things Pinterest

I'm slow with the latest and greatest fads at times.  Pinterest is yet another example.  In the last month I joined Pinterest and actively begin falling in love.  I have boards set up and I even have followers!

Pinterest gets my creative juices flowing.  It inspired me to finally paint my son's bedroom.  It's also helping me to design my study in what's currently our formal dining room, which is used as a catch-all sitting room/parlor.

I wrote a post about my laundry detergent obsession, so of course I created a board reflecting my love of all things laundry.  This has also inspired me to organize and pretty much re-do our laundry closet.  I had a laundry room before, but in this home we got a closet.  I want to make it more functional with better organization and of course prettier.

I included a board on Goddess worship because it's an interest of mine.  I enjoy studying history, especially ancient history.  I have been reading wonderful works on Goddess worship in ancient times.  There is still so much to know and I'm enjoying the research!

I am so grateful to finding Pinterest, although late apparently.  I'm a creative person, even though I didn't always think so.  I need stimuli to fuel my creativity.  HGTV can't do it all I'm sad to admit.

This literally SPEAKS to me!   :- )

It's Good to be back!

I haven't really gone anywhere.  I just haven't been blogging.  However, I have been reading my share of other people's blogs.  Along with homeschooling, which we just ended a successful school year, I have been having a really fun time learning Charlotte a little better, meeting new people, trying some great restaurants, cooking, hanging out with extended family and one of my favorite things, growing more spiritually.

Ken, me and the kids hanging out at our all time FAVORITE burger joint, Red Robins! Yum.  Yeah I know it's a chain, but we never ate there before moving to NC.

Ken started our backyard garden, with the help of our neighbor and our son Rodney.  That's our dill growing like crazy!  I'll be posting something about the trial and error of pickling I'm sure.

I finally painted my son's room from yellow walls with Winnie the Pooh borders to this calming green.  It's Valspar's Green Pasture.  He loves it!

Our formal dining room is next.  However, I'll post the before and after of its transformation.  I've got plans to convert it into my very own study!

The kids and I have had a great time hanging out at the pool in our community. 

With the spare time I've had, I tried Sally Hanson's stick on nail polish designs.  I didn't love it, but it was fun.

One of the best things about summer is sleeping in.  Some of us sleep in until almost 10AM!