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(graphic courtesy of Kelly@diary of the Nello)

Meg auditioned this past Saturday for a strings orchestra. We received her acceptance letter today in the mail. We are so excited for her! The opportunity to play as a member of an orchestra is almost priceless and will be a big boost to her playing ability this year.

This was our first experience with audition...and I almost didn't make it. I was a nervous wreck, by the time we arrived at the audition hall I was wishing for a valium or something!

So, for the 2006-2007 season, Meg is a member of the Prelude String Orchestra.

That's my baby girl!

Old-time blogging moms probably already know about 5 minutes for mom,
but for any new bloggers...I wanted to give a plug for their blogroll and featured stores written/run-by moms.

If you get a chance to check them out, look for my interview here... the exciting behind the scenes true-life account of what I blog and why I started blogging.

5 minutes for mom isn't only about homeschool blogs-they have a list of every kind of mom blog imaginable, and internet stores run by moms...including the two moms who created the site.

I don't have a cute button yet, because I am so un able to do the button thingy...someone will have to rescue me and place it for me...soon!
o.k. back to your normal scheduled programming...

Kevin and I served in Children's Meeting this Sunday. Um, I think they won...

At one point during singing time, the kids were questioned about the song we were about to sing. "who are we singing about who was called and obeyed?" One of the boys was quick to reply with "Abraham Lincoln, he was the 6th President, I think!" "No dear, Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States-but we are talking about Abraham who was called out of Ur..."

The family supplying snacks couldn't...so we hastily picked up what we could find, Oreos and Capri sun. Yes, it was a brilliant move...get them all hyped- up on sugar and corn syrup/water!

We had several-like 5 or 6 rounds of "Deep and Wide"....and the memory verse games of "hang-man" were a hit...I think we lost them on the story of Samuel finding and annointing David the shepard boy. They liked the bear part...

Again, I have to say...I think they won...1st and 2nd grade class- 01/parents team-00
At least we didn't have to do a craft.

Our son, Demi (a.k.a 'the boy-wonder' and 'son of thunder') loves baseball. Not just loves baseball, loves baseball. Friday night was his first taste of t-ball!

Sky took Demi to his first t-ball class, I figured I would bow out of this boy and his dad experience. Sky's first comment to me later was, "You should have seen how focused Demi was on everything the coach was saying"

I paused to consider this revelation, realizing I had possibly never witnessed my son intently focusing on anything. I am teaching him to read right now and keep having to tell him to look at the word we are trying to read...his eyes are everywhere else!
This is something I will have to see in person...so next week I will be there to witness this miraculous event. Maybe I will start using a baseball manual for reading next week...

Demi is in blue in the picture, look under the coaches arm.. Demi is throwing a perfect throw here. O.k, his mamma says it was perfect...

Everyday things-today I am thankful for this ordinary thing...homeschool planning Friday's with my very dear homeschool friend. We began meeting every Friday afternoon to plan for our next week of homeschooling and organize. Once a month we try to actually go out to a coffee house for planning, visiting and good eats. This Friday was our day "out", and we had a really good time. (and a scone, and a rice krispie treat, and a flavorful coffee, and a chai latte...)

"Not that I speak according to lack, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content." Philippians 4:11

Everyday things is a meme hosted every Friday by Everyday Mommy, go over to her blog to see more everyday things.

The homeschool dilemma is always- what to do with the little ones while you are schooling your older children? Making activity boxes or offering games for your preschoolers is not a new idea in homeschooling circles, a wise idea I've never quite completely pulled off.

This article http://www.wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/art-house.html in Wondertime magazine inspired me to go out and gather some boxes and art supplies to keep Amie busy this school year without any prep time for me (after the intitial gathering, that is).

The boxes Amie is working with in the two photos are a dot-art box with special dot art paint bottles and a special coloring book, and a craft-art supply box containing waterpaints, stamping ink, stamps, markers and peel and stick foam shapes. I have a few other busy boxes...a geoboard kit, animal figures kit, big playdough kit, chalkboard/chalk kit. I am hoping to add others later so we will have a nice rotation of activities to keep her busy. She was very pleased to have her own activity to work on last week. Read the Wondertime article if you get a chance, it was more about a portable art kit in a tackle box-very nice idea I will be working on gathering next month. The magazine is also a beautiful one, I subscribe to it and enjoy each issue.

Labels: homeschool

My kids embarrass me-sometimes...I figure it keeps me humble or teaches me to extend mercy, or both. Today we had lunch at the home of a young newly-wed couple. They are so cute, so young and their lifestyle and home is very newly-wed: very small, humble apartment and lots of hand-down furniture. Ah, I remember those years well...We had a wonderful lunch at their place and lots of good fellowship, when...get ready for it...out-of-the-blue, the boy wonder (age 6) says while looking around; "you have a very, very small house." I tried to stop the train derailment and commented to him about this being an apartment and explaining what an apartment house was, also commenting to the entire room observing us that he had never been to an apartment before. His next comment was, " it's very small...our house is very big, this house kind of reminds me of camping." Tried to rescue that with my own comment that it must remind him of the condo we stay in sometimes when we go to Big Bear on vacation...on and on about how the condos are all connected, blah-blah...basically trying to gracefully rescue the situation and steer clear of any affront real or imaginary. He did agree, I didn't even have to nudge him with my foot or anything. Turns out he was thinking of Big Bear. I don't know what they were thinking, or if they thought it funny, if they cared. Hubby quickly changed the subject. We were able to have a good laugh at our own mortification later at home. Well, they sure keep us on our toes...can't get very complacent or too satisfied with ourselves with the young ones underfoot. At least they didn't break anything.

Ida B ...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World
By Katherine Hannigan

Ida B is a homeschooled 9 year old. This book first caught my eye because of the cute title. After I skimmed through it and realized she is homeschooled, I had to read it and share it with my girls. Books about homeschoolers are not real common, so finding this was a big treat. Ida B is a spunky, imaginative girl who has a unique way at looking at life and a memorable knack at stating her case. Her world was "finer than fine" until her mother became ill. Ida is eventually put back in school and her parents have to sell part of the farm to pay medical bills. Ida is angry and hurt and she lets her heart become "a sharp, black stone...it was so hard nobody could break it and so sharp it would hurt anybody who touched it." The book is about Ida B's emotional healing, slowly finding herself, reconstructing her world and learning to say she is sorry.

This book is written for the 9-12 age range, but does cover some deep issues like cancer, the possiblilty of losing a parent, and emotional separation. Ida does not cope well through most of the book, and I was a bit dismayed at first, thinking a homeschool family in (my biased) theory shouldn't have that degree of pulling away and lack of communication. At second thought I could see that the story would be a good conversation starter with my girls about all of these deep issues. Ida is very imaginative and she talks to trees, there is a subtle earth love (I don't know what else to call it, tree-hugger-ness?..) feel to the book. At one point Ida's dad comments to her that we have to take care of the earth and she replies that the earth sometimes takes care of us. I find this a barely- there issue though, not in your face and the above comment would be a good discussion starter. As far as talking to the trees and brook, we've always had fairies about so that didn't really concern me. Thought I would mention it for anyone who would want to steer clear. It is a new favorite for me, and I am pleased to be sharing it as a read- aloud with my older girls right now. I really hope we see more stories about Ida B, and I hope she gets to go back to homeschool-we really need more homeschool characters.

Labels: book review, reading basket

Have you noticed something different? Ah, come on, admit it...you did notice my new "do".

Susie at Bludbird blogs designed this beautiful blog for me. This is very different from the old look, much more 'me'. The old look was, well- it was what I ended up with because I have no idea at all, what I am doing -here in computer/blogland. It was the template I ended up with somehow. So, I noticed some of Susie's creative handiwork around blogdom and I asked her to make me beautiful. She has been great to work with, so very patient with all my questions and constantly changing ideas of what I wanted. I was kind of like a kid in a candy store at first, "I'll take one of these quote boxes, and some floweres, and a reading list box, and by the way, can you grab some linky-buttony-thingys for me cause I have no clue how to do that..."

Susie is having a contest at her website for two people to win a free blog design. If you have a blog and mention the contest and link, she will enter you 5 times. I'm not entering, 'cause' my design is brand-new-but I wanted to tell everyone about her. Go to her site here.

I will be playing with the boxes in the margins in the next few days, I seriously don't know what I am doing, so pretend you don't notice if things look a little clumsy for a few days. Hopefully I will not crash my whole blog... Susie said she'd help, I'm sure I will need it.
I'm off now to play with my new toy...er-to do some serious blogging...

graphic courtesy of Denise @ mental ex...

1. cinnamon/brown sugar pop-tart and a diet coke (haven't had one since 1995-pop tart I mean)
2. chocolate-chip bagel with strawberry cream cheese and a diet coke
3. bagel with egg-salad on it (and the diet coke) (do we have a pattern here?)
4. Ghirardelli 60% cocoa bittersweet chocalate cooking chips-straight out of the bag
5. pizza kitchen 5 cheese pizza
6. Rubio's shrimp tacos
7. panini sandwich from corner bakery
8. tortilla chips with melted cheddar cheese on top-with a diet coke (a favorite lunch)
9. cheese and garlic tortillini with a salad and ranch dressing on both
10. gosh I'm getting really hungry now, maybe this was a bad idea....
11. famous star with criss-cut fries from Carl's Jr.
12. Chicken curry with garlic naan bread from favorite Indian restaurant (you can tell I like to go out alot, can't you? what do you do for date night when you can't eat?????)
13. of course- Godiva chocolate cheesecake from Cheesecake factory -with a diet coke

Thursday Thirteen is a meme designed to get to know other bloggers. Join in the fun here, or read other Thursday thirteen lists, visit the giant Thursday thirteen hub and see the huge list here.

Tale of a meandering homeschool mom-

1) meander. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. 2. To move aimlessly and idly without fixed direction:

I am a homeschool mom. Yet, you might have wondered at the lack of 'back to school' posts here on my blog. Well, I have been struggling this year with my whole homeschool outlook. As summer drew to a close this year, for the first time since we began this adventure called homeschooling, I was not excited about the upcoming year. I tried to drum up some excitement as September loomed over the horizon, but I came up with zip, nada...

I battle a sort of educational dual-personality complex; I admire and agree with a more 'classical' approach to education. Ancient classics, Latin, real British history, logic and rhetoric, Shakespeare with a decided Charlotte Mason bent...'living' books vs. textbooks when applicable, nature study, short lessons, half the day left for play and exploration. I found Ambleside Online last year and felt like I had come home.

However, my free-spirit, gypsy-like ways somehow impede all of my lofty goals and ideas. I come to an impasse with my soul-life again and again every school year, and this year the whole struggle and feelings of shortcoming overwhelmed me.
This year I gave up the Ambleside Online scope and sequence for one not classical but big on providing everything you need in one very big binder, including a schedule. (I noticed long ago my lack of ability to stay on task) This schedule, I decided would be my sustaining power amidst my wandering inclinations.

I hope I am not painting a totally inept picture of myself as a homeschooler; I do manage to get done the important subjects that need to be done-and even add in fun and interesting subjects. We homeschool through a home-based charter school here in California, and the school has been satisfied with what we do. I do feel many educational experiences get passed over though, because of my structureless ways and here is where my feelings of inadequacy play in.

Two weeks ago I dutifully did my planning, gathered my books and even sat down and made a schedule for our day-figuring in all I wanted to accomplish and ending at a respectable time to allow for creative play. I had visions of blogging a smooth-running day, posting pictures of the different subjects we covered at their appointed times. You can guess at the outcome, I am sure. Hubby called at lunch to see how it was all going, and talked to a very depressed, demoralized wife. We started an hour late (and I can never tell why...things just happen and it gets later and later) and it just fell apart from there. My emotions that day ranged from deciding I am such a failure at my life...(lunch time) to giving up and keeping my unstructured lifestyle (we did get everything done, it just took all day in short unpredictiable spurts) sing with me-"I've just got to be me!..." by dinner time to calm determination to just keep trying to nail some structure. I decided to stick with the calm determination...my civil engineer husband (read logical/linear) supported this approach.

The thought I wanted to leave with today is this: I was able to attend our Wednesday night ministry meeting tonight and the subject was "Living in the reality of the Body of Christ through the experience of the Cross." I was really touched by this point-

we do not want to be guilty of ignorance of the experience of the cross. We need to see the revelation that our old man was crucified with Christ-Romans 6:6, Galatians 2:20. This includes the entirety of my old being. I may not have the feeling or experience of it at this moment, but it has already happened.

The rest of this week, I will forget my self, cease struggling and simply walk in newness of life.
Amen

Labels: devotional, homeschool, homeschool planning

Labels: homeschool

Glendalough round tower from the 11th century

St. Patrick's cathedral from the 11th century, near a small well St. Patrick is believed to have baptised converts in the 5th century
H'a Penny bridge over river Liffey near city center
General Post office site of Easter uprising 1916, impressive building, I purchased stamps here

Close up light pole near St. Patrick's

Labels: Ireland, trips

The Book of Kells-'Turning Darkness into Light'. We had the opportunity to see the Book of Kells exhibit at Trinity College in Dublin. The Book of Kells contains a lavishly decorated copy, in Latin, of the four gospels thought to have been produced by monks in the 9th century. I loved seeing the signs for the exhibit stating- 'turning darkness into light'; such a comission to undertake! The artwork, detail, and labor undertaken to produce these copies of the gospels was extraordanary and stunning.

The highlight for me was the last room of the exhibit where two pages of the book were exhibited. To stand and gaze at this work of art made over 1,000 years ago...opened to the Book of John, chapter one. It is in Latin, so a card next to the page stated part of the translation. It read like this..."In the beginning was the Word,..." that was all the translation given and as I stood there gazing on it, shoulder to shoulder with other tourists perusing the offerings on display that day, I was electrified by the thought of the link I as a believer hold with all the other believers today and all of the other believers through the ages and these monks over 1,000 years ago who loved these words.

I wanted to ask, "do you know the rest?

It's God made music,

God made visible, God spoken... say it with me..."

"In the beginning...was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

The other page displayed was this artwork page (pictured above) of the four evangelists. Sky was able to share with some ladies the symbolism behind the artwork for each gospel.

This was how I understood his remarks; For Matthew-the lion- symbolizes the king savior. The book of Matthew centering on the kingdom of the heavens and emphasizing the kingly line of David. For Mark-the ox-symbolizes the slave savior. No lineage given in this gospel because slaves have no history. Christ is shown doing the will of the father in this gospel. For Luke-a man-symbolizing the man-savior and lineage given of the line of Adam to Christ. For John-the eagle- symbolizing the God-Savior and no lineage given because "In the beginning was God..".

Again, it was stunning to realize the link we have to the monks who labored to illustrate the truths of the gospels. The signs for the exhibit were so relevant in these dark times, 'turning darkness into light'. It was a really exciting visit for us. The homeschool mom in me was immediately excited over the possibilities of a unit study on illuminated books, begun with readings on monks, the reformation, Guttenburg, library books on illuminated writings-followed by purchase of a calligraphy set to illuminate our own books...you can see where this is going...I run around in circles much of the time. Four months later we would finally get to the book of Kells... (so, how many steps does it take for a homeschool family to change a lightbulb????)

Labels: devotional, Ireland

Moms for Modesty... Everyday mommy is hosting this group of concerned parents lobbying the clothing industry to offer clothes appropriate for girls. Please check out her site and article. Chilihead has an insightful commentary on the modesty issue here. It is worth a minute to go and read. As a mom of 3 girls and 1 boy, this is a concern (and frustration) close to my mother-heart. Seems like as soon as the girls are out of the toddler sizes, it becomes a fight to find clothes not 'night-club-ready'. Places I look for clothes for my girls; Land's end (they have uniform 'skorts' that actually touch the knee) and dresses and skirts that touch the knee at least or longer. Hanna Anderson (a little pricey but great quality, and great sales end- of- season) and Mini Boden (haven't ordered yet, again pricey but I am eyeing some of the great longer skirts). Girl's clothes that bug me....shirts with lots of writing across the chest (where are the eyes supposed to go?) shorts and pants with words written on the backside, skirts so short you want to blush for them, clothes for little girls that look like they are ready to bar- hop. Today they do grow up too fast, let them be little girls for a while!

Two Last pictures of us in Ireland- We visited the ruined monastic settlement of Glendalough, from the 6th century. Really neat monastary remains and cemetery and a 12th century round tower. The whole area was beautiful and sparked the imagination, imagining monks hiding in the tower with precious manuscripts while the vikings raided the area. We also stopped at Powercourt house (the picture with the two of us) which had gardens and shops, surrounded by beautiful green hills. I get very motion sick, this trip I took a break from my ear patches (work great but rough side-effects) and took some pills which knocked me out. I pretty much slept through all of the beautiful countryside and woke up only when Sky nudged me and told me we were "there". The trip was pretty much a blur. Just really glad I only took 2 pills instead of the 3 I was thinking of...Powercourt house I remember stumbling out of the bus and finding a scone and diet coke to wake me up. I also remember lots of sheep.

Labels: Ireland, trips

We are so easily amused- some signs that tickled our fancy...we were puzzled as to what "pitches" are, and not sure if they were off.
This crosswalk sign we came up with the interpretation of "death stalks children who cross here."
Pembroke park was also intersected by Pembroke lane, Pembroke Rd. and Pembroke court. This was very unhelpful the day we were lost. At that point in the day almost anything amused us.
We have other such pictures in our photo album from other trips. Our friend Martinez from South Africa told us about the signs in his country warning of "Highjack area" and warned us of our high probability of being highjacked as we get out to take the picture for our collection. Now, I really have to have that picture of that sign...Wonder if I can get someone to volunteer to take it for me?

Labels: Ireland, trips

Everyday things- today I am greatful for a very ordinary everday thing; my bed. Oh, how wonderful and soft it felt after being away from home so long. Just like a big, fat, soft marshmellow. I am greatful I have somewhere soft to lay my head and that my children sleep in warm, soft beds every night. Philippians 4:11
Everyday mommy hosts everyday things at her blog, go over and take a peak if you get the chance.