Our 6th Year Begins!

• Our new school year begins today, Monday, August 13, 2007. I am very excited for this new year!
  
  Entering our 6th year of homeschooling, I feel more relaxed than ever before.
  I don't think it's about getting easier, though. I think it's about finally learning what kind of teacher I am and having developed a deeper understanding of how each one of my dc learn best.
  
  This year I am trying something new. I created my own American History study for high school. I'm using a collection of books for the girls to read that combine classics with some non-traditional non-fiction books from the library. They will also create a notebook timeline and notebook pages that draw out specific events and people. Along with this they will have essay questions to dig deeper and develop critical thinking and reasoning skills.
  
  1st Semester Reading List:
  
  A Land As God Made It, Jamestown and the Birth of America by James Horn
  The Proceedings of the Virginia Convention
  The Dredd Scott Case by D.J. Herda
  Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
  1776 by David McCullough
  The Scarlett Letter or The Witch of Blackbird Pond
  Johnny Tremain or Calico Captive
  The Matchlock Gun
  The Bulletproof George Washington
  
  Movie: The Last of the Mohicans
  
  
  2nd Semester Reading List:
  
  Movie: A More Perfect Union
  Summer of 1787 by David O. Stewart
  True Tales of the Wild West by Paul Robert Walker
  Civil War: A to Z by Norman Bolotin
  Cause: Reconstruction Amercia 1863-1877 by Tonya Bolden
  Caddie Woodlawn
  The Spanish-American War by Edward Dolan
  Journey to Ellis Island: How my Father Came to America
  
  Movie: Gods & Generals

A New Season Dawns

A couple days ago 16ydd obtained her driving permit! I have mixed feelings about this. First I am excited about this new season of her life. It is a definite line between being a child and becoming an adult. I mean, what could be more grown-up than being behind the wheel of a car?! On the flip-side, however, I am a little blue. Let's face it, my first-born is not a small child anymore. She is fast becoming an adult. Flapping her wings faster and faster to fly from her nest and check out the world for herself.

I pray I am preparing her rightly. I pray that her heart hears my heart and in some way realizes how hard this is for me to one day let her go. To let her become who God wants her to be. I pray that I am being a good mother to her now, and I pray that when it's time I will be a good adult friend/mentor to her later.

Congratulations, Amy! Get ready for another great chapter in your wonderful life!!

Amy's Art Show

You never know what is in the mind of an artist. They can be moody and fickle, but inside their minds are ideas that boggle the average person. I do not know what 16ydd found so exciting about drawing skeletons and gruesome figures but she spent hours penciling and shading. As she writes her novel she draws scenes and pictures of her characters as she sees them. Over a year ago she drew a self-portrait and a portrait of her sister. She's not that thrilled with them, but I told her you can always do it again and try for something you like better. Personally, I think they are beautiful. But like I said artists are moody and fickle.

A True Knight

12ydn spent an afternoon constructing a homemade bow complete with arrows. He carefully chose branches that had fallen off our maple tree, found some yarn and fastened it onto the branch. Then he gathered a few more branches and using a knife made a groove in one end and a point in the other for the arrow.
He called us out to see his masterpiece and showed us that it really did work. He pulled back and let loose and it flew and came down to stick in the ground!
Boys are so cool!!!

The Joy of Teenagers

Teenage girls are a mystery. Some days smiling and laughing. The next day, boo-boo faces. Too old for playing with dolls and skipping, but too young for other things. Caught in the middle they persevere through this season, as we all have had to do. I love being an active mentor in their lives. I love learning along with them the ups and downs of raising teenage girls. And yes, if I am to be honest, I sometimes long for the days when they were toddlers. For the most part I enjoy this season of their lives but look ahead with mixed emotions for when they are ready to leave the nest.

Botany Lesson

9ydd planted Zinnia seeds and nurtured and cared for them. They sprouted in about 2 weeks. She watched excitedly waiting for the first flower to appear. Of course that took several more weeks to happen. But then once they started blooming the plant just exploded with color!

Pizza Italiano!!

Step 1: make the pizza dough

Step 2: spread on the sauce Step 3: layer on the toppings
Step 4: after baking ENJOY!!!!

Storybook Tea Time

9ydd and her friends attended a Missionette's Storybook Tea Time event. There were six tables--The Story of Ping, Madeline, Charlotte's Web, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Littlest Pet Shop, and Disney Princesses (which is the table shown here). The tables were so nicely done and the girls were beautiful.

The Tea Hostesses were dressed as Madeline, a Princess,
and Raggedy Ann

KICKIN' IT SOCCER STYLE!!

This is 9ydd's first season playing soccer and I think

we have a soccer girl in the making!!

She ran and ran. The temps were unseasonably hot and
the sweat poured off her. But she never complained.

You Go Girl!!!!

9yrdd with Coach (in the green)
Look at that smile! She's ready for another season!

A Day That Happens Once in a 1,000 Years

07-07-07
For posterity I felt it was important to have a journal entry on this day. Today was an uneventful day as far as activities goes, but somehow having the date be triple 7 made it seem so much more fun!

Salato Wildlife Center

In April,
9ydd went to Lowe's to build her first

squirrel/bird feeder.

She hammered and hammered until finally...

The finished product!

Having fun where ever we go!

Osaga Orange Tree

We started going on field trips with other FIAR families in KY.
In May we went to Old Fort Harrod with Cindy KY and her wonderful family. We had a great time...in spite of the rain!

For true homeschoolers, class is always in session!

Afterwards, 9ydd joyfully brought us all a drink of water!

Introducing....Mom and Dad
We were joined in marriage on May 14, 1988
God truly brought two-halves together and made us one person