The Homeschool Mother's Journal - Back in the Saddle Again!

In my life this week…

• I attended a Girls Night Out/Pre-Teen Adoption Shower with my great adoption support group.  So happy for Chris, Jan, & B - I love how God grows families!!!
• Attended our new homeschool co-op's first activity day.  Kids loved their classes, and I'm even teaching again.  Not too rusty after leaving the classroom, but I do like this setting a lot better!
• Enjoyed Ethiopian Cuisine at Queen of Sheba Saturday night.  It was great to fellowship with other Ethiopia Adoptive families at home with their kiddos and in process.  Light Will Rise is truly building a strong community and support system.  Praying we continue to grow!
• We were blessed by a tremendous sermon this morning in church.  Very moving and sparked some great convos with the hubby this afternoon.  I love when God stirs both our hearts to move at the same time.  Praying for God's leading in some upcoming endeavors.

In our homeschool this week…

• We are officially back at it!  Monday was glorious.  We worked hard, got lots accomplished, and everyone was excited.  On Tuesday, Math brought tears for one stubborn little boy, and on Friday for the other.  Hmmm... I'm going to have to re-think a few things.  That's part of it!  Turn, twist, and try the puzzle piece until you lock in for a perfect fit.
• We started with Bible, Math, Handwriting, Phonics, and Map Skills this week.
• My Father's Dragon was a huge hit as our read-aloud this week. 
• The kiddos LOVED their 1st day of CHIL.  I think our new co-op was a great decision!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

• Whether a few days in, a week in, months, or even mid-year, don't be afraid to change things.  Tweak here and there along the way.  I have to remind myself that it IS POSSIBLE to be both flexible and have high expectations.

I am inspired by…

• by those who are the "hands and feet" of Christ serving those in need both locally and globally.   

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

• Thursday, we are back at CHIL.  As soon as we are done, we are heading to see my family.  My great aunt and cousin are visiting from Florida.  We only see them once a year, so this is always a special time.  Then, the kiddos are spending the night with Mamaw and Papaw because I'm roadtripping.  I'm sooo excited to be attending/blogging the Women of Faith event this weekend.  I'm not as chipper about how early in the morning I will be hitting the road Friday, but Melissa will keep me awake on the drive :-)

My favorite thing this week was…

• This week had a lot of "highs" - some really great stuff!  Although, it was really nice to have the kids all take a great Sunday afternoon nap.  Then, they were content for some quality cuddle time in Mom's bed watching a few cartoons.  Pretty sweet!  

Things I’m working on…

• Lesson planning... still mapping some things out.
• Mental plans for all that needs prepared/packed for the weekend.
• The whole Light Will Rise team has September 11th on our minds.  Lots of details still being ironed out and preparations to be made, but we are beyond thrilled to celebrate Ethiopian New Year and launching our Children's Hope Chest Global Partnership.

I’m reading…

• How to Have a H.E.A.R.T For Your Kids (Review Coming Soon!)
• The Bible  (I'm a bit behind in my 90 Days Challenge.  Gotta buckle down and catch up!)

I’m praying for…

• Those who face hardships I can't even begin to fathom... even death due to drought and famine in Africa.  I pray for the precious people of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.  They aren't statistics!  They have names, families, loved ones, and a God who LOVES them.  I pray that in tangible ways those of us more fortunate can provide for their needs. 

CHIL has begun!

Day 1 of CHIL - the kidlets were sooo excited!  This is the closest to a 1st day of school pic as we have, so we capitalized on the photo op.  Look at all the cheesy grins!

The kids are participating in the CHIL (Christian Homeschoolers of Lawrenceburg) Activity Day every Thursday this year from 12 - 3 p.m.  The best part - for 2 1/2 of those 3 hours they have a teacher other than Mom.  This is good for them as well as me.  They are split for their science class which will help Rachel learn to stand on her own two feet.  Then, they are together for History of Little Pilgrims, 1/2 hour of music with Mom teaching the class, and 1/2 hour of gym.

They had a wonderful time and have all reiterated over and over that they want to go back.  I guess they haven't grasped that this is a weekly activity yet.  I do believe it is going to be both enjoyable and very beneficial!  Looking forward to a great year!

Day of Play

Following our day at the Creation Museum, we took a swim in the hotel pool and called it a night.  For Mom and Dad, it turned out to be a less than restful night.  Our kids make some crazy noises in their sleep not to mention that they are very squirmy.  When we woke up we grabbed a quick breakfast and took another short dip in the pool before heading to Totter's Otterville.

This has been a fave spot ever since Caleb was quite small.  However, I do believe that we are approaching the age where the magic is wearing off.  Yes, they were pretty tired from the previous days events, but they weren't totally enthralled in the activities of Totter's Otterville.  We made the once through much quicker than we have in trips past.  We may have a visit or two left, but as the kids are about to start the cycle of birthdays and will be 5, 6, and 7 the end is in sight.

Enjoy a few of the pics I captured.

Outside the Creation Museum

While we enjoyed all of the Creation Museum's inside offerings, the outside was also very nice.  We walked on a winding path through lush botanical gardens, crossed swinging bridges, and stopped by waterfalls and at the lake's edge.  Even though it was quite toasty in the sun and the temperature soared,  I did manage to get my wild ones to be still long enough for some pics.

There is also a petting zoo outside the Creation Museum.  It is home to alpacas, cows, goats, wallabies, a zorse, a zonkey, and a few others.  Jeremiah is never one to pet the critters.  Caleb was a bit apprehensive petting the zorse... guess he was kind of big.  Rachel seemed to enjoy the goats best.

Inside The Creation Museum

Hubs getting home from work last Friday brought about conversations of going somewhere and/or doing something.  Thus, a spontaneous trip was planned and our overnight bags packed.  We loaded the van without revealing our destination to the kiddos. 

When we had arrived, the Creation Museum marked our spot.  Thanks to a coupon I had, the boys got in free and Rachel is still young enough to receive free admission.  Because of our great savings, we opted to purchase planetarium tickets for the whole fam.  Then, we were off to see the sights and were immediately greeted by large robotic dinosaurs.

We found ourselves in the Garden of Eden in the Walk Through Biblical History exhibit.

We also visited the Natural Selection is Not Evolution, Noah's Ark Construction Site, and the Dinosaur Den.  Not a shocker - but the DINOS were a hit with my kiddos.  The creation science, evolution vs. creation, natural selection was definitely over the little ones' heads, but exposure to this truth at any age is never a bad thing! 

While inside we also watched the following theater productions:  Six Days, The Last Adam, Dragons & Dinosaurs, and Men in White.  The last one was in a special effects theater.  Our seats rocked and moved, and we even got sprayed in the face with water a couple of times.  Jeremiah and Rachel were just cackling.  Caleb held his hand over his ears the whole time and greatly disliked the surprises the theater had to offer.

We also enjoyed the Stargazer's Planetarium program.  The kids were pretty impressed with the chairs that laid down and watching TV on the ceiling.  Again, a lot of it was more than they could comprehend, but they liked looking at the stars.

Women of Faith - 2 weeks away

As I've mentioned before, courtesy of BookSneeze, I will be attending my first Women of Faith Weekend event and blogging all the details.  I can't wait!  Now the countdown is truly on... two weeks from today, I'll be in Indianapolis.

Check out this incredible line-up!!! 

Don't you want to join me August 19-20th in Indy? 

Just a glimpse of what is in store...

When Cousins Come To Play

 You play on the top bunk. It's soooo cool... especially if there aren't bunkbeds at your house!

 You play Just Dance Kids on the Wii when it's raining outside.

Paint lots of pictures.

Enjoy fine dining:  mini corndogs, mini chicken/cheese sandwiches, fruit cocktail, apples,

string cheese, fruit chillers, and yogurt.  A lil' something to make everyone happy!

Create foam farm crafts.  Rachel is all smiles about it!

Play in the sprinklers - except Josh who wasn't so sure about it.

Go Swimming - I mean splashing!

My two handsome fellas!

Allison is a mini-me of her Momma!

Hair is wet, so you can't see his blond curls - Josh is a cutie!

Tired from swimming, best to veg and watch some tv.

A fun day with family!