Homeschooling for 3

I received this story in my email. It was a good reminder that regardless of how our children are driving us crazy on any particular day, it could be worse! A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the center of the bed. It was addressed, "dad" with the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands: dear dad, it is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing this. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with mom and you. I've been finding real passion with Barbara and she is so nice even with all her piercing, tattoos, and her tight motorcycle clothes. But it's not only the passion, Dad - she's pregnant and Barbara assures me that we will be very happy. even though you don't care for her since she is so much older than I am, she already owns a trailer in the woo...

I just finished working with my girls on their cursive writing. I find it funny that my 3rd grader hadn't shown any interest in learning until her five year old sister started learning. Aren't kids interesting that way? Jade has troubles with the letter "r" both in print and cursive. When she prints the letter "r" it grows from a diminutive mid-line letter to a gargantuan top line monster. In all of her words that's the letter that overshadows them all. So, I thought that would be a great letter to add to her skill list. And perhaps eliminate the need for me to constantly repeat "the letter 'r' is a midline letter" over and over and over. As you know, the lower-case "r" is a bit strange looking, especially if it's hanging out all by itself. For some reason, my daughter just wasn't getting the hang of the shape. Perhaps it wasn't aesthetically pleasing (she goes through that sometimes). So, some of her attempts...

Today I was invited over to the home of one of Y-HOP's moms for a Valentine's Day party. The kids had to make their cards, there was a "best dressed" contest as well as other games and prizes. It was really a lot of fun! I learned how to make heart-shaped pizzas and the art (and joy) of dipping bananas and strawberries in chocolate. (Yummy!) One of the best things about today was that I allowed myself to enjoy the camaraderie of other moms without worrying about what I had to do at home later, advertising to drum up business and other vital (but draining) activities. We were just three moms watching ten children run around and have fun. One thing that I'm always happy about with homeschooling get-togethers is the way that all of the children get along. Of course they have scuffles and the regular conflicts that go with being human. But our kids handle the situations differently than I see those who are getting off the bus in my neighborhood. There's none ...

"One helping one to uplift all." is The Buxton Settlement Creed and is the theme of the book Elijah Of Buxton is a delightful (and instructional) narrative about the first freeborn child in the Buxton Settlement in western Ontario. When I decided to pick this book up I was anticipating a humorous story of a young boy growing up in Canada. Instead I wound up with a book on par with Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn -- a touch of humor, adventure, history and perspective. As much time as Americans discussing the slavery issue, this is my first exposure to the Promised Land of Canada. Many freed (and escaped) slaves crossed the border in search of a home and freedom from the fear that permeated their lives in the United States. The best of these settlements was in western Ontario. According to information found in the Journal of Negro History 3 (October 1918): 360-67 : "The Buxton, or Elgin Association Settlement, in Kent county, western Ontario, was in many respect...

Another resolution that I've made involves my blogging. I want to be more consistent with my blogs. So, I'm planning on doing book reviews on Wednesdays (starting next week), cool curriculum type topics on Fridays and the musings on Sundays. I really wish that I could spend more time blogging, but between drumming up business, doing business, educating children and trying to get some sleep (hah!) there's not much time left. Oh, and I'm working on a new website called Homeschoolers Work at Home (www.homeschoolers-work-at-home.com). It's definitely a work in progress -- I'm still writing articles and things for it, but if you want to take a peek so far, just be kind. :-) Well, it's time to get the day started with our Bible reading, so here's tired mommy signing off!

Although I still feel it is kind of pitiful to pick one month out of the year to honor Black/Colored/African Americans who have contributed to our country,. I am not against honoring people who have contributed, but I think that we should be able to honor all people who have contributed without this continued racial division, however well meaning. I mean we don't have Chinese History Month or Italian History Month ... but whatever -- it is what it is. But I digress. I found out about a wonderful sale that PBS is having in honor of Black History month. Here are the details: 15% Off All History Titles Offer ends March 2nd DVDs, CDs, and Books -- Up to 80% Off in the Clearance Center