Decisions, Decisions

I read that we make thousands upon thousands of decisions every day...both voluntary and involuntary.  That's amazing.  No wonder we need to sleep at night...or drink coffee.

We were having one of those days on our homeschooling frontier and I happened to hear about a private Christian school hosting an open house (uh oh), so I made an appointment and Julianna and I went for the tour.  I really liked it. (double uh oh)  Positives:  I could see the benefit of her being in a classroom...and being away from me some during the day...we don't always bring out the best in each other.  The classes were very small (only 9 currently in the Kindergarten class) and it's only 5 minutes from our house.  Plus, they have those cute little navy/khaki uniforms that all the private schools wear. Negatives:   It's pricey, so I would probably substitute teach a few days per month at my old school to offset the cost.  The curriculum  they use isn't much different than what we are using now (Abeka for Language Arts, etc.) and I would have to admit that I cannot teach my own child.  We are going for another visit next week (they are holding an evening open house, so Michael will be able to go with us) and we'll start our decision making process then.  Please help us pray for direction.  <3

Ciao amici

Hello friends!

We began studying Italy before Christmas, but didn't get through a few of the activities I had planned, so we picked it up again when we started back.   

We do one country per week, which may seem like much for a Kindergartner, but we really do just a basic overview (country facts, flag, continent and map location, some language and customs and we choose a  missionary from the area to pray for.) 

I don't have pictures of everything, but these are a couple things we did:

*  We learned about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so we tried to create one using magic nuudles.  

 Our nuudles started to disintegrate (I think some had been used before), so our tower turned into Mt Vesuvius.  We are nothing if not resourceful! 

 *  We also learned about Michelangelo and how it took him 4 years, lying on his back, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  We taped paper to the bottom of our school table (Off topic, I just noticed how poorly finished the paint job is on our IKEA table.  I guess no one really cares what it looks like underneath.) to act as our "ceiling".

Our little Michelangelo (still in her jammies, so overlook her attire) got to work. 

 

 Her semi-finished work.  It was the first day she started Daisy Scouts, so with that being the main focus of her little brain that day, she was painting the DS emblem. 

* At Cedar Brook (our umbrella school) the kids have a world geography class that uses Flat Stanley (http://www.flatstanley.com/?nav=home) to teach about different countries.  The kids made their own Flat Stanley and then they can do reports on places that he visits.  Well, one of our Flat Stanleys (who was never a "Stanley", by the way - that's a boy you know.  As if! Speaking of which, we have a whole family of Flats.  We are like the Duggars of the Flat Stanley world.  I will have to do a separate post with all of them. It's a site to behold, really.), is currently visiting Heather Keaton (http://signorakeaton.blogspot.com/  - Thanks again, Heather and James, for being so gracious to host our Flat Emily.) in Naples, Italy!  Julianna and I have decided that we would like to be Flat Julianna and Flat Kelly and be able to mail ourselves around the world on adventures.  Here is a picture of them at the post office when we were sending Flat Emily off on her travels.  I can't wait to post about her escapades! 

December musings, Part 2

Let's see, where did we leave off? 

*  Our High Five magazine for December (Highlights for little ones) had instructions for making a paper bag village.  After we got it all together, Julianna decided it needed villagers, so it was the Playmobil people to the rescue.  She set all the kids up on one side and the adults as the audience and put on a little choir performance.  Notice Tammy (and her cat) in the front with the crutch (think Tiny Tim from "A Christmas Carol") leading "Joy to the World".  A few other carols were sung and enjoyed by all.  God bless us, everyone!  

* I had been seeing people driving around with reindeer antlers and a red "nose" on their cars.  I thought they were awesome, but didn't know where to get a set.  A couple days before Christmas I was in the dollar store and found them.  Score!  Christmas Eve we had to play Santa and deliver a couple gifts, so I thought it would be the best time to put them on our car.  They were really cute and festive...

until you drive 65 mph down the highway.  "Oops, there went one of the antlers. Oh, wait, there went the other one."  They didn't even make it 3 miles from our house.  The plain white plastic sticks on your window when you arrive at your destination do not have the same holiday appeal as the cute fuzzy antlers.  Jus sayin'.

* The big day finally came!

 

  Months of planning and saving and buying, weeks of counting down, days of decorating and baking, hours of wrapping and shopping and it all ends up like this.  It's worth every minute. 

* I have no idea when Julianna took this picture of herself, but it made me laugh.

Here is wishing you a happy and healthy 2011! 

December musings, part 1

It's the end of the holiday season...and I have started this blog about 50 times this month and still haven't finished and now it's almost the end of December and it's still not posted.  Oh, well.  I am now in the post-Christmas doldrums.   *sigh*  363 days until Christmas 2011.
Let's see, how did our month play out?  
*  We got a new kitten in WV over Thanksgiving (okay, technically that was still November, but it was close enough to December)  Initially her name was going to be Penelope, but then Julianna changed her mind and named her Holly. She's really cute. Tiny little thing, less than 2 lbs.  She is being tormented by Julianna (in love), tolerated by Emily, our other cat, and loved on by everyone else.  Perfect combination.

*  We went Christmas tree hunting.  Last year was the first year that we've ever had a live tree.  We went to a local tree farm, chose the one we wanted and cut it down (We won't go into how it was so cold and snowing and Julianna was woefully under dressed in her cute little leopard print ensemble and about froze to death and was not a happy camper by the end (okay, middle) of our little adventure while we had to hike up a large hill to get to the "good" trees.  In our minds it was a picture perfect, Hallmark type moment and we wanted to do it again this year (minus the frostbitten kid).  
We headed out (weather was cold, but not like last year) with Julianna all bundled up in her snowsuit on our quest for the right one.  We hiked back up the hill where we found last year's tree and the cupboard (or field) was bare -  stripped clean, except for some that would make Charlie Brown proud.  We wandered for a bit and found the one we wanted.  Julianna had a do a "test" on it.  It went like this, "Smells good, check. Not to prickly, check.  Big and round, check."  We all gave our thumbs up and Dad channeled his inner lumberjack and cut it down. 

Ain't she a beauty?  She is a big, for sure.  It's funny how they look smaller out in that wide open field amongst all their other evergreen friends.  (Sort of like when you go furniture shopping in those huge stores and pick out the perfect pieces and then are in a panic when they are delivered and you  actually have to fit them into your house.  We are talking hypothetically.  Not like that actually happened to anyone that might be writing this blog. As long as we are clear on the facts.)

We have a very traditional tree.  I love it. It is decorated with heirloom ornaments that commemorate special moments throughout our lives and handmade memories. My sister makes Julianna a new ornament every year and this year was her Rapunzel costume.  It's so cute.  My favorite ornament this year.

* We finished up the 2010 portion of our school year last week.  I need to sit down and go through the work we've done and see the progress that has been made.  I saw a writing sample of a friend's Kindergartner (who is in public school) and I realized that I need to get Julianna writing more.  Not that he was writing Shakespearean sonnets, but I'm not sure she could write much without me telling her how to spell it.  I've got to work most on instilling in her the confidence to at least try something without automatically fighting it.  Anyhoo, to end our school year we had a get together with our Youth Pastor's wife and their kids (She homeschools their oldest daughter, 1st grade.)  We were supposed to do it the last week we had school ( I was going to do some educational things - maybe a lapbook, writing activities, etc.), but they had a family medical emergency, so we postponed it a week.  We were out of the "school" mode by then, so we did crafty things (which involved copious amounts of sugar) and let the kids play.  Fun was had by all and it was great to fellowship with them.  We made sugar cone Christmas trees and Gingerbread houses from graham crackers...which meant lots of icing and candy both in the kids and all over my table and floor.  

*Last week we went to see a synchronized light display at a local family amusement park.  They were awesome.  They billed it as "the Bellagio display of lights" - for Maryland it probably was.  We really enjoyed them.  We also went to Boyds Bear Country in Gettysburg one Friday afternoon.  It was kind of sad (aside from the fact we had a run of joint) to see how much they have downgraded their displays and merchandise.  I know the company had financial issues, so I'm guessing that is why.  I used to collect the resin pieces and would have paid good money a few years ago to get a lot of the pieces they had there.  I guess the guy who started it all kept every first edition set numbered 1 - 10.  They are now selling his collection of first editions. I started to hyperventilate just a teeny bit when I walked into the room with all of them out.  Nirvana...if I was still collecting.  I was sorely tempted to start again, but I just don't display them and it makes no sense to keep them in a box. After I wrote the above, I received an email that Boyd's is closing their barn on January 4th.  I think we'll take a trip up tomorrow to say goodbye.  :*( 

 I better continue on another post.  My blog resolution for 2011 is to post more often with shorter entries.  I tend to get too wordy when I wait too long and then overload.  
Part 2 coming soon....

Grrr...

Dear Blogspot,

Why dost thou hate me?  Why dost thou insist on putting my pictures in places I do not want them?  Please play nicely so I can post a new entry.

Sincerely,
Frustrated user

I think I'm in trouble...

So, a recent conversation went like this. 
Setting:  in the car on the way to WV for Thanksgiving.  

Kid:  My Flat Stanley teacher is a mean bossy boots.


Me:  Why?  What did she want you to do?


Kid:  She kicked me out of class.


Me:  When?  Where did you have to go?  


Kid:  I had to sit outside on the sidewalk. 


Me:  You had to go outside on the sidewalk?  With who?


Kid:  No one.  I had to go by myself. 


Me:  You had to go outside on the sidewalk by yourself?  I don't think you are telling Mommy the truth because I know that they would never send you outside on the sidewalk by yourself.  It's in a parking lot.


Kid:  Well, I had to leave the classroom and sit in the hallway.  


Me:  Why?  What did you do?  


Kid:  I said that the other kid's Flat Stanley reports were boring and she made me go out of the class.  I helped another lady with curly hair stack up chairs.  


Me:  Why did you say the reports were boring?  


Kid:  Because they were and I didn't say I forgive them.  


Me:  Were you told to ask for forgiveness?


Kid:  Yes, but I didn't.  


Me:  Well, that it probably hurt the other student's feelings for you to say their report was boring.  You should have asked them and your teacher to forgive you for being rude.


Kid:  No way!  She's a mean bossy boots.


We went on to instruct her on how her behavior was disrespectful and rude and we didn't want to hear about that happening again and on how she could have better handled herself.

Fast forward to today after class.  

Me:  So, how did class go today?

Kid:  Well, I didn't get kicked out.

That's progress, I guess.  We appreciate all prayers and intercessions on our behalf. 

She's not as innocent as she looks.  :) 

Christmas is coming!

And I shall probably change the background of this blog many times before the big day!  Too many cute ones to commit to just one for the whole month.

Things I MUST do this week:
1.  Decorate
2.  Sit down and work on my gift list (This always scares the bajeebies out of me.  I usually think I'm waaaay further ahead than I really am.  : / )
3.   Organize the details of a cookie swap
4.  Oh, yeah, get back to teaching my kid.  (Better get off of here and figure out what all that might entail.)

27 days until Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!