today to do stuff

First and foremost (at least according to the kids) it is my birthday so please enjoy this picture with me today as I celebrate another year. And celebrate with me today.

Now on to the rest of the too do list today (since birthday's are not life stopping when you get older)

Today we have to 

             grocery shopping

             get a few more camping supplies

             get school done (some how in all this)

             yard work  (yeah it is nice outside)

             

have a great day and the start of a great week

Next Year

I don't know about the anyone else, but with the approach of Spring comes a new worry.
Now Wyoming does not require testing or anything else to check your teaching skills or to see what the kids have learned for the year,  but even so it is a constant worry this time of year.

I spend many a nights looking over catalogs and  websites trying to make sure that my kids are getting the best education available.  My son spends most of his nights in his room (as far from me as he can get) because he just hates this time of year.

I need to quit listening to the bad thoughts that I have not taught this, or that.  Quit comparing myself to what friends are teaching and how their kids are learning.

That is one of the hardest things I have found so far about homeschooling.  My worry that my kids are not learning enough as the days go on.  Before I know it my son will start high school next year and my daughter will start 4th grade.

Anyone else have the same worry?  That is the question of every homeschool Mom out there.  I believe the answer is YES we all have that same worry.  For some reason though we have a hard time asking for help, or admitting that we worry about it.

Dentist

yeah

Left the dentist office today with a good report.  Just a little longer and the spacer can be gotten rid of, and NO CAVITIES  today. 

things are looking up for the little girl. 

Behind or Ahead

Have you ever found yourself so far behind you think your ahead??

 That is where we are right now.  Between kids not feeling good, hubby being home (it is almost impossible to have school when he is home)we are behind.

I have been telling the kids that if they take a day off here that means they will continue during summer months, but it is hard to believe that they understand this until the summer gets here.

Spring Flowers

I have planted 6 planters of flowers that are starting to come up.  They are a mixture of different flowers that I bought at Sam's club.

I can't wait until they grow and start to bloom.  

This is some of the flowers that I planted.

Next week I am going to get a list of herbs that I want to add our yard.  I like to plant in tubs (wooden ones) because it seems to help keep Abbey out of them.

Any ideas on herbs would be appreciated as I would like to try my hand at using them to cook with.  I have never done this so I would need help with this also.

weekend

Well I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

     I have been relaxing and hanging out with my son today.  Talking about next year curriculum and getting his input (he is old enough to have a say)

    Daughter and Hubby went fishing and had a great time.

    Dogs are outside enjoying the sunshine.

hope all is good with my friends and all.

prayers

I am asking for prayers this week.

  Hubby is having a rough time at work right now.  I figured out our monthly bills and found what we would need to live on if things so south with the job.  The big boss heard our President talk today and said that they might still be working for the next 6 months.

  After hubby's 2 heart attacks I worry a lot.

to quote Matthew 6:25

    "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink: or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and he body more important than clothes?"   NIV bible

Sometimes it is easier said than done though so please if you have a moment in your day send a small prayer my way.

Happy Monday

Well everything is off to a good start.
  School is almost done for the day (math is left to do)
        learned about the Boston Massacre today (son is going to write a paper on his reaction to this)

  Talked to Grandma this morning, I think I am going to keep Growler (better for her that way)
      now only need to tell Hubby
Weather is better today (sun finally came out)
Now off to clean kitchen and wash clothes.  (kids working in there rooms)

Spring

 Spring is in the air today.   The wind is pretty calm, all my dogs are outside (Scooby, Abbey, and yes I still have Growler here too).  I am going to have a hard time giving Growler up, good thing she is going to grandparents.  

I planted bulbs in my different containers last week, so hopefully soon I will get flowers out of the deal.  This next week I am going to plant a garden (small one) so that hopefully something will grow.  We have such a short growing season here that it is hard to be positive about that.

Well spring brings on other issues here at my house.  I start planning for next year.  One child doesn't want to do unit studies anymore and wants to do workbooks and textbooks, and the other wants to continue one as we have been doing.  It would be easy if the oldest was the one who wanted the change, but alas it is the youngest.    

The oldest started a job working on a ranch this week, so we get to work school around that schedule but we will get it figured out.

IEduk8e1Duck: From Our Family to Yours, Happy Easter

IEduk8e1Duck: From Our Family to Yours, Happy Easter

http://kidslearn2.blogspot.com/

God's hand

You see God's love and ability in everything that goes on around us, just sometimes I wish he would wait until after morning coffee to show us his love and help.

   See this morning I put the Growler (the only puppy we still have at home) and Mommy (Abbey) outside around  5:30 and then I went back to bed.  I woke up around 6 realizing that I had not heard the puppy at the door wanting in.  I go outside and I can hear her but not see her with the porch light on.

   I come back in and find a rechargeable lantern and go back outside.  We have a place under the house that the older dogs like to go and get out of the wind so I crawl under the house thinking the puppy was scared.  After crawling around I find her she had fallen into a hole about 6' deep where the water comes up into the house.  I need help my first thought.

  I run in the house and wake up my son and we both crawl back under the house to see about getting Growler out.  Nothing we come up with seems to work so we decide we need more help.  About 1/2 a block away lives my husband's uncle so we go and knock on his door.  He gets a coat on (it is only 27* outside now at 8am so it was a little cooler then) and he comes over to the house.

  We tried coaxing her into a basket to get her out but she wouldn't go near it.  Finally Uncle took what we were going to use to bring the basket up with (yes it was a PS3 controller cable) and made a lasso and got her caught with it.  She was gotten out by 6:30 am so she was only in the hole about an hour.

  When they (Uncle and Son) brought her out of the hole I was under the house to try and grab her.  Much to our dismay she went running back under the house to Son.  He threw her to me and we all got out from under the house.

   She is now safe, happy and well.  She did not get hurt in any way except to be a little scared.  We need to remember that no matter how we think that our actions alone saved the puppy that without God being with her the whole time things could have turned out a lot different.

                                      Miracles happen all the time all around us.

smell of bread in the kitchen

today I am making bread in the kitchen

  I finally am going to use the cast iron bread pans I got for Christmas.  

I am so glad that I am doing this (need to do more often).

this week 4/2/12

Well this week is not off to a good start.

    I get up this morning to snow on the ground (ugh).  

    We have 1 puppy left at the house but she is promised to grandma.

School gets got done today we started late though.

Little girl got a bike yesterday, but with the new snow I don't believe she will ride today