Hold that thought...

Hello Ladies,

I will have to share my post tomorrow. I am afraid I am running a bit behind. Tomorrow I have fitness class to teach, my research paper for patho. is due, an exam in microbiology at 8:00 a.m. and finish identifying my unknown bacterial species.

Thank goodness the semester is nearing an end, I need a break! I will be off for the next week and hope to visit with all. Until then...
Blessings~

Textbook Storm In the making...

Littles is our resident meteorologist. She has wanted to be a meteorologist ever since I can remember. The other day she had her weather guide out and was showing me some diagrams of a super cell. The next day I was working in the backyard and spied a wonderful sight, I had to grab my camera, because Littles was away from home. Here are the captured images...

The diagram...

The real thing...

Although there was no wall cloud associated with this storm, it was amazing!


I only wish my camera could have zoomed in a little more...

Blessings

This Girl...

Got notified that she is a go for her acting class in January. One happy little girl!! Not so little anymore. But never the less one happy girl.Praise be to Him!

Fresh Veggies

This weekend we popped into the Farmers Market and loaded up on end of season goodness...

Fresh green beans blanched and frozen...

Little's gave a helping hand.

We made fridge pickles

and fresh beet salad.

So yummy, and we also managed to finish lessons for the day...

Some baking squeezed in...

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I finally was able to squeeze in some baking, yummy oatmeal and raisin cookies. Now that school has started again, I find my fun time to be limited. This weekend was 200 pages of reading for women in politics + 2 page paper on a patriarchal society, 1 chapter of chemistry, one online chemistry assessment, 1 chapter in western civilization... . Well, I am off again to finish my reading... I stinks that some of it makes me want to nap.

I will be back in one week, and 1 day

I am sorry, it has been a while since my last post. I shall return as soon as my finals are finished. Next Tuesday is my last final then I am off for a month. I can't wait, I miss sharing with you.
Blessings
Paula

I am off to bed.

I am taking my knitting to bed, I must if I want to finish Emma's birthday gift in time. Time is running short. My days have been too long lately. I have to exams next week, and three weeks till finals. I can't wait! This has been a very long quarter, but time seems to be a blur these last few weeks. Today I went to see the 5th district applet court judges. Although it was required, I enjoyed the forum. It was very interesting, I have always loved law. Who knows, I am thinking of taking the L-SAT when I am done with my Bio Chem degree. Well, for now I am just trying to get through the next few weeks. I have so many projects to do, and no time. Fun will have to wait for Christmas break.
Have a blessed week

Thankgoodness for cold medi

I am tired. I have been up and going since 6:00 a.m. I have been feeling a little like I am coming down with something the past two days. I was running a slight fever this evening. On another note....I got my grade for one of my exams... 152/15o. Praise the Lord, after my total bomb in chem last week I needed something to make me feel better. I got home from class at 5:30, took some medi, and headed out to Audrey Choir concert. Beautiful, I loved it and wouldn't have missed it for the world. Now I am off to do some homework and help Audrey with her algebra.
When will this day end....
blessings to all

Sample Schedule for School

Here is a sample of our tracking method and lesson plans. I love the first one, because it allows me to see what we have accomplished during the week. At a glance I can see where the holes are so that I can be sure to cover it next week, if life gets in the way. Audrey or I fill out the sheet daily. It covers Math, bible, life skills, History, exercise, art. And the verse we are focusing on for the week, here it is Titus 2:4. This is how I do her lessons, so that in the event we have to take some time off I don't have to retrace my steps and make another lesson plan. I did it this way when I was home school more than 1 also. I just used the same set up and typed in their lessons. We use math u see so I just used the lesson plan and typed the main lesson covered at the beginning of the lesson. I am required to have 180 days so that is what I use. This way if we are running longer we will get to it, or finish up early. Needles to say, it takes a few in the beginning but it is well worth it. For math, science I can do them up quickly and add the extra reports I want or extra reading to the list.

I'm back

Now that I am finished with this.... (I got an A on both my final, and in my class) I have been doing this...

and this....

and it has been fun....and yummy.

blessings

I finished....

Yay!!! I am all done, if finished my chemistry class, grades will be posted today or tomorrow. I can now relax. I feel like sleeping, my eyes just want to close. I am done until Sept. Then, I will hit the books again, another chemistry, calculus, and poly sci. Fun, fun, fun. I now have 9 chem classes left. :) Not to shabby.

More school books for Odd......

I am always on the hunt for fun reads to use in our school. I love to use living history, rather than dry text books. I came across this fun book at the dollar store. It is full of wonderful vintage photos, which is always a plus. It is quite thick, but it is a neat read. It will trigger some research for sure, on several topics. I will use this for economics along with some other wonderful books like this one, I have a few other titles that accompany this book and are wonderful for studying economics and government.
I am thankful for the wonderful find, and the low cost ($1.00).
blessings to all of you have a wonderful evening.

A promise from the Lord

Oak Trees From Home

I love that the Lord is always so faithful, and perfect in his timing. Our home school name is Valley Oak Academy. I chose the name because it reminded me of my home, and the lovely huge Valley Oaks we have all over. Over the years, I wanted and used verses that were comforting to me, but always wanted something that was truly ours from the Lord. I wondered why some home schooler's, seemed to have it all together but not me. LOL Well last year I was studying Isaiah and ran across a verse that I knew the Lord had provided for us. (Well all of us)!!! But it was beautiful and a promise from Him. He is perfect and wonderful, and his timing is always just when we need it.
Here is the verse: Isaiah 61:3

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

It can't get any more perfect than that. It is a part of a larger verse, but the whole verse was something the lord was showing me. I am truly thankful for a God, who is real, and hears our prayers and answers back in truth.


Blessings

Resting Your Mind

photo from art.com

I would love to encourage all mothers to enjoy the summer. Slow down the pace, linger in the daily joys of life. Take time for yourselves, especially for those who choose to educate your children, to just enjoy your children. Relax, enjoy, play, cook, swim, bird watch. What ever you enjoy, do it. Try to find something you have wanted to learn, (I am planning on learning to can fruit this summer)and explore it. We as mothers, need to rest our minds, and just enjoy the moments. I will be writing about planning for the next year during the next few weeks. Offering tips, and thoughts on what I have learned over the past 10 years. I have some other posts in the schooling, particular on the last leg of the year, if you would like to read.
Until then,
blessings.

Creeping along

Sorry for being so sporadic lately. I have been consumed with homework, home school, and life in general .
What can I say about my chem class, other than arrrrrggghhhh! LOL Chemistry is one of those subjects that you struggle with then have huge break through, only to find your self wanting to pull all of your hair out again. Next fall, I will tackle my next chem class out of 7, calculus, and biology. I don't mind biology, it is my favorite subject. I actually love chemistry also.
Odd is now officially in high school, and done with school for the summer (all except algebra) I don't stop math in the summer. Jared starts his summer classes, PE at the college, and English at the high school. Public schools crack me up, they wouldn't give him credit for any of his 9th grade home school credits, yet he as a sophomore , tested into all college level classes. He also is taking AP English, yet he must take the 9th grade English again! What a waist of time!!!!
Well I will be back to normal in a few weeks, at least through the summer. LOL Have a great day.
blessings!

Ice Cream.... any one.

This weekend we enjoyed good company, good phone calls, and good ice cream. I made this ice cream to serve over the peanut butter blondies. It was so delicious.

Recipe to follow. I am heading off to bed, I have been studying all day for my exam next week. Please pray that I can retain the information through the next couple off months. Also for my test.
blessings..

Jared's Award Ceremony

Last night was Jared's award ceremony for his foreign language class. He did wonderful, I am so proud of him. What a cute kid

Even though the cute kid is no longer home schooling and his mommy misses him dearly. She is so proud of him. He has excelled beyond my wildest dreams. You my son are a true treasure. I am so thankful to have been blessed as your mother.

Homeschool Reflections

I was just wondering how all of you homeschooler's are doing out there? This time of year can seem harder than the rest of the year believe me. I know in the past I have always struggled through the last half of the school year, now in my 10th year of homeschooling, I really don't sweat it.

Homeschooling tends to be cyclic, just as there are seasons in the year, homeschooling seems to have it own rhythm. I have found most tend to be full steam in the fall. I usually tend to stick very closely with the schedule. Beefing up is what I call it, like bears before hibernation, strange, but really that is what it feels like.
But the holidays seem to interrupt the flow, or at least divert the course somewhat. Even though I love, and I mean "LOVE" the holidays they some how seemed sabotage my whole plan. LOL My plans had been foiled, or at least that is how I felt. It always seemed so hard to get back into the rhythm I had before.
Then blows in the winter, around here I tend to let up on the schedule. I tend to be more relaxed with the textbook learning, and focus on videos, books, and things that bring warmth during the bleak months. I would panic after realizing we hadn't "hit the books" in a week or two... (Well, that is not completely true we always do math, I never skip math. I feel like it is such a waste of time to skip math, even during the summer, because you have to review so much.) yikes we are getting behind.
Then the blessed awakening of spring, and the new life all around us. Books get placed on the back burner, the C. Mason approach really kicks in here.... Nature walks, and science tend to be the flavor of the season here. Spring Fever, is a hard one to fight. Don't even try.
When I was new to homeschooling, as in, up until about 3 years ago, I would have a panic attack every year. You know- we aren't even close to being done, we are going to have to extend the year, my kids a ruined. Every year I would struggle with- this is crazy, my kids need to be learning, I am failing, blah, blah, blah. I can't tell you the amount of time this consumed me. Nor can I tell you how my poor husband, who would hear endless (really) hours of me rambling, managed not to just smack me in the head. :) Every year I would work through this, only to see it resurface again and again.
Finally about 3 years ago, after panic reared its ugly head again, was able understand what was going on. I had been praying about it, because I knew it was coming, just like old faithful. LOL It wasn't until than that I was able to see the "seasons", and begin to understand there is nothing to panic over. What I am trying to say is, use the seasons to your advantage. There is nothing wrong with you or your approach to home school. You wouldn't try to grow big juicy watermelons in the dead of winter, no, you would wait for that season and use it to its full advantage.
I am going to write more on this, because homeschooling is my passion. God has blessed me with privilege of tending to my wonderful children, and I can never talk enough about all the wonders he has done in me.

Where have I been?

So what is the deal.... I haven't had much time this past week to post. I am settling in with my new class, trying to set up a manageable schedule to allow some free time. I am taking a chemistry class, homeschooling Odd, making sure the cute kid stays up on his school work, and visiting with the cute guy when he gets home ( usually very late at night, after 8 p.m.) Needless to say it all seems a little overwhelming. But I will get it figured out.

Wow, say what???

Ahh, something familiar.


Please say evens or odds, there are still 2 other pages....

Many Blessings

Odds creations

Ok, so when Odd gets creative she really turns up a storm. For a mama who hates messes, it is a bit hard to swallow. We live in a small apartment with no spare room or rooms. So the dining room table is the crafting area, but we have an open floor plan, so the mess can be seen from all areas (-bathroom). So here she is in all her mess (glory).

Look at me! What can I create today? Hummm

Three hours later.....

But what is a mom to do, when she get wonderful gifts. Like her yummy cake.

Or a cute pair of cloths pins for the memo board.

She even made a set for her room.

Many blessing!! Enjoy your day.