I haven’t been here in a while. I have moved my blog to this site: A Stretched Out Mom. Come visit me! I’d love to hear from you!
We are counting down our last days of school until we take a much needed break! I can’t wait! I can’t seem to get my mind back in action since my trip to England. My mind is muddy and clogged up. The kids have done so well, but I am making mistake after mistake. I have just started sleeping again, but it was soooo worth it all. I really came home ready to study British History and Literature! I wish I had known more before I spent the time in this beautiful area of our world.
This time of year, the end of a school year, I also get very eager to look at curriculum for next year. I want to do a lot of planning and scheming for the next year. I love this time of year and I can spend hours on the computer, looking at different options for curriculum. In reality, I know what I am going to use next year in most subjects, but I LOVE looking! There is so much out there and so much of it I have bought and tried only to be disappointed. I have learned what works for us…….finally. I will stick to it, but I occasionally find a new book that I want to use to supplement our core. It’s the search that is so much fun!
Office/school supplies……I am an addict! I so enjoy buying new school and office supplies. When I was a girl, the new paper and pens was more appealing to me than new clothes. There is nothing like opening a notebook to the first clean page or using a pencil for the first time. I know, I know……I am weird, but I also know I am not alone. There are other office/school supply addicts out there. Show your face!!! Let’s stand together!
I have already bought a huge new notebook for lesson plans and keeping records. I can’t wait to put the tabs in it and label each section for each child. It is like beginning again. I love new beginnings in this area. I hate change in other areas, but a new start is wonderful!
So the kids are tying up the loose ends and then I will do my planning and begin our school after a short break. I can’t wait for both the break and the new beginning!
Some things I want to do on break: finishing some unfinished needlework projects; make some Christmas gifts; paint a room; clean out the attic; work on my fireant-infested and overgrown flower garden; read aloud and read my own books……just to name a few.
Have a great week! Do not grow weary in doing good!
I just got back from England last night. Our choir spent 10 days over there touring and celebrating John Newton’s life and contribution to abolition slavery, as well as his wonderfully written hymns.
What an awesome place! I loved every minute that I was there! The only thing that would have made it better was having my dh by my side. 
He was here taking care of the family for me. 
We spent the first few days in London and, though, we had little time, we saw soooo much! We had a nice coach and an energetic, knowledgeable blue badge guide to show us the sites. Oh, I miss Nigel’s accent!
We also went to Wales, Northampton, Bristol, Olney……..such beautiful country! I can’t even begin to believe all that we took in. It was sensory overload! So many historical sites……so much history! I can’t begin to get my head around it all!
But I just wanted to say to all of you UK homeschoolers…….YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL HOME!!!! I would love to go back with my family SOON! And we will be studying your history SOON while it is still fresh on my mind!
I am weary, but it is such a great tiredness!
The time has come……..a trip that we have been planning for almost a year……
I leave for Olney in England tomorrow morning. I am going with my church choir to be a part of a celebration of John Newton’s 200th anniversary of his death and the abolition of slavery. My worship pastor fell in love with John Newton’s hymns several years ago and began studying the life of this man. One thing led to another and he began putting music to the lyrics of these hymns. He has since recorded a cd and last year was invited to present a concert of Newton songs at this celebration. The choir was then invited and his assistant wrote orchestration and choral arrangements for the songs. Now there are 74 of us leaving tomorrow morning to go for 10 days to share the great news that Newton wrote about.
I will say this…..if you have not read about John Newton’s life, I would highly encourage you to. Our worship pastor gave us a list of books to read in preparation and the life of John Newton is fascinating! What a story of God’s grace! I am going to have my kids read the book Out of the Depths. It would make a great movie…….ship wrecks, love, mystery…….all about God’s grace in a boy’s life.
I would appreciate any and all of your prayers while we are gone. I am leaving my kids for 10 days and that is never easy! I am having to say good-bye today to them and tomorrow I will do the same with my darling husband! May God go before us all!
It appears that the cold weather is out of here for a while. Spring has arrived and with it, spring fever for the teacher. I am so ready to "be done" with school, but we have a ways to go. Basketball season wipes us out and makes us move slower in school. It’s at this time of year that I have to remind myself how much we enjoyed watching him play. 
The kids seem to have great attitudes, so I am masking my struggle in front of them. We are just trying to read out on the front porch, plant some veggies and flowers, yet get all of the other studies done as well. They seem motivated and are getting everything done each day as well as helping with the chores.
Maybe part of my struggle is knowing that I am leaving to go to England on a special choir tour with my church next week. I will be gone for 10 days and don’t want to spend my last week here with the kids doing school. I would rather play with them or take them to climb Mt. P. Maybe I can work out doing both. I still have to shop and pack, though, and I am feeling the crunch!
I also think that leading up to time for me to leave, it will help them if things have been "normal" and in our regular routine. Hopefully, they will be able to continue while I am gone. My MIL (right "next door" on this dirt road") is going to keep them, so that they can practice their instruments and do school (as much as possible) while I am gone. They have learned to do well on their own for some things, so we’ll see. Anything that they get done and understand will be worth it to me……..one step closer to taking a month’s break!
Math-U-See calls……..I wonder if we can watch MUS videos outside????
boo4baby