…I did NOT mean to completely abandon HSB!  Blogging is just so much easier at that other place, but I do miss you folks.  How are you all?

Update from the school room:

School.  School is school.  It’s fine.  It’s necessary.  It’s never the same two days in a row.  I’ve been doing it for 16 years and I still don’t know what I am doing, but I might figure it out before #4 child graduates.  I realized that in our county, homeschooled kids don’t get diplomas anyway, so what exactly is “graduating”?  I get to decide that.     I have one student who is serious about her school work, who can find interesting things to learn in any subject, and who mostly uses her time wisely.  She is teaching herself conversational Hebrew, is enjoying her constitutional studies, and is captivated by the human nervous and circulatory systems. She is a thinking girl and can hold her own in a good philosophical conversation.  Aspiring to be a wife and mother, Alison now has a cottage industry teaching violin lessons to ten students. She makes a lot more money than I do.  If she doesn’t thrive when she moves out (and I don’t see any reason why she shouldn’t), she will at least survive!

Second child, Amy, has no use for anything remotely resembling “school”.  I told her that someday she is going to wish she knew about more than just cameras and photo editing.  I asked, “What if your camera breaks?  Then what will you do?”  She was ready.  She replied that she would cook and have babies, or babysit, or adopt babies.  Problem solved!  What use does this girl have for chemistry or algebra?   This used to really bother me, but it doesn’t any more.  She is who she is.  She is multi-talented and creative and fun to be with.  Her intelligence must be measured in a non-conventional way.  Thomas Edison was thought to be a hopeless student, but his mother knew better.  And look what he did.  I decided she is my “Thomas”.  And I like her.  But I am still making her do algebra.

Third child has suddenly matured.  She no longer has shy attacks in which she crawls under a chair. Actually that behavior stopped a long time ago, but the insecurity was still there.  In the past year Elisabeth has blossomed into an outgoing, helpful, thoughtful child.  Most of the time.  (All of us have room for improvement.)  During a break from math, because she is way ahead of grade level (whatever that is), we discovered she is very strong in logic.  She prints out a 4×5  logic puzzle every day and has it solved in about ten minutes.  Balance Benders is also a fun math tool for her, so now she loves 2/3 of her math each day. The other third is the Key to Algebra series, which is not exactly fun, since it is algebra, but it is tolerable.  So I am happy to say that this seems to be a good fit for us right now, for this one child.  Wow, each child is so different from her siblings.  This one loves healthy food and good exercise.  She often has a piece of fruit for breakfast and makes herself a veggie sandwich for lunch.  And she is skinny.  Why couldn’t I have been born with that kind of appetite??

Number four child is whizzing her way through everything, anxious to catch up with her big sisters.  I need to order her some more science and math, but can’t do it right now, so the library will be our school for a bit.  It’s working.  She is also blogging, and that is helping her to learn how to write in a way that is fun for her.  We are STILL working on  capitalizing the first word of every sentence and ending every sentence with an ending mark.  While Emily is years behind in picking up after herself, she is years ahead in cooking.

We’re anxious for the wind to die down here in the desert, so we can go out and play.   Ever since trying  ice-skating a few weeks ago, the girls have been on their in-line skates a lot more, trying to do “tricks”.  I am getting good experience at sympathy over bruises and scrapes.

Everything else here is about the same.  I just finished up the book of Genesis again, and I cry every time I read about Joseph revealing himself to his brethren.  Can’t wait til Jesus does that. 

Belated happy new year wishes to you all.  Hope your 2011 is a blessed year!

PS. I have finally updated the sidebar links to the girls’ blogs!

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I was just about to post my last HSB post, when I first checked my Friends Activities.  So glad I did!  I had been missing my menu bar, and not enjoying all the “work” (lol) of going to the homepage before I could log in here.  But Kristin saved the day, thank you Kristin!  Rats.  I was kind of maybe hoping for a good excuse not to blog any more.    The blog fodder cache within is empty.

PS.  I was hoping to upload my header photo again, since it’s been lost for a while.  Looks like HSB ate my Devolux theme settings.  * small sigh*

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Yay! You’re back!  I told you I didn’t really leave HSB, and I meant it.  No sooner did I go out the door, than I was locked out!  Along with the rest of you.  In the meantime I have been posting at my other blog.  Come on over and say hi.  Or say hi here.

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Back in the dark ages when I moved from sunny California to go to college in snowy Minnesota, my MN auntie introduced me to Carmex.  Has Carmex been around forever?  The little pot with the yellow lid looks like something from the 1940′s, but that old timey stuff works!  It is one of the two thing that got me though that harsh winter climate, that and chocolate.  (Not at the same time, of course.  You don’t eat Carmex.)  Now that I live in this harsh desert climate, I could use some more.  Of both.  So I entered April’s give-away.  Carmex now comes in a twist-up tube!  With a tint!  Go check it out at El Cloud Homeschool.

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I lost my meek and quiet spirit today, over a silly blog.  I hate to admit it, but I might as well, because my family is well aware of it.    I have a new blog.  Except for the first post, it is identical to this one.  So far.  I am not giving up HSB; I’ll still be around.  I just needed a new kind of frustration. 

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(Hey, where’s my header photo?!?!)

As my turkey is making us all wait with growling tummies, and I can do nothing to hurry it along, this is as good a time as any to get to work on my month in review post.  We are having our Thanksgiving dinner late, not only late in the month, but also late in the day.  Late, late, late.  I’d skip it altogether if it wasn’t for the shining eyes of anxious little children  and for the fact that my husband loves a turkey dinner!  Me, well, I don’t look forward to spending the entire day in the kitchen only to see the results gobbled down (no pun intended) in less than ten minutes — that would be us girls — and fifteen for my husband.

(This was drafted before I had the joy of sitting down at a full and pretty table and seeing the happy faces of my family.  It was worth it.) 

(insert photo collage from Amy’s post)

We have tried to make Thanksgiving a big deal in the Rough Diamonds house.  Each year it is preempted by a visit to my folks’ for what is becoming a traditional Thanksgiving picnic with my two brothers and their families, and even some of my cousins.  That is wonderful fun, but it does not include the big turkey dinner.  So… we do our own Thanksgiving whenever the turkey is thawed.  This year it was Monday.

We had a great picnic, even if the temp was in the high 50′s.  At least the sun was shining.  The teriyaki and orange chicken were delicious.  Emily was disappointed that we didn’t have Thanksgiving lasagna again, after all, we had lasagna the last three years, and in the eyes of a seven year old that constitutes an immutable tradition.  Get used to it, kid.  Life changes.

Here’s our bunch.  I do love them, every one!

This is my nephew,  Nate.  Nate is eight years old. Up until Wednesday, the poor boy had lost only two teeth, and those were helped out.  It bothered him to see Emily, only seven, with her two front teeth missing.  So Nate fixed that.

Elisabeth is my one child who feels a deep need to do those things that all children should have the opportunity to do.  It pleased her to be able to rake up a few of Grampy’s leaves.   Jumping into the pile remains to be crossed off.  We’ll have to spend a fall at Jane’s sometime!

Alison had the privilege (and thrill!) of running through a few pieces with the world-renowned Musique Sur la Mer Youth Symphony Orchestra.  Director Marcy Sudok started this group in 2002 with just a handful of homeschooled beginning violin students who had nowhere to perform.  They are amazing!  Thanks, Marcy!!!

Alie also partially satisfied her longing for a grand piano, playing in the choir loft at my parent’s church while no one was listening.  Well, no one but us.

Some people just relaxed.   Emily loves togetherness.  She is the cuddler, the hugger, the kisser, the one who needs  (And gives) company.  Daddy gives the gift of time and does it well.  Sometimes it’s nice just to be in the same room with someone you love.

As for the rest of November:

We played more soccer,

and Emily thought she needed an official jersey.  I fixed that.  There’s nothing a little bit of duct tape can’t do (except for come out of your clothes once it’s been there a while).  She was proud to wear her new “jersey” shopping.

Photographer Amy had a blast taking thirty photos of the same item, one each day for a month.  This is one of my favorites.  You can see the rest at her photo blog.

I got a new laundry helper, or rather, Alison did.  Mother in training:

Elisabeth played along with the church “orchestra” this month.  She has had a love-hate relationship with music and musical instruments, but I think love is starting to pull ahead.  Yay!   Amy is also doing quite well with the violin now, and has become bored with flute.  The violin might last until she finds a viola… or some other instrument.  She is the jack of all musical trades, master of none.  Unless you can somehow call the camera a musical instrument… It does make a nice little “bleep” when you turn it on, but no, I don’t think it qualifies.

If it weren’t for the two dozen feral cats in our neighborhood, I’d say we need a sandbox.  It is just way too much fun to play in the food!  I discovered five gallon paint buckets are WAAAAY cheaper for storing food than food grade containers are.  I’m sure there’s a reason for that…

And last, I burned my hubby’s lunch.  This is only worth mentioning because I am not a burnt-toast kind of wife.  I can’t remember the last time I burned his food.  This was supposed to be a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, but I added one too many tasks to my multitasking that noon.  (Amy artistically embellished the photo.)  In the aerial view, this really looks like asphalt… I say if you are going to burn the toast, do it right!

This Thanksgiving season I am again reminded that giving thanks to the Lord, from whom all my blessings come, is for every day, and not just for once a year.  He is good.  All the time.  The USA may appear to be going to hell (Psalm 9:17, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.) but God is my Saviour and my help.  I am thankful that no matter what happens around me, there is peace IN me.  Jesus Christ is the source of that peace.  I am thankful to know him, but even more, I am thankful that he knows ME!

Psalm 12

Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

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Updated:  Handel Aria, now in four parts:

Can you tell the difference? 

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Last night as I was procrastinating going to bed, I thought I’d try to look up some old friends.  Google is as good a place to start as any, and I entered the name of a friend I knew in elementary school and high school.  Her name was mentioned in a blog, so I went to take a peek.  What a surprise!  I did not find my friend, but I did find the slide show that was shown at my Senior Brunch!  And look what was on it:

That’s me with another long lost friend.  I have not been able to find her, either.   I don’t think I was really lifeguarding, lol, and no, I did not normally dress that way for school… who knows.   I do recognize those tortuous shoes.   I did not recognize many of the people in the slide show, and one thing’s for sure, we all looked a lot younger back then!  (And thinner, too, I might add.) 

Fun.

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. Ecclesiastes 7:10

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