First, I wanted to point out my blog name change.  Most of you are probably looking at it and saying, “So what changed about it?” and that is my point!! My blog name used to be Christian Homeschool Academy which is the name of our school, but everyone who knows me, knows me as Eclectic Education!  So I decided I might as well go with it and make it official. 

Second, as most of you know the Homeschool Blog Awards are now over and they have announced the winners.  I came in third!!! YIPPEE!!! I know it seems a little strange to be cheering for third place (for best unschooling/ eclectic homeschool blog), but considering just a few months ago, no one had even heard of me, I am really excited over this.  I started my blog on November 12, 2006 and since then I have met so many wonderful people!!!  I want to thank everyone who voted for me.  I deeply appreciate this and I want to thank who ever nominated me in the first place.  I still do not know who that is (I am extremely curious about this, so if you want to tell me who you are, that would be really great!!!!), but I really appreciate them.

And  Third....

BChsMamaof3 has honored me with the Gold Thinking Blogger Award; it's a nice way of recognizing the many great blogs that are out there, and it originated HERE. Once you have been tagged it's your turn to select -- in no particular order -- five blogs that have impressed you for one reason or another and tag them with this award. Be sure that when you tag them, you link back to the original source of this award. (I copied this paragraph from BChsMamaof3, who copied it from Tamara)

Ok, first I’d like to say there are so many great blogs out there that I REALLY had a hard time with this.  If I ever visit your blog, then that means I feel it is worthwhile or I wouldn’t be visiting it.  If I don’t visit your blog, then that means I probably just have not discovered it yet, so if you want to leave a comment **hint, hint** for me and introduce yourself, I’d love to meet you!   Anyways, I had a REALLY hard time narrowing it down and as it is I chose 6 instead 5 (I told you I had a hard time with this!).  I did not chose anyone that I know has been chosen by someone else.  I wanted to give someone else a chance at it.  So if your name was on someone else’s list or you are displaying the award, I chose someone else.  Obviously, that excluded some blogs I really like!!!  So here is my list, I broke it into categories.

Great Cyber Buddies:  These two have been really great about not only greeting me almost everyday but others as well.  They are really great at stopping by just to say “hi” and making you feel like you’re an important part of their day.  This goes to:

Jenn  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/jenn4him/

JoAnn http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/2peter318/

Geography Blog:  This is for the blog that shares about their homeland and is willing to answer everyone’s questions about where they live.  (Sorry, Tracy, someone already had giving you this award, but you know I love it when you tell us about Australia!)  This award goes to:

Kaysmarmey  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kaysmarmey 

She is always updating us about Alaska and it is so cool to learn about a place I may never get to see.  Even though, she may live in the US, her life is pretty different from our.

Award Winner:  One of my new friends won in the Homeschool Blog Awards! YIPPEE!  She won for Best Variety and so I thought I should mention her here!!!  The winner is:

Valerie http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/socalval/

Last, but definitely not least….

Homeschooling in Spite of Adversity Award: This award goes to those that have overcome great challenges to homeschool their children. 

Daredhead  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/daredhead/

Denise  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/denisebp/

You will just have to read about Daredhead story, I can’t even explain it, but she is an amazing woman to continue to homeschool despite everything she and her family has gone through, so if you want to read about her family and say a pray for them go to this link: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/daredhead/309667/

Denise (also an amazing woman) is a first year homeschool who is feeling a little overwhelmed right now (she could use your prayers too).  She has 4 adopted children, two of which are special needs.  Both of these children are her school aged children, plus she has a very busy little toddler and an infant.  From the things that she has described on her blog, they all really keep her hopping!!!!

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Posted by kaysmarmey

Lynn,
Thanks for the award!!
Enjoy your week

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Posted by proverbsmomof3

Congrats on your 3rd place win, though I thought you should be first. Maybe next year?! Have a great week!

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Posted by 2cupsOjava4me

And you have some info I'd like to pass onto a friend concerning special needs kids. Thanks for all the great info girl!

Blessings,
Lori

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Posted by lovinthosebunnies4Him

you are always so sweet to leave me comments. i know i should do that more often. thanks for all your research and hard work keeping us informed of great info!

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Posted by Anonymous

Hi! Thank you for checking in on me! I love that! I have been depending on getting email notices when I have a comment and for some reason that service stopped. Maybe I should check my junk mail. Life has been just busy. I am glad your blog got an award- I learn so much from it. will get back to regular blogging soon...

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Posted by Sawickis

Congratulations on all your awards. They sre all well deserved.

*Kristie*

Edited by Sawickis on Apr. 17, 2007 at 5:34 AM

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Posted by jugglingpaynes

I hear that third place winners are happier than second place winners anyway! And you really deserve it, you are a wealth of useful information.
So funny. I looked at your blog title and did think, "what changed??" I hope you took the time to vote on a new blog title for me. I love coming up with names, but I'm very indecisive. After we settle on our cats' names I usually think, wait, we should have name him Fluffernutter, or we should have called her Cobweb instead of Dustbunny. I just love making up names!
Friday's comic strip will include some links. I'm actually doing research! Look what you started. ;o)

Peace and Laughter,
Cristina

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Posted by jugglingpaynes

I hear that third place winners are happier than second place winners anyway! And you really deserve it, you are a wealth of useful information.
So funny. I looked at your blog title and did think, "what changed??" I hope you took the time to vote on a new blog title for me. I love coming up with names, but I'm very indecisive. After we settle on our cats' names I usually think, wait, we should have name him Fluffernutter, or we should have called her Cobweb instead of Dustbunny. I just love making up names!
Friday's comic strip will include some links. I'm actually doing research! Look what you started. ;o)

Peace and Laughter,
Cristina
P.S.-I'm having comment posting problems. I apologize if you get this twice.

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Posted by housefull

I am looking forward to checking out your blog - I have a daughter with Down's Syndrome and your resources and homeschooling a child with special needs knowledge will be most helpful!
Elizabeth

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Posted by jenn4him

You are a great cyber buddy too! I am having a lot of trouble with my computer situation. My grandfather is at the hospital with a brain tumor too! And we are plugging away with the move, one box at a time, it seems. I hope to be back in operation Thursday.
Jenn

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Posted by jenn4him

Hi Lynn,
I can't get the tag board to work. Thank you for your prayers. It is a hard time right now. But we'll get through.
Jenn

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Posted by daredhead

Thank you so much for your sweet comments about me & my blog! It really means a lot to me!!!

I'm going to pick my 5 as soon as I figure out how to do this whole tag thing. :-)

Congrats on your 3rd place win! I agree with the others that you should have won 1st, but 3rd isn't bad when you've been doing this for only a short while! Like the stars always say, "It was an honor just to be nominated." (But it's so much more fun to win! Maybe next year you'll get 1st!)

Thanks again!

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Posted by mom2two

...on being third! It is amazing how many friends we can make on these blogs!

Yvonne :o)

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Posted by kathr

Thanks so much for the nice welcome. I really enjoyed visiting with you. :)

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Posted by bethanyrae

Nice new name for your blog. I love it!! I did suffer confusion over the other one in the voting booth.
Congratulations on third place, and on the Thinking Award.
And thanks for your comment. I can't believe you know someone who actually did one of those goofy things. I tend to think these inane things are probably based on real people with real experiences, but then again, I can't help but wonder who would actually do this, or worse, complain about having done it? ha
I probably could use a banner like yours.....I've had 19 visitors so far on this one, and 4 comments. I'm glad I have a site meter....it helps me feel more appreciated! :-)
bethanyrae

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Posted by homeschoolingmommaof4

Thanks for sharing these blogs. Some I knew about but some are new. I'll be sure to check them out.

Congratulations on taking 3rd place!

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Posted by PumpkinsMomma

Cool! You deserve the thinking award :)
Marie

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Posted by jenn4him

I forgot to tell you that I think your name change makes a lot of sense! And my computer is working at the new place!!! Now if I just had a little time to blog! Soon. Hope you are having a good week.
Jenn

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Posted by MOMflippedisWOW

Just stopping by to say, "Hi!"

Bye,
Vicki
; )

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Posted by Tracy

Congratulations you did so well with the awards, I kept checking in to see how you were going. You were up against some stiff competition so you should feel proud.
Tracy

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Posted by denisebp

Congratulations on third place! I think you're amazing!

Thank you for your award, too! I really appreciate it! I'm a bit behind because we've had lots of sickness in the house, but I can't wait to start looking at the other blogs you mentioned.

Have a great day! :)

Denise

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Posted by henryteachers

Congrats on doing so well with the homeschoolblogger awards and now the thinkblogger. I hope your kids are feeling better soon!

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Posted by deedeeuk

On coming in third! I nominated you and thought you should have won, but at least you are happy about third!! :-) And I totally agree with you about daredhead - but then again I AM biased a little bit - she is my real life best friend!! :-)

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Posted by 3boyz

I have seen a lot of the thinker blog awards lately but had no clue what that was about until I saw your post. Congrats!!

I am so happy that you came in 3rd in the blog awards. If it was me -- I would be doing the happy dance as well!! : -) Congrats!! : -)

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