This word that our daughter discovered a couple of years ago is coming in handy once again in our lives.  It is defined as "anything that is full of twists and turns" and so adequately describes what has unfolded in the last month with regard to our homeschooling plans.

Being somewhat of a veteran in the researching, planning, and purchasing stages of homeschooling, I had finalized the plan for the coming school year by early May.  I knew exactly what we would be studying and what materials we would be using, and all of it was sitting on the shelf.  I *LOVE* the feeling of being ready, especially of being ready early.  I was looking forward to a relaxing summer break.

Ha!  Poor, unsuspecting Miss Muffet.  Along came a spider that sat down beside her and frightened the homeschool stuffing out of her by saying, "I have a surpriiiiise for you!"  And it wasn't sugar for her bowl of curds and whey.  It was a completely new possibility for what the new school year could look like, and it didn't involve too much of what was already firmly in place.  Talk about toppled tuffets!

There is a Christian classical homeschool enrichment center in our general geographic area that offers an excellent program of study and that is nearly impossible to join because the headmaster keeps the number of students small on purpose, and people just don't leave (unless they graduate or move).  Husband and I have been praying for three years that, if it was God's will, He would open the door for our 13 year-old daughter to attend, but the door has always stayed firmly shut.  Until three weeks ago.

The headmaster e-mailed us to say there was *one* opening for an 8th grader for the coming year and would we be interested?  Thud.  (That was the sound of Miss Muffet falling off her tuffet.)  We needed to let him know as soon as possible, so over the course of two days, we prayed, discussed, prayed, discussed, prayed, discussed -- are you sensing a pattern here?  In the end, we felt that it was the open door we had been waiting for and decided to enroll our daughter in the program.

One day a week, September through May, she will be on site at a beautiful campground facility for classroom instruction in integrated history/literature/composition, Latin, lab science, music, art, and physical education.  Included in the course of study is a winter theatre production and engagement in the art of speech and debate.  I am more thrilled than our daughter is (who rightly discerns that she's in for a lot of work, LOL) and wish their was a program like this for homeschooling mommies.

As a result, my best laid plans have been turned upside down, and I have been feverishly revamping what our new school year will actually look like now that I have to weave the center's program/curriculum and our at-home program/curriculum together.  But I'm getting there ~ stay tuned.

In the meantime, beware of Crinkum-Crankum -- it's out there.  bwaahaahaa