Tami's Thoughts and Views

Different kind of post

2010-08-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Since this blog is about our life as a whole and not just our homeschool experience, I am takin a little detour from the education posts today. You may or may not know that our family has suffered tremendous loss in the past few years. It has been a very difficult time for us to say the least. The grief has effected every area of our lives. Most especially my writing has been very difficult to sit down and just do. In some ways, I do not want to be so raw and negative as I have worked through my grief. I also did not want to open myself to unkind comments, since I have had a few "virtual" non-friends who made life difficult for me to share any deep feelings.

Since January of this year, we have been dealing with health crisis (plural) with both of my in laws. This has been on the heals of losing many more family members for us. It has been a blessing for us to help my in laws, and it has also been emotionally draining for us. We are still working together through our grief as a family. The children have processed their grief in different ways. Our 6-yr-old (who will be 7 tomorrow!) has a favorite song that we sing at church. It's called, "I'll Live Again." You can see a video of it here:

Our hope in the journey that we are on is that we will love again with Jesus one day in heaven. Isn't that a glorious promise to all who call on the name of Jesus and believe.

(If you don't know Jesus as your personal Saviour, email me. I will be glad to share with you.)

Until next time.

Adjectives

2010-08-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a fun little game that I use to teach my children what an adjective is. Since we know that an adjective is a word that describes a noun, I wanted to put this into action for my hands-on learners. I took some Post-It notes and wrote a descriptive word on each paper. I used words like "sticky", "fuzzy", "cold", etc. Then I sent the boys around the house to put a sticky note on an item that was "sticky", "fuzzy", "cold", etc.

I got this idea from Jessica Hulcy's KONOS Volume 1 several years ago.

Until next time,

Friday, oh, how I love Friday.

2010-08-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

HELLO, Friday! And it is the end of our third week of school. Ah, what a nice closure to the end of the school week. The boys and I did our school work this morning. I can truly say that I love being with my children and teaching them. It brings me great joy. It also allows me to know them better than anyone else knows them. Most of all I am allowed to teach them what I want to teach them in the way that I want to teach them.

Many years ago, the way children learned was from their parents. Somehow, we got away from that way of teaching. While I know that not every family can homeschool, I do know that it has been the best for my family. We started homeschooling 10 years ago when we had 3 children. Now, that we have doubled the number of students in our school, I am so content with my life. Even when I know that I have a 4-yr-old and have a long time left in this journey of teaching at home, I would not want to be doing anything else.

During the past ten years, our family has grown, and we have said good-bye to family. I am so glad my children had the chance to get to know my grandparents well. We miss them both so much. I am glad my children have had the time to see my in laws. Both of my in laws are very ill, and I am glad that we have had the time to help them when we could.

Time with family is treasured time.

Until next time,

Things are going swimmingly along

2010-08-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

Since I had some responses to my last blog entry, I am inspired to write again tonight. School went well for the boys today. We seem to have remembered those math facts that we tried hard to forget over summer break. And with the Bible curriculum that we use, the boys are using reading skills, comprehension skills, and writing skills all while learning more about the Bible. That's a win-win for me. We will review some of our grammar rules in the coming days. Grammar is important when all you want to do is play and chase bugs outside, right? Life with boys is certainly entertaining. I think they definitely understand what a VERB is.

I was reflecting over what we accomplished last year. One of the boys read three science textbooks last year. He was very interested in his science readings each day, and I had a hard time keeping him in reading materials. We have spent years doing science with textbooks and hands-on projects. And we have done the same with history. I think we have all developed a love and appreciate for science and history by reading and doing activities. Would you say that is true for you? I remember my schooling years, and history and science were not my favorite subjects. But once I started learning alongside my children, I found that hands-on activities really bring the fun out of science and history.

One more school day this week for the boys. Unfortunately, that is not the case for their mamma.

Until next time,

Summer

2010-08-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Summer break is winding down for most of us. Well, for us, it is winding down. We started back with a light load of homeschooling about three weeks ago. The boys are doing math and Bible for now. We are participating in a supplemental co-op this year that will involve a the hands-on parts of a language arts program, history, and science. We don't start the co-op until the first week of September, so I am using this time to make sure everyone is on track with math. The cop-op days are designed to do a lot of the hands-on stuff, while the rest of the week we will spend teaching thecore parts of the curriculum from the same materials in our own homes.

I hope to take a beginning of year photo. I have a 10th grader, 6th grader, 4th grader, 2nd grader, and a preschooler this year. My daughter will graduate from community college at the end of this semester. I am still a full-time college student online, and I should have my bachelor's degree around this time next year. (A lot of my "spare" time is spent on my school work, so my blog is neglected a lot.)

Here's what we are using this year, in case you are interested:

high school - Apologia Biology, IEW Level C, AIG's Western Civilization, Saxon Algebra 2, Lifepac Bible

elementary - Apologia Human Anatomy; IEW Level A; AIG's Western Civ, Saxon (Grades 6, 4, and 2), Lifepac Bible

preschool - nothing structured planned. He hangs out with us most of the time. Lots of coloring, playdough, building blocks, and reading to him.

So that is the "scoop" on our school year. We are having a good time together ---- learning, living, loving life.

Until next time,

My Story Bible: 66 Favorite Stories Book Review

2010-05-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

This Children's Bible Story Book was written especially for preschoolers. Each story is contained on two pages with an illustration and an easy-to-read paraprhase of the Bible story. This is perfect for the attention span of a preschooler. The stories are listed in the Table of Contents. And in the index the stories are listed with the corresponding Scripture reference. The illustrations are appealing to both young and old.

This would be a great book for a church, preschool, or home library.

Recommended ages: 3-6
Retail Price: $12.99

This book is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

This book was provided to me for the purpose of a review. I was not compensated for this review. This is my personal opinion of this book.

Who Made the World? book review

2010-05-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Charming illustrations by the artist who developed the Care Bears. The story is written by Kathleen Long Bostrom who is a pastor. This book is written to address the questions young children often ask about God and how He created everything in the world. These questions are answered in a conversational manner. The second half of the books lists each question and provides the answer with a Scripture reference.The NLT version of the Bible is used. As a parent of six children, I liked the way that these questions are answered on a young child's level.

This book is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

Recommended for ages: 3-6
Retail Price: $9.99

This book was provided to me for the purpose of a book review. I was not compensated for this review. The opinion stated is my own opinion.

What is the Bible? book review

2010-05-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

This preschool-age children's book tackles the tough question, "What is the Bible?" As a mother of six children, I have been asked this very question. And it is a hard question to answer on a preschooler's level. Kathleen Long Bostrom is a pastor, and she answers this question on the level of a preschooler. And it is very easy to read to young children. The illustrations are done by the developer of the Care Bears and enhance the book with beautiful pictures.

I liked how this book tells about where the Bible came from and why we have the Bible. There are Scripture references included in the second half of the book. The NLT translation of the Bible is used.

I have enjoyed all of the Little Blessings books that I have read.

It is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

Recommeded ages: 3-6
Retail Price: $9.99

This book was provided to me by Tyndale Kids for the purpose of a review. I was not compensated for this review. This is my personal opinion of the book.

2010 - New Year and a new healthy lifestyle

2010-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

2010 has been a year of change for me in many ways........

I have lost family members; tended to family members who are sick; been a wife and mom;

worked part-time; been a full-time college student; been a friend;

been a teacher to my children;

and

I have started working out and running on a regular basis.................

On Saturday, May, 1, 2010,

I ran in my first 5K.

Here are a few pictures and thoughts from the day..............

Before the racepossibly wondering what I was doing.....

Getting close to that finish line

Oh, yeah, I am gonna make it

I can taste it now

Almost there

The feet speak for themselves going across that finish line.

I can't believe I just did it!

TIME: 37.22.68!!!!

Yes, I did it in less than 40 mins!

Thanks for sharing in my successes!!!!!

I Will Carry You by Angie Smith

2010-05-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I did a review of a book, and recently a book came out that I wanted to read. I was not asked to do a review, and the book was not provided to me by the publisher. I am reviewing this book, because *I* wanted to do it. As you may or may not know, I am no stranger to the loss of a loved one. I have also lost a baby in a miscarriage. It is one of the most painful events in my life.

I have read Angie's blog for some time now, so I knew the story of Audrey Caroline from her blog. But I will say that the depth that Angie goes to in her book, I Will Carry You, goes as deep as a mother's love for a child and then some. I do not have a lot of time to spare in reading books, but I read I Will Carry You in one Sunday afternoon. And Angie spoke to my heart. She has a way with words that is simple and eloquent and shows her love. I can say that Audrey Caroline has touched my life, and I think that she will continue to touch lives through this book and through Angie's writing about her on her blog.

If you have lost a child through miscarriage, still birth, or otherwise, Angie's writing from the heart will speak to you. Her love for her child and her love for the Lord are apparent on each page of the book.

Thank you, Angie and Todd for sharing Audrey Caroline's story with me. I am one life her story has touched.

Always seem to be working within a new normal

2010-02-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

Hello,

February has been a busy month for me. I am helping with caregiving for my in law's when I can. I am also still homeschooling full time, and I am a full time college student. And I am still running my online business. There are not a lot of spare moments in the day. I am thankful that I have a lot of energy and strength. I am using both every day. I also finished up a 12-week workout and weight loss challenge with some friends. And I lost 10 lbs in 12 weeks. I can handle that!

Hope you are having a great day! I find that I am living each day as best as I can.

The last week has been rough.....

2010-02-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

We have had an unusual winter this year. We had snow in December, and we had snow in January (last week). Tonight, we have more snow coming. For my friends in the north, snow is not a problem. Here in the south, we are just not set up to deal with snow easily.

Add to this, my father-in-law was put in ICU last Friday. Today, he is still in ICU. There have been improvements, but there are still more things that he needs to be able to do in order to go home. My mother-in-law has ALS, so we have coordinated 24/7 care for her in her home.

I also homeschool my children and run a business from home and am a full-time college student. To say that life has been busy is an under-statement. But God has been good in all, and today He is working on many fronts for me and my family.

The picture above is my driveway earlier in the week. In the morning, I expect to wake up and not see the gravel or grass. But that is okay. God will see us through whatever comes.

May you be blessed today!

Winter Wonderland in NC

2010-01-30T05:18:00.000-08:00

Our second big snow of the season has arrived. We awoke to 6"+ on the ground with heavy sleet coming down now.

Have a great day!

Special announcement for the Estes Family

2010-01-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

Today I have a special privilege to tell you about my friends, the Estes family. Several years ago I “met” Kate Estes on an email group for Christian self-publishers. In the summer of 2006, several of us were expecting. In July of 2006, I gave birth to our 6th child.. And a few weeks later, Kate gave birth to her 7th child, Noah. Her delivery was nothing short of miraculous. God spared both her life and Noah’s life. In February of 2007, I was honored to meet the entire Estes family in person in the Western North Carolina Bookfair in Asheville, NC. Even though we were both vendors that day, we found time to talk and get to know one another. Noah was this sweet little baby in a hand-crocheted sweet pea baby bunting. One thing that struck me then was how small Noah was compared to my own baby.

At that time, the Estes family had concern about Noah’s size, but it was not until he was being considered for a feeding tube in April of 2007 that they found out that Noah had serious medical issues. His internal organs were not in the normal placement for organs. He was not a candidate for certain feeding tubes due to anatomical issues. Further testing over the course of months and years eventually gave the Estes family a diagnosis for their precious son. Noah was diagnosed with a progressive and ultimately terminal condition called mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. Since I do not have a medical degree, I will not go into a medical explanation of mitochondria. As a mother, I cannot fathom hearing that my child has a terminal condition. My heart has been heavy for Noah throughout his journey. I have prayed for him and his precious family for a long time.

Noah’s condition would be considered fragile. He has had many, many hospitalizations during his little more than 3 years of life. He has seen many doctors and specialists. And his parents have learned how to do many medical procedures at home in order to keep him at home as much as possible. Their family has been blessed with another child since Noah’s birth, so their family now has 10 members. It is very important that Noah’s parents are available to take him to the doctor or hospital on a moment’s notice.

A few years ago, Noah’s dad, Jeff, was working for a company and his position was downsized, and he was laid off. In this economy, most of you know how hard it is to find employment. He was able to do more with their home-based business, Hands and Hearts. But there were changes to federal law last year that forced them to shut down their business for several months. They make hands-on history kits, and the kits are for children aged 12 and under. Since then, there has been a temporary stay on this federal law, and they are once again operating Hands and Hearts from home. But it has not recovered back to its former level of business. The economy has been hard on many homeschool publishers.

Noah’s condition is so fragile that he is often in the hospital with Kate caring for him and Jeff at home caring for the other children.. So while God has worked many circumstances out to provide financially for the Estes family. God has also used many of us to bless the Estes family. That is why I am writing today. The Estes family has been working with many Christian self-publishers to provide a special package for anyone who donates a minimum of $39 to the Estes family. This would enable them to take care of financial obligations and allow Jeff to continue to run Hands and Hearts from home while also starting an additional business that he can run from home. From personal experience, running a business from home requires a lot of time and attention. And Kate can do some of the Hands and Hearts operations, but her focus is to care for her children and Noah’s medical needs. Jeff is really the backbone of Hands and Hearts. They are both prayerfully seeking God’s will for their lives and the lives of their children.

There are few people in this world who have stood firm in the faith during trials as Jeff and Kate have stood. They have always given praise and glory to God even when the situation was dire. There were many times that I expected “the call” that Noah had gone Home. God has plans for this special child, and He has brought him back from illnesses that doctors did not expect recovery. There will be those who read this who have something negative to say to the Estes family. They really do not need that type of “attention.” You can leave any negative comments here on my blog, or you can email them to me. I know this family is the “real deal.” My life has been blessed and enriched from knowing them. And I know many, many people can say the same thing. Please prayerfully consider if God wants to use you to bless this family. While there is a suggested minimum donation, any donation is appreciated. For the special package made available by the self-publishing family, you are asked to make a minimum donation of $39.

For more details, here is the page you need to visit:

http://www.funfoodadventures.com/estes.htm?emc=intellicontact&m=4285556&v=1012869972&l=11

It won't be like this for long......

2010-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

One thing that I am thankful for is that I have a large age range with my children. The oldest is 19, and the youngest is 3. I have enjoyed motherhood from the time I became pregnant with our first child (morning sickness aside). But I have also realized how fast time flies. Babies do not stay babies for long. Time passes very quickly. And before you know it, your children are grown. So I try to remember that mothering my children matters, and I take time to be with them. My youngest one enjoys some quiet one-on-one time with me in the evenings. He calls it "Mommy and Benji" time. He usually does not invite siblings, but sometimes he will invite one or two of them to join us. We usually just hang out on my bed and watch a movie. His favorites are Cars, Toy Story, and Stuart Little. Since I want to cherish this time when he wants to be with me, I try to wrap up my work and computer pursuits to hang out with him. Before I know it, he'll be grown.

Week in review.......

2010-01-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

When it's a quiet week on my blog that usually means that my life is anything but quiet. Our 10-yr-old had a migraine that started last Sunday. Mainly, he had a slight headache with blurred or double vision and nausea. As the week progressed, he did not improve. I took him to the doctor, and we tried a change in his medication. That still did not help, and he started having problems with his legs, so I consulted with the doctor. And he ordered an MRI of his head. So my son had an MRI yesterday, and everything looks fine. Thank you, Lord.

In the midst of all of this, I had a growth removed from the top of my foot that resulted in 5 stitches across the top of my foot. So I have been trying to stay off it. But that is not easy with doctor's appointments and grocery shopping to do. This is day 3, and it is looking much better.

I really treasure my quiet weeks, because weeks like this are exhausting!

Organinzing paperwork and files for taxes

2010-01-11T04:39:00.000-08:00

Since I am self-employed, I have to keep really good records for my tax return each year. I also organize our personal paperwork throughout the year in various file categories. This makes sorting through and matching up receipts a breeze when it is time to do our tax return. I also use an Excel spreadsheets for several things. I do my business checkbook through Quicken, and I am moving our personal checkbook to Quicken this year. In January, I start going through the files to make sure that I have a receipt for each of my business expenses. I have been doing our tax return since we got married, and I have learned which forms I need to have in hand by the end of January/first of February. I try to get our return filed as early as possible, since we usually get a refund. (Thanks to having 6 children.)

Last year we were audited by the state of NC for the number of dependents we had. I was required to send in a copy of all of our children's birth certificates. We had the same number of dependents the year before, and all 6 of our children were born in NC. And I supplied Social Security numbers on the federal return. And yet the state still had to have documentation. I was not a happy camper, but I complied. If I did not provide the documentation, they would have retained our refund. Nice, huh?

So keep good records for your annual tax return. Keep important papers in a safe location. And finally try not to stress too much when you start compiling all of your information.

Audio for Love to Learn Conference now available

2010-01-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

The audio files from the 2009 Love to Learn conference are now available at http://www.lovetolearnconference.com/register/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10&zenid=nc9ffb0f1v81cdoq8doofnif41_ .

If you were unable to attend, the prices for the audios are a great deal!

A Healthier Lifestyle

2010-01-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

In my journey this past year, I decided that I needed to make some lifestyle changes. I like to be proactive about my health, but as a mom, it is so easy to put everyone else's needs before my own needs. I am pretty sure this is common for many moms. Since I have a family that is larger than most, I work really hard every day raising and training our children. I started out with small lifestyle changes. I switched to drinking water most of the time. I do have a cup of black coffee every morning. And for variety, I sometimes add lemon to my water.

Then, I started working on diet changes. I reduced my fatty foods, and I reduced the number of carbs that I have each day. I usually have a carb for my breakfast. And I eat veggies that have carbs, such as a baked potato. I don't eat a lot of bead. I am eating foods that are high in protein. And I strive for a good mix of fruits and veggies each day. The variety changes with the seasons. I also try to watch my sodium intake.

I do not eat a lot of red meats. But if I do, it is from a grain-fed, hormone-free cow. We buy half a cow at a time. This helps stretch our budget, and you just cannot beat this meat for leaness. I do eat quite a bit of chicken. I am not a fish eater.

Finally, I added daily exercise to my lifestyle changes. I can say that I am healthier and more fit than I was in my 30's, maybe even my 20's. I look forward to my daily exercise. And I have even done a bit of running.

All things in moderation is the key for me. And I want to be strong physically and spiritually. I'll talk about my spiritual walk in another post.

Part 2 on facing fears

2010-01-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

This fall, I also faced another really big fear --- college algebra. I am taking online classes in order to get my bachelor's degree. Each class is a semester's worth of work that I complete in 5 weeks. That is a very fast pace. This fall, I was scheduled for algebra 1 and algebra 2. I was very nervous about it. I am good at business math, consumer math, accounting, etc. Algebra was not my strong suit in high school. But I have been teaching my children at home for a while now, and I have taught algebra to my high schoolers. I worked very hard in algenra 1. Some weeks I spent 24 hours on school work. At the end of the five weeks, I had an "A" average. WHEW! So I started algebra 2 feeling pretty good about myself. Well, week 1 started, and I worked my tail off to get the work completed that week. And I had trouble with a few concepts. In researching a topic for a discussion question, I found that some of the concepts were for calculus. YIKES! I finally made it through week 1. Then, I came to week 2. It was as difficult as week 1, and at one point, I was wondering if I would make it out of algebra 2. But I mastered week 2's concepts and passed the weekly quiz. In week 3, I spent a lot of time working on the concepts, but I was catching on faster. So I felt like I was on the downhill swing of things. Made it through week 3's concepts and quiz. And my average was stil an "A." In week 4, I knew that I had a 2-week Christmas break coming up. I did not want to lose any skills over Christmas, and I did not want to practice over the Holiday. So I decided to do two week's worth of work in one week. Yep, I was going to master week 4's concepts, pass the quiz, and take my final exam in one week. God sent a snowstorm, and I was able to spend a lot of time online doing math. I met my goal, and I passed week 4 and my final. My average was still an "A." Had my two-week break, and this week I jumped back into week 5. It has been very low-key. I have had few requirements to meet this week, and it has been nice. I am enjoying it, since I start statistics next Tuesday.

I met my algebra fear head-on, and I mastered it. Thank you, Lord, for Your enabling!

Finding my joy.....

2010-01-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

After losing dear family members, I lost a lot of my joy. I am normally a "half glass full" kind of person. But I was pretty low last summer. I was also very sick with poison ivy. One night I could not fall asleep sue to the steroids I was taking. So I lay in bed and prayed all night long. And God just moved in that night and brought so much healing to my hurting heart. I felt like I was a new person the next day. Of course, I have hard days every now and then, but for the most part, I have found my joy again. My joy rests in the Lord and my relationship with Him.

Facing Fears

2010-01-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

The past year was a journey for me in so many ways. There were places where I grew. And there were places where I faced fears. The biggest fear that I faced was in singing a solo in the church Christmas play. When we started practices back in the fall, I stepped away from the director position. I felt the Lord leading me to do something else, and I felt that He wanted to use someone else as the director. So I was happy to just be a part of the choir.

At the first practice, we handed out parts. And my husband got the part of the dad. So naturally, I got the part of the mom. Two of our children played the parts of our children. During the first run-through, it was suggested that someone sing the song, "Mary, Did You Know?" As I was sitting there, God spoke to me and told me that I was going to sing that solo. I gently reminded Him that *I* don't sing solos. And He kept after me, and I finally obeyed and said yes.

So I told a few people that God told me to sing the solo. It was met with surprise. So I started practicing with the guitarists at church. And then I practiced in front of the choir at play practice. In our church, most of the membership is the choir. My first attempt was met with surprise and clapping. I told them that part of my grief therapy over the past year has been music. I have been singing along with my iPod a lot. Mostly I sang in my home office while working. God was working in me.

So with many more practices, I grew nervous each time in anticipation of the actual play performance. The week-end of our play, we had a big snow. So big for us that there is still snow in places in January. So our play was post-poned for a week. And I had a whole week more to anticipate the play.

The night of the play arrived, and I did pretty good at the beginning of the play. I got my speaking parts right. Then I sang my solo. And as soon as I sat down, I forgot everything in my brain. There was NOTHING there. And we get to a big part in the play where I have a conversation with my son, and I can't remember my part. My husband tried to show me where we were in his copy of the script, but I could not figure out where we were. So he saved the day and jumped back in with his part.

My daughter taped the performance, and it will not show up on You Tube. But it is very funny for me to watch it. I laughed as I watched myself get flustered. And I didn't do too bad with my solo either. But I learned to not have a speaking part after God calls me to sing a solo. I have proven that my feet are definitely made of clay, and I am not perfect. I will never be perfect until I get to heaven.

Still chuckling.......

Time of Reflection

2010-01-07T13:31:00.001-08:00

The new year lends itself to reflection. And as I have been learning to go about our normal life and routine, I realized that I am doing that with parts of my heart missing. Those who have gone on before me are in a better place, but I still miss them. And that has brought about a "new normal" for me. Each day I concentrate on what is important for that day. In the past year, my children have needed me to meet more emotional needs as they are coping with the same losses than I am coping with. I love how God moves in and brings healing. And I love the precious memories that I have of my loved ones.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T12:55:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to pop in for a few minutes to tell everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR! May you be blessed beyond measure in 2010.

What have I been up to?

2009-12-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

May 2009

December 2009

Do you see anything different about me?