10/02/2010

Weekly Wrap Up

Headwaters of the Mississippi River. You can just walk right across it!
On My Heart:Just the other day I was approached by a younger mom of 3 ( ages 1, 3, and 6) who needed advice on how to homeschool amidst 2 toddlers and a work from home job ( both parents work from the home). I was reminded that our experience and knowledge must be passed to the younger generation of homeschoolers. Just as someone took the time to walk me through those first frightening years when I had toddlers, an infant, grandma and school age kids. With the age of technology much of our communication is on line. It was a joy to chat face to face with this mom and invest in this families beginning on their journey.
In Our School: We seem to be rolling along at a good pace given all the life interruptions. Naomi has been sick and is trying hard to keep up with her enrichment classes. Her worldview class has writing homework every day. The math teacher has backed down on the amount of homework. ( so happy about this!)
Emily is happily conversing in Chinese with us at the dinner table. I am thinking we could all agree with her and not have a clue if she is right wrong or otherwise!
Joshua ( he is living at home and in college) is learning how to deal with a very difficult and seemingly unfair teacher. This is part of life that a parent can only guide and support through.
I am learning guitar from my kids. This is a hoot. Older fingers coupled with an older mind tend to fumble and take much longer to "get it" than the nimble quick minded younger folks. I am enjoying the process and am humbled by my children. I am also tackling sign language with them. They are so quick to learn!!!! My dislexic brain wants to turn many of the signs around. It has been frustrating! But I am on a mission to learn.
I have also gathered some books on Math to help strengthen my algebra skills.
My husband is still taking college courses. So we are all in "school" at our house. At least its easy to say please be quiet as we are studying!!!! No one can disagree.
Around the House: Cleaning. Keeping up with dust bunnies. Trying to trap whatever is living in our attic. This creature is too big for a rat snap trap...it just steals the food, trips the trap, and moves on. It has gone through nearly every box in the attic ( much to my dismay). We now have a have a hart trap....it won't take the bait. We are thinking its a possum. ( yuck) A squirrel would have gone for the bait. We also discovered a wee mouse in the kitchen. Now with five felines roaming the house ( they are not allowed in the attic due to insulation), one would think that there would not be a mouse in sight. But our home is old, the walls are hollow from the ground up, and plenty of places for a critter to hide out, sight unseen. With the change in weather they try to come in. So I now have a mouse trap on my stove. ( really yucky). The cats spend hours in the kitchen every night in front of the stove in a trance...waiting. We finally saw the critter. It will meet its demise very soon.
Speaking of critters...we have a squirrel problem in our yard this year. The population is huge. We use to have outdoor cats and this kept them at bay. They have built a nest way up in the pine tree. Their favorite nesting material? The stuffing from our swing cushion. They have destroyed it. ( it was ready for the trash anyway but I did want it to make it to the end of the season!). When we sit on the swing they dive bomb us with cones and such.
We have had buckets of rain and wind this week. I am thankful for the rain and trying really hard to be joyful about the leaks that have developed in the roof and two of the old windows. We came home to rain on inside! Some creative juggling and a few pans and the water is going where it will do no damage for the moment. The clean up was unexpected. ( lots of wet towels and blankets) The good side of this? I got all the winter blankets organized and the went through all the sheet sets. They were where the leak was! So that task for the winter is done.
In the Kitchen; Lots of baking going on. This week I made several batches of soft fruit scoones. These are great for a snack or dessert. We have a new crockpot!!!!!!!!! The old one was cooking everything on high or not at all no matter where you set the temp. I love my old one and know just how to cook in it sooooo this will be an adventure to have one with a constant temp. It is programable!!!!
This weeks dinner menu:
Chicken Fried Steak, Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, Pot Roast, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Pizza, Dinner at a Wedding, Steak and potatoe salad, and of course a leftover meal.
In the Word:I am sticking with it!!!! Love going through the bible once again. Its like meeting with a dear old friend. Each time I go through it I learn new and relish the old. The bible studies are going very well. Enjoying both studies and so far am able to keep up.
On the Mission Field: Slow week in the pantry. This gives us time to stock up and clean up. It rained the two days we collected food from the food bank. This made for joyful loading and unloading. Had wet feet all day.
We are back out at the trailer park doing Tuesday Night Church with the kids. This is such a blessing to me. I honestly went grudgingly after the long summer off. I just could not figure out in my brain how I was gonna squeeze one more thing into my week. These kids are precious and so worth our time.Their lives are so broken. It is good to give safe haven and the balm of the Lords word each week.
On the Creative Side: Cooking seems to be my creative bent this week. Reading is next in line with the two bible studies and reading through the Bible. Some of you may remember I started making Christmas gifts right after christmas last year and then put them in the hope chest. Well I took a peak to see how I did....everyone has a small homemade gift and there are a few store bought gifts in the trunk. It was a good effort! Not complete by any means but a good start to the holiday.

7 comments:

  1. What a wonderful week! How neat and exciting that you got to help another homeschooling mom with such a joyful heart :)

    Thank you for the very special comment on my cbox about my blog design. ((Warmed my heart))

    Have a lovely weekend, Tamara

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  2. Hi Tina! Didn't see you on Mary's Linky but noticed your post in her cbox...what a great WWU! You've shared a lot...

    What a blessing you are to new hs-ing moms out there. I remember when we first started hsing, it seems like yesterday.

    I've shared a house with field mice...they are cute (the little brown ones), but I hated the thought that they were running across my plates/silverware/foodstuffs...yeah. Hope your cats get busy!

    You guys just have it going in with nature attacking you this month, between the rains and the critters, LOL!!! Yet I can hear your smile and your sense of humor through it...keep looking up (just not at the roof leaks), dear Tina!

    Much love and blessings,
    Lori

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  3. I believe that if we want to connect with our children (grandchildren) we need to relate to where they're at. Good for you for trying.

    Sign language for toddlers and babies is an area I'm working on and I am impressed with how much a young child can learn. Sign language gives the child skills to be able to communicate when their verbal skills are still developing.

    Yet another way to work together, have fun and build relationships, while learning new skills.

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  4. Great week! I love your fall leaves around the border. It sounds like you are all busy and enjoying learning... I so enjoy learning and doing so with my family just doubles the pleasure.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

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  5. What a full, busy week. I've always wanted to learn guitar - I tried once when I was about 7 or 8, but it just didn't pan out. LOL

    What is steak and potato salad? That sounds really good.

    I need to get back in the Word. I just posted about that on my non-homeschool blog.

    Have a blessed week!

    Sherry

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  6. It sounds like a productive week.

    Have fun learning with the kids. It's so good for them to see you learning as well. Mine watch me writing and don't complain much when I give them an assignment anymore! LOL

    I hope you're having a good week now, too.

    Blessings,

    Annie Kate

    I've tried to comment before, but blogspot wouldn't let me.

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  7. Hi Tina,

    My friend Kristen tagged me, and I thought you'd enjoy being tagged, too. If not, no worries. :)

    Annie Kate

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Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Psalms 143:8