Down in the dumps : (

Yesterday was one of those days!
I have read where Charolotte Mason feels so much about learning is the "Learning Environment". This year instead of working at the kitchen table we made an actual school room. As you know I am trying anything to get Kelly to be able to focus in more on her learning.I think we have tackled that one area okay but when talking with another homeschooling friend she said that the turmoil in the home really affects the child too because they are "home" all the time!
We have really hit a hard time in our lives financially, my husband just does not have any work! He paints houses and for some reason it has totally dried up here in Flagler County. He usually does those multi million dollar homes on the beach and golf courses (when the economy slows down it really doesn't usually affect those people) but this time it has. Anyway, all the talk in the home is about "money", This week has been "Are we going to be able to pay the electric bill on tues. $367.00".... "If we pay the electric bill we won't have any food money"... ect. Kelly has been hearing all of this. Kelly said to me yesterday (I forget the actual words but something like this), I am always home, I school at home, I play at home, I only get to see the three of you people, I only talk to you people, I never get away! This broke my heart. I know where this is all coming from - We had to cancel her one and only outing each week her horse back riding lessons ($35.00 a week) until we get some money coming in so we have been pretty much stuck around the house. We barely have gas money for my husband to go and check out possible jobs, so we can't waste it on joy riding some where just to get out for awhile.
So you put thses two things together, the constant money talk and not getting away from the house and I think it spells it all out on why Kelly is sooooo distracted (what kid wouldn't be). I have been trying to think of ways to make it a bit better here for her until things turn around - I have been letting her take Chance out for rides around the block each day, but that get's a bit of the "same old" pretty quick too. As far as not talking about money in front of her it is pretty hard since we live on top of each other here in the double wide mobile home and it is such a "hot" topic with my husband.... So needless to say I am feeling a bit worn out by it all. I have to some how make things a bit better for Kelly - This is also her childhood and I hate that she feels things are so in the dumps : (

What day is it??????

I am in a blur this week already!Monday morning Kelly woke up at 6am. - I was like "yahoo" we are going to get a good start on the week..... I took my shower at 9am. while in there she is calling me telling me that Chance the horse is loose. We do not have a car during the day (That is one of the reasons we don't get to go on any of the trips or gatherings offerend by our homeschool groups) so we are walking up and down the roads calling for this horse. We were out there from 9:15am till about 12:15pm coming in from time to time to check to see if anyone called us about him (I had called the non-emergency police line and left our phone number). I then decided to call the country store and ask there - sure enough someone saw him, by now I couldn't walk another step. I called my son at his school to ask him to come home early (One good thing about having a senior in high school who is already 18 years old - he can sign himself out). My son got home and the minute we went up to the main road there was Chance - A man was following him. Kelly & I got out of the car and the fellow said "Does this handsome looking horse belong to you ladies", this kind man was following Chance to make sure he made it across the main road. He said Chance had been at his house for hours playing with his horses. In our area where we live we have so many nasty & mean people we are just blessed that Chance found this nice man. The kicker is Chance didn't want to come home with us! That beast wanted to continue to run around and be a free man, so it was a bit of a struggle for Kelly to keep him moving towards home (His horse friend kept neighing, calling him back and he kept neighing back at them). We walked all the way home.
So needless to say we did not do any schooling on Monday!!!!
What a way to start the school week already : (

People!!!!!! Geez!!!!!

I had a strange incounter yesterday...
While I was down at the post office in town behind me came in my daughters 2nd. grade public school teacher. Let me back track a bit, We had just moved down here to Florida from PA. - Being on the "Up North" schedule we got down her late for the begining of school. We had a meeting with a number of the staff at the new school since Kelly was an IEP (Individual Education Plan) student. When the head gal told this teacher Kelly would be added to her class she said she was filled and couldn't possbily add another IEP student.... My husband and I are stitting right there, Now I am thinking I don't want Kelly placed with a teacher who doesn't want her. Anyway, Kelly was placed with her and I was pleasently surprised at how much Kelly & her got along, the year turned out great she loved having Kelly in her class - She was a very young energetic, organized teacher we grew to really like her. She walks in behind me, smiles and says "Hello". I do the same. She asks "How is Kelly doing"? I said "Great, I am homeschooling her now". She says, "I know", and gives me a "Look"! I felt the fur rising on my neck, I said "I am loving it". She then says "That's nice" - In a monotone. Then says, "Tell Kelly I said Hello" and goes to her mailbox slot and then leaves..... I was so mad at myself for not questioning her more on how she "knew" I was homeschooling Kelly (We pulled Kelly out of public school late last year when she was in 5th grade). The "look" she gave me said all over it - "You are not qualified to teach that wonderful child, You are going to ruin her future". I know the look, I get it from my mother-in-law.... Normally I would just blow this all off but this past week we have really been struggling schoolwise. It is really hard to get Kelly to settle down and do work, she seems to have her mind in any place but on her school work. We will be going over a passage in a book about Egypt, while I am turning the page she will say something like one of these examples "Maybe we should check to see if the goats are loose", or "Do you know how many people on You Tube are sick and are already not going to school?", or "Can we work on the Chances hooves after we get done?" - It is like her mind is every where but on her studies. It really has me worried that I am just not getting the information across to her in a way that it will stick in her mind.
My mission today is to get in our school room area and organize for the up-coming week and see if I can add maybe a unit study or a something to get my sweety interested in learning : )

Duggar Family

Did you happen to catch the new episode of the Duggar Family: http://www.duggarfamily.com/ I saw it last night amazing! I only have two children - My son who is 18 years old (a senior in public school) & my daughter who is 12 year old (6th grade homeschooled), Every time I watch that family I always think how do they feed that many children.... Our food bill is so high here (about $200.00 a week), My son can eat that up before the week is up too. The Duggar's say their food bill is $2,000.00 a month and they feed 17 children! I always love to see how they organize their food pantry and to do all that laundry - Yikes! They all seem very happy and what a beautiful house they have too.

Great "Blog" & Ideas....

Every morning I get on the computer and one of the first place I stop at is: http://homeschoolhome.blogspot.com/ I really enjoy her posts about homeschooling she has such great ideas..... One that she suggested to me which I have been checking out is: http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/index.html It really looks like it might have some great ideas for Kelly & I. The "CheckList": http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/checklist.html I think will really help us stay on target of what Kelly should be learning (Which is one thing that always worries me). Now I just need to find the money to buy it : )

Kelly's Nature Study

When It's Raining It's Pouring......

It has been raning here in Flagler County, Florida for what seems like days! You can see by the expression on Chance's face that things are not looking good for his pen..... The poor man is standing in water that is going over the tops of his hooves. I think we have gotten more rain this time then when we have hurricanes - Shhhh I shouldn't speak about the "H" word.

Oh, the joy's of living in FLORIDA!

When things get tough the tough get going.....

Kelly & I thought this looked funny so we took a picture of it.... Nothing like having your food looking back at you!

We are really running into a problem with all of the house painting work being dried up in our area.... My husband usually paints those new big beautiful multi million dollar homes on the beach or golf courses but even those have dried up.

It is a bit scary not knowing if things will pick up. What worries me most is that with no work around here no one can sell their homes.... Which is a double edged sword.
I just pray things improve & quickly - My husband only has about two more weeks of work and then nothing. YIKES!

Joy of Homeschooling......

Here is a picture of my daughter's turtle that she took - I think I have a photographer in the making : )

On the homeschooling front, I have read many posts about not jumping ship to quickly on the curriculum you are using BUT.... I think the short lesson CM style works great for Kelly but the jumping from one subject to another seems to leave her bewildered and again not remembering to much of what we went over. This drives me crazy! It just seems she is only able to take in the parts she finds interesting and the rest just floats away. My sister-in-law said my neice was the same way - Her doctor put her on a small doze of Ritilian (sp?). She said it really helped her settle down and concentrate better.... I would much rather just find a way to teach her without the use of drugs (My daughter will not even take an asprain when she has a headache). Being that she is already 12 years old, I feel very nervous about not getting what she will need for high school under her belt.

Oh, the Joy of Homeschooling!

Rough Start.....

Well it's only been a few days and we already have hit some bumps in our Homeschooling Adventure.....
Part of it is me - As I mentioned we are using Ambleside http://www.amblesideonline.org/index2.shtml I was thinking we would start with year 3 but then thought why not add year 4 things in too, It would just add some assortment to the day. Then after starting to read some of the books - We just don't like them! I am not sure if it's me and being used to regular textbook learning or what, but I can't stand how vage alot of the books are (Does that make sense?). I LOVE history and I just am not getting the feel for these books. Anyway, I am starting to jump ship with some of them and look for others to use.... Needless to say I am broke and have no more money to spend.
Kelly, She was all gun-ho the first few days then I made the mistake of using a morning to go out on our Nature Study - that seemed to have blown her school concentration and it has been sooooo hard getting her to buckle down to our regular schedule! Then to top it off my husband has no work so he has been home alot which just makes it to much harder - He has the tv on, or he is talking ect. On thurs. I was feeling so sick and had no energy to teach. Then Friday Kelly looked terrible and we didn't do much either. Kelly said to me though - Let's get back to school work mom, I have been too bored!
Okay!