Hope you enjoy your weekend : )

Sometimes I just have to laugh and cry at myself....
With my father-in-law breaking his hip, My husband has been spending nights down with his mother while my father-in-law is still in the hospital - I hate to say it but our house has been soooo much more peaceful and less stressful! I have had a chance to just sit down in the evenings and read which I just love to do..... This has given me a chance to really think over my next plan of action for homeschooling.
I have been reading "Well Trained Mind" I have read it in the past but picked it up again and am going to use it as a starting point for our schooling. With selling a few books on ebay (Yea!) I have been able to buy a few of the books they suggest, I am trying to look at learning for Kelly instead of grade.... Does that make sence??? I think one of the main problems Kelly has is that she spells sooooo poorly! This just makes every topic of learning so much harder for her - So I really need to find a spelling program that is tailored for the older child who hasn't the hang of spelling yet. I was looking through the Rainbow Resource catalog and found Spelling: A Phonetic Approach It looks like something we might be able to use. Time will tell on that but at least it is a start I guess.
The crying part I mentioned is while I was at the food store I jumped on their really big scale at the front of the store.... I was so floored by how much weight I have gained! Between you and me..... it said I weighed 192 lbs.!!!!!!! I am only 5 ft. 5 in. tall so you can imagine how heavy this is for me to carry around. When I was full term with Kelly I only weighed 180 lbs., Here I am 12 pound heavier 13 years later!!!!!! and not even pregnant : ( I need to work on my stress eating!!!!!

Remembering......

Okay, I have come to the conclusion that the computer is a wonderful tool & also a curse! I just get directed into to many directions when I start to work on something and then end up spending to much time on the computer and not accomplishing anything!
Like today I am looking into lapbooking for Kelly, I typed in "Civil War Lapbooks" and my gosh I have been sitting her for over an hour reading.....
Yesterday, I really wanted to see how much she is retaining. I read chapter two - "Japan Re-opens" in the Story of the World, she did the outlining, the map work & then I found a video on United Streaming about it. I asked her right after watching it what the man's name was that went to Japan "Mathew Perry", She couldn't remember it. Now I do have to say she remembered what the chapter/video was about, but she didn't remember any of the smaller details. I thought with her hearing me read the chapter, writting the info. down on paper & then viewing by watching the short video that she would retain it a bit more but no..... If anyone has any ideas on how to help her retain info. I would appreciate them.
Have a great day today : )

Is it Sunday already??????

I couldn't belive when I woke up this morning that we are already at Sunday!
I posted two more books on ebay - I am just trying to make enough money to buy the new Apologia Zoology Book 3 so we can start that. I can not tell you how well the Story of the World book 4 is going for us.... For some reason the more current history is working out alot better for Kelly. Maybe reading the additional reading books suggested on the topic may be helping to. We are also reading "Caddy Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink", Kelly has been captivated by the story. It's alot like Little House on the Prarie". I have been doing alot of the reading which I know is not the best thing for Kelly but I keep hoping that she may get drawn in by some of these good books and it may spur her to read on her own.
I am really thinking we will just take a few days off here and there but keep going through out the summer months - It get's way to hot here to do anything else anyway.
The gold fish she won at the carnival are dropping off like flies : ( This morning I found the big one she named "Tango" dead, she is going to be very sad she had fallen in love with that one...
My father-in-law made it through surgery and may be released Tues. - I am sure the nurses are hoping for Monday!
Hope you all have a great day!

One of Those Days......

It's funny how you start the day thinking one thing and then something pops up and changes it all.
I took my son to the doctors office, I was AMAZED at how some mom's let there kids just run around the office (my two could not stand it an waited outside). This one little girl ran around the office tripped and feel full force into my knee cap with her head. I asked the littel girl if she was okay but she ran over to her mother and the mother fussed over her but never once said she was sorry to me. This same little girl took down all the business cards and handed them out to everyone in the office - The mom just let her do what ever she wanted. Other kids in the office were throwing a ball around and jumping up and down on the chairs. It just was amazing to me at how inconsiderate these mothers were of the others patients in the office - some where sick and you could see the noise and activity leve just made them feel worse. ANYWAY, we got the EKG done then went over to the other office and had the urine test done - I think he is finshed with that end of it, YEA!
We did get a chance to stop at the library and pick up a ton of books that go along with our history book (Ciivil War) - One story I enjoyed alot was MEET ADDY AN AMERICAN GIRL - Book One. I hope these types of stories helps Kelly get more out of the history topics. I just have to remember to return all these books on time : )
* I did want to mention I sold my first book one ebay - Yea! It sold for $25.00 but I still have to ship it but still at least it something.
We get home and my mother-in-law called and said my father-in-law just was taken away by ambulance, he broke his hip. My husband & son went down to see him in the hospital. They said he was so nasty to them while they were there ripping my son for not having a job, and then in the next breath telling my husband he better shut up and not make waves at his job because there are no jobs available out there..... then he started to yell at them because we added another horse to our family saying how stupid can we get, then yelling about how long it took Kelly to be able to ride her horse saying it all is a lost cause.... The two of them came home with such a look on their faces, I felt so bad for them. You would think a man who is 78 years old facing hip surgery today would be a little nicer to his son & grandson who took the time to visit him! My mother-in-law blamed it on him being in pain but to be honest this man can be so nasty. Time will tell how he recovers from this one, just last year I think it was he broke his leg on the same side as the broken hip....

Slow Start Today....

Here it is almost 11:00am and I just took my shower and Kelly is still sleeping! I don't feel myself today, I just hope I am not catching something! I'm not sure if it's that or I am just feeling in the dumps lately. We have been trying to get ALL the paper work done to get my son signed up for the Police Academy, It has been such a struggle - I took him for his physical, he needs an EKG, one minute the doctors office said the medicade would pay for it so they scheduled him for this past Monday, he goes up there after school and THEN they tell him it won't be covered! I was so mad they could of just called me and we would have saved the gas to get him up there... then he also needs a urine test - one minute they say they can do it in the office and the next they say he has to go to another place. The gal got so nasty with me, I told her what she had said to us and then she insisted that she gave him the paper to go to the other office which I know she didn't because I was standing right next to him. ANYWAY, I scratched together the $35.00 and I am taking him to the doctors on Thurs. and we are going to get this all straightend out (I hope).
Then to Kelly, You all know how I am always flip flopping around with our curriculum and I really feel we just have not covered enough stuff! I was looking though my books to sell and opened the one called "What every 5th grader needs to know", I was floored at how much out of that book we haven't covered and here she is supposta be going into 7th grade in Aug.! She is soooo far behind in math, In public school she had an IEP and she moved along slowly but I really feel we are not moving along at all! She is still working on multiplication, I have her doing three digit problems every day. she is finally getting it but my gosh it has been a struggle. She still really doesn't know the times table by heart, I just let her use a grid now when she works on the problems. I guess I am just feeling so down about our progress in all areas of homeschooling. I always thought that the one on one attention I would be able to give her would help her move along but to be honest it hasn't. I have tried to think of ways to get us moving (of course money is always a problem so I can't buy anything) and with my printer & copier both broken I can't make copies of work sheets or books off the computer! I am going to try looking into those lap books maybe if she can see it all listed in an area that will help her.
Can you tell I am having a bad day : (

Ebay Selling

I am trying to sell some of my homeschooling books on ebay.....
I have listed one book so far and of course I have not gotten any bids. For those folks who have had some luck with it can you pass on some tips (You can e-mail me at justme32110@yahoo.com). They charged me a $1.00 so far for listing it so at least that isn't too bad. I have a number of books but I am thinking if I get charged $1.00 for each book and then have none of them sell I may be in worse shape then when I started...
Last night we went to a carnival, We couldn't afford to go on any rides but it was fun to just walk around. Kelly decided to use her $5.00 to try and win goldfish, she won 8 times! They allow you to trade up to a larger goldfish with each five so we have on large one and three small ones - They are really cute! The best part though is we had fun : )
Enjoy the weekend!

School Work... Not!

My plans on getting school in this week seem to be going out the window, It is just hard to when my son is home.
I did order The History of Us book 6 from Amazon ($1.40 plus $3.99 shipping), Now if I could only get the Zoology book 3 for around that price......
My son graduates highschool the end of May, If all goes well he is scheduled to start the police academy in Aug. - I sure hope he can find a job during his off time from school (Flagler County has one of the highest unemployment rate in Florida). I am sure hoping to not have so much off time from schooling for Kelly, I really think she will just be so bored. I am also keeping my eyes out on freecycle/ my mother-in-law garage sale hunting for a swimming pool, We have had one is the past years which we really used but the plastic ones just don't last long here in the blazing hot sun it seems to dry them out.
I wanted to share with you a great homeschooling blog I have found which I am enjoying: Milestones Academy
Have a great day!!!!!

April 7th.

Well today is my birthday.....
I turn 45 years old today!
Nothing special planned, We usually get an ice cream cake for this evening but my husband left this morning without mentioning it so not sure about that.
My son is off of school this week for spring break, I just hope Kelly & I don't get to side tracked, It just seems when we take time off she back slides so quickly!
Have a great day!

Our Plan So Far.....

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekends.....
We have been getting alot of rain this weekend but I'm not complaining we need it.
I have been really thinking over what our next course of action will be for Kelly's schooling - I have been really including Kelly in the decision. So far we have decided to use History of Us book 6 We were using book one which I love but Kelly is interested in the Civil War so we are going to jump to something she will enjoy. Also, We are going to use the Apologia Zoology book 3 This will be another topic Kelly will be very interested in. I am really hoping to get Kelly excited about learning again.

Hey there blogging buddies,
I haven't posted in awhile it just seems like the days just roll right on by....
Kelly & I have been getting up early and hitting the roads with Chance & Roper, It has been my dream to be able to ride our horses along the dirt roads just talking & enjoying. It has been fun and trying also since I am such a novice rider a number of times Kelly has had to get off of Chance and come rescue me. But all in all it has been alot of fun and I truely enjoy this time I am having with her : )
Over at Homeschooler in Florida Bunny's mom recently passed away, My heart & prayers goes out to her because both of my parents have already passed away and I know how hard it is..... It is funny how you miss the little things like not being able to pick the phone up and hearing their voices and also not being able to share with them the good and bad things that are happening.
Yes, We are still doing school work..... after we get home from riding we have lunch and then start. We are getting enough done I guess, I just don't seem to be sweating over it.
Hope everyone has a great day!