Tuesday, August 31, 2010

My Daybook

 
AUGUST 31, 2010

Another first for me today!  My first' Daybook" as part of The Simple Woman's Daybook" blog.  I have been reading other Daybooks on some of the blogs I follow and am SO excited to take part in it as well. 

Outside my window...It's going to be 95 degrees today.  (and tomorrow and Thursday actually) Ouch! We are definitely not used to that this time of the year.

I am thinking...about Hurricane Earl approaching and wondering when we should call and cancel our camping trip for this weekend. 

I am thankful for...my husband being home today.  He is off the rest of the week. (Well he has to go in tomorrow for a meeting but that's it).  It's so nice to have him hanging around with us.

From the learning rooms...Day 4 of homeschool.  We are LOVING it.  Oh...and of course more knitting practice.  An hour yesterday and only about 8 castings done.  Wish me luck :)

From the kitchen...I am really in need of some new recipes.  I reach a point every so often that I get very bored with cooking the same things.

I am wearing...my pink jammies still.  I tend to stay in them longer and longer.

I am creating...a new schedule for myself to help balance my time on the computer with my life.  The one I creating a few weeks ago is still not working for me.  I think I am going to have to get up earlier to get a few extra things done.  Right now it's 5:45 am so maybe I'll shoot for 5 instead and see if I can still function by 7 pm. 

I am going...to start prepping parts of our exterior for painting.  It is a project that has been nagging at us to start and it's such a big, overwhelming job that we don't even know where to start.  

I am reading... "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" (with my teenage son)  It was given to him for his 13th birthday from his Uncle but I didn't think it was appropriate until now.

I am hoping...that my Mother-in-law feels better very soon.  She found out yesterday that what she thought was poison ivy (as well as the emergency room on Sat) turned out to be Shingles.  Poor thing is in a lot of pain. 

I am hearing...silence as we wait for my daughter to wake up.

Around the house...I really need to schedule to have the carpets cleaned.  (is that the most random thought or what?)  Signs of summer being tracked in are way too evident.

One of my favorite things...is having dinner on our screened porch every night.  I am not sure why we haven't done it since we moved in but we have thoroughly enjoyed it this summer.  I will definitely miss it when the weather turns cold.

A few plans for the rest of the week....Sophie starts her 2 hour gymnastics class tomorrow night.  She is only used to doing an hour so I'm hoping she loves it.  We also have our very first Homeschooling Group get together on Friday.  Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, they go bowling.  We are looking forward to meeting some new homeschool friends very much.  My son also has his first official Football game of the season at the high school.  I do love football and Fall seasons!  Of course this is only if Earl doesn't ruin it for us.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Monday, August 30, 2010

A Chosen Thing to Learn This Year


As we kicked off our Homeschooling Adventure, I asked Sophie what was one thing she would REALLY like to learn how to do this school year.  And guess what she picked?  Knitting!!  Gulp!

I know absolutely nothing about knitting so this should be a hoot.   But we headed to Walmart this afternoon for a little start-up kit and blue and white yarn.   She is sitting on the couch, as I type, waiting very patiently for me to get to it!  Ha! Stay tuned for pictures of this...it might be really funny  :)

Menu Plan Monday


I am SO excited to participate in my very first Menu Plan Monday on this very new blog!  I have been a dedicated reader of OrgJunkie.com's fun every week.  I absolutely love to find new things to serve the gang here.

Here is our plan for this week:

Monday ~ Grilled Italian marinated Chicken, Roasted potatoes, Broccoli

Tuesday ~ Spaghetti

Wednesday ~ BBQ chicken thighs, Perogies w/ sauteed onions (love Mrs. T's), peas

Thursday ~ Breakfast for dinner--Pancakes and bacon (kids favorite treat!) w/ fruit salad

Friday ~ Homemade pizza

Saturday ~ Turkey burgers, French Fries, Baked Beans and Watermelon

Sunday ~ Paula Deen's yummy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Saturday, August 28, 2010

First Field Trip (of sorts)

We decided to have our first "Field Trip Friday" yesterday.  There is a Conservation area pretty near us that we have always wanted to see so we headed over. 

I was hoping for more than we got unfortuntately.  I was thinking there would be highly marked areas to talk about and, I don't know, just stuff!  There was nothing but paths in the woods :)  Lots of paths in the woods!  I was actually kind of nervous that we might get lost.  Thank goodness DH was off and came with us.

But we tried to make the most of it and get something out it.  So, we picked samples of three different kinds of ferns growing all over the ground.  We are going to make a Nature Journal over the course of the year.  This will be our first addition.

Friday, August 27, 2010

The Beginning of "Our Days Here"

Wow.....here I am at the beginning of my new blog...."Our Days Here".  I have been wanting (seems like forever) to start a personal blog but I have had a fear of where to start for WAY too long.  A fear mainly stemming from my inability to put my thoughts into words :).....and how critical I can be of myself when it comes to writing in general.  I read SO many blogs everyday and am in awe of how so many of you write so eloquently.  Here's hoping I have learned a little. :)

I couldn't think of a better time than now to begin this fun.  We have just started our adventure in Homeschooling, actually just yesterday, my 7 year old daughter.  She attended public Kindergarten and 1st grade last year but it was so evident,  as this school year approached, that homeschooling was the right choice.   We have thought about homeschooling for many years with my son, who is a Sophomore now... but once again I had fear.  Fear of being able to do it.  (I'm probably going to verbalize a lot of my fears now, huh?)  I think the fact that I had a baby when he was in 2nd grade put a lot of that "fear" in me.


We thought about not sending her to Kindergarten and to start homeschooling from the beginning, but we didn't.  Then 1st grade we thought we would see.   But now, knowing the issues with learning last year that she had, all of those fears completely disappeared.  It was wonderful weight lifted off of me actually. Knowing in my heart that this is right!!




We are all SO excited!!  Our first two days went wonderful. (The smile that proves it above) I can only hope that they are all like that, right?  I am going to follow the same calendar as our school district pretty much to make it easier (for now anyway).  I had so much fun picking out her curriculum.   I don't know what I would have done without all the advice and information from the many homeschooling blogs I have found, especially Wierd Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Five J's and The Happy Housewife.  They have made me feel so at ease.

Not only will I write about my experiences with homeschooling but also our life in general.  A life that includes my awesome, most-of-the-time, husband, my wonderful, most-of-the-time, teenage son, my sweet, most-of-the-time, daughter (seeing a pattern here) and too many pets...a silly Rhodesian Ridgeback  (who makes me laugh and furious daily) , 2 furry cats, 2 rats (yes...yuck) and a fish.  Oh...and me...HA!!!  I'm not sure how to explain me....Bargain loving Southern Girl living in New England.  Banker, Realtor turned Stay-at-home Mom and Blogger.   I love my life.  But, no, it is NOT perfect!!  But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

So, here we go!  Welcome to our world....Our Days Here.