Friday, August 28, 2009

And so it begins

Well with the first day of classes came the first day of Pain, ok not really, but I am miserable, I haven't felt this bad in a while, but we trudged on getting lots of done over the last two days...Now...I am ready for BED.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

School Starts Tomorrow

Ugh, Fall Semester at school starts tomorrow. Somehow after last semester I am not looking forward to it nearly as much as I was in the Winter. I think part of me just thinks its going to be VERY hard on my system. I was doing so-so before I started school and went downhill rapidly after I started in January.

This semester, I am taking one online and one on campus class...Both start tomorrow. Ethics and Marketing. Ethics is on campus...so its a bit more stressful. We are homeschooling full time, we started 2 weeks ago and she is on her first break this week...til Thursday, but Thursday we are picking up some homeschool books (molly from the American Girls collection, or any other american girl...we will likely read through the whole series this semester and next)

Monday through Thursday for Lauren, and I will keep one day free from here on out. We may pick up a PE at the Y from Port Huron. I will talk to a friend and learn more about it....we will also be incorporating field trips....busy busy busy.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Oh Gee, Where do I start

...pain has been out of control in the heat, stress is abundant, but all in all God is Good, he has made things happen that didn't think were possible.

Monday we are going to can peaches with a friend. She has never canned before so I am going to have fun showing her and letting her taste the results. We will only do one or two canner loads.

School has kept us busy, although I think Lauren is going to be doing way more than a book a month if I don't find a way to slow her down...I don't really want to do that, so we will likely be adding in more stuff. She did a whole weeks worth of work almost again and its only Tuesday.

This week I hope to get to the fair too, I love the Armada country fair. I love seeing the animals and exhibits.

Tired now, my head is getting worse I think I am gonna head to bed early tonight.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Joys of Homeschooling

Just to get a good laugh I went to the local schools school supply request list.
Hmm, If I have to buy THAT for public schools what do they provide? Dh reminded me a seat, but even that requires fundraisers.

Lauren would technically be in 2nd grade this year, so This is what she would NEED for school.
Pencils (no mechanical pencils) (I bought 30 pencils for 30cents at Office max for our Homeschool, this should last us about 3 years, we also splurged and bought an ever sharp liquid graphite pencil becuase someone is obscessed with pencil sharpeners)
Large box of Crayons (Define Large, 24 is more than sufficient but most schools require 48, no more no less, 48 is $3.99, 96ct (our splurge this year) was $4.99, but a 24 ct, is all of 20 cents a box, I have a nice stash of those (about 8 boxes)
2-3 erasers 99cents
Ruler $1.00 I bought later several 10cent ones that are actually higher quality
Scissors (1.79 for 2 pair)
1-2 Glue Sticks (we do not use glue sticks, but I did pick up regular glue clearanced out from last year for 20cents a bottle at Meijer, Glue sticks are too messy and wasteful)
Pencil box or bag for materials (39 cents I bought 3, but Lauren only gets 1, they aren't for pencils though, they are for index card games)
4 Pocket folders (10cents each except we ONLY get the pronged kind since the other is a waste of money)
4 Pocket folders with clasps
Highlighters What does a 2nd grader need High lighters for?
Spiral notebook 5-15 cents depending on where you get them, we have a stock from several years ago when they were a nickel a piece, but we use them for way more than school
3 Boxes of Kleenex for the classroom we rarely go through 3 boxes of kleenex a YEAR in our home, so what on earth does the classroom need with about 90 boxes of tissue thats 10 per month they are there??? and what does our tax money buy, in MI its certainly not toilet paper, last year some company had to donate that to schools....where does is all go?
A pair of shoes to be left at school for gym class Do I look like I am made of money, that would mean I would have to purchase TWO pair of tennis shoes? or send her to school in dress shoes daily, which wouldn't be a big deal if a Uniform was in place, but its not, so I have to get clothes, and a minimum of 4 pair of shoes for my child for school, 2 pair dress (cause Black and white don't go together) and 2 pair of tennis shoes one to be used for MAYBE one hour per week? Hmm, I don't get it, thats about $40-$80 just in shoes.
Sanitizing wipes (once again where are my tax dollars going? I use good ole vinegar to sanitize at home or lysol, and one can can last me up to 3 months, so 3 cans should last a class room 9 months, why does my child have to provide wipes, which are such a waste of money to begin with? when a $1 roll of paper towels (which the school should provide) and a Spray bottle of cleaner which they should also provide) should clean the desks and surfaces in the classrooms for at least a month, 30 kids, uhm, less than HALF of them should need to provide this...thats almost 3 years worth of cleaning stuff or am I crazy. Cleaner concentrate from my local GFS is about $10, but makes about 10 gallons of sanitizing spray...should last them a while, and they also have the bathrooms for WASHIN their hands, the sanitizer is not healthy on the skin too much.
Box of Ziploc bags (ok, I use ziplocs for toys and such, I also use them for COOKING, but what are they going to use them for in school?)

Needless to say if I have to buy all this for PUBLIC school, why not homeschool, the money I save in buying multiple outfits of clothes (a minimum of 7, so they are not wearing the same thing every day) The stuff I have to buy ANYHOW to send them to school, and the cost of having to pay for field trips and the like...well that just paid for my curriculum (a grand whole $230 for the year, and thats my highest year thus far...we are doing 3rd grade instead of 2nd, and our fieldtrips are mostly free or miniscule in cost, because we are not coming in large groups.

Plus she won't be bored waiting for the teacher to catch up to where she is, she wont have to relearn what she has already learned while she waits for others to catch up...

Someone on my support group asked why we homeschool, lots of people answered, but I guess, I don't have an answer that is clear like others...I homeschool because its what we feel is best....It started me not being ready to give up my baby, then somewhere along the line I realized that God gave me the right and PRIVILEGE to TRAIN my children in his ways, not someone else.
I have had to protect my baby from lots of things, but right now, I am just happy she is mine and we are gifted with being able to teach her anything.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

What a week

Lets see, Last Saturday we brought home a sweet kitten, she isn't so sweet anymore, she is full of mischief but we still love her and she is growing on Zeke too, the 9 year old catten of the house.

Tuesday we had our new fridge delivered, LOVE IT!! it beeps when its not shut all the way and so filling it was kinda annoying because it took a while to transfer everything. THe freezer is wonderful, its packs alot and is actually a little larger than my chest freezer, go figure. Its 6.3 cubic feet and the chest is 5 cubic feet.

Friday we went shoppin to really fill it, I haven't done shoppin like that in a while since my old fridge FROZE things and the freezer couldn't keep things frozen.

I am still recovering from that. Saturday they came and picked up the old fridge, the cash for clunkers cars program has a similar program for fridges and air conditioners...needless to say we were happy to see them come get this beast, the $50 will be directly applied to our electric bill.

I was even able to cook at home last night.
Today its hotter than all get out, feels like temp was 108 after church and actual was about 98...too hot for me.

My pain levels have been extremely rediculously our of contorl. I guess thats what its going to be like til I get in to see a surgeon that wants to FIX these problems.

The kittens are now getting along pretty good, They play and sleep together now, they are very sweet together. Ebony is full of energy though and today has not been good to her.

Overall, I am tired and life has been hectic.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Rearranging while handicapped

Ok, its been 18 months and the bug has bit me to CHANGE things in our house, A few weeks ago I bought Easy Sliders furniture movers, Hmm, they will get a work out as I make room for everythin to have a home once again.

DTE will be collecting my old fridge on Saturday and we think we may have figured out how to hook up our icemaker without drilling into the water pipe (a trip to HD is in order)

So far though I LOVE my new fridge, tomorrow though, it will get the true test as it gets stocked with Food for our family.

I haven't had that urge to grocery shop in ages, it just takes too muchout of me. I have many things I need though, and a meal plan of sorts in the making, we are trying a Bariatric surgery post op diet until I can schedule my appt with the endocrinologist.

I have my scale now, my measuring cups, and now its time to start cooking agian...Wish me luck, my body has not liked being upright for long.

I have to find foods I can cook in bulk for the week...but not beyond that. I usually have the energy to cook one day a week the rest of the week I struggle like mad to get anything at all done.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

My Family Grew

I went to get a fridge and brought home an adorable 11 week old kitten....The Pet Rescue was at ABC warehouse/Gordons, along with many other companies a big affair, anyhow two kittens were on the euthanize board, and We brought one of the two left so now there is only one, hopefully he will find a home too....Ebony (our 11 week old black princess) is getting along with everyone, except Zeke my 9 year old cat...he is keeping his distance but TRYIng to get used to her.

MY new Fridge will be delivered Tuesday, A french door bottom freezer with ICE maker...I am so excited to have an Ice Maker, we go through a ton of ice in this house.