One Year ago...

...I walked into my surgeons office for a mere recheck on a lumpectomy site that was performed one week earlier
...my world was rocked
...I was diagnosed with Stage 0 LCIS.
...a set of decisions was put into motion


Today
... I sit here thankful that I am alive and cancer free.
...I don't regret my decision... most days
...I count down the days till my next oncology appointment (24)
...I pray for my friends who have been hit with cancer and are going through treatment.
...I mourn for the things I have lost
...I rejoice for all the things I didn't lose
...I am alive

From Colorado

Fun with hands on projects

Today I decided to do something out of character for me... I pulled out the hands on kits and did a project with N and A that wasn't scheduled.  Shocked??  I was.  :)
So what did we do you ask?  Well after pinning a cicada that decided despite the lysol in the relaxer that it was going to grow mold, I pulled out this kit and the instructions for the catapult.  I have all the kits Hands and Hearts offer.  Most of them are undone.  Why?  Because I feel I don't have time or the space in the school day to do them.  Well I'm wrong.  My kids love them and hands on learning really is what it is all about.  The catapult fits into our current study of the Vikings.  We are reading Usborne book of Time Traveler.  The vikings raided other villages.  Whether or not they used catapults to do so I have no idea but it fit with what was in the box so I went with it.  The littles enjoyed launching animals with it.  It is currently in the shop for repairs though!

From Aug 30, 2010

Fun fact (or disgusting depending on how you look at it): In the middle ages they would load dead animals into the catapult and launch them over the castle walls if they were unable to leave the walls due to threat of enemy.

Pinned Cicada

From Aug 30, 2010

A myriad of insects in the "kill" jars.  N fed the one a tomato so I am not sure it should be considered a kill jar

From Aug 30, 2010

I have a few goals

I realize New Years Resolutions are about 8 and half months overdue but I'm setting some goals regardless.

1. clean kitchen every night so I wake up to clean surfaces in at least one room
2. run 3 times a week and finish C25K
3. Gym the other 2 nights a week
4.  Input up to week 6 of curriculum (seeing as how we are all ready starting week 5 I am behind but almost caught up just to be behind again.  So really the goal here is to input a little each day always staying ahead.


I will start my goal setting there and see how I do.  I did wake up to a clean kitchen this morning just an hour and a half after I thought I would be up. ::note to self:: turn alarm clock on!

What we are using this year.........for the younger 3

I- 5th Grade
He is doing Core 5 exploring the Eastern Hemisphere.  So far he has mapped and explored the Pacific Islands, Antartica and now Australia.  For Language Arts he is doing Monarch 500 online.  Science is combined with the littles (I expect more complete sentences and vocabulary cards).  For that we are using Apologia's Exploring Creation Zoology 1 Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.  It is all about insects and birds.  Right up the boys alley.  Handwriting is A Reason For Handwriting E.  Math- Horizons 5

N-2nd Grade
N is doing Core 2 which is part 2 of World History from Sonlight.  Language Arts is Sonlight's LA 2 for advanced readers.  Spelling is A Reason For as well as Handwriting.  Science is the same as Ian's.  He is also using MCP Plaid D for phonics and Wordly Wise C for Vocabulary.  Horizons 2 math which he started last year is being wrapped up and then he will move on to level 3.  He is a voracious reader and is consuming books as fast as the girls.

A-1st Grade
A is doing Core 2 which is part 2 of World History from Sonlight.  Language Arts we are using a mix of things.  Sonlight's LA worksheets for K and Beginning Readers.  Spelling is a Reason For Level A.  Phonics is included with her spelling so for now we are using that.  Handwriting is also a Reason For.  Math is Horizons 1 which she started last year.  We are working on perfecting and speeding up our reading.  Today she read from the Beginners Bible for me :)

School is now in session

We started school back on the 19th.  I wanted to get a few weeks under my belt while the sun was at its hottest so that we could vacation when it was nicer (and all the regular kids are back in school).  So we are wrapping up our second week of school.  Next week we have off  for a camping trip and then back to work for about a month and then a big vacation to DC and Williamsburg.  Apparently I am the only one who has ever been to DC!  That will change soon.  I will take our first of school year pics tomorrow and post them up.

We also had two birthdays come and go all in one weekend.  Claire is now 14 and Avery is 6.

Claire getting ready for her first science experiment of the year.

 Avery the morning of her birthday.  sorry the quality is bad but a picture had to go here as the other one was not working

What we are using this year.........for the big girls

C- Freshman in High School (really wasn't she just learning to talk yesterday?)  This year I had to take a different approach with C as she needed high school level courses.  So far so good on the text book type things I threw in.  We will start Spanish when I get around to scheduling it.

History- BJU Cultural Geography
Math- Teaching Textbooks Algebra I
Language Arts- Monarch English 1/ My Access
Foreign Language- Rosetta Stone Spanish
Health - LifePac Health
Science- Apologia Exploring Creation with Physical Science
Readers/Read Alouds- Sonlight Core 7
Concert Choir via CCSA
PE via a homeschool PE Class
Bible- Bible Study Guide for All Ages

H-7th Grade.

History-Sonlight Core 7 part 2 of World History
Math- Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra
Language Arts- Monarch LA 700
Foreign Language- Rosetta Stone Spanish
Science- Apologia Exploring Creation with General Science
Readers/Read Alouds- Sonlight Core 7
Piano
PE via a homeschool PE Class
Bible-Bible Study Guide for All Ages