March is going to be a busy month. I've marked out the locations of the Home School Group's Events to protect my members privacy, but this is our Family's March Calendar that I just emailed my husband. I know we won't make it to every event but I'd like him to know that these events are available. Plus, I'm kinda thinkin' he'll see how many events we actually DON'T participate in and be grateful enough to let us go to the events we really desperately want to attend. I know, I know, I'm a conniving sneaky little wife! LOL

Funny thing is another home schooling mom recently looked at my calendar and commented that she wished her schedule was that sparse! OH MY!

Family Schedule:
Beth Moore Bible Study: Sunday Evenings, 5 PM, March 2 - ?
WLBC Food Bank: Tuesday, March 5, 10AM - 2PM
Patrick’s Wedding, Lubbock, March 13 - 16
Pick up Josh: March 17
Return Josh: March ?
Dentist Appts.: March 28, 12:30pm


ACTS Schedule:
PARK DAYS
Fridays, 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 PM
Location: -----------


PARENTS NIGHT OUT
Our first Parents' Night Event.
A chance for the Dads to get to know each other!
Saturday, March 1st, 6:30 pm
Dinner: El Charros
Afterwards Movie: Possibly “The Bucket List”


MONTHLY MEETING
Tuesday, March 11, 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Located at -------
Meeting: John Billings

Mr. John B. is excited to teach our kids an art lesson! Please be prepared to consider a love offering to reimburse him for the paint and painting supplies which will be used by our students. Thus far calculations and estimates are about $5.00 per student being prepared. If possible RSVP so he can prepare to have the right amount of supplies.


MONTHLY FIELD TRIP
Where: ---- Zoo
When: Tuesday, March 18th, at 10:00 a.m.
How Much: Adults (13 & up) $6.80
Children (3 to 12) $4.00
Infants (0 to 2) Free
Other Details: Bring a picnic lunch or plan to purchase food nearby for a lunch outing at the zoo. I will need a headcount by Monday, March 10th to finalize our group reservation. Please reply herein or send me an email to ladyhawk82158@yahoo.com including the number of adults & children within your family party.


EASTER PICNIC
Location:-----
Friday, March 21
11 AM - 1 PM
More details TBA


ACTS SPRING SOCCER
Location: --------
Clinic: Saturday, March, 22, 2008 at 10 AM - ??
Games: Wednesday mornings at 10 to 12 beginning March 26 going through to May 14. With the end of season party falling on May 21. Wednesdays will consist of one hour of practice and one hour of play.


TEACHER'S LOUNGE(MNO)
Thursday, March 27th
More details TBA


COMMUNITY SERVICE: LSF VICTORY BOXES

We are collecting school supplies and personal hygiene items to be mailed to Lt. James "Donny" Payne in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Donny distributes these items to children as a gesture of goodwill from Americans. To learn more about this project please visit http://victoryboxes.com.

How To Help
Donate the following: School supplies being collected: paper, tablets, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, erasers, sharpeners, markers, etc.
Personal hygiene items being collected: shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, combs, brushes

Donate $8.95 to mail a box

Please bring items to LSF during regularly schedule meeting times or to First State Finance, 300 Madole Street, Athens, TX

Thanks so very much Angie and the folks at Living Stone Fellowship for bringing these opportunities to us!


Other Local Events of Interest
HOME DEPOT: KIDS WORKSHOP
Saturday, March 1, 2008
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
This month's craft: #20 Race Car


LOWES: BUILD AND GROW
Saturday, March 8, 2008
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
This month's craft: Periscope


LOWES: BUILD AND GROW
Saturday, March 22, 2008
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
This month's craft: Goofy Golf


AMERICAN GIRL BOOK CLUB
Tyler Public Library in Taylor Auditorium
10:00 AM to Noon
March's Meeting will have a possible change of location or date/time due to book sale being held at our normal meeting Location on that date. Details to be Announced...


CAMP FORD CIVIL WAR REENACTMENT
Starts: Saturday, March 29, 2008
Ends: Sunday, March 30, 2008
Description: Saturday and Sunday March 29-30 (10-4). Captain James P. Douglas Camp and Battery, The East Texas Brigade and Reenactors present living history and Civil War reenactment at Camp Ford Historic Park. Camp Ford Historic Park Hwy 271 and Camp Ford Parkway. FREE but donations are appreciated. 903-581-7891


FOUR WINDS RENAISSANCE FAIRE
Starts: Saturday, March 01, 2008
Ends: Sunday, April 20, 2008

Description: Every Sat. & Sun., March 1 thru April 20 (10am-7pm). Experience a fun-filled day of swashbuckling, exotic wares, fair maidens, court intrigue and fun and games for the whole family! Adults $12, Children ages 5 to 12 $6, Age 4 and under FREE. 338 acre Vizcaya Ranch, 21778 CR 2138, just 11 miles south of Loop 323 off Hwy 110 S. between Whitehouse & Troup. For more info call 903.839.5271 or visit www.fourwindsfaire.com.

My children have plethora of toy/play paraphernalia. It seems their father wants to buy them a toy every pay day. Holidays & Birthdays are insane with gifts. I do appreciate his generosity but let's face it the kids are rotten. Not only that, but it is also difficult for them to clean their rooms with the abundance of toys. I have purged and purged, bought totes and added shelves all in the name of organization and cleanliness. However, last pay day he brought home an ever so welcome educational toy for each of them. Now I'm not going to lie and claim that it is my children's deepest desire to acquire educational toys but they really liked these.

The Garden Girlz Rose Bud Cottage

This is a little cottage that comes with a little girl, ladder, bed, couch, mail box, a couple packets of seeds and sponges. It is pretty self explanatory. You soak the seeds and sponges for 12 hours before planting them in the plastic cottage. We planted her seeds Sunday and they've gotten this big already. I don't know how long they'll last.


Test Tube Alien
This guy is pretty cool. He starts out an egg in a test tube. You add water to the test tube and the egg fizzes away to reveal the alien. You feed him and keep him in just the right amount of water, regulate just the right amount of sunlight and darkness and he grows. He has sensors built in and is suppose to relay information to your computer once you register at it's site. I am hoping the site will have some explanation as to why the egg fizzes away, how it grows, and how the sensors work/get power. We haven't registered there yet, but so far it's a big winner around here.

Close Up of Collage

Emily has been feeling a bit neglected school wise lately. I believe her exact words were, "When you do school with Bubba you don't have time to do school with me." (I'm pretty sure she was using the word Bubba as a curse word in this instance.) This statment, if not a little rude, also rang slightly true. So, feeling only a little guilty I looked around for a project to do with her, so she would no longer feel like her education was being ignored. I came across this cute lapbook A Hungry Caterpillar at the Homeschool estore that is based on Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. She has always loved this book so it was right up her alley. This lapbook was pretty easy and covered multiple subjects. It included a collage, a poem, counting, days of the week, colors, life cycle of a butterfly, opposites and healthy foods vs. junk foods. We finished it in one sitting. It was fun and affordable at only $7.00 but priceless in the aspect that it made Emily feel special that I sat down and did this with her.



Front Cover



The Inside

I've been thinking about kindness a lot lately. In the handful of different types of leadership positions I've been in I've come into many situations where I was just shocked that people think it is OK to talk to or treat other people the way they do. However, not being mean is not enough (though it certainly helps). Being kind is more than that. It is taking a moment to think about someone else. Have you ever watched someone after they are tossed a smile or compliment? They light up, if you are blessed you may even get to watch them passed the infectious joy on to someone else. Along this same line I recently read the short devotional Give Life With Your Words by Jon Walker. I love his devotionals because they are short, to the point and nearly every single one of them cause me to think and self evaluate.

This particular devotional brought to mind a lady from my church, let's just call her Mrs. V. Mrs. V lights up a room when she enters it. Sometimes I could just swear that she honestly is emitting a soft glow! This is clearly the Holy Spirit just shining in her. If I was going to pattern myself to be like any living woman I would want to be like Mrs. V. I'm careful not to put her up on too high of a pedestal but I do admire and love her dearly.

Besides singing her praises I bring up Mrs. V because of this funny habit she has of gushing over people and complimenting them. She can think of something kind to say about anyone! I've come to think that she can't control herself, that kindness just gushes out of her without her control. For instance once she came knocking on my door unexpected on one of those days when the house is a mess and you haven't bothered to bathe or get out of your PJ's. Picture greasy hair, stained t-shirt with holes in it, and baggy boxer style sleeping shorts.... I kid you not when I opened the door the woman's face lit up, she smiled, hugged me then looked me up and down and declared, "I love your slippers!" Needless to say, I've come to take her compliments with a grain of salt.

I am a cynical type of person. I don't take compliments well...to be honest I usually feel like your pulling my leg. However, I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter if you believe it is sincere, it stills feels good when someone takes that tiny little effort to make you feel special. Which brought me to the realization that just as I'm not good at taking compliments I'm not good at giving them either. Even though I'm generally a loving person I can be thoughtless. I simply don't think. I may think you look nice today but never think to voice it. I may be impressed with your skills but never think to say it. I get caught up in my own life and forget what a long way a smile could go to someone feeling out of place. I feel the strain of the responsibility of my children's education to the point that while pointing out their errors I sometimes forget to praise their achievements. Children don't understand your worried that you are failing them, they only know that you are telling them they are wrong. Do you remember to praise them when they are right? Ouch. I don't always remember that.

While feeling the conviction from the devotional I read it dawned on me that sometimes when I remember to praise my son for good work soon afterwards he'll spontaneously bounce on me with a hug and declare, "I love you, Mom!" All from just a little scrap of attention from me. At first I didn't know whether to feel bad that he seems that so desperate for my approval or to use it as an example of how easy it is to give joy to others and how wonderful the rewards can be from doing so. I've decided to apply it both ways. That "Wow that looks great Brandon!" takes so little effort and his undying affection means the world to me.

On the flip side sometimes it is more than being thoughtless or forgetting to pass out well deserved praises. Sometimes people are just flat out cruel to each other. Words are painful weapons that can cut and scar a soul. Obviously, I can't do anything about people being cruel and thoughtless in their actions to one another. It is particularly painful at times to watch Christians do this to each other or run people away from God's house with their judgmental attitudes and tearing people down. I can't control others actions, but I can be more aware of my own. I can remember to encourage a sister who is stumbling, accept people where they are for who they are, build up others that feel torn down, criticize less, forgive with all my heart, smile more, laugh louder, share my joy, have more empathy, chose my words carefully when tempted to be unkind and most of all love my fellow man because God loves them and He would have me love them also. It just takes a moment to think of others and that moment could carry someone through a whole day.

Friday was our home-school support group's Valentines Day Party at a local bowling alley. This was the kid's and I first trip to a bowling alley and we discovered bowling for real was a lot different from the Wii. We had a blast. There was a turn out of about fourty with parents, kids and all. The kids were pretty well behaved but... you know one mother just had to bring her husband... and you know what it is like trying to get them to act right in public.

My friend Lady Hawk has given me and Award! I'm very touched. I enjoy blogging, although I admit to sometimes feeling a little "less than" when I read some of my friends' informative and entertaining blogs. So, I am just happy someone enjoys the way I share a little bit of me through my humble blog.




By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you have to award it to at least 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. Thank you out there for having such great blogs and being such great friends! You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded…

Let's there are a lot of great blogs out there. Here a few of my favorites in no particular order.


Just Call Me Jamin!
Our Homeschool and Other Such Happenings
Big Momma
2nd Cup of Coffee
A Family Runs Through It
Because I Said So
This Ain't New York
Rocks In My Dryer
Simply A Musing Blog
Shoe Princess
A Happy Life

And here I was worried I wouldn't be able to come up with 10! Now, other than posting this, how do I pass this on? Garsh, I guess I have got to go and tell all these folks how great I think their blogs are, huh? Let's see it only took say... 10 days to get around to acknowledging I had been given an award....so... if I take ten days per person to let them know they've won the award... I should be through by mid to late May?

Then again you didn't know I was gone did you?

My run of the mill blah home-school/housewife life, that makes my friends and family, that are not homeschooling housewives, bored to tears when I start talking has been pretty busy lately.

First, I decided to merge my homeschooling online support forum with another area homeschooling group that has more events than my group tended to plan. This has been awesome because if I may say so myself my forum is W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L. What a blessing to get to share it with more people! The ladies there are truly quality people, each one is completely different from the other. So, when you go there with a problem you can get advice from so many unique perspectives! Plus, they make you laugh. Laughter IS the best medicine when you are sitting hip deep in laundry, your son has wandered away from his math work to play video games and your six year has climbed the fridge and eating a giant chocolate bar for breakfast.... Just kidding my house never looks like that! LOL (if your not looking)So, in combination of what I have been advertising as an unparalleled support forum we now have another leader who can juggle events schedules like you wouldn't believe! May I take a moment to be as humble to say that I think the marriage of our two groups could just possibly be the perfect home-school family group ever? Long story short, it is great but the actual merge process was a bit more work (pleasant work, no complaining) than I took a moment to think about. So, I've been juggling that while trying my darnedest to keep the house looking like a home instead of a zoo (which I'm told by many is a useless cause with all our animals)and at the same time attempting to actually educate my children. Can I do it? Yes, many families are juggling way more than that. I've just never been that entertaining of a juggler. Which is why I'm so totally syked about having someone to do the schedule juggling for me now!

Then just about the time I thought I had a handle on the merge and was ready to really throw the books at the kids (not literally, well may be...) my oldest daughter called on her way to the ER. Turns out she has a very painful fairly large ovarian cyst that they seriously thought about removing by surgery. So, off to Sugar Land we go. We got there Tuesday, Cec came home on Wednesday, the kids and I stayed, Heather came home on Wednesday night, and we stayed to take care of her while Aaron worked. There really wasn't anything I could do for her but keep track of when she could take her meds and fetch her drinks. Once her husband came home there was a flurry of requests for his care (much more desired than MY care apparently, LOL), meds, drinks, food, running of bathwater, rubbing her back, aid in walking, etc.... Young married couples are so cute to watch. Cecil came back to Sugar Land on Saturday and we all spent one more night. We came home last night.

This week I'd like to say we are finally really going to hit the books....however, tomorrow is our first group meeting as a newly improved merged home-school group and I promised I'd be there to explain what I offer through my forum and how to use it for those not very computer savvy. (Thursday our group is going to a nursing home to pass out V-day cards, but I doubt we make that.) Then Friday is our bowling alley Valentines party. Saturday is American Girl Book Club at the library, and Sunday is church then a birthday party. To top it all off after we got home last night Emily was complaining her neck hurt (pointing to her throat) and she was running a low grade temp. Did I mention that roughly half the people I know have had Pneumonia or the Flu (some have had both) within the last two months or so?

There is roughly the last two weeks in review of my hum drum boring home-schooling housewife life.

PS I almost forgot to mention that some time before the trip to Houston and after the merge that I spent a day ripping out a wall in the tub, removed the old faucet system, installed a new faucet system, re-sheet rocked the hole and reinstall the plastic bath tub liner?

You know nothing is too big or too small in the life of a housewife.

I am behind.

I am behind in the house work.

I am behind with the kid's school work.

I am behind on my Home School Forums' maintenance.

So, dear dear Blogger do not feel left all alone. You are in good company, left behind with all the other things I have yet to do.