Back to School

The boys in our school room!

Last week was our first week of school! This marks the 6th year of homeschooling for our family. Austin is now in 5th grade, Luke in 3rd, and Vance in 1st. We have a busy year ahead of us, as we chug along through math, spelling, poetry, language, penmanship, ancient history, life science, typing and reading. We will start the AWANA program at our church mid-September. This is always a highlight for the kids as they get to go to church Wednesday nights for Bible lessons, game time, and snacks with their friends! Dave and I will continue to serve as leaders in 2nd grade Sparks!

The second week of homeschooling marks the first week of "whining". They are always so excited to start, and that wears off REAL QUICK, as they realize that work really isn't all it's cracked up to be. Playing is just much more fun. But it is both my duty and delight to train these boys to be diligent hard workers, so that someday they will be excellent husbands and fathers themselves. Mind you, that is NOT an easy task. Three boys with all their wiggles, joking, distractions, etc.

So here's to days of diligent work for all of us in this family, including myself! I must also pray daily for wisdom, patience, strength, and joy as I begin this new school year. I am fully aware that I cannot do any of it in my own strength. What I can do is rely on God to get me through it! And to get through it ALIVE!!!!

By the way, as a footnote, I am so thankful for my newly designed (well semi-newly designed) school room, complete with built in countertops and workstations for each of us, and organized shelving in the closet. Thanks to my handy husband for making it all possible for us to be organized and comfortable as we school together!

She's pulling triple duty tonight....

On the way home from church, the Tooth Fairy was sent a summons from both Austin and Luke. Two teeth lost in 2 minutes flat. Within 30 minutes of arriving home, Vance requested a visit, as well. Three teeth...one day. She's going to be busy tonight! Not to mention BROKE!!! What are the chances of all three boys losing a tooth on the same day? Definitely a "bloggable" moment!

Boys Love Swimming!

My boys really love swimming. It's like they were born in the water! We enjoyed one last swim day at our friends, the Linahans' house yesterday, and the boys had a blast. School year, here we come!

Luke, My personal "Mr. Miyagi"

Let it be known today that my son, Luke can now be called "Mr. Miyagi" from here on out. He has the amazing ability to kill a fly with his bare hands, every time, and the first time. It truly is a sight to behold. He doesn't even need the chopsticks. I can chase the buggers around the house for hours on end, swatting them numerous times an hour and missing. I could have just asked Luke, whom, with a single smack of the bare hand, can disable a fly and mortally wound it. Then he just picks it up by the wing and throws it in the potty. No problem. With this being prime fly season around here, it seems there are always about 4-5 flying around. So Luke is a particularly helpful boy around here these days! I should pay him for each one he kills.

I just thought I would share this special talent of his, in case any of you mothers of girls need a good shrill, or any of you other boy moms a laugh and an "oh yes, I understand." Wax on...wax off...

Camping in Big Bear

If you read about our last camping trip, then you know that it didn't go so well. Let's just say this one was a complete 180 in the other direction! Everyone came home healthy and injury free! Vance still has all the teeth he left Santa Clarita with, and no chins have been cut open.

This was our first "real" camping trip with our new trailer. Without a doubt, having a bathroom with an actual door on it, a microwave, refrigerator/freezer, A/C, and walls that don't have to pop up and down far exceeds sleeping in a tent. For those of you out there saying "Come on, that's not REALLY camping," I would beg to differ. This is the way to go! More power to you who brave the whole tent thing. Good grief! Let's just say we are very thankful to have such a nice way to camp in the great outdoors without actually having to sleep in the great outdoors. I don't know, bears eating me while I sleep and bugs biting me to death doesn't sound inviting.

We went to Big Bear Lake for 5 days with two wonderful families, our dear friends the Tubbs and the Brooks. My sis, Karen came up with Emma and Drew for a couple of nights and stayed with us. It was so nice to be able to have a trailer big enough for all of us (well, Drew wanted to sleep in their new Jeep, so he did!)

We have known the Brooks family for many years, and the Tubbs for maybe 2 or 2 1/2 years. They both have wonderful families and are just such easy people to spend time with. They each have 7 children, whom my kids absolutely adore. So our group of three families was a cool 23 people.

We spent the weekend fishing, swimming, boating, eating, and jetskiing. The boys could fish just steps from our campsite, which was right on a cove of the lake at a private RV park with a marina. They really enjoyed that a lot, and Vance caught two fish, one of which made for some good eatin' one sunny afternoon. The other boys caught various small fish and a couple of crawfish. We rented pontoon boats one day, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed swimming and fishing off the boats. The weather was perfect, and the lake beautiful. Dave drove one boat, and Robert the other. The little kids all got the chance to drive the boat, which was a highlight. A relative of Todd's allowed them the use of their three seater jetski for the weekend, so we all had the opportunity to enjoy using that several times over the course of the weekend. The boys all had a blast riding the waves, as they have never been on anything like that before. We also visited the Moonridge Animal Park, which serves the community by rescuing wild animals, rehabilitating them, and caring for them. We saw a snow leopard, Grizzly Bears, Bald Eagles, foxes, raccoons, and many more "special" animals. One of the bald eagles had double cataracts, one bear three legs, etc. We all enjoyed the experience, and it was very educational for the kids. We're hoping it will prepare them for starting school next week...OK wishful thinking!

Evenings were spent cooking and eating, playing games around the campfire, and just chatting. Todd and Robert stayed up late one night watching the meteor shower (the one that never happened) and solving the world's problems. Us old people just went to bed exhausted! Oh, and we did play a mean Sequence tournament. Suffice it to say, the women won again. Those poor guys, cheaters never do prosper. Just kidding! We just so much enjoyed being in the outdoors and being with these wonderful Christian people God has sovereignly brought into our lives. We have so much to learn from them, and are so blessed to have them as friends. What a fantastic long weekend!

Vance's favorite camp activity: Jetskiing ($3/gallon)

Luke's favorite camp activity: Playing with Hunter, Cody, and Jimmy (the cost of some fishing poles and dirtbike toys)

Austin's favorite camp activity: Playing "The Name Game" around the campfire (paper, pencils, and some fire wood)

Dad and Mom's favorite camp activity: Sleeping in a real bed at the end of the day (priceless!)

Wrapping up the summer...A summary of Summer 2007!

All I have to say is, I can't believe summer is almost over already! We are taking our last camping trip this weekend to Big Bear, and then we return to start school in a couple of weeks. This summer has been very relaxing and enjoyable. The summer is truly a whole different animal for me. The school year is very demanding since we homeschool. I am up early, I am very diligent with meal planning, exercise, and the like. Summer is wake up when you feel like it, have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and whatever dinner makes its way to the table works for me! And exercise....HA! What's that??? I guess you can see the effects of that on my hips.

We started off the summer with our trip to NY, followed by our trip to Yosemite, which was wonderful. We have had a couple of beach days to Zuma, and also several trips to the Aquatic Center, as well. The boys really enjoy the water. We just spent the day at Magic Mountain recently, which was a highlight.

As for homeschooling, many people ask me what curriculum I use, how I can possibly homeschool not being a professional teacher, and why would I want to do that anyways? After all, most moms are very happy to "get rid" of their kids for the day, especially after a long summer of having them home all day every day.

Well, since I have been homeschooling my kids from the get-go, I really don't have any other school experience, except my own, to base an opinion on. I chose homeschooling for many reasons. The main factor being that I love my kids and can't possibly imagine sending them away all day, every day! Call me selfish. It is not easy by any means, and I am not saying the days aren't long and challenging. But I am being given the opportunity to shape my children's hearts and lives by tailoring their education and environment towards living productive and God-fearing lives. I can immediately deal with every harsh word and every bad attitude, and protect them from the world's evils which I care not for them to participate in. On top of that, we have the freedom to have lunch with Daddy, go on field trips, visit unique places, take unique trips, and be a part of unique life experiences that we would otherwise not be able to do.

So with that said, here are my curriculum choices for this year, in case any of you out in blogdom are interested. A big thanks to my dear friend Nancy (yes, you!) for her much appreciated wisdom and insight she shared with me recently on homeschooling. She let me "pick her brain", and for that I am very thankful!

Math, penmanship, phonics, language, and spelling: A Beka Book
Science: God's Design for Creation, Three book series on life
History: Story of the World, Volume 1
Bible: Bible Study Guide for all Ages, Book 1
Logic and Critical Thinking: Mind Benders book A1 and Building Thinking Skills, level 2

I am really looking forward to starting up our routine again soon, and to reunite with the homeschooling families in Lighthouse, our homeschool group. We have enjoyed a wonderful summer and are thankful for the opportunities we were able to participate in! But for now, Big Bear, here we come!

A day at Magic Mountain

During the school year, the boys all participated in the "Read to Succeed" program, where each child reads for a total of 6 hours and earns a free ticket to Magic Mountain. I even got a free "teacher ticket"! So this past Monday, we all redeemed our tickets. We only live about 10 minutes away, which makes this an ideal place to visit. The boys and I headed over when they opened, and Daddy met us there after work. We stayed until they closed at 10:00pm, and then got in line for some funnel cake-YUM!

The boys are at such a great age for this place! They are all tall enough to go on most every ride. The boys were so brave! They all went on Goliath, Superman, the ever infamous Colossus, and much more. Austin tried out Batman and loved it! We pretty much went on every ride in the park, and some twice, with the exception of about 3 coasters that Luke and Vance weren't tall enough for, and Austin wasn't interested in. We just had a great time enjoying the look on the boys faces during the rides, and just savoring their excitement throughout the day. They loved the big coasters as well as the silly little kid rides in Bugs Bunny World! There were a couple of rides that we literally paid them to go on. But they ended up loving it, of course! The park was not crowded at all like I had anticipated, and we literally walked right on to most of the rides. It was a very pleasant day and we enjoyed being together immensely. Vance and Dave bonded being "ride buddies". He always requested to sit with him on all the coasters. Very cute.

To describe their "coaster personalities", I would say this about each one:

Austin: Reserved Daredevil-will try anything once!

Luke: Total Chicken, but secretly loves the thrill!

Vance: Has to be convinced it's a good idea and loves it afterward!

My three boys are fantastic and I'm so thankful to spend this life with them. They are truly a blessing to my heart. Did I mention I must pray a lot???!!!

"Dirty Jobs", and Red Sunsets

I'm going to go watch "Dirty Jobs", Vance proclaims.

Thinking he was speaking of the TV show, Dave is confused to find him pulling up a folding chair next to his truck that he is repairing. "What are you doing?"

"I'm watching Dirty Jobs!"

I guess Dave with grease up his arms working on his truck qualifies as a "Dirty Job!"

Another day, one of the boys pointed out a beautiful red and pink sky as we were driving in the car and the sun was setting. Luke asked, "How does it get that color", to which Vance immediately responds, "It's the sun reflecting off the clouds!" DUH.......!! The youngest educating the rest.

Thanks for entertaining us so much, Vance. You are such a funny boy! By the way, do you dig his new buzz cut? We cut off his "cuh-rols"! Indeed they will grow back.

You know you're getting old when.....

You know you're getting old when....Your sister calls to tell you your oldest nephew just passed the driver's test! Yes, that's right, Drew, who turns 16 years old today, just passed the driver's test with flying colors. I guess that means that I am ___ years old! Not telling!!! Just old!

I remember when Drew was just two, sporting his SDSU T-shirt and diaper cover. He was so cute!!! Now he is all grown up, and I honestly don't know where the time has gone. I have enjoyed every minute watching him grow up. He is my boys' hero, without a doubt. He loves playing with them, teasing them, and entertaining them. I am truly grateful to God for the young man he has become. He is truly an amazing person, thoughtful, helpful, giving, and serving. I am sad, in a way, to see him grow up, because before you know it, he'll be married and having children of his own. But at least Karen has grandchildren to look forward to some day!

Congratulations, Drew, on a very excellent passing score on your test! We love you!

There's really great camping trips....and then there was this one!

Anxious to try out the new Toy Hauler we just purchased a few weeks ago, we decided to take a last minute weekend trip up to Lake Isabella with our friends, the Berggrens, who also recently purchased their first trailer. We wanted to give it a trial run before our long weekend to Big Bear coming up in a few weeks. We were all packed up and ready to go! We were excited! We loaded up, hitched up, and hit the road. Well, we came to a not-so-screeching halt when Dave realized his brakes were just not working properly. Something was not right. So we turned back for home. After some phone calls and investigation, Dave decided to change the brakes and calipers. So, four hours later, we were back on the road. Then began the very "uncomfortable" 3 hour drive up to the lake. It was about 105 outside, with no air conditioning in the truck. Dave had taken the truck to have the freon recharged a while back, but it kept leaking back out, which proved there are other problems, which up to this moment, have not been repaired yet. Then add climbing several hills pulling a large trailer, and you get a truck that's overheating (along with a family of 5!) It literally felt like someone had a blowdryer on my body! It's been a long day!!! We're hot, we're hungry, we're tired! We can't wait to get there!

I figured we would find relief from the heat once we got there, but to my surprise, it was not cooling down, even after the sunset. It was very hot and humid, especially inside the trailer. We ran the air conditioning in the trailer until quiet hours began at 10pm, and then we had to shut off our generator, so no more air ): It was miserably hot inside the trailer, and no better outside, which amounted to most of our family being up most of the night!

The next morning brought new hopes of a better day. We packed up our lunch and swim gear, and headed up the lake to the Kern River. Ahhh.....lovely! The lake was refreshing and so much fun. Dave bought a raft,Scott bought a tube, and we took turns going down the river (it was like mini-rapids!) It was so much fun, and so very cool! We had a lovely lunch and continued to play in the river. Then it all went downhill from there. Kassie began vomiting, and this began what we soon would find out would be a nasty and highly contagious flu which we would all end up with by the next day. Within 3 hours of Kassie coming down with it, Claire, Paige, and Scott would all have it. And it was NASTY! And in a trailer, to boot! We originally had plans to leave and go home Saturday night, because we didn't want to deal with the heat any longer, but decided it to be wise to stay overnight with our friends, in case they needed anything. Scott was in no position to drive home. We got permission from the camp host to run our generators the second night, so the air conditioning in the trailer made a huge difference in our comfort level the second night. We hitched up and left by 9am Sunday morning. A couple of hours later, the Berggrens were able to get on the road, with Kelly having to drive home. (She would later come down with the flu the minute they got home! God knew she needed to take care of her sick family!)

At last, we were safely back home, after a much cooler and relaxing drive home, and glad to be there! God was so gracious, and still sovereign over every detail. A few hours after our arrival home, Luke began vomiting, followed by Vance, and then Dave. My stomach was not right, and I have been nauseous since Sunday, but no vomiting. Austin never had a symptom at all. He must have "Super-Immune-System"! All in all, it turned out to be an interesting weekend, to say the least. One of the weekends where you look back and say, "Had I known, I just would have stayed home!" But it was a good exercise in patience, thankfulness, and joy in the midst of dealing with things that are hard and uncomfortable. We have been given so much by a gracious God. We can't complain!