First Day

Today was our first official day of the new school year. I always have this wonderful idea in my head that it will go well, that the kids will embrace the day, that all the knowledge that I'm trying to impart into their cute little heads will be accepted and that they will be so happy to be learnin'.

That NEVER happens. In fact, it's quite the contrary. I'm usually fighting to round them up. I'm usually fighting to get them to admit that their school books even exist. I'm usually watching them put their heads down on the table in great dismay exclaiming loudly that they know enough to live.

Today was no different and I, being the seasoned homeschooling mother that I am prepared myself ahead of time and guess what??? They didn't let me down. They fulfilled my every expectation! Ryan played dodge em' like he usually does avoiding all and any parent that might get him to actually sit down for five minutes. Grace gasps loudly at every subject that was brought up like she is just so shocked that we have more to do. Aaron grumbled because he couldn't get his letter 'A' just right so we have to start over again and again, and Brad did his usual keep your head down, don't make eye contact with the teacher and look like you are learnin' something and you won't get noticed.

So I guess I would definitely say that today was one of great success! The kids may have not got much out of their lessons today but I sure did! I need a tee shirt that says...'I survived my first day of school!' On the back it should say...'It was a little iffy in the morning but then, lunch happened....

The Dino Dig

Homeschooling is not for the faint at heart. It takes patience. It takes time and more time. It takes the strength of Goliath to meet each and every day with the curious minds of children and all their questions, not to mention what happens when someone is feeling particularly cranky. I have to laugh when I hear someone comment that homeschooling is 'safe' and that what my choice for education for my kids keeps them sheltered. It is not a 'safe' thing to do by any stretch of the imagination and they most certainly are not kept in a dark basement with out the hope of the light of day to shine forth. When I see them in action at a field trip or when they conquer a concept, or even when one of them is laying their head down on the table in agony because of a math problem, I know that they are just right where they are suppose to be...

Dinosaurs. There is something that is endearing to many elementary children about that topic. They are a bit mysterious. They are adventurous and they are BIG. From my seven year old's perspective, they look cool, they are so strong and it would be super awesome to ride one.

It happened to be that a field trip was formed and I signed the two younger boys up to participate. It was a beautiful sunshine-filled day. A perfect day to be outside digging for dinosaur bones. There were over 140 kids who were signed up for this trip. They were everywhere. I did notice a steady trail to the 'cookie' table which was a highlight for my two boys as well.

The mama Myasaura dinosaur bones were what were buried for the kids to dig up and clean off with a brush. They all had a chance to dig in the sand and to discover 'a treasure'. The instructor went over how to properly unbury a fossil so that nothing was broken off in their excited attempt to grab it up. After all the bones were discovered, the kids took them inside for the instructor to talk about the dinosaur and to put it together so the kid could see the skeleton as a whole.
The instructor had asked the kids how a mama takes care of her children. Aaron raised his hand and proudly announced that his mother took care of him by giving him food as he was rubbing his tummy and licking his lips. He also knew what the mystery bones were...the shoulder blades.
He is a pretty smart boy, if you ask me. It was neat watching them attentively interact with the instructor and what was being taught by her. Now if only they would do that at home....


You can't force all of your learning into four walls but need to provide moments for them to experience all that you are teaching them outside of that, to experience the adventure of it, to touch it, to see it, to feel it. It brings education alive and makes it real so that it not only is expanding their minds but also wrapping around their hearts.

A Trip To The Fire Station

Yesterday was field trip day here at our house. A field trip was planned to visit a fire station and away we went.


Brad, our 13 year old, wasn't really interested in this trip as he swore they just talk for a bit and then you get to watch Teletubbies. I just shook my head and told him that this was our school for today but if he wanted to stay home and work on his school work, he could. He chose to go. Now that I am thinking about it, I remember a few years back (maybe 6 or 7 years ago) when we went to a fire station open house, I think I do remember that being played on their TV in the living quarters so now it all makes sense.

I realize that as he gets older, the less that he is going to be interested in but he helps me with crowd control so I hope he will willingly go with us. Besides, he is just an all around great kid who I enjoy spending time with. I was glad he was there with us yesterday not just because I love to hear him laugh but because Aaron attempted one of his disappearing Houdini tricks and Brad was there to save the day.


The Fire chief and his men did a great job showing the kids the fire trucks, the jaws of life, all the gadgets, levers and hoses on the trucks. They couldn't show us the living quarters as it was under renovation but the guys did go upstairs so they could show the kids how they come downstairs when they get a call. The men sliding down the fire pole was priceless.


One of the guys put on his gear including the oxygen tank and mask to show the kids what they look like when they are in their suit. It can look scary to a youngster so I was glad they showed them that. One of the things that tickled me so was that they were giving the kids fire safety tips and one of the things they told them was to never hide but to go over to a window and make as much noise as they can. Then they had them practice. Here was their opportunity to scream, jump, and make all kinds of crazy noises but do you think they did? No, nope, no way! It was hilarious. They gave them a second chance and that attempt was a little better. I know my kids alone could have hit a much higher noise level. I've seen it and heard it! I know it's there. I guess they were saving it for me for later in the day. I'm glad they were thinking of me and just wanted to give me something special later. I am loved.







After the tour was over, they passed out plastic fire hats and coloring books to all the kids. All I can say is that I am glad there was a place to write their names on it as they are scattered all across the house.

New Expectations

We finished our first 'official' week of the new school year. I survived (I think) or maybe this isn't really happening....perhaps I'm on the warm sandy beach in Hawaii enjoying the ocean breeze while sipping my venti caramel frappucino...who knows....guess I will find out when I wake up...if I decide to wake up. It's a hard decision, a quiet Hawaiian beach or crazy chaotic homeschooling days....hmmmm....I just can't decide.

In the past, I have had all these expectations of how things will go. Year after year after year, I set myself up for pure exasperation. Well...not this year, I declared to myself! This year is the year for change. Things are going to be different! And it was...

My new expectations:

1. There will be complete chaos.

2. Kara will be upset because she needs me and my attention is on the schoolwork and that will just never do in her two year old mind.

3. Aaron will cry uncontrollably because he did not get his letter's perfect.

4. Grace will still not like her math and amazingly escape doing it.

5. I will get 'sighed' at a million times a day.

6. It will happen that when writing the 'letter m', it will occur to Ryan that it looks like a butt cheek and he will then laugh and laugh and laugh until the uncontrollable hysteria will make his Mom then sigh and tell him to take a break so she can gather her thoughts....

7. We won't be able to find a single pencil in the house even though we've had hundreds of them in the past. I know this because Kara amazingly finds them at her convenience to draw pictures on every wall of the house.

8. We won't start on time. There are so many needs...oh, so many needs (drinks, snacks, boo boo's and so on)

9. Children will lay their heads down on the table and cry that they can't do it and then I will have to go into my whole yes you are and will do it speech.

10. In spite of it all, I will stay the course and continue pressing forward. Homeschooling will prevail. I am the MOM....hear me roar....

My Homeschooling Journey - Part I

I always enjoy reading or listening to other people tell their journey on how they came to homeschool their children. It's like listening to their testimony on how they came to God. It's one of those decisions that drastically changes your life, your way of doing things, they way you think.

I grew up in a Christian home, had two parents and two other siblings. My Dad worked for a auto maker on the line, was extremely involved in Boy's Brigade at church and was very dedicated to his family. My mother was an extremely talented seamstress (she made my wedding dress), worked part-time at a local store and raised her children to love the Lord.

Junior High was rough for me. I was a timid, shy, afraid to make mistakes for fear someone would laugh at me kind of young lady. I didn't fit in. As a believer, I was o-d-d. I chose not to listen to the kind of music the others did, I didn't smoke, do drugs or dance. I wasn't allowed to attend homecoming or any of the other parties that were going on. So people laughed at me anyway. They cajoled me on the street corner before I even got into the school building and they harassed me on the way out not to mention what happened between classes. My stomach was in knots and I felt sick pretty much for three years straight. Kids can be very cruel. To me, they seem worse now that I have kids of my own. They are not just cruel, now they are violent. I am so grateful for a Mother that helped me through that battle.

High School wasn't as bad. I seemed to have found my own place along with a group of friends with which I 'hung' out with quite a bit. I was still very odd because I wanted to serve God with my whole heart. I disagree with people who want to send their kids to public school so they can be a light in the darkness. It doesn't necessarily work that way. Most of the time, instead of goodness being of influence on the sinfulness, the sinfulness seems to be the influence of choice. I did not embrace what was around me at the school and I got teased for my stand. By God' grace, I was able to stand firm on my faith in God. And somehow I made it through but I do remember one thing: I was overwhelmed much of the time.

I remember my Mother contemplating homeschooling at one time. She even had a book on it that she was reading. I remember praying and praying and praying that this would happen. It didn't and I was disappointed. Looking back now, I know that I could have done so much better in school had this happened. She thought she just wasn't capable. I disagree.

I am amazed at parents who think they aren't capable of teaching their own kids. If you can go through labor, you are capable of homeschooling. From day one, you are teaching your children. We teach them how to walk, talk, eat and use the bathroom. Those are great feats....why is helping them develop their brains by introducing them to reading, mathematics and how to spell any different? I was one of those parents. I thought that I couldn't teach my own kids. I am here to tell you, you can do whatever you put your mind to.

Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work. - Booker T. Washington

Ice Cream Social 2008

Today was our homeschooling Ice Cream Social event. The kids had such a great time! They had made a 40 foot long ice cream sundae which thrilled the kids to death. Ice cream is the name of the game for our family. You just can't go wrong with that. I think our oldest said he had four bowls which was about the amount our four year old had. Wow!

The day was full of running around the park, eating more ice cream and let's not forget to mention the brownies they had to go along with it. They had hillbilly horseshoes and a bounce house on top of all that. They were forecasting storms and rain but it all held off for our event and God sent the sunshine! It turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day.

CPR Class

Last week, the two older kids had a CPR class. I thought that would be a great idea since they are getting to the age that I am able to use them for babysitting the younger ones. This whole concept of leaving them alone was a new change for me. I can't believe that they are already that old. Then, I'll have conversation with them and it's very evident that they are. They have minds of their own! I've known this since they were younger than two but when one has half an inch before I'll be needing to start looking up to talk to him, that change is staring you in the face.

There was a lady in our homeschool group that use to have her license in CPR training but has let it lapse. She was willing to give the class but the kids aren't certified. Really, I just wanted them to have the information and the knowledge to know what to do should something awful happen when I'm not there.

She was great with the kids. They enjoyed her class and it was very interactive which was wonderful for a hand's on learning experience. Mrs. Cathy was a great sport at being one of the victim's. Her son worked with her and we all had some fun watching it!

The kids learned so many things and I am relieved that they are familiar with what to do. I was concerned about Grace to begin with. She freaks out everytime something happens. Her way of dealing with it is to run in her bedroom and hide. Not a good way to deal with an emergency situation.

A few years ago, we had a few traumatic things happen like my husband getting bit by the neighbors dog with lots of blood, then Aaron who was eight months old (at the time) fall down the stairs hitting his head on the GFCI again with lots of blood, and our three year old (at the time) eating what he thought was candy when it really was some of my mother's medicine. Hopefully, with some extra assurance on what to do in those situations, I'm hopeful they will be able to apply what they learned.

The kids had fun rolling each other on the floor so they wouldn't choke should the victim throw up, they were shown how to create a sling for a broken arm, given instruction on how to never pull an embedded object out of someone, choking and all about snake venom.

When the class was over, I was informed that if Grace was my help in time of need, I'm a gonner.....should I be worried????

It's Time To Order

This is the month I get lots of catalogs. Homeschooling catalogs, that is. It's time to start thinking about purchasing new curriculum for the new year. Some catalogs I toss but some I browse through. There is so much available, it's hard to choose.

We've been using the Lifepacs and Horizon's through Alpha Omega which I love mixed with some Abeka. Every child has a different learning style so I try to add things that will help each one of them learn. I also try to throw things in there that they are interested in. For instance, Ryan is into dinosaurs so I got him a sticker book on dinosaur's and a Kumon book that had a paper dinosaur to put together. He's a hand's on kind of learner and those work for him.

This next year, I'm looking to add a little bit of Bob Jone's (BJU) to our curriculum. I've heard a lot of good things about their curriculum. I do know they are legalistic in their views and so I'm concerned about that coming through in how they present their material. However, I usually am reading along side with the kids, so it may present some good discussion too. If it gets too confusing for them, I may switch back. Sometimes, it's good to freshen things up a bit with something different.

There is so many neat books available that sometimes I get too excited and buy way too much. You can only fit so much in one year. Come to think of it, I guess those catalogs come at a great time of year. About April, the kids are ready to be done with school (truthfully, they are ready to be done by the second week of September) and I'm trying to push them to keep going but when we start looking through the catalogs, planning for the new year, it seems to inspire them a little bit.....emphasis on little. I'll take what I can get.

Evaluations....

We had an appointment with the local school district for a speech/language evaluation for Sharlene. I was a little nervous going into it not for Sharlene but for myself. I haven't set foot inside a school since I hopped into my 1979 Ford Granada that needed a stick in the choke to keep it going up that hill to where the little brown building sat waiting for hundreds of hormone-filled teenagers to attend. I guess that isn't true. I did attend college but I don't put that in the same category. Why was I nervous? Because I homeschool...that's why.

I know, I know. I am legally allowed to homeschool and I shouldn't feel nervous. But I do. You hear all about people calling in the troops on some crazy homeschooling family that has apparently been abusing their children and nobody found out about it. I won't even go into those crazy public school families who have also been able to keep abuse under the table but that's for another post. I don't abuse my children. They are well cared for and loved to pieces. No, they are not in pieces but they know we are here for them. However, I do yell. Sometimes, more than I should....and that's when I know I need a venti.

As I sat there waiting for the lady that was to do the evaluation, I thought maybe I should come up with a creative answer if she started questioning me about where my own children attended school or some other question that needed to be answered. I decided to pray that God would give me wisdom if that should happen. What did happen instead was that we met a really nice lady that didn't over-intrude into our lives but focused on Sharlene's issues.

After her evaluation, she informed me that she needed to go over her notes and would get back to me on what would best meet Sharlene's needs but she did say that Sharlene was pretty severely in need of help and that the once a week speech therapy would not adequately supply that. What she did need was the five day a week class that the bus would come and pick up Sharlene for. She also recommended I take her to a neurologists because she also saw some things that were indicative of other problems.

I decided to ask her about Barbara. I've been concerned about her because she swallows her food whole. I've been observing how she eats and from what I can tell she uses her tongue instead of her teeth to mash up the food or she plain just gulps it down in it's whole format. She also has stuck her hand in the flame on my stove and didn't cry, dropped a wooden puzzle on her foot and again, didn't cry, and some other behavior issues that are much like robotic responses instead of something she might be really feeling. We've had a doctor, the therapist and now the speech pathologist tell me that I needed to get both girls in.

Have you ever had one of those moments when out of the blue, you break down and cry. I hate it when that happens. It comes too quickly to be stopped and there you are...open and vulnerable before a person you don't even know. It happened at this very appointment. Ugghh! As I sat there trying to explain briefly the situation, the lady was very encouraging and said some very nice things to me which made me feel better....even as far as to say I was a saint for taking on this. I wouldn't say that about me AT ALL. I'm just an ordinary person trying to do what God has called me to do for today. But I did appreciate her words.

So we made the neurologist appointment. The soonest we can get in is the end of this month. Sigh. I hate waiting. I want answers and I don't like to wait for them. All in God's timing, right?

Follow That Red Suburban to KM Ranch

We took a trip up to KM Ranch for yet another fun field trip with our homeschooling group. After filling out release forms for ALL of the kids, we were greeted with tons of fun to be had.

I really appreciate all the ladies at KM Ranch that make this trip so very awesome. They are so very patient with the kids and with the adults too. They love it when you ask questions and are more than willing to explain everything about horses to you.

They had several stations set up for us to explore. They had an experienced roper there to help us all to learn how to rope a horse. Of course, we only had a wooden horse to work with but that was excellent idea! It sure made it easier to actually get the rope around his neck because he doesn't move!

They had a horse available to groom with all the accessories to do it with. He was so very patient with all the kids lined up to give him a good brushing. I thought this was cool because the kids could get close to the horse without getting on helping them feel a little more at ease around them. Sharlene wasn't scared or jittery at all around them. She just went right up to him and was petting him and combed his hair.

They had horse stick races for candy. You can only imagine how much a hit this was with the kids! Kara even loved this. She just kept running and running. We had to catch up to her before she ran right out of the building.

There was a hay ride with two beautiful horses pulling it. It was a beautiful day for this!

They also had a couple horses available for the kids to ride as the workers led them around a couple times in a circle. The horses were so gentle and perfect for this. Again, Sharlene got right up there and rode like she was a natural. She hasn't stopped talking about the horses since we got there. Aaron, Barbara, Ryan and Grace rode too.

In the midst of all this fun, they served up lunch which consisted of homemade chicken noodle soup and chili, hotdogs, chips and of course, hot chocolate and apple cider.

Oh, and let's not forget to mention the donut eating contest. They hung the donuts from a string and you had to eat it up quick without using your hands! Everybody loved this one....even Kara!

We give this place a nine thumbs up! They are so helpful, accommodating to large groups and really just made our trip up there worth every minute.

A Field Trip To Grand Traverse Pie Company

We all love pie! There's blueberry (which is my personal favorite), cherry, apple, caramel pecan apple (another favorite of mine), four berry, raspberry, chocolate, strawberry and the list goes on and on.

Our homeschool group recently had a field trip at the Grand Traverse Pie Company that opened up in our area fairly recently. I was very excited about this trip because it involves pie! I was first introduced to this place on one of our travels to Traverse City a few years ago. We had stopped there for a little snack and were very pleased with our purchase. I usually bake pies from scratch so it takes a little bit more to impress my taste buds. They do a pretty good job!

We started out sitting down having a snack of juice and cookies while our wonderfully patient teacher, Amy, instructed us on some of the history and doings of their store. Ryan sat in the front seat and paid very close attention. He was even able to answer her question of what is very important before preparing food. He raised his hand and promptly answered, "wash your hands." I was so proud of him! The thing that sent my heart to soaring was the fact that I now have a shred of evidence that he's actually listening to me at home!

As Amy continued on, I noticed that my little squirrel of a son (Ryan) started helping himself to extra cookies off of the plate that had been sent around. He told me he was afraid Brad was going to eat them. He thinks he's pretty sneaky.

Amy was then joined by Ken and they ushered us to the back where we washed our hands and lined up by our pies that were to be made. We put our initials on the top crust with tiny cookie cutters which I thought was a fabulous idea so that we could keep them apart at home. I wasn't thinking about how those initials would disappear after the initial dive-in. Oh well....at least they know whose is whose and believe me, I've been informed!

After the pies were assembled and placed in their own take home bags, the kids got a tour of the walk in freezer. That was really something, at least that's what I hear from a certain six year old.

The people from Grand Traverse Pie Company were really patient and friendly. We give them a five thumbs up since that is all that came with me that day. Everyone had a great time and it was totally kid friendly. I know that both Bob and I have eaten their for lunch or a late dinner and their food has been wonderful.

Schooling...

I've been meaning to post about how our homeschooling was progressing this year so far since the first week in September. As I was looking at my calendar today, I realized that it was October!

Aaron wants to 'do' school too. He does not like to be left out of anything for any reason. So right along with the others, I purchased a workbook for him. One of the assignments that was given for the day was a maze. Now they are pretty simple but I didn't think that he had ever done a maze. So I began to explain what we had to do and he just looked at me with the rolling of the eyes and promptly stated, "I know what to do, Mom!" And he did. Zip...zip...zip and he had the ant through the maze and to the end before I could catch my jaw from dropping off of my face. Yep, he's a smart little bugger.

Ryan is still resistant (and probably always will be) to sitting at the table working on his numbers, alphabet, etc. He doesn't much care for school because it tends to mess with his playing schedule. However, he's been doing better since the principal had a little talk with him. We are using the Bob books since he would like to learn how to read. His inspiration for this is that he would like to be able to read the Captain Underpants series. We've gone through the first Bob book only a couple times so when he read it too me today I was shocked! He either has it memorized which means we need to move on to the next one or he really knows whats going on inside that little head of his and is keeping me in the dark.

Grace is doing well with her reading and loves the Junie B. Jones Books. She's adding some Judy Blume books to her collection as well. She doesn't really care much for school a whole lot since it involves too much reading and is now getting into more essay-like questions. However, she does really enjoy the projects that are given like today she had to make a diagram of the carbon cycle which she did in full color with lots of detail. She has a daily meltdown when it comes to math which we are working on.

Brad is doing well in his Bible and History. He doesn't really enjoy school a whole lot because it messes with his game time. I suppose I can't blame him because he gets that from both sides of the family. He is really wanting to get good at a particular game and have someone sponsor him and make like a $1,000,000. My response to that is this.....you've got to have a business plan in place first. Get writing, son! He has a daily meltdown too because he doesn't want to have to do school. Of course, the mother in me kicks in and he gets the lecture of, if you don't do it here, you'll have to go somewhere else to do it. You've got no choice. His response as he's laying his head down on the table......I know enough to liiiivvveeee!

Then there is Kara. She goes from one thing to the next while we school. She mostly likes to make messes for me to clean up or sitting on my lap eating crayons is another favorite. On one particular day, she got very, very quiet which to me is very, very dangerous. So I went to check on her and what I found was her sitting in the middle of all our videos/dvd's. She had been having fun pulling them all out from under the entertainment center. She was so proud of herself!
So that is it in a nutshell from the nuthouse.

Follow That Red Suburban to the Detroit Science Center

Today our park day was at the Detroit Science Center. I don't think I've been there since my dad decided to take a Sunday drive which ended downtown at the Science Center. This place is not what I remembered but oh, so much more!

The first exhibit that we got stuck on was the traveling Grossology exhibit. I guess it's not going to be there for very much longer but my younger ones thought this was awesome! I couldn't get them away from the poo (from what I hear, it was realistically squishy-I'll take their word for it, no need to find out for myself) in the toilet which was very informative including information on the tapeworm. I, myself, was ready to move on after perusing it for about 30 seconds. Between the toilet and the blood-sucking tick, I quickly realized I was not in the right place.

If you have a large family, you may understand what I am about to say. I love the 6 and under play area where the children cannot get out because they have the exit blocked. They had so much available to keep their interests that they weren't even interested in trying to escape and that is HUGE in my book. Aaron and Kara both loved that area. There was water to play with and that was what pretty much kept Aaron's attention the whole time. Kara loved the puzzles and the wooden bananas.

There was so much to look at and see that we didn't get to it all this time around. It's a good thing we have a membership because we'll be going back. There are three levels to explore with an IMAX theater that has different movies available on dinosaurs and bones (you know, science stuff). The staff were so helpful and friendly except when the kids were excitedly running about but I hope they got the evil eye....they should have listened to their mother!

We give this place a seven thumbs up including the homeschool friendly discount they wanted to give our group. They were very accommodating to our needs. We even got an official sign telling our group where to meet that will be displayed when we come again. It makes homeschool field trips so much more enjoyable when the staff at our destination is helpful and they were!

Follow that Red Suburban to Port Huron KOA

We recently took a camping trip to the Port Huron KOA. We had a long weekend scheduled to spend with other fellow homeschooling families from our group.

After arriving at our destination, we found our site. It was a beautiful, pull-through site with full hook-up. For those of you who are unfamiliar with those terms, I'll explain. A pull through site is a site that is available for you to just pull your camper through and park. There is no backing in, no shimmying this way and that way to get your 30 foot camper in a 15 foot site. Trust me, it's a beautiful thing. The other term, full hook-up, means you have water, electricity and sewer. In my opinion, this is a must have. We've spent most of the summer camping without it and boy, what a difference it makes when you don't have to fuss about your tanks getting to full or fussing about running out of water while you are in the shower! Again, it's a must have!

The weather was a bit cold but at least the sun was shining making it a beautiful Fall-like weekend. The kids had a blast inspite of the temperature. We spent much of the weekend around the campfire trying to keep warm. We did have one unfortunate incident which could have been very bad but thank goodness it turned out to be minor. Aaron was walking around the campfire and tripped over his scooter, landing on the ground but his fingers touched the grill on the pit with the fire going full force. At first, all we could hear is the screaming and I couldn't tell what exactly was burned so I put ice on all of his fingers. Of course, after the incident was over, I read somewhere you are not suppose to do that but I'm just glad it turned out ok. After sitting with him for quite some time and finally distracting him with chocolate (which worked!), we found that only one finger was affected. From then on, he steered clear of our campfire.

Our homeschool group activity was planned for the Sawmill City that is attached to the KOA. They had the bumper boats still up and running and the kids, despite how cold it was, enjoyed those even in the process of getting soaked. The biggest hit with my kids was the GO-Karts. My boys love cars that go fast!

The Port Huron KOA is a wonderful place to camp. They have a very fun jumping pillow that Ryan absolutely loved and spent most of his time doing. They have unusual bikes you can rent by the hour which were also a hit with the kids. Then there was the game room, the general store and the pizza place. The people who work there were very accommodating and friendly too. It just makes it a great camping experience.

We give the Port Huron KOA a seven thumbs up!

We also give our homeschool group, Macomb Christian Homeschoolers, a seven thumbs up! You guys rock!

A Trip To Selfridge Air Museum

We had the opportunity to visit the Selfridge Air Museum with some of the families from our homeschool group.We caught the train in Mt. Clemens which gave us a ride onto the Selfridge Air Base. The two younger boys thought it was pretty cool riding in the train. However, Ryan wanted to make sure we were still going to go to Greenfield Village to ride that train. We haven't rode that train in a couple years but apparently it's made an impression????!

They had a little museum that sold touristy things that draw the attention of all the little people in our family. Bob had forgotten his usual attire that is required to protect his poor little naked spot on the top of his head (once again! He's starting a collection by the 'forgot it again' default) so off with the checkbook he went. After purchasing a matchbox train for several of our children and a hat, we explored the displays of old time uniforms and infantry items. The jeep was a hit. I don't know if you were suppose to go in it as they had signs all over the place not to touch or climb the displays but the kids threw caution to the wind and filed into it.

They also had a couple planes open for the kids to go into and look around outside. There were planes of different types. Some were from the Coast Guard, some from the Navy and some with missiles. We found out also how very much the bees/wasps like to cling to the hot metal of the planes which if you know anything about my aversion to such creatures you can only imagine what route my path was directed at....way, way...waaaay far away from them. However, Brad got stung.

We finished checking out all the planes and reboarded the train back to our vehicles. There happens to be a park in Mt. Clemens before you get to the train which had our kids attention even before we started our fun day so we let them play for a little bit before heading home. I wonder what will stand out in their minds....the train, planes or will they only remember playing at the park...hmmmm.

On The Second Day Of School...My Five Children Gave To Me....

It all began at 6:40 a.m., the cute little cooing that comes from a four month old. As I lay there listening to her sing-song like chatter, I looked over at the clock and slammed the pillow over my head. Not yet...please don't be all cute and cuddly before 7:00 I thought to myself. At that time of morning that cute chatter sounds like yapping to me. Please just 20 more minutes I beg her. After laying there a bit longer realizing I couldn't breathe underneath the pillow, I lowered it just enough to get more oxygen and then it happened...those cute little sparkling eyes looking at me with the biggest smile you ever can imagine. Oh shoot, I thought to myself. I am hooked, I've got to respond to her longing look of I know you...you are my Mama! So begins my morning...a bit earlier than I wanted but adventure awaits.....

I can only explain what happens next in the toon of...'The Twelve Days of Christmas'. Won't you sing along with me?

On the second day of school, my five kids gave to me....

one yapping baby


two papers glued to the wall and floor


three million flying legos

four stolen glue sticks by a little boy named Aaron

five screaming kids.......

six sounds of tools clinking while two kids are trying to take apart Grace's new bike

seven alphabet letters reprinted


eight no, mama do it's!












nine, I'm losing it's











ten hours of science with Grace


eleven poopy diapers

12...pencil boxes emptied all over the livingroom floor



If the song had a second verse with the numbers
thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, they might sound something like this...

13 ice skating lessons that resemble a mother slipping across the floor falling into the playpen straining her wrist and ankle

14 fingerprints made of toothpaste on the ceiling, wall and floor

15 puddles of red kool-aid all over kitchen table and floor

My song has finally come to an end but only because my five children have fallen into a deep slumber in their beds (no, I didn't give them benadryl.) My synopsis for a day like this.....

It's a VENTI kind of day!

First Day Of School - 2006

Every year this day comes. Every year, at the end of that day, I'm glad it's gone! In a world of butterflies and soft gentle breezes where the kids are playing happily but quietly. In a world where life glides gently through the day and I am not counting the minutes till naptime or bedtime, there lies my thoughts...a happy place. As my thoughts run through warm sandy beaches and White Chocolate Mocha's, I am snapped back to reality by the familiar screaming that is coming from my two year old....NO! Aaron do it!

I had planned a fun day of school today because that's what I wanted my kids to grab hold of. School is fun and can be fun. Every year, our first day has bottomed out with screams, crying and not a whole lot of fun...but this year was going to be different! I woke to sunshine which I thought was a good sign that at least I was going to be in a good mood. I got up, got my shower and felt good about the day ahead. I was right on schedule.

We started off the day creating a 'first day of school' poster which was to exhibit the beautiful hands and feet of all five of my children. They were working so well together than bam....the two minute brief interlude of happy sounds quickly turned to sobbing. Aaron who is two wanted to check out what Brad and Grace were working on and in the process smudged Grace's hand print.


Noticing that her creation was now not perfect sent her into a crying fit sending her running into the other room slumped over on the couch. As I sat there watching this happen before my very eyes, I thought to myself.....this is not happening. Please not in the first five minutes of our day. But there it was.....reality.

Today is also Ryan's first day of kindergarten. He loves to draw and color but not today. He told me...maybe later. Again, I thought to myself...this is not happening. I have the letter 'A' printed out and ready to color. We are going to glue it on our alphabet poster. Doesn't that sound like fun?? Not today, Mom...my blood has a headache. My response was less than patient...how about we do our school work so we don't have to talk to the principal. Then the crying began. Aaron decided he wanted to do Ryan's school work. The fun letter 'A' that was there to color, paste and cut out was now marred but yet again....by the two year old! Let me do it, Aaron says. Ryan was not in agreement which sent both to the floor in WWF style wrestling.

Our first day of school has come to a close because I am done for today. I need to save some fun for tomorrow. Besides, Kara is finally sleeping, Ryan is upstairs taking a nap, Aaron and Grace are preoccupied outside by the neighbor kids and I can almost hear the sound of the clock ticking. I am taking this moment to take my thoughts back to the warm sandy beach and my white chocolate mocha.....a happy place.