School is Back in Session!

This week was our first week of school!

There are so many reaons that this wasn't the ideal week to start school:

• Eldest son left on Thursday for a 10-day trip to Sweden (more on that later)


• MIL was in town (she is traveling with him)


• I'm not totally finished with year's plan - I know *what* I'm doing, but not necessarily *when* or *how*.


• One kid is sick...and I might be right behind her.

One thing I've learned the past 5 years we've been doing this is that my perfectionism can really get in the way. In the past, I'd have wanted to wait until I had everything perfectly planned out (even if that plan didn't last 2 months) and everyone was totally ready to start on a full schedule. But, usually it is just best to START, even if it is at "half-power". So, that is what we did - and it went pretty well!

We just did the basics: math and language arts, but we DID it! And eldest son had his first day of Challenge A (with Classical Conversations), so he only had a little prep work to do for that. By the time we get up to "full speed", we'll be ready to start back to Classical with the younger two. (Their CC classes don't start until Sept. 3.)

When is your first day?


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Back to School

Summer is over and school is officially back in session. Monday was our first day and had a few "bumps". But, Tuesday we got into our "groove" and had a much better day.

Today is the first day of Classical Conversations for S. (Classical Conversations - also called CC or just "Classical" - is a once a week all day class. We then build the rest of our curriculum on those lessons for the other four days of the week.) S is now in the "Challenge" program which is for middle school and high school. The other kids' CC classes don't start until the beginning of September.

Tomorrow S and his grandmother leave for a 10-day trip to Sweden. I hate that he'll miss a week of CC and be a bit behind when he gets home. We tried to schedule this earlier in the summer, but just couldn't for a number of reasons. But that is one reason we homeschool: for flexibility to take advantage of great opportunities like this!

The photo is Erik starting the school day off with us reading a story from the Bible.

Updated to add these photos from S's departure!

They all had to sit together in the back of the van.










And then saying good-bye to big brother at the airport. (I think he's giving them a few words of advice.)









Ok, I'm all ready to go!













And they are OFF!

Turkey meatballs and Spaghetti

These are such a hit at my house! These are a great easy meal for any time of year.

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T Worchester sauce
1/8 c. Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c dry breadcrumbs
1/4 c. tomato sauce (I use Barilla Marinara), plus the more for the pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with veggie oil. Pour a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom then begin forming the meatballs and placing them in the pan. Spoon a little more sauce over the top of each meat ball (I just gently drizzle it around the pan - hitting most of the meatballs). If you have more sauce in your jar, you can save it to top the spaghetti. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Pull off the foil after 30 minutes and turn off the oven. Let the meatballs sit in the warm oven while you finish the pasta.
I use Barilla thick spaghetti noodles, boiled until al dente.

Serve a plate (or bowl) of pasta topped with a dollop of sauce and a few meatballs. Parmesan cheese is always delicious on top, too!

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Simple Woman's Daybook - August 18th

You can find out more about the Simple Woman's Daybook here.


For today, August 18th, 2008

Outside My Window... my grass is getting a wee bit long.

I am thinking ... that I'm glad to be getting school started even if I'm not entirely "ready".

I am thankful for... finally getting to enjoy dinner with friends we haven't seen much this summer.

From the kitchen ... making another batch of delicious Cinnamon Raisin bread today.

I am wearing ... blue yoga pants, white tank top and white hoodie - my standard "dressed, but not really dressed" outfit.

I am creating ... my yearly school plan this week. I have the basics, but there are some details I need to work on.

I am going ... to pick up groceries today. My local grocery story has an online shopping service - i take advantage of it very frequently during the school year. It costs my $5 in service fees, but that is worth the time it saves me! And I find that I actually save more than that in avoiding "impulse purchases".

I am reading ... still Gilead and Iliad, but also, my Cindy Rushton's yearly planning book.

I am hoping ... today's first day of school will go really well. We were up late and are getting a VERY late start to the day, but we're really not doing much "school" on the first day, so that is fine with me. Mostly we are just going to walk through the day's schedule and look over books.

I am hearing ... my local NPR station's morning talk show "Charlotte Talks" - they are talking about alternative fuel vehicles.

Around the house... I have a stack of games that I cleaned out of the bottom of my school cabinet that need to find a new home. And a pile of laundry - just no laundry detergent.

One of my favorite things... since I mentioned NPR above, it makes sense to tell you that NPR is one of my favorite things. I know they can certainly be left-leaning, but it's pretty obvious to me when they are, so it's easy to discern "spin". What I enjoy about NPR is the wonderful storytelling and the fascinating subject matter. I don't often find that they get bogged down in the silly nonsense that many news shows on TV do (which end up being mostly gossip and entertainment rather than NEWS).

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:

• First Day of School
• Mother-in-Law arriving on Tuesday
• Wednesday is eldest son's first day of Classical Conversatsions - Challenge A
• Thursday MIL and eldest son leave for a 10-day trip to Sweden

Here is picture thought I am sharing:

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Our i800 is IN THE MAIL!

I'd hoped to get the i800 submitted while my family was away at the beach, but I forgot one important detail....hubby's signature!! I let him go off without signing the form. DUH!

Oh, well!

Friday, August 15th, St. Mary's Day in Anglicanism/Dormition of Mary in Eastern Orthodoxy/The Assumption of Mary in Roman Catholocism we finally got it all signed and in the mail. See, here are my middle son (Stinkbug) and daughter (Ladybug) outside the post office:

Pray it is processed and approved quickly! The expected turn-around time is 4 months at my USCIS office...so that should be mid-December.

Notes from The Mark of the Christian

In this age of tatooes, brands, and slogans, Francis Shaeffer's essay entitled, The Mark of the Christian has a lot to say about how we show the world we are Christians. It also has a lot to say in this age of major mainline denomination shake-ups and ever-splitting Protestantism about Christian unity. A lot to say in only 59 very small paperback book pages.

I've had this little book for a few months now sitting on my reading shelf picking it up occassionally and reading a paragraph or two, which no way to read this book. Today is the last day of my short "sabbatical", so I decided to sit down and read it in it's entirety.

Here are some quotes:

"Through the centuries men have displayed many different symbols to show that they are Christians. They have worn marks in the lapels of their coats, ...chains about their necks, even had special haircuts. Of course there is nothing wrong with any of this.... But there is a much better sign - a mark that has not been thought up just as a matter of expediency for use on some special occasion or in some specific era. It is a universal mark that is to last through all the ages of the church till Jesus comes back....'that ye love one another; as I have loved you'...."

"The church is to be a loving church in a dying culture. How, then, is the dying culture going to consider us? Jesus says, 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' In the midst of the world, in the midst of our present dying culture, Jesus is giving a right to the world. Upon his authority he gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable love toward all Christians."

"But Jesus is not here saying that our failure to love all Christians proves that we are not Christians. (...) What Jesus is saying, however, is that, if I do not have the love I should have toward all other Christians, the world has the right to make the judgement that I am not a Christian. (...) Of course, the world may be making a wrong judgement because, if the man is truly a Christian...they made a mistake. (...) Here Jesus is talking about our responsibility as individuals and as groups to so love all other true Christians that the world will have no valid reason for saying that we are not Christians."

"But Jesus did give the mark that will arrest the attention of the world, even the attention of the modern man... Because every man is made in the image of God and has, therefore, aspirations for love, there is something that can be in every geographical climate - in every point of time - which cannot fail to arrest his attention. ... The love that true Christians show for each other and not just for their own party."

"The Christian really has a double task. He has to practice both God's holiness and God's love. ... Not his holiness without his love: that is only harshness. Not his love without his holines: that is only compromise."

"What divides and severs true Christian groups and Christians - what leaves bitterness that can last for twenty, thirty or forty years ... - is not the issue of doctrine or belief which caused the differences in the first place. Invariably it is the lack of love and the bitter things that are said by true Christians in the midst of differences. (...) It is these things - these unloving attitudes and words - that cause the stench that the world can smell in the church of Jesus Christ among those who are really true Christians."

"First, we should never come to such difference with true Christians without regret and without tears."

"The church is not to let pass what is wrong; but the Christian should suffer practical, monetary loss to show the oneness true Christians should have rather than to go to court against other true Christians, for this would destroy such an observable oneness before the watching world."

"I want to say with all my heart that as we struggle with the proper preaching of the gospel in the midst of the twentieth century, the importance of observable love must come into our message. We must not forget the final apologetic. The world has a right to look upon us as we, as true Christians, come to practical differences, and it should be able to observe that we do love each other. Our love must have a form that the world may observe, it must be seeable."

"Love - and the unity it attests to - is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father."


I know I have at times NOT worn the mark of love. I can think of a few events or moments when I have very clearly not been loving to Christians with whom I've disagreed. I've also been on the receiving end of not being loved and it really hurts - especially when it comes from other Christians. What hurts even more is realizing how damaging this is to the Gospel.

What I've learned today is that while choosing to wear marks to announce our faith is fine, it is good to make sure we are not missing THE mark that Christ gave us to wear.



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Online maps for use in History lessons

Maps of War is an online collection of animated maps and links to other realated maps around the internet. These aren't limited to solely war-time maps (although the focus is on what you might call "Conflict" maps).

Here are some of my favorites:
History of the Middle East
History of Religion
March of Democracy
American Leadership and War


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The Simple Woman Daybook - Aug 11

You can find out more about the Simple Woman's Daybook here and see today's post for more Daybook entries.


For today, August 11th, 2008


Outside My Window...another sunny summer day, but the air has cooled just slightly.

I am thinking...about how to celebrate the start of a new school year. I want to make it really special for my kids. In the past, we've always had an "Ice Cream for Dinner" party, and we'll do that again, but I'm also trying to think of fun ways to "gear up" for the year - not just on the first day.

I am thankful for... sweet solitude. My dear husband took my children to the beach with friends for a few days leaving me with a quiet house to myself.

From the kitchen ...I'm contemplating making a batch of my favorite eggplant dip (similar to baba ganoush).

I am wearing ... tan capris, violet t-shirt. Nothing fancy - just comfortable to work in.

I am creating quite a mess as I clean out my school cabinet in order to refill it with this year's school supplies and books.

I am going ...to the post office today to send our i800a - the next step in our adoption!

I am reading ...out of my RSS reader today. There are a number of items I've saved for later and these next few days will be the time for "later". I'm still reading Gilead, the Iliad, and my landscaping books.

I am hoping ...to use my days of solitude well. Mostly, I want to maintain a good balance between getting some needed projects done and having some relaxation time.

I am hearing ...the hum of my refrigerator. It's not very often that my house is quiet enough to notice that.

Around the house... things have stayed VERY neat with no extra people to leave little messes. Well, until I started cleaning out the school cabinet. So, let's say every room but the kitchen has stayed VERY neat.

One of my favorite things... during these few days of solitude has been having my thoughts uninterrupted. As any mom, especially when you have little ones or home educate, knows this is an extremely rare thing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: My goals for this 4-day holiday are: Relax, get my new Fly Lady schedule tweaked for the start of the new school year, clean out the school cabinet, get the kids' new school supplies and books into the cabinet, look over school plans for areas that need some work or fleshing out, have coffee with the same friend I was trying to have dinner with last week, and Relax.

Here is picture thought I am sharing:
I think if you click on that picture it will take you to a larger image. That is me on the left (in white) in Tiananmen Square in front of the Official Beijing Olympics Countdown Clock. If you look closely, you might be able to figure out when we were there!

I have other pictures from China that are much prettier than this one, but it seemed the most appropriate for this week. My traveling companion (and neighbor) and I are really enjoying these Olympic Games and celebrating the Chinese culture and people that we came to love while we visited.

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7 Steps to a Productive Farmer's Market Trip

...from my new blog, To Every Meal A Season , a post to help you make the most of your farmer's market trip: 7 Steps to a Productive Farmer's Market Trip. I've got 7 tips for you, perhaps you'll have some for me!

And tomorrow, check back for a "Farmer's Market Report" Mr. Linky - join in with your Farmer's Market finds for the week - YUM!

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Adoption Update - Aug. 6th - Transfiguration

Today is the day of The Transfiguration of Our Lord. Funny, our adoption process seems to have just transfigured, too. Instead of being in the "early" stage of the "MAY we adopt?", with the submission of the i800 we'll move on to the stage of "CAN we adopt?".

If the adoption journey can be compared to a biological pregnancy, the "MAY we adopt?" phase (which includes our personal decision to adopt and then the state's determining us to be adequate parents, ie. the Homestudy) is kind of like the "deciding to get pregnant" phase of a biological pregnancy, while the "CAN we adopt?" phase is a bit like the "trying to get pregnant" phase. I always liked the "trying" phase! :)

It's good to be actively doing something, although there is another wait, this wait has an expected end of about 4 months. (That is the turn-around time for our local USCIS office to process the i800s.) It could be shorter and it could be longer, but not by much. This is one advantage over the biological process, at least at this point, we know approximately how long we'll be waiting. And during that wait we have quite a bit of work to do: education requirements to fulfull, documents to collect and have apostilled, etc.

When that wait is over (when our i800 is processed and we get the "OK" from the US government to bring an orphan into the USA), we'll submit our dossier to the Armenian government and we'll be officially "PAPER PREGNANT". That is when the biological process has a leg up, so to speak. We won't really know how long the wait will be from that point until it is over, unlike biological pregnancy which has a pretty closely determined wait time (all things being fairly normal).

So, the update for this week is that we are done filling out the i800 and it is being carefully reviewed by our agency. We hope to have it in the mail to the local USCIS office by the end of the week...then it is 120 days of waiting. Pray for patience! And have a Blessed Day of Transfiguration.