It's Getting Closer!

This is a friendly reminder that it is almost time for us to begin to "Read the Bible in 90 Days"!  I've had a few friends sign up to read along with me, and I'm so thankful for those folks!  If anyone else wants to join us, there's still time.

Some friends have asked me why I think it's so important to do this.  To be honest, it's not that it's actually so important to read it in 90 days.  It's just that I think it's important for all Christians to read the entire Bible all the way through since it's God's Word to us and we all need to be familiar with what's in it.  The reason for the reading in 90 days is that, if we don't set a specific goal and stick to it, it will be just one more thing that we never quite get around to doing.  I'm sure all of us have decided to get something done "some day," and that day never quite gets here!

We will be following along with the folks at the Mom's Toolbox blog.  Our reading will begin on July 5 and will end in the first few days of October.   I will post (probably about once a week) about how my reading is going and anything in particular that I have learned or noticed as I've read that week.

If it seems like too much to finish it in 90 days, then maybe you can commit to reading for a certain amount of time each day.  You might choose to commit to reading one or two chapters a day--or whatever seems "doable" to you.  If you make it a habit to read the Bible each day and can do it for 90 days, then I'm sure you'll be able to finish it--it will just take longer than 90 days.  I think "they" say that, if you can do something for 21 days, you will have created a new habit.  This would certainly be a good habit to create!

If you decide to read along with me, please let me know.  I am looking forward to getting started!  I will be praying for each of you as we get ready to begin.  I hope you will be doing the same for me and the others who will be participating. 

Blessings to all of you! 

The Simple Woman's Daybook Meme

I recently came across a blog called The Simple Woman's Daybook.  She hosts a meme each Tuesday, and I thought it might be fun to participate in it.  I hope you enjoy my own daybook post.  If so, I may participate more often.  Also, you might enjoy going to The Simple Woman's Daybook blog to read some other daybook entries.  Enjoy!

For today:

Outside my window...
I am watching quite a few birds who have become "regulars" at the bird feeder we put this year.  Among them are a beautiful cardinal couple and a tiny little bright blue bird of some sort.  I love watching them!

I am thinking...
that I really should be working on finishing up my lesson plans for the coming school year instead of blogging!

I am thankful for...
these years while my kids are still young enough to be at home and homeschool.

From the learning rooms...
Not too much is going on this week since we are taking a break from school for the summer.  My son is doing some summer reading for his Omnibus II class this fall, though, and my younger daughter is finishing up a little bit of math.

From the kitchen...
I remembered a yummy recipe for a cucumber salad that I had forgotten about.  I sliced several cucumbers really thin and put them in a bowl.  Then I mixed about 3/4 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of water, 1/3 cup of sugar, and a dash or two of salt and mixed until the sugar was dissolved.  I poured that over the cucumbers and let it sit for several hours (but it tastes best to let it sit overnight).  Yummy!!!!  You can add more vinegar or more sugar is you like it more sour or a bit sweeter.

I am wearing...
A pair of brown capri pants, a brown and white print top, and a necklace that a good friend of mine sent me as a little "happy." 

I am reading...
Well, actually I am about to begin reading the entire Bible.  I will try to finish it in 90 days.  I've never read the entire Bible all the way through, so I'm really excited about it!

Around the house...
The house is pretty decently clean right now!  Hooray!

One of my favorite things...
is homemade ice cream!  I try to make it really often during the summer.  It's a special treat for the kids and my hubby and me.  We usually make it every 2 or 3 weeks during the summer, and the kids really look forward to it! 

A few plans for the rest of the week...
are to work on lesson plans for the coming school year, to work on a project I'm helping do for The Old Schoolhouse magazine, and to visit with my sister and her kiddos.  It's nice to have extra visiting time during the summer too!

Here is a picture for though that I am sharing...

I hope you enjoyed reading my daybook entry.  If you'd like to participate, you can leave your entry here in my comments, or you can go to The Simple Woman's Daybook and leave an entry there.  Have fun!

Blog Walk Week 3

The homeschool Crew is beginning to get cranked up for this year!  In the next few weeks, we will be reviewing the June module of the TOS Schoolhouse Planner.  The June module is called "Travel the World."  We will also be reviewing an ebook about creating travel kits.  I'm really excited about both reviews!  I love the Schoolhouse Planner and have used it for the last couple of years.  I haven't read all of the modules that go with it, but I have read several of them and have enjoyed them all.  I have also read a little bit about creating travel kits.  I'm so interested in this topic because it's something that will be really useful to a lot of people who still have traveling to do this summer.  For those who have already done their traveling, you might want to tuck away some ideas for traveling later this year or even next summer! 

Also this week, we are presenting our third set of blogs for you to check out.  If you can take the time to visit these blogs, try to leave a comment.  It's so much fun (and so encouraging) to the blog writer to have lots of comments!  I hope you enjoy these blogs.  :) 


1. All American Family

2. Growing Fruit

3. Learning to Teach

4. Codex Young Author's Publishing Program

5. Stairsteps Homeschool Academy

6. Kingdom Academy

7. Living Sola Gratia

8. Wynfield Christian Academy

9. The Cow Queen

10. Creek on the Prairie

Ya Gotta Love Living in the South

It is already so hot this summer!  I am really enjoying the hot weather since, for some reason, this past winter seemed so long and cold to me.  I was truly ready for some warmer weather when it came this time.  It's usually the hottest in July and August, though, so I'm wondering what we'll be in for during the next couple of months! 

The weather here is always pretty humid too, so that can make it feel a lot hotter than it actually is.  So far our high temperatures have been around the mid 90s.  It has probably gotten higher than that a few times.  I don't watch the temperature very closely.  I've checked the heat index a few times lately though, and it's been around 105 to 110! 

I started thinking about the temperature this morning when I went outside.  I have white rocking chairs on my front porch, and they have been looking a little grungy for the last few weeks.  I clean them every spring or in early summer so we can enjoy sitting in them all summer and not come away covered in a dusty film!  I have been putting off cleaning them, but I decided I could put it off no longer! 

I knew it would be too hot later in the day, so I went outside at about 7:45 this morning to do the dreaded task.  It took me about an hour to do the whole job.  By the time I was finished, I was soaking wet from head to toe.  And I had been cleaning them in the shade, too! 

Since I live in the South, I just know that it's going to be blazing hot every summer, and I try not to let it bother me too much.  I suppose I get my "reward" during the winter when my friends who live in other areas of the country are freezing half to death while those of us who live in the South may or may not even need a jacket most days. 

I'd love to hear what you love about the weather (or anything else!) in the state or area of the country that you live in if you'd like to share it!   Wherever you are, though, I hope you are enjoying your summer.

Planning

As a homeschooling mom, I seem to always be planning something!  I'm either planning meals or play days or field trips or something all the time!  That's ok, though.  Most of the time I really enjoy planning things.  It makes me feel organized and secure--like I know what I'm doing.  :) 

Right now, I'm starting to seriously plan for the coming school year.  Every year around March, I try to begin thinking about what subjects I want my kids to learn the next school year.  One reason for this is that several companies I use offer free shipping during the month of April.  Books are so expensive to ship that I really like to take advantage of free shipping whenever I can! 

Another reason I like to begin planning early is that, now that two of my children take an online class, I need to be sure to get them registered for it before all the available class spaces fill up.  So far they only take one online class each.  (My 14-year-old daughter doesn't take an online class, but her 13-year-old brother and 7-year-old sister will in the fall.)  Well, to be more accurate, my son took an online class last year and will take the next online class in the series this fall.  My younger daughter will be taking her very first online class this fall. 

A third reason I like to begin planning ahead is so that I will actually finish my planning before time for the next school year to begin!!  Just the other day I was thinking about my "planning pattern" that I follow each year.  Oh, and you probably DON'T want to follow my example in this area! 

1.  In January or February, I realize that I need to begin planning so I'll be ready to buy books in April. 

2.  In March, I force myself to narrow down the books/subjects/curriculums I've been considering for the last month or so. 

3.  In April, I order everything that I possibly can while I can get free shipping. 

4.  In May, the books start arriving.  (When the new books start arriving, it's like Christmas for me!!  I LOVE to open those boxes full of brand new books and materials!)  I go ahead and flip through the books and get a general idea of what they contain and how I will schedule everything for the next year. 

5.  In June, I realize that the summer is already flying by and that I need to write my lesson plans (yes, I prefer to use lesson plans--otherwise I don't stay on track very well) before the whole summer is gone.  I also typically take a look at my summer "to-do" list (for house cleaning and organizing, etc.) and try to get a few items marked off before I sit down to start working on lesson plans. 

6.  In July, I start to panic and force myself to do lesson plans even though my "to-do" list isn't "done" yet!

7.  In early August, I finish up the last of the lesson plans and start to slowly add one or two subjects at a time to our day until we have gotten back into the swing of things!  If I'm going to be totally honest, I'll have to tell you that I don't always finish all of my lesson plans before the school year begins, though.  Sometimes it's a month or two into the school year before everything is completely planned and written down. 

It's probably not the best planning system, but it works for me!  I didn't start out meaning to plan this way--according to this "schedule,"--but this seems to be how it happens, and I suppose I'm used to it now.  What about you?  Do you have a certain way of preparing for the next school year for yourself and your kids?  I'd love to hear how you do it (or don't do it)!  

Until time for school to begin, though, I hope you are all having a wonderful summer and are able to spend some time together just having fun!

Blog Walk Week 2

This is week 2 of the Homeschool Crew's blog walk.  Below you will find the next 10 blogs on our crew members list.  I hope you will take the time this week to visit some (or all) of my new friends' blogs! Once we begin reviewing,  you will find not only reviews but also information about homeschooling, scheduling, activities, and all kind of fun stuff on these blogs.  I hope you enjoy checking then out!

1. Second Star to the Right and Straight On Till Morning

2. Surviving the Testosterone

3. Family Style School

4. School Around the Bible

5. 1628 The Story of the Goebels 5

6. Morris Family Madness

7. Homeschool Musings

8. Homeschooling (and then some!)

9. Heartfelt Homeschooling

10. following Him home

As you read these blogs, be sure to leave a comment if you enjoy the blog.  It's really encouraging to bloggers to see comments from readers who enjoyed visiting! 

Just When I Thought I Was Busy.....

Have you ever felt totally swamped with things to do?  Do you ever get so busy and so tired that you spend the day looking forward to falling into bed that night?  I have been so busy for the last few weeks that I've felt like that over and over lately. 

I thought that, when the kids and I took a break from homeschooling for the summer, we might be able to rest and relax a little.  Boy was I mistaken!  As I've been looking around the house, I've found many "little" projects that need to be done before we start school in August or September.  The problem is that my list continues to grow and grow!  Even though it's only mid-June right now, I know how quickly the summer will pass, and I'd love to have my entire summer "to-do" list marked off before that happens. 

Then, in the middle of feeling so busy and so overwhelmed with things to do, I came across a book that I've been wanting to read called The Duggars:  20 and Counting!  Raising One of America's Largest Families--How They Do It.  Even though I love to read, I haven't had much time for "just for fun" reading lately.  When I came across this book, though, I decided to make the time to read it.  I'm about 2/3 of the way through it, and I just got the book on Monday.  The book is so interesting and easy to read, and I am enjoying it so much!

Yes, when I was feeling so tired and over-worked, I began reading about Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar and how they live life each day with 16 or 17 or 18 kids!  And the crazy thing is that they seem to have such wonderful attitudes and such patience.  They are so kind and loving and encouraging.  I'm not that patient and kind and loving and encouraging sometimes with my 3 kids, and I don't know what I'd do with all of their kids! 

Actually, they are the first to admit that God gives them the peace and the encouragement they need to take care of their family each day.  Reading this book has given me some encouragement too.  Besides just being fun to read, it has actually caused me to realize that, if God can help them take care of all of their children and do a good job of it, He can surely help me take care of my 3!

And as far as my to-do list goes, I suppose I'll do the best I can over the summer and try not to worry about the rest.  I hope you are busy not working too hard this summer but having some fun and enjoying some time with your family!  And I'll be doing the same thing here. 

Regular Moms Vs. Special Needs Moms

I thought some of you might enjoy this post about "regular" moms as compared to "special needs" moms.  While I realize that all moms are alike in many ways, it is also true that we are very different in others.  This post made me laugh, but it also made me think.  I am proud and thankful to be the mom of all 3 of my children--special needs and all!  I hope you enjoy it too. 

This is a REPRINT from an interesting site called, One Place for Special Needs. Thank you, Dawn, for giving everyone permission to reprint (with proper credit!)

Regular Moms vs Special Needs Moms

Moms, a stranger walks among you. We look like regular moms, but we are the hybrid to your standard engine. Our child’s disability altered us, enhanced us. Many words describe us: resilient, creative, protective, emboldened, sympathetic, fierce and determined. We are special needs moms. How do our lives stand apart from your own? Take a look under the hood and see for yourself.

by Dawn Villarreal, One Place for Special Needs, May 2010

Regular moms tell their kids to wake up and get dressed in the morning. And they do it.
Special needs moms put on battle gear to get our kids ready to start their day.

Regular moms ask their kids if they brushed their teeth.
Special needs moms prompt, “Brush your top teeth. Brush your bottom teeth. Did you get the sides? Open your mouth. My God, give me that toothbrush! You’ve left half your meal in there!”

Regular moms wave goodbye as their kids run off to catch the school bus.
Special needs moms get awesome door-to-door bus service for their child.


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Regular moms know the names of all their friends.
Special needs moms know most of their friends by their username.


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Regular moms judge other moms when kids have tantrums in stores.
Special needs moms say to themselves, “Hmm, I wonder which disability he has?”


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Regular moms complain about driving their kids to sports and recreation classes.
Special needs mom grin and bear the weekly trips to tutors, doctors and therapists.


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Regular moms’ kids have a teacher.
Special needs moms’ kids have a team.


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Regular moms talk about accomplishments.
Special needs moms talk about skills, as in play skills, conversation skills, life skills, social skills and vocational skills.


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Regular moms relax with their kids during the summer.
Special needs moms start their second job as home teachers, therapists and skills coaches.


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Regular moms think accommodations refer to hotels.
Special needs moms have memorized the top 20 accommodations for their child.


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Regular moms hope their child finds a good career.
Special needs moms are hopeful someone gives our child the chance to work.


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Regular moms soak in the tub when they want to unwind.
Special needs moms consider a bathroom break a luxury.


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Regular moms enjoy reading the latest best selling book.
Special needs moms should receive an honorary degree for all the disability books they’ve read.


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Regular moms go out for dinner and a movie with their husbands every month.
Special needs moms have a date night with their husbands every…wait, what decade is this?


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Regular moms complain their kids won’t eat their vegetables.
Special needs moms are so desperate we consider chicken nuggets to be a legitimate meat product and throw in ketchup as a vegetable.


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Regular moms’ kids go to play groups.
Special needs moms’ kids go to therapy groups.


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Regular moms meet for a ladies night out.
Special needs moms get together at support groups and forums.


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Regular moms have medical claim forms that fit in one file folder.
Special needs moms will tell you a small forest was cut down so we could receive our claims.


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Regular moms think OT means overtime.
Special needs moms know more acronyms than a NASA engineer.


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Regular moms complain their husbands sit on the couch while they do all the work.
Special needs moms…well how about that? Some things do stay the same!


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Got more? Let’s hear them! Send your “regular moms versus special needs moms” to info@oneplaceforspecialneeds.com


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About the writer

Dawn Villarreal runs One Place for Special Needs, a national disability resource that lets you find local and online resources, events and even other families in your neighborhood. She is also moderator of Autism Community Connection, a Yahoo group for families in Illinois. Dawn has two awesome kids and strives for a day when communities can effectively reach out to support all special needs. Reprint permission granted by including: Reprinted with permission from One Place for Special Needs http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com

Taking a Blog Walk

We have so many new TOS Homeschool Crew members this year (2010-2011) that we decided to do a "blog walk!" Each week, probably each Monday, the Crew members will post a list of 10 different Crew members' names with a link to each member's blog. Since all of us are on the Homeschool Crew, you will find reviews on these blogs (once we start doing them), but most of them also post other homeschool-related information as well. I've been visiting them too (although I haven't looked at all of them yet). It's so much fun getting to know other homeschool families and learning how they homeschool and about their daily activities and routines. I hope you will visit some (or all!) of these blogs yourself. Have fun!


1. Alane Abbett's Reaping a Harvest

2. Alexis Green's Pink & Orange Coffee

3. Alina Neuberger's Live, Laugh, Learn!

4. Amanda Bowen's Mrs. Mandy's Musings

5. Amber Hockman's The Fantastic Five

6. amberschoessow's Refined Metals Academy

7. Amy Henn's Just A Moment in Time

8. Angela Greenwell's Providence Farm

9. Angela Richter's My Journey

10. Angie Wright's Petra School

Mary Grace's Ballet Recital

My younger daughter, Mary Grace, began taking ballet when she was 2 1/2 years old.   At the ballet academy where she is a student, they usually accept children at age 3.  Mary Grace was great friends with another homeschooler who is a year older than her, though, and already took ballet.  For this reason, Mary Grace insisted that she was old enough to take lessons as well, even if she wasn't quite the "acceptable" age!  The ballet instructor, a wonderful Christian lady named Jill, agreed to allow Mary Grace a few "trial" classes to see if she was ready to begin lessons. 

Mary Grace was a little bit unsure of herself and held back a bit during the first couple of classes.  After that, though, she absolutely loved it!!  This past school year was her 5th year of ballet (we take summers off), and she is eagerly looking forward to classes beginning again in the fall. 

I am so pleased that Mary Grace's ballet teacher is a Christian lady!  It is such a blessing for my daughter and me when Jill begins each class with a prayer.  The girls also recite a Bible verse together at the beginning of each class.  Jill teaches them all the sign language that goes along with the verse, and the girls really love it!

She also has the girls dance to classical and/or Christian music instead of the music that is so popular and so ungodly that comes on the radio now.  We listen almost exclusively to Christian music in our home (with the exception of a few "oldies" now and then), and I just love the fact that the music the girls dance to is music that I totally approve of!  When the girls dance to a song over and over in practice and begin to enjoy the beautiful dances they do while listening to that music, I think the music becomes something more "personal" to them.  I want to be sure that any music that my children listen to is godly and wholesome and inspires them to be better Christians and have a closer relationship with God. 

I also really appreciate the fact that, when the girls perform at recitals and other performances, they are modestly and appropriately dressed.  The costumes that Jill chooses for the girls are always beautiful and feminine.  They are never skimpy or suggestive, and they never bare too much skin. 

It's also really neat that Mary Grace has the option of being in a ballet class for homeschoolers.  The homeschool classes meet earlier in the day (before other kids get out of school) so we don't have to be there late in the evening for classes.  I am so glad that Mary Grace has the opportunity to take classes with her homeschool friends.  That gives her a chance to see her homeschool friends once or twice a week, and it also gives me the chance to visit with the other homeschool moms while the girls are in class. 

These last 5 years of ballet have been such a wonderful blessing for my daughter and myself.  I hope Mary Grace continues ballet for many more years with Jill.  I thank the Lord for Jill and for the wonderful, beautiful job she does with Mary Grace and the other ballerinas!

Bible in 90 Days Update

It's been almost a month since I posted about my plans to read the Bible in 90 days.  I have had one or two friends "sign up" to do it with me, but I'd like to remind the rest of you that there's still time to join in if you're interested. 

I did buy the "official" Bible in 90 Days Bible, but it's not necessary if you don't want to.  The 90 days Bible is fairly inexpensive--around $14.  I just figured anything that would make the process easier for me would help me stay on track and actually reach my goal, so I decided to buy it. 

I took some time to read one day's worth of pages when my Bible arrived so I would have an idea of how much time to set aside each day to read.  It took me about 45 minutes.  I was really taking my time and purposely read slowly so I would know at most how long it would take me to read each day.  I probably could have finished 10 minutes faster if I had read quickly and if I hadn't been interrupted a couple of times by my children.  I know that will happen, though, once I begin the reading program, so that was ok with me. 

There are 2 "grace days" included in the Bible in 90 Days reading schedule.  This just means that there are 88 days of readings instead of 90, so a person can miss 2 days of reading and not fall "behind" schedule.  I decided that I am going to spend the next several weeks (until we actually officially begin our reading in July) reading the last 12 days' worth of Bible readings so that I will have 12 or 14 grace days instead of just 2.  Since the point is to read the entire Bible in 90 days, I don't suppose it would be considered "cheating" to read a little extra now in order to allow a few more grace days later!  In case you're wondering why I'm reading the last 12 days' worth of readings instead of the first 12 days' worth, it's so that I will be reading the same parts of the Bible that the other folks doing it with me will be reading each day. 

I am getting a little bit nervous as I count down the days to beginning, but I am also getting excited.  I want to read the entire Bible, and I know I will be happy to have done it.  Instead of considering this a task I "have" to do, I'm considering it a challenge that I will enjoy meeting.  I also think that the extra grace days I am allowing into my schedule will help encourage me to keep going.  I don't want to allow myself to get discouraged and give up if I miss a day here and there, so I figure that allowing myself one day each week to miss will help me keep on track.  It's not really that I think it's so important to read the Bible in 90 days, it's just that, for most people, if we don't set a goal and try to complete it by a certain time, we won't ever reach the goal. 

I hope that, if you are one of the folks considering joining me in reading the Bible in 90 days, you will decide to join in!  If so, please leave me a comment letting me know that you will be reading too.  Hopefully we can encourage each other and keep each other accountable so we can all reach the goal together! 

My Crazy Cat

Have I ever told you about my crazy cat?  Her name is Ginger, and she is quite an extraordinary cat.  She is probably the smartest cat I've ever owned--and I've had lots of cats!!  We acquired Ginger this past December.  She was hanging out at our mailbox at the end of the driveway, and she followed us home one day and wouldn't leave.  She was half starved, so we assumed she didn't belong to anyone.  We allowed her to come inside and live with us.  Ginger's kitty cat friend, Tabby, has lived with us for almost 3 years now.  Tabby is our "old lady" cat.  She prefers the quiet life.  She's happy to eat, sleep, and be loved on by us--her people.  Ginger, however, is young and adventurous. 

I say that Ginger is the smartest cat I've ever owned because she actually seems to be able to think about things and plan how to get her own way.  I know that many cats learn to come running when they hear the can opener or the bag of cat food being opened.  Ginger, though, is very particular about her toys, and she actually seems to plan and scheme to figure out how to get just the toys she wants to play with.  She's very amusing!

I first noticed that Ginger was a little different than most other cats when she began picking through my son's Lego collection to find just the Lego she wants to play with.  My son has a rather large collection of Legos, so I let him use a flat sheet on his floor to spread his Legos on.  Then, when he's finished using them, he can just fold up the sheet around and over the Legos to "clean them up."  Ginger came upon his Lego collection one day while it was spread out all over the floor.  She began using her paws to "sift" through the Legos until she found just the one she wanted.  Then she carefully picked it up in her mouth, took it into the living room, placed it on the floor, and began batting it around and chasing after it until it got "lost" under the couch.  Once she realized she couldn't get it out, she went back to his room to carefully sort through and find another one! 

And if you try to take a toy away from Ginger, she will growl at you like a dog defending his bone.  Once recently she somehow caught a little tiny frog that had managed to get inside the house.  She had the best time chasing the frog around.  She was jumping and running and banging into things.  We knew she was after something, but we didn't know what it was.  My son discovered that it was a frog, and by that time she had caught it in her mouth.  I tried to rescue the frog, and she growled at me to let me know how angry she was that I was taking away her entertainment.  We did, by the way, manage to rescue the frog and set him free outside.

Ginger also, for some strange reason, loves to play with my makeup sponges.  She took one off my bathroom counter when I didn't know it, and she had chewed on it and played with it for quite a while before I found it.  Now she knows that, when I put on makeup in the mornings, she has a chance to steal a makeup sponge.  She will hop up on the counter and carefully watch until she sees me get one out, and then she tries her best to look like she's not paying attention.  Then if I turn my head or leave the room, she grabs it and runs!  When that quit working for her, she resorted to turning over the bathroom trash can to fish for one in there!  Now I have to take my makeup sponges to the kitchen to throw them away since that trashcan is inside a cabinet. 

Since we have had to take several of Ginger's "playthings" away from her, she now picks up her toys and runs with them if any of us get too close.  She has figured out that we sometimes take them away from her, so she wants to be sure to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.  Life was already quite exciting and eventful before we got Ginger, but now we definitely don't lack for entertainment!  And poor Tabby, our "old lady" cat, may never be the same!

Summertime and School Work

It has been so wonderful to enjoy a little time off from school for the last couple of weeks!  We do have a little bit of school work to do over the summer, but we took a couple of weeks off just to rest from the work and enjoy the beginning of summer before getting started with our over-the-summer work.  I had hoped to be able to take this summer completely off, but my 13-year-old son didn't quite finish his science book, and he has some summer reading to do before his Omnibus II class begins in September. 

I suppose I could blame it on my twin sister.  She's the one who had the baby in April.  My children and I tried very hard to finish our school before her baby was born in April, but it just didn't happen.  My older two children (ages 14 and 13) are at a point where their school work just takes more time than it did when they were younger.  We weren't able to get our work done before Melissa's baby was born, and then we took two weeks off to help her with the baby once he arrived. 

We could also blame it on "spring fever."  Once we did get back to school after baby Silas was born, it just seemed that we all had a terrible time doing our work instead of enjoying the wonderful spring weather outside!  In fact, I may have posted about Mary Grace and me taking our school work outside to do many days during that beautiful weather. 

I suppose, though, that instead of blaming it on anybody, we should just take responsibility for it ourselves!  It's not so bad to have a little bit of work to do over the summer anyway.  I have noticed that, even though they won't admit it, my kids actually enjoy having a little bit of structure in their days even over the summer.  I wouldn't want to have a lot of work to do, but a little bit isn't so bad. 

I hope all of you are enjoying the beginning of your summer whether you homeschool or whether your kids go to school somewhere.   We have already started going swimming and have made homemade ice cream twice!  Those are some of our favorite summertime activities.  I'd love to hear from some of you about your favorite summertime activities.  Have a great summer!