Tim did really well in my eyes this semester. He was the project manager for all three of his projects. His time was well spent and I could tell he was happy with his work. Of course being Tim, he says there was a lot that he would have improved upon. If it were up to him he'd keep working on things until they absolutely perfect, ahem, work-a-hol-ic, ahem.
Here's a picture of the geo-dome that he welded together. It may not look like much to the uneducated eye, but the math and skill that went into it are amazing!
It's taken her eight years, lots of laughter, determination, tears, and love but she did it! My Mom-in-Law has graduated from college! Her received her B.S. in G.I.S. this January, and Tim and I were extremely privileged to be there!
Here she is with here very proud parents, Tim's Grandma & Pop-Pop. Here we are with both Tim's parents. Being the spouse of a student is really hard, I know from experience. So this was a proud great day for Tim's dad as well!
Wow its been a REALLY long time since I was able to sit down and blog, ahem, I mean Journal. :) As I've said before I have a sweet determined younger brother in California on a mission for our church, so sorry if this seems like a news letter with updates for him. At least when I say I've got to write David, it gives me an excuse to be on the computer. (giggle)
I've been extremely busy keeping up with kids, house, and church calling. But I can officially say were as ready as we can be to start school. I'm really excited for this year because along with what I hope will be a fun curriculum, were learning to play the VIOLIN!
Now to understand what a big deal this is I have to take you back a few years to a very young me watching Disney's Fantasia over and over again! I was obsessed with the fact that the music told a story. Then my family got the entire set of The Forgotten Carols by Micheal McLean on cassette tape. Now I know he mainly does piano but I was completely in love with the stories told to me by music. My mother would get sick of hearing the same music over and over but my father understood what I was thinking he himself being a lover of Peter and the Wolf.
I eventually chose the violin as the one instrument I HAD to have! If any unsuspecting adult asked what I wanted to do the got the prompt answer , 'play the violin.' I now realize how sad it made my parents not being able to afford lessons. It was a big thing I asked for! The Violin alone was a major expense for them. After a few years of being teased of not being able to carry a tune, and realizing that I had no talent, and couldn't read music to save my life, I put the idea aside and did my best to develop my other talents.
My sixteenth birthday rolls around and my Grandfather shows up with a brand new absolutely gorgeous Violin, bow and case. I was totally dumbfounded, I had given that dream up. I didn't know what to do. So I am ashamed to say I let it sit for years. I always took care of it, I took it to WY as a newly wed. I moved it with me every time we moved. I never let ANYTHING happen to it. But I never did anything with it.
I have always been sad by that, but kept telling myself one day when I had the money I would pay someone to teach me. ENTER HUBBY.
I guess Tim got tired of seeing that black case move with us everywhere we went, because he took a sudden interest in the neglected violin. Without my knowing he replaced the strings, and had it tuned, then he started to teach himself to play it. Maybe it was because I was pregnant and hormonal, or more likely it was years of guilt, but I lost it. I had a 'woman fit' about him playing it, "it was mine and I still loved my music and my Grandfather had wanted ME to play it!!!"
Well lets just say the Lord blessed me with the most patient man. He put it away and said, "I'll wait until your ready."
Eight months later I go to the Homeschool Conference in Atlanta. Its just myself and Timmy and I'm missing my family like crazy. So very unlike me (but very like my hubby) I take a lecture/class on music and how it develops parts of the brain that normally go unstimulated. It helps children to learn to read, but the biggest seller to me was the mathematical tributes of learning music.
I think, "how on earth can I afford classes for the children, much less me?" Then I run into a booth at the conference selling a music tutorial for parents to be able to teach children to play the violin and/ or the viola. EVEN if the parents cannot read music. They also sold tiny violins, cases, and music stands. (Pictures forthcoming.)
I very humbly returned home and told my husband to take my violin and teach our girls music. (He's also tutoring me on the side. :)
I'll post some pictures of the girls and Tim playing when I can find my camera.
(The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit. Rush Limbaugh)
As you can tell we love to read! Its a staple in our lives we cant do without. So when we hear that there is a book fair happening where you get free books and get to play games we are so there baby! To save some blogging time I'm just going to describe quickly a little of the fun, the girls and Aunt Lissa and cousin Abbie were all turned into princess's. I sacrificed myself for the sake of holding Timmy and was turned into a prince. (I make a mighty fine one if i do say so myself!) Then to keep in with the trends the children's faces were painted to reflect personalities, Mae a heart, Liza and Abbie cats, Timmy slept through the event. There was much excitement when fishes were caught with magnets, and when we got to create our own publications with cut out pictures and glue. A very tiring but fun day, on a personal note, I'm really glad my sister was willing to give up a Sat. to spend w/ and my loud kids! LOL!
As part of our school curriculum we pick one book to read once a day every day for five days then we do a related craft, science experiment, or activity.(Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert)Last week we read Corduroy. To end the week we kicked off with a teddy bear picnic. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast pulling out every bear in the house, even Mommy and Daddies old bears.
Mae is officially in Pre-K even though we have been doing pre-K for a year now. I think pretty soon I'm just going to start her in Kindergarten work, otherwise she's going to get really bored. Last week we were learning about different kinds of transportation. (When I say we I mean Myself, Mae, Liza, and Ethan.) We colored these cute cars then put wheels on them that really turn! "Oh cool mom!" Well just as a suggestion I told Mae she could draw people in the car, (note; Mae's people are the bubble headed type with arms and legs but no other appendages or detail other than facial features.) I didn't really LOOK at Mae's pictures until it was time to hang it up.
Okay, if you see what I see the person in front does NOT look happy, so I asked my daughter why the driver was sad, "She's not sad Mommy, she's angry because their having fun in the backseat and she's TRYING TO DRIVE!'' Mae delivered the "trying to drive" part to me in a scarily accurate replica of myself. Upon hearing that I realized I must be the grumpiest driver in the world, God forgive me, I never let my kids "have fun" in the back seat!
So I felt a little better when the next Sunday, on the way to church Liza started to fuss. When inquiries where made as to why, all she would say was, "Mommy do it!" Mae patiently explained to her retarded parents that Liza was upset that whenever Daddy was in the car he never let Mommy drive, and they both wanted me in the driver seat.
I thought that was silly until Daddy laughed and said,"Its because Mommy gets there faster isn't it?!" Both girls one weepy, one giggly, both said, "YES!"
Apparently I need to learn to smile while driving and slow down.
Here is Liza's cute car, just so she isn't left out.
Tim had a fun experience in English class. The teacher was trying to emphasis punctuation, on the board he wrote;
WOMAN WITH OUT HER MAN IS USELESS
The female portion of the class was instantly offended, whereas there was a bit of sniggering from the males. The teacher said, " Hold on, see what happens when I use correct punctuation!" He then made the following changes;
WOMAN: WITHOUT HER, MAN IS USELESS!
Three little changes to the sentence and it has been corrected! I guess it all depends on how you look at things. :)
Mae loves to write her name on her magnadoodle, (courtesy of Grandma!) So one day after doing a "A" project she disappeared for a bit then came back running to show me she started drawing A's everywhere! My walls are so pretty now. I'm begging her to stick to the magnadoodle.
I have to do something to keep my mind off of others things going on around me. (These presidential elections have really left me drained!) So here are some pictures from our school last week!
It was "A" week! We Studied Ants, Airplanes, Art, Asparagus, and Apple PIE!!! The Ants were a big hit, the asparagus was a regurgitated failure. Oh and BTW, don't ever study something in depth with a three year old that she could possibly catch you killing later. All of a sudden all ants even the ones invading the kitchen are "SO CUUUTE!" Never thought I'd console a kid after squashing a bug.
Last month Mae was studying the different season's. One of her crafts was to make a wind sock. this is Mae and her creation which thanks to the miracle of scotch tape survived its first encounter with little sister.
We went out for the fire safety awareness day in Central. The girls got stickers, coloring books, and the best of all climbed on the fire engines! the girls had a blast and I'll admit I went a little camera crazy, but they were so thrilled I had to get it. I had fun too, those firemen where, shall I say it,...On FIRE! HA-HA! J/K!
