3 in 30 - January update

My first 3 in 30 Goals and my first update. ;)  It wasn't as good as I had hoped but I am just getting started.

1. Walk!  My daughter and I were going to start walking and we managed to do it exactly ZERO times.  Ugh!  Must get better at this.  I have all sorts of excuses but the bottom line is that there is no reason why I can't squeeze in 30 minutes to do this.  Must be more accountable.

2.  Blog.  I wanted to post at least once a week (vs the once every few months I was doing)  and voila - here is my once a week.  :)  I have two other posts planned for this weekend.

3. Bible Study - finish my James Bible study.  Working on this and making good progress.  It is a fab study and I am learning so much.  Good stuff.

3 in 30 Goals

I am joining the 3 in 30 Blog link this year.  Each month I will select 3 goals for the month and work on those specific areas for the month.

1. Walk!  Olivia and I have decided to start walking in the mornings.  We are going to start small and build up b/c I've been having a lot of issues with my knee.  

2.  Blog.  I'm going to blog at least once a week.

3. Bible Study - finish my James Bible study.

I'll post my progress. :)

My Blog Has a New Name

I renamed my blog. :)  I needed a change and I am really happy with it.  Expresses "me" a little bit more as I am all about "getting my ducks in a row."

I've joined some blog links and hope to be posting at least weekly and maybe even more.  Kind of my goal this year to blog more.  More on this soon.

Pondering a Change

I feel it is time for a new blog name. 

I need something that sounds more hopeful and encouraging.

I'm getting ready to revamp this entire thing and spend more time on it this year.  Wait, I think I've said that before. :)

Time for change...

Trying to see if I can post a picture

Our Christmas picture from last year.  Love my family.

Angst, Angsty, Angstish?

We finished day two of school today.  This week is a lighter schedule (adding Grammar and Latin next week) as I was a little nervous about our core curriculum.  I'd heard that MFW Exploring Countries and Cultures was a significant jump from last years MFW Adventures. The main book in question is called "Properties of Ecosystems."  It is definitely written with an older audience in mind (5th-8th would be perfect).  As I was reading the first page out loud,  I could see panic in Olivia's  eyes, but I was ready for that.  I told her that this is an introduction of this information for her and not the last time she will hear of these things.  I told her to just listen and absorb and see how she feels about it.  Olivia gave a visible sigh of relief.  Taking that pressure off was just what she needed.  She now likes to tell me what her "habitat" is for the day. :)  WHEW!  Sigh of relief for this momma!  We have MANY other books for science this year but I was relieved I didn't have to completely skip this one.  Oh yeah, Jake was fine with the whole thing.  Science does NOT stress this kid out.


YEA for My Father's World Curriculum!!
   
So, why the title for this blog?  "Angst, Angsty, Angstish?"  Dictionary.com says that angst is defined as "a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish."  I kept telling Jerome I felt "angsty" or "angstish" about this next school year.  (Yes, we decided they were both words. ) 


Why?  Why was I filled with dread?  Anxiety?   It certainly wasn't because I didn't like homeschooling my kiddos.  It wasn't because I didn't know what I was going to use.  It wasn't cause I hadn't planned enough (hee hee - my close friends will LOL at that one.)  So, what was it?  Was it anything beyond my slight nerves about the jump in workload?  


I prayed and wrote.  Wrote and prayed.  I wrote a few blog entries that never quite made it here.  My thoughts were confused.  I prayed for clarity.  I had a pity party and then prayed some more.  And then I was still enough to listen. 


Jerome, ever the good sounding board, helped me flesh out what I was hearing/not getting.  As you all know, this was a CRAZY summer.  My oldest son married the most wonderful young woman in the entire world and together Megan, my mom, and I planned the whole thing.   Praise the LORD Megan is so wonderful and we have the relationship we do cause we did it and we survived!!!  But I was EXHAUSTED!!  Mentally and physically.  What I realized is that since the wedding I had become very selfish with MY time.  I was tired, I craved a clean house and no one to mess it up.  I wanted to take naps and read.  I wanted a quiet, cool, and clean house.  I had made an idol of this down time since the wedding and selfishly didn't want to pour that much energy into anything big.  


So, what do I do with that realization?  Well, I told myself to put on the big girl panties, admit my selfishness and idolatry, and seek strength from the only ONE that can give it.  Praise Jesus!  


Do I feel all refreshed and ready to take on a new school year?  Nope, can't say that I am BUT (now here's the good part) I don't have to be.  I have to lean on God here.  Through His strength I can do what I am called to do.  There is no possible way I can do it on my own.  I guess that is why HIS name is glorified and not Amy's.  I've schooled in my own strength in the past.  Sure we get stuff done and things are learned but it isn't pretty and my kids see the difference.  This week we start each day in prayer, just like always, but there's a difference.  Instead of just me asking God to help the kids with school I ask my kids to please pray for mommy to fully rely on God today and not her own strength.  It is precious to hear your children pray for your faults...humbling and inspiring.


Angsty - my new favorite word.  

Well hello there Blog - long time no see

Hey Blog - I'm terribly sorry I've neglected you.  Life seriously got in the way. :)  There was this little thing called a wedding, and a school year, a wedding,  redoing a kitchen after a water disaster, and a wedding.  Do you notice the theme?

The wedding took over everything.  Our lives, our homes, our minds, our yard.  WHEW!  But it is over, Zach and Megan are happily married and we are getting back to normal while they learn what "their" normal is.  As a mom, I'm curious about everything that is going on in every aspect of their lives but I've completely left them alone.  I just want them to have this new time together to build their own family.

Meanwhile - I can now turn towards our school year.  I had to put organizing and planning on the back burner while we put on a wedding but I am so glad to be getting back to "my job."  I worked hard last week on lesson plans and this week is all about organizing the School room (aka the family room).  Some day I'll figure out how to post pictures (maybe my friend Traci will help me if I beg :) )

Here's what we are doing for school:

Together:
My Father's World - Exploring Countries and Cultures (this has our Bible, Geography/History, and Science)
Shurley English
Latin for Children

Individually they are each doing:
Soaring with Spelling and Vocabulary
Modern Curriculum Press Workbooks
Handwriting Without Tears Cursive (both doing 4th grade level)
Teaching Textbooks Math
Sonlight Readers (Olivia 3rd grade readers and Jake 4th-5th grade readers)

Then they have 3 classes each at co-op:
Jake - Sign Language, Science, Art around the World
Olivia - Sign Language, Handicrafts, Explorers (library)

Jake will do PE once again this year (3 hours) but Olivia hates it so she is adding an extra day of dance.  She starts the more technical classes this year and will do one day of Jazz and one of Ballet.

I'm also debating on piano lessons.  I'm trying to see what we can afford and fit in.  Oh yeah, and they'll do AWANA at a nearby church on Wednesdays.  Our church has it on Sundays but we really crave that day of rest and try not to schedule ANYTHING on Sundays.  We have a lot of friends at this other church so I think it will be fun for the kids.

Hopefully I'll blog more often but I'm not making any promises. :)
TTFN!