Summer fun!

I love finding free and fun things for my kids to do and this week we ran up on a gem. Our city sponsors free summer programs at area playgrounds that are staffed by trained counselors. They run from 9am-5pm and include free lunch, games and activities. Now, I would never leave my kids there without me (that's just how I am) although the counselors do a good job taking care of the kids. But, Olivia and I hang out and let the kids play with other kids for a few hours and participate in the games.

Best of all, its very,very close to my house and the park has some nice shade trees. They will even go swimming once a week -FOR FREE! Yay!

In addition to this, we are enjoying the free movies offered by the movie theaters once a week. And the library will be offering some fun programs for the summer reading program that the kids enjoy.

And of course, there is always Vacation Bible School which cannot be beat. Perhaps if your kids are bored this summer, you can look for some activities like these in your area!

Here's to summer fun!

Welcome 2007! Okay, I'm a little late!

Yes, its a new year. Actually its 6 months into the new year and I'm just now posting!

Our school year is almost over and we have had a wonderful year! I've learned so much and my children continue to be the greatest blessings I could ever ask for or imagine. My Kevin is still my very best friend and a wonderful provider, lover, protector, and gatekeeper. Together we are growing stronger and closer to the Lord. It has been a road that has been bumpy and treacherous but we have boldly told the enemy that he will have no place in our home. To God be the glory!

Kings Forest Academy is wrapping up its fourth year and the enrollment here has grown by one very important student - Olivia Joy! Oh, she is such a jewel, a princess, a special gift from God to all of us. It is amazing to see her brother and sister take care of her, play with her, love her, train her and just enjoy her. And she thinks the world of them as well. She just lights up when they come to greet her in the mornings. How awesome!

I have lost all of my pregnancy weight and then some! Thank God for nursing! I still have about 10 pounds I'd like to lose and I have a goal of adapting a healthier lifestyle of my diet and exercise. We are improving and making healthier choices. We are taking baby steps and not beating ourselves up for mistakes. But we are really planning to continue until we are eating to live and not living to eat. My kids enjoy eating healthy and they feel a sense of pride when they have made good healthy food choices. Now, we still fall back on McDonald's more often than I'd care to admit. And, I haven't kicked my soda habit yet. But, I have done SOOOO much better than I used to.

Olivia is almost 10 months old and is cruising around the house by crawling and holding on to furniture while standing. She loves to go. She also loves to talk and is very vocal.

Chelsea is so awesome. She has a great sense of humor and loves to have fun. She is my right hand and loves to be with me and I love to be with her. I really desire to spend more one on one time with her and I'm praying for a way to do that. Right now, it seems nearly impossible. But I do cuddle up with her in the bed and we talk,talk,talk! Her perspective on life is so interesting. There are plenty of things she needs to learn and internalize about her appearance, her value, and her relationship with Christ. It is an honor that the Lord sees fit for me to train her. Wow!

Greg is a fine young man. He is ten years old now and becoming a true disciple in the army of the Lord. He is so unpredictable and fun. He likes to have fun, play basketball, read and practice his leadership skills. He is always the first to get up. He prays in the Spirit each morning and reads his Bible before most of us rise up. He also is great at saving money and is frugal. He likes to help his father with yard work and repairs around the house. But more than anything, he loves is PS3 and NBA 2K7 game right now. He wants more freedom to see movies and things that we do not think are appropriate for his age. We are trying to balance guarding his Spirit from unfruitful garbage and allowing him to grow up. It is not easy yet it is. We would like to surround Greg with opportunities to do something uncommon and unusual for Christ. If he spends his time playing outdoors, ministering to others, playing sports, building things, fishing or hunting, he will have less time to worry about the latest PG-13 movie.

We really don't like most of the PG movies that come out. But some we will allow him to watch with our presence and pre-screening. PG-13 is out! Hollywood's version of PG-13 makes me cringe sometimes. Things seem so harmless but the enemy is crafty and very patient. He is willing to bombard people with subtle images of sin for years and years to weaken people to a future attack. I think we should do all we can to make it hard for satan to get a toehold on our children.

As for me, I am still trying to find a comfortable place. I think I'm beginning to realize that I am in a season of sacrifice right now. I do have a great job that I work from home. I have the flexibility to work part time or full time and its pretty easy and somewhat fun at times. It doesn't pay a whole lot but it helps tremendously. While we are waiting for our millions to manifest so that we can really do what we want to in the body of Christ (Christian school), we are speaking wealth and debt freedom each day. We are building up our faith so that we can believe for what others would think is impossible. I am contemplating taking classes at in the fall but I'm awaiting the Lord's direction on that.

Oh well, I'm sleepy now. I'll try to post more later this week.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas time is here and things are going so well! Our school year has been a lot better than I anticipated and I am loving our schedule of reduced activities. We do a lot of "nothing" and it has been fantastic. This unstructured free time has allowed us to enjoy Olivia and each other and get closer! Sure, sometimes its a little too close for comfort but its still wonderful. The kids are doing well. Right now, they are outside playing with a neighbor while the baby sleeps.

We didn't do much in the way of decorating and festivities this year but we do have a few things coming up this week. On Wednesday, we are going to drive through a live nativity. On Friday, we hope to go carroling with my niece and nephew around a neighborhood in Thomasville. On Saturday, Chelsea is going to a Christmas birthday party for Jesus at my friend's house. On Sunday, we are going to church and a Christmas party and over to Kevin's mom's house. And on Christmas day we are having dinner with my family.

It should be busy and fun. I've got some last minute shopping to do tomorrow. I've got Kevin's present already and that may be all we do this year is presents for each other and the kids. We are experiencing some financial difficulties right now so we've got to really cut back. But God is faithful and we are grateful for what we do have.

Today, Kevin set up an appointment with Caldwell Academy to consider putting the kids back in school next year. I have mixed feelings about that. We are still praying and believing God for His divine guidance regarding this. I think the time has come but I just don't know. I love home schooling them and I really don't want to stop but we have got to think about some long term solutions to our financial situation. So, again, we are praying.

Well, that's all for now.

School Begins

 

Today we went over specifics of our schedule.  I will begin to journal what we have done for the day here and see if this format works.

 

First off, I had a six week checkup after having Olivia today at 11:15 so that was smack dab in the middle of our day.  So, things were a bit off.  Also, I did not get up at 6 but at 8:30 because of an all nighter with the baby. 

 

However, we managed to do the following:

 

Math U See - Lesson 5

R & S English - Lesson 1

Writing Strands- Lesson 1, Day 1

Spelling Power - Group 1 List

BJU 3 - Lesson 14 Gregory, Lesson 4 Chelsea

Piano and Guitar practice

Read 5 pages of Nate Saint

 

Here is what I need to change: 

 

I need to read more in Spelling Power to make sure that I am doing it correctly.  The test should be limited to 5 minutes. 

 

Decide on how to handle books and where to put them while working.

 

 

 

 

2006-2007 School Year

This year I will have a fourth grader and a third grader. Here are some of the resources I plan to use:

Geography,Art,Music,Reading - My Father's World Exploring Cultures and Countries
Spelling-Spelling Power
Writing- Writing Strands and Institute for Excellence in Writing
Math-Math U See
Science-Student Interest Led with living books, experiments, nature walks and field trips
Grammar and Language Arts - Our Mother Tongue and The Shurley Method


I am sure about most everything above except for the grammar. I am thinking of using a traditional text by Rod and Staff. Also, I would love to use Apologia's Botany Elementary Science but I'm trying to keep costs low. We will see if this changes.

Unexpected Blessings

It has been quite a while since I have posted and now I'm on a posting flurry. I am so excited and thankful because our family is growing. On Dec. 29th, 2005, Kevin and I found out that we are pregnant and expecting our third child! This was not planned but it was certainly dreamed about. I'm so glad God knows best and uses us to the pleasure of His good will.

Anyway, our new addition, Olivia Joy Dogulas will be joining us sometime in mid-August. This has been a very eventful and different pregnancy. It has not been easy but it is so worth it. Things that happened this time that never happened before: severe carpal tunnel in both wrists, morning sickness, extreme fatigue, high blood pressure in second trimester going forward, failing a gestational diabetes screening (turned out to be a false alarm), 4D ultrasounds, no deli meat (fear of listeria?), 15 pounds overweight before becoming pregnant, cuter maternity clothes, very little swelling of feet (only went up a 1/2 size), very active baby who moved alot from her first ultrasound at 10 weeks and kicks like a karate champion!

I am so excited!

The kids perform "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Can't you just see them leading a congregation in praise and worship?

Practice makes perfect!

Was I meant to do this?

I have sometimes asked myself if I was meant to do this. I am a housewife without a great deal of training. When I was a child, I was indoctrinated with the idea of being a career woman and marrying a wealthy and successful man, having kids and living the American dream. Now that I am grown and have a family of my own, it has become apparent to many women who were sold this same bill of goods, that it is not all it was cracked up to be. We have lost generations of children to the two career parent lifestyle and endless pursuit of material gain. Fortunately, I have been married for twelve years to a wonderful man who has set our family up for me to stay at home and train and raise the kids. I love it but at times it is such a struggle because it goes against everything I was raised to believe I should be doing. Add to that the financial challenges of living on one income and you have a recipe for major internal and external conflict.

My husband often tells me that he is weary of how I go back and forth on my struggle with this issue. He wants me to be and stay on the same page with him. I know how important it is for us to be in agreement. We stay on the same page 85-90% of the time. However, there are some times when I doubt my decision to teach the kids at home and be a house wife. These struggles arise out of many things including lack of proper training in cooking and keeping house, pressure from family and friends to go back to work (real and/or perceived), financial challenges, boredom, kids not meeting behavior or performance expectations and coveting worldly things and pleasures.

My husband is so strong. He is completely immune to these things. He has a made up mind about home schooling. This is good because he is a rock and I act like the chaff that the wind blows away!

Third Year - A Great Start!

Well I have made it! God is so good and I thank Him for His faithfulness! It has been a while since my last post but I've now got so much to tell. On my last post, I shared my challenges with trying to do real estate and homeschool. I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post. The advice from so many nice people has been helpful.

I have decided to focus on homeschooling and put real estate on hold for a little while. I plan to go get my broker's license this December during a break from our lessons. Once I have that, then I will see what the Lord has in store. I want to hold seminars to help people understand the process of owning a home and then refer them to other reputable realtors and collect a referral fee. As a broker, I can keep all of the fee instead of splitting it with a company.

Of course, I am going to lay my plans on the altar to see what God has to say about them.

Anyway, I am now directing a home school co-op called Classical Conversations. We have 31 students and it is wonderful! This group is a blessing.

Our kids are doing wonderfully well in school. I resisted home schooling while home schooling for the past two years. I have had a love/hate relationship with it and now that I have given it my heart and allowed God to be first in this, it is flourishing.

I will be working part time until I pay down some debt I have accumulated. I know that God has a wonderful plan and I will continue to walk it out.

Be blessed!