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!